SUPERMAN Sequel MAN OF TOMORROW Casts Lars Eidinger as Brainiac

 
One of Superman's greatest enemies is finally making his debut on the big screen.

Variety is reporting that Man of Tomorrow, the upcoming sequel to Superman (2025), has cast Lars Eidinger as DC Comics supervillain Brainiac. Despite a number of Superman movies over the decades, this will be Brainiac's first appearance in a feature film. Eidinger joins returning actors David Corenswet as Superman/Clark Kent and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor.

Director James Gunn posted on Instagram, "In our worldwide search for Brainiac in ‘Man of Tomorrow,’ Lars Eidinger rose to the top. Welcome to the DCU, Lars."

Eidinger, 49, is a German actor and rapper who has appeared in the films Jay Kelly, Dumbo (2019), and White Noise. In addition, he's appeared in the 2023 Netflix limited series All the Light We Cannot See.

Created in 1958 by Otto Binder and Al Plastino, Brainiac first appeared in Action Comics (vol.1) #242 as a bald, green-skinned humanoid who arrived on Earth and shrank various cities, including Metropolis, storing them in bottles with the intent of using them to restore the then-unnamed planet he ruled. including the Kryptonian bottle city of Kandor.  In 1964's Superman (vol.1) #167, Brainiac's origin was retconned into making him a machine created by the Computer Tyrants of Colu as a spy for them to invade other worlds, for which he was given a non-computer appearance.  Brainiac's distinctive gridwork of red diodes across his head are also explained.  He was created with visible "electric terminals of his sensory nerves" that he could not function without.  Lex Luthor discovered that the Computers could have given Brainiac 12th-Level intellect, but gave him a 10th-Level, the same as them, so he would not try to dominate them.

In the post-Crisis on Infinite Earths DC Comics continuity, Brainiac's history was completely rewritten.  The post-Crisis version of Brainiac was now a radical Coluan scientist called Vril Dox who, having attempted to overthrow the Computer Tyrants of Colu, was sentenced to death.  In his last moments before disintegration, his consciousness was attracted light years away to Milton Fine, a human sideshow mentalist who worked under the alias "Brainiac".  Needing cranial fluid to maintain his possession of Fine, Dox went on a murder spree.  He discovered that Fine had genuine psychic powers and thus a metahuman, which he frequently wielded against Superman.  During a later skirmish with Superman in Metropolis, Milton Fine's body was irreparably damaged, leaving Brainiac with only a short time to live.  In order to preserve his life, he concocted an elaborate scheme by having an agent of his, a Coluan named Prin Vnok, use a time machine to travel to the End of Time itself and retrieve the creature known as Doomsday.  Doomsday had been left there by Superman and Waverider to ensure that he would never be a threat again, Brainiac planned to use Doomsday as a new host body.  Superman thwarted Brainiac's plot by driving him out of Doomsday's body with the use of a telepathy-blocking "psi-blocker", forcing Brainiac out of Doomsday and leaving him with no other option but to adopt a recently designed robotic body, dubbed Brainiac 2.5, which he could not abandon.

In 2013, Brainiac received another new origin as part of the New 52 DC Comics continuity.  In this version, Brainiac was first seen as the mysterious informant that supplied Lex Luthor with information of Superman and his alien nature.  Clark Kent had a dream of Krypton's final moments in which an artificial intelligence that controlled the planet woke up robots in an attempt to preserve the Kryptonian culture.  Later, while Clark conducted an interview in a robotic factory, the same harvester robots appeared.  Although they managed to defeat Brainiac, the alien sentience had already miniaturized and bottled the city of Metropolis and took it to his ship in space.  Superman traveled to the ship and found many alien bottled cities, Kandor included.  The alien identified himself as a being from the planet Colu, where he was known as C.O.M.P.U.T.O and on Krypton he was called Brainiac 1.0.  He claimed that without Superman and the ship that brought him to Earth, his Kryptonian collection is incomplete. The alien intelligence stated he would disable life support in both the Kandor and Metropolis bottles, and Superman was forced to choose which city to save using indestructible Kryptonian armor found on the ship.  Superman decided on neither, but still wore the armor.  Brainiac sent Metallo to attack Superman, but due to Superman's feelings for Lois Lane, Metallo broke free of Brainiac's control and joined Superman in his attack. Superman then used his rocket from Krypton that had also been miniaturized with Metropolis to attack Brainiac's mind. In doing so, Metropolis was returned to Earth and Superman took possession of Brainiac's ship and made it his new super citadel.

Eidinger will be the third actor to portray Brainiac in live-action, after James Marsters on the WB/CW series Smallville and Blake Ritson on the Syfy series Krypton. Brainiac has also appeared in various animated projects, including The New Adventures of Superman (voiced by Cliff Owens), Challenge of the Super Friends (voiced by Ted Cassidy), Super Friends, Super Friends: The Legendary Super Powers Show, and The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians (voiced by Stanley Ralph Ross), Superman: The Animated Series, Justice League, Static Shock, Justice League Unlimited, and Legion of Super-Heroes (voiced by Corey Burton), Batman: The Brave and the Bold (voiced by Richard McGonagle), Justice League Action (voiced by John de Lancie), Superman: Brainiac Attacks (voiced by Lance Henriksen), and Superman: Unbound (voiced by John Noble).

Man of Tomorrow is currently scheduled to arrive in theaters on July 9, 2027.

DC CRIME Series Hosted by Jimmy Olsen in Development at HBO Max

 
Jimmy Olsen is getting his own true crime series. Well...DC crime at least.

Variety is reporting that a fictional "true crime" docuseries is being developed by DC Studios for HBO Max. Titled DC Crime, the series will be hosted by DC Comics character Jimmy Olsen, with actor Skyler Gisondo reprising his role from Superman (2025).

According to the article, the first season will focus on DC supervillain Gorilla Grodd, a longtime nemesis of The Flash.

Tony Yacenda and Dan Perrault will serve as writers, executive producers, and showrunners on the series. James Gunn and Peter Safran of DC Studios will also serve as executive producers, with DC Studios’ Galen Vaisman overseeing the production from Warner Bros. Television. Yacenda and Perrault created the critically-acclaimed Netflix show American Vandal, which parodied the true crime genre. The show aired for two seasons and won Peabody Award for best writing for a comedy series. The duo went on to create the Paramount+ mockumentary series Players, which was set in the world of eSports.

Created in 1938 by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, Jimmy Olsen first appeared in Action Comics (vol.1) #6 as an unnamed "office boy" with a bow tie until he was formally introduced as Jimmy Olsen on the Superman radio show The Adventures of Superman in 1940.  Jimmy first appeared as a named character in Superman (vol.1) #13 in 1941, where he became a cub reporter and photographer for the Daily Planet newspaper as a co-worker with Clark Kent, Lois Lane and Perry White.

Recently, Olsen's antics, glamorous lifestyle as Superman's pal, and strange transformations were depicted as a source of streaming-media ad revenue that was keeping the Daily Planet afloat. In Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen (vol.2), the 12-issue series explored Jimmy's siblings Janie and Julian, his family's historic relations with Lex Luthor's family, a plot involving the attempted murder and faked death of Olsen, and a marriage in Gorilla City that Jimmy subsequently forgot to annul. The series poked fun at DC Comics' own history, including a sequence in which Jimmy angered Batman by suggesting a phone-in campaign to decide whether Robin lived or died. By the end of the series, Jimmy received a new Signal Watch and became the publisher of the Daily Planet.

Created in 1959 by John Broome and Carmine Infantino, Gorilla Grodd first appeared in The Flash (vol.1) #106 as a hyper-intelligent telepathic gorilla able to control the minds of others. He and other gorillas gained sapience and psychic powers after an alien spaceship crashed in their area. The gorillas lived in peace until their home was discovered by explorers. Grodd forced one of the explorers to kill the alien and took over Gorilla City, planning to conquer the world. Solovar, King of Gorilla City, telepathically contacted Barry Allen to warn of the evil gorilla's plans, and Grodd was defeated. The villain managed to return again and again to plague the Flash and the hero's allies.

Most recently, in the "We Are Yesterday" storyline, Grodd appeared as a leading member of the Legion of Doom. He manipulated Air Wave into spying on the Justice League on his behalf, claiming that Air Wave was dying from "tachyon poisoning". Grodd later absorbed Omega energy from the rift created following Darkseid's death and dubbed himself "Gorilla God". However, Air Wave betrayed Grodd and defeated him with help from a group of heroes summoned from the past. Following his defeat, Grodd allied himself with Time Trapper and the World Forger, forming the Quantum Quorum to deal with Darkseid's return and the damage caused to the timestream.

THE FANDOM ZONE 332: "Ignorance Is Chris" is Up!

 
"Last time I saw you, you were denying metahumans were a threat and now it seems they're taking over the world."
"Sort of, yeah."
"You have the Justice Gang and Superman determining international politics. Meanwhile, I'm here in Belle Reve listening to a bear-sized man with dragon skin butt-fucking a glowing twink with cartoon eyes in a cell beside me every night. I did everything I could to eradicate the metahuman blight, and now I'm enshrouded in it for the next...What did the judge say?...Two hundred and sixty-five years."
-- Lex Luthor and Rick Flag Sr., Peacemaker -- "Ignorance Is Chris"

Hello again, everyone! DJ Nik and I are back for another new episode of The Fandom Zone Podcast! This time, we discuss "Ignorance Is Chris", the sixth episode of Peacemaker Season 2, ffeaturing John Cena as Peacemaker/Chris Smith, Freddie Stroma as Vigilante/Adrian Chase, Robert Patrick as Blue Dragon/Auggie Smith, and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor!

In this episode, DJ Nik and I talk about things like Nik celebrating his mom's birthday, shorter episodes possibly being a saving grace, Nicholas Hoult as The Beast and Nux from Mad Max: Fury Road, some comics background on Lex Luthor's first appearance and Earth-X, James Gunn moving Lex Luthor's cameo up to Episode 6, Van Kull maximum security prison, German power metal band Helloween, Naomi Watts in The Ring, finally getting Adrian in his Vigilante suit again, Adrian's secret stash of captured drugs and drug money, exploding bags of cocaine, Adrian probably being on the spectrum, wondering how Judomaster will get his Flamin' Hot Cheetos on Earth-X, Harcourt making up an excuse that she fouled up the bathroom, Mick Jagger leading "The Beetles" on Earth-X, Vigilante diving into a set of bushes, Vigilante meeting his Earth-X doppelganger, Rick Flag Sr. having a chat with Lex Luthor in Belle Reve, Chris reuniting with Harcourt, the definition of anti-fascist, the big reveal that the parallel Earth is the one where the Nazis won World War II, Earth-X Harcourt meeting Harcourt, the cliffhanger of Adebayo running for her life from Keith Smith and a mob of white supremacists, the post-credits scene of Harcourt insisting that she talks to the ghost of Keith's mom, the introduction of the DC multiverse, our favorite quotes of the episode, some Fandom Zone Fanmail from Christine Peruski, and more! 

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Be sure to come back in one week when DJ Nik and I discuss "Like a Keith in the Night", the seventh episode of Peacemaker Season 2, on The Fandom Zone Podcast!

James Gunn Announces Next Superman Saga Film Is MAN OF TOMORROW

 
The Man of Tomorrow is coming in 2027...but is he Superman or Lex Luthor?

DC Studios co-CEO and Superman (2025) director James Gunn has announced on social media that the next film in the "Superman Saga" will be titled Man of Tomorrow. Posting on Instagram, Gunn shared the following image by Jim Lee, DC Comics' Chief Creative Officer, featuring Superman with Lex Luthor...

Lex Luthor is depicted in his Warsuit, which made its debut in 1983's Action Comics (vol.1) #544. Interestingly, Superman is shown holding a screwdriver, hinting at the possibility that he helps build Lex's Warsuit. Perhaps the two team-up to battle some as-yet unrevealed menace?

David Corenswet and Nicholas Hoult are expected to reprise their respective Superman (2025) roles of Superman/Clark Kent and Lex Luthor. Currently, Superman (2025) has made over $612 million at the box office from a reported budget of $225 million, certainly justifying a sequel.

Man of Tomorrow is scheduled to arrive in theaters on July 9, 2027, following the DC Universe releases Supergirl (2026) (directed by Craig Gillespie and starring Milly Alcock) and Clayface (directed by James Watkins and starring Tom Rhys Harries and Naomi Ackie).

DRUNK CINEMA 081: "Superman III" Is Up!

 
"Superman's bad."
"I'll say he was."
"I mean, he was bad!"
-- Gus Gorman and Ross Webster, Superman III

Hello again, movie fans!  My wonderful co-host Xan Sprouse and I are back with a new episode of Drunk Cinema! This time, we watch Superman III, the 1983 superhero film directed by Richard Lester, featuring Christopher Reeve as Superman/Clark Kent, Richard Pryor as Gus Gorman, Annette O'Toole as Lana Lang, and Robert Vaughn as Ross Webster!

This time, Xan and I discuss things like Xan and I going to see DEVO live in concert, Superman III causing DEEP HURTING, my reaction seeing Superman III for the first time in the theater at the age of 14, Lois going off on vacation to Bermuda, Richard Pryor making bad movies and lighting himself on fire while freebasing cocaine, Annette O'Toole as Martha Kent on Smallville, Ross Webster being "We've got Lex Luthor at home", Gavan O'Herlihy as Chuck Cunningham on Happy Days, Lorelei Ambrosia hiding her intelligence, my being allowed to tell Dad Jokes, producer Ilya Salkind's treatment for Superman III featuring Brainiac and Mr. Mxyzptlk with Superman marrying Supergirl, the scientist whose job is to watch acid almost explode, Brad Wilson peaking in high school, Clark trying to dance to the Beatles' version of "Roll Over Beethoven", Gus needing to put the candle back, Lana giving Clark mixed signals, wondering how Gus can hack a satellite that somehow controls the weather, wondering how Gus survived falling off the top of a skyscraper without Superman rescuing him, the birth of the Drunk Superman meme, Superman being very familiar with how to use junkyard machinery, wondering why Ross and his minions didn't helicopter down to the bottom of the Grand Canyon, Ross' stupid Superman videogame, computers not being able to propel you through the air with laser beams, Lois meeting Lana, not having any new Drunk Mail, Office Space referencing Superman III, and more!

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Be sure to come back in four weeks as Xan and I watch Office Space, the 1999 satirical dark comedy written and directed by Mike Judge, featuring Ron Livingston as Peter Gibbons, Jennifer Aniston as Joanna, Stephen Root as Milton Waddams, and Gary Cole as Bill Lumbergh!

New SUPERMAN Trailer Teases Metamorpho and the Engineer

 
At long last, Warner Bros. Pictures has released a new trailer for Superman, the upcoming 2025 DC Universe film directed by James Gunn and starring David Corenswet as Superman/Clark Kent, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor.

In this second 3-minute trailer, we start off with Lois and Clark hanging out together as Clark agrees to let Lois interview him as Superman, confirming that Lois already knows Superman's secret identity. "Are you being serious right now?" she asks incredulously. "You'd let me interview you as Superman?"

"Sure," agrees Clark, expecting the softball treatment due to their relationship.

Activating her audio recorder, Lois asks Clark if he's ready and he glibly replies, "Let's do it, Cronkite." Lois begins the interview, addressing Clark as "Superman" and he responds to her in his deep Superman voice as "Miss Lane."

"Recently, you've come under a lot of fire for what some might--"

"I don't know if it's a lot of fire, but--" interrupts Superman as we see an image of a spaceship in the middle of downtown Metropolis.

"It's a lot," confirms Lois as we briefly cut to an image of someone angrily throwing a can at Superman's head, which he doesn't even blink at.

"Today, the Secretary of Defense said he was gonna look into your actions," continues Lois as we see Frank Grillo as a live-action version of his Creature Commandos character Rick Flag Sr. 

Superman smirks in a dismissive tone at this, surprising Lois. "That--That's funny?" she asks,

"My actions?" responds Superman. "I stopped a war."

"Maybe."

"Uh, not maybe. I did."

Lois proceeds to grill him harder, stating, "In effect, you illegally entered a country" as we see a handcuffed Superman being taken into custody by Rick Flag Sr., a large masked figure who may or may not be Ultraman, and the Engineer (María Gabriela de Faría).

Later in the interview, we see Superman being upset at Lois' questions. "This is how you're gonna be?" he asks.

"I'm not the one being interviewed, Superman," replies Lois. "Did you consult with the President?"

Superman gives a long, audible sigh. "No."

"You seemingly acting like a representative of the United States..."

Superman interrupts again, raising his voice in a defensive tone, "I wasn't representing anybody except for me!"

"...will cause more problems around the world," continues Lois. 

"And -- and -- and doing good," he adds as we see him protecting a small child from being killed.

Lois continues to press him, saying, "I would question myself in the same situation and consider the consequences." At this moment, we see Superman being struck by a mysterious armored character called the Hammer of Boravia that bears the familiar green and purple colors of Lex Luthor from the comics. Boravia is a fictionalized European country based around the Alps in the comics, having first appeared in Superman (vol.1) #2 back in 1939.

"People were going to die!" shouts Superman, now completely exasperated.

We see Superman crashing into a busy sidewalk, creating an impact crater. Someone reaches into to help Superman to his feet.

In a separate scene, a scorched Superman tells an off-camera enemy, "Hey, buddy! Eyes up here!" as he rockets upward into the sky.

As the John Williams-inspired theme begins to build, we see Luthor and the Engineer entering Superman's Fortress of Solitude, with the Engineer's hands shifting into spinning buzzsaw blades. Krypto the Superdog barks at them as they enter, with the Engineer carving up a few of Superman's robots until Krypto launches through the air and strikes her hard in the face.

We then hear the words of Clark's father, Jonathan Kent (Pruitt Taylor Vince), as he says, "Your choices...your actions...That’s what makes you who you are." We see a young Clark running toward his father, followed by the present-day Clark hugging his father after hearing his reassuring words.

As we glimpse Mr. Terrific (Edi Gathegi) using his T-spheres to take out mulitple armored soldiers, we then hear Lex Luthor remarking, "Super...man. He's not a man, he's an it...that's somehow become the focal point of the entire world's conversation. I will not...accept that."

Glimpses of Lois worrying as a wounded Superman lies in bed follow, along with Superman being beaten in prison after Metamorpho (Anthony Carrigan) changes his left hand to Kryptonite. We also see Superman fighting Ultraman and the Engineer in the middle of the Metropolis Meteors stadium.

As Lex Luthor rages, we cut to the Kent home in Smallville, with Martha Kent (Neva Howell) telling Clark, "I cleaned your boots. I'll go get 'em for you."

Superman fights a giant kaiju in Metropolis near a giant video screen showing a news reporter played by Will Reeve, son of previous Superman actor Christopher Reeve. The chyron on the broadcast states, “New regulations set to begin next week."

More glimpses include Green Lantern/Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion) using his Power Ring to create a giant hand to swat soldiers away on the lobby window, Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced) smashing someone out of a window, Eve Teschmacher (Sara Sampaio) taking a selfie as Superman fights the Hammer of Boravia in the background, Metamorpho using his powers, Superman flying through some kind of floating debris field towards a house that shoots at him with a laser, Superman and Lois kissing in mid-air, and Superman rocketing up into the sky once again as a crowd of people cheer, then coming straight down at the camera.

In the final scene, we see Lois asking Clark, "You have a dog?" followed by a separate scene of Krypto resting on the injured Superman's chest as a good dog should.

If you'd like to check out the new trailer, you can view it below thanks to the official DC account on YouTube...

Superman is scheduled to arrive in theaters on July 11, 2025.

SUPERMAN (2025) Teaser Trailer Debuts David Corenswet as the New Man of Steel

 
Warner Bros. Pictures has released the first teaser trailer for Superman, the upcoming 2025 DC Universe film directed by James Gunn and starring David Corenswet as Superman/Clark Kent, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor.

In this first 2-minute, 15-second trailer, we initially see Corenswet's Superman crashing into an Arctic wasteland, bloodied and wheezing for air. We shift to fleeting images of a curly mop-topped Clark Kent making his way through a crowded Metropolis sidewalk to enter the Daily Planet building.

As a slow, electric guitar version of John Williams' classic theme from Superman (1978) begins to play, Clark enters the Daily Planet newsroom, where we first see Brosnahan's Lois Lane. She glances over at Clark, who looks predictably befuddled around the room.

Next, we head to the Kent farm, where Clark hugs his father, Jonathan Kent (Pruitt Taylor Vince).

Back to the Arctic, Superman whistles for his dog, Krypto the Superdog, who plows quickly through the snow to his master. "Krypto...home," wheezes Superman, handing Krypto the end of his cape. "Take me home."

The music switches to a powerful, orchestral version as we see Superman protecting a small girl from an explosion. At LuthorCorp, we glimpse Hoult's Lex Luthor turn away angrily from the window as Superman flies past, followed by another scene of Luthor with a gun.

Next, we see a caged Superman punch his way out of a cell, followed by a young boy rallying his people in Boravia with a makeshift yellow flag bearing Superman's chest emblem. The Boravian boy closes his eyes and prays for Superman for help.

In an abrupt tonal shift, we see a dour Superman with his chest covered in soot enter the Stagg Industries building past an angry mob as one of the crowd throws a can at the back of his head. As Superman looks up some information at a kiosk in the lobby, Green Lantern/Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion) uses his Power Ring on the lobby window, followed by a shot of Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced) in flight.

More fleeting images follow, including Superman facing off against a fire-breathing Kaiju monster, Superman sharing a tender moment at night with Lois Lane, Lois and Clark kissing in a kitchen, Superman tending to his robot Kelex at the Fortress of Solitude, the Fortress growing from the Arctic ice, Anthony Carrigan as Metamorpho, a domino effect of skyscrapers falling over, a battered Lex Luthor scowling, Krypto dragging Superman by his cape through the snow, Superman fighting someone in the middle of the Metropolis Meteors stadium, Mr. Terrific (Edi Gathegi) protecting Lois with a force field from mulitple armored soldiers, Superman and Lois sharing a beautiful mid-air kiss, and Superman rocking up into the sky.

As the trailer music builds to a finale, the last thing we see is Lois holding Superman's hand, then pulling him into a reassuring hug.

If you'd like to check out the new trailer, you can view it below thanks to the official DC account on YouTube...

Superman is scheduled to arrive in theaters on July 11, 2025.

SUPERMAN (2025) Casts Wendell Pierce as Perry White

 
Great Caesar's Ghost! Don't call him Chief!

Deadline is reporting that James Gunn's upcoming 2025 film Superman, formerly known as Superman: Legacy, has cast Wendell Pierce as Daily Planet editor-in-chief Perry White, best known to DC Comics fans as Clark Kent's boss.

Pierce joins David Corenswet as Superman/Clark Kent, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen, Sara Sampaio as Eve Teschmacher, Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific/Michael Holt, Terence Rosemore as Otis, Anthony Carrigan as Metamorpho/Rex Mason, Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl/Kendra Saunders, Nathan Fillion as Green Lantern/Guy Gardner, María Gabriela de Faría as The Engineer/Angela Spica, Sean Gunn as Maxwell Lord, and Milly Alcock as Supergirl/Kara Zor-El.

Pierce, 60, is probably best known as Detective William "Bunk" Moreland on the HBO drama The Wire and has appeared in the films Malcolm X, Hackers, Waiting to Exhale, Ray, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2, and Selma. His other TV appearances include episodes of Law & Order, Treme, Suits, Ray Donovan, Archer, Jack Ryan, and Elsbeth.

Created in 1940 by George Putnam Ludlam (radio), followed by Jerry Siegel and Wayne Boring (comics), Perry White first appeared in "Clark Kent, Reporter," an episode of The Adventures of Superman radio series before being introduced in comics later that same year in Superman (vol.1) #7.

The earliest Superman comics depict Clark Kent and Lois Lane working for the newspaper the Daily Star, under an editor named George Taylor. However, after Perry White's introduction in The Adventures of Superman radio series, the character was incorporated into the comic books, appearing as the editor of a newly renamed the Daily Planet. No in-story explanation for this change was given at the time, and neither George Taylor nor the Daily Star were mentioned again for many years.

Prior to the sweeping continuity changes detailed in Crisis on Infinite Earths, Perry White was depicted as having been a freelance reporter for various newspapers, including a Chicago newspaper and Gotham City's Gotham Gazette. White eventually went to work at the Daily Planet as a reporter, and earned his first Pulitzer Prize by being the first to write about Superboy's extraterrestrial origins, thanks to an exclusive interview with the Boy of Steel. Finally, during Clark Kent's junior year of college, Perry was promoted to editor-in-chief of the newspaper, after the retirement of the paper's previous editor, George Taylor.

After Crisis, Perry White was recreated by John Byrne as being born in Metropolis' Suicide Slum area, growing up with his father missing in action in an overseas war. White went to school with Lex Luthor while they were children (Luthor was also born in Suicide Slum) and became a copy boy at the Daily Planet, beginning a lifetime career that took him up the newspaper's ladder. 

After Luthor became a successful businessman, he began diversifying his holdings of his newly-founded LexCorp company, which included buying the Daily Planet. Turning down an offer from Luthor to become part of Luthor's new television station WLEX, White found an investor who saved the Daily Planet, on the condition that Perry was promoted from reporter to managing editor. The entire episode, including being forced out of his active reporting career, left White bitter and angry with Luthor.

White married Alice Spencer and had a son, Jerry White. Much later, after Jerry was fully grown, Perry learned that Luthor was Jerry's biological father. Luthor seduced and impregnated Alice while Perry was overseas reporting on a war and thought to have been killed.

In recent Superman comics, Lex Luthor used Manchester Black to erase all public knowledge of Superman's secret identity. Perry became the first to demonstrate what will happen if anyone is reminded of this secret, with Black's telepathic command nearly causing Perry to have a seizure. His brain can no longer accept the idea that Superman and Clark Kent are the same person.

Pierce will be the fifth actor to portray Perry White on film, after Pierre Watkin in the Superman (1948) and Atom Man vs. Superman movie serials, Jackie Cooper in the four Superman films starring Christopher Reeve, Frank Langella in Superman Returns, and Laurence Fishburne in the films Man of Steel and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

Superman (2025) is expected to arrive in theaters on July 11, 2025.

SUPERGIRL: WOMAN OF TOMORROW Casts Milly Alcock as Supergirl

 
The Girl of Steel is now a Woman of Tomorrow.

Deadline is reporting that Milly Alcock has been cast as Kara Zor-El, also known to DC Comics fans as Supergirl, in the upcoming film version of Tom King and Bilquis Evely's 2021 limited series Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow.

According to the article, Alcock beat out CODA actress Emilia Jones and Meg Donnelly, who voiced Supergirl in the DC animated movies Legion of Super-Heroes and Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths Part One.

Alcock's Supergirl is expected by many to debut in James Gunn’s upcoming film Superman: Legacy, which is about to go before the cameras in Georgia, but Deadline claims that's not a certainty. At the very least, she'll appear in some DC-based project before starring in her solo feature, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow. 

Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow is an eight-issue miniseries that focuses on Kara Zor-El's quest through space, aided by Krypto, and is told from the perspective of Ruthye, a new character. Ruthye, an alien girl Kara meets along her journey, is looking for justice for her father's death.

Alcock, 23, is an Australian actress best known as the young Rhaenyra Targaryen in the HBO fantasy series House of the Dragon. In addition, she's appeared in episodes of the TV series Upright, The Gloaming, and Reckoning.

Created in 1959 by Otto Binder, Al Plastino and Curt Swan, Supergirl first appeared in Action Comics (vol.1) #252 as Kara Zor-El, the daughter of Jor-El's brother Zor-El and cousin to Superman. She was the last survivor of Argo City, which had survived the destruction of the planet Krypton until meteorites of Green Kryptonite penetrated Argo City's protective barrier. Sent to Earth by Zor-El to be raised by her cousin, Kara acquired powers similar to Superman and adopted the secret identity of Linda Lee, a young girl at Midvale Orphanage. 

In the New 52 continuity, Kara's ship lands as part of a meteor shower in Smallville, Kansas, but burrows through the Earth and emerges in Siberia. Kara has no memory of the destruction of Krypton and believes herself to be dreaming. The military tracks her arrival, and a group of American soldiers in mechanized suits immediately attack her. Her powers start emerging as the fight goes on and terrify the surprised Kara. Superman arrives after she defeats the soldiers and tries to convince Kara that he is her cousin, but Kara, still believing that only three days have passed since she last saw baby Kal, accuses him of being an imposter and attacks him. Eventually, Kara accepts that Krypton has been destroyed and that Superman is indeed her grown-up cousin.

Alcock will be the fifth actress to portray the character in live action, after Sasha Calle in the 2023 film The Flash, Melissa Benoist on the CBS/CW TV series Supergirl, Laura Vandervoort on WB/CW series Smallville, and Helen Slater in the 1984 film Supergirl that was a spinoff from the Superman films starring Christopher Reeve.  The character has also appeared a number of times in animation, including Superman: The Animated Series and Justice League Unlimited (voiced by Nicholle Tom), and the Super Best Friends Forever DC Nation animated shorts (voiced by Nicole Sullivan).

Superman: Legacy is currently scheduled to arrive in theaters on July 11, 2025.

THE FANDOM ZONE 273: "What Kills You Only Makes You Stronger & Promises" Is Up!

 
"You ever think about dying, Superman? Because you're about to."
-- Lex Luthor, Superman & Lois -- "What Kills You Only Makes You Stronger"

Hello again, everyone! It's time for another new episode of The Fandom Zone Podcast!  This time, DJ Nik and I are joined by special guest Jesse Jackson as we discuss "What Kills You Only Makes You Stronger", the Season 3 finale of Superman & Lois, featuring Michael Cudlitz as Lex Luthor, along with "Promises", the second episode of Secret Invasion, starring Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury!

In this episode, DJ Nik, Jesse and I talk about things like my appreciation for Nik and Jesse's kindness as I recover from sinus surgery, Jesse joining us to discuss the Season 3 wrap-up of Superman & Lois, Rebecca Staab playing the Invisible Woman in Fantastic Four (1994), Nik wondering if Superman & Lois will adapt "The Death of Superman" storyline from the comics, the showrunners reversing the Season 2 twist of getting Bizarro instead of Doomsday, some comics background on Doomsday's secret origin, some comics background on Gretchen Kelley, Jesse liking the character depth given to Kyle Cushing, Nik calling out Kyle and Chrissy Beppo for not using contraceptives during sex, Kyle's traditional view of men and women in a relationship, Nik liking Sarah's new highlights, people finally waking up and realizing Italy is a great place for a romantic getaway, the excellent Superman vs. Doomsday fight on the moon, Jesse not being a fan of the "angry biker" take on Lex Luthor, the Doomsday fight being the payoff for most of Season 3 being a soap opera about Lois' cancer, Lex Luthor being a fan of Ministry's "N.W.O.", our favorite quotes of Superman & Lois, Jesse's thoughts on the first two episodes of Secret Invasion, Russian soldiers looking for a "black American" in Russia, Nick failing to keep his promise to find the Skrulls a new home, more of Nick Fury being totally off his game, Rhodey firing Nick Fury, that awkward moment of Nick meeting Maria Hill's mother after bringing Maria's body back in a coffin, my wondering if Nick Fury is slowly dying, Gravik becoming a Skrull general, Sonya Falsworth interrogating Brogan the Skrull, the cliffhanger revelation that Nick Fury is married to a Skrull, our favorite quotes of Secret Invasion, new Fandom Zone Fanmail from Jesse Jackson, trying to convince Jesse to come back for more discussions of Secret Invasion, and more!

You can now check out episodes of The Fandom Zone using...

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The Fandom Zone on Facebook -- RIGHT HERE
The Fandom Zone on Twitter -- @FandomZoneCast
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And if that isn't enough for you, you can pick up an officially official Fandom Zone Podcast t-shirt that all the cool kids are wearing from TeePublic HERE as well! Feel free to post a picture on our Facebook page of you or some other cool person you know wearing the shirt!

Be sure to come back next week as DJ Nik and I discuss "Betrayed", the third episode of Secret Invasion, on The Fandom Zone Podcast!

SUPERMAN: LEGACY Casts Anthony Carrigan as Metamorpho

The decision to bring the Element Man to the big screen was...elementary.

The Hollywood Reporter has word that James Gunn's upcoming DC Universe film Superman: Legacy has cast Anthony Carrigan as Rex Mason, better known to DC Comics fans as the superhero Metamorpho.

Carrigan joins Superman: Legacy cast members David Corenswet as Superman/Clark Kent, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl/Kendra Saunders, Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific/Michael Holt, and Nathan Fillion as Green Lantern/Guy Gardner.

Carrigan, who has alopecia, told The Hollywood Reporter that he had Metamorpho on his radar before getting the role. He remarked, "I like comic books, but I’m not a diehard, but I did, when all my hair fell out, go through the kind of pantheon of all of these bald superheroes and supervillains and made note of all of them. I remember seeing Metamorpho and I think he had like a giant like hammer for a hand and I was like, that guy’s badass. Noted. We’ll store that one away."

He added, "This character, from what I’ve learned of the source material, he didn’t like the way he looked, and I can really relate to that. You know, when he got his powers he thought it was a curse. That’s something that I really felt as well. In my case, I turned it around and saw it as a blessing. So, I’m excited to bring that to the table with this character."

Carrigan, 40, recently played NoHo Hank on the HBO series Barry, and has portrayed DC Comics characters The Mist on The CW's The Flash (2014) and Victor Zsasz on the Fox series Gotham. In addition, he's appeared in the films Bill & Ted Face the Music and Fatherhood, and in episodes of the TV series Law & Order: Criminal Intent and The Blacklist.

Created in 1965 by Bob Haney and Ramona Fradon, Metamorpho first appeared in The Brave and the Bold (vol.1) #57 as Rex Mason, an adventurer hired by Stagg Enterprises CEO Simon Stagg to retrieve a rare Egyptian artifact, the Orb of Ra. Shortly after hiring him, Simon Stagg learned that Mason has been dating his daughter, Sapphire Stagg. This and other incidents caused Stagg to dislike Mason enough to plot to kill him. Inside an Egyptian pyramid, Mason was knocked unconscious by Simon's brutish bodyguard Java and was eventually exposed to a radioactive meteorite that fashioned the Orb of Ra, transforming Mason into Metamorpho, the Element Man.

As Metamorpho, Mason gained the ability to shapeshift and change himself into any element or combination of elements found in the human body. It was also established that Metamorpho is virtually invulnerable in his inert (untransformed) state, when Stagg, afraid that Rex was going to kill him, shot him point-blank without effect. Later, it was revealed that Mason is but one of many metamorphae, created by the sun god Ra, using the meteorite, to serve as warriors in his battle against the god Apep, "the serpent who never dies".

Metamorpho cannot assume a normal, fully human appearance, being no longer composed of flesh, blood and bone. As a result, he considers himself a freak and wishes only to be restored to his former human state, initally rejecting an offer of membership from the Justice League. However, Metamorpho later became a member of various incarnations of the Outsiders and the Justice League.

Carrigan will be the first actor to portray Metamorpho in live-action, but the character has appeared in various animated projects, including Justice League and Justice League Unlimited (voiced by Tom Sizemore), Batman: The Brave and the Bold (voiced by Scott Meville), Beware the Batman (voiced by Adam Baldwin), and Young Justice (voiced by Fred Tatasciore).

Superman: Legacy is currently scheduled to arrive in theaters on July 11, 2025.

THE FANDOM ZONE 272: "Injustice & Resurrection" Is Up!

 
"What do you want?"
"You gonna tell me you're sorry?"
"Is that what you're here for? An apology? Okay, I got it wrong, and I'm--"
"I WAS INNOCENT! 17 YEARS OF MY LIFE -- GONE! And you think I want WORDS?!"
-- Lois Lane and Lex Luthor, Superman & Lois -- "Injustice"

Hello again, everyone! It's time for another new episode of The Fandom Zone Podcast!  This time, DJ Nik and I discuss "Injustice", the twelfth episode of Superman & Lois Season 3, featuring the debut of Michael Cudlitz as Lex Luthor, along with "Resurrection", the first episode of Secret Invasion, starring Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury!

In this episode, DJ Nik and I talk about things like Nik learning that David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan have been cast as Superman and Lois Lane in James Gunn's upcoming DC film Superman: Legacy, Michael Cudlitz's intimidating "evil biker" look as Lex Luthor, wondering why George Dean, Jr. still wants to be called "Junior" after his dad died, Nik playing the Injustice videogames, some background on the first comics appearance of Lex Luthor, Jordan defiantly swatting away Clark with super-strength, running down the various Superman & Lois characters who are feeling injustice, Jordan's "Smallville Samaritan" nickname being better than "The Blur" from Smallville, Gen Z member Jordan wanting all kinds of attention as a superhero, Jon getting preferential treatment from Kyle because Jon's dad is Superman, Lex Luthor taking control of the prison and turning Otis into a human chair, Superman having to forcibly restrain himself and hold back using his powers when he gets angry, Bizarro's horrific look as he's eating rats, wondering if Lex Luthor's daughter will be named Lena Luthor, our favorite quotes of Superman & Lois, wondering if Marvel is setting up the "Dark Reign" storyline from the comics, my love of spy TV shows and movies, Nick Fury being called back to Earth by Maria Hill, wondering if Nick is trying to portray himself as past his prime so the Skrulls underestimate him, Nick Fury not being entirely trusting of Sonya Falsworth, what happened with G'iah since she was a child in the Captain Marvel movie, wondering if the death of G'iah's mother Soren will encourage her to switch sides against Gravik, our favorite quotes of Secret Invasion, new Fandom Zone Fanmail from Jesse Jackson, Jesse returning to The Fandom Zone Podcast, and more!

You can now check out episodes of The Fandom Zone using...

Apple Podcasts -- RIGHT HERE
Google Podcasts -- RIGHT HERE
Direct Download MP3s/Libsyn -- RIGHT HERE
Spotify -- RIGHT HERE
Stitcher -- RIGHT HERE
The Fandom Zone on Facebook -- RIGHT HERE
The Fandom Zone on Twitter -- @FandomZoneCast
The Fandom Zone on Instagram -- HERE

And if that isn't enough for you, you can pick up an officially official Fandom Zone Podcast t-shirt that all the cool kids are wearing from TeePublic HERE as well! Feel free to post a picture on our Facebook page of you or some other cool person you know wearing the shirt!

Be sure to come back next week as DJ Nik and I are joined by special guest Jesse Jackson as we discuss "What Kills You Only Makes You Stronger", the Season 3 finale of Superman & Lois Season 3, along with "Promises", the second episode of Secret Invasion, on The Fandom Zone Podcast!

THE FANDOM ZONE 271: "Complications" Is Up!

 
"It’s just…wow, you’re Superman. You were always such a wiry little kid in high school though. It…uh…doesn’t make any sense. Um…by the way, I really appreciate you not lasering my ass that time I, uh, pantsed you in gym class."
"Maybe we just, uh, don’t do it again."
-- Kyle Cushing and Clark Kent, Superman & Lois -- "Complications"

Hello again, everyone! It's time for another new episode of The Fandom Zone Podcast!  This time, DJ Nik and I discuss "Complications", the eleventh episode of Superman & Lois Season 3, featuring Tyler Hoechlin as Superman/Clark Kent, Elizabeth Tulloch as Lois Lane, Chad L. Coleman as Bruno Mannheim, and Daya Vaidya as Peia Mannheim!

In this episode, DJ Nik and I talk about things like Nik being down in the dumps after his team Inter Milan lost the UFEA Champions League Final to Manchester City, the episode juxtaposing Lois' double mastectomy operation against Peia's loss of control after taking Bruno's cure that didn't work, Nik wondering if we're all closeted fans of soap operas, Stan Lee balancing soap opera moments with superheroics in his Marvel Comics scripts, my college roommate getting me watching The Young and the Restless, Superman appearing on the show more than some people think, Clark being forced to leave Lois to deal with all the chaos in Metropolis caused by Peia, Jordan getting his X-Ray vision, Michael Bishop being a better Jon Kent than Jordan Elsass, Jordan inheriting his father's powers but Jon inheriting his father's heart, Lois' crazy decision to go ahead with her surgical procedure while the hospital is experiencing power outages and severe tremors, Lois having a great support system with her family and closest friends, Lois probably expecting that Peia would die as a result of her bad decisions, wondering why Lana left her depressed daughter Sarah alone after Sarah had previously attempted suicide, Kyle encouraging Sarah to deal with her issues by becoming a waitress at the Smallville Diner, more of Jordan being a total dick to Sarah, Bruno making a deal with the DOD so that his son Matteo could still have a future, Superman telling Peia that it was okay for her to let go, Matteo putting all of his faith in Bruno to save Peia, John Henry finally dialing it back a little, Bruno's desperation forcing him to turn to Superman for help, John Henry agreeing to look after Matteo for Bruno while he's in the slammer, the comic book event series Forever Evil, the return of Bizarro, our favorite quotes of the episode, new Fandom Zone Fanmail from Jesse Jackson, Nik leading our upcoming Secret Invasion discussion, and more!

You can now check out episodes of The Fandom Zone using...

Apple Podcasts -- RIGHT HERE
Google Podcasts -- RIGHT HERE
Direct Download MP3s/Libsyn -- RIGHT HERE
Spotify -- RIGHT HERE
Stitcher -- RIGHT HERE
The Fandom Zone on Facebook -- RIGHT HERE
The Fandom Zone on Twitter -- @FandomZoneCast
The Fandom Zone on Instagram -- HERE

And if that isn't enough for you, you can pick up an officially official Fandom Zone Podcast t-shirt that all the cool kids are wearing from TeePublic HERE as well! Feel free to post a picture on our Facebook page of you or some other cool person you know wearing the shirt!

Be sure to come back in two weeks as DJ Nik and I discuss "Injustice", the twelfth episode of Superman & Lois Season 3, along with "Resurrection", the first episode of the new Marvel Cinematic Universe series Secret Invasion, on The Fandom Zone Podcast!