It’s still crazy to think that The Flash is coming to an end. After nine seasons filled with highs and lows, the CW series that continued the mantle started by Arrow. Yet, it seems the final season is going to include quite a few familiar faces to showcase the “finality” of the series.
In a new piece by Deadline, it seems that Keiynan Lonsdale, who played Wally West and would eventually become Kid Flash, will return to reprise his role. David Ramsay is also set to once again play John Diggle in the season, who is also currently working on a new spinoff set in the Arrowverse.
That is not all, as one of the main villains is also set to return with Sendhil Ramamurthy, who played the series’ take on Bloodwork, is also set to reprise his role. All three are set to appear in the upcoming ninth episode of the final season. Executive producer Eric Wallace shared the following statement on Diggles’ return.
As one of the legacy Arrowverse characters who helped start it all, John Diggle holds a special place in our hearts, as well as the fans. Plus, the commanding presence and commitment to excellence actor/director David Ramsey brings to the screen each-and every time is truly inspiring. So, of course, it was a no-brainer to have Diggle join Team Flash in our final season! So, get ready for a very emotional reunion as John Diggle aka Spartan helps protect Central City alongside Team Flash one, last time
Eric Wallace
He also goes on to highlight the excitement of having Kid Flash back once again; teasing the story they set up for his return.
We’re so happy to reunite with the incredibly talented Keiynan Lonsdale as a part of The Flash’s final season. Because Kid Flash isn’t just another speedster—he’s a beloved part of our Team Flash family. So as soon as we knew he was coming back, we set out to create a special and heartfelt story for his return. The result is a brilliant performance from Keiynan that showcases a side of Wally West you’ve never seen before.
Eric Wallace
Lastly, they also highlighted Ramamruthy‘s return as Ramsey Rosso, highlighting that they always intended to return in the final confrontation for the Scarlet Speedster.
Ever since Sendhil turned in such a brilliantly haunting and unforgettable performance as the tortured Ramsey Rosso in Season Six, we’ve been looking for a way to bring him back. We also knew we wanted to have Ramsey play a part in Flash’s final race. Fortunately, everything came together and now the villainous Bloodwork’s return will set into motion one of the Flash’s wildest and most emotional adventures yet.
Eric Wallace
It’s definitely looking like they are ramping up for a grand finale, and it’ll be a shame to say goodbye to Grant Gustin‘s tenure as the speedster, but it does open him up to chase other roles moving forward.
Netflix just won’t learn its lesson, will it? Once again, the streaming service has decided to cancel a show just before truly getting the ball rolling and testing the waters with how it could grow its audience across multiple seasons. 1899, the mystery series by the creators of Dark, will not be returning for a second season. Baran bo Odar took to his personal Instagram account to share the sad news, as Netflix has passed on continuing the series after its first season.
It was an ambitious new project that explored the story of a steamship Cerberus on its journey across the Atlantic, which leads to them finding one that has vanished months earlier. The first season ended on a cliffhanger that was going to build upon the story elements introduced going into the second season, but it seems we won’t be getting that after all.
Netflix has a bad habit of canceling shows that are only getting started, as they mainly focus on whatever project can break a record. It’s not realistic to put all their eggs in one basket, especially while they are pushing out high-budget shows with minimal promotion and hoping about their virality. Wednesday is not the norm but rather an exception.
1899 not surviving even with the involvement of the talented creative team of Dark, it does open up the challenge of what other show might get canceled before it gets going. Streaming services can provide projects for longer periods of time but they mainly rely on whatever can pull in a massive viewership just in its opening weekend. We’ll have to see what it means for other projects in the future.
While much discourse around Disney+ content has been built around marquee franchises from Marvel Studios and Lucasfilm, one upcoming series has the potential to become a sleeper hit for the streamer. Percy Jackson and the Olympians, based on the novels by Rick Riordan, is currently in production in Vancouver and is set to wrap later this month.
This will be a reboot of the 20th Century Fox two-film series from earlier in the 21st century that sticks closer to the original novels. This series was a launching pad for the career of Logan Lerman as the titular character and he has some words about the upcoming relaunch. While promoting season two of Hunters on Amazon Prime, the actor spoke highly about the new series and specifically Walker Scobell, the actor taking his place as Percy Jackson.
I don’t think he needs any advice. The kid’s really talented. The only advice I can give him is just to enjoy it while you’re doing it. I think when you’re young, at least when I was younger [playing Percy Jackson], you almost forget to enjoy it as you’re a part of it. I really enjoyed it while I was doing it. Just take each second in and enjoy the newness of what you’re doing and being a part of something like that. That would be the only thing I would tell him. I’d feel like a bit of a schmuck, giving him advice. You’re great. You’re there for a reason. Just do your job.
Logan Lerman
It’s certainly great to see Lerman maintain a positive relationship with the role and franchise that played a significant part in his development as an actor. This is despite the two films being a mixed bag both critically and commercially. Logan Lerman also specifically spoke about his confidence in the new series being more of a success across the board.
I just think this adaptation is going to be great. I think the actors are so good and the creative team is great. Obviously, it’s Rick Riordan. It’s going to be exactly what it should be and I hope the fans like it. I’ll definitely watch it. I’m curious to see what they do with it. I have no doubt that it’s going to be great.
Logan Lerman
The notion of Rick Riordan being more involved with the series’ creative process is certainly a promising sign. It was an issue that held back the film adaptations, but the show is looking to avoid these pitfalls and fully adapt the rich tapestry of Riordan’s young adult novels. If the quality of the books can be met, Disney+ can potentially have its version of the Harry Potter franchise in the near future.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians is currently aiming to release its first season in early 2024.
Netflix has been trying to become the hot spot for anyone trying to bring their popular franchise to life. They have ventured out into the world of video game adaptations, especially after their success working on the animated series Castlevania. It led to them working on projects like Arcane, an adaptation of League of Legends, as well as the recently released Cyberpunk: Edgerunners. Their next project is a live-action adaptation of the ever-popular Assassin’s Creed franchise.
Sadly, it seems that they have lost a key member of the project, Jeb Stuart. He was hired to showrun the project and is no stranger to working with Netflix, as he’s recently worked on the Viking sequel, Valhalla. Collider has shared the news that he is no longer involved and it seems that once again a “difference in vision” is the reason for that. He goes on to highlight that:
I think it was a little bit of a move of executives from LA to London, and it allowed the London group who, unfortunately, had to inherit my vision of what it was instead of getting to develop their own vision. So I think that’s fair. I know it’s going to be great whenever it comes out. I think the Ubisoft guys are fantastic. I think it’s a terrific franchise. It was just a good, mutual time to move on for both sides.
Jeb Stuart
So far, there’s not been an announcement about who might take over as a showrunner on the project. We also don’t know what the vision might be that led to Stuart leaving the project, but they may be still actively looking for someone to fulfill that very role. The project is seemingly still moving forward, but it looks like the wait will be longer than expected.
James Gunn has a big job ahead of him in creating a shared cinematic universe out of the ashes after nuking the old guard. While he’ll smartly focus on Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and the Justice League, he’ll also have to keep it fresh by bringing some new blood to the DCU. With that in mind, we have a handful of suggestions for Mr. Gunn as he gets things moving ahead in 2023.
Joao Roque Pinto on Mister Terrific
Dream casting: John Boyega, John David Washington, Scarlett Johansson
When thinking of a character that will allow for interesting storylines (be it through solo outings or as part of a team), with interesting powers without them being too out there, someone who big screen audiences have little to no knowledge of who it is and its back story, and that will be able to play well with the biggest names in the DC catalog, Mister Terrific (Michael Holt) came immediately to mind.
Gunn usually thrives when defining characters within team dynamics and Mister Terrific can be integrated into several teams the character has been a part of over the years. From the Justice League to the Justice Society of America, from Task Force X’s subdivision Checkmate to The Terrifics. His Genius-level intellect, “a natural aptitude for having natural aptitudes”, can also allow for a more plot-driven type of story, moving away from the spectacle that most team-up movies tend to be.
Not discounting his use of T-Spheres, he remains a character that can easily be combined with almost any sort of comic book movie approach, from the more grounded to the most fantastical, all while also bringing to the table a representation factor into the larger DC Universe that should never be dismissed.
Jeffrey Peterson on Clayface
Dream casting: Denzel Washington, Josh Brolin, or Brad Pitt.
An origin story that starts in the 60s, maybe 70s, but definitely after the ‘golden age’ of cinema. Automatic buy-in through casting a respected Hollywood star that’s on the older side, but the film also gains the benefit of really only effects of makeup or CGI when really necessary. The film can still use noir and thriller elements of The Batman while leaning into a more physiological terror space. The movie has the opportunity to discuss body dysmorphia and alteration, self-help, generational trauma, and the arts, specifically film, without doing any of it too directly. The other golden opportunity is that Clayface’s abilities only have to be hinted at since those actors are good character actors anyway. The more monstrous reveal once the powers get out of hand can naturally happen in the third act or the first, depending on the classic film a director (Jordan Peele or Alex Garland) wants to reference.
Dalbin Osorio
I know there’s going to be a consensus for all sorts of Green Lanterns to show up, so I’m going to get in front of that and say that Simon Baz is the Lantern we need to see. As a hero who ends up wielding a fusion of Sinestro and Hal Jordan’s power ring, and as the Corps’s first Arab-American member, Simon has the chance to bring some much-needed diversity to a DC Slate that is predominantly cis hetero white men. Showing Simon’s street racing, and racial persecution following a subsequent car accident, would make some amazing TV.
Now, who to play him, you ask? How about 40-year-old Lee Majdoub, who played Agent Stone in Sonic The Hedgehog? You’ll next see him playing the villain in Assassin’s Creed: Mirage, and he’s still young enough to where he could theoretically play this Lantern for 10 years.
Jared Kirschenbaum
Bat-Mite, as John Economos puts it in Peacemaker, is “a two-foot-tall interdimensional imp who stans Batman.” There are many interesting things DC Studios could do for a Bat-Mite project or an appearance elsewhere. Bat-Mite is similar to the Superman villain Mister Mxyzptlk, with a very different characterization. He is a being from the Fifth Dimension, which means Bat-Mite has access to phenomenal cosmic powers. And while Mister Mxyzptlk uses his powers to toy with Superman, Bat-Mite uses his powers to “help” Batman, because Bat-Mite is at his core, not a bad guy. His biggest problem is just that he is irritating. Basically, Bat-Mite is the fan from hell. He critiques Batman, makes things more difficult, and ruins Batman’s plans. The closest thing to Bat-Mite is probably Syndrome from The Incredibles. And in the wrong situation, Bat-Mite is dangerous. Sure, he likes Batman and wants Batman to succeed, but if Bat-Mite gets angry at Batman or wants to make a task more difficult for him to make it more fun to watch, there really are not many limits to what Bat-Mite can do. He is a nerd who just cannot help himself. Sometimes he is more bad than good, but a lot of the time, in his heart, he does just want to help.
To be fair, since he is not showing up in a Batman movie anytime soon, James Gunn could totally make a Bat-Mite movie and it would probably be a lot of fun. However, this is not really where he would be the most useful in the DCU, especially since Bat-Mite has already come up in Peacemaker. And since a second season of Peacemaker will probably factor into whatever Gunn is cooking as Co-chairman and CEO of DC Studios and is more of a lock than the majority of other DCU projects, Bat-Mite should 100% show up as part of season 2. Imagine, Bat-Mite shows up floating next to Peacemaker. Only the audience and Peacemaker can see or hear Bat-Mite as he spends most of the show telling Peacemaker that he is not as cool as Batman. Is Bat-Mite real or is he a figment of Peacemaker’s imagination or some subconscious manifestation of his inadequacy? Who knows? But a stylized cartoon or weird CGI-man thingy floating around Peacemaker in season 2, telling him how he needs to do a better job of being a hero like Batman is the totally out-of-left-field choice that Gunn would absolutely make. When season 1 started, nobody thought that Peacemaker would be fighting aliens. So, why not throw in a being from the Fifth Dimension, especially one who would not really work in many other movies or shows? Bat-Mite as the angel and devil on Peacemaker’s shoulder in Peacemaker season 2 would be so much fun.
MTF III
Who better to be an entry point character for the present state of the Batman Family and all of its tentacles than Bruce Wayne’s son, raised by Ra’s Al Ghul in the world of assassins, then introduced into the world of vigilantes as the next to carry on the legacy of Robin? Through him, we can meet all of Bruce’s surrogate sons and daughters and explore a different dynamic with Bruce, as he needs to find his softer side to connect with an offspring who might be more intense than even him.
My #2 choice would be Nubia. While the idea of a “Black Wonder Woman” might seem at first glance to be one note, through her we can learn about the secret history of the lost Amazon tribe of Bana-Mighdall, who left Themyscira’s magical protection and gave up their immortality to create a society of warrior women in the Amazon way, but amidst the tumult of Northern Africa. Through interactions with Diana, Nubia could be a doorway into juxtaposing a more militant vision of the Amazons against the utopian one we were exposed to in some of the previous Wonder Woman outings. Nubia’s heroic journey can be about her learning to inspire hope in Man’s World rather than instilling fear.
Charles Murphy on The Spectre
As Marvel Studios’ fans wait for Ghost Rider to make his way into the MCU, DC’s own Spirit of Vengeance could serve an important role in James Gunn‘s new DCU. The being known as Aztar is as old as the universe and serves as the hand of divine vengeance for DC’s One Above All. There have been a whole lot of different iterations of the character over the years and Aztar has been bound to a few different human hosts, but a combo of the New 52’s modern version of Gotham PD officer Jim Corrigan mixed with the brilliant work done by John Ostrander in the 1990s offers the perfect mix of a character tied into the connected universe Gunn is building while also being able to do his own thing. Is this the right superhero role for Gunn’s bestie Nathan Fillion?
We just heard recently that Wednesday is very likely to get a season renewal in the near year, as the series ended up becoming one of Netflix’s biggest hits with 400 million hours viewed in a week, even beating out Stranger Things. There was only one complication: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) owns the rights and was a co-producer on the series. Now that the studio is owned by amazon, there was some uncertainty if the Jenna Ortega-led project may move away from its streaming home; especially with its recent success.
In a new report by the Independent, it seems that the new MGM series may be moving to Prime Video rather than remaining on Netflix going into its second season. They do point out that this isn’t a sure thing and there’s a chance that Netflix won’t waste this opportunity to keep the popular series on its streaming platform, but it’s most definitely an option as of now.
Amazon has made the statement in the past that they aren’t going to force every project that was produced under the MGM banner to remain exclusively on Prime Video, but it doesn’t exclude the fact that they’ll completely rule out the idea. According to the Independent, the team behind Wednesday is already securing writers and looking into filming locations for a second season, which is at least a positive hint at more to come. For now, we just have to wait a little longer for any confirmation if the series will return to Netflix or not.
Murphy’s Multiverse’s Extremely Talented João Roque Pinto
The Marvel Cinematic Universe
This should come as no surprise. Of course, fans flock to MCU news. Splitting it into films and Disney+ series, the biggest movie news seems predictable. But our readers’ interest in the series is perhaps a bit unique. Of course, in general, the most interesting MCU news this year came from San Diego Comic Con’s debut of Marvel Studios’ slate for Phases 5 and 6, culminating in Avengers: Secret Wars.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was a big moment in 2022 for countless reasons. The MCU's newest anti-hero, Namor, finally made his live-action debut. While many want to see the return of the character, it may not be in the form of a solo film. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever producer Nate Moore confirmed that the character can definitely return in a future project, but Disney is not able to produce a standalone project based around the character. It seems the rights are still with Universal, who also holds the rights to Hulk and was the reason that character never got a sequel since the Edward Norton film back in 2008.
As a side note, MM readers apparently got a kick out of our Ultimate Lists of What to Watch Before Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Thor: Love and Thunder. If you thought the Multiverse of Madness list was chaos, just imagine what the Ultimate List for Secret Wars will look like (hint: the entire MCU and then some). Rest assured, an Ultimate List for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania will hit the internet soon.
Readers also flocked to news about the upcoming Secret Invasion. Perhaps fitting for the show, some of the most-read articles involved leaked set photos or rumors about the identity of characters—specifically Emilia Clarke's character—whose identity will further be questioned throughout the series.
To be honest, DC has been a mess for quite some time. Whether you love(d) the DCEU (and/or all of the things that were in the DC multiverse but not the DC Extended Universe, which makes no sense), hated it, or (most likely) were indifferent to it, it existed. However, late this year all of it was thrown into complete additional chaos when it was announced that James GunnandPeter Safran would be taking over as co-leaders of the newly-formed DC Studios. There is plenty to try and unpack so far—for example, Henry Cavill is no longer Superman. Who else will be recast? What will they do with their current 2023 slate that includes The Flash, Aquaman 2, Blue Beetle, and Shazam 2?
Given they distract from the movies, aren’t always followed through on and the disturbing trend in their quality, it really is time for the Marvel post-credit scene to be retired. We’ll always have that kiss between Jane and Thor…before Jane disappeared for a decade.
Charles Murphy
If you still have too many opinions about it, feel free to hop right back into that conversation. But screaming into the Twitter void about movies feels so 2022. 2023 is better...right?
Honorable Mentions
It's not all about superheroes, though MM readers certainly love them. But in 2022 we had some major interest in several other things. Check out some of the most noteworthy ones below.
Stranger Things is about to wrap up, as the journey through the Upside-Down is about to find its end with the fifth season. We still don’t know when we can expect the series to wrap up, but it’s looking like a long wait is in order with a 2024 release on the horizon due to the series’ final season not even started rolling the cameras. Still, it seems that the cast has been teased about the future of their characters, as actor Noah Schnapp teased the ending of Will’s story and highlighted once again that it started with him.
The way they closed the show is just perfect — the story started with Will, and it’ll end with Will.
Noah Schnapp
Most of the last few seasons have put their main focus on Eleven, whose abilities were the only way to combat the various monsters out of the dimension. Still, Will was the first to meet these beings from Upside-Down and developed a psychic link with them. At the end of the last season, we could see that he still has that very connection and may become a valuable asset in the battle with Vecna, who has set his eyes on melding these two dimensions into one.
What exactly Will’s story will remain a mystery, but it’s great to see that Schnapp is on board. He seems quite excited and also tight-lipped on what we can expect from the characters’ future. There’s the question if everyone will survive the final battle with Vecna given just how dangerous it’ll become. Perhaps when we catch up with everyone, they are already barely hanging on and find a way for the last attempt to stop them. Will might be the key they need to end it.
Following Kevin Feige‘s big summer blowout at SDCC ’22, Marvel Studios’ 2023 streaming slate seemed incredibly ambitious and full. Secret Invasion, Season 2 of Loki, Echo, Ironheart and Agatha: Coven of Chaos were set to be spread out from Spring to Winter, making 2023 Disney +’s most Marvel-ous year to date. No official updates to the streaming slate were given at D23, but as the year has progressed, the possibility that the slate might shift has begun to become realistic. Rumors that Echo might be delayed seemed to be confirmed by showrunner Marion Dayre and that show’s connection to Daredevil: Born Again may lead to other shows being bumped around. In the past, it was Disney’s practice to send out a preview of the upcoming year’s slate to members of the media who would be covering their projects, but given the ongoing impact of COVID on those projects, it’s become difficult for the company to make long-term plans. In the absence of that, fans are left to take what they can find online and right now, that means conflicting information even from official sources.
As 2022 comes to an end and fans are hungry for information about what Marvel Studios projects they’ll be able to catch at home in 2023, it appears that the studio itself isn’t sure. Conflicting reports today from various official branches of Marvel have called into question what exactly the plan might be. First, Marvel’s UK and Ireland account released a small teaser that indicates all five streaming series originally planned for 2023 are still on the docket!
However, a trip over to Disney + Japan shows that only Secret Invasion, Loki and Ironheart are expected to be released in 2023. So which source is to be believed? It’s impossible to say at this point. Marvel Studios official Twitter account has not shared the Marvel UK & Ireland tweet and the Disney website still lists all five projects as 2023 releases and does not seem to have been updated recently. Fans may remember as similar situation arising in 2020 as Marvel Studios seemed to be intent on releasing WandaVision before the end of the year, but did not have it ready to stream until 2021. Unfortunately, with no official release from Disney available, it seems like the studio’s lack of information is working against itself for the time being.
As Marvel Studios moves into Phase Five of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, one of the most anticipated projects comes in the form of Daredevil: Born Again. The Disney+ series will see the return of Charlie Cox into the titular role following his stint as the character on Netflix. While the title of Born Again can lead to the conclusion that the series will be based on the dark and brooding comic series of the same name, Cox has seemingly confirmed that the new series will be taking different inspiration.
I don’t think anyone should read into the name as to the kind of stories that we’re going to tell.
Charlie Cox
Instead of being an adaptation of the specific comic series, the new show’s title appears to be more of an emblematic use of a new era away from Marvel Television’s Netflix regime. The concept of not basing the new series around the seminal Frank Miller comic run is intriguing in the sense that it could lead to a fresh take on Daredevil that isn’t intrinsically tied to darker themes. His guest appearance on She-Hulk: Attorney at Law proved that Cox has the range to portray Matthew Murdock in the more vibrant atmosphere of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Meanwhile, Cox continued to provide elaboration on if the version of Daredevil in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is that of the Netflix series (which has dubious ties to the former’s canon). While the actor himself isn’t 100% on its status, he’s set on playing Matthew Murdock as if it’s the same.
I don’t think it’s a different character. I just think it’s maybe a different period of his life. I don’t think my interpretation will change — they hired the same actor.
Charlie Cox
The 18-episode first season of Daredevil: Born Again is currently scheduled to release in the Spring of 2024 on Disney+.
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