Bmore Nerdy

One of the great things that Marvel Studios has done to build a unified theatrical Marvel Universe is allow each movie to somewhat meld together.

They give the audience little teases and hints in each movie to indicate that the individual film is part of a much larger web of stories to be told.

Iron Man had the surprise cameo of Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, leader of S.H.I.E.L.D., looking to build the Avengers.  The Incredible Hulk had Robert Downey Jr. appear as Tony Stark, continuing to build the Avengers.  And in Iron Man 2, Thor’s hammer made a (heh-heh) thunderous appearance at the end.

The next movie to feature a surprise cameo? This May’s Thor.

Now, this is of course a rumor, so take it with a grain of salt. And of course, take it with a nice big Spoiler Alert.

If the tipster to popular movie news site The Wrap is to be believed, Thor gives us our first glimpse at Jeremy Renner as the Avenger’s archery expert, Hawkeye.

I’ve been excited for the idea of Renner as Hawkeye for months, and if this means we get to see him in costume a year early, color me excited.

Thor hits theaters on May 6th, 2011, with The Avengers following on May 4th, 2012.

Source: TheWrap.com.

The uh, shall we say…unique casting for 2012′s 3D reboot of the Spider-Man film franchise continues on, with the latest edition.

In a film headed by Andrew Garfield as Spider-Man, Emma Watson as Gwen Stacy, Rhys Ifans as the main villain, Martin Sheen as Uncle Ben and Sally Field as Aunt May, the movie gets a little more interesting with the announcement of Denis Leary as Gwen Stacy’s Father, Captain George Stacy.

This would be Leary’s first major film role since 2002′s The Secret Lives of Dentists, and while he’s definitely had some critical buzz about him since launching Rescue Me in 2004, he’s not my first thought for a major superhero film cast member.

While not a single member of the cast has come from the field of “obvious” picks, it’s becoming clear that director Marc Webb has a definite vision of Spider-Man, and while none of these actors are major marquee names (yet?), they are all more than skilled actors, even underrated in some cases.

No matter how you look at it, the flick is becoming more and more intriguing, and I cannot wait to see who gets announced next, as thus far, I’ve been unable to predict any of them!

Source: The Hollywood Reporter.

Aside from sounding like a five year old’s list of dream jobs, Cowboy Ninja Viking will soon be the next big comic to make the transition from page to screen thanks to Disney.

Based on the Image Comics graphic novel written by AJ Lieberman with art by Riley Rossmo, the comic depicts an assassin with a split personality, equal parts cowboy, ninja and viking.  It sounds like a concept for an out there b-movie, but the comic itself takes the ridiculous premise and title and elevates it towards something quite readable.

So who have Disney assigned to adapting this tale? Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese.

The names may not ring a bell, but as the writers of last fall’s Zombieland, I think they’ve proven well enough that they’re able to take an absurd premise and raise it to a level of quality unforseen from it’s simple beginnings.

Wernick and Reese are becoming quite the in demand duo, having also penned the latest version of the Deadpool script, and currently working on Zombieland 2. Here’s hoping this is the next in a series of great projects!

Source: Deadline.com.

With the weeks, days, hours and minutes ticking down until director Marc Webb starts shooting his relaunch of the Spider-Man film franchise in December, the final actor i’s and t’s are being dotted and crossed respectively, with some interesting choices being lined up to fill crucial roles in the Spidey mythos.

Freshly signed to the project is veteran actor Martin Sheen, attached to the role of Peter Parker’s Uncle Ben.  Ben, who’s death sets forth the chain of events which leads to Parker using his powers and becoming Spider-Man, is a crucial role for the film, and I can’t help but think they may have hit the nail right on the head.  As a West Wing fan, I’m very excited to see Sheen take the role.

No sooner than Sheen was announced, did the first major rumor come about as to who would be his wife.

Sort of an odd choice, in my perspective, is the rumored casting of Sally Field as Peter’s only remaining relative, the motherly Aunt May.  While I know that Field is getting up in age, she doesn’t quite feel like the right person for the role, and I’m not entirely convinced she and Sheen fit right.  However, I’m not the man calling the shots, and this version of Aunt May might be more “youthful” than the typical granny-esq portrayals.

No matter how you think, the project is moving full steam ahead, and you certainly cannot say they’re playing it safe.  With a diverse and talented cast, this version of Spider-Man will certainly be one to watch when it hits theaters in May 2012.