Batman 3 in Asia; Iron Man 3 loses Jon Favreau; Mighty Samson debuts
Jon Favreau won’t direct Iron Man 3
Hero Complex, in an interview with Jon Favreau, announced that the director won’t return for Iron Man 3.
Jon Favreau confirmed via Twitter that he was directing Disney’s “Magic Kingdom” rather than the third film in the “Iron Man” series. There doesn’t appear to be any hard feelings; Favreau wished Marvel the best via Twitter, and of course Disney is now Marvel’s parent company.
Comic Book Rock
In Weekend Look, Matt Price talks to musician Ray Wall about his comic-book themed songs that feature the Fantastic Four, the X-Men and the Watchmen. You can check out his music at www.myspace.com/raywallband.
Mighty Samson
DARK KNIGHT IN ASIA
According to Hero Complex, Christopher Nolan is in Asia scouting locations for filming his third “Batman” film, “The Dark Knight Rises.” Nolan’s film “Inception” received a Golden Globe nominations Other comic-book properties receiving nominations include the comic-based movie “Red” and comic-book based TV show “The Walking Dead.”
REVIEW FILE:
Supergirl 59 – the last issue by Sterling Gates and Jamal Igle.
John Byrne’s Next Men 1 – Revisiting the critically acclaimed 1990s series.
Amazing Spider-Man 650 – Spidey is saved by Lady Gaga — sort of.
Mighty Samson 1 – the latest Gold Key revival from Jim Shooter.
Jon Favreau says good-bye to Iron Man 3
Jon Favreau
Jon Favreau confirmed via Twitter that he was stepping away from the Iron Man franchise, as first reported by the Hero Complex. He’ll instead direct Disney’s “The Magic Kingdom,” about vacationers who get stuck inside Disneyland after close as the park comes to life.
“It’s true,” he said via Twitter. “I’m directing ‘Magic Kingdom,’ not ‘Iron Man 3.’ I’ve had a great run with Marvel and wish them the best.”
I spoke to Favreau prior to both “Iron Man” films and he had great affection for the property, the cast and the team at Marvel. While in some ways it’s too bad we won’t see his take on the Mandarin in “Iron Man 3,” he seems happy with his decision, and the success of “Iron Man” seems to have put him in a position where he can do the kinds of films he wants to do. This won’t derail “Iron Man 3″ – while we may see a different take, there’s no way Marvel won’t follow up on what’s been a hugely successful franchise. Ultimately, I imagine Marvel will hire someone with whom Robert Downey Jr. is comfortable, and who can handle the humor and action inherent in the series — Todd Phillips? Ben Stiller? Who do you want to see take on the reins of the “Iron Man” franchise?
- Matt Price
Kick-Ass 2 released; Iron Man 3 date set; Stan Lee’s Soldier Zero hits stands
Iron Man 3 gets release date
Stan Lee (AP)
According to Marvel.com, “Iron Man 3″ will release on May 3, 2013. This appearance will follow Iron Man’s appearance in “The Avengers,” which will release May 4, 2012.
Elect a Legion leader
Fans can vote for who they think should lead the Legion of Super-Heroes by placing a vote at LegionElection.com.
Matt and Kyle review Kick-Ass 2 #1, Hulk #26, Stan Lee’s Soldier Zero #1 and Supergirl #57.
Iron Man 3 to release May 2013
Marvel has announced that “Iron Man 3″ will release on May 3, 2013.
This appearance will follow Iron Man’s appearance in “The Avengers,” which will release May 4, 2012.
The first Saturday in May is “Free Comic Book Day” at direct-market comic-book shops around the world, and the Friday before has become a strong release window for comic-based product. Both “Iron Man” and “Iron Man 2″ were released near Free Comic Book Day, as were two of the three previous “Spider-Man” films.
Also from Marvel, Disney, Paramount and Marvel have announced an agreement transferring Paramount’s worldwide marketing and distribution rights for Marvel Studios’ The Avengers” and “Iron Man 3″ to Disney .
Paramount remains the worldwide distributor for “Thor” and “Captain America: The First Avenger.”
- Matt Price
Iron Man 2 effects aimed to support film’s reality
Iron Man suits in "Iron Man 2."
The creators of “Iron Man 2” wanted to make sure the film remained firmly fixed in a believable reality, despite the spectacular things happening throughout the film.
Co-producer Victoria Alonso said director Jon Favreau helped maintain that grounded feeling.
Victoria Alonso
“When you add more spectacle you can go overboard, and Jon Favreau was specific about not making it feel anything else but real,” Alonso said in a news conference promoting the DVD and Blu-ray release of the film.
“Iron Man 2,” which stars Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark, who wears a superpowered suit of armor to become Iron Man, featured more characters from the comic books, including Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow and Mickey Rourke as Whiplash.
“The comic books are always a place where we start,” Alonso said. “We want to use all the ingredients that were successful in the comics but always (make) sure they do translate to the film genre.
Don Cheadle, replacing Terrence Howard in the role of Stark’s best friend James Rhodes, wears what’s known as the “War Machine” armor in this film.
Visual effects supervisor Janek Sirrs said developing new suits can be a challenge — especially since an actor has to fit inside it.
“From a design point of view, each new suit needs to strike a balance between feeling fresh, but at the same time, retaining the iconic look and feel that has already been established with the fans,” Sirrs said.
Alonso said the team aimed to make the details and attitude of each suit different. Alonso and Sirrs were pleased with the briefcase armor used in the film’s Monaco sequence.
“We needed to prove that Tony had designed a suit that was portable and yet could have the weight to protect him from danger,” Alonso said. “The result of that sequence was a very believable portable suit that you (believe) Tony Stark has designed to keep him safe in his world travels.”
Sirrs said the deployment of the briefcase suit is his favorite moment in the film.
“We all had to do a lot of head scratching to work out how to cram the suit into that tiny briefcase,” he said.
Tech aside, the success of films like “Iron Man 2” and the other Marvel films comes down to character, Alonso said.
“Our movies are about personal struggles and an overall sense of responsibility to the greater good,” Alonso said. “To me that is a life lesson. We should all try to be better and make sure the world around us is kinder.”
Sirrs is working on “The Avengers,” which will team Iron Man with other Marvel heroes Thor and Captain America.
“I’m obviously a glutton for punishment — one superhero isn’t enough to deal with!” he said.
- By Matthew Price
From Friday’s The Oklahoman
Listed on wimgo Movies under Action
Iron Man 2 Blu-ray review
Iron Man 2 Blu-ray
The high-tech “Iron Man 2” comes to Blu-ray with tons of extras packed in, as well as a third disc containing a DVD and digital copy of the film.
In the second “Iron Man” film, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) discovers that the device he created in the first movie to power the “Iron Man” armor and keep his heart beating is also killing him. Not wanting to burden others with his problems, he withdraws into his work and increasingly erratic behavior. Meanwhile, Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke), the son of an exiled Russian who helped Stark’s father develop the ideas behind the power source Stark used for his “Iron Man” armor, develops a weapon of his own, in an attempt to discredit Stark.
Vanko’s attack on Stark in Monaco, in the film’s best sequence, draws the attention of arms manufacturer Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell), who wants to parlay Vanko’s know-how into his own armored suits to sell to the U.S. government.
The film is flashy and explosive, and director Jon Favreau knows how to let his actors work. The film may feel overstuffed to some. Characters Nick Fury (Samuel Jackson), Natalie Rushman (Scarlett Johansson) and Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg) work in an espionage subplot, while returning characters Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), Happy Hogan (Favreau) and James Rhodes (Don Cheadle, replacing Terrence Howard) focus on Tony’s personal problems. Both of these eventually intersect, as Stark discovers his father’s true legacy.
The Blu-ray looks fantastic and is packed with three hours of extras, including featurettes on making the films, creating the armor suits, introducing new characters, deleted scenes with commentary, a music video and more. The “data vault” on the first disc works in conjunction with selected scenes to provide additional information. There’s also a full-length commentary on the film by Favreau.
— Matthew Price Listed on wimgo Movies under Action
Kevin Feige on Iron Man 2
Robert Downey Jr. in "Iron Man 2"
Flawed heroes are what make Marvel superhero films interesting, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige said in a news conference promoting “Iron Man 2,” released recently on DVD and Blu-ray.
“When it comes to larger-than-life characters like our Marvel superheroes, a flaw is what makes them human and is their most important aspect,” he said. “We can push that flaw as far as we can, just short of puking into a toilet.”
Kevin Feige
Feige was referring to an alternate opening to “Iron Man 2,” included on the Blu-ray, which opens with Tony Stark, aka Iron Man, with his head in a toilet.
“While we liked the notion of starting off with our hero in an unexpected manner, ultimately (director) Jon (Favreau) felt it was best to see Tony first revealed on the Stark Expo stage,” Feige said.
Feige said the comic-book inspirations of films such as “Iron Man 2” will allow Marvel to make exciting stories for years to come.
“We have the incredibly unfair advantage of almost 70 years of material, all of which has been revamped and refreshed over the decades in comic book form,” Feige said. “Our job is to look at the rich history of these characters and pick the best stories to tell.”
Feige mentioned in particular Matt Fraction’s “Invincible Iron Man” comic books informing the Tony Stark in “Iron Man 2.”
“We’re huge fans of the Fraction run,” he said. “It was a big part of our discussions for part 2 and continues to be part of our conversations of how the character will be moving forward.”
Multiple new armored suits for Iron Man appear in “Iron Man 2.” Feige said he was most proud of the development of the suitcase armor, which Tony puts on after being attacked in Monaco by Whiplash (Mickey Rourke).
“The suitcase suit is the thing we are most proud of and was the very first new suit we discussed,” Feige said. “Because it was right out of the books and because at the time we had no idea how we were going to pull it off.”
Feige praised the work of designer Ryan Meinerding and the designers at D-neg, saying they made the suitcase armor into the “showcase suit” of this film. It’s the suit featured on the cover to the Blu-ray release of “Iron Man 2.”
Marvel Studios remains busy, as filming just wrapped on “Thor” and continues on “Captain America.”
“It’s incredibly exciting to be back in the mode of introducing characters to the audience for the first time as we did with Iron Man in 2008,” Feige said. “I think that moviegoers are in for a big surprise when more of Thor and Captain America is revealed in the coming months.”
- By Matthew Price
From Friday’s The Oklahoman
Iron Man 2′s Clark Gregg connects superhero films as Marvel’s Agent Coulson
Clark Gregg in "Iron Man."
Starting with a small role in 2008′s “Iron Man,” Clark Gregg’s Agent Phil Coulson has become the connective tissue of the cinematic Marvel Universe.
After being tasked with keeping an eye on Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) in the first two “Iron Man” films, he’ll join the cast of Kenneth Branagh’s “Thor” in 2011, then move on to Joss Whedon’s “The Avengers” in 2012, which will join Iron Man, Thor and Captain America in one film. “Captain America: The First Avenger” will be set in the European theater of World War II in the 1940s (and thus isn’t expected to feature Agent Coulson); “Thor” explores the alternate realm of the Norse Gods and its intersection with modern New Mexico; and Iron Man is a technologically advanced real-world environment. All of these worlds will collide in “The Avengers,” which is set to begin filming in March.
“I was trying to remember what there could be that was quite like this, because there are very few things you can’t find a precedent for, in life or in movies,” Gregg said in a recent phone interview promoting “Iron Man 2,” out Tuesday on DVD. “There’s just something about this that I don’t feel has been done before. … These are kind of pop culture, American hero legends. And what’s interesting about this is they really span a wide range of styles.”
Coulson is an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., which in the films stands for Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division. It’s stood for a couple of other things in the comics, but it’s generally been an espionage agency dealing with high-level threats. S.H.I.E.L.D. was likely at least in part inspired by the James Bond films of the early 1960s; Gregg said he was also inspired by 007.
“I’m a huge Bond fan; I’m a huge (Sean) Connery fan. I grew up, I remember very clearly the day my dad was like, ‘All right, listen, I think you’re old enough — well, I’m not sure I think you’re old enough, (but) I’m going to let you watch “Goldfinger” on TV,’” he said. “And just being like, ‘Whoa, this is the greatest thing I have ever seen.’”
Gregg also enjoyed the humorous takes on spydom.
“There were so many of these things when I was a kid,” he said. “There were the James Coburn ones, ‘In Like Flint,’ which were very funny and tongue-in-cheek and spoofy, and also there were the drunken, horny Dean Martin ones, ‘Matt Helm,’ and I loved ‘em all,” Gregg said.
His role as Coulson allows for both serious and humorous moments.
“It really is the funnest part of the gig, is to be able to be the deadpan guy with a lot of secrets, kind of masquerading as a generic suit,” Gregg said. “And then also to get to roll some punch lines along with Robert Downey (Jr.)”
Gregg, who also writes (“What Lies Beneath”) and directs (“Choke”), is working on a new project. After being thrilled to see Agent Coulson in comic book form, Gregg said his new project might first see the light of day as a graphic novel.
“The new thing that I’m writing, I’m actually interested in exploring the idea of doing it as a graphic novel before the film comes out,” Gregg said. “It’s called ‘Trust Me.’ It’s a dark, noir-ish comedy about an agent for child actors in Los Angeles.”
Gregg said he’s trying to determine if his raised profile from “Iron Man 2” will make it easier to get new writing and directing projects off the ground. And he’d like to see further development of Agent Coulson as a character, perhaps with a love interest or fight scene. But he’s enjoying the ride regardless.
“I would love to scrap with somebody at some point,” he said. “I think Coulson has probably got more game than we realize. But I’m just happy to be there.”
- By Matthew Price
From Friday’s The Oklahoman
Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance movie gets release date; Clark Gregg talks Iron Man 2; Teri Hatcher coming to Smallville
Iron Man 2 comes to DVD; Clark Gregg talks Agent Coulson
The summer hit “Iron Man 2” comes to DVD on Tuesday, and Clark Gregg, who plays Agent Coulson in “Iron Man 2” spoke with us about what he’s looking forward to with his character. Coulson will appear in “Thor” next year and in “The Avengers” in 2012.
Smallville gets Teri Hatcher
Entertainment Weekly reports that former Lois Lane Teri Hatcher will appear on Smallville’s final season as the mother of Lois Lane Erica Durance.
Teri Hatcher as Lois Lane
In episode 8, titled “Abandoned,” Lois discovers old videotapes of her mother… which according to EW’s report will be Teri Hatcher.
As you know, Hatcher spent four years as Lois Lane on ABC’s Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman.
Ghost Rider 2 gets release date
According to Superhero Hype, Sony and Columbia Pictures have scheduled “Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance” for a release date of February 17, 2012. The “Ghost Rider” sequel will be directed by Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor (“Crank”). Nicolas Cage will return as Johnny Blaze/Ghost Rider in the film that will be released in both 2D and 3D.
WildStorm to shut down
As part of the DC Comics restructuring announced this week, the WildStorm imprint, home to books like “Gen 13” and “The Authority” will close down at the end of 2011. WildStorm was originally founded by Jim Lee as part of Image Comics, and was sold to DC Comics in 1999. Some books from the line will move into the DC Comics imprint; others will cease. The DC Source blog says other WildStorm characters may return in the future.
Reviews: Avengers #5, Supergirl #56, GI Joe Origins #19 and Fantastic Four #583.
Scarlett Johansson “Black Widow” movie being discussed
Scarlett Johansson as the Black Widow
In a press conference promoting “Iron Man 2,” Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige said a “Black Widow” spinoff from “Iron Man 2″ starring Scarlett Johansson has already been discussed.
“We’ve already started discussions with Scarlett about the idea of a solo movie and have begun putting together concepts,” Feige said, “but The Avengers comes first.”
Look for more from the Feige interview in next Friday’s Weekend Look. And share your thoughts about what you’d like to see in a Black Widow movie in the comments.
- Matt Price
