Uh oh, Pepper looks pissed. And Tony looks alone. What happened to all his friends?

Garry Shandling makes his big debut as Senator Stern, so Tony mocks him, naturally.

See Tony is alone. Empty chairs. Empty soul. It's lonely at the top.

But wait, it's Rhodey, he's back...and he looks pissed. And who's that to Rhodey's left? It's Sam Rockwell, as Justin Hammer. Did they walk in together? And where did Pepper go? Where's Happy?

Same sexual chemistry between Pepper and Tony, check. But then again I think RDJ is so charming he could have chemistry with a lamp post... lucky lamp post.

Iron Man is America, and a rock star. And look in the background — it's the Iron Man dancers, thus proving the slutty Halloween rule to be true: any outfit can be made whorish.

These gloves could very well be the best little party favors ever. Please hand these out at Comic Con!

Whiplash is obsessed. See? See? He has newspaper clippings. And newspaper clipping are to stalkers what glasses are to shy mousy girls with a hot girl dying to get out inside: stereotypical. But let's assume that since he's spent so much time cataloguing the family story, that this grudge may go way, way back. Since he's had time to make a scrap book.

Who hit Tony?

The garage is all cleaned up and stocked with new rich guy toys. Bruce Wayne who?

What is happening to Tony's neck?

Yikes it's spreading. Tony is literally turning into an Iron Man. Also, he could be turning into a human computer, which has happened in the Iron Man comics before.

More Justin Hammer, and in perfect timing with Whiplash's "shark" comment.

Nick Fury just wants to get motherfucking Tony onto the motherfucking team.

More Iron Man-ettes. I suspect this may be a banner year for the cosplay fans.

Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff in her Black Widow "business casual" attire.

War Machine prototype!

Is the Black Widow working for Rhodey? Is that her in the background?

Black Widow in her ass kicking attire, is she beating up Happy? I bet Jon Favreau just loved that.

Whiplash finally shows us what his lightsaber whips can do — which is break Tony's car.

Which he does.

I'm still not sold on the Whiplash outfit, but it does look pretty bad ass from behind.

Uh oh — will Tony be Whiplashed in half, or will the bad guy just show off some more? Answer: Show off.

Whiplash has nasty metal mouth.

What is this flying contraption? It looks like it's shooting at Iron Man? Multiple Mecha suits?

A first look at War Machine, and Tony's new suit, with a triangle chest plate. Is this due to the metal veins? Also the background is filled with power suits, almost like an Armor War...

War Machine and Tony fight other mechas and you get a faceful of War Machines shoulder gun, and Tony's fully reconstructed suit, Mark VI. Very nice. So who thinks they are filming the Armor Wars story?

Of course, filmmaking tools don't kill people; out-of-control directors kill people. Or at least they kill audiences. 3D in the right hands can and has been used for good as well as evil. American's delighted to soar through the air with Mr. Fredricksen in Up and see tumbling race cars fly off of the screen and chop their heads off in Final Destination 3D.

But once a couple of kids in the class start playing with their Pokemon cards, its only a matter of time before the whole class is flinging them at each other, stuffing the cardboard down each others' throats and burning the school to a ground in a bonfire of trading card rubble. So it has been with 3D; suddenly little Jimmie Cameron shows up with his immersive trailer and everyone's gotta have one.

The madness started yesterday when director Paul W.S. Anderson (the Resident Evil one, not the Boogie Nights one) announced that he was remaking swashbuckling classic The Three Musketeers. Anderson said he is looking to give the period epic a contemporary feel, and what says contemporary like Digital 3D.

Then Steven Soderbergh jumped in on the act, announcing that he will film a musical about Cleopatra starring Catherine Zeta Jones. In 3D of course, because how else would you want to see a musical about Cleopatra?
"Cleo is going to be a total party," he promised.

And with all this going on, who could expect Jon Favreau to stay in his seat and just make a little 'ol Iron Man sequel in pathetic little 2D. So suddenly out of nowhere, Iron Man 2 will be, it seems, in digital three dimensions.

Lost in this pile-on is the question whether 3D actually makes the movie going experience any better or does it just provide pointy things coming out of the screen to distract viewers from the Mariana Trench-wide potholes and the matching holes in their wallets where a hundred dollar bill used to be before they showed up with their families at the multiplex

More important than printing comics (which, they actually still do!), Marvel is valuable for the merchandising and movie rights to all its characters—over 5,000—many of which have become the massive film franchises that are the lifeblood of the movie studios. The only two studios that aren't dependent on Marvel for summer tentpoles are Disney and Warner Bros. (which bought out DC Comics and its stable of characters including Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman). Paramount has Iron Man, Sony's long been living off Spider-Man, 20th Century Fox lives and dies by how many X-Men,Wolverine, or Fantastic Four films it can spin out and Universal would like you to like The Hulk.

All of a sudden, those studios have just discovered that Disney may be in control of their summer fates. Welcome to your new groveling life, studio executives.

Speaking as part of Newsweek's Oscar roundtable, which also included Anne Hathaway, Frank Langella, Brad Pitt, and Sally Hawkins (whoops), Downey Jr. told the story of his wild trip to Japan, which was almost derailed when airport officials realized the actor had been arrested numerous times. Though they ultimately let him in, the actor was punished with a crippling, Kobe-related "yoo-hoo status" (Langella is as confused as you are by that one) as well as an insensitive request to pound open a gigantic barrel of alcohol for an excited Japanese crowd. "There's some wacky humor going on over there," Pitt observes, sagely. Indeed—we can't wait until Downey Jr's Japanese tour for Tropic Thunder, when he'll be asked to climb a gigantic wall made of chocolate syrup, ladies' underwear, and bees (all while made up in blackface).

• 'I've Been Arrested So Many Times' [Newsweek]

Mere months after Marvel had to sub in Don Cheadle for Terrence Howard when the latter found Iron Man 2's War Machine suit not sufficiently baby-wiped, Samuel L. Jackson has announced that he may not be returning as Nick Fury. The character was introduced in a quick scene after the original Iron Man's closing credits, but Marvel had big plans to keep Fury (whose comic-book redesign was actually based on Jackson) around for the sequel and, ultimately, its superhero crossoverpalooza The Avengers. Now, not so much, Jackson tells the LAT:

"I saw ['Iron Man' and 'Iron Man 2' director] Jon Favreau at the Scream Awards and we had a conversation. He said, 'I hope things are working out for you because we're writing stuff for you.' Then all of a sudden last week I talked to my agents and manager and things aren't really working that well."

"There was a huge kind of negotiation that broke down. I don't know. Maybe I won't be Nick Fury. Maybe somebody else will be Nick Fury or maybe Nick Fury won't be in it. There seems to be an economic crisis in the Marvel Comics world so [they're saying to me], 'We're not making that deal.'"

Still, like I told the actor, he has a big advantage on his side: Who else wants to wear that patch, especially since the character is based on Jackson? Jackson laughed. "Maybe nobody will wear it. Maybe they'll decide Nick Fury won't be part of it."

We were always curious how Marvel planned to budget an Avengers movie that would include the well-compensated Downey Jr., plus Cheadle, Jackson, Edward Norton as the Hulk, and the yet-to-be-cast stars for Captain America and Thor. Now, we feel we're getting the picture: Downey Jr will no doubt return, but Marvel will enact its third recast for War Machine (how about that kid from 90210?) and fill out the rest of its dirt-cheap Avengers with the entire cast of Gossip Girl. Westwick SMASH!

• Nick Fury no more? Samuel L. Jackson says 'Maybe I won't be Nick Fury' [LAT]

In addition to playing a sadistic game of peekaboo with Sin City fans desperate to see him reprise his role in the sequel, he's officially joined the dick-swinging dream cast of Sylvester Stallone's The Expendables.

But were that all! The trades are now reporting that Rourke is close to playing a villain (alongside Sam Rockwell) in the Iron Man sequel—THR says it's Whiplash, Variety, the Crimson Dynamo.

Rourke is in discussions to play a villain described as Tony Stark's Russian alter ego, a heavily tattooed bruiser who is in the arms trade and battles Iron Man in his own nuclear-powered armored suit. [...]

The script — which is still being written — is a guarded secret, but speculation is that villain is likely comicbook nemesis Crimson Dynamo.

What a difference one astonishing performance in a brilliant comeback vehicle makes. Not since Tina Turner escaped Ike's clutches have we seen a career revival of this magnitude, with Rourke too shaking off decades of skull-pounding uppercuts and right hooks to once again become the lumpy toast of Hollywood.

• Mickey Rourke sizes up 'Iron Man 2' [Variety]
• Rourke, Rockwell circle 'Iron Man 2' [THR]

· The busy, busy Steven Soderbergh, when not making Dogma fleshcore [NSFW] or Liberace biopics, and 3-D Cleopatra extravaganzas, is also planning Making Jack Falcone, an undercover mob story for Paramount. [THR]
· Ron Livingston will star in Defying Gravity, an international co-production about "eight astronauts from five countries who take on a mysterious six-year mission through the solar system." If the distance between Earth and the nearest star system is 2.7 million light years, how long would it take Astronaut Livingston to get there and back, assuming he's traveling in a vacuum during a non-Leap Year year. Use the space below for scrap. [THR]

Those with intimate knowledge of the situation suggest a far more dramatic backstory: Howard was the first actor signed to the film and, on top of that, was the highest-paid. That's right: more than Gwyneth Paltrow. More than Jeff Bridges. More than Robert Downey Jr. And once the project fully came together, it was too late to renegotiate his deal. It didn't help that, according to one source, Favreau and his producers were ultimately unhappy with Howard's performance, and spent a lot of time cutting and reshooting his scenes.

...As such, when Favreau and screenwriter Justin Theroux went to map out the sequel they found themselves minimizing Howard's story line. Once Marvel learned that Favreau was thinking of curtailing the role, the studio went to the actor's agents with a new and drastically reduced offer — a number that's similar to what supporting cast members were paid for the first movie. The agents, according to sources, were so taken aback by this new figure — estimated at somewhere between a 50 and 80 percent pay cut — that they questioned it.

Yes, it's hard to believe Howard wouldn't take Marvel up on their awkward offer. "Hey, uh, Terrence! So, we're going to start the sequel with you already in the War Machine suit. And, uh, you never come out of it. Plus, no musical number. So, how about $500 grand and a few net points?"

• 'Iron Man 2': How Terrence Howard Lost His Metal [EW]

Boomp3.com

On the London set of Sherlock Holmes, free spirit Robert Downey Jr. did his best to cheer his director Guy Ritchie up. Partnering up with the effects and stunt departments, Downey crafted a rig that allowed him to fly around the set. A rather glum Ritchie perked up at the sight of Downey soaring majestically, as Downey shouted down, “Relax, Guy. I’m going to fly in this movie, too. People love it when I’m flyin’.”

[Photo Credit: Bauer-Griffin]

*A Call To The Bullpen is a work of fiction. Although the pictures we use are most certainly real, Defamer does not purport that any of the incidents or quotations you see in this piece actually happened. Lighten up, people ... it's a joke.

ARE YOU A FAN? THEN YOU SHOULD BE OUTRAGED AT MARVEL! [...]

Marvel is under the impression that just any person can play Col. James "Rhodey" Rhodes. They are sadly mistaken. Marvel asked Terrence Howard to be Rhodey. He signed on to play Rhodey. Terrence Howard became Rhodey.

We were under the impression that when you signed a contract with someone, it was their word. "That's how Dad did it. That's how America does it. And it's worked out pretty good so far."

Signed,

Future Ticket Holders

And outrage is mounting at the petition site, where nearly 900 of those angry FTH's have stormed the barricades with pickets screaming, "Marvel you're going to pay for your wretched treachery," "I support this petition With all my power and right to the death," " Ya lol i agree! down with Cheadle! Up with Howard!" and — in the equivalent of a dirty bomb thrown in Marvel's lobby — "Terrance [sic] Howard o nada! mejor cancelen Iron Man 2." Surely whenever the SWAT team is finished over at MGM Tower, they'll be on the spot in Beverly Hills.

• Terrence Howard as War Machine in 'Iron Man 2' [HowardNotCheadle.com]

TH: It was the surprise of a lifetime, you know? It really was. I was like, "Wait a minute, How did this take place?" There was no explanation, but it was gone. It was gone like life; it up and vanished. Then I read something in the trades that implicated it was about money or something. But apparently the contracts that we write and sign aren't worth the paper that they're printed on. [...] And now the challenge is not to be angry, but you just keep moving forward. You keep moving forward. Like a lot of Americans, I lost my 401(k), basically, because that was a very promising thing. But to have to keep working, that's even more promising.

NPR: You've played pimps. Is there a difference between their business principals and the ones in Hollywood?

TH: No. Promises aren't kept, and good-faith negotiations aren't always held up. You know? Even friendships, people you support. When it comes down to it, the only true support you have is the work that you've done — the laurels of your work and the ethics by which you stand.

For Marvel's part, president of production Kevin Feige first offered no comment to MTV News, later implying that even Cheadle isn't necessarily booked for the sequel: “As is the policy with most people, when you talk about dotting I’s and crossing T’s, certainly that isn’t the case yet on a number of things we’re doing. But that [Hollywood Reporter story] was not an announcement. That was, as it tends to happen in the business, is rumors and leaks and things like that. I do think there will be clarity soon.” No rush, Kev — only 18 months until Iron Man 2 opens, and Justin Theroux was desperately hoping to cut Howard's climactic, contractually obligated musical number anyway.

• Terrence Howard Talks Tunes, Family, Science [NPR]

• Terrence Howard Calls ‘Iron Man’ Casting Switch A ‘Surprise’ [MTV News]

After the jump: David Gordon Green gets animated, Robert Duvall ponies up and Ellen Burstyn does serious drugs with Tim Robbins.

· Finally, at age 77, Robert Duvall is bravely venturing into the uncharted career territory of Westerns, attaching himself to star in an untitled drama about the Pony Express. From AMC, of course, which makes him a likely Emmy front-runner in 2010. [Variety]
· Talk about dodging a bullet: By going straight to TV with his animated Fox surfer comedy Good Vibes, a relieved David Gordon Green won't be forced to follow Matthew McConaughey's recent beachgoing high-water mark Surfer, Dude. [Variety]
· Jesse Ventura's predictable career arc will continue ever-skyward when he hosts an untitled "conspiracy theory" reality show for truTV, in which the ex-wrestler/actor/politico will "hunt down answers, plunging viewers into a world of secret meetings, midnight surveillance, shifty characters and dark forces." Or, as they call it in Minnesota, running for reelection. [AP]
· Ellen Burstyn will join fellow Oscar-winner Tim Robbins for his Showtime pilot Possible Side Effects, a drama set in the pharmaceutical industry — kind of like Mad Men, but with scores of exquisitely photographed pills in the place of cigarettes. [Variety]

Boomp3.com

America has spent much of the summer of 2008 falling in love all over again with Robert Downey Jr. It wasn't only his acting prowess, mind you, but also his fantastic facial hair. However, the changing of the seasons means that it's time for him to shave off his beloved goofy mustache. The Iron Man debuted his (mostly) clean shaven look at the UK premiere for Tropic Thunder. Downey Jr. said, “I think the mustache had ran its course. It tickled my wife when we kissed. It was an excellent flavor saver. For a while, it smelled like a Robeks and I loved it. Now, I have to go to work and become an adult all over again.”

[Photo Credit: Getty Images]

*A Call To The Bullpen is a work of fiction. Although the pictures we use are most certainly real, Defamer does not purport that any of the incidents or quotations you see in this piece actually happened. Lighten up, people ... it's a joke.

Boomp3.com

The 'stache-tastic Robert Downey Jr — along with Japan's very own Iron Man, Hal —went off on a few barrels before the premiere of Iron Man. According to Downey Jr, the barrels were asking for it and got what they deserved. Downey said, "Those barrels were mouthing off. Saying some nasty things about my performance in The Shaggy Dog and now they're going to pay." After having such a blast demolishing the barrels, Downey and Hal agreed to team up on a live action version of Donkey Kong, possibly to be helmed by Wong Kar-Wai.

[Photo Credit: Getty Images]

*A Call To The Bullpen is a work of fiction. Although the pictures we use are most certainly real, Defamer does not purport that any of the incidents or quotations you see in this piece actually happened. Lighten up, people ... it's a joke.

[Photo credit: Getty Images]

• Previously: Actor's Mustache Hijacks Candid 'GMA' Discussion of Race and Entertainment [Defamer]

The dollars aren't disclosed, but follow the jump for a depressing if fascinating array of blockbusters for sale, the brands that bought them and the ultimate recognition of their unholy unions:

Most Mouthwatering, placement most likely to prompt an immediate purchase: Louis Vuitton in Sex and the City

Perfect Fit, best chemistry between a brand and a film: Manolo Blahnik and Sex and the City

Welcome to Reality, fictional brand that you would most want in real life: Stark Industries in Iron Man

Scene Stealer, brand that stole the spotlight from its human co-stars: Ford Mustang in I Am Legend

Bomb, placement that ruined enjoyment of a scene: Nokia in Cloverfield

Odd Couple, most awkward and seemingly ineffective product placement: LG mobile phone in Iron Man

Film Whore, film that most “sold out” for product placement: Sex and the City

We were surprised to not see Transformers and its over-the-top GM endorsements singled out for anything other than the "E.T./Reese's Award for Achievement in Press Coverage," but there you have it. Other underrepresented films included Juno (Tic-Tacs, though no mention of Sunny Delight), Wall-E (Apple, plus a nod for its pseudo-chain Big 'N' Large), 21 (Planet Hollywood) and even Alvin and the Chipmunks (Fender guitars). As for 2009's early front-runners, your guess is as good as ours: We figure Tropic Thunder's doomed mock campaign for Simple Jack should at land somewhere, and let's face it — there has never been as craven a placement as a movie simply called Milk. Shame on you, Gus Van Sant!

• 2008 brandcameo Product Placement Awards [brandchannel]

You know, I tremulously went and watched The Dark Knight myself, but it's a totally different movie, like, you know that Tom Cruise movie where he played the race-car driver? What was that movie called … anyway. It's like comparing that movie to Talladega Nights — it's two totally different animals. We have a leading man who can sort of relish being a cad, and that's a fun character to write for. We feel like we're in the clear.

Fair enough, Theroux — war is war, but face it: If Jon Favreau would simply bother to rival Tony Scott's Day-Glo Days of Thunder diapers, the best of both visionary worlds could be yours.

• ‘Tropic Thunder’ Writer Justin Theroux on ‘Simple Jack,’ ‘Iron Man 2,’ and Stupid Actors [Vulture]

boomp3.com

Kate Beckinsale displayed a bit of political wishful thinking as she set up decorations for a party on Sunday. Beckinsale believes that a Obama/Clinton ticket would be the perfect ticket to ensure that Democrats once again control the country. Beckinsale said, "They seem like the kind of politicians that you want to go on vacation with and those are the kind of leaders I want to support. If I was happen to vote." Beckinsale then set up up a standee of Iron Man dunking over a standee of Zac Efron.

[Photo Credit: X17]

*A Call To The Bullpen is a work of fiction. Although the pictures we use are most certainly real, Defamer does not purport that any of the incidents or quotations you see in this piece actually happened. Lighten up, people ... it's a joke.