Marvel Just Won At Everything

Even though it's not quite Halloween just yet, DC Entertainment must be absolutely terrified right about now.

In a fan event Tuesday, Marvel Studios unveiled Phase 3 of its Marvel Cinematic Universe, announcing a mind-boggling slate of movies through 2019. The expansive lineup includes Thor: Ragnarok, Captain America: Civil War, Guardians of the Galaxy 2, Dr. Strange, Captain Marvel, Black Panther, The Inhumans and a two-part Avengers sequel, Infinity War. 

Hearing about any one of these projects would be reason to celebrate, but Marvel Studios has gone ahead and dropped all of the nerd bombs in its arsenal, all at once. We're not just fortunate, True Believers. We're spoiled.

For all of the latest on The House of Ideas' blockbuster announcements, head over to Marvel.com.

The First 'Avengers: Age of Ultron' Trailer is the Best Thing You'll See Today

Man, it's a good thing I took the day off work. After the trailer for Avengers: Age of Ultron leaked online, a move Marvel blamed on the villainous Hydra organization, The House of Ideas gave us the official teaser along with an all-new poster for the anticipated sequel. I can't stop watching it.

The teaser gives us our first true glimpse of the titular baddie in action (voiced to perfection by James Spader), and manages to make Pinocchio incredibly creepy.


Here are five things I absolutely love about this clip.

1) The use of "I've Got No Strings" throughout the teaser is corporate synergy at its best.
2) We're finally getting Hulkbuster armor and it looks fantastic.
3) This thing is going to be much darker than the relatively cheery first Avengers film.
4) Ultron looks like he might become my favorite superhero movie villain.
5) Since Tony Stark is the Gepetto to Ultron's Pinocchio, there's no way the story wraps up nicely. This movie is going to change everything for Earth's Mightiest Heroes.

Marvel's Avengers 2: Age of Ultron hits theaters May 1, 2015.

Marvel Brings the Hammer Down with 'Thor: The Dark World'

Marvel Studios is coming dangerously close to spoiling us.

At a point when most franchises are seriously running out of steam, The House of Ideas has given us Thor: The Dark World, the eighth film to take place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It’s technically a sequel to 2011’s Thor but, more than, that, this is the proper follow-up to The Avengers we all hoped Iron Man 3 would be.

But just how good is it? Well, I’ve seen it twice already, and I wouldn’t be surprised if I saw it a third time before it bows out of theaters. No, I’m not ashamed to admit that.

I’m clearly not alone in my appreciation for this surprisingly entertaining sequel, which has reportedly pulled in more than $86 million domestically. Think about that for a second. Did anyone really care all that much about Thor before 2011? Now, the hammer-swinging demigod has emerged as a pop-culture icon, his story made far more interesting on film than it had been over the past several decades in print. For example, remember Thunderstrike? No, you don’t remember Thunderstrike.

As noted previously by my pal Kevin Powers over at Comic Odyssey, part of the appeal of The Dark World is that it never stops feeling like a comic book. Director Alan Taylor (Game of Thrones) balances the heavy stuff — including at least one major character’s death — with some welcome moments of levity. Pants are misplaced. Bad guys are smacked around with hilarious ease by our flaxen-haired hero (Chris Hemsworth). Even Loki (Tom Hiddleston) gets a few laughs this time around as the audience tries to figure out whether his decision to assist his brother against the evil Dark Elf Malekith (Christopher Eccleston) is a genuine one. Kat Dennings continues to steal scenes as Darcy Lewis, Dr. Jane Foster’s intern who, for some reason, has acquired an intern of her own. As for Jane herself, Natalie Portman steps back into the role with ease, flip-flopping from hard-nosed scientist to lovelorn teenager depending on whether or not she’s in the presence of her godlike kinda-sorta-boyfriend. Even Odin (Anthony Hopkins) cracks a smile or two.

There’s a pervading sense of fun throughout The Dark World’s brisk 112-minute adventure, which is appreciated when so many other blockbusters  — including this summer’s Man of Steel — can be too serious for their own good.

Sating audience’s desire for action on a massive scale after the city-smashing finale of The Avengers, The Dark World doesn’t skimp on fight sequences, something its 2011 predecessor was sorely lacking. The physics-defying finale in London is particularly satisfying, with our heroes battling Malekith and his Dark Elf minions across dimensions as the fate of the universe hangs in the balance. Spoiler alert: Things work out okay. After all, we’ve got Captain America: Winter Soldier, Guardians of the Galaxy and The Avengers: Age of Ultron to look forward to, and that’s just over the next two years.

Thor: The Dark World is just about everything you’d want out of a Thor sequel, not only furthering the story of the title character but expanding the mythology of the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe. One might even say it’s a sight for “Thor” eyes!*

*Editor’s Note: Ugh. Sorry.

Three Reasons to Love 'Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'

The geek community is buzzing following the debut of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. this week, and, shockingly, we’re all more than okay with the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s move to the small screen. Already, there’s rampant speculation about how the series will tie into future Marvel Studios films — namely The Avengers: Age of Ultron — and there’s even talk of a spinoff starring Steve Rogers’ World War II-era sweetheart Agent Carter.

But why are we so enraptured by Joss Whedon’s latest jaunt in Marvel Universe? Here are three reasons we’ve become True Believers after just one episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

1) It’s not Heroes
During the first few moments of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., a super-powered dad saves a woman from a burning apartment building, a feat that attracts media attention and earns him the moniker of “The Hooded Hero.”

Wow! Regular people as super heroes! Cool, right? What if that happened!?

Ugh.

Fortunately, the show soon proved that it isn’t a retread of the facepalm-worthy Heroes, which gives us all the more reason to care about it for more than one season.

2) It rewards those of us who have been paying attention
Like any good comic book series, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. assumes you’re caught up on the mythology, and if you aren’t, well, that’s your fault. Right off the bat, the show tosses out several references to Loki, the Chitauri, the Battle of New York and Extremis, refusing to lag behind for those of you who’ve better things to do than put Thor in your Netflix queue. Heimdall frowns on your shenanigans.

3) Agent Coulson
Clark Gregg’s Agent Coulson has garnered a deserving cult fanbase since his first appearance in 2008’s Iron Man, which made his death in The Avengers one of those weird cultural touchstones for us geeks … like when Brett Ratner tried to murder the X-Men back in 2006.

The promos for Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. promised Coulson’s return, rallying Marvelites around the #CoulsonLives hashtag. The how and why of the situation were kinda-sorta explained in the pilot. Now, it seems, the rumors of Agent Coulson’s death have been greatly exaggerated. Or have they? The nature of this character’s apparent survival will no doubt unravel over time, giving the series a fascinating thread that will have a lasting effect on the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe moving forward. And that’s pretty damn cool.

And We’re Back!

In the aftermath of a move to a new apartment and a massive work-related event revolving around fisticuffs and the mental state associated with said fisticuffs, I’m happy to say that The Wort Report has officially returned!

We’re just one week away from the opening of Iron Man 3, and who could ignore the impending releases of Star Trek Into Darkness and The Man of Steel? And didja get a load of that Thor: The Dark World trailer? All things worthy of your geeking out in the weeks and months ahead.

But before all that, I’d like to address news that Microsoft is planning on unveiling a brand-spanking new Xbox on May 21st at 10 a.m. PDT. Although I’ve gotten giddy about such tantalizing reveals in the past, I’m wary this time around. It might be because I’ve grown very attached to the Xbox 360 over the past seven years (I’ve gone through three of them in that time), and the thought of building up a new game library for an entirely new piece of hardware just doesn’t seem that thrilling to me. Moreover, my time for gaming has shrunk to near-nothingness recently, so I’m not all that confident I’ll be making the plunge into the next generation of consoles ... at least not right now.

 What do you guys think? Are you excited about a “Next Gen” Xbox? Tweet your thoughts using the hashtag #XboxReveal, and check back here this weekend for more emblogginations.

‘S.H.I.E.L.D.’ TV Show Gets the Green Light!

Remember how excited we were when we learned that Avengers director Joss Whedon was working on a TV series set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Remember how we all hoped it would focus on the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division, mercifully shortened to S.H.I.E.L.D.? Well, as confirmed by the Los Angeles Times and a host of other multimedia outlets this week, the top-secret government group headed by Agent Nick Fury (played by Samuel L. Jackson in the films) will be coming to ABC.

Although Whedon will co-write the pilot for S.H.I.E.L.D., he is not its showrunner. Given the fact that he’ll be wrangling Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, The Hulk, Black Widow, Hawkeye and other Marvel luminaries in the Avengers sequel – set for release in 2015 – it’s safe to say he’ll have his hands full.

Since the series will revolve around S.H.I.E.L.D. and its agents, it’s unlikely the films’ superheroic heavy hitters will be appearing very often if at all (fingers crossed for at least a handful of Nick Fury cameos). However, it’s entirely likely that we’ll be seeing plenty of Agent Maria Hill, played by How I Met Your Mother star Cobie Smulders.  If you saw how amazingly she filled out a S.H.I.E.L.D. uniform in The Avengers, you know how awesome this is.

Depending on where this series is set chronologically in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, we could also see Clark Gregg return as fan-favorite Agent Coulson. If it takes place after The Avengers, well, that could prove difficult.

For more on the S.H.I.E.L.D. TV series, head over to the L.A. Times website by clicking here.

‘Avengers’ Sequel Gets a Release Date

Marvel.com has confirmed that the Joss Whedon-helmed sequel to this summer’s blockbuster smash, Marvel’s The Avengers, will be hitting theaters on May 1, 2015.

The website also stated the following in the announcement:

“In addition to the Marvel's The Avengers sequel, Marvel Studios will release a slate of films based on the Marvel characters including Iron Man 3 on May 3, 2013; Thor: The Dark World on November 8, 2013; Captain America: The Winter Soldier on April 4, 2014; Guardians of the Galaxy on August 1, 2014; and Ant-Man.”

Looks like lots of cool Marvel Studios goodness is on the horizon. For more info on Marvel Studios’ upcoming crop of films, head over to Marvel.com.

Joss Whedon to Return for ‘Avengers’ Sequel

Whedonites rejoice! As confirmed by Walt Disney executives during a conference call earlier this week, geek icon Joss Whedon will once again direct Earth’s Mightiest Heroes in the sequel to this summer’s runaway blockbuster The Avengers. The Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Firefly helmsman is also working with Marvel Studios and Disney to bring an unnamed “high-concept cop show” set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to ABC.

Whedon will be hard-pressed to top his first go-around with Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, the Incredible Hulk and the rest of the gang, but one of the main things he accomplished with that first Avengers film was inspire confidence among all of us True Believers out there. Not only has Marvel Studios been steadfast in putting out the best superhero films possible, but they’re hiring the best storytellers possible to keep that momentum going for years to come.

For more on this story, head over to MTV News.

Five Reasons Why ‘The Avengers’ Blew Me Away

 It’s redundant to point out that director Joss Whedon knocked it out of the park with Marvel’s The Avengers, with bloggers, critics, comic book geeks and general audience members gushing vocally band unabashedly about the massively ambitious superhero team-up flick. Yet, even though you all have probably figured out that I join the vocal majority in loving the hell out of The Avengers, I still feel compelled to extol the film’s many virtues here on The Wort Report. Therefore, here are five specific reasons why The Avengers made for the most satisfying theatrical experience I’ve had in years.

1) Joss Whedon Kept it Simple
Let’s face it: Bringing together Captain America, Thor, Iron Man and The Hulk onscreen has all the makings for a cinematic disaster. Despite the fact that each of these characters’ solo adventures took place in a shared universe, Whedon was tasked with a lot of heavy lifting in bringing all of these heroes together as a team and giving them a reason to stand together. As complicated as this film could have been—essentially weaving four separate mythologies into a singularly coherent narrative—Whedon told a relatively simplistic alien invasion/take-over-the-world story with Thor’s brother Loki as the antagonist. Loki’s presence on Earth shakes things up, prompting S.H.I.E.L.D. and Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) to call together Earth’s Mightiest Heroes to quell his plans for world domination and save the day. That’s about as complicated as the core plot gets.

Because the actual story wastes so little time unraveling itself, we’re allowed to enjoy Cap/Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), Hulk/Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Iron Man/Tony Stark try to figure out how they’re going to work together as a team despite their clashing egos. We’re also given the opportunity to see Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) –both of whom had minor roles in previous Marvel Studios films—flex their muscles as they share the screen with their more iconic team members as they fend off Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and his enlisted alien army known as the Chitauri.

2) The Hulk Steals the Show
Talk to anyone as they’re walking out of a screening of The Avengers and the first thing out of their mouth will probably involve the words “Hulk,” “awesome” and an enthusiastic expletive or two. Bruce Banner has been a character that, for whatever reason, has never worked in a feature-length production…until now. Ruffalo is an example of perfect casting, making all of us (hopefully) forget about Eric Bana’s dull portrayal of Banner in Ang Lee’s Hulk and Ed Norton’s wiry, angsty and decidedly not nerdy Banner in 2008’s The Incredible Hulk—the character’s introduction in the Marvel Studios canon. Ruffalo’s Banner is tortured, sure, but he’s also got a dark sense of humor about the monster living inside him and that’s refreshing.

And when he transforms? Damn. The Hulk is amazingly fun to watch during the film’s final battle and, without spoiling anything, he’s responsible for two of the film’s best comedic moments. Ruffalo is reportedly signed on for six future films in the cinematic Marvel Universe, which means we’ll be getting plenty more of this version of Banner/Hulk. Let’s hope other filmmakers follow Whedon’s example and continue doing this character justice.

3) The Post-Credits Sequences Pay Off (in Different Ways)
Ever since the “Avengers Initiative” was unveiled in a post-credits sequence in Iron Man back in 2008, it’s become tradition for Marvel Studios to reward fans with the fortitude (and bladder control) to remain seated once their films have ended. In this case, we get an exciting glimpse at where this franchise is headed as well as one of the most hilariously “Whedon-esque” sequences in the film.

4) The Final Battle is Full of “Wow” Moments That Give Each Avenger Time to Shine
Once Loki uses the Tesseract (Cosmic Cube) to open a portal that unleashes swarms of Chitauri upon Midtown Manhattan, The Avengers jumps into high gear as we get to see Earth’s Mightiest Heroes kick all kinds of extraterrestrial ass. You never really get the sense that these characters are in any real danger, but thanks to some great visual effects and some really inventive action beats, the battle’s still a blast to watch. Plus, it’s also home to those two Hulk moments I mentioned earlier.

5) There’s Much More to Come
This franchise is already six films in and we’ve barely scratched the surface. Along with a confirmed sequel to The Avengers, we can also look forward to Iron Man 3, Thor 2, Captain America 2 and logically, considering the overwhelmingly positive response to The Hulk in this film, another solo outing for Ol’ Jade Jaws as well. Although it’d be presumptuous to say that The Avengers will own the summer of 2012—it’s barely even begun, after all—I  think it’s safe to say that Marvel Studios has cornered the market on superhero films for the foreseeable future...and this is a good thing.

‘Game of Thrones’ Director Could Helm ‘Thor 2’

Variety reports that Marvel Studios and Disney are eyeing Game of Thrones director Brian Kirk to electrify Thor 2, set for release on July 6, 2013.

Thor pulled in $447 million worldwide under the directorial leadership of Kenneth Branagh, who has said he will not helm the sequel despite being invited back into the director’s chair. Following an appearance in next summer’s Avengers team-up film, Chris Hemsworth will once again play the titular Asgardian thunder god.

Although there are a few other directors’ names being kicked around, I think Kirk would be an ideal choice given his superb work on HBO’s Thrones series, especially considering rumors that the sequel will delve deeper into Norse mythology.

According to Variety, Thor co-writer Don Payne is returning to write the screenplay. For the full story, click here.

‘Thor 2’ Will Electrify Audiences in 2013

By Odin’s beard! According to The Hollywood Reporter, Disney and Marvel Studios have agreed to move forward with a sequel to Kenneth Branagh’s Thor, slated for release on July 26, 2013.

Although Branagh will reportedly not be sitting in the director’s chair this time around, he will serve as a producer. Chris Hemsworth is attached to reprise his role as the titular Asgardian God of Thunder.

I’m excited to see what’s in store for this character after the events of next summer’s Marvel team-up film, The Avengers. Hopefully, Natalie Portman also returns as Thor’s earthbound lady friend, Jane Foster.

For the full story, click here.

‘Thor’ Reviewed

Arriving in theaters with exactly the type of bombast befitting the film debut of the God of Thunder, Marvel Studios’ Thor is not only perhaps the most polished of Marvel Studios’ outings thus far—due in no small part to some excellent directing by Kenneth Branagh—but is also the most ambitious. After the relatively down-to-earth Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk and Iron Man 2, Thor brings a grand, otherworldly mythology to the cinematic Marvel Universe that will no doubt be expanded upon in this summer’s Captain America: The First Avenger and next summer’s highly anticipated film union of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, The Avengers.

The film kicks off when a team of researchers (played by Natalie Portman, Stellan Skarsgård and Kat Dennings) comes across a strange phenomenon in the New Mexico desert. At the center of this supernatural occurrence—later revealed to be a wormhole to another realm—is a bulked-up drifter (Chris Hemsworth) claiming to be a Norse deity. While her teammates are wary of this potentially dangerous stranger, Portman’s character, Jane Foster, finds herself drawn to him. Could it be his piercing blue eyes, chiseled physique and lady-killing smile? Or does Jane somehow believe him when he says he is Thor Odinson, heir to the throne of Asgard?

Although we’re inclined to avoid people who claim to be Viking gods, Jane is right to trust Thor, who, after disobeying his father, Odin (Anthony Hopkins), is stripped of his powers and banished to Earth. In Thor’s absence, his calculating brother Loki (played to mischievous perfection by scene stealer Tom Hiddleston), seizes the opportunity to take the throne and claim what he believes is rightfully is. Assuming lordship over Asgard, Loki sets into action a treacherous plot that calls to mind several of the films in Branagh’s Shakespeare-heavy résumé. The film switches back and forth between Loki’s familial machinations on Asgard and Thor’s fish-out-of-water shenanigans on Earth, which can be jarring at times. But once Thor is reunited with his iconic hammer Mjolnir, both stories converge wonderfully for a fast-paced climax that hints at major things to come in the cinematic Marvel Universe.

Read my full review at Broken Frontier by clicking here.

Kenneth Branagh: Fans Will Decide Whether ‘Thor’ Gets a Sequel

Thor hits U.S. screens this weekend, but as is usually the case with potential franchises, fans are already asking questions about the sequel. We know the God of Thunder will feature prominently in next summer’s Avengers team-up flick, but what about Thor 2? According to director Kenneth Branagh, it’s up to ticket-buying fans whether or not the hammer-wielding deity gets another solo outing.

“You know as well as I do, there’s a passionate fan base out there that will say what they think,” Branagh told MTV’s Splash Page. “People will vote with their feet. And because it’s such a big chunk of change for everybody involved, I think that’s going to have a crucial, crucial impact.”

He continued, “It would be a lovely challenge and problem to have should we do a second one.”

Judging by the early reviews and extremely positive word of mouth thus far from those passionate fans Branagh spoke of, a Thor sequel released post-Avengers is almost a given. However, with so many Marvel Studios projects on the horizon—including another Iron Man film, a Captain America sequel and potential Hawkeye and Black Widow spinoffs—one wonders if audiences will ever get bored of seeing superhero movies every summer. I certainly hope not.

‘Avengers’ Assembles!

With Marvel Studios’ Thor getting glowing early reviews leading up to its May 6th release date, we’re officially allowed to start really geeking out about next Summer’s The Avengers, Joss Whedon’s ambitions Marvel team-up flick featuring the aforementioned Asgardian hammer-wielder, Captain America (whose solo film hits screens in July), the Hulk and Iron Man. As reported by Entertainment Weekly, the anticipated ensemble flick—long believed to be unfilmable—has begun principal photography in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Other shooting locations include Cleveland and New York City.

Here’s what we know so far. Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr. will be returning as Thor, Cap and Iron Man respectively, while Mark Ruffalo steps in for Ed Norton as Bruce Banner/Hulk. Tom Hiddleston, who plays Thor’s devious brother Loki, is also set to reprise his Marvel Studios role, as are Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow), Stellan Skarsgard (Professor Eric Selvig) Samuel L. Jackson (Agent Nick Fury) and Clark Gregg (Agent Phil Coulson).

Newcomers to this veritable cinematic Merry Marvel Marching Society include How I Met Your Mother Star Cobie Smulders as S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Maria Hill and Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker) as Hawkeye. It should be noted that Renner reportedly has a cameo in Thor, so keep an eye out for him. Get it? Because…nevermind.

Head over to EW.com to check out an exclusive set photo from the first day of filming, which gives us a glimpse of the S.H.I.E.L.D. logo as it appears in the film.

Marvel Studios’ Kevin Feige Discusses the Film Future of the Marvel Universe

In anticipation of Thor’s May 6 theatrical release, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige told Disney twenty-three magazine that the cinematic Marvel Universe will continue to expand after next summer’s Avengers team-up flick.

In addition to Iron Man 3, which will be helmed by Kiss Kiss Bang Bang director Shane Black, Marvelites can look forward to more superhero solo outings in the years ahead.

“Thor will go off into a new adventure, and Captain America will continue to explore the modern world in another film of his own,” Feige told the quarterly publication of D23: The Official Disney Fan Club, which hits stands May 3. Beginning with The Avengers, all Marvel Studios-produced films will be released by Disney.

He continued, “We hope that holds true for the characters appearing in that film—Black Widow, Hawkeye, and the spy organization, S.H.I.E.L.D—all of whom are more than worthy and capable of carrying their own films. And, we’ve got a lot of other characters we’re prepping and getting ready for film debuts: the world of martial arts, these great cosmic space fantasies, Dr. Strange, and the magic side of the Marvel Universe. There are many, many stories to be mined.”

Awesome. Let’s just hope quality isn’t compromised with so many Marvel films on the agenda. To read more about the future of the cinematic Marvel Universe, head over to IGN.

Thor’s Movie Look Unveiled?

Earlier this week, Ain’t It Cool News posted some leaked concept art from The First Avenger: Captain America, giving fans their first glimpse of what Chris Evans will look like as the star-spangled superhero. Not longer after those reportedly legitimate pics started generating some serious Internet buzz, Collider unveiled concept art of actor Chris Hemsworth (Star Trek) as Thor, whose self-titled film debut hits theaters May 6, 2011.

Here’s one of the images:

Marvel released an official image of Hemsworth as Thor back in April, but this is the first full-body view of the costume we’ve seen thus far. It’s hard to judge this too harshly—it is just concept art, after all—but this outfit looks more like really good San Diego Comic-Con cosplay as opposed to the live-action iteration of our favorite Norse god. There’s something vaguely cheap about this design, and I think it just might be the leathery 1990s Matrix influence it seems to have.

Having said that, Mjolnir is glowing, and that’s awesome.

For more images of Hemsworth as Thor click here.

Spider-Man 4 Delayed Due to Script Problems

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Sam Raimi’s fourth installment in the Spider-Man franchise probably won’t be hitting theaters on its scheduled May 6, 2011 release date due to script complications. Although, if you ask me, this series had script complications even before Spider-Man 3 started filming. Yes, that movie is still an easy target.

Apparently, Raimi and the studio, Sony Pictures, have differing opinions on who the Spider-Man 4 villain should be. While Raimi wants to feature winged classic Spidey villain the Vulture, the studio has another baddie in mind and is calling for a romantic subplot involving the web-slinger’s sultry sometimes-sweetheart, Black Cat.

Studio meddling in a Spider-Man movie? Why is this familiar? By the way, Venom says hi. Oh wait, no he doesn’t. He’s dead.

Spider-Man 4 has already had a swarm of writers take a crack at the script, including James Vanderbilt (Zodiac), Gary Ross (Seabiscuit) and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright David Lindsay-Abaire (Rabbit Hole).

Paramount Pictures has moved another Marvel superhero adaptation, Thor, into the now-vacant May 6 slot. Meanwhile, Disney—which now owns Marvel Entertainment—has placed Pirates of the Caribbean: On Strange Tides in Thor’s previous May 20 slot.

Sir Anthony Hopkins Joins the Cast of Thor!

Okay, so it’s not necessarily Halloween news, but Sir Anthony Hopkins is perhaps best known for playing cannibalistic serial killer Hannibal Lecter. So yes, this is totally holiday appropriate.

Variety reports that Hopkins will play Odin in Marvel Studios’ Thor, which hits theaters in 2011. As comic book fans and mythology buffs probably know, Odin is the king of Asgard and the father of the titular Norse god of thunder. So yeah, he’s kind of a big deal.

Chris Hemsworth (James T. Kirk’s dad in J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek) will play Thor, while Natalie Portman has signed on as Jane Foster, Thor’s love interest. Thor’s brother and nemesis Loki will be played by British actor Tom Hiddleston.

Could the Hulk Be the Villain in the Avengers Movie?

Personally, I think it’s essential that Marvel Studios’ upcoming Avengers film feature the Hulk in some capacity. But in a recent interview with MTV News, Incredible Hulk star Edward Norton seemed pretty excited about the possibility of ol’ Jade Jaws squaring off against Iron Man, Captain America, Thor and other Marvel luminaries as a villain in the team-up film. Not a bad angle, to be honest.

“In the comics, there was always a tension between the rest of the superhero community and he was always this problem,” said Norton, a longtime comic book fan. “I think that’s a fun way to go with it.”

The Avengers hits theaters in 2012.

Natalie Portman Cast in Thor Movie

Harvard-educated and Academy Award-nominated geek goddess Natalie Portman (Star Wars, V for Vendetta) is about to take on another nerd-friendly property by starring opposite Chris Hemsworth (Star Trek) in Marvel Studios’ upcoming Thor adaptation, which hits theaters in 2011. Kenneth Branagh (Henry V, Hamlet) will direct.

Portman will play Jane Foster, the titular Norse deity’s first love. A nurse employed by Thor’s alter ego, Dr. Donald Blake, Jane made her debut in 1962 in the pages of Journey Into Mystery.

The film also stars relative unknown Tom Hiddleston as the villainous Loki, Thor’s adoptive brother and arch nemesis.

It’s great that Marvel continues to attract top-tier talent to these projects, and I can’t wait to see what Branagh does with this lesser-known Marvel icon. It’s also exciting to watch this united cinematic Marvel Universe unfold in future films. Iron Man 2 arrives in theaters next May, The First Avenger: Captain America hits June, 2011, and The Avengers—which will bring together all of the heroes under the Marvel Studios banner—will be released in May, 2012.

For more info, head over to Marvel.com.

Watch Ms. Portman spit rhymes in the clip below (via Hulu/YouTube).