FROM SPLASH PAGE: Back in early May, we got our first look at Samuel L. Jackson as S.H.I.E.L.D. Chief Nick Fury on the set of “Iron Man 2,” looking every bit the bad-ass in black leather and eyepatch — or at least, as bad-ass as someone can look when standing next to a giant donut.

Never mind the environment, we said, Nick Fury is sure to be kickin’ butt and taking names alongside Tony Stark in the “Iron Man” sequel, right? Not so, according to Jackson. In fact, when we caught up with the actor during an event commemorating the 20th anniversary of Spike Lee’s film “Do The Right Thing,” Jackson said fans will likely have to wait for “The Avengers” for Fury to see some action.

Continue reading EXCLUSIVE: Sam Jackson Says Nick Fury Won’t See Action In ‘Iron Man 2’

FROM SPLASH PAGE: Announced late last month, Boom Studios’ upcoming “Die Hard: Year One” comic book series will take Bruce Willis‘ hard-luck hero John McClane back to his roots in a story that unfolds more than a decade before his 1988 adventure at the Nakatomi Plaza. Veteran writer/artist Howard Chaykin, who will be scripting the prequel, spoke with MTV News about what readers can expect from the series when it hits shelves this August — including some of the familiar movie characters and elements of New York City history that will find their way into story.

“We’re dealing with McClane as a 23-year-old Marine veteran, new to the force from Queens, just loving his job,” Chaykin told MTV News. “The series is going to explain exactly how he got his gold shield.”

Continue reading EXCLUSIVE: ‘Die Hard: Year One’ Writer Talks Prequel Plot, Reveals New Jock & Dave Johnson Covers!

Editor’s note: This is far, far outside of Movies Blog’s coverage zone, I know. But “Fraggle Rock” is the greatest and this news is hella cool. So enjoy.

FROM SPLASH PAGE: This week, Archaia Comics and the Jim Henson Company confirmed rumors of a potential partnership between the two creative companies, and offered official word that the pair would be publishing new comic book series and graphic novels based on popular properties like “The Dark Crystal,” “Labyrinth” and “Mirrormask.” And while this news on its own should be enough to excite fans of Henson’s varied and much beloved library, the pair also offered Splash Page readers the exclusive announcement regarding which property will be the first to hit shelves.

“‘Fraggle Rock’ is going to be the first book that we launch,” Archaia’s Director of Development, Stephen Christy, told MTV News. “We’re launching with ‘Fraggle Rock’ and other titles will be forthcoming.”

Continue reading EXCLUSIVE: ‘Fraggle Rock’ To Be First (Of Many) Jim Henson Company Comics With Archaia Press

FROM SPLASH PAGE: While talking with writer Ed Brubaker about the return of Captain America to the Marvel Comics universe, the recent release of “Sleeper: Season One” (a collection of his 2003-2005 superhero crime series) reminded me that the “Captain America” comic isn’t his only project with big-screen connections. But what’s going on with the “Sleeper” movie these days?

Back in August, it was announced that “Sleeper” was tagged for adaptation with Sam Raimi producing the film and Tom Cruise starring as Holden Carver, a super-powered secret agent deep undercover within a supervillain cabal and left hanging when the only person who knows he’s one of the good guys falls into a coma. In October, word hit the wire that Hollywood newcomer Brad Ingelsby would write the screenplay for the adaptation, but updates have been few and far between since that time.

Continue reading EXCLUSIVE: New Screenwriter For ‘Sleeper’ Movie, Sam Raimi & Tom Cruise Still Attached

FROM SPLASH PAGE: M. Night Shyamalan’s “The Last Airbender” doesn’t hit theaters until next July, but we have your first look at the trailer here on MTV.com! (Click here for the high-definition version of the trailer.)

Set in a world full of martial arts and magic, “The Last Airbender” is a live-action adaptation of the award-winning Nickelodeon animated series “Avatar: The Last Airbender.” In the series, the last survivor of a race of nomads who can “bend” air sets out to bring peace to warring nations that each control one of four elements: air, water, earth and fire. “Slumdog Millionaire” star Dev Patel stars as the villainous Prince Zuko, heir to the throne of the Fire Nation.

For more on the new trailer for M. Night Shyamalan’s “The Last Airbender,” head over to SplashPage.MTV.com.

FROM SPLASH PAGE: Last week, reports surfaced that “Twilight” star Cam Gigandet would be playing a vampire on screen again in a live-action adaptation of “Priest,” a popular manga series published by TokyoPop.

But hold the phone, “Twilight” fans, it appears that tales of his blood-sucking role have been greatly exaggerated. During a press event for his upcoming film “The Roommate,” the actor said there’s been a slight misunderstanding when it comes to his “Priest” character.

Continue reading (and see the interview!) EXCLUSIVE: ‘Twilight’ Star Cam Gigandet Corrects Earlier Report — Won’t Play A Vampire In ‘Priest’

FROM SPLASH PAGE: Last month, we caught up with comics veteran Todd McFarlane during the premiere of “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” and received some details about his plans for a new “Spawn” movie. Comparing the film to everything from “Jaws” to “The Departed,” the Spawn (and Spider-Man villain Venom) creator had a lot to say about his ambitious plans for a reboot of the “Spawn” movie universe — plans that include a very lofty goal for the film’s lead actor.

“The main character isn’t Spawn, per se, it’s the guy chasing Spawn,” McFarlane told MTV News. “And I’ve always had [Leonardo] DiCaprio in the back of my mind.”

Continue reading Todd McFarlane Pictures Leonardo DiCaprio In Lead Role For ‘Spawn’

FROM SPLASH PAGE: Last week, “Star Trek” actor Clifton Collins Jr. kicked off online speculation when he posted a series of updates on Twitter that seemed to indicate some involvement with Marvel’s live-action “Thor” movie. At the time, we offered some thoughts of our own about the characters Collins might be best suited to play in the much-anticipated film — but reminded readers that nothing was official, and that Collins might not have any connection the film whatsoever at this point.

Well, you can strike the last part of that statement, folks. Speaking to MTV News today about his “Star Trek” role and the videos he directed for the Zac Brown Band that were recently nominated for Country Music Television Awards, Collins confirmed that he had indeed met with “Thor” filmmakers about, well… something.

Continue reading EXCLUSIVE: Clifton Collins Jr. Confirms ‘Meeting’ With ‘Thor’ Movie Team

FROM SPLASH PAGE: While the world still waits for official confirmation that Chris Hemsworth will play the lead role in “Thor,” one other aspect of the project that remains uncertain is, well… exactly what sort of “Thor” story the movie will tell.

Back in January, a rumor made the rounds that the character of Thor’s human alter ego, Donald Blake, had been added to the “Thor” script, causing many sites (including this one) to surmise that the story would be grounded on Earth a bit rather than primarily taking place in Asgard. In an exclusive interview with “Thor” director Kenneth Branagh, we asked the celebrated filmmaker what Thor stories are inspiring his approach to the movie — and the comic book creators who are counseling him on all things Thunder God.

Continue reading EXCLUSIVE: Kenneth Branagh Addresses The Stories & People Inspiring The ‘Thor’ Movie

FROM SPLASH PAGE: When Joss Whedon first launched his online musical miniseries “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog” last year, it was pretty obvious that the project was something special. Between the experimental method for delivering the series to fans, the low-budget production with high-profile stars, and the terribly addictive songs, there was no shortage of attention heaped on the project — and for good reason. In short, it was one of the Internet highlights of 2008.

The “Dr. Horrible” DVD hits shelves tomorrow, and along with collecting the entire miniseries on one disc, the DVD also contains over 90 minutes of bonus material — including an introduction to the “Evil League of Evil,” the organization to which Dr. Horrible (Neil Patrick Harris) strives to prove his villainous worth. Here’s an exclusive clip:

Continue reading EXCLUSIVE: Get To Know Joss Whedon’s ‘Evil League Of Evil’ In The ‘Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog’ DVD