Casting Archives - Silver Screen Riot

Zack Snyder’s much speculated on new film, Batman vs. Superman, released a non-Ben Affleck related news item today: Gal Gadot will be playing Wonder Woman. The internet responded with a collective, “Who’s Gal Gadot?” Speculation on her ability to carry the role has been expectantly absent, as she only has five film credits to her name, three of which have the words “Fast” and “Furious” in the title.

What does it say about the target audience for these films, when Ben Affleck’s announcement to play one of the most iconic vigilantes of all time is met with uproarious disapproval, but when an actress is announced for an iconic role, our only criteria is her hotness? Snyder gave his take on her, “Not only is Gal an amazing actress, but she also has that magical quality that makes her perfect for the role.” A magical quality? Spot on analysis, Zack.

I, for one, am glad they went with a more unproven actress. It should be exciting to see what other heroes are announced for the film, as this is quickly turning into the Justice League film that has been long anticipated. Plus, it’ll be the first time that one of DC’s most iconic superheroes will grace the screen – unless you count the x-rated 1979 spinoff, Superwoman, which starred Jesie James and has been called “a comedy porn classic.” Hopefully this will be a more, ahem, forward looking debut for Wonderwoman.

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Stephen Lang, the actor who played the nefarious Colonel Quartich in Avatar, has been confirmed by James Cameron to return and reprise his character. Despite the spoiler-fact that Quartich died at the end of the Avatar, Cameron is determined to work him into the remaining films of the series and isn’t revealing much, at least not to Deadline: “I’m not going to say exactly HOW we’re bringing him back, but it’s a science fiction story, after all. His character will evolve into really unexpected places across the arc of our new three-film saga. I really look forward to working with such a gifted actor, who’s also become such a good friend.” Lang for his part has been keeping busy with film and TV roles, most recently showing up in Pioneer and The Monkey’s Paw.

When pressed further in a subsequent interview with Vulture interviews on the news, Cameron opened up the full bag of science fiction tricks for fans to speculate over: “Okay, here’s the deal. When you have a science-fiction series, a science-fiction franchise, you’re never dead unless your DNA is expunged from the Universe, and then there’s always time travel!” While totally inconclusive for those hunting after the sequels’ plots, fans of the hard-bitten security chief have something to look forward to in the following films. Given the billion-dollar gross that Avatar pulled in during it’s 2009 run, these upcoming films are poised to make full use of amazing resources, both dramatic and digital, to try and capture some of the original’s magic.

This comes on the heals of Avatar star Sam Worthington’s reveal that Avatar 2, 3, and 4 begin filming simultaneously next fall. The release dates of the upcoming trilogy start with Avatar 2 in December 2016, the 3^rd film following in December 2017 and the 4^th coming a year after that. Josh Friedman (War of the Worlds) will write the 2^nd film, Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver (Rise of the Planet of the Apes) the 3^rd, and Shane Salerno will write the 4^th (Armageddon). The talents brought on to the trilogy and it’s shooting schedule are reminiscent of Lord of the Rings, showcasing the high ambitions the producers have for the trilogy’s potential. As more casting decisions and spoilers are revealed – it’s a long and busy road to 2016 as far as Hollywood is concerned – this revelation concerning Lang may prove to be one of many in what will certainly be a big, big set of films.