FIRST LOOK: Russell Crowe As Jor-El On The Set Of Man Of Steel

Marti Noxon Wants To Write Wonder Woman

Screenwriter Marti Noxon (Buffy, Fright Night, Pride & Prejudice & Zombies) talked to FearNet about her dream project which would be Wonder Woman. Currently the only other name contending for the film is writer/director Nicolas Winding Refn (Drive, Bronson) who wants Ryan Gosling for a role and Christina Hendricks (Mad Men) for Princess Diana. Apparently Nicolas' involvement will be factored on if Warner Bros. is happy with Logan's Run. I'm glad to hear more and more talk of a serious take on the female hero. Rather than rehashing the terrible sexist attributes of the television show.

"I would love to. To be honest - as scary as it is - part of me wishes I could take a crack at Wonder Woman. There was a moment where it looked like I might get involved in the TV version. She is one of the few in the canon that hasn't been exploited. There are reasons for that; there is stuff in her mythology that are really silly. The costume - she's in a star-spangled bathing suit! And she uses a "lasso of truth" and rides around in an invisible plane. But they don't have to be that way. I definitely have a point of view about that. If I could do it, and nobody could "yell at me"... if the internet wasn't poised to explode in hate, no matter what you did, I would be out there, really pushing for it"

Nicolas Winding Refn Wants Christina Hendricks To Play Wonder Woman

We haven't heard much since director Nicolas Winding Refn (Bronson, Pusher Trilogy) began his campaign to make his gritty Wonder Woman film. Previously Ryan Gosling said he'd be up to take a role in the purposed projected if offered just to work with Nicolas again. The pair are about to start work on the Logan's Run remake for Warner Bros.

During promotion for the upcoming heist thriller Drive the director gave another bit of casting hopes this time involving the lead. Nicolas wants Christina Hendricks (Mad Men, Drive) for the Wonder Woman role and also would like a crack at writing the film.

Russell Crowe & Connie Nielsen In Talks To Play Superman's Kryptonian Parents

ShowBlitz reports that Russell Crowe is in talks to play Jor-El, Superman's biological father. It had been rumored that Daniel Day-Lewis and Viggo Mortensen had been offered the part in Zack Snyder's Superman: Man of Steel. GeekTyrant also says Crowe's Gladiator co-star Connie Nielsen has been offered the role of Lara, Superman's mother. It's yet another interesting group of casting for the film that already stars Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Antje Traue, Diane Lane and Kevin Costner.

Hawkman Film Rumors Resurface, Hawkgirl Involved?

Back in December 2009 there had been online chatter that Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment was developing a Hawkman film. BleedingCool is re-fueling the talk with word that Warners is looking for writers and have a basic logline for pitches.

"Part INDIANA JONES/DA VINCI CODE, part GHOST tentpole about the fictional superhero that appears in D.C. Comic books. He used archaic weaponry and large, artificial wings attached to a harness made of the Nth metal that allows flight. Most incarnations of Hawkman work closely with a partner/romantic interest named Hawkgirl or Hawkwoman in his fight against supervillains. Based on the DC comic."

Currently the studio is developing The Flash, Green Lantern 2, Green Arrow (Supermax), Wonder Woman, Aquaman (rumored) and Justice League. The films have been expected to become the standard tentpoles replacing the Harry Potter franchise. Possibly rolling out one to two DC films a year. It will be interesting to see if the studio goes with an off-world John Carter/Flash Gordon take or more of a grounded version of the hero. While we've heard that neither Nolan's Batman or Snyder's Superman will be involved in Justice Leauge. It's possible Ryan Reynolds' Green Lantern and future heroes like Hawkman could end up in the JA lineup.

Michael Clarke Duncan Offered Kilowog Role In Green Lantern

HeatVision confirms that Michael Clarke Duncan has been offered the role of Kilowog in Green Lantern. Duncan would voice the gruff Green Lantern who acts as one of Hal Jordan's instructors. I assume that there will be other actors brought in to voice some of the other lanterns.

Michael Shannon Officially Playing Zod In Zack Snyder's Man Of Steel

Warner Bros. has finally announced the villain for Zack Snyder's Superman reboot which is now officially titled Man of Steel. Michael Shannon is set to play General Zod and is likely to steal the show. Shannon has been known as a character actor taking smaller roles but came into his own recently with his performance in the first season of HBO's Boardwalk Empire. It's still unknown if Lex Luthor, General Sam Lane or Metallo will also be involved in the film but at least we know Zod is for sure now. Shannon joins an impressive cast that includes Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Diane Lane and Kevin Costner.

Screen Grabs From Green Lantern Footage, First Look At Parallax

Zack Snyder Confirms His Superman & Nolan's Batman Won't Be In Justice League, Will Have It's Own Takes On The Heroes

HeyUGuys was able to ask director Zack Snyder a Justice League question during the UK premiere of Sucker Punch. They asked how his Superman would fit into DC's answer to the Avengers. Zack stated that both his take on Superman and along with Nolan's Batman won't be involved. They will have a separate take on the heroes.

"It doesn’t. Like what Chris Nolan is doing and what I’m doing with Superman, what they’ll do with Justice League will be it’s own thing with it’s own Batman and own Superman. We’ll be over here with our movie and they kinda get to do it twice which is kinda cool."

It's unknown if Ryan Reynolds' Green Lantern will be included or not. This could give a clue on purposed Batman reboot. That it might still be set in the Gotham City Christopher Nolan has created. There is also the possibility that the established cast could stay in the roles.

Geoffrey Rush Will Voice Tomar-Re In The Green Lantern

HeroComplex has the official announcement that Geoffrey Rush (King's Speech) has signed on to Green Lantern. Rush is best known to audiences as Captain Barbarossa in the Pirates of The Caribbean franchise now in it's fourth installment. He will voice Green Lantern Tomar-Re who is another one of Hal Jordon's instructors. Previously there had been word that Michael Clarke Duncan was in talks to voice Kilowog. These won't be the only voice actors added to the cast as there are plenty of Lanterns and aliens that will need a voice.

Justice League & Wonder Woman Films In The Works

Along with the news of a reboot for Batman Warner Bros' Jeff Robinov also spoke out on other DC hero projects. He confirms that script a for a new Justice League film is currently in the works. It's unknown if this a completely new take or a reworking of the previous script for George Miller's Justice League of America that got scrapped. What is known that Christopher Nolan will likely be involved as he is producing both the Superman and Batman reboots. I wouldn't be shocked to see him also producing Justice League and other future DC films. As it sits Ryan Reynolds and Henry Cavill seem like the only actors set for the film.

He also confirms that The Flash and Wonder Woman are still in development.  Last we heard of Wonder Woman there was a version in the works with Joss Whedon directing and Joel Silver producing. It's possible it could be a different take and be reworked to fall in a similar world of the new films. It's great news as fans have reservations of the new Wonder Woman television series which looks like it could end up really bad. Nicolas Winding Refn (Drive, Pusher Trilogy, Bronson, Logan's Run) had openly campaigned to direct a gritty Wonder Woman film and now that he's directing Warner Bros' Logan's Run it's strong possibility he could be hired. As for Flash,  script had been delivered to the studio back in December but no director has been announced.

Of course this sounds in line with previous talk of the DC heroes taking over for the Harry Potter franchise. So I expect we could be seeing two DC films a year one in the summer and one during the Christmas season. Not mentioned is the fate of the Green Arrow film Supermax written by David S. Goyer (Superman: Man of Steel, Nolan's Batman Films, Blade) or the rumored Aquaman project. If they are on the road of a Justice League film they really should put Supermax back in development as Green Arrow would be needed to ground the film slightly as he doesn't have superpowers. One thing that grounds the Avengers is the fact that characters like Hawkeye, Black Widow, Maria Hill and Nick Fury don't have superpowers but are still great heroes.

Warner Bros. Rebooting Batman After Dark Knight Rises & Nolan Will Produce

This was expected but it hasn't been confirmed until now. Warner Bros' Jeff Robinov confirmed to HeroComplex that after The Dark Knight Rises the studio will reboot the character so that it can be included in a Justice League film. The surprising part is that Christopher Nolan and his wife/partner Emma Thomas will be contributing as producers and I assume also as character consultants. It would fall in line with their involvement with the new Superman reboot. There is no word if Christian Bale will reprise the role in the reboot but it's very likely to keep the Nolan films seperate they will recast. This could also open the door for Robin and Batgirl to return along with the colorful rouges gallery that could never be in a Nolan film.


"Batman will continue to be a centerpiece property beyond next year’s 'The Dark Knight Rises' and Nolan’s departure from the franchise. "We have the third Batman, but then we’ll have to reinvent Batman." Asked whether that meant he wanted to reinvent or possibly even reboot the character, Robinov answered assertively: "I do. Chris Nolan and [producing partner and wife] Emma Thomas will be producing it, so it will be a conversation with them about what the next phase is."

Michael Clarke Duncan In Talks To Voice Kilowog In Green Lantern, Post-Production Problems?

While Warner Bros. is trying to do damage control over the slow post-production that is killing the marketing for Green Lantern. As the second full trailer will have a late showing online at the end of April. Which seems pushing it along with the poster and still campaign being a massive let down. Compared to it's competition of Thor, Captain American, Cowboys & Aliens and even X-Men First Class, they're lagging as the film isn't fresh in people's minds. Even I don't remember the last time I posted exciting news concerning the film.

There is an update from LatinoReview concerning a last minute addition of Michael Clarke Duncan in talks to voice Hal Jordon's alien drill instructor Kilowog. Clarke Duncan has a excellent gruff voice fitting the role perfectly. He was actually was one of the better voice actors in Kung Fu Panda playing the head of the Rhino guards. His addition to the cast would be another step in the right directing as Kilowog would be expected to be featured in the sequels as Warner Bros. is aiming for a trilogy. A script for Green Lantern 2 had been handed into the studio back in December.

Amy Adams Will Be Lois Lane In Superman: Man of Steel!

HeroComplex has the exclusive that Amy Adams (The Fighter) will play Lois Lane in Zack Snyder's Superman: Man of Steel. Adams is an interesting choice as the feisty redhead has been Oscar nominated three times. It's a massive step up from the previous Lois who had been played by Kate Bosworth.

It was recently mentioned that Superman could be shooting on location in Chicago in August. There has also been talk from Zack that this could be his most realistic film including Dawn of The Dead. This could mean that this very well could be the most grounded take on Superman we've ever seen. I wouldn't be shocked to see his powers given a limit and the threats more real world.

RUMOR: Mailn Akerman In The Running For Lois Lane?

ComicBookMovie has posted a rumor that Mailn Akerman could be up for the role of Lois Lane in Zack Snyder's Superman. It seems possible as they've got their Clark Kent/Superman (Henry Cavill) that they would move on to casting the rest of the film.

If true Akerman has a good shot as she's worked with both the studio and Synder on Watchmen previously. HeatVision recently confirmed rumors that Mailn's Watchmen co-star Matthew Goode had been a top choice to play Superman. It's very likely that Snyder could round out the cast with actors he's worked with before.

Henry Cavill Officially Cast As Superman!

So it looks like Warner Bros. and director Zack Snyder have hired their new Superman. It's British actor Henry Cavill (Immortals, Tudors) who was originally up for the role back when he tested for Superman Returns. Cavill has famously also been in the running for Batman and Bond. So I'm sure he was on producer Christopher Nolan's radar. It's an excellent choice since Henry is a brilliant actor and will bring more to the two dimensional superhero. I wouldn't be surprised this being a first step to bring in a new franchise for the studio considering Batman is on it's way out.

HeatVision reports that Cavill had been in the running since day one. The actor beat out some high profile and lesser known candidates such as Matthew Goode (Watchmen), Armie Hammer (Social Network), Joe Manganiello (True Blood, Spider-Man), Matthew Bomer (White Collar) and Colin O’Donaghue (The Rite).





Do You Like The New Superman? Is It Terrible That The Actor Isn't American? Leave Your Comments!

Have Eva Green & Naomi Watts Joined The Dark Knight Rises?

Marion Cotillard and Natalie Portman rumored to be in the running for roles in The Dark Knight Rises announced pregnancies. Knocking the two actresses out of the running. Now there is word from Collider that Eva Green (Casino Royale, Kingdom of Heaven) and Naomi Watts (King Kong, Eastern Promises) have been cast as Vicki Vale and Talia al Ghul but it's unknown who is playing who. The site is running this as a rumor at this point but seems possible as casting should be underway for it's May production start.

Ryan Gosling Considering The Flash If Nicolas Winding Refn Directs

Ryan Gosling is no stranger to the world of casting rumors he previous had been mentioned as a contender for Green Lantern. Now Ryan is starting his own comic book rumors while talking to ThePlaylist during his current press junket for Blue Valentine.

He mentions director Nicolas Winding Refn's passion for Wonder Woman. Along with the possibility of starring in The Flash if Refn was directing. Gosling is working with Refn on Drive which he mentions could get a sequel. Going with director Nicolas Winding Refn would be similar to hiring Christopher Nolan for Batman and Darren Aronofsky for The Wolverine.

“I mean, I’m not actively looking for [a franchise],” Gosling qualified, “It would be like, ‘Who’s directing it, what’s the story? ....He’s [Refn] talked to me about Wonder Woman. They should totally let him do it.”

“If Nicolas wanted to do ‘The Flash’....I don’t know. I’d probably have to think about it.”
 

Aquaman Coming After The Flash & Wonder Woman In 2015?

There is word from ComicBookResources (via ScreenRant) that Warner Bros. is indeed moving forward with the live-action Aquaman film. They have quotes from actor Alan Ritchson who plays the hero on Smallville and has knowledge of plans for the film. While it's not ready to go, he states it's likely it will go after Flash and Wonder Woman. It's expected both Flash and Green Lantern 2 will start shooting within the next 12 months. The scripts for both films will be handed in by Christmas. The studio is aiming to release more DC Universe films to replace the gap left by the Harry Potter franchise.

 The last thing I heard, Wonder Woman was taken away from producer Joel Silver by DC Entertainment. Silver was also developing DC films Lobo and St. Rock which had Guy Ritchie attached to direct. There were scripts for Wonder Woman developed one written by Laeta Kalogridis (Avatar, Shutter Island, Ghost In The Shell) in 2003. Nicolas Winding Refn (Pusher Trilogy, Bronson) said he'd love to helm the film. It's not clear what stage of development the project is currently in but could move quickly like The Flash did. I believe it would work best if it was straight up action fantasy film similar to 300 or Troy. Not every character needs to be linked together in the same cinematic world like what Marvel Studios is doing.






This isn't the first time the film has been brought up to be in the works. Previously THR stated that Appian Way had stepped in to work on the film's development long with Adam Strange. The production company which Leonardo DiCaprio owns fueled speculation he could possibly play the hero. While it's surprising to me that Legendary Pictures (Dark Knight Rises, Superman) isn't making the film, Appian Way is a rising production company. They've helped create some interesting films like Public Enemies and Shutter Island. They're also developing live-cation films based on Akira and Ninja Scroll for Warners.

I expect they would try to keep the film more in the fantasy realm not including the ridiculous side of the character seen in the older comics and cartoons. Likely centering on the mystical world of Atlantis which is focused in the Sword of Atlantis series. I imagine it would be a mix between John Carter of Mars, Thor and Clash of The Titans. Aquaman isn't the most popular character in the DC Universe but he does have some interesting film potential.

Do You Think We Really Need An Aquaman Movie??? Who Should Play Him?? Please Leave Your Comments!!

EDITORIAL: Joseph Gordon Levitt Should Be Superman

 The GeekFiles just reported that neither Warner Bros. or Zack Snyder have started casting for Superman: Man of Steel. It's annoying for me since I feel like if credible sites are reporting tips I should be posting them for my readers. Instead of posting some new rumor I'd like to give my full support to see Joseph Gordon Levitt play the new Clark Kent. Let's just hope those involved with the production hear this plea.

 While he isn't the hulking actor that most have been mentioning I think that's really the point. I don't think we really need to repeat the same type of actors like Christopher Revees and Brandon Routh. To officially break themselves from the Richard Donner mold I believe they need to focus on strong acting abilities rather than appearance. The new Superman needs to be charming, out spoken and believable to command confidence in the franchise. While I'm not too focused on the actor's background being American couldn't hurt. We keep hearing the film will center around the early days of Superman so a younger actor is expected. They would also need someone with enough popularity and following too help sell their new concept for the hero. I believe Joseph meets all these criteria to be the best choice for the role.


  I think the best evidence is with his roles. In 500 Days of Summer he showed off many qualities we've come to relate to Clark Kent. Like Bruce Wayne the character has a double life with two personalities the hero and average guy. While Superman's powers are his own because of his alien nature he still needs to give himself an alter ego. I feel that Joseph is capable of playing the duo role of Kent and Superman. Where as previous actors have had issues balancing the two. We've seen JGL play the hero and good guy balance very well in films like The Lookout, Brick and more recently with Inception. 


  I consider myself a loyal fan to the work of both directors Zack Snyder and Christopher Nolan. Yet neither hire their actors based on popularity or the fact the online community campaign for them. Well the one thing they do is hire people they've worked with previously. Luckily Joseph has worked with now producer Christopher Nolan on Inception which could greatly help his chances.

  While I do think we could see Snyder regulars like Abbie Cornish and Carla Gugino cast in roles. Matthew Goode who is rumored for the role strikes me as someone that makes a better villain than hero. Whoever that villain will be since Zod has been ruled out. Let's just hope they don't recycle Lex Luthor once again.

So I've made my argument of why I'd like to see JGL play Superman. It won't be too long before actual casting announcements will start rolling out with the film expected to shoot this summer.


What do you think of Joseph Gordon Levitt playing Superman?? Is there someone else you'd rather see in the role?? Please Leave Your Comments!!