Tag: Hugh Jackman

THE WOLVERINE Movie vs. Comic

 

Hugh Jackman as The Wolverine courtesy Marvel and 20th Century Fox
Hugh Jackman as The Wolverine courtesy Marvel and 20th Century Fox

  Hugh Jackman reprises his role as Logan in The Wolverine. The story will be set in Japan and based on the limited series by Chris Claremont and Frank Miller. Director James Mangold told Entertainment Weekly how closely the film will follow the classic story.

  “It’s definitely more. A lot of that story and a lot of beats from that saga are in there — and a lot of characters. Without being religious about it, I think it’s a very admiring adaptation. Obviously when you’re adapting anything you make some changes. But all the characters are there – Yukio, Viper, Mariko, Shingen, and Logan obviously. The whole cast of characters that exist in that world exists in our film.”

  Mangold confirmed this film is set after X-Men: The Last Stand but does not act as a sequel. The director says why he chose to set this film after the first three X-Men movies:

“Because of some of the themes in the Claremont/Miller saga. I felt it was really important to find Logan at a moment where he was stripped clean of his duties to the X-Men, his other allegiances, and even stripped clean of his own sense of purpose. I was fascinated with the idea of portraying Logan as a ronin – the definition of which is a samurai without a master, without a purpose. Kind of a soldier who is cut loose. War is over. What does he do? What does he face? What does he believe anymore? Who are his friends? What is his reason for being here anymore? I think those questions are especially interesting when you’re dealing with a character who is essentially immortal.”

For the entire interview here’s the EW link.

Hugh Jackman will play Wolverine again in X-Men: Days of Future Past.

By Editor

Comic Book Movies 2013

As we celebrate the finale of The Dark Knight Trilogy, the success of The Avengers and the return of James Bond in in Skyfall in 2012, it’s time to look at some of the genre films that will thrill us in 2013.

Here are my most anticipated comic book films of 2013.

Hugh Jackman as The Wolverine courtesy Marvel and 20th Century Fox

The Wolverine Hugh Jackman plays the X-Man in his second solo movie based on the classic story by Chris Claremont and Frank Miller. It’s Logan in Japan fighting Yakuka, Ronin, the Hand and The Silver Samurai! This film introduces three iconic women of Wolverine’s list of romantic conquests: Lady Mariko – daughter of crime lord, Yukio – the wild assassin who inspired Storm to get a mohawk, and Viper – ruthless terrorist leader.  With James Mangold (Walk the Line, 3:10 to Yuma) directing from the classic source material, I think this film will be a showcase of action and great acting Jackman. Jackman and Wolverine are one of the greatest combining of actor and role ever.

Thor: The Dark World Chris Hemsworth as the Thunder God goes home again when a new threat targets Asgard! Malekith (played by former Doctor Who Christopher Eccleston) leads the Dark Elves on a quest for vegeance that threatens the Nine Realms. Adwele Akinnuoye-Agbaje plays another classic comic book enemy: Kurse. I hope to see a bigger role for Lady Sif (Jaime Alexander) and look forward to that bloody Shakespearean drama from Anthony Hopkins, Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston as Odin, Thor and Loki.

Iron Man 3 Marvel is injecting new creative blood (director Shane Black) and a classic enemy – Ben Kingsley as the Mandarin – in Tony’s third solo movie. The story is based on the classic Extremis story and introduces new armor including the Iron Patriot.

Man of Steel With a team like director Zach Snyder, producer Christopher Nolan and writer David Goyer will this darker, realistic Superman work the way Dark Knight did? Henry Cavill will face Michael Shannon as Zod and possibly more evil Kryptonians.

Star Trek: Into Darkness To boldly go where no franchise has gone before! J.J. Abrams rebooted the sci-fi classic by honoring the original series while moving forward at warp speed. Kirk, Spock and the Enterprise crew track a mystery villain (Benedict Cumberbatch) villain out to destroy the Federation.

What’s on your list to watch for in 2013?

By Editor

 

 

THE WOLVERINE New International Poster

Wolvereine Int    Fox and Marvel revealed the new international poster for The Wolverine. This Summer Hugh Jackman plays the X-Man in a story based on the classic limited series by Chris Claremont and Frank Miller. Logan journeys to Japan in search of peace and honor but finds love and violence! This story will introduce Lady Mariko, Yukio the Ronin, Viper and Silver Samurai. James Mangold directed.

  This film could really be Jackman’s greatest performance as Logan. The original story is one of the best combinations of action and drama.

By Editor

My X-MEN: Days of Future Past Wish List

Uncanny X-Men #141 courtesy Marvel.com

With the exciting news that Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen will join the cast of X-Men: Days of Future Pastmy geeky brain starting thinking of what else would make this sequel even more thrilling for longtime X-fans:

Hugh Jackman leading the real Last Stand! In the classic Days of Future Past storyline Logan leads the underground resistance in a future North America ruled by Sentinels.  Magneto, Storm, Colossus and Kitty Pryde (now Kate Rasputin) are the only surviving X-Men. The heroes eventually break out of their concentration camp and join Logan on a suicide raid on Sentinel headquarters. Hugh Jackman is now in talks to join the film.

 

Uncanny X-Men #466 courtesy Marvel

Rachel Summers! The daughter of Scott and Jean is the key to the story. Rachel is telepathic and telekinetic like her mother and uses her psionic powers to send Kate’s mind into the present day body of a younger Kitty Pryde who must convince the X-Men to prevent an assassination that will lead to this dark future. Bryce Dallas Howard (yes I know she’s already been in a Spidey movie) would be perfect as tragic daughter of Scott and Jean. Rachel was forced to be a “Hound” and track down fellow mutants. In the comic books Rachel escaped the future and went into the past became the new Phoenix and joined the X-Men. She currently teaches as the Jean Grey School.

Franklin Richards! The last surviving member of the Fantastic Four is in love with Rachel. The son of Reed and Susan Storm Richards is in the camp with the surviving X-Men and I won’t reveal his final fate. Mark Millar’s new role as Creative Consultant for the Fox controlled Marvel franchises includes the upcoming reboot of Fantastic Four. This film could serve as a reboot point for both franchises similar to J.J. Abrams’s Star Trek.

Kitty Pryde/Kate Rasputin! Could Singer recruit Ellen Page to reprise her role? In the future Kate is married to Colossus (as it should be!) but agrees to have her mind travel into the past to rally the X-Men to stop a chain of events leading to the dark future. I think this is unlikely given the time period of the previous film.

Frenzy! I think the movie version will still have a Brotherhood of Mutants attempt to assassinate a Senator. The killing leads to the creation of the Sentinels. Magneto (Michael Fassbender) and Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence) will need new members of their Brotherhood. Why not have the gorgeous and formidable Frenzy aka Joanna Cargill on the roster? This would be a good way to have an African-American character in this retro time period as a way to explore race relations and the human/mutant conflict. In the comics Frenzy is a former mutant terrorist (who followed Apocalypse and Magneto) but joined the staff of the Jean Grey School.

X-Factor #243 courtesy Marvel

Polaris! Before I knew the X-Men: First Class sequel would be Days of Future Past I was hoping Magneto’s children (Polaris, Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch) would appear in the sequel. Polaris aka Lorna Dane is a green haired mutant with magnetic powers and falls in love with Havok (played by Lucas Till.) Polaris is one of the most tragic characters in X-history and having her could lead to romantic scenes with Till and powerful scenes with the men who would be revealed as her father (Michael Fassbender, Ian McKellen.) I think maybe Lorna would be the mutant sent back to save the future instead of Kitty.

Halle Berry returns as Storm! Ororo joins Logan in his assault on the Sentinel HQ in the future. I would love to see Berry (and Daniel Cudmore as Colossus) join Hugh Jackman in what is one of the most gripping scenes from the comic book series as the older broken heroes go on a suicide mission to save humanity one last time.

I’m sure I’ll think of more!

By Editor

 

Hugh Jackman Could Join X-MEN: Days of Future Past!

Hugh Jackman as The Wolverine courtesy Marvel and 20th Century Fox

I’ve been saying it’s going to happen! You have to have Wolverine in X-Men: Days of Future Past. Hugh Jackman is talks to reprise his role in the upcoming sequel according to The Hollywood Reporter Heat Vision.

Earlier this week Director Bryan Singer sent off the Tweet that sent the X-world buzzing: Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen would join the cast of X-Men: Days of Future Past. The new film is based on the classic story by Chris Claremont and John Byrne.

Uncanny X-Men #141 courtesy Marvel.com

In Days of Future Pastthe surviving X-Men of the future send Kitty Pryde (Rasputin) into the body of her past self to rally the X-Men of that era to prevent an assassination. The murder leads to an apocalyptic future in which mutant hunting robots called Sentinels rule North America and have killed or imprisoned all mutants and superheroes. A much older Wolverine leads the underground resistance movement and a final assault on the Sentinel Headquarters.

With this storyline we might see Halle Berry reprise her role as Storm, Daniel Cudmore as Colossus, Ellen Page as Kitty?

By Editor

 

 

WOLVERINE Is Fox’s IRON MAN

Hugh Jackman as The Wolverine courtesy Marvel and 20th Century Fox

  The success of Iron Man paved the way for other Avengers solo films (Thor, Captain America) and the shared universe that became the box-office smash Marvel’s The Avengers for Marvel/Disney.

  Fox controls the cinematic rights to Marvel’s X-Men and Fantastic Four. Fox Creative Consultant calls Hugh Jackman’s next Wolverine the beginning of a shared universe among the Fox franchises. 

  “I felt like Iron Man was really the beginning of something for the Marvel Studios movies, and ‘The Wolverine’ will be a similar starting point to build a lot off of for the Fox movies,” Millar told Comic Book Resources.

   That idea will roll into X-Men: Days of Future Past  when it starts production in April. There was a recent change in roles behind the scenes for the upcoming film. Original X-Men director Bryan Singer will now direct and X-Men: First Class director/Millar friend Matthew Vaughn will produce.

  “Bryan’s worked as a producer even on the X-Men movies that he didn’t direct — he was a producer on ‘First Class.’ So when Matthew decided he wasn’t going to do the sequel, they just switched places with Matthew producing and Bryan coming on to direct. That’s got nothing to do with me, but I’m delighted that Bryan and I will get to work together over the next few years. I’ve been working with Josh Trank on ‘Fantastic Four,’ and I have a lot of ideas of other places we can go with the characters Fox has the rights to.”

  A big question for me: Will Hugh Jackman appear in Days of Future Past? The story is partly set in a dark future in which an older Logan leads the surviving X-Men (Storm, Kate Pryde, Colossus, Magneto, the daughter of Scott and Jean, the son of Fantastic Four’s Reed and Sue against the Sentinels.)

By Editor

Jean Grey In THE WOLVERINE

Hugh Jackman as The Wolverine courtesy Marvel and 20th Century Fox

  Famke Janssen will reprise her role as Jean Grey in The Wolverine. The actress has filmed her cameo role according to We’ve Got This Covered. Hugh Jackman returns as the fan favorite X-Man in this new solo film based on Logan’s adventures in Japan where he will fall in love with the Lady Mariko – daughter  of a crime lord.

  Jean Grey was his teammate and great unrequited love of his life in the X-Men movies. Wolverine was forced to kill her to stop the wrath of Dark Phoenix. No word on how Janssen’s cameo will play in the film.

  The X-Men: First Class sequel will be Days of Future Past based on the classic story – Days of Future Past and The Wolverine are by Chris Claremont. In that story Rachel Summers (daughter of Scott and Jean) sends Kitty Pryde back in time to prevent an assassination and the dark future in which mutants are killed or imprisoned.

  Could The Wolverine and Days of Future Past be setting the stage for a reunion or reboot of the X-Men (modern day) film franchise?

By Editor

Wolverine in the Marvel Now?

Wolverine #1 courtesy Marvel

The Wolverine solo book is ending this December but don’t bet on a Logan solo title being left out of the Marvel NOW reboot. Who will take over Wolverine? The teaser for Savage by Frank Cho supports the fan theory that Cho will steer Logan’s solo adventures in 2013.

Remember back when Wolverine starred in the Marvel Comics Presents book which gave us the classic Weapon X by Barry Windsor-Smith. Back in the day there was excellent one shots like The Jungle Adventure by Mike Mignola and Blood Lust by Alan Davis.

Logan is already starring in multiple X-Men and Avengers books in the Marvel Now so why not a Wolverine book with arcs in the past, present and future with rotating all-star creative teams?

Origin #6 courtesy Marvel

These ideas pop into my mind:

Paul Jenkins (Origin) with a tale of James Howlett in Alberta.

Mike Carey (X-Men Legacy) takes Logan to hell with Doctor Strange.

Jeff Parker (Hulk, Dark Avengers) with Logan as a mercenary in Wakanda

Paul Cornell (Excalibur) with a Logan on assignment with MI-13 and Spitfire in WWII.

John Byrne (Alpha Flight, Wolverine) crafting a long-lost Patch story in Madripoor.

Mike Mignola (Hellboy) returning to The Jungle Adventure one-shot of Logan versus Apocalypse in the Savage Land and the child he left behind.

Chris Claremont and Frank Miller returning the era of the Wolverine in Japan adventure in time for Hugh Jackman’s next film The Wolverine, based on that story.

I’m sure we’ll soon see plans for a new ongoing Wolverine solo book but a geek can dream of a more anthology book with the best of the best writing stories of Logan being the best there is!

By Editor