These are the casting confirmations that you’re looking for. Warner Bros. has confirmed that Tom Hardy will be playing Bane in The Dark Knight Rises, will Anne Hathaway will be playing Catwoman. No Dr. Hugo Strange, and I’m still holding out hope for Talia al Ghul.

Hit the jump for the official press release.

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Enlarge. | Via.

Here’s a shitty quality image giving us a first glimpse at the cast of X-Men: First Class. Russ Fischer at Slashfilm provides a breakdown of the people within the cast photo:

Here’s the first small image of the assembled cast for Matthew Vaughn‘s X-Men: First Class. Left to right, we see: Michael Fassbender as Magneto, Rose Byrne as Moira MacTaggert, January Jones as Emma Frost, Jason Flemyng as Azazel, Nicholas Hoult as Beast, Lucas Till as Havoc, Zoe Kravitz as Angel Salvadore, Jennifer Lawrence as Mystique, and James McAvoy as Charles Xavier.

It’s a poor quality picture of a cast photo, but what the fuck, let’s play the game: I think they all look god-awful and goofy as fuck. Here’s hoping they look better in context.

Impressions? Thoughts?

Welcome to Variant Covers. I like comic books. Sometimes I really like them. And every week, I write in this column about the comic books that are dropping this week that I’m interested in. If you’re so inclined, hit up the comments section with what you’re throwing down some ducets on. My ears. They’re open.

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Northlanders #36.
Those who follow this column know that I have an unapologetic butt-crush on Brian Wood. His work hits me on a variety of levels, from fucking awesome! to fucking inspirational. The second and final issue of “The Girl in The Issue” drops this week, and I’m expecting the latter. The storyline follows a weathered old man trying to solve the murder of a girl he found frozen in time. The first issue garnered serious love here, and I’m expecting the same from the finale. Its a quiet, almost Hemingway-esque march through the final tolling of a man’s life, cognizant of his small and dwindling station in the world.

I would be remiss if I didn’t point out that Becky Cloonan’s artwork is stunning, and issue #35 provided three of the most gorgeous panels (its three panels, right?) I can recall in recent time.

Outstanding.

Also Dropping: Wood’s DMZ #61. I’m waiting on the sixth trade to arrive in my mail, for I desperately need to catch up before it ends.

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Scarlet #4.
Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev’s post-modern metatextual affair continues this week. Still featuring a sexy redhead with guns. Still featuring her directly engaging the reader every issue. Still getting me very, very excited every time it drops. The last issue ended (if I recall, the long breaks between issues is killing me) with her capping a cop, and I imagine the title is only going to get more violent. I mean, fuck, she’s trying to encourage the reader to join her in a cultural uprising.

Not exactly for the faint of heart.

I don’t think the title gets as much love from others as I give but, I can understand why. The tropes themselves aren’t new: V for Vendetta with a vixen, mix in some teenage uproar, et cetera. But it’s done well, and Maleev’s artwork is stunning. Some of the stuff he’s doing with paneling is fresh to a guy like me. Bearing in mind that I mean a guy who doesn’t have much in the way of technical knowledge when it comes to art. I’m a lit dork, leave me alone.

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Oh my gosh! Would you believe this shit? There’s a blurry picture from the Spider-Man set. It’s someone (no clue if its Garfield or a stuntman) bombing around what is supposed to be the streets of New York City. Do I get any sort of meta-cred for admitting I’m posting this, but knowing I’m a douchebag for posting such an absurd thing?

No? Fuck.

Hit the jump for the full picture, and some other set-photos bullshit.

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Hey dickhead dorks. Yeah, you. The ones that gripe. You can scratch something off your list of Infinitely Long Things to Bitch about. The new Spider-Man flick by Marc Webb starring Andrew Garfield is bringing back web-shooters. Praise Allah! Right? The confirmation comes from Emma Stone dropping an interview with MTV. Hit the jump for the details.

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Way back in the day, before the Nolanverse Batman flicks, Darren Aronofsky was up for the project. His premise was fucking insane:

Among other things, Bruce flees after his parents are murdered, and goes to live above a car garage with Big Al, and his son Little Al. Big Al eventually dies, and Little Al becomes Bruce’s mentor and the “Alfred” figure. Bruce turns a Lincoln Continental into his Batmobile, but he doesn’t really set out to be a bat – he disguises himself first with a scar, then with a hockey mask and cape. He is hitting criminals with his father’s old signet ring, leaving the initials “TW” on their faces – but everybody thinks this looks like a bat-shape, and they start calling him the Batman. So he finally decides to go with it and dress like a bat. We meet Harvey Dent and Selina Kyle before they become Two-Face and Catwoman, and also glimpse the Joker. Despite these differences, some scenes and strands are lifted directly from Miller’s graphic novel.

Sounds Batshit (pun!) crazy, no? Well, now it may be coming to comic books. And then the movies.

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We are once again celebrating Monday Morning Commute! Sure, the work week will probably bring plenty of stress and disappointment. Maybe you’ll get fired. Maybe your boss will sexually harass you. Maybe he won’t. But no matter what setbacks you suffer, you’ll need to make time to enjoy life. Otherwise, what’s the fuggin’ point?

Check out what I’ll be doing this week. Then, if you’re daring, let me know what you’ll be up to. This is nerd-culture at its finest.

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[images & words is the comic book pick-of-the-week at OL. equal parts review and diatribe, the post highlights the most memorable/infuriating/entertaining book released that wednesday]

Reading an issue of Casanova reminds me of going to a sick house party. As much as you might mentally prepare yourself for celebratory bedlam, you don’t know just how fuggin’ insane it’ll be until you’re in the midst of it, far beyond the point of no return. Substances pummeling your brain, everything glows a little bit and you’re left asking some wonderful questions:

– Why does the girl with the Dream Theater shirt keep singing Raspberry Beret on karaoke?
– Did that dude just pound a beer and smoke a cigarette at the same time?
– Who brought their grandpa? And why does he look so familiar?

Whether or not answers are ever delivered is immaterial. The wonder is in going through such a mindfugg, an experience that excites sensory perceptions and puts a smile on your face.

Matt Fraction and Fabio Moon’s newest issue of Casanova left me with a backpack full of questions. I’m narratively shell-shocked. But the book also gave me more sci-fi pop than I’ve had in quite some time.

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Entertainment Weekly is dropping their 2011 Preview issue this week, and within is a new look at the God of Thunder. I can’t help it. I am beyond swooning for Chris Hemsworth in Thor garb. I have begun writing Hemmy (as I call him) letters detailing the reasons why we should hang out, and trying to reassure him that it’s way more comfortable to meet someone for the first time if you’re both not wearing pants.

Hit the jump for the full image.

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The internet doesn’t want me to play Black Ops today. As soon as I’m done posting about Garfield as Spider-Man, I come across a Comic Alliance article features a scan from Entertainment Weekly of Chris Evans as Captain America.

Hit the jump to check it out.

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