X-Men

Production is underway for “X-Men: Days of Future Past,” and director Bryan Singer is offering fans a behind-the-scenes peek at the action via Twitter, posting pictures of Jennifer Lawrence, James McAvoy, Peter Dinklage and more. “Days of Future Past,” due out in July of 2014, picks up after Matthew Vaughn’s 2011 prequel “X-Men: First Class,” which chronicled the mutant superheroes’ origins as young people in the 1960s, discovering and learning to manipulate their powers. “Future Past” aims to bridge the gap between “First Class” and the original “X-Men” film trilogy. Singer, who also directed 2000′s “X-Men” and 2003′s “X2,” on Monday tweeted a photo of Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Lawrence, who is reprising her role as shape-shifting mutant Raven, better known as Mystique. The snapshot shows Lawrence in full costume — revealing blue body suit and paint with a shock of […]

“The Wolverine,” the new film starring Hugh Jackman as the near indestructible mutant Logan, is set to open in theaters July 26, bringing the revered Chris Claremont/Frank Miller comics saga to the screen. The newest trailer for the movie, directed by James Mangold, showcases the film’s story line, which explores the character’s inner demons, even as he faces external threats after traveling to Japan to say goodbye to an acquaintance. The clip opens with Jackman haunted by a nightmare visitation from Famke Janssen’s Jean Grey. Logan promises her that he’ll never hurt her, or anyone else, again. But, she whispers, “It’s too late.” He wakes up, bearded and alone, outside in the woods, where he’s exiled himself in search of solitude. But his time there doesn’t last long. Soon, he’s off to Japan to see the man whose life he […]

With films such as “Cop Land,” “3:10 to Yuma” and “Walk the Line,” director James Mangold has delivered gritty portraits of flawed heroes struggling to overcome their baser natures. He’s at it again with his next film, only this time the good guy isn’t a police officer, an old West lawman or Johnny Cash — he’s an immortal mutant with adamantium claws and a bad attitude. Opening July 26, “The Wolverine” features Hugh Jackman returning to his famed “X-Men” role in a more contemplative fashion. In it, Logan travels to Japan to bid farewell to a dying acquaintance only to find himself protecting the life of an heiress, even as he struggles to come to terms with the tragic events of his past. “What’s very much at play is this sense of a guy who’s figuring himself out and who’s […]

PERSPECTIVE It’s probably no coincidence that television reached a new level of critical respectability after its most serious shows embraced serialized storytelling, both as a way to hook audiences and a way to develop more novelistic depth. It’s an approach Marvel Comics already had figured out in the 1960s. When writer-editor Stan Lee and his bullpen of artists started introducing cliffhangers, romantic melodrama and long-simmering subplots into superhero comics, Marvel suddenly became hip and popular, and was even written about in mainstream publications, long before the “comics aren’t for kids anymore” headlines of the 1980s. Yet even more than Lee, the Marvel writer who best played to the strengths of serialization was Chris Claremont. In 1975, when Claremont was still in his mid-20s, he took the assignment to write for Marvel’s revival of “The X-Men”: a team of superpowered, socially […]

Feld Entertainment Inc., which produces the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus, along with other live shows such as Disney on Ice, is teaming up with Marvel Entertainment to produce a live arena show featuring Marvel characters. It’s the latest in a series of new ventures for the company that created the likes of Spider-Man, the X-Men and the Hulk, including two upcoming animated series, a Web series and a new digital comics platform. An arena or stage show featuring comic-book characters has been done — witness last year’s ‘Batman Live’ and the accident-prone “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark” — but Kenneth Feld, CEO of Vienna, Va.-based Feld Entertainment, believes that his company’s experience with these types of acrobatic shows could make the difference. “What [the 'Spider-Man' Broadway show] tried to do was new for them, but it’s the stuff we […]

Young artists looking to break into comics might want to take a page from David Marquez. Based in Austin, Texas, the illustrator is one of the industry’s fastest-rising stars, working alongside veteran writer Brian Michael Bendis on such titles as “Ultimate Spider-Man” and “All-New X-Men” and working in his second graphic novel, “The Joyners in 3D,” after arriving on the comics scene only three years ago. Soon after college, Marquez got his start as an animator for Richard Linklater’s 2006 rotoscoped film “A Scanner Darkly.” His first graphic novel “Syndrome,” co-written by Daniel Quantz and R.J. Ryan, was released by indie publisher Archaia Entertainment in 2010, soon followed by “Days Missing Vol. 2: Kestus” in 2011. His work earned him a nomination for the Russ Manning Most Promising Newcomer award, given out each year at the prestigious Eisner Awards, and […]

Jennifer Lawrence has gone from being “the girl on fire” in “The Hunger Games” to Hollywood’s golden girl for her turn as a neurotic young widow in “Silver Linings Playbook.” She’s considered by many a front-runner for the best-actress Oscar when the 85th annual Academy Awards get underway Sunday night, capping an awards season that has seen Lawrence dominate the top honors — including the Golden Globes and the Screen Actors Guild and Critics Choice awards. Saturday afternoon, she added one more trophy to her collection, picking up top actress honors at the Film Independent Spirit Awards in Santa Monica. Oscars 2013: Complete coverage But the Academy Awards voters aren’t swayed by the masses, of course. And Lawrence has plenty of competition heading into the ceremony being held tonight at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. Lawrence is competing with Jessica Chastain for […]

Peter Dinklage is making the leap from “Game of Thrones” to the new “X-Men” movie, “Days of Future Past.” News of the casting came via a tweet by Bryan Singer, who will return to direct the newest installment of the sci-fi franchise that pits mutants against humanity: Officially like to welcome #PeterDinklage from #GameOfThrones to #XMEN #DaysofFuturePast Very very excited!— Bryan Singer (@BryanSinger) February 14, 2013 Dinklage joins a star-studded cast that includes a mix of actors from Singer’s first two “X-Men” movies and the Matthew Vaughn-directed prequel, “X-Men: First Class.” Hugh Jackman, Jennifer Lawrence and Patrick Stewart are already on board for the time-traveling adventure based on one of the most well-known storylines of the “Uncanny X-Men” comic books. ‘Game of Thrones’: Peter Dinklage sees series challenges ahead It’s unclear what role Dinklage will play. While many have speculated that […]

With “The Avengers,” “The Dark Knight Rises,” “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” and more sci-fi and fantasy films, 2012 was a landmark, record-breaking year for spectacle entertainment. But 2013 looks just as promising with a host of big, anticipated sequels — including “Iron Man 3″ and “Star Trek Into Darkness” — and such smart new offerings as “Pacific Rim” and “Elysium” on the calendar. With that in mind, here’s a look at Hero Complex’s 13 must-see movies in 2013. “Oz: The Great and Powerful” (March 8) Sam Raimi’s upcoming “Oz: The Great and Powerful” promises viewers a journey down the yellow brick road that will include a breathtaking array of dazzling visual effects. The Disney film stars James Franco as the man who will become the Wizard of Oz, and takes place well before Dorothy arrives in the faraway fantasy […]

Just before the USS Enterprise embarked on a new mission with “Star Trek: The Next Generation” in 1987, an article in the Los Angeles Times referred to the distinguished Englishman portraying the ship’s captain as an “unknown British Shakespearean actor.” The description stuck with Patrick Stewart, who refers to the unintentional jibe during the supplemental cast reunion video included on the newly remastered Blu-ray edition of the second season of “Star Trek: The Next Generation.” It’s no surprise he remembers it — his costar Brent Spiner made a point of hanging a sign on Stewart’s trailer door reading, “Beware unknown British Shakespearean actor.” Today, Stewart remains beloved for his turn as Capt. Jean-Luc Picard on “Next Generation,” though he’s got another fantastic elder statesman on his résumé too: Professor Charles Xavier in the “X-Men” films (James McAvoy played the younger […]