That Nick Fury "Sidekick" is Indeed Maria Hill!

by SuperHerpHype

Feb 5th, 2011

Cobie Smulders seems to be the new frontrunner

During an appearance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon earlier this week, actor Samuel L. Jackson mentioned he was auditioning actresses to play Nick Fury's "sidekick" in Joss Whedon's The Avengers which the L.A. Times' Heat Vision followed up with a shortlist of actresses up for that role. While some guessed incorrectly that it might be Janet van Dyne a.k.a. The Wasp, astute SuperHeroHype readers knew that it could only be S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Maria Hill, something that's been confirmed by Deadline, who are now claiming that Joss Whedon has made a decision on who to play the role and it will go to Cobie Smulders of the hit CBS show "How I Met Your Mom."

Comic book readers will be aware of HIll's role in the Marvel Universe as Nick Fury's second-in-command who took over as Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. when Fury went missing during the "Civil War" storyline. Maria Hill has also appeared in the Ultimate Universe (where Fury resembles Samuel L. Jackson) but in a different capacity, and she's appeared in a couple of the cartoons as well, most recently voiced by Kari Wührer on "The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes."

If the deal goes through, Smulders (who Deadline says Whedon wanted to play his Wonder Woman) will have beaten out Mary Elisabeth Winstead, Jessica Lucas and Morena Baccarin ("V") for the role, and she'll be joining Scarlett Johansson as the only other female role in the film so far.

I called it... Unfortunately.

There's only so much room in this flick, Cal. There is such a thing as too many characters.

I really want them to focus on the Big Three, at least for the first movie. Hawkeye and the rest will be the cherry on top, but not at the expense of having Thor, Cap, and Iron Man interact less.

I'm wondering how much of the movie will be based on the first six issues of Ultimates? That's definitely the vibe I'm getting.

Cobie Smulders Confirmed for The Avengers

by SuperHeroHype

Feb 8th, 2011

Will be playing SHIELD Agent Maria Hill in superhero ensemble

Cobie Smulders is now confirmed for the part of SHIELD Agent Maria Hill in The Avengers, Variety is reporting.

Smulders is best known for starring on the sitcom "How I Met Your Mother" and was loosely referenced in connection to a unproduced Wonder Woman film when Avengers director Joss Whedon was attached. (He included the note "Sorry, Cobie" in his announcement that he was off the project).

Comic book readers will be aware of Hill's role in the Marvel Universe as Nick Fury's second-in-command who took over as Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. when Fury went missing during the "Civil War" storyline. Maria Hill has also appeared in the Ultimate Universe (where Fury resembles Samuel L. Jackson) but in a different capacity, and she's appeared in a couple of the cartoons as well, most recently voiced by Kari Wührer on "The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes."

The Avengers will hit theaters on May 4, 2012.

The Avengers Pull Out of Michigan

by SuperHeroHype

Feb 21st, 2011

Because of Gov. Rick Snyder's budget proposal

It was already known that the majority of Joss Whedon's The Avengers would be shot at Albuquerque Studios in New Mexico, but additional scenes were expected to be filmed in New York and Michigan as well. The Detroit Free Press reports that is no longer the case. Here are several clips from the article:

Anxiety, uncertainty and anger are building in the metro Detroit film community over Snyder's budget plan, which essentially would eliminate the current film tax incentive and instead call for $25 million in each of the next two years for future movie projects.

"They were all set to come here," said Chris Baum of Film Detroit, a division of the Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau. When producers couldn't get confirmation that they would still qualify for the incentives, they decided to pull out of the state, Baum said.

Tom Moisides got his call on Saturday morning: His services as a location scout for “The Avengers” would no longer be needed.

Moisides, whose credits include the Eminem-Chrysler Super Bowl spot, Hugh Jackman's "Real Steel" and Gerard Butler's "Machine Gun Preacher," said that he had been working to finalize contracts for his locations, he had hired an assistant and another location manager was expected to start this week. Moisides added that other members of the production were negotiating with local hotels and looking at office space, warehouse units and construction shops and mills.

"I'm mad as hell," Moisides said Sunday. "I feel like I've been punched in the stomach. Something has to happen quickly if we're going to keep the film industry here, like a message from the governor that says, 'We're still open for business.' The reality is, because of the uncertainty, productions are shutting down immediately."

Darcy Leutzinger, whose Washington Township-based Shotokan 911 worked on movies such as "Red Dawn" and the upcoming "Transformers" film, said his company had been contacted by "The Avengers" about helping with weapons armor and providing tactical SWAT officers and police officers for the production. He said he got a phone call Saturday saying that the project's Michigan plans were up in the air.

Remember when films were produced where it made sense for them to be produced? Before everybody kept luring productions with sweeter and sweeter deals? It seems like half the stuff I watch on TV are filmed in Canada now, for crying out loud!

Sheesh. Just film it in New York where it should be. The Avengers are based in NYC overall.

Avengers Detroit Shoot Likely Heading to Cleveland

by SuperHeroHype

Feb 28th, 2011

Shoot there said to cost about $40 million

A week ago, it was revealed that Disney/Marvel Studios was no longer going to be filming scenes for The Avengers in Detroit. Now, comes word from The Plain Dealer that that portion of the shoot may be headed to Cleveland:

Ohio Gov. John Kasich said he has been in talks with city officials to bring shooting of a $40 million Marvel/Disney superhero movie to Cleveland.

The Republican governor said Sunday that the movie, which he would not name, was originally supposed to be filmed in Michigan.

The $40 million is referring to how much the production would put into the community there, not the film's full budget. A majority of the filming will take place at Albuquerque Studios in New Mexico.

Ruffalo Says The Hulk Looks Just Like Him

by SuperHeroHype

Feb 27th, 2011

A little bit bigger, of course

MTV caught up with Mark Ruffalo at Saturday's 2011 Film Independent Spirit Awards and got an interesting response when they asked if the Hulk in The Avengers will look like the actor. Here is what he said:

"It's cool, it's gonna be great. The script is a nice combination of funny and was very in Joss Whedon's wheelhouse. And I got to see the maquette of the Hulk yesterday in full scope and it's awesome. Just like me. We're going out of our way to... first of all, I'm the first actor to actually do it in motion capture as the Hulk. And so, all the features are mine, they're just really big."

Ruffalo on His Transformation Into the Hulk

by SuperHeroHype

Feb 28th, 2011

Algorithm puts 2,000 lbs of muscle on him

The Telegraph talked to Mark Ruffalo about how he will be transformed into The Hulk for The Avengers:

"There’s this algorithm that digitally puts 2,000lbs of muscle onto my body. It’s weird. I wear this skinny little suit with reflective balls all over it," he says. "When we shot the stuff, I was actually standing in a warehouse with a couple of cardboard boxes and some foam mats. But when I looked at the monitor there I was as the Hulk in this landscape with cars and boulders and hills."

Ruffalo is set to start shooting the film in New Mexico in May and will be there for four months.

From IGN:

The Avengers' Villains Revealed?

Earth's Mightiest Heroes will reportedly face cosmic enemies.

March 2, 2011

In order to prove that they deserve to be called Earth's Mightiest Heroes, The Avengers will naturally need to go up against a cosmic threat in their big screen debut. And a new report claims that's exactly what happens -- and then some.

According to Latino Review, the central villain of the Marvel team-up movie will be Loki, the god of mischief soon to be seen in Thor as played by Tom Hiddleston. (The actor's been coy in the past when pressed about whether or not he'll also appear in The Avengers.) If this is true, then some spoilers follow.



It should be noted that in the Thor movie, the Asgardians aren't the mythological gods they are in the comics but rather aliens whom ancient earthlings worshiped as deities.

The Avengers Cleveland Shoot Confirmed

by SuperHeroHype

Mar 4th, 2011

But they won't be there until the fall

Scoopers 'Rob Kainec' and 'Apama' alerted us to this article from The Plain Dealer which confirms that scenes for The Avengers will be shot in Cleveland in the fall. Here are some highlights from the article:

Gov. John Kasich announced that the upcoming Marvel movie featuring the superhero team The Avengers, scheduled for a 2012 release, will be filmed in Cleveland.

He made the announcement before Mayor Frank Jackson's State of the City address this afternoon at the City Club.

"I'm really pleased that the city is going to get this movie," he said. "It's fantastic. It required quick and hard work between the community here and the state of Ohio, something that hasn't always happened. We won another one from Michigan. I'm thrilled we are going to have this here. I'm just bucking for a part as Governator 2."

Wayne Hill, chairman of the Greater Cleveland Film Commission, said the Avengers movie will be the largest film ever made in Ohio and that filming is expected to start in the fall.

Reportedly, people associated with the film are already in Cleveland scouting out locations.

As we previously mentioned, the majority of the filming will take place at Albuquerque Studios in New Mexico.

Open Extras Casting Call for The Avengers

by SuperHeroHype

Mar 9th, 2011

Taking place on March 25 and 26

One Headlight Ink (via On Location Vacations) has posted the following extras casting call for The Avengers in Albuquerque on March 25 and 26:

From the New Mexico Film Office – Open Extras Casting Call: The Avengers

When: Friday, March 25: noon-4pm
And Saturday, March 26: 10am-3pm

Where:
Hotel Albuquerque
(Weavers Room)
800 Rio Grande Blvd. NW
Albuquerque, NM

This is the official extras casting call for “The Avengers” feature film held by Marvel Studios Extras Casting Director Maryellen Aviano.

Scheduled to film Albuquerque area late April-late July.

We’d love to hire as many NM residents as possible so please come well groomed & dressed in your business executive best!

Pictures will be taken at no charge.

Over 18 only, will accept current non-returnable pics of kids that can obtain work permits if necessary.

Bring a pen & NO PHONE CALLS please!

QUESADA Talks CAP, THOR & AVENGERS MOVIES

"It [The Avengers] is going to be the quintessential super hero movie."

Cobie Smulders on Playing Maria Hill in The Avengers

by SuperHeroHype

Mar 26th, 2011

"I've tried on portions of the catsuit"

Zap2it talked to Cobie Smulders ("How I Met Your Mother") about taking on the role of S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Maria Hill in Joss Whedon's The Avengers.

Smulders, who was Whedon's first choice for his shelved Wonder Woman feature, said that they "start in April, which is like... tomorrow. I literally leave here and I go to Albuquerque, New Mexico, to shoot some scenes in a catsuit."

She added that she has "tried on portions of the catsuit [and] I've seen conceptual drawings of what they want it to be. It's fascinating to me. I feel like wardrobe becomes very creative on these types of movies because they literally spend weeks designing just the pants or the emblem. It's such an all-consuming process, so I'm excited to see how it all turns out."

Smulders will be joined by the all-star cast of Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Jeremy Renner, Clark Gregg, Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L. Jackson and Mark Ruffalo in New Mexico. Walt Disney Pictures will release Marvel Studios' The Avengers on May 4, 2012.

From IGN:

Hawkeye's Thor Cameo Revealed

Jeremy Renner's role in the god of thunder's screen debut.

March 29, 2011

You won't have to wait until 2012's The Avengers to see Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye.

Cinema Blend was at CinemaCon where roughly 20 minutes of footage from the upcoming Thor movie was screened that showed the Marvel archer in action.

"The scene we saw featured Renner as Hawkeye, working with the infamous Agent Coulson, played as he was in the Iron Man movies, by Clark Gregg," according to the site.

"The scene features Hawkeye using his famous bow and arrow and he has multiple lines, so while we're talking about something a little more than a momentary cameo, there's no way to know if his involvement will go any further than that one scene."