SUICIDE SQUAD Replacing Tom Hardy with Jake Gyllenhaal as Rick Flag

Well, at least there wasn't a skull explosive involved...

The Wrap reports that Jake Gyllenhaal is being courted for the role of Rick Flag in David Ayer's upcoming film adaptation of DC Comics' Suicide Squad.  Gyllenhaal would replace Tom Hardy, who was forced to exit the project because Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s The Revenant is running over schedule into mid-March, after which Hardy will be needed to promote WB’s Mad Max: Fury Road, which comes out on May 15th.  Suicide Squad is expected to start production in April.

According to the article, Gyllenhaal is Ayer’s favorite to play Flag, having previously worked with the director on End of Watch, which led to roles in the Warner Bros. thriller Prisoners and Nightcrawler, which earned him a Golden Globe nomination.  In addition, Gyllenhaal is known for his previous films Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, Zodiac, Brokeback Mountain, The Day After Tomorrow, Donnie Darko and October Sky.

Created in 1959 by Robert Kanigher and Ross Andru, Rick Flag, Jr. first appeared in The Brave and the Bold (vol.1) #25 as the leader of the original Suicide Squad, which consisted of Flag, his girlfriend Karin Grace, Dr. Hugh Evans and Jess Bright.  The four were non-powered adventurers fighting superpowered opponents, with adventures that involved conflict with dinosaurs, giants, and other monstrous creatures.  In the team's final mission, Dr. Evans dies, and Jess Bright is captured by forces of the Soviet Union and transformed into the monstrous Koshchei.

After being sent to infiltrate the Forgotten Heroes as a spy for the government, Flag was then recruited to lead the new Suicide Squad formed by Amanda Waller, a role he reluctantly assumed.  Immediately, Rick showed signs of instability, which were worsened when Karin Grace became the team's medic.  Flag hated working with the criminals under his command and his mental instability soon worsened.  He later learned that he is not the son of Rick Flag Sr., but actually a soldier named Anthony Miller who was brainwashed by General Wade Eiling into believing he was Flag's son.

Suicide Squad is currently scheduled to be released on August 5, 2016.

THE FLASH Casts Devon Graye as The Trickster

Looks like Mark Hamill has a new apprentice...

ComicBook.com has revealed that the hit CW series The Flash has cast Devon Graye as DC Comics character Axel Walker, better known to Flash fans as the second Trickster.

Graye will join Hamill, who is reprising his 1990-91 television role of James Jesse, the original Trickster, in Episode 17 of the show's first season.  The episode was originally described "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."

The 27-year-old actor is best known as the teenaged Dexter Morgan on the Showtime series Dexter.  He's also had various guest appearances on the television series American Horror Story: Asylum, Body of Proof, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Leverage, CSI: Miami, and Bones.

Created in 2002 by Geoff Johns and Scott Kolins, Axel Walker first appeared in The Flash (vol.2) #183 as a teenager who stole all of the first Trickster's gadgets while James Jesse was working for the FBI.  After briefly joining the supervillain Blacksmith, the second Trickster was invited to join the Rogues under Captain Cold's leadership.

In the current New 52 continuity, the Trickster was a member of the Black Razors, a team that dealt with an invasion by the Daemonites.  Now with the Rogues, Walker attempted to reason with Grodd during an invasion of Central City and ended up losing his right hand.

The Flash airs Tuesday nights on The CW at 8:00 p.m. EST.

DAMN Good Comics -- STAR WARS #1

I have a good feeling about this.

Like many of my fellow Generation X geezers who watched Star Wars over and over and over when it debuted in 1977, I snapped up Marvel's Star Wars comic book series as soon as found each new issue on the local drug store spinner rack.  (The dark times before comic book shops.)  The license eventually moved to Dark Horse Comics in 1991, which had a good 23-year run with the Lucasfilm property until Disney assimiliated Marvel into the Mouse Collective and the rights were finally returned.

Although I have major respect for Dark Horse keeping the torch going all those years before, during and after the prequels, I have to confess that I really had no interest in buying any of their Star Wars comics.  Oh, I'd flip through some every so often, but the titles looked so desperately dull, overly convoluted and lifeless, compared to Marvel's crude but fun and innovative comics before The Empire Strikes Back arrived.

And now, the Force has awakened at long last.

Right from the very first page, Marvel captures the tone of Star Wars better than Dark Horse could ever dream with the very simple words "A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...." in the proper blue font.  You flip the page and BAM, a double-page spread with the Star Wars logo coming at you so hard in widescreen that somehow, inexplicably, you can hear that John Williams theme blasting through the pages.  You turn the page again and Oh, thank the Maker -- there's the familiar opening crawl presenting the story title along with a quick synopsis that tells you this new series is set just where you hoped it would be, right after the very first Star Wars film.

Writer Jason Aaron, artist John Cassaday and colorist Laura Martin quickly prove to be the dream team for Star Wars comic fans, because they seem to understand the one important thing that many Dark Horse creators didn't -- getting the tone right.  This book looks and feels like a Star Wars comic, from the right amount of glib humor to the frantic escapes when things go inevitably and horribly wrong.

So if you're a fellow Star Wars fan who rediscovered your love for the films when the teaser for The Force Awakens appeared online, or just a comics fan who loves good sci-fi action tales with snappy dialogue and beautiful artwork, you owe it to yourself to pick this book up. Oh, and may the Force be with you...always.

BATMAN VS. ROBIN Animated Movie Cast Announced

Once again, Kevin Conroy returns to the world of Batman...just not as Batman.

The Hollywood Reporter has revealed the principal voice cast for Batman vs. Robin, the latest DC Comics animated movie, which is a sequel to last year's Son of Batman and is inspired by the 2011-12 story Batman: The Court of Owls by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo.

Jason O’Mara, the former Terra Nova and Life on Mars (U.S.) star returns as the voice as Batman.  Stuart Allan, who appeared on the television series Bad Teacher, and Sean Maher, who was a regular on Firefly and played Shrapnel on CW’s Arrow, are returning as Robin/Damian and Nightwing, respectively.  David McCallum (NCIS) also returns as Batman's faithful butler and friend, Alfred Pennyworth.

The legendary Kevin Conroy, the definitive voice of Batman from Batman: The Animated Series, the Arkham video games and other Batman projects, will voice Thomas Wayne, Bruce Wayne’s father, presumably in a flashback sequence.

Other voices include Jeremy Sisto (Suburgatory), who will voice Talon, the Court of Owls’ almost unstoppable assassin; Grey Griffin (formerly DeLisle), as a character named Samantha; Robin Atkin Downes (Superman vs. The Elite) will voice a character named Grandmaster; Peter Onorati voices a man named Draco; and "Weird Al" Yankovic will play Batman villain The Dollmaker.

Created in 2011 by Snyder and Capullo, The Court of Owls was first mentioned in Batman (vol.2) #1 and first appeared in Batman (vol.2) #5 as an ancient secret order that has controlled Gotham City for centuries.  They are a violent cabal of some of Gotham City's oldest and wealthiest families who use murder and money to wield political influence throughout history.

Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice storyboard artist Jay Olivia, who has helmed five previous DC Animation features, is directing the project, which has a script by J.M. DeMatteis.  James Tucker is producing.

Batman vs. Robin will arrive on Blu-Ray, DVD and On Demand sometime later this year.

GOTHAM Casts Rob Gorrie as Robin's Father, John Grayson

Well, here's one Flying Grayson...

ComicBook.com reports that the Fox series Gotham has cast Rob Gorrie as John Grayson, better known to DC Comics fans as the father of Dick Grayson, the original Robin and future Nightwing.

Gorrie will first appear in "The Blind Fortune Teller," the sixteenth episode of show's first season, which should air on February 16th.  Haly's Circus will be featured in the episode as Detective Jim Gordon and Leslie Thompkins visit the circus to investigate a murder, which leads to Gordon questioning the ringleader and an evil clown.  A fight also supposedly breaks out between clowns and trapeze artists, with Thompkins eventually tending to the injured victims.  The episode is written by Bruno Heller and directed by Jeffrey Hunt.

The 27-year-old Gorrie is probably best known as Matthew Buchanan on the soap opera One Life to Live and as Nate Bradley on As the World Turns.  He's also had guest appearances on The Good Wife and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

Created in 1940 by Bill Finger, Bob Kane and Jerry Robinson, John and Mary Grayson were circus aerialists along with their son Dick, billed as "The Flying Graysons."  When the owner of Haly's Circus refused to pay protection money to crime boss Tony Zucco, Zucco's men sabotaged the trapeze wires with acid, causing John and Mary Grayson to fall to their deaths.

Having witnessed his own parents' murders as a young boy, Bruce Wayne decides to become Dick's legal guardian and soon takes him on as his crimefighting partner, Robin, the Boy Wonder.

Gotham airs Mondays on Fox at 8 p.m. EST.

Kyle MacLachlan Confirmed for TWIN PEAKS Return in 2016

Stack up the doughnuts, pull out the pies, put on the trenchcoat, break out the lies...

The Hollywood Reporter has word that actor Kyle MacLachlan will be returning to Twin Peaks and reprising his legendary role as Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Dale Cooper.

After months of teasing his involvement, MacLachlan confirmed the news by appearing at today's Showtime panel at the Television Critics Association press tour.  "You look like you need damn fine cup of coffee," said MacLachlan, joining Showtime president David Nevins on stage.

Nevins didn't discuss any plot elements of the return, but did talk about Lynch's decision to bring the series back.  "I think it's something they've been toying with for a long time," he said.  "I think in David's mind, twenty-five years seemed like the magic number."

MacLachlan added as he left the stage, "I'm very excited to return to the strange world of Twin Peaks.  May the forest be with you."

In addition to his role of Dale Cooper, MacLachlan has had several notable film and television roles, including Paul Atreides in Dune, Jeffrey Beaumont in Blue Velvet, Ray Manzarek in The Doors, Orson Hodge on Desperate Housewives, and most recently as Calvin Zabo/Mister Hyde on ABC's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Twin Peaks co-creator David Lynch also confirmed the news on his Twitter account with the following post...

Welcome back to #TwinPeaks Special Agent Dale Cooper! @Kyle_MacLachlan returns in '16 on @SHO_Network #damnfinecoffee pic.twitter.com/vTphDLvR0y
— David Lynch (@DAVID_LYNCH) January 12, 2015

Twin Peaks returns for nine new episodes on Showtime sometime in 2016.

iZOMBIE Trailer, Premiere Date, Synopsis & Cast List Revealed

It's been a while since The CW's upcoming series iZombie was announced for the 2014-15 television season, but the DC Comics/VERTIGO adaptation has finally made the midseason schedule, which was announced today at the Television Critics Association in Pasadena, California. 

And here's the spiffy new trailer for the series, thanks to the CW's official YouTube account...



There's also a new official series synopsis that includes a description of the full cast...

Olivia “Liv” Moore was a rosy-cheeked, disciplined, over-achieving medical resident who had her life path completely mapped out…until the night she attended a party that unexpectedly turned into a zombie feeding frenzy. Now as one of the newly undead, Liv is doing her best to blend in and look as human as possible. Her appearance passes for “Goth,” with shockingly pale skin and nearly white hair, and her demeanor has gone from exuberant to exhausted.

The change in Liv is baffling to her former fiancé, Major, her mother, Eva, and her best friend and roommate, Peyton, who still has the high-energy, Type-A personality that Liv has completely abandoned. Despite her post-traumatic ennui, Liv has devised a clever way to resist her baser urges to devour fresh human brains – she’s taken a job in the Seattle coroner’s office. In this appropriately dead-end job, Liv can secretly snack on the brains of the many Jane and John Doe corpses that make a final stop in the morgue. Despite carefully covering her tracks, Liv’s brilliant but eccentric boss, Dr. Ravi Chakrabarti, discovers her secret and is surprisingly excited about the scientific possibilities. Dr. Ravi even helps Liv in her search for Blaine, the zombie responsible for her current undead status.

Even with her boss’ enthusiasm, Liv remains resigned to an eternity as a zombie without hope or purpose – until she realizes that with every brain she consumes, she retains a portion of that person’s memories. Liv suddenly begins to experience disturbing and often violent visions from the point of view of the murder victims. Much to the surprise of Dr. Ravi and homicide detective Clive Babineaux, Liv often has detailed knowledge of crime scenes and motives that she can’t easily explain. Posing as a psychic, she works with Detective Babineaux to investigate these crimes and discover who is responsible. It’s not the same as being alive again, but at least she can find purpose in her undead existence by helping Clive solve the murders of those who are indeed fully dead.

The series stars Rose McIver (“Masters of Sex,” “Once Upon a Time”) as Liv, Malcolm Goodwin (“Breakout Kings”) as Clive Babineaux, newcomer Rahul Kohli as Dr. Ravi Chakrabarti, Robert Buckley (“One Tree Hill”) as Major Lilywhite and David Anders (“Once Upon a Time,” “The Vampire Diaries”) as Blaine DeBeers. Based upon characters created by Chris Roberson and Michael Allred, and published by DC Entertainment’s Vertigo imprint, iZOMBIE is from Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with Spondoolie Productions and Warner Bros. Television, with executive producers Rob Thomas (“Veronica Mars,” “Party Down,” “Cupid”), Diane Ruggiero-Wright (“Veronica Mars,” “The Ex List,” “That’s Life”), Danielle Stokdyk (“Veronica Mars,” “Party Down,” “Cupid”) and Dan Etheridge (“The Carrie Diaries,” “Veronica Mars,” “Party Down”).

iZombie will premiere on The CW on Tuesday, March 17th at 9 p.m. EST.