Category Archives: Movies
The New DC TV and Movie Universe is Here and It Looks Great!
Today was the big day for DC Comics, Warner Bros and the new co-CEOs, James Gunn and Peter Safran. There has been so much swirling around since the pair were announced for a new, slate-clearing take on the DC Universe, all leading up to today: the announcement of the first 10 projects in the new cinematic universe.
Well those projects are here and they look great! I am fully on board with everything announced and look forward to watching all of it in the years ahead! You can check out the official DC on their website, and read my rundown of the projects below. Apparently, all of these movies and shows will have the chance to intermingle actors and characters, which is neat, obviously. They’re also going to be separate from existing projects, like Joker 2, The Batman 2, the Harley Quinn cartoon and those various Teen Titans cartoons.
More power to James Gunn, Peter Safran, DC, Warner Bros. and all of them!
Superman: Legacy – Movie
This is the big ticket item that everything is going to depend on, I bet. The next big Superman movie, focused squarely on Superman. That’s the right way to go, in my opinion. Gunn has indicated that he’s using All-Star Superman as inspiration, and that’s a great idea. That’s the greatest Superman story of all time, in my opinion, and it gets Superman exactly right. So that is the right way to go.
Superman: Legacy will focus on “Superman balancing his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing. Superman represents truth, justice and the American way. He is kindness in a world that thinks of kindness as old fashioned.”
Gunn is writing the script, will hopefully direct, and it’s already scheduled to come out on July 11, 2025.
Creature Commandos – Show
I’m in. This one looks weird and special, and I am totally in. A cartoon series on HBO Max about a bunch of funky creatures going on military operations? Like Frankenstein and Bridge of Frankenstein and Weasel from Gunn’s Suicide Squad? Count me in without a moment’s hesitation!
Creature Commandos is already fully written by Gunn — awesome — and is already in production for seven episodes.
Waller – Show
Viola Davis is going to return as Amanda Waller to do her own series in between seasons of Peacemaker. So obviously Peacemaker, and perhaps even Gunn’s Suicide Squad, will be part of the new DCU. That’s fine by me. I loved both of those projects and would hate to lose them in this shakeup. And if Gunn needs time to come back for Peacemaker season 2, having the characters spin-off into an HBO Max show about Amanda Waller sounds fine by me.
Lanterns – Show
A big, live action Green Lantern show has been in the works for years with very little to show for it. So Gunn and co. probably took the reins on that and have turned it into Lanterns, a True Detective-style mystery procedural starring Hal Jordan and John Stewart as space cops.
I love the world of the Green Lanterns, and I would love a gritty, live action TV show about them doing cop stuff. So bring it on!
The Authority – Movie
This one should be really interesting. I’ve never read any of the original Authority comics, so I have no real connection to the characters or the team. But they’re a pretty bold choice for another big DC movie in this era. Will audiences be able to just get on board? Will it be too much too soon? Obviously I’m confident they’ll pull this off, but i think this one is their biggest swing in this slate.
Paradise Lost – Show
This is the one I’m least sure about. They’re promising a Game of Thrones-esque show about the birth of Themyscira and the world before Wonder Woman. What were their politics like? How was the society of Amazons formed? These are interesting ideas, but I’m not entirely sure they’ll be able to pull it off. It’s just such a nebulous concept without any real established story behind it.
Remember when DC did the show Krypton? About the politics of Krypton during the time of Superman’s grandfather? Yeah, I don’t either. No word on whether or not Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman is still part of this new slate of projects.
The Brave and the Bold – Movie
I love Robin, you all know that. But I dislike Damian Wayne as Robin, even if he’s apparently James Gunn’s favorite Robin. So this is a mixed bag for me. Obviously, I’ll take any live acton Robin I can get, especially if this is the start of a really Bat-family heavy movie Batman continuity. We’re still going to get The Batman – Part II starring Robert Pattinson; that’s going to be in its own continuity. But The Brave and the Bold will be Batman’s big debut in the new DCU, with a focus on Damian Wayne. Does this mean we’ll get a Dick Grayson as Nightwing cameo? Maybe, who knows.
But yeah, I’m on board. I will gladly watch a movie focused on Damian if it also means we’re getting a movie focused on Robin.
Booster Gold – Show
Yeah, baby! This is one to get really excited about! Booster Gold is going to get a live action TV show on HBO Max and that’s brilliant. It’s going to focus on a “superhero’s imposter syndrome” and that’s a great focus for a show. Booster Gold is such a fun and easy concept to understand. He’s a hapless schmuck from the 30th century who steals a bunch of future tech and travels back in time to the 20th century, where he can use that tech to seem like he has super-powers. Booster Gold should have gotten his own project a long time ago, but in the hands of James Gunn, it should be better than ever possibly anticipated.
Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow – Movie
Jumping right into a live action Supergirl movie is an interesting choice, though I suppose it’s not that big of a deal, considering we’re jumping right into a Superman movie. They should work well together, especially in establishing shared continuity. Give the new Superman actor an immediate place to show up again before his sequel.
This is going to be based on the recent comic by writer Tom King. I read and enjoyed the first few issues, and then picked up the whole thing in graphic novel form. It’s next on my list for bedtime reading, so I best get to that right away.
Swamp Thing – Movie
Last, but not least, is a new Swamp Thing movie. I don’t have any real connection to the character, so I’m not particularly interested or concerned. There has been a ton of great Swamp Thing content over the years — so I’ve heard — so I’m sure they can come up with a really great story.
Whew! And that is the whole list of shows and movies. They all look pretty great, they all look very diverse is style and superheroes. I’m definitely excited. It’s going to be called “Gods and Monsters,” which is a pretty simplistic title, if you ask me. And it’s also subject to change, if need be.
Whatever happens, I’m on board for all of it!
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The New Dungeons & Dragons Movie Looks Good To Me
Sadly, I have never played Dungeons & Dragons proper. I’ve played video game versions. I’ve sat in on some games my friends were running while I was there visiting. But I’ve never had the opportunity to sit down with a group of friends and play a full game. I think I’d be great, I think I would love it; but life has not yet found the way for me to play. I’ve got to live with that.
And while I do, I’ll go see the new movie, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, in the theaters in a couple of months.
I think the movie looks really fun. I don’t know how well it will do in the theaters, but they’ve got a good cast, good CGI, and a real plethora of things and gewgaws from the games to really flesh it out. I think that’s exactly what is needed. Hopefully it’s enough to keep audiences interested. Who wouldn’t enjoy a movie franchise along these lines? Critical Role is doing good work with the idea in their live shows and their Vox Machina cartoon. Why couldn’t another one succeed as well?
Though the new movie probably won’t have Critical Role’s charisma…
Anyway, Honor Among Thieves comes to theaters on March 31, which will be here before you know it.
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There’s a Lot Going on in Shazam: Fury of the Gods
I really enjoyed the first Shazam! movie. It was fun and charming, with a lot of good character and energy. So I’m pumped for the sequel, Shazam! Fury of the Gods. It looks to have the same charm, character and energy. And, apparently, there’s just a whole lot of everything in this movie.
Wow, that trailer is stuffed to the gills with stuff happening. We’ve got the two new villains, we’ve got the various family members depowered and split up. We’ve got the Wizard coming back. We’ve got Billy Batson making all sorts of decisions. I feel like the plot is pretty simple, but that trailer wants to show off everything. More power to them, I suppose!
Shazam! Fury of the Gods comes to theaters on March 17.
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My 6 Most Anticipated Movies of 2023
The new year is here and that means we have a whole new year of movies to look forward to! I’m a big movie guy — and even do a movie review podcast for my day job, if that sort of thing interests you. And I’ve definitely got my list of most anticipated movies for the year. There’s a lot coming out, including a new Indiana Jones, a new Mission Impossible and a bunch of new Marvel movies, so which ones am I looking forward to most of all?
Look, I’m a simple man with simple tastes. Is this list mostly going to be made up of Marvel movies? Yes. Should you stop reading now? No! Maybe there will be some surprises! Heck, one of the movies on this list I only learned about by researching upcoming movies for this list! How’s that for anticipation? I find out it exists and I get so excited that it immediately goes on the list! This year should be a good year in movies. I know I’ve got my hopes up across the board!
Join me after the jump for my most anticipated movies this year. And feel free to share your own in the comments down below!
Read the rest of this entryThe New Ant-Man Trailer Goes Heavy on the Kang
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is only about a month away from arriving in theaters and I’m very excited! Ant-Man is my favorite Avenger and I’ve enjoyed his films. And the next one is gonna be big and bombastic! It’s also gonna introduce a proper Kang the Conqueror as the new big bad.
And the new trailer, debuting last night, really goes heavy on Kang action!
Fun trailer! Not as jovial as the first one, but it definitely shows off the action very well. We’ve got lots of Scott Langs, we’ve got some quality drama attached to his daughter, Cassie, and we’ve got a metric ton of danger associated with Kang the Conqueror! Sounds good to me. And yes, those are our first official looks at MODOK! How nifty!
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania comes to theaters on Feb. 17!
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