Marvel has thrown a bone to all those Avengers obsessives counting down the days until the film's April release by unveiling a handful of new images.

The new shots include a closer look at Samuel L Jackson's Nick Fury than we've previously been privy to, and what looks like a fairly intimate encounter between Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner).

Check out the images in full below:

The Avengers aren't showing any signs of going away soon, as this week Captain America actor Neal McDonough stated that Thor 2 will be immediately followed by Captain America 2 and a Nick Fury movie.

The Avengers opens on 27 April 2012.

The first image from Welcome To The Punch has been revealed over at Screen Daily.

It shows James McAvoy, who play a London detective, looking pretty slick in a neon-hued London. He'll team up with a reformed crim (the ever-reliable Mark Strong) in an effort to uncover a high-level conspiracy.

The one thing that really stands out from this image though is the leap that director Eran Creevy has taken since his low budget breakout, Shifty.

Worlds away from the council estates where he lensed that earlier effort, here he showcases a totally different side of London, bathing everything in a Michael Mann-esque blue glow.

We're hoping those Hollywood comparisons aren't just going to be superficial, seeing as Ridley Scott has been dispensing advice in the editing suite.

Welcome To The Punch, which also stars Andrea Riseborough, Peter Mullan and Shifty's Daniel Mays, opens in the UK on 7 September 2012.

And, while you're here, why not check out the first look at James McAvoy in Filth? He's clearly striving for diversity...

Ryan Gosling has shed light on his role in Bangkok-set boxing flick Only God Forgives in a chat with The Hollywood Reporter.

The film sees him reunited with Drive director Nicolas Winding Refn. At the Hua Hin International Film Festival, Gosling called Bangkok: "Incredible… Ever since I came here I've been dreaming about making a film in Bangkok."

He also spoke about his training routine in preparation for the Muay Thai boxing scenes in the film: "It's sparring basically. They don't really use weights. Nicolas is doing it as well."

Gosling also commented on two recent snubs he's been at the centre of: the 2012 Oscar nominations and People Magazine's Sexiest Man Alive poll.

On the former, the actor was asked if he was felt snubbed by the Academy, and he responded with a definitive "No."

Whereas, regarding the Sexiest Man Alive title, he responded with his trademark wit: "I voted for Bradley [Cooper] and I'm glad he won."

Only God Forgives is expected to open later this year.

Alongside all the old Middle-earth faces lining up to return for The Hobbit are a host of all-new players to become acquainted with. One of these is Tauriel, played by Lost’s Evangeline Lilly who was been speaking to Entertainment Weekly about what we can expect from her character.

Tauriel is one of the Elves of Mirkwood, and from the sounds of things, she knows how to handle herself in a fight.

“She is a warrior,” confirms Lilly. “She’s actually the head of the Elven guard. She’s the big shot in the army. So she knows how to wield any weapon, but the primary weapons that she uses are a bow and arrow and two daggers. And she’s lethal and deadly.”

However, we may have to wait until 2013 to see Tauriel in all her arse-kicking glory, as Lilly says she features in the second film a lot more than she does in the first.

“She’s not in the first film very much,” says Lilly. “She comes into the first film near the end, and has a very small part to play. Her role in the second film is much more involved. Although, I have to say, when I first read the scripts and took the job, she had a lot less going on in the second film. I think the role is becoming a bit more demanding that I had expected it to be. There’s a lot more for me to do now, which is a lot of fun, but it’s a little more pressure.”

Clearly Peter Jackson was impressed by what he saw, and decided to make more room for the bow-wielding warrior. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey opens in the UK on 14 December 2012.