Marvel certainly knows how to do it big and this morning at L.A.’s El Capitan Theatre we learned through President Kevin Feige not only that Breakout Star Chadwick Boseman (42, Get on Up) has confirmed what we’ve known all along – he’s a Megastar –  the brilliant Actor has been announced to star as BLACK PANTHER!

In addition, several release dates have been confirmed on their Blockbuster Marquee Slate including:

5/1/15 –     AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON

7/17/15 –   ANT-MAN

5/6/16 –     CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR

11/4/16 –   DOCTOR STRANGE

 5/5/17 –     GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY 2 (previously dated 7/28/17)

7/28/17 –   THOR: RAGNAROK

11/3/17 –   BLACK PANTHER

5/4/18 –     AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR PART I

7/6/18 –     CAPTAIN MARVEL

11/2/18 –   INHUMANS

5/3/19 –     AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR PART II

Impressive, right?  We’re so waiting on DOCTOR STRANGE casting news, although we certainly aren’t alone in wanting Benedict Cumberbatch to get the assignment!  The thought of 2019 actually kinda scares us on some levels!

Dates of course are subject to change.  Are we excited?

(Photo credit: Marvel Canada)

His Career couldn’t be any hotter right now!  Yes, that’s James Badge Dale, known also as Badgett Dale, whom those of us who grew-up in the early ’90s will remember him from Boys-turned-Savages Thriller, Lord of the Flies.  After a bit of a hiatus which saw him focus on Hockey, fate could not be avoided as his Star would rise once again with successive Blockbusters lined one right after the other.

Although he’s in town to promote Gore Verbinski‘s The Lone Ranger which has him starring as Ranger Dan Reid alongside Armie Hammer and Johnny Depp, he also has a little Zombie/Apocalypse Movie called World War Z coming out this weekend.  That Film is  expected to debut huge with Brad Pitt front-and-center, going head-to-head with Disney Heavyweight in Monsters University.  And did I mention the record-breaking success of Iron Man 3, in which Dale stars as the villainous Savin?

The Actor arrived at KISS 92.5 Studios super-early this morning, casual in a Button-Down, Jeans and Toque, bringing some of that effortless New York City Style to our City.  Although strapped for time, he still made time to stop for a Photo, heading right over after greeting Roz & Mocha Show Producer, Maurie Sherman. Shortly after, he head over to City‘s Breakfast Television to chat with Jennifer Valentyne, singing the praises of Co-Star Johnny Depp stating that The Lone Ranger will be a complete surprise for Moviegoers.

A busy day of Press is scheduled ahead for Dale in advance of the Wednesday, July 5, 2013 release of The Lone Ranger from Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

Dale can next be seen in Parkland, produced by Tom Hanks, about the Events of Parkland Hospital the day John F. Kennedy was assassinated.  Colin Hanks who also stars in that Film, also currently is in town filming RomCom, No Stranger Than Love.

See our Snap:

No surprises here!  Man of Steel debuts on-top this weekend from 4,207 theatres with a whopping $151 million for Warner Bros. over the four-day Father’s Day Weekend.  From Friday through Sunday, it grossed $125 million in North America, making it this highest-grossing June opening of all time. Despite mixed reviews overall from Critics (56% on the Tomatometer), Loyal Fans to the Franchise could not be deterred, actually giving the Film some strong word of mouth, garnering an A- CinemaScore.  Made for $225 million, the Zack Synder-directed Film starring Henry Cavill debuted in 24 markets overseas, number one across-the-board!

Not to be outdone, Sony Pictures Apocalypse-Comedy This is the End, starring a stellar Cast of Friends including Seth Rogen, James Franco, Jonah Hill, Jay Baruchel, Michael Cera, Emma Watson, Craig Robinson and Danny McBride, performs well to debut in second with $20.3 million over the three-day weekend.  Made for $32 million, the Film earned an B+ CinemaScore, faring better with Critics with its  85% rating on the Tomatometer.

Now You See Me continues to go strong in third in its third week, with $11.1 million for Summit/Lionsgate and eOne Films. To date it has grossed over $80 million in North America.

Last week’s Champion The Purge, slips to fourth this weekend with $9.0 million, placing it just ahead of another former Champ in Fast and the Furious 6, with $9.1 million, good enough for fifth in this its fourth week in theatres.

Rounding-out the Top Ten are After Earth starring Father-Son Duo Will & Jaden Smith with $3.5 million in ninth and Iron Man 3, which earns $2.7 million in its seventh week. The latter is on the verge of surpassing the $400-million mark domestically.

Expectations were high for Fast & Furious 6, but this latest Film in the Franchise is a Monster indeed on an international scale, debuting this weekend with $98.5 million alone in North America from 3,658 theatres. Globally already, it has made an amazing $275.5 million for Universal Pictures. Made for $160 million, it looks well on its way to recouping that money back for Universal Pictures in a – pardon the pun – fast ‘n’ furious manner! Audiences also loved the Film giving it a coveted A CinemaScore and many Critics agreed with 72% at Rotten Tomatoes. With all releases surpassing an expected $300 million at the Box Office this U.S. Memorial Day Weekend, a new Box Office record was established for the Holiday. Combined, all six Films in the Franchise have made $797.4 million domestically.

Debuting in second with $42.4 million this weekend for Warner Bros., is the conclusion to The Wolfpack Trilogy, The Hangover Part III, from 3,555 theatres.  Still solid, this Installment falls short compared to its 2011 Predecessor The Hangover Part II, which debuted with $85.9 million. Although Critics didn’t respond favorably, tallying a 25% rating at Rotten Tomatoes, Audiences seemed to enjoy it with a B CinemaScore. To date, the Series in North America has grossed $574 million.

Following closely behind in third is Star Trek Into Darkness which in its second week of release earns $38 million. In its two-week run, it has grossed $155 million for Paramount Pictures.

Without much choice in terms of Family-oriented Films, Epic opens to a smart $34.2 million for 20th Century Fox in fourth spot.  Starring an interesting array of voices, the Animated Feature boasts a Cast of: Beyoncé, Josh Hutcherson, Steven Tyler, Pitbull, Aziz Ansari, Amanda Seyfried and Christoph Waltz.

Not to be disgraced, Iron Man 3 continues to draw a crowd in fifth spot, now in its third week earning $19.4 million, with a total of $373 in its domestic run to date.  Not far behind is The Great Gatsby which also in its third week out, closes the gap on that Box Office rival with $13.7 million at number six.

Bubbling under, the eagerly-awaited third Film in its Romance Series Before Midnight, opens in only five theatres across the U.S. in Limited Release, earning an impressive $274k.  Torontonians and Vancouverites will have to wait till June 7, 2013 when it gets a release north of the Border.

Although predictions pegged it a bit higher, Paramount Pictures’ Star Trek Into Darkness, the Sequel in the Franchise directed by J.J. Abrams, debuts in number one this weekend with $70.6 million from 3,868 theatres across North America.  Made for $190 million, the Sci-Fi/Action Flick opened on Wednesday night, but falls just short of the  $75 million its predecessor made in 2009. Audiences of course loved the Sequel, giving it a coveted A CinemaScore and also Critics agreed with a stellar 88% rating at Rotten Tomatoes. It was the only Film released this weekend to debut in the Top Ten and does so on-top!

Two-week Champion Iron Man 3 slips to second this weekend, but by no means is disgraced, earning $35.2 million in its third week for Disney.  The Blockbuster has just exceeded the $1 billion-mark globally.

The Great Gatsby despite never reaching the top of the Box Office, like Iron Man 3, performs v. well in third with $23.4 million in its second week of release for Warner Bros., earning $90 million in just two weeks. Box Office Experts are saying that this being one of the few Female-catered Films out currently, may have hindered Star Trek Into Darkness‘ numbers from being record-breaking for the Franchise.

The gap is huge  between the Top Three Films and the rest of the Films in the Top Ten. Paramount Pictures for the second week in-a-row gets the fourth spot with Pain and Gain, earning $3.1 million in its fourth week, just surpassing the $50-million mark domestically, keeping Veteran The Croods at bay with $2.8 million in fifth.

Brace yourselves at the sixth Film in the Fast & Furious Franchise hits theatres next weekend, already debuting big overseas with $13.8 million already in the U.K.!

In an exciting weekend at the Box Office, two heavy Hollywood Blockbusters were pitted against one another – Iron Man 3, catering more towards a male audience, and The Great Gatsby, catering towards a more female audience. Alas, it is the Man of Iron who prevails with $72.4 million in its second week after an explosive $174 million opening in North America. In two short weeks, it has grossed $284 million domestically.

Not to be shamed, The Great Gatsby debuts in second with an equally stellar $51.1 million for Warner Bros. from 3,535 theatres.  Although Critics had mixed feelings about the F. Scott Fitzgerald Adaptation with a 48% rating on Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer, audiences gave it a B CinemaScore, which shouldn’t hurt it.  Also, the fact that it is Mother’s Day surely helps with its numbers.

Former number one Pain & Gain slips to third this weekend for Paramount Pictures, earning $5 million in a v. distant third place. To date it has grossed $41  million domestically.

Debuting uncharacteristically low in fourth with $4.8 million from 2,041 theatres is Tyler Perry‘s latest Peeples, starring Kerry Washington.  The Comedy is the only other wide release to  open this weekend and earned a B- CinemaScore and also a 37% rating on the Tomatometer.

In fifth is 42, another former number one Film, with $4.6 million for Warner Bros. in its fourth week of release. In its four week run, the Jackie Robinson Biopic has grossed $84.7 million.

Rounding out the Top Ten are Matthew McConaughey and Reese Witherspoon Drama Mud with $2.3 million – the Film opens soon in Canada  via eOne Films – and the valiant Oz The Great and Powerful with $802k in its TENTH week of release for Disney.

Opening in 4,253 theatres this weekend, IRON MAN 3 is anything but a disappointment earning a stellar $170 million in its North American debut.  Already worldwide, this latest Installment in the wildly-popular Marvel Franchise, has earned $456 million.  Audiences responded extremely well, giving the Film starring Robert Downey Jr., Ben Kingsley, Guy Pearce and Gwyneth Paltrow, an A CinemaScore. Although perhaps not the best reviews, Critics responded favourably with a 79% score at Rotten Tomatoes.  By comparison, The Avengers which opened exactly a year ago today, debuted with $207 million in 4,349 theatres.

Read both mine and Contributor Jon Godfrey‘s Reviews here!

I had the pleasure of interviewing IRON MAN 3 Star Don Cheadle last week. More on that here.

(Photo credit: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)

Toronto truly got a treat tonight as Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Canada hosted a special Advance Screening of Iron Man 3!   Held at Cineplex Odeon – Yonge & Dundas, the most Die-Hard of Fans were gifted with Limited Edition Iron Man 3-D Glasses and Cardboard Do-It-Yourself-Iron Men.  Memorabilia also was fully on-display at the Event and an Actor even came dressed as Iron Man  ringing-in the festivities.   More importantly however, tonight’s Audience had the pleasure of seeing Academy Award Nominee Don Cheadle in-person.  The Actor plays the important role of War Machine/Colonel James Rhodes, also known as Iron Man/Tony Stark‘s (Robert Downey Jr.) Right-Hand Man in the Franchise.

After a busy day of Press, a Dressy-Casual Cheadle in jeans, a vest and tie, punctually walked the Red Carpet tonight, meeting a crowded mix of TV, Online and Radio Media.  Two lucky Fans even got to pose with their Idol on the Red Carpet after winning a Contest, securing a rare Photo Op!

I had the pleasure of chatting with Cheadle quickly about his experience working closely with Downey and he had nothing but the highest praise of praise for the Franchise Star.  “I think we just both got along working with each other”, he says. “There’s a mutual respect there and we appreciate the job we’re doing and obviously Robert is carrying the Lion’s Share of the Franchise for everybody, so it’s really daunting and you want to support him in the best way. So it’s nice that you feel that you have a lane and he provides that. “.

After previewing this third Installment, Fans certainly will not be disappointed with Writer/Director Shane Black‘s witty comedic sense and the Ladies will swoon even more for Downey as his love for Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) gets tested like never before with the surfacing of destructive and villainous Dr. Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce) and The Mandarin (Ben Kingsley).

Watch a Clip of my Chat with Cheadle below:

I happened to nab an extra pair of those Limited Edition Iron Man 3-D Glasses and a Do-It-Yourself Paper Iron Man!  Click here for details on how to win ’em!

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Canada releases Iron Man 3 this Friday, May 3, 2013.

(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong/Adnan Mohamedbhai/Steven Fernandez)

With just about a month and a half to go to release date, this brand new Character Poster for Iron Man 3 has surfaced, capturing all the intensity and Drama of the Blockbuster in one.  This version merges previously seen individual character posters of all Principals in the Film: Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), Mandarin (Ben Kingsley), Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce) and James Rhodes (Don Cheadle).  By far my favourite of the bunch so far!

Check it out below:

Iron Man 3 hits theatres May 3, 2013.

(Photo credit: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Canada/Marvel)

At long last, the final 2:30 minute Theatrical Trailer for Iron Man 3 has premiered, with Yahoo! Movies getting the Exclusive and the stakes are even higher with Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) having some fun with some new suits. For the first time ever, he’s able to place on others – including his beloved Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), whom we learn is subject to some experimenting by Genetic Scientist, Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce) at the request of powerful The Mandarin (Ben Kingsley).

Watch the Trailer below: