Disney Acquires Marvel

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As the year 2009 was leaving, Walt Disney, Co. acquired Marvel Entertainment Inc. after a deal of 4.3 billion dollars was approved by Marvel’s shareholders Thursday, New Year’s Eve.marvel-characters

Disney has promised that there would be no “disneyfication” of Marvel’s properties. The next set of Marvel movies to be released is composed of Spiderman 4, Thor, The First Avenger: Captain America and The Avengers.

Disney is expected to explore almost all Marvel comics characters. Stan Lee himself had also thought the same thing would happen after the merge was first officially announced last August 2009. This will broaden Disney’s portfolio, which has been appealing strongly with girls more than with boys.

There are more than 5,000 characters in the Marvel franchise. Spiderman and Iron Man are now joining Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and, and well, Hannah Montana.

Isaac “Ike” Perlmutter, Marvel’s chief executive and 37% stockholder, will continue to oversee Marvel’s business after the Disney acquisition.

The acquisition of the 70-year old Marvel Entertainment is Disney’s largest acquisition since acquiring Pixar Animations, makers of Toy Story, Finding Nemo, WALL-E and Up.


SOURCE : Daily Contributor

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I'm looking forward to watch Wolverine hunting Mickey Mouse!!! =)

Spider-Man 4 might write off Kirsten Dunst?

Montreal Comic Books Examiner Chris Nikolopoulos

Photo: realmovienews.com

As reported a few days ago, Spider-Man 4 is at a production stoppage due to creative differences between Sony Pictures and the writers and director, Sam Raimi. Now, according to Starpulse, Kirsten Dunsts’ Mary-Jane might very well be written out of Peter Parker’s life in the 4th instalment of the franchise. Anti-Dunst-as-Mary-Jane fans can have a merrier Christmas with this report. But those fans should not get too joyful yet, nothing is confirmed.

One complaint many fans have about the Spider-Man film franchise since it began is Kirsten Dunst playing Mary-Jane Watson. Some fans like her, others hate her. That is more of a subjective view than anything else.

Who will take up the role of Peter Parker’s love interest after MJ is gone? They say that Anne Hathaway is in talks to play Felecia Hardy, the Black Cat. It seems as though Anne’s character will be set up to be the female lead of the franchise after Dunst is done.

None of this is official and we very well could be seeing Dunst as Mary-Jane for many sequels to come. Until we get official word that the film will resume production, any news concerning the direction they will take with the franchise should be taken with a grain of salt. Until further notice then.



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I like Anne Hathaway more! =)
...But I want a love triangle always existing in all the next spider-man movies.  So, I don't want Kirsten Dunst to go...

EXCLUSIVE: Spider-Man 4 Circling John Malkovich, Anne Hathaway

Written by Kyle Buchanan

No matter the superhero franchise, when it comes time to make a sequel, people mainly want to know one thing: Which villains will be in it? Currently, fans are trying to crack the mystery of Spider-Man 4’s bad guys; rumors and speculation had it that every actress in Hollywood was trying out for the sexy villainess Black Cat, or that Dylan Baker’s Curt Connors would finally get to transform into the Lizard in this installment. Now, though, Movieline has confirmed with sources close to the film that Raimi’s sequel is circling John Malkovich and Anne Hathaway to play Spider-Man’s adversaries, and neither evildoer is quite what you might have expected.

If negotiations proceed according to plan, Malkovich will be playing Spider-Man’s nemesis the Vulture, who packs a punch despite his advanced age. The Vulture is able to fly through the air and brandish his sharp wings to attack Spider-Man.

As for Hathaway, that’s where things get tricky.

The 27-year-old actress is currently the top choice for Felicia Hardy, who’d been long-rumored as one of the new characters in this installment. (Other names bandied about for the role included Julia Stiles, Rachel McAdams, and Romola Garai.) However, unlike in the comic books, this Felicia Hardy doesn’t transform into the Black Cat. Instead, Raimi’s Felicia will become a brand-new superpowered figure called the Vulturess.

What does this mean for poor Dylan Baker, who’s patiently played Curt Connors in the last two installments? As much as it would seem that the series is setting up his eventual transformation into supervillain the Lizard, we hear that the suits simply can’t bring themselves to sign off on such an odd-looking enemy — instead, they’d rather hew closer to villains with a human face. Perhaps, then, it’s the best-case scenario for Baker: He gets to remain the subject of fanboy interest, but he doesn’t have to cede his role to a motion-captured reptile in a lab coat.

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For long-time fans, fans growing up with Spider-man classic villains , we are expecting classic villains.  That even though there are changes, it is something from the villain's past, making it deeper and more complicated.  How they became villains, deeper story.

....uhmmm...well, for me, regarding actors John Malkovich and Anne Hathaway, I love them.  They are both versatile actors.

Anne Hathaway Wanted For 'Spider-Man 4'

By Nikki Finke

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EXCLUSIVE: You know I'm insecure about my geek bonafides which I've been trying to improve in recent years. (Heck, I grew up never reading a single comic book.) But I'm aware that the Internet has been afloat with Spider-Man 4 casting rumors in recent days. While Sony Pictures insists no decisions have been made, sources tell me that the producers have approached Anne Hathaway to star in the film. Maybe you experts have an idea what she'll play? All I know is that she's wanted for a starring role, and she won't replace Kirsten Dunst who's also cast in the Spidey fourquel. UPDATE: You readers think the role is The Black Cat.

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Hmmm...I like Anne Hathaway.  She's gorgeous and funny as well!  She was sooo sexy in Get Smart.  I think she's an excellent choice!...for any type of HOT female villain!

Do Peter and Mary Jane Have a Lil’ Wall-Crawler in SPIDER-MAN 4?

by Matt Goldberg  

In an action movie sequel, kids are deadweight.  Unless we’re talking Short Round or some non-blood related child, all they do is showcase the taming of the wild, charming hero and a comic relief that isn’t comic or a relief.  Even on television, when two characters have a baby, they try to shoo that kid off-screen as fast possible because he or she changed everything, as babies tend to do.

So when I read that Spider-Man 4 is casting “Toddler Boy”, my spidey-sense starts going a little crazy.  Hit the jump for more details and speculation.


Spoiler TV got their hands on the following casting call:

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    Spider-Man 4 - Official Casting Call for Baby Boy with Red Hair

    [TODDLER BOY]

    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

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Wow, it’s a good thing they’re not looking for an ugly toddler, with a sullen personality, no on-set experience, and who has a paternal twin so the film can’t keep continuity.

Now, I have three theories on this:

1) Peter and Mary Jane have spawned a child and now Peter has to deal with the added responsibility of being a parent in addition to his crime-fighting duties.  This sounds awful because if you take the other rumors we’ve heard as fact, you probably have Peter experiencing the lure of Black Cat, then the Lizard kidnaps the toddler and Peter discovers that protecting his family is his greatest responsibility.  Yawn.

2) It’s a dream baby and Peter considers the responsibility that child would mean.  Or, it could be someone else’s child but when Peter and Mary Jane see it, they begin to seriously consider parenthood.

3) It’s a new villain.  This is the best-case scenario.

Spider-Man 4 is slated to open on May 5, 2011.

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This is very interesting!  Parker and Mary Jane's having a child?...I think not...I think it’s a new villain!

 Image Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/99479626@N00/2522135992

'Spider-Man 4': Rachel McAdams shoots down casting rumor

by Josh Rottenberg

Late last week, reports spread across dozens of Internet sites claiming that actress Rachel McAdams has been cast to play a villain named the Black Cat in the fourth installment of the Spider-Man franchise. If your spider senses got all tingly at the idea — well, sorry, but according to McAdams, it’s simply untrue. “That’s a total rumor, I have to say,” the actress, who will next be seen in the Dec. 25 action-adventure tentpole Sherlock Holmes, tells EW. “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.” A rep for Sony Pictures concurs: “It’s an Internet rumor, as so many things are these days.”

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Well, if Rachel McAdams is not playing a seductive villain in a black suit in spider-man 4 movie, the most important factors for me are the story, effects and [still] the fight scenes!  The resultant must be amazing! =)

SPIDER-MAN 4 Villain Revealed

By Rob M. Worley 
Source: Mania
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Mania.com has heard from reliable sources that Sam Raimi and company have begun the process of casting the villains and supporting players of 'Spider-Man 4'.

We can exclusively reveal that actress Rachel McAdams has met with the producers of the film for a major role. McAdams (of 'Wedding Crashers' and 'Sherlock Holmes' fame) is said to be a top contender for the role of Felicia Hardy, known to comic fans as The Black Cat.

Our sources tell us that the Black Cat's story fits well with Raimi's Spider-Man formula, which always finds the villains troubling not only the costumed hero, but also becoming entangled in Peter Parker's personal life as well. 

Fans recall that when Spidey first encounters the Black Cat, she's a cat burgler looking to free her ailing father from prison. She becomes smitten with the web-slinger, to the point of a stalker-level obsession. Later stories had Peter reciprocating her affection and her becoming a lover, a friend and ally (the perfect thing to allow Sony to  create a Spidey spin-off).

And it looks like it'll be a two-villain movie. Our source also says they are casting for a male villain, but had few details. However, this would seem to discount the idea that Lizard is the primary, since the role of Dr. Conners has been cast since movie #2.

To know more, go to Mania.com
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It's always nice to see a hot, sexy woman villain!