Jesse Eisenberg IS Lex Luthor!

One of the baddies for the Man of Steel sequel — though apparently not the Big Bad — has been officially named and cast: Lex Luthor will be played by Jesse Eisenberg, who is probably best-known for playing boy genius Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Network.

Eisenberg received an Oscar nomination for best actor for that 2010 Facebook-based film, and has been a standout in films like Zombieland and Adventureland and several movies without “land” in their names, such as The Squid and the Whale and last year’s heist movie Now You See Me.

In a statement released today by Warner Bros., director Zack Snyder said:

“Lex Luthor is often considered the most notorious of Superman’s rivals, his unsavory reputation preceding him since 1940. What’s great about Lex is that he exists beyond the confines of the stereotypical ‘nefarious villain.’ He’s a complicated and sophisticated character whose intellect, wealth and prominence position him as one of the few mortals able to challenge the incredible might of Superman. Having Jesse in the role allows us to explore that interesting dynamic, and also take the character in some new and unexpected directions.”

Black Widow: Ready for Action

It’s… that’s… Ssss… Scarlett Jojojojojo…Johansson… Scarlett Johansson. >dies<

Get Psyched for the Return of THE WALKING DEAD

This video clip features the producers and several stars of THE WALKING DEAD talking about the new status quo and the challenges facing the survivors of the prison when the fourth season picks up again in just a few weeks.

It looks like our friends are widely scattered and mostly alone — however, Carl (Chandler Riggs) and Rick (Andrew Lincoln) are still together. How will Beth (Emily Kinney) handle being alone for the first time? It seems a little surprising that Michonne (Danai Gurira) seems to be having trouble being alone again. Did she become too domesticated at the prison?

THE WALKING DEAD returns Sunday, Feb. 9, at 9 p.m. on AMC.

Bond 24 Will Adapt Novel ‘Devil May Care’

Word has it that the 24^th James Bond movie in the franchise will adapt the novel Devil May Care, written by Sebastian Faulks in 2008 to celebrate the 100^th anniversary of Bond creator Ian Fleming’s birth. It will have some big shoes to fill: 2012’s SkyFall was the most successful Bond movie ever.

The novel is a sequel to The Man With the Golden Gun, and features an evil chemist out to destroy Britain. But details are, of course, sparse. The rumor is the storyline will span movies 24 and 25. However, there are also whispers that the next movie will be Daniel Craig’s last in the iconic role of 007, so setting up a two-parter doesn’t make much sense if a new actor would be taking over for part two.

Are You Ready for Captain America… 3?

Captain America: The Winter Soldier won’t be released until April 4, but Marvel Studios is already getting its ducks in a row for Captain America 3, and the co-directors of the second installment, Anthony and Joe Russo, have been invited to return, according to industry bible Variety.

There is no release date (probably 2016 or 2017) and no storyline (the brothers are working on an outline), but we do know one thing: Chris Evans will return as the Sentinel of Liberty!

12th Doctor’s Costume Revealed!

The BBC has officially unveiled the costume Peter Capaldi will wear for his initial run as the 12^th Doctor in series eight.

I like it. I really do. It’s simple, dark and mature. I really think the red lining to the coat makes the look. That little callback to the Third Doctor shows that this Doctor isn’t quite all business. I am a bit disappointed that his costume isn’t all black, but rather dark blue. According to the BBC:

“A dark blue Crombie coat with red lining, dark blue trousers, a white shirt as well as black Dr. Marten shoes, the look was created by Doctor Who costume designer Howard Burden.”

Capaldi (of course) loves his new look, describing the 12^th Doctor thusly:

“He’s woven the future from the cloth of the past. Simple, stark, and back to basics. No frills, no scarf, no messing, just 100 percent Rebel Time Lord.”

S.H.I.E.L.D. Adding More Comic Book Characters

Quick on the heels of announcing a guest shot by Lady Sif, Marvel has confirmed that AGENTS OF SHIELD will soon feature another Asgardian — the troublemaking sorceress Lorelei — and a homicidal cyborg known as Deathlok — who will have a familiar face.

You didn’t think that SHIELD went to the trouble of casting a recognizable face in the throwaway role of Mike Peterson in the AoS pilot for nothing, did you? J. August Richards — known to many as Gunn from ANGEL — will play Deathlok, a character created back in the 1970s, a half-human killing machine who just might herald the resurgent threat of Centipede.

Creepy New Maleficent Trailer Boasts Witchy Angelina

Check out this terrific trailer for the forthcoming Maleficent, a Disney movie that explains why the Evil Queen in the classic Disney animated feature Sleeping Beauty seemed to be so evil.

The movie stars Angelina Jolie as the misunderstood Maleficent, Elle Fanning as Aurora, Sharlto Copley as the King, and Jolie’s daughter, Vivienne Jolie-Pitt, as Young Aurora.

I know, your first question is: “What’s that music?” It’s Lana Del Rey singing a new arrangement of “Once Upon a Dream,” the love theme from the animated Sleeping Beauty. This trailer (and the shorter teaser) has really turned me around on this movie; now I’m looking forward to it.

Karen Gillan Teams With Katee Sackhoff in ‘Oculus’

When Karen Gillan left DOCTOR WHO (in the heartbreaking “The Angels Take Manhattan”), one of her first new projects was this mysterious movie. We knew Oculus would be a horror movie of some sort, but details were scarce.

Well, now we have the first trailer from the flick, and I can tell you… well, it features a mirror that bleeds.

So, apparently, it’s evil blood.

In case you can’t tell from the trailer (and who could?), Karen plays a woman who believes supernatural forces are responsible for the murder of her parents — a crime for which her brother was convicted and imprisoned.

Oculus opens April 11 in the USA, although it was screened at the Toronto International Film Festival back in September.

DC Triples-Down on Wonder Woman

Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment have done a complete 180 on Wonder Woman. The publisher and studio have switched from having absolutely no confidence in the property at all — they nixed a WW film written by Joss Whedon, for Hera’s sake!!! — to committing her to appear in three upcoming movies, including one solo adventure.

Controversial casting choice Gal Gadot revealed that when she signed to play the Amazon in Zack Snyder‘s upcoming Man of Steel sequel  Batman vs. Superman (working title), she actually committed to a three-picture deal. According to showbiz bible Variety, she will be paid $300,000 for each of her appearances. First up after Bats v. Supes, Variety says:

“Gadot will play the role in a Justice League movie and a Wonder Woman stand-alone film.”