The actors vying to play Spider-Man continues to grow...

...with two excellent new options being added, according to The Los Angeles Times:

Since it was announced back in the winter, some have hoped/worried that Marc Webb's Spider-Man reboot will go in a "Kick-Ass" direction, a not unreasonable thought given multiple parallels between the two stories as well as the warm reception (if not exactly hot box office) that greeted "Kick-Ass."

Could it now go that way literally?

You can add two names to the growing list of (very early) candidates for the young Peter Parker, and one of them is Aaron Johnson, who played the titular nerd-hero in "Kick-Ass," sources say.

Johnson, who for months has been the subject of relentless online speculation about his suitability for the part, would indeed in many ways make an appropriate choice. His role in "Kick-Ass" saw him as a seemingly ordinary teenager transformed into a superhero, much in the way of Parker's Spider-Man. Of course, the analogy is also off in several key ways: Johnson was a fake superhero, not a real one, and his star in the film was eclipsed by Chloe Moretz's Hit-Girl.

The second actor to make his way on to the shortlist of the Sony film, according to sources, is Anton Yelchin, who has been coming on strong since his 2009 double-whammy of "Star Trek" and "Terminator Salvation".

Yelchin would have his champions too. His supporting role as Chekov in "Star Trek" didn't leave a deep impression, but he did steal the show as Kyle Reese in "Terminator Salvation."

Both of the new names are a bit more prominent than the actors who have previously surfaced. That list includes "Billy Elliot" star Jamie Bell, "Harry Potter" actor Frank Dillane, "The Kids Are All Right" costar Josh Hutcherson and up-and-comers Alden Ehrenreich and Andrew Garfield.

Of course, just the fact that these actors are being considered means little in practice. Over the last few months, director Marc Webb has canvassed a wide group of young actors with the aim of seeing which one he and and the studio should anoint to take the role previously filled by Tobey Maguire. Screen testing is expected to start shortly. And the hue and cry over whether the right choice was made will follow shortly after that.

-I'm a big Yelchin fan, but Johnson would be a very solid pick too...thoughts?

'Green Lantern' may in fact be a year away, but 'Green Lantern 2' already has a writer!

Here's the story from The Hollywood Reporter:

“Green Lantern” is a year away from release, but Warner Bros. already is starting development on a sequel.

The studio has hired Greg Berlanti, Michael Green and Marc Guggenheim, all of whom worked on the “Lantern” screenplay, to write a treatment for the second installment.

The trio has also been tapped to pen the treatment for the silver-screen incarnation of “The Flash.”

Under the deal, they would then go on to write the screenplay for one of the two projects, though which one has not been determined.

“Lantern” is shooting in New Orleans under the direction of Martin Campbell with Ryan Reynolds starring as the emerald ring-wielding DC Comics superhero who is part of an intergalactic police force known as the Green Lantern Corps.

Development on a second installment this far out from a movie’s release date is rare, signaling the studio’s confidence in what it sees so far.

It also appears to be the first moves the studio is making under its newly configured relationship with DC.

In September, DC was reorganized to bring it closer to Warners, with Diane Nelson named president of newly created DC Entertainment. In February, artist Jim Lee and executive editor Dan DiDio were named publishers of DC Comics. Star writer Geoff Johns was appointed chief creative officer of DCE, with the aim of bridging the comics and filmed entertainment sides.

With new Batman and Superman films in the writing stages and “Lantern” filming, the team thought “Flash” was the next logical hero to tackle.

Development on a feature version of the scarlet speedster has gone through several false starts over the years, but the character is close to Johns’ heart. The writer recently brought back to prominence one version of the character not seen since the mid-1980s and is working on a relaunch of the series.

The “Flash” film will take inspiration from Johns’ recent work and will feature the Barry Allen incarnation of the character. (In comics lore, several names have wielded the Flash mantle, though Allen, created in 1956, remains by far the most popular.)

Berlanti, creator of “Everwood,” recently directed the feature “Life as We Know it,” starring Katherine Heigl, and is an exec producer on ABC’s “Brothers and Sisters.” He co-created “Eli Stone” with Guggenheim, who is exec producing ABC’s upcoming superhero drama “No Ordinary Family.” Berlanti co-created "Family," which stars Michael Chiklis.

Green worked with Berlanti on “Everwood” and created NBC’s “Kings.”

The trio is repped by WME.

-One would hope this means that there's a kick-ass flick coming our way next year...thoughts?

Has Jamie Bell landed the role of Spider-Man?

Well, that seems to be the hot rumor (though there's a competing rumor that it's Josh Hutcherson with the inside track to the gig), according to Cinematical:

There's been a lot of heated discussion lately as to who should don the webby red and blue. Not surprisingly, Sony wasn't really paying attention to any of it, and stuck with their final five candidates. While Drew McWeeny at HitFix heard Josh Hutcherson was very, very close to becoming the new Peter Parker, Bleeding Cool reports that Sony and Marc Webb have settled on Jamie Bell. We're trying to get an official confirmation from Sony, so stay tuned.

I think Bell is a surprising choice. He's certainly the biggest name of the bunch, and a very good actor, but his performances tend to lean towards the intense and angry. Even when he's playing a quiet secondary character, Bell is just burning up with something. It's his gift as an actor. Perhaps that's the right attitude for great power and responsibility, but Parker is supposed to be awkward, nerdy, and an unlikely hero.

It's also strange to see Sony go for one of their older picks. Remember, this Spider-Man is supposed to be set entirely in high school, and Bell is 24. He certainly looks young for his age now, but so did Tobey Maguire (who still doesn't look his age.) If Sony is aiming for another trilogy, won't they run into the same problem they did with Maguire, and have an actor who is far too mature to be believable as a teenager? He's likely to be 30 by the end of the story, or close to it.

As I said, without official confirmation all protests feel a bit too much. But what do you think of Bell as Spider-Man? Are you up in arms he's not even American? (That's sarcasm.)

UPDATE: Sony has told us that they are officially not commenting on this, which means they did not deny it, so ...

-Between Hutcherson and Bell, who would you choose?

Is this another image of Chris Hemsworth as Thor?

Well, it's just concept art, but it's still cool to see...thoughts?

Want to know what Christopher Nolan has to say about Batman AND Superman?

Well, look no further than this article from Coming Soon:

Empire magazine talked to Christopher Nolan, whose new film Inception opens July 16, and got some great quotes from the helmer on the next Batman movie, coming July 20, 2012, and next Superman movie, targeted for a holiday 2012 release.

It was recently revealed that he would take on a mentor (or "godfather") role for the Superman movie, but he's not that comfortable with that title. "It's much more specific than that," he explained, "What it is, while David Goyer and myself were putting together the story for another Batman film a few years ago - you know, thrashing out where we might move on from 'The Dark Knight' - we got stuck. We were just sitting there idly chatting and he said, ' By the way, I think I know how you approach Superman,' and he told me his take on it. I thought it was really tremendous. It was the first time I had been able to conceive of how you would address Superman in a modern context. I thought it was a very exciting idea."

Nolan said he took that idea and pitched it to Warner Bros., and the studio got excited, too. "But it's not something for me to direct," he added. "It's something we were just trying to put together a vision for, and then find the right person to take it forward."

What's important to Nolan is finding the core of what makes the character so indelible; he favors the back-to-basics approach. "What you have to remember with both Batman and Superman," he told the magazine, "is that what makes those the best superhero characters there are, the most beloved after all this time, is the essence of who those characters were when they were created and when they were first developed. And you can't ever move too far from that."

He still hasn't officially signed on to direct new Batman movie. "No I haven't. There is a point where you're just being precious about it and people get annoyed, but the God's honest truth is I work on one movie at a time. I'm only capable of doing that, so my head will continue to be firmly in ['Inception'] for another few months."
There are some things, though, that Nolan can confirm. "My brother is working on the screenplay. We came up with a story that we are very excited about. We particularly like where we are taking the characters and what the ending is... There are things for me to be very excited about in addressing the characters again. But ultimately it always comes down to the script, and can we make a great film from this? That's something I will firmly be turning my attention to figuring out fairly soon." It will be, he said, "the finishing of a story rather than infinitely blowing up the balloon and expanding the story."

Empire asked whether the villain could be a returning (and recast) Joker. "No," said Nolan resisting to elaborate, "I just don't feel comfortable about it."

Nolan reiterated that you won't be seeing a Batman/Superman crossover in his movies. "Marvel are doing what they do and people will respond to that really well, or they won't," said Nolan. "It's not something I ever really applied a blanket rule to, but Marvel characters are very different to DC characters, and the key DC characters are very different to the minor DC characters. You've got to go back to that element of, 'What do I see when I close my eyes and think of Batman? What do I see when I close my eyes and think of Superman?' And for me a big part of that is their individuality. They are extraordinary beings in an ordinary world. And the reason I think the two are fascinating is because Superman is very specifically superpowered and obviously otherworldly; Batman is very human and flawed. They're two very different characters, but there's an elemental feeling of power in the iconography of those characters. To me that's originally because they stood alone. I need to hang on to that in my imagining of them."

-Very interesting quotes there...thoughts?

Here's a first look at what Captain America might look like!

Thoughts?

James McAvoy to play Professor X in 'X-Men: First Class'!

Via The Hollywood Reporter:

James McAvoy has signed on to play a young Charles Xavier, aka Professor X, in “X-Men: First Class,” which Matthew Vaughn is directing for Fox.

According to Fox, “First Class” will “chart the epic beginning of the X-Men saga. Before Charles Xavier and Eric Lensherr took the names Professor X and Magneto, they were two young men discovering their powers for the first time. Before they were archenemies, they were the closest of friends, working together, with other Mutants (some familiar, some new), to stop the greatest threat the world has ever known. In the process, a rift between them opened, which began the eternal war between Magneto's Brotherhood and Professor X's X-Men.”

Patrick Stewart played the character, a bald-headed, wheelchair-bound telepath, in the original "X-Men" trilogy. Fox did not reveal if McAvoy will sport a follicle-free pate.

Fox is moving fast on the production, hiring Vaughn in early May and planning a summer start in London. The movie is being planned for a June 3, 2011, release.

Bryan Singer, who conceived the story for “First Class,” is producing along with Lauren Shuler Donner and Simon Kinberg.

McAvoy, repped by UTA and Ruth Young/United Agents, already has comic book movie experience, having starred in “Wanted.” The British actor was last seen in “The Last Station.”

-Not bad casting at all...thoughts?

Has the list of actors in line to play Spider-Man thinned?

Indeed it has, and The Hollywood Reporter has the list of the finalists Marc Webb is choosing from:

Even as Alvin Sargent rewrites the script for Columbia’s rebooted “Spider-Man,” director Marc Webb has been ensnaring actors in his web(b) in his search for the new Peter Parker, aka Spider-Man.

Webb has been meeting and reading actors quietly for several months, but the list has narrowed in the past week or two. No screen tests have been conducted at this early stage (though it will be a requirement), and insiders point out that the director and studio are still on the lookout.

The candidates for the web-slinger include:

-- Jamie Bell: The 24-year-old English actor, repped by WME and Artists Independent Management, who made his film debut playing the title character in “Billy Elliot,” has been doing the proper British actor thing in period movies such as “Nicholas Nickleby” and “Jane Eyre” (he’s also appeared in Hollywood movies such as Peter Jackson’s “King Kong” and Ed Zwick’s “Defiance”). More important, he’s already stepped into the comics world by portraying Tintin in Jackson and Steven Spielberg’s “The Adventures of Tintin” movie, which won’t hit screens until December 2011.

-- Alden Ehrenreich: The Los Angeles-born 20-year-old has a juicy backstory, having been “discovered” by Spielberg, who saw a comedy video starring Ehrenreich at a bat mitzvah of his daughter’s friend. A couple of TV appearances followed, but the actor’s next big leap came when he was cast by Francis Ford Coppola in 2009’s “Tetro.” He is repped by WME.

-- Frank Dillane: The 19-year-old Brit’s main credit is last year’s “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” where he played a young Tom Riddle. Is a minor role in a “Potter” film a good springboard for a mega-franchise? It worked for Robert Pattinson.

-- Andrew Garfield: The L.A.-born actor had a short stint on a BBC TV series called “Sugar Rush” but gained notices for playing a young reporter in a gritty British TV movie trilogy titled “Red Riding.” The 27-year-old appeared in “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” and will be seen in David Fincher’s movie about Facebook, “The Social Network.” He is repped by CAA and the Collective.

-- Josh Hutcherson: The youngest actor of the bunch -- he turns 18 this year -- is also the one with the most experience. The past six years alone have seen the Kentucky-born kid rack up credits with key roles in Jon Favreau’s “Zathura,” drama “Bridge to Terabithia” and the upcoming “Red Dawn” remake. He appears in the Sundance hit “The Kids Are All Right,” which insider buzz suggests could be an Oscar contender, and starred with Brendan Fraser in “Journey to the Center of the Earth.”

Hutcherson, repped by ICM and Beddingfield, just signed on to star in the “Journey” sequel, and that movie could prove a fly in the ointment if the actor’s schedule collides with “Spider-Man.” (Though you can bet every effort would be made to make it work.)

The group of actors seems to fall in line with what Webb has been looking to do with his take on Spider-Man, which is to cast relative unknowns in a story that roots Parker back in high school. The movie will be an angst-ridden tale of a teen dealing with the knowledge that his uncle died even though he had the power to stop it.

Columbia wants to begin production by year’s end, but Webb and the studio are taking their time choosing the actor while Sargent gets the script in spider-shape.

A Columbia spokesperson did not comment on the casting process, saying “There have been a number of names floated online and almost every week, someone calls with a new rumor. We are not commenting on the casting process or rumors such as these.”

-I lean towards Hutcherson or Garfield...who do you prefer?

Will 'Captain America' be Marvel's first 3D flick?

Perhaps, according to Cinematical:

With 3D films being seen as a license to print money, it's not at all surprising that Marvel would be pondering when to jump on the bandwagon. Rumors abounded that Iron Man would be converted into 3D, to accompany a 3D Iron Man 2. Those proved to be unfounded, though Kevin Feige admitted to Heat Vision that they thought about it, but ran out of time in post production. "We couldn't have turned over a version of the movie 10 or 20 weeks earlier for 3-D conversion without undermining the quality," he said. "We used all the time we had for mixing and editing and discovering the right tone." (Seeing the quick-and-dirty 3D Clash of the Titans may have helped that decision too!)

If Marvel is going to do 3D, they want to do 3D right. "The team has been doing a lot of research into 3-D processes, and we're looking at it on future films when we have the time," Feige said. "We will be doing it at some point." That point may be Thor (which wasn't shot on 3D cameras and would have to be converted in post), but it's far more likely to be The First Avenger: Captain America. That begins shooting this summer in England, giving them ample time to use 3D cameras and all kinds of technological wizardry. It would also be a pretty ideal character to debut 3D with -- Cap is, after all, known for throwing that indestructible shield of his. He also slams people around a lot. It's the ideal prop for 3D, moreso than Mjolnir. (That's my humble opinion, of course.)

Of course, to those who really don't care for 3D, this will come as a bitter disappointment. If there's one thing the Marvel Universe might not need, it's more bells and whistles. Then again, the possibility of seeing Iron Man do 3D pelvic thrusts is an awfully tempting one.

-I trust Marvel to not do conversion, but we'll see...thoughts?

What does Jon Favreau have in mind for Iron Man 3 if he ends up directing it?

Well, Collider has some details:

Director Jon Favreau is already looking ahead to Iron Man 3 even though he admits he has no idea what it will look like until after the events of Thor, Captain America: The First Avenger, and The Avengers. However, he told MTV that he would still like to have Iron Man's arch-nemesis The Mandarin be the film’s villain. For those unfamiliar with the character, he’s a Fu-Manchu-looking Asian caricature who possesses ten magical rings. Favreau admits that the character from the comics will require some alterations, but he’s been setting up Mandarin’s presence in the last two films. The terrorist organization in the first Iron Man is part of the “Ten Rings” and if you look through the credits of Iron Man 2, you’ll see Ali Khan credited as “10 Rings Gangster” (he’s the one who hands Vanko the forged ID and travel documents).

I like that Favreau’s willing to say “I don’t know” at this point and it should now be clear that he’s taking the time to make Cowboys and Aliens (which comes out next summer) so that the Marvel Universe can simmer before jumping into a third Iron Man movie without knowing how Tony Stark is going to fare during and after The Avengers.

-A lot will depend on who the hire to write it, if it even happens...thoughts

Toby Jones joins the cast of 'Captain America'!

As one of the villains, according to The Hollywood Reporter:

Toby Jones, the British actor best known for playing real-life characters such as Truman Capote in “Infamous,” will play in his first comic book movie with Marvel Studios’ “Captain America.”

Jones is in final negotiations to portray a villainous scientist named Arnim Zola in the production, which already has Hugo Weaving as another bad guy, the Red Skull. The movie shoots this summer in England.

In comics lore, Zola was a genetic engineer who created clones and various monstrosities for Hitler. He also captured his own mental self, inserting it into a robot, and survived the war.

Joe Johnston is directing the World War II-set movie, which sees Chris Evans as the famed superhero. Sebastian Stan is playing sidekick Bucky Barnes, while Hayley Atwell is the hero’s love interest, Peggy Carter.

Jones also is known Stateside for playing Swifty Lazar in “Frost/Nixon” and Karl Rove in Oliver Stone’s “W.” He also does voice work for the “Harry Potter” movies, playing Dobby the House Elf, and will soon shoot "The Rite" with Anthony Hopkins.

Jones, repped by UTA and ARG, will next be seen in Universal's comedy "Your Highness" with James Franco and Natalie Portman.

-He's a talented actor, so this isn't bad casting at all...thoughts?

If it's not going to be Matthew Vaughn directing X-Men: First Class, then who?

Well, there's a list of 8 directors in the running, according to Cinematical:

After Bryan Singer dropped out of X-Men: First Class, I expected the rumor machine to kick into high, high gear. But things have remained relatively quiet until today, when Deadline Hollywood Daily and Entertainment Weekly reported that Matthew Vaughn had been offered the director's chair. As geeks remember, Vaughn was once offered X3: The Last Stand, and once held Thor in the palm of his hand. Losing the latter was a huge reason as to why he chose to do Kick-Ass.

However, DHD and THR's Heat Vision are already saying Vaughn has passed. Reportedly, Fox is now looking at Louis Leterrier (who could use it to nurse his wounds over not getting The Avengers), Jonathan Mostow, Daniel Espinosa, and Rupert Sanders. Timur Bekmambetov, David Slade, and Carl Erick Rinsch are also in consideration. Perhaps it might be easier to make a list who isn't up for the job!

The decision will reportedly be made next week, as Fox wants to get X-Men: First Class enrolled by the summer or fall. Personally, I'm hoping for Espinosa or Sanders. (Once upon a Night Watch, I might have rooted for Bekmambetov, but I've cooled on his style since then.) I'd like to see someone fresh come in, and get to make their mark. I still think this is a silly way to return to the X-Men franchise, and giving it to a Hollywood newcomer feels like a good justification for its existence.

-Personally, I'd like to see Rinsch or Slade get the shot, though none of them are particularly great or terrible choices...thoughts?

Here's the first official image of Chris Hemsworth as Thor!

It's not much, but it's a start...thoughts?

'The Green Hornet' gets delayed till 2011 to get converted to 3D...

...like every other project these days, it seems. Here's the story from Variety:

"The Green Hornet" is going 3D, but it's also on the move: Sony Pictures is moving the Seth Rogen starrer from the prime holiday slot of Dec. 22 to the slower Martin Luther King weekend.

The Michel Gondry-helmed pic will now open Jan. 14, 2011.

The studio bristled at the notion that bad buzz surrounding the project played a role in its decision to abandon one of choicest days on the box office calendar. Instead, Sony said that once the decision was made to incorporate 3D during the production process, "Green Hornet" needed to find a frame with sufficient digital screens. A number of 3D pics have already staked out December slots including "Tron: Legacy" and "Yogi Bear."

"We've had a lot of success with the Martin Luther King frame, including 'Paul Blart,'" said the studio's marketing and distribution topper Jeff Blake. "We couldn't be more excited about 'Green Hornet.' In fact, we're doubling down by making it 3D."

-I'm still hoping this flick turns out good, but it really needs to stop shuffling release dates...thoughts?

Joss Whedon to direct 'The Avengers'?

So it seems, according to Deadline:

I'm told Marvel Studios is in final negotiations for Buffy the Vampire Slayer series architect Joss Whedon to direct Marvel Studios' The Avengers. That's the fast-tracked film that would amount to an all-star team of Marvel superheros, including Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), as well as SHIELD leader Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson). Other signature superheros will likely be involved, but I've listed the actors in active superhero duty. Whedon has been rumored for this job for awhile, and is high on the fanboy wish-list. He's an interesting choice: despite his writing/producing TV series resume, his lone feature directing effort, Serenity, was not a hit. After Iron Man 2, Marvel has three pictures left on a distribution deal with Paramount before it moves to Disney, and the studio has been churning them out. Iron Man 2 gets released in May, Captain America will begin shooting this summer in Europe, Thor is in production, and Marvel Studios just set Pete Sollett to direct Runaways, based on the comic book series created by Lost writer Brian K. Vaughan. Whedon has written installments of the latter, so he knows how to make those superheros fly. Marvel has considered all of the individual superhero movies to be an intro to The Avengers, so the wanna-see on this one will be huge. The film will be released in the first weekend of May, 2012.

-Thoughts?

Do we now know who the frontrunner to play the new Spider-Man is?

Well, according to this article in Hit Fix, we do:

The search for the new "Spider-Man" appears to be over.

HitFix has exclusively learned that Logan Lerman is first choice for Sony Pictures and the clear frontrunner to replace Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker in the reboot of the blockbuster franchise. A source close to the production tells HitFix Lerman is "almost 100% locked" but not in contract negotiations for the role yet.

Marc Webb ("500 Days of Summer") is directing the new untitled "Spider-Man" which is being written by James Vanderbilt ("Zodiac," "The Losers") and is meant to be a more teen-friendly incarnation, taking Peter Parker back to his early days of balancing girl trouble, homework, and crimefighting. The new film is expected to begin production later this year for a July 3, 2012 release.

Maguire, co-star Kristen Dunst and director Sam Raimi were expected to continue their version of the wall-crawler's adventures until Raimi bowed out after creative differences with the studio earlier this
year. At that time, Sony Pictures decided to re-cast the film and move in a new direction, and had already been developing a reboot script as a contingency plan.

Lerman beats out rumored contenders Anton Yelchin, Jesse Eisenberg, Patrick Fugit and Johnny Simmons.

The 18-year-old Los Angeles native is best known for his role as Percy in February's hit "Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief." His other credits include "Gamer," "My One and Only," "Bill," "3:10 to Yuma," "The Number 23" and the TV series "Jack & Bobby" where he played Bobby. Lerman got his start in two Mel Gibson films "What Women Want" and "The Patriot" at the young age of 8.

The attention focused on the casting of this role is not surprising when one considers that, historically, one of the reasons "Gone With the Wind was a phenomenon when it was released in 1939 was the deep investment that the audience already had in the characters thanks to the popularity of the book. Mega-producer David O. Selznick made canny use of the the casting process to hype the film, and the search to find the right Scarlett O'Hara and the right Rhett Butler was international news for a full year.

These days, it seems that the search for each new superhero has become a major sport for outlets that cover entertainment news, no doubt because modern audiences have a major investment in seeing these characters done right. When Sony Pictures decided to reboot "Spider-Man," speculation began immediately, and Lerman was one of the early names bandied about. At the time, those conversations were premature, but it appears that the process has brought Sony back around to the young actor, and now he is poised to wear the familiar red-and-blue costume after all.

-While Patrick Fugit or Anton Yelchin would have been my first choice (though I love Jesse Eisenberg in everything he does), this doesn't appear to be a bad pick, if it does indeed come to pass...thoughts?

Iron Man 2 gets an IMAX Trailer...

...so take a gander:

-Thoughts?

Chris Evans' Captain America gets his sidekick...

...and it's up and coming actor Sebastian Stan. Here's the story from The Hollywood Reporter:

Sebastian Stan, one of the actors who tested for the title role of Marvel’s “Captain America” which ultimately went to Chris Evans, has nabbed the key role of Captain America’s sidekick Bucky Barnes.

In comic book lore, Barnes, a teenaged orphan, was too young to join the army but became one camp’s mascot. When he discovered Captain America’s identity, he joined Captain America as a partner in his Nazi-fighting escapades. The character died in Captain America’s final World War II adventure.

After decades of being “dead,” the character was revived in 2005 and brought back into modern comic continuity, initially as a covert assassin named Winter Soldier.

It is not clear if the movie version of Barnes sets up the Winter Soldier identity. Marvel would only confirm that Stan is playing Barnes.

Insiders also say Stan has signed on for five or six pictures.

Shooting on the Joe Johnston-directed pic starts this summer in Europe.

Stan, repped by CAA and Brookside Management, starred in NBC’s short-lived “Kings” and had a stint on the CW’s “Gossip Girl.” His feature film career has been on a roll of late, having recently appeared in “Hot Tub Time Machine" and wrapped the Joel Silver-produced thriller “The Apparition” and Darren Aronofsky’s “Black Swan."

-Thoughts?

Iron Man 2 gets a new Poster!

Thoughts?

Chris Evans is officially Captain America...

...for better or worse. Check out the story here.