Comics

Could Mark Hamill be ready to once again pick up his lightsaber for the upcoming Star Wars Sequel Trilogy? Well, in a recent interview with ET, Hamill seems to confirm that the prospects of him reprising Luke Skywalker are quite likely.

While the 2015 release of the yet-to-be-titled Star Wars: Episode VII has opened the floodgates of rumors, one narrative which carries a distinct ring of truth seems to surround the impending return of the Original Trilogy cast, reuniting fans with older versions of the characters set several years after the fall of the Galactic Empire in Return of the Jedi. This is especially so with the recent, yet-to-be-confirmed report of Harrison Ford being secretly locked-in and official for a return as Han Solo. Yet, the prospective return of Hamill as the character that is essentially the main protagonist of the entire mythos seems even more of an inevitability. Thus, Hamill does not seem to play coy when it comes to that possibility, as he candidly reveals that he is indeed in talks with the new Disney-sized Lucasfilm coalition.

"They're talking to us," he reveals. "George [Lucas] wanted to know whether we'd be interested. He did say that if we didn't want to do it, they wouldn't cast another actor in our parts – they would write us out. … I can tell you right away that we haven't signed any contracts. We're in the stage where they want us to go in and meet with Michael Arndt, who is the writer, and Kathleen Kennedy, who is going to run Lucasfilm. Both have had meetings set that were postponed -- on their end, not mine. They're more busy than I am." 

While those talks don't seem to be taking place with a sense of urgency, it could very well be the case that the big brass are waiting for director, J.J. Abrams to finish things up with his current baby, Star Trek Into Darkness. Once the film hits on May 17 and Abrams has fulfilled all the ensuing creative and promotional obligations, the living envy of the sci-fi world will be able to turn his full attention to casting details and the shoot itself.

However, Hamill would be walking into this project with an ideal about where Luke Skywalker is in his life and how the film should come across.

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The upcoming long-awaited follow-up, Sin City: A Dame to Kill For has now given us a first look at its primary star, Josh Brolin in character as aspiring-photog/hired-muscle, Dwight McCarthy.

Co-director, Robert Rodriguez tweeted a set a photos over the weekend, one of which (seen above) is set in the film's proper black & white color scheme, depicting Brolin as Dwight doing a bit of night driving in the rain. (A setting that may very well be the quintessence of Sin City.) According to Rodriguez, the image is not actually a shot from the final film, but rather, is just a set photo that he personally touched-up which he is using to help set the tone of the film for the actors. Nevertheless, by releasing the image, it is a virtual confirmation that this is how Brolin will look in the film.

The image strikes a dramatic contrast to the version of the Dwight character we got in the first Sin City film played by Clive Owen in 2005. (And, thanks to an infamous plastic surgery sequence, may be reprised by Owen later in the film.) Brolin's Dwight is sporting more of a wrinkled brow mean mug, almost akin to a Dick Tracy villain. While this is one tough guy who can easily handle Sin City's meanest, he will come across the most formidable challenge of his life: Resisting libidinous urges towards his manipulative, wicked ex, Ava Lord (Eva Green). Unfortunately, this poor sap is in for a lot trouble.

Sin City: A Dame to Kill For hits theaters on October 4. In the meantime, check out the green-screen set photo of Brolin with Robert Rodriguez below.

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The latest in a series of new character posters for Iron Man 3 has hit. Exclusive to Empire, this one showcases actor, Guy Pearce as geneticist, Aldrich Killian.

Despite the fact that he looks more like a spray-tanned self-help guru, this film version of the Killian character will play a critical part in the film's plot. Along with his colleague, Maya Hansen (Rebecca Hall), Killian creates "Extremis," a technological virus that (in the comics, anyway,) re-writes the genetic code of a potential living subject, endowing enhanced physical abilities and rapid healing. Of course, when it comes to all powerful new toys with the potential to improve the lot of humanity, there always has to be some bitter, belligerent bad guy out there that wants to take nice things and turn it into a weapon of some kind. Indeed, that is what will happen when the sinister Mandarin (Ben Kingsley) arrives on the scene.

For Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark, the course of events will bring his life into a literal upheaval. (You did see what happened to his crib and his armor collection in the trailers, right?) However, while The Mandarin and his nano-powered cronies may have Iron Man in their crosshairs, Killian's potentially-deadly breakthrough could also end up being the beginning of some serious upgrades to Tony's tech in ways even his brilliant mind didn't imagine possible.

Iron Man 3 crashes into theaters on May 3. Check out the full Aldrich Killian poster below and speculate on whether he whitens his teeth.

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It seems that the mystery of what character confirmed cast member, Peter Dinklage will be playing in the upcoming X-Men: Days of Future Past may be solved. A report from MTV Geek! claims that the fan fave Game of Thrones star will fill the role of scientist, Bolivar Trask.

This, of course, is contrary to the initial fan-fueled rumors which assumed that his short-stature status sized him for the role of Canadian crusher, Puck. However, an ensuing report from Variety, citing unnamed sources claimed that Dinklage would play the film's "main antagonist." Now, this latest development points to Dinklage playing Trask, the character known from the pages of Marvel Comics as inventor of the giant robot bane of all things mutant, The Sentinels. (Who are definitely a part of this film.) Interestingly enough, Trask was last portrayed by repertory Schwarzenegger film player, Bill Duke in X-Men: The Last Stand. (Consistency, thy name is Fox.)

Trask created the assassin automatons out of fear from the destruction caused by mutantkind, exemplified by the actions of Magneto and his crew. However, the issue hit him close to home, since his two children, Larry and Tanya were also mutants. In the case of Tanya, her powers allow her to travel through time; a power that she uses against her father's anti-mutant cause. (An intriguing thought, considering that this will be a film involving time travel, right?) Yet, at the end of the day, multiple renditions of the Bolivar Trask character in the various comic book and animated storylines ultimately show him to be a character that was well-intentioned and not beyond redemption. Indeed, his own robot creations, led by his progenitive prototype, Master Mold, turn on him, quickly making this "antagonist" into a somewhat sympathetic figure.

At the moment, nothing has been confirmed regarding the identity of Dinklage's role and for all we know, rumors of him playing another character may surface. When it comes to Fox's jumbled canonical mess with the X-Men films, anything is possible.

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Next year's prequel-sequel film, X-Men: Days of Future Past may already be an embarrassment of riches in cast members, but now, it lands another feather in its cap: A Lannister! Director, Bryan Singer has revealed via tweet that actor, Peter Dinklage has officially joined the cast.

Best known for his Golden Globe and Emmy-winning role as the diminutive, yet dangerous Tyrion Lannister on Game of Thrones, Dinklage now joins a cast consisting of Hugh Jackman, Jennifer Lawrence and just about ANY top name actor who has been associated with the X-Men film franchise in the past. (Except maybe Halle Berry for some reason.) At the moment, his exact role in the time-bending mutant mega-movie has yet to be confirmed.

However, putting two and two together, fan speculation is already pointing to Dinklage playing Puck, the short-statured slayer of the Marvel Comics Universe. In the comics, Puck was not a mutant, or a real dwarf, for that matter. He was a former mercenary and mountain of a man named Eugene Judd, who, in his quest for power, would turn to a magical artifact that gave him enhanced strength, speed, durability, agility, and lifespan. -- All of which came with the "huge" downside of turning the formerly-full-sized fighter into a dwarf. Puck would become a key member of superhero-team, Alpha Flight, who were essentially Marvel's attempt to recreate the magic of The Avengers for a team based in Canada. The Super-Canucks also hold the distinction of being historically tied to the early crime-fighting career of fellow countryman, Wolverine.

IF, indeed, Dinklage plays Puck, then his character would likely be retconned as a mutant. (Although, ties to Wolverine might still manifest.) However, it's too soon to tell. Despite the speculation that this casting will erupt, it could end up being for a more innocuous role.

X-Men: Days of Future Past may be looking to show that there are other badass Canadians besides Wolverine at theaters on July 18, 2014.

*UPDATE: According to Variety's sources, Dinklage is allegedly playing a role identified as the film's "main antagonist." This intel, however, is far from confirmed.

Iron Man 3 has released a brand new character poster highlighting Don Cheadle as Tony Stark's buddy, Colonel James Rhodes all decked-out in his new Iron Patriot armor.

Indeed, the former "War Machine" has new digs that are powerful enough to make anyone say "America, f**k yeah!" It's a good thing, too, because Tony (Robert Downey Jr.) will need all the help he can possibly get this time around when he faces an array of vile villains, headlined by a mastermind in his signature comic book nemesis, The Mandarin (Ben Kingsley).

Adopted from the pages of Marvel Comics' post-Civil War era, the Iron Patriot suit was worn by Norman Osborn, the former original villainous Green Goblin who resurfaced, attempting to reinvent himself as a hero, eventually becoming director of S.H.I.E.L.D. Of course, when it comes to the big screen, Osborn only exists in Sony Pictures' Spider-Man Universe, which has led to the contextual alteration of having James Rhodes suit up in the red, white, and blue badassery.

Not much is known specifically about what role he will play in this action-packed launch of Marvel Studios' "Phase Two" set of films, but it will surely involve A LOT of insanely-explosive ammunition being unleashed on some hapless baddies.

Iron Man 3 crashes into theaters on May 3. Check out the full poster below to see James Rhodes in the armor that's so patriotic, it smells like apple pie and spawns bald eagles.

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A new trailer has landed for the upcoming sci-fi standout, Oblivion which highlights a vastly ruined Earth of the future...and also Tom Cruise fixing robots.

While this new trailer does not deviate too far from the teaser that hit back in December, it manages to prominently display a gorgeously-ruined version of a future Earth ravaged by war and left to rot. Several examples of iconic imagery are immersed in post-apocalyptic form while managing to capture a kind of sublime beauty as nature has essentially taken it all back. Yet, at the same time, it contrasts with a high-altitude haven of a luxurious and clean future in which Cruise's character lives. It really drives home the full scope of the kind of retro-70's visually bright, almost clinical style of sci-fi that director, Joseph Kosinski is attempting bring back with this project.

Originally Kosinski's brainchild, it would first take the form of a graphic novel of the same name with a would-be film project ruminating in his mind for over five years. However, after landing a career-making gig of helming the 2010 franchise revival, Tron: Legacy, his newly-upgraded status would land him the one and only Tom Cruise for this long-in-the-making pet project. Kosinski takes the director's chair and has collaborated on the script with Karl Gajdusek and scribe of the upcoming Star Wars: Episode VII, Michael Arndt.

The film is set to hit theaters on April 19. Check out the new trailer below to see a ruined, yet lush Earth of the future which forces Tom Cruise to finally put in an honest day's work.

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Recent reports pointing to serious troubles hitting Warner's plans for a Justice League mega-movie seem to have primed the rumor mill pumps. In this case, fan site, Batman On Film is claiming that a possible delay for the beleaguered superhero team-up could lead to a reboot of the Batman movie franchise hitting beforehand.

Of course, this theory should be treated as rumor-iffic as speculative rumors such as this one gets. According to BOF, an unnamed source of theirs close to the behind-the-scenes dealings strongly believes that the alleged troubles with the Justice League script by Will Beall and its apparent scrapping have sent shockwaves of doubt throughout Warner's superhero movie circle. According to the report, the current state of Justice League, which was supposed to introduce a new incarnation of the Caped Crusader to join the team, has worried the brass so much that they fear it may damage the Batman film brand. However, BOF's source attempts to quell what may be fear amongst the fans:

“Don’t worry about the Batman [film] franchise,” he said, “it’s [Warner Bros.’] most valuable [DC Comics-based] asset.” He continued, “I believe that they are now looking at introducing [the rebooted] Batman in a solo film, though that will likely take place later than they initially had planned. They are extremely worried how a [the Batman film franchise] would be affect[ed] if JUSTCE LEAGUE [sic] bombs...and rightfully so."

What could this mean for superhero plans by Warner that fans believed to be sprawling and ambitious?

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The upcoming sequel that fans have been calling The Amazing Spider-Man 2 has officially revealed that it will be called...wait for it...The Amazing Spider-Man 2!

In an official press release by Columbia Pictures confirming the film has begun production in New York, the not-so-creative, but necessarily-straightforward title was announced. Additionally, it drops a brief (albeit vague,) synopsis of the plot. The details, while bare bones, are still the most substantive info that has been released thus far.

"In The Amazing Spider-Man™ 2, for Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield), life is busy – between taking out the bad guys as Spider-Man and spending time with the person he loves, Gwen (Emma Stone), high school graduation can’t come quickly enough.  Peter hasn’t forgotten about the promise he made to Gwen’s father to protect her by staying away – but that’s a promise he just can’t keep.  Things will change for Peter when a new villain, Electro (Jamie Foxx), emerges, an old friend, Harry Osborn (Dane DeHaan), returns, and Peter uncovers new clues about his past."

Indeed, it looks like Peter's put himself in an awkward position, seeing as Captain Stacy, in his dying act, managed to c-block him from his daughter, Gwen. Of course, he won't have much time to think about that with the arrival a new electrically-charged villain who wants to tell Spider-Man, "I like the way you die, boy."

Besides the mention of our new villain, Jamie Foxx and the returning cast members, the presence of Shailene Woodley and Paul Giamatti are also confirmed, although it fails to say whether they will play, respectively, Mary Jane Watson and Rhino. (Even though we know they will.) However, perhaps the most intriguing bit of news to come out of this presser is the naming of actor, Colm Feore to the cast. The 54 year-old actor, a regular on The Borgias, has also notably played Frost Giant King Laufey in Thor. While nothing was revealed about his role, it is quite possible that he could be our new incarnation of ominous villain and would-be Green Goblin, Norman Osborn.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 in 3D will shoot an Electro shock that will make your lips swell like Wanda from In Living Color at theaters on May 2, 2014.

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Marvel's upcoming cosmic super-team epic, Guardians of the Galaxy has apparently found its lead. Beating out a long list of potential candidates with names far bigger than him, it is being reported that Chris Pratt has landed the role of Peter Quill, aka Star-Lord.

Pratt, a regular on Parks and Recreation, has been carving out quite a resume on the side in films like Moneyball and The Five-Year Engagement. However, his recent outing as a buffed-up U.S. Navy SEAL in Zero Dark Thirty has swung momentum his way like never before. The actor now nabs his first big-screen moment in the spotlight and does so in a major way with this Marvel movie tentpole.

With its apparent star, Pratt still far from a household name, Marvel will likely look for star power to serve in a supporting capacity. With Star-Lord only being the first official casting decision, it could be the case that roles for other team members who will be portrayed in a live-action capacity like Drax the Destroyer and Gamora will be filled by more recognizable names. In fact, a recent rumor which has comedy icons, Jim Carrey and Adam Sandler in the running to voice furry fellow, Rocket Raccoon still seems to hold water. -- Plus, rumors point to events in this May's Iron Man 3 leading to Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark showing up in Guardians in some capacity, which is definitely some major supporting star power.

So, who is Star-Lord, anyway? Let's take a quick look below.

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It appears that this fall's film follow-up, Sin City: A Dame To Kill For has another formidable finagler to add to its ever-growing ensemble. Actor, Stacy Keach has been tapped to take the role of Wallenquist, aka "The Kraut."

Describing the character, the original comic creator and film's co-director, Frank Miller referred to Wallenquist as "the one man who can't be redeemed in Sin City. He is pure evil." While confirmed details about the film, based on Miller's original graphic novel of the same name were sporadic, it did seem likely to feature the rapacious racketeer, who, while rarely seen, maintains a presence throughout the various Sin City stories. Now, the on-screen representation of this pernicious puppet master behind most of Sin City's major marks of malfeasance will, ironically enough, be portrayed by Keach, an actor famously known for playing a heroic detective on television as Mike Hammer.

Likely to carry a German accent, Keach's Wallenquist will probably have his tentacles in most, if not all of the stories in this film. It also appears likely that he will be the main antagonist in an original story entitled "The Long Bad Night" in which a cocky gambler named Johnny, played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, takes his swindling act a bit too far. According to co-director, Robert Rodriguez in a recent interview with MTV, the hopeless huckster "tries to beat the biggest villain in Sin City at his own game." So, Johnny's life is pretty much going to suck from that point on and it won't just be a dream within a dream.

With the gorgeous Eva Green recently cast as the film's sinister seductress, Ava Lord and now Keach as Wallenquist, it appears that Sin City: A Dame To Kill For will have no shortage of villains who are sure to be memorable for much different reasons when it hits theaters on October 4.

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According to Aint It Cool News, Yoda, the ancient, wise, and backward-speaking Jedi Master of Star Wars is heading back to the big screen. -- Whoa, hold on a second, NOT for the upcoming J.J. Abrams-directed Episode VII, but rather, for what would prospectively be the first Star Wars stand alone film.

Indeed, fans knew that last fall's acquisition of Lucasfilm by Disney would be the catalyst for some changes, but when rumors started to swirl about the possibility of spinoff films set in the Star Wars Universe, it was clear that we could be looking at a radical change in approach to how this movie canon manifested. Once previously held onto tightly by George Lucas, the proverbial Pandora's Box has been opened.

At this point, no details are available on exactly when in Yoda's long, long life the film is set to take place. There are numerous possibilities ranging from the story of a young Yoda getting his first lessons in the Jedi arts, to a bittersweet tale of how Yoda's apprentice, Count Dooku descended to the Dark Side, or even a post-Jedi Purge story documenting events taking place in Yoda's early days exiled on the "slimy mudhole" of Dagobah. There may even be some strategy to make the film more relevant to the new material by basing it on a storyline that will ultimately connect with the Abrams-christened sequel films.

Should the report prove true, it sets things up for other popular characters to get their own solo outings on the big screen like Boba Fett, Darth Maul, Jabba The Hutt...or maybe even the Rebellion's portly pilot, Jek Porkins. (jk) -- It's a Star Wars universe, we're just pretending to live in it.

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According to a report from Latino Review, it appears that The Avengers' irascible, irradiated emerald brute could find himself the center of some major activity by the time Marvel's Movie Universe reaches its "Phase Three" era.

While Marvel has tried its hand multiple times in the last decade to get the box-office ball rolling for The Hulk to varying degrees of success, it took an ensemble performance in last year's The Avengers cast with Mark Ruffalo mixing solid rage action with plenty of comic relief to finally make things click for the gamma giant. Indeed, it appears that having finally bottled the right chemistry, Marvel Studios intends to target it effectively sometime late in the upcoming "Phase Two" era of the films, which officially kicks off with this May's Iron Man 3.

Once seemingly the odd man out with an impending cosmic crucible on deck against the powerful Titan, Thanos and the rise of the Guardians of the Galaxy next year, Hulk could be poised to steal the show to an even larger extent than he did in The Avengers. According to LR's report, this will manifest in the buildup to what will be a new solo film franchise for the scientist-turned-towering-troglodyte, who is "always angry."

Think you've seen that movie before? Well think again. Keep going below for what may be some spoileriffic details regarding the Phase Three fate of The Hulk.

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It looks like next year's sequel, Captain America: The Winter Soldier won't have our hero going stag for long. Kicking off the weekend with a bit of news, it is being reported that Revenge star, Emily VanCamp is in talks to land the role of S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, Sharon Carter.

Beating out an array of some of the hottest up and coming starlets in the business, VanCamp will be playing a critical part of the new life of Chris Evans' unfrozen 1940's super soldier, Steve Rogers. However, with familial connection to his old love interest, Peggy Carter (played by Hayley Atwell in Captain America: The First Avenger), things could get awkward.

In the original comic storyline which had Cap revived in the early 1960's, Sharon Carter was the younger sister of Peggy Carter. Growing up inspired by Peggy's stories of Cap's heroic exploits, Sharon eventually joined S.H.I.E.L.D. under the code name, "Agent 13." Of course, with comic book canons enduring far longer than what's believable, that relationship over the years has been retconned, turning Sharon into Peggy's niece. However, for the film, Sharon will need to be a few generations removed from Peggy who, in a deleted scene in The Avengers, was confirmed to still be alive. Therefore, in all likelihood, VanCamp's Sharon Carter could very well be the granddaughter of Peggy.

Now with a potential romance with a fetching blonde femme fatale (albeit one whose ancestor is his old girlfriend,) Captain America will also ready himself for a bittersweet reunion with a friend he once thought was deceased in James "Bucky" Barnes (Sebastian Stan), now also unfrozen and brainwashed by sinister forces as the titular Winter Soldier.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier looks to make a cross-generational score at theaters on April 4, 2014.

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In a tidbit that will probably come as no huge surprise to those who familiar with the X-Men canon, 20th Century Fox creative consultant, Mark Millar has confirmed that next year's time-bending bonanza of badassery, X-Men: Days of Future Past will be riddled with the team's signature antagonists in the giant robotic ravagers of all things mutant, The Sentinels.

While the comic book creative guru, Millar has been known to drop the occasional big fish story to the fans, this one certainly has a ring of truth. Yet, in an interview with SFX, Millar's revelations, seemingly confirming the obvious, consequently may have also shed light on some previously-unknown things about the film's plot. (Which was recently revealed to center in 1973; ten whole years after X-Men: First Class.)

Regarding the Sentinels, who will prospectively arrive on the big screen not too long in the wake of another "Big Robot" movie in Guillermo del Toro's Pacific Rim, Millar comments:

“I hadn't actually thought about that [laughs]. Yeah, that is true isn't it? You will have a couple of big movies with giant robots in them. I don't really want to give too much away but the Sentinels are a big feature of this story. They will be cool and this will deliver on all of the teasers. We've all been waiting for this ever since X-Men: The Last Stand showed us one of their heads. Now it is finally coming, and we only have to pay ten quid to see it in the cinema whereas they're having to pay $100 million to deliver it. So I'm delighted [laughs].”

It certainly wouldn't be Days of Future Past without time travel and Sentinels, so Millar may not have dropped any bombshells on that one. Yet, it is noteworthy that we're talking about the X-Men films, specifically, Fox's X-Men films, so a confirmation of an aspect as basic as this is probably worth a victory of some sort for the fan community.

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