After years in the wilderness, Marvel seems primed (*waggles eyebrows* aah? AAH?) to reset and reposition the X-Men within the greater Marvel universe. To that end, they've announced writers, artists, and stars for seven books that look to retool the entire line following a year with the mutants spread thin around the globe (and in Hell, for several of them) after the release of the Terrigen cloud that proved fatal to mutants. The updated line seems specifically tuned to trigger '90s nostalgia in X-Fans.

X-Men Prime kicks off the reset. Ken Lashley (Uncanny X-Men, Excalibur) will handle art for the book which will introduce new and lapsed readers to the new mutant status quo following the events of Inhumans vs. X-Men, much like its namesake did in 1995 following the Age of Apocalypse. From there, individual books will spin out.

X-Men Gold will be written by Arrow showrunner Marc Guggenheim, with art from Ardian Syaf (Green Lantern). The team will have Nightcrawler, Old Man Logan, Storm, Colossus and Rachel Grey (going by the new code name Prestige), and be led by Kitty Pryde.

Kitty, Guggenheim told Newsarama, is leading the X-Men forward from a prolonged period of turbulence into what she feels should be a bright, positive future. Despite that, she has the same haircut she had in Age of Apocalypse, a storyline that I'm guessing introduced a fair number of us Denizens to the concepts of death and cruelty for the first time. 

X-Men Blue will be written by Cullen Bunn with art from Jorge Molina. It stars the time-displaced original five X-Men, with Magneto in the role of mentor. Jean will be leading the team, as they step out into the limelight for what are, on the surface, more conventional superhero adventures.

Of course, having Magneto affiliated with the team after a prolonged period of him eliminating any threats to the mutant race with extreme prejudice will likely cause friction. Anyone reading Bunn's recent work with the character in Magneto and Uncanny X-Men will likely see hints of the same here.

Weapon X pairs Greg Pak with artist Greg Land and will have Old Man Logan, Sabretooth, Lady Deathstrike, Domino and Warpath working to bring down a rejuvenated Weapon X Program that is looking to eliminate the mutant race. 

Christina Strain and Amilcar Pinna team up to relaunch Generation X, starring Jubilee and a mix of students from a variety of eras - she of course represents the prior Generation X team, while Bling was a member of the mid-aughts New X-Men (and one of the few who survived that bloodbath of an era); Nature Girl and Eye Boy were classmates in Jason Aaron's Wolverine & The X-Men; and Quentin Quire is the most popular student from Grant Morrison's turn of the millenium run.

The team will be a collection of social outcasts from human society because of their status as mutants, and social outcasts from the X-group because their powers don't easily lend themselves to being members of a teenage paramilitary group. 

Regular, not-time-displaced old Iceman gets his first solo series ever, written by Sina Grace (Self Obsessed)with art from Alessandro Vitti (Red Lanterns, Secret Avengers). The series will look at Bobby as one of the original five X-Men, but someone who hasn't left much of a mark on the world. It will also, as Grace told Nerdist, delve into Bobby being an "Omega Level Mutant," so this is on my pull list assuming he doesn't reconstitute himself from Havok's piss again. :glares at The Draco: :again:

Dennis Hopeless and Victor Ibanez are giving Jean Grey her first solo series ever. In it, the young, time displaced Jean "level[ing] up" to prepare for the coming of the Phoenix, which she saw in a vision and recognizes she has to defeat. Hopeless has been writing Jean in All-New X-Men for more than a year now, and is one of the most talented writers in superhero comics at the moment.

Finally, James Robinson and Carlos Pacheco will be working on Cable, which will see the time-displaced old man of the X-universe (now that, as editor Mark Paniccia points out in an EW interview, Wolverine, Professor X and Cyclops are all dead) bouncing around the time stream trying to prevent a villain named Conquest from altering it to his benefit. Robinson has been on a hot streak of late, with Scarlet Witch and Squadron Supreme both being among Marvel's best books of the past year.

Marvel also released a video trailer to get fans pumped for the line. Check it out:

Stick with Den of Geek for more news and updates about the changes coming to the X-Men universe.

We've been over this before. You know I'm excited for this series.

I know you're excited for it. I could gush on and on about how smooth and cool the writing is. Or how the most exciting thing about this arc is how Priest and Carlos Pagulyan (and now Larry Hama!) are grounding Slade even further in the DCU. Or Larry Hama! We're one John Ostrander/Walt Simonson fill-in arc away from a "Jim's comic favorites" bingo.

Or let's talk about how bringing in new Power Girl, and the story with Jericho and his fiancee coming to a head, seem to be pointing towards an inevitable confrontation with the Teen Titans. I could probably give you another thousand words on why the series continues to be excellent.

But I won't do that. I'll show you the pretty pictures and then we can come back here and talk about how great it is together in the comments. Agree?

DC sent over an exclusive first look at the next issue of Deathstroke. Hit the gallery to see the preview pages:

Image 1 of 7

Here's what they have to say about it.

DEATHSTROKE #15 Written by CHRISTOPHER PRIEST Art by LARRY HAMA, CARLO PAGULAYAN and JASON PAZ Cover by BILL SIENKIEWICZ Variant cover by SHANE DAVIS “TWILIGHT” part four! Faced with a career-ending diagnosis, Deathstroke is coached by Power Girl to reinvent himself—and comes face to face with a rival assassin known as Deadline!

Deathstroke #15 arrives on March 22nd.

Updated with new information on The Batman solo movie, Shazam!, Black Adam, Green Lantern Corps, and more!

Now that Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad have both come and gone, the DC Extended Universe is in full swing. The Wonder Woman movie is next up in June, and it's all leading up to the Justice League movie in November of 2017. 

So, it's time to take a look at all of the DC superhero movies that will be released over the next few years. And trust us, there are a ton of them on the way, and we expect more details will be announced as we go forward. 

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We have all the release dates for every one of 'em right here, as well as official details, the most interesting rumors, and suggestions for further reading where appropriate. 

Click the blue links to go to articles containing everything you need to know about the movies!

June 2nd, 2017 - Wonder Woman

The fact that we have yet to see a Wonder Woman solo movie is almost beyond belief. We don't have time to get into the rampant short-sightedness that is keeping women from taking marquee roles in superhero movies at the moment (and that's bound to change one of these days, especially given how their fortunes have changed on TV), but just know that Gal Gadot does some serious Amazonian ass-kicking in Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, and then we get her solo movie on June 2nd, 2017. The movie was moved up a couple of weeks from its original release date on June 23, 2017.

Amazon has all your Wonder Woman needs.

Warner Bros. were clearly impressed with Ms. Gadot, as she'll be doing Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, the Wonder Woman solo movie, JusticeLeague, and Justice League 2in a fairly short amount of time. We'll know more about her soon enough!

Patty Jenkins (Monster) is directing, from a screenplay by Allan Heinberg and Geoff Johns. Chris Pine will appear as Wonder Woman's love interest, Steve Trevor.

November 17th, 2017 - Justice League

Zack Snyder will direct Justice League, and BvS co-writer Chris Terrio is back. The villain of this one is Steppenwolf, one of Darkseid's relatives, and it focuses on Batman building a team to confront him.

Here's the official synopsis:

Fueled by his restored faith in humanity and inspired by Superman’s selfless act, Bruce Wayne enlists the help of his newfound ally, Diana Prince, to face an even greater enemy. Together, Batman and Wonder Woman work quickly to find and recruit a team of metahumans to stand against this newly awakened threat.  But despite the formation of this unprecedented league of heroes—Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg and The Flash—it may already be too late to save the planet from an assault of catastrophic proportions.

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This one will also introduce Aquaman's Queen Mera (played by Amber Heard), which would make sense considering that the Aquamanmovie will follow the next fall.

March 16, 2018 - The Flash

At this point, it's a safe bet that this isn't going to make that March release date. After losing two directors/writers in Seth Grahame-Smith (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies) wrote a screenplay, and Rick Famuyiwa (Dope) this one needs some work. The latest is that it's being completely rewritten by Joby Harold. Meanwhile, no replacement director has been found. 

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Ezra Miller (The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Madame Bovary) is playing Barry Allen, but probably a very different Barry Allen than the one we currently love on TV. Billy Crudup will play Dr. Henry Allen, with Kiersey Clemons as Iris West. Ray Fisher (Cyborg in Batman v Superman and Justice League) will also appear.

Now, about that release date change...there's now an empty space in July that Warner had previously reserved for a different DC superhero movie...

July 27th, 2018 - Unknown

This was formerly the date occupied by the Aquaman movie, but that was bumped to October. At one point we thought this could end up being the debut of Ben Affleck's Batmansolo movie but that film has just hit its own production problems, with Mr. Affleck bowing out as director, Matt Reeves coming on board, and perhaps a complete rewrite of the script looming. 

Maybe The Flash, which is likely about to hit some production delays will just get a few months of breathing room? Or will Warner Bros. just use this for something else entirely that has nothing to do with superheroes? We'll probably find out very soon.

December 21, 2018 - Aquaman

Jason Momoa is playing Aquaman. There's no doubt that they've been taking Aquaman very seriously. Amber Heard will also appear as Queen Mera. There are reports that Black Manta is the film's villain.

James Wan (Furious 7) will direct from a script by Kurt Johnstad (300: Rise of an Empire).

April 5th, 2019 - Shazam

Shazamhas both a writer (Henry Gayden, of Earth to Echo fame) and a star (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as the villainous Black Adam) announced. If we end up getting to see Henry Cavill's Superman fight Dwayne Johnson's Black Adam some day, it's tough to imagine anyone would complain. Lights Out director David F. Sandberg is in the mix to direct this one, but hasn't been confirmed yet.

[related article: Why the Shazam Movie is Important]

But like other projects on this calendar, this doesn't seem to be on the fast track, and with a recently announced Black Adam solo movie with Dwayne Johnson now in development (more on that in a bit), it's not clear what that means for the immediate future of Shazam.

June 14th, 2019 - Unknown

This was long ago announced as the Justice League 2 release date, but this is apparently about to change. Director Zack Snyder would like to take on another project, and there are recent indications that Warner Bros is prioritizing the Batmansolo movie over this, and that this could end up being that film's date instead.

It's also possible that this could end up being David Ayer's Gotham City Sirens movie, and we have more on that down below.

November 1st, 2019 - Untitled DC Film

No information has yet been given as to the story or what characters will be featured in the film. Man of Steel 2is back in active development at the studio. Could this be it? It's yet another potential landing date for Ben Affleck's Batman solo movie, too.

There's one interesting possibility: could this be that Lobomovie that was recently announced? This space-faring bounty hunter would certainly arrive sooner than expected, but isn't that what bounty hunters do?

November is a safer month for high profile releases than October, and this could be where the now-rescheduled Justice League 2 ends up, although we suspect it will be a bit longer than that.

The truth is that we just don't know what DC has planned for Nov. 2019, so we'll just have to wait and see. 

April 3rd, 2020 - Cyborg

And this one is the biggest surprise of them all. Ray Fisher made his first (very brief) appearance as Vic Stone/Cyborg in Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, and will clearly have a crucial role to play in both Justice League films if they're grooming him for a solo film. He's going to feature in The Flash solo movie, too.

No other details are presently available, and there are also rumors that this one might be reworked into a movie that would introduce the Teen Titans to the big screen. 

July 24th, 2020 - Green Lantern Corps

Fairly or unfairly, Green Lantern has the most working against him. The 2011 film failed to kickstart the DC Universe as planned, and received a lukewarm (at best) critical and box-office reception. There are, of course, ways around this.

One way is to simply not make Hal Jordan the central Green Lantern of the movie. It was revealed at SDCC 2015 that the Green Lantern movie is now called Green Lantern Corps, and this one may focus on as many as three Green Lanterns, likely with John Stewart as the main Green Lantern of Sector 2814. David Goyer and Justin Rhodes are writing the script, but there's no director in place yet. 

We've heard bits and pieces indicating that Green Lantern won't even show up until the end of Justice League, or possibly even Justice League 2. By the time 2020 rolls around, a decade will have passed, and by then the character won't be considered so radioactive by studio execs. 

And then there are the missing pieces that are either unconfirmed or simply don't have release dates yet...

Justice League 2

Don't be fooled by the fact that this lost its 2019 release date, Warner Bros. is still planning a second installment, since the first one is bound to make all kinds of bank.

Gotham City Sirens

Harley Quinn isn't just for the Suicide Squad. Warner Bros. has tapped David Ayer to direct Gotham City Sirens, which will team Harley Quinn up with other female DC villain, most likely including Poison Ivy and Catwoman. It's not totally clear if this is replacing a Harley Quinn solo movie, which we have a few details on here.

This one is on the fast-track, so it could take over that June 14th, 2019 release date vacated by Justice League 2.

Black Adam

Shazam doesn't have a director or a star to play its title character yet, but it sure does have a villain. And that villain, who will be played by Dwayne Johnson, is certainly strong enough to sustain his own movie. There's no release date set for the Black Adammovie, and this is the kind of thing that could work as a nifty prequel to set up the mystical world of Shazam if they choose to go that route. We're currently on the lookout for more info.

Booster Gold (and maybe Blue Beetle)

Flash and Arrow executive producer Greg Berlanti is going to executive produce and possibly direct a Booster Gold movie. Zack Stentz (Thor, X-Men: First Class, a recent episode of CW's The Flash TV series) will write the script.

Early reports described this as a "superhero buddy cop movie" that would involve Blue Beetle. We'll get you more updates on this as they become available.

Deadshot

Warner Bros. knows they have one of the biggest stars in the world already in costume, so they're reportedly considering a Deadshotsolo movie, as well.

Suicide Squad 2

While the critical response to the first film wasn't so hot, the box office was blazing, so Warner Bros. isn't taking Suicide Squad 2 off the table. David Ayer is likely going to be too busy with Gotham City Sirens until further notice, though, so no word on when we'll see this.

Lobo

Back on the schedule after years of being dormant, the Lobo movie may attempt to be the DCEU equivalent of Deadpool. Jason Fuchs must have impressed Warner Bros. with his work on Wonder Woman, because he's on board to write the script for this one.

We'll update this with more information as we get it, but it should be a fun ride.

Sandman

Sandmanisn't a superhero movie, so the fact that he wasn't involved in an announcement that primarily focused on high-profile franchises (along with the superhero slate, Warner Bros. focused on Lego movies and Harry Potter spinoffs). It isn't a DC Universe movie that will have any bearing on future Justice League films. But it is one of the most successful, enduring comics of all time. 

The latest news on this isn't encouraging, though. It appears to be a dead project.

[related article: Sandman - The Essential Horror Comic of the '90s]

Dark Universe

Dark Universe might be more familiar to comic book fans under its comic name, Justice League Dark. This one will feature the supernatural characters from the DC Universe. Characters like Swamp Thing, Demon, Deadman, Zatanna, and possibly even John Constantine.

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Guillermo del Toro was attached to this one for quite some time, but had to leave the project. Doug Liman (Edge of Tomorrow) will now direct.

Legion of Super-Heroes

This one came as a big surprise when the rumor surfaced via Latino Review. The word is that Warner Bros., perhaps inspired by the runaway success of Guardians of the Galaxy, is looking to put together their own superheroic space opera.

Nobody has been hired. Warner Bros. have simply placed this one on the table as a DC property potentially worth developing, and are inviting writers to make pitches. To be fair, it's likely that nearly every major DC property is open for something like this, but this is the first rumbling we've ever heard about a Legion of Super-Heroes movie. It's worth paying attention to, but it's tough to imagine, even under the best of circumstances, that we'll see this before 2018...assuming it's true at all.

That being said, if it were true, it's hard to imagine a cooler way to cement the WB/DC Cinematic Universe than with a 31st Century space-opera. While Marvel-esque crossovers probably aren't going to be the order of the day with these movies, the concept of showing how the Justice League (and specifically, Superman) influenced society 1,000 years in the future is plenty unique, and adds immediate gravitas to the other superhero movies on the calendar.

Let's just say, we really hope this one is true.

Metal Men

Perhaps the longest of the long-shots, the Metal Men movie is something that's been in discussion as far back as 2007. It's the most bizarre concept of the bunch, involving a mad scientist and his group of sentient elemental robots, but like Suicide Squadand Legion of Super-Heroes, perhaps that uniqueness is what makes this one so appealing. Warner Bros. can't be seen to copy the Marvel model too closely, so veering away from solo outings for traditional heroes and into this kind of territory might be the very best thing they can do for the brand.

The Metal Men have also just received a New 52 facelift at the hands of writer Geoff Johns, executive producer of Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justiceand The Flash TV series. If they're a favorite of DC Entertainment's Chief Creative Officer, it would be wrong to count the Metal Men out, even if there's been no public movement on this project in recent memory.

It's worth noting that the same Wall Street Journal article where WB officially announced the Justice League movie also mentioned Shazam(at a time when everyone thought the project was dead and buried) and...Metal Men. Don't sleep on this one.

Bernie Wrightson, the comic book artist whose detailed, illustrative pencil and ink work defined horror comics for a generation of fans, is gone. He was 68.

Like many comic fans of his generation, Wrightson was influenced by the EC horror comics of the 1950s, the most famous of which being Tales From the Crypt, although its companions, Vault of Horror and Haunt of Fear, were interchangeable with the volume of output and level of talent involved. While the introduction of the Comics Code effectively destroyed EC Comics, by the late 1960s, Marvel and DC were ready to try their hand at their own, slightly less lurid, horror comics. Wrightson's early professional work featured in DC's House of Mystery as well as Marvel's attempts Chamber of Darkness and Tower of Shadows.

But it was in another DC horror comic where Wrightson would see one of his most long lasting successes. Wrightson co-created Swamp Thing with writer Len Wein in the pages of House of Secrets in 1971. The story, a standalone horror tale which doesn't fit into the character's eventual long run in the DC Universe, proved so popular that Wein and Wrightson resurrected the character, with some changes, for his own series, which Wrightson drew the first ten issues of.

Wrightson's already illustrative style continued to evolve, becoming more intricate and lush as he continued to work primarily within the horror genre. Stephen King fans may recognize his illustrations from editions of Cycle of the Werewolf or Wolves of Calla or from the comic book adaptation of a movie that was itself a tribute to those EC horror comics, Creepshow. Batman fans may recall his gorgeous work on The Cult, a violent, eerie mini-series from the late 1980s.

In a career full of beautiful and terrifying art, the 1983 illustrated edition of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, originally published by Marvel Comics, is a particular standout. For fans of the original novel and the Frankenstein legend in popular culture, this is an essential volume, and it's perhaps the perfect distillation of his work and style. If you can find a copy, let this be your introduction to his work.

While we haven’t had a trailer yet for Thor: Ragnarok, the movie has plenty going for it in promotional material. For starters, Taika Waititi just directed one of 2016’s most charming films, Hunt for the Wilderpeople, and he looks to be bringing his own off-center sensibility to the project with a cleanly sheared Chris Hemsworth. The film also features two new leading ladies with Cate Blanchett and Tessa Thompson. Yet, some still wonder… where is Natalie Portman as Jane Foster? After all, the last solo Thor movie ended with the God of Thunder choosing to live on Earth with her, as opposed to ruling on high in Asgard.

Well… the short answer is they broke up. And more precisely, Thor: Ragnarok could also be described as “Thor: Forgetting Jane Foster.” Marvel finally confirmed as much while chatting with EW. First Hemsworth himself basically described Thor in this film as enjoying his new swinging single. “He’s certainly enjoying being a drifter, being a solo cowboy out there.”

But Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige took it further, saying that with Tessa Thompson’s Valkyrie, he’ll meet an equal who is more on his wavelength than some eggheaded human with a finite lifespan. “We wanted Thor to encounter somebody that was near his equal and that his relationship with Jane may have evolved in unexpected ways in between The DarkWorld and Ragnarok, and we wanted to pit him against a character who was much more his equal and in many ways his superior,” Feige said.

This news is not exactly Asgard-shattering since Natalie Portman made it pretty clear last year that she was done with Marvel Studios movies. More precisely she said, “As far as I know, I’m done. I don’t know if maybe one day they’ll ask for an Avengers 7 or whatever, I have no idea. But as far as I know, I’m done.”

Not that Portman seems to be suffering from the Thor breakup. Instead of shooting Ragnarok, she earned an Oscar nomination for haunting work in 2016’s Jackie and just gave birth to a daughter last month. She also is circling Ridley Scott’s next movie.

Still, it is curious that all the love interests from Phase One of Marvel are not so ceremoniously being shown the door in Phase Three… off-screen. And who thought MCU movies only ever had happy endings?

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This article contains spoilers for The Flash season 2.

Jay Garrick's arrival on The Flash was a foregone conclusion since the very first episode of season one. The minute that newspaper headline from the future was revealed, letting fans know that there's a "Crisis on Infinite Earths" of some kind in the not-too-distant future of this show, then it was only natural that we'd meet the first, most important of those infinite worlds, Earth-2.

And there's no more iconic symbol of Earth-2 than Jay Garrick, the original Flash.

Flash Comics #1 first hit newsstands in late 1939 (don't be fooled by the 1940 date on the cover), and it's handily one of the most important single issues ever published by DC Comics (long before the company went by that name). Superman had arrived in early 1938 in Action Comics #1, bringing forth a slew of caped imitators, not the least of whom being Batman, who made his pointy-eared bow in Detective Comics #27 in mid 1939. The superhero arms race was on, and most of 'em had capes.

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But Flash Comics #1 put someone a little different on the cover. Here we had a mercury helmeted speedster in a capeless, but no less snazzy costume, catching a bullet in mid-flight. Boasting just as much primary color appeal as Superman, Jay Garrick took one of those most elemental superpowers, the ability to run really frakkin' fast, and melded it with the still nascent superhero genre.

But Jay's origin story was also one of the more well-rounded ones of the era. In the space of 15 pages, Gardner Fox and Harry Lampert introduced us to Jay Garrick, college football benchwarmer and mediocre science student, his girlfriend (and future wife) Joan, Joan's scientist dad, and a crew of evildoers with the modest name of the Faultless Four. Jay gets his super speed not by anything remotely as sexy as a lightning bolt or particle accelerator, but from the fumes of "hard water" which he accidentally inhales after knocking over vial while relaxing with a cigarette. 

Special note that has nothing to do with anything else! I don't think any Golden Age superhero comic features as much cigarette smoking as early Flash stories. Holy moley, all these people do is light up. Anyway...back to the important stuff.

Jay recovers from a coma, discovers his speed, puts on a costume, and rescues Joan's pop in remarkably economic fashion, all in a story slightly better drawn than many of the other Superman and/or Flash Gordon knockoffs. In fact, aside from the "Flash" name, like most superhero costumes, Jay's owes quite a bit to Alex Raymond's Flash Gordon (for that matter, so does virtually every other superhero of the era, but that's a story for another time), who routinely wore striking outfits like a red shirt, and blue pants, emblazoned with yellow lightning bolts. But it's Jay's winged helmet and boots, tributes to the Greek god Hermes, known for his swiftness, that set him apart from his peers.

Special note #2. You know who else first appeared in Flash Comics #1? Hawkman and Hawkgirl, two characters that we also spent a lot of time with on the first seasn of Legends of Tomorrow

Jay proved popular enough to start making appearances in All-Star Comics, where he was a founding member and chairman of the first superhero team, the Justice Society of America, who he would be associated with for the rest of his career. He was one of the few superheroes (alongside Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Captain Marvel, and Captain America) to break free of the anthology format prevalent at the time, and was granted his own title, appropriately known as All-Flash.

But interest in superhero comics dropped dramatically in the years following World War II, and by 1951, Jay and most of the rest of the Justice Society had faded away, presumably never to be heard from again.

Well, almost.

Jay next appeared in none other than Showcase#4 in 1956, in the same story that introduced Barry Allen to the world. But here, we only see him on the cover of a comic book that Barry's reading, and it's Barry's love of this superhero from a bygone era that ultimately inspires him to put on a costume and adopt the Flash name. But make no mistake, in Barry's world, Jay Garrick was just a fictional character.

Well, at least he was...until The Flash #123 in 1961. "Flash of Two Worlds" revealed that Jay Garrick was actually a Flash from another dimension (affectionately known as Earth-2, despite the fact that it came first), and when Flashcomic book writer Gardner Fox didn't write his adventures, he was unkowingly channeling "real" events from Jay's dimension. It was a wild concept, and one that stuck. Jay and Barry team-ups became yearly occurrences in The Flash, and soon the tradition spread to the Justice Society and the Justice League, in stories that often had titles like "Crisis on Earth-3." 

This ultimately led to a proliferation of alternate worlds, and DC had to do a massive housecleaning, known as Crisis on Infinite Earths, which (among countless other things) merged the histories of Earth-1 and Earth-2, meaning that Jay operated as the Flash of decades past, before Barry picked up the legacy, and so on down the line. There's way too much about Flash's connection to Crisis(and its potential impact on the future of DC movies and TV) to get into here, but I wrote a whole article about it a while back. See for yourself. 

During this period, the JSA re-formed, and thanks to some funny business involving how the Golden Age heroes had aged (don't ask), Jay was able to serve as a mentor to other young speedsters in the DC Universe. During most of his time on "our" Earth in DC's present, Jay helped Wally West out during his extended run as the "main" Flash, and served as the backbone of a new JSA that also consisted of newer "legacy" heroes in the DC Universe.

There was a version of Jay introduced during DC's New 52 period, who rocked a snazzy new costume but was pretty different from his original interpretation. The classic Mercury-helmeted version has so far been absent from DC's current line of rebirth comics. He's bound to be reintroduced, though, along with the rest of the Justice Society, it's just a matter of time.

After a season 2 fake-out which saw Teddy Sears introduced as the Jay Garrick of Earth-2 only to be revealed as the villain of the season, Zoom, we met the real Jay, the Flash of Earth-3, played by none other than original TV Flash, John Wesley Shipp. This version of the character has taken on the traditional role as Barry's occasional mentor, and he's as fully heroic as his comic book counterpart. Seeing John Wesley shipp in a smartly updated costume and that iconic helmet actually brought some happy tears to my eyes.

I may update this article with some additional context about Jay Garrick and his world as we get more info on the TV version throughout The Flash season 3. Until then, you can try and keep up with me on Twitter!

A version of this article first appeared in October of 2015. It has been updated with new information.

New York Mets starting pitcher Noah Syndergaard showed up to spring training only by accident. Given his workout regime, you could assume the gargantuan righthander, equipped a thunderous fastball and a mighty hammer of a curveball, thought he deserved another audition for the role of Thor in the upcoming third film of the Marvel Studios franchise.

Chris Hemsworth will keep his day job, and us Mets fans will be glad to see the ace nicknamed “Thor” take the mound on opening day, but when was the last time, before Barry Bonds and the steroid era, you saw a player show up to spring training looking like a real superhero? Syndergaard added an extra 17 pounds to his 6’6, 240 pound frame this offseason, fully embodying his super nickname.

With only a few weeks to go before the season, Marvel and the Mets announced that Thor and Syndergaard will finally be one. The Mets will give fans attending the game on July 22nd a Noah Syndergaard/Thor Bobblehead in collaboration with Marvel. Great timing, too. Comics fans already have that date circled on the calendar as it falls right in the heart of San Diego Comic-Con.

The Mets released a mockup of the promotional item:

Syndergaard, who has plenty of fun with the nickname on social mediaand in the real world, will unfortunately miss the chance to walk around SDCC dressed as Thor. The Mets visit San Diego the day after the cosplayers leave town.

With Syndergaard ascending to the pinnacle of his sport with his superhuman-like ability, and fans frequently attending his games dressed in Thor garb, don’t be surprised if Marvel and the Mets ace team up again in the future.

Marvel has announced that it's not done with Darth Vader, not by a longshot. A new ongoing series will tell the story of Vader's early days as a Sith Lord, following the events of Revenge of the Sith. The book will be written by Charles Soule (Lando, Obi-Wan & Anakin, Poe Dameron) and drawn by Giuseppe Camuncoli (Amazing Spider-Man). 

This series isn't a continuation of Kieron Gillen and Salvador Larroca's fantastic Darth Vader series, which ended last year. That book took place in between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back. Soule and Camuncoli's book takes place many years before the previous series. 

Here's the synopsis:

When Anakin Skywalker fell, both to the pull of the dark side and to the blade of Obi-Wan Kenobi, he rose back up, more machine than man. Having lost everything that he once held dear, the one who was prophesized to bring balance to the Force instead chose a darker path. Now, in a story set directly after the events of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, he must take his first steps into a darker world as…Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith!

Witness iconic moments in the Star Warsgalaxy through the lens of one of its most famous characters! The construction of Vader’s red lightsaber, the fallout of Order 66, the beginnings of the Inquisitor program, and the rise of an Empire. Join Vader as he learns a new way. The way of Darth Sidious…the way of the dark side.

Actually, this sounds like a much darker book than the previous one. I'd have to dig way back in my mental Darth Vader archive to figure out if there's ever been an origin story for Vader's menacing red lightsaber. If not, this will undoubtedly be a cool little addition to the canon. I'd like to think he built his infamous weapon from the remains of his enemies' lightsabers...

This is also the first comic to explore the early days of the Empire. Up until this point, the Marvel comics have mostly lived within the Original Trilogy and just prior to The Force Awakens. 

Here's what series editor Jordan D. White had to say about the new Darth Vader:

I’m so excited that we get to tell more stories about the best villain of all time…and this time, we get to show his very first steps into the Dark Side. I was blown away by some of the stuff we plan to show in this series…and I think readers will be, too—from hardcore Star Wars fanatics to those who want to see more of that deadly threat from the end of Rogue One. Charles has an evil streak in him that readers might have seen whenever he’s written Palpatine in the past. Now, that comes front and center.

Certainly, Rogue One did a lot to make Vader scary again - just go watch A New Hope right after witnessing the Sith Lord wrecking those poor Rebel soldiers in that hallway. His entrance in the Blockade Runner is all the more terrifying.

Here's the very sexy cover for the first issue, which is out in June:

Just quickly, here's a reminder that you need to read the first Darth Vader series because I can't possibly be objective about it: Since Marvel launched its new line of Star Wars comics, there have been many memorable stories - the Lando and Chewbacca miniseries come to mind - but none have been quite as good as Gillen and Larroca's Darth Vader ongoing. That series included about every single thing you'd possibly want to see Darth Vader do - duel and destroy his enemies, chase after Luke, hire his very own Suicide Squad to go on heists for him, and hang out with the greatest droid duo since Threepio and Artoo. Basically, this comic is everything you ever wanted and it's only twenty-five issues that are out in trades now. If you only read one new canon Star Wars thing, make it this. 

This article comes from Den of Geek UK.

You don't need to tell comic book and graphic novel fans that there's a whole lot more than superheroes out there. However, if you're just starting to dabble, might we make a few recommendations...?

Sweet Tooth

Put Mad Max in some plaid, make him feel a little Wolverine circa X-Men: Origins, add some creepy Wes Anderson stop-motion animals, and you’ll get Sweet Tooth, the post-apocalyptic story of human-animal hybrids in rural Nebraska. You may be familiar with Jeff Lemire’s other work on Animal Man or his acclaimed graphic novel Essex County, but for me, Sweet Tooth really is something special.

Running from 2009 to 2013, this forty-issue arc centres around Gus, a young boy with antlers living with his strictly religious father in a world infected by some sort of plague. After his father dies, he ventures out of his comfort zone and into the new world, meeting Jepperd, a gruff and troubled Frank Castle-inspired character, along the way. Lemire revealed in an interview with the AV Club that he always wanted to write something post-apocalyptic, compared to his usual comics based in reality and, to me, this is one of the greatest comics of that genre that I’ve read. It’s touching, haunting, and far more human than most series I’ve gotten my hands on in recent years.

I Kill Giants

If you’re looking for a short and sweet standalone graphic novel that will cause an intense emotional reaction in you, pick up I Kill Giants. Collecting a very limited seven-issue run, this volume is the story of Barbara, a strange girl who fights giant monsters in her own fantasy land to escape from the realities of her own world. As with many similar stories, there’s something too heavy for a child to accept going on in reality and ‘killing giants’ is her way of dealing with it.

This is a nice one to pick up if you’re into shows that drop nostalgia bombs like Stranger Things, Dungeons And Dragons, and monster-fighting manga like Attack On Titan, although admittedly this is a lot less violent and a lot more touchy-feely, in the best possible way. There’s even a film on the way directed by Danish director Anders Walter, starring Madison Wolfe (True Detective), Zoe Saldana, Imogen Poots, and Noel Clarke.

The New Ghost

In this incredibly short-form graphic novel from Nobrow Press, we meet a man working in an observatory who spots a ghost through his telescope. Across 24 stunning pages we learn about love and loss, as well as the stars in the sky. What really stands out for me in this one is Robert Frank Hunter’s beautiful art style, using shades of blue and pink to echo the night sky.

There’s not much more I can say about this other than to really recommend getting your hands on a copy, either for yourself or for a artistically-inclined loved one. You can see more of Robert’s art on his website.

Adventures Of A Japanese Business Man

This silent yet hilarious hardcover graphic novel from Spanish cartoonist José Dominto does exactly what it says on the tin. We follow the adventures of a nameless Japanese business man who finds himself caught up in a crazy adventure, travelling the world, even into the depths of hell. This graphic novel is punchy and colourful, showcasing how cartoon art can be simple yet brilliant. A very quick read but well worth getting your hands on for yourself or an arty friend.

Guards! Guards!

I was very slow on the uptake finding out that there were Terry Pratchett graphic novels residing on this planet, but here we have it: Guards! Guards! in full illustrated glory. This Pratchett adaptation is based on Stephen Briggs’ script for the stage play and illustrated by Graham Higgins, who also worked on the graphic novel for Mort and 2000 AD.

I think this is the perfect book to pick up if you’re just getting into Pratchett, or want to introduce someone to the atmosphere of Discworld without the dedication of a full book. Guards! Guards! focuses on the City Watch of Ankh-Morpork, probably one of the worst places to live, and the attempt of the Unique and Supreme Lodge of the Elucidated Brethren of the Ebon Night to summon a dragon. Of the limited Pratchett I’ve read (I know, boo hiss), this was probably one of my favorites. It’s witty (like all Pratchett books), incredibly clever, and sets up the city of Ankh-Morpork perfectly for the rest of the Discworld series.

Vignettes Of Ystov

A collection of stories based in the fictional town of Ystov, William Goldsmith’s graphic novel uses a different shade of watercolor to weave each tale, with characters from one finding their way in another. The stories aren’t always joyful, but the art is always stunning, and shows the interlocking nature of life in a small town. Everyone knows everything about everyone else, or at least, they think they do. There’s a definite Soviet, industrial, and slightly dingy feeling to the entire book, but the charm lives in its occupants and the complicated struggles of daily life.

I Killed Adolf Hitler

This is, by far, one of the greatest graphic novels I’ve ever read. As far as I’m aware, it’s now out of print, but can be bought digitally through the publisher’s website. I Killed Adolf Hitler is set in a future where contract killers are sent through time to remove those ‘irritating’ people from your life, like your boss, your rude neighbor, or your ex-spouse. One such contract is to kill, you guessed it, Adolf Hitler.

Our protagonist travels back in time, only to find himself stranded in the past as Hitler escapes back into the future. The rest of the graphic novel follows the assassin living his life in the past, waiting to hit the time Hitler travelled to, and finally taking him down. It’s a bizarre story as it’s incredibly sentimental and touching at times, dealing with relationships and ageing, as well as the death of loved ones. Jason’s drawings are simple but full of expression, even when there are no words.

Destination X

One of the shortest graphic novels on this list, John Martz’s Destination X is also tiny and silent, but creates a whole world of characters with their own problems and a wicked sense of humor. Inspired by pulp sci-fi, Star Trek, ghost stories, and The Twilight Zone, a young astronaut struggles to find love, obsessing over the women around him, and setting his sights only on one goal. There’s not much else I can say without giving away the entirety of this miniature story; it’s truly sweet but sad.

This One Summer

This One Summer is a ‘coming of age’ graphic novel written and illustrated by cousins Mariko and Jillian Tamaki, detailing the trials of friendship that occur between two girls, Rose and Windy, as they enter the formative years of their life. The one summer in question is the complicated one where they first start to notice boys, as well as the struggles that face the adults in their lives, completely removing them from the regularity of their usual summers together.

Instead of swimming in the sea and buying sweets, they gaze at the boys working in the corner shop and Rose listens to her parents argue about her mother’s fertility problems. I’m a huge fan of ‘coming of age’ stories as they always seem to leave the reader with a renewed sense of hope, a memory of how we dealt with life when it was simpler.

The Enigma Of Amigara Fault

This is the one to read if you enjoy giving yourself spine-chilling nightmares, but may be quite difficult to get your hands on. Originally featured as a bonus story in the horror manga series Gyo, this short story is one that would often circulate message boards and Reddit forums when the theme of ‘things that made you unable to sleep’ came up. The story focuses on hikers on the Amigara Mountain, discovering a mysterious fault that appeared after an earthquake. The fault itself appears completely unnatural and looks as if it appear from the inside of the mountain outwards, rather than the other way round. It’s a bit like Stonehenge: how could something so substantial possibly have been created without technology?

Everything starts getting a bit weird when people try and enter the fault…really, really weird. I would recommend you read this one with the lights on. I’m not sure what else I could possibly compare this story to, literary, cinematically or otherwise, other than old-school body horror. If that tickles your interests, find yourself a copy of this manga as soon as possible.

Obsolete

Another short book from the folks at Nobrow Press, the Berlin-based Mikkel Sommer uses beautiful art and very few words to tell the story of soldiers returning from the war in Afghanistan and struggling with substance abuse. The lines between their nightmares and reality become blurred in this tiny volume, with a lot of storytelling and character-building happening on so few pages. You can see more of Mikkel’s art on his website.

The Sculptor

If you’ve ever studied comics and graphic novels academically, or you’ve ever been interested in their form as a whole, you’ve probably heard of Scott McCloud. His Understanding Comics series about the medium, its uses, and its styles is renowned and referenced in many a piece of writing about how comics ‘work’. The Sculptor, released in 2015, is McCloud’s recent foray into fiction, standing strong at nearly 500 pages of beautiful blue and grey art. His protagonist, the young artist David, isn’t hopeful about his life after a stream of bad fortune until he meets Death, who makes him a tempting offer. David can gain the power to sculpt anything he wants, but he will die after 200 days. This is, at the heart of it, a story about love, as he meets an actress called Meg, and must deal with his feelings for her amongst using his new gift, with the knowledge he doesn’t have much longer on the planet, as well as Meg’s struggle with depression.

I’ve had the great honor of meeting Mr. McCloud and took the chance to tell him how much pain and misery this graphic novel caused me. He seemed quite pleased to hear that, and so I pass this pain and misery on to you. It’s well worth it.

Grandville

Ending on a slightly cheerier-note, this is a graphic novel series started in 2009 by Bryan Talbot (Alice In Sunderland) about an anthropomorphic detective badger in France. Think Wind In The Willows meets 1920s film noir, a combination you never knew you needed. There are four volumes so far: Grandville, Grandville Mon Amour, Grandville Bete Noire, Grandville Noel, and the fifth, Grandville: Force Majeure, will be published later this year.

Detective Inspector LeBrock, the aforementioned badger, travels to Grandville (a steampunk Paris) to solve Holmesian mysteries. From political conspiracies to serial killings, this is all set in an alternate present day where Britain lost the Napoleonic Wars and the entire Royal Family were executed. Guillotined, no less. Britain is purely comprised of French-speaking rural communities, but independent after a long period of anarchy. Humans do exist amongst the largely-animal population, but as second-class citizens, unintelligent and forbidden to travel.

It’s a really compelling setting for any story, but the detective mystery element brings it all together. To me, this is perfect fodder for a Wes Anderson-style stop-motion film series. It’s funny, eerie, and altogether very surreal.

It was revealed during the Warner Bros. SDCC 2015 panel that the Green Lantern reboot will be called Green Lantern Corps. Warner Bros. flashed a logo for the film on a jumbo wraparound screen in Hall H. Further, Deadline recently reported that David Goyer (of Batman Begins and Man of Steel fame) is working on a script alongside Justin Rhodes. Geoff Johns and Jon Berg are executive producing.

Word has surfaced via Meet the Movie Press that David Goyer is being considered as a director, as well, but at this time there's no confirmation of that. Goyer has experience directing a big budget action movie, having been behind the camera on Blade: Trinity. Considering that Warner Bros. is mostly pursuing high profile directors with distinct styles these days, I'm not sure what to make of this.

Well, the focus of the movie is apparently on John Stewart's origin, in what is being described as "Lethal Weapon in space." Expect Stewart to be the neophyte Green Lantern alongside an older, battle-hardened Hal Jordan. Tyrese Gibson has been campaigning heavily for the role of John Stewart over the last year or so, but that hasn't come to anything yet, either. Other rumors indicate that another Green Lantern, Kyle Rayner, may also make an appearance. 

Green Lantern Corps Cast

A few months back, a rumored casting shortlist for Hal Jordan surfaced via The Wrap, and amid sensible studio favorites like Tom Cruise, Bradley Cooper, Armie Hammer, Joel McHale, and Jake Gyllenhaal, there's one surprise: Ryan Reynolds. Really, having Reynolds' name on there throws that whole thing under suspicion. The 2011 Reynolds movie is radioactive, and the whole point of going the team movie route is to put as much distance between that and the new project as possible, and GL is notable by his absence in the Justice League movie. Furthermore, Reynolds himself doesn't sound terribly interested in returning.

Armie Hammer also cast doubt on the report by saying he's never heard a word about the project to, of all outlets, TheWrap itself. While promoting his new film Call Me by Your Name at Sundance, Hammer said, "I saw the reporting too, and that's the first I've heard of it."

Nonetheless, going the team/buddy cop route instead of another solo film isn't all that surprising when you consider that Warner Bros. wants to put as much distance as possible between this and the disappointing 2011 movie that starred Ryan Reynolds. Turning this into a team movie not only takes the origin story out of the equation, it probably means this one will spend most of its time in space. More sci-fi, less earthbound superheroics should help everyone involved.

Green Lantern Corps Release Date

Green Lantern Corps was originally scheduled for release on June 19, 2020, but now it has been moved to July 24th, 2020. The complete DC superhero movie release calendar is here.

Read some good Green Lantern stories on Amazon 

A version of this article first ran in July of 2015. It has been updated with new information.

The Caped Crusader has kept pretty busy since the launch of DC Rebirth last year. Whether it be fighting off a vengeful Bane in Gotham or on the road with Two-Face, Batman's faced no shortage of challenges, thanks to puppet masters Scott Snyder, Tom King, and James Tynion IV. And don't expect these guys to give Bats a break this summer, either...

DC has announced a new Batman summer comic event called Dark Days. Made up of a pair of one-shots written by Snyder and Tynion IV with art from legendary artists Jim Lee, Andy Kubert, and John Romita, Jr., Dark Daystells a story that Snyder has apparently been teasing throughout his years writing the character. 

"Dark Days posits a mystery that traces all the way back to when I started on Batman," said Snyder in a press release. "I've hinted at them over the years with Easter eggs and clues. This is a mystery that literally begins at the dawn of man and spans generations of heroes and villains and ultimately leads to huge revelations about the past, present, and future of the cosmology of DC. I couldn't be more excited for Dark Days. It's the prelude to the event we've been developing for years.”

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I'm not really sure what this story might be, but from the cover of the first one-shot, which was drawn by Lee, it looks like the story takes place in a dystopian future. Snyder has played around with time travel in Batman before, starting with a short story in an anniversary issue of Detective Comics a few years back.

As recently as his "Endgame" and "Superheavy" arcs, Snyder has used time travel and cloning to explore how Bruce plans to ensure that Batman lives on forever - even after he's dead. I believe Snyder's upcoming collaboration with Sean Gordon Murphy on All-Star Batman also explores these ideas. Dark Days may just be another piece of that puzzle. 

Snyder described Dark Days as a prelude to a much bigger event, which could involve his highly-anticipated reunion with artist Greg Capullo, who collaborated with Snyder on one of the best runs of Batman ever created. 

The two Dark Days one-shots, titled Dark Days: The Forge and Dark Days: The Casting, are out on June 14 and July 12 respetively. 

Among the more interesting items that have emerged about Deadpool 2 -- including things like the switch in directors and the continued casting speculation over Cable -- was the news that screenwriter and director Drew Goddard (The Cabin in the Woods, Daredevil) was being brought on board as a consultant on the movie and its script.

“Consultant” is a broad term in Hollywood that can mean a lot of things; we were concerned about what it meant for screenwriters Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, who wrote the first Deadpool and were part of that “gang of four,” including star/producer Ryan Reynolds and now-departed director Tim Miller, who stuck with the first movie through its decade of development hell.

According to Wernick and Reese, who are doing the press rounds for their new film Life, there’s no reason to worry about them. Here’s Wernick:

“We're on it every day. Drew has been a consultant on the project, and is a wonderful, creative voice that's helped guide us. But in terms of writing, we're have been the only writers on it, and we'll continue to be the only writers on it. As we go to shoot - and again, I know the rumor was floating around that Drew had taken over writing, and that is a false rumor that hopefully will be put to bed sooner than later - but we're actively involved with crafting the script with Ryan and working with the director.”

Asked about the tone of the second movie, which will introduce a larger universe including characters like Cable and Deadpool, Reese said:

"The tone will be the same. It’s going to be the same in that it'll break rules -- in some of the old ways, and some new ways. But it's going to be the same Deadpool people were entertained with and enjoyed in the first movie. We're not so crazy as to change that. But, new characters. New story. It's going to be really fun. We think it's going to be emotional. We're so excited about what we have on our hands right now, the 119 pages we have on our hands. And we're just getting ready to shoot it.”

We have yet to hear about an actual official start date for Deadpool 2 under director David Leitch, and Cable still has to be cast, but with the arrival of the recent teaser and an actress now locked for Domino - and what we heard above from Reese and Wernick -- our favorite merc should be mouthing off in front of the cameras real soon.

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Chuck Barris, the legendary TV show creator, songwriter, novelist and self-admitted CIA hitman, died of natural causes Tuesday afternoon at his home in Palisades, N.Y., it was announced by his publicist, Paul Shefrin. Barris was 87.

Barris was best known for The Gong Show until he reinvented his past in his 1984 memoir Confessions of A Dangerous Mind, where he claimed he was a CIA assassin who was recruited at the beginning of his TV game show career. Barris invented The Dating Game, The Newlywed Game, and told the world about "Palisades Park." He wrote the song while he worked on American Bandstand. It was recorded by Freddy Cannon, of “Tallahassee Lassie” fame. The song peaked at Number Three in 1962 and was covered by The Ramones, the Beach Boys and Bruce Springsteen.

Barris wrote was born in Philadelphia on June 3, 1929. He graduated from Drexel University in 1953 and started working at NBC in 1955. He was hired to keep Dick Clark out of trouble during the payola scandals. Barris was director of West Coast daytime programming for ABC by 1959.

Long before American Idol and America's Got Talent, Barris was the "King of Schlock." Chuck Barris Productions, which he formed in the sixties, launched The Dating Game, where a bachelorette chose her date on the blind after questioning three men hidden out of view. Barris followed it up with The Newlywed Game, where newly married couples confounded censors by finding new ways of saying they were makin' whoopee.

But Barris really tested censors endurance with The Gong Show. Besides letting the Popsicle Twins teach the most fun way to spend or make a nickel, they introduced the world to the Unknown Comic, Gene Gene the Dancing Machine, Steve Martin, Pee-wee Herman, BoxCar Willie and The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo. 

The not quite ready for prime time guests did it for the chance to win $516.32, the minimum pay allowed by the Screen Actors Guild at the time.

In the early eighties, Barris locked himself up in a hotel in New York City for two months to write his 1984 memoir Confessions of A Dangerous Mind. The book as adapted by George Clooney into a film in 2002. The film stars Sam Rockwell as Barris.

The C.I.A. denied Barris had anything to do with the agency. “It sounds like he has been standing too close to the gong all those years,” CIA spokesman Tom Crispell said at the time. “Chuck Barris has never been employed by the CIA and the allegation that he was a hired assassin is absurd."

“Have you ever heard the CIA acknowledge someone was an assassin?” Barris publicly responded

Barris wrote the semi-autobiographical novel You and Me, Babe in 1974. Barris also published The Game Show King: A Confession in 1993 and Bad Grass Never Dies: A Sequel to Confessions of a Dangerous Mind in 2004. Barris published the comic novels The Big Question (2007), and Who Killed Art Deco? (2009). He published Della: A Memoir of My Daughter in 2010. Della was Barris’s only child, from his first marriage to Lyn Levy. Della died of a drug overdose in 1998, at age 36.

Barris married Robin Altman in 1980. They divorced in 1999. Baris is survived by his third wife, Mary Kane.

SOURCE: NEW YORK TIMES

Amongst the casting rumors for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, one of the more unlikely yarns going back about a year centered on action icon Sylvester Stallone. Surprisingly, that one was recently given definitive provenance by the film’s (typically rumor-debunking) director James Gunn. The visionary also volunteered another reveal with Michael Rosenbaum, who could carry potential connections to Stallone’s character.

Recently appearing on The Adam Carolla Show podcast to promote a passion project in the brutal concept film The Belko Experiment, Gunn addressed what was clearly the elephant in the room when it came to him with a casting reveal for a closely-arriving film in May’s highly anticipated Marvel blockbuster sequel Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. While the film’s new and returning cast members have been known for a few years at this point, Gunn revealed that Sylvester Stallone – previously rumored – is, indeed, onboard fielding a “very important” Marvel role. Having confirmed the idea by referencing a tweet he made, Gunn explained:

“We do have a couple of characters who are very important to the Marvel Universe who are going to make their debut in Guardians Vol. 2, which people don’t know about. Sylvester Stallone plays one of these characters."

Seemingly in a loquacious mood when it came to the impending arrival of his next Marvel Cinematic Universe offering, Gunn, without further solicitation, divulged another cast member potentially connected to Stallone’s character. As Gunn continued:

“I will say that my friend Michael Rosenbaum also has a pretty decent role in the movie as well, and it sort of works in tandem with Sly’s character. So, there you go.”

The casting of Michael Rosenbaum, who worked with Gunn on a few episodes of the 2008-2009 satirical series PG Porn, should put some smiles on the faces of fans. Rosenbaum, who recently starred in the TV Land series Impastor, brings live-action comic book cred, having played Superman's friend/archenemy Lex Luthor for a decade on Smallville and became a kind of cult fan-fave figure, maintaining his DC Comics connection by regularly fielding various voice roles on animated DC adaptations.

Consequently, speculation on what characters Stallone and Rosenbaum could be playing are already rampant. While theories generally steer clear of any notion that Stallone’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 character will play a major part in the film itself, Gunn’s qualification of the role being “very important” to the MCU have led many to believe that Stallone is playing a member of the Nova Corps – after all, he did rock a somewhat similar helmet in 1995’s Judge Dredd. Given his age, Stallone seems right for Jesse Alexander, the Nova Centurion whose powers are eventually passed on to his young son Sam.

With Rosenbaum’s character purportedly “in tandem” with Stallone’s, it is also being surmised that he will play the most famous Nova Corps member in Earth guardian Richard Rider. Yet, the Rosenbaum/Richard Rider theory hinges on Stallone being a member of the Nova Corps and there are loads of diverse theories, including one that has Stallone sized up as a Ravager. While both actors also could be playing crucial celestial players in the MCU buildup to 2018's Avengers: Infinity War, Gunn has emphasized before that the Guardians sequel was a self-contained story, which renders the latter theory less likely. The mystery role will, however, somewhat reunite Stallone with his Tango & Cash buddy cop co-star Kurt Russell, who plays Ego the Living Planet, a.k.a. Star-Lord's father.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 will, nevertheless, soon be popping its new soundtrack into the tape deck of the Milano for more space-set adventures – even if Sylvester Stallone ends up playing a cosmic-powered Marion Cobretti, serving as the violent cure to the galaxy’s Thanos disease. The film hits theaters on May 5.

With the medium of television in a transitional multi-platform Renaissance, there is no shortage of shows covering the sci-fi-broaching topic of psychic experimentation. However, an upcoming joint co-production from two major studios are developing a television project called Phenomena, adapting a yet-to-be-released book that documents real-life examples of psychic experiments carried out in secret by the U.S. government.

According to Deadline, studios Blumhouse Television and Amblin Television have jointly invested in a deal to acquire the rights to Annie Jacobsen’s Phenomena: The Secret History of the U.S. Government’s Investigations Into Extrasensory Perception and Psychokinesis with intentions of adapting the (informatively-titled) book as a television series. Jacobsen’s book (to be released on March 28), recounts stories from scientists and psychics who were granted top secret clearances to conduct radical psychic-centric experiments focusing on extrasensory perception (ESP), which government agencies purportedly utilized in attempts to find the seemingly unfindable such as fugitives, hostages, downed fighter jets and other various intelligence. The book ties together recently declassified documents with testimony from over fifty sources close to the forty-year-long top-secret experiments, shedding light on a scientifically shocking bureaucratic cabal.

With Blumhouse and Amblin co-producing the Phenomena television project, book author Annie Jacobsen will be brought onboard as an executive producer. Jacobsen, an investigative journalist by trade, has been long-immersed in the subject of military secrets and was a Pulitzer Prize finalist in 2016 for her 2015 book The Pentagon's Brain: An Uncensored History of DARPA, America's Top Secret Military Research Agency. Yet, Phenomena won’t be the first Blumhouse/Amblin joint television co-production, with their previous attempt being ABC’s heavily-heralded 2012 horror/drama The River, which rowed a rather quick journey to cancellation in the first quarter of that year.

Phenomena certainly has the potential to become a fascinating television project. While the topic has been successful fodder for several sci-fi shows like, for example, Fox's Fringe (pictured above), this series will arrive wielding the cudgel of hard research. There’s no word yet on when to expect the series.

While 20th Century Fox is still considering their options as to who will play Cable in Deadpool 2, word is now floating around that they have a favorite. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Michael Shannon has emerged as the frontrunner for the role of Cable, and right now it's tough to think of a more perfect choice.

Stranger Things' David Harbour has also been considered for the part, and there have been a number of other high profile actors who have read for the role, as well. THR cautions that scheduling could derail this, as Shannon still has to shoot What They Had this spring, which is around the time Deadpool 2 is supposed to be in production.

Shannon, of course, is no stranger to supehero movies, having played General Zod in 2013's Man of Steeland having a CGI assisted appearance in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Cable would allow him to bring his trademark intensity and surprising comedic timing to a different kind of superhero movie.

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The brooding Cable first appeared in New Mutants #87, and like Deadpool, he's got comic book writer/artist Rob Liefeld in his DNA. His origin story is too complex to get into here, but needless to say, he's from the future, he has a liking for enormous guns, and he's the perfect foil for Deadpool's hyper antics. The idea of watching Michael Shannon play off of Ryan Reynolds in this movie is pretty delicious, so hopefully everything works out.

Don't be surprised if official confirmation on this one comes out of one of Ryan Reynolds' social media accounts, too.

Deadpool 2 Release Date

20th Century Fox has two dates on its 2018 calendar reserved for Marvel/X-Men related properties: March 2nd and June 29th. If Deadpool 2 does indeed go into production in May as has been speculated, then June 29th seems more likely. But June 29 doesn't seem like prime real estate for an R-rated movie, while March 2nd is closer to when the original thrived.

We'll let you know as soon as any of this is locked up.

John Wick is directing Deadpool 2. While the Deadpool 2 script is still officially in the hands of original film scribes Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, it was revealed to Collider that screenwriter extraordinaire Drew Goddard has been brought onboard to work on the film’s script as a consultant.

Deadpool 2 Trailer

Logan didn't have a post-credits scene. Instead, it has kind of a pre-credits scene, which is basically a wacky teaser for Deadpool 2. It's not quite a trailer, but it's 100% legit, stars Ryan Reynolds, and was directed by David Leitch. This won't appear in the movie, but there's definitely a touch of what you'll see in it here in terms of tone.

And by "tone" we mean "exactly what you expect/want out of a Deadpool movie." There's some nice symmetry to letting Ryan Reynolds drop this one before 20th Century Fox, since he's apparently the person responsible for the test footage leak that finally got this movie the greenlight in the first place a few years back. He continues to "deny" that.

Watch it here. It's pretty great. ALSO it has come to our attention that mobile users are having trouble seeing the video, so you can click here to watch it if it isn't coming up. Sorry about that.

A couple of things worth noting here:

1. You can see the word "Hope" scrawled on that phone booth. This could be a joke, considering the Superman: The Movie theme is playing, that Superman's "S" is "a symbol of hope."

However, it probably refers to Hope Summers, who is Cable's adopted daughter and holy moley does this get too confusing to get into right here.

2. You can also see "Nathan Summers coming soon!" written on there. In other words, that's Cable, and it's no secret whatsoever that Cable is in this movie.

Deadpool 2 Cast

Another major piece of Deadpool's early history has finally fallen into place: Domino. Ryan Reynolds, who has made himself the #1 source for official Deadpool 2 news in the universe, announced that Atlanta's Zazie Beetz has landed the role. In true Ryan Reynolds fashion, he did it on social media...

Domino is an assassin for hire, and founding member of X-Force, who first appeared in the very same comic that first introduced Deadpool, New Mutants #98. With an X-Force movie set to follow Deadpool 2, we can see where this is going.

Anyway, don't expect this to turn into an X-Force movie or anything like that.

"We were like the athlete who guarantees victory before the game," Deadpool 2 co-writer Paul Wernick joked in an interview with Variety last year. "It’s a world that’s so rich and we always thought Cable should be in the sequel. There was always debate whether to put him in the original, and it felt like we needed to set up Deadpool and create his world first, and then bring those characters into his world in the next one."

But make no mistake, the focus is going to remain firmly on the Merc With a Mouth. "It’ll be populated with a lot of characters, but it is still Deadpool’s movie," Rhett Reese said. "We’re pushing forward very hard. I think by every account we will shoot it this year, and we’re on our multiple draft now. It’s taken different twists and turns, but it’s really coalescing, and we’re very, very excited."

As for that "lots of characters" thing, it does indeed include Colossus and Negasonic Teenage Warhead. "I think we can say, yeah, they'll be in the sequel," Rhett Reese told Collider. "Yeah, they'll at least make an appearance," Paul Wernick added.

"Clearly Cable is a character that’s not going to stay out of the Deadpool universe for too much longer," Co-writer Rhett Reese told us in an interview last year. "I mean it’s a character everyone loves. Whether he’s in the sequel or whether he’s in an X-Force thing still remains to be determined. In terms of who would play that part, I think it’s very much dependent on things like schedule, who’s available. We don’t necessarily write with actors in our minds because we just know from previous experience that you can write to a voice and if that person’s not in your movie, you’re screwed."

Oh look, we're not done!

Deadpool 2 Story

What are you, joking? The first movie was more of a collection of jokes than an actual story...and that was just fine. But you have to figure this one will focus on a Cable and Deadpool team-up in some form. Although that doesn't mean that Cable's time-travel weirdness will balloon the budget. The writers are pretty clear about keeping this one under control. "We don't want $150 million to go make the next movie. That's not Deadpool,"Paul Wernick said."Deadpool doesn’t lift cities up into the air or battle aliens coming down to earth, that’s just not Deadpool."

"I think if Cable and Deadpool team up, it will likely be in Deadpool’s world.,"Rhett Reese said."That allows us to control that budgetary thing a little more; I don’t think we’re gonna see Deadpool and Cable on some far-flung planet 300 years from now."

So, whatever the Deadpool 2 story ends up being, expect it to be something that fits in Deadpool's world, not trying to fit Deadpool into somebody else's. That sounds reasonable.

One thing is certain, though, it probably won't include a full-blown X-Men crossover. In an interview with IndieWire, Rhett Reese pointed out that the X-Men movies are currently stuck in the 1980s, while Deadpool is set in present day. Paul Wernick said the timeline would probably "eventually catch up" but Simon Kinberg, who produces the X-Men movies is "the keeper of that universe and maybe we'll see more X-Men playing in Deadpool's sandbox and probably Deadpool playing in their sandbox at some point."

In a conversation with Den of Geek UK, Simon Kinberg talked about what to expect from Deadpool 2 after the runaway success of the first one. "I think the result is, we'll have even more freedom - and they give us an immense amount of freedom - but we'll have even more creative freedom going forward." And that's not all, as he added, "and maybe a little more money for the next Deadpool movie." 

But since the first film was anything but a typical superhero movie, it makes sense that Deadpool 2 will have a particular point of view when it comes to sequels. “I think Deadpool 2 will comment on anything that’s happening in movies today especially in superhero movies,” Simon Kinberg told SlashFilm. “The sort of glut or saturation of these movies and the proliferation of sequels is definitely something we’ll play around with.”

If nothing else, this movie will have some additional ammunition after the merciless critical flogging that expanded universe efforts like Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad have received.

We'll continue to update this article with more information as it becomes available. An official confirmation and release date will probably be the first to arrive.

Normally in the lead-up to new superhero movie or space opera—or those that are all in one, such as the case with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2—we tend to follow what writers say, directors imply, publicists dictate, and actors generally tweet with breathless buildup. There is a rhythm to the rollout for a major summer blockbuster spectacle that often culminates in a week of extreme hype and finally some deep diving interviews. But rarely do we have an extended comment from a character in the film.

Yet, here we are with Starlord, Chris Pratt’s hero(ish) protagonist in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 breaking the fourth wall as if he’s wearing red and black suited pajamas. Taking to Pratt’s Facebook page, Starlord has some words about what to expect from the James Gunn written and directed sequel to a movie about a talking tree and raccoon. And as expected, he is ever so humble while gently comparing his film to Citizen Kane, Michael Phelps, Tom Brady, and four dead presidents.

On May 5th the greatest movie in the history of movies is coming. There has never been and will never again be a movie like this. Seriously. Ever heard of Citizen Kane? We're much better. Seriously. Our movie just tested at over one million points. Rotten tomatoes already has it at 234% fresh.#GotGVol2 will win every movie award AND about 39 Olympic gold medals in swimming, gymnastics, the skiiing event with the gun, x games, snowmobiling and everything. It will win the World Cup and about 7 super bowl rings, sorry TOM Brady. This movie will fry your brains and lift your spirits. James Gunn will be elected president of the world. They will add the faces of the guardians to Mount Rushmore for sure. We're gonna get a planet. May 5th will become a national holiday. Everyone will get pregnant. Candy will fall from the sky. Global warming will stop. Dinosaurs will come back to life. Which unlike some movies might tell you, is actually a really good thing. Because they won't flip out and kill people instead they'll be your awesome pets. So basically get your tickets as soon as you can. Don't be the only person on the planet who doesn't see this movie.

Humbly, Starlord

In case you need a reminder, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is in theaters May 5.

As with the revelation last week that a Venom spinoff was back on at Sony Pictures, the studio is still making the best of their Spider-Man license, as it was revealed late Wednesday that a Black Cat and Silver Sable spinoff from the web-head franchise was being turned into a priority by the studio.

Previously, it was unclear how far Sony came in pursuing a Black Cat movie, but now the answer indicates… pretty darn close. Indeed, THR broke that Sony has tapped Christopher Yost to rewrite a previous existing script that would star two of the pearlier haired ladies in the Spider-Man mythos. Further, the script he is reworking is one turned in by Lisa Joy, who recently co-created a little genre show you might have heard about: Westworld.

Indeed, this project has apparently been long in the works, predating the deal that ended The Amazing Spider-Man franchise and led to Tom Holland getting to wear the tights in this summer’s forthcoming Spider-Man: Homecoming. Apparently the title previously known simply as “secret female spinoff project,” the movie is intended to flesh out the Black Cat and Silver Sable characters from the Spidey pantheon. Originally Felicity Jones played Black Cat’s alter-ego, Felicia Hardy, in 2014’s The Amazing Spider-Man 2, however it’d be likely recast here.

The film is being produced by frequent Spider-Man stalwarts Amy Pascal and Matt Tolmach, although intriguingly Avi Arad is not listed as attached. Further, it is ambiguous whether it is related at all to Spider-Man: Homecoming and the greater MCU. According to THR, the project is not an “offshoot” of Spider-Man: Homecoming, but based on the larger “Spider-Man universe” that Sony has the rights to. However, just because it isn’t directly linked to Homecoming does not necessarily mean it is not in the same “Spider-Man universe.”

Yost is an interesting choice to pen the film as well, as in addition to working on the screenplays for Marvel Studios’ Thor: The Dark World and The Incredible Hulk, he has had a history with Marvel’s mythos when he acted as showrunner for X-Men: Evolution wherein he created the character of X-23/Laura Kinney… the breakout star of this month’s Logan, as played by Dafne Keen.

Black Cat is of course the famed superheroine anti-hero created by Marv Wolfman and Keith Pollard in The Amazing Spider-Man #194 (1979). She is the daughter of a famous (and famously incarcerated) cat burglar whom she inherits a knack for acrobatics and flexible morals. She breaks him out of prison while he’s on his deathbed, and also reveals herself to be something of a Spider-Man fangirl, seducing the wallcrawler when he tries to take her old man back to prison.

Possibly influenced by the Catwoman character at DC—although Marvel continues to strongly deny this—Felicia Hardy developed a unique role in Spidey mythos by becoming Spider-Man’s partner, sidekick, lover, and confidant, knowing his identity and still working with him as his closest costumed associate after he married Mary Jane Watson (awkward).

Silver Sable is also known for her somewhat amorous lifestyle as a mercenary and bounty hunter. She was created in 1985’s The Amazing Spider-Man #265 by Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz. Sometimes an ally to Spider-Man and other times an adversary due to her violent, merciless tactics, Silver Sable distinguishes herself in comic book stories filled with soldiers of fortune due to the fact that she is the CEO of the successful Silver Sable International corporation, a “security” firm that is the financial backbone of Marvel’s fictional country, Symkaria.

This Hap and Leonard review contains spoilers. 

Hap and Leonard: Season 2, Episode 2

It's safe to say that SundanceTV's Hap and Leonard is comfortable enough in its own skin to push the well-worn boundaries of the crime genre. Sure, the show's got the usual tough guys and rough talk and high stakes and low lifes. It also has plenty of plot twists and mysteries to spare, as any good noir story should. And like any respectable crime romp, Hap and Leonard has its share of romance -- mostly of the longing, unrequited kind. But this, too, is a good thing.

Trudy Fawst was the one who got away. Yes, she came back into Hap's life before finally leaving him for good. And now a possible romance is in the offing with attorney Florida Grange. But the relationship I'm most interested in is the one between the titular characters. This is not to say that Hap and Leonard are meant to be together, at least not in the romantic sense. But they are meant to be together. To describe what these two men have as a bromance is to cheapen the notions of devotion and loyalty put forth so deftly by the show’s writers. This episode in particular explores what makes their lifelong friendship tick. And it’s not just a shared love of Nilla wafers. But more on that in a bit. 

For now, it's important to acknowledge the “facts” of this episode, such as they are. Leonard is now facing a possible 5-to-10 as an accessory after the fact for a murder that is conveniently being pinned to his uncle. That Leonard’s beef with his neighbor Melton has come back to haunt him so quickly speaks to the world of trouble he’s in. The only real secrets in Laborde, Texas, seem to be the ones the police are unwilling to investigate.

BB is just one of many missing boys from the area -- all of them cold cases. But BB’s body is the only solid lead the county has, and this being an election year, only serves to tighten the noose around Leonard’s neck. As brutal as last season was, the predicament he finds himself in now has more to do with matters of race and class than it does with bumbling revolutionaries. Last season was about fighting the system. Now, the system is fighting back -- and Florida is experienced enough to recognize a lost cause when she sees one.

So it’s lucky that Hap and Leonard follow a trail that leads them to wild-eyed, wild-haired Illium Moon (Wayne Dehart), a local eccentric who dabbles in taxidermy, voodoo, and vigilantism. It is he who recovered BB’s body from the pond behind his home. And it is he who moved the body to Chester’s home while the two men tried to solve the boy’s murder. It’s definitely an interesting turn, these revelations. But Illium’s not the most reliable witness (not that Melton is, either) -- yet it’s enough to clear Leonard. But nothing is ever simple on a show like this, and by episode’s end, Illium looks to have found his own watery grave. Which means Leonard is back to square one. 

Now, as for the aforementioned “bromance,” I thought this exchange between Hap and Florida was both poignant and illuminating:

"You ever think of having kids, Hap?"

"You assume that I don't already have them?" asks Hap.

"Oh."

"I don't," he says.

"What's the matter, not the father type?"

"Guess I just never met a woman that thought I was."

This is heartbreaking stuff, especially the way James Purefoy delivers these short, simple statements. Perhaps Hap is not a man given to deep thought, but he knows what’s missing from his life. Purefoy clearly understands this, and imbues Hap with tremendous pathos and sympathy. Florida understands human nature, and she seems to understand Hap enough to tell him, "Don't count on me to save you." Is this a friendly warning, or some ominous foreshadowing? I know I said in my previous review that Florida is not this season's femme fatale, but there are still four episodes left -- anything is possible.

I admit that last season I rooted for Trudy, despite her many flaws. Part of this was because of Hap's feelings for her. He saw the good in her, and she allowed him to see the goodness in himself. That's not to say that Hap is a shell of his former self, now that Trudy is gone, but there's a subtle melancholy to Purefoy's performance that's hard to dismiss. Life has left Hap weary, and lonely, and grasping at the kind of everyday happiness that comes so easily to others. Hap is just as flawed as Trudy ever was, perhaps more so. So who is there besides Leonard who recognizes the good in Hap Collins -- the kind of good that says father material?

Which is why Hap and Leonard is this show’s most vital relationship. They need each other, plain and simple. The Floridas and the Raouls of the world are merely consolation prizes in comparison to Hap and Leonard’s unwavering devotion to each other. This is summed up perfectly when Hap insists that Leonard has to skip town and lay low. Brother to brother, he confesses his fears that something terrible will happen to Leonard if he stays, and Hap can’t have that. “What the hell am I going to do?” Hap Collins says to his best friend. And if Hap’s fear of being alone doesn’t break your heart, nothing will.

A closing thought:

Raoul confesses to Leonard that he is seeing someone else. The revelation is painful for Raoul -- he wipes away tears as Leonard continues to stare at the television. Leonard has a knack for pushing people away even as Hap pines for affection from a seemingly indifferent world.

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