"And there came a day, a day unlike any other, when several superhero stories found themselves united in a single article. On that day, 'Superhero Stories' was born - to contain the film and TV news no single blog post could withstand! Heed the call, then - for now...

Superhero Stories Assemble!"

Ever since it was announced that Joseph Gordon-Levitt was confirmed to have a role in Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight Rises", fans and filmsites have gone insane with rumors and thoughts on what character the '[500] Days of Summer' actor will play.

 

Now, Variety is reporting that their "insiders" have told them that JGL will be playing Alberto Falcone, son of Mafia boss Carmine Falcone (played by Tom Wilkinson in 'Batman Begins'). However, they're also quick to say "Warner Bros. and reps for both thesps declined to comment on casting and character rumors." which sufficiently covers their backsides in case it unfolds differently.

While other sites may be quick to jump on this as "OMG totally confirmed because they said it and it's truuuuue!", we're going to take a more cautious stance and say that yes - it's quite likely that he will be playing Alberto Falcone, but until Warner Bros. or Joseph Gordon-Levitt says so, consider this one "the safe bet" and leave it as such. Levitt has the right look and style for Falcone, it fits into the "real world" feel that Nolan has been aiming for with the franchise, and (possible spoilers) Falcone turns out to be a themed villain himself, so everything seems to be pointing in that direction.

In other news, indie actress Juno Temple is being looked at for a supporting role as "a street-smart Gotham girl". It's possible it may just be a small supporting role, but there are rumors floating around the interwebs that Temple might play a "Nolan-ized" version of Carrie Kelley, the Robin of the future from Frank Miller's "The Dark Knight Returns". Kelley is a Gotham schoolgirl who - after being saved by Batman - dons a costume and starts to fight crime herself in hopes of impressing him, eventually earning the role of "Robin". However, very little of that would make sense in the "Nolanverse" (especially the creepy semi-pedophile undertones of Miller's book), so we're going to chalk that one up to fanboy speculation at best.

 

 

Warner Bros. released a press release on Friday confirming that yes, Kevin Costner has been officially cast as Jonathan Kent in Zack Snyder's "Superman: Man of Steel". Costner will join Diane Lane as Martha Kent, and possibly Henry Cavill as Clark Kent/Superman. We say "possibly" because it hasn't yet been revealed whether Clark's parents will appear with him in the present, or if the scenes with his parents will take place in flashbacks throughout the film (which would likely have Costner and Lane performing with a younger actor). The relative age of both Costner and Lane make either option a possibility.

Snyder states:

 

 

With 'Hard Candy' director David Slade being tapped to helm the rebooted 'Daredevil' film franchise, the casting rumors have officially begun. Comic Book News is reporting that 'Limitless' star Bradley Cooper is currently the frontrunner for the role of Matt Murdock/Daredevil. Personally I have to hope he'll turn it down because he'd make the perfect Guy Gardner (oh how I'd love to see him openly mock Ryan Reynolds in a Green Lantern sequel), but on second consideration he might actually do Daredevil justice. He has the charisma and charm of Murdock, and the acting chops to pull off a seriously dark role. Plus, having a decent sense of comedic timing never hurts in a comic book movie.

Other fan favorites include Michael C. Hall (who may be a bit out of shape for the role after his current bout with cancer and his hectic 'Dexter' filming schedule), 'Star Trek' star Chris Pine (who fans attach to nearly every role lately), and 'Supernatural' actor Jensen Ackles. There are also "those people" who like to say that Rob Pattinson is in the running since Slade previously directed a 'Twilight' film, but honestly - that's just about as likely as Scott Weiland being in the film because Slade once directed a Stone Temple Pilots music video.

 

 

Two new international posters have been released for Marvel Studios' "Thor". While the first is your typical floating head poster, the second one (at right) looks really cool in an almost Iron Man-ish way. Definitely sells the superhero aspect of the film:

 

 

In a recent interview, actor C. Thomas Howell (who plays a construction worker in the film) officially confirmed that the villain in the "The Amazing Spider-Man" will be Curt Connors aka "The Lizard". He discusses a scene in which Spider-Man and The Lizard are fighting on the Manhattan Bridge and Spidey saves his son (starts around the 1:00 mark):

 

 

He also mentions that a key part of the film revolves around the city not quite knowing what to make of Spider-Man and them believing him to be a bad guy at first. Thanks to the battle on the bridge (and likely some other events throughout) he helps sways their opinion of him. This news contradicts recent rumors (which began thanks to a poorly written synopsis on actor Irrfan Khan's website) that the Green Goblin would again be returning as the main villain, but consider that particular thought balloon popped.

 

 

And last - and most definitely LEAST - we have been given our first look at Adrianne Palicki in costume as David E. Kelley's "Wonder Woman". Between the "50 bucks behind the 7-11" makeup, the cheap plastic accessories, and the shiny car-interior style pleather outfit, it seems that someone mistook "sexy Amazonian warrior" for "sexy Amazon.com knockoff costume":

 

(click for full-size)

With any luck, this will be the final nail in the coffin for the doomed production. However, since the script (which you can read more about here) is chock full of cheesy dialogue, terrible characterizations, and ridiculous female stereotypes... expect NBC to run it for at least a full season.

Until next time!