The Oscars are over which means that for better or worse, we’re headed into blockbuster movie season, so prepare for lots of updates from the Marvel-verse. And indeed, a grab bag of bits and bobs have accumulated over the last few days, so let’s just dive in.
First up, it appears that Scarlett Johansson, aka Black Widow, is now expecting her first child, and that has caused a minor change in plans with Joss Whedon‘s “Avengers: Age Of Ultron.” According to E!, they are going to “fast-track” her scenes, which probably just means they will frontload her scenes on the production schedule. ScarJo is due to start filming on the super sequel once she wraps promo duties on “Captain America: The Winter Soldier.”
While we’re on the topic of ‘Ultron,’ Thomas Kretschmann—slated to play baddie Baron Wolfgang von Strucker—has made the shocking revelation that his Marvel contract has him optioned for more films. Will he pop his head into movies leading up to ‘Ultron’? Or maybe even after? Perhaps in a One Shot short? Probably! “I have a multi-picture deal which means I will not only appear in [‘Age of Ultron], but they’re planning with me for a longer period of time. I don’t know details yet, they’re keeping their cards close to their chest — top secret!,” the actor told BZ Berlin (via SlashFilm).
And as one actor gears up for more Marvel, another is drawing down. Chris Evans is already plotting what he’ll do once he puts down his Captain America shield, and the plan right now is to get away from being in front of the camera. “I think when I’m done with this Marvel contract, I’ll take a little break from acting,” he told Glamour magazine (via Total Film). Instead, Evans wants to turn his attention to directing.
“This process [directing], you’re involved in every single decision. If I hadn’t done it, I’d be really kicking myself. At the time, it was a daunting task for a number of reasons, but in hindsight it was the right move,” he explained. In case you forgot, Evans is already wrapped on his directorial debut “1:30 Train,” in which he stars too alongside Alice Eve.
So enjoy Evans as Steve Rogers while you can. Below, you can check out a new featurette, TV spot and poster for ‘Winter Soldier’ which opens on April 4th.