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  • What We’d Like to See From DC Studios Initial Slate

    What We’d Like to See From DC Studios Initial Slate

    As Hollywood gets ready to go on break, James Gunn and Peter Safran‘s initial vision for the first wave of DC Studios film in the all-new DC Universe has been communicated with the big bosses at Warner Bros. Discovery. Since then Gunn revealed that a Superman film, written by him, will be a top priority for the new studio while indicating that he and Safran plan to share part of the new slate with fans sometime early in 2023. While we wait to find out what the game plan is, here’s a Christmas-time wish list of what we’d like to see.

    Richard John Grayson

    For too long DC’s takes on Batman have made the mistake of robbing Batman of one of the most important relationships he’s ever forged. Dick Grayson hasn’t made an appearance in a live-action Batman film since 1997’s Batman and Robin and instead has been shuffled off to streaming land where some half-assed version of him exists on Titans. Gunn has said Batman is an important part of the stories DC Studios wants to tell. Dick Grayson is an important part of Batman’s stories. If DC Studios wants to be taken seriously by fans of Batman, this is a huge first step.

    The Brave and The Bold

    The Brave and The Bold is the Marvel Team-Ups of DC Comics, but to a lot of readers, it calls to mind one of DC’s most beloved pair of bros: Barry Allen and Hal Jordan. 2023 will see the oft-delayed The Flash film finally hit theaters, CW’s The Flash is ending following its 701st season and there’s been exactly one terrible live-action version of Hal Jordan to date in 2011’s Green Lantern film. Given that it’ll be a few years before DC Studios’ new slate starts rolling out, pushing out a new version of Barry Allen might not be as big of a deal as it seems in 2022. Even though he’s been out of the spotlight for a while, Hal Jordan probably doesn’t need an entire film’s worth of origin. Give these two a buddy film and get them involved in the bigger narrative ASAP.

    J’onn J’onzz

    The Snyderverse certainly could have used more J’onn J’onzz, a character who was nearly criminally underutilized over the last decade. J’onzz, better known as Martian Manhunter, has been around since the Silver Age and is an OG Justice Leaguer. Moreover, including him in the first wave of films allows DC Studios with someone who can narrate whatever version of the history of the DC Universe they wish to tell because, over his 225 million years, J’onn J’onzz has seen some things.

    The League, the Whole League and Nothing But The Leauge

    If Gunn is making a shared cinematic universe, there will ultimately be a Justice League. Not too many people outside of Gunn and Safran know what they have in mind for the first wave of films, but it’s likely that at some point, a League will come together and there’s no reason that it can’t be comprised of the original 7. Aquaman, Batman and Wonder Woman may or may not need solo projects ahead of a Justice League film because they’ve all been more recently present than Superman, Martian Manhunter and Green Lantern; alternatively, maybe all 7 original members need solo projects. It doesn’t matter. What does matter is that the 7 OG JLA members have NEVER shared the screen in live-action and that’s something we’d like to see Gunn remedy in the near future.

    The Hall of Justice

    The Justice League is coming and they need a sick HQ. The Hall of Justice, which is based on the real-life Union Terminal building in Cincinnati, Ohio, has never been in a live-action DC film. By the time the new slate reaches the end of its first arc, it would make sense for the heroes to have established an HQ and this one is as iconic as it gets.

    Some Off-Beat Heroes

    The Trinity will likely be the foundation of the DC Universe. Aquaman, Flash and Green Lantern will likely be there, too. Hopefully, Martian Manhunter makes the cut. However, if there’s one thing Gunn should be proud to carry over with him from his time at Marvel Studios, it’s the fact that he took a group of off-beat, unknown heroes and turned them into a globally recognized brand. So bring on Metamorpho! Throw Red Tornado into the mix. Plastic Man probably has some free time on his hands. What’s Animal Man up to these days? With the ability to introduce characters not only in films but also through streaming series, get some of these off-beat heroes into the mix. 3 years ago, nobody knew who Peacemaker was and now fans are eagerly antipating the second season of a streaming series starring John Cena as the butt of an ongoing joke.

    The OG Leaguers can’t do it all themselves (they totally can, but they never do), so throw some of these guys into the mix and give them a shot at becoming beloved by a new generation.

    A Lex Luthor That Can Be Taken Seriously

    This one is tough because while Gunn and Safran will want to break away from the stigma of the Snyderverse’s absurd take on Luthor, there’s arguably no more sensible villain for DC Studios’ first wave of films than Luthor. The character has been done to death on TV and in films, but never in a way in which he posed a threat to the entire Justice League. He doesn’t have to be the villain of Gunn’s Superman; in fact, he probably shouldn’t be. However, establishing him and then letting him grow into the type of character that could be powerful enough to threaten the entire league would set him apart from any previous version. And that version of the character probably includes…

    The Legion of Doom

    If anyone has the balls to bring this ridiculous team of villains together, it’s James Gunn. Though numerous iterations of the team have since appeared in the comics, the OGs first appeared in 1978 in the 16-episode Challenge of the Superfriends animated series that aired on ABC. The original team, which operated out of Darth Vader’s helmet, aka the Hall of Doom, was led by Luthor and consisted of rogues from all of the principal Leaguers galleries. Bizzaro, Black Manta, Brainiac, Captain Cold, Cheetah, Giganta, Gorilla Grodd, Riddler, Scarecrow, Sinestro, Solomon Grundy and Toyman all plotted to take over the world and failed again and again. DC Studios may not be able to pull all 13 of these baddies together and it doesn’t have to. But a JLA vs Legion of Doom movie would certainly garner some attention and one-up Marvel Studios in the sense that they have somehow failed to put together a live-action Masters of Evil 14 years in.

    There’s so much more that Gunn and Safran should try to accomplish as they build out the DC Universe, but the hope is that they’ll have the time necessary to do so. Great live-action versions of the JSA, The Question, The Spectre, the Green Lantern Corps and Damian Wayne all deserve to exist. But those characters probably don’t get the treatment they deserve without a solid foundation in the first wave of DC Studios’ slate. A safe, solid slate with some surprises thrown in. Let’s get it done, DC Studios.

  • ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ Cut a Major Villain Before Production

    ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ Cut a Major Villain Before Production

    Though he first appeared in 1965’s Fantastic Four #48 and is thought of as a “Fantastic Four villain”, Galactus actually has quite the history with another major Marvel character. The Devourer of Worlds has quite the origin story, being the only being to survive the transition from the Sixth Cosmos to the Seventh Cosmos, and one day on a planetoid in the depths of space, Galactus chose to tell that story to Thor. As is often the case in Marvel Comics, Galactus’ origin story has been retconned over time, but he first told it to Thor in 1969 over issues #168 and #169, forging a pretty solid bond between the two characters. That bond was recently severed when Thor killed Galactus, but what’s a little killing between friends?

    Fans have yet to see a live-action version of Galactus hit the screen (that thing in Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer will never be recognized as Galactus) but it turns out that he almost made his MCU debut alongside his buddy Thor in Thor: Love and Thunder. Unused concept art from Anthony Winn reveals that the idea was at least kicked around at one point in time. The concept art shows Galactus facing off in space against Jane Foster’s Mighty Thor!

    The story behind why Galactus didn’t make the cut may never become public knowledge, but it’s fascinating to see just how close fans of the character were to his extremely long-awaited debut. It’s unknown at present just what Marvel Studios’ plans are for the character. He may appear in the rumored Silver Surfer Special Presentation. He may appear in Fantastic Four. The powers that be may choose to take a page from his comic book origin and wait until the creation of the next iteration of the Cosmos, perhaps following Avengers: Secret Wars, before adding him to the mix. Whatever the case, it seems highly probable it will be a comic-accurate Galactus whenever he shows up and not a lingering fart cloud traversing through space.

    Source: Anthony Winn

  • ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ Receives A CinemaScore

    ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ Receives A CinemaScore

    The ratings are in and it looks like the general audience have quite enjoyed their time with the latest Avatar entry, Avatar: The Way of Water. The official CinemaScore has arrived and it’s another A for James Cameron, the same rating the original had back in 2009. In retrospect that is actually quite surprising that it didn’t have an A+ at the time given just how incredible its legs are, but that might just be the Cameron effect.

    https://twitter.com/CinemaScore/status/1603997366628909056

    The CinemaScore is mainly there to highlight how much general audiences are enjoying the latest film. 2022 has been quite rough and critical with many long-time franchises and films landing in the B to B+ territory throughout the year. Marvel Studios was sticking around the B+ score until the release of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever with an A. Though, interestingly enough these films still had some crazy legs at the box office even with lower scores. 2022 generally has been struggling, as we’re still feeling the effects of the pandemic and a general exhaustion after being locked at home for multiple years.

    Still, Avatar: The Way of Water is not set to break any domestic records but could make quite the pull internationally with it possibly passing $500M+ worldwide. If it plays like the last two films by the director, it would have a good chance to make it towards a $2B+ box office run, as it also has barely to no competition in the coming weeks. Spider-Man: No Way Home‘s December release was record-breaking last year and the spot might get more and more popular if it keeps up this trend.

    Source: Twitter, CinemaScore

  • Henry Cavill and Gal Gadot’s Cameos in ‘The Flash’ Cut

    Henry Cavill and Gal Gadot’s Cameos in ‘The Flash’ Cut

    We know that the DC Extended Universe is no longer what it once was, but it looks like we’re already seeing the ripples of James Gunn and Peter Safran‘s new direction already taking effect. 2023 will feature the last films produced under the old leadership and it’s too late to just not release the, but that doesn’t mean they can’t make any changes along the way. Henry Cavill already had to give up the mantle of Superman and Gal Gadot‘s Wonder Woman 3 is seemingly dead in the water. Now, they’re also being removed from already shot projects.

    In a new report by The Hollywood Reporter, they talk about why Cavill ended up not returning to the role of Superman. The spark that gave him hope was mainly driven by a selfish push by Dwayne Johnson to receive full creative control over his own corner in the DCEU, but with new leadership in town that is no longer happening. Now, it seems his already shot cameo in The Flash set for a release next year has been cut alongside scenes featuring Gal Gadot‘s Wonder Woman. It looks like we’ll have a complete clean plate moving forward.

    There is only one uncertainty and that is what it means for the film. We don’t know if the truly only had cameos or maybe even appeared in some form in the production. It is strange that they didn’t just keep the cameos as a last hurrah for that era. Yes, it makes sense to recast for their new adaptation and DC Studios’ New 52 take but why not have them appear one last time before they just reboot the series? We’ll have to see what this means for the future of the franchise.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • Villain for the Scrapped ‘Man of Steel’ Sequel Reportedly Revealed

    Villain for the Scrapped ‘Man of Steel’ Sequel Reportedly Revealed

    As news came this week that Henry Cavill‘s tenure as Superman had officially come to an end, fans lamented what could have been for his version of the character who first appeared in 2013’s Man of Steel. A scrapped sequel for the film had been in the works at Warner Bros. Discovery, but as James Gunn and Peter Safran stepped into their new roles as co-chairs of DC Studios, that project was scrapped. Now a new report has revealed who Cavill‘s Kal-El would have squared off with in the sequel.

    According to THR, Man of Steel 2 would have pitted Superman against one of his classic foes: Braniac. Braniac and Superman have been going at one another since 1958 with his vilest plot being the miniaturization of Krypton’s capital city of Kandor which he then kept in a jar! The sick bastard!!

    Braniac has a pretty long history in live-action,ost notably as an ongoing antagonist in Smallville where he was played my James Marsters. The character was also a major player in Superman: The Animated Series.

    While fans mourn the lack of Brainiac in the Snyderverse, keep in mind he’s far too important of a character in Superman’s story to stay out of a long form story about the character in Gunn’s all-new DC Universe.

  • Netflix Kills ‘Blockbuster’….Again

    Netflix Kills ‘Blockbuster’….Again

    You’d think Netflix would be tired of doing the same thing over and over again, but another series has sadly been scrapped by the streamer. Ironically, it’s the new comedy starring Melissa Fumero and Randall Park as two employees in the last living Blockbuster. Sadly, it seems the new comedy hasn’t quite found its audience and burned out even with a 10-episode release that used the usually popular workplace comedy concept in a familiar setting.

    though, it’s not all too surprising given that the new series hasn’t even broken into the Top 10 rankings in the United States. We don’t have a full transparency on how exactly Netflix decides what is and isn’t allowed to live on but they tend to keep a close eye on who positions where. The addition of that feature has given us a surprising insight into what has a decent chance of avoiding Netflix’s popular chopping block.

    Blockbuster also wasn’t quite the critical darling either, even with Vanessa Ramos as its showrunner. There’s a hilarious aspect about Netflix canceling a show about the Blockbuster store, as they were one of the major reasons that chain went down to begin with. Once you could conveniently watch your favorite programming from your couch, there was no real need to go back to rental stores. In some regard, perhaps the internet hoped that it might fail so that we could just pull the joke of Netflix killing Blockbuster for a second time.

    Source: Variety

  • Donald Glover to Star and Produce in a New Villain-Focused ‘Spider-Man’ Film

    Donald Glover to Star and Produce in a New Villain-Focused ‘Spider-Man’ Film

    Sony is at it again, as it seems they have found their next niche Spider-Man character to get his own spinoff film. In The Hollywood Reporter’s Heat Vision entry they’ve unveiled that the previous popular fan cast for The Amazing Spider-Man‘s title role, Donald Glover, will make his return to the world of the webhead as a star and producer of an upcoming villain-based spinoff. Who are they focusing on you might ask? None other than Hypno-Hustler.

    Eddie Murphy‘s son, Myles Murphy, is set to write the project that doesn’t have a title just yet. It marks another one of the bizarre Sony Pictures’ choices of developing films based on obscure villains from the character’s catalogue. It seems Glover loved the musical aspect and doesn’t have the Marvel baggage of connecting him to the wider audience. There’s no word if they are going for the character’s disco roots or even taking a more modern approach, as the details remain under wraps.

    Sony’s approach to using the Spider-Man license is definitely bizarre and somewhat out there that you have to respect it. There’s a good chance that they might have some other bizarre characters that’ll get their own project down the line. Anyone else up for a Screwball seires about their troubles as an influencer? Still, Donald Glover once again returns to the franchise after briefly appearing in Spider-Man: Homecoming and this hopefully doesn’t mean he’ll not also return to that role later down the line.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ Cast Tease What’s to Come in the Next Movie

    ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ Cast Tease What’s to Come in the Next Movie

    Avatar: The Way of Water has finally hit theaters after a long wait and it looks like we’re about to enter Pandora with a lot more to explore once more. Director James Cameron is ready to give viewers everything he has and with the third film already prepared, the cast got a chance to share what it was like in an interview with ComicBook.com about filming these two projects back-to-back. Such as Jack Champion teasing about knowing what was going to happen in the third entry with them spending “two whole days reading the whole movie.”

    I’ve read two and three, so, I know what happens in two and three and, yeah, I can say that… Well, at the table read we had two and three, which was like, you know, basically this much. And we had, we spent two whole days reading the whole movie.

    Jack Champion

    Trinity Bliss goes on to highlight that they filmed both movies back-to-back but sometimes also do scenes from the third movie while still filming the second entry. She highlights that it helped the actors learn about Pandora “on a grand scale” which helped them dive deeper into the world.

    Well we block shot two and three, so, there are days that we would be doing scenes from two and three at the same time. Like, we’ll do a scene from two, then a scene from three. And because of that, those worlds kind of merged. But it was cool because us as actors are learning about the world of Pandora on a grand scale. Cause we’re gonna keep exploring it and keep meeting new characters as all franchises do as they evolve.

    Trinity Bliss

    That’s not all, as Stephen Lang shared the excitement about how much “depth” it gives the characters and the planet they inhabit.

    If all that happened was the Quaritch became a repeat of what he was in the first film, I don’t think it would be worth doing. But that’s just not the case with Jim Cameron. You know it’s gonna get denser, it’s gonna get deeper and more expansive. For me, for an actor, it’s just a real field day to be able to explore this character and to find the heart in the character. Because I think in the original story, he’s got some attributes, he’s got a certain amount of charisma and dynamism. He’s a good leader and he’s loyal, you know, he’s got some stuff. But now we begin to see some of the depth of the character as well. Hopefully, hopefully you see the depth!

    Stephen Lang

    It’s definitely a different kind of blockbuster that Cameron is setting up, but the director has always had a go big or go home mentality. The director offer something unique for those looking for that different blockbuster experience. It looks like the third entry will offer even more of that.

    Source: ComicBook.com

  • Amazon Secures Rights to ‘Warhammer 40,000’, Henry Cavill to Spearhead Cinematic Universe

    Amazon Secures Rights to ‘Warhammer 40,000’, Henry Cavill to Spearhead Cinematic Universe

    While we just recently heard that Amazon is looking to Man of Steel’s Henry Cavill to star and executive produce an adaptaiton of the Warhammer 40,000 table top games, they haven’t yet secured the rights to the property. Luckily, it didn’t take long after as they just confirmed that the agreement has been finalized for the rights across TV series, film, animation, and even games. Head of Amazon and MGM Studios, Jennifer Salke, has shared the following statement:

    Warhammer 40,000 has captured the imagination of fans of all ages, from all walks of life, and all over the world. We are excited to work with Henry, Vertigo Entertainment, and Games Workshop across our Amazon entertainment businesses on this brilliant, immersive franchise for our global customers to experience for years to come.

    Jennifer Salke

    Henry Cavill has an executive producer role on the upcoming project, and has secured the rights alongside Vertigo Entertainment’s Roy Lee and Natalie Viscuso. He also confirms that this is more than just a one time project, as he will spearhead and build up the cinematic universe.

    I have loved Warhammer since I was a boy, making this moment truly special for me. The opportunity to shepherd this cinematic universe from its inception is quite the honor and the responsibility. I couldn’t be more grateful for all the hard work put in by Vertigo, Amazon Studios and Games Workshop to make this happen. One step closer to making a nigh on lifelong dream come true.

    Henry Cavill

    He also couldn’t contain his excitement with a post after the first announcement on his involvement hit the internet.

    It’s a major step forward for the actor hfter having recently left The Witcher series and losing out on his iconic DC role of Superman. Yet, it seems that Warhammer 40K will keep him busy for many years to come if the post-apocalyptic project manages to get rolling. And, it seems like he is able to make a lifelong dream come true and that’s always a great way to approach any cinematic universe.

    Source: Instagram, Deadline, The Hollywood Reporter

  • End of an Era: ‘Pokémon’ Ends Ash Ketchum’s Journey After 25 Years

    End of an Era: ‘Pokémon’ Ends Ash Ketchum’s Journey After 25 Years

    Yes, Ash Ketchum has finally reached his goal and will no longer be the main lead of the 25 years ongoing Pokémon animated series. Now, two new characters will take over as the anime enters Paldea and introduces us to a whole new world. It’s crazy to think how long we’ve spent time with Ash and his Pikachu; especially with him still being 10 years old for most of his journey.

    Luckily, Ash’s journey isn’t just randomly over but rather gets a final run with the new special episodes Pokémon Ultimate Journeys: The Series. We get one last journey with our iconic duo before the new team takes over. Sarah Natochenny has voiced the character since 2006 and it originally began all the way back in 1997.

    It truly is the end of an era to not see Ash as part of the series and might be the perfect time for a new generaiton to check it out. The new designs of the main characters do include some staples from Ash, such as the logo from his cap being used as a clip. We might still have to wait a bit before we see the new characters in action and perhaps the farewell series might even hint at where Ash would return in a future episode.

    Perhaps he’ll become a gym leader or teacher so that he can pass on his experiences to a new generation. He may not be leading the series anymore, but that doesn’t mean he can’t still be a part of it moving forward. It’ll be weird not to have Pikachu as a main member of the Pokémon roster either given he’s the series mascot. So, perhaps he finds himself in that same role soon again.

    Source: Twitter