Arrow casts a superhero, while The Flash casts a supervillain...
E! Online is reporting that the upcoming CW series The Flash has cast Kelly Frye as Bette Sans Souci, more commonly known as the DC Comics supervillain Plastique. Plastique will make her debut in the series' fifth episode and is described in the article as follows:
"A bomb disposal expert in Iraq who, following exposure to the energy released by the S.T.A.R. Labs meltdown, Bette now has the ability to turn any object she touches into an explosive device. On the run from the shadow forces in the U.S. government trying to turn her into a human weapon, she finds an ally in fellow metahuman The Flash."
Frye is perhaps best known as Cindy Beck on the short-lived series Rake, and has had various roles on NCIS: Los Angeles, Body of Proof, The Mentalist and House.
Given the character's past history with Firestorm and the announcement that Robbie Amell will be playing Ronnie Raymond, it seems more than possible that the two will have some sort of confrontation on The Flash.
Created in 1982 by Gerry Conway and Pat Broderick, Plastique first appeared in The Fury of Firestorm (vol.1) #7 as a Quebec separatist terrorist who attempted a suicide bombing against the fictional DC Universe newspaper The New York Herald-Express until the superhero Firestorm disarmed her by vaporizing her clothes and leaving her naked in public. She later used genetic engineering to give herself the ability to project explosive force outward from her body.
Plastique became a member of the Suicide Squad for a short while, and was shortly engaged to the superhero Captain Atom until he ended up becoming the supervillain Monarch. After the DC Universe's continuity was relaunched as The New 52, Plastique became a member of the Secret Society of Super-Villains and attempted to assassinate Madame Xanadu.
Frye will be the second actress to portray Plastique in live-action, after Jessica Parker Kennedy in seasons eight and ten of the CW series Smallville. The character also appeared in an episode of the Justice League Unlimited animated series, titled "Task Force X."
The fifth episode of The Flash should air on The CW on Tuesday, November 4th.
Well, that didn't take long.
Just days after the character was announced at this year's San Diego Comic Con, Deadline reports that the CW series Arrow has cast J.R. Ramirez in the role of Ted Grant, better known to DC Comics fans as Wildcat.
The 34-year-old actor recently appeared on the television series Power as Julio, on Emily Owens, M.D. as Dr. A.J. Aquino, and House of Payne as Diego Hernandez. He's also been featured in small roles on 90210 and 24.
According to the article, Grant will be "a former boxer who now runs a gym for underprivileged youth. A man with a mysterious past, he will play a pivotal role in Laurel Lance’s arc this season." The role will be potentially recurring, presumably as Ted Grant continues to train Laurel Lance in how to fight.
Created in 1942 by Bill Finger and Irwin Hasen, Wildcat first appeared in Sensation Comics #1 as Theodore "Ted" Grant, an unemployed city orphan who saved the heavyweight boxing champion "Socker" Smith one day from a mugging and was trained by Smith until Grant became a heavyweight champion in his own right. Framed for the murder of Smith, Grant took on the name of Wildcat and vowed to clear his name. After proving his innocence and getting justice for his dead mentor, he continued to fight against crime as Wildcat.
Later, after joining the superhero group the Justice Society of America, Wildcat trained the second Black Canary, Dinah Laurel Lance, teaching her various boxing techniques suited to her build without her mother's knowledge. It seems this small factoid will be the basis for bringing Ted Grant into the series.
This will be the first significant depiction of the character in live-action, after Roger Hasket briefly cameoed as the character in the Smallville episode "Absolute Justice." Wildcat has appeared in the animated series Justice League Unlimited (voiced by Dennis Farina) and Batman: The Brave and the Bold (voiced by R. Lee Ermey).
Arrow returns to The CW for Season 3 on October 8, 2014.
It can be argued that while Marvel seems to dominate comic book movie adaptations (at the moment), television pretty much belongs to DC Comics starting this fall. During the Warner Bros. Television panel inside Hall H at Comic-Con International: San Diego 2014, fans got their first (official) viewing of the pilot episodes for The Flash and Constantine as well as the very first showing of the pilot for Gotham.
As if that wasn't enough, new trailers for all three shows and Season 3 of Arrow made their debut along with news of some new characters from the DC Universe appearing in live-action for the very first time. Here's the rundown for each series:
ARROW
The big news was the announcement of Season 3's Big Bad, none other than the major Batman villain Ra's al Ghul. Liam Neeson previously appeared as live-action version of the character in the 2005 film Batman Begins, while Ra's has had a connection to Arrow through his second daughter, Nyssa al Ghul, and that he trained Malcolm Merlyn in Nanda Parbat.
In addition, we learned that Ted Grant, better known as the superhero Wildcat, will be appearing sometime during Season 3 and he'll have some interaction with Laurel Lance.
Proving that his abs are real by taking off his shirt, star Stephen Amell explained that the theme of Arrow Season 3 was "Identity" and whether he could be Oliver Queen and the Arrow. "It's Arrow, but with a little more green," he said.
Here's the new Season 3 trailer with Ra's al Ghul, which features Season 2 footage for about a minute before the new goodness...
CONSTANTINE
Despite NBC's silly broadcast standards, John Constantine was confirmed as a smoker for the series, which will be worked around by showing him lighting up and putting out cigarettes but not inhaling.
The character of Papa Midnite, who previously appeared in the 2005 Constantine film, will appear during the first season and so will Jim Corrigan, better known as the supernatural superhero The Spectre. Also, the helmet of Doctor Fate, which appears in the pilot, could lead to the character being seen somewhere down the line.
Here's the new trailer for the series, which features some additional footage not seen in the pilot...
THE FLASH
The new CW series discussed the coming of Robbie Amell as Firestorm and Wentworth Miller as Captain Cold once again, and also explained that the use of Clyde Mardon in the pilot means there's always the option to have his brother, Mark Mardon, show up as the Weather Wizard.
Star Grant Gustin said he has genuine affection for the character of Barry Allen. "He's a dork, and he's brilliant, and there's a lot of depth to him," said Gustin. "He's easy to relate to because he's so genuine."
Producer Greg Berlanti also teased the first major crossover between The Flash and Arrow, revealing episode eight of the season was "Flash vs. Arrow."
Meanwhile, executive producer Andrew Kreisberg explained that the different tones between The Flash and Arrow is intentional because "we were very conscious of not wanting to do the same show twice." Since Arrow has a "much darker quality to it," The Flash is "lighter, brighter, and a little bit blue sky."
As for the twist at the end of the pilot, Tom Cavanagh merely remarked of his character, Harrison Wells, that "Sometimes in the comic book world, people aren't what they appear to be. And this might be one of those instances."
And here's a fun new teaser promo for The Flash, showing everyone's favorite Fastest Man Alive breaking the sound barrier...
GOTHAM
Gotham's young star David Mazouz, who plays Bruce Wayne, charmed the crowd by saying he'd like to wear the batsuit one day. "I think Batman becomes Batman when he is twenty-five, so hopefully this show will run until I'm twenty-five," Mazouz said to a big laugh.
Robin Taylor, Gotham's villainous Penguin, received a warm welcome from fans inside Hall H. "As an actor, you just want to get the best material possible," said Taylor. "When I come to set and look at what we're doing for the day, and I see what's written…I feel like I'm just stepping into something amazing."
As for upcoming characters, everyone remained mum on the subject apart from saying that they want to slowly tease villains over the course of the season.
And here's the new trailer for the series, with some rather ominous foreshadowing for Oswald Cobblepot...
Gotham premieres first on Fox on September 22nd, followed by The Flash on The CW on October 7th. One day later, Arrow returns to The CW for Season 3 on October 8th and Constantine premieres on NBC on October 24th.
So skeptical fanboys, Gal Gadot actually looks like a decent Wonder Woman. Imagine that.
Inside the holy geek shrine known as Hall H at Comic-Con International: San Diego 2014, Warner Bros. treated DC Comics fans in attendance to 3D renders of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice's Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman before a brief teaser clip played featuring a tense confrontation between Batman (Ben Affleck) and Superman (Henry Cavill). Director Zack Snyder was joined on stage by those two actors along with Wonder Woman herself, Gal Gadot.
According to various sources including Coming Soon and Empire, the panel began with concept art from the film that featured quick shots of Batman standing by his Batmobile, a shot of Superman stumbling out of a ship in what appeared to be an Arctic tundra while carrying someone in his arms, followed by the brief teaser clip.
Set at night in pouring rain, the teaser begins on a rooftop with Ben Affleck’s Batman in full armor similar to Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns, including glowing eyes, pulling a tarpaulin off the Bat Signal (which features Miller's design of the Batman logo). It shines into the sky, and then, illuminated against the clouds, flecked with lightning, standing inside the symbol, is Henry Cavill’s Superman. Superman doesn't appear happy, as his eyes glow red with building heat vision. The camera focuses on Batman’s face as he grimaces just before the film's title comes up.
Afterwards, Snyder brought out Cavill, Affleck and Gadot to say a quick hello as the first look of Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman appeared around the auditorium. You can check out the full picture below...
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is currently scheduled to arrive in theaters on May 6, 2016.
Is the Doctor finally in?
The Wrap is reporting that three-time Oscar nominee Joaquin Phoenix is in talks to star in Marvel Studios' upcoming film, Doctor Strange. Citing "multiple individuals close to the casting process," the article states that Phoenix is under consideration for the Scott Derrickson film, but The Hollywood Reporter claims that negotiations are farther along than just the offer stage.
The 39-year-old actor received Oscar nominations for his roles as Commodus in the 2000 film Gladiator, Johnny Cash in 2005's Walk the Line and Freddie Quill in 2012's The Master. In addition, Phoenix has appeared in the films Her, Hotel Rwanda, The Village, Ladder 49 and Signs. Previously, he was sought for the role of Lex Luthor in Zack Snyder's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice before the role ultimately went to Jesse Eisenberg.
Just last month, Jared Leto was rumored for the role of Dr. Stephen Strange and back in June, The Dark Knight Rises' Tom Hardy and Sherlock's Benedict Cumberbatch were reportedly under consideration by Marvel but supposedly had scheduling conflicts. One month earlier, Justin Theroux was named as being in the running.
Created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, Doctor Strange debuted in 1963's Strange Tales #110. Dr. Stephen Strange began as an arrogant and egotistical neurosurgeon that suffers permanent damage to his hands as a result of a car accident. He searches around the world for a way to repair his hands, ultimately coming across a master sorcerer known as The Ancient One in the Himalayas. When Strange learns that Baron Mordo, the Ancient One's disciple, intends on killing his master, the Ancient One agrees to teach Strange the mystic arts after Mordo is defeated.
Doctor Strange is scheduled for release in theaters on July 8, 2016.
Finally, Roy Harper is ditching the red hoodie...for another red hoodie.
Entertainment Weekly has posted the first look at Arrow's Colton Haynes in his new Season 3 look as the superhero Arsenal. In the comics, Roy originally began fighting crime as the Teen Titan called Speedy before changing to the more adult identity of Arsenal in The New Titans #99 in 1993. According to the article, Roy Harper's new suit makes its debut in the Season 3 premiere episode "The Calm," written by executive producer Marc Guggenheim and Jake Coburn. Here's the full look at the Arsenal costume...
Meanwhile, The Hollywood Reporter provided some new details on Arrow's third season and here's a quick rundown of what we learned...
1) The third season is about "identity" -- "If season one was about Oliver going from vengeance to vigilante and season two was vigilante to hero, season three is about identity," said Guggenheim. "It's the first season where this theme of identity is not only about Oliver but is also about all the other characters."
2) Laurel Lance and Thea Queen have their "strongest" storylines so far -- "Laurel and Thea are the two characters we haven't done as much with in the past and they have the strongest story lines that we've ever given them," remarked Guggenheim.
3) Speaking of Thea, we'll find out what happened during that limousine conversation with her natural father, Malcolm Merlyn -- "We are going to do a flashback at some point in the season that takes you back to that car and continues the conversation, so you'll get to see what Thea said to Malcolm and what Malcolm said to Thea," said Guggenheim. "At some point," added executive producer Andrew Kreisberg, "if all the characters are going to become their comic-book selves, they have to go through their island...This year is going to be Thea's island. How that plays out and which side she lands will be the fun of the season."
4) Oliver Queen and Felicity Smoak will make shippers ecstatic by exploring a possible relationship -- "Oliver might be catching up to how some of the audience feels in that maybe there's a life with her," said Kreisberg with a laugh. "This season, particularly the premiere episode, is Oliver questioning whether there's a life beyond the hood. Can he be Oliver Queen and the Arrow at the same time? One of the things about being Oliver would be what kind of romantic life he could have?" Hinting that the first date doesn't go smoothly, Kreisberg added, "Let's just say, Oliver is the one who has trouble completing sentences. The way the show has shaken out and the experiences the two have had, it feels like it's time to explore that."
5) There will be a little more humor this season -- "We felt like what Stephen (Amell) did in The Flash pilot was tell the audience was that you can like this guy too because I like him," remarked Kreisberg. "One of the things we are doing this season on Arrow is injecting a little more humor. It's part of the reason why we brought Brandon Routh in (as Ray Palmer, a.k.a. The Atom)."
6) And speaking of Ray Palmer, he's going to cause problems for Oliver's relationship with Felicity -- "The verbal banter between him and Felicity this season is a new thing we're bringing to the show that I think audiences will really like," teased Kreisberg. "He'll be invading Oliver's life in every aspect, whether it's his business, his personal life and possibly down the road in his nighttime activities."
7) Laurel's sister Sara will return for at least three episodes -- "She's come back to Starling City with a very specific mission," said Kreisberg. As for Laurel taking on the Black Canary identity, Kreisberg said, "She's an attorney with a nice, sweet jacket. We're going to see Laurel take a few big steps towards her comic-book self this season. Let's just say that Katie Cassidy is pumping iron."
8) The Hong Kong flashbacks will answer a number of lingering questions from Seasons 1 and 2 -- "It was something we always intended on doing," said Kreisberg. "One of our big ideas when we were doing the pilot was to have Oliver wake up at the end of season two not on the island." The new Hong Kong setting for flashback sequences will address Oliver's backstory with Amanda Waller, what he knows and how he acquired certain skills. "We will learn how Oliver knows how to fly a plane," laughed Kreisberg.
9) The Suicide Squad will return at some point this year -- "We haven't quite found the right story yet," remarked Guggenheim, "but we love the Suicide Squad and and we love Deadshot — Michael Rowe was just in the DC offices. For sure we'll be doing something with the Suicide Squad this year. We have to find the right time and the right moment."
Arrow returns to The CW for Season 3 on Wednesday, October 8, 2014 at 8:00 p.m. EST.
"People need dramatic examples to shake them out of apathy and I can't do that as Bruce Wayne. As a man, I'm flesh and blood, I can be ignored, I can be destroyed; but as a symbol...as a symbol, I can be incorruptible, I can be everlasting."
-- Bruce Wayne, Batman Begins
As some of you already know, today is "Batman Day," the official celebration of the 75th anniversary of Batman, even though the anniversary of the DC Comics character's first appearance in Detective Comics #27 actually took place back in May. Originally created in 1939 by Bill Finger and Bob Kane to take advantage of the superhero craze started by Superman the year before, Batman went on to become one the most iconic superheroes and fictional characters of all time.
The issue also featured the first appearance of regular supporting character Commissioner James Gordon, but more soon followed, including his young partner/sidekick, Robin the Boy Wonder, and trusted butler/surrogate father Alfred Pennyworth. And within those first ten years, many of Batman's greatest villains were created -- The Joker, The Penguin, Catwoman, The Riddler, Two-Face, The Scarecrow, The Mad Hatter, Clayface, Professor Hugo Strange, and the man who murdered Bruce Wayne's parents, Joe Chill.
In 1940, Batman became popular enough to
receive his own self-titled series, which together with Superman, made National Publications (the future DC Comics) the top-selling and most influential publisher in the comics industry. Just three years
later, Batman branched into other media with Batman, a 15-part move serial starring Lewis Wilson, and a second movie serial, Batman and Robin, that followed in 1949 which starred Robert Lowery.
Batman continued to grow in popularity but in 1966, he became a pop cultural phenomenon with the campy Batman television series on ABC that starred Adam West and Burt Ward. The show only ran for two seasons, but generated the first Batman feature film and made 120 episodes by the time the series ended. The series found additional life in rerun syndication, which is how I was first introduced to the character at the age of three.
In 1973, Olan Soule defined the role for Generation X kids on
the various Super
Friends Saturday morning cartoons on ABC, while Adam West returned in the animated The New Adventures of Batman in 1977 on CBS. The reruns of TV series and Saturday morning cartoons fueled my interest in Batman, who was easy to identify with as a kid because he had no superpowers, meaning anyone could be Batman if they wanted to be. You name it, I managed to get my parents to buy it -- Mego action figures (with the Batcave playset, Batcopter and Batmobile, of course), puzzles, games, that lame '70s Halloween costume, Matchbox cars, etc., etc...
As I grew older, my interest with Batman comics faded somewhat until 1986, when Frank Miller redefined the character forever with his four-issue miniseries The Dark Knight Returns. The saga of a future 55-year-old Bruce Wayne coming out of retirement to battle crime once again brought considerable depth and gravitas to the character, which Miller continued to develop in 1987's "Batman: Year One," a four-part updating of Batman's origin that ran in Batman (vol.1) #404-407. Having recently relaunched their its fictional universe in the limited series Crisis on Infinite Earths, DC Comics has embraced the darker take on Batman ever since.
The darkness carried over to other media as well, with Tim Burton's 1989 film Batman starring Michael Keaton that featured the murder of Bruce Wayne's parents for the first time in live-action. The film became the top-grossing movie of the year, resulting in a 1992 sequel, Batman Returns, that became rather significant in my life as the first movie my future wife Lori and I ever saw together.
Later that same year, the now-classic Batman: The Animated Series debuted on Fox, raising for bar for all superhero animated projects with the incredible Kevin Conroy as the definitive voice of Batman. The series was better than fans could've hoped, with vocal talent including Star Wars' Mark Hamill as The Joker, Smallville's John Glover as The Riddler, Star Trek's Michael Ansara as Mr. Freeze, and sci-fi vets David Warner and Ron Perlman as Ra's al Ghul and Clayface respectively. Batman: The Animated Series also introduced us to fan-favorite Harley Quinn, voiced so memorably by Arleen Sorkin, who proved so popular that she was brought into the official DC Comics universe and currently has an ongoing series that sells in the top ten. In addition, the series' success resulted in a theatrical film, 1993's Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, and spawned other series set in the same animated universe, including Superman: The Animated Series, The New Batman Adventures, Justice League, Justice League Unlimited and Batman Beyond.
In 1995, Batman returned to the big screen with the live-action Batman Forever, now starring Val Kilmer as Batman with Chris O'Donnell as Robin. The movie was well-received enough to earn another sequel, 1997's Batman & Robin, which replaced Kilmer with George Clooney and was so utterly horrible it killed the lucrative Batman film franchise...for a good while, anyway. Fortunately at the time, I had received free passes from my friendly neighborhood comic shop, so I can take great pride in knowing that I never spent any of my hard-earned money on that movie.
One year after another animated series called The Batman debuted on the WB network, director Christopher Nolan resurrected the Batman film franchise with 2005's Batman Begins, a new origin tale inspired by "Batman: Year One" and the limited series Batman: The Long Halloween. This time, Christian Bale was the man underneath the cowl, portraying Batman as a much more modern character with realistic gadgets, tools and weaponry. The film was a successful reboot, paving the way for the 2008 sequel, The Dark Knight, which at the time, became the second-highest domestic grossing film ever and resulted in a posthumous Best Supporting Actor Oscar for Heath Ledger's portrayal of The Joker.
Later that same year, The Batman was replaced by the Cartoon Network animated series Batman: The Brave and the Bold featuring Diedrich Bader as Batman. That series lasted for three years before being replaced in 2013 with the first CGI animated series, Beware the Batman, which starred Anthony Ruivivar.
2011 saw DC Comics relaunching its fictional universe once again in the five-issue series Flashpoint. Unlike most DC Comics characters who restarted from scratch, Batman's continuity was mostly carried over into "The New 52" era into a condensed timeline. In the renumbered Batman, writer Scott Snyder and artist Greg Capullo introduced The Court of Owls and are currently completing the year-long story arc "Zero Year," which provides Batman's New 52 origin. The character was made slightly younger, with only four past partners as Robin instead of five, and according to the new timeline, has only been active for five years.
Meanwhile, Christopher Nolan finished his "Dark Knight Trilogy" with 2012's The Dark Knight Rises, a film that received somewhat mixed reviews which still become the tenth-highest-grossing film of all time despite being initially affected by the tragic mass shooting during a midnight screening in Aurora, Colorado. The movie gave Bale's Batman an actual ending, with the character retiring as Batman to live his life with the former Catwoman, Selina Kyle.
And now in 2014, the big Batman media project is the upcoming Fox series Gotham, the first real attempt to explore young Bruce Wayne's life just after his parents' murder in addition to making Jim Gordon the lead character. While there's a bit of Smallville in this "Batman Before" series, Gotham also seems to be inspired by the fondly-remembered DC Comics series Gotham Central by Ed Brubaker, Greg Rucka and Michael Lark.
As if that wasn't enough, we're
less than two years from another Batman movie, Zack Snyder's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice starring Ben Affleck as the newest Batman, Henry Cavill as Superman and Jeremy Irons as Alfred Pennyworth. Although originally a sequel to the 2013 Superman reboot Man of Steel, the movie has instead morphed into a prequel for an upcoming Justice League film. The first live-action meeting of Batman and Superman should prove irresistible to most comics fans, especially considering how Snyder's films will embrace the DC Universe, as opposed to Nolan's.
So here we are -- seventy-five years of
Batman, the son of murdered parents who became a creature of the night to strike terror into the hearts of criminals and ended up inspiring generations of fans.
Yes, father. I shall become a bat...
At last, we have the first of the Rogues coming to Central City. (No, Weather Wizard's brother and Reverse-Flash don't count.)
The Hollywood Reporter provided details on The Flash's casting of Wentworth Miller as Leonard Snart, better known to Flash fans as the supervillain Captain Cold, in the series' fourth episode titled "Going Rogue." Executive producer Greg Berlanti made the announcement earlier today during the Television Critics Association summer press tour.
The 42-year-old actor is best known as Michael Scofield on the Fox series Prison Break and as Chris Redfield in three Resident Evil films. He also voiced the DC Comics supervillain Deathstroke on the Young Justice: Invasion animated series and appeared on episodes of House and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
The episode will also feature Arrow's Emily Bett Rickards as her character Felicity Smoak. "It’s an episode where Barry’s beginning to question his teammates," said executive producer Andrew Kreisberg, "and Felicity coming along is not just to reconnect with him -- it actually serves a grander purpose, which is that Felicity is somebody who knows how difficult it is to have teammates who are fighting crime. So, she’s there to offer some sage advice, both to Barry and to to Caitlin, Cisco, and Wells. So we’re really excited."
Created by John Broome and Carmine Infantino, Captain Cold first appeared in 1957's Showcase #8, the second comic to feature Barry Allen as The Flash. Originally a small-time thief, Leonard Snart developed an experimental cold gun from a cyclotron that would interfere with the Flash's super-speed. Taking the identity of Captain Cold, Snart became of the Flash's greatest enemies and eventually joined the supervillain group The Rogues, along with his sister Lisa, who became The Golden Glider. In the current New 52 continuity, Captain Cold recently helped free the Earth from the dangerous Crime Syndicate and became a member of the Justice League.
Miller will be the second actor to portray the character in live-action, after Michael Champion in the previous Flash television series that ran from 1990-91. The character has appeared in several animated series and films over the decades, including Challenge of the Super Friends (voiced by Dick Ryal and Michael Bell), Justice League Unlimited (voiced by Lex Lang), Batman: The Brave and the Bold (voiced by Steven Blum), Young Justice (voiced by Alan Tudyk), Justice League: The New Frontier (voiced by James Arnold Taylor), Superman/Batman: Public Enemies (voiced by Michael Gough), and Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox (voiced by Danny Jacobs).
The Flash is scheduled to debut on The CW on October 7, 2014, with the Captain Cold episode presumably airing on October 28th.
The Man Without Fear finally has a love interest.
The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed that actress Deborah Ann Woll has been cast as Karen Page in the upcoming Netflix series Daredevil. Best known as the vampire Jessica Hamby on the HBO series True Blood, Woll has also appeared in the films Meet Me in Montenegro and Ruby Sparks, and episodes of The Mentalist, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, CSI and ER.
Woll joins Charlie Cox as Daredevil/Matt Murdock, Vincent D'Onofrio as The Kingpin/Wilson Fisk, Elden Henson as Franklin "Foggy" Nelson, and Rosario Dawson in a still-unnamed role.
Created by Stan Lee and Bill Everett, Karen Page first appeared in 1964's Daredevil (vol.1) #1, which also introduced Matt Murdock and Foggy Nelson. She was the longest-running love interest for Matt, debuting as the secretary at the law firm of Nelson & Murdock until Matt revealed his secret identity to her. This resulted in a long break-up that ended with Karen leaving in 1972 to become a film actress.
The character eventually returned to the series fourteen years later in Daredevil (vol.1) #227, where we learned that Karen had become addicted to heroin while making pornographic movies. Desperate for a fix, Karen sold Daredevil's secret identity to a drug dealer who later sold in to Daredevil's arch-enemy, The Kingpin. After Matt helps Karen overcome her addiction, the two resumed their relationship until Karen learned that Matt was having an affair with another villain, Typhoid Mary.
After becoming an anti-pornography activist and later a radio show host using the name "Paige Angel," Karen left Matt for a talk show host position in Los Angeles. During a routine blood test performed by the supervillain Mysterio, Karen was told she was HIV positive and went back to New York to tell Matt, but was later murdered by Daredevil's adversary Bullseye in 1999's Daredevil (vol.2) #5.
Woll will be the second actress to portray Karen Page in live-action, after Ellen Pompeo in the 2003 film Daredevil, although that role was very minor.
The 13-episode series will debut on Netflix sometime in 2015.
Captain America's shield is about to be passed once again and what better TV show to announce Steve Rogers' latest replacement than on Comedy Central's The Colbert Report?
On last night's episode, host Stephen Colbert lamented President Barack Obama's leadership, telling his viewers that just when the United States needs a leader more than ever, it's losing one of the country's greatest -- Captain America. "He first won our hearts back in 1941's [Captain America Comics] issue #1 by punching Hitler in the face," began Colbert, "and the Hulk, may I point out, the Hulk was nowhere to be found here. I guess the Holocaust doesn't make Bruce Banner that angry. Hulk ignore atrocities! Unfortunately, Cap's days of protecting America are numbered...and that number is 21."
Displaying a copy of the current Captain America #21 by Rick Remender and Nic Klein, Colbert spoiled the issue's contents by saying, "Because unless you've been frozen in ice for the last sixty-five years, you know exactly what happens in this issue. It's a tale as old as time -- The Iron Nail, currently in his monster form, has launched a plot to frame Captain America by forcing the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier Gungnir to transform into a flying robot and destroy the nation of Nrosvekistan. Of course, all this is just a fantasy and in the real world, Nrosvekistan has been annexed by Vladimir Putin."
"But," continued Colbert, "when Cap tries to stop him, the Iron Nail hits him with flying needles which remove the super-serum from Captain America's blood, causing him to lose his super-soldier powers and instantly age sixty-five years, meaning his new super-serum will be Ensure. I cannot believe this is happening right now, I mean, Captain America was this close to being promoted to Major America. This is a disaster, Nation, Steve Rogers brought low is a huge void in the captaining of America."
Colbert then introduced Marvel Entertainment's Chief Creative Officer Joe Quesada to reveal the next Captain America. "Thanks for flying over in your helicarrier," Colbert said to Quesada. "What the hell is going on with Captain America? What did you do to this guy?"
"Well, you know, Steve Rogers saved the world again but not without personal sacrifice," replied Quesada. "He lost his super-soldier serum."
"Without Steve Rogers, who's going to keep those Guatamalan kids from coming over our southern border?"
After telling Colbert that he wasn't going to be the next Captain America, much to audience disapproval, Quesada revealed that Sam Wilson, Cap's occasional partner as The Falcon, would become his replacement.
"The Falcon?" replied Colbert to some mock amazement. "Well, if there is one bird associated with America, it's the falcon."
Showing a picture of The Falcon in his regular costume and also as the new Captain America, Colbert and Quesada clarified that this change will only be in the comics, not the Captain America and Avengers movies.
"Let me ask you something," said Colbert. "This guy is...uh...this new guy is black. Doesn't that make him Captain African-America? No? I didn't know, I'm asking. I'm just asking."
"I don't see color," replied Quesada.
"You don't see color? Neither do I. If you don't see colors, how do you do comic books?" smiled Colbert, flipping through the copy of Captain America #21.
"Wait a second," Colbert continued, "doesn't that mean there's another void? Don't we need a new Falcon?"
"You know, that's a great question, Stephen, and we really thought about this at Marvel and the opening is available." As chants for Colbert to be the new Falcon rang from the studio audience, Quesada continued, "To try this out, we commissioned one of our great artists, Kris Anka, to do an image of you as the Falcon."
Pointing to the picture, Colbert remarked, "I didn't realize people knew I've been waxing my chest. I've got a great catch phrase for the Falcon...Why did the Falcon cross the road? For justice, motherf#cker!"
If you'd like to check out the full segment, you can view it below thanks to the official Colbert Nation website...
Captain America #25, the first issue with Sam Wilson as Captain America, arrives in October, followed by All-New Captain America #1 in November.
We have our new King of the Seven Seas.
TV Guide has revealed the full cast for Justice League: Throne of Atlantis, the upcoming animated home video release based on "Throne of Atlantis," the
six-issue storyline by Geoff Johns, Ivan Reis and Paul Pelletier from 2012 that ran in Justice League (vol.2) #15-17 and Aquaman (vol.7) #14-16. This release will cover the origin of Aquaman and will be the second animated DC Comics movie set in the current "The New 52" continuity, set after the events of Justice League: War.
According to the article, Justice League: Throne of Atlantis will adapt the story and feature "the undersea nation of Atlantis against the surface world. Unlike the comic, the movie will focus on how young Arthur Curry discovers his aquatic heritage. Raised by his human father, when the movie begins he doesn't know that he is the heir to the throne of the watery kingdom."
"We meet him at a low point in his life," said supervising producer James Tucker, who previously worked on the animated series Batman: The Brave and the Bold. "He's a little bit lost. His father has died and he's always been an outsider, so the one person who had his back is now gone. When that Atlanteans instigate incidents to escalate a war with the surface world, he doesn't yet know who he is. As he discovers his true history he's going to have a lot of choices to make. It's definitely about him finding his own path."
Tucker also acknowledge the snark and skepticism from the general public about Aquaman as a character. "A lot of times with Aquaman people just focus on his powers and their opinion of them as being lame — which I don't believe — and that's all they think of him," he remarked. "Hopefully we've made him a person in people's eyes first. And then the powers and the telepathy with fish and all that can be put in perspective."
The role of Aquaman goes to Matt Lanter, who appeared on 90210 and Star-Crossed and also voiced Anakin Skywalker on Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
Returning from Justice League: War are Jason O'Mara as Batman, Shemar Moore as Cyborg, Christopher Gorham as The Flash and Sean Astin as Shazam. Meanwhile, Nathan Fillion now reprises his role of Green Lantern, with Rosario Dawson as Wonder Woman and Jerry O'Connell as Superman.
In addition, Being Human (US) and Smallville vet Sam Witwer will play Aquaman's brother Orm, better known as the Ocean Master, and Sumalee Montano (who played Katana on Beware the Batman) will be Mera, Aquaman's significant other and the future queen of Atlantis.
Justice League: Throne of Atlantis will arrive on Blu-Ray, DVD and On Demand sometime later this year.
Zed's alive, baby...Zed's ali--Oh, wait. I already made that joke.
The official Twitter account for the upcoming NBC series Constantine has just announced that actress Angélica Celaya has landed the role of Zed with the following tweet...
Although primarily known for her work on Mexican television, the 34-year-old Tucson native appeared as Angela Flores on the series Burn Notice and as Lucia Trevino on the recent remake of Dallas.
The Hollywood Reporter provided some additional details from the show's panel during the Television Critics Association press tour on Sunday. "She’s someone who can go toe to toe with John [Constantine], and that's ultimately something we felt like we needed," said executive producer Daniel Cerone. "We wanted a more dynamic relationship, as opposed to someone who is a teacher/mentor and a student. It just didn't feel as fertile and rich of an area as just a strong a man and a strong woman who are both very different."
"Liv is a great character," continued Cerone. "She's very wide-eyed, she's very reactive, she doesn't have powers and when we started to look at the story, we thought this is a character who is always going to be reactive." This resulted in a discussion of looking at other Constantine characters they thought better fit within the confines of the universe. Cerone revealed that the writers originally thought about bringing Zed into the pilot, but when they "started writing ourselves into the corner" without Zed that they made the change. "We hope it energizes the fanbase."
As posted this past Friday, Celaya's character Zed replaces Lucy Griffiths' character Liv Parsons after the showrunners opted to go in this different creative decision. The recently leaked pilot episode received a somewhat lukewarm reception from fans online, which may or may not have contributed to the decision. Zed will appear in an early episode of Constantine, but it's not known if the pilot episode will be retooled before the series' premiere date.
Created by Jamie Delano and John Ridgway, Zed first appeared in 1988's Hellblazer #4 as a former lover of John Constantine and wayward daughter of an evangelical family, who is also an artist at the time she first encounters Constantine. She assists him in the rescue of his niece, Gemma, from an occultist pedophile that collects child brides. Later on, she's taken into custody by her father, a senior member of a group called the Resurrection Crusade, who attempts to offer her to an angel for the purpose of conceiving a baby who will become the new Messiah. Constantine defeats Zed's father's plan, however, by spoiling her with his own Nergal-tainted blood before the heavenly coupling can be consummated.
Additional Hellblazer and DC Comics supernatural characters are expected as the series progresses, with Doctor Fate being a strong possibility after the Helmet of Nabu was shown briefly in the pilot.
Constantine premieres on NBC on October 24th at 10 p.m. EST.
Doctor Who Into Darkness? Hmmm, sounds familiar...
While most of the planet Earth was watching Germany facing off against Argentina in the 2014 FIFA World Cup final in Brazil, the BBC had something a little special for Whovians at halftime -- the first full trailer for Doctor Who Series Eight starring Peter Capaldi and Jenna Coleman.
The one-minute trailer opened with an exploding TARDIS console, Clara Oswald's big eyes and an ominous Dalek eyestalk. "Life returns..." begins a voice that could be the Dalek's creator Davros, the Dalek Emperor, Dalek Caan, or...something else.
"I don't think I know who the Doctor is anymore," frets Clara.
"Life prevails..." continues the mysterious Dalek voice as we see a shadowy outline of the newly-regenerated Twelfth Doctor bracing himself while the TARDIS console room sparks and flashes with fire.
"I'm the Doctor," says the new Doctor to Clara. "I've lived for over two thousand years. I've made many mistakes and it's about time that I did something about that."
We see a number of new monsters, including a steampunkish Victorian android with a blowtorch for a right hand, another android that resembles a Silurian, an alien with two long eyestalks, and a squad of UNIT soldiers.
"Where are we going?" asks Clara.
"Into darkness," replies the Twelfth Doctor.
"Here we go again," says the Silurian Madame Vastra, returning once again to the series.
We then see Clara falling down some sort of tunnel/shaft, a Tyrannosaurus Rex walking past Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament (The second Invasion of the Dinosaurs, perhaps?), a Dalek saucer in space, a medieval-looking android, and the Doctor a long nightshirt riding a horse.
"Clara, tell me..." asks the Doctor, "...am I a good man?"
"I...don't know," replies Clara.
If you'd like to see the full trailer, you can view it below thanks to the BBC's official YouTube channel...
Doctor Who returns August 23, 2014 on BBC America and BBC One.
And where Simon Stagg goes, will a certain Element Man follow?
Filming for the second episode of the CW's The Flash, titled "Fastest Man Alive," took place yesterday in Vancouver and according to the site Flickering Myth, popular character actor William Sadler will feature prominently in the episode. Sadler, of course, is known to many science fiction and comic book fans for numerous film and television roles, including Death in Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey, Colonel Stuart in Die Hard 2, Luther Sloan on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Sheriff Jim Valenti on Roswell, Doctor Sumner on Fringe, and President Matthew Ellis in Iron Man 3.
And the Twitter account @CWTVFlash posted a photo of Sadler on set that revealed his character as none other than DC Comics character Simon Stagg, the businessman responsible for the creation of the superhero Metamorpho.
As you can see from the photo above, Simon Stagg apparently appears at Central City University to accept a Regent's Choice Award as Man of the Year, presumably putting him in contact with Barry Allen (Grant Gustin), Iris West (Candice Patton) and her father (Jesse L. Martin), who were also spotted on the same set.
Previous on the shared television universe series Arrow, the episode "Broken Dolls" featured a van with the label "Metamorpho Chemical" that Oliver Queen used to track the Dollmaker's location. And earlier in Season One, Stagg Industries was mentioned as a benefactor of Laurel Lance's legal firm that dropped their support. So perhaps Simon Stagg will be a character that interacts with both shows?
Created in 1965 by Bob Haney and Ramona Fradon, Simon Stagg first appeared in The Brave and the Bold #57, which was also the first appearance of Metamorpho. Simon is the conniving owner and CEO of Stagg Enterprises and father of Sapphire Stagg, the love of adventurer Rex Mason. When Rex showed his intention to propose to Sapphire, Simon sent Rex to Egypt a radioactive artifact known as The Orb of Ra. However, Simon had his Neanderthal bodyguard Java attack Rex and leave him for dead inside the pyramid. Exposed to the Orb of Ra's radiation, Rex transformed into the Element Man later called Metamorpho.
"Fastest Man Alive" is written by Greg Berlanti and Andrew Kresiberg, and is directed by David Nutter, who also directed the Flash pilot. The episode is expected to air on September 14, 2014 at 8 p.m. EST.
To paraphrase Bruce Willis in Pulp Fiction, Zed's alive, baby...Zed's alive.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the upcoming NBC series Constantine has dropped Lucy Griffiths and her character Liv Parsons after the showrunners decided to go in a different creative direction. Liv, a young woman who works at a rental car facility that gets caught up in John's world when she discovers something is after her, was featured in the series' pilot episode, which recently leaked online to a generally lukewarm reception.
The role will not be recast with another actress, but replaced with a different character from the Hellblazer comic book series named Zed that has not yet been cast. Zed will appear in an early episode of Constantine, with more Hellblazer and supernatural DC Universe characters brought in as the series progresses. It's not known if the pilot episode will be retooled before the series' premiere date.
Created by Jamie Delano and John Ridgway, Zed first appeared in 1988's Hellblazer #4 as a former lover of John Constantine and wayward daughter of an evangelical family, who is also an artist at the time she first encounters Constantine. She assists him in the rescue of his niece, Gemma, from an occultist pedophile that collects child brides. Later on, she's taken into custody by her father, a senior member of a group called the Resurrection Crusade, who attempts to offer her to an angel for the purpose of conceiving a baby who will become the new Messiah. Constantine defeats Zed's father's plan, however, by spoiling her with his own Nergal-tainted blood before the heavenly coupling can be consumated.
Constantine premieres on NBC on October 24th at 10 p.m. EST.
HBO's Game of Thrones leads the pack with a total of 19 nominations for the 2014 Emmy Awards, including acting nominations for Peter Dinklage, Lena Headey and Dame Diana Rigg.
The FX series American Horror Story: Coven followed with an impressive 17 nominations, and PBS' airing of Sherlock earned a surprising 12 nominations.
Other recognized
geek-favorite shows include Adult Swim's Robot Chicken, FX's Archer, Comedy Central's Futurama and South Park, Fox's The Simpsons, Sleepy Hollow, Almost Human and Family Guy, HBO's True Blood, BBC America's Fleming: The Man Who Would Be Bond, ABC's
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Once Upon a Time, AMC's The Walking Dead and NBC's Community, Grimm and Revolution.
BBC America's Orphan Black and star Tatiana Maslany were criminally overlooked once again, as was the CW's Arrow and CBS' Elementary, with these shows failing to earn even a single
nomination.
You can read the full
list of nominations HERE, but
this is the breakdown for the shows listed above...
GAME OF
THRONES (19 Nominations)
Outstanding Drama Series
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series --
Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series --
Lena Headey as Cersei Lannister
Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series -- Dame
Diana Rigg as Olenna Tyrell
Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series -- David
Benioff and D.B. Weiss -- "The Children"
Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series -- Neil Marshall "-- The Watchers on the Wall"
Outstanding Interactive Program
Outstanding Art Direction for a Contemporary or Fantasy Series (Single-Camera)
-- "The Laws of Gods and Men," "The Mountain and the Viper"
Outstanding Casting for a Drama
Series
Outstanding Cinematography for
a Single-Camera Series -- "Two Swords"
Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series -- "The Lion and the Rose"
Outstanding Costumes for a Series -- "The Lion and the Rose"
Outstanding Hairstyling for a Single-Camera Series --
"The Lion and the Rose"
Outstanding Makeup for
a Single-Camera Series (Non-Prosthetic) -- "Oathkeeper"
Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup for a Series,
Miniseries, Movie or a Special -- "The Children"
Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score) -- Ramin Djawadi -- "The Mountain and the Viper"
Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series -- "The Watchers on the Wall"
Outstanding Sound
Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (One Hour) -- "The Watchers on the Wall"
Outstanding Special and Visual
Effects -- "The Children"
Outstanding Stunt Coordination for a Drama Series, Miniseries or Movie
AMERICAN HORROR STORY: COVEN (17 Nominations)
Outstanding Miniseries or Movie
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie -- Jessica Lange as Fiona Goode
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie -- Sarah Paulson as Cordelia Goode Foxx
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie -- Frances Conroy as Myrtle Snow
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie -- Kathy Bates as Madame Delphine LaLaurie
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie -- Angela Bassett as Marie Laveau
Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie or Dramatic Special -- Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk -- "Bitchcraft"
Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or Dramatic Special -- Alfonso Gomez-Rejon -- "Bitchcraft"
Outstanding Art Direction for a Period Series, Miniseries or a Movie (Single-Camera)
Outstanding Casting for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special
Outstanding Costumes for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special -- "Bitchcraft"
Outstanding Hairstyling for a Miniseries or Movie
Outstanding Makeup for a Miniseries or Movie (Non-Prosthetic)
Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup for a Series, Miniseries, Movie or a Special
Outstanding Music Composition for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special (Original Dramatic Score) -- James Levine -- "The Seven Wonders"
Outstanding Sound Editing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special -- "Fearful Pranks Ensue"
Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Miniseries or Movie -- "Fearful Pranks Ensue"
SHERLOCK (12 Nominations)
Outstanding Television Movie -- "His Last Vow"
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie - Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes -- "His Last Vow"
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie -- Martin Freeman as Dr. John Watson -- "His Last Vow"
Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie or Dramatic Special -- Steven Moffat -- "His Last Vow"
Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or Dramatic Special -- Nick Hurran -- "His Last Vow"
Outstanding Casting for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special -- "His Last Vow"
Outstanding Cinematography for a Miniseries or Movie -- "His Last Vow"
Outstanding Costumes for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special -- "His Last Vow"
Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Miniseries or Movie -- "His Last Vow"
Outstanding Music Composition for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special (Original Dramatic Score) -- David Arnold and Michael Price -- "His Last Vow"
Outstanding Sound Editing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special -- "His Last Vow"
Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Miniseries or Movie -- "His Last Vow"
FUTURAMA (2 Nominations)
Outstanding Animated Program -- "Meanwhile"
Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance -- Maurice LaMarche as Calculon and Morbo -- "Calculon 2.0"
ROBOT CHICKEN (2 Nominations)
Outstanding Short-Format Animated Program -- "Born Again Virgin Christmas Special"
Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance -- Seth Green as various characters -- "DC Comics Special II: Villains in Paradise"
THE SIMPSONS (2 Nominations)
Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance -- Harry Shearer as Kent Brockman, Mr. Burns, Younger Burns and Waylon Smithers -- "Four Regrettings and a Funeral"
Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (Half-Hour) and Animation -- "Married to the Blob"
TRUE BLOOD (2 Nominations)
Outstanding Art Direction for a Contemporary or Fantasy Series (Single-Camera) -- "At Last," "F**k the Pain Away," "In the Evening"
Outstanding Stunt Coordination for a Drama Series, Miniseries or Movie
THE WALKING DEAD (2 Nominations)
Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series -- "Too Far Gone"
Outstanding Special Visual Effects in a Supporting Role -- "30 Days Without an Accident"
AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. (1 Nomination)
Outstanding Special and Visual Effects -- "T.A.H.I.T.I."
ALMOST HUMAN (1 Nomination)
Outstanding Special and Visual Effects -- "Pilot"
ARCHER (1 Nomination)
Outstanding Animated Program -- "Archer Vice: The Rules of Extraction"
COMMUNITY (1 Nomination)
Outstanding Stunt Coordination for a Comedy Series or a Variety Program
FAMILY GUY (1 Nomination)
Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance -- Seth MacFarlane as Peter Griffin, Stewie Griffin and Glenn Quagmire -- "In Harmony's Way"
FLEMING: THE MAN WHO WOULD BE BOND (1 Nomination)
Outstanding Cinematography for a Miniseries or Movie -- "Episode One"
GRIMM (1 Nomination)
Outstanding Stunt Coordination for a Drama Series, Miniseries or Movie
ONCE UPON A TIME (1 Nomination)
Outstanding Costumes for a Series -- "A Curious Thing"
REVOLUTION (1 Nomination)
Outstanding Stunt Coordination for a Drama Series, Miniseries or Movie
SLEEPY HOLLOW (1 Nomination)
Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music -- Brian Tyler and Robert Grant Lydecker
SOUTH PARK (1 Nomination)
Outstanding Animated Program -- "Black Friday"
The 66th
Primetime Emmys is scheduled to air on Monday, August 25th on NBC at 8 p.m. EST.
