Possible changes in store for The Incredible Hulk

We open the week with a pair of rumors regarding The Incredible Hulk. Could the green giant end up being … not so green? Plus, buzz tells us that mega-hottie Jessica Biel might be showing up in the semi-sequel.
While describing the next Hulk flick, producer Avi Arad used a phrase that might have meant nothing — or maybe it didn’t. “It’s a new Hulk, new direction, new size, new color, new attitude. Anything that was done before is not in this movie,” is what the Marvel guru had to say. Wait, what? “New color?” What’s that all about? Either he meant a slightly different shade of green, an entirely different color altogether, or perhaps the grey shade that the Hulk used to be back in the earrrrly comic days. Guess we’ll just have to wait and see…
Additional speculation indicates that Ms. Jessica Biel is being considered for a part in the second Hulk adventure — although that’s being listed as pure rumor at this point. If so, she’d be re-joining her Illusionist co-star Edward Norton in a decidedly different type of film. (JoBlo’s Movie Emporium)

Spiderman franchise far from over

With Spider-Man 3 nearing its opening and the lead actors and director’s contracts up, the fate of a second trilogy, or even a fourth film, is up in the air. Sam Raimi confirmed that the studio, Columbia Pictures, is interested in making parts 4, 5 and 6, but he would only come back if he could maintain the same passion.
“If I didn’t think I could do it fantastically, than I should step aside and let a younger director come in who loves the character and said he could do it with the greatest passion on the earth,” said Raimi.
With reports that Tobey Maguire said he would absolutely not do a fourth film, Maguire himself expressed no such feelings. He said he would consider it if there was a great story and Raimi and other cast members were back. So what of those other quotes?
“I’m not sure,” said Maguire. “That’s not what I’m saying now. I think early on through one and two I always imagined this as like three and out, lIke I’d do three and that would be enough for those. I’m not saying I will do a fourth one at all. I’m saying I’m not committed either way and we’ll see what happens.’
Weighing in on the Tobey Maguire casting debate, Raimi would have trouble recasting if he retained the helm. “I would have to make that choice based on what the story is and what the characters are. It would be very hard to be involved without Tobey and Kirsten for me at least.’
For Marvel producer Avi Arad, it is inconceivable that Spider-Man would end for any of the above reasons. “You have to look at it as Spider-Man is over 40 years old, in so many media from animation to comic books to graphic novels, maybe Broadway, video games, probably the most successful video games of all time,” said Arad. “So the character is bigger than all of us. I think we’d rather continue of course with Sam and the whole team. We’ve been together for a long time. The fact is that the character will endure. Spider-Man survived, believe me, bankruptcies, bad economies, you name it. And it’s around and alive and bigger than ever.”

A darker Joker in The Dark Knight

If you were hoping for a Jack Nicholson-style Joker in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight, then you might be disappointed by the adjectives being used to describe the new character design. Words like “raggedy” and “scary.”
Apparently Warner Bros. will release a character photo this summer, just to prevent against lame “spy pics” from hitting the ‘net, but for now all we know is that Heath Ledger’s Joker will be “scary,” “raggedy,” and “will have grey skin with lots of scarring.” So clearly this is not the broad and campy Joker we’re generally familiar with.
And I think it’s a pretty cool idea. Nolan made that freaky Scarecrow villain all sorts of creepy, and that tone worked pretty damn well in Batman Begins. Clearly I’m not alone in that opinion. (IGN Movies)

Norton to be… The Hulk

Edward Norton will play Bruce Banner in The Incredible Hulk, taking over the role played by Eric Bana in the first Hulk movie. Louis Leterrier (Transporter 2) will direct with an eye on a June 13, 2008 release. The movie begins with Banner on the run, trying to avoid capture long enough to cure the condition that turns him into the Hulk. The script was written by Zak Penn, who helped write the two X-Men films, Fantastic Four, and Elektra for Marvel Studios. Marvel reportedly wants the Hulk sequel to be less self-serious and more in line with the comic book and TV series than the Ang Lee-directed first movie. (Variety)

First look at Iron Man

Here is the first glimpse of titular character from Jon Favreau take on the comic book hero. The film stars Robert Downey Jr., Jeff Bridges, Terrence Howard and Gwyneth Paltrow and opens nationwide on May 2, 2008.

My guess is that is this beginning, an early incarnation of the infamous suit wore by Tony Stark.

A history lesson of the origin of Spidey’s black suit

Venom. In comic circles, it’s a name that conjures up images of a murderous, hulking creature garbed in a twisted, black version of Spider-Man’s costume. For fans eagerly awaiting Spider-Man 3, the black costume–and the inevitable rise of Venom–could signal the end for Peter Parker. But what’s the story behind the alien costume that would come to be one of Spider-Man’s most feared foes? Read on to find out!
It all began during the battle dubbed Secret Wars, when Spider-Man found a machine he thought to be a fabric replicator. Reaching for the black sphere produced by the alien machine, Peter Parker’s arm, then his entire body, became engulfed in black goo. The substance seemed to acknowledge Peter’s thoughts and oozing over Spidey’s body, fashioned itself into a new outfit for the Web-Slinger. Now sporting a black variation of his original costume, Spider-Man found that the suit not only augmented his abilities, it also possessed some powers of its own; the suit generated its own supply of webbing and could change appearances according to Spidey’s thoughts.
Returning to Earth, Peter soon discovered that the suit had a mind of its own, using Peter’s body while he was sleeping. Peter brought the suit to Reed Richards, and the two learned that the suit was actually a symbiotic life form that had physically and psychically bonded to Peter. Reed needed to use powerful sonic waves to forcefully separate the symbiote from Peter. Contained in the Fantastic Four’s headquarters, the symbiote eventually escaped and returned to Peter’s home. Camouflaging itself as an old red and blue costume, Peter unknowingly put the symbiote back on. Peter broke the symbiote’s hold over him by using the loud sounds in a church bell-tower. After splitting with the symbiote, Peter watched it slither away, assuming it would die in its weakened state.
Unfortunately for Peter, the symbiote fell inside the church where journalist Eddie Brock prayed. Brock wrote an article revealing the identity of a murderer called the Sin-Eater, but Spider-Man exposed the true identity of the killer and in the process caused Eddie to lose his job and spiral into depression. Sensing Brock’s hatred of Spider-Man, the symbiote bonded with the dejected reporter.
As Venom, Brock possessed the same powers Peter had with the symbiote, but had two advantages crucial to hunting Spider-Man: he knew Spider-Man’s secret identity and the symbiote could shield Brock from Peter’s spider-sense. While Venom operated under a twisted moral code of innocence, he battled Spider-Man on numerous occasions, becoming a sinister rival not seen since Peter fought the original Green Goblin. Though they sometimes fought side-by-side, Venom was ever a thorn in Spider-Man’s side.

Buffy sells out

Writer Joss Whedon’s magic touch with comic book readers and retailers seems to be as strong as ever. Dark Horse Comics has announced that Whedon’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer #1, the debut of the “unfilmed” 8th season of Whedon’s signature creation, has sold out immediately at the retailer level, and that a they are “rushing” back to press for a new printing, with a variant cover.
Retailers are also reporting brisk sales and high interest in the new series.
The new printing is expected in stores on March 28th.

New Line’s first choice for Capt. Marvel is Gyllenhaal

Last week came news that arguably one of history’s silliest comic book heroes was heading to the screen (and no, it’s not a remake of that Shaquille O’Neal genie movie). Now it seems Jake Gyllenhaal is being tapped to play the red suited, cape-wearing boy-turned-superhero Shazam!
According to Rush & Molloy, Gyllenhaal is New Line’s top pick to play the role of Captain Marvel, known popularly as Shazam after the magical word that transforms him into a superbeing. Peter Segal (The Longest Yard) is at the helm, with a script being written by frequent Tim Burton scripter John August (Big Fish, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Go).
The DC Comics character is a holdover to the golden age of comics, when the unabashedly Superman-like Captain Marvel was one of the highest-selling series in all the land. The lore centers on a 13-year-old boy/radio reporter named Billy Batson who, given superpowers by a wizard, can transform into the adult Captain Marvel by saying the word “Shazam!” Much like Superman, Marvel is invulnerable, super strong, and super fast; unlike Superman, Marvel uses lightning bolts, doesn’t have X-Ray vision, and, if played by Gyllenhaal, may look more like a rumpled hangdog than a hunky man of steel.
The goss-slingers at Rush & Molloy speculate that New Line’s itching to get Gyllenhaal locked in fast before Spider-Man 4‘s casting agents come calling to offer up Tobey Maguire’s spot in any upcoming sequels. Citing an “insider” informant, they also share that New Line hopes the “Shazam!” flick will kick start a blockbuster superhero franchise in the vein of recent moneymakers like Batman Begins, and that the studio might be willing to put $200 million on the line to make it happen.

Trailer Alert: 7 and half minutes of Spiderman 3

Here is the new exclusive look at this summer’s most anticipated new film. The clips shows some amazing action sequences.

Trailer Alert: Spiderman 3 with exclusive look at Venom

Here is the new trailer for Spiderman 3:

The trailer is very similar to the previous one with the excpection being we, the viewers, get our first glance at Venom. It is well worth it.