Is Warner Bros. Planning a Legion of Superheroes Movie?

Marvel took a gamble by going to the stars with Guardians of the Galaxy, and it was a risk that paid off in spades. It's the top-grossing film of the year, and now Warner Bros. may be trying to get a piece of that action. A rumor surfacing at Latino Review says the studio may be looking to bring DC's cosmic Legion of Superheroes to the big screen.

Warner Bros. is said to be “quietly sending out the DC comic book ‘Legion of Super-Heroes’ to screenwriters & their reps” to see who can come up with the best "take" on the material for a feature film. So it's probably too early to say a movie is in the works so much as Warner Bros. wants to see what they can possibly do with some of the most confusing material in DC Comics history. The Legion of Superheroes were created in 1958 as part of Adventure Comics, and basically they are a massive team of young heroes in the 30th century who were inspired by Superman's teen exploits. They've been rebooted and relaunched a bunch of times and the team has a loyal, if not exactly huge, fan following.

But other than being largely set in space there aren't a whole lot of similarities to Guardians of the Galaxy. Time travel factors heavily with the LOSH, and their characters, at least in my opinion, aren't all that complex which is why they have names like Karate Kid, Element Lad, and Sun Boy. They're heroes in the truest sense of the word.

We'll see if this rumor holds water. It seems a bit odd for Warner Bros. to be looking at a complicated film like this so early into building their cinematic universe.

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Jessica Chastain Really wants to Play a Superhero; One Role she'd be Perfect For

Here are two things everybody likes right now: female superheroes and Jessica Chastain. Marvel may be sitting with their thumbs up their butts rather than giving one of their many great female characters a solo flick, but Sony has beaten them to the punch with a lady Spider-Man spinoff and Warner Bros. probably will too with Wonder Woman. And whenever one of these movies finally gets rolling, Jessica Chastain sounds like she wants to be a part of it, but only if she gets to wear something cool. She tells The Guardian...

Chastain: “I would love to do a superhero movie! I would have loved to have played Black Widow.”

While I don't recall her ever being up for Black Widow, Chastain was originally cast in Iron Man 3 as Maya Hansen. She ultimately dropped out and the role went to Rebecca Hall. Chastain gives a pretty good reason why she hasn't taken any superhero movie parts when the offers have definitely been there...

Chastain:  “A couple of times I’ve gotten really close. The problem is, if I do a superhero movie, I don’t want to be the girlfriend. I don’t want to be the daughter. I want to wear a f***ing cool costume with a scar on my face, with fight scenes. That’s what I’d love.”

Nobody needs to be scarring up Chastain's pretty face, thank you very much.There are a ton of red-haired superheroines she'd be perfect for, and one of those is Medusa of The Inhumans. We know Marvel is in the developing stages of an Inhumans film and Medusa, who is the wife of the Inhuman king Black Bolt, is exactly the kind of badass Chastain seems to be looking for.

For now we'll have to settle for her in buzzed-about dramas like The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby and Liv Ullman's Miss Julie.

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DC Comics "Film Series" to be Revealed Soon

Warner Bros. Pictures CEO Kevin Tsujihara was apparently quite the fountain of information to The New York Times, spilling the beans on J.K. Rowling's 'Fantastic Beasts' trilogy, and now talking about the future of DC-based movies. In NYT's assessment of Tsujihara's comments, it appears that an announcement on new superhero movies is coming soon...

"As for DC Entertainment, cross-studio collaboration to make better use of its comic book characters appears to have accelerated considerably since Mr. Tsujihara took over, in part because he eliminated some management layers. (He has not named a chief operating officer and did not replace Mr. Rosenblum and Mr. Robinov, choosing instead to divide up their duties and assume some himself.) Two new television shows are coming to the CW and Fox, including one based on the Flash and another on a young Batman, and a film series will be announced in the near future, Mr. Tsujihara said. It is expected to include a "Justice League" movie.

Justice League is the one we were all expecting, but who else might that include? Probably Wonder Woman, since she's certain to appear in Man of Steel 2 played by Gal Gadot. A new Green Lantern movie, maybe? Perhaps Lobo with Dwayne Johnson in the lead? And what about Guillermo Del Toro's Justice League Dark?

All are possibilities, and chances are we won't learn anything concrete until July when they can make a big splashy Hall H announcement at Comic-Con.

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'The Amazing Spider-Man 2' Shows Off Electro Fight in Three New Posters

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 debuts three new posters -- The film hits theaters in a few months, and Sony's getting a head start on marketing what's expected to be a great follow-up to its 2012 predecessor. The sequel sees our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man finding out more about his father's secrets, maintaining his relationship with Gwen Stacy, and battling not one, but two villains. The posters above show Spidey going head-to-head with Electro in Times Square. The film hits theater May 2, and stars Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Jamie Foxx, Paul Giamatti, Dane DeHaan, and Sally Field.  

Plot: For Peter Parker, there's no feeling quite like swinging between skyscrapers, embracing being the hero, and spending time with Gwen (Emma Stone). But being Spider-Man comes at a price: only Spider-Man can protect his fellow New Yorkers from the formidable villains that threaten the city. With the emergence of Electro (Jamie Foxx), Peter must confront a foe far more powerful than he. And as his old friend, Harry Osborn (Dane DeHaan), returns, Peter comes to realize that all of his enemies have one thing in common: OsCorp.

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Review: 'Thor: The Dark World' Starring Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, and Natalie Portman

At one point in Marvel's superhero sequel Thor: The Dark World, the devious Loki (Tom Hiddleston) exclaims confidently "If it was easy, everybody would do it!" That sentiment could describe Marvel's genius construction of their cinematic universe, a perennial cash cow that only seems to be getting more lucrative by the film, especially in the wake of the $1.5B-grossing The Avengers. While an assemblage of Earth's Mightiest Heroes was always a shoe-in to be a hit, the solo films have been more of a challenge, and none more so than Thor. And while that first movie did well despite its many problems, the sequel surpasses Iron Man 3 in terms of scope and focus to be one of the most entertaining superhero movies yet.

The mandate is pretty clear for this one from the beginning: Do everything bigger!! The sheer spectacle of Thor: The Dark World stands on par with The Avengers, and while nobody is going to say the film is better, it's impressive the number of elements director Alan Taylor is able to juggle successfully. A Lord of the Rings-style flashback, complete with dark elves that look like orcs battling Asgardians with swords and axes, introduces us to the villain Malekith (Christopher Eccleston). There's a bit of mumbo jumbo about the alignment of the Nine Realms and Malekith's desire to plunge the universe into eternal darkness using a powerful destructive force known as the Aether. Defeated, Malekith is forced into slumber and the Aether hidden away where it can never be found, until of course it is found years later quite accidentally by Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) while searching for Thor (Chris Hemsworth), who has been missing for months.

So where exactly does one hide a blond chiseled slab of godly beefcake, anyway? Well, you don't, and in the wake of the attack on New York City in The Avengers, Thor is seen delivering Loki to an Asgardian prison where he'll sit for the rest of eternity. But even when behind mystical prison walls Loki is good at getting under one's skin and that includes his mother Frigga (Rene Russo), who gets a greatly expanded role this time as the mediator between her two sons. As Thor gets on with the business of protecting Asgard and the Nine Realms, while also catching the eye of his warrior colleague Sif (Jaime Alexander), he's still torn by his love for Jane. Returning to Earth to find her, he's greeted by a couple of nice slaps to the mug, but after discovering she's been bonded to the Aether it's off to Asgard they go. Before she can finish awkwardly meeting Thor's parents, Malekith is awoken and stages a devastating attack that leaves Thor, Loki, and the almighty Odin (Anthony Hopkins) struck to their core.

And what a battle it is. Really, Malekith's attack on Asgard is the film's biggest set piece, and it looks absolutely incredible. It benefits by the impressive direction by Taylor, the Game of Thrones vet giving Asgard a more grounded, recognizable look than the fake, comic book look favored by previous director, Kenneth Branagh. This Asgard actually looks like a place people could inhabit, which fits with Marvel's clear mandate to make Thor fit into a realistic world. Since the bulk of the action takes place away from Earth this time, it also affords the chance to really dig into the Shakespearean drama that is Thor's family line. Bad blood continues to boil between Thor and Loki, with Hemsworth and Hiddleston both playing their parts extremely well. Let's face it, Hiddleston has been the rock star of the entire Marvel Universe up to this point, and every time he's on screen the film has a dangerous vibe that is undeniably fun. We're presented different shades to Loki's scorned child selfishness that were missing in the first film, and mark him as more than someone out for vengeance. Hemsworth too has really grown into a solid actor, as we saw recently in Ron Howard's Rush, and this version of Thor is one who is feeling the weight of responsibility and family obligation wear him down. The family dynamics of the Thor movies are unlike anything else Marvel's movies can offer and they are consistently fascinating.

Less interesting is pretty much everything that has to do with Jane Foster and her irritating pal, Darcy (Kat Dennings), who had been a scene-stealer the last time around. Less is more with a snarky character like Darcy, and she's around so much that eventually one starts to wish Malekith would pay her a personal visit. For what it's worth, Portman gives her all imbuing Jane Foster with a measure of strength, but she's still basically a damsel in distress waiting to happen. She gets a few moments to flash her intellect alongside the returning Dr. Erik Selvig (Stellan Skarsgard), but any explanation of the overly-complicated plot just sounds like gobbledygook ripped from an episode of Doctor Who. Idris Elba gets a little more to work with as the fierce protector Heimdall, including a brief but thrilling action sequence that was probably designed just for his fans. One problem that continues to trouble Marvel films are their lackluster villains, and Malekith is another in a long line of them that don't feel all that important.

Effortlessly combining sci-fi, supernatural, and fantasy elements, anything can and often does happen in Thor: The Dark World, and that unpredictability is a big part of why Marvel has struck gold (or is it lightning?) one more time.

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Kevin Feige Says Marvel's Movies Planned Out Through 2021

You don't get to be the envy of every studio in Hollywood by waiting around until the last second to formulate a plan, and Marvel has been looking forward in planning their cinematic universe since before 2008's Iron Man. Already we've seen them putting the pieces in place for Phase Three, with a trio of open mystery dates in 2016 and 2017 that fans are eager to see filled. Movies like The Avengers don't just happen overnight, and seeing how intricately Marvel builds to the big payoff is just one reason why audiences love them.

Marvel Studios' chatty president Kevin Feige spoke to Wired and, while he didn't go into details, suggested that they have their entire film slate mapped out through 2021.

Feige: “I could arguably say what we’re planning for the year 2021. Will that happen? I don’t know. But what we planned for 2015 in 2006 is happening.”

While it should hardly come as a surprise, considering we've already heard talk of Doctor Strange and Black Panther receiving their own films, Feige does talk about expanding the cinematic universe in the future...

Feige: “Five years ago, looking at our plan, we knew that if Avengers was going to work, the movies had to stand alone. Now we have to prove to the studio that we’re more than just these five characters, these five franchises.”

Edgar Wright's Ant-Man will kick off Phase Three in 2015, and we can expect to see The Avengers 3 a couple of years after that or possibly in 2018. The mystery dates could be filled by sequels to Thor or Captain America, and maybe Guardians of the Galaxy if it proves to be a hit. Doctor Strange and Black Panther could fit in there somewhere, possibly taking one of the mystery dates, but there's a chance that Marvel is holding something secret up their sleeve. A lot could change depending on the market, the new TV series Agents of SHIELD, and other unforeseen issues , but it sounds like Marvel is ready to go for a very long time. The big question is whether or not Robert Downey Jr. and Iron Man 4 factors into the equation.

What Marvel hero do you hope makes it to the big screen? Personally I'm hoping for Luke Cage, Moon Knight, and the New Warriors. Probably fat chance on two of those.

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Is Vin Diesel About To Join The Marvel Universe?

Few can work the magic of Facebook better than Vin Diesel. The social networking actor regularly keeps his fans in the loop, and it's largely due to those efforts that got Riddick off the ground. In other words, he doesn't put anything on his Facebook page lightly, which makes his latest post very interesting.

In his latest comment, Diesel says that Marvel wants to meet with him soon, although he has no idea why....

Diesel: “Marvel has requested a meeting… no idea what for… haha, you probably know better than me…”  

Meaning nobody knows anything, but the obvious speculation is that Marvel wants him to be a part of their cinematic universe. Diesel would seem like an obvious pick to play a comic book hero of some sort, but he doesn't readily fit into the roles we're expecting to open up when Marvel reveals their latest line-up of films. Three mystery dates have been announced, two in 2016 and one in 2017, and it's presumed that Doctor Strange and Black Panther would be two of those. Or maybe Diesel is in line to play a Phase Two character, possibly the villain Thanos? My guess is Marvel wants him to voice Groot in Guardians of the Galaxy. For the record I'd kill to see the Internet uproar if Marvel cast him as Doctor Strange or Ant-Man. It would simply be too delicious. I seem to recall a lot of rumors before about Diesel possibly playing the android Avenger, Vision. Maybe they weren't so far-fetched, after all?

We'll see what comes of all this. Perhaps we'll have a chance to see Diesel stride across the stage at Comic-Con next month? 

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First footage from Disney Animation's debut Marvel movie 'Big Hero 6'

When Disney purchased Marvel Comics four years ago, it was inevitable that the legendary animation studio would soon be turning their talents towards the publisher's vast collection of superheroes. The thought of Disney or Pixar tackling an Avengers animated movie or something along those lines was certainly something to get excited over, so it was surprising last summer when we learned that the first animated film would be for the unknown Japan-centric team known as Big Hero 6. Well now Disney has not only set the film for a 2014 theatrical release, but we're also getting the first footage from it.

Directed by Don Hall (Winnie the Pooh), the film is based on the 1998 limited series created by Steven T. Seagle and Duncan Rouleau. Primarily an ode to Japanese anime culture of big robots, child heroes, and giant monsters, the team was led by boy genius Hiro Takachiho and his robotic dragon pal, Baymax, who is imprinted with the memories of Hiro's dead father. Also part of the team at various stages was the Silver Samurai, who will be seen this summer as a villain in The Wolverine. The book was quirky and whimsical, and should fit in well with Disney's animated library. The first footage doesn't reveal much, but it does show Hall's vibrant color palette (his Winnie the Pooh was gorgeous in its simplicity) is perfect for depicting the fictional San Fransokyo, which is Marvel's way of merging San Francisco and Tokyo.

If Big Hero 6 is a hit, don't be surprised to see Disney Animation put an increased focus on bringing more Marvel heroes to the silver screen. Maybe they'll even develop their own animated cinematic universe? [LA Times]

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First trailer for 'Thor: The Dark World' starring Chris Hemsworth and Natalie Portman

As Marvel prepares to unleash Iron Man 3 on us in little more than a week, they've already begun the push for the next in their mega-hit line of superhero titles. We've already seen glimpses of Thor: The Dark World in the Phase Two preview, along with a new poster and some photos released as star Chris Hemsworth has been making the interview rounds. Now Marvel is officially pulling out all of the big guns as the first trailer is finally here.

Directed by Game of Thrones' Alan Taylor, the mood of the sequel is considerably blacker and less flashy, as the title would suggest. Thor finds himself again attempting to save the Earth from a powerful threat, this time from the Dark Elf Malekith the Accursed (Christopher Eccleston), and in order to keep his lover Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) safe he whisks her away to Asgard. We already know she'll face some disapproving members of Thor's family, and we see hints of that in the scowl on the face of Sif (Jaime Alexander), who has always seen herself as Thor's true love.

Perhaps most importantly of all, we see the next step in the contentious relationship between Thor and his brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston), who is locked away like Hannibal Lecter after the events of The Avengers. It looks like Thor is going to need his help to stop Malekith's schemes, and Loki's sneering glee over that pretty much steals the show. Overall, Marvel appears to be leaving behind some of the campier elements from the first film and going with something that, at least for now, has more of an epic quality.

Thor: The Dark World hits theaters on November 8th, and in October in the U.K.


Thor: The Dark World trailer by FilmBoy.gr

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Guillermo Del Toro talks 'Justice League Dark'; reveals a new team member

While Warner Bros. seems completely lost in the development of their Justice League film, Guillermo Del Toro's Justice League Dark (aka Dark Justice or Heaven Sent) is progressing right along. At this point it wouldn't be a complete surprise if it's ready to roll first, although the studio probably would hold off until the entire superhero line is in a better position. What we know about the film so far is that it will feature anti-heroes from the supernatural realm of the DC Universe, so don't expect to see Superman flying in to the rescue. While at WonderCon to promote this summer's Pacific Rim, Del Toro spoke to Collider about the film's development while also revealing the addition of a rather obscure character.

Del Toro: "The route we’re going is Constantine is our lead.  Constantine is the guy who leads us in and out of the plot.  We have Swamp Thing, Etrigan, we have Zatanna, we have—I will spoil it—the Floronic Man.  We have stuff that those who love the darker side of the DC Universe are going to appreciate, and we’re trying to be true to the origins of the characters."

We were already aware that most of these characters, including the unmentioned Deadman, would be a part of the team. The one surprise addition is Floronic Man, a plant-based character best known for his appearances during Alan Moore's Swamp Thing run. He's the sort of character that only a
devoted fan would recognize, much less have any desire to use in a feature film.  He's undergone a lot of changes over the years, but Del Toro's desire to "be true to the origins" means his version will likely be an alien from the plant world of Floria. It also means he may be one of the film's villains, and not an actual member of the team.

Back in January, Del Toro said he had the "perfect writer" for the film, but he remains tight-lipped on just who that is....

Del Toro:  "I won’t say who it is.  I’m not allowed.  But we’re waiting, and when the right time comes, hopefully that writer will take over, and then we’ll see if it’s directed by me or someone else and I’ll just produce.  I don’t know."

So it's still up in the air if Del Toro will even be behind the camera for this one, although it sounds like a project very near and dear to his heart. That could factor in to his final decision, and could cause him to push back any number of the various projects he's got sitting on the backburner....

Del Toro: "I’m literally playing with two of my oldest and most favorite characters in my life—Swamp Thing and Etrigan.  These were the guys I was drawing with crayons when I was a kid.  I cannot tell you how happy I am, but I am finishing my bible, and then I deliver that bible, which is about 45 pages, to Warners, and we have a screenwriter that we like and that we talk to, but he is writing his own movie right now and is thinking about it.  But I am going to try to wait for him."

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Robert Redford in talks for 'Captain America: The Winter Soldier'

On the list of unexpected news stories, this news about Marvel's Captain America: The Winter Soldier ranks extremely high. With filming set to begin soon on the superhero sequel, which has Chris Evans returning as the star-spangled Avenger, Deadline drops a surprising report stating that the legendary Robert Redford may join the film as a high-ranking S.H.I.E.L.D. officer.

Redford has spent the bulk of his recent career taking on personal projects, mostly of a political nature. His next thriller, The Company You Keep, opens next month and stars Shia LaBeouf, Brit Marling, Susan Sarandon, and many others. While he's had his share of blockbusters, most of them were early in his career with films like The Sting and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. He's never dabbled with the world of superheroes, though, and it's doubtful anyone expected he ever would.

Casting someone like Redford suggests that the role would be an important one, and liklihood exists that he'll turn up in multiple Marvel films. There's no obvious choice for who he could play, but we know Nick Fury has superiors he must report to, and Redford would make a natural authority figure. Knowing the way Marvel does things, Redford's role may be one of the secrets they decide to hold on to.

Directed by Joe and Anthony Russo, Captain America: The Winter Soldier opens on April 4th 2014.

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Ex-WWE superstar Dave Bautista is Drax in 'Guardians of the Galaxy'

When people think of WWE superstars who have made the transition as Hollywood actors, the conversation usually turns to Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, or "Stone Cold" Steve Austin. For good reason, as all three have had some measure of success in the move, and Johnson in particular is one of today's biggest stars. But there is one who is leaps and bounds ahead of the other two on that list, and it's ex-WWE Champion Dave Bautista. Last seen in RZA's The Man with the Iron Fists, Bautista has just landed the biggest role of his career.

Rumored weeks ago for a role in Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy, THR now confirms that Bautista will play Drax the Destroyer in the intergalactic superhero film. Beating out Isaiah Mustafa, Patrick Wade, and Jason Momoa, Bautista joins Chris Pratt as the only two actors officially on board the film. It's the perfect role for a muscle-bound tank like Bautista, as Drax is the most powerful member of the quirky team with a personal grudge against the mad villain, Thanos.

This is just the latest in a string of major projects for Bautista, as he'll be seen later this year battling Vin Diesel in Riddick.  Guardians of the Galaxy hits theaters on August 1st 2014.

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Is Apocalypse the villain in 'X-men: Days of Future Past'?

I've learned to trust my homie Brendon Connelly and his many hunches. He had a chance to sit down with Bryan Singer just as Jack the Giant Slayer is set to make its U.K. debut. Of course the conversation turned to X-men: Days of Future Past, and Singer was asked about who the villain might be. Specifically, whether any of the rumors about En Sabah-Nur, aka Apocalypse, could be the bad guy of the time travel story. But first, Singer addressed why he was interested in returning to the X-men now, and what the film is about...

Singer: "The movie is about destiny. What is your fate? What were you supposed to do, what should you have done when you were younger? What didn’t you do that would have made for a better future? And what if you could go back and change that.

I think I’ve got the time travel – I don’t really want to call it time travel, but for want of a better word, time travel figured out. I pitched it to James Cameron and he signed off on it."

So there's confirmation of that meeting with Cameron we heard about before. Must be some complicated time travel dynamics he's playing with. To be fair, it's a little wonky in the Days of Future Past comic, as well.

But it's when Singer is asked about Apocalypse that things get really interesting. Here's the whole exchange as described by Brendon over at Bleeding Cool...

On hearing the name Apocalypse, Singer’s face changed immediately but there was no point being timid. Might as well plough ahead with the question. Would he even consider using Apocalypse in the movies? How about in Days of Future Past?
His nervous answer:

I can’t tell you…

That was most interesting. So I leapt forward and asked if realizing the character of Apocalypse would require performance capture.
And now Singer looked even more nervous.

This is how it gets started, when somebody starts piecing the little bits together…

Oh my.  While that's hardly a confirmation, it does sound like Singer was afraid of the cat being let out of the bag. For those who don't know, Apocalypse is credited as being the very first mutant. He is an immortal, granted with vast Celestial power, who believes in the code of survival of the fittest. His beliefs have made him a frequent enemy of the X-men in the past, present, and far-flung future, but also occasionally he's been their ally. Recently, he's been reborn in the body of a child and enrolled in the X-men's school where they are trying to teach him to be a hero rather than a monster.
It's that last part that that seems to fit with what Singer was saying about destiny. I don't know about you, but I'm excited at the prospect. And he would almost certainly have to be a CG-creation, which has been teased in the past.

Apocalypse doesn't have anything to do with the original story, so this would be quite the deviation from the comic. I'm thinking Singer will clam up now and stop revealing so much on his Twitter page, and probably won't do quite as many interviews on the subject.  X-men: Days of Future Past arrives on July 17th 2014. Until then, you might want to check out the Age of Apocalypse and X-Cutioner's Song (my personal favorite crossover ever) comics for some of the best Apocalypse stories.

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Halle Berry confident she'll return as Storm in 'X-men: Days of Future Past'

Bryan Singer has been trying to get the band back together for X-men: Days of Future Past, and so far he's been pretty successful. Joining the X-men: First Class crew is many of the older crew with Ian McKellen, Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Ellen Page, Shawn Ashmore, and Anna Paquin confirmed to reprise their mutant roles from the original trilogy. One name noticeably absent has been Halle Berry, with many suspecting she would never get another shot to spout some truly awful dialogue as Storm again.

But speaking with Shadow and Act, Berry was reportedly "90% sure" she'd be back, noting that contract negotiations are far enough long that they won't be falling apart now. Filming begins in April, and Singer would obviously want to have everyone locked in long before that. I still expect him to somehow work in Famke Janssen and James Marsden as centerpiece mutant couple Jean Grey and Cyclops. Singer recently talked about fixing many things badly broken by X-men: The Last Stand, and what happened to them would have to be considered a top priority. The time travel nature of the plot gives him every opportunity to do just that.

X-men: Days of Future Past opens on July 18th 2014. 

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'Dark Shadows' writer Seth Grahame-Smith boards 'Fantastic Four' reboot

Best-selling author Seth Grahame-Smith's jump to Hollywood got off to a bumpy start last year, to say the least. The adaptation of his historical horror Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter turned out to be more of a joke than the title would suggest, and his Dark Shadows remake with Tim Burton was a very public failure. Despite that, he's still a writer highly in demand, and now Fox is turning to him to do a script polish on Josh Trank's Fantastic Four reboot.

Grahame-Smith comes aboard just days after Matthew Vaughn joined the film as a producer. He'll be taking a pass at the draft penned by Michael Green and Jeremy Slater, with THR noting the story will take a "grounded superhero and sci-fi approach" to Marvel's first family of heroes, tapping deep into comics mythology.

The world of comic books isn't far from the genre Grahame-Smith has nurtured in his two novels, the other being Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, so he should right at home. It's hard to ignore just how awful his two screenplays were, though. Fantastic Four hits theaters on March 6th 2015.

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Matthew Vaughn to produce Josh Trank's 'Fantastic Four' reboot

Matthew Vaughn may have decided to bail on directing X-men: Days of Future Past, handing over the reins to Bryan Singer, but he's far from done with Fox's corner of the superhero universe. With his buddy Mark Millar serving as Fox's chief comic book consultant, it makes sense that Vaughn would come aboard one of the studio's biggest titles, Josh Trank's upcoming Fantastic Four relaunch.

Millar took to Twitter to announce Vaughn's joining the film as a producer, and the news was then confirmed by Deadline. There's nothing more to the story, but let's speculate a little bit. This could mean one of two things: Vaughn could be a bridge to crafting a larger shared universe that includes the X-men and other Fox properties. Could we see an X-men/FF crossover at some point?

Or this could be Fox's way of driving a wedge between the X-men and FF universes. Millar, who actually wrote the Ultimate Fantastic Four comic for a time, could begin working with Vaughn on that corner of the line, while Bryan Singer and producer Lauren Schuler Donner handle the X-men side.

Whatever the case, Vaughn is a solid addition and a veteran presence for Trank's film. As good as Chronicle was, this will be his first major high-profile project, with a budget to match. Vaughn can only help make the process smoother. Fantastic Four hits theaters on March 6th 2015.

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Bryan Singer will use 'X-men: Days of Future Past' to "fix sh*t" from 'X-men: The Last Stand'

Nearly every long-running franchise has one film that's so bad it nearly ruins everything. Fox's X-men trilogy really set the stage for the comic book movie dominance we're now in the midst of, but it couldn't escape the trend of having one giant stinker. That film was obviously X-men: The Last Stand, a crowded and unfocused jumble of half-baked plots made all the worse by Brett Ratner's lousy direction. The real reason why fans hate it so much is that not only was it bad, but it made a lot of big changes that aren't so easily rectified.

Bryan Singer's heard the outcry, though, and plans to do something about it in whatever way he can. While talking to IGN, he says that X-men: Days of Future Past's time travel aspects give him an opportunity to "fix sh*t". He says there are a few things he plans to repair, but wouldn't specify exactly what those things are. One thing he may rectify is the death of Jean Grey, who was played by Famke Janssen. Janssen's been rumored to appear in The Wolverine, probably in a flashback scene, but her return could be more tangible in Singer's film. When asked about it and the fan's desire to see Cyclops and Jean reunited, he said this...

Singer: "Who wouldn’t? Who wouldn’t? [Laughing] That’s all I can say. The good news is that we’re all on the same page"!

 With Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, and Hugh Jackman returning, plus The Wolverine's ties to the prior trilogy, it certainly looks like Fox plans to craft their own shared cinematic universe. Singer thinks the X-men world has even greater potential than Marvel's The Avengers...

Singer:  "I think that if you really examine the X-Men universe it’s every bit as big as the Marvel universe. There are lesser characters, but if you take certain characters there are a myriad of films you could make, and stories you could tell, with these characters as individuals. Wolverine being one of them, and that’s currently being done. But you could really mine this universe. I’m glad to return to it and I’d like to get more involved in it because it hasn’t really been orchestrated – somewhat with the Wolverine pictures – but I think there is a lot more that one can do."

That last part is something I definitely agree with. The X-men comics are what drew me to Marvel, and it was largely due to the diversity within the line, but also in the characters themselves. If Fox fully tapes into what makes these mutants so popular, I have no doubt it will be the biggest superhero franchise of all. As long as we don't get more of this....

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Next Batman film happening in 2017?

It's been virtually impossible to get a handle on Warner Bros.' plans for their Batman franchise, just because there have been more rumors than fact circulating around ever since The Dark Knight Rises wrapped up last summer. The latest bit of scuttlebutt to emerge from the usually reliable folks at Batman On Film say that the next solo adventure for the Caped Crusader may not be until 2017.

Their source says that the next time we see the "new" Batman it will be in the Justice League film, expected to hit some time in 2015. Whether that will be Joseph Gordon-Levitt under the mask, continuing on from where Christopher Nolan left off his trilogy, remains to be seen. That will then be followed two years later by a new solo Batman reboot.

So take this all as just loose talk for now. It'll probably be awhile until we learn anything concrete as WB concentrates their energies on Man of Steel. Its success or failure will impact any future superhero plans the studio may have.

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Watch every Marvel cameo by Stan Lee since 1989

Death, taxes, and Stan Lee cameos. It doesn't matter what the Marvel film is, if "Stan the Man" had a hand in creating the character, then he'll invariably pop his head up in there somewhere. Sometimes he's just another face in the crowd, other times he's playing the hero like in the first Spider-Man, and other times he's getting rescued from certain death like in Daredevil. The ol' guy has more film credits for doing less work than anybody in Hollywood history, and even though we know he's coming, when he shows up it still makes us all chuckle.

A cool new video has put together all of Stan's cameos in Marvel films since 1989. It's only about five minutes long and begins with The Trial of The Incredible Hulk, which I remember watching as a 12-year old kid, and goes all the way up to The Amazing Spider-Man.  Start your bets on what he'll be doing in Iron Man 3. [JoBlo]

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Jamie Foxx talks Electro in 'Spider-Man 2'; Samuel L. Jackson on Nick Fury's future

When Jamie Foxx was tapped to star as Electro in The Amazing Spider-Man sequel, it must have taken a lot of people by surprise. The Oscar-winning actor is on the verge of one of his most controversial performances in Django Unchained, and so he's moved on to something presumably much leaner by tackling the superhero film. But it does sound as if Marc Webb and Co. have a very specific idea of how they intend to approach the Spidey villain, and Foxx was surprising chatty about it recently.

While talking to Blackfilm and MTV, Foxx revealed that the classic green and yellow costume is out, in favor what sounds like a costume closer to the Ultimate version of the character.

 Foxx: “Marc Webb and all those guys that are doing it are smart, they know that it has to make sense in 2013.  The suit is really slick, it’s actually black, but it’s the new age."

“They want to have it more grounded and not as comic book-y, so it won’t be green and yellow. They want to try new things, like a liquid rubber and things like that, and there are all these bolts and stuff in my arms when they are hanging me upside down and trying to figure out what happened. How did he become this way? So, it will be some new stuff.”

Sounds like Electro's going to get experimented on and hung like a slab of meat once his transformation occurs. But who's doing all the poking and prodding? Surely not Peter Parker, right? Any other well-known scientists in the house? Norman Osborn, maybe?

He also reveals that Max Dillon(Electro's civilian identity) isn't an outright villain as he's frequently depicted. Instead, something happens to changes him, and of course a certain webslinger plays a critical role....

Foxx: “You’ll see his whole life is just no one is talking to him, people have stolen his ideas at the company, he’s a nobody.  And at a certain point Spider-Man bumps into him and says, ‘You’re my guy, you’re my ears and eyes on the street,’ and he says his name, Max, and no one’s ever said Max Dillon’s name, and he goes ‘Wow.’  And so when Spider-Man leaves he sort of thinks that somehow, ‘I am Spider-Man’s partner,’ and so he starts cutting out his face and pasting it on his board at home.  When everything goes bad, his mom doesn’t remember his birthday, I mean all these crazy things happen until finally he has something tragic happen, and then when it turns on he lights it up.”

 Although in the comic book world Spider-Man is considered one of The Avengers, in the cinematic universe he's about as far away as a character can be. On that side of the Marvel map, Samuel L. Jackson has been chatting up the future of S.H.I.E.L.D. leader Nick Fury, and as usual the conversation turned to prior rumors of a possible solo film. Jackson doesn't outright shoot the idea down, but it does sound like Fury's going to have a much larger part to play in Captain America: The Winter Soldier....

Jackson: "I think a lot of people know [Nick Fury's story]. I know him as something else because I've been alive longer than most of the fans that watch the movies. So I know Nick Fury as the World War II veteran and all that stuff. It might be interesting to do [that story] one day, but we find out little bits and pieces about Nick and we're going into 'Captain America 2' in late March."

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 swings into theaters on May 2nd 2014. Captain America: The Winter Soldier opens a month earlier on April 4th.

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