Welcome back to the Hero Express, your one-stop sometimes SPOILER filled shop through the news filled world of superhero’s in Film and TV.
This is the Hero Express for December 29th, 2011:
New Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance Trailer – (SuperHeroHype)
Now I know this dropped a little while ago but the holidays killed me, so we’re going to push through a bunch of news today and the next Hero Express will be even newsier. This trailer dropped, and while still good, it wasn’t as good as the first trailer. However both trailers look better than the entire first movie, so we are already ahead of the game.
Blackout looks cool, GR looks very cool, and it has Christopher Lambert. Highlander/Raiden and Nic Cage in one movie? Sold.
New Ghost Rider Poster – (CinemaBlend)
And a new poster to go along with the trailer and it continues to bring the awesome. This is ramping up to be one of my most anticipated movies of 2012, and I never thought I would say that about a Ghost Rider sequel.
Ghost Rider Official Site Launches – (GammaSquad)
The site has launched, and it is full of awesome goodies. Animated GIF’s, both trailers, character bios, wallpapers, you name it. A ton of great stuff, and a game coming soon, apparently. You can check out the site here. These alone make it worthwhile:
The Amazing Spider-Man Banners – (/Film)
Three new banners have arrived apparently for international marketing, and they offer us a bit of a brighter and more upbeat look at the film than the last teaser poster.
Very cool, I’m digging the costume, and this is easily another of my t0p 5 most anticipated movies of 2012.
Official Spider-Man Site Goes Live – (GammaSquad)
And another site goes up, bringing some cool pics and information to us. It also has detailed looks at the cast and characters with new pics of each, downloadable wallpapers, the trailer, and some cool subtle animated backgrounds. Another cool site, which you should check out here.
Webb Discusses Spider-Man with Scene Details – (GeekTyrant)
Marc Webb, director of The Amazing Spider-Man, was interviewed by Empire Magazine, where he dropped some info on his take on the movie, why its not a remake, and the similarities between Pete and Dr. Connors. Also included is the cover to the mag, which features a battle damaged Spider-Man, played by Andrew Garfield.
I don’t have a problem saying that word. It’s not a remake, we’re not making Sam’s movie again. It’s a different universe and a different story with different characters. There are certain mythological obligations people have in any story, but it’s so radically different in terms of tone and what Peter Parker experiences that I’m very comfortable with the movie occupying a different space.
I wanted to start from a place where it felt like, if you walked into the theatre, that it was the same universe you lived in. Which is difficult when you have a giant lizard running down the street…
He’s the literal embodiment of the theme of the movie, which is we all have a missing piece. He has no arm. Peter has no parents, and he fills that void with Spider-Man. Curt is not as strong as Spider-Man on the inside, but he wants to get back his arm and fill that void, and essentially he becomes a big bully.
The movie starts off pretty small and gradually merges into something that’s more fantastic and vibrant and filled with scope,” he says, and by way of illustration, runs three scenes in which we see Spider-Man swing. The first is entirely practical, with Garfield – in Parker duds – swinging around inside a disused warehouse, with the giant wired rig to which the whooping actor is attached yet to be deleted via CGI.
The second, from a little later in the film, is the only sequence Empire sees that is even somewhat redolent of Raimi-vision, as Spider-Man swings giddily along a bridge in pursuit of something, even running briefly on the side of a passing truck.
The third one, though, shows that Webb hasn’t abandoned CG. Far from it. The sequence – which is from the third act so we’ll be sure to tread carefully – features Spider-Man in pursuit of The Lizard (here seen just once, in very rough animatic form, from a distance as he scales a building), while being pursued himself by cops. Following an excellently staged fight with the cops, and an emotionally charged confrontation with, erm, A Major Character, the sequence follows a wounded Spider-Man as he tries desperately to swing across New York in order to save the day.
Sounds like a few great scenes, and there’s even more at the link from Webb. With so much news its easy to forgot that this is the start of a whole new trilogy, so here’s a look to the past, and what might have been.
Raimi’s Green Goblin FX Tests – (SuperHeroHype)
When Raimi‘s Spider-Man first came out the main complaint was easily Green Goblin’s costume. A far cry from the original, but grounded in the movie enough to make sense. This video was recently released that shows he at least attempted to go with the classical look. Might have been kick ass, might have been even worse. We’ll never know, but it’s still cool to look at.
did or what Sam wanted to do. I think the reason he directed that movie was because he wanted to do the Marvel comic superhero. I was never interested in the genesis story. I couldn’t get past a guy getting bit by a red and blue spider. It was just a problem… It was not something that I felt I could do straight-faced. 
I wanted to start with Gwen Stacy and the Green Goblin, and I wanted to kill Gwen Stacy.”
And just how exactly would Fincher have set up Stacy’s death? With an elaborate, operatic title sequence of course:
“The title sequence of the movie that I was going to do was going to be a ten minute — basically a music video, an opera, which was going to be the one shot that took you through the entire Peter Parker [backstory]. Bit by a radio active spider, the death of Uncle Ben, the loss of Mary Jane, and [then the movie] was going to begin with Peter meeting Gwen Stacy. It was a very different thing, it wasn’t the teenager story. It was much more of the guy who’s settled into being a freak.”
Vastly different approaches from everyone, which just goes to show how relatable Spidey can be to every individual. What you love about him might be different than what I love about him, and therein lies the magic.
Justice League: Doom Releases Feb. 28th – (GothamKnightsOnline)
The next in a long line of great direct-to-DVD animated movies is DC’s Justice League: Doom. Following the epic Gordon Batman: Year One, The Justice League tackles their opposite number, the Legion of Doom. If you haven’t seen the trailer yet you can check it out here:
That does look pretty awesome, but it’s important to note that Cyborg is included in the JL roster, which would lead me to believe that this is definitely influenced by the New 52. The film is set to be released Feb. 28th, and here’s the press release detailing the plot and actors:
Justice League: Doom finds Superman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter, Cyborg and Batman on their heels when a team of super villains discover and implement the Dark Knight’s “contingency plans” for stopping any rogue Justice League member. The story is inspired by Mark Waid’s much-heralded “JLA: Tower of Babel.”
Primetime television stars Nathan Fillion (Castle) and Tim Daly (Private Practice), the reigning voices of Green Lantern and Superman, respectively, join a group of eight actors reprising their famed Justice League cartoon roles. Fillion made his debut as Green Lantern/Hal Jordan in the recent Green Lantern: Emerald Knights, and took his initial DC Universe movie bow as the voice of Steve Trevor in the 2008 hit Wonder Woman. Daly originated his role as Superman’s voice in the landmark cartoon, Superman: The Animated Series. He has reprised the role in two DC Universe films: the 2009 extravaganza Superman/Batman: Public Enemies and the 2010 thriller Superman/Batman: Apocalypse.
The grand reunion of actors who provided the voices of the Justice League for the cartoon of the same name and its follow-up, Justice League Unlimited, includes Kevin Conroy (Batman: The Animated Series) as Batman, Michael Rosenbaum (Smallville, Breaking In) as Flash, Susan Eisenberg (Superman/Batman: Apocalypse) as Wonder Woman and Carl Lumbly (Alias) as J’onn J’onzz/Martian Manhunter. Bumper Robinson (A Different World, Transformers: Animated) joins the cast as Cyborg.
The Justice League faces two sets of villainous teams in the film – The Royal Flush Gang and a sextet of notable evildoers. The latter group includes three voice acting alumni of the Justice League animated series: Phil Morris (Smallville, Seinfeld) as Vandal Savage, Olivia d’Abo (The Wonder Years) as Star Sapphire, and Alexis Denisof (Angel) as Mirror Master. Also opposing our heroes are Carlos Alazraqui (Reno 911) as Bane, Paul Blackthorne (The Dresden Files) as Metallo, and Claudia Black (Farscape, Stargate SG-1) as Cheetah.
David Kaufman (Danny Phantom) also reprises his Justice League role of Jimmy Olsen.
The film is executive produced by Bruce Timm (Batman: Year One), and directed by Lauren Montgomery (Batman: Year One), who is also credited as producer alongside Alan Burnett (Batman: The Animated Series). Justice League: Doom is the final DC Universe film script from the late Dwayne McDuffie (All-Star Superman, Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths), who passed away in February 2011. Casting and dialogue direction is once again in the capable hands of Andrea Romano (Batman: Year One, Justice League).
“Justice League: Doom has all the classic ingredients of a great super hero film – a cavalcade of dynamic villains, internal strife amongst our heroes, treacherous twists and turns, and a cast that brings together some of today’s popular primetime television actors with many of the fans’ favorite voices from the original series,” said Hersin Magante, Warner Home Video Marketing Director, Family & Animation. “I think fans will embrace Dwayne’s McDuffie’s final DCU script, particularly as it has been nuanced by Bruce Timm and the Warner Bros. Animation team. Warner Home Video is proud to distribute Justice League: Doom as the next DC Universe Animated Original Movie.”
Probably going to be another great one, complete with a new Animated Short, which i have grown to love.
And that’s it for this edition of the Hero Express! Next time we’ll have a look at Man of Steel, The Avengers, and Star Trek 2!
Grizzly Bomb 