The Playlist

Discuss: Can Marvel Keep Lowballing Their Actors? 'The Avengers 2' Negotiations Get Heated

By Kevin Jagernauth
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May 7, 2013 6:36 PM
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14 Comments

News

As Marvel enters Phase Two of their cinematic universe, their business universe is also getting a bit of a shake up. No one could have really predicted that Phase One would end with the billion dollar earning "The Avengers," and that really changed the game. Wisely, Robert Downey Jr. had negotiated a deal for a cut of the profits which saw him pocket a cool $50 million. Not bad, right? Well, now imagine you're one of the actors that only got $200,000 for the movie. As you might guess, that is causing some serious friction as Marvel tries to lock everyone in for "The Avengers 2."

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Quicksilver & The Scarlet Witch Confirmed For 'The Avengers 2' (For Now)

By Kevin Jagernauth
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May 1, 2013 8:09 PM
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2 Comments

News

So, remember just over a week ago when Joss Whedon not-so-subtly teased that his script for "The Avengers 2" script contained, "two of my favorite characters from the comic book, a brother/sister act"? While he didn't come right out and say it, speculation centered on Quicksilver and The Scarlet Witch -- sibling twin superheroes -- that thanks to complicated rights issues, are able to be used by both Marvel and 20th Century Fox. And it looks like the guesswork was spot on.

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How Marvel's Movie Risks Paid Off & How The Studio System Could Stand To Pay Attention To Them

By Drew Taylor
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May 1, 2013 11:00 AM
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39 Comments

Features

In Steven Soderbergh's state of cinema address earlier this week, he remarked that, "Art is a very elegant problem solving model." He went on to describe his ideal model for a studio: "I think if I were going to run a studio I’d just be gathering the best filmmakers I could find and sort of let them do their thing within certain economic parameters." Now, the point of his impassioned address, which included such other applicable witticisms as "it's about horses, not races," is about what the studios should be doing versus what they are doing. But there is a studio that has followed his exact advice and it's not one you would expect: it's Marvel Studios.

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Coulson Lives In Lamest Way Possible In 'Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.'

By Drew Taylor
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April 29, 2013 2:50 PM
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16 Comments

Television

There's been a lot of speculation as to how Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg) would be brought back for the new ABC series set within the Marvel Universe, "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." The series, which is being spearheaded by "Avengers" director Joss Whedon, but has yet to get an official green light from the network, would revive the Coulson character, last seen with a giant fucking spear through his chest in "The Avengers," and focus on the super-spy organization he works for. Well, details on how he will be resurrected have been revealed (supposedly) and a spoiler warning should be issued, along with a "prepared to be incredibly disappointed" warning.

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Is Joss Whedon Teasing Quicksilver & The Scarlet Witch For 'The Avengers 2'?

By Kevin Jagernauth
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April 25, 2013 1:46 PM
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2 Comments

News

In case you missed the news earlier this week, Marvel has officially secured the rights to Daredevil after they lapsed at Fox, and with Phase Two now mapped out, could they be ready to unleash a whole new host of characters? We're mostly getting sequels for the next couple of years starting with "Iron Man 3," but the forthcoming "Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D." series and "Guardians of the Galaxy" certainly opens up the doors to see what other Marvel-verse characters can come out to play, and Joss Whedon is already teasing some new faces that might be appearing.

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Watch: New U.K. Trailer For Joss Whedon's 'Much Ado About Nothing'

By Kevin Jagernauth
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April 24, 2013 3:14 PM
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1 Comment

News

Joss Whedon's reputation is largely staked on his genre stuff from "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" to "Firefly" to, of course, "The Avengers" and his continued work in the Marvel universe. But it seems he's eager to prove he can do more than tell the stories of superheroes and the supernatural, and so he got some friends together and literally shot a movie in his backyard. The result? "Much Ado About Nothing."

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Watch: Marvel Phase Two Preview Teaser & 'Iron Man 3' TV Spot; 'The Avengers 2' Set To Shoot Early 2014

By Kevin Jagernauth
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April 2, 2013 11:27 AM
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0 Comments

News

Lots of little Marvel bits and bobs have emerged from the nerd Easter basket over the past day or two, so we've rounded them all up in one convenient spot for your edification. This is all pretty minor stuff, but nonetheless, Marvel-heads will probably want to give it a whirl.

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New 'Iron Man 3' Poster Is A Good Example Of Bad Photoshop, Kevin Feige Shares Joss Whedon's Reaction To The Movie

By Kevin Jagernauth
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March 19, 2013 2:15 PM
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12 Comments

News

You might not remember, or perhaps you deleted it from your memory, but circa Marvel's campaign for "Iron Man 2," they dropped a hilariously terrible international poster that basically was a mashup of all the things in the movie. Well, three years on, they haven't deviated from the playbook as a new one-sheet has arrived, and once again, a lowly intern (probably) has cut and pasted a bunch of stuff together.

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In Case You're Wondering: Joss Whedon Says He Won't Be Kickstarting A New 'Firefly' Project Anytime Soon

By Ken Guidry
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March 15, 2013 10:39 AM
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1 Comment

News

Yesterday we talked about the success of the kickstarter campaign for the “Veronica Mars” movie and whether or not it’s more of a curse than a blessing. As of now, the campaign has more than surpassed its $2 million goal, even crossing the $3 million mark. What we did not really talk about was what the success could mean for other potential projects. On that note, Buzzfeed managed to talk to filmmaker Joss Whedon regarding his feelings on the matter and what the “Veronica Mars” Kickstarter campaign could do for another “Firefly” movie.

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Is He Right? Joss Whedon Says He Wouldn't Bring Original Characters Back For 'Star Wars' Sequels

By Kevin Jagernauth
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March 11, 2013 2:26 PM
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4 Comments

News

With "The Avengers" earning $1 billion and change, Joss Whedon has unofficially become the guru of how to take a franchise property, and turn it into a mega smash hit that does the rare trifecta of pleasing fanboys, audiences and critics all at once. And so course, he gets asked about what he would do given the chance the helm to "Star Wars: Episode 7," a gig he revealed earlier this year is certainly something he would have loved to take on. And the folks at Disney (who own Marvel, fyi) might not like to hear what he has to say.

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