Biel works for the part on so many levels, it's hard to believe that she wouldn't get it. 1) She can act 2) she can handle the physical aspects 3) she's nearly an icon already after getting the ESQUIRE goddess treatment, and of course 4) hubba-freakin'-hubba!

As for Iron Man, as great as Clooney would be in this part, it's near-certain he has infamously spent his superhero currency.

VerseRoamer | May 27, 04:21 CET

I'd say that Tom Cruise has pretty much claimed the role of Tony Stark anyway. He has said for years that he would be willing to step into the Iron Man armour and I really cannot see anyone at Marvel saying that they don't want him tied to one of their movies.

Kaine | May 27, 04:25 CET

Actually after the dismal opening numbers for Mission Impossible III, a lot of big wigs and critics have taken that to mean that audiences are shying away from supporting Cruise. It is evidence to them that Cruise's personal life has changed how audiences are taking to his movies.

CaffeinatedSquint | May 27, 05:09 CET

I have to disagree about Ms. Biel. Hot, yes, but "she can act"? I...don't even know where to begin. Er, maybe watching Stealth on cable. Or Blade 3. Yeah, those two kinda say it all for me. But she is pretty and athletic!

I wouldn't go see Tom Cruise these days even if he were the guest villain in Serenity 2: So Very Nude. Well, OK, maybe in that, but I'd go with a fellow Browncoat who could tell me when to unplug my ears and uncover my eyes when TC's scenes are over. (But I think Tom's a fine, fine person! Really! And that episode of South Park was just terrible and wrong and should never be seen again by humans! Really!) ;-)

billz | May 27, 05:36 CET

billz, how would you feel if Shepherd Book shot out Cruise's kneecaps for trying to push him on Scientology? The crew walks into the common areas and find shoe prints and deep indentations all over the couch...Jubal Early would probably have a field day.

CaffeinatedSquint | May 27, 05:54 CET

I still like Summer or Gina for WW and Marc Blucas is PERFECT for Captain America. Brad Pitt? Feh!

Charmuse | May 27, 06:02 CET

At the showing of X-Men 3 that I went to today, the trailer for Ghost Rider got the most enthusiastic reaction. Even more than for Snakes on a Plane. Superman Returns got a tepid reception. So maybe Nicholas Cage dodged a bullet, there. He seemed badly miscast for Superman, or anybody who's not weird, but he seems fine as a supernatural biker. The unknown guy who's the new Superman just seems bland. As tired as I am of the WW speculation already, the casting really will be crucial.

dreamlogic | May 27, 06:34 CET

I saw the trailer for Ghost Rider on apple.com and I am very, very excited. I can't wait to see it on the big screen when I go see X-Men 3.

CaffeinatedSquint | May 27, 08:13 CET

FWIW, Jon Favreau has recently said he has no interest in Tom Cruise for Iron Man. Marvel could demand it, sure, but Favreau seems firm on not casting a marquee name.

More on topic, I don't think any of those actresses are right for Wonder Woman. Neither Biel nor Lilly have demonstrated much in the way of chops or presence. At the other extreme, Jolie has the talent, but tends to give off a kind of intensity that I don't see working for this character. Personally, I wish they'd just go with an unknown. Joss certainly has demonstrated that he has a good eye for casting. I'd like to see who he'd pick out of a pool of fresh talent.

keever | May 27, 08:44 CET

WW is an Amazon, and the role itself requires someone more...exotic. Jolie, while certainly exotic, is distinctly a different type of exotic, not something very Amazon-ish. I say Morena Baccarin, except she doesn't strike me to be very tall, which I suppose Amazons are.

CaffeinatedSquint | May 27, 09:07 CET

Morena is just as tall if not taller than most names being mentioned. I think she is 5'7". She just seems short compared to Nathan and Adam who are ridiculously tall for Hollywood.

TamaraC | May 27, 09:31 CET

Keep talking...I'm getting more interested! ;-)

billz | May 27, 09:32 CET

Dare I pitch a spinoff to Joss?

CaffeinatedSquint | May 27, 10:17 CET

Serenity 3: Trapped in the Closet. Can never be rerun on Comedy Central, though. Also, you'll have to shoot it so Morena and Gina are always seated when TC enters the scene, since they are both taller than him. (And thus I come back on-topic.) ;-)

[ edited by billz on 2006-05-27 09:05 ]

billz | May 27, 11:04 CET

Angel season six, episode 1, "Trapped in the Closet."

"Tom Cruise and Angel and Spike, why won't you come out of the closet?"

I'm usually not for slashy concepts, but there could be some fun innuendo to be had.

WilliamTheB | May 27, 12:14 CET

Arg, the height thing again. Doesn't anyone believe in movie magic? Like some others, I was impressed with young Ellen Page in X-Men 3, and she seems to be the age Joss is looking for. Yeah, she's kind of pale to be a Mediterranean, but they can do that, too. What's really important is the ability to act what Joss writes.

dreamlogic | May 27, 12:18 CET

I'm still hoping for Morena. As for Summer, so far I get the Mia vibe off her (Goners). And while I'm add it can I request the casting for the Fray movie that in my fantasies will some day be a reality? Kristen Bell, please. :)

[ edited by ElectricSpaceGirl on 2006-05-27 12:28 ]

electricspacegirl | May 27, 14:07 CET

Morena's half Brazilian, isn't that very Amazonish? *hopeful*
Well, I have absolute faith in JW for casting the actress he wants as WW, he always manages to pick the right ones.
But if it didn't work out as fans had hoped, it would still be interesting to see Morena or Summer in the movie; like, the villian?

Minuette | May 27, 16:43 CET

"Biel can act"? In what?

Vrykos | May 27, 17:31 CET

Amazons are warrior women of the Mediterranean. Morena Baccarin certainly looks Mediterranean, but I don't know that she could make the transition Wonder Woman needs, from Diana to WW and back again.

If I can't have Gina, I'd like Charisma. I know her name has been tossed around lots, and people have mixed feelings and whatnot, but I think she could pull it off. (I was going to say something about her versatility but it occurred to me that as I've only seen her on Buffy, Angel, and VM, I've not seen her be especially versatile... Still, I get the sense she COULD be versatile, if she had to be.)

Amazon colonies, according to the ancient mythology, existed in Africa and Asia Minor. Maybe we can find some fabulous little-known Turkish actress?

My heart is still all broken up that Jewel Staite isn't Kitty Pryde.

Kiba | May 27, 17:40 CET

Actually after the dismal opening numbers for Mission Impossible III, a lot of big wigs and critics have taken that to mean that audiences are shying away from supporting Cruise. It is evidence to them that Cruise's personal life has changed how audiences are taking to his movies.

I've seen most of Tom Cruise's movies, but not because he's in them. They are usually good movies that I'd see if any other actor was in his place. I did not see MI:3, not because of Tom Cruise, but because I'm just not interested in paying for something I could have watched on "Alias" for free.

On the other hand, I would pay to watch as Joss Whedon movie because it was a Joss Whedon movie. I don't think the actress who eventually gets the role will make any difference to me. WW could be played by a dachsund for all I care, as long as Joss is making the film.

Of course, there are people who are drawn to particular or big name actors, which is an argument in favor of having someone famous be WW. Still, I'd love to see Joss make some unknown a star.

Nebula1400 | May 27, 18:04 CET

Joss's greatest talent is superb casting. And writing. His two great gifts are casting, writing and directing. THREE gifts! (Python fans can carry on here)

I really struggle to think of anyone cast in BtVS, Ats or Firefly/Serenity that wasn't perfect in the part. I would put my house on him getting it just as right with WW.

zz9 | May 27, 18:25 CET

Ulee's Gold. A great movie that she's great in. The rest of the stuff she's done that I've seen has been garbage that even Meryl Streep would be hard-pressed to do good work in.

jaynelovesvera | May 27, 18:26 CET

I wouldn't say that Mission Impossible 3's numbers were dismal, it may have underperformed but there's many a big budget movie which would have welcomed what Mission Impossible 3 took.

Simon | May 27, 18:33 CET

I continue to support Charisma above all others, she certainly has the looks for the part! Acting? She stole the show from three pieces of eye candy when given a chance on Charmed (and I for one think Holly is a fine actress), her movies are terrible but she holds her own despite a utter lack of acting/writing/directing talent around her. Given the proper vehicle, Charisma has as much right to become a star as anyone and Joss could do that for her with this role. I will respect Joss's choice of course, he knows infinitely more about such things but I honestly feel Charisma is the one!

Calledon | May 27, 20:13 CET

Calledon, and all who are hoping for CC in the role, the word is that they are lookiing for someone in their early to mid twenties for the part in hopes of a trilogy. That rules CC out.

TamaraC | May 27, 22:14 CET

Caroline, protect me from this hostility! ; )

Jaynelovesvera, thanks for watching my back. I was, of course, referring to Ulee's Gold. She's also shown an ability to rise above bad material, a necessary skill-set today. I personally thought she made pretty tasty lemonade out of both Texas Chainsaw and Blade 3, though I was unable to watch the movies in their entirety.

Of course, that skill won't be necessary for WW, because John Sweden will deliver an amazing script and provide skilled direction.

Expect some battles over casting, folks. Keep in mind that JW is writer/director, not producer or studio. And, regardless of our love for his talents, in the minds of Hollywood, he has yet to prove himself in terms of delivering blockbuster numbers. So, most likely, he won't have final casting approval, or final cut. As fond as I am of the concepts of Baccarin, Carpenter, or even Monica Belucci, I'm thinking that WB will try to go higher-profile. WW is not the built-in slamdunk, box office wise, that her Big Three Boyfriends have proven themselves to be. Expect the Superman Returns numbers to have a ginormous impact on casting direction for this one.

VerseRoamer | May 27, 22:18 CET

VerseRoamer, you're welcome. Besides backwatching, I also excel at backpacking, babyback ribs, and I sing a mean karaoke "Back in the USSR".

Thinking about it, I also agree she did a fine job with a mediocre script in Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The best material she had in that movie was the denim of her tight jeans.


I also doubt Joss will get final casting approval, sadly.

jaynelovesvera | May 27, 22:42 CET

As far as A-list actresses go, I can't see anyone but Angelina Jolie. I can roll with Morena (who couldn't?), but personally I hope they go with an unknown who most importantly has the acting ability and the gravitas of Diana but still gets as close as they realistically can to how she looks in the comics.

However, VerseRoamer makes a good point about the lack of slam-dunkness.

batmarlowe | May 28, 01:11 CET

I really can't stand the thought of Biel in the role; in the small roles in not-good movies I've seen her in, she's usually been the worst thing in the movies. Seriously. I watched the first half of Stealth on cable, and Jamie Foxx is amusing, despite given cliche dialogue, and Josh Lucas has the looks, steeliness and rogueish charm to pull off his (badly written) character. Biel, on the other hand, could not put any conviction in any of her line readings as a tough yet girly chick who's a top-flight pilot, and her facial acting is equally dismal. Whenever she wants to signal an emotion, her facial muscles seem paralyzed with Botox or something; she either scrunches her eyebrows together in puzzlement or opens her mouth in surprise or pique.

In the movie, her character is supposed to be infatuated with Lucas's character, and in one scene, he leaves a club with this ditzy blonde groupie as she watches. I could not for the life of me tell that Biel was communicating "jealousy", her face was so blank and unreadable -- I only could tell she was supposed to be jealous b/c the camera lingered over her watching him leave. While Lucas, I got multiple impressions off of him: lustiness about the girl he was leaving with, a slight hint of embarrassment and ruefulness at meeting Biel's eyes (therefore, he likes her back too). Lucas played him as kind of a cad, a good ol' boy, but with a heart of goodness underneath, and ALL of that was suggested by his choices as an actor, none of that was in the script. Jamie Foxx has fun as the comic foil "wacky" guy, just cutting loose and playful. From Biel, I got no impression. I don't think she's just a bad actress, I don't think she was the mental creativity of a decent actor.

My choice personally would be Morena, b/c of her awesomeness, looks, suitability for the role (age is a huge factor here -- CC is in her mid-thirties and can't in honesty pull of an ingenue WW) and I think her acting is subtle, graceful and self-possessed. I also think she has great comedic timing and wit, which is rare in such a beautiful actress. Her "drunk" scene in OMR still makes me giggle. But if TPTB need a big-name actress, I would go for Angelina Jolie.

I totally think she's been under-rated because of her stupendous good looks. There's something about her that I've never seen in a major H'wood actress before, a kind of wildness and ferocity that makes even Barbara Stanwyck look normal in comparison. I don't think she's yet made a movie that perfectly suited her talents, y'know, like if Brando had never been given the role of Stanley Kowalski or something. I don't know if WW would be it, in fact, I kinda doubt it. Her energy is too... untamed and exotic to be really harnessed well in American movies, actually. I would love to see her career follow the path of some French actresses, like Jeanne Moreau or Isabelle Huppert. It's just that the French seem to have a better idea of what to do with ravishingly beautiful actresses who are fierce and frightening inside, while American movies don't specialize in roles for women who're that sexually magnetic and fierce -- they usually get put into the Sharon Stone type of throw-away role. While Jolie would be a revelation in a French movie with frank and adult sexuality, beautiful and cruel and complicated.

So I think she's a great actress, just not the ideal Wonder Woman. However, a much better choice than Biel.

dottikin | May 28, 04:11 CET

I know this is a little off topic, but I know the perfect way for Tom Cruise to rebound and get out of the Bizarro world that he's in. All he's got to do is play an over the top villian in a major film and get killed at then end. It's guarenteed to please any filmgoer if they see that happen. I still say that the last best film that he made was Collateral where he actually was a villian. He was also good as the evil vampire Lestat in Interview With The Vampire. If I was Tom Cruise's PR manager, I would definately be steering him toward a villian role. Except for The Joker that is. That role still belongs to Mark Hamill in my opinion.

SpikeBad | May 28, 04:24 CET

Definitely, no to Biel. She's a terrible actress. This is probably a ridiculous suggestion, but based on physical appearance alone, I think Katherine McPhee of American Idol would make a great Wonder Woman. The raven-haired beauty has the height, figure, and sugary personality reminiscent of Lynda Carter. I think Joss has the remarkable ability of turning what others would assume to be mere eye candy into an actress of great intensity.

mai | May 28, 05:47 CET

Only McPhee isn't an actress. If she had the ability, I'd say she has the look. If we're going along the line of dark haired beautiful women, I'd say Jordana Brewster. She could pull it off.

[ edited by lpk on 2006-05-28 04:46 ]

CaffeinatedSquint | May 28, 06:26 CET

I'm yet to see MI:3, even with Simon Pegg in it! Does that make me a bad Spaced fan? I just cannot sit in a room watching Cruise for that long without my being heavily medicated. (In saying that, I totally loved his Lestat.)

As to WW, well, I'm still hoping for an unknown, and if not, then Morena.


p.s I've hardly been on here of late, been busy, studying/life, you know, usual crap...I miss you guys! *hugs whedonesque*

nixygirl | May 28, 15:35 CET

Nixy! Nixy! Nixy!

Sorry, I had to type that. Take the keyboard away!

I not only saw MI:3, I also liked it. Yep, really.

gossi | May 28, 16:49 CET

Who doesn't love his Lestat nixygirl?

SpikeBad | May 29, 03:30 CET

Me. There's one in every crowd.

jaynelovesvera | May 29, 04:00 CET

I did see MI:3 and Simon Pegg was absolutely FANTASTIC. Oh he was very brilliant, so I say, you should brave the Cruisinart (which is what I've taken to calling him, because he mangles couches like Cuisinarts mangle vegetables) and see MI:3.

And I totally copyright or trademark or whatever "Cruisinart" for my own devious purposes.

[ edited by lpk on 2006-05-29 02:06 ]

CaffeinatedSquint | May 29, 04:03 CET