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

The Dark Flash

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

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

The Black Flash Inspiration

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

General Zod

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

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

The Flash is in theaters now.

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The DCEU is coming to an end. Warner Bros. hired James Gunn and Pete Safran as co-CEOs to lead the superhero franchise into a new, more unified DCU. While that will soon mean an entirely different Superman, the two aren’t starting over entirely from scratch. The Flash‘s time travel adventure is a bridge between the two eras, with Barry Allen’s foray into the past changing the present and future forever.

Ultimately, The Flash didn’t deliver the definitive hard reset some expected. It certainly changed things in a big way, but rather than establish the DCU outright, The Flash instead provided the blueprint for how it might happen eventually.

How Does Time Travel Work in The Flash?

As Michael Keaton’s Bruce Wayne explained, time is not linear in the world of The Flash. If you go back to a specific point in the past and change what happened you don’t merely change the events that follow that moment—you also change what happened before it. In this superhero franchise, there’s no clean split from the timeline into an alternate one.

Back to the Future, which The Flash vaguely referenced with its spaghetti scene, would be fundamentally different if it had the same rules of time travel as The Flash. It would mean when Biff gets the Sports Almanac in the original 1955 timeline, the original timeline no longer exists. The new one would simply share a single point with the old one the moment Biff got the almanac.

That’s why Barry’s time travel resulted in the world getting an entirely different, much older Bruce Wayne than the one he knew. When Barry saved his mom it altered the future along with everything that happened long before that day. In that alternate reality Bruce Wayne was born much earlier. Just as Kal-El was not the Kryptonian who safely made his way to Earth, a place without Aquaman or Wonder Woman.

The results of Barry’s actions didn’t just change history and even people. It nearly doomed the entire world.

How Did Barry Allen Fix the Timeline in The Flash?

Once Barry understood his mother had to die to save the world, he went back to the moment he saved her. (That was the single cross point between the original timeline and the new one he created.) Once there, he removed the can of tomatoes he’d previously placed in her shopping cart. Her death was the only way to save the world from General Zod and restore things as they were. It was tragic for Barry, but also necessary. He’d seen firsthand from Dark Barry, who’d spent countless lifetimes futilely trying to keep their mom alive without destroying the planet, that some things simply cannot be changed

Only, the original Barry couldn’t help but alter one thing in the past. And while it didn’t lead to the end of the world, it did lead to the beginning of the end for the old DCEU.

Why Did George Clooney Replace Ben Affleck as Bruce Wayne?

Barry’s goal in the present was to exonerate his father Henry (Ron Livingston). Barry thought he finally had evidence to prove his dad didn’t kill his wife, but it was insufficient. Henry had been shopping during his wife’s murder, and Bruce Wayne used his technology to clean up the previously useless corrupted store security footage. Only Henry never looked up high enough for the camera to capture his face. Without that clear shot to establish his alibi he’d be doomed to a life behind bars.

So instead, moments after removing the life-saving/world-destroying can of tomatoes from his mother’s cart, Barry rearranged all the cans. He made it so the specific variety his father needed would be on the top shelf. That meant Henry would look up high enough so that camera could capture his face. He did, resulting in him going free in the present.

Henry Allen walked out of court a free man. And outside that court Barry Allen discovered what else he’d done by moving those tomato cans. His friend (played by Ben Affleck) had once again been replaced as Bruce Wayne. Instead of the Caped Crusader who helped Barry get his dad out of jail, the Flash found a different, quite dapper Bruce Wayne instead. “Who the f***” was it? It was George Clooney, who originally played the role in 1997’s much maligned Batman & Robin.

Why The Flash Did Not Fully Establish the DCU

The Batfleck is (seemingly) gone, but Jason Momoa’s Aquaman is not. Barry explained to his very drunk fellow Justice League member about what he’d done to the timeline and to Bruce in the film’s only post-credits scene. (Which established both that Barry didn’t undo his tomato can switch and that no one else in this new timeline remembers the old Bruce.)

Clearly the franchise is not the same one it was before The Flash started. But there’s probably a zero percent chance 62-year-old George Clooney is going to be the DCU’s new Bruce Wayne either, so clearly the movie did not end with a total reset.

Something else (or elses) is going to lead to whomever ends up as Batman in the DCU eventually. That means Momoa’s presence only confirms he’s still Aquaman for now. (He does have a sequel coming after all.) Clearly lots more will change eventually, we just don’t know when they will. We just know how they might.

How The Flash Paved the Way for the DCU

The DCEU/DCU is a place of countless dimensions and timelines. Multiple Supermans and Batmans all exist at the same time on many parallel worlds. And Barry Allen can change or destroy all of them by going back in time. He could seemingly even make it so he’s a totally different human in his own timeline, just as he changed Bruce Wayne.

So while The Flash didn’t entirely bid farewell to its old franchise anymore than it said hello to its new one, whenever James Gunn and Peter Safran decide to fully establish their new superhero era they have a very fast way to do it.

Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist. You can follow him on Twitter at  @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.

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

Batman

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

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

Superman

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

Wonder Woman

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

Aquaman

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

Cyborg

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

New Members?

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

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

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

Flashpoint: Barry Allen’s Time Travel Tragedy

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

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

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

When Worlds Collide

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

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

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

Superman (George Reeves)

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

The Flash, Jay Garrick

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

Batman (Adam West)

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

Superman (Christopher Reeve)

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

Supergirl (Helen Slater)

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

Superman (Nicolas Cage)

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

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

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The Flash wasn’t the franchise game-changer some superhero fans expected, but it still delivered some big superhero changes. The film’s surprise ending and post-credits scene revealed exactly how Barry Allen’s actions in the past altered both the present and future. What does it all mean, including for Warner Bros.’ switch from the old DCEU to James Gunn’s new DCU? Here’s what happened and what it tells us about a post-Flash timeline.

Why Did George Clooney Appear as Bruce Wayne at the End of The Flash?

“Who the f*** is this?”

Uh, it’s Batman. No, not that one. No, not that one either.

Michael Keaton’s Batman wasn’t The Flash‘s only alternate Bruce Wayne to appear. Once Barry Allen realized he couldn’t save his mother’s life without dooming the whole world, he went back and stopped himself from stopping her death in the first place.

Doing so had created an entirely new reality. Time in The Flash is not linear, and by altering one single event Barry changed history both before and after his mom was supposed to die. Letting her go, painful as it was, stopped General Zod from conquering Earth. But Barry’s decision to ensure his father’s eventual release from jail still resulted in an alternate timeline.

By moving those tomato cans to the top of the grocery store shelf years earlier, Barry exonerated his dad in the present. He also completely changed Bruce Wayne as a person. Instead of the version played by Ben Affleck, Barry walked outside the courtroom to discover a different version of Bruce Wayne. He was now played by George Clooney.

When Did George Clooney First Play Batman?

George Clooney’s first (and until now only) time playing Bruce Wayne came in 1997’s Batman & Robin. Fans have panned both the film and his performance since the movie’s release.

Clooney himself agrees with that assessment. The Oscar-winner has said he messed up the role “so bad.” (In fairness, there’s only so much you can do when your Batsuit has nipples.)

Not only did The Flash give Clooney a bit of Bat-demption with his surprise cameo, it also used turned his previous performance into a great meta joke. Upon seeing the alternate Bruce get out of his sports car, Barry said, “You’re not Batman.” To that an incredulous Clooney answered, “What’s wrong with you?”

As the movie’s post-credits scene revealed, what’s wrong with Barry is that he didn’t feel the need to immediately fix his timeline and bring back his friend.

What Did The Flash‘s Post-Credits Scene Reveal About the New Timeline?

Ben Affleck’s Batman might be gone (at least for now), but Jason Momoa’s Aquaman is still around. An extremely intoxicated Arthur Curry appeared with Barry Allen in The Flash‘s only post-credits scene. Though mostly played for laughs,* the scene did provide vital information about the state of the world, the timeline, and reality at the end of the film.

Barry was trying to explain to his fellow Justice League member that he had traveled back in time and altered the past, resulting in an entirely different Bruce Wayne. Arthur had no idea what he was talking about, showing that only Barry remembers the old Batman. The Flash is the only bridge between the world that was and the reality he finds himself in now.

This reality still resulted in Barry working with other meta-humans and heroes. But to get Batfleck back, he’d need to go back in time again and put the tomato cans back where they originally went. Clearly he did not do that, and there’s no indication he has plans to anytime soon, if ever.

That leaves George Clooney in place as Bruce Wayne, for now anyway, along with all the other changes to the timeline we don’t know about yet. To save his father Barry sacrificed his friend, which raises one last major question.

*A passed out Aquaman can’t drown in a puddle. But you can. Even if you have a friend who can travel back in time, please drink responsibly.

Did Barry’s Decision to Rearrange Those Tomato Cans, and Thus Change Bruce Wayne, Completely Undermine His Entire Character Arc in The Flash?

Yeah, kinda! Weird, right?

But time travel and tragedy are both complicated. Besides, if there’s one thing we learned from the end of The Flash it’s that Barry Allen can always go back and change things if he wants.

Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist. You can follow him on Twitter at  @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.

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The Flash made its rules of time travel easy to understand by comparing Barry Allen’s impact on the space-time continuum with Marty McFly’s. But it also utilized Back to the Future for its plot. DC’s speedster realized what a mess he’d made of the past even before he met Michael Keaton’s Batman. He knew when he learned Eric Stoltz drove Doc Brown’s Delorean to fame rather than Michael J. Fox. Of course, Stoltz wasn’t a random recasting. He really did star as Marty McFly before Fox replaced him during production. That was just one of the many ways The Flash used famous sliding doors moment in Hollywood history to reimagine its world. From Nicolas Cage’s lost Superman and two big screen Kryptonians who never met, to Kevin Bacon and a reshuffling of the 1980’s leading men, these are the real stories The Flash turned from “almosts” and “what ifs” into alternate timelines.

Why Did Nicolas Cage Appear as Superman in The Flash?

In 1996, Warner Bros. executive Jon Peters hired Clerks‘ Kevin Smith to write the script for a movie titled Superman Lives. Eventually Batman‘s Tim Burton signed on to direct. He had his famous Man of Steel ready to go, too. Thirty million dollars later and all Warner Bros. had to show for their efforts was some test footage of a long-haired Nicolas Cage in a Superman costume. Eventually the rest of us got one of the most notorious stories in Hollywood history and a documentary about the calamitous project. That is, until The Flash finally brought Cage’s Clark Kent to the big screen for some alternate timeline fun.

Kevin Smith’s tale about his absurd meeting with Jon Peters is infamous with good reason. (Whether you’ve never heard it or know it by heart, it’s always worth listening to.) Among Peters’ many ridiculous comments and requests, he didn’t want Smith’s Superman to fly or wear his red and blue suit. What he did want was for Superman to fight a giant spider at the end.

Burton had Smith’s script rewritten when he joined the production. He also had Nic Cage outfitted for a suit with traditional Superman colors. But all that time, money, and talent didn’t matter. Shortly before filming began Warner Bros. pulled the plug, denying us a Man of Steel who apparently really dug The Cure.

Now The Flash has finally rectified that. It has given us Nic Cage—who named his son Kal-El—as Kal-El. His Superman exists in another dimension. He also flies. That’s not what Jon Peters wanted, but at least he got to see Cage fight a big giant spider. (Which the producer did make happen in Wild Wild West.)

But that wasn’t the only alternate (super) reality Barry Allen let us see come to life. The Flash also brought together two children of Krypton that never got to share the silver screen even though they existed at the same time.

The Flash Brings Together Christopher Reeve’s Superman and Helen Slater’s Supergirl

In 1984 Helen Slater brought Supergirl to theaters. The spinoff took place in the same universe as Christopher Reeve’s Superman franchise. His Clark was originally set to appear in the movie, too. Supergirl was going to rescue him from captivity. But following the disappointment of Superman III the previous year, Reeve decided against starring in the film. Instead Supergirl‘s script explained Superman’s absence by saying he was in another galaxy on a “peace-seeking mission.”

Slater’s Supergirl did not return in 1987’s Superman IV: The Quest for Peace, which was Reeve’s last time playing the hero. As a result the two ’80s Kryptonians never got to appear on screen together. That didn’t happen until The Flash showed them united side-by-side in their dimension, thereby creating a cool alternate timeline.

The Flash used another famous film franchise of the ’80s to create an alternate reality, too. It found inspiration in a time travel series that had fun changing events of that decade. Only Back to the Future did so both on screen and off.

Why Did The Flash Choose Eric Stoltz to Play Back to the Future‘s Marty McFly?

Michael J. Fox was Robert Zemeckis’s first choice to play Marty McFly. But with Fox unavailable due to Family Ties‘ filming schedule, Zemeckis cast Eric Stoltz in the role.

However, after six weeks of filming Zemeckis realized Stoltz just wasn’t working out. While the director has always praised Stoltz’s work and commitment on the movie, the actor just wasn’t bringing the comedic element the part required. That led to Zemeckis and producers firing Stoltz and developing a production schedule that allowed Fox to film Back to the Future on nights and weekends.

Deleted scenes and images from Stoltz’s performance have made their way out into the world since his departure. And it seems like one scene with Stoltz (or at least his fist) actually made its way into the final film. Otherwise, his version of Marty is lost to time. At least it is in this timeline.

In The Flash‘s alternate timeline, Stoltz didn’t just stay in the role. His version of Back to the Future was still a monumental hit. It catapulted him to stardom. It led people to get his face tattooed on their thigh calf. Was that because the movie was just that good it would have worked with anyone? Or because Stoltz made it good? What about the timelines where Ben Stiller or Jon Cryer nailed their (very real) auditions and got the part instead?The only way we’ll ever know if is Barry Allen messes with the timeline and therefore Back to the Future again.

Obviously Marty McFly wasn’t the only famous ’80s movie the Flash changed via time travel. He caused a chain reaction of big-time recasting.

Was Michael J. Fox Almost Cast in Footloose?

Famous casting “what ifs” are rarely as well-documented as Eric Stoltz in Back to the Future. Most auditions go nowhere. Sometimes performers discuss a potential role without ever seriously considering it. Other times they do want the part but aren’t seriously considered for it. And casting directors, producers, writers, and directors throws out big name as a possibility without ever having a chance of landing that actor. And yet, years later those people will still be mentioned as the list of people who “almost” got the role.

Still, even by those very (foot)loose standards there’s no evidence Michael J. Fox was ever up a possibility to play the part of Ren that Kevin Bacon made famous with his feet. That alternate timeline is totally unique to The Flash.

However, there is still a very fun connection between Footloose, Michael J. Fox, and The Flash. According to IMDb, Kenny Loggins wrote that Footloose‘s final scene was not filmed with his theme song playing. It was only added in post-production.

On set the actors actually danced to Chuck Berry’s “Johnny B. Goode,” the very same song Marty McFly performed at the Enchantment Under the Sea Dance in Back to the Future.

Strands of spaghetti, indeed. And that’s just the beginning of The Flash‘s alternate Hollywood dominoes.

Was Kevin Bacon Almost in Top Gun?

While there’s no evidence Michael J. Fox was ever up for the lead role in Footloose, The Flash‘s other ’80s leading man switcheroo was a possibility. Producers did consider Kevin Bacon for the role of Pete “Maverick” Mitchell. A bevy of other actors either turned it down or got passed over, too. (Tom Cruise, the top choice, initially didn’t want the part.)

(In The Flash‘s timeline where Bacon is Maverick, do you think him and Cruise also swapped roles in A Few Good Men?)

The list of other potential Petes included: Matthew Modine, Patrick Swayze, Emilio Estevez, Nicolas Cage, John Cusack, Matthew Broderick, Sean Penn, Michael J. Fox, Scott Baio, Mel Gibson, Tom Hanks, Charlie Sheen, Jim Carrey, Rob Lowe, Kevin Bacon, Robert Downey Jr., John Travolta, and Eric freaking Stoltz!

As if all of that isn’t enough, the movie originally considered having TOTO or REO Speedwagon record “Danger Zone” before turning to Footloose‘s Kenny Loggins.

And with so many real world connections in alternate version of 1980s Hollywood that The Flash gives us, at this point we have to wonder if Barry Allen really did go back in time and alter our actual timeline. Maybe he’s the reason Michael J. Fox replaced Eric Stoltz in the first place. That worked out for Back to the Future, but we can’t forgive him for Nic Cage’s lost Superman Lives. Especially now that we know he would have kicked that giant spider’s a**.

Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist. You can follow him on Twitter at  @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.

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With the Flash about to hit theaters, James Gunn’s new DCU is closer than ever. As the old DCEU nears its multiversal conclusion, James Gunn weighed in on how this new DC Universe will differ from Marvel, and Dan’s breaking it all down on today’s episode of Nerdist News!

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

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

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

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

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

We also recently learned that Harvey Guillén’s character works for Sarandon’s Kord, playing a doctor torn between his loyalties to his profession and to being a good person.

The synopsis for Blue Beetle is as follows:

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

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

Originally published on April 3, 2023.

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

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

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

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

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

Previously, The CW’s Entertainment President Brad Schwartz noted, “We love all those shows, and they all do very well for us in different ways.” But apparently not well enough. Ultimately, it seems like the writing was on the wall for Gotham Knights to end up canceled. However, we’re crossing our fingers we do get to see Misha Collins go full Two-Face before the last episode airs. Then it will all have been worth it.

Originally published on June 13, 2023.

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Fans of the Kent family have good reason to rejoice today. According to Deadline, The CW has renewed Superman and Lois for an abbreviated fourth season. Also returning for another season is All-American: Homecoming. In normal times, a renewal for Superman and Lois would be a no-brainer, as it’s one of CW’s better-performing shows. But with The CW shifting away from original scripted programming under its new management, the fate of the series was very much up in the air.

However, Superman and Lois’ good news comes along with some bad news for another DC Comics-related series, Gotham Knights. That series is ending after only one short season. This leaves Superman and Lois as the final DC Comics-related series on the CW, which has been home to eight series based on DC properties, with six of them occupying the Arrowverse. All series, including this one, were produced by Greg Berlanti. Superman and Lois is only tangentially related to the Arrowverse. Both Tyler Hoechlin and Elizabeth Tulloch originated their roles in episodes of Supergirl, but these versions exist on a separate Earth in the Multiverse.

Things will be different for Superman and Lois in season four, however. The network has reduced the episode count from 13 to 10. It reduced the budget as well, which likely means fewer fights in tights and big effects and more family drama. It might also mean they might reduce the rather large cast due to budgetary concerns. According to TV Line, seven series regulars have been cut: Dylan Walsh, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Erik Valdez, Inde Navarrette, Wolé Parks, Tayler Buck, and Sofia Hasmik. This leaves only four series regulars returning for Superman and Lois season four. These are Tyler Hoechlin (as Clark Kent/Superman), Elizabeth Tulloch (as Lois Lane) and Alex Garfin and Michael Bishop as the duos twin sons, Jordan and Jonathan Kent. Michael Cudlitz, who will play Lex Luthor, will become a season regular as well.

With the WGA strike in full effect, it might be some time before production begins on season four. Given that this will likely be the show’s swan song season, here’s hoping they do the Smallville crew justice.

Originally published on June 13, 2023.

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The 1990s were a transformational time in American comics. Superman died and was later resurrected. The greatest Green Lantern, Hal Jordan, went on a killing spree and tried to destroy the universe. Spider-Man battled a serial killer named Carnage. A wacky merc-with-a-mouth named Deadpool broke the fourth wall on a regular basis. And the first issue of Todd McFarlane’s Spawn sold over a million copies for the nascent indie publisher, Image Comics. Antiheroes were all the rage in the nineties because of popular comics starring Wolverine, the Punisher, Venom, Lobo, Cable, and more. Beyond those obvious highlights, this era was also a revolutionary time for queer representation, especially when you look at Hellblazer‘s John Constantine.

The eighties planted the seeds for the proliferation of LGBTQ+ characters in the nineties. This was in large thanks to Rachel Pollack’s Doom Patrol run and the rise of two British superstar writers named Grant Morrison and Neil Gaiman. The “British Invasion” of American comics in the ’80s led to the launch of Hellblazer. It was a monthly horror series starring the chain-smoking con man and magician, John Constantine. As a working class and deeply flawed occult detective, John Constantine battled the evils of the Thatcher administration in Britain. Constantine remains a deeply singular figure in comics. But he represents both an antihero perspective of this time period, as well as comics’ movement towards queer perspectives. 

In 1992’s Hellblazer #51, by John Smith, Sean Phillips, and Tom Ziuko, John Constantine casually remarks that all of his past girlfriends and “the odd boyfriend” end up walking out on him. It was the first time that Constantine revealed to the reader that he was bisexual. While a subtle moment, the reveal of Constantine’s queerness was groundbreaking in the early nineties. The decade would go on to feature the debut of gay couple, Midnighter and Apollo, and a dramatic coming out story for mutant and Alpha Flight member Northstar. But Hellblazer remains unique in its nonchalance about Constantine’s sexuality. If anything, the reveal of Constantine’s sexuality confirmed what Hellblazer readers already knew: he’s a deeply queer character. 

Queerness has a political significance in that it represents non-normative and transgressive modes of being. This is precisely what the ethos of Hellblazer had always been. The unsavory aspects of Constantine’s life and personality made him a rejection of the traditional “wise old sage” magicians in British literature. His dabbling with the occult and supernatural led him into horrific situations. And he was often unable to help the people affected. Both the disturbing things Constantine encountered in Hellblazer, as well as his deep flaws, questioned the moral foundations underlying superhero comic books. 

Contemporary magic users in comics, like DC’s Doctor Fate and Marvel’s Doctor Strange, captured fans’ admiration. However, Constantine wasn’t someone readers should model themselves after. Instead, the tragic aspects of his life, like his traumatic experience in a mental institution, were something readers could empathize with and relate to. Considering this, it is not surprising that Hellblazer had a starkly different aesthetic from other DC and Marvel books at the time. It took on a grittier and quotidian look despite its supernatural elements. For Constantine, his queerness wasn’t just his sexuality but also his unique perspective and persona.

This idea is especially pertinent with regards to how Constantine stood out from other queer men from ’90s comic books. As opposed to Midnighter, Apollo, and X-Men’s Northstar, Constantine wasn’t buff or particularly attractive. (Interestingly, the character’s aesthetics draw inspiration from singer Sting.) He kept his bony frame hidden under a ratty suit and an even rattier trench coat. While Northstar’s muscular body zoomed the pages of X-Men books, Constantine would rarely punch or kick anyone. When he did, he looked awkward and uncoordinated. There was never an intention for Constantine to look nor behave like a “normal” character in superhero comics. He did not assimilate into the heteronormative image of a comic book hero. 

In the same vein, Hellblazer subverted mainstream narratives of ’90s queerness. Constantine’s casual mention of his past boyfriends was a break from the spectacle of coming out. Coincidentally, Hellblazer #51 hit shelves a couple months after the release of Alpha Flight #106. In that issue, Northstar became the first character from mainstream American comics to reveal that he was gay. The X-Men spinoff book, written by Scott Lobdell, features Northstar pouncing towards the reader while shouting, “I am gay!” It takes a much more sensationalist approach to queer sexuality. 

The story revolves around Northstar visiting his newborn adopted daughter in the NICU. There, a doctor tells him that “the child has AIDS.” Later on, when Northstar fights a father who lost his gay son to AIDS, he says, “Do not presume to lecture me on the hardships homosexuals must bear. No one knows them better than I. For while I am not inclined to discuss my sexuality with people for whom it is none of their business––I am gay!” The issue’s cover tops off its sensationalism, bearing the tagline “Northstar as you’ve never known him before!” Alpha Flight #106 and Hellblazer #51 came within months of each other, five years before Ellen DeGeneres’ People magazine cover with the headline, “Yep, I’m Gay.” 

When viewed in comparison with his contemporaries, John Constantine becomes an even more important figure in queer comics history. Unlike Alpha Flight, Constantine’s sexuality wasn’t a plot device and did not come from a heteronormative gaze. Considering that Alpha Flight #106’s cover reads, “Northstar as you’ve never known him before,” it is clear that the issue was created without an imagined queer readership. In this context, queerness is a personal thing kept to oneself, away from others “for whom it is none of their business,” instead of an entire worldview and mode of existence. Northstar’s queerness was something to identify and not identify with.

Hellblazer #51 showed how queerness also applies to artistic expression beyond just direct content or subject matter. It is also within established canon. In fact, a previous issue by Garth Ennis, William Simpson, and Tom Ziuko shows Constantine meeting with a vampire king in the middle of the woods. Vampires are certainly an enduring metaphor for queer sexuality in literature. Thus, Hellblazer frequently surrounded Constantine with details that hinted at his queerness. 

Hellblazer’s dark subject matter, queer perspective, and political themes laid the groundwork for future LGBTQ+ comics like The Department of Truth, The Invisibles, and the current generation of X-Men comics. Constantine’s antihero elements made him an early example of a queer protagonist who was not bound by the duties of “positive representation.” Instead, Hellblazer gave us a deeply human picture of a queer man living in dehumanizing circumstances. He is someone who wants to do the right thing even when the narrative dooms him. In today’s climate, Constantine’s voice has never felt more urgent. 

The post HELLBLAZER’s John Constantine Revolutionized Queer Representation in ’90s Comics appeared first on Nerdist.

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

Right now, the question of casting Superman: Legacy is top of mind for fans, but everyone, we’ll have to be patient for a while longer. James Gunn recently shared a bit of a casting update on the Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum podcast. He notes that once he hammered down the story of Superman: Legacy, he felt a lot of pressure casting the role. But now he says, “We’ve done a lot of auditions, we’re narrowing it down.” However, “we’re not done yet.” Gunn also cautions that there is a lot of misinformation and confusion out there when it comes to casting.

In short, we have to hang tight for now. When Superman is cast, we’ll know. Still, we’re glad to hear that the field has been narrowed. Hopefully, we’ll find out soon who the next Man of Steel will be.

Gunn also neither confirmed nor denied whether Lex Luthor will appear in his Superman movie. But he did agree with Rosenbaum that if Lex Luthor does appear in the DCU, he’ll be grounded and real.

Here’s everything we know about Superman: Legacy…so far.

Title

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

Superman: Legacy‘s Plot

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

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

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

In a recent interview, Gunn did tease that a potential fan-favorite character might be part of the movie. The idea of Krypto the Superdog appearing in Superman: Legacy was batted around by James Gunn and Chris Pratt. But whether everyone’s favorite heroic canine will really appear is yet to be 100% confirmed.

Superman: Legacy‘s Cast

Casting has not yet been announced for the film. We do know Henry Cavill will not reprise his role as Superman, though. It also seems unlikely Logan Lerman will get the part, even if he seems to be the right age for the version of Superman Gunn has described when talking about the film.

But recently, James Gunn shared more about what he’s looking for in casting the role of Superman himself.

Gunn noted:

We actually have some really great choices, which I’m excited about. But it has to be somebody who has all of the humanity that Superman has, but he’s also an alien. It’s gotta be somebody who has the kindness and the compassion that Superman has. And it has to be somebody that you want to give a hug.

Behind the Scenes 

James Gunn wrote the (definitely completed) script and is directing. On Twitter he also announced pre-production has already begun on the film.

For fans worried about possible interference from Warner Bros. Discovery executives, Gunn said his DC Studios operates independently and he won’t be getting any notes on his script from them.

Superman: Legacy‘s Release Date

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

Originally published on April 11, 2023.

The post DCU’s SUPERMAN: LEGACY Has Narrowed Down Casting Choices, But Not Done Yet appeared first on Nerdist.

It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It is … Jack Quaid’s Man of Steel! Adult Swim, Warner Bros. Animation, and DC have released a new trailer for the upcoming series My Adventures With Superman. And if you thought it was already hard enough for a young person entering the workforce, wait until you see how tough it is while also learning how to be a superhero at the same time. The trailer for My Adventures With Superman also reveals its July release date. Plus—we get a tease of the show’s fun new theme song and opening sequence.

The music is by punk band Kyle Troop & The Heretics, and the theme song and opening really set the tone for the series to come. We don’t yet know if this is an abridged version of the opening or not, but we like what we have so far. And we can’t wait to see this version of the Man of Steel fly into action. Luckily, the trailer for the show gives us an even better look at the adventures in store.

As we can see in the trailer, Clark Kent’s story will get a modern day twist on My Adventures With Superman. We’ll be joining Krypton’s favorite son at the start of both of his professional careers. The show will follow young Clark at the onset of his budding journalism work alongside his new friends. Only, he’ll be doing that while learning about himself, developing romantic feeling for his co-worker, and being a superhero. Here’s the show’s official synopsis from Adult Swim:

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.

In addition to Quaid’s Kent, the show stars Alice Lee as Lois Lane and Ishmel Sahid as Jimmy. My Adventures With Superman debuts at Adult Swim with two episodes at midnight on July 6. New episodes will follow every Thursday. They’ll then be available on Max the next day.

That’s good in case you miss them live—no way a young Superman would already have time travel figured out at this point in his careers.

Originally published on June 5, 2023.

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

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

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

“One of the things that I love about DC, that excites me about DC, is that in a way it’s another alternate history,” he notes. “It is Gotham City and Metropolis and Star City and Bludhaven, and all these different places in this other reality, and it makes it a little bit like Westeros in some ways.”

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

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

There has been a flurry of recent activity in the world of DC. First, James Gunn and Peter Safran took over the cinematic DC Universe and announced an ambitious slate of projects. Next, work on Superman: Legacy began right away, with casting in progress and the script itself completed. But ardent fans of James Gunn’s hit show Peacemaker have been eagerly anticipating news of the project’s second season. Of course, Peacemaker was mentioned briefly in the announcement of DC’s slate. But it did not receive a coherent update about the status of its second season. Happily, James Gunn recently shared more about the status of the series on the Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum podcast. Here’s what Gunn had to say about Peacemaker season two and when fans could expect forward motion on the show.

Rosenbaum asks Gunn about Peacemaker season two at the 1:16:20 mark. He questions, “Is Peacemaker really coming back, or is there just no time for it?” To which Gunn replied straight away, “No, Peacemaker‘s coming back right after Superman. That’s my next thing.” Gunn adds, “I’ll go straight from Superman to Peacemaker.”

Of course, there are no present dates on the timeline, at least no public ones. We know Superman: Legacy is currently slated to release on July 11, 2025. But we don’t know exactly when the movie will be in a place such that Gunn can move on to Peacemaker season two. We’d bet that would put the second season of Peacemaker into 2026, with a smidge of hope it could release in 2025. Still, there’s an urgency in which Gunn suggests he’ll head from Superman to Peacemaker that makes it feel like the series is definitely a priority on Gunn’s full dance card.

Of course, everything Superman will have to come first. But hopefully, we’ll start to hear more about Peacemaker season two sooner rather than later. It really is hard to believe that Peacemaker has only had one season to date. With any luck, though, we’ll see a second season and many more.

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With The Flash film finally upon us, positioning Barry Allen as the fastest hero on the silver screen, it has us wondering. Who is the actual fastest Flash in DC comics? While most would say Barry Allen as a certainty, given his positioning as the most well-known Scarlet Speedster, the actual answer might surprise you. We count down the fastest speed heroes in the Flash family, from “least speed” to light speed.

Note: We are only counting the speedster heroes of the main “Earth-0” continuity of DC Comics. So no Flashes from alternate futures or parallel worlds who only appeared a handful of times. And no evil versions of the Flash, like the Reverse Flashes, Godspeed, or the Black Flash.

10. Iris “Irey” West (Thunderheart, Impulse II)

Wally West, the third Flash, has two young twin children with his wife, reporter Linda Park. Their speedster kid is Iris West, named after Wally’s beloved aunt Iris, but she goes by Irey. She and her twin brother Jai grew at a sped-up rate, but stabilized at around age eight. While her brother Jai channels speed energy into his muscles, making him strong, Irey has traditional super-speed powers. She originally took the name Impulse, until Bart Allen took the name back. She currently goes by Thunderheart. Still a small child, she can’t come close to the speed records of the other Flashes. But she has managed to run hundreds of miles in a mere ten seconds. Not bad for a little kid.

9. Max Mercury

Originally an obscure Golden Age hero called Quicksilver (name changed for obvious, Marvelous reasons), Max Mercury returned in Mark Waid’s fun of The Flash in the ‘90s. We learned that Max was a “speed guru,” and actually gained his speed through a magic spell, and not some scientific mishap. Born in 1819, he’s the oldest living speedster. And he was the first to discover and name the Speed Force. Having spent years studying it, he understands the Speed Force intricacies better than most. Able to use acrobatic skills while tapping into his speed, he mentored both Wally West and Bart Allen in using their powers. Despite this, he can only run past Mach-1, the speed of sound.

8. Avery Ho (Flash VI)

One of the newest members of the Flash family, Avery Ho is the Flash of China, and a member of that country’s Justice League. She gained her powers in a Speed Force storm in Barry Allen’s hometown of Central City, which also created the villain Godspeed. After getting a better handle on her new abilities, Avery was asked to join the Justice League of China as their Flash. During a period when Flash Barry Allen vanished, Avery was recruited to take his place on in multi-dimensional team Justice League Incarnate. She can certainly keep up with the veteran Flashes, but is still not quite at their speed levels.

7. Jesse Chambers (Jesse Quick, Liberty Belle, Flash IV)

Jesse Quick, who also goes by the name Jesse Chambers, is a legacy hero like Wally West and Bart Allen. Her father was Golden Age speedster Johnny Quick, and her mother was his fellow superhero, Liberty Belle. Jesse inherited her dad’s speed, which she can access by reciting a certain speed formula as her mantra. She also inherited her mother’s super strength. This made her a formidable member of groups like the Titans and the Justice Society. And although she is pretty darn fast, she can only run at half-light speed. But while other speedsters may be faster, Jesse also has super strength, which gives her a leg up on some of the others. She very briefly took the name Flash from Wally West when he vanished, but this was for just a few issues.

6. Wallace West (Kid Flash III)

Believe it or not, there are actually two speedsters named Wallace West, both nephews of Barry Allen’s wife, Iris West. The elder one goes by “Wally,” and he’s the son of Iris’ brother Rudy West. The second is the son of her brother Daniel West, one of the Reverse Flashes, and goes by Wallace. Teenage Wallace became Kid Flash during the New 52 era of DC Comics, and inspired the Kid Flash we saw in the CW Flash series. Wallace has thus far proven to be pretty fast, able to move at superhuman speeds equal to the speed of light, or 186,000 miles per second. He may eventually surpass the other members of the Flash family in terms of his speed. But he’s still pretty new at this, and has a few miles to go before that happens.

5. Jay Garrick (The Flash I)

Created in 1940, college student Jay Garrick gained super-speed powers when inhaling the fumes of something called “Hard Water.” (Wait, isn’t hard water just ice?) He became the first superhero to call himself the Flash, and was a founding member of the Justice Society of America. But his high speeds were rather tame by modern standards, running at 20 times the speed of sound. Very impressive during World War II, but less so today. His successors would all run far faster than he could. He eventually learned how to run at much, much faster speeds after discovering the Speed Force, but he couldn’t quite match his successors. Who are all, frankly, far younger than he is. But he’s still pretty spry for a dude who’s over 100 years old.

4. Jenni Ognats (XS)

This speedster is the cousin of Bart Allen, a.k.a Impulse. She was born in the 31st Century to Dawn Allen, one of the children of Barry Allen and Iris West-Allen. Unlike Bart, Jenni remained in her future time, and joined the Legion of Super-Heroes, the teen champions of the United Planets. She can run at near-light speeds, vibrate through solid matter, and even time travel and cross dimensions by altering her molecular vibrational frequencies. She has not had as much training as her cousin Bart, so he has the edge on her speed-wise, for now. XS has not been seen for some time, and it’s unclear if she’s even still a part of mainstream DC continuity.

3. Barry Allen (Flash II)

Even though he’s the second hero named the Flash, for years, DC Comics has positioned Barry Allen as the “Prime Flash.” He set the stage for DC Comics’ Silver Age revival, and carried his own series for 29 years. In the 2009 limited series Flash: Rebirth, which resurrected Barry after more than two decades, they revealed that Barry actually created the Speed Force himself, from which all other speedsters derive their powers. That makes him the most important Flash for sure. But does it necessarily make him the fastest?

Barry’s top speed generates a multiversal constant power, allowing him to exist in every time and dimension at once. He once had to travel 9.4 million times faster than the speed of light when saving an entire city’s population from a nuclear explosion. And he’s outrun Death itself not once, but twice. So yes, he is one of the fastest being in existence. But still, Barry Allen is not quite the fastest speedster out there. That honor goes to another Scarlet Speedster.

2. Bart Allen (Impulse, Kid Flash II, Flash V)

Barry Allen’s grandson from the 31st century has had quite a tumultuous history. Born with Speed Force access in his very DNA, Bart was growth accelerated, and educated at hyper speed in the future, sent back in time to become the teen hero Impulse (later Kid Flash). Later, he became the adult Flash for a time, before dying and then regressing to puberty and becoming Impulse again. We know, it’s all pretty convoluted. But while Wally is now on record as being technically faster than Barry, by his own words, Bart will eventually become faster than he is, and is pretty close to it now. We know it’s controversial not putting Barry in the number two slot. But we are taking Wally West’s word for it and saying that Bart Allen is the second-fastest Flash.  

1. Wally West (Kid Flash I, Flash III)

For years, Wally West, the original Kid Flash, felt inferior to his predecessor Barry Allen upon taking the Flash mantle when he died in Crisis on Infinite Earths. This was because for many years, he could not match the super speed limits Barry had. He was only able to run at supersonic speeds, but not anything approaching the time barrier. Eventually though, upon discovering the power of the Speed Force, Wally West far surpassed his uncle and mentor Barry Allen in terms of velocity.

In the Flash War storyline, it was determined once and for all that Wally was faster than Barry. Unlike other speedsters, Wally is constantly mainlining pure Speed Force energy. He doesn’t need a cosmic treadmill to travel through time like Barry once did, and has even outrun death (in the form of the Black Flash) just like his uncle. In the series Flash Forward, it was determined that Wally West is the fastest being in the whole Multiverse. At least for now, as Wally is certain that Bart will surpass him one day. But for the moment, Wally West is the Fastest Man Alive.

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Movies don’t exist in a vacuum any more than the people who make them do. That’s never been more true of a film than The Flash, a movie many will justifiably refuse to see because of the abhorrent off-screen actions of its leading star. We all have our own personal line of when we can’t—or simply won’t—separate the art from the artist, and Ezra Miller easily crossed that for some long ago. Despite all the awfulness surrounding DC’s latest feature film, though, it’s still a movie with huge ramifications for a billion dollar franchise. Moreover, it’s one that thousands of others who’ve done nothing wrong worked hard on. And it features characters that mean a great deal personally to generations of fans. The Flash doesn’t merely belong to the Flash. All of which is why it ultimately needs to be evaluated on its own merits.

By that standard it’s unlikely to make anyone happy. Because if you were rooting for The Flash to be a huge disaster, it’s not. It’s never really bad. If instead, you were hoping for the greatest superhero movie ever, it’s not even close to that. The Flash looks unfinished and is thoroughly mediocre until it realizes it’s an emotional drama and not a comedy. Once it understands what it should have been all along it really excels with a moving and powerful story. But that might be the most frustrating part of what this movie delivers on screen. It wasted an opportunity to make something special.

The first two-thirds of The Flash plays more like a whimsical comedy than the intense emotional drama its trailers promised. That approach, which has been done far better by far superior superhero movies, is completely at odds with the very nature of the story being told. Barry Allen is a sad, awkward, lonely superhero who realizes he can go back in time. That means he can stop his mother’s murder when he was a kid, which would also save his wrongly convicted father from prison in the present.

That approach might have still worked if the movie’s dialogue and gags weren’t woefully mediocre. Some jokes occasionally land, usually the ones that come entirely from characterization. But far too many feel easy if not downright lazy. Others are more clever than actually humorous. And making it all worse is that there are just far too many of them. This movie only takes off when it takes itself seriously. Some of the funniest moments actually happen when it does, because they’re organic and character-driven in the moment.

One huge issue that is true even when the film is at its best is that its CGI often looks awful. There are sequences in The Flash that look far cheaper, unfinished, and downright terrible compared to anything Marvel Studios has put out during its current VFX problem era. (Yes, I saw Quantumania.) There are moments when both versions of Barry Allen are on screen that look so clumsy it almost feels intentional. Apparently someone destroyed the technology that believably put two Lindsey Lohans on screen at the same time in Parent Trap 25 years ago.

However, what’s really bizarre about the film’s special effects is that not all of them look awful. Some actually look great, like when Barry travels faster than the speed of light. Clearly DC had the ability to pull off good VFX. (As it has in the past and surely will again.) Apparently nine years of development just wasn’t enough time for this specific entry.

So how can a movie that doesn’t look good and is stunningly mediocre for 66% of its runtime not be outright bad? The Flash has a high floor even at its relative worst because of its characters and cast. And the other third of the movie—the portion that knows why we love these heroes and understands the nature of the story it’s telling—is genuinely excellent. I was bored to tears for long stretches, yet still very emotional at others.

Ben Affleck is really good in what is likely his final, short Batfleck performance. His Bruce Wayne, first introduced as bitter and angry, has arrived at a place that resemble the best version of the character. Meanwhile, Michael Keaton and Sasha Calle are both standouts who lift every scene they’re in. Keaton’s return as an older Bruce Wayne feels true to the character we once knew. He fully commits to the role. There’s also just enough of him that he’s a major part of the film without it being his movie. And Calle is so good as Supergirl it would be a shame if this is her only time playing her. She does so much as Kara Zor-El without a lot of dialogue. Her mere presence outshines the size of her role.

It also does an incredible job of making them feel like an actual team. During their big battle they have defined roles that complement one another. These aren’t four heroes (there are two Barrys) working next to one another during a big fight. They’re working together, in a way that makes sense and makes the sum greater than the parts. This element is strengthened by the movie’s opening sequence, when we see the regular timeline’s Justice League mostly working as a group of individuals with a common cause. The Flash understands what a team is in a way most superhero movies don’t, not even some of the best.

But the best part of The Flash comes when it embraces the heart of its story, which is a tragedy and not a comedy. Inevitably Barry Allen must face the consequences of saving his mother. That forces him to make an impossible choice. The way that happens is among the script’s smartest, most well-written moments. And it leads to the film’s most emotional scene. It’s when we finally get the movie we should have been watching from the start, the one that lives up to its entire premise about facing our past, who we wish we got to be, and who we are. Sometimes the most heroic thing we can do is recognize “not every problem has a solution.”

Which brings us to The Flash‘s biggest problem, the one that does not exist in a vacuum. This is Ezra Miller’s movie in every way. And if you can’t separate the art from the artist, nothing else matters. If you can’t root for the two Barrys because of who plays them, don’t bother watching this film. It’s not nearly good enough to even try and overcome your misgivings if you’re on the fence.

All the fun surprise cameos in (the multiple versions of) the world can’t overcome The Flash‘s problems. Neither can its performances and the powerful, smart, emotional scenes that show how good this movie could have been in a different timeline. Average writing, below average effects, and a refusal to embrace its emotional core make for a mediocre viewing experience far longer than The Flash provides anything great. And that would be true even if everything outside the vacuum of this movie wasn’t so awful.

⭐ (2.5 of 5)

Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist. You can follow him on Twitter at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.

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When you run at Mach 6 on a regular basis, you need really good footwear that doesn’t turn to ribbons after the first mile. Luckily, the Flash has such footwear, and it even matches his costume and logo design. Now, the folks at PUMA are releasing a version of Barry Allen’s running shoes for us regular, non-super-powered people. Say hello to The new PUMA x The Flash RS-X, featuring a design by the streetwear super heroes at BAIT. Inspired of course by “The Fastest Man Alive” and his upcoming feature film. Yes, they’re not designed for running at the speed of sound, but they still look pretty darn cool.

The must-have shoe is part of an expansive merchandise collection from Warner Bros./Discovery to celebrate the epic story of The Flash, hitting theaters everywhere on June 16. The new Flash-inspired shoes will retail for $120 a pair. You can check out images of the new PUMA x The Flash RS-X shoes right here.

Click To View Gallery

In the pages of DC Comics, the Flash actually had custom-made shoes that looked very similar to these. Designed of course by the scientists at S.T.A.R. Labs. After all, his yellow boots aren’t really suitable for a morning jog around the planet. They were a 20th birthday gift to the Wally West version of the Flash by his friends the Teen Titans. This took place way back in 1987’s Flash #1. But we’re pretty sure that Wally’s uncle, Flash Barry Allen, has a similar pair of high-endurance shoes just like these. As cool as the shoes from the comics were, these real-life ones are that much cooler. Just don’t try to beat the Flash’s speed records while running in them.

The new The Flash-inspired footwear will be available on June 14  at Foot Locker, Champs Sports, PUMA.com, and the PUMA NYC Flagship store.

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Even though he’s not the first hero with the name the Flash at DC Comics—that honor belongs to the Justice Society’s Jay Garrick—many consider Barry Allen as the “prime” Scarlet Speedster of the DCU. Although Jay Garrick was popular enough to headline two comics of his own in 1940s, Barry Allen’s Flash began an Atomic Age renaissance at DC Comics, starting the Silver Age, and ushering in concepts that would lead to the Justice League, the Multiverse, and even the Marvel Comics boom of the ‘60s.

And for Flash’s three live-action media incarnations, the 1990 and 2014 TV series, and the current film The Flash, the man behind the mask has always been Barry Allen. These media incarnations have solidified him as the “Prime Flash.” But often, he’s almost just Barry Allen in name only. The faster-than-light hero with the biggest influence on all modern media versions of the Flash has been Barry Allen’s much younger protégé and successor, Wally West. In the comics, he was the only hero to wear the mantle of the Flash from 1985-2006. So why does Barry always hog the spotlight? For that, we go back to the beginning.

Barry Allen: The Baby Boomer Flash

Writer Julius Schwartz and artist Carmine Infantino introduced Barry Allen as a straight-laced, upstanding guy in 1956’s Showcase #4. He worked as a police scientist, which is old-timey speak for a CSI. When a lightning bolt struck him at the same time as various chemicals splashed all over his body, he gained super speed. For no other reason than to just do the right thing, Barry took on the superhero identity of the Flash. In terms of personality, however, Barry was as vanilla as they come. He was an unremarkable, even-tempered ordinary guy, who just so happened to be able to run really fast. His only personality “quirk” was that he was always late.

The Death of Barry Allen, the Rise of Wally West

In the early ‘80s, DC tried to inject the usually boring Barry with some drama and pathos, when his wife Iris West Allen was murdered by his nemesis, the Reverse Flash. In subsequent stories, Barry broke the superhero code and killed his enemy, forcing him to stand trial for murder. None of these storylines boosted Barry’s profile enough for DC to continue with the character, though. Instead, they chose the option of having Barry sacrifice his life to save the universe in Crisis on Infinite Earths #8 in 1985. He became DC’s patron saint. But that wasn’t the end of The Flash as a property. Far from it.

Like most big superheroes at DC, Barry Allen had a teen sidekick. When his nephew Wally West gained powers identical to his, the 13-year-old boy from Blue Valley Nebraska became Kid Flash. He and his Uncle Barry had many adventures together. However, he gained much more nuanced characterization as an older teen in the pages of The New Teen Titans. DC chose the 20-year-old Wally West to take over the Flash mantle when Barry died in Crisis. This was a milestone moment for DC, having a kid sidekick grow up and take over for their mentor. Wally finally fulfilled the promise of having a sidekick in the first place.

Wally West: The Gen-X Flash

When Wally received his own series with 1987’s The New Flash #1. The costume and powers might have been the same as his uncle’s, but everything else was different. Wally was a college dropout, a bit of a hothead, and more than a little bit selfish and immature. This Flash was barely out of his teens, and at first, actually charged for his services. He loved to openly flirt with the ladies, and dated an older divorced scientist named Tina McGee. Which was quite scandalous for comics at the time. Unlike Barry, Wally had to consume mass quantities of food due to his supercharged metabolism. The fact that he received his powers at puberty made him fundamentally different.

Wally, particularly under the guidance of writer Mark Waid, grew up fast. He embraced maturity when he met reporter Linda Park, his future wife, and discovered the Speed Force, the source of all speedster power. He was the Gen-X Flash, and Gen-X readers literally grew up with him. When producers of the animated Justice League series needed a Flash, they chose Wally. Even if his obnoxious, immature personality on the series was only based on very early Wally as Flash stories, nevertheless, it certainly wasn’t like any Barry we’d ever come to know in the comics. Despite this, Wally West wouldn’t be the main focus of any Flash live-action project. His long-dead predecessor Barry Allen kept getting that Hollywood call. And the first call came in 1990.

TV’s First Flash: Barry Allen (with Some Wally Influence)

When Flash got his own CBS TV series in 1990 starring John Wesley Ship, the network decided to go with Barry Allen and not Wally West as the protagonist, despite Barry having died in the comics five years prior. There are understandable reasons for this of course. Barry had a less cluttered origin story, and a job on the police force that easily lead to TV plots. Wally’s Flash was defined by Barry’s sacrifice and his time as his protégé. It was much easier to just keep things simple for TV. So they went with Barry.

But even that first TV version of Barry Allen was influenced by Wally West Flash comics of the time. His co-star and romantic interest in the series was Dr. Tina McGee, whom Wally dated in the comics. Barry’s classic love interest Iris West was a minor part of the pilot episode, and was then subsequently written out of the show. And TV Barry’s costume looked a lot more like Wally’s comic book outfit. However, most of Barry’s more straight-laced personality from the original comics was intact for the 1990-1991 series. But the influences of Wally were already felt.

CW and DCEU Flash: Barry Allen Spliced with Wally West

By the time the 2014 Flash TV series hit the CW, Barry Allen had been back from the grave for about five years. Nevertheless, outside of his origins as a CSI and his romance with Iris West, much of CW Barry’s personality and storylines came from Wally West’s time as the Flash. For starters, this was a much younger Barry Allen than we ever saw portrayed in the comics or the ’90s show. A large part of the Flash mythology on the show centered around the Speed Force, something that was discovered by Wally West and played a large part in his stories. There was never a hint of the Speed Force in the original Barry Allen comics. And certainly, Grant Gustin’s Barry is more lighthearted and humorous like Wally, far more than his often stiff comics counterpart.

But no version of Barry Allen is more Wally West in disguise than the DCEU version currently played by Ezra Miller. Yes, his Flash has the same origin story as comic book Barry, and works as a CSI too. But from his fast-talking and jokey attitude to his need to eat food constantly because of his hyper metabolism, to his slacker youth, this Barry is more like Wally than any other. More than any other live-action Barry Allen, he bears the least resemblance to his comic book counterpart.

There is only one aspect of Barry Allen’s modern TV and film persona that we can attribute to only Barry without Wally influence. That’s Barry’s mother’s tragic murder when he was a child, a tragedy he goes back in time to prevent. They added that wrinkle to Barry’s past when DC resurrected the character in 2009, to make him less boring and give him a more modern edge. Regardless of that change, modern media Barry Allen owes his nephew Wally West a great big thank you. Because he just wouldn’t be the same guy without him.

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A cinematic feature film for DC Comics’ The Flash was first announced way back in 2014. Since then, we’ve had several appearances of the Scarlet Speedster in movies like Justice League and Suicide Squad, as well as some TV cameos. Not to mention many seasons of a Flash TV series that gave us an enjoyable turn with the character. But ultimately, The Flash will arrive in theaters in 2023.

We guess we’ll have to wait and see The Flash before we think to hard about its sequel. Here’s everything we know so far about the upcoming movie.

Title

Despite early reports that this film was to be called Flashpoint, based on the DC Comics event of the same name, it will simply be called The Flash. 

The Flash‘s Plot

Based on the DC FanDome 2021 trailer, it appears that The Flash is indeed loosely adapting the 2011 DC event series Flashpoint. In that story, Barry Allen uses his super-speed powers to run into the past, preventing his mother’s murder from taking place when he was a child. But when he returns to his present, he finds things are drastically changed. In the film version, it looks like Barry will somehow alter time and space and bring in Michael Keaton’s Batman from the classic Tim Burton films. Also, in this altered universe is a new version of Supergirl and at least one alternate Barry. Flash will also receive a new costume in the film, replacing the one he used in Justice League.

A poster reveals the Batman influence looming large in the world of The Flash. And the first trailer for the movie cemented that notion.

At a recent screening of The Flash, Andy Muschietti and Barbara Muschietti discussed a possible sequel for the franchise and how it could fit in with James Gunn and Peter Safran’s newly restructured DC Universe. The director and producer had this say about the idea of The Flash 2:

We didn’t talk about it. I think that we’re all waiting to see how this movie does. Of course, there’s excitement about continuing the story, especially if this movie is successful. Of course, there’s an architecture in DC that is brewing and it’s being created. And the question is, will this new architecture absorb this story? The good thing about the multiverse is that it is possible. The multiverse allows all of these different worlds to coexist and interact, and so, hopefully, yes, I mean, we don’t know yet. That’s the truth.

Additionally, the creators noted of The Flash itself and its future, “We can’t predict the future; everything that we hear is gonna happen is very exciting. We don’t know much more than you do, honestly. But again, this is a movie about beginnings and not endings, and we certainly hope so.”

Behind the Scenes 

In the years since the film’s initial announcement, many directors have come and gone. However, It and It: Chapter two director Andy Muschietti helms The Flash. The film’s final screenplay is from Birds of Prey and Batgirl screenwriter Christina Hodson, with a story by Hodson, John Francis Daley, and Jonathan Goldstein.

The Flash‘s Cast

Ezra Miller returns to his role as Barry Allen/Flash, alongside Kiersey Clemons (Iris West), Sasha Calle (Supergirl), Ron Livingston (Henry Allen), Michael Shannon (General Zod), Antje Traue (Faora), and two distinct Dark Knights—Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton as their universes’ respective Batman. And given the multiversal aspect of this movie, we do expect some surprise cameos. Perhaps Grant Gustin might appear? Only time will tell.

The Flash’s Release Date

The Flash speeds into theaters on June 16, 2023.

Originally published on March 8, 2022.

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Recently, Nic Cage went on the record saying he didn’t need to be part of the MCU. Because, well, he’s Nic Cage. But apparently, being Nic Cage won’t stop Nicolas Cage from being in the DCU. Because, well, he’s Nic Cage, but it’s about time he is also Superman. Nic Cage is, of course, his own kind of Superman every day. But Cage almost played the Man of Steel in Tim Burton’s Superman Lives over two decades ago. The movie, of course, did not come to fruition. But now Nicolas Cage will become Superman, and he will do so by having a cameo in The Flash.

The Flash‘s director Andy Muschietti recently revealed to Esquire Middle East, “Nic [Cage] was absolutely wonderful. Although the role was a cameo, he dove into it.” Muschetti also noted, “I dreamt all my life to work with him. I hope I can work with him again soon… He is a massive Superman fan. A comic book fanatic.”

Cage recently revealed that in Superman Lives, his version of Superman “was more of a 1980s Superman with like, the samurai black long hair. I thought it was gonna be a really different, sort of emo Superman, but we never got there.” Honestly, we can dig it. But we don’t yet know how closely this emo version of Superman will resemble the cameo character that Cage will play in The Flash. However, we would like to see Cage with long black hair blasting Taking Back Sunday. Batman and Spider-Man have both gotten to go emo before. So why not Superman?

You can see a little glimpse of what could have been/what will be below. The video reveals Nicolas Cage doing some costume tests for Tim Burton’s Superman and maybe gives us a glimpse into his The Flash looks to come. And yes, we see the long hair and the eyeliner.

And soon, we guess we will get to see the real thing. Cage’s cameo and The Flash itself head to theaters on June 16.

The post This THE FLASH Cameo Is a Super Surprise Built Over Decades appeared first on Nerdist.

Barry Allen (both of him) will endanger the past, present, and future in his standalone film The Flash. Fortunately, he’ll have plenty of help from other legendary DC characters to help him restore the timeline. The Flash‘s final trailer is a mini-reunion of stars spanning generations. For the first time, Michael Keaton’s Batman isn’t the most prominent Caped Crusader on the job. That title belongs to Ben Affleck’s Dark Knight. And he has his own help, too. Jeremy Irons is also back as his loyal butler Alfred.

The Batfleck isn’t just back; he’s still leading the team of heroes that protect the world. But it will ultimately be another, older Bruce Wayne (and the best Batmobile ever) who will need to protect multiple worlds when Ezra Miller’s Barry Allen races his way back in time. That attempt to prevent his mom’s death will lead to catastrophe. The Flash‘s final trailer definitely walks us through all of that. But for even more insight, here’s the film’s official synopsis from DC Studios:

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?

Directed by Andy Muschietti (IT Chapters 1 and 2), the film will introduce Sasha Calle as Supergirl. It also marks the return of Michael Shannon’s General Zod. He’s joined by two additional DC alums, Kiersey Clemons and Antje Traue. And Ron Livingston and Maribel Verdú round out the cast.

The Flash—and its many Batmans—speeds into North American theaters on June 16, 2023. That’s when we’ll find out just how big this DC reunion really is.

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Both the Barry Allen version of the Flash and the Kara Zor-El version of Supergirl helped usher in DC Comics’ Silver Age. An argument can be made that no two heroes exemplify the Atomic Age vibes of DC in the late ’50s/early ’60s more than this pair, except for maybe Green Lantern. But the Flash and Supergirl’s debuts, separated by only 2.5 years, did not result in the two heroes becoming friends or partners. Yet elements outside the story in the comic book pages have always tied them together long before they became allies on TV, or co-stars in films like The Flash.

The circumstances that led to these two characters happened at the same time. The mid-’50s was a tough time for comics. Congressional hearings were held on the dangers of comic books, several publishers folded, and those that survived, like DC Comics, held on by the skin of their teeth. When the dust cleared, DC knew it had to rethink things to survive. So even though the most popular comics of the day were horror and crime related, they leaned into superheroes once again. It paid off and the Flash and Supergirl were the headliners of this new DC era.

The Flash and Supergirl Usher in DC’s Silver Age

In Showcase #4 in 1956, DC decided to revive an old popular hero from the Golden Age, the speedster called the Flash. It had been four years since DC published a Flash story, and editor Julius Schwartz believed the character needed a reboot, long before that term was coined. He ditched the old costume, the old origin story, and even the old secret identity of Jay Garrick. Now, the Flash was police scientist Barry Allen, who gained his powers when lightning struck his chemical lab. Wearing a sleek red costume, he became the new Flash and the comic became an instant hit. Thanks to the Flash, superheroes were officially popular again.

In 1959, as sales of The Flash soared, DC pulled the same trick with Green Lantern, another World War II-era hero who got a total modern-age revamp. That same year, DC introduced a new addition to the Superman family in the form of Supergirl. She was Superman’s cousin Kara Zor-El, rocketed to Earth from Krypton just as her cousin was. Arriving on Earth, Superman set her up in an orphanage under the name Linda Lee. She became his secret helper for years. Eventually, Superman reveals her to the world with much fanfare. Supergirl became one of DC’s most popular characters overnight.

Running Super Fast, But Always Missing Each Other

The Flash and Supergirl were arguably DC Comics’ biggest new hits of the Silver Age, with arguably Green Lantern as third. There were other reboots of old characters, like Hawkman and the Atom. Not to mention entirely new ones like the Doom Patrol. However, the Flash and Supergirl were the ones fans seemed to take to the most. In fact, the Flash became an anchor for the new Justice League of America series, while Supergirl became a prominent member of the Legion of Super-Heroes in Adventure Comics.

And yet, during the entire Silver Age and much of the Bronze Age (1970-1984), the two heroes barely interacted. The two shared a panel together in Superman in 1967, in a scenario where Superman seemingly died. Then later that year, Supergirl was among the crowd when Superman and the Flash ran their famous race. Did anyone introduce them? We don’t know. But the Flash and Supergirl would not have a proper team-up until 1977’s Super Team Family #11. Nearly two full decades after their debuts. Ultimately, the thing that would ultimately bond these two together in a meaningful way would be their deaths.

Crisis on Infinite Earths Kills Both Supergirl and the Flash

In 1985, DC decided to clean house. Totally dominated by rival Marvel Comics in sales, they felt that comics readers viewed them as old-fashioned and stuck in a particular era. So with the maxi-series Crisis on Infinite Earths, DC destroyed the old Multiverse to start fresh with modern takes on beloved characters. But the two characters who most symbolized the DC of old had to go. And those were the Flash and Supergirl. Kara heroically sacrificed her life to save the Multiverse in Crisis #7 and the Flash did the same in the following issue. The two iconic heroes who helped usher in one age of DC also ushered it out. And for decades, these deaths actually stuck.

21st Century Resurrections of Supergirl and the Flash

Although there would be new heroes named the Flash and Supergirl almost as soon as the old ones died, Barry and Kara remained dead for decades. But in 2004, DC decided it was time to reintroduce a new version of Kara to comics. Four years later, DC did the same with Barry Allen. These resurrections were a big deal, as Barry and Kara were considered some of the few sacred deaths left in comics. But their returns resulted in big sales and the long-dead characters were suddenly popular again. So would these two finally become friends after having such similar journeys? Well, aside from a brief flashback showing how the Flash showed Kara some super speed trick, not really.

In 2011, DC rebooted its universe once again, thanks to the series Flashpoint. That event comic is largely what inspired the story behind The Flash movie. This new universe and publishing initiative was referred to as “The New 52.” And finally, in 2013, Barry and Kara met and had an adventure, in Supergirl #16. It took one death and one resurrection, but the Flash and Supergirl met properly for the first time in decades. Were they friends this time? Actually, they spent much of this first meeting beating the crap out of each other. It would take another medium to make these two friends at last.

TV Finally Makes the Flash and Supergirl a Dynamic Duo

What really cemented these two heroes in the minds of fans as a duo like Superman and Batman was television. With the success of Arrow and The Flash, producer Greg Berlanti kept expanding his stable of DC series, now called the Arrowverse. While most of them were on the CW, one series landed on CBS. That show was Supergirl. Which, although produced by Berlanti, took place on a separate Earth from the one on Arrow and The Flash. After all, Supergirl’s existence required there to be a Superman. And both Green Arrow and the Flash lived in a world where there was no Man of Steel. Besides, they were on separate networks. That alone was a hurdle.

But Greg Berlanti overcame those hurdles and one of the first big multiverse crossovers of modern superhero TV happened when the Flash appeared on Supergirl in 2016. In the episode, the Flash (Grant Gustin) ran so fast that he vibrated into a parallel universe, where he met Kara Zor-El (Melissa Benoist). The two became fast friends, no pun intended. Their fun, playful banter was in stark contrast to how Superman and Batman interacted on the big screen at the same time. When Supergirl moved to the CW in season two, the crossovers came with frequency. Barry and Kara become best buds, and even shared a musical crossover episode together.

Barry and Kara Share the Silver Screen

Now, the Flash is getting a movie all his own at last. Although “all his own” is a bit of a stretch, since he’ll be sharing the screen with two Batmans. Not to mention the first big screens Supergirl since 1984. Once again, in public perception, the characters of Barry Allen and Kara Zor-El will be inextricably linked in the eyes of the public. In the end, it’s only fitting. Barry and Kara were “born” around the same time in comics, and “died” at just the same time too. And their resurrections were also concurrent. Oh, and they both can run really, really fast. It feels like these two should have always been friends. It just took until the modern era for the folks that write their stories to realize it.

The post The Strange Shared History of the Flash and Supergirl appeared first on Nerdist.

Superman has had, more or less, one costume his whole career. There have been some minor tweaks since the early days. But he’s essentially worn the same getup since about 1945. But his cousin Kara, a.k.a. Supergirl? She adds to her Kryptonian closet with some regularity. Here’s the history of Supergirl’s costume, from the 1959 “girl next door from space” look, to the badass Sasha Calle costume we will soon see in The Flash.

Note: Since the character has appeared in many costume iterations, we’re sticking to outfits worn by the main DCU comics character, not any alternate Earth or Elseworlds versions. So no Power Girl, who is almost an entirely different hero, and no Injustice Kara. And no one-offs, used for a single story then forgotten just as fast. We are including the movie and Arrowverse versions, as well as the animated ones, because they made a big impact and, in turn, the comics started to reflect them.

The Prototype Supergirl Costume

Less than a year before Kara debuted in the pages of Action Comics, DC tried out a Supergirl character to see if readers would respond in 1958’s Superman #123. DC had flirted with a female counterpart to Superman before, like in the ’40s when Lois Lane got powers. They created this Girl of Steel when Jimmy Olsen wished for a Supergirl to help Superman out by wishing on a magic totem. She died the very same issue they introduced her in. But readers liked her enough that DC introduced a real Supergirl one year later. She’d be just a footnote, if not for one thing. The costume she wore, which had a red skirt, would become Kara’s most recognizable costume. But Kara herself wouldn’t wear it until 26 years later in the Supergirl feature film.

Kara Zor-El’s Original Costume

The Supergirl most people know, Kara-Zor-El, first debuted in 1959’s Action Comics #252. When she arrived on Earth from Krypton to greet her cousin she wore this outfit, which remains one of her most iconic. She wore this particular costume for over a decade. It’s basically just her cousin Superman’s costume, but with a skirt and no pants. In many ways, this remains the most iconic Supergirl costume of all, except these days, most people think of it with a red skirt instead of blue. We’ll get to why in a bit. Oddly enough, Kara didn’t wear any version of her costume with a red skirt until 1983, nearly 25 years after her debut.

The Fan-Made Supergirl Costume Fashion

We know, we said no “one off” costumes. But this Supergirl costume phase was too important not to mention. In 1970, Supergirl fans started feeling like her costume was dated. The look she arrived in was a relic of the Leave it to Beaver era, and it was now a post-Woodstock world. So DC asked fans to send in their best costume designs. And the fans complied. They sent in dozens, and DC actually used a few of them. Since this was the early ‘70s, the aesthetics were, shall we say, very groovy. Most of these costumes were just worn once or twice. But one of them was the first time a Supergirl costume included pants. Something her prime-universe comics counterpart wouldn’t ever really wear until very recently.

The Cocktail Waitress of Steel

In 1972, Supergirl finally got her own comic book series instead of merely being a feature in the anthology title Adventure Comics. To celebrate, she got a new costume once again. Only this one stuck for the better part of a decade. It’s another costume very much of its time with a choker, low-cut blouse, and hot pants. Fans have often referred to this one as “the cocktail waitress costume.” As the decade rolled on, the hot pants became regular shorts and the pixie shoes became red boots like she had before. But the basic look remained for a decade. And this costume made it into much of the Supergirl merchandising of the time.

Kara Gets Physical in a Costume to Die For

In 1983, with production about to begin on a live-action Supergirl movie, DC decided to update Kara’s look for the MTV era. To reflect the workout craze, they have the Girl of Steel a perm and a headband. It was all very “Jane Fonda Workout” tape. Actress Helen Slater wore a version of this costume for screen tests, but the producers ultimately ditched the headband and the cape attached to the “S” symbol for the final film. However, they kept the red skirt, which people associate with Supergirl to this day. This costume only lasted a couple of years, but it was the outfit Kara famously died in saving the universe in Crisis on Infinite Earths in 1985.

The Hollywood Costume

Supergirl finally made it into live-action in 1984, in a big-budget feature starring newcomer Helen Slater. A spin-off of the Christopher Reeve Superman films, it sadly totally tanked at the box office and was a critical disaster. However, more people still saw that movie versus reading any one Supergirl comic, especially once it went to home video and cable TV. So this costume instantly became Supergirl’s most well-known. Ironically, it was a costume first worn by the version of the character that was just the prototype, and not the Kara version everyone knows.

The Replacement Supergirl Keeps it Classic

Kara Zor-El was dead and buried in DC continuity from 1985-2004. But in the interim, DC introduced a different Supergirl to the Superman family. And her origin was a tad complicated. But here’s the short version. This version of Supergirl was a protoplasmic lifeform called Matrix that could mimic human appearance. She came from an alternate Earth, where that world’s Kal-El died, and Lex Luthor created her to replace him. She eventually “fused” with a human woman named Linda Danvers, becoming an angel on Earth. Yeah, “Superman’s cousin” makes more sense to us as an origin, too. In any event, the costume worn by this Supergirl from 1988 to 1998 or so is almost exactly the same one we saw in the movie.

The ’90s Supergirl Cartoon Costume

Speaking of the ‘90s, Superman: The Animated Series eventually introduced their version of Supergirl, in the 1998 episode “Little Girl Lost.” This version was Kara, but not Superman’s direct cousin. Instead of Krypton, she was a survivor of the neighboring world of Argo. Her costume was very of its time. Belly T-shirt, Doc Marten boots, a super mini skirt, and a headband that looked like Alicia Silverstone’s in Clueless. In a change of pace for Kara, her shirt was white and not blue. She also had white gloves, a first for her. The comics version of Supergirl, who was not Kara at the time but Linda Danvers, eventually adopted the costume herself. Another example of outside media influencing the comics.

Supergirl’s Costume in the 21st Century

In the early 2000s, DC decided it was time to reintroduce Kara Zor-El. They didn’t resurrect the original Kara, but reintroduced a younger version as a brand-new character just arriving on Earth. This Kara 2.0, designed by the late artist Michael Turner, essentially had the same outfit as her original counterpart did in 1959. Except she now had a bare midriff, much like Britney Spears would have in that era. The costume has more yellow highlights as well. If not for the ridiculously over-exposed mid-section and wildly short skirt, we’d consider this one an all-timer.

The New 52 Costume

In 2011, DC rebooted its entire universe thanks to the event called Flashpoint. The result was “the New 52,” a new timeline with a new Supergirl. She was still Kara, but now more Kryptonian, more aggressive, and with a very weird costume. It definitely evoked the Jim Lee era of early ’90s comics the New 52 was mimicking. Her cape made a statement with a very dramatic collar. But the boots that leave the knees exposed? The weird red diamond shape over the crotch? All that extra piping in the costume itself? This was an overdone look and we weren’t sad to see it go.

The Supergirl Television Show Costume

When Supergirl got her own live-action TV series on CBS (later the CW) she appeared in a costume that reflected what most people thought of when they thought “Supergirl.” So basically, actress Melissa Benoist wore a more muted version of the 1984 movie costume for the Arrowverse. Actually, it’s a cross between the classic version and the then-current DCEU Superman costume worn by Henry Cavill. So, bright colors were not “in” at this time. But everything else about this costume was fantastic, and worked well on screen for four seasons of television.

The Rebirth Uniform

In 2016, DC Comics undid the New 52, and go back to something more classic. This era was called “Rebirth,” and it was a rebirth for Supergirl as well. The militaristic look of the new 52 was out the window. With the success of the TV series, DC decided to give Kara a look that reflected her live-action counterpart. Except the colors were brighter, and more dare-we-say, comic booky. And this might be the best Supergirl costume yet. It’s also the one worn by the Girl of Steel in Tom King’s excellent Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow series. Which will soon be a major motion picture.

The TV Costume, Take Two. Pants at Last!

In the final two seasons of the CW’s Supergirl, Melissa Benoist got something she’d been asking for since season one: pants. Yes, Kara got a new costume this season, which covered up her legs at last. Although Supergirl was barely ever allowed to wear pants in the comics, this outfit changed the game. It definitely drew inspiration from a short-lived costume from the early ‘70s, only it improved on it. The latest comics costume for Kara took a cue from Melissa Benoist and finally added pants. But in a shocking twist, she has no cape, and has a jacket instead! We’re not sure how we feel about that.

The Flash’s Supergirl Costume

Sasha Calle will play Supergirl in The Flash, and this Kara Zor-El is different from anyone we’ve seen before. Just from the trailers, we can see she’s definitely harder-edged, and her costume looks more than a bit like Henry Cavill’s version. Although she is Kara, her costume was inspired by a non-Kara version of the Girl of Steel. It’s strikingly similar to Injustice’s Lara Kent, the daughter of Superman and Lois Lane. If Sasha Calle’s Supergirl returns, we expect yet another costume. After all, as you can see, the Maid of Might changing uniforms is as normal for her as flying.

The post The Complete Supergirl Costume History From the ’50s to THE FLASH appeared first on Nerdist.

“Swimsuit Specials” were all the rage in comics back in the ’90s. Back then, publishers tried to cash in on the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issues by doing a version with their characters in skimpy swimwear. Of course, back then, the “models” were exclusively women. Things are a little more equal opportunity today. Case in point, DC Comics’ brand new G’nort’s Illustrated Swimsuit Edition, hitting your local comic shop this summer. If you’re wondering who the heck G’nort is, he’s an anthropomorphic dog-like alien who is the universe’s most incompetent Green Lantern. Fortunately, his name also rhymes with the word “sports.”

G’nort will be our guide through a 48-page collection of some of DC’s sexiest swimsuit covers over the years, all collected in one issue. We’re talking artists like Amanda Conner, Paul Pelletier, Nicola Scott, Mikel Janín, Jeff Dékal, Daniel Sampere, Gleb Melnikov, Derrick Chew, Stanley “Artgerm” Lau, Emanuela Lupacchino, Joëlle Jones, Megan Huang, Terry Dodson, Babs Tarr, Pete Woods, Joe Quinones, Hélène Lenoble, Otto Schmidt, Michael Allred, Sweeney Boo, David Talaski, Jenny Frison, and more. You can see examples of their heroes in beachwear in the gallery below:

Click To View Gallery

Additionally, this one-shot will include Steve Orlando and Paul Pelletier’s Midnighter and Apollo story, “Out There.” This was originally published in DC Cybernetic Summer. Most surprisingly, there’s a new 8-page story featuring The Penguin. Julie Benson and Shawna Benson will clothe Oswald in the tightest bathing trunks you can imagine, in a story with art by Meghan Hetrick. And of course, as with any good Swimsuit Special, there will be a centerfold. There will be three potential centerfolds with each copy, but who they will feature will remain a mystery for now. There will be a main cover by Vasco Georgiev, along with cardstock variant covers by J. Scott Campbell and Adam Hughes, and a 1:25 variant cover by Pablo Villalobos. The G’nort Illustrated Swimsuit Edition goes on sale on August 29.

The post DC Comics Celebrates Summer with New Swimsuit Edition Special appeared first on Nerdist.

If you’re a superhero movie fan you’ve imagined what it would be like seeing Marvel’s Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America share the same screen with DC’s Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman. The characters have done that in the pages of comic books. Daydreaming of a live-action version is part of the fun of being a fan. However, when you’re a fan who’s in charge of one of those studios you can do more than just fantasize about such a crossover. Especially when you previously a prominent part of the other. James Gunn has done more than just think about bringing the DCU and MCU together. He discussed it. But don’t start camping out for tickets just yet. If ever.

Gunn spoke to Empire about his final MCU project, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. During the interview the new co-head of the revamped DCU talked about combining his former superhero franchise with his new one. That’s usually a conversation you hear tired people waiting in a long line at Comic-Con talk about to kill time. Only, Gunn said he’s “certain that’s more likely now” that he’s in charge of DC’s creative side. More importantly, it’s an idea he said he’s actually “discussed,” though he pointed out those discussions were “very, very light and fun.” (So in that way it’s exactly like those fan conversations.)

Even knowing the person atop DC is thinking about such a possibility is fun. But Gunn also said that if such a crossover were to ever happen it would still be many years away. Recently he told Deadline, “It would look like something that would be happening in about ten years. Not today.” He believes he needs to establish the new DCU before he can think about working with Marvel. But he did add that a DCU/MCU crossover, “could be cool.”

That’s fine with us. We’ll need time to figure out exactly what we’d want to see from a DCU/MCU crossover event. We’ve spent so much time dreaming about that without ever thinking it could actually happen.

The post James Gunn Has ‘Discussed’ a DCU-MCU Crossover, But Don’t Take it Seriously Anytime Soon appeared first on Nerdist.

DC Comics may have been named for the title Detective Comics, but the most important comic in the publisher’s library is Action Comics #1. Although DC (then called National Comics) had existed for some three years already, it was Action Comics, and its headlining hero Superman, that changed the publisher and comic books forever. But although Action Comics #1 famously introduced Superman to the world, it also introduced another DC hero, Zatara, whose child became an iconic DC universe mainstay. Here’s how a single comic book changed the world.

DC Comics Before the Man of Steel

Publisher DC Comics wasn’t always DC Comics. It began as National Publications, founded by entrepreneur and World War I vet Major Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson in 1934. Comic strips in newspapers were already wildly popular in America, and there were magazines already out there that collected known strips. But it was the Major who figured out that creating new original comic strips for the magazine format could work. The first issue of New Fun Comics #1 hit the stands in February 1935. But National still struggled until the creation of two young nerdy guys from Ohio saved the publisher and comics as a whole.

Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster were two kids from Ohio who loved sci-fi stories and comic strips. While still in their teens, they came up with the concept of Superman, a powerful villain who was the mightiest man on Earth. He had mental powers and didn’t leap tall buildings. No bullets bounced off of his chest. And sadly, no one wanted this weird comic strip idea. Nevertheless, the pair were hired to contribute to New Fun Comics, where they worked steadily and created the supernatural detective Dr. Occult. He was kind of a Dick Tracy meets Lovecraftian horror hero.

Two Nerdy Guys from Ohio Change the Comic Book Genre

Despite the relative success of National’s Detective Comics, there just wasn’t a big enough hit to save them as a company. Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson sold the company to pulp publisher Harry Donenfeld, who decided a bigger and bolder lead strip protagonist with a catchier title was needed to entice readers. In April of 1938, National launched the anthology Action Comics #1, and they agreed to print a reworked version of Siegel and Shuster’s rejected Superman character on the cover. And nothing was ever the same again for National, for Siegel and Shuster, or for pop culture in general.

National paid Siegel and Shuster a measly amount for the rights to Superman, a character that would make them millions. DC would award the duo a large amount of money decades later, as the company recognized their mistreatment of them. But, they did get gainful employment at the time, writing Superman stories for the publisher for much of the following decade. Their new Superman was substantially different from their original teenage idea. No one wanted a bald villain with psychic powers, they wanted a good-hearted muscle man to save them.

Action Comics Makes Superman an Overnight Sensation

This new Superman was an alien, and wore a costume like a circus strongman. He now had physical powers and not mental ones. He graced the cover of Action Comics #1, lifting a car high over his head. And it sold out its 200,000 copy print run almost instantly. The next few Action Comics covers had different characters from the anthology, and didn’t sell nearly as well. Once National realized this, Superman held the covers exclusively. And within a year, Action Comics was selling over 1,000,000 copies a month.

It’s hard to overstate how quickly Superman went from one of many characters in a crowded anthology book to a pop culture icon. By 1939 he had his own self-titled comic book. He had a comic strip in the Sunday newspapers and made his first live-action appearance at the 1939 World’s Fair. By 1940, he had a radio show, a balloon at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and an animated serial in movie theaters. Everyone in America knew the headliner of Action Comics #1 in record time. Only Mickey Mouse, and later, Bart Simpson, became that famous and that merchandised overnight.

Action Comics Ultimately Led to DC Comics’ Most Popular Magician

Superman’s success led to a horde of imitators, essentially launching the superhero genre. And now, this genre has been the backbone of Hollywood blockbusters for the better part of the last two decades. But what about the other legacy of Action Comics #1? The one that’s a bit more mystical in nature? Folks don’t talk about this one nearly as much as the Last Son of Krypton. But it’s an important part of overall DC Comics history. We’re talking about Zatara the Magician, father of future iconic heroine, Zatanna.

Aside from Superman, a metric ton of other characters debuted in Action Comics #1. Chances are you’ve never heard of characters like “Tex” Thompson or “Pep” Morgan. But Zatara the Magician? He ultimately led to the creation of one of the Justice League’s greatest magic users, Zatanna. At first, he seemed like just a ripoff of the popular comic strip character Mandrake the Magician. But unlike Mandrake, Zatara had actual magical powers, ones he could invoke by saying spells backward. He appeared in dozens of stories from 1938-1951, but the mystic hero faded away with the end of the Golden Age of comics. But while Zatara vanished, his legacy would not.

In 1964, DC Comics introduced Zatanna, the daughter of Zatara. She had the same powers and even a traditional magician’s costume just like her father did. However, her fame would prove to be much bigger than her dad’s. She became a Justice League member in the 1970s, and has been part of the team on and off ever since. Aside from perhaps Doctor Fate, she’s DC Comics’ most powerful heroic sorcerer. But she wouldn’t have happened had her father Zatara not been a success first, a character who few today know debuted alongside Superman in his first appearance.

No Action Comics, No Superhero Genre

Action Comics #1 is the single most important comic book at DC Comics and honestly comics in general. It might not have been the first comic printed by the New York publisher nor the one the company wound up taking its name from ultimately. But without it, there’s no Superman, and no superheroes, period. And we wouldn’t have an amazing superheroine wearing a tophat and fishnets who has become a fan-favorite Justice League member. Sometimes, the honor of “highest-selling single comic book” goes to other comics, often featuring Batman and Spider-Man. But inevitably, Action Comics #1 takes the top spot again. For this now-85-year-old comic, it’s good to be the king.

The post DC’s ACTION COMICS #1: Its Cultural Significance, Iconic Characters, and Surprising History appeared first on Nerdist.

A new trailer for The Flash dropped this week giving fans a glimpse of even more of the mutliversal madness in store for one of the final entries in the old DCEU. Dan Casey taps into the Speed Force to break down all the easter eggs, hidden details, and everything else you might have missed in this latest trailer on today’s episode of Nerdist News!

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In 2018, James Wan did the unexpected in delivering an all-around delightful Aquaman. The sixth entrant into the DC Extended Universe was an exciting change of pace for the franchise, with a very charming Jason Momoa front and center as the titular King of Atlantis. In addition to subverting expectations, Aquaman also delivered at the box office, earning over $1 billion and a place as the top-grossing DC Comics film to date. So it’s no surprise whatsoever that a sequel is currently in the works. DC Comics and Warner Bros. are clearly hoping to strike lightning twice as Aquaman 2 is just around the corner, with many key players returning for more.

Warner Bros.

Here’s everything we know about the DCEU’s Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.

Title

In June 2021, director James Wan shared the title for his upcoming Aquaman sequel:

As you can see, the title is Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. That designation usually refers to the underwater realm of Atlantis. Of course, Atlantis was front and center in the first Aquaman movie, so it’s hard to say exactly what the title refers to this time around.

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom‘s Plot

Warner Bros. has yet to confirm plot details, although Abdul-Matteen reprising his role is a major indicator. Still, we have some thoughts about where Aquaman 2 picks up after the very fun first film. In an interview with Total Film, Wan revealed that the story will be largely inspired by the 1960s cult horror film Planet of the Vampires. And he also hints at leaning into his horror DNA with the new film.

Director James Wan and star Jason Momoa shared the above behind-the-scenes look at Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom at DC FanDome. They gave some loose hints about the story too. Black Manta is still very much trying to exact vengeance upon Aquaman. Orm is back. Wan said the sequel is a more mature movie that will still retain the fun. He also noted it’s a globe-trotting movie with fantasy and magic. We can’t wait.

At CinemaCon 2023, Wan shared just a few teases about the movie’s plot. He noted, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom features a “romance story at its heart between the two brothers, between Arthur and Orm.” And that “Orm was a villain in the first film, but this time around Arthur needs him to stop a vengeful Black Manta from unleashing a powerful ancient evil.”

Additionally, as part of several release date changes Warner Bros. is making to their slate of movies, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will now release on December 25, 2023. Deadline shares the reason for this Aquaman 2 release date delay is because more time in post is needed. To help hold us over, James Wan took the opportunity to share a trove of new concept images.

Behind the Scenes

James Wan is returning to direct; he’ll also produce alongside Peter Safran. David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, who co-wrote the first film, is also back and will be writing the sequel’s script. While many faces in front of and behind the camera are back, Arthur Curry is returning with something new—a brand new suit. Momoa took to Instagram, sharing a picture of Aquaman’s classic look, also slipping in a sleek new suit.

But Momoa’s not the only one sharing new lewks. Wan took to Instagram to show off a new pic of Patrick Wilson on set. And let’s just say Orm’s looking a little different this time around.

Most recently, Wan also shared images of Black Manta, played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, from the film. Wan noted, “Months and months of meticulous detailing were spent on costume and production designs.”

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom‘s Cast

Naturally, Jason Momoa will reprise his role as Aquaman/Arthur Curry in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. Other cast members returning include Amber Heard as Mera, and Patrick Wilson as Arthur’s half-brother Orm Marius. Yahya Abdul-Matteen II has also confirmed he’s appearing in the sequel as David Kane/Black Manta. In the mid-credit scene, Dr. Stephen Shin (Randall Park) rescued Kane, confirming his survival and teasing his return. And now, his presence in the movie has been confirmed in a report by The Hollywood Reporter. The report also shared that Jani Zhao, Indya Moore, and Vincent Regan have joined the cast.

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

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

On July 28, 2022, Jason Momoa revealed that Ben Affleck would also appear in the film, reprising his role as Bruce Wayne/Batman from the previous DCEU films. Affleck will, of course, also take part in the upcoming Flash movie. Evidently the intention was to keep it a secret but, of all things, the Warner Bros. Studio Tour happened to catch both actors coming out of the soundstage. Awhoops.

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’s Release Date

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom was originally set to release on March 17, 2023, the film was then delayed to December 25, 2023. It will now release on December 20, 2023.

Originally published on April 27, 2021

The post Everything We Know About AQUAMAN AND THE LOST KINGDOM appeared first on Nerdist.

Soon, The Flash will give us something that superhero cinema has never shown us before: the multiverse! Kidding aside, the Andy Muschietti-directed movie will give audiences a fresh twist on DC’s iconic Flashpoint storyline. The 2011 saga from Geoff Johns and Andy Kubert saw Barry Allen going back in time to try and prevent his mother’s murder. But he ended up breaking the past and the future in the process. And while The Flash will bring in many faces from DC Comics stories, some cameos did not make the cut.

The Flash will serve as the swan song for the current iteration of the DC Extended Universe. Newly minted DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran have been candid about their plans to make a new unified DC Universe.

With The Flash serving as the end of an era, a lot is riding on its shoulders. Fortunately, the movie is pretty great, at least in the version that Nerdist screened at a special event. Director Andy Muschietti and producer Barbara Muschietti were on hand to introduce what they called not quite the final cut of the film.

While we’ll save our super spoiler thoughts for after the film’s release, the filmmaking siblings shared some juicy details with the audience. With trailers confirming the return of Michael Keaton as Batman, Ben Affleck as Batman, Michael Shannon as General Zod, and the introduction of Sasha Calle as Supergirl, The Flash has plenty of iconic DC characters. 

And yes, the movie has even more cameos, guest appearances, and surprises for diehard fans of superhero cinema and comics. Andy Muschietti confirmed his initial assembly was four hours long. Therefore some choice cameos were left on the cutting room floor. When Q&A moderator Grae Drake asked the Muschiettis what characters or moments they couldn’t fit in the film, they obliged with a small sampling. The Flash cameos that unfortunately didn’t work out include Lynda Carter’s Wonder Woman from the ‘70s TV series, Marlon Brando’s Jor-El from 1978’s Superman, as well as Burgess Meredith’s Penguin and Cesar Romero’s Joker from the 1960s Batman TV series. 

During the reception after the screening, Nerdist spoke to Andy Muschietti with a few other reporters. In response to a question from Dorian Parks from Geeks of Color, he confirmed that Grant Gustin almost had a cameo in the film as Barry Allen from The CW’s The Flash. Muschietti was very complimentary about what The Flash series accomplished. But unfortunately, there wasn’t room to include Gustin’s take on Barry Allen. Muschietti said, “Of course, as I said before the list of cameos…was huge. So obviously we played with the idea of including DC characters from TV, but we just had to pick.”

Sadly it won’t be Oops, All Barrys.

Nerdist also asked how Muschietti felt on his first day on set compared to the last day after such a long journey with this film with 120 shooting days. According to Muschietti, “It’s funny because the sense of accomplishment at the end is like, you feel like such a relief. At the beginning, you’re a ball of stress. Of course, it defuses after a few days. Every day is like an accomplishment. Then you relax and just keep going and going. It was a lot of fun.”

As for The Flash, the fun for audiences begins on June 16. Whether or not any of those cameos make their way back into the final cut, only time—or time travel—will tell.

The post THE FLASH Almost Included Lynda Carter, Grant Gustin, and Other Cameos appeared first on Nerdist.

The big reset at DC Studios is already underway. New co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran have already shared their plan for transitioning from the DCEU to the DCU, but it won’t truly begin until The Flash comes to theaters. The time-traveling epic will change much of what we know about the franchise. But the movie’s newest, emotional trailer is the latest reminder The Flash only needs to do one thing to promote itself. And that has nothing to do with what it means for the DCU. It just needs to remind us it will bring back Michael Keaton as Batman. (It doesn’t exactly hurt the rest of the movie looks fantastic.)

Michael Keaton’s Batman should run for President. Does anyone, real or fictional, have a higher approval rating? This isn’t really his movie, though. It’s a super team up about what defines us and how we deal with it. He’s part of a much bigger story that will span time and multiple worlds. Here’s the film’s official synopsis for DC Studios:

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?

Directed by Andy Muschietti (the IT films, Mama) with a screenplay by Christina Hodson, this trailer certainly makes it look like The Flash could deliver on Gunn’s hype. Its production predates his position as head of the DCU’s creative side, but he’s all in on this film. Before this latest trailer’s debut he called the movie “extraordinary.”

This trailer certainly is. As is the cast. Joining Ezra Miller and Keaton to save the multiverse from Michael Shannon’s Zod is Sasha Calle as Supergirl. The film also stars Ron Livingston, Maribel Verdú, Kiersey Clemons, and Antje Traue.

The Flash speeds into theaters in North America on June 16, 2023. But it’ll be even faster getting into ones internationally. It will arrive around for the rest of the world on June 14. Are we jealous? Of course! They get two extra days with Keaton’s Batman. We know fooling with the past causes problems, but any chance Barry Allen can do something about that?

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James Gunn, co-CEO of DC Studios, recently announced the major changes to the DC Comics film universe. Known as the DCU, the eight to 10 year plan will begin with a chapter Gunn and fellow CEO Peter Safran are calling “Gods and Monsters.” Though the first chapter will begin with two television projects (Creature Commandos and Waller), the new DCU film slate will begin with Gunn’s Superman movie, titled Superman: Legacy. And this movie is now officially in pre-production.

Gunn shared the above image while talking about Superman: Legacy in the announcement. It’s from the cover of All-Star Superman by writer Grant Morrison and artist Frank Quitely. He didn’t share any plot details, but he called it “the true beginning of the DCU.” Gunn shared the release date, too. Superman: Legacy will fly into theaters on July 11, 2025.

Gunn once again confirmed this date via Twitter recently, along with the news that he will direct the film.

And we know officially know that Superman: Legacy is in pre-production. Additionally, its full script is written.

Responding to a fan who asked, “Have you written the whole script or just that page so far?” Gunn answered, “The whole script.” However, Gunn notes “It is not” safe to assume that casting annoucements will arrive at any minute.

Superman: Legacy‘s Plot and Casting

We don’t know who will play Superman, or the plot, or anything yet. When Gunn previously mentioned his Superman movie in December 2022, he said it would focus on “an earlier part of Superman’s life.” Hence the reason Henry Cavill is not returning as the superhero. Gunn also clarified it would not be an origin story, so we’ll see Clark Kent already donning the Superman mantle. If we look at the 12-issue All-Star Superman for clues, it could fit. Morrison wanted to tell a timeless Superman story with these comics. However, the comic book series didn’t make our list of ideas for Gunn’s Superman movie. It leans more towards Superman’s death than his early days.

Then again, just because Gunn shared an image from All-Star Superman to go with his announcement doesn’t indicate anything about the story. Maybe he really just likes the art, and it’s part of an overall inspiration board?

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

Whatever the case, know that we’ll bring you more Superman: Legacy news as soon as we learn it.

Originally published on January 31, 2023.

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The whole of the pandemic has coincided with us learning about Rocksteady’s follow-up to their genre-defining Batman: Arkham game series. For Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, the developers have not given themselves an easy task. Not only is it a bigger and more frenetic universe, but players will take over four members of Task Force X. That includes favorites Harley Quinn, Captain Boomerang, Deadshot, and King Shark. As we see in the long-awaited first co-op gameplay trailer, each member has their own specialty.

This assault on the alien-overrun Metropolis is hyper frenetic and showcases the traversal aspect to their combat. Harley is acrobatic, Deadshot is precise, Shark is the strongest, and Boomerang is a goober. Just like you’d hope! We can glean from the above that Brainiac has overtaken the members of the Justice League, except for, it would seem, Wonder Woman. The Flash would make for a pretty scary villain, we have to admit.

We also got to see another video, this one with the developers explaining more elements of the game.

They let us know that, yes, these events take place in the same universe as the Arkham games, a few years after Arkham Knight. After Brainiac takes over and brainwashes the Justice League, Amanda Waller assembles Task Force X to fight them. Helping our core four are a number of other villains, like Toy Man. The devs promise even more playable characters, too, which is very intriguing indeed.

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League‘s release date has been delayed from May 26, 2023 to February 2, 2024.

Originally published on February 23, 2023.

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

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Of all the projects announced in January for James Gunn’s new DCU, the one that was already in production was the animated Creature Commandos series for HBO Max. And now, James Gunn (via Collider) has announced the voice cast for this series about a squad of monster soldiers based on the cult DC Comics title from the early ’80s. Gunn has filled it with quite a few names you’ll recognize, including some making the jump from the MCU. Here’s the full line-up of the DC voice cast for the upcoming Creature Commandos.

Creature Commandos will showcase the voice talents of the MCU’s former Crossbones, Frank Grillo, who will portray Rick Flag Sr. Another MCU alum joining the Creature Commandos cast is David Harbour as Eric Frankenstein. Speaking of Frankenstein, Obi-Wan Kenobi’s Indira Varma will be playing The Bride. Also in the cast are Maria Bakalova as Princess Ilana Rostovic, Zoe Chao as Nina Mazursky, and Alan Tudyk as Dr. Phosphorus. Sean Gunn is reprising his role as Weasel and also playing G.I. Robot. Finally, Steve Agee will reprise his role as John Economos from the Peacemaker series. Already announced for this series is Viola Davis as Amanda Waller, who’s giving the Commandos their marching orders.

James Gunn mentioned in his DCU announcement that actors who voiced characters in animation would also portray them in live-action. So this voice-cast announcement for DC’s Creature Commandos means we’re likely to see David Harbour as Frankenstein and the rest of the squad in a live-action project—probably even a project DC has already announced. If we were to guess, it’s likely to be the Amanda Waller series. Of course, they could all turn up in a future second season of Peacemaker. However, that’s now a long way off.

There’s no date given for when Creature Commandos is set to premiere, so we’ll have to wait to see this cast in action. But we have a feeling it will be among the first DCU projects to make it to our screens.

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The newest hero of the DCU is about to make his debut, but who exactly is the Blue Beetle? Kyle Anderson dives in to break down everything you need to know about the super powered alter ego of Dan Garret, Ted Kord, and Jaime Reyes on today’s episode of Nerdist Now!

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It’s often seemed like the impossible dream for comic book movie fans. An honest to goodness cinematic Marvel/DC crossover event. While it may currently seem like a pipe dream, in a recent interview former Marvel creative and current DC Studios head honcho James Gunn admitted “I’d be lying to say we haven’t discussed it.” Yes, it would be years away. But it’s now at least something we can speculate about it. But what would our dream big-screen MCU/DCU projects even be? These are the ones that would be comic book movie nirvana for us.

Side note: We’re only talking about characters and not the current actors portraying them here. Simply because by the time this happens, if it ever even happens, who the heck knows who will be playing any of these roles. We’ll probably be on our fifth live-action Spider-Man and our hundredth live-action Batman by that point.

Justice League/Avengers

If we could only have one come true, it would be this one. The one that would blow the barn doors off of movie theaters, the Justice League vs. the Avengers. In the comics, this series was literally 20 years in the making. Because the two most iconic teams in their respective universes had to be a bigger-than-life experience and worth the reader’s money. And it was. JLA/Avengers gave us everything; billionaire playboy heroes Iron Man and Batman butting heads, and expert hand-to-hand fighters Captain America and Batman testing each other’s mettle. The God Thor vs. the Goddess Wonder Woman. Hawkeye and Black Widow vs Green Arrow and Black Canary.

The 2004 comic book event series, drawn by the legendary George Perez, was ultimately worth the long wait. And we hope any movie version would be the same. We’re not sure who they would fight, however. It would have to be a villain so big, it takes the biggest powerhouses in two universes to stop them. Maybe they literally take on the Gods of Olympus or something? All we know is that if we don’t get an image of Superman using Thor’s hammer and Cap’s shield to make one last stand against the bad guys, we will demand our money back.

X-Men/Teen Titans

We don’t know what form either the live-action X-Men or the Teen Titans will take in their respective cinematic universes, once they inevitably show up. But we know that sooner or later, both super teams of angsty young heroes will be a part of the action in the DCU and MCU. In the comics, the best Marvel/DC crossover event was easily 1982’s Uncanny X-Men/New Teen Titans. Not only did it feature both team lineups in arguably their most iconic versions, but they fought off Dark Phoenix and Darkseid together. It was the definition of epic in the comics, and would make for one of the most epic comic book movies of all time.

Batman/Spider-Man

On the surface, Batman and Spidey don’t have a ton in common. One has no powers, one does. One lives modestly in Queens, the other in opulence in Gotham City. One barely cracks a smile, the other one cracks jokes constantly. But both heroes were forged in pain and loss. Neither would be who they are if not forged in tragedy, and lost a parental figure (or in Bruce’s case, his actual parents). Because of that loss, their fight will never end. This one thing would form a strong bond between them. Plus, it would be fun to see Batman constantly annoyed at Spider-Man’s constant quipping. Our dream villain team up for this movie? Well, it’s gotta be Joker and the Green Goblin, right? So much villainous cackling, it might be overwhelming.

Batman/Daredevil

Another Batman team-up, and one we wouldn’t see in any Justice League/Avengers crossover. Simply because Matt Murdock isn’t traditionally an Avenger. But both heroes are the kind who prowl their cities at night, stalking criminals and striking terror into their hearts. And they both love to brood. It’s just a natural fit for a crossover. Marvel’s Man Without Fear has actual powers, and DC’s Dark Knight doesn’t, but we’re not sure he’d win in a fight against the Batman. Even if they don’t battle, these two together, fighting mad mob bosses and taking on ninja hordes, would be the moodiest superhero movie ever. But we’d be there on day one.

Superman/Captain America

Although we imagine a Superman/Captain America meeting would happen in some sort of Justice League/Avengers crossover film, we still want something with just the two of them. Because these two are their respective universe’s idealistic boy scouts, whose unwavering morality defines them. Plus, we want a time travel story where the Man of Steel travels back in time to World War II, where he helps Steve Rogers punch some Nazis. Think of how culturally therapeutic a movie like that could be. Hey, maybe the movie ends with them merging into one being, “Super Soldier.” That’s a thing that actually happened once in the ’90s.

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One of the casualties of David Zaslav’s draconian gutting of HBO Max has been upcoming DC animated series. Luckily, it seems, some of them have gotten reprieves from other networks. Bruce Timm’s highly anticipated return to Batman will head to Prime, for example. Another of these is My Adventures with Superman, a lighthearted take on Clark Kent’s first years in Metropolis getting to know Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen. That show will now air on Adult Swim, and we have a first look teaser for it below.

The Boys star Jack Quaid provides the voice of Clark/Superman in this series. Funny that in real life he’d absolutely play Jimmy Olsen, but I digress. The animation style is evocative of the old Fleischer cartoons from the ’40s while still having a distinctive modern edge. Fans of the animation style of things like Voltron: Legendary Defender and The Legend of Korra will likely enjoy this.

My Adventures with Superman from creator Jake Wyatt will debut on Adult Swim “soon,” which can’t come soon enough as far as we’re concerned. The world needs a new Superman cartoon.

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

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What’s Valentine’s Day without a little blood? That’s certainly what Joker and Harley Quinn likely use to celebrate the holiday. And this Valentine’s Day, we got a cinematic surprise as Lady Gaga took to Twitter to give us our first look at her take on Harley Quinn in Joker: Folie à Deux. This highly anticipated sequel to Todd Phillips and Joaquin Phoenix’s first Joker movie will remain in the DC Universe as an Elseworlds project under the new leadership of James Gunn and Peter Safran. And the film has teased the singer in the role of the villainess before. Despite this tease, we still don’t have a great look at Lady Gaga’s transformation into Harley Quinn. We don’t see, for instance, what her costume looks like. But we’re definitely excited to learn more.

What the image does reveal, though, is Lady Gaga’s Harley Quinn in a close embrace with Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker. It definitely nods at the romantic relationship between the two. And, of course, there’s the Valentine’s Day reveal. We guess we’ll have to wait for more from Joker: Folie à Deux to better understand what will surely be an incredibly complex dynamic between the two.

On April 5, 2023, director Todd Phillips also shared a pair of images of Harley and Joker, which look suitably moody.

Originally published Feb 15, 2023.

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Most of the time, there’s consistent chatter about the MCU. What’s up with the multiverse? Where the hell is Phase Five going? But that is beginning to shift as the DCU picks up steam. We’ve gotten a slate of awesome announcements, including the Superman: Legacy film and a Booster Gold series. We still have to wait to learn more about casting in a ton of roles. However, actor Frank Grillo revealed in an interview with ComicBook.com that he is joining the DCU in some capacity.

He previously portrayed Crossbones in the MCU, specifically in films like Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Endgame. Grillo spoke about his dissatisfaction with how Brock Rumlow was handled in that universe, which he says sparked his movement to the DCU. The real question is, who would Frank Grillo play in the DCU? He makes for one hell of an antagonist but perhaps he would want to take a walk on the more heroic side. Maybe he could be a part of the Creature Commandos collective. Let’s see what happens.

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Although teenage Jaime Reyes is the current Blue Beetle in both comics and film, the new Blue Beetle trailer shows he was not the first to wear the mantle. In one scene, two Blue Beetle costumes are seen on mannequins, and they are very comics accurate. This suggests that in the film, just as in the comics, there were two previous Beetles before Jaimie, and he’s a legacy hero. But who are the first two costumed adventurers who used that name? They have a long comics history, with the first Blue Beetle going all the way back to the 1930s.

Blue Beetle I (Dan Garret)

The original Blue Beetle debuted in 1939 from Fox Comics, a mere few months after Batman debuted at DC. And just a year after Superman. The original Beetle was Dan Garret, and there was shockingly little that was unique about Dan. He was a vigilante with no powers, who fought criminals at night. Garret was avenging the murder of his father, a police officer murdered by criminals. Yes, it’s all very Batman.

He eventually got a bulletproof suit, and took special vitamins that give him super strength (much like DC’s Hourman) to give him something more interesting. His girlfriend was a feisty reporter in the Lois Lane tradition. He even worked with a kid sidekick named Sparky, a clear Robin knock-off. At least he had a “Beetle Light,” which he flashed at his enemies using his emblem, something which later inspired Spider-Man. So for once, Beetle inspired another superhero, instead of the other way around.

Dan Garret might not have been original or very interesting, but he was popular. At least for a short time. His comic series ran for 11 years and had 60 issues total, and he had a brief comic strip and a serialized radio show. Back in the Golden Age, the latter two things meant you were a big break-out comic book star. But post World War II, superhero popularity sank, and they canceled Blue Beetle. Eventually, comics publisher Fox went out of business, and for a long time, that was the end of the Dan Garret Blue Beetle.

Blue Beetle I (Take Two) Dan Garrett

In the mid-sixties, Blue Beetle came back, now published by Charlton Comics. But they almost entirely revamped the character. His last name was now spelled Garrett, and he was an archeologist, not a police officer. He discovered an ancient scarab in an old Egyptian tomb, in an origin similar to DC Comics’ Doctor Fate. The scarab gave him super powers, and he fought crime for a few years. But Dan Garrett with two T’s was not as successful as his previous incarnation. So Charlton found a new hero to take up the mantle not long after.

Blue Beetle II Ted Kord

In 1966, the dream team of Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, who had made The Amazing Spider-Man a smash hit for Marvel Comics, parted ways. Ditko went off to Charlton Comics, where he got to revamp several characters. Among the first was Blue Beetle. Under Ditko’s watch, Beetle got a new secret identity and costume, as well as a new origin story. This Blue Beetle was Ted Kord, a student of Dan Garrett’s. He was a genius inventor and athlete, and when he discovered his uncle was a criminal planning on taking over the world, he teamed up with Dan Garrett to stop him. Garrett died and passed on the scarab to Ted Kord, who became the second Blue Beetle.

Interestingly, the scarab never worked for Ted. But he was still the Blue Beetle, and used his gadgets and training (and eventually, his vast wealth from his company) to fight crime. Ditko designed his new costume, and his favorite mode of transport, the hovering Bug ship. A lot of the Ted Kord version of Blue Beetle would inspire Nite Owl II in Alan Moore’s Watchmen. His solo series only ran for five issues in 1967, but in the ‘80s, DC Comics bought publisher Chartlon Comics’ characters, and Ted had a whole new life.

Blue Beetle Becomes a DC Hero

Following the multiversal event Crisis on Infinite Earths, Ted Kord became part of the main DC Universe. He got his own ongoing series, which lasted two years. But his real popularity happened when he became a member of the Justice League International. The writers of that book teamed him up with Booster Gold, another hero with a recently canceled series. The two became best buds, a pair of lovable losers who went on many an adventure together. When Ted died in 2005’s Infinite Crisis, he left the scarab for Jaime Reyes. And the rest is history. Ted did eventually get better from the whole “being dead” thing though.

We don’t know what role the previous Blue Beetles will have in the upcoming film, beyond a reference to their existence. We know at some point, someone takes Ted’s Bug ship out for a ride. And The film’s villain, Victoria Kord (Susan Sarandon) is supposedly Ted Kord’s sister. Will we see Ted in the flesh in this movie? Rumors suggest Jason Sudeikis is playing him. With a Booster Gold series coming in James Gunn’s new DCU, we hope to see Ted and Booster together. We’ll find out when Blue Beetle hits theaters in August.

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Blue Beetle is an upcoming DC and Warner Bros. live-action film set to star Cobra Kai breakout star Xolo Maridueña. The news of a Latino superhero is always exciting, but it may have left you wondering who the heck Blue Beetle is. Although there have been a few incarnations of the character, the movie is said to be focusing on young Mexican-American teenager Jaime Reyes, who wears an ancient alien Scarab that becomes sentient armor over his body, enabling Jaime to become a superhero. But that’s not the half of it! Here are a selection of comics and animated shows to introduce you to one of comics’ greatest teen heroes.

Infinite Crisis (2005-2006)

In 2005, DC Comics produced a sequel to their seminal Crisis on Infinite Earths for its 20th anniversary, calling it Infinite Crisis. Much like the original series, new versions of classic characters would be introduced; in issue #3, not long after the death of Ted Kord (the second Blue Beetle), teenage Texas resident Jaime Reyes finds the ancient Beetle Scarab.

In Infinite Crisis #5, Jaime bonds with the alien Scarab and becomes the newest hero to call himself the Blue Beetle. He joins with Booster Gold, his predecessor’s best friend, along with other DC heroes to help save the Multiverse in this time-and-space-spanning event series. Jim Lee designed Jaime’s Scarab armor for this series, and his cool design made this third Beetle an instant fan favorite.

Blue Beetle: Shellshocked (2006)

In his first solo series, spinning out of the events of Infinite Crisis, Jaime tries to balance life as a teenager in El Paso with the new responsibilities of being a superhero. Unlike most characters who keep their heroic identities from those closest to them, Jaime reveals his secret to his family and friends (like most of us would). But their reaction reminds you why most superheroes keep that kind of stuff a “secret.” The Reyes family freaks out. Ultimately, however, they end up being supportive and proud of their heroic son. The first six issues from the creative team of Keith Giffen, John Rogers, and Cully Hamner, who created Jaime, is collected as “Shellshocked.”

“Rise of the Blue Beetle!” (2008)

In the very first episode of Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Jaime Reyes makes his animated debut, just a mere two years after having been created. In this light-hearted romp, Jaime has just recently come into possession of the Scarab, and is unsure of his readiness to be a hero. Batman takes Jaime under his wing, and then the two stop a giant meteor, tumble through a wormhole, and fight an alien bad guy, Kanjar-Ro, on a distant planet. And all in under twenty minutes! A fun animated debut that keeps to the core of the character, and a perfect introduction to Jaime for younger fans.

Young Justice Season 2  (2012)

In the first episode of the second season of Young Justice, “Happy New Year,” Jaime joins the team. Or to be more specific, Jaime had already joined the team in the five-year gap between the first two seasons of the show. He plays a pivotal part in the second season, as for a short time he was an agent of the Reach, the alien race which created his Scarab. In later Young Justice episodes that season, the Scarab is rebooted by the Martian called the Green Beetle, and then Jaime is freed from the Reach’s control. This animated version of Jaime sticks very close to his comic book counterpart’s portrayal.

Blue Beetle DC Rebirth series (2016)

After the events of Flashpoint and then DC Universe Rebirth, the history of the DC Universe altered completely. In this timeline, Jaime comes across the Scarab during events unrelated to the death of the former Blue Beetle, Ted Kord; Kord doesn’t die here; he just retires from superheroics. In this new series from Jaime’s co-creator Keith Giffen and artist Scott Kolins, Jaime is still a high school student, but Ted Kord is now his mentor (and sometimes tech support while out in the field).

The dynamic between Ted and Jaime is very “old Bruce Wayne and Terry McGinnis” from Batman Beyond, and would be a fun jumping-off point for a potential film. As a special bonus, to give fans an idea of what a Blue Beetle live-action movie might look like, we encourage you to check out this brief one-minute presentation for a potential television series, made several years back. The CGI is wonky, but it gives fans an idea of how the character would play out in live-action.

Justice League Action (2016)

In 2016, Warner Animation and Cartoon Network unleashed the first new Justice League cartoon since 2006, with Justice League Action. Aimed at a much younger audience than before, it featured team-ups between beloved DC heroes. And among them was the Jaime Reyes version of the Blue Beetle, voiced by Jake T.Austin . He and Batman teamed up to fight Chronos, as you can see in the video above. Although a tad more kiddified than before, it’s still a faithful and fun rendition of the character.

Blue Beetle: Graduation Day (2022-2023)

The latest Blue Beetle limited series, which is still coming out, was written in anticipation of the live-action film. Graduation Day introduces many elements that will be in the movie, most notably Jamie’s new residence of Palmera City. In this story, by the creative team of Josh Trujillo, Adrián Gutiérrez, and Wil Quintana, Jaimie Reyes is finally graduating high school in El Paso, Texas. He winds up working at his Tia’s restaurant in Palmera City and faces off against an all-new villain with ties to the Reach, the Yellow Beetle. And this all happens while our Blue Beetle tries to navigate life outside of high school and entering the adult world. This series will wrap up right before the movie hits theaters.

Originally published on November 30, 2018.

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

The Terrifics

James Gunn teased an image of the hero Mister Terrific back in November, 2022 (see below). But now those plans seem to have expanded. He just shared an image of the DC heroes hovering around the Terrifics, a somewhat recent super team from DC Comics, introduced in 2018. The Terrifics is kind of a riff on Marvel’s Fantastic Four, as they are more explorer/adventurer types. Mister Terrific leads, and the other members include Plastic Man, the shape-changing Metamorpho, and the phasing Phantom Girl. We could easily see them as subjects of an HBO Max series.

Mister Terrific

So who is Mister Terrific? There was a hero by that name in the comics back in the 1940s. He was even part of the Justice Society of America. A pretty corny character, he had the words “Fair Play” emblazoned on his chest. He died in a JLA/JSA crossover, but his modern-day successor, Michael Holt, is a way cooler character. First introduced in Spectre, he’s since become the chairman of the JSA. He’s also appeared on TV in shows like Justice League Unlimited.

Known as “the third smartest man in the world” behind Lex Luthor and Bruce Wayne, Holt was on the verge of suicide after several personal tragedies. Then the Spectre intervened and showed Holt what he could do with his intellect and wealth to help others. Holt used his genius to become the new Mister Terrific, and created all kinds of badass high-tech weapons, like his multi-purpose T-Spheres. Yeah, he still had the words “Fair Play” on his costume, but this Mister Terrific is anything but corny.

Deadman

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

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

Lobo

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

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

Kingdom Come

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

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

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

Originally published November 16, 2022.

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With Shazam! Fury of the Gods now in theaters, the era of the DCEU is almost over as we movew one step closer to James Gunn’s new DC Universe. While the post credit scenes leave the door open for more adventures with Billy Batson in the future, will we be seeing him and his alter ego moving forward? Dan Casey grabs a cheesesteak as he breaks down what could be next for Captain Everypower Jr. in the DCU on today’s episode of Nerdist News!

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It’s time to head back to the City of Brotherly Love in the sequel to DC’s Shazam! With Billy Batson and his family of superheroes having to take on the Daughters of Atlas, Shazam! Fury of the Gods delivers an epic adventure with some shocking ending and post-credit scenes. Hector takes a trip to Philly to break it all down on today’s episode of Nerdist News!

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The post SHAZAM! Fury of the Gods Ending + Post-Credit Scenes Explained appeared first on Nerdist.

Ah yes! Another franchise superhero movie, which means more teases for possible future installments. It’s easily one of the MCU’s most indelible gifts to blockbuster cinema. Shazam! Fury of the Gods is the latest DC Comics movie, and that means new post-credits scenes to dissect. The interesting thing about this one is its unclear connection to any future DCU movies once the DCEU officially fades away like a polaroid in the sun. If you don’t want the ending to be spoiled for you, leave now. Otherwise, hop down to spoiler city!

For a movie with unclear future canonicity, Shazam! Fury of the Gods definitely doesn’t skimp on the connective tissue. The scene of Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) appearing toward the end of the movie already appeared in ads, but that’s by no means the only DCEU bit you’ll find.

The mid-credits scene opens on two familiar faces. Emilia Harcourt (Jennifer Holland) and John Economos (Steve Agee) of Team Peacemaker. They walk through what looks like an old forest or something and talk about going to recruit someone and not wanting to spook them. Economos complains about wearing new boots that make his feet hurt.

Eventually they come upon Shazam (Zachary Levi) using his lightning powers to zap empty bottles at an abandoned gas station. Harcourt says she knows he’s Billy Batson and they know everything else about him. They want to know if he’s interested in joining the Justice—. Before she can finish, Shazam says “yes, yes, a thousand times yes” and gets way too amped about working with Wonder Woman. Unfortunately for Billy, they weren’t going to offer him a spot in the Justice League, but rather the Justice Society. Shazam then gets his phone and looks up other words besides “Justice” to avoid confusing. One of those being “Avengers Society,” which makes no sense, but is a funny joke.

If you were unfortunate enough to have seen Black Adam, you know that the Justice Society featured prominently. Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) somehow became the handler for the JSA and that continues here. Now, we certainly have no idea if that thread will continue in any future films or shows. James Gunn announced a Waller series in the works, which will of course feature Harcourt and Economos. But will they handle JSA stuff? Who can say?

As for the post-credits scene…well, it’s not much of anything. It’s more a continuation of the bit from the post-credits scene from the first Shazam! Doctor Sivana (Mark Strong) still sits in prison with the tiny caterpillar-like Mister Mind there with him. Sivana complains that it’s been two years and still nothing, and Mister Mind says he’s little and it takes him a while to get places. That’s it.

Surely this was merely because they decided not to continue the tease from the first movie into the second film’s main story. And it’s always nice to see Mark Strong, even in such a brief appearance. But this really didn’t feel like much of anything, especially considering the already shaky standing the Shazam characters have in the future of the DCU.

Will Shazam join the proper Justice Society? Will Doctor Sivana and Mister Mind ever leave the prison? Only time (and box office returns) will tell.

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

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The behind-the-scenes uncertainty regarding the DCEU/DCU changeover has been far more intriguing than the bulk of the films released under the DCEU banner. I’m supremely excited for the future projects new co-CEO James Gunn announced in January. More interesting has been the fact that several films are still due to come out before this change officially happens. Black Adam was not good, and despite what its star maintains publicly, it didn’t perform well enough to continue on. But Shazam! Fury of the Gods might. And the movie itself is charming and harmless enough to remain relevant to the DCU, even though it doesn’t work nearly as well as the first one.

The first Shazam! from 2019 wasn’t quite a breath of fresh air for the DC Extended Universe, but it was a whole lot more fun than most of them. Telling the relatively small story of a kid who gets super powers, and moreover becomes an adult man with super powers, was a delightful comedic spin. Just a kid from Philadelphia who doesn’t know what he’s doing. It had something of a ’90s vibe to the tone and it worked for the most part.

A sequel seemed inevitable, because of course it did. Shazam! Fury of the Gods picks up a few years after the first one. Billy Batson (Asher Angel) and his foster family all have super powers and seem to cause more mayhem than help people. Billy spends most of his time in his super alter ego (Zachary Levi) guise, and tries to hold his five super-sibs together. While some, like Mary (played in both iterations by Grace Caroline Currey), wants to finish college and get a job, Freddy (Jack Dylan Grazer and Adam Brody) just wants to fly solo, or at least with only Billy.

Trouble arises when the Daughters of Atlas (Helen Mirren, Lucy Liu, Rachel Zegler) appear on the scene, demanding the not-dead wizard (Djimon Hounsou) re-forge the broken staff from the first movie so they can steal back their father’s powers from the Shazamily. Each of the Daughters has a different, deadly power, and each has a different level of contempt for humanity. Through the course of the movie, Billy will have to re-learn what it means to be a hero while everyone else has to learn other things.

First the good stuff. This movie mostly retains the level of humor of the first, which was its best feature. The movie smartly pairs Hounsou and Grazer together for large portion of the story and their comedic repartee is consistently good. Freddy got by far the best character arc in the movie. The youngest sister Darla (Faithe Herman) and her superhero counterpart (Meagan Good) is another standout. Hilarious with their upbeat naivete at every turn. A particular moment toward the end got me to blurt-laugh.

I also had a lot of fun with the movie’s big evil creatures. Director David F. Sandberg’s horror roots came through a lot in the first movie and I had assumed they’d be a bit watered down in this one. However, toward the end, we get some huge, gnarly mythical creatures for the family to fight and they scratched that tonal itch.

Unfortunately, the part that worked the least for me was Billy/Shazam himself. We get shockingly little of Asher Angel this time around (who honestly could be a superhero himself) and instead we have Levi’s teen-in-a-man’s-body schtick which I think has just worn a bit thin. He was far more annoying than I remember in the first movie. His ineptitude and emotional immaturity, while occasionally funny, just seemed so much more out of place here. I didn’t buy his arc, all the way up to the end. The villains, well played as they are, also didn’t do much to play off of Billy’s insecurities. Dr. Sivana in the first movie was much more a foil to Billy. The Daughters of Atlas are just angry demigods.

So, despite the humor, the story didn’t grab me the way the first film’s did. With the exception of Freddy, who was the best. Shazam! Fury of the Gods is still entertaining enough and definitely isn’t stupid or badly cobbled together like Black Adam was. And hey, if they make some more Shazam! movies, it wouldn’t be the worst thing. But if you’re hoping for “the first movie but bigger and better,” only one of those is true, and definitely hampers the other.

Shazam! Fury of the Gods hits theaters March 17.

Shazam! Fury of the Gods ⭐ (3 of 5)

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

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Superman’s Fortress of Solitude has been a staple of the Man of Steel’s mythology for decades. We’ve seen it in comics, TV shows, and in feature films. And now, it’s playing a big part in the series Superman and Lois on the CW. But what is the history of Kal-El’s majestic home away from home? And how did its media representations change from the source material, and then change the comics in return? Let’s take a deep dive into the history of Kal-El’s iconic tribute to his long-lost world.

Superman’s Golden Age “Secret Sanctuary”

Today, we think of Superman’s Fortress as an ice palace, far away from humanity in the Arctic. But originally, it was just a mountain cave where Clark stashed his belongings he didn’t have anywhere else to house. This “Secret Citadel” was located in a mountain range outside of Metropolis. It first appeared in Superman #17 in 1942, and it didn’t make many appearances. In those days, Superman’s Kryptonian heritage was more of an afterthought, a mere explanation for how he got his powers. The term “Fortress of Solitude” first appeared in Superman #58 1949, as Superman’s sanctuary located in “the polar wastes.” Interestingly, the name “Fortress of Solitude” actually predates Superman. The pulp adventurer Doc Savage had a Fortress of Solitude located in the frozen north, and DC Comics very liberally took the name and concept.

Kal-El’s Home Away From Home

The Fortress as we know it today really first appeared in Action Comics #241, in “The Super-Key to Fort Superman,” back in 1958. This Fortress was built into an Arctic cliff, and was safeguarded by a giant iron door. The only way to turn the lock on that door was with an equally giant metal key, located just outside. Not entirely subtle there, Kal-El. Of course, no one on Earth but someone with Kryptonian strength could lift said key, making the Fortress only accessible by Superman and his cousin, Supergirl. And, of course, Kryptonian criminals like General Zod.

During the Silver Age of Comics, and into the Bronze Age, Superman’s Fortress was both a museum dedicated to his Kryptonian heritage, and a tribute to his many adventures. There was a giant statue of his birth parents Jor-El and Lara, holding up the planet Krypton. In addition, there was an alien zoo, a legion of Superman robots, and the projector into the Phantom Zone, which housed Krypton’s worst criminals. Most importantly, the Fortress became home to the Bottle City of Kandor, a city from Krypton shrunken down by the villain Brainiac. There were statues of his childhood best friends, the Legion of Super-Heroes. And of course, the Fortress housed Superman’s super-powered dog, Krypto.

Superman: The Movie Showcases the First Live-Action Fortress of Solitude

The first time we saw the Fortress in other media outside comics was in 1978’s Superman: The Movie. Director Richard Donner radically reinvented the looks of the Fortress for his film. Instead of being carved into the side of an Arctic cliff, a Kryptonian crystal formed it from scratch in the frozen wastelands. This Fortress wasn’t “made,” so much as “grown,” and it didn’t have all the artifacts found in the comics version. In fact, all it had were slots for various Kryptonian memory crystals, that allowed Superman to access thousands of years of Kryptonian knowledge. Chief among them was an interactive hologram of Superman’s father, Jor-El.

We saw this version of the Fortress in Superman II, and again in Superman IV. The Fortress debuted on TV a year after the film, on the animated Super Friends cartoon. In the few appearances in that Saturday morning cartoon, the Fortress of Solitude was a bit of an amalgam of the comics Fortress, and the movie one. Thanks to the continuity-altering events of Crisis on Infinite Earths in 1985, the classic version of Superman’s home would get wiped from reality. It would be several years before a new one appeared.

A New Fortress for a New Era

The Post-Crisis Superman got a radical reinvention, and didn’t even have a Fortress of Solitude for years. Finally, he received an ancient Kryptonian artifact called the Eradicator. Much like the big screen fortress, it “grew” from this device, also in the Arctic just like the movie one did. There were several nods to the Silver Age Fortress with this one, only now reflecting a modern take on Krypton. There was Kryptonian tech everywhere, from the planet’s golden age. The robot Kelex, who served Superman’s father Jor-El on Krypton, maintained the Fortress. He was to the Fortress what Alfred was to the Batcave.

The ‘90s Superman: The Animated Series took a “best of both worlds” approach to their version of the Fortress. Superman constructed it from parts of the Kryptonian android Brainiac’s ship, but also contained alien species liberated from cruel alien zoos. It was the perfect mix of Silver Age and Modern Age comic book sensibilities. 2011’s New 52 reboot kept a lot of these elements, although now the Fortress was spherical.

The Fortress of Solitude on Television

In the 21st century, we’ve seen the Fortress a lot in live-action. Smallville had a version, inspired heavily by the ’80s Richard Donner films. Both the TV series Krypton and Supergirl showcased the Fortress, again, taking their visual cues from the design and look of the 1978 big-screen Fortress. 2013’s Man of Steel perhaps changed the Fortress concept the most, as their version was an exploratory Kryptonian ship, thousands of years old, and trapped beneath the Arctic ice.

All of this brings us to today, to the Fortress of Solitude on Superman and Lois. The show kept a similar aesthetic to the Supergirl version, only seemingly larger and more expansive. In season one, the Fortress was where Clark brought his son Jordan when he began to exhibit Kryptonian powers. Later, Superman’s half-brother Tal-Rho built his own Fortress out in the desert. But the newest Fortress isn’t just for the Kryptonian side of the family. Although it’s programmed with holograms of Superman’s villains for his son Jordan to fight, it’s meant to be a home for the entire family, including Clark’s son Jonathan and his wife Lois. After all these years, maybe it’s time to drop the “of Solitude” part of the Fortress’ name.

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Hide your eyes! It’s not safe out there anymore. Spoilers are everywhere. They are even in official marketing these days. A recently released Shazam! Fury of the Gods TV spot trailer went ahead and dropped a huge spoiler for the movie, revealing a major DC character cameo from the film. If you want to remain in the realm of the blessedly unaware, then look away now. Otherwise, check out the surprise cameo in Shazam‘s upcoming sequel below.

“Oh my god.” That’s how we feel. Although rumors of Wonder Woman appearing in Shazam! Fury of the Gods have circulated for a while, this TV spot trailer inclusion still feels egregious. After all, most likely, a majority of the audience wouldn’t have heard these kinds of whispers. And even if they had, an element of surprise would still remain in play. Simply placing the Wonder Woman cameo so overtly in a Shazam! trailer seems to take away a great deal of the fun.

Director David F. Sandberg didn’t seem thrilled with the reveal either. He tweeted, “Well, there’s some big Shazam spoilers out there now. If you want to go in fresh, maybe don’t be online or watch tv with ads… Pretty good advice in general, actually.”

Good advice for life, but a bit hard to achieve. Happily, although we now know Wonder Woman will definitely cameo in Shazam! Fury of the Gods, the trailer didn’t disclose too much about the how or the why of her visit. Neither Shazam nor Wonder Woman’s future in the new DCU under James Gunn and Peter Safran is exactly clear to us. So this movie may prove important for both of these characters, at least as far as these specific iterations of them go.

Shazam, Wonder Woman, and the rest return to our screens on March 17 when Shazam! Fury of the Gods releases in theaters.

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The Flash has run his last race. Or at least, the Grant Gustin version of the Flash has. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the CW series will end with a 13-episode abbreviated short season in 2023. This would make The Flash the longest-running (pun intended) Arrowverse series. Arrow, the parent series, ran for eight seasons. Here’s what The Flash showrunner Eric Wallace said about the show’s upcoming swan song season:

“Nine seasons! Nine years of saving Central City while taking audiences on an emotional journey full of heart, humor and spectacle. And now Barry Allen has reached the starting gate for his last race. “So many amazing people have given their talents, time and love to bring this wonderful show to life each week. So, as we get ready to honor the show’s incredible legacy with our exciting final chapter, I want to say thank you to our phenomenal cast, writers, producers and crew over the years who helped make The Flash such an unforgettable experience for audiences around the world.”

The Flash‘s final season will feature the return of characters and actors from across the Arrowverse. At one time, showrunner Eric Wallace hoped they could wrap some additional character arcs. In an interview with The Nerds of Color (which we spotted at Collider), he said they just didn’t have enough time, with only 13 episodes. However, he did add, “We’re still writing a series finale so you never know what could happen at the very end. Hope does spring eternal, but I just want to put that to rest.” Perhaps the cast from the beloved Legends of Tomorrow could still show up.

When The Flash leaves the air, it will effectively end the Arrowverse, as Superman and Lois was confirmed as being on a separate Earth. The news of The Flash ending doesn’t come as a great surprise to fans. Many of the original cast members had left the series over the past few years, including Carlos Valdez (Cisco) Jesse L. Martin (Joe West) and Tom Cavanagh (Harrison Wells). Add to that, co-star Candice Patton has expressed growing frustration with the series publicly lately, suggesting she probably was itching to leave. With Warner Bros. dropping a Flash movie next year, it makes sense they want less brand confusion. But for a whole generation, Grant Gustin will always be “their” Scarlet Speedster, so let’s raise a glass to Central City’s greatest hero.

The Flash will air its ninth and final season on the CW during the mid-season of 2023.

Originally published August 1, 2022.

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