Their sixth season of animated antics may have wrapped up on the Cartoon Network back in July, but the smart-aleck superheroes of Teen Titans GO! are far from done keeping fans young and young-at-heart entertained this summer.
On Monday, August 3, DC Comics will release Teen Titans GO! to Camp, a middle-grade graphic novel that sends Robin, Starfire, Beast Boy, Raven, and Cyborg off to a summer camp of iconically evil repute...Camp Apokolips. And we have an exclusive first look at their arrival!
Filled with a fiery swimming pool, parademons, a very literal recipe for "Big Juice" and the scariest lunch lady alive, this joint is far from a great escape. And it only gets worse once our diminutive do-gooders discover that their rivals in the camp's summer games includes the juvie villains of the H.I.V.E. Five. Which, as anyone who knows this show, ruffles Robin's competitive feathers.
It's a hoot of a read that retains the rapid-fire wit of the series (and the hilarious Teen Titans GO! movies) written by Scholly Fisch, who's penned comic books for Looney Tunes, Scooby-Doo, The Powerpuff Girls and Super Friends. A collection of previously released digital comics from earlier this year, it is the first time the entire tale has appeared in print.
So get ready to GO! to your favorite comics retailer on August 3rd, or hit up dccomics.com to pre-order it today.
Through a set of circumstances largely out of his control, Ray Fisher has gone from the brink of obscurity to becoming one of the most talked-about stars in the DCEU, and it isnt just to do with his impending return as Cyborg in the Snyder Cut of Justice League.
The 32 year-old has always defended his role as Victor Stone even after it appeared that his time in the franchise was well and truly over, in what marked a far cry from the original plans to give the character his own solo movie. And after reacting to the Snyder Cut announcement with tears of happiness, Fisher would no doubt have been reaching for the tissues again when he was confirmed to be returning to the fold in The Flash.
However, the actor hasnt just been generating headlines from a professional perspective and after he publicly called out Joss Whedon for his behavior on the set of Justice League, a series of former collaborators have since followed suit in blasting the Avengers director for the unhealthy environments he created on his various movie and TV projects.
We recently heard that Fisher was at risk of being sued for breaking a non-disclosure agreement if he kept talking about Whedon, something he alluded to himself when he skirted around the issue in a recent interview and essentially invited legal action, but weve now learned that Warner Bros. are seriously considering writing him out of The Flash as a result of his actions.
According to our intel which comes from the same sources who told us that Green Lantern and Justice League Dark shows are coming to HBO Max the studio are keen to distance themselves from any controversy, inflammatory statements or potential lawsuits, and having already seemingly dropped Whedon, they might get rid of Fisher as well to save any further trouble.
Of course, The Flash has gone through so many iterations and drafts that it would probably be a relatively straightforward process to write him out of the script, and if it does end up happening, then Ray Fisher could end up seeing his movie career go up in smoke for a second time.
As the X-Men move towards X of Swords, Cable has just become a target for some powerful enemies in the Marvel Universe.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Cable #2, by Gerry Duggan, Phil Noto and VC's Joe Sabino, on sale now.
Kid Cable has had a particularly rough go of it ever since arriving in the relative present of the Marvel Universe two years ago. After helping fix fractures in the space-time continuum exacerbated by the X-Men's tampering of their own history, the time-displaced son of Cyclops and Madelyne Pryor was a founding member of the mutant nation-state of Krakoa, quickly becoming a prominent figure and local ladies' man. However, in the lead-up to the eagerly anticipated crossover event X of Swords, Cable has become a target for some powerful, cosmic opponents: the Spaceknights.
In the opening issue of his ongoing solo series, Cable discovered a monster living on Krakoa that had a Spaceknight's sword embedded into it. Flashbacks revealed that the Spaceknight had been exploring Earth long ago before being devoured by the beast, stabbing his sword into its paw in his dying moments. After rescuing a mutant child at the mercy of the behemoth, Cable retrieved the sword and called it his own, likely poised to wield the cosmic weapon throughout X of Swords in contrast to the upcoming crossover's more mythical blades. And having freed the blade, a signal has been sent to very powerful space cyborgs who have traveled to Earth to locate it for themselves.
RELATED: X of Swords Promo Teases the Secret History of Cable's New Weapon
Originally created as a toy by Parker Bros., Rom the Spaceknight was licensed to Marvel Comics in 1979 in his own ongoing comic book series that took place within the canon of the Marvel Universe till 1986. Hailing from the faraway planet Galador, Rom became a Spaceknight when his world was threatened by the invading Dire Wraiths, and he sacrificed his physical body to reborn as a cyborg Spaceknight. As the conflict intensified, Rom swore to wipe out the Dire Wraith menace across the cosmos before he would be restored to his original body on Galador, with his space-faring hunt leading him to Earth where he teamed up with superheroes like the Avengers and X-Men. While Rom is no longer part of the Marvel Universe, the other Spaceknights are, and they're very interested in Cable.
Cable leaves the safety of Krakoa to investigate the kidnapping of a mutant baby in Philadelphia, a case very personal to him due to his own background. Joined by the Esme Cuckoo, the two are attacked when Cable unsheathes the sword, sending an energy signature to Spaceknights observing the planet from its orbit. After identifying the blade as the Light of Galador, the Spaceknights' most powerful weapon, the three Spaceknights attack Cable and Esme. Each Spaceknight possesses their own unique abilities, and they are able to quickly surprise and overpower the two, taking them both off-world to ascertain how exactly Galador's fabled weapon fell into Cable's possession in the first place.
RELATED: X of Swords Creators Tease Which X-Men Have the Biggest Moments
What turned into a seemingly routine kidnapping investigation has put Cable at the center of an intergalactic incident, and he now faces the full scrutiny of the Spaceknights for absconding of their most powerful weapons. With the fate of the Spaceknight who brought it to Earth likely unknown by his comrades, Cable and Esme may be implicated for an interstellar murder that will force the young mutants to think fast if they hope to avoid persecution by their new captors.
Cable claiming the Light of Galador was largely the actions of a young man finding a cool-looking weapon deep in the jungle. But, as Nathan Summers is about to find out, possession may be 9/10ths of intergalactic law.
KEEP READING: X-Men: The Externals Return (and Get a New Name) in X of Swords
DC to Publish Injustice: Year Zero
Sam Stone is a 10th level pop culture guru living just outside of Washington, DC who knows an unreasonable amount about The Beatles. You can read his work in the pages of Image+, follow him on Twitter @samstoneshow, and listen to his podcast Geek Out Show on iTunes and Google Play.
I mean, the 2017 film was at the least pretty to look at in UHD. That couldnt save the everything else, though.
Twenty-five years ago, Production I.G. and Mamoru Oshiis seminal adaptation of the classic Masamune Shirow seinen manga provided us a neon-soaked vision of the future, and influenced the way we talk about and consider the design of cyberpunk aesthetics to this day. And now, to celebrate, the original movie is being released in 4K for the first time in September by Lionsgate. Heres a trailer the studio put out for a 4K release in 1080p, because... hmm. Anyway, it still looks good:
Set in in 2029, Ghost in the Shell follows the missions of Public Security Section 9 in New Port City, an elite police taskforce helmed by the cyborg Major Matoko Kusanagi. While navigating her own identity as one of the titular ghosts in the shell a human consciousness in an entirely cybernetic body the Major is tasked with hunting down a mysterious hacker known only as the Puppet Master, who begins targeting cybernetically enhanced officials with a debilitating virus.
The UHD/Blu-ray edition of the film will come with cover art re-utilising Martin Ansins stunning poster art for Mondo, and remasters the film in both Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos. As well as an audio commentary from Mary Claypool (Ghost in the Shells English-language scriptwriter), Eric Calderon (animation producer and writer), Richard Epcar (who voiced Batou in the dub) and Charles Solomon (animation historian and critic), the release includes two new featurettes, one offering a retrospective of 25 years of the animated franchise, and another examining the architecture of its cyberpunk future.
Ghost in the Shell comes to 4K UHD on September 8th, both physically and digitally.
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It was not the rock-'em-sock-'em thriller that fans were hoping for when they saw that Jorge Masvidal was challenging for the UFC welterweight championship, but that was the whole point for Kamaru Usman.
Making his second defense of the 170-pound belt in the UFC 251 main event on July 11, Usman relentlessly crowded Masvidal, taking his explosiveness out of the equation and rolling to a dominant, unanimous-decision victory.
That victory boosted Usman a couple of spots in the ESPN men's pound-for-pound rankings.
The rest of the men's and women's top 10s remained intact, though Daniel Cormier and Israel Adesanya each dropped one spot to make room for the ascent of Usman.
Deiveson Figueiredo garnered a vote on the strength of his July 19 victory, which earned him the vacant UFC men's flyweight championship. But one vote was not enough to put him in the top 10, which is still topped by lightweight champ Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Cormier and heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic will put their rankings on the line when they meet Aug. 15 to complete their championship trilogy.
The women's top 10 remained intact, with featherweight and bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes still No. 1.
(You can find Brett Okamoto's division-by-division rankings here.)
Note: Rankings were previously updated July 29.
1. Khabib Nurmagomedov
Record: 28-0Weight class: LightweightLast: W (SUB3) Dustin Poirier, Sept. 7Next: Oct. 24 vs. Justin Gaethje
Record: 16-2Weight class: BantamweightLast: W (TKO2) Dominick Cruz, May 9Next: TBD
4. Stipe Miocic
Record: 19-3Weight class: HeavyweightLast: W (TKO4) Daniel Cormier, Aug. 17Next: Aug. 15 vs. Daniel Cormier
5. Kamaru Usman
Previous ranking: T-6Record: 17-1Weight class: WelterweightLast: W (UD) Jorge Masvidal, July 11Next: TBD
6. Daniel Cormier
Previous ranking: 5Record: 22-2, 1 NCWeight class: HeavyweightLast: L (TKO4) Stipe Miocic, Aug. 17Next: Aug. 15 vs. Stipe Miocic
7. Israel Adesanya
Previous ranking: T-6Record: 19-0Weight class: MiddleweightLast: W (UD) Yoel Romero, March 7Next: Sept. 19 vs. Paulo Costa
8. Demetrious Johnson
Record: 30-3-1Weight class: FlyweightLast: W (UD) Danny Kingad, Oct. 12Next: TBD vs. Adriano Moraes
9. Alexander Volkanovski
Record: 22-1Weight class: FeatherweightLast: W (SD) Max Holloway, July 11Next: TBD
10. Justin Gaethje
Record: 22-2Weight class: LightweightLast: W (TKO5) Tony Ferguson, May 9Next: Oct. 24 vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov
Other fighters receiving votes: Deiveson Figueiredo and Dustin Poirier.
Brett Okamoto1. Khabib Nurmagomedov2. Henry Cejudo3. Jon Jones4. Israel Adesanya5. Stipe Miocic6. Kamaru Usman7. Daniel Cormier8. Alexander Volkanovski9. Justin Gaethje10. Deiveson Figueiredo
Marc Raimondi1. Khabib Nurmagomedov2. Jon Jones3. Henry Cejudo4. Kamaru Usman5. Daniel Cormier6. Stipe Miocic7. Demetrious Johnson8. Israel Adesanya9. Alexander Volkanovski10. Justin Gaethje
Ariel Helwani1. Jon Jones2. Khabib Nurmagomedov3. Henry Cejudo4. Stipe Miocic5. Daniel Cormier6. Israel Adesanya7. Kamaru Usman8. Justin Gaethje9. Alexander Volkanovski10. Dustin Poirier
Jeff Wagenheim1. Khabib Nurmagomedov2. Jon Jones3. Henry Cejudo4. Stipe Miocic5. Demetrious Johnson6. Kamaru Usman7. Daniel Cormier8. Israel Adesanya9. Alexander Volkanovski10. Justin Gaethje
1. Amanda Nunes
Record: 20-4Weight class: Bantamweight/featherweightLast: W (UD) Felicia Spencer, June 6Next: TBD
How would you kill yours? Back in the 80s, being fully prepared for a Terminator attack simply meant installing industrial crushing machinery on your doorstep, designed to activate if anyone kicked the door in wearing leather trousers. In the 90s things got more complicated you were going to need some kind of substantial smelting equipment on hand, kept constantly at the melting point of titanium. And these days, well, youd need to move into a deserted crane-making factory to be on the safe side.
Its the evolution of the threat that has kept the Terminator franchise so potent in the minds of fans for 26 years. Every 10 years or so Skynet will chuck their latest state of the art model of single-minded murderbot in the time machine to go hunt down whoevers destined to become Resistance leader, now with added nano-bastard technology making it even more resistant to our primitive weaponry, like shaking a spear at an aircraft carrier.
It might be somewhat reassuring that Skynet hadnt yet become super-intelligent enough to realise its best chance of eliminating Sarah Connor in the first place was to keep sending entire platoons of Rev-9s back to just before the first film in 1984, when she wouldnt know whats coming, but the franchises entire conceit played on a particularly fertile strand of human fear.
Linda Hamilton and Arnold Schwarzenegger in Terminator: Dark Fate. Credit: Paramount Pictures/Entertainment Pictures
Most sci-fi scares happened in gunmetal corridors many light years away and most horror flicks depend on the viewer suspending their disbelief in Biblical demons, mystical spooks and murderers who can get up after being run over by a steamroller and keep slashing. But Terminator played on our perfectly rational fear of technology corrupted, landing the fast-evolving techno-horrors of tomorrow be they nuclear annihilation or immortal death-droid in the relatively defenceless present. In the week that Terminator Salvation comes to Netflix, a video went viral of a man-sized robot doing a forward roll. Every Termi-nerd felt a shiver of terror.
Salvation was the point where the franchise attempted to launch a second, more action-based trilogy with Christian Bale as John Connor leading the resistance into battle against legions of red-eyed Robo-Rambos and even someone such as myself whod hated the sequel to the sublime, wire-tense Alien turning out to be a war film lapped it up avidly, a sucker for anything in your clothes, your boots and your motorcycle.
Yet the disappointing box office returns and $130 million loss of last years Terminator: Dark Fate another potential trilogy starter which marked the return of franchise originator James Cameron to the fold as writer and producer and ignored everything this side of 1991s Terminator 2: Judgement Day in favour of its own fresh timeline saw all plans for further films cancelled and prompted hints from the cast that the Terminator might have crushed its last human skull into the post-apocalyptic dust.
To think that thered be a demand for a seventh film is quite insane, said Mackenzie Davies, who played augmented super-soldier Grace in Dark Fate, while Linda Hamilton, who returned as Sarah Connor for the latest film, only foresees a low-budget future for the franchise at best, but I would really love to be done.
The failure of Dark Fate was initially baffling. It fit all the criteria of a late 10s blockbuster smash: a familiar franchise with an elaborate universe, returning big names, a cult following and solid reviews. But perhaps it bombed by no longer playing on the subliminal fears of its audience.
In the early 80s The Terminator essentially slotted in as the time-travel take on the Indestructible Bad Guy alongside Alien, Halloween, The Omen and Friday The 13th but with the added frisson of nuclear paranoia. It spoke to an underlying societal dread; killer robots from the distant future seemed a fantasy but a murderous, slow-moving, cold-quipping stalker with advanced weaponry and a heart of uranium struck a deep chord in the dying days of the Cold War.
The same threat doesnt hold true for todays audiences. The threat might be discerned from the same sources but theyre far more intangible and endemic; theyre in our phones, on our timelines, in the very data we absorb. So one almighty cyborg superpower stomping down the road towards us with a futuristic AK4700 for an elbow doesnt hold quite the same intrinsic reflex terror as it once did; it seems, in fact, like as throwback to simpler, less besieged times.
Arnold Schwarzenegger in Terminator 3. Credit: Press
Instead, directors like Ari Aster tap into very modern fears with his unseen devilments in Hereditary and the evil lurking behind welcoming smiles in Midsommar. Something in those films tugs at the unspoken dangers of clicking through a Facebook quiz or divulging our voting preferences anywhere near Alexa. In 2020, the charging polyalloy bullet sponges of the Terminator franchise seems rather crude in comparison.
Could Terminator work as a low-budget revival? It seems unlikely, given that much of its ongoing fascination is tied into the mystery of what level of diabolical CGI nanotechnology Skynet will come up with next. The original is too iconic to reboot successfully as is, but the time-travel conceit opens many alternative storylines.
Say a re-release of the first film is suddenly invaded halfway through by a brand new model sent back by Skynet to help the original Arnie hunt down Sarah Connor in 1984? Half an old film, half a new one even if its a nonsensical shitshow, youd have to watch it right? In fact, Id endure all manner of timeline-splicing tomfoolery if it means Arniell be back.
The Justice League movie recently garnered attention again as Warner Bros. announced that the highly fan-campaigned Snyder Cut version of the film is in the works for HBO Max. The film also saw eyes return towards its direction a few weeks ago, as Justice League Cyborg actor Ray Fisher made claims that director Joss Whedon fostered a toxic and abusive work environment. Now, the actor has followed up on his previously made allegations, claiming that Whedon should be scared.
Ray Fisher recently appeared in a virtual Justice Con panel, falling in the same time that San Diego Comic Con At Home programming had been running. During the panel, Fisher reiterated his previous statements that Whedon was gross, abusive, unprofessional and completely unacceptable when directing the Justice League film after being made director due to the departure of Zack Snyder. Fisher further shares his assessment of how Joss Whedon has reacted to the allegations, saying:
The man is probably scared, and he should be because we are going to get to the heart of everything everything that went down.
The Justice League Cyborg actor also responds to recent comments made by producer Jon Berg claiming that Whedon did not engage in unprofessional behavior, stating that Bergs comments were tone deaf and that he should be scared as well of the investigations. It should be noted that Zack Snyder also recently appeared on a Justice Con panel and claimed that he would destroy the movie rather than use any of the footage Joss Whedon had shot and directed.
He does not specifically say whether this would be for artistic reasons or in solidarity with Fisher, but one could infer that the latter is his intent. Hopefully, the investigations can soon illuminate how Whedon behaved on the Justice League set, but for now, we must wait and see what true Justice in real life will demand.
What do you guys think about these comments about Joss Whedon made by Justice League Cyborg actor Ray Fisher? Let us know in the comments below! Be sure to stay tuned for the latest pop culture news, such as the Horizon Zero Dawn Comic Book Issue #1 SDCC exclusive edition with unique cover art available now for pre-order, here on Dont Feed the Gamers! Follow us on Twitter to see our updates the minute they go live!
Batman fans insist the Dark Knight could beat anyone - and the point was surely made when he took down the incredible Hulk of Marvel's universe!
Batmanonce beat theHulk - in the craziest way possible. Let's face it, if there's one thing comic book readers love, it's a versus match. By now, it's become a tradition that superheroes trade blows before any team-up. Batman fans are particularly keen to see the Dark Knight go up against other heroes, usually arguing Batman can beat anybody with sufficient prep time.
Speaking at the JusticeCon event, Cyborg actor Ray Fisher admitted he grew up as one of those comic book fans. He recalled being an 11-year-old who argued Batman could take anybody, and amusingly enough he proved his point with the example of Wolverine. Fisher actually dreamed up a way Batman could actually take Wolverine down with ease - simply by using a giant magnet. It was a refreshingly simple yet tremendously creative idea, and it no doubt delighted people watching the panel. But Fisher also opined that Batman could beat the Hulk - which seems a far more unlikely prospect.
Related:Batman Has The SCARIEST Way of Beating The Flash
Incredibly, though, Batman has actually successfully defeated the Hulk. Back in 1981, relations between rival publishers DC and Marvel were in a good way, and the two had yet to come up with the idea their characters existed in different universes. As a result, they occasionally agreed to team-ups, and one of the more amusing was inDC Special Series #27. Written by the late Len Wein and with art by Jose Luis Garcia Lopez, this saw Batman stumble upon a rampaging Hulk. Tricked by the Joker into considering Batman an enemy, Hulk rounded upon the Dark Knight, who did everything he could to avoid the Jade Giant's blows. At one point it all seemed to be over when the Hulk got Batman in a bear-hug, but Batman startled him into letting him go, and finally came upon a winning strategy. He dropped a pellet of knockout gas, and then winded the Hulk, forcing him to breathe it in.
It's a hilarious strategy, and it surely raised a few eyebrows. Of course, in reality the victory was - as is usually the case in comics - purely for plot purposes. It can be explained away by arguing the old principle "The madder Hulk gets, the stronger he gets." Presumably the Hulk just wasn't particularly angry at this time, making him an easier takedown for Batman. Let's face it, there's no way that strategy would have worked against Worldbreaker Hulk.
Like any good superhero comic,DC Special Series #27 ultimately saw Batman and the Hulk team up against the Joker and the Shaper of Worlds. In fact, Bruce Wayne even briefly hiredBruce Banner to work on a gamma ray gun, in the hopes it could be used to cure him of the Hulk. Naturally, it didn't exactly turn out as planned.
More:How Powerful The Hulk Really Is In Each MCU Movie
Thor Can Even Control SHAZAMs Magic Lightning
Tom Bacon is one of Screen Rant's staff writers, and he's frankly amused that his childhood is back - and this time it's cool. Tom's focus tends to be on the various superhero franchises, as well as Star Wars, Doctor Who, and Star Trek; he's also an avid comic book reader. Over the years, Tom has built a strong relationship with aspects of the various fan communities, and is a Moderator on some of Facebook's largest MCU and X-Men groups. Previously, he's written entertainment news and articles for Movie Pilot.A graduate of Edge Hill University in the United Kingdom, Tom is still strongly connected with his alma mater; in fact, in his spare time he's a voluntary chaplain there. He's heavily involved with his local church, and anyone who checks him out on Twitter will quickly learn that he's interested in British politics as well.
Doom Patrol season 2 nods to Alan Tudyk's work on DC Universe's animated series Harley Quinn and raises a disturbing question about Mr. Nobody.
Warning: The following feature contains SPOILERS for Doom Patrol season 2, episode 7, "Dumb Patrol."
"Dumb Patrol," episode 7 of Doom Patrolseason 2, makes reference to actor Alan Tudyk's work on another DC Universe series: the animated Harley Quinn. The Easter egg also subtly suggests that Tudyk's villainous character Mr. Nobody may be a reality-traveling actor or that Tudyk himself is a secret supervillain.
Alan Tudyk is one of the most in-demand voice actors in the world and a fan favorite in science-fiction and comic fandom circles. While he's best known for voicing The Joker on DC Universe's Harley Quinn, he also provides the voices for Clayface, Calendar Man and Condiment King. He lent his voice to Green Arrow in both the Young Justice animated series and theInjustice series of video games, and provided the voice for K-2SO in Star Wars: Rogue One. To Browncoats everywhere, he is still recognized as Wash from Fireflyand he played Bruce Wayne's cousin Van in the short-lived DC Comics comedy series Powerless. Even inDoom Patrolseason 1, Tudyk's fourth-wall-breaking character often provided voice-over narration.
Related: Who is Negative Woman, Doom Patrol's OTHER Spirit Host?
"Dumb Patrol" makes a meta-joke regarding Tudyk's voicework and the fact that he's the only member of the ensemble fromDoom Patrol season 1 who didn't return for season 2. The action of the episode sees Negative Man, Crazy Jane, Cyborg and Cyborg's new girlfriend, Roni, enter into the magic painting which trapped the villains Mr. Nobody and Beard Hunter in the Doom Patrolseason 1finale. The team finds Beard Hunter, but there is no sign of Mr. Nobody anywhere in the vast empty white space that was once his domain.
When asked where Mr. Nobody is, Beard Hunter just shrugs and says that "he got a gig on some animated bullcrap."As he says this, an animated banner appears on the bottom of the screen, promoting the Harley Quinn animated series and noting that all the episodes are now available for streaming on DC Universe. (They will also, it should be noted, soon be available on HBO Max). Beard Hunter reveals that he hasn't seen Mister Nobody since then and he doesn't seem too terribly concerned about his disappearance.
While this sequence may just be a cheap way to promote the Harley Quinnanimated seriesto HBO Max subscribers who have access to Doom Patrol but haven't seen Harley Quinn yet, its also a fun shout out to a beloved actor and an acknowledgement of the role he's played in the series so far. And yet, with Doom Patrol being as strange as it is, one can't help but wonder at the implications. Has Mr. Nobody decided to use his talent for narrating the actions of others to seek out work as a voice actor? Or could it be that Alan Tudyk himself has secretly been a reality-altering supervillain all this time? Only time will tell.
More:Doom Patrol: Why Niles Caulder Is The REAL Season 2 Villain
Walking Dead Theory: How Season 10's Finale Sets Up World Beyond
Matt Morrison has been writing about comics since before the word"blogging" was coined. He got his start writing for thelegendary DC Comics digital fanzine Fanzing,before receiving his own column, The Mount. Since then he has gone onto write for over a dozen websites, including 411Mania, ComicsNexus and The Cult of Nobody. He holds both an MS in InformationScience from the University of North Texas and a BFA from theUniversity of Texas at Arlington. Known as a font of comic bookhistory trivia, he has delivered lectures on the history of AmericanComic Books, Japanese Manga and Cosplay at over a dozen conventionsand served as an Expert In-Residence for a course on Graphic Novelsfor Librarians at the University of North Texas. In addition to hiswork for Screen Rant, Matt is currently the Managing Editor ofKabooooom.com, the housecritic of Explore The Multiverse and writes reviews for NoFlying, No Tights a graphic literature and anime review siteaimed at teachers and librarians. He also maintains a personal blog My Geeky Geeky Ways which hosts his extensive episode guide for the television seriesmaking up The Arrowverse as well as hiscomedic Lets Play videos. What little spare time he has isdevoted towards acting, role-playing, movie-riffing and sarcasm. Youcan follow his adventures on Twitter, @GeekyGeekyWays.
There is no fan like a DC fan, announced Ann Sarnoff. Well, theyre certainly loyal and patient. The Warner Bros CEO made her proclamation recently, while banging the drum for the upcoming DC FanDome.
Due on August 22, this virtual 24-hour fan experience is an online deep dive into the world inspired by DC Comics, with panels and programmes dedicated to the video games, TV shows and, most importantly, films.
An innovative marketing push allowing fans to experience the wonders of DC for free, you might say its just reward for supporters after years of lagging behind Marvel.
As far as movies go, its hard to argue against the utter dominance of the Marvel Cinematic Universe , with the intricate, interwoven tales of Iron Man, Thor, Captain America and more culminating in the colossal, box-office busting two-part Avengers films, Infinity War and Endgame .
By comparison, the DC Extended Universe has been a ragbag of flops, failures and the occasional outlier, with little sense of the overall masterplan that producer Kevin Feige implanted at Marvel Studios.
In essence, there was no reason why DC Entertainment couldnt follow Marvels success. DCs Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are just as popular as Marvels roster of heroes. Their villains, led by The Joker, also take some beating.
Yet cinematic attempts to unite these characters have so far failed. Justice League , which set out to bring Aquaman, The Flash and Cyborg together with Batman et al, was critically lambasted.
The films US$657 million (S$905 million)box office haul, barely breaking even after extensive reshoots and marketing, was also dwarfed by the Avengers films achievements.
Likewise, the villain-driven Suicide Squad was disappointing, despite its US$746 million worldwide gross.
While the DC universe has not enjoyed the love-in that Marvel movies usually get from the press and public, there have been positive signs. Wonder Woman was a triumph, with Patty Jenkins becoming the first female to helm a major superhero movie.
Meanwhile, the playful Shazam! starring Zachary Levi in the title role proved that there was room for mid-budget superhero movies, rather than the grossly inflated budgets of Justice League and its precursor, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice .
This year, however, looks to be an intriguing crossroads for both companies. For DC, its a chance to regroup and whisper it quietly possibly even eclipse Marvel.
After the tub-thumping of the DC FanDome, the autumn will serve up Wonder Woman 1984 , Jenkins much-anticipated follow-up to her wildly successful 2017 film.
While Marvels Black Widow will follow shortly after, DC has a genuine chance to deliver the biggest superhero movie of the year.
Although a hit Wonder Woman movie wouldnt be such a surprise, there are other innovations that show DC is attempting to claw back some of the market share from Marvel.
To begin with, there was the recent announcement that streaming service HBO Max has struck a deal to release the so-called Snyder Cutof Justice League .
Director Zack Snyder originally left the film during post-production after the death of his daughter, leaving Joss Whedon to finish the project.
Ever since, rabid online fan communities have demanded to see Snyders version, which is now a reality thanks to a US$30 million budget needed to re-edit, rescore and complete special effects.
The feelings concerning Whedon and his patched up version run deep. Ray Fisher, who plays Cyborg, recently stated on Twitter that Whedons treatment of the cast and crew during reshoots was gross, abusive, unprofessional, and completely unacceptable.
At last weeks JusticeCon, an online fan event dedicated to Justice League , Fisher reiterated every single one of those words, every single one of those comments, is true and urged Whedon to sue me for slander if otherwise. Meanwhile, at the same event, Snyder said hed rather destroy the movie set it on fire than use footage Whedon shot.
Despite this very public spat, it shows how keen Warner Bros is to revive the Justice League ensemble by allowing the Snyder Cut to go ahead.
Meanwhile, over at Marvel, it feels more uncertain, with the company betting on unfamiliar characters from the more obscure corners of the canon in forthcoming films like The Eternals and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings .
Yes, there will be further outings for Thor and Dr Strange, whilst Disney + shows The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and WandaVision will continue other established characters adventures. But with the Avengers now largely unassembled, the MCUs Phase Four feels more of a gamble.
By comparison, DC is rebranding its prized assets, a process it has readily done far more than Marvel.
Until it was shut down due to the pandemic, Matt Reeves The Batman was in production, with Robert Pattinson the sixth actor to play a live-action, big-screen version of Gotham Citys titular Caped Crusader in the modern era.
An HBO Max spin-off television series is also in the works TV being one medium where DC has largely outshone its Marvel counterparts, thanks to shows like Gotham , Batwoman , The Flash and Arrow .
The suggestion is that Reeves is taking a more raw approach with the character in his younger years, deploying more than one villain the Riddler (Paul Dano), the Penguin (Colin Farrell) and jettisoning the garish VFX-heavy approach that has dominated the Snyder-era DCEU.
The hope is that Reeves will be approximating something close to Christopher Nolans Dark Knight films the trilogy of Batman movies starring Christian Bale regarded by many as the greatest superhero films ever made.
Todd Phillips US$1 billion grossing Joker , featuring an Oscar-winning Joaquin Phoenix in a story set far apart from the DCEU, has shown just how successful this gloomy route can be.
Meanwhile, the DC universe is breaking free from Snyder, who kicked it all off with the first Henry Cavill/Superman film, 2013s Man of Steel , and largely steered the creative vision of the films ever since.
Instead, DC is taking a leaf from Marvels book and introducing a new crop of directors, including the irreverent James Gunn, who so successfully delivered Guardians of the Galaxy for Marvel.
At least for the moment, Gunn is in the DC stable, directing The Suicide Squad , which sees some of the actors from David Ayers 2016 film including Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn return for a new story.
True, there have been bumps along the road. Robbies solo outing as Quinn, Birds of Prey , flopped earlier this year, with Chinese-born director Cathy Yan at the helm. But all of a sudden, the DCEU is drawing from a bigger and more enticing well.
Spanish director Jaume Collet-Serra, for example, is prepping Black Adam , with Dwayne Johnson playing the titular villain, a nemesis to Shazam who is undoubtedly being readied for a future crossover with Levis character.
The Flash is also set for a solo outing, thanks to It director Andy Muschietti, with Ezra Miller reprising his role as the speedy hero. According to recent reports, The Flash may feature Michael Keaton, reprising his role as Batman last seen in Tim Burtons 1992 film Batman Returns .
The idea comes from DC exploring the multiverse, alternate universes or realities that co-exist within the larger whole. Already, Millers Flash recently appeared opposite Grant Gustin, his TV counterpart, in Crisis on Infinite Earths , the first major crossover between DCs film and television worlds.
While all this opens up the possibility of future match-ups from different DC realities Pattinsons Batman vs Phoenixs Joker, perhaps? it also shows the DCEUs desire to reshuffle its deck of cards until it finds a winning hand.
After all, it has a number of aces in its pack. And a Joker too.
DC Fandome takes place on August 22. For more details, visit dccomics.com .
This article was first published in South China Morning Post.
How would you kill yours? Back in the 80s, being fully prepared for a Terminator attack simply meant installing industrial crushing machinery on your doorstep, designed to activate if anyone kicked the door in wearing leather trousers. In the 90s things got more complicated you were going to need some kind of substantial smelting equipment on hand, kept constantly at the melting point of titanium. And these days, well, youd need to move into a deserted crane-making factory to be on the safe side.
Its the evolution of the threat that has kept the Terminator franchise so potent in the minds of fans for 26 years. Every 10 years or so Skynet will chuck their latest state of the art model of single-minded murderbot in the time machine to go hunt down whoevers destined to become Resistance leader, now with added nano-bastard technology making it even more resistant to our primitive weaponry, like shaking a spear at an aircraft carrier.
It might be somewhat reassuring that Skynet hadnt yet become super-intelligent enough to realise its best chance of eliminating Sarah Connor in the first place was to keep sending entire platoons of Rev-9s back to just before the first film in 1984, when she wouldnt know whats coming, but the franchises entire conceit played on a particularly fertile strand of human fear.
Linda Hamilton and Arnold Schwarzenegger in Terminator: Dark Fate. Credit: Paramount Pictures/Entertainment Pictures
Most sci-fi scares happened in gunmetal corridors many light years away and most horror flicks depend on the viewer suspending their disbelief in Biblical demons, mystical spooks and murderers who can get up after being run over by a steamroller and keep slashing. But Terminator played on our perfectly rational fear of technology corrupted, landing the fast-evolving techno-horrors of tomorrow be they nuclear annihilation or immortal death-droid in the relatively defenceless present. In the week that Terminator Salvation comes to Netflix, a video went viral of a man-sized robot doing a forward roll. Every Termi-nerd felt a shiver of terror.
Salvation was the point where the franchise attempted to launch a second, more action-based trilogy with Christian Bale as John Connor leading the resistance into battle against legions of red-eyed Robo-Rambos and even someone such as myself whod hated the sequel to the sublime, wire-tense Alien turning out to be a war film lapped it up avidly, a sucker for anything in your clothes, your boots and your motorcycle.
Yet the disappointing box office returns and $130 million loss of last years Terminator: Dark Fate another potential trilogy starter which marked the return of franchise originator James Cameron to the fold as writer and producer and ignored everything this side of 1991s Terminator 2: Judgement Day in favour of its own fresh timeline saw all plans for further films cancelled and prompted hints from the cast that the Terminator might have crushed its last human skull into the post-apocalyptic dust.
To think that thered be a demand for a seventh film is quite insane, said Mackenzie Davies, who played augmented super-soldier Grace in Dark Fate, while Linda Hamilton, who returned as Sarah Connor for the latest film, only foresees a low-budget future for the franchise at best, but I would really love to be done.
The failure of Dark Fate was initially baffling. It fit all the criteria of a late 10s blockbuster smash: a familiar franchise with an elaborate universe, returning big names, a cult following and solid reviews. But perhaps it bombed by no longer playing on the subliminal fears of its audience.
In the early 80s The Terminator essentially slotted in as the time-travel take on the Indestructible Bad Guy alongside Alien, Halloween, The Omen and Friday The 13th but with the added frisson of nuclear paranoia. It spoke to an underlying societal dread; killer robots from the distant future seemed a fantasy but a murderous, slow-moving, cold-quipping stalker with advanced weaponry and a heart of uranium struck a deep chord in the dying days of the Cold War.
The same threat doesnt hold true for todays audiences. The threat might be discerned from the same sources but theyre far more intangible and endemic; theyre in our phones, on our timelines, in the very data we absorb. So one almighty cyborg superpower stomping down the road towards us with a futuristic AK4700 for an elbow doesnt hold quite the same intrinsic reflex terror as it once did; it seems, in fact, like as throwback to simpler, less besieged times.
Arnold Schwarzenegger in Terminator 3. Credit: Press
Instead, directors like Ari Aster tap into very modern fears with his unseen devilments in Hereditary and the evil lurking behind welcoming smiles in Midsommar. Something in those films tugs at the unspoken dangers of clicking through a Facebook quiz or divulging our voting preferences anywhere near Alexa. In 2020, the charging polyalloy bullet sponges of the Terminator franchise seems rather crude in comparison.
Could Terminator work as a low-budget revival? It seems unlikely, given that much of its ongoing fascination is tied into the mystery of what level of diabolical CGI nanotechnology Skynet will come up with next. The original is too iconic to reboot successfully as is, but the time-travel conceit opens many alternative storylines.
Say a re-release of the first film is suddenly invaded halfway through by a brand new model sent back by Skynet to help the original Arnie hunt down Sarah Connor in 1984? Half an old film, half a new one even if its a nonsensical shitshow, youd have to watch it right? In fact, Id endure all manner of timeline-splicing tomfoolery if it means Arniell be back.
Just like the title character, there's nothing the Alita Battle Angel fandom can't beat in a fight. Not even Little Women.
Over the past few months, there's been a casual poll that's gone viral in film Twitter. It's a bracket match up intended to determine the "best movie of all time" that has been deliberately designed to create meltdowns. I've already gone catatonic with rage at some of these match ups (I will never stop being upset that Akira Kurosawa's magnum opus, Ran, lost to fucking Raiders of the Lost Ark).
Of all the films in the Greatest Movie of All Time Bracketthere are hundreds, as losers get a second chance in the "Bombs" bracket before they're eliminatedone movie has slowly but surely mowed down it's competition, like an amnesiac cyborg on a quest for revenge: Alita Battle Angel.
Like K-Pop stans, the Alita Army is mobilized and ready to defend their object of fandom at any given time. There are Alita themed Twitter accounts light up like the Batsignal when there's an opportunity to celebrate the film. When you mention Alita Battle Angel on Twitter, the Army will appear, ready for a rhetorical fight on why their favorite movie is good, actually.
If you haven't seen Alita and don't know what it's about, well, strap in. This movie is not only carrying the weight of being an actually good film adaptation of a beloved manga, but being a passion project that took over a decade for James Cameron, the movie's producer and original director, to get off the ground. The film ended up being directed by Robert Rodriguez, the wildly creative director that just can't seem to get audiences to sign on with his outsized imagination. On top of that, when it actually came out in theaters, it was an underdog, destined for cult classic status but not the blockbuster success one would hope that a big, splashy action movie would receive. Sure it dominated its President's Day opening weekend, but that was one of the weakest opening weekend's for the holiday in years.
All that, and we haven't even gotten to the movie's quality. Dear reader: it slaps. It is the rare kind of action movie spectacle that only comes from a mind that lives and breathes fight scenes and science fiction. The title character Alita, played charmingly by Rosa Salazar and her uncanny CGI-enhanced eyes, has both the sweetness of a teenage ingenue and the ferocity of a battle hardened warrior. The film dances along a knife's edge where it balances CW style melodrama, high octane cyborg murder and an entire sports movie arc without dropping a single beat. I have never seen anything like it, and I'm not sure I ever will again. If that's enough to convince you to stop reading this article right now and watch Alita, then how about this: Christoph Waltz plays a kindly scientist who is also a bounty hunter that murders evil cyborgs with a giant rocket hammer.
Its passionate fans are desperate for a sequel, not least because the movie ended on a mind blowing cliffhanger. In lieu of any news, they're doing what any other fandom would do: looking for avenues with which to assert their dominance. Using the hashtag #AlitaArmy, they signal each other whenever the movie needs their support. The latest target has been the Greatest Movie of All Time Bracket, and they've carried the movie from win to win.
For the most part, people following this poll have found the Alita Army's efforts charming. That changed yesterday when it came up against another adaptation of an acclaimed coming of age story about complicated female characters: Greta Gerwig's Little Women.
Gerwig, too, is an underdog as a woman in a male dominated field, and she, too, makes movies that are more cult classics than blockbusters. But Gerwig is more critically acclaimed than Rodriguez has ever been. Though she likes her share of melodrama, she doesn't make pulp, and her movies have been nominated for Oscars. Her fandom, while not as intense as Alita's, is also quite defensive of her and seeks to laud her success whenever they can. The idea of Little Women losing to a schlocky action film was too much for some of the Gerwig Gang to bear. And let's be clear; despite pulling ahead for a handful of hours, Little Women is absolutely losing to Alita Battle Angel.
Little Women stans, take a breath for a second. Louisa May Alcott has written some of the most significant literary works of all time, and Little Women has long been heralded as a classic of American literature. Gerwig's adaptation, similarly, has already overtaken the 90s movie starring Winona Ryder as the adaptation to watch, and I'm sure will warm the hearts of white women with beaded journals for decades to come. Yet, Little Women stans have positioned themselves as the underdog in this battle. If you think about it for longer than a second, it doesn't make sense.
Little Women was nominated for six Oscars and won one of them. Alita was nominated for precisely zero. Fans of Greta Gerwig know that she will return with another movie project soon enough. Alita fans are reduced to begging for a sequel on Twitter (Although he has expressed desire to direct a sequel to Alita, the film's status is still up in the air). To reduce Rodriguez's movie as just a sexist action flick, as some Little Women fans are, is not just an indicator of one's ignorance, but an insult to a great director. Rodriguez's Alita is not just about cyborg fights, though there are a lot of those. Alita treats its female lead with a level of respect that I almost never see in mainstream cinema. Everything about the movie, from its teen romance subplots to its rendering of Alita's emotional vulnerability, is absolutely sincere.
Today, the Alita Army got "Alita Sequel" trending on Twitter. In the hashtag, there isn't any hate for the fandoms that have maligned Alita Battle Angel. There's just a pure, heartfelt love for Alita. Fans recount how the movie touched them emotionally, the love they have for the world and its characters, and how all they want is a chance to visit that world again. I say, let Alita slice their way through the Greatest Movie of All Time Bracket. So many of the movies it's been up against have had their due. Let Alita Battle Angel, a movie decades in the making, a true labor of love, finally reign supreme.
Fans may be curious to know: How tall is Batman? Is he the shortest member of the Justice League? Does Joker look down at him? Is he 7ft tall?
How tall is Batman actually supposed to be? Fans might be interested in knowing the exact height the Dark Knight comes to (we won't look into his weight, that's rude). Is he the tallest member of the Justice League? Perhaps he's the shortest but the rest of the League members are too afraid to make fun of him for it (he's still Batman, after all). Which villains look up at him and which look down to him? Read on to learn just how tall (or short) that Batman truly is compared to other characters in the DC Universe.
Related:Joker War Proves Batman's Coolest Weapons Were a Mistake
The official sizes and body metrics for a multitude of DC characters can be found in theofficialDC Comics Encyclopediafrom DC Comics in partnership with DK. It makes sense that Batman and other DC Comics characters would have official heights and other body type metrics. The publisher would want to maintain a base level of consistency between series and different comic book artists as time goes on as they're being depicted. They wouldn't want one artist to draw Batman a few feet taller than a Gotham rogue, only to have him be shorter than that same rogue a few issues or series later when drawn by another. In order to maintain a basic continuity of appearance, there needs to be an agreed upon set of character dimensions.
According to the official encyclopedia, Batman is 6'2". For reference, that puts him as the same height as Will Smith, Ryan Reynolds, Chris Pratt, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. He's also the same height as Batman actor Adam West, and Lego Batman voice actor Will Arnett. As another fun fact, Michael Caine and Jeremy Irons, who both played Batman's butler Alfred in their respective films, are 6'2" as well.
In the DC Universe, Superman comes in at just an inch taller than the Dark Knight, while Wonder Woman is two inches shorter, putting Batman right in the middle of the DC's Trinity of Heroes. Furthermore, he is neither the tallest nor shortest member of the Justice League: Cyborg is the tallest at 6'6 and Flash and Wonder Woman tie for shortest at 6ft, while Green Lantern Hal Jordan is the same height as Batman. On the villain side, Penguin is obviously shorter than Batman at 5'2". Surprisingly, the Joker is taller than Batman being 6'5", while Darkseid is taller than all listed previously at a whopping 8'9". One could imagine that being super tall is a prerequisite for being a cosmic dictator obsessed with ruling over all by means of a vicious Parademon army.
While the information of knowing Batman's specific height is not super important in the grand scheme of things even in the realm of comics knowledge, it's hopefully still fun, interesting, and entertaining for Batman and DC fans to learn all the same. Fans of the Dark Knight can rest easy knowing that Batman can ride all of the rides at Disneyland, if he were so inclined.
More:The Original, Non-Billionaire Batman is Finally Returning
Before Killing Superman, Doomsday Slaughtered The Green Lanterns
Kevin Erdmann is one of Screen Rant's staff writers. With a major in Cinema Studies and a minor in Comics and Cartoon Studies from the UofO, Kevin is pretty sure he's writing for the right site. While Kevin is a huge Marvel fan, he also loves Batman because he's Batman and is a firm believer that Han shot first. Disney also shares a big part of his fan patronage. Previously, Kevin was a writer for ComicsVerse.com. Kevin lives in Oregon with his wonderful wife and sinister cat who is no doubt currently plotting his demise.
This image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows Ezra Miller, from left, Ben Affleck and Gal Gadot in a scene from "Justice League." Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. / AP
In a comment that surprised exactly no one, Justice Leaguedirector Zack Snyder has said his upcoming Snyder Cut of the troubled superhero film will not feature any footage that was shot by Joss Whedon for the theatrical release.
Snyder was forced to cede control of Justice League after a family tragedy, with Whedon stepping into the directors chair to complete the comic book team-up, featuring Batman, Wonder Woman, Superman, Aquaman and The Flash.
I would set the movie on fire. Id destroy it before I used a single frame that I did not photograph, Snyder said during the first inaugural Justice Con.
After approaching near-mythical status, with #ReleasetheSnyderCut a regular call out among fans on social media, Snyder announced in May he will release his fabled version of the 2017 filmnext year exclusively on WarnerMedias HBO Max.
With a reported $300 million budget and a worldwide gross of $658 million, Justice League was a commercial disappointment. Critics were equally unimpressed, and it sits with a 40% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. A planned sequel was shelved and the tumultuous shoot led Ben Affleck to exit a proposed Batman spinoff. Elsewhere, Ezra Millers solo Flash movie has suffered a number of setbacks (its now due out in 2022), while Cyborg has been postponed indefinitely.
GAL GADOT as Wonder Woman in Warner Bros. Pictures' action adventure "JUSTICE LEAGUE," a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
BEN AFFLECK as Batman in Warner Bros. Pictures' action adventure "JUSTICE LEAGUE," a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
JASON MOMOA as Aquaman in Warner Bros. Pictures' action adventure "JUSTICE LEAGUE," a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
EZRA MILLER as The Flash in Warner Bros. Pictures' action adventure "JUSTICE LEAGUE," a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
EZRA MILLER as The Flash in Warner Bros. Pictures' action adventure "JUSTICE LEAGUE," a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
GAL GADOT as Wonder Woman in Warner Bros. Pictures' action adventure "JUSTICE LEAGUE," a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
RAY FISHER as Cyborg in Warner Bros. Pictures' action adventure "JUSTICE LEAGUE," a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
AMBER HEARD as Mera in Warner Bros. Pictures' action adventure "JUSTICE LEAGUE," a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
GAL GADOT as Wonder Woman in Warner Bros. Pictures' action adventure "JUSTICE LEAGUE," a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
(L-R) J.K. SIMMONS as Commissioner Gordon, GAL GADOT as Wonder Woman, RAY FISHER as Cyborg, BEN AFFLECK as Batman and EZRA MILLER as The Flash in Warner Bros. Pictures' action adventure "JUSTICE LEAGUE," a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
(L-R) RAY FISHER as Cyborg, GAL GADOT as Wonder Woman, EZRA MILLER as The Flash and JASON MOMOA as Aquaman in Warner Bros. Pictures' action adventure "JUSTICE LEAGUE," a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
EZRA MILLER as The Flash in Warner Bros. Pictures' action adventure "JUSTICE LEAGUE," a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
(L-r) EZRA MILLER as The Flash, BEN AFFLECK as Batman and GAL GADOT as Wonder Woman in Warner Bros. Pictures' action adventure "JUSTICE LEAGUE," a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
(L-r) JASON MOMOA as Aquaman, GAL GADOT as Wonder Woman, EZRA MILLER as The Flash and RAY FISHER as Cyborg in Warner Bros. Pictures' action adventure "JUSTICE LEAGUE," a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
GAL GADOT as Diana Prince in Warner Bros. Pictures' action adventure "JUSTICE LEAGUE," a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
(L-r) GAL GADOT as Wonder Woman, BEN AFFLECK as Batman and EZRA MILLER as The Flash in Warner Bros. Pictures' action adventure "JUSTICE LEAGUE," a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
EZRA MILLER as The Flash in Warner Bros. Pictures' action adventure "JUSTICE LEAGUE," a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
GAL GADOT as Wonder Woman in Warner Bros. Pictures' action adventure "JUSTICE LEAGUE," a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
JASON MOMOA as Aquaman in Warner Bros. Pictures' action adventure "JUSTICE LEAGUE," a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
JASON MOMOA as Aquaman in Warner Bros. Pictures' action adventure "JUSTICE LEAGUE," a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
While a full trailer wont be revealed until next months DC FanDome event on Aug. 22, Snyder has been teasing his take on social media with new images of the films stars and clips, including one of Henry Cavills Superman in a black suit and another showing Gal Gadots Wonder Woman uncovering an etching inside a cave that reveals the super villain Darkseid.
Snyder hasnt revealed whether his revampedJustice League will be available to stream as a film or if it will be split up into a miniseries, but he has said it will four hours or possibly longer. It will be completed with new effects and a production budget rumoured to be in the $20 million price range.
But in an interview with the Hollywood Reporter, Snyder promised his cut will be an entirely new thing.
#ReleasetheSnyderCut is the most-tweeted hashtag about a movie that WB has ever made, but its a movie theyve never released, says Snyder. Its a weird stat but its cool.
We're back with the Overwatch League coaches' poll, and this week, Genji continued his rise in the meta.
Nowhere was that more apparent than with Matthew "Super" DeLisi taking the cyborg ninja on a stroll against the hapless Boston Uprising. Normally a main tank player, Super styled on the Uprising and demonstrated two things: the Shock still rule the roost, and we might never hear the end of Super recounting his Genji play. There was still room for at least one upset, of course, as the Chengdu Hunters used yet another unconventional composition to defeat NYXL. How do the teams all stack up in their first week back after the Summer Showdown?
The Overwatch League coaches' poll ranks the teams from best to worst, with votes compiled into aggregate rankings. The coaches' poll will come out weekly during the OWL season.
DC movies offers an array of characters that capture the imaginations of audiences. From captivating heroes to cunning villains, those characters have their range of appeal that traces back to their comic origins. For people of each horoscope, they will have their preferences of which character they can identify with.
RELATED:Flash: 10 Characters From The DC Multiverse We'd Like To See
For the case of the Aries-born, they will easily appeal to those DC characters with courageous spirits and dynamic presence, but for now onlyDC Extended Universecharacters will be included. With that, here are five movie characters that Aries people will relate to, and five they wont understand.
Chato Santana/El Diablo can produce flames from his hands. But, when he first appeared onscreen in Suicide Squad, Santana stated that he condemned his fire-conjuring powers as atonement for affecting those he loved with his powers. He is deemed as the pacifist of the Squad, not wanting to descend to their anarchic nature. However, when the occasion arises, he unleashes his powers, up to his most ultimate demon-like form.
Despite his misgivings, Aries people can take pride on his strong-willed virtuosity and caring interior that gives him a moral compass.
When Victor Stone suffered a severe injury, his father Dr. Silas Stone utilizes the core power of the Mother Box that turns him into cybernetic hybrid labeled as Cyborg. In Justice League, Victor struggles to accept his fortune as a metahuman, but accepts this responsibility by using his willpower to prevent the other two Mother Boxes from complete destruction.
RELATED:5 Reasons Cyborg & Iron Man Would Make Great Partners (& 5 Reasons They Would Hate Each Other)
On the brief time that Cyborg made an impression, Aries-born viewers will not easily understand his plight. Thus, his sudden acceptance as a Justice League member might looked feeble for them.
Freddy Freeman is the archetype of the superhero fanboy who applies his handy superhero knowledge to his stepbrother Billy Batson/Shazam. His disability does not stop here from assisting Billy and boosting his popularity around Philadelphia. And his efforts are rewarded when Billy shares the wizard Shazams powers to him and his foster siblings.
Aries people can get behind Freddys giddy enthusiasm that made him courageous and street-smart. And he copes with his disability and has anoptimistic view on his foster family, despite mistreatment.
Rick Flag is the hard boiled leader of Task Force X. He supervises them on their mission to stop the Enchantress (and rescue his girlfriend Dr. June Moone) and loads a lot of information to the team. All the while, he discovers a darker secret from Amanda Waller, which puts his military cred to the test.
His by-the-books approach is what alienates from Aries people. It does not help that his gruff personality tends to be one-note and apathetic, so it is hard to root for him.
Speaking of no-nonsense authority figures, thereisRenee Montoya. An overworked and underappreciated detective, Renee finds herself in a career path where majority of her colleagues disregard her,turning her into a cynical alcoholic. Even with solving Roman Sionis case, she was not given full credit,which led to her creating theBirds of Prey with Huntress and Black Canary.
RELATED:Birds Of Prey: 10 Action Movie Ladies Who Should Join Harley Quinn's Gang
Renee Montoya is a captivating figure for Aries people. With her strong-willed determination and her daring skills, she is a fighter not to be messed with.
Amanda Waller is the government official that hatched the plan of using Belle Reves notorious powered criminals to conduct destructive missions. Her plans were thwarted in execution when the Enchantress was unleashed. Thus, the majority of Suicide Squad consisted of her covering her tracks.
Because of this, Aries people will not understand her logic, nor her brusque attitude towards the Squad. Her stone-faced sternness only makes it less credible when Aries people unravel the irresponsible decisions she made and hid.
As Bruce Waynes most loyal confidante, Alfred Pennyworth has served the Wayne family for years. Under his tenure for Bruce, he serves as a legal guardian, assistant, housekeeper, mentor, father figure and basically Batmans Batman. He is always hands-on in improving Batmans utilities and weapons, and acts as a guide in the Caped Crusaders missions.
It is that balance of jack-of-all-trades attitude, suave persona and sarcastic humor that makes him relatable for Aries-born people. Take Batman out, and Alfred is still a witty, adventurous spirit with a massive skill set.
Orm Marius is the half-brother to Arthur Curry who resents his brothers half-blood human heritage and strives to unite the seven underwater kingdoms to declare war on the surface world. With his objective nearly succeeding, he takes on the persona as the conquering Ocean Master.
With his pompous demeanor towards Arthur and his one-sided ruling style, Aries people will find a hard time sympathizing nor understanding Orm. Granted, his opposition to the humans polluting the seas is justified. But there is nothing for Aries to relate to.
Wonder Woman is the champion and princess of Themyscira, gifted with superhuman abilities and goddess prowess. However, her destiny was changed when she learned of the existence of thehuman world through Steve Trevor, propelling her to a lifelong mission to help those in need and maintain the peace.
As the current MVP of the DC Extended Universe, Diana should easily appeal to Aries-born viewers for her exceptional optimism, her charming empathy and her confident spirit that came to light on the most needed moments. She herself is a model that they can follow.
Mera is the princess of Xebel and daughter of King Nereus. She was betrothed to be married to Orm, but her allegiance is with Arthur, as his half-human, half-Atlantean blood isvital for the peace between Atlantis and the surface world. Like Arthur, she holds hydrokinetic powers that enable her to travel rapidly in water and communicate with other Atlanteans and sea creatures.
Even if she is a supportive ally to Arthur, Meras rational ideals and disciplinarian attitude will frustrate Aries people. They will feel like she is not given much dimension as a character.
NEXT:10 Female Characters The DCEU Needs To Introduce
Next Lord Of The Rings: 10 Most Expensive Props (With Prices)
Paolo Alfar is a freelance writer, based in Manila, Philippines. His passion for films is accidental when he designed a movie theater during his childhood. From there, his fondness for movies grew. And the Leo DiCaprio epic "Blood Diamond" somehow kicked off that passion.Follow him on Letterboxd at Paolo_the_TPS.
Cyborg actor Ray Fisher has revealed his one request for Zack Snyders Justice League.
Ray Fisher, who plays Cyborg in the DCEU, has been very vocal about his excitement for Zack Snyders Justice League, hoping that it will right many of the wrongs of Joss Whedons theatrical version.
One thing that he wants fixed more than anything, however, is a mention in the credits for someone who was left out from the theatrical release. Taking to Twitter, Fisher said:
Despite my asking on multiple occasions, my barber (Wayne Nembhard) was not credited in any capacity for his work on the theatrical version of Justice League.
Wayne worked with us for the ENTIRE principle photography process (8 months) and the majority of the reshoots.
SEE ALSO: Zack Snyder on Justice Leagues position in the DC Multiverse and his take on Superman
Wayne took whatever time was asked of him away from his successful businessa unisex barber salon called Extreme Cutz in St. Albans, UKto work with us.
Too my knowledge, he was the only Black man to ever grace the hair and makeup trailer.
It broke my heart (as I know it did Waynes) to watch the credits roll and not see his name appear in any way.
When Zack told me about the Snyder Cut being released, I only had one request: that Wayne be given credit for his work.
Zack was shocked that Wayne wasnt credited in the theatrical version and assured me that Wayne would absolutely be given credit in Zack Snyders Justice League.
Despite my asking on multiple occasions, my barber (Wayne Nembhard) was not credited in any capacity for his work on the theatrical version of Justice League.
Wayne worked with us for the ENTIRE principle photography process (8 months) and the majority of the reshoots.(1/4) https://t.co/WC178DXvan
Ray Fisher (@ray8fisher) July 21, 2020
While this isnt a change any of us fans would notice, it certainly sounds like a good cause Fisher is pushing for. So keep an eye out for Wayne Nembhard when those credits start to roll.
InJustice League, fueled by his restored faith in humanity and inspired by Supermans selfless act, Bruce Wayne enlists the help of his newfound ally, Diana Prince, to face an even greater enemy. Together, Batman and Wonder Woman work quickly to find and recruit a team of metahumans to stand against this newly awakened threat. But despite the formation of this unprecedented league of heroesBatman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg and The Flashit may already be too late to save the planet from an assault of catastrophic proportions.
Justice Leagueis directed by Zack Snyder and features Henry Cavill as Superman, Ben Affleck as Batman, Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, Ray Fisher as Cyborg, Jason Momoa as Aquaman, Ezra Miller as The Flash, Amy Adams as Lois Lane, Jeremy Irons as Alfred Pennyworth, Diane Lane as Martha Kent, Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor, Connie Nielsen as Queen Hippolyta and Robin Wright as General Antiope, J.K. Simmons as Commissioner Gordon, Amber Heard as Mera, Ciaran Hinds as Steppenwolf and Ray Porter as Darkseid.
If you squealed with joy during Joe's emphatic, heart-aching monologue in The Old Guard, Doom Patrol should be next on your watchlist. Originally debuted by DC Universe last year, the outlandish superhero series was renewed by HBO Max for its second season, becoming another addition to the new streamer's slate of originals.
First and foremost, Doom Patrol is amazing and more people should be talking about it. With leading roles filled by the smoldering Matt Bomer, '90s icon Brendan Fraser, Orange is the New Black's Diane Guerrero, and former James Bond himself, Timothy Dalton, the cast is already reason enough to watch. If the reputation behind the names isn't a big enough draw, the show gives audiences something critics of superhero films have long been asking for: queer representation.
As an oddball mixture of the enthralling, morose stakes indicative of the superhero genre coupled with wildly camp characters and story elements, Doom Patrol is an irreverent, genre-blending original. Moaning sex ghosts, a hero whose flex-activated telekinesis can send a shock wave of orgasms, and a rollerskating time villain it's all on the table. Danny The Street, is however, the most peculiar and perfect of them all.
Danny the Street is a living gender-queer street with the power to teleport themselves and their residents to any location in the world (possibly universe). They communicate through street signs, napkins, neon signs, and anything else they can create lettering on. First introduced in "Doom Patrol #35" in 1990 by writer Grant Morrison, Danny was originally a cross-dressing transperson (referred to in the comics as a "transvestite") who offered himself as a safe haven people who either weren't accepted by or didn't feel at home in society.
The term "transvestite" alone is problematic and dated, but the show creators sought to maintain Danny's queerness in the series adaptation, resulting in their much-needed evolution to non-binary. Season one's episode eight, "Danny Patrol," is their first introduction on the series, and follows heroes Cyborg (Joivan Wade) and Larry Trainor (voiced by Matt Bomer) in their fight to protect Danny and Danny's residents, cutely referred to as Danizens, from the evil Bureau of Normalcy.
Throughout the episode, Danny and fabulous transgender woman Maura Lee Karupt reiterate the importance of celebrating, and most importantly respecting, people's differences. Danny and Maura Lee's teachings really hit home for Larry, who struggles to find pride in his homosexuality. Embellished with a drag show ending, Pride.com called the episode "the queerest episode of television in 2019." In respect to his role, Matt Bomer told Digital Spy, "Larry is one of the most three-dimensional, fully [realized] gay characters I've ever played. As much as it's a fun superhero show, Doom Patrol is really about the human condition."
In a literal sense, Doom Patrol's queer characters bring the queer representation desperately craved in superhero franchises, but that isn't where the representation ends. Like all superhero stories, the heroics aren't the real focus of the project. Sure, we all loved seeing Iron Man take on Thanos in his super suit, but it was his development from arrogant, self-absorbed rich kid to self-sacrificing mentor that kept us emotionally attached.
Through the vehicle a superhero adventure, Doom Patrol ultimately tells the story of outsiders laboring to find joy in the differences that cast them out from society's acceptance. Narrated in a modernized camp style reminiscent of Joel Schumacher's 1997 flop-turned-cult-hit Batman & Robin, the series uses queer characters to investigate a trial in life that is inherently relatable to the queer experience.
Four companies have been chosen to develop combat drones that will use artificial intelligence to either fully execute or support manned aircraft on strenuous or dangerous missions, the Air Force said.
Boeing, Northrop Grumman, General Atomics and Kratos Unmanned Aerial Systems were awarded contracts in support of the Air Forces Skyborg Vanguard Program, the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center said in a statement Thursday. The companies will compete for up to $400 million in orders, it said.
The program name evokes the cyborg man-machine hybrids of science fiction, but also perhaps the fictional artificial intelligence network Skynet in the Terminator film series.
Will Roper, the Air Forces assistant secretary for acquisition, technology and logistics, suggested a more endearing fictional creation, Defense News reported. At a conference last year, he likened it to the beep-booping droid R2-D2 of the Star Wars universe that helps Luke Skywalker and his father pilot their fighter spacecraft.
The real-world drones are supposed to include AI upgrades to allow them to learn how to engage enemy defense systems, as well as to share data with manned F-35 and F-15 fighters. This would allow the drones to operate in tandem with the jets in a wingman role, officials said.
Because autonomous systems can support missions that are too strenuous or dangerous for manned crews, Skyborg can increase capability significantly and be a force multiplier, Brig. Gen. Dale White, program executive officer for fighters and advanced aircraft, said in the statement. We have the opportunity to transform our warfighting capabilities and change the way we fight and employ air power.
The new drones, which will eventually replace the MQ-9 Reaper, will be designed to be attritable, meaning they will be inexpensive enough that losing one in combat would be tolerable.
The first Skyborg drones are expected to be operational by 2023. At least two models a ground attack and an air superiority version are expected to be fielded, according to Aviation Week & Space Technology.
The U.S. is not the only country developing stealthy combat drones, although its not clear whether any others are AI-enabled.
In October, China featured a prototype of the GJ-11 Sharp Sword drone at its national day parade. Russia, meanwhile, has released video of a much larger Sukhoi Su-70 drone flying in formation with an Su-35 fighter, indicating that the two are capable of operating in tandem.
And Israel has already used in Syria a stealth loitering drone that can crash into targets if its detected, or return to base if the strike is called off.
A Skyborg conceptual design for a low-cost, unmanned combat drone. Four companies have been picked to build the Air Force's Skyborg drone, the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center said in a statement on July 23, 2020.AIR FORCE RESEARCH LABORATORY
