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Marvel Studios' choice of an actor to play Captain America is expected to be announced any day now (and we're a little surprised the news didn't hit last night, to be honest), and a potential (but in no way official) list of the five leading candidates found its way to the 'Net this week. All of this anticipation surrounding the star-spangled hero was reflected in the headlines, with much of the week's top stories involving Cap or the rumored contenders for the role.

However, ol' Steve Rogers wasn't the only draw this week, with buzz surrounding a potential sequel to M. Night Shyamalan's "Unreakable" getting people talking (and clicking), and the record-breaking sale of "Action Comics" #1 (featuring Superman's first appearance) leaving its mark on the comics landscape. Our chat with the "Penny Arcade" creators carved out a nice little niche for itself among the week's biggest headlines, too — so three cheers for webcomics!

Read on for the full breakdown of the Top 10 Stories of the Week on Splash Page.

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Tags Back Issue Bin

Of the allegedly final "The First Avenger: Captain America" contenders, John Krasinski — best known as even-handed prankster Jim Halpert on "The Office" — is easily the most polarizing actor of the bunch. In my "Secret Identity" column, I offered the Ryan Reynolds defense in support of Krasinski: who would have ever guessed that the same guy who starred in "Van Wilder" would portray both Green Lantern and Deadpool? But in all fairness, Krasinski should be judged on his own merits.

Still, even after reflecting on his performance on "The Office," I think Krasinski could work as Captain America — especially if he brings Jim's proven strengths to the role. I've weighed in on some of Krasinski's Captain America qualifications based on his "Office" performance. Read more...

Tags captain america, John Krasinski, the first avenger captain america

By Amy Wilkinson

FROM HOLLYWOOD CRUSH: Just last week we marveled at the sheer number of projects "Twilight" star Taylor Lautner had in development, and perhaps he was starting to feel the pressure too. After dropping out of "Northern Lights" earlier this week, the 18-year-old has parted ways with another project, "Max Steel," based on the Mattel toy, reports New York magazine's Vulture blog.

Sources say it was his "Stretch Armstrong" collaboration with rival toy company Hasbro that was the impetus for Taylor's departure. According to Vulture, Taylor realized Hasbro was doing a better job with its movie properties than Mattel. To wit, the toy company has leveraged board games Candy Land, Battleship and Risk into high-profile projects and had earlier success with a couple small flicks called "G.I. Joe" and "Transformers." Added one source, "When you sign up to make a movie with Hasbro, you know it will be in theaters a year later."

Continue reading Taylor Lautner Drops Out Of 'Max Steel' For 'Stretch Armstrong' at HollywoodCrush.MTV.com.

Tags max steel, Stretch Armstrong, taylor lautner

By Jason Cipriano

FROM MULTIPLAYER: The overwhelming success of Rocksteady Studio's latest project, "Batman: Arkham Asylum," proves that the developer can treat an often mishandled comic book property with the respect that it deserves. It took decades of not having a decent game, but The Dark Knight finally got a game worthy of his name, but the same thing can't be said about pretty much everyone else on the DC Comics roster.

With Warner Bros.'s recent acquisition of the studio, it leaves room for the possibility of Rocksteady getting their hands on some additional DC properties, and with any luck, hopefully they can do the same thing that they did for Batman with some of these characters.

Continue reading Rocksteady's Next DC Comics Project Should Be… at MultiplayerBlog.MTV.com.

Tags batman: arkham asylum

The first issue of "Choker," the new comic book series from award-winning artist Ben Templesmith ("30 Days of Night," "Welcome to Hoxford") and writer Ben McCool, hit shelves this week and is already generating a lot of positive buzz around the comics world.

A moody detective story set in a dark, technology-fueled world, "Choker" follows private investigator Johnny Jackson as he tracks down an escaped killer. McCool and Templesmith kicked off a nationwide tour promoting the six-issue Image Comics series this week, with signings this weekend in New York City, then moving on to Orlando, Seattle and various other cities around the U.S. The pair dropped by MTV News yesterday to chat about the project and offer an introduction to the gritty world of "Choker."

"'Choker is essentially what might have happened if Raymond Chandler went out on a 10-day bender with Philip K. Dick," laughed McCool. Read more...

Tags ben mccool, ben templesmith, choker, Video

For nearly a week now, the online world has been following the search for "Growing Pains" actor Andrew Koenig, whose body was discovered in Vancouver yesterday, according to various reports.

While most people recognize the 41-year-old Koenig as Richard "Boner" Stabone, the troublemaking buddy of Kirk Cameron in the ABC sitcom "Growing Pains," comics fans might know him better as the actor who played The Joker in the wildly popular fan-made film "Batman: Dead End." Made by Sandy Collora, "Dead End" starred Koenig as The Joker and Clark Bartram as Batman, and received high praise from critics and comic creators alike (including Kevin Smith and Alex Ross).

Along with his work on "Batman: Dead End," Koenig also provided several voices in the "G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero" animated series. Read more...

Tags andrew koenig, batman: dead end

Weeks ago, Christopher Nolan was tapped to mentor, not direct, the newest "Superman" movie. Yesterday, David Goyer was reported as the writer for the superhero film, supposedly titled "The Man of Steel." For some fans, it feels like a match made in heaven.

But is it really? There's certainly no arguing the success of "The Dark Knight," but the Caped Crusader and the Man of Tomorrow work for entirely different reasons. So while neither Nolan nor Goyer are absolutely confirmed for the sequel, the very mention of their name begs an unpopular question: Is this the right team for the next "Superman" movie?

In hiring Nolan and Goyer for a movie with a title reminiscent of their 2008 collaboration, Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment are seemingly hoping to strike lightning in the same spot twice. In late 2008, word broke that studio executives were hoping for a "darker" reboot of the "Superman" franchise. If that's still their aim, and if Nolan and Goyer are the guys for the job, it's likely that they'll get their wish. Read more...

Tags christopher nolan, david goyer, superman, the man of steel

It's a big week for "True Blood" author Charlaine Harris in the comics world, with an announcement earlier this week that her popular Harper Connelly series was receiving a comic book adaptation. Now, we bring you the exclusive news that Harris will be the next subject of Bluewater Productions' "Female Force" comic book biographies.

Hitting shelves in May, "Female Force: Charlaine Harris" promises to explore the author's career "from the publication of the lighthearted Aurora Teargarden mysteries to the phenomenon of her vampire-infused Sookie Stackhouse stories." And unlike previous "Female Force" books, Bluewater reports that Harris took an active role in the development of the comic, discussing her career with the comic's writer, Kim Sherman (who also authored the publisher's "Fame: Robert Pattinson" bio).

MTV News has an exclusive preview of the cover to "Female Force: Charlaine Harris," featuring art by Patricio Carbajal. Nathanlie Ooten will provide the interior art. Read more...

Tags charlaine harris, Female Force, photo

Chalk one up for The Dark Knight in the eternal debate over whether Batman could beat Superman. Just a few days after Superman's debut in "Action Comics" #1 set a new record at the auction block with a winning bid of $1 million, Batman upped the ante with a $1,075,000 sale of "Detective Comics" #27, featuring the character's first appearance.

The sale was made via Heritage Auction Galleries, which has posted a video tour of the near-mint comic's cover and interior. The identity of the comic's buyer remains a secret.

So, despite "Action Comics" #1 pre-dating "Detective Comics" #27 by nearly a year and arguably having a much more important place in the growth of the comic book industry, it looks like Batman beats Superman yet again, folks. Still, when money's concerned, you'd be a fool to bet against Bruce Wayne. Read more...

Tags action comics, batman, detective comics, superman

Last year, "Wanted 2" director Timur Bekmabetov not only said Angelina Jolie's character would return for the sequel, he also explained how she could reappear despite her [SPOILER ALERT] apparent demise at the end of the first film.

However, an unconfirmed report has emerged that Jolie has turned down a chance to reprise her role as the assassin named Fox in favor of starring in another movie.

According to New York Magazine, Jolie will instead star in "Gravity", a sci-fi thriller by director Alfonso Cuarón. The report also states that because Jolie has opted to leave "Wanted 2" behind, Universal Studios has "pulled the plug rather than recast the film." Read more...

Tags angelina jolie, wanted 2