Screen Rant » spider-man 4

Who Should Play Black Cat in Spider-Man 4?

Kofi Outlaw — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:31:04 +0000

Enough already! This entire week seems like it’s been devoted to rumors about who will and will not be playing the role of Black Cat, the recently announced villain (and temptress?) of Spider-Man 4.

When news leaked that it would be Spidey vs. Black Cat in the next film, the first actress named for role was Rachel McAdams – then that rumor was debunked. After that came word that Julia Stiles is up for the role. Now we’re hearing Anne Hathaway’s name being tossed in the mix, while many internet fanboys are insisting that Eliza Dushku or Elisha Cuthbert be given the role because “they’re hot.”

Look… at this point we could keep on “reporting” each and every one of these Black Cat casting rumors as they pop-up and get knocked down again, but why? We all know the final decision is coming soon. But before we learn who will be playing Black Cat, let’s take a moment for ourselves and have a little fun discussing who should play Black Cat.

Lets begin with some background info on the character:

In the Spider-Man comics Black Cat is Felicia Hardy, a villain / love interest of Spidey’s who first appeared in Amazing Spider-Man in July of 1979 (almost 40 years after Catwoman first appeared in Batman comics, in case you’re wondering).

After decades of add-ons and reworkings, Black Cat’s current origin story is that she was the daughter of a world-famous cat-burglar, a daddy’s girl who inherited papa’s talent for larceny and his ambition to be the best. After some tragic incidents in her young adult life involving domineering men, Felicia becomes a fierce, independent-minded woman who trains herself to peak athleticism and skill as a thief. When her father ends up in jail, Felicia dons the Black Cat costume and attempts a jail break – where she runs into Spider-Man.

In the comics, Black Cat had the power of “bad luck,” often jinxing her opponents (and sometimes her friends, too). This “power” started out as a farce – elaborate tricks and traps meant to throw an enemy off-balance – but when Cat ended up in the clutches of the Kingpin, he used enhancement technology (same he used to create The Scorpion) to give Black Cat a “bad luck aura.” Since then, Cat and Spider have gone from hot and heavy to cold, ultimately becoming friends with an extra spark of attraction running between them.

Black Cat (if you can’t tell from the pics above) is sexy, flirty, wild, smart, crafty, and pretty kick ass. The character could’ve come and gone as a “knock-off Catwoman,” yet has remained a revered part of the Spider-Man universe for decades – which should speak to how much she’s distinguished herself as a character. Whenever the comics got too heavy with the whole Peter / MJ soap opera, Black Cat was there to break up the monotony. For readers like me, it was like having a wonderful affair without any long term consequence (and who doesn’t love that?).

Best part of all, Black Cat was an exciting rival of Spider-Man, not just another hurdle in the (often-annoying) romantic life of Peter Parker.

But who should play Black Cat? Here are my recommendations…

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Spider-Man 4 Rumor: Julia Stiles as Black Cat?

Rob Keyes — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:50:55 +0000

Nowadays, it just doesn’t feel right to go a few weeks without a superhero movie rumor. Luckily, we got a pile recently – a lot of them for Spider-Man 4.

From the unlikely rumor of The Lizard being the only villain in Spidey’s next adventure, to red-headed babies and the casting of Rachel McAdams as Black Cat (later debunked); We now have more Spider-Man news for you to digest.

The latest name being thrown around for Spider-Man 4 and to possibly play Black Cat is Julia Stiles.

UGO has the scoop that Stiles (Bourne Trilogy, The Prince & Me) has a meeting with a New York-based casting company to talk about a role in Spider-Man 4. That’s no confirmation of who’s playing who but it is seemingly confirmed that Black Cat (Felicia Hardy) will in fact, be a character of Sam Raimi’s next movie. Raimi did hint that the villain of the movie “will be a big part of New York” and Ms. Hardy was born in Queens…

According to the second “confirmation” of Black Cat’s inclusion, HeyUGuys, McAdams was just one of several actresses being considered for the role. Now, we have a second name to add to that list.

While the McAdams rumor has been shot down, I initially preferred her over Stiles in the role if they were the only two options. Both actresses are very talented but the more I think about it, I can now go either way and Stiles could definitely pull it off.

Even more interesting is that HeyUGuys received information on Black Cat’s story arc for the movie and how she’ll likely be interacting with Peter Parker when not in her nice costume [Potential Spoilers ahead]:

“Apparently she is the daughter of the new editor of The Daily Bugle, a man who is also referred to as ‘a viper’ (more on this in a second). She falls in love with Peter Parker, and uncovers his true identity. Her father then dies, and Hardy becomes a threat to Peter Parker (presumably as The Black Cat).”

If this is true, the origin of Raimi’s Black Cat will differ from that of the comics where she is actually the daughter of a world-renowned cat burglar. She was the girlfriend of Peter in the comics so we’ll definitely see that relationship explored in the film, meaning more trouble with Mary Jane (who some have actually speculated would die in this movie).

“The source also implied that the word viper has some relevance. We’ve been trying to work out what, and we’re at a loss. Looking through the pantheon of marvel characters the only ones known as ‘The Viper’ are villains in Captain America stories, so it’s unlikely that it’s the name of a baddie, although our source did suggest that Felicia’s father is a villain as well as the editor of The Daily Bugle.”

What villain could Felicia’s father be playing? Does this mean that what Dylan Baker said about his character is true and that he won’t be becoming The Lizard, still regulated to a background role?

If you could pick anyone to play Black Cat, who would it be?

Sources: UGO, HUG

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Spider-Man 4: McAdams Denies Black Cat Rumor

Kofi Outlaw — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:41:50 +0000

Ouch. The blogosphere takes another jab on the chin as our in-print counterparts over at Entertainment Weekly have confirmed that actress Rachel McAdams has NOT been cast as Black Cat in Spider-Man 4. The rumor was originally started by Mania.com, who exclusively revealed last week that Black Cat would be the villain in Spider-Man 4, and that McAdams was a “top contender” for the role.

Well, either Mania’s source on this exclusive was doing a little wishful thinking or McAdams’ name was being tossed out in some very early (read: unofficial) talks, because neither the actress nor Sony were aware of the alleged casting when questioned.

Here’s what McAdams had to say to EW:

“That’s a total rumor, I have to say…I was hanging out in Toronto the other day and someone came up to me and said, ‘I just heard you’re doing Spider-Man 4.‘ And I said, ‘Really? No one told me!’ It’s not true.”

And to finish the rumor off for good, a rep for Sony added this:

“It’s an Internet rumor, as so many things are these days.”

Sigh… Usually I’m one to defend my site and a lot of my “colleague sites” (what’s up guys!) but this kind of thing just makes it hard to legitimize our beloved blogosphere as the next era of (online) journalism. Gotta double and triple-check those facts…

For now, at least the first half of Mania’s “exclusive” remains intact: Black Cat is still apparently the villain for Spider-Man 4. And, if there is any silver lining to all of this, it’s that we can now do posts fantasy-casting our top picks for actresses to play the silver-haired, feisty feline, Felicia Hardy. A recent poll over at MTV has Kate Beckinsale pegged as fans’ top choice to play Catwoman in Batman 3 – but that’s just crazy, IMHO. Maybe Mrs. Beckinsale’s “talents” would be more suited for the tongue-in-cheek universe of Spider-Man? I’ll let the speculation build from there…

Click artwork for source.

Are you sorry to hear that Rachel McAdams isn’t playing Black Cat? Do you think Sony should try to turn rumor into fact and lure McAdams to the role?

For my part, I always thought that McAdams was too much of an “artsy actress” to “stoop” to the level of a comic book movie, but I guess that just sounds like know-it-all hindsight right about now…

Spider-Man 4 is slated to swing into theaters on May 5, 2011.

(You Rachel McAdams fans can next catch the actress in Sherlock Holmes, which opens on Christmas Day, 2009.)

Source: EW

Black Cat Art Source: Diablo2003 @ Deviant ARt

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Spider-Man 4 To Feature A Certain Red-Haired Baby…

Rob Keyes — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:52:54 +0000

I bet your Spidey sense is tingling from that headline and your first thought may be that Mary Jane and Peter Parker spawn a love-child in Sam Raimi’s fourth installment of the Spider-Man franchise.

If you’re wondering what I’m talking about, SpoilerTV put up the casting call info for “toddler boy,” a two year old red-haired baby that will be a part of Spider-Man 4. Uh oh.

While that might be the case (I doubt it though), it is possible, as some fans have speculated, that the child is Cletus Kasady, who many will know as the popular villain Carnage. Whether this is being introduced for us to be used as plot thread in the interconnected Spider-Man 5 & 6 or it’s a look into Peter Parker’s future, or Mary Jane has a child with someone else… we don’t yet know.

Here’s the exact casting call:

2 or 3 year old boy to play 2 year old, Caucasian with RED HAIR, an adorable toddler with an engaging personality, on set experience preferred. IDENTICAL TWINS ONLY

We’ll let you know more as we hear it but at least we may have a better idea of who Spidey’s next villain will be with the recent Black Cat news.

What do you think about the possibility on big screen Spider-Babies?

Spider-Man 4 starts production next March and is scheduled to hit theaters May 6, 2011, the year of the super hero.

Source: SpoilerTV

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Spider-Man 4 Villain Is… Black Cat? [Updated]

Anthony Ocasio — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 21:48:22 +0000

[Update: Rachel McAdams has debunked the rumor that she is playing Black Cat. Go HERE for details]

The past couple of weeks have been filled with a ton of Spider-Man talk with the majority of the chatter being focused on which villain fans can look forward to seeing our favorite web-slinger battle in Spider-man 4. Well, the speculation can subside (for the time being) as the folks over at Mania.com have heard from “reliable sources” that Sam Raimi is in the midst of casting the villains for the next installment of the Spider-Man franchise.

Some of the possibilities that we’ve heard were Bruce Campbell as Mysterio, Dr. Connors (Dylan Baker) as The Lizard and the possibility of William Defoe returning as Green Goblin.

With Sam Raimi receiving complete control over Spider-Man 4 (unlike Spider-Man 3) he has decided to go in a complete different direction than what was previously discussed and has allegedly chosen the formidable Felicia Hardy, known the fans around the world as the skilled cat burglar Black Cat as one of the villains for Spider-Man 4. (Yes, that’s right. I said “one of”).

Not only is Mania.com revealing that Black Cat is one of the villains, but it appears that they also have a major Hollywood actress as one of the top contenders for the role. Who is said actress? Well, Betty White fans may be disappointed that the Golden Girl star has been passed up, but hopefully the Time Travelers Wife, The Notebook and the upcoming Sherlock Holmes actress, Rachel McAdams, will be a suitable replacement [Update: Sorry, this rumor has been officially debunked. Go HERE for details].

Why Black Cat you ask? Well Black Cat and conversely Felicia Hardy fit perfect into the formula that Raimi uses when choosing his Spider-Man villains: they must not only pose a threat to Spider-Man alone, but must also be entwined with Peter Parker’s life. Fans of the comic series will remember that Black Cat has spent some time not only as girlfriend to the friendly neighborhood arachnoid, but also changing from a villain to an ally.

McAdams as Black Cat? Sorry, just a rumor..

With Raimi selecting Black Cat as villain number one and looking for someone intertwined in Spider-Man/Peter Parker’s live, does this mean Dylan Baker will get to spend some additional time in the make-up chair as Dr. Connors transforms into Lizard?

While reports seem to indicate that this will be a two-villain movie, sources are saying that Dr. Connors will not be appearing as Lizard because they’re currently casting a male for the other villain role, and since Dylan Baker has been cast since the second movie, Lizard is out of the running (confirming what Baker had previous stated).

How’s that for some nerd math?

While I know it’s a long-shot at this point, I’m still hoping for Mysterio to make an appearance. You never know, maybe Peter Parker will get a roommate that just so happens to be an aspiring special effects designer/stunt man. Maybe he’s hoping to get a role in the new film about the city’s superhero, but something horrible happens so now he hates Spider-Man?

Look at that… wrote the entire movie right there. Now, where did I put Sam Raimi’s email address?

How do you feel about Rachael McAdams playing Black Cat? I think she’s a good choice. Not overly obvious, but when you hear her name…. you think to yourself, “Yeah, I can see that!”

Also, Lizard is out. Who do you think the other male villain Raimi is going to go with?

Let’s hear it!

We’ll be sure to keep you up to date as more Spider-Man 4 news is revealed.

Source: Mania.com

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Spider-Man 4: Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin is Done

Rob Keyes — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:16:28 +0000

In recent weeks, there’s been some chatter as to what characters, or more specifically, villains, we will see in the upcoming fourth installment to the Spider-Man franchise.

First, we heard arguably crazy speculation that Bruce Campbell’s larger role in Spider-Man 4 would see him playing a villain such as Mysterio. Unlikely in the eyes of many fans, but we followed that up with a report on director Sam Raimi discussing the Spider-Man 4 villains where he admitted he favored the idea of The Lizard but wasn’t keen or familiar with the idea of Carnage.

Then, we finally got one confirmation on the topic of potential villains: Dylan Baker would in fact be returning as Dr. Curt Connors in the next movie but that didn’t necessarily mean he’d be transforming in the scaly green two-armed lizard, especially not if you can take Baker’s words as complete truth (he says he’s a background character). Of course, this was followed with more rumors where it was said that The Lizard could be Spider-Man 4’s only villain.

So, what about going backwards and playing with the villains of before? A little hard seeing as how in the first two movies, the bad guys died and it’s doubtful we’ll get Venom again this time around with his own spin-off coming (I think we’ll see Venom in either Spider-man 5 or 6).

MTV had a chance to chat with the talented Willem Dafoe who of course played Norman Osborn in the first Spider-Man. With the Spider-Man 4 in development with a confirmed release date and plenty of headlines to go around, MTV took the opportunity to ask the actor if he’ll be making a return to the franchise in any form (even though he’s dead).

There wasn’t much from Dafoe’s response other than he said he hasn’t been called but he thinks it’s possible (or that’s just a standard media-trained response):

“I think it’s possible… But I haven’t heard anything.”

Admittedly, Raimi and company do go out of their way to tie each movie to the previous but from all accounts it seems that Spider-Man 4 will be a fresh start where Sam Raimi will have “full control” over the project and they may distance themselves from the existing trilogy. We’ve had three movies of goblins, it’s time to move on.

The Green Goblin story is over, Harry and Norman Osborn have passed, and so there’s no real reason to have Dafoe return unless it involves Peter having flashbacks or Mysterio creating illusions of Spidey’s prior villains. That (Mysterio’s illusions) would be a neat way to at least have a scene for every character we’ve met in the trilogy – makes for an interesting look-back and Sam Raimi/Tobey Maguire conclusion movie for their part in the franchise (I don’t expect to see them back after Spider-Man 4).

I love Dafoe as an actor but I think he’s served his role in the Spider-Man franchise and that it’s time to move on. Don’t count on seeing him again.

What did you think of Dafoe’s portrayal of the Green Goblin and would like to see him cameo again in another Spider-Man movie in memory, flash-back or illusion?

Spider-Man 4 starts production next March and is scheduled to hit theaters May 6, 2011, the year of the super hero.

Source: MTV

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Is The Lizard Spider-Man 4’s Only Villain?

Rob Keyes — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 23:36:08 +0000

Less than a week ago, Dylan Baker confirmed that he’d be returning as Dr. Curt Connors in Spider-Man 4. At the time, he said he’d be regulated to a small background role similar to his appearances in the last two Spidey films.

Now, comes an insider report from Jim over at Market Saw who’s saying that The Lizard may not only be in Spider-Man 4, but that he’d be the only villain of the movie. This of course would bring the franchise back to its one-villain roots as utilized in the first two movies of the series.

Sam Raimi did say that he loves The Lizard…

The info allegedly comes from a reliable inside source, but we know that the script is still being worked on by Gary Ross.

If true, this wouldn’t be unexpected as the franchise so far has made plenty of effort in tying each film to its predecessors and Raimi made sure to include Dr. Curt Connors in the last two movies. It makes total sense to have The Lizard make an appearance and I’d love to see that transformation finally occur. However, I wouldn’t mind if he was the lesser villain of a pair of baddies instead.

Three villains, as we saw awfully featured in Spider-Man 3 is simply too much, but as we’ve seen in other comic book films, two can work nice if done right. So, whether that means The Lizard is the featured super villain or a secondary one, don’t be surprised to see Dylan Baker grow some scales in Spider-Man 4.

Remember though, this next Spider-Man adventure may be the last time we see Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker and Sam Raimi helming behind the camera. With that in mind, is Dylan Baker’s Lizard really the last villain we see Tobey Maguire and Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man duke it out with? Is that an epic enough conclusion to their Spider-Man franchise which may continue with a Spider-Man 5 & 6 starring different actors and helmed by a different director?

Dylan Baker to take the spotlight in Spider-Man 4?

However this may play out, I’m a fan of Baker and would be happy seeing Connors turn grow his arm back. This could be the end of the hopes of some fans who want to see Bruce Campbell play Mysterio.

What do you think of the idea of The Lizard being the main (and only) villain of Spider-Man 4?

Spider-Man 4 is scheduled for an early March production start and will hit theaters May 6, 2011.

Source: Market Saw, Header edited from beautiful art by Julie Bell

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Dr. Curt Connors Confirmed For Spider-Man 4

Rob Keyes — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 11:21:32 +0000

Speculation, here we come!

Dylan Baker, the actor who played the minor role of Dr. Curt Connors in the last two Spider-Man movies has confirmed that he’ll be in Spider-Man 4. Now, this doesn’t mean we’ll be seeing his scaly alter ego known as The Lizard, but it sure wouldn’t be surprising.

Even if The Lizard wasn’t making his appearance, we’d expect Dr. Curt Connors to play at least a small part again. It wouldn’t make sense to have him involved in the plot of Spider-Man 2 & 3 then throw him away.

During the Q&A segment for a Trick ‘r Treat presentation on Wednesday, Mr. Baker was asked about his involvement in the next Sam Raimi Spidey adventure and he said he was on-board but that he’d just be a smaller background character again.

Online speculation from polls and forums seems to bring up two names consistently: Lizard and Carnage. While I don’t like the idea of going with another symbiotic villain after Venom’s poor turn-out in Spider-Man 3, I do think seeing Mr. Connors transform into The Lizard and finally having two arms again is an obvious choice, even if he’s a minor villain for the next movie.

The last we heard from director Sam Raimi on the topic of Spider-Man 4 villains was that he really liked the idea of The Lizard but that he didn’t know too much about Carnage. Take from that what you will but it’s possible none of what they say is true. Perhaps the denied Morbius could still be a villain choice since his story does mesh perfectly with The Lizard. There’s also that rumor of Bruce Campbell playing Mysterio, but all we know for sure is that Campbell will have a bigger role in Spider-Man 4.

Are you happy to know that Dylan Baker will be acting in Spider-Man 4? What do you think the story implications of this are?

Spider-Man 4 is planned for an early March production start and is scheduled to hit theaters May 6, 2011, the summer of the superhero.

Source: UGO

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Joe Quesada Talks Captain America, Spider-Man 4 & More

Rob Keyes — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 02:25:01 +0000

Marvel Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada, a man who always makes the effort to talk to the fans, held his own Q&A at Big Apple Comic-Con over the weekend. While talking a ton about comics, characters and not being able to talk about the Disney merger, he did address some questions regarding some of the upcoming Marvel superhero movies.

Quesada fielded questions about Spider-Man 4, The First Avenger: Captain America and the new kid-focused cartoon series, Super Hero Squad Show. Read what he had to say after the jump – especially about what he says about the Cap movie!

Comic Book Resources was in attendance making note of what was said and when the subject of Marvel movies first came up from the series of fan questions, the first topic was that of Spider-Man 4. However, since Sony owns the film rights to Spider-Man and not Marvel Studios, Quesada isn’t too involved and didn’t have much to say on the topic.

“I’m the biggest Sam Raimi fan in the world, so I can pretty much guarantee that it’ll be damn good.”

I wonder what Joe thought of Spider-Man 3…

Next, the questions moved towards something he could talk about and something Marvel and movie fans really want to hear about: The First Avenger: Captain America.

“I’ve seen a couple of outlines and an initial screenplay, and it’s going to rock everyone’s socks off… It’s very unexpected, the kind of movie it is.”

The Marvel headmaster then added that Captain America’s solo film sets up The Avengers in “a fantastic way.” The most interesting thing he revealed however, is that there exists a wish list of actors that they have to play the patriotic hero. That’s a list I want to hear more about and I expect that casting decisions will start having to be made soon.

As for the Super Hero Squad Show, which no doubt appeals to Disney’s desires to acquire a strong hold of the youth demographic, Quesada used his young daughter as an example of someone who could be drawn into the Marvel universe at a young age with this sort of introduction to the characters.

“I think [that approach to attaining new comics readers] will increase the more that Marvel gets into the mainstream.”

So, there you have it. Quesada is very optimistic about the Captain America film and it seems they have some lead actors already in mind – no surprise if we assume The First Avenger: Captain America will not be delayed from its release date a mere two months after Thor (a movie that’s deep into casting with its leads already selected).

Any guesses as to who’s on that list of candidates to play Steve Rogers?

Check out my thoughts on the future of Captain America and my partner in crime, Kofi Outlaw’s piece on who should play Captain America.

All three of the Marvel heroes will have their next films open in theaters in the summer of 2011. The First Avenger: Captain America is scheduled to open July 22, 2011, Thor will strike theaters May 20, 2011 and Spider-Man 4 webs the screens May 5, 2011.

Source: CBR

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Will Sam Raimi Direct Spider-Man 5 & 6?

Rob Keyes — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 05:38:53 +0000

It’s been a big week for Sony’s Columbia Pictures and fans of the Spider-Man franchise. A mere week ago we found that the studio has selected Gary Ross to direct and rewrite the upcoming Venom solo film. Ross has a long history with the studio and actor Tobey Maguire and he’s currently involved with the script of Spider-Man 4. While we later heard that Venom might be far off with Ross also being tipped to helm the Spielberg-less Matt Helm remake, there’s no slowing the Spidey franchise one way or another.

On the Peter Parker side of things, Raimi revealed a few days back that they’re planning for an early March start of production for Spider-Man 4 to meet their summer kick-off release date in 2011. That’s not all however, as more recently we reported on director Sam Raimi discussing the possible villains of Spider-Man 4.

Now, MTV is sharing the part of their interview with Raimi where he touches even more Spider-Man sequels in the pipeline, specifically the 5th and 6th installments. Read on after the jump for more!

In the interview, Raimi is directly asked if he will direct Spider-Man 5 & 6.

“Every time I make one of the ‘Spider-Man’ movies, I have to ask myself, is the character still intriguing to me?… Do I love the character? Am I dying to tell the next story of Peter Parker and Spider-Man?”

“And so far the answer has been yes.”

Spider-Man 5 & 6 are happening not long after Spider-Man 4 hits theaters whether Raimi’s involved or not. Since it seemed like such an effort for the studio to bring him back alongside the stars, Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst, I’m not sure I’m buying into the likelihood of him returning for more. If you want just one big reason why, just check out the ridiculous amount of upcoming and in-development projects he has listed on IMDB. He’s got too much else going on and he’s also responsible for helping adapt Warcraft to live-action which will no doubt kick off another major franchise.

He doesn’t need more Spider-Man and after the debacle of interference related to the production of Spider-Man 3 (hopefully and apparently rectified this time around), he’s got so many other things to look forward to.

On top of all of that, we know that James Vanderbilt’s scripts for Spider-Man 5 & 6 are being written so they can act as a quasi-reboot of the franchise should Raimi and crew not return. With the Venom solo project on its way down the road, the likely possibility of the cast not returning for a 5th Spider-Man, Raimi’s words on how they’re picking the villain of Spidey 4 as to not set up for a solo film, the ruining of Venom in his first on-screen appearance, and the need of the studio to fast-track these highly-profitable films, I don’t expect Raimi to be back in the director’s chair for Spider-Man 5.

Click to continue reading about Spider-Man 5 & 6…

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Venom Delayed By Matt Helm?

Rob Keyes — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 11:15:51 +0000

The folks over at The Playlist have an interesting exclusive on a topic that’s been getting several headlines this week. According to their inside source, Gary Ross, the man who was just announced to write and possibly direct the Venom spinoff will not be working on that project next.

Instead, Ross will first be taking over the Matt Helm project from Steven Spielberg and it sounds like the Venom project is quite a ways off, despite earlier reports that had him starting on it after Spider-Man 4.

Matt Helm was a James Bond-esque franchise starring Dean Martin back in the 1960s and they’ve been trying to get a remake off the ground for a while with a messy development history in recent years. There was also a TV series in the 1970s also based on the novels written by Donald Hamilton. There are 27 books in the series, allowing for wide selection of material for the movie and possible sequels.

Who will star in the Matt Helm movie that’s hoped to spawn a new franchise? Well, after George Clooney passed and John Hamm fell through, it now sounds like Bradley Cooper (The Hangover) is the leading candidate. This role would certainly replace the missed opportunity of the growing star not getting cast as the lead in Green Lantern. With this role and The A-Team, Cooper could be one of the next big action stars.

If this all goes according to the reported plan, Venom won’t be around for a while, so how will Venom tie into the Spider-Man franchise?

Will it completely run its own course with no cross-over? I doubt it. The studio will want to use every available resource to make sure they bank as much coin as possible from the symbiotic anti-hero. Since the character of Venom has far less mass appeal than Spider-Man and since Gary Ross is involved in the scripts for both films, it’s fair to assume they will tie it into one of the Spider-Man films.

My guess is that since we know Spider-Man 5 & 6 are desired by Sony Pictures to speed into production after Spider-Man 4, and since Venom is not next up on Ross’ plate, perhaps the post-Spidey 4 interconnected films will act as a franchise reboot where they can have another chance at introducing the character, leading him into his own spin-off. After all, we reported yesterday that Raimi hinted that they’re not selecting Spider-Man 4 villains based on its previous movies or based on what spinoffs are in planning.

What do you make of news and how do you think Venom will fit into the Spider-Man world?

More as we hear it on all of these projects, at Screen Rant!

Source: The Playlist

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Sam Raimi Discusses Spider-Man 4 Villains

Rob Keyes — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 02:46:18 +0000

Spider-Man 4 has been receiving plenty of buzz in recent times with announcements and confirmations of it going into production next year for a 2011 release. On top of that, we’ve had countless reports and speculation about what storylines it may follow, the start of development for Spider-Man 5 & 6, and discussions of what villains will be the focus of the fourth installment in the super successful superhero franchise.

MTV spoke with Sam Raimi and got the director to discuss a bit about the villains of Spider-Man 4 and the results of a fan poll they ran on the site which saw The Lizard and Carnage come out on top as the most desired villains, with the highest percentages from an unknown number of votes.

Raimi responded to the two top choices but couldn’t reveal who they’ve selected as the villainous characters are for the next Spider-Man adventure.

“I love the Lizard… There’s a great story there in the Marvel comic books about Dr. Connors. I’m less familiar with Carnage.”

After this, you could tell Raimi wanted to be more open on the topic, but he must remain tight-lipped for obvious reasons with shooting not even expected to begin until next March. After a long pause, Raimi followed up by saying “I’m not allowed to say at this point.”

Normally, I’d think that The Lizard would be an obvious choice and that the other would be a character not introduced into the franchise yet. I can pretty much guarantee Carnage will not be in Spider-Man 4. After what happened with Venom in Spider-Man 3, they’ll be leaving the symbiotic villains behind until the franchise restarts and/or the Venom solo film gets underway.

However, Raimi later explains that the next movie doesn’t have so much to do with a character introduced in the films so far or about intertwining with/setting up the Venom spinoff. This partially puts a damper on The Lizard’s full introduction.

Of course, he could just be intentionally misleading. It seems like too much of a missed opportunity to not have The Lizard finally make an appearance after seeing Dr. Curt Connors introduced and slightly developed over the last few films.

Raimi continued by elaborating on the goal of Spider-Man 4’s story and how the villain will fit into that plan.

“What we’re trying to do right now is really understand the journey Peter is going to go on this time and have the villain maybe be a counter to that growth, something that he has to overcome… Or maybe he has to grow in a way to overcome the villain, because there always seem to be stories of coming of age, of a young man growing up and learning things about life, so once we are identifying the exact movement that Peter has to grow to, I think the villain—and we’re trying this right now; we’re trying to choose a villain based on who would be the proper counter to that growth, so we really have dramatic conflict.”

Click to continue reading about Spider-Man 4 villains…

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Spider-Man 4 Planned For Early March 2010 Start

Rob Keyes — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 00:16:34 +0000

MTV News had a chance to speak with Sam Raimi today and got him to reveal the planned start date for Spider-Man 4.

The official Spider-Man 4 release date was set way back in March when Marvel Studios pushed back and re-arranged the release schedule for their upcoming films. From reports and speculation, we had an idea that it would start principal photography next spring but now we have an even more precise estimate, thanks to Raimi.

“We’re hoping that it’s the first week in March”

Raimi also touched on the production status of the project, revealing that Gary Ross is currently still working on the script and refers to him as a “great director and a very fine writer.” Great timing for this comment considering this week we found out that Ross will be writing and likely helming the upcoming Venom spin-off solo film.

“He’s working on a draft… I just gave him some notes and he’s doing a rewrite right now.”

As for the casting, Raimi says they’re just beginning to plan and think about that but as we know, two of the leads are back with the role reprisals of Kirsten Dunst as Mary Jane and Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker.

Spider-Man, Spider-Man,
Does whatever a spider can
Spins a web, any size,
March 2010 will see him fly
Look Out!
Here comes the Spiderman… again…

We’re just starting to see the ball roll forward with one of the next major superhero flicks. Are you excited for another Spidey adventure led by Sam Raimi?

Raimi says he’s got full control over this one, partly deferring blame for Spider-Man 3. No excuses this time, I want a good Spider-Man movie.

Spider-Man 4 hits theaters May 6, 2011.

Source: MTV

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Venom Finds A Director?

Rob Keyes — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 23:31:57 +0000

Variety reporter Mike Fleming is reporting that Columbia Pictures is in talks with Gary Ross (Seabiscuit, Pleasantville) to direct and rewrite the upcoming Venom solo film. Ross’ name is not new to Sony and their Spider-Man-related flicks however, as back in July he was brought in to make rewrites on the Spider-Man 4 script.

Ross is an easy choice for Columbia Pictures because of his growing relationship with Sony (Sony Pictures Entertainment owns Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group) which includes his directing of a Lance Armstrong cycling film and his work on the in-development Tokyo Suckerpunch. Combined with his longstanding relationship with Tobey Maguire that includes writing and directing him twice in the films listed above. They’ll be pairing as Actor-Director for a third go with The Crusaders.

I have no idea what to expect from a Venom solo film but I can’t believe that it can match anywhere near the success of any of the Spider-Man movies. The character simply doesn’t have that mass appeal and after what happened with Venom in Spider-Man 3, I don’t know where they go from here. Unless of course they cross-over with Spider-Man…

The report states that Ross will begin work on Venom after the fourth Spidey installment finishes and that the film will likely be a fresh start for the brooding character. The lead actor will most likely be recast. Sorry, Topher Grace, but you may be fighting Predators instead anyway.

My prediction is that after Spider-Man 4, Maguire, Raimi and the rest of the existing crew will leave the franchise, giving room for Sony’s planned 5th and 6th installments which are currently being written by James Vanderbilt to act as a franchise restart if needed. That would allow them to tie the new take on Venom with the new start of Spider-Man, allowing them to do it the right way this time.

What do you think about the Venom project and what would you like to see from it? Do you think it’ll tie-in at all with Spider-man 4 or the following two sequels?

Spider-Man 4 opens May 6, 2011.

Source: BFDealMemo

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Venom Updates: How Will It Tie Into Spider-Man Franchise?

Rob Keyes — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 00:55:00 +0000

SCI FI Wire had an exclusive interview with Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, the writers behind next month’s Zombieland flick (which looks great!) and they spoke about that other big project they’ve been working on: the script for the Venom solo film.

The last we heard on the Venom project from the writers was from back in April when they couldn’t comment on whether or not this incarnation of Venom would be the same as/related to the wasted version we saw in the highly disappointing Spider-Man 3.

In the interview, Reese and Wernick take questions on the status of the project and when the film could be in production.

So, What’s the latest on their scripts?

“We’ve written two drafts of Venom, and the studio has it, and they’re pushing forward in whatever ways they push forward,”

As for when the film going move into actual production, the writers said they weren’t sure and re-iterated that they’ve submitted their latest two drafts.

With Spider-Man 4 moving into production early next year for a summer, 2011 opening, fans are curious as to when we might expect this film – Could it come before or around the game time? Could the movies cross-over?

“We can’t really talk about that, unfortunately… Basically, the studio and Marvel and the Arads are taking our drafts and going beyond and figuring out what’s the next step.”

What we do know about the future Spider-Man movies are that Sony hired James Vanderbilt to pen scripts for Spider-Man 5 and 6. The interesting part about the news was that the scripts would act as a franchise reboot should Raimi and his cast not return for more after Spider-Man 4.

I’m not sure I expect to see Tobey Maguire want to do another after this. He seemingly wasn’t too interested in coming back for this fourth installment and the same can be said about co-star Kirsten Dunst.

Either way, Sony is sick of waiting so long between installments in their prized film franchise and with Tobey Maguire not seemingly interested in more installments and Sam Raimi’s rediculously busy schedule, I could see them pulling the trigger on the reboot idea.

Click to see what this may mean for Venom and how it could tie into Spider-Man 5…

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Spider-Man 4 Set For IMAX Release

Ross Miller — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 16:56:44 +0000

Columbia Pictures and the IMAX Corporation have today announced that the upcoming superhero sequel, Spider-Man 4, is coming to IMAX theaters on May 5th, 2011, along with being released worldwide in regular size theaters. The film will be shot regularly, and then digitally remastered into the image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience.

This comes as no surprise to anyone, as both Spider-Man 2 and Spider-Man 3 were released in IMAX. The difference with Spider-Man 4’s release is that it will have far more IMAX theaters to play in, giving more audiences the chance to experience their favorite web-shooting superhero on the gigantic screen.

Spider-Man 4 will reunite director Sam Raimi and stars Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst. The script has gone through rewrites in the past, with Seabiscuit and Pleasantville screenwriter Gary Ross currently working on it. Producers on the film are Avi Arad, Laura Ziskin, Todd Black and Grant Curtis. There’s no official word on the story for the movie, but as expected there’s been plenty of little tidbits here and there, leading to much fan discussion, not least about who will be the villain(s) this time around.

For the full press release on Spider-Man 4 in IMAX, you can head over to SuperHeroHype.

This IMAX news comes hot on the heels of Bruce Campbell revealing a supposed start date of January next year for Spider-Man 4. Even though that’s over 14 months before the set release date, it isn’t surprising considering the film is a project that will require a lot of post-production/special effects work.

I can’t say I’m an avid IMAX moviegoer, and for Spidey 4 I’ll probably end up sticking with the regular-size version when the film’s release rolls around (in a couple of years ). But if had the opportunity, I certainly wouldn’t mind checking it out on the biggest screen possible, with the added bonus of incredible sound. I just hope the fourth installment itself – IMAX or no IMAX – is a helluva lot better than the terrible disappointing third one.

Although it’s no surprise, what do you think about Spider-Man 4 being released in IMAX? Will you be checking it out on the BIG big-screen, or will you settle for the regular size viewing?

As stated, Spider-Man 4 will be released in IMAX and regular theaters on May 5th, 2011.

Source: SuperHeroHype

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SR Picks [Video]: Marvel vs. DC vs. Disney Musical

Rob Keyes — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 11:28:48 +0000

One of the only reasons I still go to YouTube is to watch videos from ItsJustSomeRandomGuy, the mastermind behind the “I’m a Marvel…and I’m a DC” web series where he uses DC, Marvel and other action figures to touch on current happenings in the comics/movie/tv universe and poke fun at the characters through well-written all-audience parodies.

With that said, of course there had to be a parody made on the Disney-Marvel merger… and of course it had to something special. So what did he do? He made a musical!

They put a lot of work into this one… if you can’t bare the sing-along, stick with it till the end because Batman and Spider-Man have a little conversation about the Disney acquisition.

What do you think?

We here at Screen Rant love these vids and have posted several as Screen Rant Picks.

Have your feelings on the Disney-Marvel deal changed at all?

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Bruce Campbell as a Spider-Man 4 Villain?

Rob Keyes — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 04:48:24 +0000

The amazing Bruce Campbell was in attendance for yesterday’s LA premiere of Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, for which he voices the character of Mayor Shelbourn, and took some time to speak with Access Hollywood, touching of course on the eagerly anticipated Spider-Man 4.

Campbell, who made his mark and cult following playing Ash in the Evil Dead/Army of Darkness films, has had cameo roles in all three Spider-Man films (and even the tie-in video games) to date because of his relationship with director Sam Raimi, the same guy who directed said Evil Dead films back in the day.

So, not unexpectedly he’ll be back to play a part in Spider-Man 4… but not just a cameo this time…

In the brief interview, Bruce Campbell revealed that the fourth Spidey installment is set to begin shooting in January of 2010, only a few months away.

What’s real interesting is that Bruce was told that he will have a “major part” in the next film, a nice upgrade from his regular memorable cameos.

What that means is anyone’s guess as he also said he has no idea what character that may be. The obvious assumption, and I’m sure a wish of many Campbell fans, is that he’ll play a villain of the film. Which villain though?

Early speculation had Morbius as a villain for the movie as Raimi revealed his interest in the character and the timing was working for it as we’re in the midst of the biggest vampire fad ever. However, that speculation was shot down as they hadn’t chosen the villains yet. I didn’t mind that idea and I thought it would fit in perfect with The Lizard, a character they’ve already made an effort to introduce in the Spider-Man movies.

Click to Continue reading on who Bruce could be playing in Spider-Man 4…

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Disney-Marvel Deal: Stan Lee’s Approval & New Hybrid Characters

Rob Keyes — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 03:31:19 +0000

The recent Disney/Marvel partnership is still sending ripples out across the blogosphere. How will it affect the current state of comics? What impact will it have on Marvel Studios’ production schedule? So much was already happening at Marvel Studios with their epic slate of upcoming films, now they’ll be capable of exploring new territories as we (hopefully) get to see an expansion of their production capacity thanks to Disney’s vastly superior resources.

In light of the major news surrounding Disney and Marvel, we have for you some pictures of new characters born out of the merger between the two media juggernauts as well as some words about the corporate happenings from Stan Lee, the genius creator behind so many of the comics and characters we know and love today.

Stan Lee, a legend of the comic book industry, couldn’t be more happy about the Disney acquisition. In a statement to MTV, he revealed his feelings about the merger and how he believes it’ll benefit everyone greatly in the long run:

“I couldn’t be happier with this agreement… It’s [a] great move for Disney, for Marvel and for my company Pow! Entertainment since Pow! has a first-look deal with Disney. From every point of view, the merger of Disney and Marvel is a match made in heaven.”

“Just imagine… with this deal Marvel gives Disney a library of literally hundreds of unique and colorful characters that have the potential to make great, high-concept movies and long-lasting franchises—and nobody knows how to play in that ball park better than Disney… This is a great day for the two companies and for the entertainment community as a whole. To sum it up as simply as possible, when you combine the best with the best, everyone wins!”

Obvious biases aside, Stan the Man makes some good points and he’s not wrong in anything he’s optimistic about. The hopes of myself and I’m sure all Marvel fans and moviegoers is that we get many more movies from Marvel Studios. I’m excited for the first announcements of what will come in addition to the Marvel Studios films already in development, including Iron Man 2, The First Avenger: Captain America, Thor and The Avengers.

Now, on to the fun stuff… New characters!

Click to continue reading about the Disney-Marvel Deal and new Hybrid Characters…

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Disney Buys Marvel

Paul Young — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 14:44:45 +0000

OK, so just a few minutes ago Twitter literally exploded with news of a major financial announcement: according to The Associated Press, The Walt Disney Co. will acquire Marvel Entertainment Inc., for $4 billion in cash and stock.

Woah! If you ever wondered how much the Marvel Universe is worth, I think you just found out.

Under the deal Disney will now control and own 5,000 Marvel characters, including Iron Man and Spider-Man. If Marvel shareholders approve the deal, they will receive $30 per share and will also receive .745 Disney shares for each Marvel share they own. Both the Disney and Marvel board of directors have approved the deal, but it still has to go through an anti-trust review. I don’t see there being any problem with the anti-trust review nor do I see the marvel shareholders turning up their noses to such a fantastic offer. Most likely, later this week, we should see final word on the resolution of this agreement.

Said Ike Perlmutter, Marvel’s Chief Executive Officer:

“Disney is the perfect home for Marvel`s fantastic library of characters given
its proven ability to expand content creation and licensing businesses…This is an unparalleled
opportunity for Marvel to build upon its vibrant brand and character properties
by accessing Disney`s tremendous global organization and infrastructure around
the world.”

So what does this mean to comic books fans? Well, it could be both very good and very bad at the same time. Let’s look at some quick pros and cons shall we?

Pro – Disney is a universal name with pockets so deep that God’s hand would have a hard time reaching the bottom. Marvel is no slouch either in the household name department – but let’s face it, they are no Disney. All that extra money, means way more marketing and increased traffic within the theme parks (sorry Universal but looks like you might lose the X-Men characters in your parades.)

Con – With movies like Iron Man 2, Spider-man 4, The Incredible Hulk 2, Thor , The Avengers and Captain America on the horizon, what does this mean for their development? Iron Man 2 is already in full swing so I doubt we see any type of delay with that one, but with no other pre-production or principle photography under way on some other films, could we see some eventual delay(s)?

Pro – On the flip side, with Disney having such deep pockets, that means much more available funds to push MORE movies into production. It’s not like Disney is buying Marvel because they were threatened by Marvel’s market share and were trying to buy out the competition. No, Disney bought Marvel to use the property rights, not sit on them. This could mean we start seeing Marvel characters pushed into multiple forms of media. More cartoons, more comics, more live action TV shows and definitely more movies.

Con – We could find ourselves over-saturated with watered down superheroes, quickly written scripts and under produced adaptation that are Disney is just looking to make a quick buck with. They are, after all, trying to re-coup $4 billion dollars of investment. It is distinctly possible that quality could suffer. Hopefully that won’t be the case, because whether Disney knows it or not, they are now under intense scrutiny from one of these largest, if not the largest, fan base in the world.

There are plenty of other pros and cons and we may discuss them in detail later today but for now we thought the news was worthy enough to get to you quickly.

What do you think of this mega-acquisition of Marvel by Disney? Does it make you as apprehensive as me for the future or elated that we may have an enormous opportunity to see more comic films in the future?

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Screen Rant will keep you updated as news come out.

[UPDATE: For our analysis of what this could mean for future Marvel movies (and TV shows) check out our follow-up: So Disney Bought Marvel - What Does It All Mean?]

Source: The Globe and Mail

Disney Marvel Logo: Spoiler TV

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