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  • Stephen Amell Making Green Arrow Return In ‘The Flash’ Final Season

    Stephen Amell Making Green Arrow Return In ‘The Flash’ Final Season

    It seems like it’s pretty hard to keep Oliver Queen buried. Stephen Amell, cousin of True Jackson, VP star Robbie Amell and the actor responsible for bringing Green Arrow to life on television since 2012, has taken to his social media to confirm his return as the famed archer for The Flash‘s ninth and final season. He joins a slew of surprising comeback players in what’s looking like the end of an era for The CW’s slate of live-action DC properties. Javicia Leslie, whose Batwoman series was unexpectedly canceled after three seasons, will also reprise her role as Ryan Wilder in the last episodes of The Flash.

    Amell teased the news on his Twitter account, posting a GIF of his character and Grant Gustin‘s Barry Allen from an earlier season with the caption “Of course I’m coming back.” He followed this with an Instagram image of himself on The Flash set with Gustin, saying, “When Barry calls…Oliver answers…”

    https://twitter.com/StephenAmell/status/1610707493734477824?s=20&t=owmoLe9_Yh5OuqMqv8SZKA
    https://www.instagram.com/p/CnA90n2JGjj/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

    The last time fans saw Amell as Queen was in the Arrow series finale, where the hero perished for – what viewers thought – was the last time. It’s not currently known what kind of role Queen will play in the last Flash season, but his return does not necessarily mean he’s playing the same Oliver that died in 2020’s Fadeout. The CW shows are notorious for their exploration of alternate worlds and timelines, and Amell has already played multiple versions of his protagonist across several series. A 2022 tie-in comic revealed there was a living variant of Queen on Earth-Prime, so perhaps that’s who Amell will end up appearing as.

    A statement from The Flash executive producer Eric Wallace gives the final word on why the decision was made to bring Amell back for one last ride:

    As soon as our final season was announced, we knew we wanted Stephen to come back and reprise his iconic role as Oliver Queen. After all, it was Oliver who originally launched Barry Allen on his heroic path.

    Eric Wallace

    Source(s): CBR, Twitter, Instagram

  • 6 Alternate Earths from the Comics We’d Love to See in ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’

    6 Alternate Earths from the Comics We’d Love to See in ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’

    A new rumor suggests that the events of 2026’s Avengers: Secret Wars might revolve around certain key alternate universes within the Marvel Cinematic Multiverse. If true, it’s likely that it’ll be on a much larger scale than the universe hopping done by Doctor Strange and America Chavez in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness as it’s been compared to the time heist plot device in Avengers: Endgame. Given the infinite number of choices, we thought we’d whittle it down to a half-dozen from the comics (some popular, some not so popular) that would make for interesting stops on the way!

    Earth-1610/Ultimate Universe

    This one certainly seems like a no-brainer. The most well-known of Marvel Comics alternate universes, a visit to Earth-1610 could be a highlight reel moment for fans. The original home of Miles Morales and an evil version of Reed Richards known as The Maker (both of whom should be long-term characters in the MCU), the Ultimate Universe has already provided a great deal of inspiration for the MCU and could and should continue to be mined for some of its fantastic concepts (just don’t have the Blob eat Janet). Time Runs Out, 2014’s Secret Wars precursor, featured Earth-1610 and Earth-616 paired up in the Multiverse’s final incursion with Earth-1610 taking the L. Interestingly enough, as Marvel Studios prepares its mutant takeover, it may look to dip into the alternate history of Earth-1610 where the mutant genome was an accidental side effect of continued Super Soldier experimentation and Avengers: Secret Wars might give us our first glimpse at that idea.

    Earth-712/Earth-S

    The Squadron Supreme have been rumored to show up in multiple projects over the past several years but have yet to enter the MCU. Avengers: Secret Wars offers the perfect chance to remedy that and introduce the Justice League analogs as defenders of their Earth, Earth-712. A villainous version of the Squadron appeared in Squadron Sinister, a tie-in to 2015’s Secret Wars event, and that would make for an interesting twist should they want the characters to be a one-and-done. Such a one-and-done might also make it possible to cast every member of DC’s Justice League in their analog roles for a good laugh, should The Feigster be so bold.

    Earth-9997/Earth X

    Created by Alex Ross and Jim Kreuger in 1999, Earth-9997 doesn’t need to be a place the heroes of Avengers: Secret Wars visit for long; it just needs to be there to realize some of the greatest character redesigns ever into live-action in what’s probably the only chance Marvel Studios will have to do so. Marvel Studios has already tapped some of Earth X’s potential by introducing the concept of a Celestial growing inside of a planet in Eternals, so it’s possible they could revisit some of the other unique concepts from the different runs in that universe, like the wild designs of the Inhuman Royal Family.

    Earth-311/1602

    Like Earth-9997, Earth-311 is one that only needs to be visited for a brief time to bring one of the more enjoyable alternate Earth’s to the MCU. Courtesy of the legendary Neil Gaiman, Earth-311 reimagines Marvel’s Silver Age heroes living in the year…1602. Steve Rogers, Matt Murdock, the witchbreed (mutants) and their teacher Carlos Javier, Peter Parquagh and more inhabit an alternate Earth with a very different set of origins.

    Earth-65

    Home to the very popular version of Gwen Stacey known as Spider-Gwen/Ghost Spider, Earth-65 also has a Peter Parker who turned himself into the Lizard and a Matt Murdock who went from being one of The Hand’s deadliest assassins to becoming the Kingpin of crime in New York City. This is a place where a little cooperation between Sony and Marvel Studios could introduce a live-action version of Spider-Gwen, a character around whom Sony might make a film worth watching.

    Earth-2149/Zombieverse

    It simply must be done in live-action! Marvel Studios has already introduced this Earth in Season 1 of What If…? and is currently developing a Marvel Zombies animated series. Throw a couple of redshirts on a trip to Earth-2149 and push the limits of PG-13 for a few scenes. Zombies are still cool and an trip into the Zombieverse could allow Marvel Studios the opportunity to introduce some alt versions of some old characters (make RDJ’s return worth his time) or some brand new characters who haven’t been met yet…in zombie form!

    With so many alternate Earths to explore, including a dozen or more that could be counted as existing as a result of films like Blade, Ghost Rider and Daredevil that were made before Marvel Studios, Avengers: Secret Wars could be a wild ride should Waldron choose that path!

  • ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’ Rumored to Put Unique Spin on Key ‘Avengers: Endgame’ Moments

    ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’ Rumored to Put Unique Spin on Key ‘Avengers: Endgame’ Moments

    Even though it’s still over 3 years away from hitting theaters, there’s no shortage of rumors out there about the plot of Avengers: Secret Wars. With the script still under construction by Michael Waldron and no director officially on board at present, it’s best to consider any and every one of those rumors as nothing more than fun discussion points for the time being, including a new one from Heavy Spoilers that establishes an interesting parallel to the events of Avengers: Endgame.

    According to the YouTuber (via Twitter), Avengers: Secret Wars will put its own spin on the time heist that was central to the plot of Avengers: Endgame. The rumor alleges that rather than traveling to “key points” in the timeline of the MCU, as in Endgame, Secret Wars will see the heroes “traveling to key universes” within the Multiverse. Should this end up being accurate, it would seem to indicate that the 2026 saga-ender will be heavily inspired by Jonathan Hickman‘s 2015 comic book event of the same name.

    Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness gave MCU fans a taste of a few alternate Earths, including Earth-838 which introduced John Krasinski‘s Reed Richards, Anson Mount‘s Black Bolt and Patrick Stewart‘s Charles Xavier as members of the Illuminati alongside Variants of Haley Atwell‘s Peggy Carter, Chiwetel Ejiofor‘s Mordo and Lahsana Lynch‘s Maria Rambeau. Dream walking Scarlet Witch made sure there wasn’t much there to go back to, so if the rumor pans out, it’s likely Waldron is busy populating some new Earths with some interesting new characters for 2026!

    Of course, the Endgame time heist was all about collecting the Infinity Stones necessary to defeat Thanos, so could bopping around the Multiverse be about putting together the Multiversal Avengers that are rumored to be a key factor in Secret Wars? If so, who could be leading the Multiversal excursion!? Again, we’re in rumor territory here, which makes for some fun speculation as we wait for some sort of official word from Marvel Studios.

  • Dwyane Johnson Pitched More ‘Black Adam’ to DC Before the Sequel Was Axed

    Dwyane Johnson Pitched More ‘Black Adam’ to DC Before the Sequel Was Axed

    DC Studios has entered into the early stages of setting up its cinematic universe for Warner Bros Discovery. This comes after the struggles the film studio has had in the world of superheroes, with Dwyane Johnson’s Black Adam being one of the last films from the old guard. Although the star actor was ambitious in his attempts to create a new hierarchy of the DC Universe for himself, it doesn’t seem everyone was on board. In a new report from Variety, studio insiders discussed the tumultuous making of Black Adam and the character’s corner of the cinematic universe.

    Following the merger of Warner Bros. Discovery, it has been reported from inside sources that Johnson met directly with new CEO David Zaslav to pitch a multi-year expansion for his character of Black Adam to be a cornerstone of DC films. This pitch has been said to have not been met well by others within Warner Bros. Discovery, and was instead viewed as a move to go around a number of other executives at the studio. In his plan, Johnson apparently laid out a plan of films involving Black Adam and Henry Cavill’s Superman interweaving before culminating in a film where the two heavyweights face-off against each other.

    As seen with Black Adam, Johnson was able to secure a return for Henry Cavill as Superman for the post-credit scene. However, this return for Cavill was short-lived with James Gunn and Peter Safran seeking a new direction for the Man of Steel at DC Studios. And Dwayne Johnson has officially met the same fate with his time with DC following the box office flop of Black Adam and the high budgets Johnson generally demands.

    In terms of the potential of a hypothetical Black Adam vs. Superman film or saga, the odds were not positive of it being a successful business plan. The concept of pitting two heroes against each other as the crux of a cinematic universe feels antiquated in today’s blockbuster landscape. Some could also make the viable argument that it’d be too close to Zack Snyder’s Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice.

    It remains to be seen if the newly founded DC Studios will be able to overcome the challenges that have plagued Warner Bros. Discovery for years at this point. However, the odds are in the favor of James Gunn and Peter Safran to outperform the tumultuous foundation pitched by Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam.

    Source: Variety

  • RUMOR: J.J. Abrams Might Direct ‘Star Trek 4’

    RUMOR: J.J. Abrams Might Direct ‘Star Trek 4’

    In the age of major franchises seeing massive expansion in the cinematic landscape, Star Trek has generally been falling behind. The rebooted version of the classic television franchise hasn’t had a feature film since 2016’s Star Trek Beyond. Since then, Star Trek has leaned much more heavily into various streaming series on Paramount+ to continue its legacy. 

    There have been attempts to get a new film off the ground for a while, but Paramount has struggled to find a director to stay attached to the project. After various directors had come and gone during early development of Star Trek 4, some ground was thought to have been made with the hiring of Matt Shakman to helm the project. However, his hiring to Fantastic Four in 2022 forced him to relinquish the position and placed Paramount back at square one. However, a new rumor seems to suggest a returning name may be coming back to recalibrate the film series.

    https://twitter.com/ViewerAnon/status/1610716063217643521?t=JEmkmvIGB3Zh_rvLKxtf_g&s=09

    Of course, this very much remains a rumor at this time and shouldn’t be taken as any sort of decision set in stone. However, the potential of J.J. Abrams returning to the director’s chair would be compelling. Abrams was a major name in the creation of this iteration of Star Trek by directing the first two films (Star Trek and Star Trek Into Darkness, respectively). A return from the famous director and producer would procure many questions about where he’d take the franchise. It would also mark J.J. Abrams‘ first foray back into directing following the generally maligned Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.

    Another major factor that needs to be considered is the status of a script. It had been announced that Lindsey Beer and Geneva Robertson-Dworet were working on a script when Matt Shakman was hired to direct in July 2021, but little has been heard since then. With nothing set in stone, it remains to be seen if a new writer – or writers – are brought on to assist the new director, whether it ends up being Abrams or not.

  • DC Executives Are Considering Keeping Ezra Miller as the Flash

    DC Executives Are Considering Keeping Ezra Miller as the Flash

    On Wednesday, Variety released an in-depth look at Black Adam, the Superman cameo, and Dwayne Johnson‘s bid to take over DC for Warner Bros. Discovery. While the article mainly focused on Black Adam and its box office fumble, it briefly touched on Henry Cavill‘s brief return as the Man of Steel before looking ahead to DC’s future. While little is known regarding what new DC Studio heads James Gunn and Peter Safran have planned, it seems like some of DC’s past could live on.

    After various legal issues, many expected Ezra Miller to be let go as Barry Allen, aka the Flash, following the release of The Flash this Summer. However, per Variety, because Miller has stayed out of trouble since he issued an apology last year and sought mental health help, some executives are said to be on board with keeping the actor around.

    Given that Miller has stayed out of trouble since beginning mental health treatment in the summer, some executives are amenable to continuing with the actor as the world-saving speedster after “The Flash” bows on June 16.

    Should Miller be kept on board, he might be the only actor to be kept from the Snyderverse. As of now, Wonder Woman 3 isn’t happening, and it remains to be seen what Gal Gadot‘s future is as the hero. Cavill is, of course, out as the studio is looking to recast a younger Superman. Jason Momoa is expected to end his time as Aquaman, only to potentially be brought back as Lobo down the line.

    Source: Variety.

  • New Looks At ‘Quantumania’, ‘Across The Spider-Verse’ and More Released

    New Looks At ‘Quantumania’, ‘Across The Spider-Verse’ and More Released

    Marvel Studios’ release slate for 2023 is absolutely packed from February to December, with a project planned for almost every month. Meanwhile, Sony’s Marvel Universe also continues to thrive with Kraven The Hunter and Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse set to release later this year.

    Alongside its release schedule, Marvel Studios’ marketing campaign is on a wild streak, with new promotional material coming out nearly every day. Continuing this trend, new stills from both Sony and Marvel Studios’ upcoming films have been released as part of USA Today’s exclusive sneak peek at 2023 in film.

    Marvel
    An official still from ‘Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3’. JESSICA MIGLIO/MARVEL STUDIOS

    In this still, members of the Guardians seem to be having a discussion at a cafeteria of sorts. The description for this still reads:

    Drax (Dave Bautista, from left), Mantis (Pom Klementieff), Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) and Nebula (Karen Gillan) are on a new adventure to protect the universe in the concluding chapter to James Gunn’s Marvel cosmic trilogy.

    An official still from ‘Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania’. JAY MAIDMENT

    The next still shows the Van Dyne family approaching a location in the Quantum Realm, possibly Kang’s homeworld. The description elaborates on this further:

    Hank Pym (Michael Douglas, from left), Janet Van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer) and Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) explore the mysteries of the Quantum Realm in the Marvel superhero film.

    An official still from ‘Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse’. JESSICA MIGLIO/MARVEL STUDIOS

    In the very same place where Rio Morales gave Miles the inspirational “mom talk” in the official trailer for the movie, we see Miles introducing Gwen to his parents. The scene will likely take place right during the start of the movie, as we can see Gwen wearing the same sweater from the official trailer for the movie.

    Miles Morales (voiced by Shameik Moore, left) reunites with Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld) and introduces her to his parents (Luna Lauren Velez and Brian Tyree Henry) in the animated superhero sequel.

    Source: USA Today

  • One Cancelation After Another: Netflix May Be Pushing Subscribers Away

    One Cancelation After Another: Netflix May Be Pushing Subscribers Away

    There’s something bizarre about the streaming age. We’ve hit a point where some aspects are being dialed back to make it more financially safe. Up until now, Netflix had free reign over the industry and could invest wherever they see fit. We commonly could always expect a second season for any project no matter how good or bad it was. They also became the home for many series that ended up getting canceled; some even hoped that their favorite show could get picked up to this day as Lucifer did some time ago.

    Yet, we’re not in that same era anymore. There’s so much competition out there with heavy hitters like Disney+, Hulu, Amazon, and HBO Max; the latter imploding in its own way. There are also various smaller offerings on the table trying to establish their own market with Peacock Paramount+, ESPN+, and many more. Even internationally some networks are establishing their very own streaming options to build their own markets. It’s slowly turning into a free-for-all that is making the investment quite a bit more difficult.

    So, the question becomes how Netflix can establish itself in that market. Would they innovate to offer something unique like their attempt to try interactive games in the platform? Would it be to invest in more unique IPs like a Power Rangers cinematic universe or other popular IP like Avatar: The Last Airbender or even One Piece? They are doing all that but it’s being overshadowed by one simple fact: most of their new shows don’t survive beyond a single season.

    We just got the news that 1899, a supernatural mystery series by the creators of Dark, has been canceled after one season. While some smaller releases simply don’t pull in an audience like Blockbuster and are more flexible with their format, it’s bizarre to see a high-investment like 1899 not even being given a longer run to truly bank on its entire mystery concept. The show was pitched with multiple seasons in mind and it pulled in an audience going by its performance on the streaming service. Yet, there’s no clear reason given on why the series was passed on.

    Netflix seemingly wants to recreate the virality they’ve seen with select projects. To some degree, their strategy seems to be to throw out as many shows to ensure that one or the other manages to pull in some massive viewership numbers. Wednesday was a huge success, even managing to compete with Stranger Things. Yet, it’s an external production and may even end up on a new platform if they don’t invest enough money; adding more pressure to the series to keep up its high viewership with future seasons.

    There is the other issue that Netflix doesn’t own all rights to their projects. There’s a reason that the various Marvel series left the streaming service with them having a prominent placement on Disney+. Wednesday even currently sits in an uncertain spot as MGM is now owned by Amazon and they could end up losing the rights to what would’ve been their next major hit franchise. Even The Sandman was on shaky ground due to it being a DC project and requiring Warner Bros. Discovery’s approval to move forward.

    So, Netflix is slowly losing the projects that would make it stand out while nuking anything that would have a chance to grow throughout multiple seasons. But that’s not all, as viewers are slowly losing interest in whatever they are offering if this trend continues. Why even invest any time into watching their newest series if the chances of a show surviving are so slim? There’s also the fear that shows one is invested in like the live-action One Piece or Avatar: The Last Airbender if their chances to survive are so minimal.

    Netflix opened up for transparency in how shows perform, but their actions don’t seem to fully reflect what they are looking for in how a series performs. Unlike Disney, they are far more dependent on the success of their series as they don’t fully invest in the merchandise until after it was proven successful; see how long it took before Squid Game or Stranger Things offerings found their way out into the market. Their wait-and-see approach goes against their high-investment gamble, as it creates a bizarre mixture of risk-averse actions with money being thrown out left and right.

    Some franchises are given quite a bit of time such as One Piece being in some form of production since 2017. A Power Rangers cinematic universe is being developed for quite some time now as well, which would indicate they are in for the long haul. Yet, their recent actions don’t seem to truly match some of their investment choices. It creates this feeling of a lack of commitment to these projects they invest in, which reflects upon the viewers as well.

    We also can’t forget Netflix’s desperate attempt to keep users from password sharing, which they hope would lead to an increase in subscribers. Yet, it doesn’t truly ensure any churn for the streamer, and may likely lead to some not wanting to return. It’s been ingrained into our culture by this point that it would push away subscribers without any true benefit for them to sign-up. At this rate, Netflix is becoming its own worst enemy and may push people away, as enough alternatives are on the market.

  • Disney Has Confirmed Certain Marvel Movies Will Receive IMAX Signature Sound by DTS

    Disney Has Confirmed Certain Marvel Movies Will Receive IMAX Signature Sound by DTS

    Get ready for some serious audiophile sound improvements, Marvel fans! According to an announcement made today by Disney Streaming, IMAX Corporation, and DTS, a bunch of Marvel movies are set to get a major audio boost. The films, which were not specified, will now feature IMAX Signature Sound.

    Disney+ will be introducing a new way for subscribers with certain devices to experience select films from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and more, with the expansion of IMAX Enhanced technology on the platform in 2023. This follows the recent decision to make IMAX’s expanded aspect ratio available for a selection of films. The IMAX signature sound by DTS will enhance the viewing experience for fans at home, offering a specially calibrated, high-quality picture and sound experience that mimics the IMAX theatre experience.

    “We’re excited to roll out the next evolution of IMAX Enhanced technology on Disney+ in the coming year. This unique collaboration extends our long-standing relationship between Disney and IMAX and we look forward to delivering this new immersive audio experience alongside premium playback quality for current and future titles to our audiences around the world”

    Jerrell Jimerson, Executive Vice President of Product, Disney Streaming

    “We’re thrilled to bring audiences an even greater cinematic experience in the home and beyond as we roll out the next phase of IMAX Enhanced on Disney+. We can’t wait for fans to experience more of our cutting-edge, unparalleled sight and sound advancements across the entire IMAX Enhanced collection on Disney+, with more titles soon to come.”

    Vikram Arumilli, Senior Vice President and General Manager

    The IMAX Enhanced aspect ratio, which provides a screen size of 1:90:1 and up to 26% more screen space for certain scenes, is already available on all Disney+ supported devices. IMAX Enhanced signature sound by DTS will also be added to certain titles. Disney+ is the first major streaming service to offer IMAX Enhanced and it will allow subscribers to re-experience the MCU in a new way. It is suggested that more titles, including Pixar and Star Wars movies, may also be offered in IMAX Enhanced in the future.

    Source: Comicbook.

  • 12 Days of X-Mas: Day 11, Jubilee

    12 Days of X-Mas: Day 11, Jubilee

    The X-Men are coming to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Marvel Studios has no small task ahead of them in making sure that the iconic team can lead the franchise in Phase 7 and beyond. Marvel Studios is also sure to make every effort to separate their adaptation of the team(s) from what came before. To celebrate the 12 Days of Christmas, we’ve decided to put together a list of which characters might play a key role and how Marvel Studios can ensure nobody will confuse them with their Fox counterparts.

    The Firecracker

    Though she appeared in four of X-Men films (X-Men, X2: X-Men United, X-Men: The Last Stand and X-Men: Apocalypse), you’d be excused for not being able to remember what Jubilee did in those movies. If one had to guess, one might think that Bryan Singer threw a bright yellow jacket on Katrina Florence because he watched X-Men: The Animated Series and thought Jubilee was cool. In that regard, Singer wasn’t wrong. Jubilee is cool but Singer never figured out what to do with the character other than make her recognizable. Thankfully, it shouldn’t be hard for Marvel Studios to do better.

    Jubilation Lee, like Kitty Pryde, joined Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters at an incredibly young age. Following the death of her parents, Jubilation made her way to the X-Men’s hideout in the Australian outback (it was a weird time in the comics) ended up helping the team and, eventually, joining the school. For all intents and purposes, Jubilee is EXACTLY the kind of kid Xavier’s school should be trying to help and that’s why she could make for a perfect candidate to be a key part of the mutants’ future in the MCU.

    Though she lost her parents at an early age, Jubilee is truly a great representation of what it means to be a teenager. Full of life and ready to take on the world (“with me every day’s a celebration”), she often found herself walking headlong into dangerous situations she wasn’t quite ready for. The character was featured a member of the X-Men’s Blue team for years, but there are a couple of other possibilities that offer intriguing options for her portrayal in the MCU. As a young, orphaned teenager in a dangerous world, Jubilee formed a wonderful relationship with Wolverine, who served as a surrogate father for her. For over thirty issues of Larry Hama‘s run on Wolverine, Jubilee was the Robin to Logan’s Batman, serving as his sidekick. After establishing the X-Men and then Wolverine, a Wolverine and Jubilee series could provide some great moments. Another fantastic option outside of the mainstream X-Men films/series would be to put Jubilee on another one of the X-Men’s many spinoff teams: Generation X. A teen team whose adventures (if done right) found them going up against dangerous foes such as Omega Red and Juggernaut, Gen X could really be a great D+ series that could capture all the things that DC’s Titans missed. A Gen X team of Jubilee, Husk, M, Chamber and Synch, under the tutelage of Emma Frost, would provide the right mix of powers and identities to create the perfect formula for a teen action-dramadey. Marvel Studios is sure to spread the wealth and Generation X series seems to good to pass up.