In the last week, a barrage of images have hit the web from the various comic-book adaptations on the way. Starting with the Green Lantern reveal, which we already featured, we’ve seen new images from Thor as well as Captain America: The First Avenger. Check them all out below (click for high-res) the jump and share your thoughts.

First up we have the first picture of Ryan Reynolds as Green Lantern in case you missed it the first time:

And here are a few more scans from that same issue of Entertainment Weekly:

Next up is a first look at the gods of Thor, including the first image of Anthony Hopkins as Odin and Tom Hiddleston as Loki:

Here is a picture of just Odin and Thor:

Now we have a bigger image from Thor, this time in the throne room of Asgard:

Las night, we got two concept posters for Captain America: The First Avenger and Thor, respectively:

And, finally, today another Thor image debuted, this time of the god’s alter-ego, Donald Blake, pulling the hammer Mjolner out of solid rock:

So what do you think? I am still really excited for Thor, but the images of the gods are a little worrying. I am not going to pass judgement before I see a trailer, but they look very silly right now. I’m really liking the Captain America images, though. I love how the film is set during World War II. Seeing Cap fight the Nazis is going to be awesome. As for Green Lantern, I am looking forward to seeing a traditional superhero origin story. What I mean by that is it’s looking like DC is going back to the basics – they’re not trying anything special with GL as far as I can tell. Hopefully, it’ll just be a fun superhero flick.

There’s sure to be a ton of superhero film news headed your way in the next week thanks to that little geek gathering over in San Diego, so prepare yourself.

The current issue of Entertainment Weekly has the first image of Ryan Reynolds in his CGI Green Lantern suit. Check it out below the jump.

To get straight to the point, here it is:

Well there it is. Ryan Reynolds in all his green glory. What do you think? Does this get you more pumped for the movie? Are you a little underwhelmed?

I was very intrigued when I heard that Green Lantern’s suit would be completely digital. It makes sense, really, as the costume is only a manifestation of the ring’s power. I was hoping that we would see something really magical – a sort of ethereal, pulsating mass of energy surrounding our hero. I guess that’s kind of what it looks like, but I was looking for something even crazier. I like the lines of energy that seem to be moving but other than that it looks like an ordinary superhero costume. Maybe using CGI was only the filmmakers excuse to get away with a cliche spandex costume. Maybe my expectation were too high. It looks good, but I was looking for something truly unique, and that’s not what this is.

In any case, Green Lantern is one of my favorite heroes and I still can’t wait to see him on the big screen next June 17th.

Earlier this month, IESB reported that the geek legend was the front-runner for the job (and that was later confirmed), but now, according to Deadline, Marvel Studios is in final negotiations for Joss Whedon to direct The Avengers.

This is very surprising, considering Whedon’s previous work. While he’s proven to be a very talented writer and become extremely popular in the geek realm, let’s just say Mr. Whedon has never been a commercially viable filmmaker. However, his credits are extensive and consistently solid. His work has included Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly, Toy Story (for which he won an Oscar), Alien Resurrection, Titan A.E., and Speed, as well as a very successful run penning The Astonishing X-Men comic book. Clearly, he is a great writer, but his directorial talents have yet to be thoroughly tested. The only feature film he has directed was Serenity, based on his own show.

Marvel is proving to be very ahead of the game when it comes to movies. First they go independent, so they can make their films the way they, and the fans, want. Then they hire a team of writers to brainstorm full-time on their properties. Now, the company has enough faith to give Whedon their most important upcoming movie. The studio is putting everything they have into this franchise, and a success could have huge consequences for the comic-book movie genre.

Personally, I can’t wait to see what he does with the film. The Avengers is shaping up to be the ultimate geek event of the decade. I mean, Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, and The Hulk in the same movie! Amazing. Cinematical’s Erik Davis sums it up quite nicely:

“If you’re 16 and read a lot of comics, then this film could be the equivalent of losing your virginity to a Playboy model on top of a champagne waterfall.”

Discuss: Does Whedon directing make you more nervous for the movie, or more excited?

After a lengthy and unusually public search, the role of Captain America has finally been cast. Chris Evans has agreed to lead Joe Johnston’s Captain America: The First Avenger.

Evans is not new to the world of superheroes, having already played The Human Torch in the Fantastic Four series. His other films include Not Another Teen Movie, Push and the upcoming Scott Pilgrim vs. The World.

Marvel’s search for the Star-Spangled Avenger was put into the public eye last month when a short list for the role was revealed online. That list included John Krasinski (Jim on The Office), Scott Porter (Friday Night Lights) Michael Cassidy (Smallville) and Garret Hedlund (Tron Legacy), but not Chris Evans. A similar situation occurred during the search for Thor. Chris Hemsworth, who eventually got the job, was not on the list to be screen-tested.

A few days ago, it was reported that Evans had been offered the role, but had not made a decision yet. The deal comes with options for nine films, including possible Captain America sequels and The Avengers, and a relatively meager salary of $300,000. Now THR reports that Evans has all but signed the deal.

Evans is a good choice for the role. He’s built for it, but he can also act. He could definitely pull off a serious Captain America. Many fans were worried after Krasinski was screen-tested, but apparently Marvel has chosen to go a different route.

The way Marvel is going about this multiple-film crossover with the upcoming Avengers film is very interesting. After introducing Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury after the credits of Iron Man, the seed was planted. Now, with the Thor and Cap movies in the works, we should be seeing the Avengers movie in 2012.

It’s been four years since Superman last graced the big screen in Superman Returns, and it’s looking like the superhero might be taking to the skies once again.

Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures have just signed David Goyer to write the screenplay for Man of Steel (working title), the next Superman film. Goyer has worked with Warner Bros. before as a co-writer of Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, and is no stranger to the world of comic book hero-based films. In addition to the Batman films, Goyer served as writer and producer of the ‘Blade’ franchise, and executive producer of Ghost Rider.

Goyer joining up with the Superman project comes right as Warner Bros. is starting to hit crunch time in getting another Superman movie going. Once 2013 rolls around, the heirs of the creator and co-creator of Superman will take possession of the Superman copyright, which means that Warner Bros. will have to pay millions to the heirs in order to continue with any subsequent Superman movies.

With a writer now in place for the film, Warner Bros. is much more likely to be able to get the new movie rolling by 2011, meaning the film has a better chance of being finished and into theaters before the 2013 turnover.

So far, Goyer’s idea for the Man of Steel would give audiences a more action-based film, including battles between Superman and Lex Luthor, and between Superman and Brainiac.

Brandon Routh, who played Clark Kent/Superman in Superman Returns is not expected to return for Man of Steel; neither is Superman Returns writer/director/producer Bryan Singer.

Gotta love the Hollywood casting process. Last week we were all here talking about the possibility of Chris Pine and secretly hoping for Jensen Ackles. Now, it looks like neither of them is really in the running if the report from Deadline Hollywood can be believed.

Marvel Studios and Joe Johnston have released their target list for the role of Captain America, and we are talking an almost entirely new set of names from the ones we saw before. Here’s the revamped collection of contenders:

Chace Crawford (GOSSIP GIRL)
John Krasinski (THE OFFICE)
Scott Porter (FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS)
Mike Vogel (CLOVERFIELD)
Michael Cassidy (PRIVELDGED)
Patrick Flueger (BROTHERS)
Garrett Hedlund (TRON LEGACY)

For the most part this is in keeping withJohnston’s desire not to have a big star name in the lead. Krasinski is the one exception here, but of course, he’s also the one name thats there to give this list some credibility. Otherwise, you’d just have a bunch of confused faces scratching their heads and trying to recall the guys from Cloverfield and Friday Night Lights. Chace Crawford may be the other exception, but I’ve not seen Gossip Girl so I can’t comment.

Actually, Krasinski could be a good choice. He’s got some height, some charisma and it would be interesting to seem him pushed in a direction that wasn’t Jim from the Office or the background wallpaper in romantic comedies. He may also be the least likely candidate because of his schedule and potential asking price. I wish I could comment on the rest of these guys, but the only one I’ve seen more than once in something is Scott Porter. Garrett Hedlund is an unknown, but that may change by the time Tron Legacy rolls out. Who knows?

I’d like to put more stock in the list, and I’m pulling for Krasinski, but it seems entirely possible next week that we might learn they just said screw it and have decided that Ryan Reynolds can play every character in the movie.

Christopher Nolan is starting to look like some kind of superhero. Or at least the man the superheroes come to when they want their franchise rescued. After bringing Batman roaring back to life in 2005 and then lifting him to previously unheard heights of awesome with The Dark Knight, it looks like Nolan will be playing mentor to yet another famous DC hero.

Afterall, who has had a harder franchise time lately than Superman? Aside from WB’s Smallville, every iteration of the character since 1978′s Superman has been flawed or downright wrong-headed.

It makes sense then to pursue Nolan, who keeps churning out exciting and interesting films in between his comic adaptations. This summer will see the release of Nolan’s compelling Inception, a futuristic mystery thriller starring Leonardo DiCaprio. And he is also already at work with David Goyer and Jonathan Nolan on the plot particulars of the third entry in the Batman franchise. This is one busy guy.

Right now, the plan is that Nolan will only shepherd the creative team through development, but I suppose it’s possible that he could in fact step in if his schedule allowed. Nevertheless, having him on board sounds like a very good thing. Although, this won’t be a follow-up to Superman Returns, it hasn’t yet been announced that Singer or Routh are out of the next one. I imagine though, they will eventually disappear and pave the way for yet a full-blown reboot.

The best news to come out of this is that with Nolan heading up two franchises that have been linked for years in the comics, we might be one step closer to eventually seeing that fabled meeting The Dark Knight and the Man of Steel.  Now that would be a team-up worth getting in line for.

He’s hungover when we first meet him. With two empty bottles of alcohol rolling in the wind slightly underneath the public bench he’s sleeping on, and another bottle hanging loosely from one of his hands, his ragged and dirty clothes give him the appearance of a homeless man. Nobody seems to be paying him much attention, but it’s more like they don’t care about him. His wool cap is pulled down over his eyes, the image of an eagle stitched into it. He has days’ worth of unshaven facial hair masking his skin and his snoring is loud and obnoxious, further solidifying his appearance as a bum. Then, all of a sudden, a young boy walks up to him, slapping his arm to wake him, proclaiming his name: “Hancock!” Hancock awakens grumpily, the kid points out news coverage of a high-speed pursuit (“Bad guys!”), and Hancock tells the boy to get the hell out of his face. After cricking his neck, putting on a pair of sunglasses and making a face, Hancock blasts off into the Los Angeles skyline with a fresh bottle of booze, leaving the debris of the demolished bench in his wake. Not exactly the first impression a superhero should make, wouldn’t you say?

Then again, Hancock isn’t your average superhero. As the tagline for the film says: there are heroes, superheroes…and then there’s Hancock. Hancock is a sarcastic, uncaring and widely hated superhero who always leaves a trail of destruction behind him whenever he “helps out”. Hancock is played by Hollywood’s biggest blockbuster provider, Will Smith, whose performance here is not as emotionally intense as the one he gave in “I Am Legend” last year, but is still pretty good. The movie “Hancock” is certainly more entertaining than the mediocre “I Am Lame”, oh sorry, “I Am Legend” from last December, mainly because of its interesting setup. Here it is: a superhero who is the polar opposite of idols such as Superman, possessing pretty much the same powers as The Man of Steel, but not doing a good job of using those powers properly. This causes him to become an encumbrance to the police and an inconvenience to the public, mainly due to Hancock’s lack of concern when it comes to the well-being and safety of others.

What Hancock needs is an image consultant, or someone working in the field of Public Relations to help him become the superhero of comic book charisma. He conveniently gets just that after he saves the life of PR man Ray Embrey (Jason Bateman) from a speeding train. After being saved, Ray does something that no other civilian has done before; he thanks Hancock for saving his life. Ray even goes so far as to invite Hancock over to his house for dinner. There, Hancock meets Ray’s son and his wife (Charlize Theron), and it instantly becomes clear to us that she and Hancock know each other from somewhere after the first of many penetrating looks Theron gives him throughout the night – only problem is Hancock doesn’t remember that much about his past. So naturally, he wouldn’t remember ever meeting Theron’s character before. Ray complains that people don’t like Hancock primarily because of his overall attitude, and to that Hancock responds, “Do I look like I care what people think?” Ray suggests that Hancock should willingly let himself be arrested and spend some time in jail so that crime can escalate and people can start to desire his help. While Hancock is behind bars, Ray coaches him on some of his techniques, such as landing.

“Landing is like your superhero handshake. You can’t come in too hard, but don’t come in too boozy. And don’t land on the $100,000 Mercedes.” Just as Hancock becomes fed up with prison life, he gets that phone call from the Chief of Police telling him to come back because the police need his help. After shaving off his stubble with his fingernails and donning a custom-made black and gold suit emblazoned with the eagle, Hancock leaps into action by taking down a group of bank robbers who seem like they’ve watched “Heat” one too many times. Now, Hancock has to deal with all the publicity and burdens that come with the job while delving deep into his past to figure out his ties to Charlize Theron’s character.

Will Smith has now become such a big star, it was just inevitable for him to star in a superhero movie. And while it may not be based off anything from DC or Marvel, “Hancock” still feels like it came from some sort of comic book or graphic novel. The screenwriters have come up with an origin for Hancock’s character that is admittedly interesting, but at the same time it feels like they should have gone into just a bit more detail with it. This explanation of how Hancock became who and what he is obviously gives us some insight to the character’s past, but again, I feel that the writers could have spent just a little bit more time developng that because while this explanation may be interesting, it could have been explored more.

But I guess the rushed feeling that character development has is owed to the fact that “Hancock” clocks in at a mere 92 minutes. That’s right, 1 hour and 32 minutes; one hour less than the upcoming “The Dark Knight”. It’s said that about 20 minutes of the original cut had to be dropped, mainly because those 20 minutes made the film R-rated, and Columbia Pictures definitely didn’t want their big Will Smith vehicle of the summer to run the risk of losing money to that R rating. But here’s a tip: people will flock to see Will Smith’s latest film, no matter what the rating is. Now, despite those missing 20 minutes, “Hancock” still has some pretty mature themes even with a PG-13 rating. The climax especially treads that line between PG-13 and R. “Hancock” is certainly an adult’s superhero film, but we’ll see how it holds up against “The Dark Knight” next week.

So, how are the the acting and action in “Hancock”? Well, as I said before, Will Smith perfectly captures that crusty and sarcastic demeanor of the title character that makes us recognize him as the jerk he really is, but at the same time makes us love him. As we follow his transformation from an ***hole into a serviceable superhero, we can believe his journey. Jason Bateman brings a good amount of optimism to his role that makes a great contrast to Hancock’s cynicism. Charlize Theron does a pretty fair job and even though she may seem to not have that important of a role at first, her character turns out to have a great impact on Hancock’s past. The action is entertaining to say the least, but of course, what else do you expect from a big blockbuster courtesy of Will Smith?

Also, people should take note of a serious tonal shift in the middle of the film. At first, the film starts out with a comical tone, putting a lighter spin on the story than the film’s second half, which becomes darker and more moody. Some people who’ve seen it have said that they preferred the first half to the second half, but I have to part ways here. I sat there for a while as the film began, thinking that it started off at sort of a plodding pace, but once Hancock and Ray meet each other, everything starts to pick up. The second half puts an interesting spin on the story, while providing some pretty good drama. It’s almost as if “Hancock” is made up of two different films, each of them good.

Bottom line, “Hancock” may not quite be up to today’s superhero standards, but thanks to some good performances, entertaining elements and natural tone transitions it winds up being a very entertaining summer flick.

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆