Ghost Rider to get sequel; Daredevil looks at reboot
Columbia Pictures is looking at making a sequel to Ghost Rider, according to Variety. Variety also runs down activity at all the studios now focusing on keeping their Marvel superheroes employed, and that includes a new version of Daredevil. Fox is said to be “quietly developing” a new version of the blind superhero.
At Fox, Fantastic Four is getting a reboot, and “Silver Surfer” remains in the works, as do various X-Men spinoffs and sequels. Sony has James Vanderbilt writing Spider-Man 5 and 6. Universal has “Sub-Mariner” in development. And Paramount’s distribution deal including “Iron Man 2″ and planned “Avengers”-based films continues for now.
If the studios let the properties lag in development limbo, Marvel can reclaim them – much like it reclaimed “Iron Man” from New Line, Variety writes.
As far as Ghost Rider is concerned, writer David Goyer (”Batman Begins”) is in talks to write the sequel.
Mark Steven Johnson was the director of both “Daredevil” and “Ghost Rider.” While “Daredevil” took a bit of a beating from critics and some fans, the director’s cut is actually a pretty decent take. And I like “Ghost Rider,” despite some of its cheesiness. I think they did about what you could expect with that character. It’s not been reported if Johnson will be involved with either of the sequels. It appears Cage would return as Johnny Blaze/Ghost Rider, while it seems unlikely that Ben Affleck would return as Matt Murdock/Daredevil.
- Matt Price
Iron Patriot vs Doctor Doom
Marvel has released the above promotional image with the following text:
This December from Brian Michael Bendis, Michael Lark and David Finch, it’s the Iron Patriot versus Doctor Doom!
NewsOK Comics Podcast: Adventure Comics 2, Dark Avengers/X-Men Exodus, Muppet Robin Hood 4, Ultimate Comics Avengers 2
The Muppets recreate the Robin Hood legend, Marvel’s Dark Reign continues, and Superboy discovers more about himself in this week’s comics.
DVD review: Spectacular Spider-Man The Complete First Season
Whether “Spectacular Spider-Man” returns for a third season is up in the air, after a recent report from IGN.com that Sony had returned the “Spider-Man” live-action rights to Marvel. It’s not known if Disney, which recently bought Marvel, will continue to produce the show, which airs on Disney XD. But fans can check out an entire season of probably the best modern animated take on Spider-Man in “Spectacular Spider-Man Season 1.”
“The Spectacular Spider-Man” animated series is based on the Marvel Comics superhero Spider-Man and is set during his junior year of high school. Supervising producer Greg Weisman (“Gargoyles”) takes the essence of the original “Spider-Man” tales by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, and updates them for the modern era.
Josh Keaton voices Peter Parker and his alter ego, Spider-Man. He brings a healthy dose of fun to the character. This 13-episode set delights in the wisecracking, fun-loving Spider-Man that made the character so popular for so many years. The look is stylized, perhaps anime-influenced, but works well in the context of the show.
“Spectacular” Season 1 introduces modern takes on classic villains, including the Lizard and the Rhino, as well as Spider-Man’s supporting cast: his friend Gwen Stacy, his guardian Aunt May and his rival Flash Thompson. The show provides plenty of action but also shows Peter learning from life lessons, making it an entertaining program for younger and longtime Spidey fans.
— Matthew Price
From Friday’s The Oklahoman
NewsOK Comics Podcast: Ultimate Comics Spider-Man 2, Supergirl Annual 1, Torch 1
Things light up with Torch #1, and it’s the end of the world as we know it in Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #2. In Supergirl Annual 1, find out the origin of Superwoman and visit a day in the life of Linda Lang.
- Matt Price
Fantastic Four to get reboot at Fox
Variety reports that Fox is rebooting the “Fantastic Four” film franchise. Whether or not this will mean recasting is up in the air, but signs point to probably.
Akiva Goldsman will oversee the reboot as producer. I still hold him partially responsible for “Batman and Robin,” but maybe that’s not fair. Michael Green, (”Heroes” and the upcoming “Green Lantern” script) will write the script for the new “Fantastic Four” film.
The first thing this brings to mind for me is, is this Fox making sure they have the characters in development so they don’t revert back to Marvel, now with the power of Disney behind them? Maybe.
According to Variety, Fox controls “Fantastic Four” in perpetuity — as long as it continues making the films. This is the same deal Fox has on “X-Men,” “Daredevil” and “Silver Surfer.” So, I’d expect to hear an announcement on “Daredevil” someday soon as well.
- Matt Price
More details on Marvel-Disney deal
Newsarama reports from a Disney investor call giving more information about the Marvel-Disney deal, including the following:
- No plans to move Marvel away from Manhattan
- No plans to change Marvel’s creative structure
- Possibilities to exploit Marvel characters more fully via Disney infrastructure.
Click through for the full report. I talked to indie comics creator and comic-book retailer Rob Vollmar, of Norman, to get his reaction to this morning’s report:
“It’s hard to say exactly what the sum impact of Disney’s acquisition of Marvel might be but my initial reaction was not a good one. Disney’s corporate approach to creativity is diametrically opposed to Marvel’s ’shout-across-the-office’ style of doing business. We should expect, of course, better movies and cartoons using Marvel characters, but I suspect the impact on the publishing wing over the next ten years forward will not be a good one. Up to this point, Marvel enjoyed a certain freedom to experiment that gave them a creative edge over DC and I can’t see that freedom not being reigned in by Disney’s desire to maintain a squeaky clean image. More broadly, this is just one more step towards the fewest number of companies controlling the greatest percentage of creative activity in the US and, in principle, I think that is bad for creator and consumer alike.”
Any other local creators, retailers or comic fans who have thoughts on the deal, feel free to comment here at Nerdage or contact me at mprice@opubco.com.
- Matt Price
Scarlett Johansson suits up as Black Widow in Iron Man 2
SAN DIEGO – Although she was excited to join the “Iron Man” franchise as the Black Widow, actress Scarlett Johansson admitted it was intimidating to see the skintight costume.
“I had a freak-out moment, but then it only lasted about a half a day, and then it’s like, ‘Suck it up,’” said Johansson, promoting the film at Comic-Con.
She said in “Iron Man 2,” the Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow character is “a bit of a shape shifter.”
One side is demure and covert, while the other is aggressive and tough. “She does have a dark past, and I think that she is very seductive,” Johansson said.
Johansson wasn’t sorry to see the slinky cat-suit go at the end of filming, but said she looks forward to getting a chance to wear it again, perhaps bringing the character back in future installments.
“The character remains quite mysterious in this film,” Johansson said. “This movie is not about dealing with the Black Widow identity. Hopefully, if the character continues on, whether that be through ‘Avengers’ or something like that, we’ll be able to explore more of her past.”
In the comics, “The Avengers” is a team of superheroes including Iron Man, Captain America, Thor and others. Black Widow has been a member of “The Avengers” in the comics, and Marvel currently has an “Avengers” film scheduled for 2012. Jon Favreau, director of “Iron Man 2,” is attached to “The Avengers” as an executive producer, and Robert Downey Jr., star of “Iron Man” and “Iron Man 2,” is likely to reprise his role as Tony Stark/Iron Man in “The Avengers” film. All of those are positive reasons for Johansson to return, she said.
“I loved making the film (Iron Man 2),” Johansson said. “I loved working with Jon. I loved working with Robert … so for me to be able to bring something like this back and kind of develop the character is exciting,” she said.
- by Matthew Price
From Friday’s The Oklahoman
Diora Baird auditions for Thor role
Diora Baird, who appeared in Wedding Crashers and has a role in the upcoming film Stan Helsing, auditioned for a role in Marvel Comics’ Thor movie, according to her twitter feed.
Rama’s Screen reported on the twitter scoop, in which Baird writes:
Had an audition for the movie Thor today. Character description was ‘pretty, but sturdy with muscle’. Damn type casting.
Natalie Portman has been signed for the Jane Foster role in Thor. Could Baird have been reading for an Asgardian, perhaps Sif or the Enchantress?
- Matt Price
Writer Chris Yost dissects Wolverine’s busy animated life
Wolverine’s not going to be out of the limelight anytime soon.
Hugh Jackman announced at the recent Teen Choice Awards that work has begun on a second “Wolverine” film, to be set in Japan.
Meanwhile, Wolverine is also very busy in animation. The second DVD of the animated series “Wolverine and the X-Men” arrived in stores last month, and selected episodes are available to watch online at Marvel.com or to download from iTunes. The series airs on Nicktoons.
An anime version of Wolverine is in development to air in Japan and the U.S. Also on the way is “Super Hero Squad,” which will co-star Wolverine, scheduled to air on the Cartoon Network.
“The great thing about Wolverine is that he can be in ‘Super Hero Squad’ and be for young kids, and he can be in ‘Wolverine and the X-Men’ and be like in the middle range, and then he can be in (the direct-to-DVD PG-13 animated film) ‘Hulk Vs. Wolverine,’” said Chris Yost, a writer for “Wolverine and the X-Men.”
“You immediately think, ‘This guy’s got knives on his hands; he’s really inappropriate for children.’ But you know, children respond to it. Children love Wolverine, and there’s a good reason for that. He’s a hero. There’s more to him than just violence.”
In “Wolverine and the X-Men,” Wolverine must take charge of the X-Men after an attack on the X-Mansion scatters the team. “With ‘Wolverine and the X-Men,’ we had an opportunity to show you the X-Men’s world as we know it,” Yost said in an interview at Comic-Con International in San Diego. “We know the mansion, we know the Danger Room. … And then immediately the show’s turned on its head by the events of the first episode.”
The attack on the mansion in the first episode is what resets the world from the X-Men we know into a world that shares similarities with the “Days of Future Past” story line from the comic books.
“Everything blows up, and everything is different,” Yost said. “Wolverine’s now in charge, and Scott’s all brooding, and Jean (Grey) and Xavier are gone. It was a very conscious decision to show normal, and then get into what the show is going to be.”
“Wolverine and the X-Men” follows a long, epic journey in Wolverine’s attempts to reunite the team as they deal with mutant prejudice and the threat of Magneto.
“I believe there are things you can do in animation, like with ‘Wolverine and the X-Men,’ the scope and the epic scale of that story, you’re never going to see that in a movie, ever,” he said.
Yost also co-wrote the “Hulk Vs. Wolverine” script with Craig Kyle, and writes the character in the monthly “X-Force” comic book, also with Kyle. Yost said he considers himself lucky to have been able to chronicle Wolverine’s adventures in various media.
“With the DVDs, with the comics, it’s being able to show different sides of this character,” Yost said. “At the end of the day, he’s always a hero.”
- by Matthew Price
From Friday’s The Oklahoman
