The villains turned “heroes” of DC Comics’ Suicide Squad are back, only this time, they’re getting an anime makeover. The folks at Warner Bros. Japan/WIT Studio have revealed the trailer, character art, main theme song, and voice cast for Suicide Squad ISEKAI. Directed by Eri Osada, with a screenplay by Tappei Nagatsuki, this is an all-new original anime series. Based on the classic DC characters, it includes icons like Harley Quinn, the Joker, and Peacemaker. You can check out the first full trailer for Suicide Squad ISEKAI, and read the official synopsis for the series, down below:

In the crime-ridden city of Gotham, Amanda Waller, the head of A.R.G.U.S., has assembled a group of notorious criminals for a mission: Harley Quinn, Deadshot, Peacemaker, Clayface, and King Shark. These Super-Villains are sent into an otherworldly realm that’s connected to this world through a gate. It’s a world of swords and magic where orcs rampage and dragons rule the skies—an “ISEKAI”!

With lethal explosives planted in their necks, there’s no running or hiding, and failing the mission means a one-way ticket to the afterlife! Can Harley Quinn and her crew conquer this perilous ISEKAI realm?! Brace yourselves for the pulse-pounding saga of the elite task force known as the “Suicide Squad” as they embark on a jaw-dropping adventure!

The new anime series showcases favorites from the first Suicide Squad film, like Deadshot and the Joker. But also brings in characters used in James Gunn’s sequel, like our boy King Shark and Peacemaker. And then there are new additions to the team, like Clayface. Although there are several Batman characters in this series, and a Gotham City setting, no sign of the Dark Knight anywhere. But we have a feeling ol’ Bats will pop in somewhere. The voice cast includes Anna Nagase as Harley, Yuuichirou Umehara as the Joker, Reigo Yamaguchi as Deadshot, Takehito Koyasu as Peacemaker, Jun Fukuyama as Clayface, and Subaru Kimura as King Shark.

Suicide Squad ISEKAI is set for a global release in 2024.

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Aquaman is one of the comic book medium’s most iconic characters, and is the only non-Batman DC superhero to headline a film that made a billion dollars. (Having Jason Momoa play him didn’t hurt.) Yet, his comic book history has been hit and miss. He debuted in 1941, as a back-up feature in More Fun Comics. He wasn’t even popular enough to get his own series, or even join the Justice Society of America.

But the tenacious undersea hero clung on when many other superheroes faded, and thanks to the boost of Justice League membership, he became popular enough to finally get his own comic in 1962, a full two decades after his debut. Since then, he’s more or less been a DC Comics mainstay, with a few years off here and there. Some comic book runs were forgettable, but some were truly great. Here are our choices for the best Aquaman comic book runs of all time.

7. Sword of Aquaman by Kurt Busiek, Tad Williams

with Jackson Guice, Shawn McManus

In 2006, after the big Infinite Crisis event, DC took a gamble on this oddball Aquaman title. This came after recent interpretations of the character were not really clicking with readers. DC went for a bold new take from writer Kurt Busiek, famous for his work on Avengers. Busiek’s Aquaman, was not the ruler of Atlantis as we’d known him for years. Instead, he was the similarly named Arthur Joseph Curry, a younger man who gained water-breathing powers thanks to experiments performed by his scientist father. This series renamed Aquaman vol. 6 as Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis.

This was all a callback to the 1940s Aquaman, who, costume and powers aside, was an almost totally different hero than the one we know today. Arthur’s adventures were more fantasy-oriented in nature, hence the “sword” in the title, and beautifully illustrated by Jackson Guice. Writer Tad Williams and artist Shawn McManus continued the Busiek/Guice story until the end of this run. This weird version of Aquaman only lasted for 18 issues, after which the original Arthur Curry returned from the dead. But it’s one of the more interesting takes on a hero named “Aquaman” that’s out there.

Issues in Kurt Busiek and Tad Williams’ Aquaman run:

Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis #40-57 (2006-2007)

6. Aquaman (Vol.3) by Keith Giffen and Robert Loren Fleming

with Curt Swan, Al Vey

After the more radical reinvention of Aquaman in 1986 didn’t make a big enough splash sales-wise, the King of the Seas lay low for several more years, only appearing as a guest star in various series. Then in 1989, DC brought in Justice League International writer Keith Giffen and classic Superman artist Curt Swan. Writer Robert Loren Fleming helped with the writing duties as well. They first teamed up for the Legend of Aquaman special. This one-shot was more retro in style, mainly thanks to Swan’s art. However, it did add some new elements to the Aquaman lore.

One of those new elements was that Arthur Curry was now abandoned as an infant on the reef by his own people for his “cursed” blonde hair, later adopted by the human lighthouse keeper. This replaced the origin where he was the product of a human/Atlantean union. The same creative team reunited for a five-part mini-series that same year. This story focuses on an invasion of Atlantis from sentient squid, while Aquaman must deal with his deteriorating marriage to Mera. After this run, we got a new ongoing series by another creative team, although that book only lasted one year. Nothing breaks the mold here, but it’s still a fun read.

Issues in Keith Giffen’s Aquaman run:

Aquaman, Vol.3, #1-5, The Legend of Aquaman Special #1, (1989)

5. Aquaman (Vol.2) by Neal Pozner and Craig Hamilton

Despite consistently appearing in Justice League, and on Super Friends on TV, by 1986, Aquaman had not headlined his own series in eight years. Then, after the events of Crisis on Infinite Earths, DC Comics gave Arthur a bit of a modern facelift. This took place in an exciting four-part mini-series by writer (and former DC production designer) Neal Pozner, that updated his costume into something quite stylish, and gave the Sea King a unique adventure. This series really tied in with ancient Atlantean history, as seen in DC’s fantasy series Arion. It was an Aquaman we’d never really seen before.

This mid-’80s mini-series also elevated Aquaman’s sibling Ocean Master into a real menace for our hero at last. One who wields sorcery and isn’t just another water-themed techno-pirate. Artist Craig Hamilton’s art is simply incredible for this series, and remains underrated. DC hoped this series might boost the character in the way John Byrne and Frank Miller gave Superman and Batman a boost, respectively, that same year. But Clark and Bruce overshadowed him again (jerks). But it’s still a truly memorable run, and DC should collect it in some form. And that cool, new Aquaman costume? Arthur never wore it again. Years later, artist Phil Jimenez repurposed it for Aquaman’s former sidekick Aqualad, now Tempest. So its legacy lived on.

Issues in Neal Pozner’s Aquaman run:

Aquaman, Vol.2, #1-4 (1986)

4. Adventure Comics and Aquaman (Vol.1) by David Michelinie

with Jim Aparo, Don Newton

In the early ‘70s, DC canceled Aquaman’s solo series after a decade. But a few years later, new solo stories appeared in the pages of the anthology Adventure Comics. Starting in 1977, future Spider-Man writer David Michelinie and longtime Aquaman artist Jim Aparo began a multi-part epic that wound up as one of Aquaman’s defining storylines. In Adventure #450, Michelinie began a storyline that explored Aqualad’s mysterious past, but also saw the return of Black Manta on a mission of vengeance. Retribution that saw Manta do the unthinkable, and murder Aquaman’s baby son, Arthur Jr.

This storyline so shocked and enraptured readers, DC revived Aquaman’s solo comic thanks to Adventure Comics’ high sales. The revived Aquaman series, continued the story of Arthur Curry’s revenge quest against Black Manta, and its emotional fallout. David Michelinie and Jim Aparo continued to work together, with Don Newton ultimately taking over for Aparo. The revived Aquaman series then ended again with issue #63 in 1978, but DC has since collected the “Death of a Prince” story, marking this run as a very significant chapter in the Sea King’s career.

Issues in David Michelinie’s Aquaman run:

Adventure Comics #441, 443, 445, 450–452, Aquaman, Vol.1, #57–61 (1977–1978)

3. Aquaman (Vol.1) by Bob Haney with Nick Cardy

In 1962, thanks to years as a back-up feature for more popular superheroes and a slot on the Justice League of America, Aquaman finally got his own series as a headliner. The first issue of Aquaman hit in 1962, with stories largely written by Jack Miller and drawn by artist Nick Cardy. Most of these one-off stories had Aquaman and his kid sidekick Aqualad fight off random aliens and undersea despots. Silly fun, but unmemorable. Towards the end of the Miller run, DC had Aquaman marry Mera, and take the throne of Atlantis. However, all this provided excellent opportunities for the new series writer.

In 1965, writer Bob Haney, co-creator of the Teen Titans and the Doom Patrol, took over Aquaman with issue #25. He expanded the lore of the newly crowned King of Atlantis, adding in elements like Aquagirl, Arthur’s son Aquababy, and Aquaman’s two most iconic villains, Ocean Master and Black Manta. Unlike the perpetually single Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman, Haney had a blast exploring what it would be like to be a “married with children” superhero, while also juggling ruling a kingdom. By today’s standards, these stories remain quite dated, but they lay the foundation for so much future Aquaman lore, it is hard to deny its importance.

Issues in Bob Haney and Nick Cardy’s Aquaman run:

Aquaman, Vol.1, #25-39 (1965-1968)

2. Aquaman (Vol.7) by Geoff Johns

with Ivan Reis, Paul Pelletier

After a very celebrated run in the ‘90s, DC sidelined the character of Aquaman again. Despite some interesting takes on the King of the Seven Seas, nothing really clicked with comics fans in a big way. That is, until the 2011 New 52 reboot, when writer Geoff Johns reinvigorated the character in a new ongoing series which made him cool again. Although this time, he’d be cool while retaining his classic costume and Silver Age origin story. Illustrated by Ivan Reis and Paul Pelletier, during two years and 25 issues on the book, Johns was quick to shatter the “my power is just talking to fish” perception Aquaman had with the mainstream. In Johns’ view, Arthur Curry was a true force of nature, not a Super Friends punchline.

In Geoff Johns’ Aquaman run, he introduced many new concepts. There were the Others, new heroes who wielded ancient Atlantean weapons, and the Lovecraftian horrors of the Trench. He also reimagined Atlantis as a more multifaceted kingdom, with many different undersea tribes. Ocean Master and Black Manta received major upgrades. Their new personalities and backstories became a big influence on their big-screen interpretations. And after decades where DC treated Mera like a hysterical ex-wife, Geoff Johns made her a hero in her own right. Something that has stuck to this day. Aquaman was so popular at this time, that he even received a spin-off series, Aquaman and the Others. For only a 25-issue run, Geoff Johns really left his mark on the hero of Amnesty Bay.

Issues in Geoff Johns’ Aquaman run

Aquaman, Vol.7, #1-25 (2011-2013)

1. Aquaman (Vol.5) by Peter David

with Brad Vancata, Kirk Jarvinen, Marty Egeland, Jim Calafiore

When writer Peter David took over Aquaman in 1994, he was already a comics superstar. This was in large part to Marvel work on The Incredible Hulk and Spider-Man 2099. He actually began the seeds of his Aquaman run years before, in his seven-part series The Atlantis Chronicles. That series chronicled thousands of years of Atlantean history. It provided the foundation for what David would do with Arthur Curry for a nearly five-year run on the character.

David began with the mini-series Aquaman: Time and Tide, which updated Aquaman’s origins for the modern age. David made a big change to the mythology, making Aquaman the product of the Atlantean Queen Atlanna, and the ancient sorcerer Atlan. By issue three of the new Aquaman ongoing series, David “went there,” by having a villain amputate Arthur’s hand via Piranha. But instead of being sidelined by the injury, he replaced his hand with a giant hook. He also took on a long-haired, almost barbarian look. A complete 180 from his classic. Silver Age appearance. Fans ate it all up.

David’s Aquaman stories revealed that Arthur was just his adopted human name, his Atlantean name was Orin. This run also reunited him with his long-lost son Koryak, enter into a new romantic relationship with seafaring heroine Dolphin, and transformed into a warrior badass. Although DC produced this during the grim n’ gritty era of the ‘90s, David always brought humor to his comics. Aquaman was no different, often being quite funny. A lot of David retcons to Aquaman’s origins were undone by subsequent runs. However, the attitude and overall feel of Peter David’s Aquaman remains, seen most evidently in Jason Momoa’s big screen version.

Issues in Peter David’s Aquaman run:

The Atlantis Chronicles #1-7 (1990), Aquaman: Time and Tide #1-4 (1994), Aquaman Vol. 5 #0-46 (1994-1998)

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Netflix’s adaptation of The Sandman premiered its first season in August 2022. The series brought the comic book series by writer Neil Gaiman and a number of artists to the screen in a faithful retelling. In many instances, it brought the comic book panels to life. We spent time with Morpheus and Dream, but we barely got to know the whimsical and fantastical world of the Endless. However, it’s time for more stories. Last November, Netflix confirmed The Sandman is a go for more. And now, new episodes of The Sandman are officially in production. Fans of the Endless rejoice.

The Sandman Season 2 Shares New Look at Dream and Desire

To celebrate the 35th anniversary of The Sandman, Netflix announced that more episodes of its hit series were officially in production. And if that weren’t enough, the streamer actually gave us a behind-the-scenes look at Tom Sturridge (he/him, Dream) and Mason Alexander Park (they/them, Desire) in action. We certainly feel excited by this brief new glimpse of the show.

Additionally, Neil Gaiman penned a letter to fans celebrating The Sandman‘s journey and evolution. The letter can be read in full here, but in it, Gaiman notes of the Netflix series:

This week we officially restart production on the next sequence of stories of The Sandman for Netflix. Genius show runner Allan Heinberg and the countless people in front of and behind the camera are building something endlessly special, and bringing these stories to life in a way that would once have been unimaginable.

A journey is beginning that will take us from Destiny’s garden to Hell, from the Heart of the Dreaming to Ancient Greece and revolutionary France, and from there to places even I cannot quite imagine on the screen. I will be patient. Good things are coming.

The Sandman Teases New Episodes

To celebrate the new episodes of The Sandman, Netflix even released a short teaser featuring Morpheus’ helm. And we got a logo, “The dream continues.” We love it. A release from Netflix also shares that the show will return with even more new “episodes and stories to be adapted from multiple The Sandman graphic novels.” For now, though, we have not received confirmation on episode count and story details. We will, however, get The Sandman profile icons.

More new episodes of The Sandman were not guaranteed at any point, even with the show’s success. In a since-deleted tweet, Gaiman noted the show “is really expensive” and that for Netflix to order another season, The Sandman had to “perform incredibly well.” Given that how Netflix measures success is not entirely transparent, we’re not positive what kind of metrics led to this continuation. But we’re glad to see that they have.

More About the The Sandman‘s Next Chapter

Offering us more information about this new, next chapter of The Sandman, Gaiman notes in a release:

Millions upon millions of people have welcomed and watched and loved The Sandman on Netflix, from established Sandman fans to people who were simply curious, and then became obsessed with the Lord of Dreams, his family and their goings-on. It gives me unbelievable pleasure to say that, working with Netflix and Warner Bros., Allan Heinberg, David Goyer and I will be bringing even more of The Sandman stories to life. There are some astonishing stories waiting for Morpheus and the rest of them (not to mention more members of the Endless Family to meet). Nobody is going to be happier about this than the Sandman cast and crew: they are the biggest Sandman fans there are. And now it’s time to get back to work. There’s a family meal ahead, after all. And Lucifer is waiting for Morpheus to return to Hell…

What we do know is that we’re looking forward to seeing more of the Endless. Season one of The Sandman brought a story that showed us why adaptations exist. It brought in a moving deep cut from the Hellblazer comics. And it even wrapped up with a surprise bonus episode. The original Sandman comics series includes ran for 75 issues. So, the series has plenty of material to pull from. The show has plenty more rich, sometimes twisted characters to introduce and explore.

As for when the release date for the new episodes of The Sandman will be, it’s likely going to take a moment.

Originally published on November 3, 2022.

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Soon the world will meet a new Clark Kent in Superman: Legacy. DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran are rebooting the most famous superhero in the world as they transition the franchise from the DCEU to the DCU. Who will play the Man of Steel on the big screen this time around? What kind of story will we see him in? And who will bring it to life? We’re keeping track of all these answers and more.

The latest news: Nicholas Hoult, who was a possibility to play Superman, is in talks to play Lex Luthor. If Hoult truly has been cast as Lex Luthor, this casting will give Lex Luthor a truly fitting narrative in Superman: Legacy.

Additionally, per James Gunn’s confirmation, Sara Sampaio has been cast as Eve Teschmacher. Eve Teschmacher is Lex Luthor’s assistant who became his love interest/partner in crime. It’ll be interesting to see what role Eve will play in Superman: Legacy. Further, Gunn confirmed that The Righteous Gemstone‘s Skyler Gisondo has also joined the movie’s cast as Jimmy Olsen. Jimmy Olsen, of course, is a photographer from The Daily Planet who works with Lois Lane and Clark Kent. The casting is widely lauded.

Here’s everything we know about Superman: Legacy.

Title

The DCU’s first official movie (though not its first official release) is titled Superman: Legacy. That will kick off the film side of what James Gunn has called the franchise’s first chapter, “Gods and Monsters.” He has also called Superman: Legacy “the true beginning” of the DCU.

Superman: Legacy‘s Plot

While the film still has no official synopsis, Warner Bros. did provide a description of what we can expect from the story, which James Gunn says is not an origin tale.

Superman: Legacy tells the story of Superman’s journey to reconcile his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing as Clark Kent of Smallville, Kansas. He is the embodiment of truth, justice and the American way, guided by human kindness in a world that sees kindness as old-fashioned.

Gunn announced the film with art from the cover of All-Star Superman by writer Grant Morrison and artist Frank Quitely. Whether or not that means the story is influenced, inspired by, or adapted from the 12-issue comic series in any way is unclear. What Gunn has said is the movie will focus on “an earlier part of Superman’s life,” where he is still old enough to already be working for the Daily Planet.

Superman: Legacy‘s Cast

David Corenswet will play Superman, while Rachel Brosnahan will play Lois Lane.

In addition, four more actors have joined the cast of Superman: Legacy. Isabela Merced will play Hawkgirl, Edi Gathegi will play Mister Terrific, Nathan Fillion will play Green Lantern Guy Gardner, and Anthony Carrigan will play Metamorpho. María Gabriela de Faría will play the villain The Engineer in the movie. Also known as Angela Spica, the character has nanotechnology built into her body. Additionally, Sara Sampaio will play Eve Teschmacher. And Skyler Gisondo will play Jimmy Olsen.

The Hollywood Reporter states Nicholas Hoult is in talks to play Lex Luthor.

Behind the Scenes 

James Gunn wrote the (definitely completed) script and is directing.

Superman: Legacy‘s Release Date

Superman: Legacy will soar into theaters faster than a speeding bullet on July 11, 2025.

Originally published on April 11, 2023.

The post SUPERMAN: LEGACY May Have Found Its Lex Luthor and More appeared first on Nerdist.

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, the final chapter in the DCEU that we’ve known it for the past decade, is a mere month away. And now, we have our final (or close to final) trailer for director James Wan’s newest adventure for the Sovereign of Atlantis. Jason Momoa is back as our titular King of the Seven Seas, and so is Patrick Wilson as his brother Orm, Nicole Kidman as their mother Atlanna, and Yahya Abdul-Mateen as Black Manta. Plus, there’s a new addition to the cast of characters, the adorable Aquababy. You can watch the full trailer for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom right here:

So this Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom trailer is definitely on the spoilery side of things. We know that Black Manta is on a mission of revenge against Arthur Curry for his defeat in the previous film, vowing to destroy everything in his life. Judging from what we see here, he destroys Aquaman’s childhood home, the lighthouse of Thomas Curry, Aquaman’s human father. And probably Thomas Curry himself. He also kidnaps Arthur Jr., from the look of things. Now, in the comics, Black Manta famously murdered Aquaman’s son. Will this blockbuster movie go that dark? We doubt it, but the trailer is definitely playing with the comic book fan’s expectations.

We also see that Black Manta is seeking to eradicate the entire bloodline of the Royal Family of Atlantis in the Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom trailer. This forces King Arthur to team up with his half-brother Orm. Will these two siblings reconcile? We were hoping that perhaps we would see one of the Aqualads in this movie, either Garth or Jackson Hyde. The latter of the two is the son of Black Manta in the comics. But, we’ll probably have to wait for James Gunn’s new DCU before we see those additions to the Aquaman family on the big screen. At least we get to see Aquaman ride a giant seahorse this time. Who doesn’t want to see that?

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom hits theaters on December 22.

The post AQUAMAN AND THE LOST KINGDOM’s Latest Trailer Gives Us More Aquababy appeared first on Nerdist.

Even though the underwater hero Aquaman has been around in the DC Universe since 1941, he didn’t really have an arch-enemy of his own until the ‘60s. Although some fans cite Ocean Master as King Arthur of Atlantis’ main foe, we think that title goes to Black Manta. He’s had a few different origin stories over the decades, but his memorable armored look made him forever iconic. Before Yahya Abdul-Mateen’s return to the role in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, let’s take a deep dive (pun intended) into the history of Black Manta.

Black Manta’s DC Comics History

Black Manta first appeared as an antagonist for Arthur Curry in Aquaman #35 in 1967. He had no civilian name and his true appearance behind the black helmet and diving suit was a mystery. In that first story, Black Manta and his “Manta Men” attack Atlantis and, despite this being his first appearance, Aquaman describes him as “an old enemy.” In a foreshadowing of much darker things to come, Black Manta kidnaps Arthur Jr., Aquaman’s son. But Aquaman’s other arch-enemy Ocean Master rescues him.

Black Manta would continue to plague Aquaman throughout the ‘60s and ‘70s, first in his solo series, then in the anthology titles like Adventure Comics. What really elevated Black Manta to iconic status, however, were Saturday morning cartoons. He was a recurring bad guy in the ‘60s Superman/Aquaman Hour series, and was a part of the Legion of Doom in Challenge of the Super Friends in 1978. This made Black Manta known to millions of kids who never read a single comic book.

It’s quite possible that Black Manta was part of a long line of DC heroes created for outside media that just debuted in comics first. Both Batgirl and the second Aqualad were part of this group. The Aquaman issue introducing him had a cover date of August 1967. Black Manta then appeared in the first episode of the Superman/Aquaman Adventure Hour one month later in September 1967. It’s likely that they created him for the cartoon, the folks at DC heard about him, and so he debuted in the comics first.

Black Manta’s Many DC Comics Origins

For a long time, Black Manta was just a cool name and a cooler costume. He had almost no backstory. He finally took off his helmet in a 1977 story, revealing that he was an African-American man. He explained how he was trying to establish an underwater colony where his people would live freely without the persecution of the surface world. (How he planned for them all to breathe underwater remains a mystery.) This continued a problematic comic book trope, of African-American characters needing a codename with the word “black” in it. Several characters were a part of this trope, like Black Goliath, Black Lightning, and more. But Manta’s backstory reveal gave him more actual motivation than before.

Black Manta’s First Aquaman Origin Story

Manta would not get his first origin story until 1992, in Aquaman vol. 4 #6. In a flashback, they showed the boy who would grow up to be Black Manta growing up in Maryland, somewhere near the Chesapeake Bay. One unfortunate day, he was playing near the ocean when a group of pirates kidnapped him. They forced him to become their unwilling servant aboard their ship.

He spent years abused and tortured by these pirates, forced to do their bidding. One day, he saw Aquaman swimming through the ocean with dolphins, and signaled him for a rescue. But Aquaman didn’t see or hear him. But the young boy felt he ignored him, and it began a lifelong grudge. Once the boy was able to escape, he became a vicious pirate himself. And he now harbored a deep hatred for the King of the Seven Seas.

Black Manta’s Batman-Related Origin Story

Years later, a new origin story emerged, one that tied Manta to Batman’s home city. They revealed that the young child was diagnosed with autism and, because of caretakers who didn’t understand his condition, was committed to Arkham Asylum. While staying at Arkham, doctors there subjected him to experimental treatments designed to cure him. But they ended up having the opposite effect, making him grow up into the extremely violent criminal he became. Around this time, they finally revealed Manta’s real name—David Hyde. They also revealed that his son, Jackson Hyde, had become the superhero Aqualad II, spitting in the face of his father’s hatred.

The New 52 Black Manta Backstory

The New 52 reboot of 2011 was controversial, but Geoff Johns’s Aquaman run was celebrated. And here, Black Manta got yet another new origin story. In this iteration, Black Manta was a mercenary who was paid to obtain a sample of Arthur Curry’s blood to see if he was really from Atlantis. During the attack, Arthur’s father Thomas Curry dies of a heart attack. Blaming Manta and seeking vengeance, Arthur attacked the vessel that Black Manta was on, but accidentally killed his father instead. Blaming each other for losing their respective fathers, a rivalry began that would go on forever. Much of the cinematic Aquaman’s backstory drew inspiration from the New 52 run.

Black Manta Kills Aquaman’s Son, Arthur Jr., a.k.a “Aquababy”

While many villains threaten the lives of their respective enemy’s loved ones, few ever go through with it. The Joker killing Robin notwithstanding. But in 1977, Black Manta did the unthinkable in DC Comics and murdered Aquaman’s child Arthur Jr., also known as Aquababy. As revenge for his string of defeats at the hands of the Sea King, Black Manta kidnaps Arthur Jr. and places the water-breathing child in a bubble, slowly filling it with air and suffocating him.

Although Aquaman defeats Manta, he’s too late to save his son, and Arthur Jr. suffocates to death. It’s a horrible fate and a truly dark story for a Bronze Age-era comic. Our guess is someone at DC Editorial really didn’t care for Aquababy. The “Death of a Prince” storyline had huge ramifications for Aquaman as a character, and ultimately led to the end of his marriage to Queen Mera, who blamed her husband for their child’s death.

Black Manta’s Powers

Black Manta has no innate powers to speak of, although he is quite adept at various forms of combat. However, his suit packs quite a wallop. His high-tech diving suit allows him to have not only an indefinite oxygen supply underwater, but also protects him from the crushing depths and freezing cold of the ocean. The suit also allows Black Manta to increase his own strength and gives him incredible speed underwater. It’s resistant to bullets and plasma weapons, and this allows him to go toe to toe with Aquaman, despite just having average human strength. It can fire a variety of deadly plasma blasts as well.

Black Manta’s Role in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom

In the first Aquaman movie, Yahya Abdul-Mateen portrayed the Black Manta. The origin story in the 2018 James Wan film sticks pretty close to the DC Comics New 52 version. He’s a high-tech pirate alongside his father, and when his dad dies after an incident involving Aquaman, he vows revenge. He attacks Arthur Curry in Italy, but Arthur ultimately defeats him. But as the post-credits scene shows us, Black Manta definitely did not die. All signs point to Manta trying to exact his revenge on the King of Atlantis in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.

The Black Manta Spin-off The Trench

Warner Bros. planned a spin-off film for Black Manta called The Trench. We saw Aquaman face off against the monsters who live in the undersea trench in the 2018 film. James Wan revealed that The Trench was secretly a stealth solo Black Manta movie. When Warner Bros. canceled those plans, ideas for the spin-off found their way into the sequel Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.

Black Trident in Aquaman 2

In the trailer, we see that Black Manta is wielding the Black Trident, a relic from Atlantis from before King Atlan’s time. Chances are we are going to see Trident vs. Trident in the upcoming sequel. This would put Manta on equal footing with his famous nemesis. We’ll find out when Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom hits theaters on December 22, 2023.

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The Joker occupies an almost mythological place in popular culture. With his green hair and clown makeup, the Joker has transformed from one of Batman’s campy villains to a figure of terror. The Joker’s darker turn has only increased his popularity, thanks to live-action DC films. Every new actor to take on the Joker role faces the challenge of adding their own disturbing dimension to the character. It seems like every version is trying to be the scariest one.

But as menacing as actors like Heath Ledger and Barry Keoghan are as the Clown Prince of Crime, there is a uniquely haunting effect to the character on the page. In the comic book format, the only limits on the Joker are the imaginations of the creative team producing his story. Considering that chaos motivates his character, this limitlessness adds another layer to his actions. As such, his most terrifying form—seen in Scott Snyder, Greg Capullo, and Jonathan Glapion’s “Death of the Family” arc—feels too visceral to ever become a live-action film.

The Joker in “Death of the Family,” spanning Batman (2011) #13-17, brings a tailored sense of terror to Gotham City. For those who aren’t familiar, Batman’s network of adopted children and allies, known colloquially as the Bat-Family, play a significant role in his comics. The Bat-Family makes Batman strong, but it can also make him vulnerable to villains like the Joker. “Death of the Family” is a story that plays on that vulnerability. The title inverts the famous Batman: A Death in the Family storyline from the late 1980s. There, the Joker murdered Jason Todd, the second Robin.

As the title suggests, the Joker in “Death of the Family” acts as a disruptive force. He removes the sense of safety that Batman has in Gotham and within his own family. To start, the Joker sports a dramatically different look. He wears a mask of his own detached face skin, stretched over the raw flesh underneath. Writer Scott Snyder deploys the Joker like a slasher movie villain. The Joker lurks in the shadows, strategically revealing himself for dramatic effect. In one scene during a power outage, he murders an entire unit of Gotham City police officers Michael Myers-style: through brute force. 

What makes “Death of the Family” Joker so terrifying is his pursuit of maximum psychological damage for Batman and his children. He doesn’t want to directly kill anyone in the main cast, because that would spoil the fun for him. It’s the same reason why he kills those GCPD officers in front of Jim Gordon, leaving him the only survivor. The Joker’s cruelty thrives on letting a select few witnesses live. Then they can be disturbed for the rest of their lives. 

Furthermore, because of the comic book format, a certain level of abstraction applies to the Joker that film and television will simply never measure up to. Even if Hollywood adapted this story, the Joker’s actions would lose some of their impact. This is because audiences would be watching an actor embody the role. Regardless of how excellent Jack Nicholson, Heath Ledger, or Barry Keoghan are as the Joker, we are ultimately watching a familiar face briefly slip into a costume.

In a comic book, the Joker is a drawing. He is no one but himself—an idea that “Death of the Family” touches upon. Artist Greg Capullo and inker Jonathan Glapion conjure this haunting appearance of the Joker onto the page from nothing. Together with Scott Snyder’s scripts, this vision of terror is born, not in our world, but in the world of the story. Because “Death of the Family”‘s Joker is so divorced from our reality, we fear the unknown. 

The Joker’s detached face, one of the primary vessels of fear in the story, contributes to this abstraction. That rotting skin held taut by staples and wires reminds us the familiar can be easily cut away to tease the horror of the unknown lying beneath. If the Joker’s face, a sight we’re accustomed to and maybe even desensitized by, can be warped into a new nightmarish vision with one change, then couldn’t the same be done for Batman?

“Death of the Family” answers this question when the Bat-Family awakens with their faces bandaged and bloody while seated at a dinner table. The Joker taunts them and Batman before revealing the horrific main course on the table. It appears to be the skinned faces of the Bat-Family. Fear is a subjective and personal experience. The Joker in “Death of the Family“ leans into fear’s individualized nature, recalling another standout appearance of his in Grant Morrison and Dave McKean’s Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth. In order for the Joker to be scary, a story must understand what Batman himself fears.

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Dwayne Johnson was right when he said, “The hierarchy of power in the DC universe is about to change.” He was just wrong about who would end up on top. Power now rests in the hands of new co-heads of DC, James Gunn and Peter Safran. We’ve wondered what their ascension would mean for the superhero franchise since the moment they got hired. But we don’t have to wait any longer. Gunn has announced “Chapter 1” of projects in a unified DC universe, or what is known as the DCU.

Gunn shared the plan for the new DC Universe that he and Safran have devised for the first 8-10 years of their regime. That will include a space for other projects that don’t fall under the main DC Universe purview. Films like The Batman Part 2, Teen Titans Go, and Joker: Folie à Deux will fall under the DC Elseworlds banner, same as in DC comics.

Movies already in the works like Shazam: Fury of the Gods, The Flash, Blue Beetle, and Aquaman 2, will lead to Gunn and Safran’s new unified DC Universe. (Notably, Gunn said The Flash “resets the entire DC Universe.”) That singular universe will encompass film, television, and gaming. Gunn said characters will even move between animation and live-action, with the same actors playing the voices for the former.

But the biggest news from Gunn is the slate of new films and television shows DC is calling “Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters.” Below, we break down what we know about these DCU entries so far.

DC UNIVERSE CHAPTER ONE MOVIES

Superman: Legacy: The film side of the new DCU will kick off on July 11, 2025 with Superman: Legacy. Gunn is writing the script, which he says is “the true beginning” of this new unified era.

According to a release, the Superman movie will “focus on Superman balancing his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing.”

You can check out everything we know about Superman: Legacy here:

The Authority: Gunn’s “passion project” is a “big movie” that will introduce a very different group of superheroes. They believe the world is broken and needs saving. But they will also interact with all of the franchise’s other big characters.

A release shares more about this DC Universe movie, It notes “WildStorm characters will join the DCU as members of The Authority take matters into their own hands to do what they believe is right.”

The Brave and the Bold: Batman will come to the DCU in a story based on Grant Morrison’s comic series. It will feature Batman’s actual son, Damian Wayne, as Robin.

According to Gunn, “This is a story of Damian Wayne, who’s Batman’s actual son that he didn’t know existed for the first eight to ten years of his life. He was raised as a little murderer and assassin. He’s my favorite Robin.”

Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow: Tom King (and Bilquis Evely)’s comic book series from last year is getting turned into “a big science fiction epic film.”

Gunn shares, “In our story, we have Superman, who was sent to Earth and raised by incredibly loving parents. Kara was on Krypton. She was on a piece of Krypton that drifted away from the planet, and she lived there for the first fourteen years of her life in a horrible situation where she watched everyone around her die. So, she’s a much harsher and more f*cked up Supergirl than you’ve been used to thus far.”

It was recently reported that Ana Nogueira will write the DCU’s Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow movie.

Swamp Thing: Though “tonally outside the rest of the DCU,” the origin story of Swamp Thing will still feed into the rest of the DC Universe’s stories.

DCU CHAPTER ONE TELEVISION SHOWS

Creature Commandos: The first project for the new DCU is an animated series based on characters first introduced in 1980.

A release shares that this show will be “a seven-episode animated show in which Amanda Waller creates a black ops team out of monstrous prisoners; Gunn wrote all the episodes of the first season.” Gunn further shares, that team will include, “Rick Flag, Sr. He’s going to show up in other stuff. Then Nina Mazursky. Doctor Phosphorus, a Batman villain. Frankenstein—Eric Frankenstein, specifically. The Bride of Frankenstein, who’s the lead. Finally, G.I. Robot and Weasel.”

Waller: The second series from Gunn and Safran is Waller, a live-action spinoff from Peacemaker. It will see Amanda Waller teaming up with members from the Peacemaker team.

Christal Henry (Watchmen) and Jeremy Carver (Supernatural) will write this entry in the DC Universe.

Lanterns: Gunn says Lanterns will be a big HBO series starring Hal Jordan and John Stewart. The “terrestrial-based” show will be akin to True Detective. The two will investigate a “terrifying mystery” that has huge ties to the entire franchise.

Paradise Lost: Paradise Lost will take place on Themyscira, home of Wonder Woman. Gunn says it has a lot in common with Game of Thrones. A release shares this entry into the DC Universe “focuses on the genesis and political intrigue of an island of all women.”

Booster Gold: Booster Gold might be DC’s most popular loser. He’s a hero who travels back in time with technology from the future that lets him be a superhero. That tech is also getting him his own show.

Even more exciting for DC fans? Gunn says these are just the stories he can tell us about right now. But this slate is enough to know the hierarchy in the DC universe really has changed.

Originally published on January 31, 2023.

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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. 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.

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In 2018, James Wan did the unexpected in delivering an all-around delightful Aquaman. In addition to subverting expectations, Aquaman also delivered at the box office, earning over $1 billion and a place as the top-grossing DC Comics film to date. So it’s no surprise whatsoever that DC Comics and Warner Bros. greenlit a sequel. Here’s everything we know about the DCEU’s Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.

Warner Bros.

Title

The title for the Aquaman sequel is Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom‘s Plot

For a while, plot details for this Aquaman sequel were scarce, but we had some thoughts about where Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom could pick up after the very fun first film. In an interview with Total Film, Wan revealed that the story will be largely inspired by the 1960s cult horror film Planet of the Vampires. He also hints at leaning into his horror DNA with the new film.

An official synopsis for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom reveals more. It notes:

Having failed to defeat Aquaman the first time, Black Manta, still driven by the need to avenge his father’s death, will stop at nothing to take Aquaman down once and for all. This time Black Manta is more formidable than ever before, wielding the power of the mythic Black Trident, which unleashes an ancient and malevolent force. To defeat him, Aquaman will turn to his imprisoned brother Orm, the former King of Atlantis, to forge an unlikely alliance. Together, they must set aside their differences in order to protect their kingdom and save Aquaman’s family, and the world, from irreversible destruction.

Behind the Scenes

James Wan is returning to direct; he’ll also produce alongside Peter Safran. David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, who co-wrote the first film, is also back and will be writing the sequel’s script.

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom‘s Cast

Naturally, Jason Momoa will reprise his role as Aquaman/Arthur Curry in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. Other cast members returning include Amber Heard as Mera, and Patrick Wilson as Arthur’s half-brother Orm Marius. Yahya Abdul-Matteen II has also confirmed he’s appearing in the sequel as David Kane/Black Manta. In the mid-credit scene, Dr. Stephen Shin (Randall Park) rescued Kane, confirming his survival and teasing his return. Additionally, Nicole Kidman returns as Atlanna, “a fierce leader and mother with the heart of a warrior.” And Dolph Lundgren will reprise his role as King Nereus.

Jani Zhao, Indya Moore, and Vincent Regan have also joined the cast. Zhao will be playing a character named Stingray, whose background is unknown. Stingray is an original character created for the movie. Moore, meanwhile, is set to appear as Karshon. This character comes from the DC comics. According to the report, Karshon first appeared as a villain in 1963’s Green Lantern #24. Karshon began life as a shark but gained intelligence and powers after an encounter with radiation. Finally, Regan will appear as Atlan. Atlan was the ruler who caused Atlantis to sink into the ocean. Aquaman searched for Atlan’s trident in the first film.

Meanwhile, Game of Thrones alum Pilou Asbæk has reportedly joined the cast in a currently unknown role.

On July 28, 2022, Jason Momoa revealed that Ben Affleck would also appear in the film, reprising his role as Bruce Wayne/Batman from the previous DCEU films. Affleck, of course, took part in the upcoming Flash movie. Evidently, the intention was to keep it a secret but, of all things, the Warner Bros. Studio Tour happened to catch both actors coming out of the soundstage. Awhoops. Ultimately, though, according to The Hollywood Reporter, although Affleck, as well as fellow Batman Michael Keaton, were meant to appear in the movie at different points, no Batman will appear in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’s Release Date

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom releases on December 20, 2023.

Originally published on April 27, 2021.

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Blue Beetle was a highlight of Warner Bros.’ recent output of DC Comics films, showcasing the first Latino superhero with his own feature film. A fun mix of Iron Man, Spider-Man, with a dash of Venom, both critics and fans enjoyed the film. We recently got the chance to chat with Blue Beetle’s director, the Puerto Rican-born Ángel Manuel Soto. He talked to us about bringing the fan-favorite character to life ahead of Blue Beetle‘s Blu-ray debut.

Nerdist: The Jaime Reyes Blue Beetle, compared to other DC heroes at least, hasn’t been around that long. Only since 2006. When it came to crafting the movie, was that more of a blessing or an obstacle, to not have as many years to draw from story-wise?

Ángel Manuel Soto. No, it was a benefit to some extent. Especially the writer [Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer], I have to give him credit for, one, being a diehard fan of Blue Beetle, and two, being open to having fun and picking the “greatest hits” of the things that we like so that we could form a story that is also based on our collective experience as much as we can. We have the opportunity to finally show the story of a Latino hero from the ground up. Often, our stories are told from the middle of the sentence or the middle of the paragraph. We never get the opportunity to show us come into anything. If it’s a villain, we never get a chance to ask “How did he become a villain?” There’s this whole mentality that you’re bad because you’re born bad, and you’re Latino, so Latinos are bad.

And the same thing that we did with Carapax and showing the history of violence that led him to be the villain that he is. We wanted our hero also to show that his heroism doesn’t come from his just getting powers. It comes from the whole history and legacy that his family comes with once they cross the border. So that part might not have been the biggest element of the comic, but we wanted to use that as our own starting point. Even the animated iterations.

The aspect of the Reyes family is so important to why this movie works as well as it does. They’re not even supporting cast, they’re fellow heroes in the end. What made you decide to include them all in the adventure in the way you did?

Soto: Well, right off the bat, one of the things the writer wanted to do is a throwback. The movie has this throwback energy to the origin stories of heroes that we love. But one of the tropes that is very common within superhero movies is that they keep their identity a secret from the people they love, and rightfully so. They’re trying to protect them. It does make total sense. But good luck trying to keep a secret from a Latina mom. So how can we take that reality and apply it to the superhero trope and how that ripples into the film?

So if we know that it’s not a secret, and our families always stick their noses in everything that we do, why not bring them into the adventure? Usually, they’re left in the back. They’re backdrop, they’re props, or they’re one dimensional. And they’re only there to kill one of them, or just to protect them. And for us, we said, “No, what if it’s the other way around?” Sure, exploring the lowest of lows is interesting. But what if instead of the villain using the family as bait, the villain captures our hero, and the family does the rescue mission? That is something new we haven’t seen before. And it’s through that community, family, the community, that extension that you call family, that makes you a superhero.

Xolo Maridueña really owns this role. It feels like it was made just for him. He manages to be funny and light, but really brings the drama in the heavy scenes. Was there a favorite scene you directed him in?

Soto: That’s all him. And that fierceness that he has, and then the transformation to vulnerability and empathy, it’s not easy. Those are big emotions, they have a big gap between them. And that’s where I saw this kid is the real deal. I was moved by that because I saw him go from Cobra Kai to this. Then seeing that manifest when we were shooting was like, “Oh my gosh, we made the right choice.”

I saw the film at an early screening, and you could tell who was Latino in the audience by the laughter erupting from just seeing the Vicks VapoRub. My friend who isn’t Latino has to ask me what was funny about that, but I’m Cuban-American so I totally got it. I know our grandmas use it as a cure-all for everything. Did you get any pushback about gags like that which would only land with the Latino audience?

Soto: Yeah, of course you get pushback, sadly. There is a legacy of fear of the unknown. And by conforming to the status quo, you lose authenticity. And then it’s just fake, it’s a cookie-cutter version of what the US expects a Latino should be. We had to fight a lot of those battles. And some didn’t make it. But the ones that stayed, they paid off. And the thing is, if you don’t know it, just ask. Ask and we’ll tell you. Or just open your minds to other cultures. The whole Vicks idea wasn’t in the script. It was because one of the actresses, Belissa Escobedo, was trying to find out what would wake him up. She said, “Well, my mom used to wake me up with Vicks.” And Nana had Vicks with her, so she brought it in and we just did it.

In the special features for the Blu-ray, the screenwriter talks about how you really drew from the previous versions of Blue Beetle, even if Dan Garrett and Ted Kord weren’t in the movie. Did you ever consider ignoring the legacy hero concept and streamlining it? Or was the legacy angle something you felt you had to do?

Soto: Yeah, we wanted to honor them. In the same spirit of the movie celebrating our family and our ancestors and those who came before us, we didn’t want to brush away the first two Blue Beetles. Although Dan Garrett might not have had a direct relationship with Jaime, he had one with Ted Kord. In the title sequence, we do the montage of the legacy of Blue Beetle. But also, we had his suit in the lair. Jaime does a nod to Dan Garrett when he summons Khaji Da. So we wanted to keep that legacy in it, but also open the doors towards the end so that if and when Ted Kord shows up, we can see what can happen with him.

Blue Beetle hits 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, standard Blu-ray, and DVD on October 31.

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The original Green Lantern, Alan Scott, first appeared in All-American Comics #16 in 1940. Armed with a magic ring and a multi-colored costume, he was a far cry from later sci-fi Green Lanterns like Hal Jordan and John Stewart. But as the first bearer of the name, he still has iconic status. In recent years, DC has reinvented Alan as a hero who struggled to keep his gay identity a secret. Now, writer Tim Sheridan (Teen Titans Academy, Masters of the Universe: Revelation) is exploring the original Lantern’s secret past, in the new mini-series Alan Scott: Green Lantern.

Nerdist: Many write most LGBTQ characters these days from a very 21st-century perspective. But in your new series, you’re approaching it from a mid-20th-century POV, where things were completely different. Being discovered as gay could literally cause you to lose everything, even your life. How different was it writing a queer character from this perspective over say, a Gen Z gay in 2023?

Tim Sheridan: Well, there’s no way around the fact that I am reporting from 2023. So some of my sensibilities, are going to find their way into it. It’s not a historical document, right? It’s a comic book, and there are some slight liberties we take in trying to keep within as honest a historical framework. But I think that this period we’re dealing with wasn’t just a difficult period to be a closeted queer person. I think if you weren’t a straight white man during that period, there was a lot of adversity. There were a lot of things that you came up against.

In some ways, Alan is a lot like I was when I was growing up. Where you’re able to hide in the light, and people look at you and they don’t necessarily know that you have a secret identity. And so that’s something that Alan is grappling with, and I think a lot of people in that period would’ve grappled with. I wish I could say that that wasn’t the case today, but I think today people are still dealing with coming out of the closet, and being honest about who they are. If it’s not something that you wear on your skin or with the way you outwardly present to the world, you have a choice. And it can be a very tragic choice. Certainly, the consequences in the 1930s and 1940s were dire for someone like Alan Scott.

But the other side of that coin is Alan Scott’s a hero, and he’s a born hero. So what does that mean for someone like him in that period of time? Those are the things that I was thinking about. And like I said, there’s no way to completely divorce ourselves. We know that we’re looking back through a window in time with all of the advantages of living in the present.

Alan Scott had a circuitous route to becoming an LGBTQ character. First, his son Obsidian came out as gay in the ‘90s. And then an alternate Earth version of him was a gay man in the New 52 era. Now, the original version of Alan is a gay man. Before his very late in life coming out, did you perceive Alan as a queer hero who was basically closeted? Or did it come as a surprise when DC made the decision to make him a queer hero?

Sheridan: I think I was surprised that they were willing to do it. Surprised in a good way. I never considered it. I’m a big Obsidian fan and a big Infinity Inc. fan, and I love that character and I love what they introduced with that character. I think in a lot of ways, I hunger for more stories about Obsidian and what his life’s been like. I didn’t expect it, and it was a delight for me because I think it makes a lot of sense.

On the Watchmen TV series, they dealt with and touched on the idea of being closeted gay heroes during the golden age. And so the idea of taking a character like that and introducing this new layer of information about everything that they were dealing with during all of those adventures and all of that time and all the things we saw play out for them? I just think it opens up an incredible new level of storytelling that we can reach with this character. And a new audience that we can really talk to about this character.

So, like I said, I was surprised and delighted. I never dreamed that I would get a chance to add my voice to Alan’s and to the canon. And it was only because Geoff Johns, when we worked on Flashpoint Beyond, started setting up this concept for the new Golden Age. And he called me and said, “I think you should write a story about Alan Scott as a closeted gay superhero in the 1940s. I think you’re the one to do it.” Honestly, I was completely terrified. Because I’ve never written a story with a lead character who was gay first of all, but also who was like me in any way, really. And so I said, “Okay, let’s do it. Let’s see what we can do.”

In the old ‘40s Green Lantern comics, Alan had a sidekick named Derby “Doiby” Dickles. He was a taxi driver with an ultra-thick New York accent. Not to give away a big spoiler, but in this mini-series, you reveal that he’s fully aware of Alan’s sexuality. Even though he’s a ‘40s street tough kinda guy, he accepts him. What made you decide Derby knew, and that Derby would be ok with it despite the times?

Sheridan: Well, for me, knowing how Derby, aka Doiby, knowing the way he worships the Green Lantern, as an inseparable sidekick, I wanted Alan to have some kind of confidant. Somebody who knew more about him than everyone else, the way that Doiby always did. They were tight. So for me, it made sense to have Doiby be a sort of sounding board and a confidant for Alan Scott.

He’s outside the world of superheroes. He’s outside the world of the JSA. These are things that remain complicated for Alan at this point in the story. The JSA has just formed. He is terrified that he is endangering the Justice Society by being, as he sees it, by the laws of the day, a criminal. He’s a criminal in his own bedroom. And he knows he stands for the law, and here he is, someone who is breaking it and knows that he’s breaking it. So to have somebody like Doiby outside of that circle as a sounding board for him was important for me in terms of how to tell the story.

Doiby represents that. A glimmer of hope for a world that could eventually accept someone like Alan. He’s a rarity, certainly in 1941, Doiby Dickles. But this book is about a beacon of hope. And the Green Lantern himself should be a beacon of hope. And I think his inextricable partner, Doiby Dickel, should also represent that hope for a better future

Cian Tormey’s art is incredible in this. It has a throwback flavor while still looking modern. His illustrations of Alan and his boyfriend really convey how these two characters really love each other.

Sheridan: I don’t think I’m overselling it when I say that he’s doing the best work of his career on this book. And he’s somebody who even from issue to issue, or from the six-page DC Pride story that we did, and then to issue one and issue two, his work just gets richer, and better. And more emotional. The storytelling gets better. He really has locked into something, and I’m very happy for that for him. I’m very happy to see that for him. But I’m thrilled and relieved that it’s happening in our book.

I’m very grateful that he signed on, and our relationship has been amazing. We didn’t know each other before and we just kind of threw ourselves in and we started having four-hour conversations, just talking about the character, talking about the world. He’s a huge history buff, and specifically US history. Cian was born in Ireland and he lives in Spain, but he’s a huge of US history and is well-read, so it’s been a joy to get to say things to him and have him bounce some ideas back.

As the first superhero named Green Lantern, Alan Scott retains a kind of prestige at DC. But he’s also often cast aside, or thought of as a footnote to the overall Green Lantern mythology. What do you plan to do to fight people’s notions of Alan as just the “rough draft“ of Green Lantern?

Sheridan: I’ve seen people say that before, the “rough draft Green Lantern,” oh my gosh. I don’t think about Alan that way, and I’ve never thought of Alan Scott that way. I believe there’s so much great work done over decades to connect and flesh out the connection to the mythology. But I think that work has been done, and I think he’s an integral part of Green Lantern history. He is an inspiration to the ones who come after him. And I think that’s the exciting thing about doing a story about a golden age hero that we know is going to be someone who inspires other heroes, not just the public.

There has always been room to expand upon the lore and mythology surrounding Alan’s Green Lantern. And that’s where Geoff Johns’ creation of the Golden Age Red Lantern character, Alan’s arch nemesis, the Soviet answer to the Green Lantern, comes in. Vladimir Sokov is his name, and that’s where that gets really exciting. Geoff created a dynamic where this character, this important figure in Alan’s life became removed from time. And then in a very sort of huge Geoff Johnsy way, reinserted back into the timeline. This book takes place in and around the origins of Alan, and also the origin of the arch nemesis relationship between the Red Lantern and the Green Lantern. And so it’s incredibly exciting to add to the lore and the mythology like this.

Alan Scott: Green Lantern #1, the first of a six-issue mini-series by Tim Sheridan and Cian Tormey, is on sale now.

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The unexpected comic book movie blockbuster of 2019 was Todd Phillips’ Joker, starring Joaquin Phoenix in the title role of Batman’s #1 nemesis. The movie earned a billion dollars at the box office and won Phoenix an Academy Award for his role as Arthur Fleck. No one saw all that coming for the relatively smaller budget and very adult-skewing R-rated film. But when you make that much money, a sequel is inevitable.

Here’s everything we know about the Joker sequel.

Title

Isn’t it beautiful?

Todd Phillips reminding us to rewatch Joker and get ready for #JokerFolieADeux pic.twitter.com/loJjviyiLI

— DC (@DCOfficial) October 3, 2023

The official title for Todd Phillips’ sequel to his 2019 blockbuster hit is officially Joker: Folie à Deux. Which means, in French, “Joker: Shared Madness.”

Joker: Folie à Deux‘s Plot

Right now, we know little of the plot for the Joker follow-up. Other than the fact that it will feature the Joker and Harley Quinn together. Considering how loosely the first film played with DC Comics’ mythos, don’t expect this one to be any different. They explored the origin of the Joker/Harley relationship in the classic Batman: The Animated Series episode “Mad Love,” and then translated (more or less faithfully) in the first Suicide Squad movie. We expect something a little more out of the box this time for Joker and Harley.

For those concerned, Peter Safran and James Gunn have assured fans the movie will remain in the DC Universe, though it will carry an Elseworlds project tag. That means it will live on, but it won’t work into the main timeline of the DC Universe.

Joker: Folie à Deux‘s Cast

Aside from the returning Joaquin Phoenix as Joker/Arthur Fleck, and Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn, only a handful of other actors have been confirmed thus far. Brendan Gleeson has also joined the cast, as has Catherine Keener in a “major” but still unknown role. Jacob Lofland has also joined up, as someone associated with Arkham Asylum.Also officially joining the cast is Industry‘s Harry Lawtey.

Behind the Scenes

Director Todd Phillips is reuniting with his original Joker co-writer Scott Silver for this new continuation.

Joker: Folie à Deux‘s Release Date

The Joker sequel is set to premiere on October 4, 2024.

Originally published on December 12, 2022.

The post Everything We Know About JOKER: FOLIE à DEUX appeared first on Nerdist.

There has been much speculation about which characters from the old DCEU would make the transition to James Gunn’s new DCU. No one, including Gal Gadot, seems to know if she is coming back as Wonder Woman or not. Well, now we know three actors who are definitely coming back in this new DC Universe. They are John Cena as Peacemaker, Viola Davis as Amanda Waller, and Xolo Maridueña as Jaime Reyes, the Blue Beetle. This was all confirmed by Gunn on social media, via The Hollywood Reporter.

So does that make the previous Peacemaker series, or Gunn’s own Suicide Squad canon? What about the very recently released Blue Beetle? After all, the actor playing him is officially returning. Here’s what Gunn said in a post on Threads when a fan asked about the new DCU canon.

“Nothing is canon until Creature Commandos next year — a sort of apéritif to the DCU — & then a deeper dive into the universe with Superman: Legacy after that. It’s a very human drive to want to understand everything all the time, but I think its okay to be confused on what’s happening in the DCU since no one has seen anything from the DCU yet. And, yes, some actors will be playing characters they’ve played in other stories & some plot points might be consistent with plot points from the dozens of films, shows & animated projects that have come from DC in the past. But nothing is canon until Creature Comandos and Legacy.”

It will be fascinating to see if any other characters from the old canon make the transition. Margot Robbie is very liked as Harley, and is personal friends with Gunn, she seems like a sure thing. But what about Jason Momoa as Aquaman? That one seems very up in the air. Hopefully, as Superman: Legacy approaches, we start to see a clearer picture of who is, and who is not, making the transition to Gunn’s new DC Universe.

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For over 80 years, DC Comics has been continuously publishing Batman and Detective Comics. And in that time, they have produced some of the best, most creative runs on any superhero comic book series ever. So many, in fact, it was hard to narrow them down to a “10 best.” But for our money, the following are the greatest creator runs by a specific comic writer or writer/artists combo in the history of Batman.

10. Doug Moench and Kelley Jones

Writer Doug Moench and artist Kelley Jones were a dream comics team on the Batman titles, producing a 42-issue run from 1995 to 1998. These issues leaned heavily on supernatural stories and good old-fashioned detective yarns. This writer/artist duo picked up from where the Knightfall Saga left off. That 1993 story saw Batman seriously injured and replaced for a time. Their mid-’90s run was a back-to-basics approach, after two years of different characters under the cowl, like Azrael and Dick Grayson.

Moench’s propensity for the spookier side of Batman lore was perfect with Jones’ art style, which often made Batman’s villains look more grotesque than ever. Although the two had a lengthy run on the ongoing title, we can’t forget to mention their Batman and Dracula DC Comics trilogy. These were a series of out-of-continuity stories that told what-if style tales about Batman as a vampire. When you combine these three Elseworlds stories with their regular run in the ongoing Batman title, it all makes for a truly memorable run on the character.

Issues in Doug Moench and Kelley Jones‘ Batman Comic Run:

Batman 516-552 (1995-1998) Batman and Dracula: Red Rain (1991), Batman: Bloodstorm (1994), Batman: Crimson Mist (1998)

9. Paul Dini

Writer Paul Dini became a Batman legend in another medium outside of comics before tackling the Dark Knight’s adventures in print. As a producer and writer on Batman: The Animated Series, Dini wrote several iconic episodes, including redefining Mr. Freeze in “Heart of Ice,” and co-created Harley Quinn. Not to mention he wrote both the Arkham Asylum and Arkham City video games. But years after the show ended, Dini did a significant run of Batman stories in Detective Comics and Batman: Streets of Gotham.

Working together primarily with artists Dustin Nguyen and Don Kramer, Dini wrote stories that expanded and gave depth to newer villains like Hush. He also wrote several one-and-done mysteries stories, once that reflected some of his best work on the animated shows. While his non-comics Batman stories might have had a greater impact on popular culture, his run on the character in the pages of the Dark Knight’s birth medium of comic books shouldn’t be forgotten.

Issues in Paul Dini’s Batman Comic Run:

Batman: Streets of Gotham #1-4, #7, #10-14, #16-21, DCU Holiday Special #1, Detective Comics #821-824, #826-828, #831, #833-834, #837-841, #843-850, #852, (2006-2009)

8. “New Look” Batman

When most people talk about the best Batman and Detective Comics runs, most people begin in the ‘70s. But a very important Batman comics run happened in 1964 -1968, which literally saved the character from irrelevance. For much of the ‘50s/early ’60s, the restrictive Comics Code censors neutered Batman as a character. Instead of fighting criminals, he fought aliens and wacky monsters in stories mainly aimed at 6-year-olds. And Bob Kane’s art (and those of his copycat ghost artists) was hopelessly dated in an era of Marvel heroes. Sales slipped badly, and something needed to be done. Legend has it that if DC couldn’t raise sales on the Batman comic books, they would cancel one or both of them.

So DC editor Julius Schwartz hired veteran writers John Broome, Gardner Fox, and artist Carmine Infantino to revamp Batman, just as they had for the Flash. Infantino illustrated every other issue of Detective, with longtime penciler Sheldon Moldoff now instructed to mimic Infantino’s art, not Bob Kane’s. The stories featured a lot of one-off bad guys and dynamic artwork. And saw Batman actually being a detective for the first time in years. This era also gave us the iconic yellow oval Bat emblem and introduced Batgirl and Poison Ivy. This 1964-68 comics run of Batman revitalized the character for younger readers. Many saw Batman as their dad’s hero in previous. The success of this Batman run led directly to the ABC creating the TV series. Which, of course, mercilessly spoofed the comics, but the comics themselves remain a retro blast to read.

Issues in the “New Look” Batman Comic Run:

Detective Comics #327-371, Batman #164-200 (1964-1968)

7. Steve Englehart and Marshall Rogers

Though it’s one of the best, this Batman comic run often gets forgotten, thanks to the long shadow of game-changing work from Denny O’Neill. And, it was only eight issues long, running in the late ‘70s. But writer Steve Englehart, famous for work on Marvel titles like Avengers, wrote several character-defining issues of Detective Comics that were some of the best Batman work ever published until that time. Englehart, together with artist Marshall Rogers, really doubled down on Bruce Wayne as a suave, James Bond-style ladies’ man, giving him a femme fatale love interest named Silver St. Cloud.

Together, Englehart and Rogers gave new life to discarded Golden Age villain Dr. Hugo Strange and introduced the definitive version of the assassin Deadshot. Both characters would become mainstays of Batman’s rogues gallery from then on. One of his Joker stories, “The Laughing Fish,” even found new life as a fantastic episode of Batman: The Animated Series years later. He even made a once-cheesy villain like Doctor Phosphorus cool. Steve Englehart would return years later for a Batman tale here and there. But nothing beats the original Englehart and Rogers combo. Their Batman run was brief, but the impact on Batman and his comic legacy was big.

Issues in Steve Englehart and Marshall Rogers Batman Comic Run:

Detective Comics #469-476, 1977-1978

6. Tom King (with various artists)

Writer Tom King had the unenviable task of following up Scott Snyder’s celebrated Batman run back in 2016. Yet King’s Batman introduced lots of new concepts in innovative stories, some of which worked like gangbusters, and a few that landed with a thud (killing off Alfred Pennyworth counts as the latter). But during King’s nearly 100-issue run, he finally deepened the Batman/Catwoman relationship, even if fans were (wrongly) denied their wedding. However, the abruptly ended nuptials of Bruce and Selina were part of a pretty amazing story involving the oft-misused Bane.

King’s Batman comic run also included the Joker vs. Riddler crime saga “The War of Jokes and Riddles,” a story that stands as one of the great modern Gotham City stories. They paired King with incredible artists during his run—David Finch, Mitch Gerads, Clay Mann, Lee Weeks, Jason Fabok. But especially Mikal Janin, who illustrated Batman the most. But everyone brought their A-game. We eagerly await our first Tom King Batman omnibus, DC Comics. This run one was one of the greats, flaws and all. And yes, one big flaw was killing Alfred. That keeps this entry down one whole notch on our list of the best Batman comic runs.

Issues in Tom King’s (with various artists) Batman Comic Run:

Batman: Rebirth #1, Batman (Vol.3) #1-85, Annuals #1-3, Batman/Catwoman #1-12 (2016-2022)

5. Frank Miller

You thought this run would be way higher on the list, didn’t you? We wouldn’t blame you if you did. The footprint that writer/artist Frank Miller left on the character of Batman is, quite frankly, enormous. Both his Batman: Year One, which he produced with artist David Mazzucchelli, and The Dark Knight Returns, are the most iconic versions of Batman’s “first” and “final” stories ever put to print. And everyone who has adapted Batman in every medium since has found influence in them. And they’re both really, really good.

So why this mid-level placement in the best Batman comic runs list? Well, both Year One and Dark Knight Returns are just eight issues long, all together. And his other, later runs on Batman? Well, Miller’s All-Star Batman was so terrible even Jim Lee’s art couldn’t save it. His 2001 Dark Knight Strikes Again is one of the most disappointing sequels ever made in any medium. The third chapter, which had a co-writer and different artist, was just ok. So, in the end, it’s a draw. If we were judging individual Batman comic stories, then Miller’s Dark Knight Returns and Year One would be at the top. But in terms of extended runs on the Caped Crusader, collectively, it’s all about as great as it is awful.

Issues in Frank Miller‘s Batman Comic Run:

The Dark Knight Returns, Batman: Year One, 1986-1987, The Dark Knight Strikes Again, 2001-2002, All-Star Batman 2005-2008, DKIII: The Master Race (2017)

4. Jeph Loeb, with Tim Sale and Jim Lee

Most of writer Jeph Loeb’s run on Batman was in mini-series format, with one notable run in the regular ongoing Batman title. But man, what a way to leave a stamp on a character. Loeb and artist Tim Sale first worked together on a series of Halloween specials in the mid-90s. However, their pièce de résistance remains the 13-part mini-series The Long Halloween. This intense murder mystery involved almost the entire rouges gallery in key ways, and it had a payoff worthy of the year-long build-up. Every panel of Tim Sale’s artwork is a stunning composition.

This creative team reunited for the underrated sequel, Dark Victory, a few years later, which introduced Robin into the story. But Loeb wasn’t done quite yet. In 2002, he teamed with superstar artist Jim Lee (now DC president) for a 12-part story called Hush. It’s another long-form mystery, but Loeb played to Lee’s strengths and gave him big action in addition to mystery. All of these comic runs stand out as some of the best Batman stories of all time to this day. One can see the fingerprints of these modern classics all over modern Batman films, including the recent The Batman.

Issues in Jeph Loeb, Tim Sale, and Jim Lee‘s Batman Comic Run:

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight Halloween Special, Batman: Madness – A Legends of the Dark Knight Halloween Special, Batman: Ghosts -A Legends of the Dark Knight Halloween Special, Batman: The Long Halloween #1-13, Batman: Dark Victory #0-13, Catwoman: When in Rome #1-6, Batman #608-619 (1994-2004)

3. Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo

The 2011 New 52 reboot of DC was hastily put together and is largely disliked today. But there was at least one big exception to the quality dip of that reboot everyone agrees on, however. And that is writer Scott Snyder and artist Greg Capullo’s run on the series. This run introduced one of the coolest concepts to the mythology in years, the mysterious Court of Owls, a secret society controlling Gotham for decades. Snyder and Capullo also gave us one of the best Jokers storylines in decades in The Death of the Family. After decades of Frank Miller’s Year One as being the definitive “early years” Batman, Snyder and Capullo unleashed Zero Year. This was an arguably more epic take on Batman’s first twelve months on the job.

Scott Snyder found a way to combine a psychological take with big superhero action, and it always works. We should add, even before the New 52 reboot, Snyder wrote one of the best Batman stories ever, The Black Mirror. Only that time it was with Dick Grayson as the Dark Knight and not Bruce Wayne. The Snyder/Capullo run officially ended with the two-part Last Knight on Earth. But they unofficially continued their Batman partnership in the event series Dark Nights: Metal and Dark Nights: Death Metal. Both of which featured Batman in a central role. This one is the most recent of the truly great runs of Batman’s ongoing comic titles.

Issues in Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo‘s Batman Comic Run:

Batman (Vol.2) #0-52, #23.2 and Annual #1-4 Batman: Futures End #1; Detective Comics #1000 and Batman: Last Knight on Earth #1-3, Dark Nights- Metal #1-6, and Dark Nights – Death Metal #17 (2011-2018)

2. Grant Morrison (with various artists)

By the time they took on the regular ongoing Batman title in 2006, writer Grant Morrison was already a comics legend. Specifically, Morrison was known for Batman, having written the graphic novel Arkham Asylum and given the character a significant part in their JLA run. But their take on the Dark Knight’s ongoing series successfully combined elements of every era of the character before, from the ‘50s sci-fi goofiness to ‘70s high adventure, in one wonderful almost surreal run that even saw Batman dead and his former protégé Nightwing replacing him in the role.

Morrison’s run also introduced Bruce’s son Damian Wayne as Robin, now an iconic part of Batman’s lore. Their extended storyline Batman: R.I.P. remains one of the greatest and trippiest Batman stories of all time. They also created new villains that are now legit parts of the rogues gallery, like the Flamingo and Professor Pyg. Combined, it was an epic seven-year run on the character, playing across multiple series and even the event Final Crisis. The art by Adam Kubert, Frank Quitely, Tony S. Daniel, and others also raises this run into the stratosphere.

Issues in Grant Morrison’s Batman Comic Run:

Batman #655-658, #663-683, Batman & Robin #1-16, Batman #700-702, Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne #1-6, Batman Incorporated #1-8, Batman: The Return #1, Batman Incorporated #0-13, Batman Incorporated: Leviathan Strikes #1, Batman Incorporated Special #1, Final Crisis (2006-2013)

1. Dennis O’Neil (with Neal Adams, various artists) Has the Best Batman Comic Run

After the end of the Batman ’66 TV series, the character’s reputation as a joke was cemented in popular culture. So DC did something drastic and doubled down on returning Batman to his 1939 status as an avenging creature of the night. Writer Dennis “Denny” O’Neil and artist Neal Adams produced 11 issues from 1970 to 73. These stories restored Batman to his role as Gotham’s Dark Knight Detective. They separated Batman from Robin (mostly), making him a brooding loner again. In their Batman comic run, they introduced major villains like Ra’s al Ghul and Talia. They made the Joker a homicidal maniac again, and brought back Two-Face after decades.

O’Neil also introduced the concept of Batman as a sexy globetrotting adventurer, in the style of James Bond. While the O’Neil/Adams collaboration only lasted three years. Later, O’Neil wrote dozens of other Batman stories with collaborators like Irv Novick and Dick Giordano. One of those stories, “Appointment in Crime Alley,” is widely considered one of the best Batman stories ever. O’Neil became group editor of the Batman line by the ‘90s, guiding what other writers did. But his own Batman run is the most influential run on the Dark Knight of any creator to date. Bob Kane and Bill Finger might have created the architecture of Batman, but Denny O’Neil and his artistic collaborators did the rest.

Issues in Dennis O’Neil’s (with Neal Adams, various artists) Batman Comic Run

Detective Comics 395,397,404,410, 480-491, Batman 232, 234, 235, 237, 243-248, 251-266, (1970-1980) Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight (1989)

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It was five long years ago that we received the colorful action explosion of Aquaman. Still the highest grossing movie starring a DC character who isn’t Batman, James Wan’s first film was a gloriously goofy exploration of Arthur Curry’s (Jason Momoa) journey to Atlantis and fight against his half-brother Orm (Patrick Wilson). A lot has changed in both the real world and in the DC movie landscape since then, and after a number of false-starts and pushed releases, the sequel Aquaman: The Lost Kingdom is finally happening. Check out the full trailer now!

The story picks up a few years into Aquaman’s reign as king of Atlantis. He defends his people, the half-billion underwater dwellers, but he lives at his dad’s lighthouse still. Now, however, he has a child. Truly, how can he balance work and family? Unfortunately, it doesn’t get any easier. His old foe Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) is back for revenge, but this time he has the Black Trident. James Wan told Nerdist along with other outlets at a trailer preview event that his “plan was always in the first movie to set up [Aquaman’s] relationship with [Black Manta]. He was kind of a glorified side character in the first one. But that was okay because we knew the second movie was going to have him in a much bigger role.”

Wan explained that elements of this movie came from the now-defunct Trench movie that was to be a spinoff of the first Aquaman. “We didn’t want that project to potentially step on the Aquaman films. But we came up with a lot of interesting ideas and a lot of really cool stuff that I felt we could use in this one. The Trench movie was going to be a secret Black Manta movie. Initially, we announced it as a Trench movie but we wanted to surprise people with a Black Manta movie. Some of those ideas found their way into this.”

Black Manta has tapped into the power of the fabled “Lost Kingdom,” a long-buried race of Lovecraftian nightmares, and in order to battle them, Arthur will need some help. Who better, it seems, than Orm? Well, like anyone else would probably be the more obvious choice. But Aquaman gets his estranged brother out of the pokey and enlists his help to save their home. Naturally it won’t be an easy alliance, but the Orm and Arthur relationship will be the major one in the movie. Wan said if the first movie is Romancing the Stone, the sequel is Tango & Cash.

The film, as you probably guessed, has been in a bit of upheaval as the state of DC Films has changed. Wan says he has mostly tried to focus on his own film, but likens the whole thing to “living in a house that’s being renovated.” That said, he is quick to point out how, at least from his perspective, the first movie is as standalone as any of the movies in the DCEU has been, without connective tissue to any other specific film or outside character. That will hold true for the sequel. So even if Aquaman: The Lost Kingdom doesn’t officially connect to the future DCU, they’ll exist on their own as a one-two punch.

Fans of Wan’s wackiness will hopefully find much to enjoy. “I’ve never shied away from weird,” he told us. “If you guys have seen Malignant you know what I mean.” He said he’s turned to Jules Verne and Ray Harryhausen for inspiration, and obviously his horror roots are coming through again. We don’t have too long to wait now, as Aquaman: The Lost Kingdom will hit theaters December 20, 2023.

Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Instagram and Letterboxd.

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The seas are angry, my friend! Black Manta is, too. He wants more than just revenge against Arthur Curry. That much is clear in the first teaser trailer for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is back to destroy Jason Momoa’s hero and everything he cares about. That will lead to all out underwater war, in a battle that will see two brothers forced to work together to save their world.

Don’t worry, though, Aquaman has some more help—like a giant translucent war seahorse.

We now have our first real look at director James Wan’s long-awaited sequel to his 2018 smash hit. This Aquaman follow-up looks much darker in tone and story than the first, but with the same kind of vibrant energy.

Alongside its teaser, DC Studios also shared an official synopsis for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom that provides the best idea yet of what we’ll see when we return to the waves. From an unlikely family reunion to powerful artifacts, this movie will bring us all out undersea chaos.

Having failed to defeat Aquaman the first time, Black Manta, still driven by the need to avenge his father’s death, will stop at nothing to take Aquaman down once and for all. This time Black Manta is more formidable than ever before, wielding the power of the mythic Black Trident, which unleashes an ancient and malevolent force. To defeat him, Aquaman will turn to his imprisoned brother Orm, the former King of Atlantis, to forge an unlikely alliance. Together, they must set aside their differences in order to protect their kingdom and save Aquaman’s family, and the world, from irreversible destruction.

DC also provided updates for its many returning characters. They offer even more clues about the Aquaman sequel’s plot. Turns out Arthur Curry and his Queen are new parents. (Aww.) We hope that burning house in the teaser doesn’t mean Aquaman’s own dad won’t be around to babysit his grandson. (Oh no!) From DC:

All returning to the roles they originated, Jason Momoa plays Arthur Curry/Aquaman, now balancing his duties as both the King of Atlantis and a new father; Patrick Wilson is Orm, Aquaman’s half-brother and his nemesis, who must now step into a new role as his brother’s reluctant ally; Amber Heard is Mera, Atlantis’ Queen and mother of the heir to the throne; Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is Black Manta, committed more than ever to avenge his father’s death by destroying Aquaman, his family and Atlantis; and Nicole Kidman as Atlanna, a fierce leader and mother with the heart of a warrior. Also reprising their roles are Dolph Lundgren as King Nereus and Randall Park as Dr. Stephen Shin.

Plus, look at all the pretty sea creatures in the Aquaman teaser! And, we guess, even the not-so-pretty ones. They’re pretty cool, too. Maybe that’s why they’re so angry. We can’t wait to find out why when Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom dives into theaters on December 20.

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With James Gunn and Peter Safran’s DC Universe on the horizon, one Blue Beetle character could provide the connective tissue between the previous studio regime and the future that’s to come: OMAC. The film introduced OMAC—an acronym for “One Man Army Corps”—as a technological enhancement for the villain Carapax (Raoul Trujillo). It was featured as an armored exoskeleton that could be implanted into the spines of ordinary humans. It then turns them into bulky weapons of war. Blue Beetle (Xolo Maridueña) and his family and friends destroyed the OMACs at Kord Industries. However, the OMAC mythos is too big and too promising to be contained in one film. A film about DC’s Authority is in development and OMAC could tie the emergent threads of the DC Universe together. 

The Origin Story and Purpose of the First OMAC, Explained

The original OMAC first appeared in Jack Kirby and Mike Royer’s OMAC #1 (1974). We meet Buddy Blank, a mild-mannered office-worker chosen by an omnipotent peace-keeping agency to become OMAC. Using an enormous eye-shaped satellite called Brother Eye, the peace-keeping agency imbued Blank with superhuman strength, speed, and durability. He also got a costume reminiscent of the Greek god of war, Ares, complete with a decorative fin. 

From the very beginning of OMAC’s history, the character focused on the relationship between technology and the human body. In the beginning pages of his first issue, OMAC muses, “Where does humanity stop and technology begin? We no longer know…”

Seeing how much Blue Beetle explores the connections between Jaime Reyes and the Scarab, OMAC is a natural point of comparison for the protagonist. 

OMAC, Superman, and the Authority’s DC Comics Relationship

OMAC could be an essential part of the DCU because of a relationship with a team on the horizon: the Authority. The Authority is traditionally made up of members like Apollo, Midnighter, and Jack Hawksmoor. In the nineties, The Authority was the edgy alternative to the Justice League. Their members were flawed and disinterested in being the model of heroism for anyone. 

But recently, The Authority’s lineup and purpose got a new reimagining in print form. Grant Morrison and Mikel Janín’s 2021 series, Superman and the Authority, debuted a new OMAC as a team member. This OMAC, nicknamed “Mac,” is distinct from Buddy Blank’s iteration of the character as well as the militaristic vision of OMAC presented in Blue Beetle.

Blank’s OMAC suit includes a warlike fin and eye insignia. Conversely, Mac dons a pink mohawk hairstyle and pink facial marking shaped like an eye on his forehead. When Mac introduces himself to Superman and the rest of the new Authority team, he mentions that he uses he/him and they/them pronouns. Mac’s OMAC suit includes heavy armor. It works by him verbally commanding how much power he wants to use on a scale of one to ten. Mac is from Earth 9, and is in love with Earth 9’s version of Lightray. This makes him a character from DC’s multiverse.  

Because of Mac’s uniqueness, as well as his comic book ties to the characters in future film projects involving the Authority and Superman, he presents a striking opportunity to strengthen this emergent lore in the DC Universe. This new OMAC has shaped the course of Superman’s mythology over the past two years in DC Comics.

We see their journey in the Warworld Saga arc, spanning principally Action Comics #1029-1036 and Superman: Warworld Apocalypse by Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Daniel Sampere, Riccardo Federici, David Lapham, and more. Along with the rest of Superman’s new Authority team, Mac went to Warworld, a desolate gladiatorial planet ruled by the tyrant, Mongul, in order to liberate the people trapped there. The Warworld Saga laid the foundation for a new era for Superman and redefined the Authority within DC’s status quo. 

The Future of OMAC in James Gunn’s DCU

James Gunn said the comic book influences for the new DC Universe includes stories written by Grant Morrison. These include stories such as All-Star Superman and their Batman run. Morrison’s Superman and Batman work is setting the stage for two pillars of the DC Universe. Therefore, it isn’t a stretch to wonder if Superman and the Authority’s OMAC will make an appearance in Superman: Legacy or The Authority as a member of the team. There is no way of knowing if another OMAC was already operating outside of Palmera City in Blue Beetle. And we also don’t know if there is one like Mac existing someplace else within the multiverse.

Grant Morrison explored the multiverse heavily in works like The Multiversity. So fans will have to wait and see if this element is adapted into the DC Universe. Featuring OMAC in the Authority’s team would cultivate a greater sense of cohesion between Blue Beetle and the future DCU. Mac’s version of OMAC in The Authority would be relatively accessible to newcomers, even if they don’t know much about this collective.

OMAC’s thematic focus on the hybridity between technology and the human body is relevant to today’s world and era of superheroes. It would be a huge missed opportunity if OMAC is just a one-off character. From everything that James Gunn and Peter Safran have revealed about the new DCU, it’s clear that the franchise will pull from the lore from DC Comics. OMAC is a powerful example of the creativity in DC’s superhero comics and it’s time to bring it into full focus.  

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DC Studios co-head James Gunn previously mentioned how he was already mapping out his DCU geography and realizing it to the same degree as Game of Thrones’ Westeros. Unlike Marvel, which mostly takes place in real-world locations, DC’s main locales are totally fictional cities, each with its own flavor. Gunn mentioned the obvious examples, like Metropolis and Gotham, but also Green Arrow’s Star City and Nightwing’s Bludhaven. But DC Comics has a metric ton of other cool fictional cities, ones we’d love to see on the big (and small) screens. Here are the fictional DC Comics cities that we’d love to see in the DCU.

Gateway City (First Appearance – Wonder Woman #101 (1995))

Superman famously has Metropolis. Batman has Gotham. And so on and so on. But the third member of the DC Trinity, Wonder Woman, didn’t get a cool fictional city of her own till the ‘90s. Sure, she had Themyscira, but she didn’t hang her lasso there Monday through Friday. Originally, she lived in Washington, D.C., and then post-Crisis reboot, in Boston. Yes, somehow DC Comics America has room for all these fictional cities and the real ones. It’s crowded. But in 1995, John Byrne moved Diana Prince to the fictional Gateway City. Intended as a stand-in for San Francisco, it was there Diana worked at an ancient history museum. Later, heroes like the Spectre and Mister Terrific would operate out of Gateway. When Diana finally appears, whoever she may be, we’d love to see her live in Gateway.

Opal City (First Appearance – Starman #0 (1994))

Opal City didn’t appear until the 1994 series Starman, written by James Robinson and illustrated by Tony Harris. It was the home of the Justice Society’s Starman of World War II, Ted Knight. He protected the city with the use of his stellar-powered cosmic rod. As he got older, he passed on his heroic mantle to his son David. But when he died, his other son, a slacker type named Jack, had to pick up the legacy. Opal was a city with much history in Starman, and home to supernatural beings like the immortal Shade. The history of Opal was a huge springboard for stories in this series. Artist Tony Harris designed Opal within an inch of its life, giving every building an Art déco flair. This is one of the most well-planned fictional cities in the DC universe, and it deserves to appear on screen at some point.

Gorilla City (First Appearance – The Flash #106 (1959))

You know what’s cooler than a talking gorilla? A whole city full of talking gorillas. Gorilla City, found in a secret location in the jungles of Equatorial Africa, is home to a highly advanced race of gorillas who were given artificially enhanced intelligence centuries ago. These apes were wise and benevolent. Their sovereign King Solovar ruled them. But one of their own, a gorilla named Grodd, went rogue. He eventually became a primary Flash villain. Like Atlantis and Themyscira, Gorilla City is one of the cooler high-tech hidden megalopolis from the comics. We saw a version of it in the Flash TV show, but we want something a little more like the comics. Basically, we want apes living in a Jetsons world. We believe James Gunn can deliver that.

Keystone and Central Cities (First Appearance – Flash Comics #1 (1940)Showcase #4 (1956))

We’ve already seen Central City, home of the second Flash Barry Allen, in both The Flash movies and TV shows. But in the comics, it is one of two twin cities in the Midwest along with Keystone City. Central City was supposed to be in Missouri with Keystone in Kansas. Both towns have a long history with speedster heroes. Keystone was home to the original Flash, Jay Garrick, during the 1940s and 1950s. Later, Barry Allen made its sister city Central his home. Fun fact: Both cities existed on different Earths, but when Earth-One and Earth-Two merged into one after Crisis on Infinite Earths, they became adjacent to each other. The third Flash, Wally West, then became the protector of both. Seeing twin cities with one hero protector would be a fun approach for the DCU.

Dakota City (First Appearance – Hardware #1 (1993))

The Milestone Comics heroes arrived in the early ‘90s to add some much-needed African-American representation to DC’s heroic ranks. And like any good DC heroes, they reside in their own fictional American city. Much like Metropolis is a fictional version of New York City, they designed Dakota to be a fictional variation of Detroit, Michigan. It’s home to heroes like Static, Icon, Hardware, the Blood Syndicate, and more. Originally, the Milestone heroes were part of their own separate continuity, but it then merged into the mainline DC Earth in 2008. If we ever see the Milestone heroes come to life, like in the long-rumored Static Shock live-action project, then Dakota is a must.

Coast City (First Appearance – Showcase #22 (1959))

In many ways, Coast City has had the wildest publishing history of any DC Comics city. DC introduced it as a stand-in for a Southern California city like L.A. or San Diego in the early ‘60s Green Lantern comics. This was at the height of the period when California was the number one location for the aviation industry. And since Green Lantern Hal Jordan was a test pilot, it made sense to have Coast City as his home base. Hal Jordan worked out of Coast City for years, until the Reign of the Superman story in the ‘90s, when the alien Mongul destroyed it, killing millions. Later, they rebuilt the city in record time, because comics. Still, it’s a fun idealized version of mid-century California, and we’d love to see it on screen.

The post The Fictional DC Comics Cities We Want to See in the DCU appeared first on Nerdist.

Blue Beetle came in at a record-low weekend box office opening for DC, despite wonderful critic and user reviews. And it just cemented something we’ve all known for a long time. As far as films are concerned, to the general audience, the DC cinematic brand is broken. Yes, Marvel can get comic C-list titles like Ant-Man and Guardians of the Galaxy and turn them into box office gold. But Warner Brothers has struggled for a decade to make anything click that’s not Batman, or Batman-related like Joker. Sure, Wonder Woman and Aquaman made a lot of money, but those are the exceptions and not the rule.

The DC Movie Stigma Is a Hard One to Overcome

We can get into the why of it all, but the “why” is a matter of opinion. Some folks believe the initial Synder tone of Man of Steel, BvS, and Justice League was too much of a turn-off to many in the general audience. Certainly, a vocal bunch of folks think turning away from Snyder was the problem. Whatever you think it is, the box office numbers don’t lie. The audience is just not here for the DCEU as we know it in large numbers. As for as this iteration of a cinematic DC universe goes, it was long past time to put a fork in it. DCEU, R.I.P., 2013-2023.

So what do DC Studios co-heads James Gunn and Peter Safran do? They’ve already laid out their initial slate of films and streaming series. They’ve titled DCU Chapter 1 as “Gods and Monsters.” Some say their announcement of the new DCU killed any enthusiasm for whatever DC films were left after the fact. While they might already have their approach in mind, at this critical moment, when the DC brand in movies has the stink of failed promise and struggles to lure in moviegoers, it’s time to look towards the past. Because DC has been in this exact place before. DC Comics, that is.

In the Early ’80s, DC Comics’ Biggest Challenge Was Marvel

From the ‘40s all the way through to the ‘60s, DC Comics was the brand to beat in terms of comic book sales. Nothing could touch them. Then, in the ‘60s, upstart publisher Marvel Comics changed the game, and by the end of that decade, DC seemed like your grandpa’s comics. Marvel continued to grow and grow in popularity. By the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, Marvel left DC in the dust, sales-wise. By 1984, Marvel titles like Hercules and Dazzler and even ROM were easily outselling DC’s pop culture icons like Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and the Justice League. Only DC’s New Teen Titans, and to a lesser extent, Legion of Super-Heroes, sold in numbers comparable to Marvel. And in many ways, they were the most Marvel-esque books, focusing on the interpersonal melodrama of attractive young heroes.

DC Comics Rebooted Their Entire Universe with Crisis on Infinite Earths

So DC Comics did what they had to do, and took drastic measures. They blew it all up. With Crisis on Infinite Earths, they destroyed their previous multiverse, and five decades of continuity, and started fresh with their biggest icons in a newly rebooted world. In 1986, Superman got a massive reimagining, jettisoning years of clutter around the Superman mythos, under the guidance of former X-Men creator John Byrne. Wonder Woman received an even bigger transformation, under the guidance of writer/artist George Perez. The stalwart Justice League of America became the action-sitcom Justice League International. And Flash became the first true legacy hero series, about a young ex-sidekick taking on a huge heroic legacy.

And then, of course, there was Batman. Frank Miller reinvigorated the Dark Knight’s mythos and brought him back to his 1939 roots with Batman: Year One. From there, it was off to the races. The fog that surrounded Bruce Wayne’s reputation ever since the Batman ’66 series suddenly lifted, and he was a big player again. And we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention DC taking a gamble on old forgotten titles like Animal Man and Sandman, titles that changed how the mainstream perceived comics. All of these things happened within a span of just a couple of years. But DC’s gambit worked. Their newly rebooted universe didn’t dethrone Marvel, but gone were the days of DC doing time at the bottom of the top 100. DC was finally a contender again.

The Rebooted DC Universe Led to a Sales Renaissance

According to the comic book sales history website Comichron, the difference between where DC Comics were selling pre-Crisis and post-Crisis is significant. Superman, which in 1984 was in the #76 and #80 positions in the Top 100, was the #1 monthly comic from June-October of 1986, and sold well in the years after that. Justice League, which was in the bottom 50 in 1984, was a consistently top 10/top 20 series by 1987. Flash and Wonder Woman were also selling in numbers they hadn’t in decades. And Batman? Well, by early 1989, Batman was neck-and-neck with Marvel’s X-Men. All of these things would have been unheard of just a few years before.

James Gunn needs to look at this era, especially for inspiration. Although DC rebooted its universe, giving tweaked updates to the hero’s origins, it was a universe with some history behind it. And a history that was more or less familiar. Superman, Batman and the Justice League had been around, we just learned that their histories became altered. Only Wonder Woman was presented as a fresh new heroine on the scene. A version of the DC history as we’d known it played out. However, DC writers were allowed to pick and choose what aspects to use. Sometimes this created big continuity messes. But mostly, it worked and truly gave these long-running characters a new lease on life.

It seems that already Gunn might be taking this approach. He’s said that his Superman: Legacy won’t be an origin story. And clearly, with the addition of many well-known DC heroes to that film, this will be a universe with history behind it. An older Dark Knight in Batman: The Brave and the Bold suggests the same thing. But while retaining a sense of history is important, much like DC Comics did, Gunn and Safran can’t be afraid to go nuts. Post-Crisis Superman changed many aspects of Kal-El’s lore for a new generation. Things like how Krypton was presented, and Lex Luthor’s role in his life. DC wasn’t afraid to jettison key parts of Wonder Woman’s mythos, either. Gone were things like her secret identity or her invisible plane, in order to update the concept. DC Comics was not afraid to take big swings. And DC Studios shouldn’t either.

Always Look to the Comics

We should note, that while DC Comics really re-jiggered their biggest icons, the successful series that pre-dated the reboot did continue intact. So, a big seller like New Teen Titans could go on as is, and it mostly worked. Gunn also seems to use this approach with Peacemaker, which existed, albeit tangentially at best, in the old DCEU. With something as successful, and as off to the side from DC’s “Big Guns” as Peacemaker and Blue Beetle, there’s no reason not to include them. The signal to the general audience that this will be a “new universe” will be in recasting their biggest most iconic characters. Not removing ones like Peacemaker or Blue Beetle.

Without a doubt, Gunn and Safran have their work cut out for them. The DC brand on film lies shattered on the movie theater floor. And they’re going to have to do a lot of work behind the scenes in front of the public to convince people that this new DCU is something different. But as history proves, DC Comics did it all before. DC Comics turned it all around, so here’s hoping DC Studios pulls the same trick. Really, in the end, the comics should be the source of inspiration for every live-action superhero movie property. No matter which studio it’s coming from.

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In the film Blue Beetle, we learn that industrialist and CEO of Kord Industries, Ted Kord, was once the superhero of Palmera City. Named, of course, the Blue Beetle. For years, he had access to the mysterious alien Scarab. However, unlike Jaime Reyes (Xolo Maridueña), the Scarab did not choose him to bond with. Instead, he studied it, and Ted Kord used the information he gleaned from it to create many gadgets and weapons. Many are similar to those of Batman. But the Blue Beetle mid-credits didn’t just tease the arrival of Ted Kord, but possibly also his BFF, Booster Gold.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, director Angel Manuel Soto addressed the possibility presented in Blue Beetle‘s mid-credits scene. He said, “Ted Kord is still alive, he’s somewhere out there in the universe, and whatever the future holds for our hero is open to interpretation. So, whether that is Booster Gold or Ted Kord or if it is both of them [together], the possibility exists, and it is something that we want to entertain.”

Blue Beetle Ted Kord’s Mysterious Message

At some point, around two decades prior to the events of the film, Ted Kord vanished. He left an 8-year-old daughter named Jennifer (Bruna Marquezine), and his company in the hands of his corrupt sister, Victoria Kord (Susan Sarandon). In the mid-credits scene of Blue Beetle, we learn that Ted Kord is not dead. We witness a heavily fragmented video message from him come through on his computer. We don’t see his face clearly, and his voice sounds muffled. But he definitely wants his daughter Jennifer to know he’s still alive out there, and to find him. But where is he?

However, maybe the question isn’t where is he, but when is he. Ted Kord would have probably been in his 30s when he vanished. Maybe 40s at most, especially if he had a young daughter. And although altered by static, you can tell in the film it’s not an “old man voice” we hear. Whoever sent that message isn’t the age Ted Kord should be now. This makes us think that maybe Ted Kord did not just find himself lost somewhere in the world. Maybe he is lost in time.

Could Blue Beetle Ted Kord Be Lost in Time with Booster Gold?

And certainly, judging by the comics, there would be a plausible reason for this. In DC Comics, Ted Kord’s best friend in the world is Booster Gold. A hero from the 25th century, Booster famously time-travels. Booster was a nobody in his time, but with common technology from his era, he figured he could become a wealthy celebrity and superhero in the past. He eventually joined the Justice League International, where he and Blue Beetle Ted Kord became best friends. The two got into many wacky adventures together, and became known as “Blue and Gold.”

In the lead-up to the event series Identity Crisis, Ted Kord uncovered the plans of the villainous Maxwell Lord. And Max later murdered by Ted in cold blood. Booster used his time-traveling abilities to try to save his best friend, which led to a lot of wild time-travel paradoxes and scenarios. Ultimately, Ted Kord realized he must fulfill his fate and die when he was meant to, allowing time to flow properly. Lucky for him, they rebooted the DC Universe a couple of times more, and Ted Kord is now alive and well, and a mentor to Jaime Reyes. So there is a precedent for Ted Kord and time-travel adventures.

Who Could Play Blue Beetle Ted Kord in James Gunn’s DCU?

The mid-credits Blue Beetle scene does a lot of teasing when it comes to Ted Kord and Booster Gold, but not a lot of revealing. Recently though, director Angel Manuel Soto shared his dream casting for Ted Kord should the Blue Beetle appear again. He shared with The Digital Fix, “My dream cast for Ted Kord has always been Jason Sudeikis… But at the end of the day, it’s about who’s best for the character, who loves what we’re trying to do. And who’s willing to see Jaime Reyes’ story continue.”

For now, of course, no casting has been determined. But it does feel like there will be a place for Ted Kord in the future of the DCU.

Blue Beetle and Booster Gold in the DCU Could Lead to Justice League International

James Gunn has stated that Blue Beetle will have a role going forward in his new DCU. Even if the mid-credits tease never finds resolution in a Blue Beetle sequel, there is a Booster Gold series coming in Chapter 1 of the DCU, “Gods and Monsters.” What if Ted Kord was sucked into another timeline thanks to Booster, perhaps the new one that will be established in Superman: Legacy? This would allow the Blue Beetle characters to make the transition into the new DCU, without negating anything that happened in the film.

A Blue Beetle/Booster Gold connection already would make for a perfect setup for an eventual Justice League International project. Because with Ted Kord confirmed alive, and Booster Gold and Green Lantern Guy Gardner confirmed for the DCU, not to mention a new Batman, we have half the JLI core membership right there. And here’s where we’re really putting on our tin foil hats. Jenny Kord said her mother, who was Brazilian, died under undisclosed circumstances when she was six. What If she didn’t die, but also became lost in time, and Ted went looking for her? And what if she’s core JLI member Fire, a Brazilian heroine who controls powerful green flame? There’s a lot of room for Gunn’s DCU to take threads dropped in Blue Beetle and run with them. Here’s hoping we get to see these all play out.

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While the DCU is just around the corner, Blue Beetle set the stage for plenty of adventures for Jaime Reyes in the future. But did the films mid-credits scene also tease the introduction of two major DC heroes in the DCU as well? Kyle Anderson dives in to break down this time traveling theory on today’s episode of Nerdist News!

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The post Did Blue Beetle Just Tease Other DCU Heroes? appeared first on Nerdist.

The DCU is coming our way, and many fans wonder how it will compare to the all-mighty MCU. Well, according to James Gunn, there will be some significant differences between the DCU and its Marvel counterpart. The co-CEO of DC Studios dove into the topic with Inside of You podcast to give fans more insight. (Thanks to IGN for putting this on our radar.) On the podcast, Gunn shares the DCU will lean heavily on secret identities and fantasy settings, which is certainly not like the MCU.

“If you look at the MCU, there are very few traditional superheroes,” Gunn affirms. “There was never a guy with a secret identity until Spider-Man in the MCU. Their Cap was turned into a soldier even though he wears a mask. Iron Man outed himself at the end of the first Iron Man because they don’t want to deal with the whole secret identity stuff.”

He goes on to explain that the DCU is also more fantasy based than the MCU because many of its heroes, like Superman, are larger than life. To him, Clark Kent and Superman are very much two different characters. And the DCU will find a way to deal with both of them in its world. Speaking of its world, Gunn is excited to explore fictional places like Gotham City. DC’s settings create a much different feeling than putting heroes in our real-life cities as the MCU tends to do. 

“One of the things that I love about DC, that excites me about DC, is that in a way it’s another alternate history,” he notes. “It is Gotham City and Metropolis and Star City and Bludhaven, and all these different places in this other reality, and it makes it a little bit like Westeros in some ways.” And, in fact, Gunn even noted on Threads that he is even planning “an incredibly detailed world map” for his DCU that we can’t wait to see take shape.

The ways that the DCU will be different from the MCU make a lot of sense and will give fans a fresh approach to DC’s roster. In the meantime, we will be (not so) patiently waiting for Superman: Legacy to fly our way in 2025.

Originally published on June 14, 2023.

The post Here’s How James Gunn’s DCU Will Be Different From the MCU appeared first on Nerdist.

The Jaime Reyes version of the Blue Beetle has only been around in the pages of DC Comics since 2006. But since then, he’s made quite an impact. A legacy hero, Jaime Reyes is the third to wear the heroic mantle of Blue Beetle. Jaime Reyes, nevertheless, has appeared in several of his own comic series, and team books like Teen Titans, and appeared as Blue Beetle in both animated series (Young Justice, Batman: Brave and the Bold) and live-action shows (Smallville). Now, he’s starring in his own live-action film, Blue Beetle, starring Cobra Kai’s Xolo Maridueña. But just who is Jaime Reyes? Here’s the lowdown on Blue Beetle, the Texas teen who is the new DCU’s first superhero.

Jaime Reyes’ DC Comics Origins as Blue Beetle

In DC Comics’ 2005-2006 event series Infinite Crisis‘ third issue, readers met Texas teenager Jaime Reyes. Months after the tragic death of Ted Kord (the second Blue Beetle), Jaime Reyes finds the ancient and powerful Beetle Scarab. It was in the keeping of the Wizard Shazam in the Rock of Eternity, and when that was destroyed, it crashed to Earth. Not long after, teenage Jaimie found it in El Paso, Texas totally by chance. The alien scarab bonded with Jaime Reyes in his sleep, and he was able to activate its powers, his first step toward becoming Blue Beetle. Even though, at first, Jaime had a tough time controlling his new abilities.

Thanks to Booster Gold, his predecessor Ted Kord’s best friend, Jaime was recruited to help Batman and others save the Multiverse. During this time, the Dark Knight saw much potential in Jaime Reyes, and took him under his wing helping him to become the Blue Beetle. But this isn’t Jaime Reyes’ only DC Comics Blue Beetle origin story. No, Jaime had quite a few.

In the 2011 New 52 reboot continuity, Jaime finds the scarab in a backpack he managed to steal away from some criminals, instead of just by sheer luck. And in the 2016 Rebirth re-reboot (DC does these a lot), the comics tweaked Jaime Reyes’ origin yet again, and this time DC revealed the scarab to be magical in nature and not just an alien artifact.

Jaime Reyes’ Blue Beetle has been around less than 20 years, and DC Comics has already altered his origin story three times! But the core facts about his backstory tend to remain the same throughout the different iterations.

Jaime Reyes’ Blue Beetle Comics Highlights

The previously mentioned event series Infinite Crisis, by Geoff Johns and Phil Jimenez, was the introduction of Blue Beetle, and even though largely retconned away now, serves as a great jumping-on point for the character. Following Infinite Crisis, Jaime got his own ongoing Blue Beetle series from creators Keith Giffen, John Rodgers, and artist Cully Hamner. That Blue Beetle series ran for 36 issues from 2006 to 2009. Following the New 52 line-wide reboot of 2011, Jaime got yet another new ongoing book from the creative team of Tony Bedard and Ig Guara, which lasted 17 issues in total.

Jaime Reyes’ most recent ongoing series, from returning writer Keith Giffen and artist Scott Kolins, came in 2016, and that third Blue Beetle volume lasted 18 issues. it ended in 2018. Since then, Jaime has appeared in the recent mini-series Blue Beetle: Graduation Day. That book came from the creative team of Josh Trujillo and Adrián Gutiérrez. In this story, Jaime graduated high school at last and moved from El Paso to Palmera City. The fictional town of Palmera City also appears in the upcoming live-action Blue Beetle movie.

What Are Blue Beetles’ Powers and Abilities?

All of the Blue Beetle’s powers emerge from the Scarab, which grafted itself to Jaime Reyes’ spine. Whenever Jaime is in any kind of peril, the Scarab activates and protects him by covering his body in the form of armor. This armor is strong enough to withstand energy blasts and even re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere from outer space. The Blue Beetle armor also has the power to transform into a wide variety of weapons, including an energy plasma blaster arm, as well as blades and shields. The armor’s wings allow for the power of flight, and they enhance Jaime’s strength and durability while he’s wearing it. However, Jaime Reyes’ enhancements are nothing quite approaching the levels of Superman or Wonder Woman. Unfortunately, when the Scarab’s armor retracts back into his spine, it’s quite a painful experience for poor Jaime despite his Blue Beetle abilities.

Jaime Reyes’ Blue Beetle Suit, Explained

The powers of Blue Beetle’s suit are tied to the Scarab attached to his body. The Scarab is a form of technology that originated from an alien civilization known as the Reach. Centuries ago, the Reach conquered worlds with their advanced tech. The idea behind the Scarab was that it would take over the mind of the person it attached itself to. Thus, allowing the Reach to conquer primitive worlds remotely. The Infiltrator Scarab Jaime has is known as Kahji Dha. But once left behind on Earth, ancient sorcerers used magic to alter its ability to control the person who wore it. The Blue Beetle scarab became the property of a Pharoah, who locked it with him in his tomb until archeologists discovered it in the 20th century.

The suit worn by actor Xolo Maridueña in the Blue Beetle movie is very accurate to the DC Comics suit designed by Jim Lee. it also has the name Kahji Dha. In fact, Jaime Reyes’ live-action Blue Beetle suit is one of the most comic-accurate costumes we’ve seen in any comic book movie so far. It is far closer to the original comics than the first live-action Blue Beetle, seen back in Smallville. Jaime Reyes’ live-action Blue Beetle costume functions the same as the one in the comics. Jaime can create many similar weapons for himself, just like his comics counterpart.

Who Is Blue Beetle’s Main Villain?

In the pages of the comics, Jaime Reyes’ main adversaries include local crime boss La Dama, who made Blue Beetle’s life miserable in El Paso. And of course, the alien Reach themselves. In the Blue Beetle movie, the big bads are Victoria Kord (Susan Sarandon), sister of Blue Beetle II, Ted Kord.

Although created for the Blue Beetle movie, Victoria Kord, the CEO of Kord Industries, actually made her debut in the comics—very recently, in fact. Victoria Kord first appeared in DC Comics as a part of the Blue Beetle: Graduation Day series. This is a callback to how DC created Batgirl for the Batman ’66 TV show, but she actually made her comic book debut months earlier. The other villain Jaime fights in the Blue Beetle movie is the cyborg known as Carapax. Carapax was the first villain Ted Kord’s Blue Beetle fought in his first DC Comics issue in 1986.

Will Jaime Reyes’ Blue Beetle Be in the DCU?

Although The Flash rebooted the DCEU into what will be James Gunn’s new DCU, and Blue Beetle came out after, the movie is not technically the first film of the DCU. However, James Gunn has confirmed that the Jaime Reyes we see in Blue Beetle, portrayed by Xolo Maridueña, will transfer over to his DCU. What that means is a mystery. A sequel film if the first is successful? A part in a team movie? We really have no idea. But expect to see this Blue Beetle flying next to Superman and the Batplane at some point in the future of the DCU.

Blue Beetle is now in theaters everywhere.

Originally published July 28, 2023.

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The Blue Beetle film, starring Xolo Maridueña as our titular hero Jaime Reyes, draws from DC Comics lore to give us the villainous Carapax, a.k.a. the Indestructible Man. Carapax is the comic baddie who can truly call himself the Blue Beetle’s arch nemesis …at least the Ted Kord version of Blue Beetle, anyway. In the Blue Beetle movie, Raoul Max Trujillo brings this robotic bruiser to life and there’s so much to explore with the character. So, let’s dig into the DC Comics history of Blue Beetle‘s Carapax, and how his story comes to life on the big screen.

The ’80s Origin Story of Carapax, the Second Blue Beetle’s Archenemy

Conrad Carapax first appeared in 1986’s Blue Beetle #1, thanks to writer Len Wein and artist Paris Cullins. He fought the Ted Kord version of Blue Beetle, in what was his first DC Comics ongoing series. Conrad Carapax was an archaeologist who often competed with Dan Garrett, the original Blue Beetle. Naturally, he had no clue that Garrett was secretly the costumed adventurer. So when Garrett died in a remote location called Pago Island, Carapax assumed it was due to something archeology related. Traveling to the mysterious island, he hoped to unearth what Garrett was trying to find at the time of his death.

On Pago Island, Conrad Carapax found what remained of a secret laboratory once belonging to Jarvis Kord, the evil genius who hid a secret lab there. There, among Kord’s belongings, was a fully functional (and maybe indestructible) robot. It was meant to be part of an army of robots to help facilitate his villainous global takeover. Every villain needs one of those, right? When Dan Garrett (disguised as the Blue Beetle) tried to stop him, Jarvis Kord activated the robot army’s self-destruct, killing them both. Later, Carapax tried to activate the remaining robot he found, but it malfunctioned, electrocuting him to death. Carapax’s physical body died; however, his mind lived on, now merged with the robot’s computer brain. He became Carapax, the Indestructible Man.

Carapax in his new metal form became a literal killing machine. Eventually, a Chicago cop and a crew of people on a ship to Pago Island to investigate Daniel Garrett’s death. Carapax subsequently went a killing spree. During this time, he ended up battling the second Blue Beetle (and Jarvis Kord’s nephew), Ted Kord. Along with the ship, Carapax sank into the Atlantic Ocean. Obviously, Carapax didn’t die during this encounter and became the number one enemy of Ted Kord’s Blue Beetle throughout his ongoing series.

Conrad Carapax Gets an Alien Upgrade and Fights Superman

Eventually, aliens transferred Carapax’s consciousness into a new mechanical body. After several battles with Blue Beetle, he even fought Superman and the Suicide Squad! (The Man of Steel, of course, soundly defeated him.) Conrad Carapax managed to avoid serious prison time when the company Hakke-Bruton paid him in order to replicate his robot form, making an army of Carapaxes. Eventually, in the modern-day comics, the third Blue Beetle, Jaime Reyes, battled one of the Carapaxes and defeated him by using his own weapons against him.

The Cinematic Version of Carapax in Blue Beetle, Explained

In Blue Beetle, the backstory for Carapax is very different, even though his overall design silhouette is similar to the comics. The film version of Carapax isn’t Conrad, but Ignacio Carapax. He grew up in war-torn Guatemala, during a civil war or local revolution. Kord Industries bombed his village and killed his mother right in front of him. Upon reaching adulthood, he became a freedom fighter and mercenary. However, he stepped on a landmine, losing both a leg and an arm. He’s essentially kidnapped from his home by Victoria Kord. Later, Kord rebuilt him with OMAC (One Man Army Corps) tech, developed and then abandoned by her brother.

Victoria brainwashed him to forget his family and origins, and kept him as her muscle. So, the movie Carapax isn’t exactly a human mind inside a robot body, but he is still a blending of man and machine. Kord used her technology to control Carapax, and wipe his memories of what she did to him. He ultimately turned on her, after Jaime Reyes let him live in an act of mercy after they fought. We love seeing such an obscure DC Comics villain like Carapax get the big-screen treatment. Brainiac, Superman’s iconic villain, has yet to make it into a film. But somehow the Indestructible Man has, and it’s very cool to see.

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In the film Blue Beetle, one of the major plot points has Victoria Kord (Susan Sarandon), CEO of Kord Industries, attempting to make a highly sophisticated army that integrates man and machine. They were called OMAC, short for “One Man Army Corps.” The project was conceived of by her missing brother Ted Kord, who was once the Blue Beetle himself. But he abandoned it, realizing the danger it posed. Later, Victoria revived it, for her own nefarious ends. But the OMAC has a long history at DC Comics, both as a hero, and also as many, many villains.

Buddy Blank, the Original ’70s OMAC

As with many important pieces of comics lore, it all began with Jack Kirby. In the early ‘70s, Jack Kirby famously left Marvel Comics to work for rival DC, where he created iconic characters like Darkseid and the New Gods. But he also created a lesser-known character that would blossom into a prominent DC fixture. This character was OMAC—the One Man Army Corps. His adventures took place in the near future of the DC Universe. Kirby conceived OMAC as a Captain America type for DC. OMAC was originally Buddy Black, a nobody employee who worked for the Global Peace Agency. He volunteered for the OMAC Project to be their soldier. An A.I. satellite with the name Brother Eye conducted a “computer-hormonal operation via remote control” transforming Buddy into the OMAC.

Buddy would interface with the Brother Eye satellite, through an invisible beam to his receiver belt. When this happened, he’d get several super powers via this unique method of molecular rearrangement. He had superhuman strength, as well as flight and super speed. He could repair his own injuries, having a healing factor of a sort. OMAC also had a degree of energy projection powers. And he had one fierce mohawk. The GPA would send OMAC as its primary response agent during a crisis. Sadly, OMAC only fought a few battles. His series only lasted eight issues, and they canceled it when Jack Kirby left DC to go back to Marvel. (This version of OMAC also looks just like Gladiator from Marvel’s Shi’ar Empire. Fun fact.)

The OMAC Project in the 2000s Changes the Original Concept

For the next several decades, OMAC made very sporadic appearances in the DC Universe. He had backup stories in the science-fantasy Warlord series, and then in 1991, writer/artist John Byrne did a four-part OMAC limited series. Other than that, OMAC was more or less a footnote in DC Comics’ history. Then, in the 2000s, DC reinvented OMAC in a big way for the modern DCU. During the 2005/2006 event Infinite Crisis, OMAC went from “One Man Army Corps” to “Observational Meta-human Activity Construct,” and later, “Omni Mind And Community.” Long gone were the days of the heroic OMAC. These OMACS and Brother Eye became genuine threats to the DC Universe.

During the lead-up to Infinite Crisis, they reinvented OMACs as the brainchild of the secret organization known as Checkmate. They created an OMAC virus under the leadership of their Black King, former Justice League International financier Maxwell Lord. Using Checkmate’s vast resources, he hijacked Batman’s Brother Eye satellite, which Bruce Wayne used as a surveillance system across the globe to spy on metahumans. With Brother Eye under Lord’s control, they use infected human drones to neutralize metahuman threats everywhere on Earth. And ultimately, not just metahuman threats, but just metahumans in general. This virus was something the US Government gained from alien Brainiac technology.

OMAC Goes from One Hero to Many Villains

This legion of OMACs were cyborgs, humans with bodies altered by the nano-virus. As a nod to Jack Kirby’s original OMAC, Buddy Blank, these new OMACs kept the mohawk and Brother Eye symbol on their chests. The Brother Eye AI became sentient, thanks to the manipulations of Alexander Luthor, the son of the Lex Luthor of Earth-3. Now technically alive, it took the combined efforts of Batman and several heroes, including the Jaime Reyes version of Blue Beetle, to destroy it. One OMAC drone survived, a man named Michael Costner. He retained his individuality and actually became a hero, bringing OMAC full circle.

Blue Beetle Reinvents the OMAC for the Big Screen

In Blue Beetle, the OMACs retain their original acronym—the One Man Army Corps. They were a program of highly advanced robotic armor, originally created by Ted Kord, the second Blue Beetle. He ultimately abandoned the program, realizing how easily others might use it for evil. But when he disappeared, his sister Victoria Kord (Susan Sarandon) revived the OMAC Project. She was hoping to use the alien Scarab to perfect the OMACs, creating a functioning high-tech world police force that she could control.

In the film, Victoria Kord’s agent, Ignacio Carapax, had his robot armor explained as being the final form of an OMAC suit, combining his mythology from the comics together with the OMACs from the 2000s era comics. On Pago Island, Blue Beetle Jaime Reyes and his family destroy the OMAC tech, destroying any chance they could ever be used again. But in the comics, the OMAC tech is notoriously hard to destroy for good. Who knows, it might pop up in James Gunn’s new DCU. And if it does, this time, we want some mohawks.

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Blue Beetle, starring Xolo Maridueña as the titular character, is a delightful adaptation of the DC Comics legacy superhero. But much like the Jaime Reyes version of Blue Beetle from the comics drew inspiration from many previous superheroes in print, so does that cinematic version find its inspiration in some great superhero media. Mostly films, but also some television. Here are some key superhero films and one TV series which likely influenced Blue Beetle director Angel Manuel Soto in one way or another.

Iron Man (2008)

When one thinks of superheroes who wear high-tech suits of armor, the first character anyone thinks of is usually Iron Man. And while Jaime Reyes’ suit isn’t metal per se, it’s definitely a form of armor. The scenes in the film where he’s learning how to fly under the Scarab’s power, and making plenty of mistakes along the way, recall similar scenes from the first Iron Man film. Not to mention the scenes of sheer joy and wonder at what the suit can do. Obviously, it’s not a one-for-one. Unlike Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark, Jaime Reyes didn’t create his own suit. But the scenes in Blue Beetle evoke many of the same feels as Iron Man.

Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

It’s hard to think of any teenage or college-age young superhero and not think of Spider-Man. Every costumed teen with an ordinary family and struggling with ordinary problems, like getting a job and paying bills? In some way, they are all descendants of Peter Parker. But of all the Peter Parkers in film and over the years, it seems Jaime is most influenced by the MCU’s Spidey (Tom Holland). Simply because that Spidey is unique, in that he has a high-tech suit he doesn’t quite understand. All thanks to Tony Stark. Scenes in Blue Beetle where Jaime is talking to Kahji Dha, the Scarab’s sentient AI, recall similar scenes in Homecoming where Peter is carrying on conversations with the suit’s AI named Karen. And just trying to figure out how the darn thing works.

Shazam! (2019)

When Jaime Reyes can’t get the Scarab to obey his commands by asking nicely, he literally jumps off the roof of a building. Knowing full well the Scarab will protect him and give him the Blue Beetle armor. Sound familiar? It’s similar to the first Shazam!, when Billy Batson (Asher Angel) jumps off a roof, transforming into a hero mid-air. But of course, there are more similarities to Shazam than just that. After all, Billy and Jaime are two young men who out of nowhere have incredible ancient power thrust on them. And both have to step up to become the latest in a long line of heroes. No magic word for Jaime to say, but the similarities are there.

Venom (2018)

On the surface, Marvel’s antihero Venom and DC’s Blue Beetle don’t have a lot in common. But of course, Venom is an alien lifeform that attached itself to reporter Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) and forms a symbiotic relationship with him. Eventually, the symbiote and Eddie begin to share their thoughts becoming interdependent on the other. With the Scarab Kahji Dha, Jaime Reyes forms a symbiotic relationship of his own with a mysterious alien presence. While we wouldn’t describe the Scarab as “alien goo” like Venom, when the suit overtakes Jaime is more like some kind of living liquid than just armor plating going up like Iron Man. That is definitely some Venom influence.

Batman Beyond (1999-2001)

Not all the influences on Blue Beetle are live-action movies. There’s a healthy dose of the animated series Batman Beyond in there too. In the 1999-2001 animated series, ordinary teenager Terry McGinnis stumbles upon the Batcave of the now-retired Bruce Wayne. It’s a cobwebbed, dusty place filled with relics of Batman’s crime-fighting days. He ultimately takes on the mantle of Batman—whether he’s trained and ready or not. When Jaime Reyes steps into the dusty old secret bunker of Ted Kord under his mansion, it instantly recalls Terry McGinnis finding the Batcave and all its wonders in Wayne Manor. That both Terry and Jaime are inheritors of a heroic legacy with cool flying suits is just the cherry on top.

Blue Beetle is currently playing in theaters everywhere.

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The sentiment of “family” is a bit of a meme these days. This is partially thanks to a certain series about cars being fast and people being furious and an overall lack of sincerity in relation to superhero affairs. We’ve gotten all the world-ending threats, all the multiverses, and all the interconnecting stories. But, it feels as though some of these basics have been missing lately. Blue Beetle, in many ways, is a film that seems to heed those very concerns. While many DC—and, as of late, Marvel—projects seem to be mucking things up, Blue Beetle is a heartfelt romp that sets itself apart. It focuses on a lovable Mexican family while deftly handling many classic superhero story beats.

The film follows Jaime Reyes (Xolo Maridueña), a recent college graduate who returns to his hometown in Palmera City. This fictional locale serves as a cross between a futuristic Metropolis-esque hub with the cultural feel of places like Miami and El Paso. (The latter is where the character originated in the comic books.) In spite of the many technological advancements seen in the city, Jamie’s family and neighbors don’t see this type of growth where they live.

As a result, Jaime puts his graduation celebrations on hold in order to help provide in any way he can. This leads to him meeting Jenny Kord (Bruna Marquezine). In desperation, she hands off a mysterious Scarab device to Jaime for safe-keeping. As it turns out, the Scarab is an advanced piece of alien technology that attaches itself to Jaime, giving him access to a host of superpowers. He also has the ability to manifest, well, anything when it comes to weapons and gadgets. 

It’s been a little while since we got one of these types of films. No, not a superhero movie because they are everywhere, for better or worse. I mean a specifically a standalone origin story for a relatively unknown character. My oversaturated brain wants to argue that this simple premise is Blue Beetle’s greatest strength. No prior DC film knowledge is necessary to enjoy it and there are hardly allusions or set-ups for a cinematic universe. (There is one small instance with Jaime rocking a “Gotham Law” hoodie.)

Blue Beetle focuses on what the genre is often best at. Jaime is a young man that acts his age with wide-eyed optimism about the future and his role in it. He understandably shows reluctance to hold such power in the first place. And, as young bucks often are, he is lovestruck. The moments when Jaime is truly aware of his newfound powerful gifts is an element of superhero movies I will never tire of. (Remember when Peter Parker began climbing the walls in 2002’s Spider-Man?) These scenes are what helps it flourish. 

But while the standalone and attention-to-fundamentals aspect is greatly appreciated, Blue Beetle soars when it comes to the sentiment of family alluded to earlier. Xolo Maridueña is incredibly endearing in the lead role. But it’s his family—from his concerned parents, to audacious sister and paranoid uncle (played brilliantly by the always hysterical George Lopez)—that make up the film’s best moments. Everything from the family’s initial reaction to Jaime returning home to their …flavorful Spanish language usage when the Scarab first takes over Jaime is as charming as it is representative. 

They’re messy but divinely loyal. They’re overbearing but equally understanding. In many ways, they remind me of my own Latino family and upbringings. I’d be lying if I said their aggressively-Hispanic attitude didn’t gleam a smile out of me on more than one occasion. Plus, the family members are raucously funny in the most unapologetic way.  

However, once the film reaches a certain point, it moves at a blistering pace. This leaves the development of many supporting characters in the rearview. The film’s antagonist, Susan Sarandon’s Victoria Kord, isn’t given much to do outside of being a big ole’ meanie. While she doesn’t have much of a background, what she represents with glancing nod to ideas of gentrification, imperialism, and entitlement (i.e. “The scarab chose you, but it belongs to me.”) works decently enough, especially given the Latino family and culture at the film’s center. 

Jenny Kord, on the other hand, gets left a bit in the background. She works fine enough as the film’s love interest, and Marquezine has a fine performance. There’s nothing egregiously wrong here. It just would’ve been nice to see her get a little bit more to do and say. 

Of course, this superhero flick has plenty of bonkers heroics and action. And it is mostly decent. Occasionally, it dazzles the same way the absurdity of action anime draws you in with the sheer ludicrousness of seeing people yell and throw mountains at each other. There’s some sick tech that creates sweet swords and blasters instantaneously. 

Unfortunately, Blue Beetle becomes a bit of a CGI-fest, especially towards the end which gets bloated and difficult to follow. It’s not Transformers level chaotic in that way but still. The onslaught of action and frenetic pace result in some serious moments not hitting as hard as they could have. In fact, the film loses itself a bit in its own orbit near the end.

There’s a cheesiness in Blue Beetle throughout with its family-centric theme. Not every swing makes quality contact with your heartstrings, but rather some uneventful fouls that you quickly move past. Still, it’s admirable how much it commits to being sincere. Blue Beetle will feel overly trite at times, but it (mostly) has the fortitude to step up to the plate. 

Sometimes, you just need a reminder of why you like all this geeky superhero nerd stuff in the first place. Blue Beetle does that and, in a way, serves as a painful reminder of how much better DC’s characters could be when they aren’t tied down by the endless promise of more. And, for me, it’s just as cool to see a character share my last name and Hispanic culture as it is to meet a new hero with his own lore to explore. Maybe, just maybe, a back-to-basics approach is what the genre sorely needs.

Blue Beetle ⭐ (3 of 5)

Blue Beetle hits theaters on August 18.

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Last December, director Patty Jenkins revealed she was no longer developing a third Wonder Woman movie for DC Studios. That was just one of the many big changes to take place under new co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran. They’re overseeing the franchise’s transition from the DCEU to the DCU. That switch will include new actors in some major roles, including for both Superman and Batman. But in news that will delight fans of the previous Diana Prince, it looks like they might be keeping her around. Gal Gadot says Gunn and Safran informed her they’re developing a Wonder Woman 3 movie starring her as Themyscira’s greatest hero.

Gadot shared the news while speaking to ComicBook.com‘s Chris Killian about her new Netflix film Heart of Stone. (The interview took place prior to the SAG-AFTRA strike.) Gadot’s announcement could have huge ramifications for the DCU. She said, “I love portraying Wonder Woman. It’s so close to and dear to my heart.” That’s not news, but what came next certainly is. Gadot added, “From what I heard from James and from Peter is that we’re gonna develop a Wonder Woman 3 together.”

Obviously “hearing” something about a possible Wonder Woman 3 movie is far from a guarantee the film will happen. Still, Gadot went into a little more detail in an interview with Flaunt. She said, “I was invited to a meeting with James Gunn and Peter Safran [co-chairperson and CEO of DC alongside Gunn] and what they told me, and I’m quoting: ‘You’re in the best hands. We’re going to develop Wonder Woman 3 with you. [We] love you as Wonder Woman— you’ve got nothing to worry about.’ So time will tell.”

However, sources with knowledge of the situation have told both Collider and Variety that Wonder Woman 3 is not in development. Sources said Gunn and Safran don’t have any plans for any kind of Wonder Woman project in the new DCU aside from already announced Paradise Lost series.

Will Gadot’s Wonder Woman ultimately join him in the DCU? We don’t know and she probably doesn’t either. Gunn and Safran themselves might not either. As Gadot said, time will tell.

Originally published on August 2, 2023.

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When you hear the word “scarab,” there’s a good chance you think of scary little buggers. Perhaps you grew up watching the Brendan Fraser masterpiece The Mummy and can only think about the grotesque ways they can eat people. Thankfully, when it comes to Blue Beetle, this scarab is not one of those terrifying creatures. We all know that the Scarab is vital to Jamie Reyes’ live-action origin story in Blue Beetle; however, those who aren’t comic fans may not fully understand the details about it.

What makes Blue Beetle’s particular Scarab different? How is the Scarab connected to this hero? Put on your fandom cap and gown; it’s time for an exploration into the realm of comic book lore!

Where Did Blue Beetle’s Scarab Come From and Who Created it in the DC Comics?

Unlike the aforementioned Mummy flick, the Scarab is actually a piece of alien technology. It is used by an alien race known as The Reach, and their name certainly matches with their tradition of conquering planets for the sake of profit. First appearing in 2007’s Blue Beetle #7, The Reach are kind of like the Borg in Star Trek, having conquered around 10,000 planets. 

They’re a hive-mind with technology far surpassing anything of Earth or most other planets, and all of their ships have warp-drive capabilities. The Reach have Negotiators, who make the decisions on whichever planets they have conquer, and commanders who lead sieges. In the comics, the legendary Green Lantern Corps—a group of green, will-powered lads dedicated to protecting the universe—were able to halt The Reach from, excuse the pun, expanding their reach. This came after a massive war nearly 40,000 years ago, and eventually resulted in a peace treaty that barred The Reach from invading planets. 

Instead of direct takeovers, The Reach created Scarabs as weapons to send to other planets.

Blue Beetle’s Scarab Khaji Da and Other Scarabs’ Powers, Explained

The Reach’s Scarabs are genetically modified living weapons used as parasitic technology. The scarabs would find a host, and control them as part of a hive-mind. Basically, The Reach developed their own way of ensuring a sort of Manchurian Candidate situation to sneakily aid their conquering efforts. After a civilization achieved a certain level or technological advancement, the Scarab’s programming takeover the host fully and then, in effect, the planet.

Blue Beetle’s particular Scarab is Khaji Da. (We will touch on their history in a moment.) It gives its user an array of special abilities to handle nearly any situation. The user essentially has a weapon wheel, like in a video game, and can use different tools/enhancements to become superpowered. Khaji Da allows Blue Beetle to increase his strength and speed to superhuman levels. This Scarab can create many materials like swords, wings for flying/shielding, energy blasts, and pyrotechnic weapons. It can also generally shifting into objects that the user projects. 

A Scarab acts as an assistive artificial intelligence for the user to handle nearly any scenario, including interpreting different languages, tracking systems, and uh …other things. It can even resist some level of telepathic manipulation, which was shown at the early stages in 2007’s Blue Beetle #2. It is, in a word, quite powerful.

The History of the Khaji Da Scarab and Its Hosts in the Comics

Jamie Reyes will become Blue Beetle in the Blue Beetle film. However, he was not the Scarab’s first host in the comics. Thousands of years ago, Pharaoh Kha-Ef-Re—who first appeared in Secret Origins #2 (1986)—used the Scarab’s power to rule his kingdom and protect it from enemy nations. After the Pharaoh’s death, the Scarab remained buried with him for many years. Eventually, archaeologist Dan Garrett (who debuted at the same time as the Pharaoh) discovered it and became the second host. He is known as the first Blue Beetle.  

Interestingly, some magical energies affected the Scarab during that long burial, preventing the new user (Dan) from The Reach’s corruption. Dan went on to use its power to fight villains and monsters, as one does. Despite his good intentions, Dan Garrett died just a year later in Blue Beetle #18. 

As a result, the Khaji Da Scarab was passed to his student, Ted Kord, who actually got his first introduction in Captain Atom #33 (1966). He made a resurgence in the DC canon around the same time as Dan Garrett became the Scarab’s host. Ted Kord took over the mantle in his own solo Blue Beetle series from 1986 to 1988. 

Ted wanted to continue Dan’s legacy, but found that he lacked the same chemistry with the Scarab. He had to find his own ways to be a superhero. Instead of the Scarab giving him powers, Ted replicated some of its gadgets thanks to his scientific background. Ted eventually hung up his cape (rather, blue costume) but it seemed that the Scarab couldn’t be passed on. Instead it would have to choose its next host.

The Scarab went missing for a time due to the Crisis on Infinite Earths event, until eventually landing with its next and most recent host, Jaime Reyes. (He made his first official debut in Infinite Crisis #3.) Unlike the Pharaoh or Dan, Jaime was a high school kid who discovered the scarab in an abandoned lot. It permanently grafted itself onto his spine, officially making his debut as the Blue Beetle in Infinite Crisis #5. 

Gross? Certainly. Undeniably cool in a comic-booky way? Absolutely.

The Scarab on TV, Blue Beetle, and the DCU Future

Blue Beetle prominently appeared in the animated series Young Justice and the Injustice video game series (with the latter having a few semi-viral lines). Much of his origin remained in tact except Jaime discovers the Scarab after an explosion at Kord Industries. This event is what causes Ted’s death. In both incarnations, he appears alongside the Teen Titans.

On top of that, Jaime’s big-screen debut will mark the first time there has been a Hispanic superhero lead for a live-action (winks at Spider-Verse) film. It was originally set to be a straight-to-streamer project for Max. So there’s reason to believe the character will play a significant role going forward.

James Gunn, the newly-anointed architect of the DCU, has stated that Blue Beetle will be part of this new plan as the first character. Interestingly, however, Gunn said that the upcoming Superman movie—Superman: Legacy, which he is set to direct himself—is the first film, which is an interesting distinction. 

We’ll have to see if Blue Beetle makes any sort of nods/set-up for the future of the DCU, if any at all. Could we be in store for a prequel to the new universe? Is there some sort of timeline-reset planned for the film we aren’t aware of? Will there be a good ole-fashioned post-credits teaser? Most importantly, how will Jamie Reyes and the Scarab cross paths in the Blue Beetle movie?

We’ll just have to wait and see when the film blasts its way into theaters on August 18th.

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Metamorpho, also known as the Element Man, is one of DC Comics’ most bizarre heroes, in both look and powers. He was created by writer Bob Haney, the man behind the Doom Patrol and the Teen Titans, and artist Ramona Fradon, famous for her work on Aquaman. Although never really becoming a big mainstream success on his own, Metamorpho nevertheless found a home in many DC team books, like The Outsiders, Justice League, and most recently, The Terrifics. Here’s everything you need to know about one of DC’s weirdest characters, soon to be a part of James Gunn’s Superman: Legacy.

Metamorpho’s Origin

Rex Mason was a soldier of fortune, hired by industrialist Simon Stagg to retrieve the ancient Orb of Ra from an Egyptian tomb. Unfortunately for Mason, he fell for Stagg’s daughter, Sapphire Stagg. Enraged by this, Simon Stagg planned a trap for Mason in the tomb, and had his brutish servant Java knock him out. The plan was to seal him in the tomb to die. Inside, exposure to the meteorite the Orb of Ra was fashioned from changed him. It transformed Mason into a being that can shapeshift into any element, or combination of elements.

Unfortunately, he was disfigured by this transformation, appearing like a pasty white being, whose torso and legs they made up of different elements. Rex hated his monstrous new appearance. And he vowed to find a cure. In the meantime however, he dedicated himself to a life of heroism. He eventually learned that he was one of the Metamorphae, other beings transformed by the meteorite into a superpowered soldier for the god Ra. Rex Mason is but the latest in a long line of Metamorphae.

Metamorpho’s First Appearance, in Brave and the Bold #57

The superhero Metamorpho made his first appearance in 1965’s Brave and the Bold #57, a title that famously introduced many DC characters and concepts like the Justice League of America. This first story presented his origin, and after a two-issue try-out, they deemed Metamorpho successful enough to garner his own ongoing series later that year. He even had his own female couterpart like Batman and Superman did, the heroine Element Girl. The Metamorpho series lasted only 17 issues, with the final issue coming out in 1968.

Metamorpho: DC’s Team Player

During the run of his solo series, he guest starred in an issue of Justice League of America, where he turned down membership, believing a cure for his affliction was coming soon. They eventually granted him a reservist membership. After they canceled his solo series, He made sporadic appearances throughout the ‘70s, mostly as a guest star in more famous heroes’ comics. In 1983, the Element Man joined Batman’s new team the Outsiders, and was a lead character in the Batman and the Outsiders title until 1987, when the group dissolved. During this time, he finally married his longtime love, Sapphire Stagg.

They left Metamorpho for dead at the end of Outsiders after a harrowing adventure in the crossover Millennium, but only two years later DC revived him, becoming a lead character in the series Justice League Europe. During that time, he found out that Sapphire had given birth to his son, Joseph Mason. The infant had Rex’s powers and aspects of his unusual appearance. Eventually, they discovered a cure for Joseph’s condition.

On a Justice League mission, his body appeared seemingly destroyed, but he reformed in a new ‘90s “extreme” look. Metamorpho now had giant crystal shards for shoulders, and a dramatic mist always followed him. He stuck around with various Leagues throughout the ‘90s, but once again died in Grant Morrison’s JLA #1, using his body to create a cocoon to protect his teammates as they fell from space into Earth’s atmosphere. Of course, years later, he came back to life again. He would briefly join the Doom Patrol, another team of famous DC freaks.

Shift, the Second Metamorpho

In the early 2000s, a new group of Outsiders came together. This team was led by Nightwing rather than Batman. But they had a tie to the old Outsiders team, as Metamorpho was a member. Except, it wasn’t really Metamorpho. A piece of Metamorpho had broken off during one of his many “deaths” and gained sentience. When the real Metamorpho turned up, he asked to reabsorb his twin. But the other Metamorpho was an independent being, and asked to remain so. He took on the new name of Shift. But after Shift accidentally killed several people during a mission, he asked for re-assimilation into the original Metamorpho. For him, it was better than living with the memory of what he’d done.

Metamorpho in the New 52 and DC Rebirth

In the New 52 era, circa 2011-215, we saw Metamorpho in small roles, but they did not explore his past. The assumption is that his backstory didn’t really change much due to the Flashpoint event, and was more or less the same. In the DC Rebirth timeline, Metamorpho was part of the Terrifics, a team led by Mister Terrific, which included heroes like Plastic Man.

Metamorpho’s Powers

Metamorpho can transform his body into all kinds of different elemental compounds. At first, it seemed like he could only transform into elements found in the human body. But later, that power expanded to include all elements. This includes transforming into liquids and gaseous elements. When he shapeshifts, he can elongate and change the size and mass of his limbs. Metamorpho can also replicate toxins found in his own body.

Metamorpho can change his physical size, and even duplicate his body and create a double. His body provided him with armor of a sort, and a degree of superhuman strength. He also retains the detective and martial arts skills from his former life as adventure Rex Mason, as well as all his archeological knowledge. Although certain comics have shown Metamorpho eating, for him, it’s purely for pleasure. He has no need to consume food after his transformation.

Is Metamorpho Immortal?

There is a lot of evidence to suggest that Metamorpho is immortal. He was rendered “inert” several times, because of circumstances that would have killed almost anyone else. But they always resurrected him. The first and second times happened in the original Outsiders series. They found a way to revive him a few years later. After saving his League teammates in Grant Morrison’s JLA, he once again became inert. The Justice League even held a funeral. Not too many years later, he returned. He can be incapacitated, sometimes for a very long time. Yet it seems that unless his body is totally obliterated, he cannot die.

Metamorpho in the DCAU and Other DC Animated Series Like Young Justice

Metamorpho was meant to get an animated series in the ’60s, but it was never produced. He finally made his animated debut in Justice League’s season one episode “Metamorphosis.” Voiced by the late Tom Sizemore. He later popped up here and there in the background of various episodes of Justice League Unlimited. But he never had a featured role again past his initial two-part episode. Another version of the Element Man appeared in Batman: The Brave and the Bold, and later, the short-lived Beware the Batman. Most recently, he appeared as a member of the Outsiders in the series Young Justice.

Metamorpho and Superman

In the comics, Metamorpho doesn’t have much of a relationship with Superman. He has a much closer working relationship with Batman. But he has served alongside the Man of Steel on several missions during his time in various iterations of the Justice League. The pair have never actually fought. However, despite how powerful Rex Mason is, Superman is still stronger and would likely defeat him.

Anthony Carrigan Will Play Metamorpho in the DCU’s Superman Legacy

After over 50 years as a DC Comics mainstay, Metamorpho will appear in James Gunn’s Superman: Legacy. Barry actor Anthony Carrigan will play him. We know next to nothing about how similar or different the DCU Rex Mason will be compared to the comics and animation. But another character popping up in Superman: Legacy is Mister Terrific, which suggests that we may see their team, the Terrifics. Or, Metamorpho is part of an already established Justice League. We just know we’re excited to see this famously bizarre DC icon make it into live-action at long last.

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Blue Beetle and Booster Gold are among DC Comics’ myriad of iconic duos. But in contrast to character pairings like Green Lantern and Green Arrow, Hawk and Dove, Icon and Rocket, Batman and Robin, The Flash and Kid Flash, Big Barda and Mister Miracle, and Midnighter and Apollo, Blue Beetle and Booster Gold are two best friends whose DC Comics’ relationship is deeply comedic at its core. As much as they would love for others to take them seriously, this pair is charming because of how little self-awareness they possess. Let’s dig into the friendship story of Blue Beetle and Booster Gold and look at its place in the DC universe.

The Origin Stories of Ted Kord’s Blue Beetle and Michael Jon Carter’s Booster Gold

The particular Blue Beetle in the iconic DC Comics friendship with Booster Gold is not Jaime Reyes, who will make his movie debut in the upcoming Blue Beetle movie. Instead, it is actually the second Blue Beetle, Ted Kord, who is friends with Booster Gold in the comics. (The first Blue Beetle was Dan Garret.) Steve Ditko created Ted Kord as a Charlton Comics character in 1966. After he joined the DC Universe in the wake of Crisis on Infinite Earths in 1986, he developed into a squishier version of Marvel’s Iron Man. Like Tony Stark, Ted Kord is the head of a tech company, Kord Industries. He uses the company’s technology to build his own gadgets and superhero gear. But while Tony Stark is a confident womanizer, Blue Beetle Ted Kord is a nervous wallflower.

In contrast, Michael Jon Carter, a.k.a. Booster Gold, is from the 25th century and uses his futuristic tech to be a superhero in the present. While he has a good heart, Booster Gold is incredibly vain and overconfident. Created in 1986 by Dan Jurgens, Carter/Booster Gold is a satirical look at superheroism under capitalism. 

When Did Booster Gold and Blue Beetle Become Friends in DC’s Comics?

Ted Kord’s Blue Beetle and Michael Jon Carter’s Booster Gold became friends after Carter joined the newly formed Justice League in its “Justice League International” era in the late 1980s. The team got its name from the fact that they were not based out of the Hall of Justice anymore, but out of an embassy in New York City. The Justice League had satellite teams based around the world, including Justice League Europe and even the Justice League Antarctica. 

Justice League International reimagined DC’s flagship superhero team as a workplace comedy. It was about ordinary people caught in the trap of late-stage capitalism under Ronald Reagan. Blue Beetle and Booster Gold’s friendship was emblematic of this idea. Writer J.M. DeMatteis and artists Kevin Maguire and Keith Giffen were a dynamite creative team, capable of hitting comedic beats in the throes of action sequences. Even though its members included an alien (Martian Manhunter), two New Gods (Mister Miracle and his wife Big Barda), and an ever-grumpy Batman, the JLI’s problems were refreshingly down to Earth. This team worried about filing their taxes, argued over the merits of Sylvester Stallone’s filmography, and expressed their disdain for yuppies. 

Why Booster Gold and Blue Beetle’s Friendship Works

Within the events of Justice League International, it was logical for Blue Beetle and Booster Gold to become fast friends. Booster was good-looking and a former a college football player. However, neither he nor Beetle fit the bill for perfect superhero men. Ted startled easily, was reluctant to get his hands dirty in combat, cracked jokes at inopportune times, and would awkwardly try to ask out his crush, Wonder Woman. Booster, on the other hand, loved the spotlight of being a superhero. But he was ill-equipped to thrive as a normal person in the 20th century.

Where Booster Gold was assertive, Blue Beetle was timid, and where Beetle was prudent, Booster was impulsive. Under DeMatteis’ pen, Booster Gold and Blue Beetle’s friendship blossomed organically, as the two tried to make being a superhero a financially viable career. Later on, Justice League International got a new title, Justice League America, and Booster Gold and Blue Beetle were active members into the 1990s. 

The Death of Ted Kord, Booster Gold’s Guilt, and the Rise of Jamie Reyes, a New Blue Beetle

In the 2000s, Blue Beetle and Booster Gold’s friendship took a much darker turn. Blue Beetle was murdered by his former Justice League International teammate, Maxwell Lord, in the lead-up to DC’s Infinite Crisis event in 2005. Later on, Booster blamed himself for failing to protect Beetle. The DC Universe was not without a Blue Beetle for long, though, as Jaime Reyes debuted during Infinite Crisis. 

Jaime Reyes signaled a different direction for the Blue Beetle mantle. Reyes was a teenager and not a CEO like Ted Kord. Likewise, Booster Gold went his own path, taking on a much more significant role in the DC Universe’s time stream. His 2007 solo series by Geoff Johns and Jeff Katz would eventually lead into the 2011 Flashpoint storyline. This came after the revelation that Booster was the father of the time traveler, Rip Hunter. 

Ted Kord Returns and Their Friendship Goes to a New Level

Fortunately, with the relaunch of the DC Universe in 2016, Ted Kord’s Blue Beetle came back to life after making sparse appearances during DC’s New 52 era. The series Heroes in Crisis by Tom King and Clay Mann revealed the extent to which Booster helped Beetle with his trauma as a superhero. Issue four of the series had a therapy-focused take on superhero comics. In it, Beetle explained how Booster has always been there for him and the difference that made in his life. Beetle’s character went through dark moments, like dying at the hands of someone he once trusted. But Heroes in Crisis was a rare moment where Ted Kord broke his usual comedic façade to speak candidly. 

Most recently, Blue Beetle and Booster Gold’s friendship was explored at length in the 2021 series, Blue and Gold, by Dan Jurgens and Ryan Sook. The series followed the two buddies as they opened their own small business, Blue and Gold Restoration, after the Justice League turned them down. Booster became a content creator, livestreaming his and Beetle’s superhero activities. He hoped to build an audience that would make them A-list heroes again. The livestream comments peppered throughout the book make it clear that Blue and Gold are still seen as jokes outside of their small but loyal fanbase. 

In Blue and Gold, Booster repeatedly referred to Beetle as his “sidekick,” which became a source of conflict between the two of them. Beetle acknowledged that he lacked self-confidence and that Booster’s over-confident nature was enough for both of them. However, their partnership needed to be equal. By the end of the series, the two friends had reconciled their differences, underscoring what makes them so lovable. 

The Continued Pairing and Possible Future for Booster Gold and Blue Beetle in the DCU

Booster Gold turned Blue Beetle into a bonafide comedic pillar of the DC Universe. Despite Ted’s anxious personality and bouts of angst, his friendship with Booster Gold pushes him to be a braver superhero. Likewise, Booster’s friendship with Beetle has elevated him beyond being a precise observation about a historical moment in time. Booster and Beetle have a unique sense of platonic male intimacy in superhero comics. Their devotion to each other is an inspiring sight for many readers. Now, Blue Beetle and Booster Gold are coming to James Gunn’s DCU. The Blue Beetle movie and Booster Gold TV show will hopefully lead to a live-action friendship in the future.

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The Justice League was not the first superhero team in comics, as both the Justice Society and the Legion of Super-Heroes preceded it. But its massive success led to a franchise that just couldn’t be stopped. DC’s Justice League has been central to multiple comics, cartoons, and a live-action movie. (Or two movies, depending on how you look at it.) And that means the Justice League has seen many different iterations and character combinations throughout its long existence. But across all different media, which is the best version of DC Comics’ iconic Justice League over the past six decades? Here are our top 10 Justice League teams and the members that comprise them, ranked from the worst of the best to the best roster of them all:

10. The DCEU Justice League

I hate to put the first-ever big-screen Justice League at the bottom, but here we are. Unfortunately, neither version of the team lived up to what we wanted from a cinematic Justice League roster. DC’s live-action Justice League team did have some excellent individual members. We had a great Batman and Wonder Woman in Ben Affleck and Gal Gadot, and Flash did steal the show. But with Henry Cavill’s Superman not showing up until the end of the movie in both versions, it just doesn’t feel like we get an accurate representation of a classic Justice League until the last minute of the films. And it’s hard not to feel cheated.

For the first Justice League ever on film, you really want the “Big Seven.” By “Big Seven,” we mean a version of the Justice League’s seven iconic founders. And just who are these original members of the Justice League? The first roster of the Justice League consisted of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern, Aquaman, and Martian Manhunter, who founded the team. Some iterations replace one of the seven Justice League founders with a different hero than the originals, but these “Big Seven” are often viewed as the core set of characters for the team.

The DCEU’s Justice League roster only gave us only six of the original League members, though… Despite ads promising us to “Unite the Seven!” Not having a Green Lantern or a Martian Manhunter on the team by the end is forgivable, but to not have either of them? We can only hope that whatever version of the Justice League James Gunn gives us in his new DCU, it’s not one that cuts any corners lineup-wise. However, as the first live-action Justice League, this roster deserves at least a spot on this list. So here it is.

Members of the DCEU’s Justice League:

Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg, the Flash

9. Brad Meltzer’s Justice League of America

There have been many iterations of the comics Justice League that didn’t quite make the cut for a top ten list, but we think writer Brad Meltzer’s comic book team from the 2000s was worthy of inclusion. Meltzer’s League spun out of the event series Infinite Crisis, where the DC Trinity had taken a year off. Upon their return, Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman assemble a new team, selecting members from the Justice League’s long history. And it’s a pretty fantastic lineup.

But which DC Comics characters joined this Justice League roster? This version of the Justice League includes members like Trinity, plus Black Canary acts as the leader, and Black Lightning finally joins the team. Also, long-neglected former Justice League of America members like Vixen and Red Tornado were asked to join. Add in Flash (Wally West), Hawkgirl, and Red Arrow (Green Arrow’s former sidekick Speedy), and you’ve got a killer lineup. One that frankly should have lasted a lot longer.

Members of Brad Meltzer’s Justice League of America Roster:

Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, the Flash (Wally West), Green Lantern (Hal Jordan), Vixen, Black Lightning, Black Canary, Red Arrow, Red Tornado, Hawkgirl, Geo-Force

8. The New 52 Justice League Roster

In 2011, DC Comics began a major reboot of their continuity with the New 52 initiative, spinning out of the event series Flashpoint. There were 52 Earths, and 52 new titles, hence the name. A new continuity meant a new Justice League, and DC went back to the basics for this roster. After several years of Justice Leagues without their most iconic heroes at the center, the Big Seven were back. Well, kinda. Replacing Martian Manhunter as a founding member of this Justice League team was the character of Cyborg, more famous in previous DC Comics continuity as a member of the Teen Titans.

With the superstar team of writer Geoff Johns and artist Jim Lee, the new Justice League title was a huge seller. Although the addition of Cyborg as a Justice League founder absolutely works, and was later used in the movies, some of Jim Lee’s redesigns for the members are just too overdone. Superman in armor, with everyone else’s uniforms in a similar aesthetic? That just didn’t ever land. The characters of the Justice League are all about their individuality. But there’s still something grandiose about this roster, especially given Lee’s attention to detail in his drawings. And that makes this team one of the better versions of the Justice League in DC Comics overall.

Members of the New 52 Justice League:

Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, the Flash (Barry Allen), Green Lantern (Hal Jordan), Cyborg, Aquaman

7. The Original Justice League of America and Its Foundational Characters

The original Justice League of America debuted in DC Comics’ Brave and the Bold #28, an issue that released in January 1960. Even though a Justice Society existed in the ‘40s, the Justice League of America was the first time a team had the characters of Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman together in one comic on a regular basis. It’s wild to think it took DC Comics two decades to bring these Justice League members into one story, but it did. Although Superman and Batman were left off the covers for much of the first three years of publication, for fear of overexposure, they were definitely in the comic from day one. And kids ate it up.

The new Flash and Green Lantern rounded out this all-star team of DC superheroes. The stories back then were simple, and the art by Mike Sekowsky was less complex than some of today’s visions, though. Almost every DC Comics villain this version of the Justice League fought was a generic alien baddie. Worst of all, the Leaguers all had the same vanilla personality. And yet, there was just something magic about seeing all these iconic characters together, working in harmony, and saving the day… And often teaching kids science facts while saving the world! Marvel would later improve on this super team formula with Fantastic Four and Avengers, but none of them would have existed without the original Justice League of America and its roster of heroic characters. So they’re pretty special.

Members of the Original Justice League of America:

Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, the Flash (Barry Allen), Green Lantern (Hal Jordan), Aquaman, Martian Manhunter

6. The Super Friends TV Series’ Justice League

For an entire generation, the Saturday morning cartoon series Super Friends, which ran in various formats from 1973 to 1986, was an introduction to the concept of DC’s Justice League. Although the team members rarely called themselves the Justice League outside the opening credits narration, and just some mentions of a “Justice League computer” abounded, make no mistake about it. This team was the Justice League of America in everything but name. If there was any doubt, their TV series headquarters was called the Hall of Justice.

Originally, the Super Friends roster consisted of just Superman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Batman, and Robin. Robin actually never qualified for Justice League of America status in DC’s comics, but the character joined in on the fun in the TV series. Over the ensuing seasons, though, the Super Friends Justice League added major DC icons like Flash, Green Lantern, Firestorm, and Cyborg. Not to mention, the series created original characters, not from DC Comics, who became Justice League members in the series. And some of these characters would later become incorporated into the DC Universe proper, like the Wonder Twins. The stories were very silly, the animation choppy, but something about this grouping of heroes just clicks. It really helped they had an awesome theme song.

Members of the Super Friends Justice League:

Superman, Batman, Robin, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, The Wonder Twins, the Flash (Barry Allen), Green Lantern (Hal Jordan), Hawkman, Black Vulcan, Samurai, El Dorado, Apache Chief, Firestorm, Cyborg

5. Young Justice’s Justice League

One of the best Justice Leagues in any media were not even the main characters of their own show. The animated series Young Justice focuses on the teen proteges of the Justice League. But the Justice League and its members did appear often, even if they didn’t steal focus. And what a roster this Justice League had. The original seven members joined Young Justice‘s Justice League, plus Green Lantern John Stewart, Hawkman and Hawkwoman, Green Arrow, Black Canary, Shazam, and Dr. Fate.

Also included were DC characters missing from other media incarnations of the team, like Black Lightning and Plastic Man. Most importantly, in this lineup, we had the African-American heroes of the Milestone Universe, like Icon and Hardware, joining in too. This team was much like the Justice League Unlimited team, only it was all killer and no filler. (There really were a couple of booger heroes on the JLU). The only reason the Young Justice version of the Justice League is not ranked higher? Their screen time was way less than that of their sidekicks, as it wasn’t their show. So this Justice League roster couldn’t always shine. The Justice League of Young Justice’s world is otherwise pretty hard to beat.

Members of Young Justice‘s Justice League:

Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, the Flash (Barry Allen) Green Lantern (Hal Jordan), Green Lantern (John Stewart) Martian Manhunter, Hawkman, Hawkwoman, Aquaman, Shazam, Green Arrow, Black Canary, Dr. Fate, Zatanna, Red Tornado, Captain Atom, the Atom, Plastic Man, Icon, Rocket, Black Lightning, Metamorpho, Steel, Cyborg, Batwoman

4. Justice League International’s Vast Team of Characters

The Justice League as a concept almost never works without DC’s Trinity of Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman together. But there is one big exception to that rule. In 1987, after a previous reboot of the Justice League stationed out of a bunker in Detroit failed, DC rebranded the Justice League of America as the Justice League International. Writer Keith Giffen and J. M. DeMatteis, along with artist Kevin Maguire, kept stalwarts like Batman and J’onn J’onzz, but the shining stars of Justice League International were C-list DC Comics characters like Blue Beetle, Booster Gold, Fire & Ice, and Green Lantern Guy Gardner.

In addition, DC heroes previously denied Justice League status, like Captain Atom, Power Girl, and Shazam also made the roster at this time. The series, which eventually spun off several titles like Justice League Europe and others, delivered high adventure and laugh-out-loud funny moments. These stories carried a similar tone to the MCU’s Guardians of the Galaxy. The magic only lasted about five years before wearing thin, though, and other creators tried to replicate the Giffen/DeMatteis formula to less success. But when it worked, it really worked.

Members of the Justice League International:

Batman, Martian Manhunter, Green Lantern (Guy Gardner), Blue Beetle, Booster Gold, Black Canary, Shazam, Dr. Fate, Fire, Ice, Mister Miracle, Captain Atom, Rocket Red, Power Girl, the Flash (Wally West), Metamorpho, Animal Man, Elongated Man, Sue Dibny, General Glory, Crimson Fox

3. The Bronze Age “Satellite Era” Justice League of America

In the 1970s through the mid-’80s, the Justice League of America moved its HQ from a secret mountain base in Happy Harbor, Rhode Island to a sophisticated Satellite in orbit miles above the Earth. This Bronze Age team kept the core seven. However, Martian Manhunter was often absent. But also members like the Hawks, Green Arrow, Black Canary, Zatanna, Red Tornado, the Atom, and Firestorm joined this Justice League roster. Thanks to Marvel’s influence, the storytelling of this era of the Justice League of America was more sophisticated than just a decade prior.

This Justice League was quite formidable when it came to their powers. They took on foes like the Secret Society of Super-Villains, and the Crime Syndicate, and teamed up every year with their counterparts, Earth-Two’s Justice Society. This was the only Justice League of America that artist George Perez drew on a regular basis, upping their legendary status several notches. In addition, this Justice League roster was the inspiration for Kenner’s 1980s Super Powers Collection of toys. This remains one of the best representations of the Justice League in any format.

Members of the Bronze Age “Satellite Era” Justice League of America:

Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, the Flash (Barry Allen), Green Lantern (Hal Jordan), Aquaman, Martian Manhunter, Green Arrow, the Atom, Hawkman, Hawkgirl, Black Canary, Elongated Man, Zatanna, Red Tornado, Firestorm

2. The ’90s JLA DC Comics Justice League

When Grant Morrison and artist Howard Porter took over the team in 1996’s JLA series, the previous version of the various Justice Leagues made up of not-so-iconic DC Comics heroes had run its course. Morrison decided the core “Big Seven” had been gone for too long from the team. The Justice League had to go back to basics in terms of its roster. Only this time, Wally West and Kyle Rayner as Flash and Green Lantern, respectively, joined as well. But this new Big Seven was just the foundation of a group that would expand its roster into something meant to resemble the gods of Greek mythology. Superman was Zeus, Batman was Hades, Aquaman was Poseidon, Barbara Gordon was Athena, and so on. Each member of this team had an Olympian counterpart.

However, instead of Mount Olympus, these Gods resided on a Watchtower on the Moon. Grant Morrison’s League was something larger and more mythic than any other superhero team out there. This Justice League of America took on hordes of fallen angels from Heaven, the deadliest version of the Injustice League to date. Not to mention they faced a dystopian future where Darkseid ruled all. Morrison’s run on team only lasted four years and some forty issues. But In terms of comic books, Morrison’s JLA remains the best DC Comics Justice League by a country mile, its characters and story unsurpassed.

Members of 1996’s JLA Justice League:

Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, the Flash (Wally West), Green Lantern (Kyle Rayner), Martian Manhunter, Aquaman, Orion, Huntress, Big Barda, Plastic Man, Zauriel, Steel, Green Arrow (Connor Hawke), Barbara Gordon

1. Justice League Unlimited Has the Best Justice League Roster

Usually, the best version of a superhero team is directly from the pages of the comics that spawned them. But in this case, the best Justice League of all time is from the animated series Justice League Unlimited and not directly from DC Comics. And the reason why is in their very name. Nearly every DC Comics hero was a member of this Justice League, some who never even were in the comics, like The Question. Originally starting out as just a seven-member team for two seasons of Justice League, the show rebranded in 2004 as Justice League Unlimited, and only improved because of it.

Bruce Timm’s DCAU version of the Justice League, which had the distinction of carrying on the continuity of Batman: The Animated Series and Superman: The Animated Series, kept a traditional seven members at the center, but gave dozens of other DC heroes a chance to shine too. Justice League Unlimited took the very best DC comics and remixed them. Grant Morrison’s mythological take was an inspiration for this Justice League, as was the Bronze Age Satellite era, with the League’s Watchtower in Earth orbit. Even the comedic Justice League of the ‘80s was sprinkled in, with many episodes focused on C-Listers like Booster Gold. This Justice League had it all and thus is the best Justice League of all, including the team’s various iterations in comics, movies, and anywhere else. It’s one we wish we had more of. But what we did have was glorious.

Members of Justice League Unlimited‘s Justice League (Featured Speaking Roles):

Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, the Flash (Wally West), Green Lantern (John Stewart), Martian Manhunter, Hawkgirl, Supergirl, Green Arrow, Captain Atom, Aquaman, Supergirl, Booster Gold, Mister Terrific, Doctor Fate, Elongated Man, Steel, the Question, Zatanna, Black Canary, Huntress, Hawk & Dove, Vixen, the Atom, Steel, Wildcat, Stargirl, S.T.R.I.P.E., Vigilante, Fire, Ice, Shining Knight, B’Wana Best

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Godzilla and Kong have fought the greatest kaiju the world has ever seen, not to mention Mechagodzilla and each other. So naturally, the two legendary titans are now taking on the world’s greatest superheroes. The world of DC Comics’ most iconic heroes will collide with Legendary’s Monsterverse in Justice League vs. Godzilla vs. Kong. The upcoming seven-issue series, made in partnership with Toho International, launches in October. The creative team consists of writer Brian Buccellato (Detective Comics), artist Christian Duce (Batman/Fortnite: Zero Point), and colorist Luis Guerrero. You can check out images of this battle of the century in our gallery below:

Click To View Gallery

Here’s the official synopsis from DC Comics and Legendary Comics:

What starts as a routine clash between the Justice League and the Legion of Doom takes a dangerous turn when the wall between worlds is breached…with Godzilla, Kong, and the Monsterverse emerging on DC’s Earth! What ensues will be a brawl of unprecedented scale and destruction!

DC President Jim Lee said in a statement, “As a comics fan, there’s nothing more fun and exciting than exploring those amazing ‘What If’ situations that come up when fandoms cross streams! In this case, it’s a matchup of the world’s greatest Super Heroes who take on not only the King of the Monsters—Godzilla—but the mighty Kong himself!“

SVP and publisher of Legendary Comics Robert Napton added the following, “There have been a couple of classic crossovers since I started reading comics: Superman vs. The Amazing Spider-Man, The Uncanny X-Men and the New Teen Titans. And we hope Justice League vs. Godzilla vs. Kong joins that list of unforgettable meetings.”

Here’s a fun fact. This crossover will officially make it so Godzilla has battled not only the League, but also the Avengers. No comic book universe is safe from his atomic breath.

The first issue will have a main cover by Drew Johnson and variant covers by Jim Lee and Scott Williams; Rafael Albuquerque, Francesco Mattina, Dan Mora, and Alan Quah will also illustrate variant covers. Among the variants will be a Godzilla and a Kong “Roar Sound FX” gatefold variant cover. Both of these were drawn by Christian Duce, on sale November 14. Sound chips in the covers will have both Godzilla and Kong deliver actual battle roars when readers open them.

Justice League vs. Godzilla vs. Kong #1, written by Brian Buccellato with art by Christian Duce and Luis Guerrero, will arrive at comic shops on October 17.

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

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A big shock to longtime DC Comics fans has been the news that James Gunn’s Superman: Legacy isn’t going to showcase the Man of Steel as its only superhero. Recently, they announced that DC heroes like Hawkgirl, Green Lantern Guy Gardner, Mister Terrific, and Metamorpho would all appear in the film as well. Suddenly, this movie takes on a whole new light. As the first film in the new DCU, it will seemingly introduce a universe where superheroes are already everywhere. And that might even include an already formed Justice League. And this approach would show that Gunn is bucking the trend started by the MCU, and later, the DCEU.

Superman: Legacy Might Skip Building Up a Superhero Cinematic Universe

Slowly building up to a big superhero team-up film had been the go-to approach since the MCU began in earnest with 2008’s Iron Man. When Marvel Studios started their big experiment, the strategy was to carefully establish their individual heroes before teaming them all up. There were four years between Iron Man and Avengers. With the introductions of Captain America and Thor in solo films taking place in between. This plan worked, and Avengers became an enormous hit. And some might say the true start of the MCU.

Meanwhile, Warner Bros. wanted some of the superhero cheddar (outside of Batman, who always delivered). They introduced their new Superman, Henry Cavill, in Man of Steel. That was essentially meant to be their Iron Man. The other big DC heroes would, presumably, slowly roll out their own films before teaming up as the Justice League. But things didn’t quite work out that way. Man of Steel met with a lukewarm response. So its sequel, Batman v Superman, not only had the task of introducing the DCEU Batman, but also Wonder Woman. And in cameos, Aquaman and the Flash. It took four years between Man of Steel and Justice League. Yet their kitchen-sink approach to Batman v Superman made the whole thing feel rushed and unearned.

James Gunn Might Introduce a DC Universe Already Populated by Superheroes

Yet as different as the MCU and DCEU were in their execution, the approach was basically the same. Introduce one big hero as “the first,” then introduce others before the team up. But maybe James Gunn’s new DCU is just throwing that formula out the window. Gunn’s Superman: Legacy will introduce a Kal-El early in his career. And judging by all the other heroes in the film, there might already be a superteam in this universe. And although Superman is famously the first superhero in the real world, in the pages of DC Comics, there’s plenty of precedent for his not being the first superhero in-universe.

In the post-Crisis on Infinite Earths DC Universe, there was a long legacy of superheroes before Superman arrived on the scene. The World War II era had the heroes of the Justice Society of America, punching mobsters and Nazis alike. Decades passed, and then the arrival of Superman ushered in a new era, which led to a Silver Age of heroes, and to the formation of the Justice League. But in modern comics, Superman definitely arrived into a world where superheroes were known. It seems James Gunn’s DCU might take the same tactic.

Will Superman: Legacy Feature an Already Existing Justice League?

With Hawkgirl, Green Lantern Guy Gardner, Mister Terrific, and Metamorpho in the film, we think they probably exist as a team of superheroes. While Mister Terrific and Metamorpho have been members of the team the Terrifics together, it’s more likely that this grouping is some form of the Justice League. Especially as Hawkgirl and Green Lantern Guy Gardner are iconic stalwart members of the team in the comics. Maybe we see them trying to recruit Superman into their ranks in the film. Possibly, the big guy just isn’t ready or interested. At least not yet.

Will James Gunn’s DCU Have a Long Superheroic History Behind It?

Pure speculation, but we could see James Gunn introducing a DCU with a significant history behind it already. There could have been a Justice Society of America during the ‘40s and ‘50s, one which gets casually mentioned perhaps (but might be the subject of some future project). That JSA could have eventually inspired a Justice League, just as in the comics. The “build-up” to the DCU Justice League might not be the organization just existing, it just might be a build-up to how the team gained its most iconic lineup in a world-ending event, which would include Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman.

This approach would also allow for other projects using the name brand of Justice League before we see DC’s Big Guns together in a film. With Guy Gardner and Metamorpho around, and soon Booster Gold, why not a Max adaptation of the iconic and hilarious Justice League International comics? Or an animated series about whichever modern-day iteration of the League we might meet in Superman: Legacy? The sky is the limit in terms of potential if this cinematic universe is already teaming with heroes.

Between long-running animated shows like Justice League Unlimited and Young Justice, the audience that grew up with them, now mostly adults, are well aware of the DC heroes and their various teams. And older audiences are familiar with shows like Super Friends from their youth. We don’t need to see how the Justice League formed, or risk audience confusion. The world is different now. We can accept there’s a universe where all of these things are already in place. If all of this pans out, James Gunn’s Superman film might be even more ambitious than originally thought. And we’re even more here for it than before.

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When people think of DC Comics hero Green Lantern, they tend to think of one of two characters — Hal Jordan, or John Stewart. But there’s another Lantern from the planet Earth who debuted after Hal, who has his fair share of fans, and has since the mid-‘80s. We’re talking about Guy Gardner, the loud-mouthed insufferable braggart with a power ring. And now, Firefly and Castle actor Nathan Fillion will play Guy Gardner in Superman: Legacy, and even beyond, according to James Gunn. But who is Guy Gardner, and why do people even like this big jerk?

Guy Gardner: Earth’s First Backup Green Lantern

Although he’s thought of as an ‘80s character primarily, Guy Gardner first appeared in 1968’s Green Lantern #59. In that issue, they established that the dying alien Abin Sur, who bequeathed his Green Lantern power ring to pilot Hal Jordan in his famous origin story, only gave it to him due to close proximity. Guy Gardner was Abin’s other choice, but was simply too far away to be eligible for selection. In this early appearance, Guy was a physical education teacher, and also a football player. He’s chosen as Hal’s backup as Green Lantern of Sector 2814 whenever Hal was incapacitated, but his time as Hal’s replacement was short-lived.

Guy Gardner ended up hit by a bus while trying to save one of his students during an earthquake, resulting in a brain injury. Hal’s new backup Lantern then became John Stewart, who was far more popular with readers. Guy only made a handful of appearances for much of the next decade following John’s introduction. He was eventually knocked into the Phantom Zone, home of Kryptonian criminals like General Zod, who tormented him for an undetermined period of time. Although he was eventually rescued by Superman and Hal Jordan, his mind was shattered. He ended up in a deep coma for years.

Guy Gardner Becomes the Green Lantern of the ’80s

During the ‘80s, Hal Jordan quit the Green Lantern Corps, and John Stewart became the permanent ring slinger of Sector 2814 (which included Earth). Guy was all but forgotten by DC writers, left to languish in a permanent off-panel coma. But during the events of Crisis on Infinite Earths, Guy awakened finally. The Guardians of the Universe, the Green Lantern Corps’ immortal alien bosses from the planet Oa, offered Guy a permanent power ring at last.

However, Guy’s traumas—his head injury, his time in the Phantom Zone, and his subsequent coma—had left him brain-damaged. He was also not happy to find that Hal Jordan was dating his girlfriend Kari Limbo when he was gone. During this era, they also revealed that he suffered an abusive childhood at the hands of his father while growing up in Michigan. His personality was no longer that of a kindly teacher. He was now brash, antagonist, and rude. They gave Guy a new costume, designed by artist Joe Staton, and he really became a whole new character. One with a fairly ridiculous (yet iconic) new bowl cut to match his new attitude.

Guy Gardner Becomes the Justice League’s Useful Idiot

Guy became super jingoistic, a parody of “rah-rah” ‘80s Americanism. He loved to quote Ronald Reagan, and tried to emulate the action movie characters of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone. The other members of Earth’s Green Lantern Corps all couldn’t stand him, so he joined the newly formed Justice League International in 1987. There, Guy’s popularity soared, mainly as the member readers loved to hate. He constantly rallied to be elected leader of the team, even if no one else wanted it in the slightest.

His braggart, bullying ways constantly got on his fellow Leaguers’ nerves, until finally, Batman sucker punched him. Guy awoke from this latest head injury now a sweet, kindly sap. Irritating his fellow Leaguers in all new ways. But eventually, his “jerk” persona reemerged. Despite this, he began a romance with Ice, the only JLI member who saw Guy’s good side buried underneath the bravado. JLI writers Keith Giffen and J. M. DeMatteis wrote Guy as the butt of the joke, but one that readers grew to love regardless.

Warrior: Guy Gardner’s New Superhero Alias

In the ‘90s, Guy underwent several transformations. He decided he was tired of being second and third fiddle to Earth Lanterns like Hal Jordan and John Stewart. He challenged Hal Jordan to a ring-free fistfight over who is the greatest Green Lantern. Hal won, leaving Guy humiliated and defeated. He turned in his power ring, and his role in the Corps. But he was later able to procure the villain Sinestro’s yellow power ring, and became a superhero once more. Finally, wearing the old yellow-powered Sinestro ring, he got his own ongoing series, simply titled Guy Gardner.

Although this iteration of Guy Gardner with the Sinestro ring lasted a few years, even helping Superman fight the monster Doomsday. Passed over to be Earth’s Green Lantern for new kid Kyle Rayner, eventually Guy received yet another makeover in the mid-90s. It was revealed to him that he had alien DNA, passed down from a race called the Vuldarians. These Vuldarians had tampered with mankind’s genetic code, particularly those of Gardner’s ancestors. With the genetic code unlocked, Gardner could now shapeshift his body into literal weapons. The unlocking of his code also cured him of many of his personality disorders, making him far less of a jerk than before. He took on the codename Warrior, and they changed his series to Guy Gardner: Warrior. He also opened a bar for the superhero crowd, appropriately named Warrior’s.

Guy Gardner Undergoes His Own Green Lantern: Rebirth

In the early 2000s, writer Geoff Johns reinvigorated the Green Lantern franchise, turning it into one of DC’s biggest sellers, right next to the Batman titles. He brought Hal Jordan back to life in Green Lantern: Rebirth, after ten years of being dead. He also removed all traces of the Vuldarian DNA from Guy Gardner, and returned him to Green Lantern status. This included his classic costume as well. Guy was brash again, but less of an outright jerk and bully. The Guardians of the Universe tasked Guy with training the next generation of Lanterns, and he reluctantly agreed. He fought in several significant battles during this era, like the Sinestro Corps War, the Blackest Night, and others.

Guy Gardner Trades a Green Ring For a Red One

During this time, Guy Gardner joined the Red Lantern Corps. Rage fueled the Red Lantern rings, much as pure willpower fueled the Green Lantern rings. Although he was seemingly a member of these anger-fueled ring bearers, he was actually still working undercover for the Green Lantern Corps, under orders from his frenemy Hal Jordan. He was a main character in the series Red Lanterns, where he tried to turn the crimson warriors into a force for good. Not long after, he was able to wield both red and green rings. But eventually, Guy’s Green Lantern ring purges the red energy, and Guy became a true Green Lantern again.

Nathan Fillion Will Play Green Lantern Guy Gardner in James Gunn’s DCU

Guy has had limited exposure in most outside comics media. Hal Jordan was the Green Lantern in the Super Friends cartoon, while John Stewart was the resident Lantern of the Justice League animated series. However, Guy Gardner has made a few appearances over the years, including guest starring roles in series like Young Justice, Batman: The Brave and the Bold, and the 2011 Green Lantern animated show on Cartoon Network. But now, he’s about to get this biggest audience of all time, thanks to the Man of Steel.

After many years of fans dream casting Nathan Fillion as Green Lantern Hal Jordan He played the role in animation eventually three times. First in Green Lantern: Emerald Knights, then in Justice League: Doom, and Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox. Now, James Gunn has cast his old friend in Superman: Legacy. That means Fillion will be the first big screen Lantern since the 2011 Ryan Reynolds movie. Gunn has promised that Fillion’s Guy Gardner would continue on in the DCU. Although the upcoming Lanterns series will focus on Hal Jordan and John Stewart, it seems that Fillion will at least appear on it once. For someone once viewed as the “third most famous Green Lantern,” Guy Gardner has a bright future ahead.

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Superman: Legacy is going to have a few more superheroes in it than just the Man of Steel. After the recent news that David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan have been cast as Clark Kent and Lois Lane, respectively, Vanity Fair has revealed that new actors have joined the cast as prominent members of DC’s Justice League. It appears that this opening episode of James Gunn’s DCU Chapter 1 is going to set up a lot more than just happenings in Metropolis. Gunn has also confirmed that these newly cast actors will definitely continue to play the characters throughout the DCU. Let us break down each addition to the cast:

Isabela Merced Will Play Hawkgirl in Superman: Legacy

First, Isabela Merced, whose credits include Sicario: Day of the Soldado and the title character in Dora and the Lost City of Gold, will play Hawkgirl. The Winged Wonder is going solo, without her paramour Hawkman (Last seen in Black Adam). There have been several versions of Hawkgirl in the comics. There’s the reincarnated Egyptian princess Shiera Hall from DC’s Justice Society. Then, the alien warrior from Thanagar from the Justice League. In recent years, another Hawkgirl, Kendra Saunders, has taken up the name. The Hawkgirl known to most general audiences was the alien version, who was a prominent member of the animated Justice League series.

Edi Gathegi Will Be Playing Mister Terrific in Superman: Legacy

James Gunn has been teasing Mister Terrific since he took over DC Studios with Peter Safran. And now we know why. Actor Edi Gathegi, perhaps best known for the Twilight films, will play Mister Terrific in Superman: Legacy. In the comics, Michael Holt was known as “the third smartest man in the world,” right behind Lex Luthor and Bruce Wayne. On the verge of ending his own life after several personal tragedies, the Spectre intervened and showed Holt what he could do with his intellect and wealth to help others.

Holt used his genius to become the new Mister Terrific, naming himself after an old-time hero. He created all kinds of badass high-tech weapons, like his multi-purpose T-Spheres. Gathegi once played another hero, the mutant Darwin, in X-Men: First Class. But his character was ridiculously killed off, something that is memed to this day. Hopefully, Mister Terrific has a longer life on screen than poor Darwin. He deserved better.

Nathan Fillion Will Play Green Lantern Guy Gardner in Superman: Legacy

Longtime James Gunn collaborator and friend Nathan Fillion, who has appeared in Gunn projects like Slither, The Suicide Squad, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, will play Green Lantern, Guy Gardner. The loud-mouthed, egotistical Gardner is one of several Earth-based Green Lanterns, and was a prominent member of the Justice League International. He’s a big jerk, and most of the other superheroes in the DC Universe can’t stand him. Particularly Batman, who once punched him in the face. He’s not the main Lantern for Sector 2814, those duties fall on Hal Jordan and John Stewart. Both of whom will be in the new DCU in the series Lanterns. Gunn has also promised we’ll see Nathan Fillion rock Guy Gardner’s Green Lantern bowl cut in the DCU. That’s a lot to look forward to.

Anthony Carrigan Will Play Metamorpho the Element Man in Superman: Legacy

Barry actor Anthony Carrigan also joins the cast as off-the-wall 1960s hero Metamorpho, the Element Man. Metamorpho sports one of the weirdest design aesthetics in all of comics, and has been around since 1965. In reality, he’s Rex Mason, a soldier of fortune. Rex was cursed by the Orb of Ra in an Egyptian tomb, and gained the ability to shapeshift and change his body into any element or combination of elements. Metamorpho had his own series in the sixties, which spawned a very groovy vinyl record with a catchy theme song. Over the years, he’s been a member of teams like the Justice League, Batman’s Outsiders, the Doom Patrol, and most recently the Terrifics, Mister Terrific’s own team.

Originally published on July 11, 2023.

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It’s a tough time to be a DC movie. In the inevitable upheaval involved in the changing of guards, several projects fell by the wayside, greatly underperformed, or, in the case of Batgirl, abruptly stopped production. Many of those decisions came before current co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran took over. Still, with the exception of The Flash and the Aquaman sequel, not many other projects seem certain. That is, of course, with the exception of Blue Beetle. The project began as an HBO Max exclusive movie and got an upgrade to theatrical, in IMAX, no less!

Not only that, but James Gunn confirmed that although Blue Beetle is not a full DCU movie, Blue Beetle, the character, is the first DCU character and Xolo Maridueña will continue to play him in the DCU. Additionally, Blue Beetle‘s director Angel Manuel Soto confirmed that Blue Beetle is “part of the plans that they have been creating for the future installments of the DCU.” And that the director is thinking of Blue Beetle as a trilogy, and aims to create two more movies, at least.

Here’s the first trailer for Blue Beetle, hitting theaters in August.

While a character called Blue Beetle has existed for decades, this iteration—young Jaime Reyes—didn’t appear until 2006. In that relatively short span of time, Jaime has become a standout favorite for comics fans. The movie will, as you might expect, take elements from several different comic runs of the character. As we see at the beginning of the trailer, Jaime (Xolo Maridueña) is a young man working at a resort in the fictional Palmera City. On a fateful day, his friend gives him a carton from Belly Burger containing an alien scarab. Presto chango, the Scarab fuses to Jaime (in a rather Cronenbergian scene) and he’s got a Blue Beetle suit.

One fun aspect of the character in the movie is that he definitely does not have a secret identity, as such. His family, including George Lopez as his uncle, see his first transformation. He’s like the anti-Spider-Man. Everyone he loves knows his secret to begin with. Also, his uncle thinks Batman is a fascist, which is very funny.

We don’t get a huge sense of the larger story of the movie aside from Susan Sarandon wanting the device for herself. The film’s IMDb lists her as Victoria Kord, a character who only first appeared in this current “Graduation Day” comics arc. Ted Kord, of course, is the first Blue Beetle from back in comics’ past.

The synopsis for Blue Beetle is as follows:

Recent college grad Jaime Reyes returns home full of aspirations for his future, only to find that home is not quite as he left it. As he searches to find his purpose in the world, fate intervenes when Jaime unexpectedly finds himself in possession of an ancient relic of alien biotechnology: the Scarab. When the Scarab suddenly chooses Jaime to be its symbiotic host, he is bestowed with an incredible suit of armor capable of extraordinary and unpredictable powers, forever changing his destiny as he becomes the Super Hero BLUE BEETLE.

And we won’t have long to wait to see it on very large screens. Blue Beetle, directed by Angel Manuel Soto, will hit theaters and IMAX August 18, 2023.

Originally published on April 3, 2023.

Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Instagram and Letterboxd.

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The long-awaited second trailer for Blue Beetle is here, showcasing Jaime Reyes in action at last. Starring Cobra Kai’s Xolo Maridueña, Blue Beetle is, according to James Gunn, the first DCU character, so this is an exciting moment. This trailer focuses on Jaime’s family, and the efforts of the villainous Victoria Kord to get the powerful and ancient Scarab away from Jaime, and into her clutches. We also see Beetle fight Carapax, the second Blue Beetle Ted Kord’s enemy from the comics. You can check out the full trailer below:

So what can we glean from the Blue Beetle trailer? Well, it sure looks like Blue Beetle is a mix of Shazam! (young kid teen boy powers from out of nowhere) with a dash of Iron Man (high-tech armor with a talking AI program). There’s also a bit of Green Lantern to Blue Beetle simply because his armor can create anything he can imagine. Although given the Ryan Reynolds movie, we doubt that Warner Bros. would want to lean into any Green Lantern comparisons. We also see “the Bug,” the ship that Blue Beetle II Ted Kord once flew around in; the ship inspired Nite-Owl’s vehicle in Watchmen.

There have been several Blue Beetles in the comics. In fact, one was a prominent member of the Justice League, this Beetle first appeared in 2006. Similar to the comics, it looks like the movie version of Jaime Reyes is just an ordinary kid. Then he discovers the alien Scarab, which gives him incredible powers. Not to mention ties him to a legacy of superheroes going back decades. This movie, directed by Angel Manuel Soto, looks to keep very true to the source material.

Blue Beetle hits theaters everywhere on August 18.

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There isn’t a third Suicide Squad movie coming as part of James Gunn’s DCU Chapter 1, but there is new and exciting Suicide Squad content coming from Warner Bros. announced at Anime Expo 2023, Minato-ku Tokyo and Warner Bros. Japan LLC revealed that production has begun on Suicide Squad ISEKAI, an all-new original anime series. At the center of this Suicide Squad anime series are Harley Quinn and the Joker, much like the original film. You can watch the trailer for this new series right here:

Suicide Squad ISEKAI will be directed by Eri Osada, with screenplays by Tappei Nagatsuki (Re-Zero – Starting Life in Another World) and Eiji Umehara (Vivy – Fluorite Eye’s Song). Screenwriter Tappei Nagatsuki added “Who has ever thought about mixing these two!? But this is sure to be a dream project. Crazy villains go on a rampage in ISEKAI! It’s nothing more, nothing less, and it can’t be anything else!”

No word yet on what other members of Task Force X will appear in the Harley Quinn and the Joker-led anime adventure, beyond Amanda Waller, but we can expect some surprise DC Comics villains among the roster. Hopefully, at least King Shark shows up. We expect Suicide Squad ISEKAI anime series to debut sometime in 2024.

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San Diego Comic-Con will soon be upon us and DC Comics and Funko fans will have a lot to be excited about this year. There are several DC-related exclusives coming to the Con featuring the heroes of the Justice League. Among this year’s releases is a Pop! Barry Allen (In Electric Chair) from The Flash, from the scene where he gets his speed powers, several Bitty Pop! DC Comics Figures, a DC Super Friends REWIND Batman, in a VHS style case, and The Batman – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack 3XLP from Mondo. You can check out details, images, and pricing for each SDCC Funko offering below:

Pop! Barry Allen (In Electric Chair)

Pop! Barry Allen (In Electric Chair) is buckled in for an electrifying experience! Defend your The Flash collection by reuniting this exclusive Pop! “Fastest Man Alive” with the superheroes in your DC collection. Vinyl figure is approximately 4.05-inches tall. Will be sold at the Funko booth on the show floor and will be available on funko.com on July 20. MSRP is $15.00.

Bitty Pop! DC Comics 4-Pack Series 2 (Black Light) 

Your favorite Pops! have been shrunk into Bitty Pops! Expand your DC collection with this exclusive, 4,000-piece limited-edition assortment of black light Bitty Pop! DC Comics figures featuring your most beloved heroes and villains! This 4-pack includes Bitty Pop! Batman, Scarecrow, Robin, and a mystery Bitty Pop! figure. The possible mystery Bitty Pops! are Hyper Rare (1/6) Robot Batman, Hyper Rare (1/6) Batman Beyond, Rare (1/3) Catwoman, and Rare (1/3) The Penguin.

Acrylic display cases are stackable and hold four Bitty Pop! figures each. Vinyl figures are approximately 0.9-inches tall. Four figures per single package purchase. Bitty Pops! come packaged in hard acrylic cases with detachable bottom lids. Acrylic display cases are stackable and hold four Bitty Pop! figures each. Vinyl figures are approximately 0.9-inches tall. Four figures per single package purchase. They will only sell this item at the Funko Rewind Booth on the SDCC showfloor. MSRP is $15.00.

DC Super Friends REWIND Batman (Funko Rewind)

Take flight on vengeful wings with REWIND Batman! This exclusive defender of justice is ready to protect your DC Super Friends collection. REWIND collectible comes in VHS-inspired packaging with a matching character card! There’s a 1 in 6 chance you may find the Chase of Evil Batman. The vinyl figure is approximately 3.5-inches tall. The collectible case is approximately 5.85” H x 3.6” W x 1.65” D. These will sell at the Funko Rewind booth and fans can head to Funko.com on July 20 to be notified when product will be available. MSRP is $12.00.

The Batman – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack 3XLP (Mondo)

This Gotham Glow Vinyl was produced exclusively for San Diego Comic-Con 2023, Mondo and WaterTower Music present our SDCC 2023 variant of Michael Giacchino’s score to DC Films/Warner Bros. Pictures’ The Batman, featuring artwork by Henry Abrams. This is a limited edition of 500. MSRP is $50.00.

For more information about these Funko SDCC exclusives, be sure to head on over to Funko.com.

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It’s not exactly a total shock, since The CW has been slowly putting an end to most of its superhero shows, but according to Deadline, the Batman series Gotham Knights has been canceled after only one season. It turns out that not even the star power of fan-favorite Misha Collins was enough to save Gotham from its fate.

Of course, ironically, in Gotham Knights‘ one and only season, Collin’s character Harvey Dent, a.k.a. Two-Face, was destined to become Gotham’s worst nightmare. But now, cancellation has achieved what Batman’s numerous foes could not, at least not fully.

Gotham Knights mainly focuses on the story of Batman’s adopted son Turner Hayes after Bruce Wayne’s murder. Turner joins forces with unlikely allies, the children of Batman’s enemies, after they are all framed for the hero’s murder. Generational stories always hold a lot of promise, but we guess we’ll have to wait for the next, next generation to arrive to get more of this tale. Especially since Gotham Knights was unable to find a new home.

The showrunners have been trying to find a future for Gotham Knights, but they have not had success (via TVLine). They shared the below on social media. Ultimately, they said The CW wasn’t able to renew the show, and the studio wasn’t able to find a new home for it.

Previously, The CW’s Entertainment President Brad Schwartz noted, “We love all those shows, and they all do very well for us in different ways.” But apparently not well enough. Ultimately, it seems like the writing was on the wall for Gotham Knights to end up canceled.

However, we did get to see Misha Collins go full Two-Face in the series finale of Gotham Knights. So at least we will always have that gift to cherish. And, who knows, maybe one day he can reprise the role again in some fashion.

Originally published on June 13, 2023.

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We officially have our new Superman and Lois Lane. According to Deadline, and confirmed by James Gunn, David Corenswet has been cast as Superman, a.k.a Clark Kent, in the DCU’s upcoming Superman: Legacy. Rachel Brosnahan will play the journalist Lois Lane, who is also Superman’s romantic interest in the DC Comics universe.

Superman: Legacy is the first in a slate of new DC movies that will be a part of James Gunn and Peter Safran’s DCU. Gunn and Safran hope to bring a new, unified perspective to the DC cinematic world. And all eyes will be on Superman to lead the charge. So, of course, the question of casting Superman: Legacy was a major one for fans.

Who Has Been Cast as Superman and Lois Lane in Superman: Legacy?

Since the announcement of the Superman: Legacy movie, there has been a lot of intense speculation on who might be cast to don the red cloak. Rumors swirled intently as to who would be the next Superman, but Gunn and Safran cautioned patience as they went through a thorough casting and audition process. And ultimately, our new DCU Superman is a bit of an unknown. Clark Kent will be played by David Corenswet in Superman: Legacy. Corenswet has acted in Pearl, The Politician, and We Own This City, but it seems Superman: Legacy will be his first leading role in a major studio movie. Honestly, that feels like a fitting origin for Superman.

Rachel Brosnahan, meanwhile, starred in Prime Video’s The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel for a number of years. Many have cheered her on for the role of Lois Lane. And, marvelously, it happened. Other actresses in the running were Phoebe Dynevor and Emma Mackey. But it is Brosnahan who has ultimately been cast as our favorite intrepid reporter in Superman: Legacy.

What Roles Will Clark Kent and Lois Lane Play in Superman: Legacy?

Superman: Legacy will not be a Superman origin story, but instead, it will “[tell] the story of Superman’s journey to reconcile his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing as Clark Kent of Smallville, Kansas.” Gunn once described his ideal DCU Superman as someone who was huggable. And honestly, looking at the casting of David Corenswet as Superman, it feels like Gunn achieved exactly that. Warner Bros. additionally shared of our Man of Steel that, “[Superman] is the embodiment of truth, justice and the American way, guided by human kindness in a world that sees kindness as old-fashioned.” We can totally envision Corenswet embodying this kind of Superman.

As for Lois Lane—Rachel Brosnahan’s casting is actually the first indicative piece of information we have about the character. None of Superman: Legacy‘s descriptions to date mention Lois Lane’s role in the DCU’s world. But we hope to learn more soon.

One way or another, thanks to this exciting Superman: Legacy casting news, we can imagine how our new DCU world will look just a little more clearly. And so far, we like what we’re seeing of Gunn and Safran’s vision.

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DC characters at the movies may be in a state of flux, as we are at the end of the DCEU and the dawn of James Gunn’s new DC Universe in film and TV. But the actual DC comics have been going strong for 87 years now. As the home of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and many, many others, DC Comics spawned a modern mythology, chronicled in a new 3-part documentary series on Max called Superpowered: The DC Story. It premieres on July 20 on the platform, and you can watch the trailer right here:

Leslie Iwerks, who directed the excellent The Imagineering Story on Disney+ last year, directed Superpowered. Rosario Dawson, herself no stranger to DC as someone who voiced Wonder Woman in several animated features, is the narrator. The 3-part series will cover the birth of DC during the Great Depression. Then, of course, the arrival of Superman and Batman and the Golden Age of comics. And also the near collapse of the comics industry when it was under siege in the ’50s. This led to the Silver Age and characters like the Justice League, and ultimately, to modern icons like Sandman and the Milestone heroes. It’s 87 years folks, there’s a lot of story to tell in this one.

Superpowered: The DC Story premieres on July 20 on Max.

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DC fans are finally entering the multiverse with the long-awaited release of The Flash! Filled with epic action, surprising cameos, and a climactic ending that paves the way for the new DCU, Dan Casey is here to break it all down on today’s episode of Nerdist News!

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It’s a long-standing comic book trope. The iconic hero and their “dark doppelgänger” villain. Superman has Bizarro. Spider-Man has Venom. Green Lantern has Sinestro. The list goes on. But no character has more evil counterparts than the Flash. For as many Flashes as there have been thus far, there have also been one or more corresponding speedster villains for them to battle. Here are ten of the most iconic super-speed bad guys who have ever fought a Scarlet Speedster. And all of which helped to inspire the main villain in Andy Muschietti’s The Flash.

The Rival (Edward Clariss) First Appearance – Flash Comics #104, 1949

Every Flash has an opposite number, even the original speedster, Jay Garrick. But his dark doppelgänger is not terribly memorable in look or in name. Dr. Edward Clariss was a professor at the same college Jay attended, and tried to replicate the accident that gave Jay his powers. But the scientific community dismissed his ideas, resulting in his being rejected by them and becoming a criminal. He temporarily gained speed and became a dark version of the Flash, before disappearing into the Speed Force. His first appearance was in the very last issue of Jay Garrick’s solo series in 1949. He wouldn’t return for another 50 years.

Professor Zoom, the Reverse Flash (Eobard Thawne) First Appearance – The Flash #139, 1963

He may not be the original evil speedster, but he set the template for the rest. No one villain has inflicted more damage on a Flash than this twisted madman from the 25th century. Growing up in the future, Eobard Thawne was the ultimate Barry Allen fanboy. He even got plastic surgery to make himself look like his idol. (Not at all creepy.) He recreated the accident that gave Barry his powers, traveling back in time to meet him.

In the past, Thawne learned he was destined to become Flash’s greatest enemy, learning that Barry would one day murder him. This information drove him mad, and he became Professor Zoom, the Reverse Flash. Eventually, Thawne killed Barry’s wife Iris, and later went back in time and murdered Barry’s own mother. Despite having died more than once, the Reverse Flash continues to be a thorn in the side of every heroic speedster in the DC universe. But especially to Barry Allen.

Johnny Quick (Jonathan Allen) First Appearance – Justice League of America #29, 1964

At DC Comics there are two Johnny Quicks. We’re not talking about the good guy version here, father of Jesse Quick. We’re talking about the evil counterpart to the Flash from Earth-3. In the DC Multiverse, the first Johnny Quick was from Earth-3, and this Earth is the one where the Justice League is evil, and known as the Crime Syndicate of America. The helmet he wore controlled his super speed. After the Crisis in Infinite Earths destroyed Earth-3, a new Crime Syndicate appeared, as part of the Anti-Matter universe. This version mainlined speed like drugs. Finally, Earth-3 returned, and so did Johnny Quick, now a convicted felon named Jonathan Allen who was struck by lightning, just like his Earth-0 counterpart Barry Allen.

Savitar, First Appearance – The Flash (Vol.2), December 1995

This wicked speedster differed from the others because he was an actual cult leader. Introduced in Mark Waid’s ‘90s Flash run, Savitar was an unnamed former pilot, who gained super-speed when flying a hypersonic experimental plane and encountering the Speed Force. He believed his speed was God-given, and chose the name Savitar based on the Hindu god of motion. He eventually began a cult of worshippers, and became a primary adversary for Wally West’s Flash. Although defeated, he reappeared in recent years and framed Wally for manslaughter in the event Heroes in Crisis.

The Black Flash, First Appearance – The Flash (Vol.2) #140, 1998

This speedster is less a person and more of a force of nature in humanoid form. The Black Flash is the representation of Death for anyone with a connection to the Speed Force. No one really knows where it came from, but the Flashes believed that because actual Death is too slow to ever catch a speedster, the Speed Force manifested a being who could catch up with them. Both the Barry Allen and Wally West versions are among the speedsters who have outrun the Black Flash, who appears to his victims like a zombie version of the Flash Barry Allen.

Dark Flash (Walter West) First Appearance – The Flash (Vol.2) #150, 1999

An often-forgotten dark speedster, Walter West is a version of Wally West from an alternate timeline. This version of the Flash was less evil and more misguided. However, he did a lot of terrible things. Like Wally, he married reporter Linda Park. But criminals murdered his Linda, leaving him bitter and angry. He took justice into his own hands, and began a vigilante spree killing criminals of all sorts. He came to the main DC Earth, which was ten years behind his own timeline, and took Wally’s place for a time. We have to say, he had a pretty great costume, bad guy or not.

Inertia (Thaddeus Thawne) First Appearance – Impulse #51, 1999

This is one evil speedster who is not talked about enough, but accomplished what most other evil speedsters only dreamed of doing —killing a Flash. He was actually a clone of former Impulse/Kid Flash/Flash Bart Allen, and thus, has all his speed abilities. They created him in the 30th century, and sent him back in time to kill his genetic donor. And the person who sent him? Earth President Thaddeus Thawne. Yes, of the Reverse Flash Thawne family, who know how to carry a family feud for centuries. Thaddeus Thawne Jr. was actually Inertia’s real name. He actually succeed in killing the Flash, and (for a time) Bart Allen was dead. The Flash’s Rogues, who had a grudging respect for their super-fast enemy, killed Inertia for his dark deed.            

Zoom (Hunter Zolomon) First Appearance – The Flash: Secret Files and Origins #3, 2001

Although there were many years when the Eobard Thawne Reverse Flash was called Professor Zoom, the Zoom we’re talking about here is Hunter Zolomon. He was an FBI profiler, who injured himself seriously in an accident. Hoping to use Flash’s cosmic treadmill to heal himself, instead, he gave himself speed powers. He decided that he needed to become the Wally West Flash’s greatest villain, in order to make him a better hero. He took his name from Thawne, Barry Allen’s number-one baddie. Unlike most speedsters, Zoom makes time around him slow down relative to himself, thus giving the appearance of super speed.

Reverse Flash II (Daniel West) First Appearance – The Flash (Vol.4) #0, 2012

Every family has a black sheep, and the Wests are no different. They introduced Daniel West into the New 52 continuity at DC, the brother of Flash Barry Allen’s girlfriend, Iris West. Suffering trauma as a child from an abusive father, Daniel eventually turned to a life of crime. Because of an accident in Central City, he gained super speed. He discovered he could steal speed from other speedsters, and he hoped to use that extra power to go back in time and murder his abusive father, a reverse of Barry Allen’s quest to save his mother from death. He ultimately failed, and went to Iron Heights prison. His son Wallace West is the third Kid Flash.  

Godspeed (August Heart) First Appearance – The Flash (Vol. 5) #3, 2016

One of the most recent sinister speedsters on this list, Godspeed has only been around since 2016. Godspeed was a serial killer who stole the Speed Force from others with similar powers, leaving them dead. He gained these abilities during a Speed Force storm, which hit Central City. This is the same storm that gave Flash Avery Ho her powers. Eventually, they revealed that Godspeed was Barry Allen’s friend, August Heart. He was a fellow police detective who took justice into his own hands and murdered his brother’s killer. But he had no problem killing others to make himself faster and more powerful in order to exact revenge.

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Despite some misleading marketing, the main villain of The Flash is not who you probably thought it was going to be. The villain in the trailers and ads definitely factors into the film, don’t get us wrong. But director Andy Muschietti kept the major villain of the film somewhat of a surprise. Here’s who the main villains of The Flash are, starting with the film’s primary antagonist.

The Dark Flash

In the film, the main bad guy isn’t the Kryptonian General Zod, as early trailers might make you believe. The “Big Bad” of the film is none other than Barry Allen himself. Well, a version of him, that is. In the film, we saw a darkly clad being tossing adult Barry out into his own past as he races through time. He had a bigger plan in mind, which was to make the college-age Barry of 2013 into the being that he would become. A “Dark Flash.” We should note, this character is never called that by name in the film. However, the McFarlane Toys figure is labeled as “Dark Flash.” So we think that’s official enough.

This Dark Flash is a being who has been attempting to undo the deaths of Batman (Michael Keaton) and Supergirl (Sasha Calle) in the film’s big climactic battle with Zod’s army. He spends up to 50 years of his own timeline trying to control the flow of time in his favor, something that main “present time” Barry knows can’t happen. Ultimately, he is unmade when college-age Barry dies in battle with his own future self, erasing the Dark Flash from existence. And thus, preserving the timeline as adult Barry knew it (mostly) and saving the Multiverse. It’s all a bit confusing, but makes more sense in the final film.

The Black Flash Inspiration

The Dark Flash is loosely based on another obsidian speedster, DC Comics’ Black Flash. Although the visual of the character is similar, the Black Flash in the comics is Death itself. Or at least, the Speed Force’s version of Death. No one knows its true origins. But some Flashes believe that the actual entity of Death is simply too slow to catch up to any speedster. So the Speed Force produced its own Death entity, the Black Flash. The film’s Dark Flash is a bit of the comics’ Blue Flash, a twisted future version of Barry, and the aesthetics of the Black Flash.

General Zod

Of course, Dark Flash is not the only villain in the film. General Zod (Michael Shannon) is our secondary bad guy, who is invading Earth just as he did in Man of Steel. Like Zack Snyder’s 2013 film, Zod is looking to recreate Krypton on Earth using something called the codex, something Jor-El stored inside his infant son. And in this timeline, Zod murdered baby Kal-El when his pod was diverted from Earth. Because in this universe, it is Supergirl/Kara Zor-El who has the codex in her cell structure.

In Man of Steel, Zod and his Kryptonian army arrive on a US Military base in the desert, where a battle with this newly formed Justice League, made of Keaton Batman, Supergirl, and both Flashes ensues. Despite their best efforts, the League falls under the might of Zod’s forces. If adult Barry had not restored the timeline to the version where his mother died, Zod would have terraformed Earth into New Krypton, killing billions. Hopefully, if we ever get a Flash sequel, or reboot, we get some of Flash’s iconic rogues from the comics. They are long overdue for their cinematic debut.

The Flash is in theaters now.

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Before The Flash, the last time we saw Ezra Miller’s version of the Fastest Man Alive was in 2017’s Justice League. (Aside from brief cameos on the CW Flash series, and Peacemaker of course.) Yes, we saw an extended cut of Justice League in 2021, but they filmed all of that footage years prior. Six years have passed since the League was formed, and it’s alluded to that a similar amount of time has passed in the in-universe timeline. In some ways, The Flash is a de facto Justice League sequel. So which of the main Leaguers do we see in the final film? Actually, a surprising amount, aside from the title character himself. Let’s go through the Justice League roll call, outside of our titular lead hero.

Batman

The Bruce Wayne of Barry Allen’s reality, played by Ben Affleck, is still an active member of the Justice League. His darker-hued costume from Batman v Superman and Justice League has been replaced by one that’s blue and grey. It’s reminiscent of the one from the comics during the ‘70s and ‘80s. It seems this Batman is more of a superhero and less of a vigilante. We see him as he helps stop a terrorist group from releasing a deadly virus. This is definitely a Dark Knight who’s not afraid to appear in daylight.

Special mention: It seems Batman’s right-hand man, Alfred Pennyworth, played once more by Jeremy Irons, is the Justice League’s “man in the chair.” We’re not sure if that qualifies him as a League member, but he’s at least an honorable mention.

Superman

As far as we know, Superman is still a member of the Justice League during the events of The Flash. They reference the Man of Steel several times. However, Alfred reminds Barry that he’s currently too busy to lend him a hand in his current predicament. When Alfred says this, the camera pans to a TV showing Superman stopping a natural disaster somewhere. Sadly, we only see him from the back, cape flowing, so no Henry Cavill cameo. Although Cavill does appear via stock footage in the Speed Force time bubble. But Superman is definitely still a Leaguer. He’s just a very busy and in-demand member.

Wonder Woman

Wonder Woman appears in a cameo during the terrorist attack on Gotham City in the film’s opening action sequence. When all hope seems lost, and it looks like Batman and Flash are losing, Princess Diana shows up with her magic lasso and saves the day. It’s a very brief appearance by Gal Gadot, but she proves she’s the League’s MVP, and then flies away. Interestingly, even though Diana realized she could fly in Wonder Woman 1984, and flies in The Flash, she seemed to have forgotten this power in BvS and Justice League.

Aquaman

Aquaman is mentioned several times as a Leaguer, but there is no sign of Arthur Curry until the post-credits scene. When Barry returns from changing reality, we see him out at a bar with Jason Momoa’s King of Atlantis Arthur has a hard time handling all these multiverse shenanigans being told to him, and gets totally plastered. Not only is Aquaman in this film, but also his father, lighthouse keeper Tom Curry (Temuera Morrison), makes an appearance in the altered timeline. In that scene, he confirms to Barry that he never married an Atlantean princess and fathered Arthur. But he does have a dog named Arthur. Who did not appear to have any powers. (That we know of).

Cyborg

Although Victor Stone gets a mention a few times, specifically when Barry Allen is trying to find him in the altered timeline, we don’t see him at all. If he’s still a League member, it’s not explicitly clear, but they imply that he is. Given Cyborg actor Ray Fisher’s extremely harsh feelings about Warner Bros. over his treatment on the original Justice League, this is perhaps not very surprising.

New Members?

As far as we can tell, the League didn’t recruit a single new member between Justice League and The Flash. And Barry does confirm that years have indeed passed since then. Despite Bruce and Diana saying the Justice League meeting table had “room for more” at the end of Justice League, as far as we can tell, no Martian Manhunter, Green Lantern, or Hawkgirl ever joined up. It remains a Magnificent Six. Well, a Magnificent Six plus Alfred.

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Without a doubt, the biggest influence on The Flash film is the 2011 DC Comics event series Flashpoint. In that storyline, written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Andy Kubert, the recently returned from the dead Barry Allen uses his super speed to go back in time, in order to undo the murder of his mother when he was a child. When he returns to the present, this act of changing the past alters everything in his timeline. His Batman is different, his Wonder Woman’s and Aquaman’s kingdoms are at war, and so much more. And it’s almost all for the worse. Barry realized he must allow his past to unfold as it did to restore the present he knew. If you’ve seen The Flash, then much of that synopsis sounds very familiar.

This event comic ultimately led to a new prime DC universe, known as “The New 52.” Flashpoint was a seminal story, one that really changed everything. Both the current film The Flash and the CW television series of the same name did their own versions of Flashpoint. But Andy Muschietti’s The Flash also carries a big influence from a previous mega DC event comic, Crisis on Infinite Earths, by Marv Wolfman and George Perez. In fact, outside of the “going back in time to save mom” plot, the sci-fi plot mechanics of The Flash more closely resemble those in Crisis on Infinite Earths.

Flashpoint: Barry Allen’s Time Travel Tragedy

In Flashpoint, Barry Allen changes races backward in time into his past, resulting in a new future. Or for him, a new present. In this reality, things were far darker. For starters, they shot Bruce Wayne in the alley instead of his parents, thereby making his father Thomas Wayne into Batman, and his mother Martha into the Joker. Superman never arrived in the Kansas cornfield, and instead was captured by Soviet Agents. But in both The Flash film and Crisis on Infinite Earths, something different occurs thanks to Barry’s interference. Barry’s meddling in the past collapses several distinct timelines into one, changing history from even before the event of his mother’s murder.

The Flash and Crisis on Infinite Earths, Two DC Sagas of Colliding Timelines

In Crisis on Infinite Earths, distinctly different Earths suddenly merged. The Justice Society of America from World War II once lived on its own distinct parallel dimension, Earth-Two. Meanwhile, the modern-day Justice League lived on Earth-One. With Crisis, these worlds and their histories merged. The JSA was still a part of history, but its Superman was erased from the timeline, and replaced with another. No one but a handful of heroes knew that this shared history was something created as a result of the Crisis. The Flash borrows from this story, with Barry’s universe now having a totally different Batman (Michael Keaton), replacing the one played by Ben Affleck. This was far more of a Crisis reference than a reference to Flashpoint.

When Worlds Collide

Of course, the biggest Crisis influence came towards the climax of the film. When the two Flashes are moving through time, we see multiple realities crashing into each other around them. We see the heroes of these realities on various time globes, for lack of a better word. All of which just brings to mind George Perez’s classic cover of Crisis in Infinite Earths #5. Only in this instance, the worlds we see feature the heroic figures not from comics, but from DC’s multimedia past—George Reeves as Superman, Adam West as Batman, and Christopher Reeve and Helen Slater as Superman and Supergirl, respectively. And the biggest fun surprise, we saw Nicolas Cage as the Man of Steel from Superman Lives, Tim Burton’s unmade ‘90s film.

The final main plot beats of both the Flashpoint and Crisis on Infinite Earths comics are largely the same however. And they seem to also be the same in The Flash. A new DCU universe with a new history emerged from all three stories. One that kept some elements from a previous continuity, while overwriting others. It remains to be seen just what James Gunn’s new DCU keeps from the old continuity. But at least some things will remain. Aside from a new Superman and Batman, we don’t really know much else at the current time. Will Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman stay? How changed is Jason Momoa’s Aquaman? We have a lot of questions still. But without a doubt, The Flash owes a great deal to Marv Wolfman’s and George Perez’s game-changing classic.

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It’s one of the coolest scenes in The Flash (and DC film history), period. Towards the climax of the film, when the multiple versions of Barry Allen are traveling through the Speed Force in an attempt to change history, or not change it, we see various timelines bleeding in. And all of them are familiar to fans of the long history of shows and movies based on DC Comics characters. This DC Multiverse scene offers cameos of some of the most iconic actors to ever play members of the Justice League, including several who are no longer with us. And we are gonna break down all the DC multiverse cameos in The Flash right here.

Superman (George Reeves)

Although not the first actor to play the Man of Steel (that would be Kirk Alyn, who played Superman in the 1940s serials), George Reeves became an icon in The Adventures of Superman TV series, which ran from 1952-1958. A show that then ran for several decades after in syndication. Although several episodes were shot in color, they filmed most in black and white. And so, the DC Multiverse version we saw in The Flash of George Reeves’ Last Son of Krypton was seemingly in a black-and-white universe. We’re not sure if it’s logical, but it sure feels right.

The Flash, Jay Garrick

One of the more perplexing DC cameos in the Multiverse scene is the original Flash, Jay Garrick. As DC Comics fans are aware, he was the speedster of DC Comics’ Golden Age, operating from 1940-1952 in the comics. The Jay we see here was shot in black and white. Just like the George Reeves Superman. It looks like this was actor Teddy Sears, who played the fake Jay Garrick from the CW Flash series. He turned out to be the villainous Zoom. But why not John Wesley Shipp, since he was the real Jay Garrick in the show? Not to mention, the first live-action Flash, period. We don’t know the answer, but whoever the actor is, that is definitely the original Golden Age Flash running through the Multiverse.

Batman (Adam West)

If you blink you might miss him, but the original cinematic Batman, Adam West, appears in the Multiverse scene. And yes, thanks to the 1966 Batman movie, which was a spin-off of the TV series, that means West was the big-screen Caped Crusader over two decades before Michael Keaton. We didn’t notice Robin there with him, which is a shame, because it’s hard to imagine Batman ’66 without him. But the so-called “Bright Knight” is definitely there in his blue and grey tights, fighting the good fight.

Superman (Christopher Reeve)

For an entire generation, the late Christopher Reeve was the ultimate Superman. First appearing in Richard Donner’s 1978 Superman: The Movie, and its three subsequent sequels, Reeve’s portrayal is still thought of as one of the greatest superhero performances on screen. In his appearance in The Flash, it looks like he’s brought to life via archival footage and CGI. Back in the ‘80s and ‘90s, fans clamored for Reeve’s Superman and Keaton’s Batman to appear in a movie together. And now, that collaboration is sort of real.

Supergirl (Helen Slater)

Sasha Calle was not the first cinematic Maid of Might. No, that honor goes to actress Helen Slater, who played Kara Zor-El/Linda Lee in the very campy 1984 movie Supergirl. And later, Slater played the CW Kara’s adoptive mother on the TV series Supergirl. It was set in continuity with the Christopher Reeve Superman films. Although sadly, the pair never appeared on screen together…. until now, that is. Thanks to The Flash, the Kryptonian cousins fly together past the Metropolis skyline at last, thanks to some digital trickery.

Superman (Nicolas Cage)

In the biggest shocker of a cameo in The Flash, Nicolas Cage appears as Superman. And he’s fighting a giant spider too. As fans may know, they cast Nic Cage in Tim Burton’s Superman Lives way back in 1997. The film’s producer Jon Peters wanted his version of Superman to fight a giant spider. A giant spider he managed to work into his next film, Wild Wild Wet. Director Kevin Smith famously shared this story, which went viral. But that movie never happened. Now, at long last, Nic Cage gets to wear the cape and tights of the Man of Steel in The Flash. We can’t wait for the inevitable action figure.

Sadly, not every iconic live-action DC hero could make the final cut. Director Andy Muschietti admitted that there were plans for Marlon Brando’s Jor-El from Superman: The Movie, as well as some of the villains from Batman ’66, like the Joker and the Penguin. Perhaps the most brutal cuts were the removal of Lynda Carter’s Wonder Woman and Grant Gustin’s Flash. (The latter feels especially egregious, given the nine years he put into playing the role on TV.) Maybe we’ll see them in a future “Extended DC Multiverse Cut” of The Flash. After all, the world is no stranger to longer versions of DC films finding a way to happen.

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