Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: dc studios

  • ‘Man of Tomorrow’ Reportedly Set to Feature Second Formidable Villain

    ‘Man of Tomorrow’ Reportedly Set to Feature Second Formidable Villain

    In November, insider Daniel Richtman reported that DC Studios had begun searching for an actress in her 20s for a major role in Man of Tomorrow. Following the initial report, Nexus Point News followed up with additional information that had fans theorizing that the character was Wonder Woman.

    As is often the case, DC Studios co-chair and Man of Tomorrow writer/director James Gunn took to social media to shoot down the growing buzz about Wonder Woman making her DCU debut in the Superman sequel. And now, a new report claims to reveal the true identity of the character.

    According to Nexus Point News, the mysterious character will be the alien warrior-queen Maxima.

    A member of the Royal Family of the planet Almerac, Maxima’s primary motivation is the survival and evolution of her bloodline. Considered the ultimate genetic prize of her species because of the unique structure of her DNA, she spent years traveling the cosmos in search of a “suitable” mate—someone whose power could match her own and produce an heir capable of ruling Almerac. And that quest led her to Earth where Kal-El’s Kryptonian heritage caught her attention.

    A composite powerhouse with a wide array of super powers, Maxima first appeared in an antagonistic role before transitioning into an ally of Superman and, eventually, a member of the Justice League. Her appearance in the film might indicate Gunn has adapted the 1992 Superman crossover event, “Panic in the Sky,” that featured Maxima teaming up with Brainiac.

    In an effort to destroy Earth, Brainiac used his telepathic abilities to enslave several cosmic heavy hitters into his army, including Maxima. Once she eventually broke free of his control, Maxima turned on Brainiac, lobotomizing him, and turned the tide of the battle in favor of Earth’s heroes.

    While it’s unlikely Gunn would directly adapt the event, it certainly does sound like the type of story he could draw from in an effort to bring Lex Luthor and Superman together in Man of Tomorrow.

  • Upcoming DC Project Set to Include the Debut of the Justice League’s Greatest Villain…and a Mystery Actor Has Already Been Cast in the Role

    Upcoming DC Project Set to Include the Debut of the Justice League’s Greatest Villain…and a Mystery Actor Has Already Been Cast in the Role

    It’s official. DC Studios’ co-chair James Gunn confirmed that the upcoming animated series, Mister Miracle, which will introduce Scott Free and the mythology of The New Gods, will be set within the shared narrative of the all-new DCU.

    The animated adventure was written by Tom King as an adaptation of his own award-winning 12-issue Mister Miracle comic book and seemed to have quickly come together under the radar. In September, Nexus Point News reported that casting for the project was underway and that it was indeed set to include Jack Kirby’s Fourth World characters such as Funky Flashman, Highfather, Lightray and Orion and, most interestingly, the tyrannical ruler of Apokolips, Darkseid.

    Since then, the series hasn’t often been in the headlines but an update from King has changed that. In a new interview, King revealed that episodes of the series are already being edited and that the studio has already cast actors in many key roles.

    “It is a DCU show. That has huge implications for our show and the DCU at large, obviously,” said King, quoting Gunn’s revelation that Mister Miracle was set within the new continuity.

    “The big announcement like who the cast and where everything that hasn’t come yet and it’s going to come and I can’t wait to do it,” King revealed. “We got to cast Darkseid. We got to cast Orion. Obviously Scott and Barda were the big ones.”

    The “huge implications” King mentioned might include the possibility that the yet-to-be-revealed voice talent cast in the aforementioned roles will also portray the characters in live-action. Gunn has stated that in most cases, the voice actors behind animated characters will also play the live-action versions of the characters, as was the case with Frank Grillo, who played Rick Flag Sr in Creature Commandos, Superman and Peacemaker Season 2. Should that be the case with Mister Miracle, it would mean that an actor has been the Justice League’s greatest villain and that Darkseid is…

  • ‘The Batman-Part II’ Circling Another MCU Star for Its All-Star Cast

    ‘The Batman-Part II’ Circling Another MCU Star for Its All-Star Cast

    It may have taken a little longer than anticipated to get The Batman-Part II ready to roll but it’s beginning to look like it may have been worth the wait.

    According to Deadline, MCU vet Sebastian Stan has entered into talks to join the cast of The Batman-Part II. While the trade report didn’t reveal the nature of the role, it’s believed that Stan will portray Gotham’s White Knight, Harvey Dent.

    Harvey Dent is a prominent character in DC Comics, best known as the tragic hero who transforms into the villainous Two-Face. He first appeared in Detective Comics #66 in 1942, created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger. Before his descent into crime, Harvey Dent was Gotham City’s youngest and most dedicated District Attorney. Known as the “White Knight” of Gotham, he was a close ally of both Batman and Commissioner James Gordon. Together, the three formed a secret pact to dismantle Gotham’s organized crime families from within the legal system.

    The turning point in Dent’s life occurred during the trial of mob boss Sal Maroni. In an act of desperation, Maroni threw sulfuric acid at Dent, hideously scarring the left side of his face. This physical trauma, combined with repressed mental health struggles (often portrayed as dissociative identity disorder stemming from childhood abuse), caused a total psychological break and turned Dent into Two-Face, a criminal mastermind obsessed with duality.

    News of Stan’s potential casting comes less than a month after fellow longtime MCU star Scarlett Johansson joined Matt Reeves-helmed sequel. Following her casting, industry insider Jeff “The In” Sneider reported that Johansson was set to play Gilda Gold, most famous for her role in Jeph Loeb’s seminal graphic novel The Long Halloween (which heavily influenced Matt Reeves’ first film). In a shocking twist at the end of that story, it is implied (and confessed by her) that she was the original “Holiday” killer.  She is a tragic figure, deeply in love with Harvey but constantly terrified of his dangerous work fighting the mob. In The Long Halloween, she secretly murdered gangsters on holidays to thin out the mob’s ranks. Her goal was not power, but to lighten Harvey’s caseload so he could finally retire, and they could start a family.

    Dent has been a central figure in nearly every Batman film or television series, including Batman: The Animated Series in which he was given a deeply sympathetic backstory that established his “Big Bad Harv” alternate personality before the accident that turned him into Two-Face.

    Following the news of Stan’s casting, social media was abuzz with the possibility that it may portend the demise of Bucky Barnes in either Avengers: Doomsday or Avengers: Secret Wars. Currently a member of the Thunderbolts/New Avengers, Barnes’ death would serve as a potential catalyst for multiple plot points, including convincing Steve Rogers to get back in action.

    Source: Deadline

  • Silver Age Superman Analogue Reportedly Set to Star in ‘Creature Commandos’ Season 2

    Silver Age Superman Analogue Reportedly Set to Star in ‘Creature Commandos’ Season 2

    DC Studios’ co-chair James Gunn has shown an affinity for characters who originated in long-defunct Charlton Comics. In 1983, DC Comics acquired Charlton’s “Action Heroes” which included Judomaster and Peacemaker, both of whom are firmly established in the all-new DCU. Gunn has made it clear that other Charlton Comics Action Heroes would pop up in the DCU as well and now, thanks to a new report, we know the identify of the next one to make the leap.

    According to Nexus Point News, 1950s heavy hitter Captain Atom will appear in the second season of the animated series, Creature Commandos.

    Co-created by Joe Gill and Steve Ditko in 1960, Captain Atom was the central character in Charlton’s Action Hero line. The character was redesigned, reimagined and renamed over the years and according to NPN, the modern version of the character, Nathaniel Adam–who may be familiar to audiences because of his appearances in the animated series Justice League Unlimited–will be the one to appear in Creature Commandos. Following an experiment, Adam’s skin becomes coated in an alien metal known as Dilustel and becomes connected to the Quantum Field, granting him incredible powers on the level of Superman. His similarities to Superman led to DC working to rework the character after acquiring him in the 80s.

    The first season premiered of Creature Commandos premiered in December 2024 and was a frenzied and brilliant opening act for the all-new DC Universe. Set two years after the events of The Suicide Squad, the series introduced Task Force M, a team of monstrous outcasts led by Frank Grillo‘s Rick Flag Sr. Season 2 which will see some new members join the team is in production now with an unknown release date.

    Source: Nexus Point News

  • James Gunn Explains His Wide-Ranging Inspiration for the DCU’s Brainiac

    James Gunn Explains His Wide-Ranging Inspiration for the DCU’s Brainiac

    After months of speculation about who the villain of Man of Tomorrow would be, director James Gunn confirmed the widespread belief that classic Superman supervillain Brainiac was indeed set to antagonize Kal-El and Lex Luthor.

    Gunn also revealed that German actor Lars Eldinger had landed the role after a “worldwide search” for the right talent to bring the Coluan Collector of Worlds to life, explaining only that his audition separated him from the pack and convinced DC Studios that he was the right man for the job. Following the news, Gunn took to social media to explain what inspiration drove the creation of the DCU’s version of Brainiac.

    I love aspects of many versions of the characters, from the 1950’s Binder stuff to the surprisingly scary Wolfman stuff to the animated versions and up through the truly creepy and wonderful, current Absolute Brainiac.

    -James Gunn

    Otto Binder‘s original version of Brainiac debuted in 1958’s Action Comics #242 and established the core elements of the character that remain iconic today, including his “12th-level intellect.” Co-created with artist Al Plastino, this version was a product of the Silver Age of comics–which inspired Gunn‘s decisions on Superman–characterized by high-concept science fiction and “B-movie” alien aesthetics.

    Binder‘s most significant contribution to the Superman mythos via Brainiac was the introduction of Kandor, the capital city of Krypton. While infiltrating Brainiac’s ship to save Metropolis, Superman discovered a bottle containing Kandor, revealing that Brainiac had visited Krypton before its destruction, creating a deep personal link between the villain and Superman’s lost heritage.

    Marv Wolfman’s version of Brainiac– introduced in 1983 for the 45th anniversary of Action Comics (#544)–is widely considered the most terrifying and radical redesign of the character in the Pre-Crisis era. Wolfman transformed the character into a cold, cosmic horror: a living machine driven by pure logic and a nihilistic need to destroy.

    For Superman: The Animated Series, Brainiac was reimagined as Krypton’s planetary AI/supercomputer. After betraying Jor-El, Brainiac downloaded his consciousness into a satellite and spent decades travelling the galaxy gathering knowledge from the computers of other civilizations before destroying them. This iconic version of the character–complete with the “three dot” symbol–returned for Justice League and Justice League Unlimited and is likely the iteration of the character with whom the core audience of Man of Tomorrow would find recognizable.

    In DC’s recent Absolute Universe, writer Jason Aaron has reimagined the Coluan as a sadist, williing to torture and experiment on his enemies–or even his own clones. The recent version also looks to employ psychological tactics that are more calculated cruelty than logic, removing him from his roots by an exponential margin.

  • James Gunn Confirms ‘Man of Tomorrow’ Villain, Announces German Actor Landed the Role

    James Gunn Confirms ‘Man of Tomorrow’ Villain, Announces German Actor Landed the Role

    After a month of rumors in which Claes Bang, Matt Smith and Dave Bautista were all alleged front runners for the role of Brainiac in Man of Tomorrow, DC Studios’ co-chair James Gunn–who recently took to social media to shoot down those rumors–announced the actor who will bring the antagonist to the screen.

    In our worldwide search for Brainiac in Man of Tomorrow, Lars Eidinger rose to the top. Welcome to the DCU, Lars.

    -James Gunn

    Man of Tomorrow is “a story about Lex Luthor and Superman having to work together to a certain degree against a much, much bigger threat.“ After months of playing coy, Gunn has finally confirmed that Brainiac will be that threat.

    In the comics, Brainiac’s primary motivation is generally a cold, unquenchable thirst for absolute knowledge and self-improvement—which involves collecting and destroying civilizations; however, modern writers have created a more sadistic version of the character, will to torture and experiment on his enemies–or even his own clones in the Absolute Universe–and employ psychological tactics that are more calculated cruelty than logic.

    Gunn previously revealed that the villain “was considered” for Superman and with Supergirl hitting theaters in 2026, it wouldn’t take much to give some background to Brainiac’s fascination with Kryptonions and reveal that he visited Krypton before it was destroyed and shrunk and stole the capital city of Kandor.

  • James Gunn Shoots Down Major ‘Man of Tomorrow’ Casting Report

    James Gunn Shoots Down Major ‘Man of Tomorrow’ Casting Report

    For some time now, James Gunn‘s social media presence can be interpreted as a barometer for the DC Studios’ rumor mill. Gunn’s responses to rumors and reports often create a clearer picture of what fans can expect from upcoming projects and, interestingly enough, what he doesn’t respond to is equally interesting.

    For example, when recent reports seemed to indicate that Wonder Woman might make her all-new, all-different DCU debut in Gunn‘s next film, Man of Tomorrow, the DC Studios’ co-chair remained tight-lipped, even as the buzz intensified. Does that mean Diana will join the battle against Brainiac in the Superman sequel? Or is Brainiac even in the film?

    While Gunn has yet to confirm that the Coluan Collector of Worlds will indeed be the villain of Man of Tomorrow, recent trade reports have indicated that Brainiac will be the catalyst behind Kal-El’s team up with Lex Luthor. Following those reports, rumblings about casting for the role have begun to pop up, with Claes Bang and Matt Smith reportedly among those up for the role. More recently, Guardians of the Galaxy star Dave Bautista was mentioned as a favorite to ultimately portray Brainiac but it seems as though that’s not going to be the case.

    Shortly after Bautista’s name was thrown out by Jeff Sneider as a to contender for the sadistic supervillain, Gunn took to Threads to shoot down the report.

    Oh boy. Let’s forget a moment, I’ve never said Brainiac was in the movie. I freaking love [Dave Bautista] [and] I have many ideas for who he could play in the DCU. But he [and] I have never discussed a role in Man of Tomorrow, nor have we discussed it amongst ourselves at DC.

    -James Gunn

    Gunn‘s statement left little room for interpretation, directly addressing the actor and the role. Bautista may not have been the best fit for the role anyway but Gunn went on to explain that none of the “6-7” other names associated for the role have been screentested or offered a part in Man of Tomorrow.

  • ‘Supergirl’ Trailer Description Teases Intergalactic Action

    DC Studios held a “launch event” in New York City to unveil the first teaser trailer for Supergirl ahead of its release sometime this week. The film’s star, Milly Alcock, was joined by director Craig Gillespie and studio co-chairs James Gunn and Peter Safran.

    As expected from such an event, a description of the teaser quickly made its way online and while it sounds as though the new film will have comedic beats, it also seems to be very much a “road trip” film in which Kara Zor-El will come to terms with her past traumas.

    The description below comes via social media scooper My Time To Shine Hello. The teaser will be released online this week, though no date has been confirmed by DC Studios at this time.

    The trailer opens with Krypto peeing on a newspaper with Superman on the cover.

    Kara wakes up hungover, and we then see her boarding a space bus.

    She’s shown celebrating her 23rd birthday alone at a bar, really emphasizing her isolation.

    The trailer then moves into a montage of her and Ruthye traveling across the galaxy to different locations.

    Krem appears briefly in a shot. Lobo is shown walking down a hallway.

    The trailer ends with Kara in full costume, fighting enemies aboard a massive space battleship.

  • Further Details Emerge on Scarlett Johansson’s ‘The Batman 2’ Villainous Role

    Further Details Emerge on Scarlett Johansson’s ‘The Batman 2’ Villainous Role

    Matt Reeves made a major splash in landing Scarlett Johansson in a lead role in his upcoming sequel to 2022’s The Batman. Synonymous with Marvel Studios early success, Johansson remains a bonafide movie star in an era where those are harder and harder to find.

    Following the initial report by Nexus Point News, fans immediately began theorizing about Johansson’s role, with Poison Ivy an early favorite. However, industry vet Jeff “The In” Sneider shot that idea down while adding enough additional context to lift another Batman baddie into contention.

    Sneider shared word that Johansson will indeed be the film’s villain with the caveat that she may also be the new love interest of Robert Pattinson‘s Bruce Wayne. And for many fans, that was enough to go on to believe that the actress will be playing Andrea Beaumont, also known as The Phantasm.

    Picking the right villain that digs into what that does and goes into his past and his life, that was what drove that discussion.

    -Matt Reeves

    Given what’s known about the role, Beaumont–who first appeared the 1993 animated film Batman: Mask of the Phantasm–is as good of a fit as can be imagined. Reeves has previously revealed that the new film’s villain has never been featured in live-action Batman films before and Beaumont as a love interest-turned antagonist does indeed fit that description.

    Fans had previously believed that Reeves was teasing Hush, a character created by Jeph Loeb in 2022, who was seemingly set up in the first film. Given Hush’s connections to Wayne’s past, he did seem to fit if the film is going to explore the billionaire more than the Bat. However, Johansson’s casting has changed that a bit and a further excavation of The Phantasm’s creation only strengthens the likelihood that’s who she’ll be playing.

    While it’s certainly not out of the question that Johansson could be playing a gender-swapped Hush that serves of an amalgam of multiple characters, including Beaumont, knowing Reeves‘ desire to keep his Batman Epic Crime Saga rooted in noir-style storytelling makes The Phantasm a fantastic fit.

    Though The Phantasm is an original character created Alan Burnett and Paul Dini for the animated feature, the character was derived from a pair of characters who first appeared in Mike Barr’s four-issue Batman: Year Two comic. Given that The Batman was a “Year One” tale, it’s certainly an interesting coincidence that the sequel’s villain could be connected to a “Year Two” tale.

    Though Batman: Year Two isn’t on anyone’s best Batman stories list, it introduced Rachel Caspian as a love interest for Batman. It also introduced her father, Judson, who was eventually revealed to be a villain named the Reaper. Batman: The Mask of the Phantasm loosely weaved those characters into Andrea Beaumont, the film’s femme fatale.

    There is an exploration to be had, and one of the explorations for me was to do something that pushes even further into the character of Bruce Wayne.

    -Matt Reeves

    With The Batman-Part II clearly cut out to be another piece of hardboiled detective noir work from Reeves and the villain intended to help the story connect to and explore Wayne’s past, Beaumont checks all the boxes. Her history and path to becoming a vigilante closely mirrors Wayne’s, allowing for a new angle on how the murders of Thomas and Martha Wayne set their son on the path to becoming Batman, making the sequel the “Bruce Wayne” movie that Reeves wants to create.

  • CCXP: DC Studios’ ‘Supergirl’ Exhibit Confirms Title Change, Shows Off New Suit and Reveals Lobo’s Comic-Accurate Weapon

    CCXP: DC Studios’ ‘Supergirl’ Exhibit Confirms Title Change, Shows Off New Suit and Reveals Lobo’s Comic-Accurate Weapon

    Additionally, photos from the exhibit have provided wonderful shots of Milly Alcock‘s Kara Zor-El’s costume and teases the chained hook that will be used by Jason Momoa‘s Lobo.

    Ahead of CCXP ’25 in San Paulo, Brazil, DC Studios’ Supergirl exhibit has become a hot spring of news.

    Thanks to Omelete, it’s been confirmed that the film–originally titled Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow–has indeed been simplified to Supergirl, as has long been believed.

    Updating…

    Source: Omelete