Source:- http://www.beyondhollywood.com/the-avenger...ally-assembled/

Edgar Wright Says His Ant-Man Script Is An Origin Story, Wouldn't Fit With The Avengers

At the end of the Marvel panel at this year's Comic Con, Marvel President of Production Kevin Feige had managed to get Robert Downey Jr., Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Jeremy Renner, Mark Ruffalo and Clark Gregg all on stage to represent the cast of The Avengers, the huge ensemble movie that will finally unite all of Marvel's solo outings. But while that list contains all of the major players in the film, one hero conspicuously absent was Ant-Man, one of the original members of the series when it began in 1963. The lack of Ant-Man had been announced by director Joss Whedon a few hours before the panel, but it still left people scratching their heads. Why not include a hero that is such a key component to the team? Apparently Edgar Wright's script has a lot to do with that.

I had the chance to sit down as part of a round-table interview with Wright today during a junket for Scott Pilgrim vs. The World where he was happy to talk about the project, which won't be due out until after The Avengers hits theaters in the summer of 2012. According to the director, a major part of the script, which has been completed for some time now, is the characters origin story, something they didn't want to skip by simply planting him in the Whedon supergroup film.

I talked to Kevin Feige about that a while back where we just discussed about whether he would be in The Avengers. The thing is, the script that I’ve written, you know, whether it’s next or not I don’t know, the chronology of it or the way it works wouldn’t really fit in with what they do. And my film is very much an introduction to that character, and so it wasn’t something where it felt right to introduce him in that film. Maybe if I do the solo Ant-Man film and maybe there’s a later Avengers then they could draft him in later. But it didn’t work with the kind of the angle that we were going to do with the origin that I’d written.

As implied in the quote, Wright isn't sure yet what his next project is, be it Ant-Man, the completion of the Blood and Ice Cream Trilogy (with Simon Pegg and Nick Frost), or something else entirely. The Avengers will already have enough on its to-do list by trying to get those without comic book expertise to learn about the whole mythos and back story so this very well might be the best move. Don't give up Nathan Fillion. Your time may still may come.

EXCLUSIVE: Eva Longoria to join "Avengers" franchise as The Wasp, source says



Eva Longoria-Parker is thisclose to starring in the second Avengers film as The Wasp, a source close to the project tells FOX411.com exclusively.

With filming just around the corner, Marvel is eager to tie up their final characters, and they have invited Eva back on several occasions as they have worked to fill the role, the insider said.

"Marvel is in negotiations with Eva and she is just right for the role," said the source. "First, she read for the part, then she went into the studio for camera tests. The team liked her for The Wasp so much that she did green screen work in the late spring. She's perfect in size and attitude. Eva is cute, sexy and full of energy for the part. The character is a bit like Gabby, her character on 'Desperate Housewives'."

But Eva's not the only ABC star whose name is being tossed around for the film.

"Nathan Fillion, a favorite of ["Avengers" director] Joss Whedon is set to play Ant-Man," our insider said. "Ant-Man is married to The Wasp in the comics. They would be a dynamic duo - both are hilarious and together they will have great comedy and chemistry. It's a win-win if Eva can tie up the role."

A rep from Marvel told FOX411.com that our information about Longoria's and Fillion's roles and casting was incorrect.

However our source said Eva would likely fill out her Wasp costume in New York, where we have learned much of the film will be shot in the coming months.

"The movie is going to start filming this fall. There's a lot going on, and scheduling all these busy actors is a task, but so far it seems like everyone's schedule is coming together," the insider said. "Right now, 'Captain America: The First Avenger', starring Chris Evans, is shooting in England and it will pretty much be back to back films."

This news comes on the heels of Comic Con's roll-out of the other big-name Avengers stars who are coming together for the first installment. They include Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man), Chris Evans (Captain America), Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow), Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye) Samuel Jackson (Nick Fury), Chris Hemsworth (Thor) and Mark Ruffalo (Hulk).

Ryan is Green Lantern & Scarlett is Black Widow. Nice super-hero family.

The Avengers Comic Con Teaser Trailer, well, Teases

It’s your first-ever footage  from Joss Whedon’s sure-to-be epic comic book movie “The Avengers” that was shown over at Comic Con, and it’s … well, it’s a big ol tease with Samuel L. Jackson providing a brief voiceover narration and the Avengers logo. But hey, better than nothing, right?

Joss Whedon Talks Avengers, Puts the Kibosh on the Wasp

Joss Whedon hasn’t said much about his upcoming “The Avengers”, but he’s begun to open up, which is good news for the Interwebs and its legions of fanboys. Specifically, Whedon tells The Sunday Herald-Sun (via Moviehole) that the Black Widow (aka Scarlett Johansson) will indeed be the only female Avenger on the roster in his movie, though that doesn’t mean there can’t be other females in the cast. Well, that goes without saying, right? They just won’t be suiting up to fight supervillains, that’s all.

Basically: forget all those rumors of The Wasp (Eva Longoria or no) showing up. And if the Wasp isn’t showing up, does that mean no Giant-Man, either?

Whedon goes on to say a little bit about the storyline he has planned for the big-budget Marvel super team:

"It will be a new story that has many things from different arcs of the comics in it. There is no one Avengers story that you can just do the way that you can do the origin of Spider-Man. You really have to cull from the original and The Ultimates, which is one of The Avengers titles."

I’m still thinking The Hulk as the villain in the first movie, leading to the Skrulls showing up in the sequel. Some storylines I’ve heard had the Skrulls manipulating the Hulk on his rampage, and once their manipulation is discovered, leading to an all-out war between the Skrulls and Avengers in the sequel
. That could be fun. Expensive as hell, but really, really fun.

“The Avengers”, starring Robert Downey Jr, Samuel L.Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, Clark Gregg, Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, Jeremy Renner and Mark Ruffalo, assembles in the Summer of 2012.

Jeremy Renner Talks Avengers, No Purple Costume



In an interview with the boys at MTV while out promoting his crime film  “The Town”, Jeremy Renner talked about his upcoming appearance in Joss whedon’s “The Avengers” as Hawkeye. Specifically, his relationship with Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow, and Clint Barton’s choice of wardrobe in the 2012 feature.

On the character’s classic purple-themed costume:



On Hawkeye’s relationship with Johansson’s Black Widow:



It definitely sounds like Renner’s Hawkeye will be patterned more after the Ultimates version and not the classic comic book look. Of course, given what happened with the Black Widow in the Ultimates universe, Hawkeye may want to watch his back around his fellow SHIELD partner. Just sayin’.

Mark Ruffalo to Actually Play The Hulk

We all know that Mark Ruffalo landed the part of Bruce Banner/The Hulk in Marvel Studios' upcoming The Avengers. What we didn't know is that he'll actually do the motion capture for the Green Goliath!

He told Vulture: "I'm really excited. No one's ever played the Hulk exactly, they've always done CGI... They're going to do the Avatar stop-action, stop-motion capture. So I'll actually play the Hulk. That'll be fun."

Ruffalo added that he's going more for Bill Bixby's Banner: "I really love the first TV version of it, the Bill Bixby one... I'm gonna shoot for that a little bit. He was an everyman in it. He's always on the run and trying to find love. It's really a sympathetic character, before he turns into the Hulk and f*cks everything up."

Joss Whedon talks balancing action and character development for The Avengers



Like many of you, I'm a bit worried about THE AVENGERS with Whedon at the helm. Not because I don't believe in the man, but it's just that expectations are so high, and the project is so ambitious, there are so many ways it could be a let down in the end.

Hopefully the man's genius will shine through, and give us a superhero epic for the ages, but he's got a lot of challenges on his plate to work through first. Whedon recently chatted with SFX UK (via AICN) about what it's like working with Marvel so far, and how he's going to balance the blockbuster action that has to be a part of the film, with the character driven stories we know and love the man for. And also he answers the question many of us were wondering a while back: Mark Ruffalo?

"There are definitely stipulations and restrictions, but Kevin Feige is very active as a producer and worked with me a lot on the story, but they are absolutely honouring the fact that this is my film. What I kind of think ultimately defines Marvel Studios was the first thing they did and that was cast Robert Downey Jr. They said, 'What if we got greatactors and let them have some time to be the people they're supposed to be instead of going through the paces of hitting this mark and that mark?' They don't always 
get it right, but nobody does. But if 
you look at who they already had, and who they allowed me to add to the cast, they are thinking about the integrity of the characters. Obviously we have to get from point A to point B, and fans really want to see this – and ideas for set-pieces which I said are great. Now I'm going to make them matter and they are completely on board with the idea."

"What I will struggle with, in the outline and throughout, is that I would like to put these actors in a room and just make Glengarry Glen Ross," he laughs. "We're talking about really exciting people and at the same time I have to keep the momentum of the thing going. I can't let it turn into a lull fest. Knowing that I have enough time to do both of those things – that by the end of the movie you will feel 'in' with these guys – is the trick. It's not an easy one but one that Marvel absolutely honours. They don't hire Mark Ruffalo [the new Hulk] to say one iconic line and strike a pose. They hire him because he has so much humanity in him. He's the antithesis of the iconic actor. He's so human. He was my first choice to play the part, and the fact he is playing the part is nuts! They went to great lengths to make that happen and they understood exactly why he was right for the part."

Considering the cast involved, I would LOVE to see them all in a room, chatting it up with Whedon scripted dialog. It's like some sort of fanboy wet dream. I'm sure we'll get a bit of that, but yes, gotta get those action scenes in there too.

I do have faith, and the man has yet to let me down. Despite the fact that I think an Avengers film won't work, I really do hope it does.

Extra Tidbit: Which Whedon favorite actor do you think he'll sneak in for a cameo or small role? Nathan Fillion? Felicia Day? Alyson Hannigan? He's gotta get one in there.