New Photos of Black Widow and Iron Man in International Banners

Date December 14, 2011Marvel Avengers

IGN released the international banners for The Avengers which feature mostly the same artwork as the domestic character banners but with new photos of Black Widow and Iron Man

Unlike the characters banners released a month ago, the above photos bring the characters out from behind the Avengers "A."

It seems apparent by the two shots of Black Widow that the international crowd enjoys the frontside of a woman while stateside we'd like to see the back. That said, both poses look great and ScarJo really fits well into the role.

The Avengers will hit theaters on May 4, 2012.

Official Amazing Spider-Man Website Launches with New Photos and Character Descriptions

Date December 14, 2011Marvel Amazing Spider-Man

Sony Pictures has launched the official website for The Amazing Spider-Man which includes many new photos, character descriptions and a spoiler alert.

Peter Parker: Ever since Peter's parents disappeared 13 years ago, he has struggled to find his purpose in life. Now, on the brink of unlocking the mystery about what happened to them, he must face the ultimate challenge – one that has been created within the laboratories of Oscop.
Gwen Stacy: Smart, charismatic and rebellious, Gwen is the chief Intern at Oscorp, a position she takes very seriously. But her life takes a complicated turn as she watched both her boyfriend, Peter, and her mentor, Dr. Connors, undergo radical transformations.
Dr. Curt Connors: One of Oscorp's leading scientific minds, Dr. Connors attempts to engineer a revolutionary regeneration serum to help re-grow limbs and human tissue. His motivations are unclear as to why he elects to be the first human test subject – but what becomes evident is that something goes horribly wrong.
Captain George Stacy: An esteemed police officer for over twenty years, Captain Stacy is the public face of the NYPD who leads the department's investigation into Spider-Man's vigilantism. The only thing Captain Stacy vows to protect more than the city is his family - and particularly his only daughter, Gwen.

First of all, I love the two Spider-Man pictures. With two awesome poses, Andrew Garfield looks just like the comic webhead in the suit. That is, until you analyze the suit which features suction cups on the feet and webshooters. The webshooters were absent from Sam Raimi's films which left many fans upset, though I thought it was a welcomed change with the spider having also given Peter Parker its web ability (out of the wrists, of course). I'm not sure why Spider-Man would need suction cup-type items on his shoes when he can stick to walls but maybe they're just for comfort. That said, this costume has really grown on me as the high quality images have been released and I've become a fan of it.

Emma Stone looks like fantastic casting for Gwen Stacy, though it's hard to believe that she came from Denis Leary's George Stacy. The photo with her and Peter in the hallway looks like a panel taken straight from the comics.

For Peter Parker, he seems quite a bit darker in this movie which I'm sure is due to the death of his Uncle Ben. In this photo, Garfield really looks like the Peter from the comics complete with camera around neck and an akward look. He also could be happier looking cause he's looking at Gwen Stacy. With this photo, you can see a small photograph to the right of Peter's parents, Richard and Mary Parker. The last photo above is of Campbell Scott playing Mr. Parker in the film.

The description of Dr. Curt Connors above sounds great with regeneration limbs and the first test subject gone wrong. In the first Spider-Man, Norman Osborn became the Green Goblin after being a test subject for an experimental drug.

There are some questions and many things revealed above, including:

Dr. Curt Connors works for Oscorp and the Lizard is created in the laboratories there
Gwen Stacy dates Peter Parker in the film
Gwen is a chief Intern at Oscorp, working under Dr. Curt Connors
Gwen knows that Peter Parker is Spider-Man
Gwen knows that Dr. Curt Connors is the Lizard
The New York Police Department is out to capture Spider-Man lead by Captain George Stacy who apparently does not know that Peter Parker, who is dating his daughter Gwen, is the masked vigilante he is chasing.
Why does the Daily Bugle billboard have Spider-Man graffiti on it? Perhaps this was done just for the website, but I think it was done out of anger from our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man as he gets used to the negative media attention and his new powers.
Spider-Man is not only being pursued by the police, he is "Wanted" for a crime judging by the evidence below.

Portman Angry Over Jenkins' Thor 2 Departure

Date December 14, 2011Marvel Thor 2

The Hollywood Reporter is hearing that Natalie Portman is very upset over the firing of director Patty Jenkins from Thor 2.

With Portman's new child having arrived in June, the actress was doubting her career. She is contractually obligated for Thor 2 and ended up urging Marvel Studios to hire Jenkins. Portman was excited to act for a female director who was given the chance to direct.

The trade paper is reporting that Jenkins was fired without warning due to her indecisiveness in pre-production. Marvel Studios feared the film could miss the November 13 release date due to "a lack of overall clarity in her choices." According to the report, Jenkins was very clear about her vision - so much so that she didn't expect to be hired for the job.

With Marvel commissioning rewrites on the script, it seems their vision has changed and that vision doesn't include Patty Jenkins.

Will Alan Taylor Direct Thor 2 Now?

Date December 13, 2011Marvel Thor 2

Comic Book Movie is one site reporting that director Alan Taylor will take over for Thor 2 and fill the spot vacated by Patty Jenkins.

Taylor is best known for his work on shows like Mad Men, Game of Thrones and Boardwalk Empire.

Marvel was also looking at Daniel Minahan who also worked on the HBO fantasy series, Game of Thrones. The medieval show features incredible set pieces and excellent characters, based on the book of the same name.

New screenwriters are also being sought after to replace Don Payne including John Collee (Happy Feet), Robert Rodat (Saving Private Ryan), Sheldon Turner (X-Men: First Class) and Robert Avary (Pulp Fiction).

Very Cool New Poster Released for Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance

Date December 13, 2011Marvel, Media Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, Posters

Sony Pictures released a new poster for Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, which matches the theatrical standees with an awesome fiery Ghost Rider whipping his chain.

I really like the look of Ghost Rider in the sequel and his burnt textures. The Flamehead feels like he was created from the fire and brimstone of hell. With the dark skies and long road around him, the Ghost Rider pops from the one sheet and really draws in the attention. The bike may be more realistic but the Rider on top looks better than ever.

Some negative reviews are starting to circle from the screenings, but I have a lot of hope for this film and the direction of Brian Taylor and Mark Neveldine.

Thanks to Superhero Hype for the high quality image.

X-Men: First Class Motion Previs for Unused Scene

Date December 12, 2011Marvel X-Men: First Class

XSens, a motion capture program used to create previs, has posted a behind the scenes look at an unused X-Men: First Class scene using the system.

As stated in the video, using the XSens system it only took two days to film, create the 3D and finalize the previs for a quick visual of the scene. I'm not sure of a normal timeline but if it's anything longer than 48 hours, then it's no surprise why Iron Man 2 and Thor utilized the system.

The clip features Azazel battling the X-Men, including Beast, in the X-Jet. Although most of the scene didn't make the final cut of the film, the last shot of Azazel teleporting outside did.

Six Ghost Rider Face of the Fan Finalists Revealed

Date December 12, 2011Marvel Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance

The Face of the Fan contest that Sony Pictures is holding has revealed their six finalists which include many different styles and a lot of talent.

Credit for the artwork goes to Janee M, Russell M, Shawn S, Justin P, Robert D and Sam N. Good luck to all the artists and be sure to vote here.

Personally, I'm amazed by Robert D's artistic poster and the awesome hellfire bike.

Three Promotional Banners Feature Spider-Man

Date December 10, 2011Marvel Amazing Spider-Man

Comic Book Movie posted three banners for The Amazing Spider-Man that are quite different from the dark poster released yesterday.

These banners all feature Spider-Man and a lot more flash and color than the black and grey poster with Peter Parker's shadow. With the banners, I favor the last two more than the first banner that features a bit too much glow for my tastes.

Peter Parker's Awesome Shadow in Amazing Spider-Man Poster

Date December 9, 2011Marvel Amazing Spider-Man

Sony Pictures has unveiled the first poster for The Amazing Spider-Man which features Peter Parker clinging to a wall casting a spectacular shadow in the shape of a spider.

"The Untold Story" is an interesting tagline since the origin story of Spider-Man has been told so many times and already once on film. Marc Webb's reboot will deal more with Peter's parents though the poster tagline makes you really wonder what else will be new.

The style of the poster is excellent and is a bit unexpected that the iconic mask of Spider-Man is nowhere to be seen. The poster also doesn't include the film's title though the twitter hash tag of #AmazingSpiderMan is.

With the poster's focus on Peter Parker and not on Spider-Man, I'd expect the film and Marc Webb's vision to feature a lot of character development and what it really feels like to live a teenager's life as a superhero in New York City. That said, I hope there's plenty of Spider-Man butt-kicking as well.

Thanks to Superhero Hype for the image.