NEXT STOP EVERYWHERE Episode 16: "Last Christmas" is Up!

"You know the problem in telling fantasy and reality apart?  They're both ridiculous."

While we wait for Episode 015 to finally materialize online, my good friend and co-host Jesse Jackson and I are back with Episode 016 of Next Stop Everywhere: The Doctor Who Podcast!

This time out, we give our thoughts on "Last Christmas," the 2014 Doctor Who Christmas Special, including things like our Doctor Who Christmas gift goodness, the brilliance of Nick Frost as Santa, a Christmas version of the opening credits, the apparently official Doctor Who Christmas song, Danny Pink closure, the Twelfth Doctor enjoying himself driving a sleigh, Patrick Troughton's son Michael, all kinds of pop culture references, speculation of Jenna Coleman's departure that wasn't, our Reverse the Polarity segment, our favorite (and least favorite) Doctor Who Christmas specials, and more!

And for those who still aren't aware of this yet, we're available on iTunes RIGHT HERE as well as Stitcher RIGHT HERE, so please subscribe and tell your friends about us. If you're looking for direct MP3 downloads, you can find them RIGHT HERE as well. Oh, and don't forget we have an officially official Next Stop Everywhere Facebook page and Twitter account, so be sure to Like and/or Follow us, okay?

Keep looking for Episode 015, "Pyramids of Mars," be sure to come on back next week for our next Reverse the Polarity review of the Fifth Doctor classic "Earthshock," and look for more of Next Stop Everywhere on  iTunes, Libsyn, Stitcher and the Southgate Media Group website!

DAREDEVIL to Explore Kingpin's Rise, Bullseye Possible for Season 2

One of the most anticipated comic book adaptations for television has to be the upcoming Netflix series Daredevil, which stars Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock, Deborah Ann Woll as Karen Page, Elden Henson as Foggy Nelson and Vincent D'Onofrio as The Kingpin/Wilson Fisk.

In a new interview with Entertainment Weekly, Cox, Marvel's head of television Jeph Loeb and showrunner Steven S. DeKnight reveal some new details for the series and what Daredevil fans can expect in the show's first season.  Here are some of the highlights...

"This season is about both the rise of the hero and the rise of the villain," said Loeb.

Added DeKnight more specifically, "Fisk has very many different aspects so it’s not all, ‘I want to conquer the city and make a lot of money.’  In our story, we tell the story of how he met his wife Vanessa and how they fell in love — our antagonist actually has a love story.  That’s the love story you’re following, the one you’re invested in, and seeing how that affects him and changes him. I think Vincent just brings such depth to it, his performance is just astounding."

On the subject of Daredevil's tone, DeKnight remarked, "We really wanted to take our cue from [films like] The French Connection, Dog Day Afternoon, Taxi Driver, and make it very, very grounded, very gritty, very real.  We always say we would rather lean toward The Wire than what’s considered a classic superhero television show.

Added Loeb, "There aren’t going to be people flying through the sky.  There are no magic hammers.  It does take place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  It’s all connected.  But that doesn’t necessarily mean that we would look up in the sky and see [Thor].  It’s just a different part of New York that we have not yet seen in the Marvel movies."

As for Daredevil being "The Man Without Fear," Cox said, "Someone who does not have fear — literally does not experience fear — is not that interesting.  The way I like to think about it is that he is a man with fear, but he on a daily basis decides to confront that fear and to overcome it.  So the title of ‘The Man Without Fear’ is almost a title that the public in his world gives him just because of what he does.  But inside himself, he’s very afraid at times. And he finds a way to confront those fears and punch through it."

DeKnight revealed that Daredevil will have more graphic content than Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Agent Carter, but won't push too many boundaries.  "When I came onto this, there was no way I wanted to make this hard-R or NC-17," he said.  "I don’t think the material warrants that.  It is a little grittier and edgier than Marvel has gone before, but we’re not looking to push it to extreme graphic violence, gratuitous nudity or anything like that.  The story does not require that and I think would suffer if you pushed it that far."

And what about Daredevil's enemy Bullseye?  Well, it seems he won't be in Season One, but Season Two could be a possibility.  "I wouldn’t say there’s no plans to include the character in the series," said DeKnight.  "It’s not to say he wouldn’t be in the series at some point, but I think if you try to jam in too many characters, it just becomes a mess.  And [Bullseye’s] story was told in the last iteration of Daredevil that anybody saw.  My feeling was, ‘Why repeat it?’  And honestly, if you’re looking for a juicy, multi-faceted crime drama, Wilson Fisk was the obvious choice to play the antagonist.  Bullseye is a little more cut and dry.  Not to say you couldn’t make him fantastic over thirteen hours, but Fisk really felt like the right yin to the yang for Matt, and for what we wanted to do this season."

Daredevil is expected to be released on Netflix sometime in May 2015.

Jenna Coleman Confirmed for ALL of DOCTOR WHO Series Nine

The Impossible Girl has another year of being impossible.

Dashing the hopes of fans who wanted a new companion for Series Nine, last night's episode of Doctor Who revealed that Jenna Coleman's character Clara Oswald will indeed return in "The Magician's Apprentice."

And according to the Radio Times, Coleman will be staying for all of Series Nine, putting to rest recent rumors that she would be leaving halfway through next season.  This will make her the longest-serving companion since the show's return in 2005 and the longest since Janet Fielding's character Tegan Jovanka left in 1984.

Speaking at the press screening of "Last Christmas" one week ago, showrunner Steven Moffat confirmed "Jenna is in all of the next series, which we’re delighted to reveal."  Moffat also seemed to confirm that Coleman's decision to stay was up in the air, adding "There was a certain amount of to-ing and fro-ing, wasn’t there Jenna?" Moffat asked Coleman at the post-screening Q&A.  "I always think I’m quite good at winding up people on this but Jenna completely outplayed me when she said in an interview 'I’m not telling you if I’m staying or going because it’s just more exciting.'  And it occurred to us all that we don’t start shooting until January so we could actually keep it a secret."

"It’s wonderful – a whole other series of stories with the Doctor," remarked Coleman.  "I couldn’t walk away with the story being unresolved, there’s so much more to do and I think [Clara and the Doctor] have finally just reached a point where they really understand each other.  The arrival of the Twelfth Doctor has just dropped this bombshell and allowed the dynamic to totally, totally change so I think, just when Clara was feeling more comfortable in the relationship, it’s suddenly thrown something totally new up and I think the comeuppance of that and the story that we got to tell over the season has been thrilling."

Peter Capaldi added his approval of Coleman's decision, saying "I think Jenna’s been just fantastic and it’s been such a pleasure to work with her – and especially for me as the new person onto the show, she’s just been fantastic – and so I was so excited and delighted when she finally [agreed to stay]."

It certainly appeared as if Coleman originally planned to leave in "Last Christmas," with Clara being shown at the end of her life for one last encounter with the Doctor.  However, it seems as though another scene was added to reveal that ninetysomething Clara was just another dream fantasy created by a Dream Crab, allowing the younger Clara to resume traveling across time and space once again.

Doctor Who should return for Series Nine sometime around August 2015.

A.K.A. JESSICA JONES Casts Mike Colter as Luke Cage

Sweet Christmas!

After recent rumors hinted at the possibility, Marvel has officially confirmed that their upcoming Netflix series A.K.A. Jessica Jones has cast Mike Colter as Luke Cage.  Colter joins Krysten Ritter, who plays the title role in the 13-episode series.

"During the course of an investigation in New York City," states the article, "private investigator Jessica Jones encounters the enigmatic Luke Cage – a man whose past has secrets that will dramatically alter Jessica in ways she could never have imagined."

The 38-year-old actor may be best known for his 2004 role as boxer Big Willie Little in the film Million Dollar Baby.  In addition, Colter has had roles in the films Zero Dark Thirty, Men in Black 3 and Salt, and guest appearances on the television series American Horror Story: Coven, Criminal Minds, The Following, The Good Wife and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

"Mike embodies the strength, edge and depth of Luke Cage," said executive producer/showrunner Melissa Rosenberg.  "We're excited to have him bring this iconic Marvel character to life."

"Fans have longed to see Luke Cage brought and in Mike we’ve found the perfect actor," added Jeph Loeb, executive producer/Marvel's head of television. "Viewers will get to meet Luke Cage in ‘Marvel’s A.K.A. Jessica Jones,’ and experience why he is such an important superhero in the Marvel mythos."

 

Created in 1972 by Archie Goodwin and John Romita, Sr., Luke Cage first appeared in Hero for Hire #1 as a blaxploitation character called Carl Lucas, who is betrayed by his best friend Willis Stryker and sent to prison after being framed for heroin possession.  While serving his term at Seagate Prison, Lucas is recruited by Dr. Noah Burstein, a research scitentist, as a volunteer for experimental cell regeneration based on a version of the Super-Soldier process.

A sadistic prison guard alters the controls, hoping to kill Lucas, but ends up giving him superhuman strength and durability.  Lucas uses his new power to escape Seagate, then heads back to New York, taking on the alias Luke Cage and adopting a career as a superhero for hire.

 

After later proving his innocence, Cage maintained a long partnership with martial artist Iron Fist before becoming romantically involved with Jessica Jones and joining the New Avengers.  Luke and Jessica eventually had a daughter together, Danielle Cage, and later married.

A.K.A. Jessica Jones airs sometime in 2015 on Netflix.

ANT-MAN's Rumored Connection to CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR

One of the biggest concerns about Peyton Reed's upcoming Ant-Man has been how connected the film will be to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  In the comics, original Ant-Man Hank Pym was a founding Avenger who created Ultron, who in turn created The Vision, which makes him pretty damned important.  But in the altered continuity of the MCU where Paul Rudd's character Scott Lang is Ant-Man...?

Well, Starlog (Hey, remember Starlog from back in the day?), has some pretty interesting rumors about Ant-Man, including its connection to the third Captain America movie, Captain America: Civil War.  Claiming that the information "should be taken with a boulder of salt," Starlog cites an anonymous email with some pretty specific details that definitely sound interesting, if nothing else.  So with that caveat in mind, here's what they posted...

According to this anonymous party, ANT-MAN will take place alongside the events of AGE OF ULTRON, the fall-out of which will spur on the Superhuman Registration Act. While ANT-MAN is largely self-contained in nature, the references of the MCU will come from Pym’s past as a scientist for S.H.I.E.L.D. in the ’60s, having worked alongside Howard Stark, Arnim Zola and Alexander Pierce. However, in this flashback sequence, Pym will supposedly also have a run-in with a young military hot-head by the name of Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, who Marvel fans have last seen in THE INCREDIBLE HULK as played by William Hurt.

The party goes on to say S.H.I.E.L.D.’s downfall in THE WINTER SOLDIER forced Pym into the private sector, which makes him vulnerable and essentially serves as catalyst for the events that follow in ANT-MAN. And according to the party, a shooting draft of ANT-MAN’s post-credit stinger shows the older Ross re-appearing to Pym, claiming he’d been sent by Tony Stark. When asked why, Ross allegedly responds, “Haven’t you seen the news? We’re at war.”

The party also claims Ross will play a supporting role in CAPTAIN AMERICA 3, begrudgingly helping Tony Stark enforce the Superhero Registration Act and giving him military aid as Stark’s hesitant to use his own technology post-ULTRON. The party claims that rumors of Black Widow’s limited involvement in CAPTAIN AMERICA 3 is also true, as her character will be arrested for aiding fugitive superhumans in a power play by Stark (which will give actress Scarlett Johansson a break from the MCU to focus on her family), though the source says a potential Black Widow jailbreak in a future Marvel film may help bring Scott Lang’s Ant-Man into the AVENGERS fold.

Now, John Slattery is scheduled to reprise his role of Howard Stark in Ant-Man, so that part of the rumor, if nothing else, may be true.

The Avengers: Age of Ultron is scheduled to arrive in theaters on May 1, 2015, with Ant-Man arriving on July 17, 2015, and Captain America: Civil War on May 6, 2016.

Six Suggestions to Salvage GOTHAM

As we wait for the Fox series Gotham to return from its midseason hiatus on January 5, 2015, I thought now would be a good time to address a number of issues that some viewers (including myself) are having with this Batman prequel ten episodes into its run.

Since the show's premiere back in September, Gotham has performed pretty well for Fox, earning a full season order of 22 episodes, up from the original 16.  And with Fox's current ratings woes across the board, Gotham seems pretty likely to earn a Season 2, provided it can finally stop the gradual decline from the 8.21 million viewers that tuned in for the pilot to the 6.05 that watched the midseason finale "Lovecraft."

The thing is, though, in our new Golden Age of Comic Book Television, Gotham finds itself competing for attention with The Walking Dead, Arrow, The Flash, Constantine and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and often comes up lacking by comparison.  There are enough talented actors and the production values are pretty top-notch, so there's simply no excuse why this series can't be considerably better than it is.  With all this in mind, here are six suggestions of mine to help Gotham become the Batman prequel we deserve:

1.  This isn't 1966 anymore, so lose the camp -- While Gotham is obviously a huge improvement over the Adam West Batman series, it feels like some actors are deliberately hamming it up just to make their characters stand out more.  Jada Pinkett Smith's Fish Mooney is a perfect example of this, overreacting to practically everything and delivering her lines as if she's a modern-day Eartha Kitt.  Donal Logue's Harvey Bullock isn't much better, shouting his disapproval of Jim Gordon's moral stances just about every chance he gets or exaggerating Bullock's streetwise nature into a cartoonish buffoon.

2.  Develop Barbara Kean into an actual character -- If there's one regular character you wouldn't mind being killed off, chances are pretty damn good that it's Erin Richards' Barbara Kean.  That's nothing against Richards -- she does as good of a job as the writers allow -- but her character is so tragically one-dimensional that all you can do is shake your head every time she's on screen.  All Barbara seems to be good for on Gotham is lounging around the penthouse apartment all day drinking wine or smoking pot offscreen and waiting around for former/current lover Renee Montoya to tell her how horrible Gordon is just for the sake of getting back into her bed.  And since Barbara is the future mother of Batgirl and James Gordon, Jr., she probably isn't going anywhere, so let her help Jim with research in his battle against police corruption or put her to work at the Wayne Foundation -- anything that gets her out of that damn penthouse.

3.  Embrace the dynamic of Gotham Central -- When Gotham was first announced, Batman fans were hopeful that we would see a reasonably faithful version of Gotham Central, the police procedural comic book series from Ed Brubaker, Greg Rucka and Michael Lark exploring the world of the GCPD.  And to some extent, we've gotten that, with Gordon and Bullock investigating some unusual crimes.  However, while Gotham Central featured a wonderfully diverse cast of characters interacting with one another as a surrogate family, Gotham focuses primarily on Gordon and Bullock, with Major Crimes Unit detectives Montoya and Crispus Allen serving as antagonistic douchebags, and Captain Sarah Essen constantly looking confused or incompetent.

4.  Amp the changes to Jim Gordon and Bruce Wayne up to eleven -- One of the good things we're getting from Gotham now is the gradual shift from Gordon being a naive goody-two-shoes into a determined crusader against police corruption and Bruce Wayne taking his first awkward steps on the path to becoming Batman.  When Gotham first started, Ben McKenzie was a bit of a bore as Gordon, but is finally starting to show the edge his character desperately needs.  David Mazouz, meanwhile, has been a pleasant surprise when displaying young Bruce's emotional detachment, obsessive tendencies and resentment towards his helplessness during his parents' murder.  But we need MORE of this.

5.  Take the time to focus on neglected characters -- Yeah, Barbara Kean certainly falls into this category, but so do other characters -- Edward Nigma, Sarah Essen, Crispus Allen and Ivy Pepper spring to mind.  We get little glimpses of them here and there, but don't really know them all that well because we need to focus on Gordon, Bullock, The Penguin, Bruce and Selina.  One of the things The Walking Dead does so well is mix their big cast episodes with smaller, more personal stories focusing on two or three characters at a time.  It makes the storytelling seem less repetitive, while giving neglected characters some time in the sun.

6.  Kill off someone fans would never expect -- One of the biggest structural flaws in Gotham being a prequel is that you know that Bruce Wayne, Selina Kyle, Alfred Pennyworth, Jim Gordon, Oswald Cobblepot, Edward Nigma, etc. will never be in any sense of real danger because they continue to exist in the adult Bruce Wayne's life as Batman.  Killing one major character who shouldn't be killed may piss off a few diehard comics geeks, but think of the story advantages to be gained by making the show that much more unpredictable.  And hey, if you ever need to bring the character back, just introduce the immortal Ra's al Ghul and his Lazarus Pits the way Arrow is currently doing.

SUICIDE SQUAD Casts Viola Davis as Amanda Waller

At last, "The Wall" has arrived.

Latino-Review is reporting that the upcoming David Ayer film Suicide Squad has cast Viola Davis in the key role of DC Comics character Amanda Waller. 

According to the article, the role is hers as long as the filmmakers can work around her television schedule for the ABC series How to Get Away with Murder.  If so, Davis will join Tom Hardy as Rick Flagg, Jared Leto as The Joker, Will Smith as Deadshot, Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, Jai Courtney as (Captain) Boomerang, and Cara Delevingne as The Enchantress.

In addition to her current TV series, Davis has appeared in numerous film and television projects, including the upcoming Blackhat, Get On Up, Ender's Game, Beautiful Creatures, The Help, Eat Pray Love, Disturbia, Solaris, Kate & Leopold, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and Threshold.

Created in 1986 by John Ostrander, Len Wein and John Byrne, Amanda Waller first appeared in Legends #1 as a former congressional aide and government agent placed in charge of Task Force X, a government-supervised group of supervillains who serve in dangerous missions in exchange for amnesty.  An often ruthless and manipulative leader as the warden of Belle Reve prison, Waller later served as the Secretary of Metahuman Affairs during Lex Luthor's Presidential administrationan and as the White Queen in the espionage organization Checkmate.

In the current New 52 continuity, Waller has been reimagined as a younger, thinner woman who was once involved with Team 7 before assuming command of the Suicide Squad.  After an operation Waller was involved in resulted in the death of all other squad members, including several she had personally recruited, she requested command of a unit she could send to their deaths without regret.  Waller later formed the Justice League of America as a team separate from the main Justice League that she could control.

This will be the second time Amanda Waller has been adapted for film, after Angela Bassett portrayed her in the 2011 film Green Lantern. The character has also appeared on the television series Smallville (played by Pam Grier) and currently appears on the CW series Arrow (played by Cynthia Addai-Robinson).  In addition, Waller has appeared in the animated projects Justice League Unlimited and Superman/Batman: Public Enemies (voiced by CCH Pounder), and Young Justice (voiced by Sheryl Lee Ralph).

Suicide Squad is scheduled to arrive in theaters on August 5, 2016.

THE FLASH Casts Peyton List as The Golden Glider

Once Captain Cold arrived in Central City, you knew his sister wouldn't be far behind...

According to Access Hollywood, the hit CW series The Flash has cast Peyton List in the role of Lisa Snart, younger sister of Leonard "Captain Cold" Snart, better known as the DC Comics Rogue named (Golden) Glider.  Lisa Snart will first appear in "Rogue Time," the sixteenth episode of the series airing sometime early next year.

The article reveals that "while Leonard is cold and calculating, Lisa is a wild child and anxious to prove to her older brother she’s got what it takes to be in his criminal gang.  She is sly, charming, and even a little sadistic.  She's also not afraid to use her sexuality to get what she wants, which will put her on a collision course with S.T.A.R. Labs employee and friend of The Flash -- Cisco Ramon (Carlos Valdes)."

List is no stranger to comic book shows, having played Lois Lane's young sister Lucy in two episodes of the WB/CW series Smallville.  She also starred as Cara Coburn in the CW's remake of The Tomorrow People with Robbie Amell, who currently appears on The Flash as Ronnie "Firestorm" Raymond.  In addition, List has had notable roles such as Jane Siegel Sterling on AMC's Mad Men and on 90210 and FlashForward.

Created in 1977's The Flash (vol.1)#250 by Cary Bates and Irv Novick, Lisa Snart was originally a figure skater helped by secret coach and lover, Roscoe Dillon, another Flash Rogue known as The Top.  After The Top died from complications while battling The Flash, Lisa swore revenge, developed ice skates that created ice and allowed her to skate on air, and took on the alias of The Golden Glider.

Often joining forces with her brother Captain Cold, the Golden Glider became a member of the Rogues until she was killed by a later partner named Chillblaine.  In the current New 52 continuity, Lisa is once again alive, but was placed in a comatose state after suffering from a brain tumor.  After being caught in the blast from a Genome Recorder that gave the Rogues metahuman abilities, Lisa became able to move once again through astral projection.  Now calling herself simply "Glider," Lisa serves as the leader of the Rogues in Captain Cold's absence.

This will be the first time the character has been adapted for television.

The Flash returns to The CW on January 20, 2015.

DANGEROUS HABITS Episode 08: "The Saint of Last Resorts" is Up!

"Lamashtu enjoys babies for their nutritional value."

My friend and co-host Karen Lindsay and I are back once again with the next episode of Dangerous Habits: The Constantine Podcast!

We give our thoughts on "The Saint of Last Resorts," the eighth episode and midseason finale of Constantine, including things like the mysterious millhouse, Zed making bad decisions, the Resurrection Crusade, proper self-defense using magical artifacts, Sister Anne-Marie numerous mental issues, Lamashtu, La Brujeria, Pazuzu and Invunches, a special guest appearance by Karen's nighttime alarm, sudden cravings for KFC, the awesomeness of Eva Green in Penny Dreadful, our new show Married with Invunches, Hellblazer switching from DC Comics to VERTIGO, more rants about not having all of the central cast in the same episode, some other podcast called Next Stop Everywhere, and more!

You can check out the episode HERE and for those of you who use iTunes, we're already available HERE, so please subscribe and rate us! If direct download MP3s are more your thing, you can find those HERE as well. In addition, we have our Dangerous Habits show page on Facebook, which you can check out HERE. And we're also on Twitter using the account @DangerousHabit5 because some bloody arse already claimed @DangerousHabits.

Be sure to share these with all of your friends, enemies, demons, angels, sorcerers, ghosts, whomever, and help build our new podcast into something special. Oh, and send us your thoughts about the show or the podcast via Twitter and Facebook. As soon as we get some more, we'll be reading them on the podcast.

Sadly, Constantine won't be back until January 9, 2015, but until then, keep watching the old episodes and hashtagging #SaveConstantine on Facebook and Twitter, then keep checking iTunes, Libsyn and the Southgate Media Group website for our next Constantine review!

Charles Discusses ARROW & THE FLASH on JKL Media!

As you might recall, the lovely folks at JKL Media Podcast were kind enough to invite yours truly over for a lively discussion of four DC Comics television shows currently on the air -- Constantine, Gotham, Arrow and The Flash.  The discussion ended up being so lively, in fact, that it needed to be split into two parts and Part Two has now been posted!

Gathering together from the cosmic reaches of the universe, the four of us talk about how the Green Arrow comic book is mirroring the Arrow TV series, Karen's brutal smackdown of Thea Queen, the redemption of Brandon Routh, Oliver Queen being a playa, calling my shot about Thea Queen switching to the Dark Side weeks before the Arrow midseason finale aired, why Barry and Iris works better than Barry and Felicity, calling my shot about Harrison Wells being the Reverse-Flash weeks before The Flash midseason finale, the upcoming Marvel Netflix shows, which superhero we would pick as a spinoff series, and more!

Once again, my many thanks to Jesse Jackson, Karen Lindsay and Lou Sytsma for providing me an outlet to finally talk about these shows, and for being such fun and wonderful people. If you'd like to check out "DC Universe TV Part Two," you can listen to it HERE in glorious MP3 goodness. And if you'd like to hear more JKL Media, check out their previous episodes right HERE.

Marvel Gives AGENT CARTER Her First Two Assignments

If you're still reeling from the midseason finale of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and can't wait until the show returns in March 2015, don't worry -- Peggy Carter will keep things interesting.

Marvel has provided synopses for the first two episodes of their upcoming Agent Carter series on ABC starring Hayley Atwell as Agent Peggy Carter, James D'Arcy as Edwin Jarvis, Chad Michael Murray as Agent Jack Thompson, Enver Gjokaj as Agent Daniel Sousa and Shea Whigham as Chief Roger Dooley.

Here are the mission briefs:

In the episode "Now is Not the End," Peggy is contacted by old acquaintance Howard Stark (Dominic Cooper, Marvel's "Captain America: The First Avenger") when he is framed for unleashing his deadliest weapons and can trust no one else. To help Peggy clear Stark's name, he insists his butler, Edwin Jarvis, be at her beck and call--whether she likes it or not. But the risk is great: If caught, Agent Carter could be targeted as a traitor and spend the rest of her days in prison...or worse.

Guest starring in "Now is Not the End" are Lyndsy Fonseca as Angie Martinelli, Dominic Cooper as Howard Stark, Andre Royo as Spider Raymond, James Hebert as green suit, Kyle Bornheimer as Agent Ray Krzeminiski, Ashley Hinshaw as Colleen O'Brien, Carrick O'Quinn as tall bouncer, James Frain as Leet Brannis, Tim True as tipsy guy, Johnny Marques as bartender, Jeffrey David Anderson as short bouncer, James Urbaniak as scientist, Bill Kalmenson as Senator Webster, Lesley Boone as Rose, Costa Ronin as Anton Vanko and Kevin Heffernan as Madison Avenue Guy.

"Now is Not the End" was written by Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely and directed by Louis D'Esposito.

In the episode "Bridge and Tunnel," Howard Stark's deadliest weapon has fallen into enemy hands, and only Agent Carter can recover it. But can she do so before her undercover mission is discovered by SSR Chief Dooley and Agent Thompson?

Guest starring in "Bridge and Tunnel" are Lyndsy Fonseca as Angie Martinelli, James Herbert as green suit, Kyle Bornheimer as Agent Ray Krzeminiski, James Frain as Leet Brannis, Erin Torpey as Betty Carver (Radio Actor), Walker Roach as Captain America (Radio Actor), Greg Bryan as Daisy Clover Forman, Ray Wise as Hugh Jones, Meagan Fay as Miriam Fry, James Urbaniak as Miles Van Ert/White Haired Scientist, Devin Ratray as Sheldon McFee, Ralph Garman as Radio Announcer, Don Luce as Mob Boss, Jeff Locker as SSR Lab Tech, and Atticus Todd as Winston.

"Bridge and Tunnel" was written by Eric Pearson and directed by Joseph Russo.

Agent Carter begins with a two-hour series premiere on Tuesday, January 6th at 8:00 p.m. EST on ABC.

DANGEROUS HABITS Episode 07: "Blessed Are the Damned" is Up!

"Yes, angels exist.  Sound the bloody trumpets.  As for religion, yeah, all right, be nice to your neighbor and all that, but...the world isn't all puppy dogs and rainbows.  You can't just pray evil away.  Still have to fight, hard, on our own."

My friend and co-host Karen Lindsay and I are back once again with the next episode of Dangerous Habits: The Constantine Podcast!

We give our thoughts on "Blessed Are the Damned," the seventh episode of Constantine, including things like snake handling churches, very forward nude male models, luring angels with drugs, engaging the Hellblazers on Twitter, the Constantine gang on Family Feud, Marvel's Angel getting aroused, The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai, name-dropping Wil Wheaton and Chris Hardwick, the Psycho-Pirate's Medusa Mask, comments to our Facebook page, a few spoilery spoilers, and more!

You can check out the episode HERE and for those of you who use iTunes, we're already available HERE, so please subscribe and rate us! If direct download MP3s are more your thing, you can find those HERE as well. In addition, we have our Dangerous Habits show page on Facebook, which you can check out HERE. And we're also on Twitter using the account @DangerousHabit5 because some bloody arse already claimed @DangerousHabits.

Be sure to share these with all of your friends, enemies, demons, angels, sorcerers, ghosts, whomever, and help build our new podcast into something special. Oh, and send us your thoughts about the show or the podcast via Twitter and Facebook. As soon as we get some more, we'll be reading them on the podcast.

Have fun watching the next episode, "The Saint of Last Resorts," on NBC this Friday night, then keep checking iTunes, Libsyn and the Southgate Media Group website for our next Constantine review!

NEXT STOP EVERYWHERE Episode 14: "Spearhead from Space" is Up!

"What are you a doctor of, by the way?"
"Practically everything, my dear."

What, did you think we were done until Christmas?  Yes, my good friend and co-host Jesse Jackson and I are back with another episode of Next Stop Everywhere: The Doctor Who Podcast!  Ah, but this time, we reverse the polarity back to Jon Pertwee's first story as the Third Doctor, "Spearhead from Space"!

Exploring this 1970 classic from Season 7 of the original series of Doctor Who, Jesse and I discuss things like watching classic stories from a modern fan's perspective, classic vs. modern story pacing, the Third Doctor's exile on Earth by the Time Lords, the greatness of Liz Shaw, the return of Brigadier Alastair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart and UNIT, the first appearance of the Autons and the Nestene Consciousness, the Third Doctor's mysterious tattoo, the prototype Bessie, UNIT as an agency of the United Nations, the Doctor's complete disinterest in money, reversing our Reverse the Polarity segment, and more!

And for those who still aren't aware of this yet, we're available on iTunes RIGHT HERE as well as Stitcher RIGHT HERE, so please subscribe and tell your friends about us. If you're looking for direct MP3 downloads, you can find them RIGHT HERE as well. Oh, and don't forget we have an officially official Next Stop Everywhere Facebook page and Twitter account, so be sure to Like and/or Follow us, okay?

Be sure to come on back in two weeks for our review of the Tom Baker classic, "Pyramids of Mars," and look for more of Next Stop Everywhere on iTunes, Libsyn, Stitcher and the Southgate Media Group website!

Syfy Developing Superman Prequel Series KRYPTON

And here you thought Smallville was the beginning of the Superman legend...

The Hollywood Reporter has word that the Superman prequel series Krypton has landed at Syfy, with Man of Steel screenwriter David S. Goyer and Once Upon a Time's Ian Goldberg scripting the pilot and executive producing.

According to the article, Krypton will be from Warner Horizon Television and DC Comics, and "takes place years before the Superman legend we know, when the House of El was shamed and ostracized.  This drama, which is in development, follows the Man of Steel's grandfather as he brings hope and equality to Krypton, turning a planet in disarray into one worthy of giving birth to the greatest Super Hero ever known."

First rumored at the end of October, Krypton is the latest in an ever-growing listing of DC Comics properties adapted for television, after Titans on TNT, Preacher on AMC, Supergirl on CBS, and The CW's upcoming iZombie joining existing shows Arrow, Gotham, The Flash and Constantine.

Syfy continues to focus on more space operas and less cheesy, low-budget projects such as Sharknado, which have discouraged science fiction fans that flocked to the cable network with the remake of Battlestar Galactica.  Current series as Defiance and the upcoming Ascension and 12 Monkeys bring hope that Syfy is finally making an effort to recapture their roots instead of settling for the lowest common denominator.

Created in 1939 by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, the fictional planet Krypton first appeared in Superman (vol.1) #1 in a brief origin that merely stated, "Just before the doomed planet, Krypton, exploded to fragments, a scientist placed his infant son within an experimental rocket-ship, launching it toward Earth!"  Over the years, the history of the planet was developed further, with revelations that in addition to Superman, his cousin Supergirl, Supergirl's parents Zor-El and Allura, his dog Krypto, Argo City, and various Phantom Zone criminals had escaped the planet's destruction.

The destruction of Krypton has been reimagined numerous times, including the limited series Man of Steel by John Byrne, Superman: Birthright by Mark Waid and Leinil Francis Yu, and Superman: Secret Origin by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank.  It's also featured prominently in the films Superman (1978), Superman II and Man of Steel, and has appeared in various television series including Adventures of Superman, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman and Smallville.  In addition, Krypton has turned up in animated projects including the Superman cartoon shorts from Fleischer Studios, Super Friends and Superman: The Animated Series.

Charles Discusses CONSTANTINE & GOTHAM on JKL Media!

Somewhere, Papa Midnite is laughing to himself...

In the tradition of great comic book crossovers, the lovely folks at JKL Media Podcast were kind enough to invite yours truly over for a lively discussion of four DC Comics television shows currently on the air -- Constantine, Gotham, Arrow and The Flash.  And considering the J and the K of JKL are Jesse Jackson and Karen Lindsay, co-hosts with me on Next Stop Everywhere and Dangerous Habits, I could hardly pass, now could I?

Well, together with the L, one Lou Sytsma, the discussion ended up being so lively that it needed to be split into two parts, but the good news is, Part One has now been posted!

Joining together from the cosmic reaches of the universe, we talk about our various comic book backgrounds, Marvel vs. DC allegiances, the awesomeness of Papa Midnite, Constantine having a Dresden Files vibe, past Doctor Who comics connections, treating comics TV shows as an alternate universe, adapting the series Gotham Central, producing a podcast on the fly, and more!

So my many thanks to Jesse, Karen and Lou for providing me an outlet for some of these random thoughts flittering across my brain and for generally being such wonderful people.  If you'd like to check out "DC Universe TV Part One," you can listen to it HERE in glorious MP3 goodness.  And if you'd like to hear more JKL Media, check out their previous episodes right HERE.

Part Two with Arrow and The Flash coming soon!

Mark Hamill Reprising The Trickster on THE FLASH

Somewhere in Hollywood, Joyce Hyser is waiting patiently with her cell phone in the hopes of reprising Megan Lockhart.

Hitfix reports that in another nod to the original 1990-91 television series, the CW series The Flash will feature the return of Mark Hamill in his role of James Jesse, better known to DC Comics fans as The Trickster.  The character will appear in the 17th episode of the show's first season.

According to a character description provided in the article, "Mark Hamill returns in a brand new interpretation of James Jesse (aka The Trickster), a role he originated on the 90's 'Flash' series.  In this new iteration, The Trickster is an anarchist terrorist con man serving a life sentence in Iron Heights who helps Barry (Grant Gustin) and Det. West (Jesse L. Martin) to foil the city-wide attacks of a wannabe Trickster eagerly following in the original's deadly footsteps.  The episode will reunite him with John Wesley Shipp who went up against him as the original 'Flash' on the CBS version."

Flash executive producer Andrew Kreisberg said, "Having Mark reprise his role as The Trickster was on our original wish list when we were planning our version of The Flash.  Christmas and Chanukah came early for us this year when he said yes!  We are beyond humbled and excited to have him joining us for another round of deadly trickery!"

Hamill will be the third actor from the 1990-91 series to appear in the new version, after John Wesley Shipp, who now plays Barry Allen's father Henry, and Amanda Pays, who will be reprising her role as Dr. Tina McGee.  He previous appeared in the episodes "The Trickster" and the series finale "Trial of the Trickster."  In addition, Hamill reprised the role on the animated series Justice League Unlimited for the episode "Flash and Substance."

Created in 1960 by John Broome and Carmine Infantino, The Trickster first appeared in The Flash (vol.1) #113 as James Jesse, a circus acrobat who decided to become a criminal like his reversed name, Jesse James.  He invented shoes that would allow him to walk on air and various gag gadgets that he used in his crimes and soon became a member of the Rogues.  He eventually reformed for a time, paving the way for a new Trickster, Axel Walker, who currently serves as the New 52 version of the character.

The Flash airs Tuesday nights at 8 p.m. EST on The CW.

A.K.A. JESSICA JONES Casts Krysten Ritter as...Jessica Jones

Get ready for a veritable onslaught of F-bombs.

The Hollywood Reporter has revealed that Krysten Ritter has been cast in the lead role of Jessica Jones in A.K.A. Jessica Jones, the second Marvel Cinematic Universe series to air on Netflix.  Airing sometime after Daredevil, the series will also be 13 episodes that lead up to The Defenders miniseries that unites the two Marvel Comics characters along with Luke Cage and Iron Fist. 

Jones is described in the article as "a superhero suffering with post-traumatic stress disorder that leads to her hanging up her costume and opening up her own detective agency, where she ends up helping people and assisting other superheroes."

Marvel confirmed the news on its site, providing the show's official title as well. 

"Krysten brings both the hard edge and the vulnerability the role demands," said executive producer/showrunner Melissa Rosenberg.  "We can't wait for fans to see her in action, coming to Netflix in 2015."

"Krysten Ritter has the type of range, spanning the comic to the tragic, that makes for the stuff of the best Marvel heroes," said Jeph Loeb, executive producer/Marvel's Head of Television.  "As Jessica Jones, Krysten will bring one of the most beloved new characters of the past decade to life in a way we know will delight her longtime fans and introduce her to many more."

The 32-year-old actress is best known as Jane Margolis on the AMC series Breaking Bad and recent starred in the ABC series Don't Trust the B--- in Apartment 23.  Ritter also appeared in the television and movie versions of Veronica Mars as Gia Goodman and has had roles on The Blacklist, Gossip Girl and Gilmore Girls.

Created in 2001 by Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Gaydos, Jessica Jones first appeared in the Marvel MAX series Alias #1 as a former superhero turned private investigator.  As high school student Jessica Campbell, she was riding in a car with her family until it was collided with a military convoy transporting radioactive materials.  Jessica's family was killed, and after spending months in a coma, she awoke during the first arrival of Galactus to find that she had super-strength, limited invulnerability and flight.

Taking the superhero identity of Jewel, Jessica had a fairly uneventful career until she encountered the Purple Man during disturbance at a restaurant.  The Purple Man used his power of mind control and kept her under his command for eight months until she accidentally encountered the Scarlet Witch at Avengers Mansion.  The resulting battle with The Vision and Iron Man left her in another coma for months, under the care of S.H.I.E.L.D., until she was brought out by Jean Grey of the X-Men.  The personal violation by the Purple Man left her demoralized, so she gave up life as a superhero and opened a detective agency.  She later became romantically involved with Luke Cage and the two had a child, Danielle Cage, eventually marrying.  After the events of Dark Reign, Jessica resumed her costumed identity as Jewel and joined Luke as a member of the New Avengers.

Jessica Jones is expected to air sometime in 2015 on Netflix.

James Bond Will Officially Return in SPECTRE

At last, the 24th James Bond film has been officially announced, which will be called Spectre.  Daniel Craig returns for his fourth film as OO7, once again directed by Sam Mendes (Skyfall) with a screenplay by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and John Logan.

And yes, there's an official press release...

James Bond Producers, Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli today released the title of the 24th James Bond adventure, SPECTRE. The film, from Albert R. Broccoli's EON Productions, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, and Sony Pictures Entertainment, is directed by Sam Mendes and stars Daniel Craig, who returns for his fourth film as Ian Fleming's James Bond 007. SPECTRE begins principal photography on Monday, December 8, and is set for global release on November 6, 2015.

Along with Daniel Craig, Mendes presented the returning cast, Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris, Ben Whishaw and Rory Kinnear as well as introducing Christoph Waltz, Léa Seydoux, Dave Bautista, Monica Bellucci and Andrew Scott. Mendes also revealed Bond's sleek new Aston Martin, the DB10, created exclusively for SPECTRE.

A cryptic message from Bond's past sends him on a trail to uncover a sinister organisation. While M battles political forces to keep the secret service alive, Bond peels back the layers of deceit to reveal the terrible truth behind SPECTRE.

The 007 production will be based at Pinewood Studios, and on location in London, Mexico City, Rome and Tangier and Erfoud, in Morocco. Bond will return to the snow once again, this time in Sölden, along with other Austrian locations, Obertilliach, and Lake Altaussee.

Commenting on the announcement, Wilson and Broccoli said, "We're excited to announce Daniel's fourth installment in the series and thrilled that Sam has taken on the challenge of following on the success of SKYFALL with SPECTRE."

Written by John Logan and Neal Purvis & Robert Wade, Director of Photography is Hoyte van Hoytema and Editor is Lee Smith. Production Designer, Dennis Gassner returns along with Costume Designer, Jany Temime and Composer, Thomas Newman. Action Specialist, Alexander Witt is the 2nd Unit Director. Stunt Coordinator is Gary Powell, SFX Supervisor is Chris Corbould, and Visual Effects Supervisor is Steve Begg.

Skyfall, the 23rd James Bond film, was a worldwide box office phenomenon, opening #1 in 70 territories around the world, taking over $1.1 billion worldwide and setting a new all-time box office record in the UK by becoming the first film to take over £100 million.

The full principal cast list includes:

• Daniel Craig as James Bond
• Cristoph Waltz as Oberhauser
• Léa Seydoux as Madeleine Swann
• Monica Belluci as Lucia Sciarra
• Ralph Fiennes as M
• Naomie Harris as Miss Moneypenny
• Ben Whishaw as Q
• Rory Kinnear as Bill Tanner
• Andrew Scott as Denbigh
• Dave Bautista as Mr. Hinx

Although listed as "Oberhauser," Waltz has been rumored to be playing none other than Ernst Stavro Blofeld, head of the fictional global terrorist organization SPECTRE, who previously appeared in the James Bond films You Only Live Twice (1967, played by Donald Pleasance), On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969, played by Telly Savalas), Diamonds Are Forever (1971, played by Charles Gray), and Never Say Never Again (1983, played by Max von Sydow).



SUICIDE SQUAD Announces Cast, Confirms Jared Leto as The Joker

So...any takers on who won't be coming home?

The Hollywood Reporter has word that Warner Bros. has officially announced the cast for Warner Bros. Pictures’ new action adventure Suicide Squad, based on the DC Comics team of supervillains.  The announcement was made today by Greg Silverman, President, Creative Development and Worldwide Production, Warner Bros. Pictures.

The film, to be directed by Fury's David Ayer, will star two-time Oscar nominee Will Smith (The Pursuit of Happyness, Ali) as Deadshot; Tom Hardy (The Dark Knight Rises, Mad Max: Fury Road) as Rick Flagg; Margot Robbie (The Wolf of Wall Street, Focus) as Harley Quinn; Oscar winner Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club, Alexander) as The Joker; Jai Courtney (Divergent, A Good Day to Die Hard) as Boomerang; and Cara Delevingne (Anna Karenina, Pan) as Enchantress.

In making the announcement, Silverman said, "The Warner Bros. roots are deep on this one.  David Ayer returns to the studio where he wrote Training Day and brings his incredible ability to craft multidimensional villains to this iconic DC property with a cast of longtime Warner collaborators Will Smith and Tom Hardy, and other new and returning favorites: Margot, Jared, Jai and Cara.  We look forward to seeing this terrific ensemble, under Ayer’s amazing guidance, give new meaning to what it means to be a villain and what it means to be a hero."

Ayer is also writing the script for Suicide Squad, which is being produced by Charles Roven (The Dark Knight trilogy, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice) and Richard Suckle (American Hustle).  Zack Snyder, Deborah Snyder, Colin Wilson and Geoff Johns are serving as executive producers.

Jesse Eisenberg, who was rumored to be involved with the movie as his Batman v Superman character Lex Luthor, is not part of the official team, nor the official cast, according to sources.  However, that doesn't rule out a cameo appearance for him or other actors playing villains or heroes in the movie.

Created in 1959 by Robert Kanigher and Ross Andru, the Suicide Squad first appeared in The Brave and the Bold (vol.1) #25 as a team consisting of Rick Flag, his girlfriend Karin Grace, Dr. Hugh Evans, and Jess Bright.  The team was revamped in 1987's Legends #3 and spun off into the popular first Suicide Squad series by John Ostrander and Luke McDonnell, with Flag returning under the direction of Amanda Waller to oversee a new team of supervillains and heroes including Deadshot, Captain Boomerang, Enchantress, Bronze Tiger and Nightshade.  In the recent New 52 continuity, Deadshot leads the current team that includes Harley Quinn, King Shark, Black Manta, Deathstroke and The Joker's Daughter.

Suicide Squad is scheduled to arrive in theaters on August 5, 2016.