Comics

Captain America: The Winter Soldier will have our serum-soaked super soldier going into battle with entirely new digs and apparently a scooper for ComicBookMovie may have revealed Cap's redesigned look by way of some new uncovered concept art.

When the first official photo for the unfrozen fighter's sequel hit earlier this week, there were noticeable differences draping Chris Evans' costumed crusader, despite the fact he was covered in shadows. Most noble among them, were the gloves, which were quite visibly shorter than the ones he sported in his previous appearances, also featuring exposed fingertips. That visual clue fueled speculation that Cap would be coming into this film with a costume possibly inspired by his appearance in the pages of Marvel Comics' "Heroic Age" storyline in 2010. While technically, it was a costume that a newly-resurrected Steve Rogers sported while his former sidekick and Winter Soldier, Bucky Barnes briefly cavorted as Captain America, it was still a popular entry in the annals of Captain America couture.

While the verdict verifying the authenticity of this costume is still not quite delivered (it could just end up being unused concept art,) we do know that changes of some kind are in store for Cap's costume. While his bright blue and red jumpsuit in The Avengers last year sported a more comic-book-friendly look, it did manage to divide audiences. This hybrid version seems to tap into the lighter, more utilitarian aspects of what he wore in 2011's Captain America: The First Avenger.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier rejects Easter Egg color schemes when it hits theaters on April 4, 2014. Check out the full picture of this (possible) sneak peak at Captain America's new look!

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300: Rise of an Empire, the long-awaited follow-up to the blood-splattering, ab-glistening 2006 action epic, 300 has released its very first official images. Not only that, but plot details have been finally dropped giving fans a much-needed clarification on the film, which was vaguely known to depict the historical Battle of Artemisia.

The summer sequel, thus far shrouded in mystery, has revealed its visual tone by way of this set of photos released to USA Today. Clearly, it echoes its predecessor film quite a bit.

One photo gives us a proper hero shot of our protagonist, Athenian general, Themistokles played by Sullivan Stapleton (Gangster Squad). A legitimate historical figure in his own right, Themistokles will carry the burden of leading the armies of Athens into battle in the wake of the legendary sacrifice of King Leonidas and the 300 Spartans depicted in the previous film. However, Themistokles will be quite a different hero than Gerard Butler's war-reaping well-kicker of a king. A more complex thinker, Themistokles will be the type of leader presented in a more modern context, that of a warrior who must also adhere to the nuances of politics. According to the USA Today report, which nabbed info straight from the source with director, Noam Murro:

"Themistokles is battle-scarred and a warrior, but at the same time he's a politician. He's not the king. He has to rule in a democracy. It's a different complexity of character."

Besides a deeper protagonist, the dynamic of the film's various battles may also be equally upgraded in complexity. While the eccentric gold-gorged Persian king, Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro) will indeed return, the film's encompassing antagonism could actually be between Themistokles and Xerxes' radiant ravaging female Persian general, Artemisia (Eva Green). The comely commander, carrying her own vendettas against the Greeks into battle will, much like Themistokles, be a more cerebral nemesis. Surely set to sport Eva Green's well-known beauty, never will oblivion look so enticing. It's a dynamic which could potentially create an odd type of sexual tension between the two leaders amidst the grandiose battles.

Check below for more and a full look at the new photos!

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Man of Steel, this summer's sizzling screen-splashing Superman saga has released its first TV spot.

The new spot may not exactly provide too many revelations, especially to those familiar with the full trailer that debuted back in December. However, clocking in at a tight 32 seconds, it manages to convey the atmosphere of the film just as effectively in 1/5 of the time of the aforementioned preview.

At the moment, specifics about the film's plot other than an obligatory Superman origin tale still remains somewhat mysterious. Yet, what we have been shown does seem to expose the heart of the movie. Indeed, we witness Henry Cavill's new version of The Blue Bomber go from your typical super-powered alien orphan living on a farm who's at a perpetual quandary about the responsibilities his powers might entail, evolving into the blue-suited bringer of justice who's ready to use escaped Kryptonian war criminal, General Zod (Michael Shannon) and his merry band of misfits as the cannon-fodder for his heroic coming out party. 

Man of Steel pounds you with pure pathos at theaters on June 14. In addition to the TV spot, an updated version of the film's official synopsis has hit, shedding some (I stress, "some") light onto the context of the film's characters. Check it out below!

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Super soldier sequel, Captain America: The Winter Soldier has released its first official image.

The photo unveiling comes in conjunction with the announcement that principal photography for the Phase Two film has finally begun rolling. Indeed, the iconic image of the circular star-and-striped shield strapped to the back of Chris Evans' Captain America immediately pulls your gaze, only to be directed towards the S.H.I.E.L.D. logo which he stands before solemnly. However, observant fans are already noticing a detail that might prove revealing to the film: Gloves. -- Specifically, the shorter gloves that Cap seems to be sporting. While there may be a scene-specific explanation, these mysterious mitts, which even appear to display exposed fingers have led to speculation that our hero might be in store for a radical costume change this time around.

On a sidenote, the posting of the picture by Marvel also included official confirmation of a casting rumor. The report reveals that legendary actor, Robert Redford has indeed hopped on board the film to play a character named "Agent Alexander Pierce," who is said to be a high-ranking senior leader within S.H.I.E.L.D. Redford joins an already-impressive cast consisting of: Scarlett Johansson as the bodacious baddie-beating Black Widow, Samuel L. Jackson as cycloptic S.H.I.E.L.D. superior, Nick Fury, Toby Jones as the villainous Arnim Zola, Frank Grillo as the skull-sporting Crossbones, Emily VanCamp as Agent Sharon Carter, the UFC's Georges St-Pierre as the roguish Batroc the Leaper, Anthony Mackie as The Falcon, and Sebastian Stan as Cap's unfrozen and brainwashed former friend in the titular Winter Soldier.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier reunites old army buddies with a hint of unmitigated bloodlust and vengeance when it hits theaters on April 4, 2014.

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Marvel's upcoming expansion of their movieverse into the realm of TV with organization, S.H.I.E.L.D. has just been given an official title and logo. Previously referred to simply as "S.H.I.E.L.D.," network, ABC just made official on its media website that the show will be titled: Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. -- On top of that, there is news of the addition of another cast member who may be familiar to longtime fans of The Avengers mastermind and director of the pilot episode, Joss Whedon.

The amended title is clearly an attempt to differentiate itself from the 2002-2008 police drama, The Shield starring Michael Chiklis. While the kind of viewers who would actually be confused by such a thing would probably not be tuning in, it does serve to put the distinguished Marvel stamp on the series. However, the move is hardly unprecedented and even the show's setup film in last year's superhero dream team extravaganza, The Avengers actually carries the official (though rarely acknowledged) title of Marvel's The Avengers, so as to avoid confusing people who might mistake a blockbuster film about superheroes fighting off a rogue Norse God and armies of aliens with a British spy show from the 1960's and its 1998 remake movie. Thus, in all likelihood, you, me, and everyone else will probably just end up referring to the show as "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." sans the Marvel marking.

While it doesn't look like we'll be getting substantive details anytime soon, ABC did release a new synopsis for the show. Check it out below, as well as news about another addition to the cast!

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X-Men: Days of Future Past's tweet-happy taskmaster, Bryan Singer has unveiled the very first image of a character in the upcoming prequel-sequel by way of...you guessed it, Twitter. We now have our first look at actor, Nicholas Hoult as he will appear when he reprises his role as scientist and acrobatic one-man wrecking crew, Hank McCoy, aka Beast.

Besides the film's time-traveling and surreal array of returning cast members including Hugh Jackman's Wolverine and Jennifer Lawrence's Mystique, it will also carry the distinction of being centered in a timeline that takes place 10 years after the events of its 1962-set predecessor in 2011's rousing reboot, X-Men: First Class. As a result, the appearance of Beast, who mutated into his furry blue form in the last film, does come across far more aged and grizzled, even sporting some grays in his beard this time around.

For Hoult, the prospect of returning to the X-Men fold is probably music to the ears after the embarrassing run his starring vehicle, Jack the Giant Killer recently suffered. However, the young blue-chipper (heh-heh) still has some aces up his sleeve with this return as Beast and with a promising role in next year's Mad Max: Fury Road. Plus, he can take solace that February's Warm Bodies was anything but cold at the box-office.

X-Men: Days of Future Past decides how to best accessorize full-bodied blue fur when it hits theaters on July 18, 2014. Check out the full Beast reveal below!

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Iron Man 3 will blast into theaters exactly four weeks from today. For fans that keep getting bombarded by the blitz of promotional pizazz, it may still be a tough wait. However, fret not, fanboys and fangirls, the movie has officially hit online...well, 47 seconds of it, anyway.

Some of this new clip may seem familiar since elements of it have been featured throughout the recent trailers and TV spots. However, it makes a debut in full, uninterrupted glory with this clip, exclusive to Yahoo. After we've been exposed to the colossal crucible to which Tony will be subjected in this threequel, it's clear that he's had enough and he's drawn a line in the proverbial sand. Translation: "Don't just hide in the shadows like a bitch, Mandarin! Come get some!"

Indeed, that reporter's wrecked cell phone could serve as a violent metaphor for Tony Stark's plans for the repugnant ring enthusiast. There's no more "negotiations," no more "I don't want to stoop to his level" crap. Tony's out to jump in his armor and squash himself some Mandarin jam before spreading it on the burnt toast of terror itself.

Iron Man 3 draws inspiration from wrestling promos when it hits theaters on May 3.

Iron Man 3 will be hitting theaters in just under a month. That fact, however, is still not stopping the hype train from dropping the occasional surprise on fans who fancy themselves informed. In this case, that surprise comes from yet another new TV spot which may go through the usual routines, but then quickly manages to give us our first look at some of the virus-plagued Extremis Soldiers that will terrifyingly tangle with Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark.

Previous trailers showed us the "before" picture of some hapless guinea pigs as they underwent a procedure set up by villain, The Mandarin (Ben Kingsley) to become infected with the Extremis Virus. Developed by scientists, Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce) and Maya Hansen (Rebecca Hall), the experiment was designed to produce "super-soldier" elements like Captain America's, while endowing instant healing abilities. (In the comics, its nanite-based nature allowed Tony to modify it and upgrade his tech significantly.) Indeed, it does provide some cool physical benefits. -- Unfortunately, it also turns the subjects into silvery-skinned-psychos with red glowing eyes and pulsating neon lesions that would give zombies on The Walking Dead a run for their money in the department of unaesthetic excellence. (...Okay, maybe not.)

Clearly, Tony has enough problems with The Mandarin plotting him an exotic and intricate death, guys in choppers wrecking his pad, getting himself stranded in the snow, and his armors seemingly coming to life to creep over him in bed. Things spiral to a point where even poor Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) has to put on his proverbial pants, getting into an Iron Man armor to "Rescue" him. Adding "ashy glowing-eyed zombies" into the mix is certainly not helping.

Iron Man 3 takes up major slack for the CDC when it hits theaters on May 3. Check out the new spot below!

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Guardians of the Galaxy may soon have its resident emerald assassin locked in. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Star Trek and Avatar actress, Zoe Saldana is in talks to portray the team's comely cosmic killer, Gamora.

With most of the casting speculation for this Marvel Phase Two project focusing on team leader, Star-Lord, which ultimately went to Chris Pratt and Drax the Destroyer, which recently went to former WWE wrestler and burgeoning actor, Dave Bautista, it seems that the cycle of casting rumors for our big screen Gamora quickly escalated to a virtual lock with this report.

In the comics, the character, Gamora is the last of her species called the Zen Whoberis, who were exterminated by the cult-controlling villain, Magus. (An evil version of cosmic hero, Adam Warlock from an alternate future.) Seeking revenge, she fell into the apprenticeship of the Mad Titan, Thanos (the film's likely villain) where she was endowed with not just powers and deadly combat skills, but brainwashed with a purpose: To destroy anything that opposes her master. However, his gorgeous green-skinned guerrilla ultimately went off the reservation and became a mortal enemy of her former master manipulator. Solidifying her status as a hero, she eventually joins the Guardians of the Galaxy team with, among others, Drax the Destroyer, who, also sporting a green exterior, nurtures an anger-driven origin tale that left him with a personal bone to pick with Thanos.

If the report proves true, then Saldana, a fairly big name, will have nabbed a key role in a third potentially-lucrative film franchise, further-solidifying her status as one of Hollywood's most sought-after actresses. With the necessary sinner-slaying experience in the bloody 2011 movie, Columbiana, she would certainly be in familiar elements as Gamora. (And seeing as she had a green-skinned roommate in Star Trek, her well of acting inspiration will certainly be full.)

Guardians of the Galaxy trades in Na'vi blue for Gamora green when it hits theaters on August 1, 2014.

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Interstellar, the next film from director, Christopher Nolan will apparently feature a bit of redneck stoner surfer vibe. It is being reported that Matthew McConaughey has been cast in The Dark Knight Trilogy visionary's experimental space epic. -- Alright-alright!

At this point, next to nothing has been revealed about the plot of the film itself, much less what McConaughey's role will entail. (Although a preliminary report by Deadline last week speculated that he would play a character named "Cooper.") What is known, is that the space-scifi departure from the superhero genre for Christopher Nolan will be based off the research of renown physics professor, Kip Thorne which theorizes on the utilization of wormholes for the use of time-travel. With a script on hand by the director's brother, Jonathan Nolan (which Christopher may have tweaked), expectations towards this ambitious, likely experimental project from the Nolans are already measured in light years, considering it was the center of a rare co-production/co-distribution deal between major studios, Warner Bros. and Paramount.

For McConaughey, the role could be an important step in the evolution of his acting career. While no stranger to the occasional dramatic role (like the memorable A Time to Kill), the actor is more commonly associated with irreverent parts and is probably still best remembered (besides for his prejudice against shirts,) from his role in 1993's Dazed and Confused as David Wooderson, an aimless, capricious partier who is a bit too old to be socially-familiar with high school students. However, after recent roles in Magic Mike, The Lincoln Lawyer, and Killer Joe, it seems that not only has his status as a bankable star been renewed, but more faith is being taken by studios towards his ability to tackle projects outside the box, genre-wise. This role in Interstellar definitely reflects that.

Interstellar proves that McConaughey gets older, but those red giants in space stay the same age when it hits theaters on November 7, 2014.

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Some light was shed on Marvel's Phase Two set of epic comic book films, which launches on May 3 with Iron Man 3. It seems that the release of the Blu-ray box-set, Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase One - Avengers Assembled would unleash a plethora of production art and preview footage for the Marvel Movieverse's upcoming entries.

People who did break out the big bucks to buy that magnificent box were treated to clues leading to a site called BattleofNewYork.net, for which they were provided a code to enter, uncovering an extended version of the Phase Two preview video we saw yesterday with Marvel Studios head, Kevin Feige.

The video in question is chock full of sneak peaks at all the current in-production Marvel film projects from next month's Iron Man 3, this fall's Thor: The Dark World, next year's Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Guardians of the Galaxy, and the 2015-set Phase Two grand finale, The Avengers 2. -- Not only that, but we even get a minuscule (pun intended) look at the Phase Three kick-off with fall 2015's Ant-Man, as some of the mythical test footage shot last year by director, Edgar Wright is shown in official capacity for the first time.

While the code-accessible preview video has not been officially released online (I stress, "officially"), a plethora of screen-grabs have bombarded the Internet, providing a much-needed sneak peek for fans who either can't afford the box-set or already own the films and can't justify re-buying them, even with the awesome packaging. Check out the array of pics below!

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The upcoming live action reboot revival of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles has a new cast member. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the half-shelled heroes' big screen return has cast comedic star, Will Arnett.

While the identity of Arnett's character is momentarily being kept a secret, the report shoots down the obvious choice for prominent male characters by indicating that he will NOT play the sporting-goods-swinging vigilante of the TMNT mythos, Casey Jones. Regardless, Arnett joins a cast of motion-captured Turtles who will accompany Megan Fox, who presumably takes the lead role as signature damsel, April O'Neil.

At this point, Arnett's role is anyone's guess. With all four Turtles already cast in Leonardo (Pete Ploszek), Raphael (Alan Ritchson), Michelangelo (Noel Fisher), and Donatello (Jeremy Howard), the other notable vacancies for known male characters (human or mutant) are for the foursome's sensei and mentor in the human rat, Splinter, the villain who fancies razor-sharp fashion, The Shredder, and sinister scientist, Baxter Stockman. None of those seem to be a realistic fit for the Up All Night and Arrested Development star, Arnett, which might indicate that the role is completely original to this film's storyline. (Which will apparently depict the Turtles as aliens of some kind.)

The role will nevertheless put Arnett in the midst of what may possibly be his biggest film, yet with this major $125 million project produced by the auteur of explosions, Michael Bay and directed by Jonathan Liebesman.

Ninja Turtles (as the reboot project is currently known) attempts grandiose sleight-of-hand tricks while playing Europe's "The Final Countdown" when it hits theaters on June 6, 2014.

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Next year's return of the Transformers film franchise may be the next film to make content adjustments to court production partnerships in China. It is being reported that Transformers 4 (title not yet confirmed) will work with China-based movie channel, Jiaflix Enterprises in an agreement that will open access to the quickly-expanding film market in the population-brimming nation. -- Not only that, but the robot rampage romp will consequently also do some filming in the red nation, as well.

The news comes just days after the announcement that Iron Man 3, in partnering with Chinese company DMG Entertainment, will actually go so far as to release a different cut of the film for Chinese audiences approved by the notoriously political-censorship-happy State containing new scenes and actors exclusive to their release. While no details have been revealed on what, if anything, will be altered for Transformers 4, it does seem that similar concessions would be made for the Chinese release, considering that Jiaflix Enterprises is an arm of the Administration of Radio Film and Television, controlled by the Chinese government.

At the moment, all that is known is that director, Michael Bay will be aided by the company towards pursuits like:

"Selection of filming sites within China, theatrical promotion, and possible post-production activities in China as well as casting of Chinese actors and actresses in the film."

With Mark Wahlberg stepping in as the main protagonist, along with a set of younger supporting cast members in Jack Reynor and Nicola Peltz, it will not only be interesting to see how the the film adjusts to the post-Shia LaBeouf era, but how the franchise known just as much for its unadulterated product placement as it is for giant robots will manifest with its new Chinese mandate.

Transformers 4 introduces a giant robot Chairman Mao that transforms into...a chair when it hits theaters (here in 'Murica, dammit!) on June 27, 2014.

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The Avengers 2 may still be over two years away, but the rabidly-anticipated sequel to the $1.5 billion grossing mega-movie now has its reservation set for Pinewood-Shepperton in the UK to begin shooting in just under a year in early 2014.

While the first film did most of its shooting throughout various locations in the U.S. from New Mexico, New York, and Pennsylvania, that tradition will not continue with the sequel. According to a report from ScreenDaily, it seems that this sequel will have our returning assembled Avengers doing a good portion of their shoot at Shepperton Studios. (Where recent productions like Jack Ryan, Maleficent, and The Muppets have shot.) With the shoot of one of the biggest sequels of all time laying down roots in their area, the production's impending arrival will no doubt be seen as an economic boon for locals on so many levels.

So, could we possibly glean any bit of information from this news? At this point, nothing even close to a hint has been revealed about the film's plot. However, the first film's exterior-heavy shooting throughout the U.S. was certainly reflective plot-wise of the film we ultimately got. Thus, if The Avengers 2 is looking to confine most of its shoot to a studio in England (presumably in front of a series of green screens), one might be able to conjecture that much of the film's events will take Marvel's dream team to more exotic...I daresay "unearthly" locations.

While Marvel Studios' "Phase Two" series of connected films kicks-off with Iron Man 3 next month, we know that events will ultimately go "cosmic," based on the Thanos cameo at the end of The Avengers, coupled with next year's big-screen debut of The Guardians of the Galaxy. With The Avengers 2 being the planed denouement of the Phase Two era, one would think that it would also be the culmination of this continued evolution in Marvel's Movieverse, rather than just being a sequel. (Yeah, I read into all of that from "they're shooting in a studio in England.")

The Avengers 2 will have you telling it to shut-up and take your money when it hits theaters on May 1, 2015. In the meantime, check below for a new video of Marvel Studios head, Kevin Feige talking about the direction of Phase Two. (Even if it's just to promote a box-set of the Phase One movies.)

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It is being reported that after the successful weekend of its sophomore effort that the G.I. Joe film franchise will continue soldiering on with a third film.

G.I. Joe: Retaliation certainly did make the most of this past Easter weekend earning $132 million worldwide, outdoing the global opening of the 2009 first film G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra by 35%. In the U.S., it would also deliver the second-best performance of that holiday weekend with $41.2 million (only behind the $61.2 million in 2010's Clash of the Titans). Overall, Retaliation looks to be well on track to outdo the $303 million global take of its predecessor.

Whether it was the continually-growing box-office clout of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, the presence of Bruce Willis, Adrianne Palicki's Lady Jaye looking ravishing in that red dress, or just the strength of the franchise itself, the movie managed to find an audience. It's especially impressive considering how fans and insiders had already written the film off as a disaster just waiting to happen. It not only managed to overcome the stigma of a year-long delay for a questionable 3D conversion, but it did so while going into the fray with a director completely new to the action/comic-book/fanboy-centric genre of films in Jon Chu. Indeed, there were many gambles on this film that ultimately paid off in a huge way.

No details have been given about the "whens" or the "whats" (other than the fact it will be in 3D), but there is certainly a wealth of material in the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero classic comic book, cartoon, and toy canon from which to draw for a third film. While this film series does not exactly adhere closely to the classics, it could potentially use classic concepts such as: A vengeance-seeking Destro forming his own faction in the Iron Grenadiers. The unruly and destructive biker gang, The Dreadnoks. The eccentrically-evil Crimson Twins, Tomax and Xamot, who like to finish each others' sentences. Or, maybe even Cobra Emperor, Serpentor; a tyrant cloned from a milkshake of DNA taken from the worst despots in the world's history. -- The possibilities are endless.

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