The movie gods are smiling upon us today, as we have a two-fer-one deal on silver screen coverage.
AOL Entertainment’s Canadian division has news of James Preston Rogers’ screen ambitions. Who? Well, take a look here — he’s apparently running against the likes of Brad Pitt, Gerard Butler, and Viggo Mortensen for playing the Mighty Thor!
A 6’6” former wrestler from Canada, I can’t look at this guy without thinking of Mickey Rourke. You can imagine Rogers a little bit better (maybe) if you watch this. Or maybe not.
And in other news — Entertainment Weekly has reported that none other than Scarlett Johansson is in discussions to play the Black Widow in Iron Man 2. Now, I love Emily Blunt as much as the next guy (she is great in the upcoming Sunshine Cleaning), but if Scarlett takes the part, it is going to be Heath Ledger-style anticipation for the next Iron flick. Of course, in totally useless trivia, if Johansson is cast as the Black Widow, hers will be a Marvel movie household, as her husband, Ryan Reynolds, is playing Deadpool in the upcoming X-Men Origins: Wolverine film.
February 16th, 2009 at 11:42 pm
“Heath Ledger-style anticipation”?!?
Are you joking?
Sure the little chubster’s got some nice cans, but that’s pretty much it. IMAO, her acting’s been going downhill since “Lost in Translation”.
I don’t imagine the Widow role being as major as the Joker. I don’t see the anticipation being all that great except for fanboys drooling at the sight of her cleavage…
February 17th, 2009 at 1:14 am
The idea of Scarlett Johansson as the Black Widow doesn’t really excite me, especially after The Spirit.
February 17th, 2009 at 1:17 am
Scarlett Johansson “actress”actually is a clone from original person,who has nothing with acting career.Clone was created illegally using stolen biomaterial.Original Scarlett Galabekian last name is nice, CHRISTIAN young lady.Original family didn’t authorize any activity with stolen biomaterials,no matter what form it was created in,it’s all need to be back to original family control in Cedars-Sinai MedicalCenter in LA.Controlling clones is US military operation.Original Scarlett never was engaged,by the way
February 17th, 2009 at 2:57 am
“Heath Ledger-style anticipation”? Really? For ScarJo? Maybe if she’s gonna bet butt-nekkid, but otherwise, get real. ScarJo is NOT a good actress. Other than Lost In Translation, name one other movie in the last 5 years that’s had buzz about ScarJo’s acting performance. Her hooters? Yes. Her acting? Not so much. And frankly I’m insulted on the late Heath Ledger’s behalf that you’d compare his work in The Dark Knight to anything even remotely related to Scarlett Frigging Johannson!
February 17th, 2009 at 5:33 am
I’d rather have Emily Blunt, Eliza Dushku (who no one would have high expectations for) or someone else entirely for the Black Widow. Maybe that one woman from Goldeneye? (Not Famke Janssen, the other one-forget her name.)
As for the wannabe Thor? I think it could work out. He hasn’t done much so he isn’t really well known, and that means none of the baggage that would come from a “name” like Brad Pitt. Plus if it has to be a wrestler, I’d rather it be a wrestler that practically no one has ever heard of.
February 17th, 2009 at 8:58 am
@Lisa: Your opinion is perfectly valid, but I will probably agree to disagree. Since 2003, I liked Scarlett in Lost in Translation, Match Point, and Vicky Christina Barcelona. (She also got some buzz for Girl with a Pearl Earring, which I haven’t seen.) And remember that while Heath Ledger did awesome movies like the Dark Knight and Brokeback Mountain, he also did stinkers like Casanova and the Brothers Grimm. But great feedback, everybody!
February 17th, 2009 at 9:16 am
I think if they cast Johansson in IM2, yeah, there will be a lot, LOT of buzz and anticipation around the film, which is a large part of the reason you cast someone like her in a film in the first place.
That said, it will be interesting to see what pans out after the money issues that Rourke and Samuel L. Jackson raised. Marvel Films is needing to make sure that they see a very large return on their investment in any casting, which means they need to drive as many, or preferably more, people to see IM2 (which will be more expensive to produce) than saw the first film.
February 17th, 2009 at 9:50 am
Yeah she’s hot, but they could find someone better. I hope IM2 doesn’t get too caught up in big names that they start miscasting
February 17th, 2009 at 10:01 am
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Not suited for this role at all
February 17th, 2009 at 10:02 am
“A 6′6” former wrestler from Canada, I can’t look at this guy without thinking of Mickey Rourke.” Um….you do realize that sentence indicates YOU are a 6’6″ former wrestler from Canada, not Mickey Rourke, right?
In any case, I just can’t imagine the casting of Scarlett Johansson even remotely generating the kind of buzz Heath Ledger generated–with all due respect, that’s a huge hyperbole.
February 17th, 2009 at 10:17 am
when I heard the Johansson rumor, my interest in this film dropped dramatically. I hope that’s all it is, a rumor.
February 17th, 2009 at 10:19 am
the heath ledger buzz didn’t really start up until after the first teaser
February 17th, 2009 at 10:21 am
They really should just get Famke Janssen to play The Black Widow. It just makes the most sense. She’s around the same age as Robert Downy Jr, and she’s phyne as HELL! She’ll always be sexy. And hell, it would be far more believable than anybody else they try to pick
February 17th, 2009 at 10:27 am
john Says:
February 16th, 2009 at 11:42 pm
“Heath Ledger-style anticipation”?!?
Are you joking?
Sure the little chubster’s got some nice cans, but that’s pretty much it. IMAO, her acting’s been going downhill since “Lost in Translation”.
I don’t imagine the Widow role being as major as the Joker. I don’t see the anticipation being all that great except for fanboys drooling at the sight of her cleavage…
This has to be the most corny whiteboy type of response I have read in a while “chubster” “cans” Are you this much of a loser in your social life??
February 17th, 2009 at 10:34 am
ScarJo is easy on the eyes. But in no way is her casting in any role going to attract the kind of attention Ledger did as the Joker. You lose all drecibility with a statement like this. It’s not even a reflection of the quality of the actors. Ledger’s death made Dark Knight into something bigger than a movie. It’s tragic, but it’s true. This is roughly equivalent to Jennifer Garner being cast as Elektra.
February 17th, 2009 at 10:35 am
The Guy who wants the Thor role seems to have a good attitude, looks the part and has a good voice. Sadly these qualities are not enough to land him the role. Thor is a hard character to cast. The decision isn’t up to us. Best of luck to him. I do think since he’s an “unknown” he should remain unknown. Part of the charm of an unknown is the studio introducing the actor to the larger populace. The way Warner did with Routh in Superman Returns. This guy needs to lay low and send his vids to Marvel Studios. He could also take a page from Elijah Woods book and use do a SERIOUS recording of himself as Thor using a passage from the comics as a monologue and sending that footage to Marvel. Elijah did that for LOTR.
As for Scar Jo as Black Widow? She has would be an amalgam of both incarnations. I’m partial to the original and would like to see someone along the lines of Famke Jensen in the role. Scar Jo isn’t “femme fatale” enough for me. She will be hot in the costume though.
February 17th, 2009 at 10:44 am
@Didio: You found me out! I really am a 6’6” former wrestler from Canada! Back into Witness Protection I go!
February 17th, 2009 at 10:48 am
>>You lose all drecibility with a statement like this. <<
Nonsense – David has loads of drecibility by saying that, as he was talking about the relative anticipation based on the actors. There was strong buzz (mingled with skepticism) when Ledger was announced as the Joker, but as others have pointed out, Ledger’s performance became a phenomenon when the first clips came out, and then went stratospheric after his death and the movie’s release. David wasn’t talking about that – he was talking about the relative anticipation Legder had when his casting was announced.
For being a 6’6″ former wrestler, David has plenty of drecibility .
February 17th, 2009 at 10:50 am
The news of Scarlett playing Black Widow doesn’t move me in the least. But then how many people thought Robert Downey Jr was right to play Tony Stark waaaayyyy back when?
February 17th, 2009 at 10:55 am
I think Scarlett would be a good Black Widow,she’s a solid actress that people love. Now if we can only get Kurt Russell to replace sam jackson as Nick Fury then this movie would rule. Viggo or this James guy would be a good Thor,and hopefully they’ll get Pitt to play Captain America.
February 17th, 2009 at 11:11 am
“but if Scarlett takes the part, it is going to be Heath Ledger-style anticipation for the next Iron flick.”
Who are you trying to hype? Have you seen the spirit? Give me a break.
February 17th, 2009 at 11:24 am
I would like to know more of this world where the casting of Scarlett Johannson as a sexy super-spy in a sequel to one of the most popular movies of 2008 wouldn’t ignite a media frenzy among the tabloid shows and anticipation among fans akin to that which was seen when Heath Ledger was cast as the Joker. I would like to visit it sometime it sounds more mellow than the one we live on.
February 17th, 2009 at 11:40 am
Not Scarlett! Emily Blunt should the Black Widow! I can totally picture her with the red hair and skinsuit. As for Thor, I got to go for Viggo Mortensen or Karl Urban. For pulling off a big movie as Thor, I’m not too confident in this unknown, wrestler/actor.
February 17th, 2009 at 11:49 am
Why would being more excited about Ledger being cast as the Joker than Johannson being cast as the Black Widow make that alternate world “more mellow”? Maybe it’s a world in which “who will they get to play the Joker” is a question that’s been debated for years, ever since the announcement of the first movie in the series – and no one has ever wondered who will play the Black Widow. A world in which the premier actor of a previous generation had delivered an acclaimed performance that stole the show, during a previous incarnation of the Batman film series… and no one even knows who the Black Widow is.
Sounds like a world not unlike our own!
February 17th, 2009 at 11:55 am
“drecibility” was obviously a typo. Unfortunately, the website doesn’t allow me to go back and edit or I would have fixed this shortly after hitting submit.
Here is the quote:
“If Scarlett takes the part, it is going to be Heath Ledger-style anticipation for the next Iron flick.”
The announcement that Ledger got the role of the Joker created virtually no anticipation. In fact, the news wasn’t all that well received by a lot fans. If that’s what the author was trying to imply, then I apologize. The announcement of ScarJo as Black Widow will probably have a similar reaction.
I read the statement to imply that casting ScarJo as Black Widow would make Iron Man 2 an event the way Dark Knight was. And that’s just silly. I can’t think of a single actress who could create that kind of buzz.
Really, does anyone care all that much who plays Black Widow?
February 17th, 2009 at 12:00 pm
>>A world in which the premier actor of a previous generation had delivered an acclaimed performance that stole the show, during a previous incarnation of the Batman film series… and no one even knows who the Black Widow is.<<
Thanks for taking steps to prove my point – I think it’s a stretch to say that many people saw Ledger as “the premier actor” prior to Dark Knight. He was good, yes, but “premier?” Not so much – as people who made the cracks about “Brokeback Gotham” and pointed to “A Knights Tale” and winced made clear. Yes, there was interest and anticipation, but it was because he was cast as a famous character, not because Heath Ledger was going to deliver an Oscar-worthy performance in the sequel to a moderately well-received Batman movie. Ledger’s performance became the phenomenon after the first drips and drabs started showing up.
Johannson is a much higher-profile star than Ledger was. She makes news for doing nothing – or showing up. While it’s the opposite of the Ledger/Joker dynamic (that is, as you pointed out for me, Johannson is bigger than the character), it’s perfectly reasonable to say that Iron Man 2/Johansson will enjoy a nice buzz bump with her casting, one that would be equivalent to the news that Ledger was cast as the Joker.
February 17th, 2009 at 12:06 pm
>>Really, does anyone care all that much who plays Black Widow?<<
Probably not, and that’s a problem (IMO) with casting an A-list (in acclaim, attention) actress. Will people be coming to see Iron Man 2 because it has the Black Widow in it? Nope. Will they becoming to see it because it has Scarlet Johansson in it playing Robert Downey Jr’s sultry, smoldering (and with a Russian accent!) love interest? You bet. Who has the advantage at the bargaining table, between Johansson and a (to date) relatively stingy Marvel? Johansson. Add her fee to Downey’s increase, Favreau’s increase, the more expensive effects costs, and the picture really gets interesting.
February 17th, 2009 at 12:14 pm
“Will they becoming to see it because it has Scarlet Johansson in it playing Robert Downey Jr’s sultry, smoldering (and with a Russian accent!) love interest? You bet.”
I doubt she’ll bring in significantly more ticket buyers than any other actress who could fill the role. The franchise is the star here. Whoever is cast in the part is going to have as much impact on the bottom line as Gweneth Paltrow did for the first movie.
You guys are overstating the hype factor here. Let’s not forget that ScarJo’s last comic-themed movie was the bomb of the holiday season.
February 17th, 2009 at 12:23 pm
>>Let’s not forget that ScarJo’s last comic-themed movie was the bomb of the holiday season<<
You really think that the movie-going public:
1) Knew The Spirit was based on a comic?
2) Will ignore the fact that Iron Man was, well, pretty good.
3) If they know #1 will think, “Well, The Spirit was a movie based on a comic book, and it stunk, so by my logic, any later comic book movie she is in will stink also”?
And my point above was that people would be more interested in Scarlett Johansson being in the movie rather than who she was playing, not that she would bring in more than someone else, although I think she will put a few more butts in seats over Emily Blunt would, but that’s just a guess.
And I don’t think that David was overstating anything – “Scarlett Johansson to Star in Iron Man 2″ will most likely result in just as much buzz and anticipation as “Heath Ledger to Play Joker in The Dark Knight.” That’s what was said initially, and if you don’t agree with it, that’s cool. We just disagree.
February 17th, 2009 at 12:30 pm
I’m just trying to figure out exactly what the frik Serge was talking about. Was it intended as a joke, or is he just completely mentally insane??
At any rate, you may or may not have liked the Spirit, but seeing Scarlett Johannsen in that role made me just do a HOMMINA HOMMINA HOMMINA!!! I hate Nazis and everything they stand for, but if she were at a Nazi rally wearing that outfit, I would have signed up right away! Yes, I’m that fickle and hard up! I think she could do a decent job as the Black Widow. It wouldn’t be the worst thing I’ve seen on a silver screen. That honor goes to Joel Schumacher’s insult that is “Batman and Robin”.
February 17th, 2009 at 12:32 pm
You know, I had an issue with this casting at first, mostly due to the age difference between her and the rest of the cast. I actually wrote out some huge post here about how her being half the age of the other actors would stick out and about how Johansson was only five years old during the fall of the Soviet Union. But after reading up on Black Widow, her origin specifically includes a slowed age, so I think I’m behind her now.
I mean, she’s a competent actress who looks great with red hair (see Ghost World) and her deep voice mixed with a Russian accent would be enough to make even my gay pants rise.
She’s going to cost money though, but I can see no reason why Marvel wouldn’t pay up. The first one was a runaway hit without even trying and people will flock to see the sequel, even if it was just two hours of Robert Downey Jr working on his suit and being sassy.But now that they’re lining up some top calibur actors, there’s no way this film isn’t going to bring home a pornographic amount of money.
We just have to hope it doesn’t suck.
February 17th, 2009 at 12:39 pm
Eliza Dushku wants the role and speaks Russian, give it to her!
February 17th, 2009 at 12:54 pm
for some reason i though milla jovovich was in the running for black widow? did i imagine that? seems like a pretty good fit to me…
February 17th, 2009 at 1:11 pm
Scarlett seems a little too young to play an experience spy like the Black Widow. Plus I would prefer if an European actress would be cast.
February 17th, 2009 at 1:24 pm
I nominate “drecibility” as the next “pwned.”
February 17th, 2009 at 1:42 pm
I’m sure she could do a good job. I think she’s been good in almost everything I’ve seen her in, and since she doesn’t look half bad as a non-blonde, sign her up. Let’s remember practically no one was happy with Ledger getting that role to start with. It was only after the buzz starting coming out and his tragic death that people really started anticipating his performance.
February 17th, 2009 at 1:59 pm
# RichYan33 Says:
February 17th, 2009 at 10:50 am
The news of Scarlett playing Black Widow doesn’t move me in the least. But then how many people thought Robert Downey Jr was right to play Tony Stark waaaayyyy back when?
_________________________________________________________
Uh, a LOT of people.
February 17th, 2009 at 2:44 pm
I think Scarlett Johannson as the Black Widow sounds awesome. To say shes not a great actress is matter of opinion. I happen to think shes brilliant in many movies like Girl with the Pearl Earring, The Island, Vikki Cristina Barcelona, and other movies. And this guy as Thor? His head is massive and the hairdo look like he came out of an 80s hair band. I’d rather see a proven actor take the serious role of Thor. Lets stop playing games here, do we really want another Superman Returns with an unknown playing a lead character role? Hell no. I nominate Brad Pitt. Hes perfect as either Captain America or Thor after his performance as Achilles in Troy. Oh and the Black Widow better have red hair.
February 17th, 2009 at 2:50 pm
So are you predicting that ScarJo is going to commit suicide after filming this?
…that is the only reason that there was so much buzz around Dark Knight on his performance before the film.
February 17th, 2009 at 3:00 pm
>>…that is the only reason that there was so much buzz around Dark Knight on his performance before the film.<<
Were people saying that Ledger was going to commit suicide when the news that he got the role? I feel like I am so out of it, because I missed that.
February 17th, 2009 at 3:18 pm
“And I don’t think that David was overstating anything – “Scarlett Johansson to Star in Iron Man 2″ will most likely result in just as much buzz and anticipation as “Heath Ledger to Play Joker in The Dark Knight.” That’s what was said initially, and if you don’t agree with it, that’s cool. We just disagree.”
Well, I actually do agree with that point. But it is highly misleading. Because in the time that followed the announcement of Heath Ledger as the Joker, there has been a ton of buzz. I can not think of another performance that has gotten so much buzz in recent memory. People tend to forget that the original announcement was kind of a non-starter.
Also, I don’t believe that this is what he meant. There was little to no buzz about Heath Ledger at the time of his announcement as the Joker. So “Heath Ledger” buzz would not be a good thing as the author seems to be suggesting.
It seems to me that someone is just overly excited about a chesty blonde in a leather outfit and lost all perspective.
February 17th, 2009 at 3:59 pm
Since WHEN did Ledger commit suicide?? It was an ACCIDENT!!!
February 17th, 2009 at 4:26 pm
Johansson is a pretty weak actress. She always plays the same character. She could never pull off an accent and be anything more than nice breasts.
February 17th, 2009 at 4:55 pm
Matt:
>>A world in which the premier actor of a previous generation had delivered an acclaimed performance that stole the show, during a previous incarnation of the Batman film series… and no one even knows who the Black Widow is.<<
Thanks for taking steps to prove my point – I think it’s a stretch to say that many people saw Ledger as “the premier actor” prior to Dark Knight.
********
I was talking about Jack Nicholson, Matt. Nicholson’s performance had – during that previous incarnation of the Batman series – made the role an important part of the mythos, even in the minds of people who never read comic books. Nobody knows or cares who the Black Widow is yet. When BATMAN BEGINS was announced, people wondered who would play the Joker with the same breath that they asked who would have the title role. At the end of BATMAN BEGINS, the filmmakers teased a Joker appearance in the next film. At the end of IRON MAN, no one knew there would be a Black Widow in the next film, or had any idea who the character was. How could the interest in these two announcements be anywhere on the same level? I’m not knocking Johansson by saying this.
You really thought I was anointing Ledger as the “premiere actor of his generation”?
February 17th, 2009 at 5:20 pm
I think its common misconception that beautiful women can’t act, and their on-screen presence is merely window dressing. Charlize Theron proved that theory wrong. I do believe Scarlett Johansson is a much better actress than people are giving her. She’s been in a number of films that are vastly different genres from Match Point to The Other Boleyn Girl. She’s not a character actor like Robert De Niro who seems goombah-like in every role he’s in. She’s shown tremendous amount of range and flexibility to her characters.
With that said I’m more than willing to give her the benefit of doubt in playing a Russian spy.
February 17th, 2009 at 6:58 pm
I must be the only person who loved her in The Spirit. I don’t know if she’s right for this role, but that really showed off her range…I say give her a shot. (Also she’s totally hot.)
February 17th, 2009 at 7:04 pm
Well, I’m excited about the prospect of Scarlet as The Black Widow.
To me, that’s a much bigger deal than Heath Ledger was as The Joker but then, I’m more of a Marvel guy anyway.
February 17th, 2009 at 8:20 pm
“TimberBear Says:
February 17th, 2009 at 12:54 pm
for some reason i though milla jovovich was in the running for black widow? did i imagine that? seems like a pretty good fit to me…”
Probably one of the better suggestions I’ve heard here. She has that hard edge that a superspy might have. I don’t know if she’s got the sultry though.
February 17th, 2009 at 10:29 pm
I’m alright with tight leather Scarlett.
February 18th, 2009 at 12:06 am
So what if ScarJo has done a few movies that were less than great? In the movies that actually had good scripts, she was awesome in. Since Iron Man and Tropic Thunder came out everyone has forgotten that RDJ did the Shaggy Dog with Tim Allen, where he went and fetched a billy club towards the end of the movie. Just because an actor or actress has a movie or two that is less than great doesn’t mean they’ve lost it. They live expensive lifestyles and every now and again have to take on a role that is less than Oscar worthy.
The tall guy? Man he looks like Thor and would let Marvel cast a 6’2″ as Captain America and not have him taller than Thor. Don’t know if he can act or not but he looks the part.
February 18th, 2009 at 4:46 am
It’s the sequel to a 400 million blockbuster. Any news on it is ‘buzzworthy’!
February 18th, 2009 at 5:36 pm
So they (Marvel) can´t afford to pay Terence Howard, Samuel L. Jackson and Mickey Rourke for Iron Man 2 but they want Scarlet Johansen to play in this? That´s up with that?
However the guy above is quite an inspired choice for Thor, he seem to be a cool guy, looks pretty much like the Ultimate-Thor and will surely be cheaper than one of the big moviestars to cast for this and upcoming sequels.
February 23rd, 2009 at 12:19 pm
I agree with the Emily Blunt choice but I’d personally pick someone russian like Milla Jovovich to play the Black Widow.
If they’re only picking Scarlett Johansen because of her sensuality…
Christina Hendricks should be the top choice! She’s way hotter than Scarlett.
January 17th, 2011 at 4:11 pm
Last day we have discussed about this with 1 of dudes. info that you gave cleared our questions.