Ben Kingsley In Talks For Iron Man 3

Ben is top of the list for choice of bad guys at the moment for the new, Shane Black directed Iron Man film.

As much as everyone would LOVE to see him play the Mandarin, word has it, he won't be the villain in this film.

Latino-review broke the news last month the the plot for the third film will be loosely based on the Warren Ellis series called Extremis.

Of course this could all be stuff and nonsense, we won't really know for a few more months yet, but it's fun to speculate.

Movie News - Captain America Casting

Hugo Weaving Confirmed as the Red Skull in Marvel Studios’ CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER
 
Marvel Studios announced today that Hugo Weaving has been cast to star as Johann Schmidt aka the Red Skull in the studio’s highly anticipated movie CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER opposite Chris Evans and Hayley Atwell. In the early comics, Johann Schmidt was drafted into loyal service of The Third Reich and renamed “The Red Skull”. 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.

Weaving was last seen in THE WOLFMAN and his voice is very recognizable as Megatron from TRANSFORMERS and TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN as well as Noah the Elder from HAPPY FEET. His other film credits include starring in V FOR VENDETTA, THE MATRIX franchise, and THE LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy.

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.

Weaving is represented by CAA, Shanahan Management and attorney David Weber.

Movie News - Thor Revealed

Here it is: the first photo of Chris Hemsworth playing Marvel's god of thunder, the mighty Thor.

Yahoo was given the exclusive and ran the photo early this morning. My first impression of Hemsworth and his costume is good: he looks somewhat -- but not completely -- in line with what a blonde-haired Norse godling should look like. As for the costume, it seems to be fairly faithful to the look that Thor sports in the Marvel comics.

I'm certain that a better image will come out, one showing Hemsworth looking at the camera, wearing his armored cap with its signature tiny white wings and gripping the handle of his magical hammer, Mjolnir.

Movie News - Spider-Woman

As the story goes on the UK's MTV website, High School Musical star Vanessa Hudgens is supposedly keen on starring in her own Marvel superhero movie: Spider-Woman. Believe it or not, it's not such a crazy idea after all.
While this is the first that anyone's heard of a potential Spider-Woman movie, there are three items which are conductive toward making as assumption that Hudgens may have had a meeting with someone at Disney about the idea:

• Five days ago CHUD's Devin Faraci broke the story that Marvel Studios is "currently taking meetings with writers and directors to work on small scale movies based on some of their third tier characters. The movies would cost in the range of 20 to 40 million dollars (very small when we're talking studio films) and would allow them to take risks with less obvious characters and with interesting talent." That lines up with MTV's UK report, doesn't it?
• Hudgens, as it doesn't need pointing out, was made a star by Disney through her HSM appearances. Taking a meeting with a Disney creative executive that she knows about playing one of the company's newly acquired Marvel characters isn't that big a stretch to imagine.
• There's also Coming Attraction's report from last year to consider about Marvel allegedly interested in giving their female superheroes more of the cinematic spotlight.

MTV says little else about its source except that the supposed take on Spider-Woman is "comedic" and in the movie the character is "strong and sexy but in this case hilarious."
In the Marvel comics Spider-Woman isn't used for comedic effect but it's not outside the realm of possibility either for the superhero maker to go this route. A recent retake on the She-Hulk character was played up for comedic sensibilities.
I guess we will just have to wait and see....

Movie News - Ghost Rider 2

Will Ghost Rider 2 go ahead without Nic Cage? There may be a chance according to this article from Vulture...

How badly does Columbia need to get the motor running on its Ghost Rider sequel? So badly that if Nicolas Cage can't commit to making it this year, they may have to make it without him. Insiders confirm to Vulture that Columbia is facing a ticking clock on the rights to the BBQ-skulled Marvel Comics character: Legally, if the studio isn't in production on a sequel by November 14, 2010, the franchise automatically reverts to Marvel — which means the comic company's new owner, Disney. Insiders tell us that Columbia is asking Marvel for an extension. (Asking, pleading, it's a fine line.) But time is running out. Cage has spoken about his desire to make a second Ghost Rider; the issue is whether his schedule will be free before the deadline. Disney is also hoping to get him for a third National Treasure with Jerry Bruckheimer, which could be shooting as early as this fall and would presumably earn the star a hefty paycheck. And considering Cage's well-documented money troubles, that cash may trump his deep love of comic books. But Columbia (which would not comment on this story) desperately needs a blockbuster for 2011, now that Spider-Man has been pushed to 2012 — not to mention that no exec wants to lose a moneymaking franchise to a rival studio. We hear that FlashForward writers Scott Gimple and Seth Hoffman, overseen by their show's creator (and Batman Begins scribe), David S. Goyer, have just turned in a draft of a GR2 script, which Columbia will bring to a still-evolving list of potential directors. (Earlier this year, producer Mike De Luca told Collider that the original film's director, Daredevil besmircher Mark Steven Johnson, will not be handling the sequel.)

The clock is ticking, and I really can't see the studio letting this go without a fight, i'm sure we will hear something in the coming months....