Fox's 'Deadpool' shines among 'X-Men' star power for Comic-Con

SAN DIEGO  - The largest gathering of celebrity superheroes came together on stage with Marvel creator Stan Lee at San Diego's Comic-Con, as Fox harnessed star power for its films, "Fantastic Four," "Deadpool" and "X-Men."

Fox presented its panel of upcoming movies at the annual gathering of pop culture and film fans, and upped the ante with its own Marvel roster of mutant heroes and anti-heroes, with Lee, the creator of the comic books, making a cameo appearance.

Hugh Jackman, Jennifer Lawrence, Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy and Oscar Isaac led the fifteen main cast members of next year's "X-Men: Apocalypse," each hinting at where their respective characters are in the new film.

Director Bryan Singer said "Apocalypse" was set in the 1980s, 10 years after the events of 2014's "X-Men: Days of Future Past." While the world is more accepting of mutants, they themselves are still coming to terms with their powers and intentions, and deal with new evils.

Jackman, who has played Wolverine in every "X-Men" movie since 2000, said he'll be hanging up the claws after 2017's "Wolverine" sequel, hinting at the possibility of seeing an older version of his character in the final film.

While "X-Men: Apocalypse" boasted the most star power, it was the R-rated "Deadpool" that earned the standing ovation.

Fans were treated to the first proper look at the foul-mouthed anti-hero Deadpool, played by Ryan Reynolds, in a trailer filled with edgy humor that traces his transition from an ailing young man into a disfigured but invincible, rage-filled, vigilante.

Reynolds first appeared as Deadpool in 2009's "X-Men Origins: Wolverine."

Unlike all the superhero films to grace the box office in the past two decades, "Deadpool," a lesser known and more polarizing hero, is the first time Marvel gets R-rated on the big screen.

"I think this character inhabits a space in the comic book universe that no other canon does," said Reynolds.

"It's a miracle that a studio let us make 'Deadpool,' let alone a R-rated 'Deadpool.'"

Fox also showcased "Fantastic Four," out next month, as stars Miles Teller, Kate Mara, Michael B. Jordan and Jamie Bell discussed delving into the origin stories of the foursome who acquire strange abilities.

Fans were also shown exclusive footage of upcoming gothic drama "Victor Frankenstein" and dystopian young adult adventure "Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials."   — Reuters

Marvel's new 'Spider-Man' is Tom Holland

NEW YORK - Little-known English actor Tom Holland has been picked to play the web-slinging superhero in the next "Spider-Man" film, which is due for release in July 2017, Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios said on Tuesday.

Holland, 19, will play Spider-Man's teenage alter ego Peter Parker as a high-school age student in the upcoming, yet-to-be titled film.

He follows in the footsteps of Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield, who have portrayed the comic book superhero at older stages of his life in the five previous movies.

Holland played Naomi Watt's son in the 2012 tsunami drama "The Impossible" and recently appeared in the British television miniseries "Wolf Hall."

He was selected after a worldwide casting search to appear in the film that will be directed by Jon Watts.

"We saw many terrific young actors, but Tom's screen tests were special," Tom Rothman, the chairman of Sony Pictures Motion Pictures Group, said in a statement.

News of Holland's selection may disappoint some fans who had said they wanted a black actor to play Spider-Man for the upcoming film.

Walt Disney Co's Marvel Studios will co-produce the film with Sony. Under the agreement announced in February, Spider-Man will appear in the Marvel film, and Marvel characters, such as Iron Man, Thor and Captain America, can appear in later Spider-Man films.

Holland is expected to make his first appearance as Spider-Man in "Captain America: Civil War," which is due for release in summer 2016.

Sony Pictures Entertainment, a division of Sony Corp, will continue to own the cinematic rights to Spider-Man.

Writer Stan Lee and writer/artist Steve Ditko created the fictional superhero character, who first appeared in comics in 1962.

The "Spider-Man" franchise has earned more than $4 billion at the box office worldwide, making it the most successful franchise in the history of Sony Pictures.  — Reuters