You don't need to squint your eyes any longer to check out those blurry images of Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow in "Iron Man 2," folks. The official images have hit the 'Net, and even though they're a bit on the small side, they give you a much better look at the previously unseen addition to Jon Favreau's "Iron Man" sequel cast.

So, what do the new images tell us? Well, it looks like Johansson's character will indeed sport a suit very similar to that of her comics counterpart. From the plunging neckline to the utility bracelets, the on-screen Black Widow looks as if she's taking more than a few cues from her comic book inspiration.

Along with posting the two official images, EW's PopWatch has also posted excerpts of the interview that shed some light on a few interesting elements of the project -- including Mickey Rourke's character and the between-films switch from Terrence Howard to Don Cheadle in the role of James "Rhodey" Rhodes. Read more...

Though his part in “Iron Man 2” was recast with Don Cheadle, Terrence Howard isn’t down for the count. In town to promote his new film "Fighting," Howard shared his thoughts on the "Iron Man 2" change and explained that he might change his focus from Marvel to the Distinguished Competition for future films.

“I think they always wanted Don Cheadle from the very start,” Howard told MTV News, “and it’s nice that they get what they want. They could be a little nicer about it. You don’t make 800 million dollars and then try and shake everyone down. That’s not nice.” Read more...

We may never know what ultimately led to the Don Cheadle/Terrence Howard switch on "Iron Man 2," and if Robert Downey Jr. knows, well, he isn't talking (at least to us).

But one reason it definitely did NOT happen is because the character of Jim "Rhodey" Rhodes was scaled back for the sequel, "Iron Man 2” screenwriter Justin Theroux told MTV News.

"I can't really speak to the plot stuff and all the rest of it but Rhodes is completely present in a very strong and big way," Theroux said of the man who would be War Machine. "He's COMPLETELY present." Read more...

While the exact nature of Terrence Howard's dismissal from "Iron Man 2” in favor of Don Cheadle for the role of Col. James "Rhodey" Rhodes continues to be mired in speculation and "he said/she said's" between Howard's reps and Marvel execs, this morning, Entertainment Weekly has posted the latest possible clues in the ongoing fiasco.

While many a Hollywood insider assumed that it was Howard's notorious, behind-the-scenes behavior issues that ultimately sank his chances of joining up with director Jon Favreau and "Iron Man" star Robert Downey Jr. for the guaranteed blockbuster sequel, according to the EW story, that was only a very small piece of the still-being-put-together puzzle. Rather, and not all that surprisingly, it all came down to money -- as EW reports that 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." Read more...

The startling news of Terrence Howard’s departure from “Iron Man 2,” led us to take a look over at MTV Movies at 5 recent high-profile cast departures, and how they affected on-going franchises. We also wondered what cast members we’d like to see make a similar disappearance.

But what about the verdict of the day? How will Howard’s departure be judged? We broke it down Dr. Jack style to find out.

The Movie: “Iron Man 2”

Who’s In / Who’s Out?: Don Cheadle replaces Terrence Howard as James Rhodes, the man who would become War Machine. Read more...

The Internet caught fire last week with the surprising news that Don Cheadle was replacing Terrence Howard in “Iron Man 2,” shocking not just fans and commentators across the net, but Terrence Howard himself?

“It was the surprise of a lifetime. There was no explanation. [The contract] just...up and vanished,” Howard told NPR, sounding genuinely hurt and surprised.

As easy and as tempting as it is to side with Howard, especially given his tireless enthusiasm for the project, which he has been talking up since spring 2007, there are two sides to every story. What’s Marvel’s take?

“No comment,” Marvel Studios President of Production Kevin Feige told MTV News on the Cheadle/Howard switch in an interview on Friday (before Howard’s comment was broadcast). Read more...

After a morning of breaking news about Don Cheadle taking over the role of Col. James "Rhodey" Rhodes from Terrence Howard in "Iron Man 2," we recalled a recent interview with Cheadle where we asked the actor if he ever considered taking a role in a comic book film, and if so, who he'd like to play. His answer may astound you...

"Vanilla Man!" the actor laughed. However, Cheadle quickly followed up his reply with his thoughts on comic films and whether he had any interest in landing a role in one.

"I’d love to do that, I love comic books," replied Cheadle. "Unfortunately, there’s not a lot of black superheroes that they’ve made comic books about, so maybe we have to go the other way, create one in the film and then create a comic book about him."

Or, in his case, land a role as Col. Rhodes, Tony Stark's right hand man who will most likely don the sleek silver armor of War Machine in the upcoming sequel to "Iron Man." Read more...

The internet has been en fuego this morning with the breaking news that Terrence Howard is out and Don Cheadle is in for the role of Col. James "Rhodey" Rhodes in the upcoming sequel to this summer's mega-hit, "Iron Man." While details about exactly why the surprising switch happened -- the studio and Howard reps giving the typical, vague responses about "financial considerations, among other differences" -- at the end of the day, "Iron Man" fans should be happy that a talented actor has been replaced with an equally talented actor.

But that being said, is this move good for the franchise? Possibly, only we here at Splash Page can't shake two words from our collective heads over this announcement: "Batman Forever." Read more...

During a press event held yesterday to promote the September 30 release of "Iron Man" on DVD, writer/director Jon Favreau had quite a bit to say about the film's much-anticipated sequel, as well as the story that will potentially lead into a third "Iron Man" film.

Here's a quick rundown of what he had to say about the future of the "Iron Man" franchise:

Favreau confirmed that Iron Man's longtime nemesis, The Mandarin, will be a major villain in the franchise, though the character's magic-based rings and the abilities they provided would likely need some tweaks to fit comfortably in the high-tech world established by the first film. He also hinted that Mandarin might not appear on-screen until the third film, in order to preserve some of the mystery and threat surrounding the Asian crime lord. The Mandarin's presence was teased in the first film when a reference was made to the terrorist cell "Ten Rings" -- though Favreau said he's struggling with the proper way to follow through on this hint and bring the character into the world of the first film. Read more...

Hey folks, another hectic week in the world of comic movie news is behind us. Here's a quick recap of this week's Splash Page highlights...

- Comics biggest writers sounded off about who they thought should be the villain Batman beats the crap outta in the next movie.

- Seth Rogen talked about "The Green Hornet," and how it'll compare to "True Lies."

- Speaking of Seths, Seth Green talked about going back to school for the third volume of "The Freshmen" and prospects for a film.

- Director Edgar Wright assured fans of "Scott Pilgrim" that they won't be disappointed with the upcoming movie.

- Terrence Howard got buff (and buffed) for the next "Iron Man" film.

- Barack Obama is the Batman...or Spider-Man.

- And MTV decided to hire me for some reason...

That's that, True Believers! Have a great weekend!