Comic Book Movie Round-Up: July 2018

It's been quite a while since we've done one of these and I figured- before this year's San Diego International Comic-Con (where there's usually a shedload of news)- I'd clear the decks and get caught up with a lot of comic book movie news from the last few months. 

Oh, by the way, there may be potential spoilers ahead. Don't say you weren't warned!

MARVEL NEWS

Whilst Marvel won't have a presence at this year's Comic-Con, there's still plenty of news to share about their upcoming slate.

Captain Marvel has finished shooting. Joining Brie Larson - who will play Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel- is Samuel L. Jackson will reprise his role as  Nick Fury for the ninth time on screen. Because it's set in the 1990s, he won't have the iconic eyepatch. Former MCU participants Djimon Hounsou, Lee Pace, and Clark Gregg will reprise their roles as Korath, Ronan the Accuser, and Agent Phil Coulson respectively. 

New cast members include Ben Mendelsohn, Gemma Chan, and Jude Law (who is playing Danvers' mentor Walter Lawson a.k.a. Mar-Vell), whilst multiple Oscar-nominated actress Annette Bening  has reportedly been cast in an unknown role. Captain Marvel is directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, and will be released in early 2019.


The title of Avengers 4 is still shrouded in mystery- or is it? Reports suggest that the full title may be Avengers: End Game. Cinematographer Trent Opaloch- who was worked on Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War, and Avengers: Infinity War- updated his website to list Avengers 4 under that title before quickly changing it back. 

The sequel to Spider-Man: Homecoming is going to be called Spider-Man: Far From Home (which was 'leaked' by Tom Holland and then confirmed by Kevin Feige). The film that will kick off Phase 4 of the MCU, it will see Peter Parker on a trip around the world, fighting bad guys. Zendaya, Marisa Tomei, Jacob Batalon, and Michael Keaton will all reprise their roles from the original film, whilst Jake Gyllenhaal is down to play villain Mysterio. It has been confirmed that Benedict Cumberbatch WON'T be appearing as Doctor Strange in this movie. 

Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 is about to enter pre-production. Once again written and directed by James Gunn (who has already delivered a draft script), it's due to start shooting early 2019- most likely for a 2020 release. Gunn has said that Vol. 3 ISN'T set before Infinity War, and that it will 'end this iteration' of the Guardians team. It'll also 'complete the story of the three films'.

There's a standalone Black Widow movie coming - and it's already got a director. Cate Shortland will be taking the reins, with Scarlett Johannson reprising her role as Natasha Romanoff. This will be the first solo female-directed MCU film. 

Kevin Feige has also teased a sequel to Doctor Strange, but no firm details given other than that. 

DCEU NEWS

DC WILL be presenting at Comic-Con this year, so expect a lot of hype and some cool trailers and such from their upcoming roster. 

Expected in the UK on 14th December 2018, Aquaman is directed by James Wan. Jason Momoa will reprise his role from Justice League, facing off against Patrick Wilson as Aquaman's villainous half-brother Orm Marius (also known as Ocean Master). Other cast members include Amber Heard as Mera, Temuera Morrison as Thomas Curry, Randall Park as Dr. Stephen Shin, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Black Manta, Dolph Lundgren as King Nereus, Willem Dafoe as Nuidis Vulko, and Nicole Kidman as Queen Atlanna (Aquaman's mother). Several official pictures of various cast members have been released:

Directed by David F. Sandberg (Annabelle: Creation, Lights Out). SHAZAM! will hit cinemas on April 5th 2019. Shazam is a bit of an odd choice, as it isn't particularly well known outside of comic-book circles. The basic premise is a young boy, Billy Batson, is granted superpowers by a mysterious wizard and- when he says the magic word 'Shazam!'- transforms into an adult with strength, speed and various other powers. Zachary Levi has been cast as the adult Billy, with Asher Angel playing him as a child. 

Djimon Hounsou will be 'crossing the floor' and going from the MCU to DCEU (actually, just like Zachary Levi) as he'll be playing The Wizard, the mysterious sorcerer who bestows super powers upon the young Billy. Dwayne Johnson has been cast as Shazam's nemesis Black Adam, but reportedly won't be in the film at all (but may appear in his own film, or possibly Suicide Squad 2). Other cast members include Dylan Grazer, and Mark Strong who will play the villain Dr. Sivana.

After Shazam, we get Wonder Woman 1984, in cinemas in November next year. Directed by Patty Jenkins, this will see Diana come to America to deal with a new threat. Gal Gadot will reprise her role as Diana/Wonder Woman, as will Chris Pine- although quite how that'll work given Steve Trevor died at the end of the first film is anyone's guess at the moment. In terms of villains, Kristen Wiig has been cast as Dr. Barbara Minerva (a.k.a. Cheetah). Pedro Pascal has been cast in an unknown role, and there are hopes to get original Wonder Woman Lynda Carter a role in the film (which would be frankly splendid)

Margot Robbie will reprise her role as Harley Quinn in Birds Of Prey, which she describes as an 'R-rated girl gang film'. Joining Harley in this iteration of the girl gang will be Black Canary (Dinah Lance), Huntress (Helena Bertinelli), Cassandra Cain, and Renee Montoya. The villain is supposedly a Batman comics villain who hasn't yet appeared on the big screen. No other casting has yet been announced. Birds Of Prey will be directed by Cathy Yan, and written by Christina Hodson. 

The Batman, the Matt Reeves-directed solo adventure, is still part of the DCEU plan (for now). However, it looks increasingly likely that Ben Affleck will not be playing the Caped Crusader in it. Whilst nothing official has been announced (which might change come this weekend), rumour has it that the film will focus on a younger Batman- and may contain The Penguin as the main villain. 

The Flash solo movie is still on the cards, with Spider-Man: Homecoming writers John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein directing. Ezra Miller is still on to play Barry Allen and the rumours have it that the film will heavily adapt the Flashpoint storyline- where Barry creates a terrible alternate world when he tries to save his mother. Kiersey Clemons will make her debut as Iris West, after being cut from Justice League. 

OTHER NEWS

Warner Brothers and DC have confirmed that Joaquin Phoenix will play the Joker in an upcoming film directed by Todd Phillips. This will be a gritty 80s origin story, but is unconnected to the wider DCEU. 

Current DCEU Joker Jared Leto is, however, taking a role in an offshoot of the MCU. He's been cast as the lead in Morbius The Living Vampire, a spinoff from Spider-Man (so in the same vein as the upcoming Venom). Daniel Espinosa is slated to direct. 

Another spinoff from the Spider-Man universe will be Silver & Black, focusing on the characters of Black Cat (Felicia Hardy) and Silver Sable. Director Gina Prince-Bythewood is attached, although no casting or release date has yet been announced. 

X-Men spin-off Dark Phoenix has been pushed back to February 14th 2019, to allow for reshoots. Directed by Simon Kinberg, Dark Phoenix focuses on the young Jean Grey (Sophie Turner). Several members of the casts of the X-Men prequel trilogy (First Class, Days Of Future Past, and Apocalypse) will reprise their roles, with James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Nicholas Hoult, Alexandra Shipp, Tye Sheridan, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Evan Peters and Olivia Munn all coming back. 

They'll be joined by Oscar-nominated actress Jessica Chastain in a mystery role- but she's definitely not the alien empress Lilandra. 

Originally due April 2018, Josh Boone's New Mutants has also been pushed back to August 2nd 2019 (a second push-back from February 2019), not only to allow for reshoots, but to include a new character. Taking a more horror-themed route, the film will focus on a new generation of X-Men, to be played by Anya Taylor-Joy, Henry Zaga, Charlie Heaton, and Maisie Williams. 

I did say there was a lot to catch up on... No doubt there'll be much more to talk about once the dust settles from Comic-Con!

Review: Deadpool (UK Cert 15)

It's taken years for Deadpool to have his own film but, boy, has it been worth the wait. 

It's essentially an origin story, but not told in the traditional way. Instead, we see in flashbacks how cancer-ridden mercenary Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) became the spandex-clad Deadpool via a clandestine operation overseen by the smarmy Ajax (Ed Skrein). Wade goes after Ajax for revenge. Carnage and fourth-wall-breaking ensues. 

Watching Deadpool reinforces just how badly X-Men Origins: Wolverine misjudged the character. Deadpool is a gobby little sod- his nickname is the Merc with the Mouth, for God's sake- and Ryan Reynolds' glib rat-a-tat delivery gives the film most of its humour. You don't neuter a character like this by sewing his mouth shut (although that gets a nice sly dig when Wade and Ajax talk before the operation). For me, this is Ryan Reynolds' best performance- he's likeable, snarky and cool but also shows a tender side with Wade's relationship with Vanessa (an equally brilliant and totally kick-ass Morena Baccarin). 

All supporting characters do well - Ed Skrein exudes just enough villainy as Ajax (or should that be Francis?) and Gina Carano is pretty menacing as his mostly-mute sidekick Angel Dust. Two X-Men turn up- a fact that is not lost on Deadpool and which gives rise to one of the funniest lines in the entire movie. These are Colossus (voiced by Stefan Kapicic) and the brilliantly-named Negasonic Teenage Warhead (an assured film debut by Brianna Hildebrand). T.J. Miller and Leslie Uggams provide some great comedy relief as Wade's friend Weasel and his room-mate Blind Al and Stan Lee's cameo is just superb.

The script is achingly self-aware, crammed to the ginnels with pop culture references and the aforementioned fourth-wall-breaking. But it never feels quirky or try-hard, nor pandering to diehard fans at the exclusion of others. It's full of neat little Easter eggs which fans will get a kick out of but, if you don't know the reference, it won't impair your viewing.

Brash, loud, vulgar, cheerfully offensive, unremittingly violent and just downright bloody funny, it's a winner from start to finish. 

Rating: 5 out of 5

Tez

Comic-Book Movie Round-up: December 2014

So, there's been quite a bit of comic book movie news recently, with massive announcements from both Warner Bros and Marvel Studios over their respective slates for the next five years. There's also been some great casting news announced. 

THE DC CINEMATIC UNIVERSE

2015 will still be dominated by Marvel Studios with both Avengers: Age Of Ultron and Ant-Man (and the first of the new Fantastic Four films) but, from 2016, Warner Bros and DC Entertainment throw their hat into the ring with the start of their cinematic universe, opening with the utter doozy of Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice and then moving on to Suicide Squad.

Casting was announced this week for Suicide Squad, which is to be written and directed by David Ayer (End Of Watch, Fury).

Will Smith will play Deadshot, whilst recent Oscar-winner Jared Leto will play The Joker and The Wolf Of Wall Street's Margot Robbie will play Harley Quinn. Tom Hardy will play Rick Flagg whilst A Good Day To Die Hard's Jai Courtney is Captain Boomerang. Finally, model Cara Delevingne  will play Enchantress. There's also a rumour that Jesse Eisenberg may make an appearance, reprising his role as Lex Luthor from Batman V Superman. 

Fans may notice that there's one piece of casting that has yet to be announced, and that's of the Suicide Squad's head honcho, Amanda Waller. Whilst no casting has been announced, it's been reported that Oprah Winfrey, Octavia Spencer and Viola Davis are all under consideration.

In 2017, there'll be a standalone Wonder Woman movie, presumably with Gal Gadot reprising her role. Michelle MacLaren (who has done sterling TV work on episodes of Game Of Thrones, The Walking Dead and Breaking Bad) will direct and the screenplay will be written by Jason Fuchs. 

Also in late 2017, there'll be the first part of a Justice League movie to be directed by Zack Snyder (Man Of Steel and Batman V Superman). Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Gal Gadot and Amy Adams are already signed on to reprise their roles of Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, and Lois Lane. The second part will hit screens in 2019.

In 2018, The Flash will make his big-screen debut played by Ezra Miller (We Need To Talk About Kevin, The Perks Of Being A Wallflower), as will Aquaman with Game Of Thrones' Jason Momoa in the lead role. No doubt Miller and Momoa will also appear in the Justice League movies. 

In 2019, along with the second part of the Justice League movie, Shazam will hit the screens. Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson has already announced he will be playing Black Adam but no other casting has been confirmed as yet.

Finally in 2020, a Cyborg movie (starring Ray Fisher as Victor Stone, who will also appear in other movies) and a reboot of Green Lantern completes DC's ambitious slate. Considering that the 2011 Green Lantern movie is generally considered to be a bit of a turkey (losing millions at the box office), it's no surprise they've decided to leave the reboot until last. 

Plans have also been announced for standalone Batman and Superman movies but these have not formed part of this plan as yet.

THE MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE

I did a quick blog when the Marvel slate for 2016-2019 was announced but there have been a few new bits of information since (most notably a major piece of casting)

Captain America 3 was slated for May 2016 (US date), and was originally opening on the same day as Batman V Superman. Were Marvel afraid? Nope. Their date remained unchanged and now it's clear why: the third Captain America film will adapt the highly esteemed Civil War storyline.

Essentially, Civil War pits Cap against Tony Stark over a government bill aimed at forcing superheroes to register themselves and reveal their identities. Cap is against it, Stark is for. Robert Downey Jr and Chris Evans will reprise their roles, and this will also be the debut for Chadwick Boseman who was announced as playing Black Panther. Directors Joe and Anthony Russo and writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely will also return from Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

Also in 2016, Marvel takes a dip into the more supernatural side of things with Doctor Strange. It was confirmed this week that Benedict Cumberbatch would take the role of the Sorceror Supreme after weeks of speculation. Scott Derrickson (The Day The Earth Stood Still, Sinister) will direct with a script being rewritten by Jon Spaihts.

2017 is going to be a bumper year for Marvel with no less than 3 movies expected for release (at the moment). First of these is Guardians Of The Galaxy 2, which should see the original cast reteam under returning director James Gunn. Next up is Thor: Ragnarok, which will see Asgard under threat from the end of all things. At the moment, Chris Hemsworth will be returning and (it is expected) Tom Hiddleston. Less certain would be Natalie Portman or Anthony Hopkins' involvement, but as no story details have emerged so far, it's difficult to say. Marvel finish the year off with the standalone film for Black Panther.

In 2018, cinemas will get the first part of Avengers: Infinity War which is a very exciting prospect. Josh Brolin is expected to reprise his role as Thanos, as the plot focuses on Thanos' use of the Infinity Stones to terrorise the universe. Summer 2018 will see Marvel's first female-led superhero movie with Captain Marvel, which has been confirmed as being Carol Danvers. There's been a longstanding rumour that Katee Sackhoff is linked with the role but this is just idle gossip at the moment (although I think she'd be kickass). 2018 tounds off with Inhumans.

2019 sees the release of the second part of Avengers: Infinity War. Nothing else has been announced after that. 

20TH CENTURY FOX

Whilst Marvel and DC are the big hitters, Fox have a decent slate of superhero movies due out with reboots of one property and a few sequels to others.

2015 sees the release of the rebooted Fantastic Four, with Miles Teller (Reed Richards/Mr Fantastic), Kate Mara (Sue Storm/Invisible Woman), Michael B. Jordan (Johnny Storm/The Human Torch) and Jamie Bell (Ben Grimm/The Thing) in the lead roles. British actor Toby Kebbell will take the role of Dr. Doom, and Chronicle director Josh Trank will oversee the project.

In early 2016, the Deadpool spin-off will be released, with Ryan Reynolds appearing to be close to reprising his role from X-Men Origins: Wolverine (he's been dropping a few less-than-subtle hints on social media this week). Tim Miller will make his directorial debut.

Also in 2016, X-Men: Apocalypse will hit the screens with Bryan Singer back in the director's chair. The action moves to the 1980s and rumour has it that it will tie up the First Class trilogy. Oscar Isaac (Inside Llewyn Davis) has been cast as Apocalypse. 

Early 2017 currenly sees the sequel to The Wolverine. The only information available so far is that James Mangold, who directed The Wolverine, is attached to direct and that Hugh Jackman will star. No clue on plot or other casting as yet.

Summer 2017 will also see The Fantastic Four 2. The four main cast are expected to return, but that's all we know so far. Josh Trank's involvement is uncertain due to his commitments for a standalone Star Wars film.

There's an untitled X-Men movie rumoured for 2018, and Channing Tatum has seemingly been confirmed as playing Gambit (in an interview with producer Laura Shulde Donner), but whether Gambit will appear in this one or maybe even appear in X-Men: Apocalypse is uncertain. 

SONY AND SPIDEY

Currently, Sony have four comic book projects slated- Sinister Six, Venom, a female-led Spider-Man spin-off and The Amazing Spider-Man 3. However, given the fact that The Amazing Spider-Man 2 didn't exactly set the box office alight, it looks as if plans may be altered slightly. 

Currently, Drew Goddard's Sinister Six movie is still slated for late 2016 although there's been zip in the way of either casting or even which of the Spidey supervillains will make up the Sinister Six. 

As for the female led Spider-Man movie, the best bet would be Black Cat (as the character was hinted at in The Amazing Spider-Man 2) but there are absolutely no details about this project, apart from the concept and a vague release date of 2017. Similarly, the Venom project hasn't progressed either- again, a vague release date of 2017 is the only thing to say, but rumours are that the project has been canned and the character may appear in the Sinister Six instead.

The Amazing Spider-Man 3 is provisionally down for release in 2018, having been moved back from 2016 (thus removing a previously-earmarked Amazing Spider-Man 4). However, there are rumours of yet another reboot in the works or even Sony entering talks with Marvel to allow Spider-Man to join The Avengers (which would be awesome but a logistical nightmare, one would imagine). 

Other studios have provisionally or fully set their rosters and publicised at least some of their films. Sony is the only one with a major comic-book franchise that hasn't. Make of that what you will. 



So, as you can see, there's a lot to go see in the next few years. Here's a handy calendar of what to expect when (please note, this may be schedule to change- let's face it, we are talking some longterm planning here!)


2015

April 24 (UK)/May 1 (US): Avengers: Age Of Ultron

July 17: Ant-Man

August 6 (UK)/August 7 (US): The Fantastic Four


2016

February 12: Deadpool

March 25: Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice

April 29 (UK)/May 6 (US): Captain America: Civil War

May 19 (UK)/May 27 (US): X-Men: Apocalypse

August 5: Suicide Squad

November 6: Doctor Strange

November 11: Sinister Six


2017

March 2 (UK)/March 3 (US): The Wolverine sequel

April 28 (UK)/May 5 (US): Guardians Of The Galaxy 2

June 23: Wonder Woman

July 14: The Fantastic Four 2

July 28: Thor: Ragnarok

October 27 (UK)/November 2 (US): Black Panther

November 23: Justice League Part One


2018

March 23 - The Flash

April 27 (UK)/May 4 (US): Avengers: Infinity War Part One

July 6 - Captain Marvel

July 13 - untitled X-Men movie

July 27 - Aquaman

October 26 (UK)/November 2 (US): Inhumans


2019

April 5 - Shazam

April 26 (UK)/May 3 (US): Avengers: Infinity War Part Two

June 14 - Justice League Part Two


2020

April 3 - Cyborg

June 19 - Green Lantern


Busy time ahead!

Review: X-Men: Days Of Future Past (UK Cert 12A)

Comic-book movies sometimes get a raw deal. They're perceived as low-brow popcorn-fodder, a sit-back-and-watch-things-go-boom experience. Basically, they're lumped in with Michael Bay films. However, that is far from the truth. Comic-book movies deal with huge themes- love, trust, truth, faith, death- and are much more than just a vivid spectacle. Captain America: The Winter Soldier plays out like a paranoid 1970s thriller with added superhero, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 deals with loss and betrayal, and now X-Men: Days Of Future Past asks questions about the nature of history, fate and destiny.

In a future ravaged by war, mutants and their sympathisers are hunted down and ruthlessly exterminated by massive killer robots known as the Sentinels. A small group of mutants- led by Professor X (Patrick Stewart) and Magneto (Ian McKellen)- have a plan to end the war. Using Kitty Pryde's (Ellen Page) powers, Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) is sent back to 1973. He must reunite a separated Charles (James McAvoy) and Erik (Michael Fassbender) and, together, they must stop Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence) from assassinating Sentinel creator Bolivar Trask (Peter Dinklage) at the Paris Peace Accord which ends the Vietnam War. Trask's death and Mystique's subsequent capture are the tipping point which brings about the war. But can they change the past?

It's a truly epic piece of film-making. Singer's direction is slick, the big action set-pieces look amazing (the opening scene featuring a Sentinel attack on a mutant camp in Moscow is just absolutely breath-taking) but the smaller, quieter character moments also work- there's a fantastic scene between McAvoy and Stewart as the younger generation meets the older which is just sublime. The period detail of the 1970s is nicely realised- there's a great opening sight-gag involving lava lamps and waterbeds which raised a giggle- and the soundtrack is also worthy of mention (taking in Eartha Kitt, Roberta Flack and Jim Croce). 

Performance-wise, there's absolutely no complaints. Given that the lion's share of the action goes to Jackman, Fassbender, McAvoy and Lawrence, it's no surprise that they're all at their A-game here. This is the seventh time Jackman's played Wolverine and he completely inhabits the character every time. McAvoy's performance is stunning, as he goes from a wreck of a man to the man we know he can be. Fassbender is smooth and suave and there are echoes of McKellen in his tone. Lawrence is just superb as Mystique- she is the tipping point, the fulcrum. There's a lot of weight on her shoulders but she handles it with aplomb. 

Other performances worthy of note are Peter Dinklage as Trask- what could have easily been a cardboard cut-out stereotypical villain is given nuance and heart by Dinklage, making Trask almost likeable- and Nicholas Hoult as Hank McCoy, acting as nurse and companion to Charles. There's also a sterling performance by Evan Peters as Quicksilver, a superfast mutant who helps reunite Charles and Erik in what is one of the most inventive and funniest scenes in the film. There are also a few lovely and unexpected cameos towards the end that I won't spoil and a post-credits scene that gives a tantalising glimpse at the next film (due in 2016). 

Be warned, though: this is not a film for people new to the X-Men franchise. You need to have seen the previous films (and, sadly, I do include X-Men: The Last Stand in that) to really have a handle on the what and why. For example, a lot of the pathos that comes from Professor X and Magneto's relationship- despite being immaculately played by Stewart and McKellen- is based on knowing what they've previously been through (as it's only given the most cursory of mentions). Similarly, some of Wolverine's angst might seem a bit confusing if you don't know what's happened to him. Also, given the large cast, despite an extensive run-time of 131 minutes, some characters feel a little underused- Halle Berry's Storm, for instance- whilst the vast majority of Anna Paquin's scenes as Rogue hit the cutting-room floor. 

So, with the caveat in place that you need to have seen previous X-Men films before seeing this one, I would heartily recommend X-Men: Days Of Future Past. Engaging, epic and excellent.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Tez

Comic Book Movie Round-Up: March 2014

There has been a whole load of comic-book movie related news over the past few weeks, so here's a round-up of what's been going on.

* * * 

MARVEL VS DC

It was recently announced that DC's Batman Vs Superman movie had been postponed from 2015 to May 6 2016. This sets up a battle of the comic-book movies as it will now open on the same day as a Marvel film, expected to be Captain America 3 (although an official announcement has yet to be made). Marvel are 'certainly keeping the date', according to Kevin Feige, and aren't afraid of a clash. 

When asked by Access Hollywood to predict the winner of this clash of the titans, Sebastian Stan (who has a nine picture deal with Marvel) stated 'All you have to do to know the answer to that question is look at the track record of Marvel versus DC'. Meow!

We discussed the casting for Batman Vs Superman in Programme 36 where, it's safe to say, there were some strong opinions over the casting of Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor, Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman and Jeremy Irons as Alfred. They will join Henry Cavill as Superman and Ben Affleck as Batman, with Amy Adams, Diane Lane and Laurence Fishburne reprising their roles from Man Of Steel. Irons has just revealed in an interview with Absolute Radio that "The script isn't entirely finished' although pre-production has begin in Michigan.

It's certainly an exciting piece of news and may cause a few headaches for comic book fans. See one? See them both? If you see them both, which order do you see them in? Either way, both studios will make a whole load of money off these movies.

* * *

FOX'S OPENING GAMBITS

20th Century Fox have announced opening dates for two upcoming films.

In addition to the Bryan-Singer-directed X-Men: Apocalypse which is lined up for release on May 27 2016, there will be a sequel to The Wolverine which set to hit screens on March 3 2017. This will see Hugh Jackman reprise his role as Logan/Wolverine for the eighth time and will be directed by James Mangold (who also directed The Wolverine) and will be written by David James Kelly (according to Deadline).

They've also given a date for the second instalment of the Fantastic Four reboot - even though filming hasn't even started on the first! This film is due on July 14 2017, whilst the first film is scheduled for release on June 19 2015. If you want to know what we think about the (potential) casting for this film, have a listen to Programme 36 where we discuss our thoughts.

* * *

THE AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON

This week saw the release of several pieces of concept art for Marvel's upcoming releases, including some for The Avengers: Age Of Ultron.

Due in cinemas on May 1 2015 and directed by Joss Whedon, Robert Downey Jr, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner and Samuel L. Jackson will all reprise their roles from The Avengers/Avengers Assemble.

Scarlet Witch concept art

Quicksilver concept art

Elizabeth Olsen and Aaron Taylor-Johnson join the cast as the Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver respectively. Due to a very unique and slightly complicated situation involving a quirk of publishing, they can appear in multiple (and rival) film franchises. They are the children of Magneto and can therefore appear in Fox's X-Men franchise (and will - Evan Peters is playing Quicksilver in X-Men: Days Of Future Past), but they are also linked to the Avengers franchise and can therefore appear in Marvel films as well. 

James Spader will play villain Ultron (despite Stan Lee admitting in an interview with Playboy 'I don't have any idea who the hell Ultron is'- Lee had finished working on The Avengers before Ultron was created) and Thomas Kreschmann will play the villainous Baron Von Strucker. Kretschmann also has a multi-film deal so expect to see the Baron popping up in other movies. 

* * *

MARVEL PHASE 3 NEWS

The recent documentary- Marvel Studios: Assembling A Universe- showed test footage from Ant-Man. Directed by Edgar Wright (Hot Fuzz, Scott Pilgrim Vs The World), the film will kick off Marvel Studios' Phase 3 of movies. 

Test footage from Ant-Man

Paul Rudd has been cast as Scott Lang, with Michael Douglas playing Hank Pym. Patrick Wilson has confirmed his casting- stating he is playing an 'important' role in the film- but hasn't given any more details. Michael Pena has confirmed he is in discussions for a role but nothing is confirmed yet, whilst Gravity composer Steven Price will provide the score. Ant-Man is currently slated for July 17 2015.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, directors Scott Derrickson (The Exorcism Of Emily Rose, Sinister), Mark Andrews (Brave), and Jonathan Levine (Warm Bodies) are in the frame to direct Marvel's Doctor Strange project. However, Kevin Feige has dismissed rumours that Andrews and Levine were approached- stating 'we're meeting a lot of people now'- and has also quashed rumours that Johnny Depp is in line to take the title role.

Directors Joe and Anthony Russo will return to direct Captain America 3, having just helmed Captain America: The Winter Soldier. 

Marvel Studios are developing ideas for a stand-alone Black Widow movie, to build on the exploration of her character shown in Captain America: The Winter Soldier and The Avengers: Age Of Ultron. Scarlett Johansson seems up for it, telling reporters at the premiere for Captain America: The Winter Soldier "If you want to see a Black Widow spin-off movie, then I want to see it. We'll see. We will put the request in to Marvel tomorrow."

Ant-Man, Captain America 3 and Doctor Strange are in line for Phase 3, with rumours of Thor 3 and a Black Panther movie also included, which would lead up to The Avengers 3 to finish the phase.

* * *

SONY'S AMAZING PLANS FOR SPIDER-MAN

With The Amazing Spider-Man 2 imminent, Sony are looking to expand their comic-book universe with spin-off movies based on some of Spidey's best known villains.

Variety quotes Sony co-chairman Amy Pascal as saying "We are expanding the Spider-Man universe into the Sinister Six and Venom, so that we have Spider-Man movies every year."

Venom will be written by Alex Kurtzman, Robert Orci and Ed Solomon and may also be directed by Kurtzman. Venom has previously been seen on-screen in 2007's Spider-Man 3, played by Topher Grace.

The Sinister Six movie will be written by Drew Goddard, who may also direct. There are various iterations of the Sinister Six throughout the comic books so it will be interesting to see who they draw in. Doctor Octopus, Electro, Sandman, Vulture, Mysterio, Kraven The Hunter, the Hobgoblin, the Green Goblin, Venom and the Lizard have all- at one time or another- been members of the group, so Goddard's got plenty to play with. Considering the multiple villains in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, perhaps a few Marvel-style multi-picture deals have been signed?

There are currently no dates for the Venom or Sinister Six movies, but it might be a safe bet that we'll be looking at one in 2015 and the other in 2017.

The Amazing Spider-Man 3 is due for release on May 27 2016 in the UK and June 10 2016 in the US and will be Marc Webb's last time in the director's chair for a Spider-Man movie. The film will be written by Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci and Jeff Pinkner. It is unclear at the moment whether Shailene Woodley (who was due to play Mary Jane Watson and recorded scenes for The Amazing Spider-Man 2) will return due to her workload in the Divergent sequels.

There are also plans afoot for The Amazing Spider-Man 4, slated for May 4 2018. In an interview with Crave Online last year, Webb teased that: 'what we've discovered is there are so many ancillary characters, that have enormous, cinematic potential that there may be other ways to exploit those characters, in a way that is exciting and fun and worthwhile. It might not just be a Spider-Man movie."

Could we be looking at a Spider-Man vs... scenario? It will be interesting to see.