Josh Brolin Cast as Thanos for Marvel's GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY

According to Variety, Josh Brolin is set to play the big bad villain of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thanos. The character made a brief appearance in The Avengers during the end credits, but will also show up in Guardians of the Galaxy, and at least one of the upcoming Avengers sequels.

How big the role will be in Guardians of the Galaxy remains to be seen, but the film will likely be tied to The Avengers 3 and possibly other Marvel films.

Guardians of the Galaxy is set to release in U.S. theaters on August 1st.

Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel - Athena the Gladiator Gameplay Video

2K Games recently announced Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel for the PC and last-gen consoles. Taking place before Borderlands 2, the new game is developed by 2K Australia, as opposed to Gearbox, the developer for the first two games. Nonetheless, 2K promises the same great gameplay and sense of humor from previous iterations, but with some noted additions to gameplay such as freeze guns and low gravity.

There will be four characters/classes to choose from, all of which were non-playable characters from previous Borderlands games. The main characters include Athena "the Gladiator," Hyperion engineer Wilhelm "the Enforcer," Lynchwood sheriff Nisha "the Lawbringer," and the funny little robot, Claptrap "the Fragtrap."

Each character will have their own abilities which you can customize as they level up.

2K Games and IGN released a 15-minute Athena demo to show off what gamers can expect from the new gameplay mechanics. Check it out below!

The game certainly seems to be shaping up quite nicely. The gameplay is familiar, but the new mechanics are interesting and could help keep things fresh. The only potential downside could be the oxygen tank system, which looks like it could hamper adventuring. Otherwise, additions like ice and laser-based weapons look like fun.

Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel is scheduled to release later this year for the PC, Xbox 360, and PS3.

Big Hero 6 - Teaser Trailer

Check out the teaser trailer for Disney and Marvel's Big Hero 6!

That was actually really funny. The story is inspired by Marvel's comic book of the same name. The main character is Hiro Hamada, a 14-year-old who attempts to turn his huggable bot buddy, Baymax, into a crime-fighting warrior. They will join other inexperienced heroes in keeping the streets of San Fransokyo safe. If the rest of the film is as entertaining as the teaser, then this is one to keep an eye on.

Big Hero 6 is scheduled to arrive in theaters on November 7th.

Batman: Arkham Knight - Gameplay Trailer

Check out gameplay footage from Rocksteady's Batman: Arkham Knight!

There sure is a lot of detail for such a dark game. Furthermore, while it does appear in just a few snippets, there is definitely some Batmobile gameplay shown off, including driving on the walls and ceiling. Ultimately, the trailer only gives us a taste of what to expect, and just that little bit looks great.

Interestingly, the trailer only mentions that the game is coming soon, though previous trailers suggested a worldwide 2014 release. Hopefully, the release date will be clarified soon. Expect to hear more about the game at E3 next month.

Batman: Arkham Knight will be released on the PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4.

Guardians of the Galaxy - Trailer 2

The newest trailer for Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy is here!

The cast looks promising, and the special effects look amazing. In particular, Groot and Rocket could steal the show. Vin Diesel's voice sounds perfect for the sentient tree, and Bradley Cooper seems like an inspired choice for Rocket.

As for the villains, the cast is rounded out by Lee Pace (The Hobbit) as Ronan the Accuser, Karen Gillan (Doctor Who) as Nebula, and Djimon Hounsou (How to Train Your Dragon 2) as Korath the Pursuer. There are rumors that Thanos may also show up in this film, but nothing is confirmed. If he does make an appearance, it might help tie the film to a future Avengers movie. A potential Guardians/Avengers team-up would be very exciting.

Thanos' brief appearance in The Avengers

Marvel has a proven track record when it comes to origin stories, and Guardians of the Galaxy looks like it is shaping up nicely. The film also stands out as being the first Marvel production that focuses on a group since The Avengers, so it will be interesting to see how it turns out.

Guardians of the Galaxy is headed to U.S. theaters on August 1st.

Interstellar - Official Trailer

Watch Matthew McConaughey in the new trailer for Christopher Nolan's Interstellar!

This is a really well done trailer. It shows just enough to get excited about without giving too much away. Furthermore, with Nolan directing, audiences and critics alike are sure to have high expectations. For that very same reason, there is a very good chance this film to do well both financially and critically.

Interstellar is scheduled to arrive in theaters on November 7th.

The Flash - Extended Trailer

Take a look at the extended trailer for The Flash!

As a fan of Arrow, I'm really looking forward to this. The costume looks great in motion, and the promise of more characters with super powers is exciting. Let us hope the Weather Wizard, who was showcased heavily in the trailer, is just a sampling of what can be expected.

The Flash will be airing on Tuesdays this Fall on The CW.

Disney's Cinderella - Teaser Trailer

Watch the first teaser trailer for Cinderella, Disney's live-action film based on the classic fairy tale.

Directed by Kenneth Branagh (Mary Shelley's Frankenstein), the film stars Lily James (Downton Abbey) as Ella, Richard Madden (Game of Thrones) as Prince Charming, Helena Bonham Carter (Les Misérables) as The Fairy Godmother, Hayley Atwell (Captain America) as Ella's mother, and Cate Blanchett (The Hobbit) as the evil stepmother, Lady Tremaine. There is a lot of potential with such a well-rounded and talented cast.

With Maleficent releasing later this month, and all the buzz surrounding that film, Disney seems to be keen on live-action adaptations of their animated fairy tale classics. Angelina Jolie definitely has the attention of moviegoers, so good casting can help propel such films.

Cinderella is scheduled to arrive in U.S. theaters on March 13th, 2015.

The Flash - CW Teaser Trailer

Check out the teaser trailer for The Flash, featuring Stephen Amell as Oliver Queen/Arrow and Grant Gustin as BarryAllen/the Flash!

The running special effects actually look just like the comic books come to life. It will be interesting to see how the show shapes up in comparison to Arrow. If more shows can come from this, there could be some fun crossovers in the future. Imagine a Justice League TV special. Someone needs to make that happen.

The Flash will premiere this Fall on The CW.

Michael Jackson & Justin Timberlake - "Love Never Felt So Good" Music Video

The music video for the Michael Jackson/Justin Timberlake duet is here, and it is a fitting tribute to the King of Pop thanks to a generous use of classic MJ clips and a bevy of talented dancers.

Originally co-written in 1983 with Paul Anka, "Love Never Felt So Good" is one of eight tracks from MJ's second posthumous album Xscape, which garnered generally favorable reviews.

Michael Jackson's Xscape is available now.

Zack Snyder Reveals New Batmobile and Batman

Yesterday, Batman vs Superman director Zack Snyder teased a look at the new Batmobile with the above image. Snyder delivered on his promise of a reveal today, but he added a bonus.

Check out this high-res image of the new Batmobile along with Ben Affleck in the new Batman suit! Click on the image for a much better look at all the little details.

Behold! Batfleck!

The Batmobile looks great, coming off like a cross between the heavy hardware of the Tumbler from the Nolan films, and the sleeker designs from the earlier films.

The new suit looks highly influenced by the design from Frank Miller's graphic novel, The Dark Knight Returns. It sports the same short ears and large chest symbol.

An aged and battered Batman from The Dark Knight Returns.

The suit also eschews armor for a more proper superhero look than previous incarnations, which fits the style set by Man of Steel.

Hopefully we get a look at Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman next. This will be the character's big screen debut, and getting it right will be a challenge. Other additions to the cast include Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor, Ray Fisher as Victor Stone/Cyborg, and Jeremy Irons as Alfred. Let us hope that the film is not bogged down by too many characters. For now, this image keeps me cautiously optimistic.

The Man of Steel sequel, tentatively titled Batman vs Superman, is scheduled to arrive in theaters on May 6, 2016.

Constantine - NBC Official Trailer

NBC released the first trailer for Constantine, a new TV series based on Hellblazer, a DC Comics property.

Yes, this is the same character that Keanu Reeves once portrayed in a feature film. I never read the original comic books, though this iteration looks a bit more faithful to the source material in terms of visual design.

The lead in the TV series, Matt Ryan, looks a lot more like the original Constantine.

Unfortunately, as interesting as the premise sounds for a TV program, the trailer did nothing to excite me. Matt Ryan definitely looks like Constantine, but his acting came off a bit stiff in the trailer.

Furthermore, while the special effects look pretty good, nothing looked scary and the story did not grab me. I hope this is because they are only showing stuff from very early on in the season. It felt like material from the first and maybe second episodes, which would serve to set up a template of what to expect from the show. If that is the case, the trailer might have been benefited from a little brevity. Hopefully, a story with more substance will develop from what was shown.

Constantine will begin airing Fridays this Fall on NBC.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes - Trailer 2

It has been a few months since the last one, but here is the newest trailer for Dawn of the Planet of the Apes!

I was pleasantly surprised at how good Rise of the Planet of the Apes was, so I am definitely looking forward to the sequel. If the trailer is any indication, I think we can safely assume the quality is up to par.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes will be released in theaters on July 11th.

Gotham - Official Extended Trailer

Check out the official extended trailer for Gotham, the new FOX TV series centered around a young Detective James Gordon (Ben McKenzie), and featuring a 12-year-old Bruce Wayne (David Mazouz).

I am definitely intrigued. A show based in Gotham before Batman has a lot of potential. The main potential problem I can see is when the young Bruce Wayne begins aging. He has to become Batman at some point, so the show cannot drag on for too long. A good 6 year run sounds about right. I hope the show turns out to be good, and finds its audience.

Gotham will premiere this Fall on FOX.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 - Review

"Three villains? What could go wrong?"

After the mistake that was Spider-Man 3, Sony rebooted the Spider-Man franchise and enjoyed some success with The Amazing Spider-Man in 2012. The film was flawed yet still generally liked thanks to a capable director and a well-chosen cast, but how does the sequel stack up?

Thankfully, Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone return to reprise their roles as Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy. These two have great chemistry onscreen, and feel like a real couple. There may be a little too much back and forth in their relationship in the sense of that they may or may not stay together, but overall Peter and Gwen are one of the highlights of the film. Every conversation between Peter and Gwen feels like a real conversation between real people. It gives the film a much needed down-to-earth vibe, which is further echoed by the venerable Sally Field in her role as Aunt May.

Emma Stone, wondering if there is a way out of these movies.

The main villain of the film is Electro (Jamie Foxx), formerly Max Dillon, a loser with no friends. Max idolizes Spider-Man after being saved by him, but after the transformation, Electro suddenly hates Spider-Man when he seems to forget who Max is. That is all the depth there is to Electro. Jamie Foxx is a talented actor, but he cannot carry a film portraying a character with such weak motivation.

Furthermore, Jamie Foxx plays Electro like a cheesy super villain out of a Schumacher film. He is not nearly bad as Arnold's Mr. Freeze, but a bit reminiscent of Jim Carrey's Riddler. It might have been easier to swallow had Electro been given a better backstory to work with.

Dat combover doe!

The one good thing about Electro is the special effects. The fight scenes between Electro and Spider-Man are spectacular, with some great use of slow motion and web action. It also adds to the film that Spider-Man is forced to use his brain to come up with a strategy to take down such a powerful villain. It is too bad that it just does not make much sense why they are fighting in the first place.

"Everyone must die!...... I forget why."

The film also introduces Peter's good friend, Harry Osborn (Dane DeHaan), another character who is underdeveloped. The sad thing is that he did not have to be. DeHaan is a very capable actor, but Harry's character arc is rushed because Sony wants to create a mega-franchise the same way Marvel has with The Avengers. The problem is that Spider-Man is just one hero. They would have to use his film to shoehorn several characters so they can set up spinoffs because they do not have any other heroes to launch more films from. Thus, ASM2 ends up with too many subplots, and it all feels like a large setup for more movies. This just takes away from the story, which could have been a lot stronger if it were more focused.

"Hi, I'm Peter's friend. Please care about me!"

The subplot with Peter's parents, which was hinted at in the first film, compounds the problems further. It is a story element that could be completely omitted and no one would miss it. In fact, it would make the film stronger overall because there is already too much going on as it is, and it does not add anything important to the story.

The Rhino (Paul Giamatti) also shows up, but only for a total of about 5 minutes of screen time, and only half of which is in his suit. It is almost pointless except for the fact that Sony really wants us to know that the Sinister Six movie is coming somewhere down the line. But if no one cares about these characters, will anyone want to watch the future films?

"Is it my turn to fight now? No? See you in the next 3 films."

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 shows great potential, with all the pieces needed to tell a good story. Had Electro and Harry Osborn been fleshed out, and some of the story elements been omitted and less rushed, the film could have been a lot stronger. The fight scenes are thrilling, but with so much crammed into the film, the characters outside of Peter and Gwen are difficult to care about. As a result, a few of the more potentially powerful scenes lose some their emotional resonance. Ultimately, the film feels like a 2.5 hour trailer for future sequels and spinoffs. If you have to watch it, wait for on-demand or home video, but skip this mediocre mess in the theater.

"In The Amazing Spider-Man 5, I'm also a firefighter. Pew! Pew! Pew!"

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Trailer 2

Check out this new trailer for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, featuring a much better look at all the turtles this time around.

Not bad, but this is just a glimpse of what to expect. I just wish the turtles weren't so ugly, though I find Leonardo (my favorite) the least offensive visually. I guess this is what anthropomorphic turtles would really look like if such a thing were possible.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will be released in theaters this August.