Although not the most revealing or interesting trailer ever released, Marvel has now released the teaser for the upcoming Joss Whedon directed Avengers adpatation.

Quick! View the comic con trailer for Thor, before Marvel takes it down!

Marvel has always been lacking when it comes to the animated world. While it has had such amazing series as the Spectacular Spider-man and X-men: Evolution, the comic book company is repeatedly outmatched by its competitor DC when it comes to animation. However, this looks to change with an upcoming series of Marvel inspired anime scheduled to be released on G4 developed by critically acclaimed studio Madhouse.

Last summer at SDCC, Marvel announced Iron Man and Wolverine, and today Blade and X-men were confirmed as the latter two adaptations. All four will air in 2011 throughout the coures of the year.

Each series will consist of 12 half hour episodes with heavy Asian influence added to the existing back story based off the Marvel comics. Each story line was outlined by Marvel veteran Warren Ellis and later scripted by Madhouse.



Source: Variety.com

Marvel has officially won Comic Con with perhaps the most impressive movie panel of all time.


Following the end of the comic book company's panel for the upcoming Thor adaptation, a teaser for the upcoming Avengers film slipped its way onto the massive screen overlooking the audience. As the logo for the film slowly grew on the screen Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury recited the most famous quote in the history of the Avengers: "And there came a day, a day unlike any other, when Earth's Mightiest Heroes found themselves united against a common threat. On that day...the Avengers were born."


Following the end of the teaser, Jackson himself stepped onto stage and slowly introduced the entire cast of the film as the joined him on stage: Scarlet Johansen as Black Widow, Chris Evans as Captain America, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, and introducing Mark Ruffalo as the Hulk and Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye. Finally, Robert Downey Jr. himself stepped on stage.


With a triumphant statement of confidence, he welcomed writer and director Joss Whedon himself up. As the the applause of the theater grew to a deafening roar, Whedon and Downey Jr. addressed the issues regarding the ambition of the project. Both assured the crowd of screaming fans that the project was indeed in good hands. And for once in a convention so often filled with cynicism, everyone agreed.


Information and image courtesy of IGN.com

Ever since Disney bought Marvel comics last summer, comic fans have wondered where this may take the film industry. Many have speculated that Disney may begin producing films with Marvel characters, however the majority of of the companies flagship characters were already owned by other companies (Spider-man by Sony, Iron Man by Paramount, etc.).



Today, Deadline reported that the two companies may in fact be preparing for their first voyage onto the silver screen. Apparently writers Thomas Donnelly and Joshua Oppenheimer ( A Sound of Thunder, Sahara, and the new Conan: The Barbarian)have been hired to pen a live action adaptation of the comic book sorcerer Doctor Strange. The film is reportedly scheduled for a 2013 release after Paramount's movie contract with Marvel ends with the release of Iron Man 3.

There are few fighting games as beloved as the Marvel vs Capcom franchise. The games first made their stamp on the world of video games in crowded arcade rooms, and won over thousands with their over the top action scenes, colorful characters, and quick gameplay.


Now after more then a decade of anticipation, Capcom has announced Marvel vs. Capcom 3, which was shown at this year's E3. Captain America, Chris Redfield, Dante, Deadpool, Felicia, Hulk, Iron Man, Morrigan, Ryu, and Wolverine have all been revealed to be playable characters in this ensemble cast.


When it comes to core game mechanics, little has changed from the previous installment. Players still choose teams of three and duke it out in fast paced combat. However, a new system, known as launcher attacks, has been added that allows a stream of midair combos to be performed that lift enemy opponents into the air.

Marvel has just handed over its company to the devil. Joe Quesada, the creator of the One More Day atrocity, has now become creative head for Marvel. I'm so upset and emotionally spent by this news I'm not even going to write more about it. For those interested, I have posted the press release given to Superherohype.com.

Marvel Entertainment, LLC announced today that it has promoted Joe Quesada to Chief Creative Officer of Marvel Entertainment. In this new role, Quesada will work alongside Alan Fine, Executive Vice President, Office of the President and Chairman of Marvel Studios' Creative Committee, to ensure that all portrayals of Marvel's characters and storytelling remain true to the essence of Marvel's rich history. Additionally, Quesada will provide creative oversight of all areas of Marvel's business including theatrical, television, publishing, animation and games, while also actively participating in all story and script development for Marvel's films and animation. Prior to this promotion, Quesada held the role of Chief Creative Officer & Editor-In-Chief, Marvel Animation & Publishing and oversaw the creative aspects of Marvel Comics and Marvel Animation. The announcement was made today by Fine, to whom Quesada will report.

Fine stated, "I am excited to have Joe join me as Marvel Entertainment enters the next chapter in our history. Joe has already played an instrumental role as Editor-in-Chief in changing the face of the comic book industry with bold new ventures and an unprecedented penetration of the mainstream consciousness. His love and passion for Marvel, along with his experience guiding publishing for the last decade, will be invaluable as we bring our characters to life in new media."

"I am honored to take this new position at Marvel Entertainment and work with Alan to bring the rich history of Marvel to a brand new audience" said Quesada. "Together with the incredible talent here at Marvel, in all our divisions, I look forward to making Marvel an even bigger part of the entertainment industry and showing why we've been an industry leader for over 70 years."

Quesada will also continue to serve as Editor-In-Chief, Marvel Publishing, where over the past decade he has helped usher in bold new imprints such as "Marvel Knights," the "Ultimate Universe" and "Marvel MAX." During his tenure, Marvel received acclaim for its "Heroes" special to commemorate the events of September 11, 2001; the groundbreaking "Death of Captain America" storyline; and President Obama's historic team up with Spider-Man. Quesada is also one of the industry's most popular artists, providing cover and interior art to blockbusters such as "Amazing Spider-Man," "Daredevil," Invincible Iron Man" and more.

So there you have it. Sugar coating a bad decision. Thanks again to Superherohype.com for the quote.

First introduced in this summer's Iron Man 2, Howard Stark is an essential figure to the Marvel multiverse spanning the Thor, Iron Man, and Captain America films.

This week Superherohype.com announced that Dominic Cooper will be playing a younger version of Tony Stark's father in the upcoming Captain America film, which takes place in WWII thirty years before his appearance in Iron Man 2. Despite this announcement, we have yet to hear a confirmation from Paramount or Marvel.

The First Avenger: Captain America is due for release July 22, 2010.

It is no secret that Terrence Howard (Iron Man) was recast for the latest Iron Man film. Reportedly over a dispute over Howard's contract and screentime, the actor, who played Rhodey Rhodes, was replaced with Don Cheadle. However, Howard shows no open hostility towards Cheadle or Marvel for the split. He is reportedly happy with how Downey Jr, and Cheadle have continued on with the series. Most interestingly of all, Howard is still in talks with Marvel Studios about future films. "Marvel and I are now talking about doing some other things," Howard told E! Online yesterday. Rumor has it that Marvel is eyeing the actor to play Luke Cage, yet nothing has been confirmed.

(Apologies. I saw this film opening day, but have been unable to post a review until now.)

Arguably the most anticipated film of the summer has landed, Iron Man 2 hit theaters last Friday, and has already had one of the largest openings for a film ever. Does it live up to the hype?

Opening six months after the first film, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr. )is now settling into his role as the metallic crusader Iron Man. He has more then doubled his stardom and lowered his image at the same time. Stark is now seen as a protector of people as well as the playboy industrialist that characterizes him. Stark soon draws the attention of the US government who demand that he hand over the Iron Man suit to the military. Joining the side of the government is rival weapons manufacturer Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell), who is secretly creating his own robotic weaponry. Luckily, Stark has the help of Air Force Captain Rhodey Rhodes( Don Cheadle) and his new CEO Pepper Potts ((Gwyneth Paltrow). Yet things spiral out of control when an enemy from Stark's past, Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke) rises to challenge the now unstable hero.

Iron Man 2 is a perfect example of a sequel that just cannot quite find its footing. While it excels on many levels, it sputters along at things that it should be accustomed to.

The story itself is crowded, but for the most part well executed. Unlike comic book films such as Spider-man 3, Iron Man 2 manages to juggle numerous plots without feeling disjointed. Despite the wide range of plot aspects and numerous villains, director Jon Favreau manages to keep all the elements connected and relevant. The real problem is in a lack of pacing. Iron Man 2 is fun and exciting for the first third, boring and disjointed in the second, and finally returns to from in the final act. Despite this the ending feels hackneyed and forced, leaving numerous plot points with poor resolution.

The acting in Iron Man 2 is phenomenal throughout. There is hardly a poor performance in the entire cast. Downey Jr. and Rockwell work as perfect counters, playing each others weaknesses and strengths. The two have great chemistry and deliver some of the films best laughs. Paltrow is just as strong as in the previous film, but feels overshadowed by the explosions and effects. Cheadle plays the role of Rhodes well, but struggles with some of the more humorous scenes. Rourke also feels like his character has fallen by the wayside when compared with other plots, but manages to add a great level of menace and evil. However, these are minor complaints in an otherwise spotless cast of actors.

One area that has improved from the first film is the level of action. Many viewers and critics (myself included), felt that Iron Man truly suffered when trying to show more intense action sequences. The sequel improves on almost every level. Despite a rather disappointing early scene on a race track, Iron Man 2 uses its sense of humor and spectacular special effects to create exciting and creative action set pieces. The final twenty minutes of the film are so well crafted and choreographed that it almost makes up for the numerous narrative short comings in the films middle act.

However, where Iron Man 2 truly fails is in delivering that spark that sets it apart from the numerous other blockbusters and comic book films being released these days. While it certainly a very good comic book film, it lacks the shine of the original. Neither does it have the gritty realism of the newer Batman movies, or the romantic charm of the first two Spider-man films. The first Iron Man excelled of its political commentary, great acting, emotional story, and charming humor. It even was listed by the American Film Institute as one of the top ten films of 2008. However, its sequel just cannot seem to live up to that. In the end, Iron Man 2 is simply a very good summer movie.

Score: B+

Yesterday, I ran a story regarding the top secret JJ Abrams project Super 8. One popular rumor was that this film was connected to the 2008 monster film, Cloverfield. However, Abrams himself has reported to New York Magazine that the project is actually completely unrelated to his earlier hit. This only furthers the mystery regarding this highly anticipated project.

After years of fan demand, Capcom has finally announced the sequel to its popular and famous 2D fighter, Marvel Vs. Capcom. The game is still widely carried at arcades around the world, and is often credited as being one of the best fighting games of all time. Not much is known about the sequel, but we have recieved a rather exciting teaser trailer featured below.

http://media.comics.ign.com/articles/108/1084430/img_7692150.html










Also it appears as if X-men will be jumping on the vampire wagon. Their new roster, which ranges from Blade to Spider-man, will be combating vampires when the new volume of X-men opens this fall. The new X-men series reportedly features a more mission based story structure, and will feature guest stars from numerous Marvel comics. I can sense the necessary Deadpool appearance already. There will also be a relaunching of X-force, and several new Wolverine stories including centric stories on Dakin and a trip through hell.



Also, among the most surprising news is that Steve Rogers will step down form the role of Captain America. Although his new title is yet to be revealed there will be two short series following the character in his transition. First, Steve Rogers: Super Soldier will follow Steve's new title, and Captain America: Patriot will follow Captain America's Cold War adventures. This new version of Steve Rogers will also appeared in the new Secret Avengers series.




Finally, we reach perhaps the most controversial series of the convention. Spider-man: O.M.I.T. (One Moment In Time) is designed to fill in the gaps created by the poorly received One More Day retcon. The series will center around the central point of the changes, Spider-man's marriage. The story arc will reveal numerous aspects of Peter's life that have remained a mystery until now. However, most of all it will be a painful reminder of one of the worst decisions in Marvel history.

Well with Marvel's latest blockbuster less then a month away from release. We are getting news about future projects. Today Marvel released a press release for The First Avenger: Captain America, which among other things confirmed that Hayley Atwell will play Peggy Carter.



Here is the full press release courtesy of Marvel Studios:

Marvel Studios announced today that Hayley Atwell has been cast to star as Peggy Carter in the studio's highly anticipated movie CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER opposite Chris Evans. In the early comics, Peggy Carter fell in love with Captain America while they fought together in the war effort. The character will be updated for the feature adaptation. Joe Johnston will direct the film penned by Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely.

Marvel Studios' Kevin Feige will produce CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER. Alan Fine, Stan Lee, David Maisel and Louis D'Esposito will executive produce. The film will be released in the US on July 22, 2011 and distributed by Paramount Pictures.

CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER will focus on the early days of the Marvel Universe when Steve Rogers volunteers to participate in an experimental program that turns him into the Super Soldier known as Captain America.

Atwell will next be seen in PILLARS OF THE EARTH, the 8-part miniseries premiering July 23 on Starz and the TV series THE PRISONER. Her film credits include THE DUCHESS, BRIDESHEAD REVISITED and CASSANDRA'S DREAM.

In addition to CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER, Marvel Studios will release a slate of films based on the Marvel characters including the highly anticipated sequel, IRON MAN 2, starring Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow on May 7, 2010, THOR on May 6, 2011, and Marvel Studios’ THE AVENGERS on May 4, 2012.

Atwell is represented by CAA and United Agents.





In other news, an Italian site Bad Taste has posted a rather interesting rumor that both Captain America and Thor will appear after the ending credits in Iron Man 2. Sounds exciting to me!

Well, this week we have had an explosion of Marvel related news. We have news on everything from Iron Man 2, Captain America, Thor, and even the Avengers film! Gasp!

Iron Man 2:


Director Jon Favreau confirmed that production on Iron Man 2 has ended. In addition to this, he also confirmed that the superhero sequel would contain numerous connections to the upcoming Thor and Captain America films. There are even hints at a Thor cameo.

Thor:


The Los Angeles times recently held an interview with Thor director Kenneth Branagh, which revealed numerous details on the newest Marvel film. Branagh confirmed that the film is about two thirds done at this point. He also discussed the issues of having to tell a film in a Norse God setting and a modern day comic book universe: "Inspired by the comic book world both pictorially and compositionally at once, we've tried to find a way to make a virtue and a celebration of the distinction between the worlds that exist in the film but absolutely make them live in the same world. It's about finding the framing style, the color palette, finding the texture and the amount of camera movement that helps celebrate and express the differences and the distinctions in those worlds. If it succeeds, it will mark this film as different... The combination of the primitive and the sophisticated, the ancient and the modern, I think that potentially is the exciting fusion, the exciting tension in the film."

Captain America

After last weeks announcement that Chris Evans would be playing the films title character, this week we have announcement that Sebastian Stan would be playing Captain America's sidekick Bucky. Bucky has evolved from a plucky teen sidekick in the early days of Marvel to a violent and deadly assassin in modern days.

Avengers


Originally thought to be an April Fool's joke, IESB reported yesterday that the 2012 Avengers film will be directed by legendary writer/director Joss Whedon (Serenity, Firefly, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Although, IESB has repeatedly reported that this is not a joke. If so, I'm sure there is going to be quiet a bit of excitement throughout the nerd community.

Oh my God! I am excited by all means. In a year sure to be filled with boring films, Iron Man 2 is the only movie that can get me excited.

It is a well known fact that after Marvel's mega-battle Siege, Dark Reign will end and a new age in the Marvel universe will take place. This new "Heroic Age" is supposed to signal an end to the chaos and death that has gripped the universe for the past decade. Although this new age will still have its fair share of dark tales, heroes will once again be on the same side, and fighting for a singular cause.


Yet, with any new age comic fans have one thing to look forward to, roster changes! So far we have new line ups for three Avenger teams (I know three!), and the new Thunderbolts squad.


Secret Avengers:
Although we have little idea of who these heroes may be, only their silhouettes have been revealed. Noone is even sure what this team is supposed to signify. Mark this one gents, sure to be interesting.


Judging by the shadows, and what we've learned from fellow nerds, we appear to have Beast, Moon Knight, Valkyrie, Wonder Man, War Machine, and Stever Rogers. Sounds awesome to me!

Avengers

The core team of the Marvel universe has undergone another huge roster change. A mix of familiar and the old, this is sure to be a fun book. I'm sure many Marvel fans are geeking out over seeing Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America all working together again.

The New Avengers
Now here's the curveball. Many are confused about why this team continues to exist. The New Avengers were originally created at the end of the Avengers Disassembled arc in 2004. However, with a core Avengers team back in action, is there really a need for another Avengers team? Either way, heres the line up.

It is a commonly known rumor that Marvel has been planning an Avengers film. Our first inkling of the crossover of all crossover films was seen in 2008's The Incredible Hulk, when Robert Downey Jr's Tony STark made an appearance. The purported line up Thor, Iron Man, Captain America, Hawkeye, and the Hulk caused numerous nerdgasms, and speculation. How in the world would a studio afford a film of that budget? The Iron Man and Hulk films each cost over a hundred million dollars to produce. Well, it appears that Marvel is not letting that distract them. Yesterday, Joe Qusaeda, head of Marvel, stated that he had read the first draft of the script on his Twitter account. Also, the Oscar nominated actor, Jeremy Renner, has mentioned that he is intalks for the role of Hawkeye. More on this as it develops!

That's right, a new decade, a new Iron Man armor. The details surrounding Stark's new upgrade are still mysterious, but apparently it deals with the end of the upcoming Stark Disassembled arc.