More "Avengers" Images Assembled

Marvel has released five hi-res images from Joss Whedon’s The Avengers, which is slated to debut on May 4th, and which some analysts think just might give The Dark Knight Rises a run for its money as the top superhero film of 2012. However that particular competition turns out, the new images concentrate on character (especially Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury) and cast interaction rather than on action or spectacle like some of the previously release images.

Skrulls Aren't "The Avengers" Villains

Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige has shot down rumors that the alien menace in Joss Whedon’s The Avengers is the shape-shifting Skrulls. When photographers manage to capture a shot of mysterious alien inscriptions on “wreckage” at one of The Avengers location shoots, it appeared to confirm earlier speculation based on a supposed script leak that the Skrulls just might be involved in the new Avengers movie.

The ScarJo CoverSpeaking to Empire Magazine for an Avengers cover story, Feige was typically definitive: “It’s not Skrulls, I’ve been clear about that. The identity of the alien race is not impactful. It exists in the comic books, but we’re not setting up the Kree-Skrull war or anything like that.”

New 'Transformers" Cartoon Debuts in February

A new Transformers animated series, Transformers: Rescue Bots will debut with back-to-back episodes on Hasbro’s The Hub cable network on Saturday, February 18th starting at 11:30 am (ET, PT). The Rescue Bots series, which is produced by Hasbro Studios and Atomic Cartoons, supports a toy line from Hasbro and targets pre-tween viewers, occupying a niche in the lineup of Transformers cartoons akin to that of the Marvel Super Hero Squad. The debut of Transformers: Rescue Bots kicks of The Hub’s “Transformers Mega Saturday Event,” which will unfold on February 18th.

Later that day Hasbro will launch the second season of the its CG animated series Transformers Prime, which will debut with the first episode of a 3-episode storyline on The Hub at 8:30 pm (ET)

The final event of the “Transformers Mega Saturday Event” will be an airing of the 1986 Transformers: The Animated Movie.

Ultimate Spider-Man to Anchor Marvel Block

Marvel Entertainment has announced that the Disney XD cable channel will inaugurate a dedicated Marvel programming block on Sunday, April 1st anchored by the new Ultimate Spider-Man series. The Disney XD channel appeals to the tween and teen male demographic, while the new Ultimate Spider-Man animated series, which features some of the top creative talent in comics and animation including Paul Dini, Joe Quesada, Brian Michael Bendis, and the Man of Action group (Ben 10), is a serious state-of-the-art attempt to modernize the Peter Parker/Spider-Man saga for contemporary audiences.

In addition to various Marvel animated series including The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, and series featuring Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk, and Thor, the Marvel block on Disney XD will also include new animated short-form series, live-action interstitials, and other forms of Marvel content.