The Science channel’s BrowncoatsUnite special, which reunited all the cast, revealed something more than reminiscing. Firefly flew onto our screens in 2002, but was sadly shot down after only one season. Joss Whedon, the man behind TheAvengers and BuffytheVampireSlayer created the show, but could not convince Fox to keep it on the air, though he was able to tie up the series in a feature film called Serenity which came out in 2005. Aside from the odd graphic novel or two, fans have suffered from a severe case of Firefly withdrawal. So the release of three deleted clips are a breath of fresh air for us suffocating fans.
The first two scenes are titled You never leave Serenity and Extraction, and both give us more details on the history of the ship Serenity, as well as the battle of Serenity for which it was named. These are quite dark shorts and show the brutality Mal (Nathan Fillion) and Zoe (Gina Torre) suffered through in the battle. It also explains Mal’s devotion to his ship and crew.
The last clip is a more humorous piece titled Women Trouble, where River tries to get Shepherd Book to marry her and her brother together! It also has a young Christina Hendricks from MadMen fame who gets some tough love from Mal.
These clips are not the new series that Firefly fans truly crave, but these brief scenes arethe best we are going to get for now in regards to new content. They are great extras which help to add a little more depth to an already incredible series.
We reported on the announcement that nerd king Joss Whedon would be crafting a new Marvel TV series based off of the super spy organization S.H.I.E.L.D. which you can check out here. ABC ordered the pilot, and there has been a bit of news dropped since then that it’s time for us to take a look at. Because right now as we wait for Marvel’s Phase 2 to come out I need to fill my head with anything Marvel related that I can. Which means you are coming along for the ride as I wildly speculate on where this show could be going.
Last night, if you weren’t distracted by baseball or football, you might have heard something from the northeastern part of this great country that sounded a little bit like the shriek of a schoolgirl.
Actually, it was a shriek, from not schoolgirls, but rather fangirls. And fanboys. And just fans in general. Why would millions of fans squeal in communal delight? The answer is simple:
That’s right friends and neighbors, the fan favorite, Agent Phil Coulson has become the first confirmed member of Joss Whedon’s upcoming ABC pilot, S.H.I.E.L.D.
The reaction to Agent Coulson’s death in The Avengers was one of heartbreak. All around the world people huddled together in comfort for the loss of a character who was beloved from his first appearance in 2008’s Iron Man. He was probably most loved by the man who portrayed him, Clark Gregg. Gregg is a self-professed geek and lover of comics and of course, Agent Coulson. So you can only imagine how it felt to sit at the Marvel panel during the New York Comic-Con and watch an “In Memoriam” tribute video to the character. Reports are that Gregg was actually moved to tears. Can’t say that I blame him.
A video of Joss Whedon started playing, saying that they had always wanted Gregg as “part of the Marvel Universe… even after his death,” and as if sent by the angels himself, Kevin Feige entered, wearing a shirt that read “Coulson Lives” and announced that Gregg would indeed be reprising the role of Agent Coulson in S.H.I.E.L.D.
Why is this such big news? Well it’s always fun to hear about our favorite characters that we all believe have died, only for them to come back to life, or find out they never died in the first place. But I think with Coulson it’s a little bit more than that. I think it’s because he is one of us. He’s a fan. Watching him meet Captain America and having that awestruck look on his face, I don’t think there’s many people who, when meeting their heroes, wouldn’t have the same reaction. Then to watch him “die” trying to protect his hero and company, I mean come on, who wouldn’t want to go out like that?
On top of that, after the massive success of The Avengers with Joss Whedon at the helm, it is exciting just to hear any news about the new show. Geeks have experienced both the highs and the lows of Whedon television shows. On one hand you’ve got the success of Buffy the Vampire Slayerand Angel, on the other hand you’ve got the great losses of Dollhouse and of course, Firefly. So when news comes out like this, a major character in a wildly successful movie blockbuster is part of the cast of the TV show, we just hold our breaths and hope that it’s enough to convince the network to stick with it.
So there you have it- Agent Coulson lives to see another day. Are you excited as I am?
In the world of film and television, there’s a lot of BS going on in regards to female characters, and usually the term BS implies that you’re dealing with people you’d rather avoid if at all possible. Take one BS-er for example: Bella Swan. Many girls adore her story, torn between the affections of a shirtless stalker like dog boy and the glorious sparkly immortal who broods all day because he is just to deep for words – but those of us with more developed brains tend to hate her lack of gumption. There’s one BS-er though, who has consistently earned our attention and admiration, and that is one Ms. Buffy Summers. Resident of southern California, high school cheerleader, and slayer of vampires – among other things the go bump in the night. The character of Buffy was invented by God’s gift to Hollywood, Joss Whedon. She first appeared in a 1992 movie called Buffy the Vampire Slayer starring Kristy Swanson; it was a comedic action film that didn’t really do Buffy the dark justice that Whedon had originally intended for her.
Welcome back to the Hero Express, your one-stop sometimes SPOILER filled shop through the top five stories in comic based Film & TV news!
Chris Hemsworth & Jaimie Alexander on set of Thor 2: The Dark World!
When I first heard that Alan Taylor (Game Of Thrones, Rome) was going to direct Thor: The Dark World I like many others were hoping that he would add some of the realism of his previous work to the project. The images below do not disappoint, and coincides with Alan Taylor’s previous thoughts on a “more tangible” and “more organic feel” for Asgard. These set pics certainly show a part of the grand scale he is going for.
There are a lot more images in the slideshow at the bottom of the page.. We also have the official plot description for Thor: The Dark World:
Exploring Thor’s relationship with the Asgardian all-father Odin, as well earthbound companion Jane Foster, “Thor: The Dark World” follows the God of Thunder to The Nine Realms beyond Asgard and earth. And as his evil half-brother, Loki, returns for Asgardian justice, a new threat rises. Also rejoining Thor are his fellow Asgardians, Lady Sif, gatekeeper Heimdall and Warriors Three, as they encounter mythical Norse creatures among evildoers.
“Thor: The Dark World” stars Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Anthony Hopkins, Tom Hiddleston, Idris Elba, Christopher Eccleston, Jaimie Alexander, Zachary Levi, Tadanobu Asano, Stellan Skarsgard, Ray Stevenson, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Rene Russo, with Alice Krige & Kat Dennings. And Alan Taylor (“Game of Thrones”) takes over directorial duties from Kenneth Branagh, who helmed the first “Thor” film. From a screenplay by Don Payne and Robert Rodat, “Thor: The Dark World” is set for release on November 8, 2013.
Drew Goddard Wants a Marvel Movie… But Who Doesn’t?
The Cabin in the Woods director has recently shown interest in directing a Marvel film if the opportunity arises. This isn’t necessarily the most shocking news because I and every other nerd around would kill for that opportunity. But considering some of his powerful friends (Damon Lindelof, J.J. Abrams, Spielberg, Joss Whedon) and the success of this years The Cabin in the Woods, his interest in a Marvel film could very easily turn into something serious.
“What Marvel character would I not love to get on? That’s an easier question to answer. I would love any of it and I love Marvel, Joss and what they’re doing. It’s all about finding the right fit. Directing…in order to do your job right, you have to find ways to make it personal, and if we can find the right fit, then I would love to do it.”
Thanos Confirmed For Guardians of the Galaxy and The Avengers 2
Filming on Iron Man 3 is underway and coming out next year, production on Thor: The Dark World has started filming in England as we just told you, and Captain America: The Winter Soldier is set to start production next March. That will mean Guardians of the Galaxy and The Avengers 2 will be the final two films of the Phase Two line-up. Edgar Wright’s Ant-Man should be able to come to production next year …hopefully.
This ugly mug above from what we can gather will be in both The Avengers 2 and Guardians of the Galaxy. Whether that is a small cameo or the main villain is yet to be revealed. My theory at this point is that Thanos will be a small cameo in GotG where we get a first taste of Marvel’s space opera which has been talked about in the Marvel Cinematic Universe before, but I think the main villain will be someone else. The Avengers 2 will probably have the big scary Thanos as a threat to be dealt with by Earths Mightiest Heroes. Just my theory as to what direction they will be taking the Phase Two and where Thanos will play into that.
Feige has all but said Thanos is in the movie.
Now we learn that not only will the Mad Titan Thanos be featured in the Guardians of the Galaxy movie — but The Avengers 2 as well.
We previously reported that Thanos creator Jim Starlin was in talks with Marvel about “something,” with it theorized that it was over the rights to Thanos.
Now, a Cosmic Book News regular, Armand Rock, has confirmed through Jim Starlin that Thanos will be in the Guardians of the Galaxy movie and The Avengers 2.
You know Max Landis, the Chronicle writer and son of the great John Landis (The guy who has done pretty much everything). It looks like he will be getting a new TV Show on Fox. Vigilant will also be produced by Howard Gordon (24, Homeland), and is a police drama featuring a crime fighting vigilante. On Monday, it was revealed that Fox has officially picked up the show.
The basic premise of Vigilant is this: a 20-year old, female “social outcast” becomes a vigilante in order to take down criminals and corrupt police officers. Before bringing up the failure that was The Cape, know that Landis doesn’t think of Vigilant as a superhero show. “Vigilant comes at the whole equation of what a “vigilante” in a very different way, the writer recently tweeted. “It has more in common with The Wire than Smallville.” Several tweets like the one quoted were posted by Landis in the wake of the Fox announcement hoping to convince everyone that his show won’t simply be a superhero tale.
I really liked Chronicle and the way Landis represented the human side of the character. I hope he brings this skill of character development to the small screen with him. The show has great potential but also comes with some competition this year from a couple of potential superhero based shows like Joss Whedon’s S.H.I.E.L.D. and FX’s long in production Powers. Then there is the fact that it is being produced by Fox, which I don’t have a problem with but I do worry that they may just cancel if it doesn’t instantly become a hit.
Kick Ass 2 Set Photos: Jim Carrey, Donald Faison, and Bad Touching?
Well, we have yet another anticipated super hero film with a butt load of Kick-Ass 2 set photos (Butt, ass…Okay, not my best work). But still we get to see the main cast and finally get to see what all the new additions look like. Noticeably we have Doctor Gravity, Mother Russia and Colonel Stars.
Why is Hit-Girl kissing Kick-Ass?Donald Faison as Doctor GravityOlga Kurkulina as Mother Russia
Here comes another noteworthy Fringe promo. They’re going full bore into preparing us for this whole flash forward thing they showed us last season, this time with a more viral video approach rather than a straight up preview. As we know, the Observers turned from an interesting story element of the mythology of the show, to the forefront of the threat to humanity as we know it. They have become the one, big bad, unifying thing that ties all of the “Fringe” events of Fringe all together in its entirety. The promo itself is fairly simple, with an Observer describing “Residency protocol”, which is just code for the installed curfews on us. He also frequently references “A scan”, which as we saw last season, is tantamount to a horrific psychically induced death, a la Scanners. In fact, assuming it’s intentional, I’m fairly positive it’s a reference to that film.
But of course they can’t show this on TV, but we all know that’s what they mean.
Here’s the promo:
I’m really antsy for this season to come already, as Fringe is a show that is truly unique. Never has a show gone from being truly awful, like it was in Season 1, to one of the best examples of Science Fiction in recent memory, and by far the best Sci-Fi show on television today. If you had asked me that the fifth season of this show would be as good as it is, and be where it is, in relation to the first season, I would have slapped you for trying to trick me into continuing to watch a terrible show. It took the coaxing of several friends repeatedly telling me “it gets better, it gets better, just watch it!”, to trudge all the way though the full first season. When I did, I got to that admittedly pretty clever and enticing last episode, which opened up the show in such a beautiful and revelatory way. It’s climb in quality since then has been exponential, and created some of the best hours of TV I’ve ever seen. Season 3’s “White Tulip“, featuring Peter Weller, also known as goddamned RoboCop, is an incredibly moving and brilliant time travel story that never manages to lose its emotional center, or get bogged down with technical minutiae. That episode alone puts Fringe up in the echelon of brilliant modern TV shows, alongside Battlestar Galactica, Lost, the first season of Heroes, Doctor Who, Carnivale, and even The X-Files.
The flash forward in this season isn’t exactly a new idea itself, as Joss Whedon’s Dollhouse employed the same tactic for its season finales, for both its seasons. Unfortunately, Dollhouse was a muddled, plodding, slow paced show that never found its footing, and meandered about for the whole first season until that decent finale. It’s a bummer that the finale, which might as well have been an entirely different show, was a much better show than Dollhouse ever was. Then Season 2 rolled around, and went back to the same boring, plodding pace, and that was enough for me. Fringe has taken the sudden flash forward concept and ran with it. What will happen to our Fringe team? What happened to Olivia in between now and then? And will the Observers be stopped? Will timelines be changed? Can they be changed? Is there truly no fate but what we make?
There’s even a few noticeable Easter eggs in the promo, that compelled me to grab screenshots for you to analyze and speculate further. Enjoy!
Grizzly Bomb 