June has ended, but that doesn’t mean Pride Month has to come to a halt. Pride Month can be any month is the real truth. To help you continue the celebrations, we’re sharing two gorgeous graphic novels from Legendary Comics that celebrate the LGBTQ+ community inside and out. These graphic novels, which are gorgeous to look at and enchanting to read, are both from LGBTQ+ authors and feature marvelously queer characters. We could not feel more excited about that. (These LGBTQ+ graphic novels also put witches and the supernatural in the spotlight, which are two things that queer people love and feel represented by, as we’ve written about on Nerdist before.) We’re proud to recommend The Witches of Silverlake: Volume One and The Science of Ghosts—both of which are available now!

The Witches of Silverlake: Volume One, Written by Simon Curtis and Illustrated by Stephanie Son

 “It’s always tough being the new kid in the coven.” That’s the tagline for The Witches of Silverlake: Volume One. And already we’re hooked because ain’t that the truth? The Witches of Silverlake follows the journey of Elliot at Saint John the Baptist Academy as he and his new coven of queer witches accidentally unleash a bloodthirsty demon that terrorizes their school. Oops! This might not sound relatable to you, but if you’re queer, you know it happens all the time. The Witches of Silverlake sounds like an excellent adventure to embark upon.

Written by Simon Curtis and illustrated by Stephanie Son, the graphic novel delves into the dark side and danger of magic. The Witches of Silverlake is available for purchase on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and more.

You can read the full synopsis for The Witches of Silverlake: Volume One below:

Elliot has had a rough year. His dad died, he had to move across the country, and now he’s about to start high school at LA’s prestigious Saint John the Baptist Academy, where his mom has accepted the position of Vice Principal. He’s quickly taken in by the school’s outcasts: the scholarship kids; the queer kids; and the ones who just don’t really fit in with the glossy trust fund babies of SJTBA. They immediately let him in on their little secret…they are witches. Elliot joins them in their world among the crystal stores and occult shops of Silverlake, but just as he feels he has finally found a sense of family with his new coven, a full moon initiation ceremony goes awry and unleashes a demon with a thirst for SJTBA student and faculty blood, whose gruesome killing spree reveals that forces much bigger and darker than their worst nightmares have had their sights set on Elliot all along…With the fun and games of playing with crystals and candles over, the coven now realize that magic is powerful, real, and that it might be more dangerous than they’d ever imagined.

The Science of Ghosts by Lilah Sturges, Illustrated by El Garing, with Contributions by Alitha Martinez

In The Science of Ghosts, written by Lilah Sturges, “trans forensic parapsychologist Jo Ravenna investigates a series of murders intertwined with ghostly echoes, uncovering unsettling truths with serious consequences for her and her friends’ lives.” Illustrated by El Garing, Illustrated by El Garing, with contributions by Alitha Martinez, this horror story wonderfully explores a life post-transition. This novel’s tagline is, “She’ll take ghosts over solving her own problems any day.” Again, if you’re a queer person, this is highly relatable content. We can’t wait to be haunted by this LGBTQ+ graphic novel in the best way.

If that’s not enough to intrigue you, below are the first five pages of The Science of Ghosts for your reading pleasure. Fair warning: You won’t be able to get them out of your head. The Science of Ghosts can be purchased on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and more.

The full synopsis for The Science of Ghosts is below:

In “The Science of Ghosts,” Joy Ravenna, a transgender parapsychologist, navigates the mysteries of the afterlife while confronting the challenges of her past and present. Joy’s first post-transition relationship, a hostile ex-wife, and long-forgotten murder clues test her resilience at every turn. For Joy, dealing with the living is far more daunting than working with ghosts. This gripping 160-page graphic novel is written by Lilah Sturges, Illustrated by El Garing, with contributions by Alitha Martinez and is published by Legendary Comics.

Keep Your Pride Going by Supporting LGBTQ+ Creators and Their Work

As mentioned, both these graphic novels are wonderfully queer, super beautiful, and just downright excellent reads. Make sure to add them to your reading list today and keep the love for queer creators and their queer work going all year long.

Editor’s Note: Nerdist is a subsidiary of Legendary Digital Networks.

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When James Gunn’s Superman hits theaters next year, it might for a moment feel like you’re seeing more than one Man of Steel up on the screen. That’s because, as reported by Variety, the son of the late Christopher Reeve, Will Reeve, shot a cameo scene for the Superman film this week in Cleveland, Ohio. Will Reeve, the youngest of the late Superman star’s three children, is the spitting image of his dad. So it’s sure to be a touching moment when he and David Corenswet share the screen in the DCU movie. Will Reeve is actually a journalist and ABC News correspondent, so his Superman cameo will fittingly be that of a TV reporter who meets the Last Son of Krypton.

Locals caught the filming of many scenes from the Superman movie, including Will Reeve’s appearance on set. In the past week, we’ve seen David Corenswet in costume on set, not only as Superman but also as Clark Kent. This version of Clark has a curly mop of hair and thick glasses. The Clark Kent disguise actually makes us believe that people would believe that Superman and Clark are two different people. Also spotted on set is Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane and Nicholas Hault as Lex Luthor. We’ve also seen Mister Terrific (Edi Gathegi), wearing his comics-accurate costume. But seeing Christopher Reeve’s son appear in the Superman production is definitely a very fun surprise.

Aside from the upcoming James Gunn film, Will Reeve will appear, along with his two siblings, in the documentary Super/Man. This new film chronicles their late father Christopher Reeve’s rise to fame as Superman, which led to three sequels. His acting career came mostly to a halt after a near-fatal horse-riding accident in 1995. The incident left him paralyzed from the neck down. Christopher Reeve would become an advocate and spokesperson for those suffering from similar injuries until his death in 2004. It’s safe to say his son’s appearance in Superman will be a more fitting tribute to Christopher Reeve than his CGI recreation in The Flash. Super/Man releases later this year, and Superman hits theaters in July 11, 2025.

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Mark Waid and Alex Ross’ 1996 mini-series Kingdom Come is one of the greatest and most influential comics from DC. The painstakingly crafted tale about an elder Superman and the Justice League facing a new generation of amoral heroes became a massive hit. Comics fans still feel its influence today, including in James Gunn’s new DCU. So the timing is right for a new documentary on the making of this classic comic, The Legend of Kingdom Come, which we’ve learned about via The Wrap. You can check out the first teaser trailer for director Remsy Atassi’s film, right here:

DC Comics expanded on many of the themes and visuals of Kingdom Come in other media over the years. First in the comics, then later in things like the CW Arrowverse. In fact, the Superman ‘S’ shield designed by Alex Ross for Kingdom Come? It’s now the same one we see in James Gunn’s Superman. In a statement, director Remsy Atassi said, “The Legend of Kingdom Come documentary will be an exploration of the mad, relentless dedication that goes into producing this stunning art form – and what it takes for an artist to achieve greatness.”

Both Kingdom Come writer Mark Waid and artist Alex Ross will be interviewed extensively about their seminal creation in this documentary. Among the other creators interviewed are Spawn creator Todd McFarlane and Batman: The Animated Series writer Paul Dini. This series came at just the right time in the comics industry. In the mid-90s, violent antiheroes ruled superhero comics. DC’s Kingdom Come asked the question, “Is the world just too dark now for old-fashioned heroes like Superman? It’s a question that James Gunn’s new Superman film will likely pose as well.

The pre-Kickstarter launch page for The Legend of Kingdom Come documentary is online here. Fans can sign up now for alerts on the film and details about when the crowdfunding campaign goes live later in 2024. A Legend of Kingdom Come panel is also taking place at Comic-Con in San Diego this year.

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Mike Mignola’s Hellboy and its myriad spinoffs are up there as my favorite comics of all time. The mix of Gothic, cosmic, and monster horror with a helping of gallows humor works for me so, so much. Guillermo del Toro famously made a couple of Hellboy movies with Ron Perlman. While good in their own GDT way, neither of them (especially the second one) truly felt like a proper adaptation of the source material. The 2019 Neil Marshall Hellboy movie with David Harbour adapted the source material directly, but the movie itself was very, very bad. Now we get Hellboy: The Crooked Man and…well, just take a look. Then we’ll talk.

First some context. The Crooked Man was a three-issue arc from Mignola and artist Richard Corben from 2008. It detailed one of Hellboy’s earlier missions for the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense. In 1958 Appalachia, Hellboy encounters some witches and witch-adjacent people and eventually cross paths with the titular Crooked Man, a hanged war profiteer from the 18th Century who has returned from Hell to act as the region’s resident Devil. He’s pretty terrifying, especially as Corben illustrates him.

Hellboy: The Crooked Man looks to be a very faithful (and small) adaptation of that particular story. On its face this is a good thing. One of the major issues with the 2019 movie is that it adapted way, way, way too many stories, not least of which The Wild Hunt, the longest and most epic story in the Mignola canon. Focusing on a one-off adventure and maximizing the horror is a pretty good idea.

However, just looking at it, you can see the very low budget. You may have noticed the movie comes our way from Ketchup Entertainment. KETCHUP ENTERTAINMENT. Brian Taylor (of Crank franchise fame) is directing, with himself, Mignola, and Mignola’s Baltimore collaborator Christopher Golden on screenplay duties. Jack Kesy (who very briefly played Black Tom Cassidy in Deadpool 2) portrays Hellboy and he just kind of looks unfinished. If Harbour was TOO made up, Kesy looks like a decent amateur cosplay attempt.

So who knows! It may be good. It certainly seems focused more on the actual horror. Which is the proper direction to go following the dark fantasy mishmash of the last movie. But I’m not convinced after this wack first look. I would love it if one day any live-action outing properly snags the tone of the comics. Whether Hellboy: The Crooked Man can do that will have to wait until it comes out later this year.

Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. He hosts the weekly pop culture deep-dive podcast Laser Focus. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Instagram and Letterboxd.

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In the pages of Marvel Comics, Victor Creed, a.k.a. Sabretooth, is Wolverine’s biggest rival. The Joker to his Batman, if you will. He’s the worst-case scenario version of Logan—an animal-like mutant, who is almost impossible to kill, a true psychopath with no redeeming qualities. Despite this, he’s worked for and against Wolverine and the X-Men over the years. Thanks to appearances on X-Men: The Animated Series, X-Men: Evolution, and in the live-action films, Sabretooth has become iconic. Now, Sabretooth returns for one more bloody tussle with Logan in Deadpool & Wolverine. Here’s everything you need to know about Wolverine’s most hated enemy.

What Are Sabretooth’s Mutant Powers?

Sabretooth has very similar powers to his main rival, Wolverine. He has razor-sharp claws, regenerative capabilities, including an extensive healing factor, and animal-like senses. He has enhanced agility, speed, stamina, and strength. Similar to Wolverine, Creed’s healing factor allows him to age very slowly. Although his true age remains a mystery, many believe him to be well over 150 years old. As a side effect of Creed’s powers, he suffers from an unquenchable bloodlust.

Over the years, he’s asked various psychic mutants to help alleviate his murderous tendencies with a telepathic soothing balm he calls “the glow.” But even that hasn’t ever fully stripped him of his murderous nature. Eventually, Creed would get an adamantium skeleton of his own like Logan’s, although it would come and go. Even without his powers, Creed remains one of the most skilled hunters and trackers in the Marvel universe, undergoing training by organizations such as Hydra, SHIELD, Weapon X, the CIA, and many others.

Sabretooth’s Marvel Comics History and Relationship with Wolverine

Sabretooth didn’t first appear in X-Men comics, however. He first appeared in the pages of Iron First in 1977, as the martial artist’s intended primary antagonist. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist John Byrne, Claremont shifted Sabretooth over to the pages of Uncanny X-Men, where he developed a long-standing rivalry with the similarly-powered Wolverine. This began in earnest when Mister Sinister recruited him into his Marauders, and he helped slaughter several Morlocks during the Mutant Massacre. From that point forward, they presented Sabretooth as Logan’s primary nemesis.

The source of the Logan/Creed animosity is still a question. Some believe Sabretooth simply hates that there is someone out there with a similar skill set. Others have suggested that their animosity stems from incidents that happened to them while part of the government’s Weapon X project, and several murders of Wolverine’s loved ones he committed. However, some of those incidents are thought to be implanted memories now. The prevailing belief is that Creed simply hates that Logan won’t unleash his feral nature. He disdains Logan’s moral compass, something Sabretooth totally lacks.

Sabretooth Is X-Men Enemy and a Member of the X-Men

Despite his truly amoral nature, over the years Sabretooth has been part of several teams. Aside from Sinister’s Marauders, he’s been a part of the terrorist Brotherhood. There, he worked under his former lover Mystique. The pair have a child together, the human-supremacist leader Graydon Creed. Sabretooth has also been part of the X-Men, during a time when Professor X thought he might cure Sabretooth of his sadistic tendencies. They also forced Creed to work with the government-sanctioned X-Factor for a time, before breaking free of their control. In the recent Krakoan era of X-Men, one of the few mutants who did not agree to the “no killing humans” rule was Creed. So for a time, the X-Men imprisoned him within the island itself.

Sabretooth in the 20th Century Fox X-Men Movies

There are two contradicting versions of Sabretooth in the Fox X-Men films. The first was played by wrestler Tyler Mane. He worked for Magneto’s Brotherhood of Mutants in the original 2000 X-Men film. He tussles several times with Wolverine, although there is no indication that he knows Logan from a previous life at all in this film. The two fight atop the Statue of Liberty, a battle where Wolverine soundly defeats him. In the first X-Men, he barely has any lines. His personality is blank outside of a few mean snarls.

2009’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine introduced us to a totally different version of Sabretooth, played by actor Liev Schreiber. This version was Logan’s half-brother, who fought by his side for years. Eventually, they have a falling out, becoming bitter enemies. Although Marvel writers once toyed with Sabretooth and Wolverine as relatives, it never happened. So this is a complete Hollywood invention. Not only does this Victor Creed not visually match the one in the comics, but he also seems totally foreign to the one in the original X-Men film. Very little ties these two characters together visually. Perhaps the first glaring notion that there was no real continuity at work in the Fox X-Men universe.

Which Sabretooth Appears in the MCU and Who Plays Him?

We now have confirmation that Sabretooth will appear in Deadpool & Wolverine, and have a rematch with Logan (Hugh Jackman). We see the two prepare to fight in the wasteland we believe to be the Void from Loki in a recent trailer. The version in the film is clearly Tyler Mane, the original version from the first X-Men film, from nearly 25 years ago. There are rumors that Liev Schreiber’s version of Victor Creed from X-Men: Origins will also appear, so maybe we will get an answer as to which version is the “real” Sabretooth at last. We’ll know for certain when Deadpool & Wolverine hits theaters on July 26.

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Jennifer Hale has enjoyed an incredible voice casting career for over three decades, with titles in her impressive resume ranging from games like Mass Effect and Halo, to animated shows like The Clone Wars and Avatar: The Last Airbender. Her most recent high-profile role is taking over the part of Jean Grey for X-Men ’97. We had a chat with Jennifer Hale about returning to the role of the mutant telepath, a role she’s played in different iterations over several years, and guiding a newer generation of voice actors via SkillsHub.

Nerdist: You took over the role of Jean Grey from Catherine Disher, who played her in the classic X-Men show. But she is still part of this universe, because she plays Val Cooper. Did she give you any advice on playing Jean? Or did you guys even record together?

Jennifer Hale: We actually didn’t record together. But I took great inspiration from her original performance, and then was guided by the team as to exactly how they wanted to update all the different elements to bring the character to a modern audience.

A lot of the original X-Men cast returned, but both you and Ray Chase stepped in for Scott and Jean. Did you two bond at all at being the new kids, for lack of a better word?

Hale: Absolutely. It’s such an honor and a responsibility to step into a role like this. The great thing about Jean, and a lot of the Marvel universe, is I have great respect for all my peers, and one of the things about that is a lot of us share these roles. I’m not the only person to have played Jean. I’ve played other roles in the universe. I even played Rogue in various projects. And to be able to be Jean in this project really feels like winning the lottery. It’s kind of awesome.

This isn’t your first time at bat with Jean Grey. You played her in Wolverine and the X-Men, the X-Men anime, and in several different video games. Did you approach playing this Jean differently, or did you think of Jean as more or less the same across the Multiverse?

Hale: They’re all inspired by the same source material. The truth is, when I step into any role in any project, I am 1000% in service of the production and writing team. What does the team need? And one of the really, really cool things about the team on X-Men 97 is a huge number of them grew up watching the original show. They were fans, which is really exciting. And now they’re working on the show.

Of course, you didn’t just play Jean in X-Men ’97, you also played Madelyne Pryor. She might have started out as just a clone of Jean, but became her own person by the time we get to Genosha. Were there subtle differences in how you approached Maddie over Jean? Besides just getting to be almost a Disney villain when she was Goblin Queen?

Hale: Absolutely. There are distinct differences between Madelyne and Jean, and obviously, the Goblin Queen has her own lane. But yeah, very much. And that’s where I really rely on our voice director, Meredith Lane, and on the team, because having a good voice director on hand like Meredith allows me to just drop in and fully be in the moment, and not worry about whether I’m slowly migrating out of the lane that is Madeline back over into Jean. And I know she’ll guide me back in if I happen to step a little too far one way or the other.

The love triangle between Jean, Scott, and Logan has always been a huge factor in X-Men lore. And in this season, things got a little heated when Jean kissed Wolverine, in a moment when she and Scott were having problems. That’s further than the classic cartoon ever took things. How do you feel about finally giving the fans that moment?

Hale: Oh, I think it’s great. But I want to know how the fans feel about it. That’s what I want to know. I want to know what it meant to them, because that’s ultimately what we do it for, right?

Jean in the original series was almost a cliché, the way she was always fainting even though she was an Omega-level mutant. X-Men ’97 finally dropped weak Jean and showed her at full power. Were you happy that Jean finally got to let loose and show off in this series?

Hale: I was absolutely thrilled. I mean, come on. The general evolution of the way women are written now is so much better than it used to be. So much more fun. We actually get to be full human beings. We get to own our power, take our power, and quite often run things

X-Men ’97 teased the arrival of Phoenix for much of the first season, and in the finale she finally arrived. The comics have different interpretations of the Jean/Phoenix dynamic, but I’m wondering how you see things between them? Do you play it as the manifestation of Jean’s power, or an outside force that possesses her?

Hale: Jean is a channel for so many things. She’s kind of the voice of the heart of the people around her. She’s a channel for ultimate power to come through, and I think that is often my experience as a performer. So I think that’s the lens that it went through for me. Jean is a channel for the ultimate powers to move through her.

Of your many voice acting roles, which is one that is nearest and dearest to your heart?

Hale: Honestly, the thing that’s nearest and dearest to my heart is the diversity of characters. I’ve been able to play the sheer variety of roles, gives me so much.

Speaking of sheer variety of roles, you have this incredibly long resume of voice acting going back, what, 30 years, and that’s both cartoons and video games. You’ve taken a lot of those skills and you’re extending it to the next generation via something called SkillsHub. Can you explain what that is?

Hale: Yes. SkillsHub, it is a site where actors at any level can come and learn about voice acting, take the career they’ve got, and create real longevity and momentum. It started out with me just wanting help with auditions. I just needed 10 minutes with someone I trust. I didn’t need an hour of coaching, or a class. What I wanted was this calendaring system I had in my head to become a reality. And my sister said, “You need to meet my friend Bill, he’s amazing.” He built the site. He’s actually the guy who puts the stuff together, programs everything, and makes it happen. And the three of us run it.

It’s evolved into a site where it’s gone from me calling 20-something of my friends who are working actors, voice directors, and casting directors to help out people like me, other voice actors. We have a ton of free stuff. I personally, have written out these paths that are step-by-step career assembly instructions for a dozen different career paths through the voice work. And we have free stuff for members. We’ve got classes. Everything you need is right there. And now we have almost 90 coaches. We really have an incredible community.

All episodes of X-Men ’97 season one are now available on Disney+.

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Like any good long-running fictional universe worth its name, the MCU has a metric ton of iconic objects throughout its 16 years of films and TV series. Of course, there are obvious things everyone knows, like Cap’s shield, or the Tesseract. But the MCU has many other objects we all want on our shelves too. Even if they are smaller versions. Thanks to the folks at Fanhome and their new subscription service, we can now turn your home into something of a Marvel Cinematic Universe Museum.

Fanhome specializes in subscription-based collections and models, and is bringing a collection of iconic replica items from the MCU to fans and collectors with the launch of the Marvel Movie Replicas collection. Among these items are Doctor Stange’s Eye of Agamotto, plus helmets for Loki, Iron Man, Cap, Black Panther, Ant-Man, Star-Lord, and Spider-Man. There’s an Infinity Nano Gauntlet, and even Thor’s mystic hammer Mjölnir. You can check out images of the first Marvel Movie Replicas in the collection in our gallery below:

Click To View Gallery

Produced from the Marvel Studios Movie archives, the’ve recreated the replicas in this collection with incredible detail. Each one is based on original production materials and constructed from metal and ABS plastic components. Throughout the subscription, collectors and MCU fans will deepen their knowledge about all these artifacts with an informative magazine that comes with each month’s shipment. You’ll be able to go behind the scenes with Marvel creators like Matt Fraction, Salvador Larroca, and Brian Michael Bendis.

At various stages throughout the subscription, collectors also will receive exclusive gifts from Fanhome. Among these are three full-color frame-worthy posters from Marvel (60x80cm / 23×31 inches), a ceramic mug with the Marvel logo, a light-up miniature of Tony Stark’s ARC Reactor, and a miniature metal replica of Thor’s hammer (15cm / 6 inches). Fans that upgrade to the Marvel Movie Museum Premium Subscription will receive several exclusive Iron Man helmets as well. And we all know that Tony had a lot of variant Iron Man helmets. For more information and sign-up details, click here.

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Godzilla x Kong comes to streaming. A Furiosa transformation. Eric Kripke talks about The Boys‘ comic twist the series will skip. Netflix launches its open popcorn line (and malls?). Marvel will kill Deadpool (in the comics). Here are all these news odds & ends, and more.

Godzilla x Kong

Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire will release on July 4. The monster movie will stream on Max.

We’re also very excited to share that a version of the movie with American Sign Language (ASL) will also stream exclusively on Max the same day. Max shares, “This ASL version of the film was produced exclusively for Max, with ASL performer Otis Jones (Deaf West Theatre) providing interpretation. Jones was coached by Leila Hanaumi, who delivered a highly praised performance in Barbie with ASL last December, Max’s first ASL film interpretation. GODZILLA X KONG: THE NEW EMPIRE in ASL will be displayed as a unique title on the Max app, identifiable by its key art featuring the sign language symbol.” We absolutely applaud Max for these efforts to be as inclusive as possible with their programming!

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

If you’re a fan of Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, you can check out Anya Taylor-Joy’s epic transformation into Furiosa below.

The Boys

The Boys showrunner Eric Kripke promises that unlike in the comics, Black Noir will not end up being a Homelander clone.

He tells Variety:

No, and I don’t mind saying it. In the comics he’s a clone of Homelander this entire time and is actually the one doing all these horrific things. And again, it’s a hell of a twist. But it’s like, well wait, the villain I’ve been following isn’t really the villain. And mileage varies, and I’m sure fans are mad I’m not going that way, but that felt not as satisfying to me. I’m like, if I’m going to follow this villain, I want this guy to be the villain. So I was never really into the clone idea.

Plus, cloning feels like too — I’m going to sound silly — but cloning feels too magical for the show. We try to say that superheroes are the only slippery banana, and that everything else we try to make as grounded as possible.

Netflix

Netflix is creating its own line of popcorn… and its own malls.

Netflix shares:

Today, we’re excited to announce that Netflix and Popcorn Indiana are teaming up to bring Now Popping, an all-new ready-to-eat popcorn line! With flavors like Cult Classic Cheddar Kettle Corn and Swoonworthy Cinnamon Kettle Corn, this partnership promises a snack experience tailored to every viewer’s taste. Discover your favorite flavor, nationwide at Walmart, today. 

The popcorn retails for $4.49, but no word on how much it is if you want to share a pack.

Additionally, the streamer has revealed it will be opening two entertainment, dining, and shopping complexes, a.k.a. malls. Per Variety, “They’re not exactly theme parks, but the new Netflix Houses — to open next year in King of Prussia, Pa., and Dallas — will feature a wide array of shopping outlets, eateries and experiential activities tied to the streamer’s major franchises like Bridgerton, Stranger Things and Squid Game.“

Marian Lee, Netflix’s chief marketing officer, shares “At Netflix House, you can enjoy regularly updated immersive experiences, indulge in retail therapy, and get a taste — literally — of your favorite Netflix series and films through unique food and drink offerings. We’ve launched more than 50 experiences in 25 cities, and Netflix House represents the next generation of our distinctive offerings. The venues will bring our beloved stories to life in new, ever-changing and unexpected ways.”

Netflix invites you to imagine, “waltzing with your partner to an orchestral cover of a Taylor Swift song on a replica of the ‘Bridgerton’ set –– and then walking around the corner to compete in the Glass Bridge challenge from ‘Squid Game.’” After that, you can enjoy “food inspired by Netflix shows from around the world” or buy “that Hellfire Club T-shirt you’ve always wanted from Stranger Things.”

Deadpool

Marvel is all set to kill Deadpool in Deadpool #6 by Cody Ziglar and Rogê Antônio. Marvel shared of the issue:

Wade Wilson triumphed against Death Grip! This is the first issue of a new arc and killing Deadpool NOW would be an INSANE thing to do. Which is exactly why we’re doing it.

Editor’s Note: Nerdist is a subsidiary of Legendary Digital Networks.

Originally published on June 20, 2024.

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Fans have been waiting for a first look at Bruce Timm, Matt Reeves, and J.J. Abrams’ new Batman animated series. Now, we finally have our first trailer for Batman: Caped Crusader, which debuts on Prime Video on August 10. The new series is a period piece, set in a version of 1940s Gotham City. They’ve reimagined all the familiar villains, with some harkening back to their Golden Age DC Comics roots. Our new Batman/Bruce Wayne is Hamish Linklater. You can check out the first trailer for Batman: Caped Crusader right here:

The trailer showcases the distinctive animation style of Bruce Timm, who of course was one of the men behind the iconic Batman: The Animated Series over thirty years ago. Batman’s look harkens back to his earliest comic book days, in black and grey, with larger pointed ears. He almost looks like he stepped off the cover of Detective Comics #27 from 1939, his first appearance. We also see Catwoman (Christina Ricci), wearing her old school costume, which was a purple dress with a green cape. The Batman: Caped Crusader trailer gives us flashes of several other famous Bat-villains, like Two-Face, Clayface, Firefly, and a totally reinvented Harley Quinn. You can even see the Penguin, briefly.

The trailer for Batman: Caped Crusader also gives a lot of screen time to police detective Renee Montoya, who will play a prominent role in the show. Interestingly enough, Montoya was first created for Batman: The Animated Series, similar to how Harley Quinn was. Refreshingly, there is a distinct lack of Joker in this trailer. Probably the creators involved feel he is too overexposed right now. But we can’t imagine we’ll never see the Clown Prince of Crime on this series though, or The Riddler. Batman fans are just going to have to be patient.

Batman: Caped Crusader drops all 10 episodes on August 1.

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When Disney purchased 20th Century Fox, lo those many years ago, that immediately meant all the X-Men characters could appear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It also meant Fox’s other (and let’s face it, far less successful) Marvel property, the Fantastic Four, was joining the fray. However, aside from a Reed Richards cameo in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, the Fantastic Four have been MIA. But, hope is on the horizon! The Fantastic Four will be part of the MCU’s Phase Six.

Speaking to The Official Marvel podcast, Kevin Feige confirmed exactly when The Fantastic Four movie would begin to film. He revealed, “We start shooting at the end of July… The day after [San Diego] Comic-Con is the first day of filming on Fantastic Four.” That means The Fantastic Four begins filming on July 29. He also confirmed that the movie would be a period piece set in the 1960s.

Here’s everything we know about the MCU’s The Fantastic Four movie.

Title

All the initial branding from Marvel indicated the movie’s title would be Fantastic Four. Of the three previous Fantastic Four movies, two of them were just called Fantastic Four—despite the ill-fated 2015 movie’s logo making people call it “Fant-4-stic.”

Now we know that to slightly stand out, the MCU’s Fantastic Four movie will be called The Fantastic Four.

The Fantastic Four‘s Plot

Zero idea currently what the plot of the movie will be. Not a sausage. Bugger-all.

Behind the Scenes

The Fantastic Four is possibly the most in-flux title in the upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe slate. Marvel Studios president and primary producer Kevin Feige announced the movie at San Diego Comic-Con 2019. Marvel then named Jon Watts, who directed the three Tom Holland Spider-Man films for Sony and Marvel, in December 2020. Watts then stepped away from the project in April 2022, stating he was taking a break from superhero movies.

Then, in August 2022, Marvel named Matt Shakman—who had directed WandaVision for Disney+—as Watts’ successor. Feige confirmed this at the D23 Expo in September of that same year.

Later in September, Marvel said Jeff Kaplan and Ian Springer were writing the script for The Fantastic Four. By March 2023, Terminator franchise and Avatar: The Way of Water screenwriter Josh Friedman was at work rewriting the script. In October 2023, Cameron Squires’ name was added as co-writer.

The movie has a scheduled start of production for early 2024.

The Fantastic Four‘s Cast

The MCU’s Fantastic Four team has officially set its cast. Pedro Pascal will play Reed Richards, a.k.a. Mister Fantastic. Vanessa Kirby will play Sue Storm, a.k.a. the Invisible Woman. Ebon Moss-Bachrach will play The Thing. Finally, Joseph Quinn will play Johnny Storm, a.k.a. the Human Torch.

Julia Garner (Ozark, Inventing Anna) will play the Shalla-Bal version of Silver Surfer. In the comics, Shalla-Bal appeared as Norrin Radd’s partner, but at one point, she received the same powers as the Silver Surfer and they were both Galactus’ heralds.

Paul Walter Hauser has also joined the cast, as have John Malkovich and Natasha Lyonne. We don’t know who these actors are playing. We do know Ralph Ineson will be playing Galactus.

The Fantastic Four‘s Release Date

The Fantastic Four will release on July 25, 2025.

Originally published on December 22, 2023.

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In a real “didn’t we already know this?” piece of news, HBO has officially greenlit the DCU drama series Lanterns based on the Green Lantern comics. This was one of the titles James Gunn mentioned in his now infamous DCU slate video in early 2023. That certainly made it seem like it was a sure thing. However, given how fickle Warner Bros. is these days, I suppose it wasn’t. At any rate, HBO has given an eight-episode, direct-to-series order to Lanterns. Emmy-nominee Chris Mundy (True Detective: Night Country; Ozark) will serve as showrunner.

The synopsis of the series says it follows “new recruit John Stewart and Lantern legend Hal Jordan, two intergalactic cops drawn into a dark, earth-based mystery as they investigate a murder in the American heartland.” Pretty interesting concept for a Green Lantern series. Intergalactic cops solving an mystery on Earth. Definitely has True Detective vibes.

Joining Mundy in the writing of the show are none other than heavy hitters Damon Lindelof (Watchmen, The Leftovers) and comic writer Tom King (Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow). James Gunn and Peter Safran said of the announcement: “We’re thrilled to bring this seminal DC title to HBO with Chris, Damon and Tom at the helm. John Stewart and Hal Jordan are two of DC’s most compelling characters, and Lanterns brings them to life in an original detective story that is a foundational part of the unified DCU we’re launching next summer with Superman.”

No word yet on when the series will debut. We will, of course, keep you up to date on any casting news as it develops.

Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. He hosts the weekly pop culture deep-dive podcast Laser Focus. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Instagram and Letterboxd.

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Two titans of the comic book publishing world are coming together to celebrate one of the medium’s most celebrated characters. They are also celebrating one of its greatest creators. Dark Horse Comics and Marvel are teaming up for The Art of the Amazing Spider-Man by John Romita, coming in Fall 2024. This oversized hardcover showcases several essays on Romita’s interior artwork, as well as covers. It also includes original art scans from the Marvel Comics archives. Aside from Peter Parker’s co-creator Steve Ditko, Romita is the most influential artist in Spidey’s publishing history. You can see the cover for The Art of the Amazing Spider-Man down below:

The Art of the Amazing Spider-Man is the first of a new collaboration series and imprint between Dark Horse and Marvel, called Bullpen Books. This follows up their Marvel collaboration with The Art of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. This new line of deluxe art books will honor the works of legendary Marvel Comics characters and creators. Spider-Man and John Romita are but the first of many. We expect to hear additional details about other books in the series very soon. Here’s what Dark Horse Comics’ John Lind had to say about this new Bullpen Books series:

Our initial projects will concentrate on exploring the extensive artistic and design legacy of Marvel Comics, including the substantial contributions made by its iconic creative teams. Combining the incredible depth and content within Marvel’s art archives with Dark Horse’s exceptional design and production will offer fans unparalleled editions of this material.

Meanwhile, Dark Horse President and Publisher, Mike Richardson shared:

I grew up with the Marvel characters and their creators from my earliest days, so I’m very excited about this new collaboration. We’re very excited about working with Marvel to highlight some of the greatest art and artists from their extensive library. I’m sure these books will be a special treat for comics fans everywhere

The Art of Amazing Spider-Man is available for pre-order at your local bookstore, comic shop, and various online retailers for a price of $59.99. This oversized (10” x 14”, 200-page) in-depth art book arrives in bookstores on October 15, 2024. It arrives in comic book shops one day later, on October 16, 2024.

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The tortured process of bringing a Blade reboot to life at Marvel Studios has been something to behold. Blade was first announced at Comic-Con in 2019, when Oscar winner Mahershala Ali stepped onto the stage to announce he would portray the Daywalker. Since then, it’s gone through multiple screenwriters, different production start dates, several release dates, and two directors. Yet Marvel has revealed very little about the film in all this time, aside from the basic info we already knew from comics and previous movies. Now, an article in The Hollywood Reporter has revealed a few key characters of the MCU Blade.

One of the main reveals is that the film would have featured two characters from the pages of Marvel Comics. The first was Blade’s daughter. We presume this is Bloodline, who first appeared last year in the comics. Named Brielle Brooks, she also has a thing for slaying the undead, just like dear old dad. Although a recent creation, the idea of Blade having a daughter goes back a few years. Marvel announced a series about Blade and his daughter in 2015, Back then, her name was Fallon Grey. That series never happened, and Bloodline came about seven years later instead.

Pearl and MaXXXine star Mia Goth was the other major comics character, the villain Lilith. In the comics, Lilith Drake is the daughter of Dracula, and has fought Marvel’s supernatural heroes many times. In the film, she would have wanted the blood of Blade’s daughter. Considering Blade began as a supporting character in Marvel’s Tomb of Dracula comics, it makes sense for him to fight someone related to the King of the Vampires in the MCU. In actual mythology, Lilith was the first wife of Adam, and the supposed source of many vampire mythology. Marvel Comics had their own take on the character, which likely inspired whatever Marvel Studios was working on.

It’s unknown if either of these characters will survive into the latest Blade draft from writer Eric Pearson. One of the first MCU Blade scripts took place in the 1920s, with the most recent one taking place in the modern day. Some characters from earlier scripts might not make the cut, if and when this movie goes before the cameras. Blade currently has no director attached, so it’s certainly not making its 2025 release date. In its article, The Hollywood Reporter notes, “The new plan [for Blade] calls for the script to be written over the summer and then go out to directors.” Hopefully, Marvel Studios can finally crack the code on Blade, and give us Mahershala Ali slicing and dicing the undead. This shouldn’t be the hardest movie in the world to get off the ground.

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The new animated series Batman: Caped Crusader sounds more and more interesting with each new reveal. The 1940s-set noir superhero show comes to us from the all-star creative team of Bruce Timm, Matt Reeves, and J.J. Abrams. Now, we finally have a voice cast revealed. Via The Hollywood Reporter, we’ve learned that Midnight Mass star Hamish Linklater is our new Batman/Bruce Wayne, and iconic Wednesday and Yellowjackets star Christina Ricci will portray Catwoman/Selina Kyle in Batman: Caped Crusader. The series, set to debut on Prime Video later this summer, has also dropped a voice-cast announcement video. You can check out that video right here:

They have also announced several other actors for the show’s period accurate first season. Among them is Jamie Chung (Sucker Punch) voicing a new take on Harley Quinn/Dr. Harleen Quinzel. She is now a character introduced independently of the Joker. She’ll also have a romantic relationship with detective Rene Montoya in the series. Meanwhile, Diedrich Bader will voice Gotham D.A. Harvey Dent, and eventually, the villainous Two-Face. This is a role reversal for Bader, who voiced Bruce Wayne in Batman: Brave and the Bold, and other animated projects.

Other voice actors cast in currently unknown roles include Minnie Driver, John DiMaggio, McKenna Grace, Jason Watkins, Paul Scheer, Reid Scott, David Krumholtz, Haley Joel Osment, and Toby Stephens. Among the villains revealed for season one thus far are Clayface, the Gentlemen Ghost, Natalia Knight/Nocturna, and Onomotapia. No word yet on iconic Gotham baddies like Joker, Riddler, and Penguin. Below is the official series description for Batman: Caped Crusader from Prime Video:

Welcome to Gotham City, where the corrupt outnumber the good, criminals run rampant and law-abiding citizens live in a constant state of fear. Forged in the fire of tragedy, wealthy socialite Bruce Wayne becomes something both more and less than human—the Batman. His one-man crusade attracts unexpected allies within the GCPD and City Hall, but his heroic actions spawn deadly, unforeseen ramifications.

The entire 10-episode season of Batman: Caped Crusader will drop on Prime Video on August 10, so we will hear Hamish Linklater and Christina Ricci soon.

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Superman & Lois’ upcoming fourth season will officially be its last, according to news we saw at The Hollywood Reporter. The series, which premiered in 2021, has been one of the best iterations of the Man of Steel mythos ever. Tyler Hoechlin as Clark Kent and Elizabeth Tulloch as Lois Lane instantly won over the hearts of DC Comics fandom. But with The CW changing ownership, their programming is undergoing an overhaul as well, with fewer scripted shows. The final season of Superman & Lois will release as a part of The CW’s 2024-25 schedule and will arrive in the fall. Its official release date will be October 17 and it will premiere with a two-hour release event.

In a statement, The CW’s Brad Schwartz said the following:

“Over the last three seasons, Superman & Lois redefined both the superhero genre and family drama as Tyler, Elizabeth and the entire cast effortlessly portrayed these classic characters with new layers of depth and complexity that had never before been explored in the Superman universe. We are grateful for the years of hard work and graceful storytelling from the show’s writers, producers, actors, and crew, as well as our terrific partners at Warner Bros. Television and Berlanti Productions. As Superman embarks on his final flight, the team is leaving us with an absolutely epic 10-episode must-watch-every-minute farewell to one of the most legendary CW families ever.”

The end of Superman & Lois shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone, for many reasons. With James Gunn launching a new DCU and Superman: Legacy in 2025, he probably wants only one iteration of Superman in live-action. He also wants one consistent DC Universe across film and TV. This means the old Arrowverse (of which Superman & Lois is technically a spinoff) must come to an end.

The cancelation of Superman & Lois marks the true end of an era. Since 2012, after the debut of Arrow, producer Greg Berlanti launched a staggering 11 DC Comics-based shows. These include The Flash, Supergirl, Legends of Tomorrow, Black Lightning, Batwoman, and for Max, Stargirl, Doom Patrol, and Titans. The last two were Gotham Knights and Superman & Lois. We just hope that knowing the show has an endpoint in advance will allow the writers to craft a fitting finale for the Kent family.

Originally published on November 2, 2023.

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2024 marks 85 years of Batman, and the folks at Mattel have something quite special planned for the Caped Crusader’s milestone birthday, available at this year’s Comic-Con in San Diego. The Fisher-Price Little People I Am Batman Set celebrates decades of the Dark Knight. It commemorates legendary on-screen portrayals by Michael Keaton (Batman 1989), Val Kilmer (Batman Forever 1995), George Clooney (Batman and Robin 1997), Christian Bale (The Dark Knight 2008), Ben Affleck (Batman vs. Superman 2016), and Robert Pattinson (The Batman 2022). Justice has never looked so adorable. The price for this one sets you back a mere $40.00. You can check out images of the I Am Batman collection below:

Fisher-Price Little People Collector Batman 85th Anniversary

The packaging for the I Am Batman collection includes fun movie poster art in Little People style. It also has a shiny bat belt, all together in the Batcave surrounded by rock walls and computer screens. Sadly, there is no Adam West version of Batman in this set. He was the first cinematic Batman after all, way back in 1966. No, not just on TV, there was a Batman ’66 movie as well. We suppose we’ll just have to wait for the 90th-anniversary set to honor the “Bright Knight.” In the meantime, this is a pretty great collection any Bat-fan would love to own.

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Last year, the Blue Beetle live-action movie premiered to critical acclaim, but low box office. Luckily, under James Gunn, DC Studios is not abandoning the character of Jaime Reyes. Via Deadline, we’ve learned that Warner Bros. Animation and DC Studios are working on a Blue Beetle animated series. Miguel Puga (The Casagrandes) will serve as series showrunner and director, with Cristian Martinez on board as writer. The live-action Blue Beetle‘s director and writer, Angel Manuel Soto and Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer, will executive produce. Blue Beetle centers on young Mexican-American El Paso native Jamie Reyes, who bonds with an alien scarab and becomes the heroic Blue Beetle.

The new Blue Beetle series will build upon the movie, but tell its own story. It seems they’ve approached cast members from the film to reprise their roles. There’s no official word yet though if star Xolo Maridueña is returning as the titular hero. However, DC Studios head James Gunn has said recently that Xolo’s version of Blue Beetle would be a part of his DCU. Could he be talking about the animated series? Gunn has said that much of the future DC animated output would tie into the live-action films and TV shows. This was something DC was often negligent about in the past.

The live-action Blue Beetle movie was created for the Max streaming service, but then bumped up to theatrical after positive test screenings. Apparently, Blue Beetle performed well enough on streaming that Warner Bros. still sees potential in the franchise. The first film left many dangling plot threads, so maybe a cartoon is as good a venue as any to wrap those up. Blue Beetle has appeared in animated form several times already. He first showed up in Batman: The Brave and the Bold, then Young Justice, Justice League Action, and several Teen Titans animated films. So we concur that it’s about time he got an animated show of his own.

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Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons is still widely considered the greatest graphic novel ever written. In the years since its 1986 publication, the deconstructionist superhero drama has sold millions of copies, and spawned a big-screen adaptation from Zack Snyder in 2009, and a television sequel on HBO in 2019. Oh, and a few comic book sequels, including Doomsday Clock, where Dr. Manhattan takes on Superman. Now, a new animated adaptation of Watchmen is on its way from Warner Bros. Animation, done in two parts. They’ve released the trailer for Watchmen Chapter I, which you can check out right here:

From the look of things, this seems an extremely faithful adaptation of the source material, with images lifted straight from the comic book page. Then again, Snyder’s Watchmen was exactly the same in this regard, with scenes lifted directly from the book as if they were storyboards. We suppose the big difference here is there will be slightly more comics-accurate costumes for characters like Nite Owl and Silk Spectre. Perhaps this animated adaptation will use the original ending, which involved a giant telepathic squid killing millions in Manhattan. The animation style looks almost exactly like the 2D/3D blending of Marvel’s What If…? series.

As for why this animated Watchmen movie is in two parts, the answer is simple. These animated DC Comics features from Warner Bros. Animation are always budgeted to be 80 minutes long at most. And that is simply not enough time to adapt such a sprawling story. This is why Batman: The Long Halloween is two parts, and before that, The Dark Knight Returns. The latter ended up being a pretty great adaptation, and remains severely underrated. We’ll see if Watchmen can follow suit. One thing’s for sure — Alan Moore’s name won’t be on it, and he probably wishes this wasn’t happening. And he doesn’t want you to ever ask him about it. So don’t.

Watchmen Chapter I releases later in 2024.

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In episode three of The Acolyte, we see a flashback to the planet Brendok, where four Jedi approach the local clan of witches to take the two children, Osha and Mae, to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. One child wants to stay, while another wants to go and become a Jedi Padawan. The practice of Jedi taking children from their families at a young age has always seemed problematic. But what if it’s actually a necessary evil? Star Wars as a franchise has never made a good case for why it must be this way. But over at Marvel, the X-Men comics and films have done something similar, in a way that makes sense.

“He’s too old. Yes, too old to begin the training.” — Yoda, The Empire Strikes Back

Ever since The Phantom Menace, we’ve learned that the Jedi Order begins training their Jedi Padawans at a very young age. In fact, the Jedi Council deemed 9-year-old Anakin Skywalker as “too old” in that film, and initially rejected him. In later canonical Star Wars content like Clone Wars, Tales of the Jedi, and even Obi-Wan Kenobi, we learn the Order typically takes children as young as three or four years old into the order, essentially separating them from their parents for the rest of their lives as toddlers. And it seems, for the most part, parents are doing this willingly. But why?

Thus far, Star Wars has done a poor job of explaining why it’s standard galactic procedure for parents to essentially give up their children for adoption to an organization that will never allow them to see their kids again. At the very least, not until they are adults. These parents are all seemingly ok with it. However, it actually does make sense. We’ve seen something similar in the pages of Marvel Comics. However, the X-Men franchise has done a much better job of explaining why than Star Wars ever has.

Jedi Children Have Midi-Chlorians, Marvel Mutants Have the X-Gene

In Marvel Comics lore, a mutant is born with the X-gene, allowing their powers to develop at puberty. In the case of some mutants like Nightcrawler of the X-Men, the mutation can develop at birth. That is rare, however. For most mutants, their abilities start to flourish at moments of heightened emotional distress, usually at puberty. These powers can be not only dangerous to themselves, but to their families and communities as well. So it makes sense that they would need to go somewhere to train in the use of their powers. Not only for the good of humanity, but to make sure no one around them gets hurt. That’s why the most powerful moments need to go to a place like Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters to train.

The Jedi in Star Wars are very similar. Except, for Force-sensitive children of the galaxy far away, their powers can emerge from childhood. We saw it with young Ahsoka in Tales of the Jedi. Even as a toddler, she could unconsciously wield the Force. If a potential Jedi child can do this, they can also hurt those around them. A small child is pure Id. They are all “want,” and not much else. If they don’t get that cookie they want, they may accidentally Force-choke their parent. If another kid is mean to them on the playground? Then they might use the Force to hurt them, or possibly even kill them. Whether they mean to or not.

We think that things like this probably have taken place around the galaxy. Young Force-sensitive kids doing damage without thinking. This explains why it’s standard procedure for parents to give up their Force-sensitive kids to ensure the safety of those around them, however painful that decision may be. Yet that’s something not well communicated in The Acolyte. Or, frankly, in any Star Wars. The Jedi come across as cold, recruiting small kids for the benefit of their own Order. In truth, it’s actually for their own protection and the protection of others. So how does the Star Wars franchise fix this?

The Jedi Temple and Xavier’s School, Are They One and the Same?

This is where Star Wars can take a cue from X-Men, from both the comics and in other media. In the comics, we’ve seen how the emerging powers of characters like Sunspot put the lives of others at risk. In the movies, we saw how Rogue put a boy who kissed her in a coma for weeks when her powers activated. For their own protection, and to stop a witch hunt of everyone with similar gifts, those with the greatest powers must go to a place like Xavier’s School. If only to learn to control their abilities, forget being a superhero of any kind. Star Wars needs to show the bad things that happen when a Force-sensitive child uses their powers for destructive reasons. Even if it’s not on purpose. Only then can we truly understand that what the Jedi Order does is by necessity.

Of course, there are differences. The students at Xavier’s School are not forced to never see their families again once trained. Actually, Star Wars isn’t really clear if adult Jedi are allowed contact with their loved ones when their training is complete. Hopefully, The Acolyte, or other future Star Wars projects, makes all that clear. If that’s the case, and seeing a loved one once you’ve learned to use your powers is against the Jedi Code, it doesn’t paint the Jedi in a forgiving light. But the idea they must leave home for the safety of all is something that does make sense. The folks at Lucasfilm just need to take a cue from the X-Men franchise though when it comes to showing exactly why this is all for the greater good.

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Actress Lenore Zann has been providing the distinctive Southern belle voice of Rogue since the first episode of X-Men: The Animated Series in 1992. Now, 25 years since the last episode aired, she reprised the role for the Disney+ continuation, X-Men ’97. The show took everyone by surprise by just how excellent the writing and acting were, eclipsing the classic series. And a large part of why it was so good was Rogue’s unexpected character journey, which in many ways was the main emotional thread of the series. And it was all played brilliantly by Zann, without missing a beat. We chatted with Zann about returning to Rogue after all this time, and what the future holds for the sassiest X-Man at Xavier’s School.

Nerdist: So many old TV shows have had revivals recently after decades away, usually to mixed results. Did you ever think X-Men ’97 might end up as something that didn’t live up to the original ’90s series?

Lenore Zann: No. I really thought it would be a huge hit. Judging from the fans that we’ve been meeting over the last five years at Comic Cons, who just loved the original show and couldn’t wait to see more episodes of a new show. And we had no idea that a new show was going to be happening until about three years ago, I guess 2021. But as soon as I got the scripts, I knew they were going to be good. I knew it was going to be good, because really that’s what it was the first time around. The scripts were so damn good. The writing was excellent. It’s the same this time, too. Without a script, you don’t have anything. And the scripts were amazing.

Rouge kind of had the most iconic moments of the season, from throwing Captain America’s shield to going full rampage on the military base. You could see she had the biggest character arc of the season. Which of all of the moments was the most fun for you to play?

Zann: Well, of course I loved the meeting with Captain America and throwing his shield.
“Well, if your hands are tied, I guess you won’t be needing this.” So that was a lot of fun. But to be honest, also the emotional scenes with both Remy and Magneto in episode five. And then of course, the sad, tragic loss of my loved one, my soulmate Gambit. That was a gift for an actor to be able to play those beats and those emotions and be able to use my own personal emotions and experience to channel them into my character.

It had literally been 25 years since you played Rogue in the original X-Men series. Was it like riding a bike, or did you have to learn to be that character again?

Zann: I liken it to putting on a pair of well-worn, very fine, very comfortable gloves. You just put them on. You haven’t had them on for many years, and they just fit, and they feel good. For me, that’s how it is with Rogue. She is a part of me, and there’s a lot of me in her. So yeah, it was just a joy to come back to Rogue again.

For the entire original series, Rogue’s only romantic interest was Gambit. But for X-Men ’97, you got to have a romantic storyline with Magneto. What was it like for you to play a totally different romantic dynamic with someone else in the series?

Zann: Well, it was great. Again, for an actor, any of these scenarios are fun to play. But I did wonder if the public, if our fans would be upset because there are so many Gambit fans. and Rogue and Gambit, “Romy,” as they call them, fans. But it was fun. And I also knew where Rogue was coming from, that she really wanted to touch somebody and to be able to have that physical connection.

So in the scene in episode five, where she kisses Magneto, she comes down out of the ceiling, which is a great entrance. And then they dance very seductively, and touch palms like Romeo and Juliet almost. And then they kiss. But then she pulls away from that kiss and she says, “Thanks for the dance, sugar.” And then there was another line there, and I don’t remember what it was, but I said to [former X-Men ’97 showrunner] Beau DeMayo, who was there directing me, and I said, “Would it be okay if I said something else instead? Can I try something?”

He said, “Sure, try it.” And I said, “Thanks for the dance, sugar. But Remy was right. Some things are deeper than skin.” He had already said that earlier in the episode, and I just thought that that would be the button that was needed to let people know, love, true love, is deeper than skin. And on another level, it doesn’t matter what you look like. It doesn’t matter what skin color. Love, it transcends everything. And it’s the same for the LGBTQ community. So I thought it would really sing, and they kept it in. So I’m really happy about that.

You just mentioned the LGBTQ community, which I’m a part of. We have a huge connection to the X-Men. I think more than any other major nerd property actually. Do you have any stories of queer people coming up to you, talking about what Rogue and the X-Men have meant to them?

Zann: Absolutely. I was really pleased and honored to be able to be in the West Hollywood Pride Parade. And I went with my friend Morph, JP Karliak, and we had a convertible and we had a bunch of X-Men cosplayers, about 30 walking with us. And I thought that it was so important to be able to be there and make the statement that, “Hey, we are allies. We are yours. We belong to this community, too. And that we support you.”

So yeah, actually even since that parade, I’ve had two different young men come to me. I was in the Apple store, and I was having dinner somewhere else in Hollywood. And two different people said, “I saw you in the parade. I’m in the LGBTQ community. Thank you so much for being there. It meant a lot to us. And you made my childhood. You made us feel safe. Your show was a safe place for us to go. I could relate to Rogue. I’ve always loved Rogue.” It was really heartwarming. And this is what we hear over and over again.

Episode 5 was the turning point for the series. It’s when X-Men ’97 went from being just a nostalgic exercise, taking things to another level. And it had Rogue’s most heartbreaking moment, when she cradles Gambit’s dead body and says “I can’t feel you.” This asked you to go places as an actor the classic show never did. How did it feel getting to play the same character in a more grown-up and emotionally real setting?

Zann: No, because I’ve always been an extremely emotional actor. I have no problem going to the depths of my emotions and channeling them into a performance. And I’ve been known for doing a number of very strong performances, particularly in theater. When I was 19, I was discovered to play the role of Marilyn Monroe, in a rock opera about her life. And I was only 19 when I got it, and it was called Hey, Marilyn. I had to play her from the age of 16, all the way through her Hollywood years as Marilyn Monroe, to her final denouement at 36 when she died. And I had to do it all on a song on stage with 2000 people. So that was what kickstarted my career. If I can do that, then I can do anything.

You know a show has struck a nerve when it’s got plenty of memes, and the meme game for X-Men ’97 was wild. One of them had Rogue replicating the Kill Bill poster, saying “Kill Ya’ll” after Gambit died. What was it like seeing the reactions week to week, with the fandom so engaged? 

Zann: It was very funny. AJ LoCascio, who plays Gambit, and Matthew Waterson, who plays Magneto, we all get along really well. And we’ve all got a really good sense of humor. So we were sending each other these memes. But also, they were making memes about stuff we were doing in real life. Like when we went to a dinner with a whole bunch of people. And suddenly all the people were in one end of the room, and AJ was sitting by himself at one of the tables, and I was sitting with Matthew. I said, “Let’s do a photograph with AJ, showing him in his Gambit crop top by himself, over there at the table, and we’ll just gaze lovingly into each other’s eyes.” And then they shared that on social media, and then that became a meme. It was hilarious. It was a lot of fun.

After Genosha and Gambit’s death, Rogue chooses to go and join Magneto. Did that twist surprise you when you read it in the script, or was it something they told you Rogue was going to do from the get-go?

Zann: No, they didn’t tell me from the beginning. Again, I just found out as I got each script what was going to be happening, which I like it that way, so that I’m surprised as well. And then I can delve into it. But Rogue started off as a villain. And in these comic books, sometimes the heroes become the villains, back and forth, for various reasons. So I found that I thought it was very interesting.

And I thought, in a way, it made sense for Rogue at that point to find out that A: Magneto didn’t die. And B: that she’s starting to think that he could be right. As they say, “Magneto was right.” Which I think shows that Rogue, she wants to get vengeance. She wants to get justice for Remy, and also for all of the people that were killed in that genocide. And so she does what she does for a reason. But I am glad she came back by the end.

Are the any plotlines from the original series you wanted to see followed up on in X-Men ’97 that weren’t? I was a bit surprised the Rogue and her mother Mystique never had a moment.

Zann: I think it would be fun at some point to have some scenes again with Mystique. I’m not sure when it will come. We didn’t have any in this particular season. But I’m always interested in her relationship with Mystique because it’s definitely fraught with a lot of emotions. And anybody who’s ever had any mother issues can relate. But I was glad to see Nightcrawler playing a large role, and that was really lovely. The scenes between Rogue and Nightcrawler, Mystique’s son and her adoptive brother. I love it.

It was great that X-Men ’97 was a true ensemble show and not just the Wolverine show. Having said that, you and Cal Dodd didn’t have a ton of moments together. Can we hope to see some more Rogue and Logan moments in season two?

Zann: I can’t say. But there were a lot more Rogue and Storm moments in the original show as well. And in this show, they played up Jean and Storm being really close friends. Storm is one of my favorite characters, I just love her. And I think the way Alison Sealy-Smith plays her, with her incredible voice. She is like a goddess. And she’s done so much theater in Stratford and things like this. She’s perfect for the role. So I hope I get to do some more stuff with Storm in the future as well. And of course, Cal and Alison and I, and George Buza as Beast, we’re all good friends. And it’s always great to see them at Comic Cons when we have these various reunions.

Yeah. So where are you guys now with season two? Not in terms of what it’s going to be about, but have you guys recorded your lines? Where are you guys at?

Zann: I’ve recorded all my scenes for the whole season. A lot of people have, but a lot of people still need to be recorded. But the animation is what takes a long time. So they usually start with our voices, it’s called pre-lay. And then they do the animation to the voices. And then we come back for cleanups or pickups or line changes and things like that. Yeah, I’m excited and I can’t wait for season two to air, and I hope people really like it like they liked the first season.

What are your hopes for the future of Rogue going forward into, not just season two, but maybe season three and four, if we get that?

Zann: I am happy to do whatever the writers choose to do. I’m an actor at the end of the day. I take writers’ words and I try to make them live and breathe. And I’m up for anything really. I love her journey so far. I love her journey in season two. And I’m just looking forward to seeing where she goes from here. But at the end of the day, it is, we are a team and we have an amazing team. The artists, the writers, the music, the composers, the Newton brothers, the entire cast, the producers, the directors. It’s like lightning in a bottle. The way Larry Houston, our original director, likes to call it. He said, “We had lightning in a bottle the first time around, and we’ve had lightning in a bottle a second time,” which is just amazing.

When we first met the original writers again, Eric and Julia Lewold and Larry Houston. for the very first time, it was five years ago at a Comic Con in Texas where we were all invited to come. Cal Dodd, me, the rest of them, and the writers and the director. We had never met before, because back in the ’90s, we were performing in a studio in Toronto. And they, of course, were all in Los Angeles. And there were no cell phones then. There was no internet.

So we would record together in a group with a circle of microphones in the studio, and then they’d send the tapes to Los Angeles. I think they FedExed them or something. So when we finally met, we got along so well. And we all went out for a dinner one night at the end of this Comic Con five years ago, and I said, “Wouldn’t it be nice if somebody bought the rights to the X-Men, and decided to reboot the animated series and brought us all back again?” And we said, “Let’s toast to that, and let’s put it out there to the universe to manifest.” I’d like to have seven seasons and an animated film. And then a spin-off with Gambit and Rogue. I’d like to do that, too.

All episodes of X-Men ’97 are now available to stream on Disney+.

The post Lenore Zann, Rogue of X-MEN ’97, on Gambit, Magneto, and Season 2 appeared first on Nerdist.

A recent report about Deadpool & Wolverine director Shawn Levy being offered a fifth Avengers movie contained a spicy nugget of information. The next film is said to be bringing back a whopping 60 characters. You thought 30 main characters in Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame was massive? Marvel is going to try and outdo that. Now, we have a suspicion it’s 60 characters spread across two films—The Kang Dynasty (or whatever Avengers 5 is called) and Secret Wars. Regardless, 60 is a lot. And here are our best guesses on who makes the cut. And who doesn’t, and why.

The Variants

A lot of marquee Avengers are currently dead, really old, or exist in another studios’ universe, like Sony’s Spider-heroes. This is the Multiverse Saga though. We fully expect these variants from other realities to appear, if not in Avengers 5, then in Avengers: Secret Wars.

1. Iron Man/Tony Stark

The Tony Stark of the 616 universe might have died saving reality, but we’d be shocked if his variant, played by Robert Downey Jr., did not return. He recently said he’s “surprisingly open-minded” about a return. That tells us all we need to know.

2. Black Widow/Natasha Romanoff

Just like Tony, Nat died saving reality. But a variant of her must exist out there, ready to be Black Widow again. We expect Scarlett Johannson to return for an OG Avengers actor reunion.

3. Captain America/Steve Rogers

Technically, the 616 Steve is still alive. He’s just very, very old. But we want to see Cap in his prime throwing the shield, and the only way to do that is to get a young Cap variant from the Multiverse.

4. Loki

Technically, the Loki we meet in his own Disney+ series is a variant, even if Tom Hiddleston’s character is now the God of Stories, keeping the Multiverse functioning.

5. Spider-Man I

Since No Way Home, we’ve learned that the Tobey Maguire Spidey from the Sam Raimi films is a variant. So we expect to to see the classic cinematic Peter Parker show up in Avengers 5.

6. Spider-Man II

Everything we just said about Tobey’s Spidey applies to Andrew Garfield’s as well.

7. Thanos

The “Big Bad” of the Infinity Saga may have died, but another version exists out there. We expect to see John Brolin return as a version of the Mad Titan, even if he’s not the primary villain.

8. Captain Peggy Carter

Although the version of Captain Carter from Earth-838 was killed by an angry Scarlet Witch in Multiverse of Madness, the What If…? series showed us another is out there. We’d love to see her fight alongside Steve Rogers.

The Mighty Avengers

9. Thor

The God of Thunder is one of the primary core Avengers. No way Chris Hemsworth won’t come back for a reunion.

10 Hulk (Bruce Banner)

Mark Ruffalo is always game to play Bruce Banner. We can’t imagine the Jade Giant sits this one out.

11. Hawkeye (Clint Barton)

Clint Barton might be retired, but he’ll always come calling if the Avengers need him. Jeremy Renner seems like a shoo-in.

12. Nick Fury

The greatest spy on Eath’s solo series Secret Invasion may have disappointed most, but he’s an eternal presence throughout the MCU. Samuel L. Jackson needs to be there.

13. War Machine (James Rhodes)

After being wasted in Secret Invasion, here’s hoping we see Don Cheadle in the suit again in Avengers 5 and 6. Also, we will never believe the War Machine in Endgame was a Skrull. Stop trying to make Fetch happen.

14. Captain Marvel (Carol Danvers)

At the end of The Marvels, Carol Danvers has moved back to Earth, ready to be called to action. We can’t imagine Carol won’t return as Captain Marvel. Brie Larson’s cosmic protector is too powerful to leave benched for a big event.

15. Captain America (Sam Wilson)

Our new Cap, Sam Wilson, is definitely going to be on an Avengers team in whatever the new iteration of the team is. Count on seeing Anthony Mackie on the roster.

16. Ant-Man (Scott Lang)

Ok, so the third Ant-Man film didn’t set the world on fire. We still love Scott Lang, and Paul Rudd needs to be there for whatever happens in Avengers 5. And not just as a giant corpse, like in Deadpool & Wolverine.

We should note, we didn’t include Wasp, as Evangeline Lilly has announced she’s retired from acting for now. It is unlikely they’d recast her. We also think both Hank and Janet Pym have earned a happy retirement. Besides, those iconic actors, Michael Douglas and Michelle Pfeiffer, are expensive for the relatively tiny roles they’d play.

17. Vision

We expect an emotional reunion between Paul Bettany’s android who cries and his beloved Wanda in Avengers 5, after the events of his upcoming solo series.

18. Monica Rambeau

We’re not sure what her superhero codename is yet (Captain Marvel II? Photon? Spectrum?) But Teyonah Parris definitely needs to return for a fifth Avengers movie.

19. Spider-Man III (Peter Parker)

The friendly neighborhood Spider-Man of Earth 616, played by Tom Holland, is gonna be a key player. We fully expect this Peter Parker to have a big role in the Avengers going forward. And we are dying to see that Tony Stark/Peter Parker reunion.

The Mystics, and Those From Mystic Lands

20. Doctor Strange

He may not be Sorcerer Supreme anymore, but he’s still Earth’s most powerful mage. Benedict Cumberbatch will almost certainly return as Stephen Strange to help save reality once again.

21. Wong

The current Sorcerer Supreme, there’s no way Benedict Wong’s character won’t pop up. He will have to be there, wielding his sling-ring.

22. Scarlet Witch (Wanda Maximoff)

Yeah, we know. Wanda Maximoff supposedly died in Multiverse of Madness. However, no body, no death. Those are comic book rules. We expect to see Elizabeth Olsen as the Scarlet Witch, decked out in red again.

23. Clea

Oscar winner Charlize Theron appeared in the end credits tag after Multiverse of Madness, but nothing has been done with that little cliffhanger. Now would be the time to call in Clea from the Dark Dimension.

24. Namor

We haven’t seen the undersea ruler since Wakanda Forever, but he’s been an Avenger in the comics. Now would be a good time for him to join up.

25. Shang-Chi

Carol Danvers and Bruce Banner welcomed Simu Liu’s Shang-Chi into the world of the Avengers at the end of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and it’s time to pay that off.

The Young Avengers

26. Cassie Lang

The daughter of Ant-Man, the now teenage Cassie has dad’s powers, and is a superhero in her own right. Hopefully, we’ll see Kathryn Newton suit up as a Young Avenger.

27. Ms. Marvel (Kamala Khan)

At the end of The Marvels, we see young Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani) approach Kate Bishop about forming a Young Avengers team. We imagine if the Young Avengers are formed, they’ll play a part in Avengers 5, with Kamala leading the way.

28. Hawkeye II (Kate Bishop)

The arrow-shooting heroine is a lead Young Avengers hero in the comics, so we think Hailee Steinfeld will have to appear in this film, alongside her buddy Clint Barton.

29. Wiccan (Billy Kaplan)

Although not 100% confirmed, it seems that Joe Locke from Heartstopper is playing Wiccan in Agatha All Along. As a very powerful Young Avenger, we expect him in a big league Avengers film.

30. America Chavez

The dimension-hopping teen (Xochitl Gomez) played a big role in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. With the Multiverse being a big deal going forward, we doubt that she’ll miss Avengers 5.

The World of Wakanda

If there’s a reality-shaking event, then the citizens of Wakanda should be in the thick of it. We think some characters have earned a rest, like Nakia, but we expect most of these major players to be alongside the Avengers.

31. Black Panther (Shuri)

The current Black Panther, Princess Shuri, played by Letitia Wright, has to represent Wakanda in whatever world-shaking events will take place in the future Avengers.

32. M’Baku

At the end of Wakanda Forever, Shuri left M’Baku as the steward of Wakanda, until T’Challa II comes of age. So whatever big events happen that involve Wakanda, Winston Duke’s character will have to return.

33. Black Panther (T’Challa II)

We think thanks to time travel or Multiversal shenanigans, we’ll see an older version of T’Challa’s son take his place as the Avengers’ Black Panther in this movie.

34. Okoye

Although no longer head of the Dora Milaje, the Wakanda national is now a Midnight Angel. Time for this angel to join the Avengers on their next big screen

35. Ironheart (RiRi Williams)

Another character who debuted in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, this inheritor of the Iron Man legacy is set for her own Disney+ show soon. And we expect her to be part of a new Avengers movie.

The Streaming Series Stars

Ever since Netflix, and now Disney+, there have been several heroes who star in streaming series who need to make the jump to the big screen. We left off Jessica Jones and Punisher, only because their worlds are so extra street level, as to not fit into an Avengers story.

36. Moon Knight (Marc Spector)

We don’t know what the deal is with Moon Knight season 2, but we feel Oscar Isaac’s Avatar of Konshu should be there for whatever big Multiversal event takes place.

37. Daredevil (Matt Murdock)

The original Marvel Neflix star, the blind vigilante/lawyer is now officially a part of the MCU. Even if it’s just a cameo, we expect Charlie Cox to be swing by and knock a few bad guys out.

38. Luke Cage

The venerable hero of Harlem, we last saw Mike Colter’s bulletproof badass at the end of season two of his self-titled Netflix show. It’s time for him to join the big leagues and become an Avenger.

39. She-Hulk (Jennifer Walters)

We’re currently not sure if the gamma-powered lawyer is going to get another season of her Disney+ series, but Jennifer Walters (Tatiana Maslany) definitely needs to lend her considerable strength to the Avengers for whatever is coming next.

40. Wonder Man

His show has yet to debut, but this longtime Avenger (played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen) needs to fight alongside his comic book teammates at some point. Why not Avengers 5 and 6?

The Thunderbolts

We have a strong feeling that many of the Thunderbolts won’t survive their own upcoming movie. But if any two are going to make it out alive, and into an Avengers 5, it’s these two.

41. The Winter Soldier (Bucky Barnes)

The former Hydra assassin and BFF of Steve Rogers, should the Winter Soldier survive the events of the upcoming Thunderbolts, actor Sebastian Stan should definitely to the role, and appear alongside the Avengers.

42. Yelena Belova

The adopted sister of Natasha Romanoff, Yelena Belova, played by Florence Pugh, has appeared in Black Widow, Hawkeye, and soon, in Thunderbolts. It’s time for her to graduate to Avengers status.

The Cosmic Heroes

After Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3, many of the original Guardians have earned their retirement from superheroing. Also, Zoe Saldana and Dave Bautista have made it very clear they are done with Gamora and Drax, respectively. Nebula has chosen to remain on Knowhere with Drax. And Mantis just wants a different kind of life now. This is why we didn’t include them.

43. Star-Lord (Peter Quill)

The former leader of the Guardians of the Galaxy, he returned home to Earth after decades to live with his grandpa. Now that he’s on Earth, Chris Pratt’s space hero will likely team up with the Avengers, and probably his former Guardian friends, one more time.

44. Rocket Raccoon

The irritable raccoon creation of the High Evolutionary, he now leads a new team of Guardians. If the Multiverse is in danger, we expect Rocket to show up and help save it. And maybe steal some stuff.

45. Groot

He is Groot.

46. Adam Warlock

A major Marvel hero with a relatively minor role in the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, an upcoming Avengers film might be the best plan to let a golden-skinned Will Poulter shine.

47. Valkyrie

The current King of Asgard, Valkyrie is always itching for battle. So we say let Tessa Thompson pick up the sword one more time and fight on the side of her buddy Thor and his fellow Avengers. Maybe bring that flying horse again.

The Marvel Mutants

48. Deadpool

With Shawn Levy in talks to direct Avengers 5, having completed Deadpool & Wolverine, we are pretty sure he’ll bring in Wade Wilson in a major role. We simply can’t imagine Ryan Reynolds not appearing in some capacity.

49. Wolverine

We don’t buy that Hugh Jackman’s Deadpool & Wolverine performance as being his last as Logan. Fool us once, good sir. He’ll be popping those claws as an Avenger. Or at an Avenger.

50-59. The X-Men

Yes, we think all of the original Fox X-Men are appearing in the last Avengers movies. We’re talking Cyclops (James Marsden), Storm (Halle Berry) Jean Grey (Famke Janssen), Rogue (Anna Paquin), Beast (Kelsey Grammar), Iceman (Shawn Ashmore) Professor X (Patrick Stewart), Magneto (Sir Ian McKellen) and Mystique (Rebecca Romijn), and Stefan Kapičić as Colossus.

60. Kang the Conqueror

Oh yeah, this movie needs a villain. Whether Avengers 5 is called The Kang Dynasty or something else, we are pretty sure the time-controlling villain will play a part. We’re also sure he won’t be played by Jonathan Majors this time. But some variant from the Multiverse will fill his shoes.

The post Who Are the 60 MCU Characters Returning For AVENGERS 5? appeared first on Nerdist.

The newest chapter in the Star Wars Universe, The Acolyte, has been chock full of dramatic twists and turns. From the family drama at the core of the story to the larger tensions between the Republic and the Jedi Order, The Acolyte has made it clear in its first two episodes that fans should set aside their expectations. As the series’s opening fight shows, absolutely anything can happen. 

This also applies to the source material that The Acolyte pulls from. As the Star Wars Universe’s first live-action project set during the High Republic, a century before the events of the prequels, the show is in a unique position to incorporate details about the time period from existing High Republic novels, comics, manga, and audio dramas. So far we’ve seen a Wookiee Jedi, a familiar sight to High Republic readers. But one moment in episode 2, “Revenge/Justice,” forges an even deeper connection to The Acolyte’s source material as it introduces the concept of The Barash Vow. 

The Acolyte Introduces the Barash Vow to Live-Action Star Wars

While on her quest for revenge against the Jedi who were stationed on her home planet of Brendock, Mae (Amandla Stenberg) tracks down Master Torbin (Dean-Charles Chapman) at a Jedi Temple on Olega. Torbin is in a state of deep meditation, levitating high off the ground, and is impenetrable to Mae’s attacks. Later, another Jedi at the Olega temple notes that Master Torbin “hasn’t spoken to anyone in years,” suggesting that he has been in this state for quite a long time. When Mae confronts him again, she states that she knows he has taken “the Barash Vow,” explaining the meditative form that he has been in. 

What Is The Barash Vow?

The Barash Vow was first represented in Darth Vader #2 (2017) by Charles Soule (one of the architects of the High Republic publishing initiative) and Giuseppe Camuncoli. But it wasn’t officially named until it popped up in the 2021 young adult High Republic novel, Into the Dark, by Claudia Gray. There, it the Barash Vow was described as a vow that a Jedi takes in order to reform their relationship with the Force, typically after they’ve made a mistake they wish to atone for. Those who take the vow go into a state of silent meditation, sometimes for years. Not every Jedi who takes the Barash Vow committed a grave error like Torbin, but it can certainly provide some respite after traumatic events. 

Where Does the Name “The Barash Vow” Come From in the Star Wars World?

Still, you may be wondering, why is this Star Wars state even called the “Barash Vow?” It takes its name from the first Jedi who took the vow, Barash Silvain. The origins of the concept can be seen in Star Wars: The High Republic – The Blade comic book miniseries by Charles Soule, Marco Castiello, and Jethro Morales. Barash Silvain was a Kage Jedi who formed a very close bond with one of the greatest swordsmen the Jedi Order has ever seen: Porter Engle. Porter and Barash met as younglings, and eventually became so close that they referred to each other as “brother” and “sister,” doing everything together. 

While on a mission to the planet Gansevor, Barash made a huge error in judgment, resulting in dramatic political consequences. Though Porter assured her that everything would be smoothed over, Barash felt immense guilt for letting her emotions get in the way of assessing the situation. After taking a moment to reflect, she decided that it would be best for her to mend her relationship with the Force before she entered back into the fold of her usual Jedi activities. 

The Origins of the Barash Vow Mirror The Acolyte‘s Story

The Acolyte bringing in the Barash Vow is a pointed choice, considering the parallels between Barash Silvain and Porter Engle’s relationship with that of Osha and Mae’s relationship on the show. Jedi are discouraged from forming attachments with anyone or anything—hence why the Jedi Council was hesitant to accept 8 year-old Osha into the Order. The Jedi view familial relationships as potential sources for distraction, the type of emotional interference that prevents a Jedi from acting impartially through the Force. Both Osha and Barash had memories of their families before they joined the Order, putting them at risk. For Barash, this was even more serious because the memory of every member of the Kage species begins from birth. Even though the Jedi had taken her in at a young age, she still had years and years of crystal clear memories with her family that she had to reconcile. 

Clearly, by the time The Acolyte takes place, Barash Silvain’s sabbatical from the Jedi Order provided a template for later generations of Jedi to reconnect with the Force. Perhaps the origin of the Barash Vow informed Master Torbin’s decision to take it, considering the role he played in Mae and Osha’s separation. Either way, for fans of the High Republic novels and comics, it is immensely gratifying to see an element of a beloved character like Porter Engle get incorporated into a live-action project. The Acolyte is set centuries after the events of Porter and Barash’s separation, so it is heartening to see their legacy live on, even if the circumstances are tragic. 

A More Unified Future for Star Wars

Ultimately, seeing elements from High Republic stories in The Acolyte points to a more unified future for the Star Wars franchise. Since the High Republic publishing initiative began in 2021, the line has grown to include dozens of novels, comics, manga, and audio dramas spanning two different time periods within the High Republic. As such, it would fair to say that the High Republic has its own distinct mythos. It would be remiss for Disney and Lucasfilm to ignore this in their live-action projects. So far, The Acolyte has struck a fair balance between forging its own vision of the High Republic and honoring the source material that has come before. 

Unfortunately for Master Torbin, the Barash Vow did not provide him with the solace he sought. Barash’s decision to take the vow would continue to affect Porter Engle for decades, even though he understood why his sister needed to take time away from the Jedi Order. Hopefully, for the Jedi’s sake, the Order can strike a balance between achieving atonement for their mistakes and justice for those they’ve wronged on The Acolyte. 

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In 1961, Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby changed comics forever with the arrival of the Fantastic Four on newsstands. This family of superheroes—Reed Richards, Susan and Jonny Storm, and pilot Benjamin Grimm—gained powers in a cosmic ray accident in outer space. Returning to Earth forever changed, this bickering quartet became Mister Fantastic, Invisible Girl Woman, the Human Torch, and the Thing, the celebrated superheroes known as the Fantastic Four. Running almost continuously since 1961, Fantastic Four pioneered modern superhero comics. In anticipation of their MCU debut, we present to you what we consider the 10 greatest creative team runs of Marvel’s self-proclaimed “World’s Greatest Comic Magazine.”

10. Steve Englehart

with John Buscema, Keith Pollard

Veteran writer Steve Englehart, who had written some of the best Avengers comics ever, had an unenviable task in 1987. He had to take over the Fantastic Four after a best-selling and critically loved run by John Byrne, who had left to revamp DC’s Superman. Now, Englehart’s two-year stint on the title post-Byrne isn’t anywhere near the former creator’s level. Yet it’s still very enjoyable, and added some fun wrinkles to the series. Reed and Sue left the team to be good parents to Franklin. So Steve Englehart replaced them with the new Ms. Marvel, Sharon Ventura, and Crystal of the Inhumans. Together with Human Torch and the Thing, it created a whole new team dynamic. Especially with “mom and dad” Reed and Sue gone.

Having Johnny’s ex-girlfriend Crystal on the team led to all kinds of romantic tension. Turning Sharon/Ms. Marvel into the She-Thing also ended up being a genius move. Toward the end of his run, Englehart was tasked by editorial to bring back Reed and Sue, which he hated. He made the entire last year’s worth of stories a dream sequence, and he was so unhappy with them that he wrote them under the pen name “John Harkness.” At the time, Keith Pollard’s pencils seemed a little old-fashioned compared to other comics, as was the work of the iconic John Buscema. If you ask us, they’ve aged like fine wine. Is it the greatest Fantastic Four run of them all? No, but it certainly deserves some recognition. If only for its big, weird swings.

Issues in Steve Englehart’s Fantastic Four Run:

Fantastic Four (vol.1) #304-333 (1987-1989)

9. Mark Millar

with Bryan Hitch

Writer Mark Millar, creator of Kick-Ass and Kingsman, wrote an updated version of the Fantastic Four for Marvel’s Ultimate universe. But the version he did with his Ultimates collaborator Bryan Hitch for the 616 universe is actually better, even if it doesn’t get as much attention. Less bombastic than his Ultimate Fantastic Four run, which leaned into shock value (a Millar trait), this relatively brief run only has 16 issues. Yet it’s still a very enjoyable read, which saw the return of Reed Richards’ old girlfriend Alyssa Moy, a creation from Chris Claremont’s run, and the creation of Nu-World. This is an alternate Earth created by the world’s greatest minds as a home for humanity when the world goes up. The fact that these stories are bolstered by Hitch’s incredible art sure doesn’t hurt. Were this a longer run, we’d likely rank it higher.

Issues in Mark Millar’s Fantastic Four run:

Fantastic Four (vol.1)  #554-569 and Annual #32 (2008-2009)

8. Chris Claremont

with Salvador Larroca

Writer Chris Claremont remains most famous today for his epic 16-year run on Uncanny X-Men. But after leaving Marvel and the X-Men comics in the early ‘90s, he returned in 1998 to Marvel’s First Family. This was the comic that got him hooked on Marvel in the first place. His run came at a controversial time for the Fantastic Four brand, after Jim Lee’s brief “Heroes Reborn” stint, which spun the team off into its own universe for a year. The following year, after a poor reception to the Jim Lee version, “Heroes Return” brought the team back to Marvel Universe proper.

Scott Lobdell was the initial writer for Fantastic Four vol. 3, but Marvel quickly replaced him with Claremont with the third issue. Now, Claremont’s run on the team didn’t set the world on fire the same way his X-Men run did. The first year of the comic leaned too heavily on former X-Men plot elements. However, it is worth reading. This was not only because of Claremont’s clever handling of the team’s family dynamics, but also for the stunning art of Salvador Larroca. Claremont introduced Sue and Reed’s daughter (originally thought to be Doom’s) Valeria Von Doom/Valeria Richards in this run, one of the few modern FF characters who has had a long shelf life beyond one creator’s run.

Issues in Chris Claremont’s Fantastic Four Run:

Fantastic Four (vol.3) #4-32, Annuals 1999 and 2000 (1998-2000)

7. Tom DeFalco

with Paul Ryan

This run by writer (and former Marvel EIC) Tom DeFalco doesn’t ever get the credit it deserves. It came at a time when everything gaining attention at Marvel was X-Men, Spider-Man, or Punisher adjacent. In addition, DeFalco’s writing and Paul Ryan’s art was very “old school,” in an era when everything was about being flashy and over the top. But this creative team, while not reinventing any wheels, was very good at classic Marvel Comics soap opera yarn spinning.

For five years, you never knew what was going to happen from issue to issue. As a reader, you always wanted to know what would happen next. Human Torch’s wife might actually be a Skrull agent, or Reed and Dr. Doom might die together (and stay dead for a year). No plot twist was off the table, and the book was just plain fun to read. Yes, there were missteps and desperate attempts to try and stay hip. For example, Sue Storm’s “sexy” costume, or disfiguring the Thing so he had to wear a menacing helmet. Nevertheless, De Falco and Ryan’s tenure remains extremely fun, deserving its place among the best FF runs.

Issues in Tom DeFalco’s Fantastic Four run:

 Fantastic Four (vol.1) #356–416, 645, Annual #25 (1991–1996)

6. Dan Slott

with Sarah Pichelli, Aaron Kuder, Paco Medina, R.B. Silva, Rachael Stott, Francesco Manna.

After Marvel’s event series Secret Wars in 2015, the Fantastic Four went on an extended hiatus. The team took off into the Multiverse, perhaps never to be seen again. For the first time since 1961, Marvel would not publish a regular Fantastic Four series. Of course, within a few years, the FF was back. Amazing Spider-Man writer Dan Slott relaunched Fantastic Four in a new volume with a new first issue. For four years, Slott guided the FF through a world that grew accustomed to not having them around.

During his run, Slott finally married Ben Grimm and Alicia Masters after a sixty-year courtship, and the pair became adoptive parents to alien kids. He gave Reed Richards one of the coolest inventions in a long time, the Forever Gate, an artificial nexus of realities owned by the FF. This is the most recent Fantastic Four run on the list, ending only in 2022. While controversial to some, as Slott’s work often it, this run is an extended love letter to the FF, and a highly enjoyable era for the team.

Issues in Dan Slott’s Fantastic Four Run:

Fantastic Four (vol.6) #1-46 (2018-2022)

5. Walter Simonson

with Arthur Adams

Steve Englehart’s run on Fantastic Four, which followed up John Byrne’s, was interesting and often bizarre, but not groundbreaking or modern in the way fans wanted. So enter writer/artist Walter Simonson, fresh off a groundbreaking run on The Mighty Thor. Simonson didn’t do away with any of the previous run’s stranger additions, even including the controversial She-Thing from Englehart’s run. Despite the title still having the name Fantastic Four, the team was essentially the Fantastic Five at the time. Simonson brought modern kinetic energy to Fantastic Four that had been missing since Byrne’s run, and fans loved it.

Simonson’s imagination was big, and his art style was often otherworldly and widescreen in scope. During his brief time on the title, he introduced concepts like the Time Variance Authority, now famous thanks to Loki. Simonson also brought a much-needed sense of humor to the usually stodgy team. During his run, he also introduced the “new” Fantastic Four, comically consisting of just super popular heroes like Spider-Man, Hulk, Wolverine, and Ghost Rider. These meta commentary issues came with an art assist from X-Men’s Art Adams. Speaking of art, Simonson’s pencils were never better than in Fantastic Four, celestial and grandiose, truly befitting a family of cosmic explorers.

Issues in Walter Simonson’s Fantastic Four Run:

Fantastic Four (vol.1) #333-354 (1989-1991)

4. Mark Waid

with Mike Wieringo, Karl Kesel, Howard Porter

Writer Mark Waid was already one of comics’ brightest stars when he took over writing duties on Fantastic Four in 2002, coming off iconic runs at DC on books like The Flash. Together with his Flash collaborator, the late, great artist Mike Weiringo, they gave the series a nice shot in the arm, embracing the past while forging new territory. For the first time in a long time, the FF felt like cosmic explorers again, or as Waid profered, “Imaginauts.” He also made the series funny, reminiscent in a way of DC’s Justice League International. It’s likely that Waid’s run partially inspired the first Fantastic Four movie’s light tone. Only the comics did it way better.

During this era, the team has to face one of Reed’s mathematic equations that gains sentience, and a new Frightful Four. There’s also a glow-up for Johnny Storm, who becomes the team’s C.F.O, and has to manage their IP. But it wasn’t all goofy fun in Waid’s run. The “Unthinkable” arc is one of the best Doctor Doom stories ever, which sees the Latverian ruler embrace supernatural power over scientific prowess to defeat his rival Reed Richards. Things got pretty out there in this run, with the Human Torch becoming the Herald of Galactus, and the team even meeting God when they need to rescue one of their own from the afterlife. And (spoilers) God looks just like legendary artist Jack Kirby. How can one not love that?

Issues in Mark Waid’s Fantastic Four Run:

Fantastic Four (vol.3) ##60-70, (vol.1) #500-524 (2002-2005)

3. Jonathan Hickman

with Dale Eaglesham, Steve Epting, Barry Kitson, Ron Garney, Neil Edwards, Nick Dragotta, Mark Brooks, Giuseppe Camuncoli, Ryan Stegman

Before writer Jonathan Hickman had groundbreaking runs on X-Men and Avengers, he tackled Marvel’s First Family. Under Hickman’s watch, he focused on redeeming Reed Richards, as Mr. Fantastic had suffered the most in recent years for his role in Civil War. This Mr. Fantastic dedicated his mind to solving everything. Literally, everything that is broken in existence. What could go wrong? Reed faced many Multiversal (and smarter) versions of himself known as the Council of Reeds, and the team got a big expansion of their mythos with the addition of the Future Foundation, a team of young geniuses operating out of the Baxter Building. Spider-Man even became a member for a time, finally joining after trying out in Amazing Spider-Man #1 in 1963.

Hickman’s Fantastic Four, and its companion series simply titled FF, also featured incredible artwork from artists like Dale Eaglesham, Steve Epting, and others, which was the perfect compliment to Hickman’s big-brained concepts. Perhaps most importantly, the Hickman run was ground zero for the 2015 Secret Wars event, one of the best sagas in modern Marvel history, and perhaps the greatest Reed Richards/Dr. Doom story of all time. When Hickman first took over the title, it flew under the radar. By his exit, it stood as one of the all-time best Fantastic Four runs.

Issues in Jonathan Hickman’s Fantastic Four Run:

Dark Reign: Fantastic Four #1-5, Fantastic Four #570-611, FF #1-23 (2009-2012)

2. John Byrne

When writer/artist John Byrne took over the Fantastic Four in 1981, he was coming off a legendary run on Uncanny X-Men. Although FF was still selling well, every creative team since Lee and Kirby left a decade earlier played it relatively safe with the concept of the Fantastic Four. Not Byrne however. In Byrne’s five-year run, he shook up the status quo that existed for years. For the first time in their history, he gave the team new costumes. He broke up the Thing and his longtime girlfriend Alicia Masters, and actually had Alicia start dating Johnny Storm. Absolutely nothing was sacred. Fantastic Four felt fresh again, and sales soared.

Byrne upgraded Sue Storm from the timid Invisible Girl into the Invisible Woman, now the most powerful member. Speaking of powerful women, he had She-Hulk replace Ben Grimm on the team for a long time, changing the dynamic of the group by adding someone outside the family for an extended period. And his “Trial of Galactus” story still stands as one of the best FF sagas ever. That story is really the trial of Reed Richards, who the galaxy holds accountable for letting Galactus live. Byrne’s art was at its peak during this era, and his strengths in telling cosmic soap operas were never stronger. For the first time since Lee and Kirby left, under Byrne Fantastic Four truly was “the World’s Greatest Comic Magazine” once more.

Issues in John Byrne’s Fantastic Four Run:

Fantastic Four (vol.1) #232-294 (1981-1986)

1. Stan Lee and Jack Kirby

Much like Chris Claremont’s Uncanny X-Men was the only choice for “best X-Men run ever,” Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s seminal run on Fantastic Four is the only choice for the best FF run. It’s not even up for debate. When Lee and Kirby created the FF in 1961, they didn’t only change comics, they essentially created the Marvel Universe as we know it. During their nine-year, 102-issue run, Lee and Kirby emphasized flawed characters in a way superhero comics had never done before. Kirby’s pencil work expanded the limits of comic book art and storytelling at the time, and suddenly comics weren’t just for little kids anymore. Every single Marvel comic that came after owes a debt to Fantastic Four in some way.

How important was the Lee/Kirby Fantastic Four? During their near decade-long collaboration, readers were introduced to Doctor Doom, the Negative Zone, Black Panther, Adam Warlock, the Inhumans, Galactus, and the Silver Surfer. That’s just naming a few by the way. Sure, some of it is very “of its time” in a big way. Particularly the sexist treatment of Invisible Girl. These comics are 60 years old now after all. Regardless of dated flaws, this run is the bedrock of everything Marvel is built on. It will always be the greatest Fantastic Four run of all time. No matter how good anyone else’s work on the book is, they stand on the shoulders of Lee and Kirby.

Issues in Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s Fantastic Four Run:

Fantastic Four (vol.1) #1-102 (1961-1970)

The post The 10 Greatest Fantastic Four Comic Book Runs of All Time appeared first on Nerdist.

Giancarlo Esposito is a veteran working actor who ascended to “TV’s greatest villain” thanks to his roles in Breaking Bad, The Mandalorian, and The Boys. And he’s long made his intentions very known about wanting to be a part of the MCU. For a long time, he campaigned to play Professor X in the MCU’s X-Men reboot. But now it seems he snagged another MCU role, one he described as appearing briefly first (probably a post-credits cameo) and then in a larger capacity in a Disney+ series. Here’s what he said:

I cannot promise you it’ll be Professor X, because here’s what I think. I think that there’s something about being original. We’ve seen different versions of Professor X. Wouldn’t you like to see me play a character in a Marvel movie who is original, and new, and fresh? So, mark my words: This will happen sooner than you think.

Thanks to a photo of Giancarlo Esposito in costume that appeared online, it seems Esposito is showing up first in Captain America: Brave New World. Based on these criteria, these are our guesses for Esposito’s upcoming MCU role. A reminder, Esposito said “new and fresh,” which makes us think he’s not a previously established Marvel movie character. Yes, we also realize all of these are villains or adversary-type roles. At this point, it’s clear Esposito has no problem leaning into his talents at playing Machiavellian villains. This is a guy who loves playing baddies, so we’re taking that into account.

Henry Peter Gyrich

Recent set photos show Giancarlo Esposito on the set of Captain America: Brave New World, looking very much like himself and not in some Mocap suit, only strapped with knives and wearing a jacket and sunglasses. He definitely looks like some kind of government agent type. Could he be playing Henry Peter Gyrich? That character in the comics has a long history of being an adversary to both the X-Men and the Avengers. In X-Men lore, he helps fund the robotic Sentinels through Project: Wideawake, who try to destroy mutantkind.

In the classic X-Men: The Animated Series, Henry Gyrich even tries to assassinate Charles Xavier. In the comics, before he became an X-Men villain, he was the government stooge attached to the Avengers, who tried to control their membership limits and who was on the team. The way Esposito is working those sunglasses, he could be Gyrich. He’d appear first in Captain America, before perhaps playing a bigger part in a future mutant-related Disney+ series. We know Esposito stressed this was a new role, and Gyrich appeared in X-Men in 2000. That appearance was just a cameo though, so we think it doesn’t really count. Right now, Gyrich is our #1 choice.

Baron Blood

First appearing in 1976, Baron Blood is a vampire villain who often fought Captain America. In the pages of Marvel Comics, John Falsworth was a British aristocrat, who during the early part of the 20th century was transformed into a vampire by Dracula himself. He fought Captain America and the Invaders during World War II, and eventually, he (and those who succeeded him in the title) became an enemy of Blade, the Vampire Hunter. We could see Esposito playing a version of Baron Blood, perhaps having a supporting vampiric role in the eventual Blade reboot, before starring in a potential Midnight Suns series as the lead villain. If you saw Abigail, you know Esposito was born to play the undead. Maybe he appears as Blood in the modern-day in Captain America: New World Order first? Although, those set pics show him in broad daylight. Another Daywalker?

Mister Sinister

Almost all of the major X-Men villains have appeared in live-action during the Fox era. So when Kevin Feige reboots Marvel’s mutants for the MCU, there is going to be a lot of new versions of classic characters. Yet one major X-Men villain has never shown up in live-action, and he’s rumored to be the “Big Bad” of the MCU X-Men, and that’s Mister Sinister. The nearly immortal, 19th-century geneticist (real name Nathaniel Essex) is the perfect erudite and scheming villain that Esposito has made his name playing. And with Sinister, he’d be introducing a role to live-action, not having to do a part someone else made famous already. We could see him cameo first in his Nathaniel Essex persona, before appearing in a Disney+ X-Men related series.

The Mad Thinker

First appearing as an adversary in Fantastic Four, the genius scientist the Mad Thinker was infamous for creating one advanced A.I. after another. These machines ranged from the android Quasimodo to the Awesome Android. Julius (his only known name) was a recurring thorn in the side of the FF. Yet with his robotic know-how, he could be a real threat to someone like the Vision. We think it’s possible that Esposito is cast as the Mad Thinker, who may appear in Captain America: New World Order, then later perhaps in Fantastic Four. Then later, he could become the primary antagonist in the upcoming Vision series for Disney+.

Originally published on May 28, 2024.

The post Which Marvel Character Is Giancarlo Esposito Playing in the MCU? appeared first on Nerdist.

For just over a decade, if anyone could claim to be the center of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it was Robert Downey Jr. His Tony Stark began the whole franchise in Iron Man and remained its wisecracking core up until his bombastic final bow in Avengers: Endgame. That ending seemed pretty definitive, and we certainly didn’t expect he’d return to the role ever. But, movie and comic magic is a real thing. Yet, on a recent installment of Variety‘s “Actors on Actors” series (h/t: ComicBook), he said he’s “surprisingly open-minded” about putting on the suit again.

Downey told fellow Oscar nominee Jodie Foster “It’s just crazily in my DNA. Probably the most like-me character I’ve ever played, even though he’s way cooler than I am. I’ve become surprisingly open-minded to the idea… It really is crazy because we look pretty good. I was actually looking at the stills we were taking, making sure: “Do we still look kind of OK?” I’m like, ‘We look pretty good.'”

The royal “we,” evidently.

With a Secret Wars movie still in the cards, it’s highly likely Kevin Feige will find a way to bring some of the old guard back. That saga merges universes, after all. Who says other Iron Mans aren’t still kicking out there, if the price is right. Robert Downey Jr. don’t come cheap. Either of them.

Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. He hosts the weekly pop culture deep-dive podcast Laser Focus. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Instagram and Letterboxd.

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We loved X-Men ’97 pretty much from beginning to end. It’s the best X-Men thing, maybe ever. The three-part finale offered some intense action for our band of merry mutants. One such memorable moment came when Rogue—still raging about Gambit, et al—begins pummelling villain Bastion and punches him through the side of Asteroid M and into outer space. If that seemed familiar, that’s not a coincidence. Former showrunner Beau DeMayo explained in a Twitter post that the moment was a subconscious homage to 2013’s Man of Steel.

“The action is driven by emotion not plot,” DeMayo shared along with a video of his television. On it plays the scene from about the midpoint of Henry Cavill’s first Superman movie. As Zod threatens Martha (something we know is very touchy to people in this universe), Clark flies in, picks up Zod, and carries him across the cornfield and through a silo. It’s an example of wanton superhero destruction in the movie, but it’s also a great encapsulation of the moment of Superman’s first strike, as it were.

We’ll have to wait a very long time, likely, for a second season of the show. At least we can rest assured we’ll probably get a bevy of behind-the-scenes tidbits between now and then. We’re never mad to revisit such a great series.

Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. He hosts the weekly pop culture deep-dive podcast Laser Focus. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Instagram and Letterboxd.

The post Former X-MEN ’97 Showrunner Confirms Finale Has MAN OF STEEL Homage appeared first on Nerdist.

Unlike the previous administration, new DC Studios co-head James Gunn is very active on social media. Since DC announced him in the role, he’s been teasing the fans about which deep-cut characters from the pages of DC Comics might be on his mind concerning future projects. Gunn has done this with random image reveals. So far, he’s dropped a few comic book images of characters that might excite fans—including a few that have yet to appear in any live-action incarnations before. Some he teased, like Mister Terrific, were officially announced just months later. Let’s tally all the Gunn hints we’ve had so far, while remembering they might not actually be hints.

Deathstroke

James Gunn recently hinted strongly at another major DC character, the super-powered mercenary Deathstroke. When the fan asked Gunn on Instagram to “please wink if you have plans for Deathstroke,” the DC Studios head replied with a winky face emoji. So there you have it — the deadly mercenary Slade Wilson (the obvious influence on Marvel’s Deadpool, a.k.a. Wade Wilson) is coming to the DCU. Where will he appear? It’s anyone’s guess, but we think there’s a good chance he is the villain of the announced Teen Titans movie. He’s their main adversary, so it just makes sense.

Mister Mxyzptlk

He’s been one of Superman’s most powerful (and annoying enemies) since the Golden Age, and yet, he’s never appeared in a live-action film. We refer to the imp from the 5th Dimension, Mister Mxyzptlk. This diminutive fellow is actually an all-powerful being, who can bend reality to his will. Think Star Trek’s Q, and just as annoying, and wearing a derby. He appeared every 90 days to make trouble for Superman, only returning to his home dimension whenever Big Blue could trick him into saying his name backward. James Gunn recently posted an action figure of Mxy on his Instagram, which is raising eyebrows. While the assumption is Mxy would appear in Superman, we think it may also be for the upcoming Peacemaker season two.

Captain Atom

The latest post from James Gunn suggesting a possible classic hero coming to the DCU came as a response to a fan question. When asked if he liked the character of Captain Atom, he responded on his Instagram story saying “I’ve been a big Captain Atom fan for a long time.” He even added comic artwork to his response. We’d say that’s a possible hint that he has plans for Captain Atom.

So who is the good Captain? Like Peacemaker and Blue Beetle, he originated as a hero from the Charlton Comics line in the ’60s. DC bought those characters and absorbed them into the DC Universe proper in the ’80s. Nathaniel Adam was an Air Force officer who volunteered for an experiment involving nuclear power and alien alloy, in exchange for a pardon for a crime he didn’t commit. Disintegrated in the experiment, Adam reformed decades later, now fused with the alien metal, and wielding nuclear power.

Nathaniel Adam then became the government agent and superhero Captain Atom, and joined the Justice League International. He was also the basis for Doctor Manhattan in Watchmen, although slightly less powerful. Along with Booster Gold, Green Lantern Guy Gardner, and Maxwell Lord, he’d be another famous JLI character joining the DCU. We think that lends further credence to our theory that the Justice League International is on the way to the DCU.

The Terrifics

James Gunn teased an image of the hero Mister Terrific back in 2022, a character later cast for Superman: Legacy. But now those plans seem to have expanded. He also shared an image of the DC heroes hovering around the Terrifics, a somewhat recent super team from DC Comics, introduced in 2018. The Terrifics are kind of a riff on Marvel’s Fantastic Four, as they are more explorer and adventurer types. Mister Terrific leads, and the other members include Plastic Man, the phasing Phantom Girl, and Metamorpho, who was also recently cast for Superman: Legacy. We could easily see them as subjects of a Max streaming series.

Deadman

On Halloween 2022, Gunn shared an image of one of DC Comics’ most prominent supernatural heroes, Deadman. Introduced by DC in the late ’60s, Deadman was circus performer Boston Brand. During a performance, a group of criminals murdered him. They (the supernatural powers that be) granted his soul the power to possess living people until he discovered who was behind his murder. In the meantime, he used the bodies he “borrowed” to help the innocent and fight various criminals.

Although a ghost, Brand’s spectral form still had his circus outfit and makeup he wore in his act. For the most part, he was essentially a superhero no one in the living world could see. However, a few mystical DC characters could perceive him. Despite being a prominent DC character for years, aside from a few animated appearances, we’ve never seen Deadman in live-action. From the look of things, James Gunn is hoping to change all that—unless he was just having some Halloween fun. Once upon a time, Guillermo del Toro talked about producing a Deadman project. Perhaps now is the time for that to finally happen.

It’s worth noting that Gunn recenly shared the image of Deadman again on his Instagram.

Lobo

And then, there’s the one that has everyone talking. Recently, Gunn posted an image of DC’s most famous intergalactic bounty hunter, Lobo, and fans got super excited. The “Main Man,” a huge seller back in the ’90s, was long rumored for a movie or TV project. In fact, it was reported Syfy was developing a Lobo TV series a few years ago, but nothing ever came of it.

With folks clamoring for Jason Momoa to play the role, including Momoa himself, it seems now would be the right time to see the space biker finally get a movie of his own. The character is an over-the-top send-up of tough-guy characters, but handled correctly, he made for some very funny comics. We think the comedy sensibilities of the character feel right in James Gunn’s wheelhouse, too.

Kingdom Come

Maybe the post that had fans most excited came on November 30. Gunn simply tweeted out the words “Making plans” accompanied by an image by artist Alex Ross from his seminal series Kingdom Come. That comic was all about an older Justice League vs their younger, more violent successors in an End Times scenario. Now, on the surface, it’s just Superman around a table with other heroes literally making plans. It’s probably just Gunn’s fun way of teasing his upcoming DC Studios plans, using an image of their headlining heroes.

On the other hand, he also used this same Alex Ross illustration as his featured image on his Hive Social account. Could he have something cooking for Kingdom Come? It seems way too soon for a live-action adaptation. You need to reestablish the Justice League first as a viable franchise. However, Gunn recently stated that DC Studios planned to incorporate animation as well. It’s at least a possibility.

Again James Gunn could just be posting random images of all of these characters and stories he likes. Time will tell.

Originally published on November 16, 2022.

The post Every DC Character James Gunn Has Possibly Teased for the DCU appeared first on Nerdist.

2024 is shaping up to be the year of Deadpool & Wolverine, not just on the big screen, but also in the pages of Marvel Comics. The publisher has announced The Weapon X-Traction Saga, an event story starring Logan and Wade Wilson that will run through several titles this summer. Instead of appearing in its own series, this storyline will be a backup feature, at no extra cost, through eight ongoing Marvel titles. Weapon X-Traction Saga is written by Ryan North (Fantastic Four) and illustrated by Avengers artist Javier Garrón. You can read the official synopsis below:

Weapon X-Traction kicks off when a weary Wolverine runs into a clingy Deadpool at a favorite watering hole. From this humble beginning, they embark on an epic journey of non-friendship that will carry them across the Multiverse, battling zombies and gun-wielding librarians and—of course—one another!

The first issue for this storyline is Incredible Hulk #14, hitting in July. Fitting, as that’s the same month Wolverine & Deadpool arrives in theaters. It’s also fitting that this storyline kicks off in an issue of the Incredible Hulk series in particular. In July 1974, Wolverine made his debut in Incredible Hulk #181. So his starting a saga this big where he got his start fifty years ago just feels right. Marvel has yet to reveal which other titles this storyline will unfold in. Additionally, a release from Marvel shares that “Fans will also find that each issue containing an installment of the saga will have a special WEAPON X-TRACTION VARIANT COVER” that celebrates Deadpool & Wolverine. Cute.

Although the character of Deadpool hit the scene almost two decades after Wolverine, the pair of frenemies have long been synonymous with one another. Mainly thanks to their similar powers via the Weapon X program, and their not-so-similar demeanors. Lest we forget, Ryan Reynolds’ version of the Merc with the Mouth actually first appeared in live-action in a Wolverine movie. Although, we do think Reynolds would like us to forget that actually.

The first chapter of The Weapon X-Traction Saga arrives this July. You can check out the full line-up below.

On Sale 7/17
INCREDIBLE HULK #14 Deadpool & Wolverine Weapon X-Traction Teaser Variant Cover by Javier Garrón

On Sale 7/24
CAPTAIN AMERICA #11 Deadpool & Wolverine Weapon X-Traction Variant Cover by Steve McNiven
FANTASTIC FOUR #22 Deadpool & Wolverine Weapon X-Traction Variant Cover by Steve McNiven

On Sale 7/31
SPIDER-GWEN: THE GHOST-SPIDER #3 Deadpool & Wolverine Weapon X-Traction Variant Cover by Ryan Stegman​​​​​​​
IMMORTAL THOR #13 Deadpool & Wolverine Weapon X-Traction Variant Cover by Jorge Molina

On Sale 8/7
AVENGERS #17 Deadpool & Wolverine Weapon X-Traction Variant Cover by Cafu​​​​​​​
THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MEN #6 Deadpool & Wolverine Weapon X-Traction Variant Cover by Declan Shalvey

On Sale 8/14
X-MEN #2 Deadpool & Wolverine Weapon X-Traction Variant by David Nakayama

Originally published on February 23, 2024.

The post Deadpool and Wolverine Marvel Comics Event Story Coming This Summer appeared first on Nerdist.

The final post-credits tease of X-Men ’97 season one saw the ancient mutant Apocalypse among the ruins of Genosha, after the genocidal attack by Bastion. He was lamenting his dead mutant children, saying “So much pain. So much Death.” He says the words “death” holding Gambit’s charred playing card, suggesting that just as in the comics, En Sabah Nur will transform the deceased X-Man into his Horseman of Death. This role once belonged to another former X-Man, Archangel. But what about the three other Horseman? Which mutants will take those roles?

Where there is a Horseman of Death, there are always three other Horseman at the side of Apocalypse. They are War, Pestilence/Plague, and Famine. The question is, which dead mutants will the ancient Apocalypse raise from the grave to join Gambit? While it’s not necessarily a given that all four horsemen will be resurrected mutants, we have a feeling their master will want to make a statement—using dead mutants murdered by Sentinels against humanity. Here’s who we think will join Gambit as the other three Horsemen.

Dazzler/Horseman of War

Longtime X-Men fans were thrilled to see mutant pop star Alison Blaire, a.k.a. Dazzler, in X-Men ’97, partying it up in Genosha. She’s a major X-Men character who only appeared briefly in the ’90s X-Men: The Animated Series. Her return was short-lived, as when tragedy struck Genosha, we saw Ali among the dead after the Sentinel attack. If Apocalypse resurrects her as a Horseman, our guess is she’ll be the Horseman of War. Even though her powers of turning sound into light may appear goofy, it also means she can fire deadly lasers from her hands. This is something she did handily in the original 1989 X-Men pilot. It’s a pretty outwardly aggressive power if perverted by someone like Apocalypse.

Banshee/Horseman of Pestilence

Poor Sean Cassidy. The romantic partner of Moira MacTaggert of Muir Island, the mutant Banshee was a major X-Man for many years in the comics. He appeared a handful of times in the ’90s cartoon. We see the Irish mutant flying away from the destruction in Genosha in “Remember It,” when a Sentinel blast incinerated him, along with the mutant Marrow. However, since his mutant ability involves a highly powered sonic scream, given how an airborne disease travels, we think Banshee might be a prime candidate for the Horseman of Pestilence. In the comics, the Apocalypse Twins resurrected him from death as one of four Horseman of Death. We could see a twist on that in X-Men ’97 year two.

Madelyne Pryor/Horseman of Famine

Jean Grey’s clone Madelyne Pryor was one of the breakout stars of X-Men ’97 as the Goblin Queen. Sadly, her life ended tragically after briefly connecting with her son Cable moments before she died in Genosha. As an Omega Level mutant, since she’s Jean’s genetic double, Apocalypse would be wise to use her as a Horseman. With her vast mental powers, she could lay waste to the Earth as only the Horseman Famine could. We also think she’d be the first of Apocalypse’s Horseman to break free from his control, just as she broke free of Sinister’s control in the episode.

Many other mutants died in Genosha, so the possibilities for new undead Horsemen is endless. We’ll find out who makes the cut for Apocalypse when X-Men ’97 eventually returns to Disney+.

The post Who Will Be the Horsemen of Apocalypse in X-MEN ’97 Season 2? appeared first on Nerdist.

Creator Rob Liefeld made a name for himself in the early ’90s, first at Marvel Comics, and then later, as a founder of Image Comics and Extreme Studios. But of all his creations, none have become more iconic than “the Merc with the Mouth,” Deadpool. Now, after three decades, Liefeld is retiring from the character, with the new 5-issue series Deadpool Team-Up. For his swan song to Wade Wilson, Liefeld is teaming him up with some iconic Marvel heroes, and some very obscure ones. We got to chat with Liefeld about his grand Deadpool finale, the character’s early days, and his hopes for the upcoming film starring Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman.

Nerdist. You created Deadpool back in 1991, for New Mutants. And now you’re telling your last Deadpool story with Deadpool Team-Up. Is this a story where you’re just letting yourself do everything you wanted to do with the character one last time?

Rob Liefeld: Yes. I did several hundreds of pages worth of Deadpool in the last several years, since about 2017. And it was a specific story I was telling about a character that had a grudge against Deadpool. But it was not as weird and crazy as this is. And I decided… “Deadpool doesn’t have enough of a rogue’s gallery because he had zero rogue’s gallery.’ I told Marvel, “How did you go 20 years and not give him a Joker, a Sabretooth, somebody like an echo?” And so that was my intent when I did Deadpool: Bad Blood, Deadpool: Badder Blood. Look, Deadpool: Bad Blood blew up, sold out, $25 hardcover, number one on the charts. It was very well received.

Then, I did the sequel. But I thought, “You know what?” We’ve all had talents and artists, maybe it’s a musician, sometimes it’s an athlete. They stay a little too long at the dance. And right before the year ended, Marvel said, “Can you do a story in this special that we’re putting out? We would like to include you.” So I did a 10-page story in Deadpool: Seven Deadly Sins. And I literally went back and touched on kind of a weird character that I had introduced in 2004 in the pages of X-Force. And that was when I thought, “If I want to go out, I’m going to go out weird.”

The reason that I approached it this way is that I think I’m doing work that I think is really accomplished in regard to how it’s all coming out. Everything comes together the way I see it in my head, which was not always that way. And we’ve all had artists that stayed too long, they slip. I’ve know artists that I was huge fans of that don’t draw or create images anything like the way that they used to. So I said, “You know what? I can’t do this forever, so I should go out on my terms.” I talked to Marvel about it. And the long answer is yes, this is super weird and strange, with obscure Marvel characters, which is the kind of stories that I grew up on.

Back in the early 90s, you were creating characters at Marvel and Image at lightning speed. Did you ever have any inclination back then that maybe Deadpool would be the one that stuck in the pop culture consciousness the way he did, or did it take you by surprise?

Liefeld: He’s on the cover [of his first appearance in New Mutants #98]. He’s in the front. If the artist puts the character in the front, that character is the one you’re supposed to connect to. I can tell you the process, and it’s very consistent over all these years. Cable came out of nowhere, completely a reflection of me, who I was. There’s another editor at Marvel who can attest to this, I was about to take over Alpha Flight. Guess who was going to be an Alpha Flight? Cable. He was part of my Alpha Flight proposal. Then they said, “Rob, we really want you to do New Mutants.” I said, “I have to bring Cable with me.” And so then I formulated Cable into the New Mutants. Sales went through the roof.

They offered me X-Factor. There was no way I was doing X-Factor. I would’ve fallen flat on my face. I was not ready at that point in my career to do the original X-Men, to follow Walt Simonson, a god of comic books. And I said, “New Mutants, I can fix that house up. I can flip that. I can make that a fixer-upper, but I need all these things.” And Cable, boom, sales took off. And look, the last issue of New Mutants was the top-selling X-Men book of the month. That month, February 1991, New Mutants out-sells X-Men. No special bells, whistles, acetate, glow in the dark, scratch and sniff, nothing. It’s just a comic book with a story. And people showed up and they dug it.

And New Mutants #100 was after issues 99 and 98. With issue 98, they let me write the book and I said, “I’m bringing a whole bunch of stuff with me.” Look at all those… In ’98 and ’99, you got Deadpool, Shatterstar, Domino, Feral. I just crowded. I had very little time to work, but it is of legend at Marvel. They got the most mail on a new character in a decade with Deadpool. X-Force #1, suddenly he had to be on a trading card in X-Force going out at 5 million copies.

They said, “Rob, you need to move up. You have him appearing in issue seven. We can’t wait that long.” I love that they were able to have the data in their hands and say, “Rob, this character’s working with the fans.” So that’s why the cover of X-Force issue 2 is not Cable. It’s Deadpool. Like you said, I was super prolific. I was built for this shit, dude. I was built in a lab to make comic books and I was up for it. And yes, I knew Deadpool would be popular because he’s red and black like Spider-Man. I literally was thinking “Todd [McFarlane] is having a lot of success with Spider-Man. And not only that, Eric Larsen, my two peers, they’re both kicking ass on Spider-Man. And do you know how much easier it is to draw Deadpool than to draw Spider-Man?

Look, a face, eyes, nose, it’s harder to draw Josh Brolin than it is to draw a red shape with big black eyes. And I’m like, “Now I got my own Spider-Man, except he has guns and he has swords.” Because the G.I. Joe generation, Snake Eyes, we love that stuff. And boom, he clicked. And like I said, there’s a reason. People forget. I get called out all the time. People say “you didn’t have Deadpool tied into Weapon X.” I’m like, “Oh, so you never read X-Force number two that came out in 1991?” And then they go, “I thought Grant Morrison made this connection.” No, it was me. It was me. I was making those connections.

In the previews for this series, it shows Wade teaming up with characters like Spider-Gwen, the Hulk, and Wolverine. Why make your last Deadpool story a team-up title?

The thing is, when I was a kid, Marvel Team-Up and Marvel Two-in-One were both showcases for Spider-Man and the Thing, because Fantastic Four and Spider-Man were the top two franchises in the mid-70s. And Marvel Team-Up and Marvel Two-in-One always had them standing next to relatively obscure characters because they wanted to use the showcase to feature the other characters in the deep bench of the Marvel universe. So while Wolverine and some of the popular characters would pop up every now and then, they’d do some really weird characters I would never have heard of if I didn’t buy Marvel Team-Up and Marvel Two-in-One. And both of those had really long runs and I wish that those books were still out.

But when I told Marvel, “Hey, I want Deadpool in a story with Ral Dorn.” And they’re like, “Rob, who is that?” I think, “I have these people at Marvel who don’t know who Dragon Lord is.” I say, “This is by Steve Ditko. He freaking created Spider-Man for you. You should know these things.” So then I built the story around Dragon Lord who appeared once in this one annual, but has magic multidimensional realms, dragons. And I figured this is a total change of pace. This is not the Deadpool that I’ve done before.

Obviously, a character like Wolverine seems like a no-brainer for this book, but any particular reason why you had Hulk and Ghost Spider?

She’s super cool, and I want to draw her before I retire. That’s it. The reason Hulk is in there because I can work Hulk into anything. And I’ve drawn Spider-Man. Instead, I want to do Spider-Gwen. So Crystar and Dragon Lord are my weird obscure characters. Then there are your Liefeld creations like Major X and Lady Anime who are introduced in previous works I’ve done that I’ve pulled in. And then you’ve got your big bold Marvel names with Hulk, Wolverine, and then obviously, now Spider-Gwen.

I did a five-issue G.I. Joe Snake Eyes book because I had to do it before my career was over. I crossed it off the bucket list. I have kind of done everything and I’m going to go back to just doing my own stuff and finish my career doing stuff like that. Really, I do believe it’s been an amazing career. Marvel and I have gotten along so great, especially the last decade has been so much fun. My readers, the publisher, everybody has been fantastic. It is a really fun place to work, and I think they always just let me do my own thing. Every time I’m worried about fitting into continuity, they say, “Rob, just do whatever you want.” That’s what every artist lives for. “Do whatever you want.” It’s a very nice existence.

I’m an ‘80s kid, so I am very familiar with Crystar, the Crystal Warrior comics and toys. It was a fairly short-lived action figure line from that time, and it had an accompanying Marvel series, The Saga of Crystar. And he’s part of this new mini-series too. I was one of five kids who loved those toys and comics. Was it difficult to get Crystar involved in this series, since he’s technically not a Marvel character?

Liefeld: They do own him! No, Marvel owns Crystar, and they let me know, “Rob, if you want him in this bizarro story…” And I said, “He’s in.” Like I said, it’s just a really fun romp. I’m not trying to do anything k-e-w-l. There is no cool in my game. I’m just having fun with bizarre old Steve Ditko characters and designs and worlds and names. And then, of course, Crystar, I hit the mother load. I’m like, “I just drew pages this week of Wolverine and Deadpool popping Crystar in the face and him popping them back.” And I’m like, “I am in the sandbox. I’m a kid.”

So yeah, I was in high school when Crystar was part of that giant toy explosion. And what are we in right now? Because I’ve done this on my podcast. I mean, Transformers, ThunderCats, Gatchaman. It’s like all the toys are back. And so here’s one from the drawer. I found out yesterday, that half the people like you know who Crystar is, half the people are like, “What the heck is a Crystar??”

What do you feel has changed the most about yourself as a creator in the three decades since you started out, and what of those changes are you bringing to your last Deadpool story?

Liefeld: I don’t think I’ve changed all that much. I think part of the appeal is I never took a big swing in a different direction. The guys that I like kind of stayed the same as they were when they came in. John Byrne actually radically changed. And I have been on the record, I have a podcast, I talk on social media. I believe John Byrne had some glorious deal with the devil. I don’t care that I’m saying it out loud. For 10 years, he did this incredibly perfect commercial work. Then he changed his work. It wasn’t the way he drew, it was the way he laid out pages. The way he told stories, it’s totally different.

George Pérez was pretty much the same all the way through. George Pérez when he passed, he was at his peak. He stayed in a certain lane. And look, we all have bands that we love, and you look forward to their new album and you’re like, “Oh shit, they went in a totally different direction. This doesn’t sound anything like my favorite hits.” I respect them for doing that, but I would rather “Can you come back and give me something that sounds a little like the familiar sounds that I loved you for in the first place?”

Ok, last question, I know you really can’t say anything. But on a scale of 1-10, just how stoked should fans be over Deadpool and Wolverine?

Okay, I’m going to answer this very, very carefully. So I’m on the set of Deadpool one, very fortunate. Visited all three sets, hung out on each of them, never gave up any secrets, never spoiled anything. When I was there on the set of Deadpool one, I was looking at the playback on the monitors, and I’m said, “Oh wow, this movie’s going to open at $65 million.” This is February and March of 2015. I think “Shut up Liefeld. Don’t you know you don’t talk about box office while you’re making a movie? Shut up. You’re jinxing it.” Then I think, “Come on. I know what’s commercial. I know this is going to open to $65.” Well, they’re right. I did. I jinxed the hell out of that movie. It opened $135 million instead of $65 million.

Deadpool & Wolverine, the stuff that I was there in London watching them film has not been revealed in any trailer, in any teaser. And towards the end of the day when they were setting up a new shot, I think “Are they really doing this? Oh my gosh. I didn’t even know they were going there.” If they’re going to tell me that I’m jinxing the movie, I can’t possibly say more than [director] Shawn Levy has. Shawn is out there talking the movie up all the time. Here’s the deal. I think that this movie is going to be an absolute crowd-pleaser. I know comic books. I’ve lived comic books. I’ve lived comic book films. My kids grew up and love them. I don’t know how this does not completely satisfy. But I know theater owners need people.

We love the theater experience. Deadpool & Wolverine I think is going to contribute positively in a time of great need. And I’m going to tell you when I was at CinemaCon in Vegas, the guy who’s making all of the custom popcorn buckets and Slurpee cups and stuff you have not seen, they wouldn’t let it on the show floor. And they kept opening up suitcase after suitcase saying, “We can show you this because you created Deadpool. We can show you this.” And it’s going to overwhelm, but I think collectors are going to go crazy for it.

The best part is that the theaters are going to have all that money pumping in, because I want theaters to stay open. Deadpool & Wolverine is going to be great for everybody’s bottom line. And we’ve had a drought. I’m so glad that Kevin Feige was honest in Empire Magazine saying “You have to be living under a rock to not know that we haven’t exactly been setting the world on fire.” I’m now paraphrasing, but it was something along those lines. And this is a crowd-pleaser. I think you are going to dig it the most.

Deadpool Team-Up #1 goes on sale on August 28.

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It’s the news that Marvel mutant fandom has been waiting patiently for over five years for. According to a report in Deadline, Marvel Studios is officially ramping up for their big-screen reintroduction of the X-Men franchise. Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes screenwriter Michael Lesslie is in negotiations to write the script for the new X-Men MCU movie. The film is still very early in the development process, without a director attached and no release date yet. With the massive success of X-Men ’97 on Disney+, and the return of Hugh Jackman as Logan for Deadpool & Wolverine, it seems Kevin Feige realized now is the time to get the ball rolling. MCU X-Men, here we come!

Besides the Hunger Games prequel, Lesslie wrote an adaptation of Macbeth starring former Magneto Michael Fassbender. He was also the lead writer on the series The Little Drummer Girl, featuring  Florence Pugh, Michael Shannon, and Alexander Skarsgard. In terms of genre productions, he wrote the original script for the 2016 version of Assassin’s Creed. Rumors abound that the new X-Men reboot movie will focus on the X-women more than the men. Other rumors suggest the MCU X-Men film will focus on newer characters, pushing aside the likes of Cyclops, Storm, Jean Grey, and Wolverine. Given the success of X-Men ’97, however, we wonder if Marvel Studios will stick to those plans.

The real question here is whether or not these new MCU mutants will arrive in enough time for the Avengers: Secret Wars movie. Right now, that film is set to premiere in 2027. Part of the appeal would be to have the X-Men participate in that giant event, along with the Avengers and Fantastic Four. The assumption was the X-Men we see in Secret Wars might be the original Fox actors. However, the fast-tracking of the X-Men reboot movie suggests they might wait until we have a new X-Men team in place. Perhaps we’ll learn more around Comic-Con and D23 time later this summer.

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Not long ago, former X-Men ’97 showrunner Beau DeMayo indicated on social media that Deadpool was an “off-limits” character for them to use on the series. Now, it seems that rule might not be a forever rule, and future seasons might include Wade Wilson in all his glory. While talking to Screen Rant, Marvel Animation’s Brad Winderbaum clarified the Deadpool situation regarding X-Men ’97, and hinted that we just might see him pop up in future seasons. Here’s what he had to say about everyone’s favorite Merc with the Mouth:

I don’t know that it was like a hard and fast rule that we couldn’t use Deadpool. We would have had to have an insanely compelling reason to bring Deadpool in. Because we’re also developing the feature simultaneously. So, unless it was something that really was an undeniable creative idea, it seemed like, ‘Why would we do it?’ But also, I’ll say, the season is so chock-full of big, giant, amazing fulfilling ideas that throwing Deadpool in there almost feels like arbitrary at a certain point. Is there a potential for Deadpool to come in? Absolutely, he was in the original series, briefly as we all know, and certainly we’re all fans, so we’ll see what happens.

Several years back, Marvel announced a Deadpool animated series for FX with Donald Glover in charge. However, they canceled it before airing a single episode. Maybe Ryan Reynolds didn’t want anyone else playing him on the regular. A guest appearance on an X-Men show may not be as hard to pull off though. If and when Deadpool shows up, it will likely have something to do with Wolverine’s Weapon X days. With Logan no longer having his adamantium skeleton, he might need help to get it back. Who better to enlist than another survivor of the same program like Wade?

We imagine any version of Deadpool on X-Men ’97 would be significantly more toned down than the big-screen iteration. After all, X-Men ’97 isn’t really a show where one drops f-bombs left and right. A “safe for kids” version appeared in the Ultimate Spider-Man cartoon back in 2013 on Disney XD. So there is precedent for this to happen.

Having said that, we wouldn’t be surprised if Ryan Reynolds played the role in X-Men ’97 when the time comes. This is not something we expect to see in the near future. In the meantime, we’ll have to be content with the live-action X-Men meeting Wade in Deadpool & Wolverine.

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It was just two wordless cameos in a pair of stacked episode, but fans of ‘90s Marvel animation jumped for joy at the X-Men ’97 episodes “Tolerance is Extinction” Parts I and III. During a crucial moment, when Magneto powers down all electrical devices across the globe, we cut to several cameos of Marvel characters. One of them is our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. It’s not just any Spidey spinning his webs, though. As fans of ‘90s Marvel cartoons know, the Spider-Man in the X-Men cartoon is the same one from the Spider-Man: The Animated Series, that ran concurrently on Fox Kids at the time. We then saw Peter Parker and MJ together in the season finale. Could this mean a Spidey spin-off is on the way, picking up from Spider-Man: The Animated Series? Here’s what Marvel Animation’s Brad Winderbaum said when asked by Screen Rant about the possibility:

There is always potential, right? We don’t want to close the door on anything. But I think that for now, for the foreseeable future, X-Men ’97 will own the ’90s, and how much we bring in guest stars or tell stories from other Marvel characters from that era is TBD, but it will be seen through that lens of the X-Men.

The ’90s X-Men and Spider-Man Animated Series Were Connected

Spider-Man appeared only as a hand shooting web fluid in X-Men: The Animated Series. The X-Men: TAS producers snuck the cameo in, as technically they didn’t have the rights to use Spidey. However, the full X-Men team from the ‘90s cartoon appeared in the two-part Spider-Man episodes “The Mutant Agenda” and “The Mutant’s Revenge” in 1995. All the X-Men: TAS voice actors returned, and their designs were identical to those on their own show. This was the first connection between two Marvel ‘90s animated shows, showing that at least the X-Men and Spider-Man existed within the same continuity. As for the other Marvel cartoons from the ’90s, that’s up for debate.

Spider-Man: The Animated Series Left Lingering Questions X-Men ’97 Could Resolve

So what does this mean for ‘90s Spidey in X-Men ’97? Former showrunner Beau Demayo confirmed on social media that this version of Spidey is the same one originally voiced by Christopher Daniel Barnes in the classic show. As fans may recall, Spider-Man: TAS ended on a bit of a cliffhanger. After a long and convoluted adventure through the Spider-Verse, Madame Web appears to Peter Parker. She takes him to find Mary Jane Watson, who found herself lost in the multiverse earlier in the season. Viewers never found out if Peter and MJ actually reunited, much less if their planned nuptials ever occurred. It was a bit of a giant question mark. But X-Men ’97 answered that question in the season finale, which shows that Peter did indeed find MJ, and the pair were reunited. Beau DeMayo also confirmed this on social media.

Could X-Men ’97 Lead to a Spider-Man ’98 Spin-Off?

One big thing is likely keeping Spider-Man’s appearance from being a “backdoor pilot” to set up a spin-off show. That’s the upcoming Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man animated series coming to Disney+ soon. This is the series formerly known as Spider-Man: Freshman Year. If anything, the upcoming new Spidey cartoon is probably the biggest obstacle in getting a full Spider-Man ’98 series. Would Marvel Animation have two competing Spider-Man cartoons concurrently? However, the massive success of X-Men ’97 may eventually cause them to rethink those plans. Spider-Man was just as beloved a cartoon hero for ‘90s kids as the X-Men.

Could Peter Parker Teach at Xavier’s School in Future X-Men ’97 Seasons?

Even if we don’t get a Spider-Man ’98 series, there is room for a continuation of that version of Peter Parker in future X-Men ’97 seasons. After all, in the comics, Peter Parker became a teacher at Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters for a time (then renamed the Jean Grey School), in the series Spider-Man and the X-Men. Why not make the ’90s version of Spidey part of the supporting cast of X-Men ’97? Peter could teach several new mutants, teens discovering their powers during puberty as he once did. Original voice actor Christopher Daniel Barnes has not been contacted yet, but has said he’s into the idea.

Spider-Man is technically not a mutant of course. He got his powers as a teenager during a lab accident, as everyone knows. None of that stopped the comic book creators from giving him a teaching position at the school though. Of course, we’d love for him to have a revival series like X-Men ’97. But if the other Spidey series on Disney+ makes that unlikely, we’ll take option B. Whatever happens, Spidey is officially part of the X-Men ’97 world now. We highly doubt it’s the last time he swings through the New York skyline in this series.

Originally published on May 1, 2024.

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The Fantastic Four’s main cast it all set. That’s the good news. The bad news is that Marvel doesn’t have many big roles left to fill in the MCU. But one of Hollywood’s biggest stars still wants to play one of the few remaining standout characters yet to debut in the franchise. Ryan Gosling still hopes Kevin Feige picks him to play Ghost Rider.

Last year the Oscar-nominated Barbie actor (and star of both Drive and Place Beyond the Pines it should be noted considering the character) told Josh Horowitz he wants to play Ghost Rider in the MCU. While interviewing Gosling and Emily Blunt for The Fall Guy, Horowitz pointed out to Gosling he personally relayed the actor’s Ghost Rider dream to Kevin Feige. That means the MCU head honcho knows he has two A-listers vying for the role. Keanu Reeves has also said he wants to play the character, too.

Will Feige choose either when the time comes to cast the role? He should choose both! What’s the point of a multiverse if you can’t have both Gosling and Keanu play Ghost Rider.

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The season finale of X-Men ’97 had one emotional moment after another, leaving fans with several huge cliffhangers. Yet the scene on everyone’s mind is the seminal moment from X-Men #25, where Magneto pulls the adamantium out of Wolverine’s body. In “Tolerance is Extinction Part III,” Logan clings to life after that attack. He lies on a makeshift hospital bed, with his best buddy Morph by his side. The most heartfelt moment came when Morph takes Jean’s form, and confesses their love for Logan. And that wasn’t just Morph taking Jean’s form to keep him fighting for his life. This was Morph truly confessing their feelings for Wolverine.

In case there was any ambiguity about what Morph meant with that scene, former X-Men ’97 showrunner Beau DeMayo confirmed on social media (via Comic Book Resources) that Morph transforming into Jean Grey and telling Logan they loved him was a true confession of their feelings for the iconic X-Man. DeMayo said “Yes, Morph was confessing romantic feelings for Logan. He later posted “You know when you’re secretly in love with a close friend, and you’re terrified to tell them? Wouldn’t it be nice to turn into someone you know THEY love, say the words to just finally say them and have them feel it, even if you haven’t fully accepted you feel them?”

Every queer person who ever had a crush on their straight friend in high school absolutely relates to this moment. We’ve all been there. In case there was any confusion, DeMayo explained further on social media, saying “Yep. Morph was giving the object of their desire the comfort of hearing those words from the woman he loves because Morph is in love with him.” Will Wolverine remember what Morph said when he eventually wakes up? We’ll have to wait for X-Men ’97 season two to see how this soap opera continues to unfold.

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Since 1948, less than ten years after his comic book debut, there have been several iterations of Superman on the screen, both big and small. Some have been all-time greats. Others, considerably less so. With the debut of David Corenswet as the new Man of Steel in James Gunn’s Superman, we’ve decided to rank all the live-action Superman costumes thus far. (There are 15 of them, believe it or not… and that’s not counting the guy dressed as Superman from the 1939 World’s Fair, or the one from the ’60s Broadway musical.) We’re sticking to film and TV here.

15. Tom Welling (Smallville, 2001-2011)

At the very bottom is someone who played Clark Kent longer than anyone, but sadly, never really got to play Superman. Despite the supposed “no tights, no flights” rule on Smallville, for ten long seasons, we waited for Tom Welling’s Clark Kent to finally suit up as the Man of Steel. And when he finally did in the series finale, it was utterly disappointing. It’s all just Clark ripping his shirt open? That’s what fans waited for? The final episode should have delivered a full suit, even if only for mere moments. We supposed the ‘S’ shield looks good, if we have to say something nice. It is technically a Superman costume, so it ranks on this list. But it ranks at the bottom… barely.

14. Nicolas Cage (The Flash, 2023)

Nicolas Cage was slated to play Kal-El in Tim Burton’s Superman Lives back in 1998, but for various reasons, that film never happened. 25 years later however, Nic Cage got to suit up as Superman for a brief cameo in The Flash where, as he was meant to do in the Tim Burton film, he gets to fight a giant spider. While it was fun to see Cage as Superman, the suit was all wrong then, and it’s all wrong now. An obvious rubber muscle suit for Batman makes sense, but on Superman? Totally ridiculous. The ‘S’ shield is disproportionately big as well, but that’s not too bad. It’s the horrible rubber suit look of it all that kills it.

13. Kirk Alyn (Superman serials, 1948-1950)

Actor Kirk Alyn was the prototype for what a live-action Superman would look like after starring in two Saturday afternoon serials in the late ‘40s. The suit in Superman and Atom Man vs. Superman were basically true to the comics, but sadly, also extremely cheap-looking. The designers couldn’t even get the ‘S’ shield to look fully sewn on in many shots. And sometimes close up, you can tell the top part of the costume is just a sweater. Plus, the boots just look like athletic socks. It’s not like Superman wasn’t already a national icon by this point, known throughout the world. He deserved better.

12. Tyler Hoechlin (Supergirl, Crisis on Infinite Earths, 2016-2019)

The first time actor Tyler Hoechlin appeared as Superman was on the second season of Supergirl on the CW, and that suit was …a choice. It’s not bad per se, but the designers made some decisions that made it feel very un-Superman in places. The gold clasps on the shoulders are weird for Supes, the belt has no real design to it, and there’s too much unnecessary detail in the torso area. We get the show wanted to differentiate from Henry Cavill’s Superman, who was still in films at the time. But this wasn’t it. Luckily, they improved on it for his own series Superman & Lois.

11. Henry Cavill (Zack Snyder’s Justice League, 2021)

From a pure design standpoint, Superman wearing black and silver is fashion-forward and fetching… for another character, however. Maybe a Superman analogous character like Omni-Man in Invincible or something like that would be perfect for it. But, Superman is definitely defined by his colors, and removing them makes him feel less like the global icon he is. Sorry, but these are Batman’s tones, not Kal-El’s. So is this a bad costume? Not really. But it’s not what we want from a Superman costume, much less the “main” costume, so it ranks here.

10. Henry Cavill (Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, 2013-2016)

The costume for Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel (later reused in Batman v Superman) has a lot of things going for it. The cape is vibrant red, long, and regal. The ‘S’ shield is a tad more stylized, but recognizable and cool. And the texture of the suit itself adds details that are missed. But no red trunks, and not even a red belt to break up all that blue? It looks kind of like a big onesie. And we’re not even sure what those patterns on the hips are. Speaking of all that blue, it’s just too dull a blue, almost blue/gray. It’s not the worst, but it’s far from the best.

9. Tyler Hoechlin (Superman and Lois, 2021-2024)

The second Superman suit for Tyler Hoechlin is from his one headlining series, Superman & Lois. It’s a much bigger improvement on the Superman costume he wore in the Arrowverse shows, with a much better neckline, no clasps for the cape, and a much improved red belt to break up the blue. Still, the blue is way too muted, almost dirty looking, in typical modern superhero costume fashion. Why are costume designers so afraid of Kal-El’s traditional bright blue?! Still, the rest of it all works well enough that it ranks this highly, but not as highly as Hoechlin’s next suit.

8. Tyler Hoechlin (Superman & Lois Flashback costume, 2021)

In the first episodes of Superman & Lois, we get flashbacks to the Man of Steel’s early days as a hero in Metropolis. He’s wearing a very low-key, homemade version of his comic book costume, complete with red trucks, bright blue and red colors, and an ‘S’ shield that looks just like the ones from the classic 1940s Fleischer Studios cartoons. As Clark tells a kid in the episode “My mom made it.” Sadly, this was too old-fashioned for modern audiences outside of brief flashbacks, but this suit absolutely nailed the assignment.

7. Henry Cavill (Justice League, 2017)

Henry Cavill’s Superman costume has gone through a few iterations in 3 ½ films. In the original cut of Justice League, when he returns from the dead, he’s a much more upbeat version of himself, with a new suit to match. The new costume is much the same basic design as the Man of Steel one, only the colors are much brighter. On the downside, there are white highlights for every muscle, which is just overkill. (We get it Henry, you’re way ripped). Still, this is a decent Superman look that should have lasted longer than just a brief ending of a lame movie and a post-credits scene in Black Adam.

6. Dean Cain (Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, 1993-1997)

Dean Cain was Superman/Clark Kent for four seasons on ABC’s Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, which ran from 1993-1997. The show was working from a much bigger budget than the syndicated Adventures of Superboy, but far less than the Christopher Reeve movies previously. The suit basically looks great, but the spandex fabric is a bit too shiny, and the fit is kind of off at times. So it gives it a Halloween costume feel. Also, the ‘S’ shield is just too big as well. Overall though, it’s pretty decent. It evokes classic Superman enough. It just evokes it in a strip mall Halloween store kind of way.

5. Brandon Routh (Superman Returns, 2006)

This one is almost there. It’s so close to nailing it completely. Only worn once by actor Brandon Routh in 2006’s Superman Returns, this costume is meant to be an outfit worn by an older version of Christopher Reeve’s Superman. We love certain things about it—the shade of blue, the boots, and the fit of the trunks. But the maroon over the bright red and the too-small ‘S’ shield emblem on the chest are both big demerit points. Although, we do like that it was the first raised ‘S’ shield, and not just one made of fabric. It’s still a great Superman suit, but misses the mark on a few key points.

4. Brandon Routh (Crisis on Infinite Earths, 2019)

Brandon Routh got a do-over for his Superman well over a decade after Superman Returns on the CW Arrowverse crossover Crisis on Infinite Earths. He played an older Kal-El in that event, one heavily inspired by the Superman of the comic series Kingdom Come, one beset by personal tragedy. He essentially wore that costume, lifted straight from the comics, and it looks amazing. Yes, the black instead of yellow feels very off-brand for Superman, despite its comic book origins. Luckily, by the end of the crossover, the black becomes bright yellow, and makes this version of the costume a true all-timer. Too bad it was only used in this TV event.

3. George Reeves (The Adventures of Superman, 1952-1958)

He wasn’t the first live-action Last Son of Krypton. But George Reeves’ version is what most people think of when they say “the original Superman.” Although mostly seen in black and white for ‘50s television sets, the creative team actually shot the series in color. And the color version of the costume is pretty great, even by today’s standards. The ‘S’ shield is perfectly sized, and the red and blue are just the right hue. Maybe the cape is too short (it was in the comics then, too), and the trunks do look a bit like adult diapers. But that’s really our only complaint. This costume is pure Superman, even seventy years later.

2. John Haymes Newton, Gerard Christoper (Superboy, 1988-1992)

Chances are, you’ve never even heard of this syndicated series from the late ‘80s/early ‘90s, which was extremely low-budget. It often looked like a random sitcom of the era in fact. Running four seasons (and with two different lead actors), Superboy was produced by the Salkind family, who produced the original four Superman films. Because of this, the costume folks made sure the outfits for both John Haymes Newton and Gerard Christopher looked nearly identical to that of Christopher Reeve’s suit. It wouldn’t be shocking if it were a spare costume from one of the films. The show was pretty bad, but the costume? We can’t lie, it was pretty spot on.

1. Christopher Reeve (Superman I-IV, 1978-1987)

To this day, no matter how many people play Superman on screen, when you say the name “Superman,” they’ll think of Christopher Reeve. That’s not just because he filled the suit so perfectly in 1978’s Superman: The Movie and its three sequels (he did), it’s also that the suit itself is practically perfect. The colors, the cape length, the ‘S’ shield emblem placement—all of it is spot on. The suit looks straight from the pages of the comic books, and made everyone believe a man can fly. And even though it was the ‘70s and the material wasn’t as sophisticated as a movie from today, it still looked miles better than later costumes made from space-age fabrics. It remains the standard, and probably always will.

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In the season finale of X-Men ’97, we got several cliffhangers, and teases for what’s to come when the series returns. And we already have some well-reasoned guesses as to which classic comics will serve as inspiration for the new season. Here are the comic book stories we are confident will be the basis for the season two of X-Men ’97.

The Rise of Apocalypse

This 1996 mini-series goes back 5,000 years to ancient Egypt and the rise of En Sabah Nur. He was the very first mutant and the being who would one day take the name Apocalypse. Written by Terry Kavanagh and illustrated by Adam Pollina, The Rise of Apocalypse details how a former slave rose up against the Pharoah Rama-Tut. (He is a variant of Kang the Conqueror, should they wish to connect to the MCU.) Apocalypse then began his war on the weakest of the species, eventually recruiting his legendary Four Horsemen. The design for young En Sabah Nur in X-Men ’97 directly recalls his design from artist Adam Pollina. So we definitely see this having a big influence on season two.

The Adventures of Cyclops and Phoenix (1994)

In 1991’s X-Factor #69, the tyrant Apocalypse infected Cyclops’ infant son Nathan with a techno-organic virus. The only way to save him was to send him thousands of years into the future. Cyclops was offered this choice by a warrior from the Clan Askani. We later found out the mercenary Cable, leader of X-Force, was Nathan as an adult. He’d been sent back to the present from that future.

In Scott Lobdell and Gene Ha’s 1994 mini-series The Adventures of Cyclops and Phoenix, newlyweds Scott Summers and Jean Grey are sent into the far future. They emerge in a time period where Apocalypse rules, and they go by the names Slim and Redd. There, they meet their daughter Rachel Summers, now the ancient Mother Askani. She gives them the chance to raise young Nathan from childhood to his teen years. The arrival of Jean and Scott in the far future indicates we are definitely are going to see an adaptation of this series.

Generation X

After years of villainy as part of the Hellfire Club as its White Queen, Emma Frost’s students, the Hellions, all died in a Sentinel attack. She very nearly lost her life too, falling into a coma for months. When she finally awoke, the trauma of this loss caused her to change her ways (somewhat), and she began training a new generation of X-Men at the Massachusetts Academy, now an offshoot of Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters.

Frost and co-headmaster Banshee taught a new group of students, nicknamed Generation X, which included Jubilee. Among the others were Synch, Chamber, Husk, Skin, and M. Writer Scott Lobdell’s Generation X series lasted 75 issues. With the school closed on X-Men ’97, and Emma narrowly surviving Genosha, she may wish to start her own school of X-Men to keep the dream alive. Maybe with Jubilee and Sunspot as students? Generation X might be a dated term now for a group of younger mutants today, but in 1997? They would have been the right age for a name Like “Gen X.”

X-Men: Blood of Apocalypse

Peter Milligan’s mid-2000s X-Men run isn’t one that gets referenced a lot. However, this comic run did contain one story that likely will inform season two of X-Men ’97. After the mutant decimation provoked by the Scarlet Witch, causing most mutants to lose their powers, Gambit was in a funk. Especially as his great love, Rogue, started a romantic relationship with another mutant with immunity to her powers. He actually volunteers to become the new Horseman of Death for Apocalypse, in a storyline that began in 2006’s X-Men #185. Gambit’s time as Death is brief, and by X-Men #200, Gambit returns to normal. This will at least partially serve as inspiration for X-Men ’97 season two.

Uncanny Avengers: The Apocalypse Twins

If Apocalypse brings back Gambit or other dead mutants as his Horsemen, it will be based on something his heirs did. This was actually something done by Uriel and Eimin, the Apocalypse Twins, in the pages of Rick Remender’s Uncanny Avengers. The Apocalypse Twins brought back to life dead characters like the Sentry, Banshee, Grim Reaper, and Daken, and turned them into their Four Horsemen of Death. If Gambit is coming back via this method, it begs the question, what other three dead mutants from Genosha are coming back too? Banshee, Sebastian Shaw, Madelyne Pryor, and Dazzler are all prime candidates for resurrection as Horsemen of Death.

Onslaught

Although Professor X didn’t wipe Magneto’s mind after he pulled the adamantium out of Logan’s body, as in X-Men #25, he did spend a lot of time in Magnus’ head. It was enough that Jean Grey worried that so much time mentally fused might break them both. While they both seem intact at the end of X-Men ’97 season one, we’re not totally buying it. We think at some point in season two (or perhaps season three) Onslaught will emerge. The entity Onslaught was born when Charles Xavier absorbed some of Magneto’s rage and hostility when he mind-wiped him, and it stayed dormant for years. We think he was in Magneto’s mind long enough on X-Men ’97 for this comic story to still happen in season two. It’s just a matter of time.

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This week Amazon announced it’s bringing Nicolas Cage to the live-action side of the Spider-Verse. He’ll reprise his animated character in person in his own Spider-Man Noir spinoff series. But it turns out the studio might have only had room for one such Spidey show. Amazon is not moving forward with its previously announced live-action Silk: Spider Society show. The Spider-Man series starring the character Silk has now been canceled.

Variety says Amazon has pulled the plug on its live-action series about the comic book character Cindy Moon, better known as Silk. The show would have told the story of the young Korean-American woman bit by the very same spider that gave Peter Parker his powers.

The Walking Dead’s Angela Kang was set to serve as showrunner of the canceled Silk: Spider Society, with Into the Spider-Verse‘s Phil Lord and Chris Miller serving as executive producers. Amy Pascal, the head of the Spider-Man franchise, was also onboard as an executive producer. Amazon originally ordered Silk: Spider Society to series in late 2022, so this pre-cancellation of the Spider-Man show was not a hasty decision. However, it’s not a total surprise to fans who’ve been following its development. Earlier this year The Ankler reported that Amazon had released Silk‘s writers room so its members could pursue other opportunities. Kang had remained on as showrunner, showing the streaming site had not fully given up on the show until now.

Silk is one of the newer members of the Spider-Man franchise. Dan Slott and Humberto Ramos first introduced Cindy Moon in 2014’s Amazing Spider-Man #1. The official synopsis for the now-canceled Amazon live-action series said the Silk Spider-Man show would follow her escape from imprisonment and search “for her missing family on her way to becoming the superhero known as Silk.”

Now, Silk will have to search for another way to bring her story to the screen. Either that or Spider-Man Noir’s first case on his live-action show can be to learn what happened to Silk’s series.

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Things are about to change big time in the X-Men universe over at Marvel Comics. After five years of living on the mutant island of Krakoa and leading the most powerful nation on Earth, the mutants have lost it all. Again. Yet the X-Men thrive in adversity, which is the theme for the upcoming “From the Ashes” relaunch. We already know of new iterations of X-Men, Uncanny X-Men, and other legacy titles. But now Marvel has revealed that two iconic X-Women are leading the charge with solo books of their own. And one of them is also becoming an Avenger at last.

Storm, the iconic X-Man and powerful Kenyan Weather Goddess, will officially join Earth’s Mightiest Heroes in Avengers #17 this coming August. This issue, from writer Jed McKay, will also mark the debut of new series artist Valerio Schiti, who most recently drew Jonathan Hickman’s G.O.D.S. Here’s the official synopsis from Marvel on Ororo Munroe’s induction into the Avengers, as well as cover art for Avengers #17.

Krakoa’s tragic fall has made the Avengers realize how vital a mutant voice on the team is, and they’ll settle for nothing less than the most prominent and beloved mutant super hero on the planet! A pop culture icon, Storm has assembled with the Avengers before—in both comics as well as other forms of media—but never like this! Not only will the Avengers need her Omega-level power for the battles ahead, but they’ll need to rely on her unique expertise and leadership skills as MacKay’s overarching plots involving Kang, the Twilight Court, and more kick into high gear. This only marks the beginning of what’s shaping up to be a monumental period for Storm as she’ll also headline an all-new solo ongoing series launching later this year!

Avengers writer Jed Mckay added the following:

When we were putting together thoughts for X-Men, one problem kept coming up—Storm needed to have a presence in a book befitting her status, but it would be weird for her to be on an X-Men team if she wasn’t the leader. The solution was simple—she needed to be on the global stage, among equals, and what better place for that than the Avengers? We’re excited to bring Storm back to the Avengers and show what adventures she’ll get up to as part of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes!

Storm will be on the team with her ex-husband Black Panther. Also on the team are the Scarlet Witch and the Vision. Two divorced couples saving the world on the same team? Now that should be fodder for all kinds of great superhero melodrama. Yet that’s not all for Ororo. She’ll also be joining her BFF Jean Grey in finally landing an ongoing solo series, along with another iconic X-Woman, Dazzler.

Storm will be brought to life by African creator Murewa Ayodele (Moon Knight: Black, White, and Blood and I Am Iron Man), and Lucas Werneck, the superstar artist known for his work on recent X-Men epics like Immortal X-Men. Werneck also designed a stunning new costume for Storm’s exciting new venture into solo storytelling. The tagline says “Mutants no longer have a homeland. But they still have a queen.” Here’s the official synopsis from Marvel:

Storm has always been a prime protector of the planet. With the loss of Krakoa, that position becomes more important to her than ever. From her new super hero headquarters, Storm begins making decisions that will forecast the future of the Marvel Universe. Her bold actions will stir forces around and even beyond Earth, calling forth enemies that match her strength and determination.

The first female mutant to get her own solo series way back in 1981 was mutant pop star Dazzler. A byproduct of the disco age, Alison Blaire’s solo adventures ran for five years and 42 issues. In these stories, she became a Herald of Galactus, a love interest of the cosmic Beyonder, and more. She eventually became an X-Man, and Marvel just announced her first solo series since 1986. The tagline for her new series says “Her world tour begins.” Is this Dazzler’s very own “Eras Tour?” She’s certainly had plenty of them. Her new four-issue series is from writer Jason Loo and artist Rafael Loureiro launches in September.

No stranger to headlining, Alison Blaire enjoyed a successful solo career outside the X-Men in the 1980s with the fondly remembered and long-running Dazzler series. Now, she’s back to inspire a whole new generation, spreading a message of love and acceptance one sold-out show at a time.Her tour is for everyone, but backstage, Allison is joined by a crew of fellow mutants: head of security Domino, personal guard Strong Guy, one-man roadie Multiple Man, drummer Shark Girl, and expert publicist Wind Dancer! Anti-mutant fervor has never felt more personal, but anyone who tries to dim Dazzler’s light will just have to face the music!

There are still more “From the Ashes” announcements to come. Some X-Men remain unaccounted for. Hey, where the heck is Iceman? And Colossus? Honestly, we can’t wait to see where our favorite mutants all land.

Originally published on May 13, 2024.

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The last few episodes of X-Men ’97, “Tolerance is Extinction Part I-III,” were chock-full of Marvel Comics cameos. Some have never even appeared in the X-Men: The Animated Series universe before now. Let’s break down each of them, and what we think they mean for the future of the series.

Daredevil

Helping to control the chaos and looting on the streets of New York during the blackout after Magneto’s EMP wave is Daredevil, who appeared as part of this universe in Spider-Man: The Animated Series.

Doctor Strange

With hospitals having no power, Doctor Stephen Strange appears, doing mystical surgery on a patient. Doctor Strange’s magic powers have the same look as they do in the MCU in this X-Men ’97 Marvel cameo, something not present in his original Spider-Man: The Animated Series appearances. The mystics of Kamar-Taj were mentioned by Beast in this series as well.

Iron Man and Captain America

Although most of the Avengers are off-world dealing with the Kree-Shi’ar war, we do see Iron Man (in his ’90s armor) and Captain America advising the government on what to do about Magneto. Sadly, Tony Stark didn’t have any speaking lines in his X-Men ’97 cameo. Maybe next season, Shellhead.

Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver, and Polaris

Speaking of Magneto, when Charles Xavier is in his mind trying to reason with him, we see glimpses of Magnus’ children. We see the twins Wanda and Pietro (the Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver) as well as Lorna Dane, a,k.a. Polaris. Lorna appeared as a former X-Man and member of X-Factor on the classic show.

Black Panther

Marvel’s Black Panther also cameos in X-Men ’97, but he’s not who you think. It’s not Prince T’Challa in the role of the Panther. Instead, it’s his father, King T’Chaka. We’re not sure why Marvel went with this choice, except maybe thinking no one else should even voice act for T’Challa since Chadwick Boseman’s passing in 2020.

Cloak and Dagger

This is a deeper cut. The superhero duo Cloak and Dagger are seen on the streets of New York trying to control the chaos. In older Marvel lore, these purveyors of light and dark were mutants themselves. That has since been retconned. But back in the ’90s, they certainly thought they were mutants!

Psylocke, Alpha Flight, and Cecilia Reyes

On the ruins of Genosha, we see the mutant telepath Psylocke. She appeared a few times before, in the classic X-Men: The Animated Series. Alongside Psylocke is the Canadian mutant team Alpha Flight, including members Puck, Northstar, and Aurora. Also with them is Dr. Cecilia Reyes, a mutant and occasional X-Man.

Mister Fantastic

Morph transforms into Reed Richards, a.k.a. Mister Fantastic of the Fantastic Four, our first visual reference to a member of Marvel’s First Family. This wasn’t technically an X-Men ’97 cameo, but we were happy to see this Marvel character all the same.

Sauron

Morph also transforms into Sauron, the mutate from the Savage Land who is part human/part pterodactyl. Not to be confused with Sauron from The Lord of the Rings, although he was named for him.

The Hulk

This wasn’t technically an X-Men ’97 cameo, as it was shapeshifting Morph in disguise, but the Incredible Hulk smashed through Bastion’s forces in “Tolerance is Extinction Part II.” Still, it was amazing to see the Jade Giant in the world of the X-Men. Hopefully, the real Bruce Banner shows up before too long, and gets to battle his old nemesis Wolverine.

Rachel Summers

The most important Marvel cameo came early on in episode 8 of X-Men ’97. As Cable tells the X-Men the history of his future, he explains how Bastion’s plan resulted in his timeline. In one of the images we see, we witness how the surviving mutants in Bastion’s future are used as slaves to humanity. Among them is a telekinetic/telepathic young woman named Rachel Summers. She’s the (as yet) unborn daughter of Cyclops and Jean Grey. Raised in the dystopian Days of Future Past timeline, she was one of the remaining mutants who were reconditioned by Sentinels to be mutant hunters called Hounds. The tattoos on her face are the signature of the Hound program.

In the comics, Rachel breaks free of her programming, goes back in time to our present, and becomes an X-Man. She even absorbs part of the Phoenix force, taking after her mother. Eventually, she goes thousands of years to the future, where she founds the Clan Askani. This is the same group that took in baby Nathan Summers. When Cable says a rebel from his time sent him back, we had a hunch he means his half-sister Rachel. This was confirmed in the final moments of season one, when we see Rachel as Mother Askani (voiced by Star Trek’s Gates McFadden) with Clan Askani in the far future.

Polaris (Lorna Dane)

Also in the same dystopian future is an older version of the magnetically-powered Polaris. She’s being used as slave labor by humans just like Rachel. In the X-Men: TAS continuity, Lorna Dane was a former member of the X-Men in the early years. She had a romantic relationship with Iceman/Bobby Drake. She is the daughter of Magneto, half-sibling of Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch, as noted in Magneto’s mind in the season finale.

William Stryker

One of the X-Men’s deadliest human enemies from Marvel Comics, Reverend William Stryker, appears in a “blink and ya miss him” X-Men ’97 cameo. We see him on a TV news show, predicting a war between humanity and mutants. In the comics, Stryker was an anti-mutant televangelist, who was the primary villain in the 1982 graphic novel God Loves, Man Kills.

That story was adapted into live-action in 2003’s X2: X-Men United. In that film, Stryker was reimagined as a military general, not a preacher. Actor Brian Cox portrayed him in the film. Stryker as a younger military man appeared in X-Men: Days of Future Past and X-Men: Apocalypse played by Josh Helman.

Doctor Doom

Another big X-Men ’97 cameo is the first official appearance by Doctor Victor Von Doom in a Marvel Studios project. He appears on a monitor talking to Bastion, presumably from his castle in Latveria. He admits to his complicity in the Genoshan attack, however, the level of war crimes committed by Bastion disgusts him. Doom seems to regret allying himself with him, before cutting off the feed. To Victor Von Doom, someone like Bastion is quite beneath him.

Baron Helmut Zemo

Baron Helmut Zemo, sporting his classic comic book-accurate face mask, also pops up on one of the monitors talking to Bastion. He seems far less remorseful than Doom about what’s been happening. This minor X-Men ’97 cameo could be hinting that Zemo and his Masters of Evil, usually Captain America and Avengers villains in the Marvel Comics, might be fighting the X-Men in the future. Or maybe the Avengers and the X-Men team up against Zemo? Our heads are spinning at the thought.

The Silver Samurai

When Magneto unleashes his power and shifts the polarity of the Earth, we see electricity go out all over the world. In Japan, we get a quick look at a long-time Wolverine enemy. Looking out of a high-rise window is the mutant gang leader Silver Samurai, whose real name is Keniuchio Harada. Silver Samurai appeared in the classic X-Men: The Animated Series episode “The Lotus and the Steel.” Samurai appears again in the finale episode of season one.

Omega Red

In Russia, we see a government facility that looks like a nuclear power plant. As Magneto’s wave cuts the power across the world, we see that held in suspended animation in this scientific research base is the mutant operative Omega Red. With the power out, Omega Red awakens. Omega Red appeared in four X-Men: The Animated Series episodes over the course of five seasons. We later see him with the Russian Winter Guard, including Darkstar and Crimson Dynamo, in the season finale.

Spider-Man

Oh yeah, then there’s this guy. You might have heard of him. Yes, the amazing Spider-Man himself appears in a silent X-Men ’97 cameo as the power shuts down in New York City. Former X-Men ’97 showrunner Beau Demayo confirms via social media this is the very same wallcrawler who starred in Spider-Man: The Animated Series in the ‘90s, which crossed over with X-Men: TAS. Could this be leading to a revival of that show too? We have our suspicions. In the season one finale, we see Peter Parker, Mary Jane Watson, and Flash Thompson on the streets of New York. Showrunner Beau DeMayo confirmed on social media that Peter and MJ were reunited after the events of Spider-Man: TAS, resolving that cliffhanger ending.

Originally published on May 1, 2024.

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At the end of season one of X-Men ’97, our team of mutant heroes are now lost in time, and presumed dead to the world. We see that Forge is planning to keep the dream of Charles Xavier alive however, and he has a corkboard of several known mutants he plans to recruit. While many of the X-Men are listed as “Presumed Dead,” or in the case of Scarlet With and Quicksilver, “Off World,” several others are prime candidates. Based on Forge’s board, here’s who we expect to become the all-new, all-different X-Men in season two.

Colossus (Piotr Rasputin)

Piotr Rasputin, the metal-skinned mutant powerhouse called Colossus, is a mainstay of the team in the comics. In the animated shows, the Russian-born mutant was just a guest star a few times, and never formally joined the team. He only appeared in two episodes, displaying an over-the-top Russian accent. His appearance on Forge’s board suggests next season, Colossus will finally step up and become a real X-Man at last.

Magik (Illyana Rasputin)

Colossus isn’t the only member of the Rasputin family on Forge’s board. Also seen is his sister Illyana, a.k.a. Magik. We saw the mutant teleporter as a child in the original series, but here we see her as a teenager. That’s not a continuity error either. In the comics, Illyana spent years in the Limbo dimension as a child, when it was just months here, returning as much older. As a mutant sorceress and owner of the Soul Sword, she’ll make for a formidable X-Man if Forge recruits her. Like her brother, Morph transformed into Magik in one episode of X-Men ’97.

Shadowcat (Kitty Pryde)

One of the most requested (and beloved) characters in X-Men history finally appears on Forge’s board. Katherine “Kitty” Pryde, born with the power to phase through solid objects, is finally confirmed as existing in the X-Men: The Animated Series universe. Despite appearing in the original pilot episode “Pryde of the X-Men,” she never appeared in the ’92-’97 series. This appears to be the older version of the character, using her Shadowcat codename and costume. So if she joins the team, it’s unlikely she will be the junior member she originally was.

Havok (Alex Summers)

We know from this season that Scott Summers/Cyclops has a complicated family tree. This is a guy who has a cyborg son that’s older than he is, and a father who’s a space pirate. But he also has a powerful brother named Alex Summers a.k.a. Havok. A powerful energy manipulator, they separated Scott and Alex as children. When they met in the original series, Havok was a member of the team X-Factor, and they didn’t know they were brothers. As far as we know, they still don’t. It’s time to rectify that mistake next season with Forge officially recruiting Alex Summers into the X-Men.

Iceman (Bobby Drake)

Robert Drake, better known as Iceman, is a founding member of the team who only appeared once in the original X-Men: The Animated Series. He was front and center in the third season episode “Cold Comfort,” but we haven’t seen him since. This season, we kept seeing Bobby in the original X-Men class portrait in Xavier’s office, hinting there was more to come for him. The fact that he’s on Forge’s board suggests it’s finally time for this Omega Level mutant to rejoin the team. Besides, it’ll be nice to have such a prominent gay superhero on the X-Men.

Archangel (Warren Worthington III)

Another original X-Man on the board is Warren Worthington III, also known as the razor-winged Archangel. He’s listed as “Presumed Dead” on Forge’s board, although not because he was fighting with the X-Men on Asteroid M. We saw him flying around Genosha when the massacre happened. Yet given his upgrades from Apocalypse, who gave him his metal wings, it’s highly unlikely he died there. And if the X-Men’s “Big Bad” of season two is indeed Apocalypse, they’ll probably need his former Horseman of Death to fight him.

The White Queen (Emma Frost)

Emma Frost, the former White Queen of the Hellfire Club, made a brief appearance in season one of X-Men ’97. She was part of the ruling council on Genosha, before Bastion’s Sentinel massacre happened. Emma was presumed dead, but just as in the comics, she survived when her secondary mutation happened, emerging in her diamond form. She also took a romantic interest in Cyclops. But she’s still a telepath of the highest order, and Forge’s new team is going to need one of those, especially with Jean and Charles gone. Also, Emma Frost and Kitty Pryde have a great love/hate dynamic we’d love to see in the show.

Dust (Sooraya Qadir)

This character is a more recent addition to Marvel Comics X-Men canon, first appearing in Grant Morrison’s New X-Men series in 2002. Dust, whose real name is Sooraya Qadir, is a young Muslim mutant who has the power to transform her body into a pliable cloud of sand. Originally from Afghanistan, the X-Men recruited Sooraya as a student of Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters. She’s quite powerful, and in her dust form is hard to detect telepathically. She would be an asset to any team that Forge forms.

Exodus (Bennet du Paris)

This one’s the wild card. On Forge’s board we see the image of Exodus, one of the most powerful mutants in the Marvel Comics pantheon. Bennet du Paris comes from the 12th century, where his telekinetic, telepathic, and teleporting abilities became augmented by Apocalypse. He’s served En Sabah Nur as well as Magneto in the modern age, even leading his Acolytes. We saw him on Genosha in episode 5, “Remember It,” partying it up. It looks like he survived the massacre. Exodus isn’t really a joiner, so it might be shocking to see him as an X-Man. But with Apocalypse in play next season as the main villain, anything is possible.

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These days, we know comic book creator Bryan Lee O’Malley best for his iconic series Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. However, back when he was a child in the early ’90s, like most other kids in the world, he was all about those heroes in a half-shell, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Now, he’s paying homage to the heroes of his youth with a new series of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles variants from the folks at Bottleneck Gallery and IDW. 2024 is the perfect year for such a creative crossover. That’s because this year marks 40 years of Ninja Turtles as well as 20 years of Scott Pilgrim. You can check out each comic cover and corresponding screen print down below:

TMNT #2 Red Mask Edition Screen Print

16 Color, 24”x 36” Edition of 150, $70

TMNT #2 Color Mask Edition Screen Print

16 Color, 24” x 36” Edition of 150, $70

TMNT #2 Red Mask Edition 3D Lenticular Poster

24” x 36”, Edition of 75, $100

TMNT #2 Color Mask Edition 3D Lenticular Poster

 24” x 36”, Edition of 75, $100

TMNT #2 Red Mask Virgin 3D Lenticular Poster

24” x 36”, Edition of 50, $100

TMNT #2 Color Mask Virgin 3D Lenticular Poster

24” x 36”, Edition of 50, $100

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles issue 2 – Red Mask Trade Dress

Edition of 2000 – $15

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles issue 2 – Red Mask Virgin Variant

Edition of 1000 – $20

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles issue 2 – Colored Mask Virgin Variant

Edition of 500 – $30

They will also have options for CGC 9.8 Guaranteed grading on each version of the issue. 

How much of a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fanboy was Bryan Lee O’Malley? Well, back in 1991, when he was a mere 10 or 11 years old, he drew some Ninja Turtles drawings in his notebook. Luckily, he still has them after all these years. And we must say, these are pretty fabulous drawings for a kid that age. It’s really no wonder he had a big future in comics many years later. You can check out Bryan Lee O’Malley’s original TMNT art from childhood right here:

Click To View Gallery

IDW is relaunching the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles brand in a big, bad way in 2024, with several new comic book series on the docket. Even after forty years in the game, there’s no slowing down Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, and Michelangelo in the 2020s.

The post Celebrate TMNT and SCOTT PILGRIM With Bryan Lee O’Malley’s Exclusive Prints and Comics appeared first on Nerdist.

The Super Powers line of action figures is a huge source of nostalgia for any DC Comics fan who grew up in the ’80s. The toy and merchandise line, which was introduced in 1984 and ran until 1986, defined the look and feel of DC Comics characters for the era. Most were based on the DC Style Guide art of José Luis García-López. Now, DC Comics is honoring the iconic toy brand on its 40th anniversary with a series of variant covers, imagining the classic action figure packaging with characters the original line never got around to.

In August, eight new DC Super Powers variant covers will imagine what an unreleased wave of action figures would have looked like if the Kenner line of Super Powers toys had continued. Variant covers appear on Batman #151, Gotham City Sirens #1, Green Lantern: War Journal #12, Nightwing #117, Power Girl #12, Superman #17, The Flash #12, and Titans #14. The covers feature brand-new art by original 1980s Super Powers product artist Alex Saviuk. One of the leading historians of the original Kenner Super Powers line and the cofounder of Action Figure Insider, Jason Geyer, designed and sculpted the variant covers. You can check out each one down below:

Superman #17 DC Super Powers Variant Cover

Superman Gold art by Jason Geyer and Alex Saviuk (On sale 8/21/24)

Batman #151 DC Super Powers Variant Cover

Batman art by Jason Geyer and Alex Saviuk (On sale 8/7/24)

Nightwing #117 DC Super Powers Variant Cover

Nightwing art by Jason Geyer and Alex Saviuk (On sale 8/21/24)

Titans #14 DC Super Powers Variant Cover

Wonder Girl (Donna Troy) art by Jason Geyer and Alex Saviuk (On sale 8/21/24)

Green Lantern: War Journal #12 DC Super Powers Variant Cover

Green Lantern John Stewart art by Jason Geyer and Alex Saviuk (On sale 8/21/24)

The Flash #12 DC Super Powers Variant Cover

Kid Flash (Wally West) art by Jason Geyer and Alex Saviuk (On sale 8/28/24)

Gotham City Sirens #1 DC Super Powers Variant Cover

Poison Ivy art by Jason Geyer and Alex Saviuk (On sale 8/7/24)

Power Girl #12 DC Super Powers Variant Cover

Power Girl art by Jason Geyer and Alex Saviuk (On sale 8/28/24)

Currently, McFarlane Toys has a series of Super Powers-style retro action figures in stores, producing figures that the original line never got to do, like Tim Drake Robin, or Deathstroke. Many of the figures for these covers are fan’s “Super Powers Most Wanted,” so maybe if we’re lucky, we’ll see them as more than just art on comic book covers one day. In the meantime, these DC Comics Super Powers tribute covers all hit comic shops this coming August.

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For almost as long as there has been Star Trek on TV, there have been Star Trek comics. And these days, IDW Entertainment has been carrying the flag of Starfleet proudly. Now, the landmark 500th issue of Star Trek is arriving. This oversized anthology comic will feature seven stories from different eras of Star Trek. It will even be a prelude to a big Trek universe crossover event planned for 2025. It’ll include creatives like Patton Oswalt, Chris Cantwell, Mags Visaggio, and more. Here’s the official solicitation for the 500th IDW Star Trek issue, going on sale September 4, 2024:

Celebrate IDW’s 500th issue of Star Trek comics (and an early Star Trek Day!) with this landmark oversized anthology issue! This collection of seven short stories spans through fan-favorite eras of the beloved franchise from Lower Decks to Strange New Worlds, legacy characters from The Next Generation and the original series, written and illustrated by Star Trek comics veterans and new voices alike. Plus, don’t miss out on the prelude to 2025’s big Star Trek and Defiant comic crossover event written by Jackson Lanzing, Collin Kelly, and Christopher Cantwell!

Star Trek #500 has four different variant covers. They showcase the crews from 58 years of Trek, since the days of Kirk, to Strange New Worlds. Cover A is by Joëlle Jones, with Cover B by Jake Bartok. JK Woodward provides Cover C, with a Cover Variant by Chris Fenoglio. You can preview them all down below, along with quotes from the various Star Trek #500 creators.

Here’s what Heather Antos, IDW group editor, had to say about the upcoming special issue of Star Trek:

The sending to print of any single comic is a feat in and of itself. To hit a landmark like 500 issues with any franchise is a true accomplishment to be celebrated. This Star Trek Day IDW is excited to present not only a look back at some of our favorite characters and series from over the years, but also a look forward on what is to come in the future for our Eisner-nominated Star Trek and Defiant series. If you’re only getting one Star Trek book this year, this is not one to miss out on!

In addition, Jackson Lanzing, Chris Cantwell, and Collin Kelly, who are co-writing the prelude for the big Star Trek event coming in 2025, shared the following sentiments.

Jackson Lanzing: “In Star Trek #400, we began a journey that changed the face of Star Trek comics and carved out a whole new line for readers of every generation. I don’t think any of us could have imagined what would follow. From all the incredible interlocked series to the first Star Trek summer event to the first Eisner nominations in Starfleet’s history. Now, one hundred issues later… it’s time to push things even further.”

Christopher Cantwell: “Just like our prelude story in the Star Trek Free Comic Book Day issue last year, #500 promises one hell of a tease of things to come next summer in 2025. Both books are building to a crossover event that will truly redefine the Star Trek universe from within its very DNA. There are a boatload of reasons why you’ll want to pick up #500, but the little ticking time bomb Jackson, Collin, and I have planted in its pages will get you anxious for what’s to come.” 

Collin Kelly: “We’ve been planting the seeds of this event since the very beginning, a culmination and conflagration that will ignite the cosmos in a crisis of galactic proportions. Not only crossing our titles, but linking to both Nemesis and Star Trek: Picard. Our aim is nothing less than creating the single greatest challenge that Sisko, Worf, and their respective crews have ever faced; a mission that starts when the universe ends.”

Professional nerds (and professional jokers) Patton Oswalt and Jordan Blum are also beaming aboard. With tongues firmly planted in their cheeks, they had this to say about their contributions to Star Trek #500. Oswalt joked “I can’t wait to begin writing this story. Sitting down to watch at least 3 of the original episodes and 2 of the movies. I’m so excited to experience this world for the first time!”

Meanwhile, Blum added “It’s an honor to be a part of this historic Star Trek moment. I’ve been a diehard fan ever since Luke Skywalker first flew the Enterprise into the trenches of Arrakis. Our story will obsessively investigate the psychology and physiology of Tribbles in a way no one has ever deemed worth it. It’s like Mr. Spock always says ‘There is no spoon.’ Truly.”

Star Trek #500 beams down to your local comic shop on September 4, 2024.

The post STAR TREK 500 from IDW Sets Up Massive Trek Crossover Event for 2025 appeared first on Nerdist.

The Spider-Verse is about to get even bigger via the small screen. It is also about to get a lot darker, mysterious, and funny. And, let’s be honest, a lot weirder. Prime Video has officially done what Spidey fans have been waiting to hear. The studio has formally ordered a new live-action series starring Nicolas Cage as Spider-Man Noir, the character he originally voiced in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.

Amazon used its inaugural upfront presentation in New York City to announce it has finally ordered Noir to series. The Spider-Man Noir show will see Nicolas Cage playing the live-action version of his character from Sony’s animated 2018 Oscar winner. The series, based on the Marvel comic Spider-Man Noir, will air on Prime Video and MGM+.

Harry Bradbeer (Fleabag, Killing Eve) will direct and executive produce the Spider-Man Noir‘s first two episodes. Oren Uziel (22 Jump Street) and Steve Lightfoot (Marvel’s The Punisher, Shantaram) will serve as co-showrunners and executive producers. They developed the show with the Spider-Verse‘s Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, and Amy Pascal. All three are also on board as executive producers.

For those who have (for some absurd reason) not yet seen Into the Spider-Verse or are unfamiliar with the character’s comic history, Amazon also shared a brief synopsis for the Spider-Man Noir series.

Noir tells the story of an aging and down on his luck private investigator (Cage) in 1930s New York, who is forced to grapple with his past life as the city’s one and only superhero.

Vernon Sanders, head of television, Amazon MGM Studios, explained why the studio wants to make this series in a release. (As though we need an explanation.) “Expanding the Marvel universe with Noir is a uniquely special opportunity, and we are honored to bring this series to our global Prime Video customers,” he said. “The extremely talented Nicolas Cage is an ideal choice for our new superhero, and the accomplished producing team with Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, Amy Pascal, and the incredible team at Sony is dedicated to expanding this franchise in the most authentic way.” 

We’re ready to dedicate our time to watching when it debuts. The Spider-Verse is an infinite place of possibilities and heroes. But we very much want to spend more time with this version of the character. And obviously, more time with Nicolas Cage.

The post Nicolas Cage to Star in Live-Action SPIDER-MAN NOIR Series at Prime Video appeared first on Nerdist.

As X-Men ’97 gears up for its season one finale, fans have some big questions about what’s going on with other Marvel heroes during the events of the series—especially as Magneto has essentially declared war on humanity. We know other Marvel heroes exist in this world, because we’ve seen them. Spider-Man has already swung in, however briefly, and Captain America had quite the confrontation with Rogue. So where exactly are the Avengers right now in X-Men ’97? Via IGN, we’ve learned that former X-Men ’97 showrunner Beau DeMayo had some answers. He also gives a reason why we haven’t seen everyone’s favorite “Merc with the Mouth” Deadpool during X-Men ’97 season one.

On the subject of the Avengers, it seems Earth’s Mightiest Heroes are out in space, dealing with a matter of galactic importance. A fan asked if the Avengers were knee-deep in a version in their own Marvel crossover event “Operation: Galactic Storm.” This 1992 Avengers storyline was all about a Shi’ar war with the Kree, which we know is going on thanks to episode 7, “Lifedeath, Part II.” So that’s where Cap and company are, while Bastion activated the Prime Sentinels and Magneto retaliated. As for the Fantastic Four? Still no answer. They may be with the Avengers.

There are also many famous mutants unaccounted for. Not everyone was on Genosha when the attack happened in episode five. A fan online asked about Sabretooth, and DeMayo simply said he’s “lying low.” Victor Creed may not appear in season one, but we’re not counting him out for season two.

We’re actually more curious as to where Mystique is, although we suppose she could be hiding in plain sight. For some time we thought she was Valerie Cooper, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. When asked, DeMayo just played coy. We’re simply dying to know where Raven Darkholme is.

Finally, someone asked about good old Wade Wilson. Deadpool made a few silent cameos in the original X-Men: The Animated Series, so we know he exists in this universe. All DeMayo would say on the subject of Deadpool was that he was “off limits.” This was no doubt due to Deadpool & Wolverine, and Marvel Animation not wanting to step on their toes. Hopefully, in later seasons, Wade might show up. We actually think Ryan Reynolds wouldn’t be off the table to voice him either.

Hopefully, future seasons give fans not only Deadpool, but also a proper Avengers vs. X-Men fight. After all, the comic book storyline that followed “Fatal Attractions,” the story X-Men ’97 is currently adapting, was an Avengers/X-Men crossover called “Bloodties.” Here’s hoping that saga comes in later seasons.

The post Here’s Why X-MEN ’97 Doesn’t Have the Avengers and Deadpool appeared first on Nerdist.

X-Men ’97 has been killing it week to week, giving us an animated series that evokes the best of a certain era of Marvel Comics. Meanwhile, Batman: Caped Crusader, premiering this summer, looks to return to the Dark Knight’s roots in a 1940s noir detective world. Realizing this is a trend that may last, here are a few other comic book heroes that could translate perfectly to period-specific animated shows.

Blade (Set in the 1970s)

Marvel Comics originally introduced Blade in Marvel’s Tomb of Dracula series in 1973. The vampire hunter very quickly became the breakout character, headlining comics like Vampire Tales. Like Luke Cage, he was part of Marvel’s response to the ’70s blaxploitation craze with movies like Shaft and Superfly. Blade was much like those iconic ‘70s cinematic heroes, only instead of fighting criminals he was fighting some down-and-dirty vampires.

Everything about the original Blade aesthetic is very of its time, from the hair to the jacket to the catchphrases. We think a series featuring the Daywalker fighting the undead (and other supernatural creatures) in the groovy ‘70s would be incredibly fun. The ‘70s was an iconic time for the horror genre after all. It saw the emergence of Stephen King, alongside movies like The Exorcist and The Omen. Exploring the horror tropes of that era through the character of Blade could be a blast, especially as a bloody, sexy, R-rated animated series.

Wonder Woman (Set in the 1940s)

It’s difficult to convey now what a departure Wonder Woman was, not just for comics of the 1940s, but for culture in general. When William Moulton Marston created her in 1941, women had the vote in America for a mere two decades, still largely confined to roles as wives/mothers. Diana Prince showcased strength and power greater than men, representing an Amazon culture more advanced than the world of patriarchy. Wonder Woman was a feminist icon before the term became widely known.

For these reasons, we think a Wonder Woman animated series set in the ‘40s, perhaps evoking the fashion, aesthetic, and politics of the era, would be amazing. Especially if it really dealt with what it would mean for a woman like that to appear in the deeply puritanical and sexist America of the 1940s. Besides, that setting would ensure Diana Prince punching Nazis in World War II, which we all need to watch right now as cultural catharsis. James Gunn has hinted that a Wonder Woman animated series is long overdue. So why not a period piece set in her era of origin?

Spider-Man (Set in the 2010s)

We’re not sure that many other old superhero cartoons could pick up right where they left off like X-Men ’97. At least not at the same level of success. Yet there is one show that deserves similar treatment – the 1994-1998 Spider-Man: The Animated Series. We know that the same Spidey from that show exists in the X-Men ’97 universe, thanks to his recent cameo. But we would actually love for Christopher Daniel Barnes to return to the role of Peter Parker, and tell stories of a middle-aged wallcrawler years later.

An elder Spidey is how you differentiate this version from the teenage Spidey from the upcoming Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man show. Imagine the story 15 or more years later, with Peter now the father of teenage May “Mayday” Parker, a.k.a. Spider-Girl. It would be less “Spider-Man ‘98” and more “Spider-Man 2014,” but rooted firmly in the events of the ‘90s show. We could even finally have Spidey fight Sandman. He was the one classic villain the old show couldn’t use, as he was meant to appear in the never-made James Cameron Spider-Man movie.

Teen Titans (Set in the 1980s)

X-Men ’97 has been perhaps the best iteration of Marvel’s mutants in any media outside comics. Part of the reason is that longform, serialized melodrama is perfect for X-Men in a way movies aren’t. But in the ‘80s, Uncanny X-Men had a true rival for “best superhero soap opera” in DC’s New Teen Titans. That series had as much interpersonal drama, plot twist reveals, and out-of-this-world adventures as X-Men, and sold almost as well as Uncanny X-Men too.

So far, Teen Titans has had two cartoons aimed very much at young kids, and a live-action show that was brutally violent and dropped f-bombs. Neither has really captured the tone of the comics. Although a recently announced movie might, an animated show set in the ‘80s, the team’s heyday, could finally do the Titans justice as a series. Besides, with the ‘80s setting, you could do things like Starfire as a fashion model, Beast Boy as a former sci-fi TV star, and other very ’80s conventions. Just as long as they don’t get too Stranger Things with it.

Black Widow (Set in the 1960s)

When Black Widow first appeared in 1964, she was a very different character than the one we know in the MCU, or even the one from modern Marvel Comics. She first appeared as an Iron Man villain in Tales of Suspense, as “Madame Natasha.” She didn’t even have a last name yet. Natasha was a Soviet femme fatale spy, in the style of a Bond girl. Natasha had short black hair, a cape, and fishnets. It wouldn’t be until 1970 that she’d get the iconic black catsuit and flowing red hair, and became a notable fighter, not just a sultry spy.

In those original ‘60s stories, Widow gets romantically involved with Tony Stark, Hawkeye, and later Daredevil. Eventually, she defects to the U.S. and trades super spy for superhero. Those early adventures always showcased her as an appendage to male characters, and were quite very sexist. But an animated series for Natasha Romanoff where the male heroes are in support of her and not the other way around? Now that could be incredible, especially with a James Bond-style, Cold War spy backdrop of the ‘60s.

Justice League (Set in the 1970s)

The Justice League of America first appeared in 1960, but those early DC comics were rather simplistic and intended for very young readers. Every hero acted largely the same with little deviation between the team in terms of character. Things started to change in the ‘70s for the JLA, when DC Comics started to get “Marvelized,” for lack of a better term. The League started to have interpersonal drama that evoked issues of the day and moved to a satellite HQ orbiting above the Earth.

In those ‘70s JLA comics, Hawkman was staunchly conservative, while Green Arrow was a “hippy liberal,” which caused all kinds of tension which found heroes like Green Lantern caught in the middle. Black Canary was a wave one feminist ass-kicker, while Zatanna evoked the ‘70s fascination with all things occult. Of course, the ‘70s is also when the concept of the JLA went mainstream mainly thanks to the Super Friends cartoon. This is something a modern animated series could touch on in a meta way. It’s been far too long since we’ve had a proper Justice League animated show. Setting it in period could be the key to making a new one work.

Fantastic Four (Set in the 1960s)

Current rumors hint that the MCU live-action Fantastic Four film is at least partially taking place in the 1960s. Why is this particular era so linked to Marvel’s First Family? Because Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s 1961 origins for the series are very inspired by Atomic Age ideas. Things like the American/Soviet space race, and Johnny Storm being a teenage “hot rod” enthusiast were all cultural staples of the mid-century era. Even today, the Lee/Kirby 100-issue run of Fantastic Four from 1961-1970 remains the best run for the FF ever. Because of this, a ‘60s-set animated series seems like a no-brainer.

Similar to the way Mad Men used the time frame of 1960-1970 to reflect on the rapid changes in American society over that decade, an animated Fantastic Four set in this exact time period could do the same. This time, via a superhero/sci-fi storytelling lens. We know that both a 1960s Fantastic Four film and an animated series at the same time might be overkill. However, we can’t help feeling the series would be the superior product. Oh, and the most important reasons for a ’60s Fantastic Four series? The music! Who doesn’t want to see the Beatles pop up, and have the Fab Four meet the Fantastic Four?

The post 7 Period-Specific Animated Series We Want After X-MEN ’97 appeared first on Nerdist.

From the looks of things in the trailers, it seems Deadpool & Wolverine is going to have many cameos from characters from the Fox X-Men universe. One scene in the second trailer shows Cassandra Nova, probably the film’s main villain, emerging in front of several characters in the Void. Her stronghold seems to be the dead body of an Ant-Man variant. Eagle-eyed Marvel fans will notice several mutants from the Fox X-Men films standing about. While we can’t confirm if the original actors return to these roles, we can tell it’s those same characters at least. Here’s who we know is in the Void with Logan and Wade in the Deadpool & Wolverine trailers, and which X-Men films they originated from.

Azazel (X-Men: First Class)

One of the easiest characters to spot at the giant Ant-Man corpse that is Cassandra Nova’s HQ is none other than Azazel. The red-hued demonic-looking mutant first appeared in 2011’s X-Men: First Class. In that film, he was one of Sebastian Shaw’s henchmen in the Hellfire Club. However, the movies explained that he died between the events of that film and Days of Future Past. Perhaps he didn’t really die, and they sent him to the Void? Azazel was once believed to be Nightcrawler’s father in the comics. However, recent events show that Mystique was Nightcrawler’s father, and conceived Nightcrawler while using Azazel’s form. Jason Flemyng portrayed Azazel in First Class. Will he return for Deadpool & Wolverine? We still don’t know.

Lady Deathstrike (X2: X-Men: United)

Lady Deathstrike threw down with Wolverine in one of the best-ever X-Men films, X2: X-Men United. The movie reimagined Yuriko Oyama as an experiment of William Stryker’s in the Weapon X project, just like Logan. She was a mutant with a healing factor like Wolverine’s, and had similarly grafted adamantium claws. This is a significant change from her comic book counterpart. Nevertheless, Kelly Hu and Hugh Jackman had a legendary fight in the climax of X2, where Deathstrike appeared to definitively die. It seems like a version of her still exists in the Void, so we may finally see the Wolverine/Deathstrike rematch after two decades. Hopefully, with Kelly Hu in the role.

Sabretooth (X-Men)

Rumors persist that the Liev Schreiber version of Sabretooth from X-Men: Origins will appear in Deadpool & Wolverine, yet the version in the trailer is confirmed as the Tyler Mane iteration from the first X-Men. It was always unclear if both versions of the animalistic mutant were meant to be the same character or not. Yet this is the version who said to Storm “You owe me a scream” back in 2000, now stuck in the Void.

Toad (X-Men)

Another veteran of the original X-Men film who seems to be lurking in the shot of everyone together is Toad. In the first X-Men film, Darth Maul performer Ray Park portrayed Magneto’s amphibian lackey. He even had a big battle moment with Jean Grey. Storm dispatched him as she uttered the lines “Do you know what happens to a toad when it’s struck by lightning?” True, it seemed like Toad kicked the bucket after Storm smoked him. But maybe he was just discarded with the other Fox mutants in the Void?

Pyro (X2: X-Men United, X-Men: The Last Stand)

We first saw Aaron Stanford’s fire-controlling mutant Pyro in the first trailer for Deadpool & Wolverine. This was his big comeback, after a serious head butt from Iceman in X-Men: The Last Stand. It’s hard to say if it’s the version from the previous Fox X-Men films, or some kind of variant—a variant that is now stuck in the Void. Unlike the other characters, we can at least confirm the same actor plays Pyro from the original X-Men films.

There Will Be More Cameos to Come for Deadpool & Wolverine

We bet we can expect many more cameos to come when Deadpool & Wolverine releases in theaters. But the good news is that all of these cameos will serve a purpose in the story of the movie.

Recently, director Shawn Levy shared, “I’ll say we didn’t start off with a wishlist. From the day we started devising this Deadpool and Wolverine story, we let the story dictate the characters, not the other way around. Aaron and his return as Pyro was an outgrowth of that, and that applies to pretty much all the characters you’ll see in the movie.”

We can’t wait to see what other Fox X-Men cameos will come our way as we learn more about Deadpool & Wolverine.

Originally published on April 22, 2024.

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The MCU has finally found its Devourer of Worlds. Announced via The Hollywood Reporter, it appears veteran character actor Ralph Ineson, known for his roles in projects like Game of Thrones, The Green Knight, and The Witch, will play Galactus in the upcoming Fantastic Four film. Matt Shakman serves as director of the movie. As previously reported, his herald the Silver Surfer will be played by actress Julia Garner. This will be the first time this major Marvel Comics character will accurately appear in live-action. The 2007 Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer chose to portray the iconic character as a giant cosmic cloud, a very unpopular choice to this day.

Ineson joins a very stacked cast, which includes Pedro Pascal as team leader Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, Joseph Quinn as her flame-powered brother Johnny Storm, a.k.a. the Human Torch, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Reed’s best friend and former pilot, Ben Grimm, better known as The Thing. Recent cast additions include Paul Walter Hauser and the legendary John Malkovich in undisclosed roles. Many believe Hauser is playing a version of the Mole Man. Although possibly, he may voice the F.F.’s sidekick, H.E.R.B.I.E the robot. As for Malkovich, he’d be perfect for someone like Puppet Master, or Sue and Johnny’s father, Dr. Franklin Storm.

The gigantic Galactus is one of the most important characters in the Marvel Comics canon. He first appeared in 1966 in Fantastic Four #48. After dropping the ball with Galactus in the 2007 film, we’re sure it’s a priority for Kevin Feige to get it right this time. That means leaning into the wild Jack Kirby design for the character. He’s just got to have the big, goofy helmet, or it just isn’t Galactus. Although a bit of a left-field choice, we think Ralph Ineson is an ideal choice to play the role. We can already hear him utter the words “My herald” with panache in our heads. Fantastic Four hits theaters on July 25, 2025.

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When Max, formerly HBO Max, the Warner Bros-owned streamer, decided to sell off its highly anticipated Batman animated series to Prime Video, we were shocked. Why would the people who own Batman not want to keep Batman? It’s yet another in a series of baffling moves from David Zaslav’s company. However, at the very least, we know the show is coming out. It won’t fall into the void that other unreleased (or even released) projects have. Batman: Caped Crusader will premiere on Prime with all 10 episodes on August 1 of this year, and we now have a solid look showcasing its 1940s vibe.

The animated series, from producers Bruce Timm, J.J. Abrams, and Matt Reeves, clearly takes inspiration from the original Golden Age comics of the ’40s. Batman’s costume, with its slightly convex ears and black hand gloves, is testament to that.

The other Batman: Caped Crusader images showcase Bruce Wayne, Catwoman/Selina Kyle, Commissioner Gordon, Clayface, and Dr. Harleen Quinzel/Harley Quinn. Definitely not directly from the comics, but certainly a completely unique take on everyone.

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Timm’s work on the 1991 Batman: The Animated Series was and is the hallmark of Batman’s look in animation. Here even more than that show, we get the influence of the Fleischer Brothers Superman shorts. We can’t wait to see a trailer to get an even better sense of the tone. But that Harley look is pretty terrifying. Batman: Caped Crusader has us very excited, to say the least.

Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. He hosts the weekly pop culture deep-dive podcast Laser Focus. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Instagram and Letterboxd.

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