I’ve had my doubts about this one (as have many), but there’s some really impressive visuals on display here, Mark Strong’s Sinestro looks spot on, and Campbell is clearly not scaling down the mythology in any way -- evidently,  much of the action takes place off-Earth.

A few worries, though: some real dodgy CGI, particularly on Ryan Reynold’s costume. Such effects work fine when characters are hurtling through space, not so convincing when shown close-up and static. Also, every attempt at humour we’ve seen so far has fallen flat. Here’s hoping the film will take itself seriously… in an affectionate, tongue-in-cheek kind of way, of course.

And that’s not all! Following through with this double whammy of green goodness is the equally cinematic trailer for Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters, a cinematic showing Jordan, Sinestro and Killawog in action. Sure, the game itself is likely to be virtually unplayable, but it sure is a purdy lil’ trailer.

Unlike this year’s continuity primers Captain America and Thor, however, it appears that the Justice League film will itself establish a DC movie universe and then, should it prove successful, spawn movies for members such as The Flash and Wonder Woman.

Not a bad idea – the JLA’s roster contains more recognisable names than the Avengers, many of whom are already household names. Few non-comic fans are familiar with Thor or Cap beyond their iconic costumes; it’s easy to forget that Joe Public had no idea exactly what an Iron Man was until Robert Downey Jr. donned the suit in 2008.

Wipe this abomination from your mind...

Robinov also makes a surprising/worrying comment about the future of the Batman franchise, post-Nolan, hinting at yet another reboot.

Now, Nolan’s Batman movies have not only scored big with critics, fans and viewers alike, but been huge financial successes. The only fathomable reason as to why Warner Bros. would want to begin afresh with such a lucrative franchise is to establish a more JLA friendly Dark Knight. As great as Nolan’s Batman is, he’s far too grounded to comfortably co-exist in the same world as Superman and Martian Manhunter.

In fact, they may well be some of the most uninspiring, half-hearted promo images I’ve ever seen. I might have churned out some crap in my time working for a B2B magazine, but I’m sure that whoever produced these for 20th Century Fox received considerably more pay. It’s a shame that Fox released them at all, really. The other recent X-Men: First Class posters were not only visually imposing but gave a good idea as to the tone and style of the upcoming film.

P.S.: In the likely event that these images were the work of an unpaid intern who had an eleventh hour design task thrust upon him, I do apologise.

Yup, they’re bland, inappropriately Gothic, and unlikely to appeal to a) those clued into the Thor comics, b) moviegoers wanting a grand Summer blockbuster, or c) mythology academics. Admittedly, that third demographic were never going to be pleased.

One interesting aspect of these images, however, and the existing trailers, is the emphasis on characters other than Chris Hemsworth’s titular God of Thunder. Hemsworth is hardly a household name and the studio is clearly using the venerable Anthony Hopkins and bankable Natalie Portman (particularly following her Black Swan Oscar) to push the film to the mainstream. The Wire‘s Idris Elba is not without his followers, either, hence his inclusion on one poster.

Thor will descend upon cinemas April 27 in the UK.

Perhaps the two surprises here (albeit minor ones) are just how sci-fi influenced the costume design is (definitely reminiscent of Killzone‘s Hellghast) and the prominent Hydra badge; which suggests that director Joe Johnston and co are making an effort to not only establish the Steve Rogers character but further expand upon Marvel’s on-screen universe.

Hugo Weaving as the Red Skull

The more I see of this movie, the more intrigued I am. James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender may not have the old-school thespian clout of Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen, they’re nevertheless fine choices for Xavier and Magneto, respectively.

A small point of contention, though: Charles Xavier continued to be called Charles long after assuming the Professor X moniker. Likewise Erik.

James McAvoy as Charles Xavier

Michael Fassbender as Magneto

Actor Dominic Pace is currently campaigning to play the role of Lex Luthor; but rather than being just another comic reader with wild ambitions, Pace has acting credentials to complement his apparent understanding of the Superman mythos. While a relative unknown, Pace is far from an amateur. His IMDB profile shows extensive television credentials as well as a Best Actor award at the 2004 Palm Beach International Film Festival, for his performance in indie movie Little Kings.

And according to this recent interview Pace not only knows his comics, but has a clear and intelligent idea of how the role should be played – as opposed to simply summoning Gene Hackman, as Kevin Spacey did in the misconstrued Superman Returns.

From the feedback Pace is receiving, the fans aren’t completely opposed to him playing Luthor either. Oddly enough, though, there still seems to be a lot of support for Smallville’s Michael Rosenbaum to resume the role on the big screen; though fans similarly demanded that Tom Welling play Superman before Brandon Routh filled the cape. So what do they know?

So, yay or nay? How about you check out Dominic Pace’s Facebook page and make your own bloody mind up.

I personally would like to see a villain yet immortalised on the big screen antagonise Supes, at least this time round. Perhaps Brainiac or Metallo, with Luthor taking a background role in order to build hype for the inevitable sequel. But hey, if Dominic can realise the essence of Superman’s greatest nemesis as well as he claims, I wish him the best of luck.

The show stars ER’s David Lyons as Vince Faraday, a police officer turned vigilante after being accused of a crime he didn’t commit. Faraday adopts the guise of his son’s favourite comic book character, while receiving superhero training from criminal circus ringleader Max Malini (Keith David).

The Cape has all the makings of a fun show: action, adventure, a nifty “power” (Faraday uses his cape as an extension of his body, sort of like an acrobatic Spawn) and Summer Glau. On the other hand, it could turn out to be dull, derivative nonsense. Fingers crossed, then…

Summer Glau in The Cape

NBC has made the pilot accessible to iPad owners, fittingly in partnership with DC Comics, before the series debuts with a 2-hour special on Sunday 9^th January. No news on a UK release yet. But hey, us Brits are used to it.

Check out the promo video below:

Watch the Largo Winch Deadly Revenge TV spot

As the title Deadly Revenge (and indeed the comic from which it’s derived) suggests, the movie looks to be a slice of cheesy, action-packed fun. Directed by Jérôme Salle (Anthony Zimmer) it stars Tomer Sisley as the eponymous rogue, Kristen Scott Thomas, whose presence in anything is always welcome, and Benedict Wong (Sunshine and the severely underrated 15 Stories High).

Largo Winch: Deadly Revenge

Plot synopsis:

When billionaire Nerio Winch, founder of the powerful W Group is found dead, with no traceable family, it is uncertain as to who is to inherit his financial empire. But Nerio had a secret he kept well hidden: a son, Largo (Sisley) adopted from a Bosnian orphanage thirty years before. As this previously well kept secret comes to light it is discovered that the young heir has suddenly been thrown into prison deep in the Amazon for drug trafficking. Adventurer, assassin, killer, maverick and international playboy, Largo Winch is the last of a dying breed. Now head of a global corporation he must fight for what’s rightfully his and avenge his father’s death.

DVD details:
Cert: 15
Price: £15.99
Extras: Trailer
Tech specs: R/T: 104 mins / Aspect ratio: 2.35:1 / Region: 2 / Pal / English Language / Dolby Digital 5.1 / Stereo 2.0 /Colour

Howard Stark recently made an appearance in Iron Man 2, played by John Slattery. Cooper will portray the pioneer some thirty years before Slattery’s Stark Expo footage, in the film’s World War II segment.

Iron Man 2 director Jon Favreau had previously stated that Stark Senior would make an appearance in The First Avenger, to further emphasise that Marvel’s movies all take place in the same universe.

Cooper was also rumoured to be playing another Marvel comic role; Fandral of The Wariors Three in Kenneth Branagh’s Thor, but this never panned out.