You've probably been wondering just how Thor (Chris Hemsworth) made his way back to Earth in The Avengers after being separated from his lady scientist girlfriend Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) at the end of 2011's Thor. A newly released deleted scene from the ending to Thor reveals that Jane was at least trying to re-establish connection, sending a beacon skyward to help her man find his way back to her. (And once he finds his way back, what, not even a phone call? Ugh, men.)
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Just when you think you've had enough of this week's Avengers hype, along comes perhaps the most irresistible bit of culture to date around the Marvel blockbuster: "Begin by outlining the cookie in your base color. (If you were starting with The Hulk, outline the entire shape in green. Color in your outline with green icing and cover the entire cookie. You can actually use a paintbrush to 'paint' your cookie.) Give the base a few minutes to dry and choose your next color. For The Hulk’s hair, outline his hairline in black and proceed to fill in with black icing. You can continue to draw features in and watch your character come to life." Take that, Jollibee! Find more kind of awesome Avengers party tips (DIY comic-book placemats!) here. [via Ricky Eisen]
The most revealing tidbit to come from talking with Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige is the idea that he equates box office success with the quality of a film – not the kind of mega-million dollar marketing campaigns that put characters’ faces on soda cans, or comic book fandoms that date back half a century, or any other factors that will surely help Marvel’s The Avengers seize the box office crown this Friday. Instead, with twelve years at Marvel and billions in box office under his belt, the exec who’s been integral to the new golden age of the superhero movie is still, refreshingly, idealistic when it comes to making movies: “Every time we actually do it, I get very excited and can’t believe that we pulled it off.”
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The cast of Marvel’s The Avengers were a spirited bunch Thursday in Beverly Hills, where the familial vibe amongst the likes of Robert Downey Jr., Samuel Jackson, Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, and Mark Ruffalo was evident and mutual admiration, inside jokes, and startling revelations abounded. (Scarlett Johansson, alas, was absent due to a scheduling conflict.) Among the highlights: Ruffalo’s youthful Hulk inspiration, Jeremy Renner’s suggestive Hawkeye imagery (“[I] played with Thor’s hammer while he stroked my bow”), and one mysterious, maybe-still legit admission from Downey that the assembled Avengers would be filming a scene… that night. But, pray tell: Which Avenger possesses the best Dance Dance Revolution skills? SPOILERS AHEAD.
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Marvel's The Avengers has the pressure of living up to years of hype resting on its shoulders, but a new trailer for the May 4 superhero pic looks promising, if not terribly complicated. Plot details, like what Loki's up to and why? Save it for the movie. This is the chance to give every one of the Avengers their close-up. Well, except for you, Hawkeye.
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On the eve of a new trailer debut, Marvel has released a new poster for May's superhero superteam pic The Avengers. Here you'll find all your favorite heroes gathered in various states of action and repose: There's Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) stalking her prey while Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) contemplates a sandwich, with Captain America (Chris Evans) having a senior moment in the background as Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) hogs the spotlight. Typical. Get a full look at the cut & paste wonderment after the jump.
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Bruce Lee as Spidey? Harvey Keitel as Wolverine? Now this is fantasy superhero casting I can get behind. Check out these and more pieces of gorgeous concept art from French artist/creature designer Alexandre Tuis, who racked his pop culture-loving memory banks to envision Marvel's most famous heroes as played by a roster of legends and favorite actors. Rutger Hauer as Thor? Come on now. Perfection.
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This past October, we looked long and hard briefly at the most pirated films of all time -- a fairly predictable list that included blockbuster titles like Avatar, The Dark Knight and Transformers. Today, TorrentFreak has released a more current snapshot of the movie-stealing industry: A list of the top ten pirated films this year. Surprisingly, there are a few films on this list that you probably paid to see.
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Congrats are in order to Patty Jenkins, who was confirmed today as Marvel's pick to helm their 2013 sequel, Thor 2. Jenkins, who directed Charlize Theron to an Oscar in 2003's Monster, her feature directorial debut, inherits the helm of the Thor comic book movie franchise from Kenneth Branagh. Full press release after the jump.
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This morning Disney released the first full trailer for Joss Whedon's Marvel superhero party The Avengers, and ZOMG guys -- have there ever been two minutes of action more packed with hero shots, zingers, and things blowing up before this very moment? (Michael Bay might give Whedon a run for his money, but the Avengers trailer has what even his robot spectaculars don't: copious slow-mo superhero booty shots. Consider the bar raised.)
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The perfect way to gloss over a particularly terrible EW cover? Let a bunch of new set pics slide their way onto the interwebs! Oh, Disney. So smart. Let's take the bait and dive into the new, gloriously (seemingly) Photoshop-free Avengers images to salivate over hard bodies poured into superhero spandex! I'm talking about you, Chris Evans. And I guess you too, ScarJo.
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Here's a treat for Marvel fans who live for the film-bridging post-credits scenes and cameos that have connected The Incredible Hulk, the Iron Man films, Thor, and Captain America: a short starring S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg) that begins to fill in the space between the different Marvel films leading into The Avengers. After the jump, watch the deadpan Agent Coulson hatch a plan to dispatch a superhero code-named "The Consultant" -- described as "arrogant and abrasive, with an utter disdain for authority." Sound familiar?
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If you weren't sold on the Chris Evans-starring Captain America: The First Avenger yet, let the newly released theatrical trailer assuage your fears that it'll turn out to be another tame, Thor-level Marvel meh-fest. Instead, the trailer tells us, literally, what Edith Zimmerman learned the drunken way: Evans, and Captain America, is "gonna get so many girls." And boys. And anyone with a lingering fetish for the retro-futuristic stylings of Raiders of the Lost Ark and director Joe Johnston's underappreciated 1991 adventure The Rocketeer.
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With Vin Diesel and The Rock currently muscling their way to global domination and Thor set to kick off the summer's action-packed slate with his comic book brawn, there's already a surplus of testosterone at the box office. But looking forward to the next few months, the field's only going to get more crowded with bromantic buddies, pirates, alien robots, superheroes, and cowboys mixing it up at the multiplex. Where have all the ladies gone?
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Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige admitted over the weekend to having a little Transformers envy; when you're in the business of making blockbusters, you tend to check out the competition. But a day after being impressed by the epicness on display in the Transformers: Dark of the Moon trailer, his anxiety dissipated the moment he beheld Sam Jackson as Nick Fury in dailies from The Avengers. Said Feige: "I'm not worried anymore." Gauntlet thrown, Michael Bay!
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