With Marvel movies being all the rage (with the odd exception of DC’s Batman), it comes as no surprise that news — any news — of their upcoming movies is welcomed with open arms.

Subsequently, the internet has been rife with stories pertaining to the new synopsis for The First Avenger: Captain America.

Production Weekly provided the synopsis — read it here below — but not many people seem to have made the obvious jump to see where this movie will kick off with the Avengers movie [...]

It’s one of those things that, as a reporter — of any stripe — you have to grit your teeth and report regardless of whether you want too or not. Now personally, given that it managed to take top spot, I think it has garnered itself enough attention as it is (arguably, too much). But…

The top spot at the box office this past weekend goes to Beverly Hills Chihuahua. With $29 million in its coffers from its opening weekend, the Disney live-action animal comedy featuring voice talent from Drew Barrymore and George Lopez did OK for itself.

Dropping the one spot to accommodate the aforementioned movie (I’m not saying its name again) was Eagle Eye, which managed a respectable $17.7 million for its second weekend at cinemas. Third spot was handed over to another of the weekend’s newcomers, Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist, which raked in $12 million for Sony [...]

The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck Don Rosa’s tribute to a comic immortal, and to Carl Barks its creator. Make no mistake: this is an effort worthy of the Master.

Can Carl Barks be compared with Mark Twain? Obviously so, as they are both American literary geniuses. But perhaps comparisons are pointless; the sad truth is that while many U.S. citizens would know Mark Twain, very few would know much about Carl Barks.

Indeed it is probable that more would know about the creator of Scrooge McDuck in Europe, South America, and elsewhere. (Based on sales figures, it is estimated that some 25% of the population of Norway and Finland regularly read the comics of Carl Barks.)

From 1941 till 1966, Barks was the (uncredited) writer and artist behind the Disney Duck comics. Being uncredited, he was known by fans as ‘The Good Artist.’ During those years he invited a gallery of memorable characters, of which perhaps the greatest was Donald’s Uncle Scrooge.

The world’s richest man (OK! Duck), he dragged Donald, his nephews, Huey Dewey and Louie, into fantastic adventures in every corner of the earth [...]

The last few days have been nothing short of a bonanza of Marvel news.

Straight off the bat is the news that director and actor Kenneth Branagh is in line to possibly direct Thor. Director of movies such as Hamlet and Much Ado About Nothing, the Shakespearian director has also played memorable roles like Gilderoy Lockhart in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

Given his penchant for the work of Shakespeare, including a lot of work on stage, Branagh may just possibly be the best possible director to bring a character like Thor to the big screen.

Next in a string of interviews that are either finished, underway, or soon to be started, is Marvel’s very own, but not exclusive, Matt Fraction. Author of the popular Image comic book Casanova, and currently also writing The Uncanny X-Men and Invincible Iron Man for Marvel, Matt Fraction is a favorite among many Marvel fans. Make sure you check out his website for regular updates, and a bit of Matt Fraction randomness.

And now, on with the show.

Geeks of Doom: For the comic newbie, tell us who you are.

Matt Fraction: My name is Matt Fritchman. I write under the name “Matt Fraction.” Long, uninteresting story. I write the book Casanova, at Image Comics. I write Invincible Iron Man and The Uncanny X-Men, and I co-write Punisher War Journal with Rick Remender at Marvel Comics.

For the love of all that is holy, thank GOODNESS, it finally happened, a movie that I am vaguely interested in (now that I think about it) finally took number one away from the tripe that has been rolled out recently, and managed to do so with a modest intake as well.

With a weekend gross of just under $30 million, Eagle Eye, starring Shia LaBeouf and Michelle Monaghan , took the number one spot. It’s the first time in seven weeks that a movie has made this much, since the third week of The Dark Knight.

Coming in at number two was another new release, Nights in Rodanthe, starring Richard Gere and Diane Lane. I know nothing about this movie, except that Gere is in it, which probably makes it a romance. However, though it might have scored number two, it did so with only $13.5 million.

Number three goes to last week’s number one, Lakeview Terrace, which managed $7 million even, ahead of another newbie, Fireproof, which took in $6.5 million [...]

Star of 10 seasons of Stargate SG-1 and two direct-to-DVD Stargate movies, Amanda Tapping is definitely one of geekdoms greatest stars. Spending a season on base at Stargate Atlantis, Tapping decided to then move on to her next project, a project she had started first on the internet.

Set almost entirely in front of virtual sets, the show stars Amanda Tapping as Dr. Helen Magnus, as she seeks out other mysterious creatures. Magnus is the first female doctor in the Royal College, her fiancé, played by Christopher Heyerdahl — also from Stargate Atlantis — manipulates time and space, allowing him to teleport. But each teleport trip manipulates his DNA, making him display more and more homicidal tendencies. He, of course, soon becomes known as Jack the Ripper [...]

It may almost seem a lame attempt at this point, hence why I didn’t name it so above, but this review really does continue my previous ‘Countdown to Clone Wars’ series of reviews. I could even get away with it, because The Clone Wars television series airs for the first time on Cartoon Network on October 3. But for the sake of my sanity, let us just call this a review.

But my thanks must first go to the fine folks at Dark Horse, who have graciously provided us with review material. I had hoped to provide you, the reader, with a look into the world of Star Wars Expanded Universe material. Sadly, that remained relegated to the books for a long time. But with the amount of Star Wars comics out there I felt I had to try and find a way to show them off as well.

And so, the first of three reviews, I’m going to be looking at Star Wars Rebellion [...]

It is one of those things in my life, like Star Trek: Deep Space 9, that I just missed out on. It wouldn’t have been for lack of trying or interest, it’s just I never knew about Y The Last Man, just as I didn’t know how great DS9 was until after it had finished. It’s definitely on my “to-buy” pile, and though I know the ending, I’m still really looking forward to reading it.

But it looks as if I’d better get my act together, because director D.J. Caruso said that he has just turned in a script to Warner Bros. for the film adaptation of the Brian K. Vaughan comic book series, and that he hopes it will be the next film he and WB/New Line does.

According to Caruso, Warner Bros. “would really, really like to have the movie in late 2010” and that it will be the first of three films. As to who would portray the characters, Caruso wants Shia LaBeouf for Yorick and is interested in Alicia Keys for 355 [...]

In a weekend that can only be described as “lackluster,” this week’s box office winner only walks away with the prize because, I feel, no one else really bothered to turn up to the party. Lakeview Terrace came away with the prize this week, which really just explains how bad this week must have been. A movie portraying Samuel L. Jackson as an overbearing cop hassling a pair of newlyweds (that’s all I know of the movie, by the way) should not have beaten out the animated feature Igor, but I’ll get to that in a minute.

With a whopping $15.6 million, Lakeview Terrace came out on top by a pretty clear margin too, considering the next closest entry was last week’s number one, Burn After Reading, which managed only $11.3 million this week. These were the only two movies to rake in over $10 million this weekend.

Number three goes to the Dane Cook/Kate Hudson comedy My Best Friend’s Girl, which managed only $8.3 million […]

It was, in my opinion, the best portrayal of a superhero this year, but it looks as if Marvel is once again going to shortchange actor Edward Norton. The man who played Bruce Banner, aka, The Hulk, in the incredibly (teehehe) successful The Incredible Hulk, has suggested that Marvel won’t have him back.

Norton said that “the minds of Marvel are sometimes opaque. I won’t say they’re obtuse, but I don’t have any idea what they want to do.” He also noted that he is being kept thoroughly in the dark concerning Marvel’s plans for him, and whether they will want him in The Avengers movie Marvel is planning.

They’ve got this notion of collecting the Marvel characters,” said Norton, who appeared a bit skeptical of Marvel’s ambitious plans for the project. “Who knows where they’ll go?”

If Marvel does anything to hurt the chances of Norton returning to reprise The Hulk, then not only me, but a bundle of other fans are going to be thoroughly upset […]

After weeks of lackluster box office performances, and new movies struggling to make it even into the top 5, the box office reports from this past weekend show a much happier tale. All four of the movies that opened this weekend (in more than a thousand cinemas) appeared in the top four and all earned over $10 million. A much better weekend for the box office, considering last week’s top earner managed only $7.7 million.

Taking the top spot was Burn After Reading, starring George Clooney, Frances McDormand, Brad Pitt, and John Malkovich coming in with $19.4 million. Tyler Perry’s The Family That Preys took second spot close behind Burn, with $18 million.

Third spot went to the movie I was anticipating for this weekend, the crime thriller starring Robert De Niro and Al Pacino, Righteous Kill, coming in with $16.5 million.

Fourth spot went to the comedy film The Women, with a cast of women so big it’s… baffling. With $10 million on opening weekend, it’s not bad…

I posited that, though she probably wouldn’t acquire her own movie, The Wasp was almost certainly going to appear in The Avengers movie that Marvel is promising. Janet Pym, née, Van Dyne, aka, the Wasp, was a founding member of the Avengers, and Ant-Man’s wife/ex-wife. So we could conceivably see her appear in the Ant-Man movie as well.

Now, thanks to Flawed Hollywood, a photo of Eva Longoria exiting the Marvel Comics offices on Friday, carrying a pile of reading material including an Avengers book, has got me very excited. (Check out the image here and click for larger view.)

A quick look at her face and you see Janet Pym immediately. I honestly don’t think they could have picked someone better for the Wasp if they tried.

Is she going to play the Wasp? I don’t know, but I would sure love to see her in that role.

This is the epitome of what we call cult reporting. I know that most of you do not give a rat’s ass for this news, but for some of us, this is really kind of exciting.

For anyone who has spent any amount of time watching Stargate, you will probably have come across the character Major Davis. A liaison from the Pentagon, the character was portrayed by Colin Cunningham, and became a very popular character, despite being nothing more than a recurring guest star.

However, according to GateWorld, Cunningham will be returning to the Stargate franchise for the series finale of Stargate Atlantis, which is scheduled to air in January 2009.

The episode, entitled “Enemy at the Gate,” is shrouded in mystery, not surprising, but will cap off 5 seasons worth of Atlantis and bridge the way for the recently announced movie…

Last we saw of Lucius Malfoy, he had been bested attempting to kill off Harry Potter and his cohorts by members of the Order of the Phoenix in the fifth cinematic adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s hugely popular books, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

And though this effectively rules Lucius Malfoy out of being in the sixth movie, Jason Isaacs will not be entirely absent.

Speaking to MTV recently, Isaacs, who plays Lucius Malfoy in the Harry Potter movies, revealed that his character would still be involved in Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince, though in a very small role.

I’m not [really] in the film [but] I did one day. I went in for a day,” Isaacs revealed to MTV News of a secret cameo he gets to make in the movie. “I’m a moving portrait on the wall.”

Isaacs is one of the few things that I really love about the movies, as he perfectly portrays Malfoy…

Like a weird mix between The Batman and The Incredibles, dropping down the recommended viewing age by 10 years, The Legion of Super-Heroes is surely a big hit with the kids. And starting out with volume 3 hasn’t seemed to leave me missing information or out of the loop.

Released on the 9th, Volume 3 continues the Legion’s adventures in the 31st century. With a young Superman in the lead, along with Brainiac-5, Volume 3 sees Bouncing Boy (why I’ve no idea), Phantom Girl, Saturn Girl, Lightning Lad, and Triplicate Girl battling to uphold the laws of the United Planets.

Collecting together 5 episodes from season 1, this is one of those releases that companies put out in an effort to get the most money out of us as possible. By the time the full season is released, most likely with special features lacking from this DVD, you’ll have collected up all these mini-collections and …

With a mediocre summer now behind them, Fox Studios are apparently planning a strategy meeting to assess the future of its superhero properties. Being the only studio not to have a movie gross over $100 million in the summer (its closest was What Happens in Vegas at $80.2), and with the superhero genre being the flavor of the month, it would seem like the wisest choice.

But Fox are coming up against a lot of opposition.

First of all is the lawsuit against Warner Bros., revolving around Fox’s attempt to halt the release of Watchmen next March. Fanboys and girls across the planet are threatening to boycott Fox films, such as the upcoming X-Men Origins: Wolverine, if Fox continue through with their threat.

But Fox has a much larger problem at hand. Whereas WB has the full DC catalog of stars available to them to make movies (granted, it’s not as if they’re doing anything with them), Fox has only a few properties, including the X-Men and Daredevil…

On Tuesday I received in my inbox an email asking me, “What is this mysterious image?” Marvel didn’t want to tell me much, only that I would have to wait for in-depth interviews “on all the major announcements being made” at Marvel’s “jaw-dropping presentation at the Diamond Retailer Summit.” Well, answers to the mysterious image, and more, have definitely got me excited.

First off, the image to the right is a teaser for the upcoming Marvel Noir. “The Marvel Universe meets Film Noir next year in three limited-series re-imagining Marvel’s most iconic characters in the 30′.” The three titles will be X-Men Noir, Spider-Man Noir, and Daredevil Noir.

“The Noir line came together in one of our editorial meetings,” explains Executive Editor Axel Alonso, who will also be helming Daredevil Noir. “We had a couple of promising pitches that re-imagined Marvel characters against a Noir backdrop so we figured why stop there? If you imagine an icon like Spider-Man or the X-Men or Daredevil as a product of the 30’s, the story possibilities are endless….”

When Marvel announced its plans for future movies, it wasn’t a big surprise to see Thor on the list. One of the original Avengers obviously made Thor a ripe choice for cinematic adaptation, so with writers and producers on board, all the movie needs now is a director.

Matthew Vaughn (Layer Cake, Stardust) had previously been attached to direct the flick, but was off the project after his holding deal expired this past December. But news out of IESB is suggesting that Eagle Eye helmer DJ Caruso might be up for the directorship.

IESB brought up the now-stereotypical question posed to directors these days, as to whether they would like to direct a superhero movie. Apparently Caruso was a fan of Thor when he was younger, and despite fears about which Thor story to tell, Caruso said he could see himself getting into directing the movie.

IESB: Have there been any talks with Marvel?
DJ Caruso: I have had some talks with Marvel about it but I have not seen a screenplay. It could be something that I am interested in…

When it comes to pure and unadulterated hatred, the MPAA ranks pretty high on my list (right next to the RIAA). Most of the time my ire is quirked by their dealings with DRM, permissions, and distribution. But this time, I’m sitting right next to John Moore, director of the upcoming Max Payne movie, in my hatred concerning their lack of consistency with movie ratings.

Moore has expressed his derision for the MPAA’s decision to give Max Payne an adults-only R-rating. Describing their decision as being part of what he calls “Batman blowback,” Moore says that the MPAA “gave The Dark Knight a PG-13 rating and basically sucked Warner Bros. cock.”

The MPAA changes their rules willy-nilly and it depends on who’s seeing your actual movie at the time. It’s very difficult to get a hold on what’s acceptable. The only thing you can use is current standards…