Category Archives: Comic Book Adaptations

Frank Grillo

Frank Grillo Added to ‘Captain America: The Winter Solider’

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Frank Grillo

It’s confirmed, actor Frank Grillo will play a key role in the comic book movie sequel, Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

I’m a fan of the actor you may remember as Nick Savrinn of TV’s Prison Break. A natural as the gritty, NYC cop type, his other credits include Pride and Glory and Edge of Darkness. My favorite role was his somewhat small part as a trainer in the mixed martial arts flick, Warrior. He seemed to have a lot of heart in that one and his physique wasn’t bad either.

Grillo was also the jerk in the cast of The Grey, starring Liam Neeson, which was okay because he sort of redeemed himself in the end…a little. He also played in one of the best cop dramas of all time, 2012’s End of Watch, starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Peña. I still think Peña’s name should come first on that one, though. He plays their police sergeant.

But let’s talk comic book movies! Actor Chris Evans will return to the big screen as Captain America. The film is called Captain America: The Winter Soldier and I can’t wait until more details are revealed. I simply have to know if Agent 13, also known as Sharon Carter, a relative of Cap’s First Avenger love interest, Peggy, will be introduced.

I’ve also noticed that Sebastian Stan, who acted as Bucky Barnes is returning to the cast! This either means there will be WWII flashbacks involved, or, dun dun dun, Bucky lives!!! Well, you hard-core Marvel Comics fans probably saw that coming as soon as you read the film title. It’s true that Buck’s comic book hero name is The Winter Soldier. But I won’t give any more spoilers than that. We don’t know how closely the Captain America movie franchise will follow the comics anyway.

Anthony and Joe Russo are directing the film which comes to theaters April 4th, 2014. Frank Grillo is playing the villainous Crossbones! He’s one heck of a mercenary, but I doubt he’ll be the main antagonist in the film. We’ll have to wait until more is revealed. Great casting choice, though!

Frank Grillo must have a really great agent. We’ll also see him this December in the Kathryn Bigelow showstopper, Zero Dark Thirty. Bigelow won an Oscar for The Hurt Locker, so there are some ridiculously big expectations for this film, which proposes to tell the story of the ten-year hunt for Osama bin Laden. There is a great cast, including the spitfire Jessica Chastain, Jason Clarke, Joel Edgerton, Mark Strong, James Gandolfini and Kyle Chandler.

The next Marvel Comics film will be Iron Man 3, released on May 3rd, 2013. Did you see the trailer yet? That one is followed by Thor: The Dark World on November 8th, 2013. Then, we re-visit Cap in 2014. The Avengers sequel is likely to follow along in 2015. Joss Whedon will probably return as director. That’s great news for this thriving franchise!

I don’t know how closely related it will be, but another Marvel film in development is Guardians of the Galaxy from director James Gunn. That one will bring the Rocket Raccoon to the big screen!

days of future past

No Matthew Vaughn for ‘X-Men: First Class’ Sequel

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days of future past

Matthew Vaughn directed the successful prequel X-Men: First Class, produced by Bryan Singer. New news suggests Singer may direct the sequel, X-Men: Days of Future Past, with Vaughn moving to the producer’s chair.

The project is a big deal for 20th Century Fox and it seems like a logical choice to move from Vaughn to Singer now that Vaughn has stepped aside. Singer was behind X-Men and X2 as a director and writer. He first hit my radar screen with the crime drama The Usual Suspects, which he directed very well.

Vaughn’s influence won’t go missing on the Days of Future Past set, however. He wrote the film’s treatment. It was based on a script by Simon Kinberg, who will now follow suite in the game of musical chairs behind the picture to produce the movie alongside Lauren Shuler Donner.

Matthew Vaughn isn’t going on hiatus instead of directing X-Men: Days of Future Past. On the contrary, he’ll be hard at work on something else, and the rumor mill suggests that the something else might just be the Mark Millar adaptation, Secret Service.

The X-Men: Days of Future Past script is already complete. Returning with the sequel are actors Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy and Jennifer Lawrence. The tentative release date is July 18th, 2014 release date. McAvoy recently voiced Arthur Christmas.

Nabbing Bryan Singer as director to replace Vaughn is not yet set in stone. I’m sure fans will agree that he’s a great choice, but we can’t count on him accepting just yet. We’ll have to wait and see what happens. His fairy tale adventure Jack the Giant Slayer starring Beast actor Nicholas Hoult, will debut from Warner Bros. on March 1st, 2013.

As for Vaughn, he is also directing Kick-Ass 2 film, which has been making headlines. We just recently released the film’s official synopsis. What is interesting about that project is that Jim Carrey has joined the cast.

I really enjoyed First Class and I’m especially excited about the sequel. The Days of Future Past storyline in the comics was dark and dramatic and we have yet to see something so nuanced come to the big screen, with the exception of Christopher Nolan’s Batman series. The storyline in the sequel would involve a sinister future being revealed to the current members of the X-Men team. Believe me, they won’t like what they see.

What is further interesting to me has been the talk of other X-Men franchise characters returning to explore their origin stories. I thought of First Class as more of a reboot than a prequel, but it looks like I’m a little flawed in that line of thinking. We did, after all, see a glimpse of Rebecca Romijn in the film, though Jennifer Lawrence had taken over the role. That more than hints at the connection between the first X-films to the latest ones.

Rose Byrne and January Jones have also expressed their interest in returning to their roles.

It was Brett Ratner who directed the third film in the franchise, X-Men: The Last Stand. Might he be in the running for director if Bryan Singer doesn’t sign the dotted line?

Mark Millar Wants Bradley Cooper for ‘Supercrooks’

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Marvel’s man Millar wants Bradley Cooper? That’s right! First we hear that 20th Century Fox hired the comic book writer behind The Authority, Wanted and Kick-Ass as their creative consultant for all the upcoming Marvel Comics-themed projects, then we discover the first look at the Kick-Ass sequel official synopsis, and now we discover that the man with the plan wants to adapt Supercrooks with our very own “Face” from 20120’s The A-Team.

Kick-Ass and Wanted are just the beginning of the Millar-pocalypse! Millar wants to deliver movies for at least three more of his MillarWorld comics. Apparently the interwebs are all a-buzz with new news concerning an adaptation of his comic, Supercrooks.

Not familiar with that one? Well, Supercrooks, is an Icon Comics title, like Kick-Ass. There are four issues, which Millar wrote with the very talented artist, Mr. Leinil Francis Yu.

Millar has a chosen a director for the project, but hasn’t named him as of yet and there is already a screenplay, which means, half the preliminary work seems to be done! Millar really hopes this project will be in full production mode as soon as Christmastime. And if you’ve been to a department store lately, then you know Santa’s already on his way.

What really has the buzz going is Millar’s name dropping. What’s on his Christmas list this year? He wants Bradley Cooper to star as Johnny Bolt. I hope you are listening, Mr. Cooper.

I am literally calling up his guys tomorrow and want to secure him as Johnny Bolt.” says Millar “It’s about TIME he did a super-movie and having him as a likeable super-villain in a super-heist flick sounds about perfect. He’s our ideal choice and we’re going to pursue this properly tomorrow once I’m done with our Kick-Ass 2 business for the day.”

You’ve got me sold, Mr. Millar! By the by, did we mention three MillarWorld comics would be coming to a theater near you, besides the ones you already know? Well, Supercrooks isn’t one of those three! So this will be kind of like a treasure hunt as we wait for the names to be dropped of the other three.

And here’s what you’ve really been waiting for. What the heck is Supercrooks about?

When the market is flooded with competition and the authorities are always on your tail, what’s an all-American super villain to do? Go to Spain, of course! Johnny Bolt convinces his villainous pals to pull off one last heist but will culture shock get to them before the policia do? And when Johnny’s target is revealed as the greatest super villain of all time, things go horribly wrong – but it’s too late to turn back. A massive secret in the American superhero community might just work in their favor, and if the Supercrooks can survive, it will mean an enormous payday!

Sounds like a rip-roaring good time to me! If you are wondering, yes, Cooper does look a tad bit like Yu’s illustrations of Johnny Bolt.

Kick-Ass 2 is coming June 28th, 2013.

Right now Cooper is wowing in Silver Linings Playbook opposite Hunger Games star, Jennifer Lawrence.

‘Iron Man 3’ Trailer Unleashed

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After the teaser to the teaser trailer put us all in a tizzy, we can finally relax, having enjoyed the first trailer for Iron Man 3. All I can say is, “Oh yeah!” This one definitely looks better than Iron Man 2.

For me, Iron Man was one of the best Marvel Comics based films to debut. When I saw Tony Stark in live action, speeding through the skies, war-gaming with Jarvis, I had to wipe a tear from my eye. A comic book legend had really, truly come to life. And hardly any actor looks more like his comic book alter ego than Robert Downey, Jr. looks like Tony.

If we’re honest, the highlight of the sequel was meeting Black Widow. I thought Mickey Rourke did a pretty spectacular Russian accent and it’s always a joy to see Sam Rockwell on the screen, but let’s face it, some bits with Whiplash were a little cartoony.

Yes, Joss Whedon’s Avengers was awesome, but that doesn’t mean I had the highest hopes for a thrilling Iron Man 3. Don’t even get me started on Captain America 2. Will they introduce Sharon Carter or not? I simply must know!

I have to say this trailer restores my faith in the Iron Man solo franchise.

Walt Disney Pictures and Marvel Studios will release Iron Man 3 in 3D and 2D on May 3rd, 2013. The film is directed by Shane Black. Along with Downey, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jon Favreau and Don Cheadle also return. Are you ready for some bad guys? Okay, so Ben Kingsley is acting as scary villain, The Mandarin. Right now I’m on the fence about how I feel about this. Sir Kingsley is an Oscar winner, but he also played a role in Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. The film wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be, but there’s a danger here of what happened to Whiplash in part two. There’s a fine line between drama and melodrama.

Now the baddie who cannot fail is Mr. Guy Pearce. Yes, you heard me. He just performed a killer cameo in Prometheus as Peter Weyland and now he’ll be a comic book villain. Rock on! He was pretty much already a super villain in Prohibition film, Lawless, anyway. He knows what he’s doing.

Rebecca Hall, Stephanie Szostak and James Badge Dale round out the cast. Seems to me the plot will loosely follow the Extremis storyline from the comics. The synopsis circulated the web were a little vague, however. They refer to The Mandarin as simply “an enemy whose reach knows no bounds”. Stark will suffer some personal trauma. It looks like his home is toppled into the ocean. This seems to test Stark in a grueling way, the likes of which we haven’t seen since his original story. Here’s the money line: “Stark discovers the answer to the question that has secretly haunted him: does the man make the suit or does the suit make the man?”

I’ll be watching! Now, who can tell me why there’s a red, white and blue iron man suit? Okay, it’s more of a silver than a white, but that made me very nervous. If you’ve read Marvel’s Civil War arc, you’d be anxious about it, too. Oh, I get it now. The patriotic suit belongs to War Machine, a.k.a. Rhodes. Duh.

Justice League

‘Justice League’ Aims for Summer 2015

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Justice League

Superheroes are in today’s headline. For a second, I thought Warner Bros. was releasing a new animated comic book movie. Don’t get me wrong, even when they are released direct to video, many of those animated stories are pretty fantastic. But today’s news revolves around the Justice League and a live-action blockbuster, my friends. That’s something to get truly exited about. You can even drool a little. I won’t tell.

Marvel fans reveled in The Avengers film from director Joss Whedon. Now DC Comics fans may get their turn to party. You may be asking, “Hey, what took so long?” Well, apparently, the courts are to blame. Warner Bros. has been in a long tussle over winning the rights to the Superman property.

Now, which the nastiness behind them, let’s hope, for good, the studio wants to take a page out of The Flash’s book and hurry things along! They are now pushing the development of a Justice League movie. The film would star Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman and other characters. Can I play Zatanna in the sequel? Please, oh please, oh please?

The studio has targeted 2014 for filming, with a projected release date in the Summer of 2015. Since they already has a script in development, the next order of business is to pin down a director and start casting roles.

If Warner Bros. had lost the case they brought against the family of Superman co-creator Joe Shuster, all Justice League or any other movies, television shows or comics featuring elements the Superman mythos would have been off-limits after 2013, unless new deals were made. Yikes!

The climate was further negative with the Green Lantern film being largely lackluster. When it comes to Warner Bros. and DC Comics, only Christopher Nolan’s amazing Batman movie trilogy has been successful thus far. Their strategy for sequels is also sounding risky. You see, for Marvel movies, solo titles hit the big screen first and developed fan based prior to bringing everyone together on The Avengers set.

Warner Bros. plans to do the opposite. They’ll unveil Justice League, then release solo titles. Do you foresee success? I think the key to wining the box office will be a few very well-known actors and one dynamite screenwriter. It is very difficult penning a script with vying personalities getting along, arguing, fighting bad guys together, and shining in turn. Don’t put a rookie on the case. And whereas Henry Cavill is relatively low on the fame radar, but should still make a stellar Man of Steel in his June 14th, 2013 debut as Sup, I think an expensive star or two definitely needs to be on the League roster to draw crowds. Hey, it takes money to make money. Oh, and will Cavill play Superman in JL?

No, I’m not saying I didn’t like Immortals, starring Mr. Cavill. Saw it twice in theaters, thank you very much.

Here’s another important question. What time period are our heroes going to be living in? Wasn’t there something more stylist about the X-Men: First Class than the previous, modern-day X-Men films? Actually, a case could be made for either era. If we set the Justice League in our current time period, a lot of costumes need updating.

I know one DC hero who isn’t down and out. The Green Arrow is enjoying success in the CW’s hottest show in three years, Arrow.

Arrow

Batman Villain Meets ‘Arrow’

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Arrow

Arrow is the CW’s most watched series in three years. Who would have thought, of all the DC comics heroes in the DC Universe, that a Green Arrow series would become so popular? For the writers behind the show, this positive press means they’ve got to keep things interesting for the viewers and that means, keep the intriguing villains a-coming.

Garfield Lynns is the baddie of the hour. He’s usually a thorn in Batman’s side, but in an upcoming episode, he’ll tango with Oliver Queen. Haven’t heard of him? Keep reading for more clues about this villain, detectives.

For hard-core comic book fans, it’s pretty exciting to see old or obscure villains make it to television. You can even reminisce over past comic book appearances for the character.

Garfield Lynns will make his appearance in the tenth episode of Arrow and here’s the official episode synopsis as proof:

In episode 110, Oliver will meet Garfield — a firefighter who was horribly burned three years ago, and never recovered from the trauma. Since then, he’s been abandoned by his wife and kids, and he’s now described as a “bitter, vengeful shell of a man.” Meanwhile, the Starling City Fire Chief is also haunted by Garfield’s injury… since he’s the one who was forced to leave Garfield behind to burn.

If you aren’t yet a regular viewer of Arrow, you’re probably asking what Starling City is. That’s where Queen lives. It’s his Metropolis; his Gotham, so to speak.

Has your comic genius kicked in yet? Do you know the alter ego of Garfield Lynns? You may know him as the one and only Firefly. In his first incarnation in the comics, Firefly was a pyrotechnics expert who became a twisted arsonist because he believes he sees important visions in the fires he sets.

I do wonder what the costume folks will dream up for Firefly. Will he have a costume at all? Early versions of the villain in the comics sort of looked like Batman. He was dressed in black, with a full face mask and broad gliding wings. In another version, he wears a gold helmet, also covering his face entirely. It makes him look more like a hornet, or, well, a firefly. I’ve even seen him with buggy red eyes.

Garfield Lynn’s first appearance was in Detective Comics #184 in June of 1952.

Of course, Arrow stars Stephen Amell as Oliver Queen. You may wonder how tough an archer can be as a hero, but in the series pilot, Ollie was seen moving like a cheetah; a cheetah with huge muscles. The rest of the cast includes Colin Donnell as Tommy, Willa Holland as Thea Queen, with Susanna Thompson as Moira Queen and Paul Blackthorne as Detective Quentin Lance.

You can catch the action on Wednesdays.

James Ransone Replaces Nate Parker in Oldboy

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To many, Oldboy is a cult classic. The 2003 South Korean film was directed by Park Chan-wook. It is loosely based upon the Japanese manga of the same name, written by Nobuaki Minegishi and Garon Tsuchiya and illustrated by Nobuaki Minegishi. The American re-make has just had a casting switch up.

James Ransone has signed the dotted line and will replace actor Nate Parker in the film Spike Lee will direct. There was some scheduling conflicts that are to blame for the swap. The re-make is scheduled for release in 2013 and has a script from Mark Protosevich.

I’ve got to say, I do like the way the cast is shaping up. Josh Brolin will star as the lead character, Joe. This character’s name is Dae-su Oh in the original korean film. Joe is captured and imprisoned in a hotel room for over two decades without a clue as to why. the day he is suddenly released, he is told he’s got four days to figure out why it all went down.

To say he’s trapped in a hotel room is a little too nice to describe his incarceration. In the original film, there’s a TV set in his room, but no window. He’s fed, but also frequently gassed by his mysterious captors who will cut his hair but won’t wash any blood stains out of his room. The TV shows him that his wife was murdered shortly after his own kidnapping and the police suspect him. When he is mysteriously freed, he can’t very well go to the police.

Ransone will play a doctor who works with the lead female, who is acted by Elizabeth Olsen. Yes, that’s younger sister of Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. Ransone, largely a TV series actor, worked with Spike Lee on Inside Man. He also acts in the horror flick out now, titled Sinister, and starring Ethan Hawke.

Sharlto Copley from District 9 and The A-Team will co-star as the antagonist. I’m a big fan of his work. Samuel L. Jackson is expected to do a cameo.

Film critic Roger Ebert said the original Oldboy was a “powerful film not because of what it depicts, but because of the depths of the human heart which it strips bare”. That’s an incredible review! Also, in 2008, a CNN poll found that Oldboy was considered one of the ten best Asian films ever made. In fact, I just saw Oldboy on a list of the best Asian films of all time, standing tall amongst titles like The Man from Nowhere and Seven Samurai. It is very much time to bring an American version to those unfamiliar with the original. I do recommend watching the original before the re-make comes out. It has a style all its own.

Official Synopsis for ‘Kick-Ass 2’ Released

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What’s more kick-ass than the Kick-Ass film? Hopefully the answer to that question is Kick-Ass 2.

The project began as a creator-owned comic book series of the same name written by superstar Mark Millar and illustrated by John Romita, Jr. Kick-Ass the comic, ran for 8 kick-ass issues and was published by Marvel Comics under the Icon imprint.

The film adaptation hit theaters thanks to LionsGate, in March of 2010. It was directed by Matthew Vaughn, also known for X-Men: First Class, and produced by Vaughn and A-List actor, Mr. Brad Pitt. Perhaps The Brad was also a fan of the comic series, eh?

It starred Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Dave Lizewski, who develops the alter ego, Kick-Ass, and the always funny Christopher Mintz-Plasse as The Red Mist. Of course Chloe Moretz, soon to star as Carey in the Stephen King-based re-make, was the much embattled Hit Girl. See, its one thing for a big bad gangster to beat up a child hero in a comic book, but the same scene on the big screen, and what you get is a scandal. Nicholas Cage played Big Daddy, Hit Girl’s father. He played such a controversial and somewhat insane character particularly well. He was believable, in my book, but then he often portrays crazy with special panache. Mark Strong was our lead villain, a member of organized crime. Well, that is, unless you consider his costumed son, The Red Mist, the primary antagonist.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson, believe it or not, is a British actor, and he has gone on to star in a few high-profile films. He was the despicable character of Joe in Albert Nobbs, a picture with Oscar noms. He was Ben in the totally risque action-drama, Savages. And he’ll appear as Count Vronsky in Anna Karenina, opposite Keira Knightley and Jude Law beginning on 9 November in the USA.

Kick-Ass 2 is coming to a theater near you on June 28th, 2013. The Kick-Ass and Red Mist you know and love will return. That means Taylor-Johnson and Mintz-Plasse are back in the saddle again. Let’s take a look at the official synopsis.

Kick-Ass, Hit Girl and Red Mist return for the follow-up to 2010’s irreverent global hit: Kick-Ass 2. After Kick-Ass’ (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) insane bravery inspires a new wave of self-made masked crusaders, led by the badass Colonel Stars and Stripes (Jim Carrey), our hero joins them on patrol. When these amateur superheroes are hunted down by Red Mist (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), reborn as The Mother F%&*^r, only the blade-wielding Hit Girl (Chloe Grace Moretz) can prevent their annihilation.

When we last saw junior assassin Hit Girl and young vigilante Kick-Ass, they were trying to live as normal teenagers Mindy and Dave. With graduation looming and uncertain what to do, Dave decides to start the world’s first superhero team with Mindy. Unfortunately, when Mindy is busted for sneaking out as Hit Girl, she’s forced to retire, leaving her to navigate the terrifying world of high-school mean girls on her own. With no one left to turn to, Dave joins forces with Justice Forever, run by a born-again ex-mobster named Colonel Stars and Stripes.

Just as they start to make a real difference on the streets, the world’s first super villain, The Mother F%&*^r, assembles his own evil league and puts a plan in motion to make Kick-Ass and Hit Girl pay for what they did to his dad. But there’s only one problem with his scheme: If you mess with one member of Justice Forever, you mess with them all.

How can you not love it? The film comes from Universal John Leguizamo and Donald Faison also on the cast list.

‘Walking Dead’ Season 3 Premiere Breaks Cable Record … Again!

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I can tell you one thing. 75% of my Facebook friends were watching The Walking Dead on the AMC network on Sunday, October 14th. I read plenty a status message regarding the show. So, it comes as no surprise that the return of the popular series to the airwaves shattered a record.

According to the official press release celebrating the momentous occasion, The Walking Dead is safely being called the biggest show of the fall. That’s especially true for Adults, aged 18 to 49. When season three erupted onto AMC, season three’s premier out gunned both cable and broadcast hits alike, including Hatfields & McCoys, Jersey Shore, Modern Family, The Big Bang Theory and The Voice. Hey, Modern Family is a TV giant! This is a real achievement.

The 9pm premiere drew in 10.9 million viewers resulting in a new series king. The episode is now the highest rated in series history. It was also the biggest telecast for any drama series in basic cable history among all viewers. And listen to this. When The Walking Dead played an encore at 10pm, 3.5 million viewers tuned in. When it happened again at midnight, 850,000 viewers watched, making a grand total of 15.2 million viewers on a single night for the horror series.

The official byline for the show reads this way: In an uncertain world, Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) and his band of survivors must not only fight the dead, but also face a whole new fear: the living.

Of course fans know that The Walking Dead is based upon the comic book series written by Robert Kirkman and published by Image Comics. The series features actors Lincoln, Sarah Wayne Callies, Laurie Holden, Steven Yeun, Norman Reedus, Chandler Riggs, Lauren Cohan, Scott Wilson, IronE Singleton, Melissa McBride, David Morrissey and Danai Gurira. It is executive produced by Glen Mazzara, Kirkman, Gale Anne Hurd and David Alpert with Greg Nicotero as co-executive producer.

I don’t know about your friends, but probably because a majority of mine live in the South, Norman Reedus’s Daryl Dixon is clearly a favorite.

Read The Official Synopsis for ‘Thor: The Dark World’

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Dust off your glasses and get ready to read all about it. Chris Hemsworth is returning to the big screen as America’s favorite thunder god in Thor: The Dark World and today we have the official synopsis for the action/adventure film.

Coming November 8, 2013, the movie will be directed by Alan Taylor.

Marvel’s Thor: The Dark World continues the big-screen adventures of Thor, the Mighty Avenger, as he battles to save Earth and all the Nine Realms from a shadowy enemy that predates the universe itself. In the aftermath of Marvel’s Thor and Marvel’s The Avengers, Thor fights to restore order across the cosmos…but an ancient race led by the vengeful Malekith returns to plunge the universe back into darkness. Faced with an enemy that even Odin and Asgard cannot withstand, Thor must embark on his most perilous and personal journey yet, one that will reunite him with Jane Foster and force him to sacrifice everything to save us all.

Starring Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Stellan Skarsgard, Idris Elba, Christopher Eccleston, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Kat Dennings, Ray Stevenson, Zachary Levi, Tadanobu Asano and Jaimie Alexander with Rene Russo and Anthony Hopkins as Odin, Thor: The Dark World is directed by Alan Taylor, produced by Kevin Feige, from a story by Don Payne (credit not final) and screenplay by Christopher Yost and Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely (credit not final) and is based on Marvel’s classic Super Hero Thor, who first appeared in the comic book Journey into Mystery #83 in August, 1962.

Thor: The Dark World is presented by Marvel Studios. The executive producers are Louis D’Esposito, Alan Fine, Stan Lee, Victoria Alonso, Craig Kyle and Nigel Gostelow. The film releases November 8, 2013, and is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

Jaimie Alexander, who plays Sif, was in the news not too long ago, having sustained an injury while filming. All reports indicate, thankfully, that the actress is okay. You’ll also notice a familiar name up in the synopsis. It belongs to Zachary Levi, a.k.a. Chuck Bartowski of TV’s Chuck. What an awesome casting decision! Levi is Fandral, a member of the Warriors Three. He was acted in the previous Thor Joshua Dallas in the role due to his commitment on Once Upon a Time. Actually, I hear the role was originally offered to Levi, but he was all tied up filming Chuck. So, I doubt there are any hard feelings between the actors. The last thing we need is another Terrance Howard versus Don Cheadle hubbub over the role of Rhodey in the Iron Man franchise.

It has been a very exciting time for fans of Marvel comics and film. First we saw our heroes in solo gigs for films like Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America, and then the splendid Joss Whedon directed them in one mighty blockbuster, The Avengers. Now, the story continues and more solo sequels debut and eventually an Avengers 2 will be delivered with a big bow on it.

Here’s what you can expect. Its more than just a second dose of Thor.

Iron Man 3 from director Shane Black
Thor: The Dark World from director Alan Taylor
Captain America: The Winter Soldier from directors Anthony and Joe Russo
Guardians of the Galaxy from director James Gunn
The Avengers 2 from director Joss Whedon
Ant-Man TBA

Am I the only true believe that’s ready to see a Dr. Strange movie!?