It’s an interesting week for cast members of The Grey. Liam Neeson appears in the soggy blockbuster Battleship, Frank Grillo locked down a role in Kathryn Bigelow’s bin Laden movie, and now James Badge Dale has signed on to play another villain in Marvel’s upcoming Iron Man 3. According to Variety, Badge Dale will play Eric Savin, who an army colonel who becomes the character Coldblood in the comics. Read on for a description of the character, which could potentially contain spoilers for Iron Man 3.

From Wikipedia:

While still a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Army at Camp Killian, Eric Savin was put in charge of Project: Ultra-Tech. There he met the love of his life, Lieutenant Gina Dyson. While on patrol, Savin stepped onto a freshly planted mine which blew him into pieces. He was dead for 2.3 minutes. Gina immediately performed cybernetic surgery on him. The surgery was successful — Savin was alive, but resurrected as a cyborg by Mako‘s Project: Ultra-Tech.

The cyborg angle makes sense, considering writer/director Shane Black is borrowing elements from Warren Ellis’ Extremis comic book run, which involve a virus being spread through nanotechnology. I’m also guessing that the newly-announced Rebecca Hall is playing Gina Dyson, a role once set aside for Jessica Chastain.

With Guy Pearce and Ben Kingsley already on board in potentially villainous roles, I’m hoping Black knows what he’s doing and can avoid another “overcrowding” situation like we had in Iron Man 2. We’ll have to wait until next year to find out, as Marvel has set a May 3, 2013 released date for the film. “Badge,” as his friends call him, is a solid actor who did good work in The Grey, so I’m glad that he’s finding higher profile roles these days.

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Samuel L. Jackson’s brief cameo at the end of Iron Man in 2008 forever changed the possibilities for superhero films. No longer did every franchise have to be a distinct entity – multiple movies could now take place in the same fictional universe, and the collective imagination of fans everywhere exploded at the potential for a massive crossover event bringing everyone together in one film.

With The Avengers, Marvel has achieved a seemingly impossible task: not only did they spend years building the foundation that supports this film by bringing together A-list stars from different franchises, but they managed to turn a project that could have collapsed under the pressure of its own ambition into one of the most crowd-pleasing superhero movies ever created.

Look no further than the 2002 series “Firefly” and its spinoff film Serenity for proof that Joss Whedon was the perfect choice to corral all of these monumental heroes into one storyline. Whedon is one of the best writers in the business, and he really excels at crafting meaningful relationships among ensemble casts and writing strong female characters, two things that were a requirement for a successful film adaptation of The Avengers. He was helped here by a terrific stable of actors, veterans of the industry who understand one of Marvel’s greatest strengths in these properties: the ability to keep the story critical to the film but allow enough humor that it won’t suffocate under its own seriousness.

The character work in The Avengers is fantastic, especially considering this particular team-up is jam-packed with characters that have already had entire films devoted to their singular adventures. Whedon gives each of them multiple moments to shine, and everything that we loved about them in previous films is on display here (and oftentimes it’s even improved). Even in scenes near the beginning of the film that contain massive amounts of setup and exposition, he manages to insert little “Whedonisms” to lighten the mood; there’s a gag with a $10 bet between Captain America and Nick Fury that’s a really small moment overall, but it brings a lot of humor to a sequence where people are just sitting around spouting information. Tony Stark has never been wittier, and Mark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner actually has a personality outside of sulking in corners and fighting the beast inside him. (The Hulk is funny this time, too!) Natasha Romanoff is far better drawn than she was in the disastrous Iron Man 2, so ScarJo fans can rest easy.

The action sequences are spectacular and choreographed so that we know where our heroes are at all times. (That in itself is a pretty incredible feat because the sheer scope of this movie is so huge.) The climax is breathtakingly constructed, mixing spectacle and destruction with legitimate character moments and not letting the (admittedly awesome) visual effects take over the movie. There are memorable setpieces spaced throughout the movie, resulting in easily the most entertaining Marvel film so far.

Because there is so much ground to cover, I did feel a little like Loki’s villainous intentions were a bit unclear. He’s working with some sort of alien race, but we don’t ever find out why the destruction of Earth is so paramount to their greater mission. Also, how did Thor even arrive on Earth for this movie? At the end of Thor, they establish that the bifrost has been destroyed. I understand how things wrap up at the end of The Avengers, with the Tesseract from Captain America playing a key role in the travel element, but there was so much happening that they didn’t have time to get into the hows and whys of things like that. Granted, I’m not sure that I would have wanted them to if it meant cutting out anything from what we see in the final film; it’s easy to see how Whedon’s first cut was over three hours long, and I’d love to see that movie in its entirety at some point if it ever gets released.

But ultimately, the few tiny gripes I have are cancelled out by the sheer geeky thrills in this movie. Marvel is the new Babe Ruth: they called their shot, and freaking blasted it out of the park. At long last, The Avengers finally came together on screen and, thanks to the only man who could have made it succeed, it surpassed all the hype. I probably don’t need to tell you that this film deserves to be seen on the big screen to get the full impact, but I guess I just did (and you can skip the 3D – it’s passable, but not great). The Avengers is everything I wanted it to be and more, and I sincerely hope that a few years from now I’ll be writing about The Avengers 2 written and directed by Joss Whedon. But until then, we can thank him for giving audiences the most fun movie of 2012. Until next time…

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About this time last month, we wrote about how Scarlett Johansson was supposed to be returning to the cast of Iron Man 3. It makes sense, considering all of Marvel’s actors have signed on for multi-picture deals. But immediately before a recent interview with Screen Rant, Johansson said that she would not be appearing in the newest adventure of Tony Stark. But the second one actor leaves, another might step in; NeonPunch reports that Asian cinema superstar Andy Lau (Infernal Affairs) could join the cast. Hit the jump for more.

So ScarJo says she’s hoping for a Black Widow spin-off movie of her own, something reminiscent of Bourne. She says she’s had conversations with Marvel President of Production Kevin Feige and that there’s a ton of material that could provide the basis for a movie, but nothing has been officially announced yet. Rumor has it Feige plans on making an announcement at Comic-Con regarding the second Marvel movie of 2014, so perhaps that’s what it’ll be.

Because of the recent announcement that Iron Man 3 is being partly financed by a Chinese company and filming partially in China, it makes sense that they would bring a popular Asian actor on board the project. Here’s the quote describing who he’ll play:

Andy Lau’s character will be an OLD FRIEND OF TONY STARK’S that represents China’s technology sector – and will use China’s armored heroes to HELP Iron Man defeat “The Mandarin” who is seen as a terrorist against both the US and China.

That seems to contradict reports that Ben Kingsley is NOT going to be playing The Mandarin (a villain in the Iron Man universe), so we’ll have to wait and see how this all shakes out to get more clarification. Filming begins soon, so we’ll expect some updates in the new few months. Lau would be the latest addition to a stellar cast which includes Ben Kingsley, Jessica Chastain, Guy Pearce, and returning members Downey, Paltrow, and Cheadle. What do you think about this casting switch? Bummed about ScarJo’s absence? Excited about Lau’s involvement? Both?

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Continuing Marvel’s incredible casting choices, the studio is in talks with Jessica Chastain (Take Shelter, The Help) to star opposite Robert Downey, Jr. in Iron Man 3. The actress would be the latest A-list talent attracted to the project, following Sir Ben Kingsley’s rumored appearance as the villain and last week’s announcement that Guy Pearce is eyeing a role as a geneticist in the film. More after the jump.

Chastain, a fantastic actress who burst onto the scene by showing incredible range in seven films in the year 2011, will play “a sexy scientist every bit as smart as Tony Stark.” Deadline has the story, and gives us a rundown of the casting process that once included Chastain, but because of scheduling conflicts, she had to leave the project. Now those conflicts have been resolved, and though other high-profile actresses were sought for the role during this interim period, now that Chastain’s schedule is open again it’s expected that the actress will sign on the dotted line soon.

Shane Black wrote and will direct Iron Man 3, with Downey, Gwenyth Paltrow, and Don Cheadle confirmed to reprise their roles from Iron Man 2.

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According to Variety Guy Pearce, who was most recently seen in Lockout, is in final talks to join the cast of Iron Man 3. The site says Pearce will play the geneticist Aldrich Killian.

In the comics Killian is responsible for putting a genome-attacking viral creation known as Extremis into the hands of terrorists. The plot of the film will borrow elements from Warren Ellis’ six-issue “Iron Man: Extremis” comic books which focuses heavily on the spread of the Extremis virus through nanotechnology.

Pearce joins a cast that already includes Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, and Scarlett Johansson. Sir Ben Kingsley was recently set to play the villain, but specifics on his character remain under-wraps.

Shane Black is directing, and filming is set to begin in May. Disney has set the Iron Man 3 release date for May 3, 2013.

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After what I considered a disappointing entry into the series with Iron Man 2, I’m starting to cautiously anticipate Iron Man 3. The fact that Kiss Kiss Bang Bang writer/director Shane Black is reuniting with star Robert Downey Jr. to continue the adventures of Tony Stark is a huge step toward reinvigorating this franchise, and now the production has made another great choice by bringing Sir Ben Kingsley on board as the film’s villain. More after the jump.

Variety has the news, which pegs Kingsley as an unnamed villain involved with nanotechnology. This runs contrary to many fan expectations that The Mandarin would appear as the villain in the third film, especially considering the nods to that character that have been seen so far in the first two movies. The Mandarin is “a wealthy Chinese scientist and martial arts expert who, by backing the warlord who imprisoned Stark, was indirectly responsible for the creation of Iron Man,” which frankly sounds like a great bad guy for this movie.

But die hard Iron Man fans have known for a while now that the story for Iron Man 3 will draw heavily from Warren Ellis’ “Extremis” run in the comics, and The Mandarin doesn’t factor in as the villain. We expect the typical studio tactic of shrouding this character in secrecy, but it’s only a matter of time before someone finds out more details about Kingsley’s character – and when they do, we’ll keep you in the loop.

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Robert Downey Jr. isn’t exactly known for family dramas, but that’s exactly what he’s setting up with The Judge. Wedding Crashers director David Dobkin will get behind the camera, and while Downey was once only slated to produce, it seems he’ll now be taking the lead role of “a big-city lawyer who returns home after the death of his mother to learn that his estranged father, a judge, is suspected of murder. He sets out to discover the truth and along the way reconnects with the family he walked away from years before.” More after the jump.

The Judge is actually being billed as a “dramedy,” so I can only guess that Downey’s character’s estranged family members must be pretty comical because this premise sounds like a pretty straightforward drama to me. It’s written by Bill Dubuque, who had a script called The Accountant hit the Black List last year. Downey has got Iron Man 3 coming up, as well as a rumored Pinocchio film with Tim Burton on his plate, so it’ll be quite some time before this gets going. David Dobkin is hard at work on Arthur and Lancelot for Warner Bros., which just saw Colin Farrell drop out of the lead role.

What do you think about Downey in The Judge? Interested?

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Joss Whedon’s The Avengers is unquestionably one of the most highly anticipated movies of 2012, and it might even have a legitimate shot at being one of the most anticipated films of all time. The way this movie came together is unprecedented, and now Marvel has teamed with Norton (not Edward, the antivirus company) to trace the origins of this superhero team-up film, featuring quick interviews with all of the major stars and even Whedon himself.

Here’s the official synopsis:

Marvel Studios presents in association with Paramount Pictures “Marvel’s The Avengers”–the Super Hero team up of a lifetime, featuring iconic Marvel Super Heroes Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye and Black Widow. When an unexpected enemy emerges that threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury, Director of the international peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D., finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster. Spanning the globe, a daring recruitment effort begins. Starring Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner and Samuel L. Jackson, and directed by Joss Whedon, “Marvel’s The Avengers” is based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series “The Avengers,” first published in 1963 and a comics institution ever since. Prepare yourself for an exciting event movie, packed with action and spectacular special effects, when “Marvel’s The Avengers” assemble in summer 2012. In “Marvel’s The Avengers,” superheroes team up to pull the world back from the brink of disaster when an unexpected enemy threatens global security.

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These live-action Disney remakes/re-imaginings just keep on coming. According to THR Tim Burton is in talks with Warner Bros. to direct a live-action Pinocchio movie, and the director has his eye on Robert Downey Jr. to star.

No deals have been made, but if things happen Downey Jr. would play Geppetto, the woodcarver who creates the puppet who dreams of becoming a real boy. Warner Bros. wants things to work out quickly as there are a few Pinocchio projects in development, with the main competition being Pinocchio prequel The Three Misfortunes of Geppetto which is set-up at 20th Century Fox and has Shawn Levy (Real Steel) attached to direct.

Here’s some details on the story from THR:

In the version being developed at Warner Bros., Geppetto embarks on a quest to reunite with his missing marionette. The well-regarded script is by Pushing Daisies creator Bryan Fuller. Dan Jinks (American Beauty) is producing.

Neither Burton nor Downey has a deal with Warners, but sources say Burton is keen to direct the film and has begun talks with the studio, so it’s just a question of whether Pinocchio will be his next movie. The Alice in Wonderland director also is eyeing an adaptation of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children at Fox, among other projects.

The site mentions Warner Bros. may have to find another director if Burton can’t make it his next project, so a Burton/Downey Jr. collaboration may not even happen at all. Downey Jr. is a busy man nowadays so he may not be able to fit this Pinocchio movie in amongst all the Iron Man/Avengers sequels and a potential Sherlock Holmes 3.

Would you see a Tim Burton-directed live-action Pinocchio movie starring Robert Downey Jr. as Geppetto?

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Earlier this month a German trailer for The Avengers hit the web and gave us some new snippets of footage. Now a Russian trailer has been released which is a mix of both the German and US trailers, but contains more shots Loki, the villain of the film once again played by Tom Hiddleston.

Watch below:

The Avengers, directed by Joss Whedon, will star Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man), Mark Ruffalo (The Hulk), Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow), Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury), Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Chris Evans (Captain America), Clark Gregg (Agent Coulson), Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye) and will be released May 4th, 2012.

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