"Avengers" Assemble... at Comic-Con

Left to Right: Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man, Clark Gregg as Agent Phil Coulson, Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow, Liam Hemsworth as Thor, Chris Evans as Captain America, Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, Jeremy Renner as Hawk Eye, Mark Ruffalo as Hulk, Director Joss Whedon, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige

Movie stars filled the panels, rumors were laid to rest, and every nerd on the planet was waiting for this moment. The Avengers cast, in one place, at one time. That's the power of Comic-Con. I've talked about it a lot on the blog: everything from Chris Evans casting as the Captain, to Edward Norton's ugly exit, all things Avengers. At Comic-Con in San Diego this year, the entire cast went up on stage, settling three, very talked-about rumors.

First, Joss Whedon WILL direct the film. That's an obvious one, but Marvel never announced it officially before Comic-Con.

Second, Jeremy Renner WILL play Hawk Eye! I love this move by the way.

Third, and I guess most talked about... Mark Ruffalo WILL replace Edward Norton as Bruce Banner/Hulk. This movie can't get any more epic, can it? We'll have to wait and see. There's still those rumors of Nathan Fillion and Eva Longoria joining the cast as Ant-Man and Wasp. We'll let you know what happens. You satisfied with the cast?

Anthony Hopkins in final negotiations for Arabian Nights villain

Heatvision is reporting that Anthony Hopkins will play the main villain in the upcoming Arabian Nights adaptation. Now this is pretty cool! I loved his casting as Odin in the upcoming Marvel picture, Thor. Funny connection here. Hopkins will play Odin alongside Chris Hemsworth, who is playing the title character of Thor. In Arabian Nights, Hopkins is set to play alongside Liam, Chris Hemsworth's brother.

'Nights' is set to be directed by Chuck Russell, director of The Scorpion King, Eraser, and The Mask. Pretty good resume for a special effect-heavy picture like this one will be.

Here's how Heatvision describes Hopkins' character:

Hopkins will play Pharotu, an evil sorcerer who killed Sinbad’s love, a mermaid, and is looking to amass more magic for himself.

I'm super excited about this adaptation, and will keep you posted as more news is released.