Marvel Movie Updates!

Since Disney bought up Marvel there has been a lot of scuttlebutt about what will happen to Marvel in the future. Over the last two weeks, a number of Marvel properties that have been in some form of development made headlines throughout the online community. Instead of writing a bunch of tiny stories on each project, I have summed it all up for you right here. Below you will find updates on new X-Men movies including "X-Men: First Class", X4 and The New Mutants. Also updates on the speculated sequel to Ghost Rider, a potential re-boot of Daredevil and Silver Surfer and last but definitely not least, our favorite merc with the mouth, "Deadpool". To checkout all the details, scroll down...



Last week, I reported about Tim Pocock tweeting that "X-Men: First Class" would begin filming February 2010. Brenden Connelly over at Slash Film had a chance to ask uber-producer Lauren Shuler Donner about the future of X-Men at Fox. Shuler Donner who has had her hands in every X-Men film told Connelly that there was no truth to Pocock's comments on Twitter. She told him that there is no schedule (as of yet) to begin filming and what's more, no actors have signed on to star. Shuler Donner however confirm, that all of the young mutants featured in X-Men Origins: Wolverine had options for future films.

Lauren Shuler Donner didn't stop talking about X-Men with 'First Class', she teased telling Connelly and others at the Fox Blu-Ray press event that X-Men fans can expect two other X-Men films other than what has already been in development and or announced (that includes "X-Men: First Class", the Wolverine sequel and "X-Men Origins: Magneto"). Shuler Donner told the crowd that she has been working up plans for a fourth X-Men film continuing from 'The Last Stand' storyline and also The New Mutants film! Again this announcement was a very big tease considering, neither film have been pitched to Fox at this point.


Back in July, while promoting G-Force Nicolas Cage told MTV, “I would like to do a re-conceive. I would like to go in a whole other direction, and I think that’s what they’re talking about. I would make it much less of a Western and more of an international story.” Today comes news that what Cage had been talking about in July could be the way Columbia/Sony is developing a sequel to the Marvel property. Variety reports that David Goyer is in final negotiations to create a story and supervise hired writers for Ghost Rider 2. The plan is to base the sequel on a script Goyer wrote prior to Mark Steven Johnson scripting and directing the 2007 film. The sequel will have Gary Foster serving as executive producer and Avi Arad, Michael De Luca and Steven Paul producing. No time table was given on how quickly the sequel could potentially begin filming. Realistically with Cage signed on to "Drive Angry" and "The Hungry Rabbit Jumps" (both intending to shoot early 2010), Ghost Rider 2, won't be able to start shooting until at least summer 2010.


Also mentioned in the report on Ghost Rider by Variety was a small blurb, that Fox is "quietly" developing a Daredevil reboot. Since last summer there has been a steady progression of rumors surrounding a Daredevil reboot. 20th Century Fox have gone on record saying they want the story told right and from a solid director. They know the property has the potential to make the same money that Iron Man, Batman and other comic book properties have. Its just finding the right vision. There have been a few directors that have been rumored and or thrown their name in, however no concrete evidence has pointed to any one choice.

Last August Frank Miller and Jason Statham had made a point to say they'd love to do a vision of the character. Regardless of Miller's failure with The Spirit, I would love to see what he and Statham could do with the character. I think the best way to re-make Daredevil is from the recent Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale graphic novel 'Daredevil Yellow'. Frank Miller also wrote Daredevil for years, so he no doubt knows the character in a very personal way.


Two other Marvel properties that have been pretty quite also referenced in the Variety report are "Sub-Mariner" at Universal and The Silver Surfer also at Fox. 'Mariner' has "Surrogates" director Jonathan Mostow attached, while no director or a script have been confirmed for a Silver Surfer film. With Fox rebooting The Fantastic Four, it is not far off to think a Silver Surfer film could be something similar. Producer Avi Arad also teased that Dr. Strange, Nick Fury, Power Pack and Guardians of the Galaxy are all very likely as future Marvel properties being developed.


One positive thing that came from X-Men Origins: Wolverine is the prospect of a Deapool film. After the success of 'Wolverine', Fox announced the casting of Ryan Reynolds in a solo film. Then "The Green Lantern" casting also broke and since then Deadpool talk has been pretty mum. That has changed thanks to Deadpool creator Rob Liefeld, who recently had a meeting with Fox and Lauren Schuler Donner on the Deadpool movie. Liefeld via Twitter told his followers that Donner and her team are heading in the right direction, Ryan Reynolds will indeed remain as Deadpool and most importantly Fox is making the Deadpool movie that fans want!

After finishing the meeting with Donner and Fox, Liefeld Tweeted, "Deadpool movie checklist- DP in costume-check! Breaking 4th wall-check! Loads of killing-double check!" This morning Liefeld tweeted, "Donner Company is on top of making the Deadpool movie that fans want. They get it. He's funny, tortured, clever, a bastard and mucho action!" Liefeld's tweets are assuring, but there still is a lot of time before we will actually sit down in a theater and see Deadpool break the fourth wall. Sounds like Liefeld's meeting is confirming everything Reynolds envisioned for a Deadpool spin-off.

More news on all of these Marvel properties as it becomes available...

What say you? X4, Guardians of the Galaxy, Daredevil, Silver Surfer, Deadpool get you excited? Will general audiences burn out on superhero films? Strikeback...