One Way Thor Ragnarok Will Be Different From Previous Thor Movies, According To Mark Ruffalo

For the most part, the Thor series has been one of royal politics, one certain inter-dimensional love affair, and a bunch of monsters from other realms paying a visit to ours. It's not exactly the lightest of material, and with the Marvel Cinematic Universe already being dark enough on its own, a little bit of humor would be welcomed in the life of Odin's favorite son. Well as luck would have it, Thor: Ragnarok will have just that, according to The Hulk himself, Mark Ruffalo.

During an interview with MovieFone for Now You See Me 2, the actor best known in recent years as the green tinted rage monster that Marvel fans know and love was asked what he felt Thor: Ragnarok could bring to the table that the previous two installments couldn't. Not missing a beat, Ruffalo laid down the following difference between the third installment and its predecessors, as he stated:

Taika [Waititi] is directing it, so there will be a lot of humor in it, which we probably haven’t seen before in the Thor world.

Now Mark Ruffalo is kind of right and kind of wrong when it comes to humor in the world of Thor. While the first two films have mostly been serious, nearly dour affairs, there have been choice moments of humor between both films. For instance, there was the entire subplot of Thor being a fish out of water on our Earth during the first film, which most hysterically resulted in him smashing a coffee mug in approval of coffee. Not to mention, the second film, Thor: The Dark World, decided to lean on Dr. Selvig and Darcy's comedic shenanigans, much to the detriment to that film's finished product.

So what's so new about Thor: Ragnarok's promise of a funnier Thor outing? Well, it sounds like rather than having a couple choice moments of laughter, the entirety of the film will be somewhat more light-hearted when compared to the rest of the series. With Taika Waititi's entry into the Thor canon being described as a buddy road comedy of sorts, the stage is set for Thor and The Incredible Hulk to make their way towards their objective of saving the multiverse, and to do so in a rather humorous way. Not to mention, we're still mulling over Waititi's direction on Hunt For The Wilderpeople, which to us is as perfect a film as any to audition the director's skills at making a road movie of sorts.

If we weren't amped for Taika Waititi's directing gig on Thor: Ragnarok before, Mark Ruffalo's comments are certainly getting us to the point where the third Thor film is going to be a most anticipated affair. We'll see what the funnier side of apocalyptic doom looks like when the film hits theaters on November 3, 2017.

This Letter Chris Evans Sent Casting Directors Proves He Was Destined To Be A Star

When you look at Chris Evans these days, you can't help but think the man is a perfect fit as Captain America. A strong presence that knows his job well, and serves as an example to us all, his work ethic is only matched by his talents. But, of course, Evans was once a young upstart who was finding his way, much like Steve Rogers before Dr. Erskine's Vita-Ray treatment turned him into a beast. And now, we've got some proof of what Evans' upstart years were like, as he's shared the following letter from his junior year of high school, in which he pitches himself to casting agencies as an eager intern. You can read that letter below. 

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Wow. My dad found the letter I sent to DOZENS of casting directors during my junior year. Hilarious. #bestsummerever

9:50 PM - 8 Jun 2016

 
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This post comes from Chris Evans' Twitter account, and already after reading that text, you could see he had the drive to succeed in him. Not only was he taking the summer of 1998 as the opportunity to study acting at the Lee Strasberg Institute, but he was pushing for what most other wanna-be actors overlook: experience in the more business oriented side of the picture. It's a drive that makes more than a little sense, as after he's spent a good two decades in the business, he's started to branch out into other fields such as directing. It all goes to show that even when pursuing something like an acting career, Evans doesn't fool around. 

While reading that letter above proves that Chris Evans was always going to be a big star in the business we call show, it also indirectly proves how good of a pick he was to play the role of one of Marvel's most iconic super heroes. Every time we re-read that letter, we're reminded that this is the man who has come from being the parody of the standard jock character in Not Another Teen Movie to a leading man in such films as Cellular and Fantastic Four, only to land on his current perch as the focal point of this summer's Captain America: Civil War. With some actors, that sort of trajectory comes from luck, and a good agent; and while we don't doubt Chris Evans has those factors working for him as well, he certainly hasn't been leaning on them exclusively to move his career in the right direction. 

Bill Murray Gives His Most Honest Reaction Yet To The Ghostbusters Remake

It’s hard out here for a Ghostbuster. If you happen to be one of the new, female cast members, you are dealing with a consistent trickle of online aggression against your upcoming comedy. And if you are an original Ghostbuster, an OG like Dan Aykroyd, you get accused of taking a buy out if you dare say something positive about Paul Feig’s upcoming comedy. The one member of the original team who seems like he’s earned a pass in all of this is Bill Murray… because he’s Bill F’ing Murray. So when he opened up about the new Ghostbusters, we all sat up and listened intently.

Yesterday was Ghostbusters Day, which led to the new cast joining the original cast on Jimmy Kimmel Wednesday night. During an interview segment, Bill Murray admits that he was overly protective of the idea of anyone redoing Ghostbusters, and explained why this one is a tough nut to crack. Murray said:

When you see the film, and you’ll delight in the film, it sort of rumbles along in the beginning. You’re going, ‘Oh God, are they going to pull this thing off?’ I felt like a stepfather to the whole thing. There is no quit in these girls. This is a tough movie to pull off, because it’s a big concept. There’s a lot on the plate – there’s a lot of expectation.

In Murray’s estimation, though, the team eventually pulls it off, as he tells Jimmy Kimmel that he, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson and Annie Potts were all "screaming, cheering like we were at a sporting event" by the conclusion of the new story. So there you have it. Another original Ghostbuster – and quite possibly the coolest originalGhostbuster – telling you that the new movie works.

As part of the interview, the enigmatic Bill Murray also talked a bit about how he dragged his feet on the possible Ghostbusters 3, and how that project falling apart ultimately led to the formation of the female-driven remake. Dan Aykroyd famously pursued Murray for years to get him to do another Ghostbusters film, but the comedian always balked. Then, it took convincing to get him to cameo in this movie. Murray explained:

I thought about it for a very long time. Like, many, many months. No, that’s not right. I was seriously thinking about this for years, really … It kept eating at me, and I really respect those girls. And then I started to feel like if I didn’t do this movie, maybe somebody would write a bad review or something, thinking there was some sort of disapproval [on my part].

You can see both teams together, for the first time, in the Jimmy Kimmel clip below:

The Avenger Josh Brolin Turned To For Advice On Playing Thanos

With every passing entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, we get closer and closer to Marvel’s endgame. An all-hands on deck, knock down, drag out battle between earth’s mightiest heroes and Thanos the mad titan. While Josh Brolin has been making the occasional cameo, usually during the credits of other films, he’ll be taking center stage before we know it. It’s going to be a big deal when that time for Thanos to shine finally comes. The man behind the purple-skinned alien is looking forward to doing more, and in preparation for the motion capture heavy work, he went to another member of the MCU with experience to get a better idea of what he was in for: the Incredible Hulk, Mark Ruffalo.


Josh Brolin and Mark Ruffalo have been friends for some time, and Ruffalo now has extensive experience, playing the Hulk in a pair of Avengers movies, so the Hail, Caesar actor went to his friend to try and get an idea of what he was getting himself into. Brolin tells Comic Book Resources that Ruffalo’s advice was to enjoy himself, it’s going to be fun, mostly.

I just said, what do I have to look forward to? And he said, 'Man, the first time I did ... Hulk, was really embarrassing because I'm out there and I'm like on cinder blocks and shit trying to act out this stuff for other people. And then I saw the movie, and ... I'm so blown away that I couldn't actually wait to get back there and to do all that stuff again that I found embarrassing in the beginning.' He says, 'You're going to have a blast'

So, the end result is fun, but the work, maybe a little less so. One can imagine that the motion capture aspect has to be a little weird, especially on a big team-up movie likeThe Avengers. Everybody else around you is wearing a superhero costume, while you’re covered in technical gear designed to record your movements so they can make you look like the Incredible Hulk somewhere down the line. When that time comes, however, it’s apparently all worth it, according to Mark Ruffalo, and he expects that Josh Brolin will feel the same way.

Josh Brolin isn’t coming into Avengers: Infinity War completely blind. He has had his few cameos, along with a larger supporting role in Guardians of the Galaxy, but even that role had him stationary, in a throne the entire time. We have yet to see Thanos really move, much less get in a fight, which we certainly expect to be seeing. There's a lot that will be new for Brolin coming up.

Josh Brolin admits to being nervous but seems to have full faith in the Russo Brothers and the team at Marvel Studios to make it all work when the time finally comes for him to show up and really be Thanos. He’s also excited to finally get the chance. We’re excited as well. 

When Green Lantern Will Likely Appear In The DC Comics Films

Earlier this week, Warner Bros. gave us our first look at the DC Extended Universe’s Justice League joined together. However, there was one notable hero missing from the lineup: Green Lantern. Although the DCEU has Green Lantern Corps scheduled for 2020, nothing has been officially announced about whether one of the ring slingers will be on the team. Fortunately, it sounds like we won’t have to wait four more years to see a Green Lantern in this universe, as it’s been alluded at least one of them will be in Justice League: Part One, if not the whole group. 

During this week’s CW special DC Films Presents: Dawn of the Justice League, director Kevin Smith asked DC’s Chief Creative Officer Geoff Johns to spill something that no one knows yet. Here’s what he said, courtesy of The TSG Network: 

We’ve been to the bottom of the oceans, we’ve been to ancient Greece mythology, we’ve been to the past and future Flash, into the digital world with Cyborg, we still got to go to space. So the Green Lanterns and the Green Lantern Corps will be coming to join the Justice League universe.

Smith then responded that it’s every kid’s dream to "see all those Justice League characters together," so it seems quite likely that at least one Green Lantern will work with Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, The Flash, and Cyborg inJustice League: Part One. This is only right, as Green Lantern has often been a founding member of the Justice League in the comics, including in the New 52, which is what the DCEU team is based off of. It still uncertain which Green Lanterns from Earth will be on the superhero team, though the most popular guesses are Hal Jordan or John Stewart. That said, if the threat the Justice League is facing is too much for them, they may require help from the space cop(s). That could be why Green Lantern wasn’t included in that artwork: he (or they) won’t join the team until after they’ve officially formed. 

While the 2011 Green Lantern movie focused solely on Hal Jordan, Green Lantern Corps is throwing the spotlight on multiple human Green Lanterns. One reportbefore the reboot’s title was officially announced said that we’ll see Hal, John and Guy Gardner, while a later one said Green Lantern Corps we’ll see Hal and John team up in a "Lethal Weapon in space"-type adventure. Kyle Rayner and Simon Baz were also briefly seen in the special, so there’s also the possibility they could show up. Regardless, it’s good to know that the DCEU has several protectors looking after Sector 2814. 

Justice League: Part One will be released on November 17, 2017, while Green Lantern Corps flies into theaters on June 19, 2020. However, if Green Lantern is indeed part of the first Justice League adventure, hopefully we’ll get an official look at him (or them) later this year

Guardians Of The Galaxy 2 May Feature This Massive, Strange Marvel Character

As Guardians of the Galaxy 2 continues to prepare itself for a May 5, 2017 bow, we keep getting more info about potential new characters that will be added to the franchise in its second outing. And, it’s starting to look like one of Marvel’s strangest characters may be showing its giant, odd face in the new film. 

A report from Geek says that Ego, the Living Planet is likely to make an appearance in Guardians of the Galaxy 2. This would mark the first time Ego has been seen in any Marvel Cinematic Universe property, even though the character has a long history with Thor in the comics. 

Ego, the Living Planet first appeared in the comics in 1966. The planet resides in the Black Galaxy, and began as any planet does, coalescing from dust and cosmic gases over millions of years. When the Stranger (a mysterious, super-powered space wizard) came across the planet, he gave Ego consciousness. Stranger also gave consciousness to a second planet, known as Alter Ego, but gave him to theCollector, with the hope of one day pitting his two creations against each other to determine which was stronger. 



When Ego has an identity crises and heads off to consume space craft and conquer other planets, he pisses off Thor and is stopped by the God of Thunder. Later, when world-eater Galactus sets its sights on Ego, Thor returns to help defend him. After winning the battle, Ego and Thor call a truce, and Ego agreed to take a group of beings onto his surface. But, when Ego lost his mind, he devoured the beings, and Thor brought Galactus back to Ego to destroy him. 

Phew. That’s quite a story there, and that’s not even half of it. In the comics, Ego also crosses paths with the Fantastic Four, Silver Surfer, Professor X, Thanos and Iron Man. But, one character that crossed paths with Ego who really makes an impact for the purposes of Guardians of the Galaxy 2, is Rocket Raccoon. After Ego’s done raising hell all over the Milky Way, including an attempt to destroy Earth, his surface becomes infested with space lice (really), and he hires Rocket to exterminate them (really). 

While there’s no telling right now how the filmmakers might introduce Ego, the Living Planet into the Guardians of the Galaxy 2 universe, it’s clear that he has a lot of history to mine for story purposes, and that he could even end up being a minor foe for the intergalactic space heroes.  

And, if you think there’s no way a sentient planet could work in a Guardians movie, you’re simply not thinking hard enough. Ego actually fits there better than he would in a Thor or Iron Man film. After all, Guardians brought a tough little talking raccoon and a giant, sort-of-talking tree man to the big screen. If the filmmakers can make Rocket and Groot work, then Ego is right up their alley. 

Is The Movie Flash Really Going To Be Exactly Like The TV Flash?

Warner Bros. recently pulled back the curtain on its rapidly expanding DC Films universe, asking Kevin Smith to host a televised special that brought fresh details onBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, David Ayer’s Suicide Squad, and the litany of superhero properties that are expected to follow in their wake. We learned more about Wonder Woman, Cyborg, Aquaman and the formation of The Justice League. But when it came time to learn how Ezra Miller’s version of The Flash would differ from the current version tearing up our television screens, we discovered they might be more similar than we’d imagined.

Ezra Miller, the breakout star of The Perks of Being a Wallflower and We Need To Talk About Kevin, was part of the DC special Tuesday night, where he talked about his take on Barry Allen, the hero who would be The Flash. In addition, DC Comics Chief Creative Officer Geoff Johns broke down the backstory for the upcoming movie version of The Flash. Johns said this:

Barry Allen… his mother is killed. His father is blamed for it, [and] put in prison. He becomes obsessed with forensic science. He wants to prove that his father was innocent. One night, working on his mother’s case, a bolt of lightning hits him and he gains super speed.

Comic book readers who follow The Flash’s various storylines will know that portions of this origin story were told in 2009’s The Flash: Rebirth (coincidentally penned by Geoff Johns). Meanwhile, audience members who pay attention to the Scarlet Speedster on The CW know that the description Johns gives above is exactly the foundation for Season 1 of the TV series The Flash, starring Grant Gustin as Barry Allen.



This raises an interesting question, in my mind. Why? Naturally, when you are telling a hero’s origin story, there are classic elements that you can not overlook. That’s why, trailers for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice suggest we’re going to have to travel down that infamous alley with Bruce Wayne’s parents, once again.

But if DC’s cinematic side planned on using The Flash, why would they go with a version that sounds like it is going to be a mirror image to what the DC television side is doing – and doing successfully – at the same time? There have been numerous Flashes over the years, from Jay Garrick to Wally West and even Bart Allen, Barry’s grandson. Couldn’t Ezra Miller have played one of them, in an effort to shake things up? Even when Miller speaks of the powers that his Flash will exert, they sound a LOT like what Gustin eventually develops as the Flash television series pushes on. Miller said:

He can run so fast that he can move into another plane of frequency which is another reality.

Geoff Johns confirms in the video that time travel is possible for The Flash, and that the past "is a place that he can visit." Without giving away too many spoilers for The CW’s Flash TV show, this is a concept that the program explores, and explores thoroughly. Will it feel too familiar when the Flash movie hits theaters in 2018? Here's a shot of Movie Barry Allen, solving a crime:



And here’s the segment, courtesy of The TSG Network, on The Flash from last night’s TV show. It has good insight into DC’s plan for the hero, and some amazing concept art:



But in hearing DC’s film plan for The Flash, it concerns me that it’s sticking a little too close to the TV version of the character. DC creatives have spoken in the past about the desire to keep the film and television sides separate, so that stories happening on the weekly TV shows wouldn’t affect the films, and vice versa. But The Flash is the only Justice League hero (at the moment) with a co-existing television program, which can cause some confusion. What do you think? Does the film version of Barry Allen sound too similar to the current TV version? Should DC have gone in a different direction? Or should they just have given Grant Gustin a promotion from TV Flash to Movie Flash? Weigh in below. 

Apocalypse's Four Horsemen: Everything You Need To Know About The X-Men Characters

There have been many iterations of Apocalypse’s Four Horsemen in all the various X-Men properties. The animated series featured a classic comic book style line-up, Wolverine became one in the comics’ second incarnation, and even Professor Xavier served his time in X-Men: Evolution. But, typically, they went by War, Pestilence, Famine, and Death. 

In Bryan Singer’s X-Men: Apocalypse, these are the names given to the title villain’s original line-up. We first glimpsed them in the post-credits scene for Days of Future Past, but the sequel will return to ancient Egypt to reveal them to be two men and two women, one of which stands at about 7’ 6’’ with long mace-tipped braids. Then, of course, there’s the modern-day incarnation. On the film’s set, writer-producer Simon Kinberg explained how the story for X-Men: Apocalypse was built from the inside out. For the Horsemen, they started with Magneto. "We had a very clear sense of what we wanted his emotional story to be," he said, "which actually goes back to, Michael Fassbender and I went to Russia last summer for the Days of Future Past premiere." As the two discussed what interested the actor most in continuing the evolution of the character, they landed on an arc that felt right for Magneto to become a follower of Apocalypse. Said Kinberg:

That was the first person that we decided would be an interesting Horseman, and then, truly, we just kinda sat there, the way anybody would whether you were in a role playing game or a video game or, you know, doing fan-fiction, and it was like, 'Who are the coolest characters you wanna see and who are interesting combinations with one another and who are interesting foils for the heroes of the movie?'

Ahead of X-Men: Apocalypse’s premiere on May 27, we compiled a guide to these Four Horsemen straight from the actor’s themselves on the film’s Toronto sets. 

Magneto

It’s 1983, about 10 years since the events of Days of Future Past, and Magneto has disappeared. "I start off in Poland for Erik, and he’s basically living a normal life, has a family, has fallen in love," Fassbender said. "He doesn’t use his powers, has left that life behind and lives a very sort of simple life." 

In the comics, Madga is the mother of Erik’s children (you might know them as Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver), but in Apocalypse it seems she’ll feature as his new love in Europe. Erik’s goal is to provide for his new family, which involves working at a steel mill, somewhere Fassbender said he can use his powers but in a way similar to penance. Staying out of the spotlight doesn’t mean he’s at peace.

"For Magneto, he’s somebody who’s been injured, somebody who’s had all of his loved ones taken away from him and is someone who is quite singular in his thoughts," Fassbender explained, referring primarily to the concentration camp that killed his family. Once again, he’ll have something else taken away from him, and that’s when Apocalypse comes into the picture. The actor continued, 

At that moment when things are being taken away from him again in Poland, it’s almost like he’s looking for an answer or he’s challenging God. It’s like, 'What do you want from me ‘cause I tried everything? I’ve tried to lead a good life. I’ve tried to do it correctly, whatever that is, and now you do this to me. So what is it that you want?'

Magneto, having been a leader and a lone wolf, but never a follower, sees Apocalypse as a God-like being who will fulfill everything he couldn’t. Fassbender, Kinberg, and Singer compared the relationship to a cult in which Apocalypse, the leader, finds Erik at his lowest point and persuades him to join his plan of "judgement," which is something he does with each of his Horsemen. 

I think that’s the sort of classic thing, you know, of any sort of megalomaniac, there are huge contradictions and hypocrisies within it. It’s almost like some of the worst dictators start off as complete idealists and that almost makes them more extreme in their dictatorship later, and what Apocalypse is doing is echoing that. But, for him at that point, I think it’s just about, Okay, I’m going to bring as much pain to the human race as they’ve brought me and, basically, wipe them out once and for all.

Now Mark Ruffalo, An Oscar Nominee, Is Considering Skipping The Oscars Over Diversity Issue

 The lack of diversity in the Academy Award nominations has set off a wave of different responses across Hollywood. Some have made the decision not to attend the awards show due to the lack of nominations for black actors. Now, at least one of the white actors who did receive a nomination is considering staying home as a show of support.

Mark Ruffalo, nominated for Best Supporting Actor for Spotlight, made it clear in a recent interview that the issues that he believes the Academy has with diversity are actually part of a much larger problem within American culture. Still, he told the BBCthat he may not attend the awards show because he feels showing support for the issue is important. 

I’m weighing it, that’s where I’m at right now. I woke up in the morning thinking, 'What is the right way to do this?' Because if you look at Martin Luther King's legacy, what he was saying was that the good people who don’t act are much worse than the wrongdoers who are purposefully not acting and don’t know the right way.

All twenty of the nominees for acting awards across the four main Oscar categories for performance are white. This is the second year in a row where that has been the case. This has led to some very vocal criticism from different corners of Hollywood.Jada Pinkett Smith has called for people of color to boycott the awards. Spike Lee, who received an honorary Oscar from the Academy in November, and was most certainly going to recognize him during the ceremony, has made it clear he will not be attending, though he has stopped short of asking others to follow suit. 

Mark Ruffalo obviously feels very strongly about this issue. It seems clear that he feels a need to do something to show support for this issue that he agrees with. Whether or not that will take the form of not attending the awards, he has not yet decided. Ruffalo qualifies as a voting member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, as he’s been nominated for the award in the past. His response is a very different one from other members of the Academy who recently came forward to dispute any accusations of racism made against them. Many have stated that they did, in fact, attempt to nominate black actors, and that the competitive nature of the nominations is what kept these nominees out.

With just over a month to go before the awards ceremony, there will obviously be much more going on with this topic. It seems clear that a number of people will not be attending the awards. If many of the nominees themselves make that decision, it could make for a very interesting telecast.