Don't bug out before Blue Beetle credits have finished rolling. Xolo Maridue?a suits up as Jaime Reyes in the new DC film, becoming the superhero Blue Beetle when an ancient relic of alien biotechnology -- the Scarab (voiced by Becky G) -- chooses him to be its symbiotic host. Director Angel Manuel Soto and DC Studios co-chief James Gunn have hinted that Maridue?a's Blue Beetle will be sticking around for the new DC Universe, ushering in the next generation of heroes as part of the DCU Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters.

Blue Beetle has two credits scenes hinting that "there's more story to tell" with Jaime Reyes, according to a fan who attended the official Blue Beetle Block Party in Austin, Texas. Soto was on hand for the fan screening in advance of its August 18th premiere in theaters.

"I think that's the beauty of it, right? I think it's pretty vague," Soto told ComicBook when asked if Blue Beetle is set in the existing DC Extended Universe or the soon-to-be-rebooted DC Universe. "We know Batman exists. We know Flash exists. We know Superman exists, but we don't say how, where or what."

The director continued, "I think it opens up the doors to any interpretation or any direction James Gunn wants to go and because it is setting Jaime up, what happens now moving forward is game. I think that's why they decided Jaime can be the first superhero of the new DCU because he is his own hero."

Gunn has confirmed that, while Maridue?a's Jaime Reyes will "continue on in the DCU" alongside "a handful of other characters" from the shared universe started with 2013's Man of Steel, the DC Studios movie canon starts with the upcoming Superman: Legacy in 2025. That means Maridue?a will still be Blue Beetle the character, but Blue Beetle the movie will exist outside of the new canon.

Maridue?a leads a cast that includes Adriana Barraza (Rambo: Last Blood) as Jaime's grandmother, Nana; Dam?an Alc?zar (Narcos) as his father, Alberto; Elpidia Carrillo (Mayans M.C.) as his mother, Bianca; Belissa Escobedo (Hocus Pocus 2) as his sister, Milagro; George Lopez (Lopez vs. Lopez) as Jaime's Uncle Rudy; and Bruna Marquezine (God Save the King) as Jenny Kord. Blue Beetle also stars Raoul Max Trujillo (Sicario) as the villain Carapax, the indestructible man, Harvey Guill?n (What We Do in the Shadows) as Dr. Sanchez, and Susan Sarandon (Monarch) as Victoria Kord, CEO of Kord Industries.

Tickets are now on sale. DC's Blue Beetle opens only in theaters August 18th.

DC's Blue Beetle is the next superhero blockbuster to enter theaters, and it's currently tracking for a relatively modest opening weekend at the box office. According to the latest tracking numbers, the Angel Manuel Soto picture is expected to make around $30 million at domestic exhibitors. The sum would be nearly half of the opening weekend carried by The Flash earlier this summer, which was considered by most to be a sizable box office bomb.

That said, Deadline says word-of-mouth on Blue Beetle is already at surprising levels, suggesting $30M total could balloon much higher. According to the trade, Beetle is polling incredibly well with Hispanic and Latino audiences, and data points towards a bigger opening than both Alita: Battle Angel ($28.5M) and Meg 2: The Trench ($30M).

Is Blue Beetle in the DCU?

By all accounts, the upcoming feature is set in Warner Bros.' new DC Universe. DC Studios boss James Gunn has confirmed as much, and Soto says the film can be set on the timeline wherever Gunn and Peter Safran determine necessary.

"I think that's the beauty of it, right? I think it's pretty vague. We know Batman exists. We know Flash exists. We know Superman exists, but we don't say how, where or what," Soto told us earlier this month. "I think it opens up the doors to any interpretation or any direction James Gunn wants to go and because it is setting Jaime up, what happens now moving forward is game. I think that's why they decided Jaime can be the first superhero of the new DCU because he is his own hero."

From Warner Bros. Pictures comes Blue Beetle, which arrives in theaters on August 18th, marking the DC superhero's first time on the big screen. The film, directed by Angel Manuel Soto, stars Xolo Maridue?a in the title role as well as his alter ego, Jaime Reyes. 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.

Starring alongside Maridue?a are Adriana Barraza, Dam?an Alc?zar, Elpidia Carrillo, Bruna Marquezine, Raoul Max Trujillo, with Oscar winner Susan Sarandon, and George Lopez (the "Rio and "Smurf" franchises). The film also stars Belissa Escobedo and Harvey Guill?n. Soto directs from a screenplay by Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer, based on characters from DC. John Rickard and Zev Foreman are producing, with Walter Hamada, Galen Vaisman and Garrett Grant serving as executive producers.

The Teen Titans are GO-ing Hollywood (again!) in an all-new special celebrating 100 years of Warner Bros. It was announced Monday that Teen Titans GO! season 8 continues with the Warner Bros. 100th Anniversary Special, premiering Saturday, September 23rd, at 9:30 a.m. on Cartoon Network. Produced by Warner Bros. Animation, the special episode is part of WB's year-long centennial celebration marking the studio's 100th anniversary. According to the synopsis, the special sees the Teen Titans -- Robin, Starfire, Raven, Beast Boy, and Cyborg -- "visit the famed Warner Bros. studio lot for an adventure with exciting surprise guests."

Along with the Teen Titans GO! Warner Bros. 100th Anniversary Special, the network announced new episodes of We Baby Bears (August 26th at 10:00 a.m.), the return of DC's preschooler series Batwheels (September 11th at 7:45 a.m.), and the U.S. debut of Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe's The Heroic Quest of the Valiant Prince Ivandoe (November 11th at 9:00 a.m.). Cartoon Network's fall programming lineup will continue to stream on Max.

"Cartoon Network presents the best in animation for all generations with iconic, creator-driven shows," said Michael Ouweleen, president of Cartoon Network and Boomerang. "This fall is no exception as we premiere new seasons and series from the talented crews at Cartoon Network Studios, Warner Bros. Animation and Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe."

Based on the DC Comics super-teen team, Teen Titans GO! premiered in 2013 as a comedic revival of Cartoon Network's original Teen Titans series that aired 65 episodes across five seasons between 2003 and 2006. Jump City's resident superheroes -- Batman's sidekick Robin (Scott Menville); the alien princess Starfire (Hynden Walch); the half-demon, wholly sarcistic Raven (Tara Strong); the shape-shifting Beast Boy (Greg Cipes); and the robotic Cyborg (Khary Payton) -- previously visited Hollywood in the 2018 feature film Teen Titans GO! to the Movies.

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"It is a surprise that we are here 10 years later, especially for kids' animation," executive producer Pete Michail recently told ComicBook when Teen Titans GO! marked its 10th anniversary earlier this year. "A lot of these shows last two, three seasons and they're out, so for us to be pushing nine and here 10 years later, still strong, it's an absolute blessing."

Michail also teased another major milestone: the 400th episode.

"Season 8, we are hitting our 400th episode. I can't tell you what it's about, but we're doing something we've never done before," Michail said. "It's something we've been wanting to do for years and years, and now we are finally doing it, so that's going to be big."

Episodes of Teen Titans GO! are available to stream now on Max, including the first 12 episodes of the ongoing season 8. Sign up for Max here.

Less than a day after filmmaker David Ayer shared a number of behind-the-scenes photos from his 2016 superhero film Suicide Squad, he was back on Twitter this morning disputing a report that DC Studios head James Gunn will release Ayer's director's cut of the film soon. Ayer's movie introduced a number of characters to the then-thriving "DC Extended Universe," most notably Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn. The movie, like seemingly all of DC's films between 2015 and 2020 or so, experienced significant turmoil behind the scenes, and the version of the movie that came out ultimately was not the one Ayer wanted to make.

In the same vein as the ultimately successful "Release the Snyder Cut" campaign, fans have been rallying since 2017 to get Ayer's version of Suicide Squad out into the world. That movie would have centered much more on The Joker, Ayer has confirmed, including a tweet last night in which he told a fan that Harley's in-person rejection of The Joker in his cut was "the point of the film."

This morning, a "Release the Ayer Cut" Twitter account asked Ayer to comment directly on some recent claims that Gunn would release the Ayer cut before the DC Universe's big-screen reboot in 2025, which Ayer said was a "Silly rumor. Not true."

Ironically, the comment may be a misinterpretation of something Ayer himself said, as he posted last night that he had spoken with Gunn, who suggested the "Ayer Cut" will have its time.

Ayer released a number of photos, most of which had been seen before but none of which had been officially released by Warner Bros., last night, along with making a number of comments on the movie, including an emotional statement about the strange relationship he now has with the highest-profile project of his career.

"There's a genuine curiosity and interest from a lot of people," Ayer said of the movie, responding to a negative tweet. "And I'm aware of there is another group of people that have fun mocking the film. Your comment is a perfect example of how many are magnetically drawn discussion to the 2016 film in a negative way. Have you ever had an experience in life that didn't until the way you wanted, that dragged you, that made you rethink everything? I have. All I know is my unseen film plays much better than the studio release. The interest in my cut being [shown] seems real and organic. And Gunn told me it would have it's time to be shared. He absolutely deserves to launch to launch his DC universe without more drama about old projects. In a way I'm chained to this thing. I'm riding a tiger here and navigating this situation the best I can. Life is a very strange journey."

"Science transformed him into a monster. Love changed him even more!" Those words are the tagline of Wes Craven's Swamp Thing, the 1982 live-action adaptation of the DC superhero horror comic book. 41 years later, the monster of the marshlands is transformed once again -- in 4K. MVD Visual will release the remastered Swamp Thing as a 4K Ultra HD collector's edition on August 8th, marking the first time Craven's cult classic is available in the enhanced format. First pressings feature a limited edition slipcover, with each set packaged with a collectible "4K LaserVision" mini-poster of the cover art (below).

The two-disc set includes a 16-bit scan of the original camera negative, restoring both the US theatrical PG cut and the unrated international version in 4K, and a new HD restoration of both versions presented in the original 1.85:1 aspect ratio on Blu-ray. Pre-orders are available on Amazon now.

The official synopsis: "Deep in Florida's darkest everglades, a brilliant scientist, Dr. Alec Holland (Ray Wise, Robocop) and a sexy government agent, Alice Cable (Adrienne Barbeau, John Carpenter's The Fog) have developed a secret formula that could end world hunger and change civilization forever. Little do they know, however, that their arch nemesis, Arcane (Louis Jourdan, Octopussy) is plotting to steal the serum for his own selfish schemes. Looting the lab and kidnapping Cable, Arcane douses Holland with the chemicals and leaves him for dead in the swamp. Mutated by his own formula, Holland becomes 'Swamp Thing' -- a half human/half plant superhero who will stop at nothing to rescue the beautiful Cable and defeat the evil Arcane... even if it costs him his life."

FEATURES:
DISC 1: 4K ULTRA HD
2023 4K Restoration (16-Bit Scan of the Original Camera Negative) of both the US Theatrical PG Version and Unrated International Version of the film presented in its original 1.85:1 Aspect Ratio in Dolby Vision / HDR
Audio: DTS-HD Master 2.0 Mono, Spanish Mono
Optional English SubtitlesAudio Commentary with Writer/Director Wes Craven moderated by Sean Clark (Theatrical / PG Version)
Audio Commentary with Makeup Effects Artist William Munn moderated by Michael Felsher (Theatrical / PG Version)
Collectible "4K LaserVision" Mini-Poster of cover art
Limited Edition Slipcover (First Pressing Only)

DISC 2: BLU-RAY
2023 HD Restoration of both the US Theatrical PG Version and Unrated International Version of the film presented in its original 1.85:1 Aspect Ratio
Audio Commentary with Writer/Director Wes Craven moderated by Sean Clark (Theatrical / PG Version)
Audio Commentary with Makeup Effects Artist William Munn moderated by Michael Felsher (Theatrical / PG Version)Audio: DTS-HD Master 2.0 Mono, Spanish Mono
Optional English Subtitles
"Tales From the Swamp" (Remastered) with Actress Adrienne Barbeau (HD, 16:56)
"Hey Jude" with Actor Reggie Batts (HD, 14:30)
"That Swamp Thing" with Len Wein, Creator of Swamp Thing (HD, 13:19)
"Swamp Screen: Designing DC's Main Monster" featurette (HD, 20:32)
"From Krug to Comics: How the Mainstream Shaped a Radical Genre Voice" featurette (HD, 17:34)
Posters & Lobby Cards - Photo Gallery
Photos from the Film - Photo GalleryWilliam Munns' Behind the Scenes Pictures - Photo Gallery
Behind the Scenes Photos by Geoffrey Rayle - Photo Gallery
Theatrical Trailer (HD, 1:31)

Created by writer Len Wein and artist Bernie Wrightson in the pages of 1971's House of Secrets #92, Swamp Thing went on to become a central figure of the supernatural side of the DC universe alongside such characters as John Constantine, Deadman, Zatanna, and the Phantom Stranger. Alan Moore's '80s revamp of the character, collected in Saga of the Swamp Thing, inspired director James Mangold's announced reboot as part of James Gunn and Peter Safran's new DC film and television universe for DC Studios.

Before James Gunn and Peter Safran reboot the DC Universe, DC Comics will reprint two stories that influenced the new DCU. Next summer, the publisher will release new editions of All-Star Superman and Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, which Gunn and Safran named as their inspiration for two of the films comprising Gods and Monsters, the upcoming first chapter of the new DC Universe film and television slate. Writer Grant Morrison and artist Frank Quitely's 12-issue All-Star run influences the Gunn-directed Superman: Legacy, out July 11th, 2025, while Woman of Tomorrow will adapt DC's eight-issue Supergirl mini-series of the same name.

Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow: The Deluxe Edition, a new deluxe hardcover edition, will be available July 23rd, 2024; Absolute All-Star Superman: New Edition, collecting Morrison and Quitely's award-winning series in an over-sized slipcased hardcover, releases a week later on July 30th.

Previous editions of the books became best sellers and temporarily sold out online after Gunn and Safran announced the DC Studios slate in January. Along with Superman: Legacy and Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, other film projects revealed to be in the works include The Authority, Batman: The Brave and the Bold, and Swamp Thing. (Morrison's Batman Omnibus Vol. 1 also topped best-seller lists and was temporarily unavailable to buy online after Gunn named that run, introducing Bruce Wayne's son Damian, as inspiration for The Brave and the Bold.)

All-Star Superman and Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow are included on DC's official Gods and Monsters reading list, a handy reference for the comics and graphic novels that inspired the film and TV projects in the new DCU.

While Legacy is not an adaptation of All-Star Superman -- Gunn has already cast supporting superheroes Mister Terrific, Hawkgirl, Metamorpho, and the Guy Gardner Green Lantern -- the Guardians of the Galaxy filmmaker has said Legacy is "very inspired by All-Star Superman."

In All-Star, after a trip to the Sun exposes the Kryptonian to critical levels of stellar radiation, Superman is dying from the very source of his superpowers. Clark Kent -- described by his Daily Planet co-worker Lois Lane as a bumbling, "big country lummox" -- reveals he's secretly Superman, and goes on to face such classic foes as Lex Luthor, Parasite, and the sentinent star Solaris as he sets out to accomplish the Twelve Labors of Superman. Like Morrison's charmingly old-fashioned Man of Steel, the DCU Superman will be "the embodiment of truth, justice, and the American way," according to Safran, with Legacy focusing "on Superman balancing his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing."

The new editions of Absolute All-Star Superman and Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow release July 2024 from DC Comics.

The final page of 1994's Aquaman #0 ended with a dramatic reveal: Arthur Curry, the ruler of Atlantis and King of the Seven Seas, emerging from the depths of the Aquacave with a harpoon for a hand. After the villain Charybdis shockingly fed his hand to flesh-eating piranhas in Aquaman #2, the sea king decided he needed a symbol: "So the sea creatures know I'm of the surface, and the surface men know that the sea can turn their weapons against them." So decreed the writer who reinvented the fish-speaking Super Friend as an edgier, harpoon-handed badass: Peter David, who scripted DC's Aquaman: Time and Tide mini-series and a definitive run on Marvel's The Incredible Hulk.

DC Comics will collect David's influential run on Aquaman in the new Aquaman by Peter David Omnibus, scheduled for release on July 16th, 2024. Details are sparse, but the 1,464-page collection is expected to include Aquaman Vol. 5 #0-46 and Annuals 1-4, published during David's tenure on the title between 1994 and 1998. David previously scripted the seven-issue Atlantis Chronicles (1990) and the four-issue Time and Tide, a mini-series chronicling Aquaman's origins.

"[DC] were satisfied enough with the work I did that they felt I could handle the ongoing book," David recalled in a 2018 interview with webzine DC in the '80s. "I started trying to think of ways to make Aquaman interesting, because you have to understand -- that at the time that I was taking over Aquaman -- the general public had zero interest in him. I mean, when I told fans that I was going to be writing Aquaman, the most asked question was, 'Why?' He was seen as one of the lamest characters. Certainly his portrayal in Super Friends didn't help."

While the run -- with art from a lineup of artists that included Martin Egeland, Gene Gonzales, Jim Calafiore, Casey Jones, and Joe St. Pierre -- retained Aquaman's iconic orange-scaled suit and green gloves, the character had a beard and a longer-haired look that would inspire Jason Momoa's burly badass in the DC Extended Universe.

"I decided that I had to radically change his appearance, that that would be a good start. So I gave him the long hair and I gave him the beard, and I developed the idea of him losing his right hand and having it replaced with a harpoon. I thought that would make him look a lot more dynamic," David said. "I mean, if the old Aquaman walks into a room, you'd go, 'Hey Aquaman! What's going on?' If the long-haired bearded guy with a scowl walks in and he's got a harpoon on his arm, you're gonna go, 'Um, yes? What can I do to help you, sir? don't kill me.' I wanted that kind of gravity to his appearance -- so that when this guy walked into a room -- you KNEW he was a bad-ass. He was NOT someone you wanted to screw with."

Over more than four dozen issues, David introduced Koryak -- the son of Arthur and a human woman -- pit the hero against such villains as the Piranha-Man, the Deep Six, Thanatos, Neron, and Ocean Master, and featured guest spots by the Justice League, Wonder Woman, Lobo, Superboy, and the Kyle Rayner Green Lantern. David also fleshed out Aquaman's supporting cast: his sidekick, Aqualad, the scientist Vulko, the silver-haired woman called Dolphin, and Mera, Queen of Atlantis.

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom surfaces December 20th in theaters. Aquaman by Peter David Omnibus is available July 16th, 2024, from DC Comics.

Many actors have played the Joker over the years, and Joaquin Phoenix will soon be back as Batman's biggest foe in Joker: Folie ? Deux, which went into production at the end of last year. The Todd Phillips sequel is disconnected from the DCEU, the film series that started with Man of Steel back in 2013 that is expected to end with Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom later this year. The DCEU's Joker was previously played by Jared Leto in Suicide Squad. Late last night, the 2016 movie's director, David Ayer, took to Twitter to share a new image of Leto as the iconic villain.

Ayer did not caption the photo, which sees Leto's Joker in a suit. You can check out the image below:

pic.twitter.com/rcuQWyD056

-- David Ayer (@DavidAyerMovies) August 6, 2023

Will DC Studios Release the Ayer Cut?

Last year, it was announced that James Gunn and Peter Safran are now the co-chairs and co-CEOs of DC Studios, a new entity formed to replace DC Films. Ayer has previously shown his support for Gunn's new position, but he has also been very open about wanting Warner Bros. to release his version of Suicide Squad. Considering he's friendly with Gunn on Twitter, many fans have wondered if Gunn will release the "Ayer Cut." Soon after Gunn's new role was announced, he addressed some of the fan requests, including saving Legends of Tomorrow after it was canceled and releasing the "Ayer Cut."

"Opened up Twitter at the end of a long, creative weekend to see the many tweets to #SaveLegendsofTomorrow & #ReleaseTheAyerCut & fan support for other DC projects over the years. The majority of these requests were enthusiastic & respectful," Gunn wrote. "As the new (& first ever) CEOs of DC Studios, Peter & I think it's important we acknowledge you, the fans, & let you know we hear your different desires for the pathways forward for DC. Although our ability to interact on Twitter has been lessened due to the workload of our new positions, we are listening & open to everything as we embark on this journey, & will continue to do so for the next few years."

Gunn continued, "But all our initial focus is on the story going forward, hammering out the new DCU, & telling the Biggest Story Ever Told across multiple films, television shows, & animated projects. We invite all of the DC fandoms from across the multiverse - and everyone else as well - into this new universe. We can't wait to reveal more." You can check out his thread here.

What do you think of the new image of Jared Leto's Joker? Tell us in the comments.

DC Studios is getting ready to reboot the DC Extended Universe as newly appointed co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran develop their new DC Universe with DC Studios Chapter One: Gods and Monsters, and they've already revealed the first few projects that we can expect. Among those projects, it was revealed that Creature Commandos and Waller would start off the new DCU, but Gunn has since confirmed that next month's Blue Beetle will be in the same universe. Not much else has been revealed about Creature Commandos besides the casting announcement and some minor things Gunn has said on social media, but now the co-CEO is confirming the animated series' episode count.

James Gunn Confirms Creature Commandos Episode Count

Gunn was asked on the social media platform if he knew how long Superman: Legacy would be or how many episodes Creature Commandos could be, and he responded. The DC Studios co-CEO confirmed that voice recording for Creature Commandos has wrapped.

You can check out Gunn's post he said on Threads here.

Creature Commandos Star On the Upcoming Series

Sean Gunn will be returning to his Weasel role from The Suicide Squad in Creature Commandos, as well as pulling double duty as he will also voice the character known as GI Robot. While speaking with ComicBook.com, Gunn revealed some new information on Creature Commandos.

"That's the crazy thing about animation, is that a lot of times you don't really get to see your colleagues very much because you're mostly recording separately," Sean previously said. "I can't say much other than we do get to learn a little more about The Weasel, which is pretty interesting. You mentioned GI Robot, who is a character that's very near and dear to my heart. I grew to love him in the course of working on the character."

What will Creature Commandos be about?

Not much is known about Creature Commandos, other than it will feature a different kind of DC Studios team that will consist of some of the same monsters that you would have seen in Universal's Dark Universe. According to one of the DC Studios boss', Creature Commandos would have been too expensive to make in live action. "And in terms of animation, sometimes it's a fun way to introduce characters or introduce stories that would frankly be too expensive to be done in live-action," Safran told members of the press gathered at a DC Studios event in January.

"Creature Commandos is based on the great team from DC," Gunn previously explained. "What we're doing with the DCU is, we are having animation tied directly into live action. Television, movies, and games all intertwine within the same universe. We're going to cast actors that are going to be able to play the characters in this as well as in other things, some of which we've already cast. I've written all seven episodes of the show, and it's in production. So that's the first thing, and I love it.

Creature Commandos will feature a cast that includes Frank Grillo as Rick Flag Sr., Maria Bakalova as Princess Ilana Rostovic, Zo? Chao as Nina Mazursky, Alan Tudyk as Doctor Phosphorus, David Harbour as Frankenstein, Indira Varma as the Bride of Frankenstein, and Sean Gunn in a dual role as GI Robot and Weasel.

Creature Commandos is set to be revealed at an unspecified date next year. Stay tuned to ComicBook.com for more details on Creature Commandos and the future of the DC Universe as we learn them.

What do you think about the episode count? Are you excited to see Creature Commandos? Let us know in the comments below or by hitting up our writer @NateBrail on Twitter!

Blue Beetle is finally hitting theaters later this month, and it will be the first film that has been confirmed to take place in the rebooted DC Universe. DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn recently announced that Blue Beetle takes place in he and Peter Safran's DCU, and director Angel Manuel Soto has plans for more installments featuring the titular hero, but they will need to be successful at the box office in order for that to happen. Soto has been doing the press tour for the upcoming DC Comics adaptation, and he's revealing what inspired Blue Beetle's practical suit in the film.

Blue Beetle Director on Films Practical Superhero Suit

ComicBook.com's Brandon Davis recently had the chance to speak with Soto, and the Blue Beetle director revealed why the film has a practical costume and what inspired it. According to Soto, Blue Beetle's practical costume was inspired by comic books and various mediums of animation that feature the character.

"Well, it was a joint effort. Like, I think we knew of the bad that we didn't have all the resources to be fully dependent on the effects," Soto revealed to us. "And by doing so, we were like, we should just make a practical suit that really works. And that looks great. And we worked hand in hand with 9B Collective on the concept art and with Mayes C. Rubeo who designed this amazing suit and we were able to not only create it, but it looks awesome so that it only needs VFX enhancements but also something that Xolo can use on his martial arts stunts. So being able to have a suit that had the right materials for it to be flexible, for it to actually have the right response to light and the environment. It just made the whole process one that we could maximize our budget at the same times. It feels tangible.

"We knew that that stuff existed. So we didn't want to use it as a reference. We wanted to actually use as much as we could from the comic to sort of express what we could express in the film and in the comics and in the animation, you know, Blue Beetle, he has a mouth, we didn't do the mouth because maybe somebody finds a way of including the mouth to the Blue Beetle suit, but we didn't. We felt like, you know what, in the comic he has eye responses, so we can show emotion through his eyes. So we can definitely move that and you know, it's not a helmet per se. It's a suit, it envelops the mask. So if you thought it should have a little bit of jaw movement because it's not a helmet. So we were able to have fun and when we do the vision, we try to do our version of what's in the comics." The Blue Beetle director added.

What happens in Blue Beetle?

DC Studios describes Blue Beetle 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."

The Blue Beetle cast features Adriana Barraza (Rambo: Last Blood) as Jaime's grandmother, Nana; Dam?an Alc?zar (Narcos) as his father, Alberto; Elpidia Carrillo (Mayans M.C.) as his mother, Bianca; Belissa Escobedo (Hocus Pocus 2) as his sister, Milagro; George Lopez (The George Lopez Show) as Jaime's Uncle Rudy; Bruna Marquezine (God Save the King) as Jenny Kord; Raoul Max Trujillo (Sicario) as the villain Carapax, the indestructible man; Harvey Guill?n (What We Do in the Shadows) as Dr. Sanchez, and Susan Sarandon (Monarch) as Victoria Kord, sister of Ted Kord and CEO of Kord Industries.

Blue Beetle will hit theaters on August 18th. Stay tuned to ComicBook.com for more updates on Blue Beetle and the future of DC Studios as we learn it!

What do you think about Angel Manuel Soto's comments? Will you be heading to the theater when Blue Beetle is finally released? Let us know in the comments below or by hitting up our writer @NateBrail on Twitter!

James Gunn and Peter Safran are hard at work developing the DC Universe, Warner Bros.' attempt to take on Disney's Marvel Cinematic Universe. Though the first chunk of the DCU's programming has been unveiled, the larger story remains yet to be seen and for that matter, the timeline is still in flux until things officially kick off with Gunn's Superman: Legacy. That said, the filmmaker has said Blue Beetle is a part of the franchise, even though it's being released between two features that won't be in the larger franchise in The Flash and Aquaman 2.

As Blue Beetle helmer Angel Manual Soto tells us, he believes Gunn and Safran chose to include Jaime Reyes (Xolo Mariduena) in the franchise because the film can be placed anywhere on the DCU timeline.

"I think that's the beauty of it, right? I think it's pretty vague. We know Batman exists. We know Flash exists. We know Superman exists, but we don't say how, where or what," Soto says. "I think it opens up the doors to any interpretation or any direction James Gunn wants to go and because it is setting Jaime up, what happens now moving forward is game. I think that's why they decided Jaime can be the first superhero of the new DCU because he is his own hero."

Will there be a Blue Beetle sequel?

Soto adds that Blue Beetle is very much just the first part of an extended story, one he hopes gets to take place in the DCU over the course of the coming years.

"That's what I like about him, this is just the first act of a saga," he continues. "Jaime's story is just starting and this ends with him stepping into the new world, so whatever the higher-ups want to do with Jaime's journey is open."

From Warner Bros. Pictures comes Blue Beetle, which arrives in theaters on August 18th, marking the DC superhero's first time on the big screen. The film, directed by Angel Manuel Soto, stars Xolo Maridue?a in the title role as well as his alter ego, Jaime Reyes. 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.

Starring alongside Maridue?a are Adriana Barraza, Dam?an Alc?zar, Elpidia Carrillo, Bruna Marquezine, Raoul Max Trujillo, with Oscar winner Susan Sarandon, and George Lopez (the "Rio and "Smurf" franchises). The film also stars Belissa Escobedo and Harvey Guill?n. Soto directs from a screenplay by Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer, based on characters from DC. John Rickard and Zev Foreman are producing, with Walter Hamada, Galen Vaisman and Garrett Grant serving as executive producers.

DC Studios is getting ready to release the first project that is confirmed to be part of the universe that newly minted co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran have been developing with Blue Beetle, and it's set to hit theaters later this month. Xolo Mariduea (Cobra Kai) stars as Jamie Reyes/Blue Beetle in the film that is being directed by Angel Manuel Soto (Charm City Kings) and will also star heavy hitters like George Lopez and Susan Sarandon. Soto recently had the chance to speak with ComicBook.com for Blue Beetle's release, and he revealed if the film was changed by the two new co-CEOs.

Did DC Studios Co-CEOs James Gunn or Peter Safran Change Blue Beetle?

ComicBook.com's Brandon Davis had the chance to speak with Soto for the release of Blue Beetle, and the director revealed that Gunn and Safran haven't changed the upcoming DC Studios movie. The Blue Beetle director says that the movie lucked out because they developed it as a standalone project.

"No," Soto told us in an exclusive interview for Blue Beetle. "I think we were smart right off the bat into making this a stand alone. Of course conversations happen because of the way cultures are shifting in terms of superhero, everybody needs to belong to a clique. And although that is a promise that can happen, we wanted to give this first movie and in proper introduction to just Jamie Reyes, right? And his family. That's why the movie, we take our time introducing you to every family member and their dynamics so that you can fall in love with them. So that once the scarab attaches to him all he'll breaks loose, right? So by doing so, we're able to create a fresh take on the origin story where the family is involved when the family or family member has a heroic arc and are active participants in the formation of Jamie Reyes as Blue Beetle."

What happens in Blue Beetle?

Here's DC Studios' official synopsis for Blue Beetle: "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."

The Blue Beetle cast will also feature Adriana Barraza (Rambo: Last Blood) as Jaime's grandmother, Nana; Dam?an Alc?zar (Narcos) as his father, Alberto; Elpidia Carrillo (Mayans M.C.) as his mother, Bianca; Belissa Escobedo (Hocus Pocus 2) as his sister, Milagro; George Lopez (The George Lopez Show) as Jaime's Uncle Rudy; Bruna Marquezine (God Save the King) as Jenny Kord; Raoul Max Trujillo (Sicario) as the villain Carapax, the indestructible man; Harvey Guill?n (What We Do in the Shadows) as Dr. Sanchez, and Susan Sarandon (Monarch) as Victoria Kord, sister of Ted Kord and CEO of Kord Industries.

Blue Beetle will hit theaters on August 18th. Stay tuned to ComicBook.com for more updates on Blue Beetle and the upcoming DC Studios slate as we learn it!

What do you think about Angel Manuel Soto's comments? Are you excited for Blue Beetle to finally hit theaters? Let us know in the comments below or by hitting up our writer @NateBrail on Twitter!

DC Studios is moving on from the DC Extended Universe that began with Zack Snyder's Man of Steel and rebooting it with James Gunn and Peter Safran as co-CEOs. The duo began their duties last November, which was weeks after the studio released the Dwayne Johnson-led Black Adam. Black Adam received some pretty bad reviews and might've been a flop, but it did easily give Johnson his largest opening weekend yet. Gunn and Safran revealed that they will be recasting certain roles in the DC Universe reboot, and it seems that Black Adam wasn't part of their plans, so Johnson was forced to exit the role. Johnson recently appeared on Peacock and Kevin Hart's Hart to Hart, where he discussed how Black Adam was caught in a "web of new leadership" at Warner Bros. Discovery.

Dwayne Johnson's Latest Comment on Black Adam Exit

"I think that Black Adam got caught in a vortex of new leadership, and at that time we were creating Black Adam, developing it, shooting Black Adam, getting knocked back down because of COVID, the shutdowns, got back up," Johnson said. "There was so many changes in leadership, and, as you know, anytime you have a company of that size and magnitude that's a publicly traded company, and you have all of those changes in leadership. You have people coming in who, creatively and fiscally, are going to make decisions that you may not agree with."

"So, I think Black Adam was one of those movies that got caught in that web of new leadership, and you know, that will always be one of the biggest mysteries, I think. Not only for me on our end but also throughout our business because that's a Kevin [Hart] question, but that was a question out of Wall Street; that was a question out of Hollywood. Like, 'Wait a second. You had the biggest opening of your career'--sure, no China; that could have been 100, maybe 200 more million dollars. You're establishing a new superhero. You want to grow out the franchise. You bring back Superman and Henry Cavill. The world went crazy, and we also created a diverse superhero movie. We had just men and women of color in Black Adam 2 as well." The Black Adam star added.

You can check out the full clip below.

Dwayne Johnson explaining what happened with Black Adam pic.twitter.com/dl6QdNXRgx

-- Neb | ??? (@NebsGoodTakes) August 4, 2023

Dwayne Johnson's Previous Comments on Black Adam Exit

When Gunn and Safran were announced as the newly appointed DC Studios co-CEOs, everything about the DC Extended Universe was in flux. Johnson took some time to release a statement about his future as Black Adam, as he needed to talk with Gunn and Safran, who told them that the character wasn't part of their plans.

"My passionate friends, I wanted to give you a long-awaited Black Adam update regarding the character's future in the new DC Universe,"Johnson revealed in a statement. "James Gunn and I connected, and Black Adam will not be in their first chapter of storytelling. However, DC and Seven Bucks have agreed to continue exploring the most valuable ways Black Adam can be utilized in future DC multiverse chapters. James and I have known each other for years and have always rooted for each other to succeed. It's no different now, and I will always root for DC (and Marvel) to win and WIN BIG. You guys know me, and I have very thick skin - and you can always count on me to be direct with my words."

Black Adam starred Johnson and also featured Aldis Hodge (Underground, The Invisible Man) as Hawkman, Noah Centineo (To All the Boys I Love Before, Charlie's Angels) as Atom Smasher, Quintessa Swindell (Trinkets, Euphoria) as Cyclone, Sarah Shahi (The L Word, Sex/Life) as Adrianna Tomaz, Pierce Brosnan (GoldenEye, Mamma Mia!) as Doctor Fate, and Sarah Shahi as Adrianna Tomaz. Uli Latukefu, Marwan Kenzari, Mohammed Amer, James Cusati-Moyer, and Bodhi Sabongui also appear in the DC film.

Stay tuned to ComicBook.com for more updates on the rebooted DC Universe as we learn it!

What do you think about Dwayne Johnson's comments about his Black Adam exit? Do you agree with what was said about the film? Let us know your thoughts either in the comments section or by hitting our writer @NateBrail up on Twitter!

A new era is on the horizon for the DC Universe, with James Gunn and Peter Safran stepping in to spearhead DC Studios' movies and TV shows going forward. As fans look forward to these new DCU projects, one interesting enigma is the franchise's planned reboot of Batman, set to begin with a The Brave and the Bold movie. While details around that film are few and far between amid the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, we now have a look at some of Gunn's personal touchstones.

In a recent post on Threads, Gunn shared a number of Batman-related titles that he loves: Batman: The Long Halloween, Grant Morrison' Batman run, and even the recent One Bad Day: The Riddler one-shot written by DC Studios writers room member Tom King.

What Would The Brave and the Bold Be About?

The Brave and the Bold is confirmed to star Bruce Wayne / Batman and Damian Wayne / Robin, with Gunn and Safran teasing that the film might feature other characters from the larger "Bat-family."

"This is the introduction of the DCU's Batman..." Gunn explained to reporters in January of this year. "This is the story of Damian Wayne, who is Batman's actual son who we didn't know existed for the first eight to 10 years of his life. He was raised as a little murderer and assassin. He's a little son of a bitch. He's my favorite Robin. It's based on the Grant Morrison comic book's run, which is one of my favorite Batman runs, and we are putting that all together right now."

"And this is obviously a feature film, and it's going to feature other members of the extended 'Bat-family', just because we feel like they've been left out of the Batman stories in the theater for far too long," Safran added.

Who Is Directing DC's Batman Reboot?

Earlier this summer, it was confirmed that The Flash director Andy Muschietti will be helming The Brave and the Bold. A release date for the film has yet to be set.

"We saw The Flash; even before taking the reins at DC Studios, and knew we were in the hands of not only a visionary director but a massive DC fan," Gunn and Safran said in a statement when the news was announced. "It's a magnificent film - funny, emotional, thrilling - and Andy's affinity and passion for these characters and this world just resonates through every frame. So, when it came time to find a director for The Brave and the Bold, there was really only one choice. Luckily, Andy said yes. Barbara signed on to produce with us and we were on our way. They're an extraordinary team, and we couldn't have better or more inspiring partners as we embark on this thrilling new adventure in the DCU."

What do you think of James Gunn's favorite Batman comics? Are you excited for The Brave and the Bold? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

James Wan (Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, The Conjuring franchise) took to his Instagram account in a since deleted post to reveal that he had a recent medical scare that landed him in the hospital for a few days. In the Instagram story, we see Wan in his hospital bed alongside a vague caption that thanks the hospital staff for taking care of him. No further details have been provided as to why the director was admitted to the hospital.

Aquaman 2 Director James Wan Reveals Recent Hospital Stay

Multiple fans have since taken a screenshot of the now deleted post and posted it to their pages in support of the director. You can check out Wan's full comments about his hospital stay below:

"It has been an extremely rough and scary couple of days and nights," the now taken down Instagram story read. "You never want to rush to ER in the middle of the night and then have to stay in the hospital. Cedars Sinai is truly the best!! The best doctors, nurses, technicians, just the most wonderful people. James is safe now and on the mend."

You can also check out the post below.

Prayers up for James Wan ? pic.twitter.com/3JxG2SvypF

-- Home of DCU (@homeofdcu) August 3, 2023

What is James Wan Releasing Next?

James Wan has been pretty busy with the upcoming sequel to 2018's Aquaman, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, which will act as the final installment of the DC Extended Universe. The sequel has been in the news a lot lately due to the large number of reshoots that it has undergone, an inflating budget and poor test screenings. Wan has also been very busy with his Atomic Monster production company which recently released M3GAN and will release The Nun 2 next month. With no details given about why Wan was in the hospital, we can only hope that this is a small hiccup that won't slow the creator down.

DC Studios describes Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom as follows, "When an ancient power is unleashed, Aquaman must forge an uneasy alliance with an unlikely ally to protect Atlantis, and the world, from irreversible devastation. The film will see the return of Jason Momoa as Aquaman, Patrick Wilson as Orm, Amber Heard as Mera, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Black Manta, and Randall Park as Stephen Shin. Game of Thrones alum Pilou Asbaek has also joined the cast in an unknown role, while Jani Zhao will play new character Stingray, Indya Moore will play Karshon, and Vincent Regan will play Atlan, who was previously portrayed by Graham McTavish in Aquaman."

Stay tuned for more updates on James Wan, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom and The Conjuring franchise as we learn it!

DC Studios may be going in a different direction under the guidance of newly appointed co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran, and fans are super excited to see what will happen next. Gunn will be rebooting the DC Extended Universe and recasting some roles, while also keeping certain actors as certain characters. With The Flash bombing so hard at the box office, you would think that they would want to stay away from the character for the time being, and there has been no word on the next time we will see the Fastest Man Alive. DC Alum Jay Oliva has been talking about what could have been if the studio hadn't meddled with Zack Snyder's plans for the DCEU, and he recently revealed some cool details about Ben Affleck's Batman movie. Now, Oliva is revealing that Reverse Flash was a big part of Snyder's plans for The Flash and Justice League movies.

"Rick's [Famuyiwa] movie was going to be a series of films, just like Aquaman. I think all of those films, they were planning to be trilogies," Olivia revealed to Inverse about Snyder's plans for the DC Extended Universe. "Rick's movie was laying the groundwork for Zoom as the big baddy of the DC Universe, It was Professor Zoom pulling the strings because he had come from the future to basically f*ck with Barry. In the Flash movies, Zoom would be the villain in the background. But also in the ancillary other films, you would see some of the influences of Zoom on the rest of the Justice League."

"At the ending of Zack's Darkseid quadrilogy, or whatever, we would end up with a Justice League Unlimited version of the Snyder-verse. And then you flip it. You do Flashpoint Paradox. Everybody who's friends are now enemies, and it's a world that you don't want to live in. You can reboot the universe and introduce a new cast that way. Because after 10 years, the actors need to go onto something else." The storyboard artist added.

The Flash Director Previously Teased Reverse Flash

Andy Muschietti recently spoke about which villains he'd like to see in a possible The Flash sequel and the Reverse Flash was at the top of the list. The Flash director even reveals that Reverse Flash is indeed the person who killed Barry Allen's mother, Nora Allen.

"Well, Reverse-Flash is the elephant in the room, right?" Muschietti recently revealed. "It feels like you can't make another movie without addressing the one that, in all accounts, is the murderer of Barry's mom. So, it feels like the big villain."

The Flash director also revealed two other villains that he'd like to see the Scarlet Speedster take on, "The Turtle at some point. The slowest man on Earth. Gorilla Grodd, of course. And many more."

What happens in The Flash?

Warner Bros. describes The Flash as follows: "Worlds collide in "The Flash" when Barry uses his superpowers to travel back in time in order to change the events of the past. But when his attempt to save his family inadvertently alters the future, Barry becomes trapped in a reality in which General Zod has returned, threatening annihilation, and there are no Super Heroes to turn to. That is, unless Barry can coax a very different Batman out of retirement and rescue an imprisoned Kryptonian... albeit not the one he's looking for. Ultimately, to save the world that he is in and return to the future that he knows, Barry's only hope is to race for his life. But will making the ultimate sacrifice be enough to reset the universe?"

The Flash is available for digital download now! Stay tuned for more details on The Flash and the future of the DC Studios slate as we learn it.

What do you think about Jay Oliva's comments? Would you have wanted to see the Reverse Flash in The Flash? Let us know in the comments below or by hitting up our writer @NateBrail on Twitter!

The ComicBook Nation Crew breaks down the Loki Season 2 trailer, talks about that Fantastic Four casting rumor and Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman 3 announcement, then we look at Sony's Spider-Man Universe release date changes, review the new TMNT movie, and discuss the Barbie Movie in full spoilers! PLUS: Futurama is BACK, and we talk new TV shows worth watching, including Special Ops: Lioness, and Harley Quinn Season 4!

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Each episode has a deep dive into the current biggest discussion topics and debates within geek culture: movies, tv, comics, and video games are regular features, with genres like sci-fi, anime, and wrestling also featured regularly. The ONLY show covering ALL THINGS Geek Culture!

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Former cast members and writers of DC's Arrow TV series are announcing a very special reunion - they wiill come together on the picket lines of the Writers/Actors Strike, which is currently taking place in Hollywood and other key locations like NYC.

In a tweet (an x?) Arrow producer Marc Guggenheim shared a promotional flyer for the "Arrow Reunion Picket" event. In a humorous callback to the catchphrase growled by Stephen Amell's Oliver Queen/Green Arrow, the promo reads: "THE AMPTP HAS FAILED THIS CITY!"

"Join us for a special Arrow reunion of writers, actors & fans, on the picket line" the promo continues.

To incentivize fans, there is a tease of an Arrow merchandise collector's item being sold at the event: "Limited edition Arrow bucket hats will be available for purchase with all proceeds going to the healthcare for industry crewmembers through the union solidarity coalition."

This is a somewhat ironic turn of events: Arrow has been making headlines during the WGA and SAG Strike for very different reasons. Arrow star Stephen Amell set off a wave of controversy, after voicing his frustrations with how the process of the strike was affecting actors trying to promote their hard work - like Amell's Starz series Heels, which had just premiered its second season when the strike was called.

Amell has done some additional "clarification" since his original statements were made, before deciding that it would've been better just to keep the whole matter 'in-house':

"We live in a time right now ... Where, you know, people want you to vote as long as you're voting for their candidate. And I can support my union... I just think that this has been done in a very black and white, all or nothing sort of way and I'm talking about shows and movies that were about to come out before the strike. I'm specifically talking about shows that, you know, I and a bunch of other people pour their heart and soul into that happened to be coming out within a certain window after the strike... I should have done a better job of taking up in private with the leadership of my union people that I greatly respect and admire."

The actor concluded by saying "I'm going to take a little bit of a quiet time and try to unplug all little bit... I don't consider myself to be a martyr, and frankly, I would have preferred that these comments never been made public, but they did. And here we are and hopefully it can just lead to a broader discussion and we can get people back to work."

Where & When The Arrow Reunion Picket Is Happening

The Arrow Reunion Picket is taking place on Friday, August 11th, between 9 am-11 am, at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, California.

25 years after Terry McGinnis suited up as the Dark Knight of the future in the Batman Beyond animated series, DC Comics is coming out with a new comic book collection that's totally schway. Releasing March 5th, 2024, DC's Batman Beyond: The Animated Series Classics Compendium is a massive 700-page paperback collecting issues of the animated show's original tie-in comic book set in the DC Animated Universe with the same art style. Batman Beyond launched as a six-issue limited series in 1999, with a second volume publishing another 24 issues until the TV series ended after 52 episodes in 2001.

The official description: "In 1999, fans met Terry McGinnis for the first time in the Batman Beyond animated series--a new Batman for a new era, mentored by Bruce Wayne and fighting crime in a futuristic Gotham City! That same year, Terry made his comic book debut, encountering threats such as Blight, Inque, and the Jokerz! These stories -- including the unprecedented meeting between Batman Beyond and the Batman of the present -- return in this massive compendium collection!"

DCAU veteran Hilary J. Bader -- whose credits include dozens of episodes of Superman: The Animated Series, The New Batman Adventures, and Batman Beyond -- wrote 27 of the original 30 issues, with art by Rick Burchett (Batman Adventures), Joe Staton (Adventure Comics), Craig Rousseau (Harley Quinn), and Min S. Ku (Justice League Adventures). The two volumes featured covers by Bruce Timm, co-creator of Batman: The Animated Series and Batman Beyond, Brian Stelfreeze (Batman: Shadow of the Bat), James Tucker (Justice League Unlimited), Bob Smith (Scooby-Doo), Terry Beatty (Batman: Gotham Adventures), and Darwyn Cooke (The New Frontier).

Stories collected in the compendium are a who's who of Batman Beyond's rogue's gallery -- the issues pit Batman against the Royal Flush Gang, Spellbinder, Terminal, Shriek, Stalker, and Splicers -- and feature guest stars like Barbara Gordon, Etrigan the Demon, Aquagirl, and Justice League Unlimited members Warhawk, Big Barda, and the Kai-Ro Green Lantern.

Also on the way from DC Comics is the Batman Adventures: Vol. 1 Omnibus, a 1200-page new edition collecting the first 36 issues of The Batman Adventures. The omnibus releases September 5th, 2023, followed by the Batman Beyond: The Animated Series Classics Compendium on March 5th, 2024.

Zachary Levi says that his comments abut the SAG-AFTRA strike were "taken out of context." The star issued a statement to The Hollywood Reporter after his comments took social media by story. Comic book actors have had an interesting week as Arrow star Stephen Amell also had to clarify some comments he made during a comic convention appearance. In a similar vein, the Shazam! star called all of this hubbub a bit silly. Seemingly, out of frustration for not being able to talk about Chuck, or Tangled. Of course, this rankled people online, as they've been quick to side with the actors and writers over the studios. Here's what Levi had to say.

"It's come to my attention that an offhand remark I made in jest last weekend is being taken out of context. So let me be very clear. I fully support my union, the WGA, and the strike," Levi said in his statement. "I remain an outspoken critic of the exploitative system that us artists are subject to work in since I started my journey in this business 25 years ago. This strike is necessary to protect ourselves, our writers, and all those working in production who make the industry move."

Levi continued, "But we also cannot forget our fans during this strike. Fans that spend their money and energy traveling far distances to talk with us about our work that means so much to them, we should be able to engage. Our business exists and succeeds because of the fans, and I think it's imperative we appreciate them for their support of our careers."

Zachary Levi's Strike Comments Recently

During a fan event recently, Levi raised some eyebrows with a comment he made about the strike's rules. Basically, it was hard to talk about previous work because he's not supposed to be promoting any of his work in solidarity with the SAG union members. He technically didn't break any rules, but social media probably let him have it because of his word choices there. You can see that he's not downing on fellow actors, but the reaction was the reaction.

"I'm not allowed to talk about... This is so dumb. I'm not allowed to talk about my previous work. I'm not allowed to talk about movies that I may be a superhero in," Levi told the fans. "I'm not allowed to talk about TV shows that I may have been a nerd who worked at a Best Buy. I'm not allowed to talk about any animated Princess movies that I was fantastic in as the best Prince ever. I'm not even allowed to talk about those things."

Zachary Levi Shows Support For Strike Last Month

This entire incident is made more peculiar by the fact that Levi hd a spirited post on social media arguing for the strike last weekend. Fans and friends alike supported his vision of a unified front during the Instagram video. He called for them to stand together in the face of historic greed. Now, a little bit of that message is undercut. Levi is making up for it with his statement and that's great. His original post matters most of all.

"[The studio executives] do not care about human life, they don't care about, really, life in general. They care about profits. It's always profit over people and not the other way around," Levi argued. "So, mark my words, if we don't do something drastic right now... we're doing something very drastic, and we need to be doing this very drastic thing. We need to be striking, we should have done this years ago."

Did you see Levi's comments online? Let us know down in the comments!This is a developing story...

The third and final day of McFarlane Toys' Summer Showcase event for 2023 was all about the classic 1966 Batman TV show and the 2013-2016 comic book series that continued the story. The new DC Retro 6-inch figures include Adam West Batman and Burt Ward Robin as well as Superman, The Joker, Lord Death Man, and Robot Batman from the '66 comics.

Pre-order details for each of the new figures in McFarlane Toys' Batman '66 lineup can be found below. Each figure is priced at $17.99. While you're at it, make sure to check out the Batman: Hush figure that launched on Day 2 of the Summer Showcase.

• DC Retro Batman 1966 TV Series Batman Figure - Pre-order at Entertainment Earth / Amazon: Includes two action word bubbles.
• DC Retro Batman 1966 TV Series Robin Figure - Pre-order at Entertainment Earth / Amazon: Includes two action word bubbles.
• DC Retro Batman 1966 Comic Superman Figure - Pre-order at Entertainment Earth / Amazon: Includes two kryptonite accessories.
• DC Retro Batman 1966 Comic The Joker Figure - Pre-order at Entertainment Earth / Amazon: Includes a key accessory.
• DC Retro Batman 1966 Comic Lord Death Man Figure - Pre-order at Entertainment Earth / Amazon: Includes a sword accessory.
• DC Retro Batman 1966 Comic Robot Batman Figure - Pre-order at Entertainment Earth / Amazon: Includes two jet leg attachments.

In related news, McFarlane Toys recently released a Batman and Batmobile 2-pack inspired by Tim Burton's 1989 Batman film starring Michael Keaton. It's an Amazon exclusive that sold out in minutes both times it was restocked. That said, you'll want to keep tabs on the link below - we expect additional restocks will happen down the line.

McFarlane Toys DC Multiverse Batman & Batmobile Gold Label 2pk - Pre-order on Amazon: Set includes 7-inch Michael Keaton Batman figure and a Batmobile with a canopy that slides open for cockpit access (the vehicle can accommodate the Batman figure). An art card is also included.

So far, 2023 has been something of an indictment of the recent trend of "event"-ifying superhero movies and TV shows. While event comics have long been a staple of the superhero genre, their success does not seem to be translating to film the same way -- and there's probably a good reason why. Since Crisis on Infinite Earths in the mid-80s, hardly a year has passed when both Marvel and DC didn't have at least one big crossover event, pulling together characters from all corners of their shared universes to face a threat bigger than any solo comic can contain.

Event comics are a huge part of the economy of "Big Two" comics -- but something that Disney and Warner Bros. are learning this year is that the comics market is very different from the live-action megabudget adaptation market in some key ways. You probably could have seen it coming with Justice League, if not for the fact that right afterwards there was Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame to prop up the crossover event model.

But fast-forward to 2023: both The Flash (an adaptation of the 2011 event Flashpoint), and Secret Invasion (which adapted the 2008 story of the same name) have failed to connect with audiences and, in both cases, they have done at least speculative damage to the universes they are a part of. Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse is something of an anomaly that we'll get into in a minute, but it's worth noting that the big live-action success this year in the comics space has been Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 3, a movie that almost aggressively avoided ties to the Marvel's shared universe or the various multiversal shenanigans currently going on.

What did Guardians of the Galaxy have that The Flash did not? Well, characters. The world and characters of James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy movies are really well-defined. Fans already loved them going in, and the movie itself did not disappoint, and did not allow itself to be hijacked by digressions into the MCU multiverse. And it delivered on what it promised going in.

These are, to be blunt, things that event comics struggle with even at their best.

For those who aren't big comic book readers, "event comics" aren't just comics that tell a big story with big stakes. That can happen within the pages of any given superhero, and often does -- especially if the hero in question is sufficiently powerful that world- or universe-ending villains are de rigeur. Instead, event comics are crossover stories, usually structured in such a way that the main story of the crossover takes place in a self-titled miniseries (House of M, Invasion!, Secret Invasion, Infinite Crisis), while the events of the crossover bleed out into the main universe, often with individual comics making tie-in issues. While The Reign of the Supermen! did not have its own miniseries -- it took place over the course of several months within the pages of the four monthly Superman comics -- it did score a few tie-in issues, most notably Green Lantern #46, in which Hal Jordan returns to Earth to find Coast City destroyed.

The great thing about event comics is that they're big stories, often being told by the biggest names in comics, featuring the most popular characters. They're huge spectacles. The not-so-great thing about event comics is that they have a tendency to suck up all the oxygen in the room, hijacking the stories of individual comics and sometimes having really undesirable knock-on effects for characters who were barely considered in the original crossover.

They also take the characters away from their own supporting casts, putting them in rooms or on battlefields populated almost exclusively by other super-characters. That can ultimately have a dulling effect on all the heroes involved, making them feel less remarkable and giving them fewer really interesting ways to interact with others in the books.

Event comics go through cycles. In the '80s and '90s, they were huge. In the early 2000s, there had been some diminishing returns, and event comics started to feel less like a thrill, and more like a chore. In 2005 or so, things exploded again. Identity Crisis, Infinite Crisis, Civil War, and House of M showed the world that the '90s were back, and things have kept up that way since.

It's interesting to see how Hollywood adapts big event comics, especially since the comics themselves are structured so much differently from feature films. Comics are a monthly, serialized medium with a functionally unlimited "special effects budget," whereas movies are...none of those things. Marvel has made their universe into something resembling serialized stories, but if you're spending $200 million on something, it really does have to stand on its own.

One would think that the big, bombastic stories of event comics would lend themselves well to blockbuster movies. Somehow, though, it doesn't seem to work that way. The lack of any tether to a relatable world, and the way civilian characters are sidelined, ignored, or forced to "suit up" as superheroes makes everything feel kind of...same-y. When the characters' only job is to fight a big, nebulous threat, it's easy for them to start feeling like interchangeable cogs in a machine.

(We'll see whether The Marvels, which seems to have avoided this phenomenon, does better at the box office.)

These events worked well in the Arrowverse, where the need to have an episode for each character or group of characters allowed plenty of breathing room, giving moments for characterization and stakes to be more clearly laid out. The need to get people in and out in two hours makes it a lot harder in the movies.

Hollywood is at a standstill as both the ongoing Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA strikes have both actors and writers fighting for fair pay and benefits and the battle against AI, and they have only just begun. All film and TV projects have ceased production and probably won't begin until a deal is made with the Alliance of Motion Pictures and Television Productions. Most actors are at the forefront of the picket lines, while others are putting their money where their mouths are and donating to the actors who are in need. On the other side of things, there are certain actors who don't exactly agree with the ongoing strikes, like one DC TV star. Now it seems another DC star is speaking out against the ongoing actor's strike: Zachary Levi (Shazam! Fury of the Gods, Chuck, Tangled).

Zachary Levi Speaks Out Against "Dumb" Actor's Strike Rules

Levi recently attended a fan event, where we assume he was supposed to discuss his past hit projects like Shazam!, Tangled, and Chuck, and got on stage and produced to call the rules of the actor's strike dumb. The Shazam! star's reasoning was that he couldn't talk about his past project, which is why he was scheduled to be there in the first place. But then he decided to slightly break the rules by talking about them anyway, albeit in a disguised way.

"I'm not allowed to talk about... This is so dumb. I'm not allowed to talk about my previous work," Levi said at a recent event. "I'm not allowed to talk about movies that I may be a superhero in. I'm not allowed to talk about TV shows that I may have been a nerd who worked at a Best Buy. I'm not allowed to talk about any animated Princess movies that I was fantastic in as the best Prince ever. I'm not allowed to talk about those things."

You can watch the clip below.

OH HE DIDNT WANT TO BE CHALLENGED https://t.co/QyIVo4PmPj pic.twitter.com/axslh3UPkz

-- Alice (@AerithsSeat) August 3, 2023

Zachary Levi's Not the Only DC Star Speaking Out Against Actor's Strike

Stephen Amell (Arrow) was in the hot seat over the past few days after he spoke out against the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike. The Arrow star has since clarified his comments about the actor's strike multiple times, but also stood his ground about being against striking.

"We live in a time right now and I don't want to wax too poetic here. Where, you know, people want you to vote as long as you're voting for their candidate. And I can support my union, but there was an authorization vote for a reason," Amell said. "And listen, it was overwhelmingly in favor of striking. It was 98% and I think that there was a lot of people who frankly it was a vote, but I think that it was just kind of the complete that we were willing to authorize that. I just think that this has been done in a very black and white, all or nothing sort of way and I'm talking about shows and movies that were about to come out before the strike. I'm specifically talking about shows that, you know, I and a bunch of other people pour their heart and soul into that happened to be coming out within a certain window after the strike. I don't think that some of the consideration that was given to other projects leading up to the strike, and the delay of the strike was given to some other projects that came on the other side, and that's something that retrospectively, I should have done a better job of taking up in private with the leadership of my union people that I greatly respect and admire."

Stay tuned to ComicBook.com for any future statements from Zachary Levi about the ongoing actor's strike!

What do you think about Zachary Levi's comments? Do you agree with the Shazam! star? Let us know in the comments below or by hitting up our writer @NateBrail on Twitter!

Max's Harley Quinn animated series has never been shy about poking fun at DC and other big names in pop culture. The creators have even revealed they were told to tone some things down in the past, including a sexual encounter between Batman and Catwoman. Today, the fourth episode of the fourth season dropped on Max, and it doesn't hold back when it comes to taking jabs at Facebook (or is it "Meta" now?) and Twitter (or is it "X" now?) owners, Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk. In "Business Conference Without Chlamydia," Poison Ivy heads to the moon for a supervillain convention set up by Lex Luthor. Warning: Spoilers Ahead! In a pretty hilarious turn of events, neither Zuckerberg nor Musk make it out of the convention alive.

Ivy crashes a panel called "Corporate Greenwashing: The End of the Trend?" which features a panelist that looks suspiciously like Musk. However, the show never actually mentions him by name. Ivy later encounters Zuckerberg on a space excursion and does use the Facebook creator's name. This makes us wonder if the team behind Harley Quinn were hesitant to explicitly call out Musk because he isn't exactly known for his thick skin.

When we first see the Musk lookalike at the panel, Ivy yanks him away in order to take his spot. As for Zuckerberg, Ivy proclaims "Hey Zuckerberg, have fun in the Meta-verse, dweeb," before unhooking him from the moon rock which sends him floating into the void of space. Throughout the rest of the episode, people at the convention are looking for Zuckerberg, and #WheresMark starts to become a trend.

Later, things go awry when Lex finds out Ivy has been speaking at panels against his wishes, which leads to him kicking everyone off the moon. We then see the Elon-looking character fighting with a woman to get to an exit, only for her to bash in his head and pop out his eye.

Will Harley Quinn Get a Season 5?

In a recent interview with Inverse, Harley Quinn supervising producer Cecilia Aranovich Hamilton and co-producer Ian Hamilton hinted that Harley Quinn has yet to be greenlit for a fifth season. However, they are hoping that DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran will renew the show.

"Well, we don't really know at this point," Cecilia explained. "Nothing has been communicated directly to us. As far as we know, he likes the show. You know, he was in it. [laughs] So we assume he's a fan of the show. We don't know exactly where we're going to go from here... We hope that Season 4 is successful and the fans really like it and James Gunn likes it and we can continue exploring this universe, but this is all we know so far. We hope there's a Season 5 where we can take them to new places and we can they can explore new areas in their relationship."

"This season really does a lot to flesh out the entire universe," Ian added. "By the end of the season, you don't know where they're going to go just because we fleshed out the Harley Quinn-specific DC universe so much over the course of this season. You really could go anywhere."

The first four episodes of Harley Quinn's fourth season are streaming on Max.

Over the weekend, Kevin Smith hosted a reading of his Superman Lives script at Smodcastle Cinemas, the movie theater he owns in Atlantic Highlands, NJ. Smith was joined onstage by Austin Zajur, the Clerks III actor who will serve as the star of Smith's upcoming film The 4:30 Movie, as well as Smith's daughter Harley Quinn Smith; Comic Book Men stars Mike Zapcic and Ming Chen; and Men in Black star Siobhan Fallon Hogan, each of whom read at least one character in a 1997 screenplay Smith had written, with an eye toward the movie being made by filmmaker Tim Burton.

Following the script reading, Smith said -- joked? -- that he was glad Warner Bros. never made the movie, although he did enjoy seeing a piece of the script reflected back at him in The Flash, when Nicolas Cage's Superman fought a giant spider, which vomited tiny robot versions of itself onto the Man of Steel. The audience, made up primarily of hardcore Smith fans, obviously disagreed.

Here's the thing: the script was actually a really entertaining superhero movie. It wouldn't have knocked Christopher Reeve's Superman: The Movie off the Mount Rushmore of superhero movies, but it likely would have been received more warmly than the next Superman movie that eventually did get made, 2005's Superman Returns.

In Superman Lives, Lex Luthor teams with Brainiac to remove Superman as an obstacle to both of their goals, although Luthor doesn't realize he is being manipulated by the smarter alien. Brainiac send Doomsday after the Man of Steel, and as in the comics, Superman and Doomsday kill one another, leaving the world stunned. The Eradicator, a sophisticated piece of Kryptonian technology that Brainiac secretly covets, is forced to come out of hiding to revive Superman, and ultimately it's up to Superman and The Eradicator to repel Brainiac before he leaves the Earth a lifeless husk.

The movie featured some cameos from other DC characters, including a Batman who would have been played by Michael Keaton, but the script handles the shared universe, as well as the death and return of Superman, as small parts of a larger story. While there was some criticism of Zack Snyder's eventual decision to use "The Death of Superman" story in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, the Superman Lives script revealed so quickly that Eradicator was going to save the hero that it didn't feel as much like the story was coming "too early." The fact that the death and return was the whole point and didn't feel like an afterthought likely would have avoided most of the criticisms Snyder got out of his movie.

The screenplay is certainly very '90s, and it could stand a dialogue polish since it was an early draft, but seeing it performed really did emphasize how much promise the story had. It had a coherent plot that used a lot of '80s and '90s Superman characters in a cool, creative way. The characters were earnest and believable, and the relationships had humor and heart. And, as Smith himself noted halfway through the script reading, there's a point where Superman is using The Eradicator as a suit of armor to approximate his own powers...and the script inadvertently predicts the relationship that Iron Man would have with JARVIS a decade later.

The screenplay for Superman Lives is out there on the internet. It may not read quite as well on paper as it does when professionals are doing their thing, but it's likely worth a look. Certainly, if the movie had been made, and had been made in a form that retained most of what Smith wrote, it's likely it would have been a success in the pre-MCU age of heroes.

Exactly 31 years after Batman: The Animated Series premiered in September 1992, DC Comics will reprint The Batman Adventures in a new omnibus edition. Available on September 5th, the 1200-page omnibus collects all 36 issues of The Batman Adventures, the comic book run based on the Emmy award-winning animated series produced by Bruce Timm, Paul Dini, Alan Burnett, and Eric Radomski. DC Comics launched the 32-page, all-ages tie-in comic in October 1995, after Batman: TAS concluded its run with 85 episodes across two seasons. (The Batman Adventures was relaunched as Batman & Robin Adventures and later Batman: Gotham Adventures, with stories featuring the Bat-Family as seen in The New Batman Adventures animated series.)

Pre-orders for the Batman Adventures: Vol. 1 omnibus display 1995's Batman Adventures #1 as the cover, but that appears to be a placeholder. Richard Starkings, a comic book letterer on The Batman Adventures, revealed the official cover artwork on Facebook (see it below).

The artwork highlights the striking, black-and-red imagery of Batman: The Animated Series, showing the silhouette of the Dark Knight. You can practically hear Danny Elfman's main title theme.

A first look at be upcoming Batman Adventures Omnibus from @RichStarkings FB page pic.twitter.com/EMDK4kD8UO

-- Cool Comic Art (@CoolComicArt) August 2, 2023

"I've worked on a lot of Batman books, but this might be my favorite," Starkings shared on Facebook. "[Comicraft co-founder] John Roshell and I were pioneering digital lettering and creating an art deco look for this title that the creative team, including the brilliant [writer] Mike Parobeck, very enthusiastically responded to... we were so sad when the title was cancelled."

"[Who] would've thought this bumper collection would exist all these years later?" Starkings added. "Me. I thought it would."

From writers Kelley Puckett and Martin Pasko, and artists Ty Templeton, Rick Burchett, Brad Rader, and Mike Parobeck, The Batman Adventures: Vol. 1 omnibus collects The Batman Adventures #1-36, The Batman Adventures Annual #1, The Batman Adventures Annual #2, The Batman Adventures Holiday Special #1, The Batman Adventures: Mad Love #1, and stories from Batman: Black & White Omnibus. The collection includes the first comic book appearance of Harley Quinn, the Dini and Timm co-creation who debuted in the "Joker's Favor" episode of the animated series.

DC describes the first volume: "From the padded cells of Arkham Asylum to the mean streets of Crime Alley, one truth is whispered wherever evil gathers: Gotham City belongs to the Batman. Until now! The crimelord formerly known as the Penguin is now Mayor Oswald Cobblepot -- elected to be Gotham's leader by promising to outlaw vigilantes and villains alike. The immortal mastermind Ra's al Ghul has ordered an invasion of assassins - not to destroy the Dark Knight, but to eliminate his enemies...permanently. And a two-bit hood called the Black Mask is forming a deadly new masked mob. Outlawed. Outnumbered. On the run. Batman's greatest battle for the soul of Gotham City is about to begin!"

The Batman Adventures: Vol. 1 Omnibus is on sale September 5th from DC Comics.

In the upcoming video game The Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League, WWE's Samoa Joe will provide the voice for King Shark, the DC villain created by Karl Kesel and Tom Grummett during their run on Superboy in the '90s. The character has had a few prior screen incarnations, appearing on The CW's The Flash (voiced by David Hayter), as well as in James Gunn's The Suicide Squad (Sylvester Stallone). Animated versions have popped up on Harley Quinn (voiced by Ron Funches) and Young Justice (James Arnold Taylor), and the animated features Batman: Assault on Arkham and Justice League Dark: Apokolips War (both voiced by John DiMaggio).

When it comes to a test of strength, though, Samoa Joe is confident his King Shark can throw down with the best of them. Speaking with him in support of Peacock's Twisted Metal, we asked Joe whether he thought he could take Stallone's big-screen iteration of the villain, and he was sure of it.

"My King Shark in a landslide," the star told ComicBook.com's Chris Killian. "Just way more intelligence, much more cunning, definitely way more vicious. All respect to Sly, but when it comes to the battle of the King Sharks, 'hand' ain't gonna do it, man."

The game is set for release in February. It centers on a team of supervillains assembled by Amanda Waller, who have to do battle with the Justice League after the heroes are brainwashed by Brainiac and start trying to help him take over the world. It will feature Kevin Conroy as Batman, appearing posthumously in the role for the final time.

Here's the official synopsis for Peacock's Twisted Metal series:

"TWISTED METAL, a half-hour live-action TV series based on the classic PlayStation game series, is a high-octane action comedy, based on an original take by Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick and written by Michael Jonathan Smith, about a motor-mouthed outsider offered a chance at a better life, but only if he can successfully deliver a mysterious package across a post-apocalyptic wasteland. With the help of a badass axe-wielding car thief, he'll face savage marauders driving vehicles of destruction and other dangers of the open road, including a deranged clown who drives an all too familiar ice cream truck."

Editor's note: This interview was conducted prior to the SAG actors' strike.

It appears that this Batman: Hush variant was originally found in a 2-Pack with Grifter, which can still be ordered here at Entertainment Earth for $39.99. Accessories in the original Blue and Grey version of this figure included 2x batarangs, 1x pair of fists, a display stand, and an art card (UPDATE: The new figure has the same accessories). Unfortunately, that figure is difficult (or impossible) to find at retail price these days.

The original Batman: Hush story ran from 2002 to 2003, with renowned artist Jim Lee jumping to DC Comics after making his name at Marvel and helping to found Image Comics and his own superhero universe imprint, WildStorm. He teamed with Jeph Loeb, who was a fan favorite Batman writer after penning Batman: The Long Halloween. Hush featured not only nearly all of Batman's villains, but almost the entire Bat Family as well, and was one of the first stories to hint at the romantic tension between Batman and Catwoman. An animated movie was released based on the comic book storyline in 2019, and is currently available in 4K UHD Blu-ray on Amazon for $13.99 (53% off).

Speaking of McFarlane toys releases that are difficult to find, but on the lookout for the recently released DC Multiverse Batman Ultimate Movie Collection set. The collection includes 7-inch Batman figures based on the Batsuits worn by Michael Keaton, Christian Bale, Ben Affleck, Val Kilmer, Robert Pattinson, and George Clooney in their respective films Batman (1989), The Dark Knight, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Batman Forever, and The Batman. The set also comes with a light-up Bat-Signal that includes 4 interchangeable Bat-Symbol discs and a detailed gargoyle base. Though many of the figures appear to be slight upgrades from previously released versions, they do include fabric capes this time around. The addition of the Bat-Signal with lenses that represent each Batman is also a nice touch. Listings are available here at Entertainment Earth and here on Amazon, though restocks are unlikely.

DC Studios has been hard at work developing their upcoming slate, and it will include a bunch of characters that fans have been dying to see return to live-action. Among those projects are some pretty interesting series like Booster Gold, Paradise Lost, and even Lanterns, which will be a True Detective-esque series with our favorite space cops, Hal Jordan and John Stewart. With Gunn already casting one major Green Lantern in Superman: Legacy, fans were wondering who could play one of the lead characters in the series. One artist seems to think that Solo: A Star Wars Story's Alden Ehrenreich would be a good choice as Hal Jordan / Green Lantern in the DCU.

An artist on Instagram who goes by the handle @Jaxsonderr created a new design that shows how Ehrenreich could look as Hal Jordan / Green Lantern. In the fan art, the Solo: A Star Wars Story star gets the character's classic look with some modern tweaks, and it actually looks fantastic. While we haven't the slightest idea how far into the development process Lanterns is, this fan art is definitely a great concept for the series, and Ehrenreich would be a great choice. You can check out the fan art below.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jaxson Derr (@jaxsonderr)

What Will Happen in Lanterns?

James Gunn and Peter Safran's Green Lantern series is actually very important to the overall story that they will be telling in their DC Studios Chapter One: Gods and Monsters slate. When Lanterns was announced, the duo made sure that everyone knew how important the story was, and it seems that our favorite heroes will unravel a mystery that will affect the entire DC Universe.

Lanterns "leads into the overall story that we're telling throughout the different movies and television shows," Gunn said earlier this year. "We find this ancient horror on Earth, and these guys are basically super-cops on 'Precinct Earth.'"

To which Safran emphasized how important Lanterns is to their overarching story, "The story is going to weave back and forth between the films and the television shows. Peacemaker is a good example of how that works, and that's what we're going to do with this big overarching story that we're telling."

Safran continued to reveal that Lanterns is actually "a very important show for us" and it definitely looks like it as one Green Lantern will show up in Superman: Legacy. Lanterns a series that is part of the slate that includes five live-action feature films (Superman: Legacy, The Authority, Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, Swamp Thing), and five HBO Max series (Creature Commandos, Waller, Booster Gold, and Paradise Lost). Although, Creature Commandos and Waller will hit the service first, Gunn and Safran have stated on multiple occasions that Superman: Legacy will mark the official beginning of their rebooted DC Universe when it arrives on July 11th, 2025.

Stay tuned to ComicBook.com for more updates on Lanterns and the future of DC Studios as we learn it!

What do you think about the Green Lantern fan art? Would you like to see Alden Ehrenreich as Hal Jordan in Lanterns? Let us know in the comments below or by hitting up our writer @NateBrail on Twitter!

My Adventures with Superman has been introducing fans to a whole new take on DC Comics' most iconic superhero with its animated series debut on Adult Swim, and the producer behind it all is teasing some more "heavily redesigned" DC Universe characters that are still on the way. My Adventures with Superman has crossed over the halfway point of its debut season on Adult Swim, and fans have already seen new takes on its main trio of Clark Kent, Lois Lane, and Jimmy Olsen along with new takes on many of Superman's rogues gallery as Clark begins his journey to becoming the big hero.

As fans have seen through the episodes so far, each of the DC Universe characters seen here have familiar beats and core traits from other versions of the characters seen in other adaptations, but many of them are much different than the others. My Adventures with Superman producer Jake Wyatt teased that there will be even more "heavily redesigned" versions of familiar faces coming to the series in the future (as reported by The Direct) as Clark and the others continue their journey towards becoming the full versions of the DC Comics icons.

More DC Universe Redesigns Coming to My Adventures with Superman

"Everything in the DC universe that gets built out in the show flows out from Superman. Krypton had some kind of contact with Earth and they left Clark here. So all of our villains emerge out of that event," Wyatt explains how My Adventures with Superman's villains got their start in the animated series. "Because this is a show about Clark, Lois, and Jimmy figuring out who they are, our best villains always challenge their conception of who they are. That's really the journey, and I don't want to give too much away but there are familiar faces that are pretty heavily redesigned."

Wyatt also explained that the My Adventures with Superman team also faced "no interference" from the new James Gunn and Peter Safran led regime at DC Studios (which is merging their live action and animated projects into a single canon for the most part), "We started well before any of that took place when we were still with AT&T [previous owners of WarnerMedia]. I've been pleased that the new regime has been very supportive. They showed James [Gunn] the opening main titles and he really liked it. So we've been allowed to do our two seasons with no interference and a lot of approval."

With no interference and more DC Universe redesigns on the way, it seems there's still much more to look forward to as My Adventures with Superman continues. What kinds of new redesigns are you hoping to see in action? Let us know all of your thoughts about it in the comments! You can even reach out to me directly about all things animation and other cool stuff @Valdezology on Twitter!

via The Direct

DC Studios' future is looking pretty bright with James Gunn and Peter Safran at the helm, and they have already revealed a brand new movie slate that will also introduce us to a new Batman who will also have a Robin in The Brave and the Bold. Gunn and Safran also confirmed that it will be a new actor as the character, meaning that Ben Affleck will definitely be retiring his cape and cowl, and some people are reflecting on what could have been if the actor had indeed directed and starred in The Batman. Before Matt Reeves and Robert Pattinson became attached to the project, Affleck was going to direct and star in the film that was going to see Batman potentially take on Joe Manganiello's Deathstroke until the actor and director decided to drop out of the project. Since then, we have only heard stories about how good Affleck's script was, and now one artist is gushing about the shelved film. In a new interview with Inverse, DC alumni Jay Oliva revealed that Affleck's The Batman would have built upon 80 years of Batman stories.

"I can't really say too much other than it was fucking awesome," Oliva tells Inverse. "It was the best. It was amazing. "From my understanding, there were a couple of drafts of it. When I was brought on, I don't know whether it was the second draft or something, but it was what Geoff Johns and Ben [Affleck] had shown me.

"I've worked on a lot of Batman things and what was really cool about it was, it was tying together a lot of really cool Batman storylines that had never been really explored. Ben's story was gonna cover something that had never really been covered in comics but was building off of storylines in the Batman mythos over the last 80 years and approaching it from a new kind of perspective. It was very clever and there were a lot of things about it that I really loved that I wish that had come to fruition. It was a really great project in the beginning. Ben had to step away for personal reasons, and I totally understood, but the time that I spent with Ben working on the project was fantastic. Maybe someday I can spill the beans, but I still can't talk about it."

Matt Reeves Says Ben Affleck's Version The Batman Could've Been Exciting

Reeves previously detailed what he knew about Affleck's Batman movie, and it actually sounds very interesting. But Affleck's waning interest in playing the character ultimately forced him to exit the film, and the role that would eventually go to Pattinson would become a different project entirely.

"The movie was originally going to be directed by Ben Affleck, and the script they sent me had been written by Ben but rewritten by another very talented writer, and when I read it, I was like, 'Oh, I get it,'" Reeves previously explained. "It was a standalone Batman film that was centered on Ben's version of the character, but it was more action-driven than what I felt I could do. I didn't connect to the movie-in terms of me as a filmmaker. It was very James Bond-ian; it was filled with a lot of set pieces. It could have been a very exciting movie for someone else to do, but it wasn't for me to do."

"Interestingly, I think Ben wasn't so sure he wanted to it because he ultimately stepped away from doing Batman all together ... Probably because of the choices in his life at that time and what he wanted to do." The Batman director added.

Ben Affleck Says The Flash is His Best Batman Performance

Affleck's most recent and final appearance as Batman was actually in The Flash movie, and before it hit theaters, he accidentally spoiled the fact that Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman was in the film and even hyped up his appearance as Batman. During a recent appearance on a podcast, Affleck claimed that The Flash features his best performance as Batman.

"It's my best s--t I have done as Batman! I finally figured out how to play the guy! I know I quit but I got it now! Like you do the audition and you are on your way home, you are like 'No!' I don't want to give away any spoilers, but there was a scene where I get saved by Wonder Woman during a conflagration with some bad guys," Affleck previously revealed. "She saves me with the Lasso of Truth, so what happens is that Batman divulges some of his real feelings about his life and his work. I was like 'Wait a minute; I got it!"

The Flash is currently available to buy on video on demand and digital download. Stay tuned to ComicBook.com for more updates on Ben Affleck's future as Batman and the character in general as we learn it.

What do you think about Joe Quesada's comments? Wild you have been excited to see Ben Affleck's Batman movie? Let us know in the comments below or by hitting up our writer @NateBrail on Twitter!

Season 4 of Harley Quinn recently made its premiere on Max, continuing the unconventional journey of the DC character. It's pretty safe to say that fans are excited to see Harley's solo adventure continue in some capacity -- but we might have to wait to hear news about a potential fifth season. In a recent interview with Inverse, Harley Quinn supervising producer Cecilia Aranovich Hamilton and co-producer Ian Hamilton hinted that Harley Quinn has yet to be greenlit for a fifth season, but they hope that DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran possibly renew the show.

"Well, we don't really know at this point," Cecilia explained. "Nothing has been communicated directly to us. As far as we know, he likes the show. You know, he was in it. [laughs] So we assume he's a fan of the show. We don't know exactly where we're going to go from here... We hope that Season 4 is successful and the fans really like it and James Gunn likes it and we can continue exploring this universe, but this is all we know so far. We hope there's a Season 5 where we can take them to new places and we can they can explore new areas in their relationship."

"This season really does a lot to flesh out the entire universe," Ian added. "By the end of the season, you don't know where they're going to go just because we fleshed out the Harley Quinn-specific DC universe so much over the course of this season. You really could go anywhere."

Who Is Showrunning Harley Quinn Season 4?

Workaholics and Nathan For You alum Sarah Peters, who has written on Harley Quinn and served as a consulting producer, will now be showrunning Season 4, with series creators Patrick Schumacker and Justin Halpern stepping back from that role.

"Sarah writes Ivy like no one else, and Season 4 will explore Ivy more than we have," Schumacker previously told Variety about Harley Quinn season 4. "There's her new role with the Legion of Doom. There's something Justin and I would not have immediately gone toward - I'm trying not to spoil anything - but she did an amazing job. Obviously, the show has benefited greatly from so many different female perspectives amongst the writers, and Sarah has always been very key. She's written some of the most memorable, enduring episodes. She's the one who brought Catwoman into the fold, she's the one who wrote the Season 2 finale where Harley and Ivy go driving off from Ivy's intended wedding [with Kite Man], the bachelorette episode on Themyscira, our Season 3 premiere. Her grasp of Ivy and her ideas are things we certainly would never think of, and I'm really excited for people to get to see that."

Is There a Harley Quinn Spinoff?

In recent years, it has been confirmed that the Harley Quinn team is developing a spinoff series, centered around the breakout character of Kite Man (Matt Oberg). The series is now being referred to as Kite Man: Hell Yeah!

"It's run by Dean Lorey, who we did the first three seasons with, and he partners with Katie Rich, an amazing comedy writer," Halpern revealed in an interview earlier this year. "The Kite Man series is gonna hit some of the same vibes that the special does. It gets out there. It goes for it. They've done such a good job of making Kite Man and Golden Glider lovable doofuses. Pat and I pitched Harley as 'It's Mary Tyler Moore with a psycho killer at the front.' But we've always talked about the Kite Man show as Cheers. Cheers, but for B-list supervillains."

What do you think of the latest update surrounding Harley Quinn Season 5? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

As mentioned above, new episodes of Season 4 of Harley Quinn debut every Thursday on Max.

Blue Beetle is hitting theaters this month, and James Gunn has confirmed the character will be a part of the new DCU but is also "totally disconnected" from any other DC-related property. Due to the current SAG-AFTRA strike, the cast of the movie is unable to promote the film, but director Angel Manuel Soto has been sharing a lot of interesting information about his new project. During a recent interview with Variety, Soto spoke about his influences and revealed he wanted to channel David Cronenberg, who is best known for helming films such as The Fly, Videodrome, and A History of Violence.

"How can we do [David] Cronenberg for kids?" Soto recalled wondering. "I wanted the energy to be fun but also tell the story about the movies that made me love movies." According to Variety, Blue Beetle features nods to iconic films such as Mission: Impossible and Indiana Jones, and "utilizes this nostalgic energy to portray the first superhero that does not want his superpowers."

Who Plays Blue Beetle?

Blue Beetle will see Xolo Maridue?a taking on the role of Jaime Reyes, the comics hero who becomes fused to an alien scarab and gains superpowers.

"It's such a new world and this is my first movie, my first venture into being on the silver screen," Maridue?a explained in a previous interview with Comicbook.com. "And so getting to be a part of it all, I just want to be a sponge. I just want to learn as much as possible and have fun. It felt like there was so much anticipation and so much preparation going into the project that by the first day I was like, 'Dude.' It wasn't like the first day we started, we hit the ground running and it was a great time."

What Is Blue Beetle About?

From Warner Bros. Pictures comes Blue Beetle, which arrives in theaters on August 18th, marking the DC superhero's first time on the big screen. The film, directed by Angel Manuel Soto, stars Xolo Maridue?a in the title role as well as his alter ego, Jaime Reyes. 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.

Starring alongside Maridue?a are Adriana Barraza, Dam?an Alc?zar, Elpidia Carrillo, Bruna Marquezine, Raoul Max Trujillo, with Oscar winner Susan Sarandon, and George Lopez (the "Rio and "Smurf" franchises). The film also stars Belissa Escobedo and Harvey Guill?n. Soto directs from a screenplay by Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer, based on characters from DC. John Rickard and Zev Foreman are producing, with Walter Hamada, Galen Vaisman, and Garrett Grant serving as executive producers.

Are you excited about Blue Beetle? What are you hoping to see in the new DC film? Tell us in the comments!

Warner Bros. Discovery and DC Studios are getting ready to release their next big blockbuster movie with the upcoming Blue Beetle, and some fans are excited to see it when it finally hits theaters. Blue Beetle stars Xolo Mariduea alongside an all-star cast that includes George Lopez and the iconic Susan Sarandon. It was recently revealed that Blue Beetle will be one of the characters and actors that transfer over to James Gunn and Peter Safran's new DC Universe, and that should stay the case as long as the film does well at the box office. With Blue Beetle being so close to its release, we're starting to find out more about the movie, and a new feature from Variety that focuses on director Angel Manuel Soto reveals the easter eggs, including a hilarious Batman moment, that we'll see when it arrives in theaters.

"Plenty of Easter Eggs are sprinkled in "Blue Beetle," pointing to the connection with other DC titles," the trade wrote. "There are scenes with a "Gotham Law" jacket and where George Lopez's Uncle Rudy hilariously calls Batman "a fascist." We even see some open boxes of Oreos, the favorite snack of the Martian Manhunter, a core member of the Justice League."

Susan Sarandon Recently Spoke on Joining Blue Beetle

Sarandon recently discussed what made her take the role in Blue Beetle while also revealing that she was offered roles in Marvel Studios and DC Comics movies before she signed on for this film.

"I would've probably taken it," Sarandon revealed to the magazine. "I just was so impressed by his passion," she recalls. "He has this art background, so he was this nerdy fan of superheroes."

Sarandon added that her antagonist, Victoria Kord, represents "the theme of imperialism in the name of democracy". She continues, "My character's really the one who's driving that charade in order to get wealth and uranium and what other natural resources, under the guise of making the world safe for democracy. That rang a bell. All of those themes I thought would really be fun to dabble in."

What is Blue Beetle About?

Here's DC Studios' official synopsis for Blue Beetle: "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."

The Blue Beetle cast will also star Adriana Barraza (Rambo: Last Blood) as Jaime's grandmother, Nana; Dam?an Alc?zar (Narcos) as his father, Alberto; Elpidia Carrillo (Mayans M.C.) as his mother, Bianca; Belissa Escobedo (Hocus Pocus 2) as his sister, Milagro; George Lopez (The George Lopez Show) as Jaime's Uncle Rudy; Bruna Marquezine (God Save the King) as Jenny Kord; Raoul Max Trujillo (Sicario) as the villain Carapax, the indestructible man; Harvey Guill?n (What We Do in the Shadows) as Dr. Sanchez, and Susan Sarandon (Monarch) as Victoria Kord, sister of Ted Kord and CEO of Kord Industries.

Blue Beetle will hit theaters on August 18th. Stay tuned to ComicBook.com for more updates on Blue Beetle and the future of the DC Universe as we learn it!

What do you think about these Blue Beetle easter eggs? Are you excited to see the film when it arrives in theaters later this month? Let us know in the comments below or by hitting up our writer @NateBrail on Twitter!

Last month, the actor's guild SAG-AFTRA went on strike after negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers broke down with no deal in place. Between the SAG strike and the ongoing Writers Guild of America strike, most film and television productions have halted and some major movie release dates have been pushed back. Many moviegoers are wondering what else might get postponed now that actors cannot promote their films. One upcoming film that has been in question is Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. It's unclear how the DC film will fair at the box office after The Flash became one of the biggest bombs in comic book movie history. However, a new report from Variety says the Aquaman sequel is expected to keep its Christmas release date.

Variety previously reported that Warner Bros. was considering pushing back films such as Dune: Part Two and The Color Purple, and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom was also mentioned. However, a new article about the upcoming DC movie, Blue Beetle, is singing a different tune. "Warner Bros. insiders tell Variety the Jason Momoa film is expected to hold its Dec. 25 release date," Variety writes.

The first Aquaman grossed $1.150 billion worldwide, but its huge success might not help the follow-up. Before the pandemic, the Fast Saga was also a billion-dollar franchise, but the latest installment was a letdown at the box office. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom also has the disadvantage of being a part of an ending saga. Now that James Gunn and Peter Safran have taken over as co-CEOs of DC Studios, the upcoming sequel could be the final movie of the Snyderverse era that started with Man of Steel back in 2013. With this era of the franchise winding down with no clear ending, folks could be waiting to see what the Gunn and Safran's revamp has in store.

Will Blue Beetle Be Part of the New DC Universe?

Blue Beetle is hitting theaters this month and will see Xolo Maridue?a taking on the role of Jaime Reyes, the comics hero who becomes fused to an alien scarab and gains superpowers.

"I mean the first DCU character for sure is Blue Beetle and the first DCU movie is Superman," Gunn recently explained.

However, during a press conference, Gunn confirmed Blue Beetle was "totally disconnected" from any other DC-related property.

"I think that we've gotten lucky with the next four movies, frankly, because we have [Shazam! Fury of the Gods], which leads into Flash, which resets everything, which then goes into Blue Beetle, which is totally disconnected. He can totally be a part of the DCU, goes into [Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom], which leads into Superman, our first big project," Gunn said at the time. "But the one thing that we can promise is that everything from Superman forward, or from our first project forward, will be canon and will be connected. We're using some actors from the past. We're not using other actors from the past, but everything from that moment forward will be connected and consistent."

Blue Beetle is scheduled to be released on August 18th, and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is expected to arrive on December 20th.

"Scurry" up, DC fans: Blue Beetle merchandise is hitting movie theaters. Warner Bros. on Tuesday released advance tickets for the new DC movie opening exclusively in theaters on August 18th -- but you don't have to wait until then to get your hands on Blue Beetle movie-themed merch. Cinemark Theatres has announced that collectible items inspired by the movie -- including a Blue Beetle popcorn bucket -- are "now available at select theaters while supplies last." The new Blue Beetle movie merch highlights Jaime Reyes (Xolo Maridue?a) and his high-tech armored suit powered by an ancient relic of alien biotechnology: the Scarab (voiced by Becky G).

The Cinemark-exclusive Blue Beetle popcorn container modeled after Blue Beetle's bug ship, which features the movie insignia and lanyard, is priced $25 without popcorn and $30 with a side of medium popcorn. Also available is the tin Blue Beetle popcorn bucket ($16), cup ($7), a figural buddy cup ($15), and plush ($12).

The official synopsis for Blue Beetle: "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."

Maridue?a leads a cast that includes Adriana Barraza (Rambo: Last Blood) as Jaime's grandmother, Nana; Dam?an Alc?zar (Narcos) as his father, Alberto; Elpidia Carrillo (Mayans M.C.) as his mother, Bianca; Belissa Escobedo (Hocus Pocus 2) as his sister, Milagro; George Lopez (Lopez vs. Lopez) as Jaime's Uncle Rudy; and Bruna Marquezine (God Save the King) as Jenny Kord. Blue Beetle also stars Raoul Max Trujillo (Sicario) as the villain Carapax, the indestructible man, Harvey Guill?n (What We Do in the Shadows) as Dr. Sanchez, and Susan Sarandon (Monarch) as Victoria Kord, CEO of Kord Industries.

"The New 52 was a big inspiration, as far as the suit goes and other aspects of the story," director Angel Manuel Soto said when revealing the Blue Beetle trailer in April. "But we took a lot from bits and pieces. There's a lot of great stuff in all the different runs. We were like, 'Man, how do you choose one? Do we have to choose one? No. Let's do whatever the hell we want with it and just have fun and create something awesome. Create something really interesting that takes the greatest hits, even from the Injustice 2 game.' We really deep dive on it."

DC's Blue Beetle opens only in theaters August 18th.

The witch Thessaly is a powerful, compelling character introduced in the pages of The Sandman. The Sandman Universe Special: Thessaly #1 pairs her with Tommi, a woman who is her polar opposite. Tommi is a woman caught in the wake of the world around her, moving at whatever pace, in whatever direction her lover or boss might set for her. Thessaly is a woman who moves and expects the universe to move with her or get out of the way. "The universe moves, and you move with it," she tells Tommi late in the story. "When I move, I move the universe," she concludes, while the arcane energies summoned to support her assertion flow around her like a river upon which she floats.

Thessaly hasn't lived for centuries and gained this much power by chance. As revealed in the chronicle of her life told via text pages created by AndWorld Design, which change form from scrawled parchment to illuminated manuscripts, and finally a screenplay on a laptop screen to track her passage through the ages, it took many bargains to extend Thessaly's life for this long. Tommi is about to make her first.

Deals with devils are a topic of conversation from the issue's first page. Tommi, who works in the entertainment industry, and her lover, Mike, consider how attitudes towards the occult have changed over the years. Where the demonic were once clear villains, agents of evil, now we wave "teenage witch" shows where the "likable lead characters" are "worshipping Satan" and the protagonist is "literally signing away her soul to the devil." One is left to wonder on which axis those changes have turned. It's a seemingly hypothetical exercise that bores Tommi but becomes increasingly relevant as the story progresses and the subject takes on more practical applications in her life.

Tommi's willingness to consider such bargains are plain from those opening pages. As Tommi and Mike share a kiss, the world drops away, and artist Maria Llovet frames her lush, fleshy linework in a plain white background, making the kiss both singular and empty. It happens again shortly after, becoming one with the negative space of the page's gutter. Both contrast with the kiss Tommi shares with her boss, backlit by a warning shade of yellow.

As Tommi spends time with Thessaly, the witch's singular focus and force of will begins to appeal to her. Thessaly offers to share a taste of that lived experience with Tommi, but at what cost? The warnings are present in the subtly suggestive colors, with wafting Fuchsia vapors and lavender backgrounds as Thessaly teases Tommi's unspoken yearning out of her and turns to hot pink like an alert as she finally speaks the words. How does one learn to define and reach for what they want without becoming a slave to Desire?

The first hint of an answer to that question reaches Thessaly through surprising means, and she is not pleased with its implications. Writer James Tynion IV knows what buttons to press, ones that strike at Thessaly's very perception of herself while sending chills down the spines of any longtime Sandman reader with what they may foreshadow, and casting Thessaly's role in The Sandman saga in a new light. She thought that pursuing what she wanted regardless of cost had made her strong and freed her of the forces that bound mere mortals. But what if walking that path put her in the thrall of another she had not expected? Well, Thessaly has (seemingly) already gotten away with being involved in one act of whatever is beyond deicide. What's to stop her from becoming a repeat offender?

And yet, for all that the issue suggests that Thessaly may have built the bars of her cage, it also implies that there's something valuable in the strength that Tommi gains from her encounter with Thessaly. She kisses Mike again, and the world doesn't fall away. Their surroundings remain real. She doesn't meekly submit to Mike's wishes but asserts her desires. It seems she got something worthwhile from her dalliance with the devil.

Watching this slow-burn, character-focused story, punctuated with disturbing moments of horror, play out as engrossingly as one might expect coming from Tynion, a writer who has now won three consecutive Eisner Awards for writing, and Llovet's artistic style makes it all feel seductive - like the reader is being put under one of Thessaly's spells. The Sandman Universe Special: Thessaly #1 is an issue that holds up perfectly well by itself, yet by the end, the full consequences of Thessaly's transaction with Tommi remain uncertain, and that's a story readers will likely have a great desire to follow.

Published by DC Comics

On August 1, 2023

Written by James Tynion IV

Art by Maria Llovet

Colors by Maria Llovet

Letters by Simon Bowland

Cover by Reiko Murakami

The DC Universe on film is headed in a new direction under James Gunn and Peter Safran, but it sounds like Gal Gadot is still going to be involved with Wonder Woman's future. Gadot debuted as Diana Prince in 2016's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. She then headlined 2017's Wonder Woman and its 2020 sequel, Wonder Woman 1984 opposite Chris Pine as Steve Trevor, both helmed by director Patty Jenkins, while also appearing in Justice League (and the fully Zack Snyder-helmed director's cut). As Gunn and Safran took over as co-heads of the rechristened DC Studios for Warner Bros., plans for Patty Jenkins to return for Wonder Woman 3 were scrapped. That left Gadot's future as Wonder Woman unclear. Things became murkier when she appeared in a cameo role in Shazam! Fury of the Gods, but had a similar cameo cut from The Flash, starring Ezra Miller, where she would have appeared alongside Ben Affleck as Batman and Henry Cavill as Superman, further confusing fans.

Speaking to ComicBook.com's Chris Killian for her new Netflix movie Heart of Stone before the SAG-AFTRA strike, Gadot said that, as she understands it, she will be developing Wonder Woman 3 together with Gunn and Safran. "I love portraying Wonder Woman," Gadot says. "It's so close to and dear to my heart. From what I heard from James and from Peter is that we're gonna develop a Wonder Woman 3 together."

Gal Gadot on the new Superman casting

DC Studios recently confirmed that David Corenswet will play Clark Kent in the upcoming movie Superman: Legacy, directed by Gunn, opposite Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane. Gadot hadn't heard who had landed those roles but said she was aware of the tests taking place and thoughts everyone involved seemed worthy of the parts.

"I saw that they were testing, doing different screen tests, but I don't know who got it, but it seemed like everyone was super legit and talented and, like, great," Gadot says. "So I'm happy for them. It's such a huge take-on and it's such an exciting beginning to any actor, and I wish whoever it's going to be the best of luck and enjoy the ride."

Wonder Woman in the DC Universe

Gunn and Safran's plans for Wonder Woman in the new DC Universe are unclear at this point. Currently, there is no Wonder Woman movie among the DC movies included in the slate of projects for Chapter One of the DC Universe, called "Gods and Monsters."

However, there are plans for a Max series titled Paradise Lost, which will be a series full of intrigue set amongst the Amazons on Themiscyra. Additionally, Gunn has hinted that he's interested in developing a Wonder Woman animated series.

Gal Gadot stars in Heart of Stone on Netflix

Gadot plays spy Rachel Stone in the Netflix thriller Heart of Stone. According to the synopsis, "Rachel Stone is an intelligence operative, the only woman who stands between her powerful global peacekeeping organization and the loss of its most valuable -- and dangerous -- asset."

Tom Harper directed Heart of Stone from a screenplay by Greg Rucka (The Old Guard) and Allison Schroeder, based on Rucka's story. In addition to Gadot, Heart of Stone stars Jamie Dornan and Alia Bhatt. Heart of Stone debuts on Netflix on August 11th.

Editor's note: This interview was conducted prior to the SAG actors' strike.

In recent years, Christopher Smith / Peacemaker has become an accidental household name, thanks to John Cena's hilarious portrayal of him in live-action. That success has bled over into the pages of DC's comics, where the character is currently starring in the Black Label miniseries Peacemaker Tries Hard!. The four issues out thus far have been filled with plenty of twists and turns -- including Peacemaker going toe-to-toe with one of DC's weirdest villains ever. Spoilers for Peacemaker Tries Hard! #4 from Kyle Starks, Steve Pugh, Jordie Bellaire, and Becca Carey below! Only look if you want to know!

The issue sees Peacemaker and his unlikely band of heroes working to sneak into General Immortus' base -- only for them to get kidnapped and make things worse. The kidnapper proves to be none other than Snowflame, DC's cocaine-powered supervillain. After a lot of supervillain monologuing, Peacemaker gets free of his restraints and fights Snowflame, which proves to be a challenge given the massive superpowers the latter gets from his substance of choice. Ultimately, Snowflame chokes to death on a mountain of cocaine, which was polluted with a poison frog.

Who Is DC's Snowflame?

Created by Steve Englehart and Cary Bates in 1988's New Guardians #2, Snowflame was established as a Colombian supervillain who gains superhuman abilities from ingesting cocaine. This premise got increasingly-problematic as the issue went along, ultimately culminating in his death by the story's end. Snowflame remained in comics infamy for decades, and later was reintroduced as a drug lord in Isla Nevada in the recent Catwoman run.

Just recently, it was confirmed that Snowflame is making his animated debut in the fourth season of Harley Quinn, voiced by James Adomian.

Will there be a Peacemaker Season 2?

While a sophomore season of Peacemaker has been confirmed to be in the works, it is not expected to arrive right away, especially now that series creator James Gunn is co-shepherding the larger DC Universe. In the interim, there will be Waller, a new spinoff bridging the gap of the narrative between both seasons, and focusing on Viola Davis' Amanda Waller. It's safe to assume that the series will build upon Waller's status quo at the end of the Season 1 finale of Peacemaker. In that HBO Max series, Waller's work with Task Force X and the Suicide Squad were outed to the public by her own daughter, Leota Adebayo (Danielle Brooks). In the time since that episode aired, fans had wondered what that decision could mean for the Suicide Squad going forward, and for Waller's own role within the DC universe.

"This is also going to have some of Team Peacemaker in it, as the regulars on the show," Gunn told reporters when announcing the DCU slate. "This basically follows up to Peacemaker and is going to be done. We have two great creatives working on it. Christal Henry, who is a writer on Watchmen and Jeremy Carver, who created Doom Patrol, have this incredibly marvelous story worked out that I think is really fantastic and HBO loves. So they're putting this all together."

What do you think of Peacemaker fighting DC's Snowflame? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

Stephen Amell (Arrow, Heels) has been in the hot seat for the past 24 hours after he commented on the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike, and there has been a lot of talk about said comments. Amell revealed yesterday that he doesn't actually support the ongoing actor's strike and that he thinks that it is a "reductive negotiation tactic". Since then, the actor has clarified his comments in a Facebook post and revealed that he does indeed support his fellow union members. There was also a video from a recent fan event that surfaced where he violated the rules of the strike and spoke about his former series, Arrow. He has since appeared on a new segment of TMZ, where he is once again clarifying his comments and regretting what he said at the recent event.

You can check out his comments below.

"We live in a time right now and I don't want to wax too poetic here. Where, you know, people want you to vote as long as you're voting for their candidate. And I can support my union, but there was an authorization vote for a reason," Amell said. "And listen, it was overwhelmingly in favor of striking. It was 98% and I think that there was a lot of people who frankly it was a vote, but I think that it was just kind of the complete that we were willing to authorize that. I just think that this has been done in a very black and white, all or nothing sort of way and I'm talking about shows and movies that were about to come out before the strike. I'm specifically talking about shows that, you know, I and a bunch of other people pour their heart and soul into that happened to be coming out within a certain window after the strike. I don't think that some of the consideration that was given to other projects leading up to the strike, and the delay of the strike was given to some other projects that came on the other side, and that's something that retrospectively, I should have done a better job of taking up in private with the leadership of my union people that I greatly respect and admire."

Stephen Amell appeared on TMZ to let everyone know he didn't vote yes for the strike authorization and that the strike is inconsistent to movies and shows that are releasing in July and afterwards.#SAGAFTRAstrike #SAGstrike #sagaftramembers #StephenAmell #HeelsSTARZ pic.twitter.com/zmFhGc4F36

-- Dana Abercrombie #AmplifyBlackVoices (@sagesurge) August 1, 2023

"I'm going to take a little bit of a quiet time and try to unplug all little bit. But, I'll tell you what... I will do anything in my power and if that's being the first one across the line, no pun intended, if that is going to help this process, then I am more than happy to take those slings and arrows. I don't consider myself to be a martyr, and frankly, I would have preferred that these comments never been made public, but they did. And here we are and hopefully it can just lead to a broader discussion and we can get people back to work." The Arrow and Heels star added.

Stay tuned to ComicBook.com for more updates on the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strike as we learn them!

What do you think about the Stephen Amell situation? Do you agree or disagree with his comments on the ongoing strike? Let us know in the comments below or by hitting up our writer @NateBrail on Twitter!

Update: Stephen Amell is okay with crossing the picket line and really wishes the public comments he made at #GalaxyConRaleigh stayed private. #HeelsSTARZ #SAGAFTRAstrike #SAGstrike #SAGAFTRA #sagaftramembers #StephenAmell pic.twitter.com/xHVFxa7sM8

-- Dana Abercrombie #AmplifyBlackVoices (@sagesurge) August 1, 2023

My Adventures with Superman has reached a major turning point in Clark, Lois and Jimmy's friendship with the newest episode, and now we have gotten the first look at what's next with the promo for My Adventures with Superman Episode 6! My Adventures with Superman has crossed over the halfway point of its debut season with Adult Swim, and there has been rift between its three leads. As Lois honed in on Clark's true identity as Superman, both she and Clark ended up ignoring Jimmy for the episode as he ended up searching for the sasquatch in the forest all on his own.

The end of My Adventures with Superman Episode 5 saw Jimmy head into the forest all alone as he's suddenly grabbed by a mysterious monster and dragged away. It seems like Clark and Lois will be searching for him soon after as the promo for My Adventures with Superman Episode 6 sees the two of them finding the footage of Jimmy being dragged away as it's clear that he has been dragged away by a sasquatch like monster. Check it out below as shared by @swimpedia on Twitter:

Tune into #AdultSwim on Thursday, August 3rd at midnight to catch the next brand new episode of My Adventures with Superman, "My Adventures with Mad Science"! pic.twitter.com/8PNWgYzJC9

-- Swimpedia (@swimpedia) July 28, 2023

How to Watch My Adventures with Superman Episode 6

My Adventures with Superman Episode 6 is titled "My Adventures with Mad Science," and will be airing on Adult Swim this Thursday, August 3rd at midnight EST. It's teased as such, "When Jimmy gets kidnapped, it's up to Lois and Clark to save him - but rescuing Jimmy will lead them into danger as they deal with mad scientists, military secrets, and relationship woes!" My Adventures with Superman also streams on Max the day after initial release, and encore showings will then air on Fridays at 7:00 p.m. ET/PT on Adult Swim and Saturdays at midnight on Toonami if you miss the original airing.

Starring Jack Quaid as Clark Kent, Alice Lee as Lois Lane, and Ishmel Sahid as Jimmy Olsen, Adult Swim teases My Adventures with Superman as such, "My Adventures with Superman is a serialized coming-of-age story catching up with twenty-somethings Clark Kent, the bright and driven Lois Lane, and their best friend Jimmy Olsen as they begin to discover who they are and everything they can accomplish together as an investigative reporting team at the Daily Planet. The story follows Clark as he builds his secret identity as Superman and explores his own mysterious origins. Lois, on her way to becoming a star reporter, teams up with photographer Jimmy Olsen to break the stories that matter. All the while, Clark and Lois are falling in love... as Lois gets closer and closer to uncovering his secret identity! Our trio share adventures, take down bad guys, stumble over secrets, and discover what it means to be heroes in their own right."

What are you hoping to see in My Adventures with Superman's next episode? Let us know all of your thoughts about it in the comments! You can even reach out to me directly about all things animation and other cool stuff @Valdezology on Twitter!

Blue Beetle got a fresh IMAX poster and announced that tickets are on-sale now. Xolo Maridue?a is the DC Comics hero in his first live-action adventure on the big screen. Angel Manuel Soto is steering the ship from behind the camera. One of the most impactful shots of Blue Beetle from the trailers is here in the IMAX poster as the newly powered hero looks down on Earth after his new powers shoot him into the stratosphere. Fans of the character are hoping for good turnout when Blue Beetle gets rolling this month.

IMAX viewers can look forward to an experience that was filmed with IMAX in mind. Blue Beetle has 70 minutes of IMAX exclusive Expanded Aspect Ration footage. In addition to that, the DC Comics movie was shot with IMAX digital cameras. There are also select sequences that will allow for 26% more picture in this special format. Blue Beetle gets its big debut in theaters on August 18. Check out the new poster for yourself down below!

Blue Beetle Creative Team Hoping For A Trilogy

Everybody behind Blue Beetle is hoping that this is just the beginning for Jaime Reyes as James Gunn begins his stint as DC Universe decision-maker. Total Film spoke to the director and his star nearly two months ago about the future of Blue Beetle. They both seemed hopeful for a bright future in the DC Studios era with Gunn leading the charge.

"Our first movie, the way we wanted to do it, was always with the mentality that we wanted to do two more, at least," Soto mused. "And taking the traditional three-act structure of a story, we wanted our first movie to practically be the first act of a saga."

"We are part of the universe, we are part of the world, we are part of the plans that they have been creating for the future instalments of the DCU," Soto clarified. "But we are not tied to all the films from the past. Yes, our movie lives in the world where superheroes exist. But that doesn't mean that a certain event, or certain alliance, or certain things from the past dictate where our film is going."

Blue Beetle Banking on Heart Carrying The Movie

The emotions at play are key in Blue Beetle. Both Angel Manuel Soto and Xolo Maridue?a pride themselves on the links between Jaime Reyes and his family. MovieMaker spoke with the duo before the strikes. The director, in particular, wanted to hammer home that Blue Beetle's family wasn't helpless bystanders. They love the kid and wanted to protect him from danger.

"Without having superpowers, the family goes to every length to protect their kid," Soto told the outlet. "The love of Jaime's family helps him finish his journey and his arc." Maridue?a quickly adds, "Really, it is the love that you have for your family that trumps all."

Elsewhere in that cover story, the director decided to go into more detail. "Love is a heroic act, in its own way," Soto would add. "I love that I saw myself in all of the characters, but it's also what my family feels like," his star mused. "I think that really is a testament of Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer's writing."

What Is Blue Beetle's Movie About?

From Warner Bros. Pictures comes Blue Beetle, which arrives in theaters on August 18th, marking the DC superhero's first time on the big screen. The film, directed by Angel Manuel Soto, stars Xolo Maridue?a in the title role as well as his alter ego, Jaime Reyes. 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.

Starring alongside Maridue?a are Adriana Barraza, Dam?an Alc?zar, Elpidia Carrillo, Bruna Marquezine, Raoul Max Trujillo, with Oscar winner Susan Sarandon, and George Lopez (the "Rio and "Smurf" franchises). The film also stars Belissa Escobedo and Harvey Guill?n. Soto directs from a screenplay by Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer, based on characters from DC. John Rickard and Zev Foreman are producing, with Walter Hamada, Galen Vaisman and Garrett Grant serving as executive producers.

Will you be seeing Blue Beetle in IMAX? Let us know down in the comments!

DC has debuted a new Batman costume - with a twist. The latest DC comic book crossover event "Knight Terrors" has brought a unique threat to the DC Universe: a villainous entity called "Insomnia" who has the power to enter and influence dreams, bring nightmares into the real world, and put all the DC heroes and villains into a coma-like sleep.

The problem has only been compounded for Batman: not only does he fall under the sway of Insomnia's sleep attack, but he also has his physical body hijacked by Deadman, who is leading the charge against Insomnia. In Knight Terrors: Batman #2 Bruce Wayne has to go to the dark depths of his own psyche to exorcise some ghosts - both figuratively and literally!

SPOILERS FOLLOW!

Batman's extensive psychological training has The Dark Knight ready to defend his dreams - but unweaving the complicated strands of both Insomnia's spell and Deadman's influence is a challenge - even for the Batman. The challenge gets that much greater when Insomnia invades Batman's head and starts trying to thwart the vigilante's efforts directly.

Bruce confronts Insomnia with the fact that he's aware of the dreamscape - and knows exactly how to fight him. In classic Batman fashion, Bruce seeks to be even scarier than the villains he faces and manifests a new suit meant for a version of Batman that can haunt Insomnia's dreams.

Batman's Knight Terrors suit is a solid uniform style of thick interwoven mesh, of grayish-bluish color with black mesh fabric lines all over it. It looks like one mesh alloy exoskeleton skin, with much curvier Bat-shaped ears on the cowl, and a thicker bat-shaped insignia on the chest.

The Knight Terrors suit is, obviously, not made of actual physical material; however, it does serve an important function: reinforcing Bruce's mind and identity so that "Batman" can fight against the invader in his psyche. The suit is Bruce's self-proclaimed way of scaring a lord of nightmares - while showing no fear of his deepest personal wounds and fears - manifested as a giant bat creature with a gun in its head.

Not only does this psychological armor let Batman fight the Knight Terrors Insomnia unleashes upon him, it helps him achieve Matrix-style mastery of the dreamscape, stopping bullets in mid-air in a clear ode to Keanu Reeves' Neo.

Like everything else with this Knight Terrors story arc, it's hard to judge if there is any kind of permanence with the ideas being introduced. Will this new suit Batman manifest make its way into the real world? It would be an interesting design shift. But given the psychological shifts that Bruce experiences to make it out of his nightmare, it's not out of the question.

Knight Terrors is happening now in various DC comic books.

DC Studios has been developing their rebooted DC Universe, which will begin with the James Gunn-directed Superman: Legacy, and they have already found the new Man of Steel in David Corenswet. Now fans have moved their focus to the next major hero: Batman. It was recently revealed that Andy Muschietti will be helming the upcoming The Brave and the Bold film, which will focus on Batman and his son Damian Wayne, a.k.a. Robin. There has been no word on when the film will hit theaters or how far along in the development process it is, but fans are super excited to see who will be playing Batman in the DCU, and one name that fans keep bringing up is The Invisible Man Star Oliver Jackson-Cohen. Although there have been no rumors about anyone playing the DCU's Batman, an artist has created a new piece of fan art that shows Jackson-Cohen as the Caped Crusader.

An artist on Instagram who goes by the handle @Clements.Ink created a new concept that shows Jackson-Cohen as Batman. In the fan art, The Invisible Man gets a classic look as Batman that would fit in with the DCU. While it is probably really unlikely that the actor will play Batman, it sure is a good look at what the character could look like in the rebooted universe. You can check out the fan art below.

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The Boys Star Recently Spoke on Becoming The Brave and the Bold's Batman

Previously, another Batman hopeful came in the form of The Boys star, and he had a lot to say about possibly joining The Brave and the Bold. Jensen Ackles recently appeared at a fan event where he was asked if he was in talks to play Batman in the upcoming DCU reboot, and his answer is pretty great.

"Uh, I don't know. Even if I knew, I wouldn't tell you," Ackles recently said. "I mean, could I do it? Sure. Would I wanna do it? Yes. Will I be mad when Pedro Pascal gets it? Yeah. God bless you, Pedro. You just keep killing it, buddy. Let me know when you pass on something. Look, right now nobody's talking about anything. There's a strike going on in the entertainment industry, and until that gets solved, nobody is having conversations about anything. Would I entertain the idea of playing my favorite superhero of all time? Nah, I'm good. It seems like a lot of work, you know. You gotta put in a bat suit and be a superhero. I would love it. Sign me up."

The Brave and the Bold currently doesn't have a release date. Stay tuned to ComicBook.com for more updates on the DCU's Batman and The Brave and the Bold as we learn them!

What do you think about The Brave and the Bold fan art? Would you want to see The Invisible Man star as Batman or would you prefer someone else? Let us know in the comments below or by hitting up our writer @NateBrail on Twitter!

DC's latest comic book crossover event "Knight Terrors" has seen a new villain named Insomnia place the entire Earth (and most of its superheroes and villains) into a coma-style sleep. Insomnia has been tearing through both the dream world and real world looking for a MacGuffin called "The Nightmare Stone," a counterpart to the infamous "Dreamstone" used by Doctor Destiny.

In Knight Terrors: Joker #2 we return to Joker's nightmare reality where Batman has died (randomly) and left Joker living on as "Johann," a middle-management executive of Wayne Enterprises, who lives with his Joker-fied wife Lena and son Albert.

However, as we saw in the first issue, Joker's normal life is indeed the worst nightmare he can imagine, as a world without a Batman is also a world with no need for a Joker. The stress of missing his rival makes "Johann's" psyche fracture: he starts having blackouts where he moonlights as his own murderous version of Batman, who brutally dispatches criminals while reciting demented "jokes."

Joker's nightmare gets shattered when a manifestation of Bruce Wayne brings him to dinner and confronts him with his psychological dilemma: if Batman is ever truly dead, The Joker is screwed. The "Johann" person finally breaks and the Joker-Batman takes over - only to find himself overrun by an army of citizens in Joker masks and/or makeup.

Joker's last words in the nightmare are "Wait! You can't kill Batman! You need him! We need him!" With that latter part ("We need him...") carrying over into the real world.

Will Knight Terrors Change Batman & Joker's Relationship?

The question with this Knight Terrors crossover is just how effectively this particular comic book story trope (characters trapped in mind/dream worlds) is used to tweak various DC status quos.

Obviously what takes place in the "Knightmare" worlds of each character isn't all that important, since most of it will be 'just a dream.' What could be important, however, is how those dreams affect each dreamer, and make them look at the world/life/their own ways, thereafter. Writer Joshua Williamson has poised DC for a 'psychological reboot' of sorts, which could be interesting to see playout.

In the case of Batman and The Joker: It will be interesting to see how Joker behaves now that he's fixated on the idea of "needing" Batman in order to validate his own existence. Joker trying to be an ally or even "friend" to Batman could be even more twisted and depraved than the usual cop-and-crook routine they've done for years. Joker could do some pretty horrific things to the people of Gotham, just to give Batman "meaning" and "purpose" in his mission. Imagine how what a new mind-screw that would be for The Dark Knight - whose mind seems to be getting more treacherous by the minute (see: Batman comics).

DC's Knight Terrors is currently unfolding in various DC comic books.