Norman Osborn Cast in ‘Amazing Spider-Man’ Sequel

Despite not being entirely disappointed by Sony’s The Amazing Spider-Man, I don’t really find myself craving the sequel. Perhaps it’s because my interest in Spider-Man as a character just isn’t there anymore — see the Superior Spider-Man comic book series to see why — but it’s more likely that Iron Man 3, Thor: The Dark World, the forthcoming Avengers sequel and Guardians of the Galaxy are more promising films in the oh-so-capable hands of Marvel Studios. Nevertheless, the film rights to Spidey apparently remain in Sony’s hands as long as they keep cranking out sequels, so The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is on the way. Introduced this time around are Jamie Foxx as Electro, relative unknown Shailene Woodley as Mary Jane Watson and — apparently — Paul Giamatti as Spidey’s massive horned nemesis Rhino.

Because nothing bad ever happens when you introduce too many villains in a superhero narrative, Sony will be adding Norman Osborn into the mix as Baddie #3. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Oscar winner Chris Cooper (Adaptation, The Muppets) will play the nefarious executive-turned-criminal mastermind in the 2014 sequel. For those keeping score, all three villains in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 have earned Academy Awards, so kudos to director Marc Webb and his team for aiming high. That being said, one wonders whether Cooper — talented though he may be — will be able to top Willem Dafoe’s performance as Osborn/The Green Goblin in Sam Raimi’s original Spider-Man trilogy.

In other Amazing Spider-Man news, Marvel has released a first look (pictured) at Peter Parker’s new threads in the sequel. As you can see, the design is far more traditional than the suit sported by actor Andrew Garfield in the first film, and it actually bears a stark resemblance to Tobey Maguire’s suit in the Raimi flicks. It’s definitely a step in the right direction, but it’s also a reminder that the Amazing Spider-Man series represents the most needless reboot in the history of cinema. Oh well.

New Yoda Spinoff Trailer Revealed!

Have a great weekend, Wortmaniacs!

Is Harrison Ford Locked In for ‘Star Wars’ Sequels?

According to numerous reports, Harrison Ford will reprise the role of iconic rogue smuggler Han Solo in Disney’s forthcoming Star Wars sequel trilogy. This news was originally broken by Latino Review’s Umberto Gonzalez, who claimed in a Fox News Latino interview that “it’s official” that the 70-year-old actor will return to that galaxy far, far away to play our favorite scruffy-looking nerf-herder one last time.

Gonzalez cited “legitimate sources” in the interview, and states that the agreement locking Ford into the new Star Wars films is “significant” but did not offer any specifics. As such, we’d be wise to take this news with a massive grain of Corellian salt, but the fact that Entertainment Weekly’s Geoff Boucher later tweeted (@GeoffBoucher) that a deal is forthcoming but not yet finalized adds some necessary credence to this story. Stay tuned.

Chris Pratt to Headline Marvel Studios’ ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’

Parks and Recreation star Chris Pratt — who recently played a Navy SEAL in Zero Dark Thirty — has been cast as Star-Lord in Marvel Studios’ upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy film, Deadline.com reports. The character will lead the unorthodox superhero team in this intergalactic expansion of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Guardians of the Galaxy, directed by James Gunn, is slated to hit theaters on Aug. 1, 2014. For the full story, click here.

What We Know About Disney’s ‘Star Wars’ Spinoffs

As is the case with most nerd news on the Internet, there’s been a great deal of misinformation about Disney’s recently-confirmed plans to expand the cinematic Star Wars universe beyond a core sequel trilogy. So before you begin your lengthy message board post about how awesome it would be to see an entire film starring Figrin D’an and the Modal Nodes, let’s examine the facts.

• According to StarWars.com, there are two standalone Star Wars films planned, each revolving around one specific character. One such film will be penned by The Empire Strikes Back scribe Lawrence Kasdan, while the other will be written by Simon Kinberg, who penned Sherlock Holmes and Mr. and Mrs. Smith. 
• Bob Iger, Chairman and CEO of The Walt Disney Company, said in a call to investors that these spinoff films “are not part of the Star Wars saga ... there are now creative entities working on developing scripts for what would be those standalone films.”

Despite various reports that a solo film starring Yoda is in the works or that Boba Fett is finally getting his time in the spotlight, the official subject matter of Disney’s tangential Star Wars flicks remains a mystery … but hopefully not for long.

For more info on Disney’s Star Wars plans, check out StarWars.com.