Iron Man 3 will blast into theaters on May 2, 2013. Marvel announced the team is now filming in China and welcomed acclaimed actor Wang Xueqi to the cast as Dr. Wu.
The Chinese actor joins Ben Kingsley, James Badge Dale, Rebecca Hall and Guy Pearce as new actors in the latest chapter. Robert Downey Jr, Don Cheadle and Gwynneth Paltrow reprise their roles in the third film.
Iron Man 3 features the attack of the Mandarin, the debut of the Iron Patriot armor and Extremis nanotechnolgy.
By Editor
Here’s what I love about reading Jonathan Hickman. His storytelling is packed with big, bold, ambitious ideas that you find in the most epic science fiction novels. It’s smart but lean storytelling that still moves you. He challenges you while entertaining you. I was thrilled when I learn Hickman would take over based on his previous (SHIELD, Fantastic Four, FF) and current work (Manhattan Projects.) Marvel chose well.
In Avengers #1 Hickman throws Earth’s Mightiest Heroes into an epic new conflict with high level cosmic stakes and high drama. I didn’t just feel like I was reading a relaunch of a superhero book. This is the creation of a new mythology.
Imagine our heroes up against the “Space Gods” from Prometheus blended with Jack Kirby’s “New Gods.” A squadron of favorites (the movie Avengers if you will ) go on a mission to Mars in which we encounter the new threats to Earth and learn why the roster will explode with 18 or more members.
This premiere issue is built on big ideas but still packed with action, fights and heart and humor. Hickman and Opena craft a pitch perfect series of moments in the Avengers showdown on Mars. Some characters barely speak in the issue but when they do it has impact. It shows how Hickman is careful with his dialogue and lets Opena’s pencils carry the story.
You can’t tell me you didn’t feel a chill when Cap “waked the world” and in that final panel we saw the future of the Avengers. Marvel has chosen well – I’m excited for the Avengers World Hickman and Opena have created.
By Editor
Jonathan Hickman launches Earth’s Mightiest Heroes into a new era this week with a brand new Avengers #1 with Jerome Opena. The team will be bigger than ever packed with old favorites, new recruits and brand new characters. Hickman tells Marvel.com how he assembled his powerhouse new team.
“Well, it all starts with Iron Man and Captain America, with Tony and Steve. They can smell it in the air. They sense in the same way that we in our everyday lives know that something is not right with society. We know that things aren’t functioning properly. We have an impending sense that it’s possible that calamity is right around the corner. It’s a very real thing in society right now. Whether that’s a result of too much dystopian fiction, whether that’s a result of too many horror movies, or whether that’s financial calamity, whatever it is, it’s a very real thing in society, and this book very much starts with that: the idea that very bad things are on the horizon. As a result, they begin constructing a failsafe against that, and what happens is it is triggered, and that means they have to assemble the Avengers World.
They enact the Avengers World scenario where they have to gather all the guys together. That’s kind of the first three issues, the inciting incident and the team-has-assembled kind of deal, and then we back off for three issues and we reintroduce some of the newer characters, and then we have another three-issue arc after that where the whole team is together again, and then we have three issues after that where it’s more an introduction to the other characters again, the ones that we haven’t visited yet. Anyway, it’s kind of a way to keep the velocity of the book up and at the same time introduce everyone that people may not be familiar with or brand-new characters that the readers don’t know anything about. Again, all of that is leading to something further down the road.”
Hickman is pushing for more female heroes and explains his goal to build a team reflecting greater diversity.
“I would say sometimes it’s hard and sometimes it’s very very easy. I think that there are certain characters that are obvious and easy choices. I think Captain Marvel right now is an easy and obvious choice, because she’s not only popular but well-loved and everybody understands how important of a character that is. When I do something like add Smasher, which is now a human female, to the cast, obviously what I did is I took what was a traditionally male character and I made it a female character. The reason why I did that is because I needed a character that fit that type, that fit that scale, and by that what I mean is a quote unquote “cosmic” character, and on top of that I needed a way to tie that character into the Earth as opposed to being an alien or whatever, and so I made the changes there. But yes, it’s much more difficult than it should be because the vast majority of Marvel characters are white male super heroes. Part of our job is to protect that IP and move it forward. We always try new things, and we fail a lot, and sometimes we succeed. The hope is that our successes outweigh our failures. ”
Hickman revealed which characters are surprising him now that he’s writing them:
“I wish I didn’t have a propensity for falling in love with bad guys so much. [Laughs] I do that. I don’t know why I’m surprised by it, but of course that’s happening. I really like writing Iron Man a lot. I like writing Bruce Banner a lot. It’s not going to mean anything to anybody yet, but I like writing Smasher a lot. I love writing Sam and Roberto, Sunspot and Cannonball. Shang-Chi is a lot of fun. It’s just a cool cast.
Part of the thing, we even say it in the second issue, is these guys have been together six hours. What kind of teamwork could we possibly expect, right? It’s something that they kind of grow into. Right now everybody’s nice and happy and getting along, but everybody’s still trying to figure out where they stand and all that kind of stuff. Beyond the first big thing that happens, where I’m at in writing the book I’m doing the second big thing right now. Dealing with that has been much more difficult because they’re having to work together. So they haven’t found it yet. I haven’t found it yet, but we’ll get there.”
What’s your favorite Avengers roster? Here are mine.
Avengers World begins in Avengers #1 this week.
By Editor
Avengers #1 is out this week! Jonathan Hickman and Jerome Opena go BIG with Earth’s Mightiest Heroes! Bigger roster against bigger threats. The comic book so big is deserves a trailer!
Hyperion is back? What about the rest of the Squadron? Multiple Iron Men lying defeated? In the group shot – did you see a guy that looks a lot like Vulcan?
Avengers #1 is out this week. Thanks to Marvel.com for the trailer.
By Editor
New creative team. New mission. New armor. Marvel shared art from Iron Man #5 coming this January from Kieron Gillen and Greg Land.
A deadly nanotech superweapon is in the hands of terrorists. Tony Stark’s global pursuit of Extremis takes him into outer space.
Gillen and Land debut a brand new suit of armor for Tony as he braves the cold of space to stop the final Extremis target.
How will Tony’s crusade affect his devoted supporting cast? The Marvel preview teases that Tony will betray an old friend – Pepper?
Gillen and Land’s new Iron Man series is great for old fans and new ones plus gives you a hint of what to expect in Iron Man 3.
By Editor
Marvel shared four new photos from Iron Man 3. The Armored Avenger’s third film features the Mandarin (Ben Kingsley) and the on-screen debut of the Iron Patriot armor. The terrorist lays waste to Tony Stark’s world as you saw in the trailer.
Who is wearing the all-American heavy metal suit? In the comic book Norman Osborn developed the suit and led his Dark Avengers (a team of villains posing as the Avengers.)
Will Tony (Robert Downey Jr) or James Rhodes (Don Cheadle) or a new character wear the red, white and blue in next summer’s film? James Badge Dale is in the film – perhaps he straps in as the Iron Patriot?
This is the first time we’ve seen Rebecca Hall from the film. Hall plays a scientist who co-develops the Extremis nanotechnology – which falls into the wrong hands.
Iron Man 3 opens May 3, 2013.
What are you excited about the most from Iron Man 3?
Mandarin, Iron Patriot, Extremis, something else?
By Editor
Will Tony Stark hit on Kitty Pryde?
A+X is a fun new series in the spirit of old school team-up books like (Marvel Team-Up which starred Spidey and a different guest star each issue and Marvel-Two-In-One which co-starred the Thing.) In the aftermath of Avengers versus X-Men this is a way to let the healing begin and for fans to enjoy some unlikely duos in action together.
This week A+X #2 brings together Iron Man and Kitty Pryde against the Brood! How will the genius inventor and the X-Men’s computer wiz defeat the alien invaders? Will playboy Tony Stark resist flirting with Kitty? Good thing she’s got a dragon to burn away Brood and unwanted suitors!
A+X #2 will feature Spider-Man and the Beast against…zombies? Maybe they should call Doctor Strange for a consult?
By Editor
God Killer. Now that sounds intense!
Tony Stark rockets into outer space in the second arc of Iron Man in February. Kieron Gillen talked about Iron Man’s team up with Guardians of the Galaxy, Star Trek fantasies, and Tony paying for his actions in AvX and more on Marvel.com.
“Tony Stark is in space. Issues #1-6 are why he leaves. This is the story between Tony leaving Earth and hooking up with the Guardians of the Galaxy,” Gillen explains.
Cyclops went to prison but I believe Iron Man is in part to blame for the destruction caused by the Phoenix Five. It was Tony’s invention that deflected the Phoenix from Hope and into Scott, Emma, Colossus, Magik and Namor.
“What Tony did to the Phoenix during AvX catches up with him,” Gillen explains, “Tony is having a crisis of his beliefs. Fans know it’s because of AvX. Newcomers may be lost. We catch up here.”
Space adventures are a big part of the Marvel Now with a brand new Guardians of the Galaxy series and movie on the way. The ultimate futurist will be part of the new space age.
“Tony is living his James T. Kirk fantasies. That’s how I put it, that’s how he puts it. He thinks he’s in a space opera, then it all turns badly,” Gillen teases, “Not only does Tony try to live out his Kirk and Han Solo fantasies, he’s keenly aware he is doing so. He wants to make out with a green lady. There’s a lot of space bar flirting in issue #6. Maybe he gets his Kirk moment, maybe it goes awesomely wrong.”
The Armored Avenger may meet the Guardians but don’t expect his fellow Mightiest Heroes around.
“You know how the Hawkeye book is about Hawkeye when he’s not in the Avengers? Iron Man is about Iron Man when he’s not with the Guardians of the Galaxy. It’s a question of what space means in the Marvel Universe. Brian Bendis and I are on the same page.”
“We are in space with Tony, so we do not find out what is going on back on Earth with the supporting cast. People have been asking me a lot about why the supporting cast was not in issue #1, and it’s because I knew he was going into space. We’ll see them when he comes back to Earth. However…there is a connection between Pepper and Tony even when he’s in space.”
“This is about the way that Tony sees the world. What can reason do? What are the limits of what my thoughts can be? That’s what I mean about Tony and faith.”
“There are a lot of real hard wake-up calls for Tony in God Killer. A lot of things will make him go ‘Hmm.’ This really picks at Tony, at who he is and why he does things.”
I loved how Gillen used UNIT in his Uncanny X-Men run and I’ve asked if Tony will encounter the sinister android.
“You never know. There’s an interesting pairing. I will say Death’s Head shows up in this arc. He’s our Boba Fett.”
Tony will build a new suit of armor seen on the cover art above.
“He built the suit to travel. He travels with everything he needs. He’s in tune with the holistic nature of what is needed to support Tony Stark. The suit is designed to go into space as an adventurer, an explorer and a hero. The only thing he doesn’t really have is his support network. I would be surprised if we don’t see him ‘in the cave’ metaphorically speaking.”
I personally feel Steve Rogers and Tony are partly responsible for the action of the Phoenix Five because their interference created them. Gillen reflects on Tony’s actions in the mega series.
“I’m of the position that if Tony hadn’t disrupted the Phoenix Force during AvX, it would have killed everybody on Earth. I’m not sure he would agree with me. He made leaps of faith in Fear Itself and AvX and wasn’t comfortable with either. He’s been avoiding thinking about it. He’s not depressed, but he’s hungry to discover things he hasn’t thought about previously. He’s driven.”
Iron Man #1 just came out last week with Tony trying to recover the Extemis nanotechnology. God Killer kicks off in February.
By Editor