New 'Avengers: Age Of Ultron' Set Photos Reveal Hawkeye, Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, And Ultron In Action!

This week has Marvel Studios has been very busy with the filming of their upcoming block buster The Avengers: Age of Ultron. Taking place after the events of Captain America: The Winter Solider, the Avengers once again have to assemble in order to take on one of their toughest villains yet, Ultron. New set photos both intrigue and astonish fans, as concept art shown in the Marvel's ABC Special: Assembling a Universe has minor significant changes that are present in regards to the design of Quicksilver played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Kick-Ass, Savages) as well as his sibling Scarlet Witch played by Elizabeth Olsen (Godzilla).

Initial concept art for Quicksilver proposed a modern take on the character, having brown hair, a less distinct uniform holding a solid navy blue color, and holding a resemblance only through name and slight pieces of resemblance. While the early concept art wasn't to be taken as the final product, it seemed to be a bit too alternately derived from the source material for some fans.

New set photos reveal alternative changes for the character such as the addition of white hair with a visible underlying brown hair, alterations in the conceptual suit such as a grey and navy blue palette and a revised white lightning like bolt on the abdomen. The changes are not as drastic as that of X-Men: Days of Future Past, yet fans still show concern and believe the new changes resemble that of an N-Sync missing link.

As for Scarlet Witch played by Elizabeth Olsen, the character seems to have taken more of a gothic like turn from the proposed concept art. Concept art shown gave us what looked like a young take on the character given a slightly dark color palette. Now we see a slightly more dark take on the character, which is fitting being that her and her brother are orphans (or so we think to believe). Yet her distinct crimson flare remains present in set photos.

Now on to the main event, Ultron. Set photos shown have given us our first glimpse at the mechanical menace, which seems to have a wide body unit. Many fans of the Age of Ultron comic series preferred a jack-o'-lantern like face structure similar to that shown in the sneak preview provided by Marvel. Concept Art previously shown has been dissected proposing that Ultron has drone's resembling him spread throughout different regions of the Earth, whether or not these individuals will be resembling that of the original concept design is still to be determined due to this being the first stages of filming.

Yet early conclusions can not be made about Ultron's appearance due to the addition of CGI as well as many other inter changeable parts for the Ultron body unit, I mean it may be safe to say that Ultron will make some type of upgrade of physical alteration throughout the course of this film. One example of how CGI plays a massive role in the presentation of the film is the original photo of the fight scene between Hulk and Thor, in which we saw only the upper torso of the Hulk, and many fans felt as though it would not be a accurate representation, in the end we got the best, if not one of the best textured and layered appearances of the Hulk on the big screen.

Last but not least Hawkeye played by Jeremy Renner seems to underwent little if not any present changes to his costume, showing no major visible changes. Yet there is additional photos being shown with Renner wearing a more traditional Hawkeye clothing (no fans there is still no signs of a mask). Most likely we will not see a mask from Hawkeye due to the lack of character prominence, similar to how it is almost objectified by Fox not to have a proper costume for Wolverine.

Also seen on set is the Mark 42 Iron Man armor, whether this armor will be consistently used throughout the film is yet to be determined. Only visual differences present are a minor inverse in colors, a red chest place instead of the abundance of gold as seen in Iron Man 3.With the Hulk Buster armor also present, it is safe to say alternative armors may potentially play a key role in the plot.

How do you feel about the new Avengers: Age of Ultron set photos and potential alterations to character appearance? Is the current Ultron appearance developing into the expectations in which you had for the character? Express your thoughts and comment below!

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'The Amazing Spider-Man' Series Director Marc Webb Reportedly Won't Be Returning To Helm The Fourth Film

After helming the first two films in the recently rebooted Spider-Man franchise, it seems Marc Webb's now planning a pulling a Sam Raimi (The original Spider-Man trilogy) on us. And by that I mean, like Raimi, Webb has announced he'll be stepping down from the director's chair once he's done with The Amazing Spider-Man 3, despite the series currently set to conclude with a fourth film in 2018. While many fans and movie goers alike didn't exactly welcome Webb and his new take on Spider-Man with open arms when the first film was released two years ago, it seems the director has a much better understanding of the character and what the fans want from The Amazing Spider-Man 2.

The news came courtesy of Webb himself in an interview with The Daily Beast at the SXSW festival. In the interview, Webb reveals that while he's signed on to direct the next Amazing Spider-Man film, he won't be on board the fourth time around, or at least not as a director. Webb cause on to say that he hopes to produce the film and stick around as a sort of consultant for the new director, similar to what George Lucas will be doing for Star Wars: Episode VII. While some may come to the assumption that Webb may be having disagreements with Sony over the route the fourth film will be taking (Like Raimi did), it seems the director still sees himself as a heavy influence throughout the duration of this franchise.

Of course, it's never good to hear news about a director leaving a franchise this big before it's over, especially when that director was the person who started it in the first place. Webb has really blossomed from directing music videos and smaller film's like 500 Days of Summer to a fully fledged blockbuster director, so it's understandable that he'd like to try his hand in another genre. As for who will replace Webb for The Amazing Spider-Man 4, your guess is as good as ours, but with talented director Alex Kurtzman (People Like Us) directing the upcoming Venom film, and Drew Goddard (Cabin in the Woods) on board for the Sinister Six film, I wouldn't be too surprised if Sony tapped one of those to to take the reins from Webb.

Coincidentally, just a few months back the series' titular star Andrew Garfield was asked about the possibility of returning for the fourth film, though he stated it had "nothing to do with him". Garfield when on to specify that he only signed a contract for three films, which has left many fans confused as to why The Amazing Spider-Man 4 is set for a 2018 release when it's main star doesn't seem to be returning. It's possible that Sony may be planning on introducing a new main character for the franchise following the third film, with current Ultimate Comic Spider-Man Miles Morales seemingly the most viable candidate. 

So what do you think of Marc Webb not directing The Amazing Spider-Man 4? Who would you like to say take the helm of the fourth film? Let us know below!

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Marvel Reveals New Set Photos And Concept Art From 'The Avengers: Age of Ultron' During Tonight's ABC Special

Post Marvels' The Avengers (one of the greatest pop culture and financially successful films of all time) was assimilated, fans were forced to endure the controversial turns of Phase 3. With the looming title of Ultron in the air, as well as new additions to the Avengers team, many were forced to hold their breaths as we waited for the first signs of  the Age of Ultron to pop up based on film production.

With our first signs of film production being filmed in Johannesburg, South Africa, set photos revealed that the Hulk would be making a appearance in the region. With limited visual evidence and only the bust of the Hulk's head initially seen, it was hard to determine what necessarily was taking place. But with the arrival of new set photos courtesy of Marvel's ABC special: Assembling a Universe, we now get word that the long awaited Hulkbuster suit will making its appearance in a battle against the Hulk.

Prior to the concept art and set photos being released many individuals believed that Iron Man 3's Igor suit was going to satisfy the fans craving for the Hulkbuster suit (Which it did not), yet this is a sign that Marvel is listening to the fans, and is providing one of the key fights in which the fans have wanted to see. The Hulkbuster suit, which is created and manned by Tony Stark to take down a raging Hulk in the comics, had been a rumored addition to the first Avengers film. While the scene didn't may not have made it into the film's final cut, it seems Joss Whedon felt they should revisit the idea this time around, and boy are we glad he did.

 

Possibly showing some similarity to the Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor fight may lead us to believe that Tony Stark may possibly be in the suit, yet with the implementation of the character A.I. villain Ultron (James Spader), it's possible that he may have control of the Hulkbuster suit, thus explaining why it's fighting Hulk. Hints of gold also recall a similar design and color scheme to that of the Mark 42 armor seen in Iron Man 3.

We also received our first look at Scarlet Witch played by Elizabeth Olsen (Godzilla) herself, which surprisingly looks fantastic. Not sporting her traditional head display, but more of a modern take on the character perfectly suits the both magical and realistic world Marvel has built. This approach is similar to how Anthony Mackie's (Captain America: The Winter Soldier) Falcon character has been taken more in the sense of a realistic soldier, rather than a superhero that wears tights.

The next photo we have is that of the Hulk and Black Widow in a unknown location surrounded by rubble. Its hard to deduce where they are and what is currently taking place around them, but rest assure, there's a nine out of ten chance this is the part where the Hulk decides to smash someone's face in. Does this scene also express the possible duos or character partnerships in which help develop relationships? In the first Avengers film, Black Widow was sent to inform Bruce Banner of the team, who is to say the same situation is not happening hear?

Finally, the most intriguing of the photos is Aaron Taylor-Johnson's (Kick-Ass) Quicksilver running through what is believed to be a number of Ultron like drones. This gives us a small possible hint at what Ultron is set to look like as well as Marvel's perspective on the Quicksilver character. No silver hair or gogglesanywhere to be found here, in comparison to Fox's Quicksilver interpretation by Evan Peters' in X-Men: Days of Futures Past. Whedon's version seems to be more of an aggressively independent and protective brother like figure in the film, rather than a quick mouthed brat.

So how do you feel about the newly revealed concept art? Are you prepared for the Age of Ultron?And most importantly, are you going to be first in line at the midnight premier? Comment below to express your thoughts on this monumental move by Marvel!

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Rooney Mara And Adeel Akhtar Set To Join The Cast Of Joe Wright's 'Pan' As Tiger Lily And Smee

A few months back, the date July 17, 2015 had been marked on the calenders of many movie goers as the day Batman Vs. Superman would be released. But as it would turn out, following Warner Bros. announcement that they'd be moving the release to 2016, the original 2015 release date lost all its significance. Many have forgotten about the second half of that announcement, as the move of Batman Vs. Superman paved the way for Joe Wright's Pan to finally find its own release date. With stars Garrett Hedlund (Tron: Legacy) and Hugh Jackman (Prisoners) already on board, the film may not be so forgotten after all.

And the film's attention will now grow for even greater reason, as The Wrap has recently reported that stars Rooney Mara (The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo) and Adeel Akhtar (Four Lions) will be joining the film's cast. Mara will reportedly play Tiger Lily, who in the original story was the daughter of a Native American chief and a mild love interest for Peter. Akhtar on the other hand will be playing  Smee, the classic right hand man to Hook, who will be played by Garrett Hedlund. Smee has most notably been played by Bob Hoskins in previously in live action work such as the film Hook and miniseries Neverland.

The casting of Adeel Akhtar as Smee seems like a great fit for the version of the story to tell. At only thirty three, Akhtar is much younger than the past white haired incarnation of the character we're used to seeing on screen. But this seems to be the perfect fit for a younger version of Smee who will likely already be accompanying Hedlund's Hook, although it's possible Smee may be working with the films villain Blackbeard (Played by Hugh Jackman). That being said, it would be very interesting to see the film explore the younger years of Hook and Smee's relationship, and perhaps even show us how the first met in the first place.

But now while Akhtar's casting seems to be settling well amongst fans, Mara's has been stirring up some controversy. There of course is always a certain degree of backlash whenever a big budget film casts a white actor in the role of a minority (Or vice versa), yet this isn't the only reason behind problem. Tiger Lily is usually portrayed as a young girl around the age of Peter, which is seemingly off for an actress like Mara. Many have drawn comparisons between this casting decision and that of Johnny Depp as Tonto in The Lone Ranger, who just so happens to be a Native American character as well. Ironically enough, The Wrap mentioned that director Joe Wright (Hanna) is looking for a very diverse cast, which makes the casting of Mara seem all the more odd.

So what do you think of Rooney Mara playing Tiger Lily and Adeel Akhtar as Smee? Would you have preferred to see someone else cast in these roles? Let us know below!

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Marvel's 'Captain America 3' And DC's 'Batman Vs. Superman' Set To Go Head To Head On May 6, 2016

In the last couple of years, release dates have become a much more pivotal part of a film's success, with months like May and even April now being pulled into the early summer blockbuster season. So it's needless to say that most big named studios have taken notice of these recent trends, and Marvel Studios is no exception. They've mastered the box office recently with clever release date choices, as May has become their trademark (Considering it was the month The Avengers and Iron Man-arguably the studio's biggest hits-made their debuts). Well now things are getting a little more interesting, as the studios has announced their third Captain America film will be going head to head with Batman Vs. Superman.

The confirmation comes courtesy of The Hollywood Reporter, who learned that Captain America 3 will be facing off with Batman Vs. Superman on May 6th, 2016. It's worth noting that Marvel has actually had that release date reserved for an unknown film for sometime now, so it's nothing new in that sense, yet many had expected them to move the date after the Batman Vs. Superman move was announced. Well that apparently won't be the case, as it seems both Marvel and Disney are very confident in the third installment, and have no plans to move it's release. It's been rumored that DC and Warner Bros. isn't as willing to take the risk, and may move their date to an earlier or later point in the 2016 summer season, though they haven't spoken out on the recent news yet.

Being completely realistic here, most would agree that Batman Vs. Superman certainly has the advantage on this one. For one thing it'll be the first time two of the world's arguably most famous superheroes meet up on the big screen, and one of these heroes will be played by highly bankable movie star Ben Affleck (Argo). Add to that the likes of returning Man of Steel cast member Diane Lane, Amy Adams, and Laurence Fishburne, and Henry Cavill himself, as well as Gal Gadot as famed DC heroine Wonder Woman, and of course new comers Jesse Eisenberg and Jeremy Irons as Lex Luthor and Alfred, respectively. Being that the film will be the key to DC establishing their own cinematic universe leading into Justice League, there's been a lot of anticipation surrounding this film since it's announcement, and for good reason.

That being said, that isn't to say Marvel's decision to set Captain America 3 against Batman Vs. Superman wasn't a smart move. Unlike films such as Guardians of the Galaxy 2 and Doctor Strange that had previously been rumored to take the vacant Marvel release spot, Captain America is easily one of Marvel's most well known characters right now behind Iron Man. Taking into account that Cap 3 will be riding off the success of Avengers: Age of Ultron similar to how Iron Man 3 rode off the success of the first Avengers, Cap 3 may have a better chance at making to the top of the box office than originally thought. With the upcoming Captain America: The Winter Soldier seemingly living up to expectations as one of Marvel Studios' best films yet, and new characters like Anthony Mackie's Falcon joining the mix, and directors Anthony and Joe Russo returning to the helm, it's no surprise the studio is so confident in Cap 3.

While Warner Bros., Zack Snyder, and the stars of Batman Vs. Superman have yet to speak out about the announcement, the cast of Captain America: The Winter Soldier have already been asked about it in their many interviews promoting the film. Star Anthony Mackie was quick to pick Cap 3 over Batman Vs. Superman, while Chris Evans seemed disappointed they'd have to be directly competing with each other, and Sebastian Stan sited the summer of 2011 (When Green Lantern faced both Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger) as an example of why Marvel will be taking home the prize. Stan has recently stirred up some buzz as he's revealed he's signed a nine-year contract with Marvel, where as Chris Evans' contract was only for six. This has lead many to believe the death of Captain America may be coming sooner than expected, and his eventual replacement by Stan's Bucky Barnes may be in the franchise's inevitable future. 

So what do you think of Captain America 3 facing Batman Vs. Superman at the box office? Who do you believe will end up coming out on top? Let us know below!

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Review: Need for Speed - Is Aaron Paul's First Post 'Breaking Bad' Film Worth A Watch?

What do you get when you cross Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad), fast cars that you may never be able to afford with your life savings, and a need to out do the Fast and Furious franchise? You get the all new adaption of the popular video game franchise Need for Speed, with director Scott Waugh (Act of Valor) at the helm, and all star cast to back-up the film's leading man, Jesse Pinkman himself. So what can I say about  the first  run at the big screen for the Need for Speed franchise, well it was remarkably phenomenal, yet held its self back in many various regions. See what I mean below.

When first embarking on the journey to watch the special screening of the Need for Speed film, my expectations were low being that game to movie cross overs often end in a crash and burn like scenario. Yet when watching Need for Speed, it dictated itself in a way that remembered where the source material came from, the audience to appeal to, and took small elements from the game like the use of intercoms to communicate, as well as the "takedown" type style of driving.

So to start off on the good note, the action was phenomenal, exotica cars are often used as props in films and are rarely used, and other less interesting cars are often doing the racing in other films. Yet in Need for Speed, if you see a freakishly cool car, guaranteed you will see it in action by the end of this film. The action felt in your face and was sure to have your adrenaline rushing. One feature I liked was a consistent use of the cockpit view at all times. This means when they are driving fast, you are in the front seat with them as well as when their car crashes, you are also in the seat with them.

One of the biggest questions was whether or not Aaron Paul would be able to take on a lead role, he was not perfect, yet he shows potential which I find great since he is a developing actor and has years to come. Dominic Cooper's character felt less threatening and more of a "douchebag", and it would have been nice to see a little more character versatility. Imogen Poots character felt spunky and I look forward to seeing her show up in future films, while Ramon Rodriguez gave a lackluster performance, nothing big, yet a boatload better that that of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.

One thing I noticed is that most of the characters feel like a mash up of the Fast and Furious characters, which doesn't exactly help the film separate itself as a unique type or racing film. Some examples include how Aaron Paul's Tobey Marshall feels like mash-up of Paul Walker's Brian O'Conner and Vin Diesel's Dominic Toretto mashed together, Scott Mescudi (Kid Cudi) felt like Tyrese Gibson and Ludacris' characters in one, and so on and so forth. The roles were similar to those of Fast and Furious for sure, but it did not necessarily penalize them to much in this case.

Now the bad thing about the film is the story line, it felt smooth at some points and then choppy at others, trying to escape through the use of time lapses. Everything about this movie's story felt as though you have seen it somewhere before. At one point it felt like the film Four Brothers, where as some actions taken felt like that of Disney/Pixar's Cars. So the story wasn't all that thrilling but was made up for with the action factor of the film.

So the final verdict on the film is that it is a great movie for a first date, Friday night flick, take the kids out for a film, hanging out with your friends type movie, and not more towards looking into in depth value type film. It has more than enough potential to build a franchise upon and create its own base to build from, as long as it stays focused on the fact that the Need for Speed is a racing franchise.

I give Need for Speed 3 out of 5 stars: 

It's also worth mentioning that the film almost earned itself half a point extra from me, thanks to a special guest appearance by Aaron Paul at the screening, and his quotation of  the classic Jesse Pinkman line "Yeah bitch!". Sorry Aaron, but if you wanted the bonus half a star, you should've said the line in the movie. So close.

So what expectations do you have for the Need for Speed movie? Any car in particular you hope to see in the franchise soon? Do you find yourself having the Need for Speed? Let us know below!

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CW Reveals Two New Official Photos Of Grant Gustin In Costume For The Upcoming 'Flash' TV Show

If you would've shown me an official costume for The Flash four years ago, I wouldn't have even considered the fact that it may not be from an actual movie. Well as fate would have it, it turns out the official Flash costume Grant Gustin will be sporting has made it's way online, but it'll in fact be for the upcoming CW TV series. While many fans, including myself, had been skeptical about whether a TV series was enough to do The Flash justice, it seems CW has a good understanding of how to transition the character onto the small screen, and the results are surprisingly much better than expected.

Below is the official image of the full costume for The Flash TV show:

The first official image released for the show hit the web last week, which was a close-up shot of Gustin's Flash mask. While many had expected CW to go with a hooded design similar to the version of the character on Smallville, they surprisingly decided to go with a much more accurate look. That being said, although the mask is seemingly very well adapted from the comics, there's been a few complaints in regards to the wings on each side. The wings are a bit of an outdated superhero look nowadays, but in the case of The Flash they made him much more aerodynamic. There also is of course the addition of a chin strap, which makes the mask look a bit too similar to that worn by Chris Evans as Captain America.

Unfortunately, once you get past the mask, the rest of costume isn't as impressive. Like I stated above, I didn't really have high expectations for the costume that would be used for this series given CW's track record of lackluster costume designs in Smallville, and too a lesser extent in Arrow. But the channel's usual leathery design just doesn't work well for a character like Flash, specifically with the dark color scheme they've chosen to go with, which resembles Marvel's Daredevil for than it does The Flash.

The CW's Flash TV series seems to be shaping up quite well, and as Arrow is currently still going strong as it approaches it's third series, I can honestly say I feel more confident in the show than I would if a movie was in production (Given that Warner Bros. has been testing my patience lately, literally). That being said, I'm beginning to warm-up to Gustin as Barry, although I still feel he's too young for the part. Yet is seems Gustin has a good understanding of what makes the character charismatic in the first place, and keeping Barry distant from his predecessor Wally West. I we approach the show's premiere, I'm growing more and more curious as to whether Zack Snyder may want to include Gustin's Flash in his film universe. While it may not seem very probable right now, I wouldn't be surprised if Snyder begins to reconsider depending on the show's success/

So what do you think of the new Flash costume? Are you happy with the direction CW is taking the show in? Let us know below!

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