THE FLASH Movie Loses Another Director to "Creative Differences"

It seems The Fastest Man Alive can't even leave the starting block.

The Hollywood Reporter has revealed that Rick Famuyiwa has left The Flash movie adaptation from Warner Bros., citing the ol' "creative differences" excuse once again. Famuyiwa is the second director to leave the film, after Seth Grahame-Smith in October 2015.

According to THR, their source claims "the Dope director’s vision of making a movie with more edge clashed with the studio’s take."  THR also pointed out that Famuyiwa's departure likely means the movie’s start of production and released will be delayed, especially since The Flash's controversial star Ezra Miller has a commitment in July.  

Miller is still slated to star as Barry Allen, following his brief appearance in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and Zack Snyder's upcoming Justice League, to be released on November 17, 2017.  Joining Miller on The Flash are Kiersey Clemons as Iris West and Billy Crudup as Henry Allen.

"When I was approached by Warner Bros and DC about the possibility of directing The Flash," said Famuyiwa in a statement to THR, "I was excited about the opportunity to enter this amazing world of characters that I loved growing up, and still do to this day."

He added, "I was also excited to work with Ezra Miller, who is a phenomenal young actor.  I pitched a version of the film in line with my voice, humor, and heart.  While it’s disappointing that we couldn’t come together creatively on the project, I remain grateful for the opportunity. I will continue to look for opportunities to tell stories that speak to a fresh generational, topical, and multicultural point of view.  I wish Warner Brothers, DC, Jon Berg, Geoff Johns, and Ezra Miller all the best as they continue their journey into the Speed Force."

GOTHAM Casts Ivana Miličević as Selina's Mother

Just think how awkward Mother's Day is going to be.

TVLine has word that the Fox series Gotham has cast Ivana Miličević as Selina Kyle's long-lost mother Maria Kyle.  

The role will be recurring and is described in the article as "a tough-as-nails operator with an arsenal of street smarts, world-class drifter who’s able to hide her true self behind a variety of personas.  A criminal through and through, she is willing to use anything and anyone to get what she wants.  Her one weakness, however, is the daughter she abandoned — and the only person in the world she truly loves."

Born in Sarajevo, Miličević, 42, is probably best known as Anastasia Rabitov/Carrie Hopewell on the Cinemax series Banshee and as Valenka in the James Bond film Casino Royale (2006).  She's also appeared in the films Jerry Maguire, Enemy of the State, Vanilla Sky, Love Actually, The Howling: Reborn, and Catfight.  Her various TV appearances include Felicity, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Dark Shadows (2004), House, Charlie's Angels (2011), Psuch, Vegas, and Power.

The character of Maria Kyle was first referenced in 1994's Catwoman (vol.2) #0, "Cat Shadows," written by Doug Moench and drawn by Jim Balent.  In the story, Maria Kyle was revealed as a distant parent who preferred to spend her time with cats, and committed suicide when Selina was very young.  Brian Kyle, a drunken layabout angry at his wife for killing herself, disliked Selina for resembling her mother and eventually drank himself to death.

However, in the 1999 limited series Batman: Dark Victory, it was heavily implied that Selina is the illegitimate daughter of Carmine "The Roman" Falcone, head of the Falcone crime family.  John Doman plays Carmine Falcone on Gotham, who recently returned for the show's third season.

Gotham airs Monday nights on Fox at 8:00 p.m. EST.

Bryan Fuller Exits as STAR TREK: DISCOVERY Showrunner Just Before Filming

Well, this sure is encouraging.

Variety revealed yesterday that Star Trek: Discovery executive producer Bryan Fuller has been replaced as showrunner by executive producers Gretchen Berg and Aaron Harberts, just before filming begins in Toronto next month.  Fuller was originally announced as showrunner last February.

According to the article, Fuller will remain an executive producer, will still be involved in breaking stories, and the show will continue to follow his vision for the upcoming CBS All Access series.  They also state that writer/director Akiva Goldsman is also expected to join Discovery in a "top creative role," serving as producing support for Berg and Harberts, Fuller and executive producer Alex Kurtzman.

In addition, the article claims there "had been some strain between Star Trek producer CBS Television Studios and Fuller over the progress of production on the show, as Fuller is also juggling the final weeks of shooting and post-production duties on Starz’s upcoming drama American Gods and prepping a reboot of Amazing Stories for NBC."  Fuller has written the first two scripts for Star Trek: Discovery and worked out the broader story arc and the show's mythology.  

The article also states it "became clear that (Fuller) couldn’t devote the amount of time needed for Discovery to make its premiere date and with production scheduled to start in Toronto next month."  CBS previously pushed the Discovery premiere back from January 2017 to May to give the team more time to work out stories and for the visual effects.

In addition, "the new structure was worked out quickly over the weekend in an effort to allow Fuller to remain actively involved albeit not on the day-to-day production level as originally envisioned.  There’s also some internal stress at the studio that the lead character, described by Fuller as a female lieutenant commander, has yet to be cast."

Variety's sources also stated "CBS execs have been happy with the material that Fuller has developed to date but became increasingly concerned that he had too much on his plate and there was no willingness to delay the premiere date once more."

CBS said in a statement, "We are extremely happy with the creative direction of Star Trek: Discovery and the strong foundation that Bryan Fuller has helped us create for the series. Due to Bryan’s other projects, he is no longer able to oversee the day-to-day of Star Trek, but he remains an executive producer, and will continue to map out the story arc for the entire season…Bryan is a brilliant creative talent and passionate Star Trek fan, who has helped us chart an exciting course for the series.  We are all committed to seeing this vision through and look forward to premiering Star Trek: Discovery this coming May 2017."

Star Trek: Discovery is currently scheduled to premiere on CBS in May 2017, with the next 12 episodes airing on CBS All Access.

HAN SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY Casts Donald Glover as Lando Calrissian

This deal is getting better all the time.

The official Star Wars site has confirmed that the upcoming Han Solo: A Star Wars Story spinoff film has cast Donald Glover as the younger Lando Calrissian.  Glover joins Alden Ehrenreich as the young Han Solo, in the film directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller.

According to the press release, the Han Solo film "depicts Lando in his formative years as a scoundrel on the rise in the galaxy’s underworld — years before the events involving Han, Leia, and Darth Vader in The Empire Strikes Back and his rise to Rebel hero in Return of the Jedi."

Glover, 33, is best known as Troy Barnes on the NBC sitcom Community and as a recording artist under the stage name Childish Gambino.  He currently stars in the FX series Atlanta and has appeared in the films Spider-Man: Homecoming, The Martian, Magic Mike XXL, The Lazarus Effect, and The Muppets.  He's also voiced Miles Morales/Spider-Man for the Ultimate Spider-Man animated series, and has appeared on episodes of Girls, Sesame Street, and 30 Rock.

"We’re so lucky to have an artist as talented as Donald join us," said Lord and Miller. "These are big shoes to fill, and an even bigger cape, and this one fits him perfectly, which will save us money on alterations.  Also, we’d like to publicly apologize to Donald for ruining Comic-Con for him forever."

Created in 1980 by Lawrence Kasdan and George Lucas, Lando Calrissian first appeared in the film The Empire Strikes Back, played by Billy Dee Williams.  As the administrator of Cloud City, Lando was concerned primarily with keeping the Empire out of his affairs.  Bounty hunter Boba Fett, working for Darth Vader, tracked Han Solo, Princess Leia, Chewbacca, and C-3PO to Bespin, traveling in the damaged Millennium Falcon, which used to belong to Lando.  Shortly before they arrived at Bespin, Darth Vader and a contingent of Imperial forces arrived and threatened to take over the city.  Lando was strongarmed by Vader into betraying his old friend and turning him over to Boba Fett.

Unwilling to leave the city in the hands of the Empire, Lando reluctantly did as he was instructed, but his conscience got the better of him when Vader went back on his word and took Leia and Chewbacca as prisoners. When Lando set Leia, C-3PO and Chewbacca free, Chewbacca choked him for giving Han to Vader and Fett, and Leia angrily told Lando that they didn't need his help before chasing after Fett, who escaped with Solo, now frozen in carbonite.  In the ensuing evacuation of Cloud City, Lando helped Leia, Chewbacca, C-3PO, and R2-D2 escape.  He then assisted Leia in rescuing the maimed Luke Skywalker, who had fallen into Vader's trap and lost his right hand in a duel. Afterward, he joined the Rebel Alliance and promised Leia that they would find Solo.

In the following film Return of the Jedi, Lando went undercover to help Luke rescue Han from the crime lord Jabba the Hutt.  During a battle with Jabba's henchmen, Han saved Lando from being devoured by a desert creature known as the Sarlacc.  Lando then helped Han and the others destroy Jabba's barge.  For his heroics, he was made a general in the Rebel Alliance.  Lando then resumed the pilot chair in his old ship, the Millennium Falcon, and led the attack on the second Death Star.  He helped the Rebels achieve victory by destroying the gigantic Imperial battle station during the battle above Endor.

Lando has also appeared in the animated series Star Wars Rebels and briefly in the animated The LEGO Movie, both voiced by Williams.

Han Solo: A Star Wars Story is scheduled to arrive in theaters on May 25, 2018.

First LOGAN Trailer Teases Old Man Wolverine

One last time, he's the best there is at what he does and what he does isn't pretty.

20th Century Fox has revealed the first trailer for Logan, the upcoming film starring Hugh Jackman in his final appearance as Marvel Comics character Wolverine.  The one-minute, forty-five second trailer teases the movie loosely based on "Old Man Logan," written by Mark Millar.

Opening to the melancholic sounds of "Hurt" by the late Johnny Cash, the teaser trailer begins with the aged and frail Professor Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) asking, "Logan...what did you do?"

"Charles, the world is not the same as it was," replies an older Logan as we glimpse him drinking at a cemetery and surviving in a barren future landscape.  "Mutants...They're gone now."

We then see Logan with a back full of scars, and Xavier alone in a hospital bed.  Logan then encounters a mysterious young girl, whom we know as X-23 (Sienna Novikov).  Xavier tells Logan, "She's like you.  Very much like you."

We glimpse a masked figure, dressed a hat and poncho similar to Clint Eastwood in the classic film The Good, The Bad and the Ugly.  Xavier tells Logan, "She needs our help."

"Someone else will come along," replies Logan.

"Someone has come along," counters Xavier.

As the music builds, we see Logan hurriedly driving Xavier away from an approaching threat, which appears to be Donald Pierce (Boyd Holbrook) and the villainous Reavers.  In a flurry of fleeting images, we see Logan and protecting X-23 in several action scenes.

The last scene features X-23 taking a bloodied Logan by the hand as Xavier weakly says, "Logan...you still have time."

You can view the trailer below, thanks to the official 20th Century Fox account on YouTube...




Logan is scheduled to arrive in theaters on March 3, 2017.

THE FANDOM ZONE 079: "The Adventures of Supergirl" is Up!

"That was awesome!  I mean, that was terrible, but it was awesome.  We've never saved anything together."
"I know."
"I've dreamt of this moment -- the two of us teaming up."
"Me, too."

– Supergirl and Superman, Supergirl: "The Adventures of Supergirl"

That's right, Karen and I are back with another HUGE episode of The Fandom Zone Podcast!

This week's reviews of comics on television include:

Supergirl 2x01 -- "The Adventures of Supergirl"  (Season Premiere)

Gotham 3x04 -- "New Day Rising"

Lucifer 2x03 -- "Sin-Eater"

The Flash 3x02 -- "Paradox"

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. 4x03 -- "Uprising"

Arrow 5x02 -- "The Recruits"

Legends of Tomorrow 2x01 -- "Out of Time"  (Season Premiere) 

Luke Cage 1x03 -- "Who's Gonna Take the Weight?"

This time, we talk about things like my Davros Funko figure, Karen's cookies from Kelly, Karen cougaring Tyler Hoechlin as Superman, the Family Ties theme music, the density of Kryptonian poop, teasing Mon-El, the yo-yo treatment of superhero romantic relationships, the dishonor of Luchador wrestlers, more of the Penguin and the Riddler as villain bros, Chloe and Dan heading for D-I-V-O-R-C-E, the changes to Barry Allen's mostly-corrected timeline, Julian Albert being Albert Desmond, Paula Cole being Peter Gabriel's backup singer, Fitz as MacGyver, the awkwardness of an EMP going off while you're trying to bring someone back from the dead, the horrible Shaquille O'Neal Steel movie, Thea's really bad idea of making on and off alcoholic Quentin deputy mayor, Diggle coming back home to find his baby daughter is now his baby son, Citizen Steel being from Ohio State University, Rip Hunter initiating Emergency Protocol One from Doctor Who, Karen's Heat Wave impression, Luke Cage bringing da ruckus in an awesome hallway fight, using a car door as a shield, Genghis Connie's blowin' up real good, some feedback from Justina, watching the 600th episode of The Simpsons, and more!

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

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And if that isn't enough for you, you can also check us out on YouTube, Libsyn, Soundcloud, Stitcher, and the official Southgate Media Group website!  Oh, and if you're interested in an officially official Fandom Zone Podcast t-shirt that all the cool kids are wearing, you can get those on 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 we review the fourth episode of Luke Cage, and new episodes of Supergirl, Legends of Tomorrow, Gotham, Lucifer, The Flash, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and Arrow, right here on The Fandom Zone Podcast!

NEXT STOP EVERYWHERE 067: "The Tomb of the Cybermen" is Up!

"But how did you know in the first place?"
"Oh, I used my own special technique."
"Oh really, Doctor...And may we know what that is?"
"Keeping my eyes open and my mouth shut."

-- Eric Klieg and The Second Doctor, Doctor Who: "The Tomb of the Cybermen"

My partner in time Jesse Jackson and I are back with a new episode of Next Stop Everywhere: The Doctor Who Podcast!  In this episode, we review "The Tomb of the Cybermen," the classic story from 1967 starring Patrick Troughton as the Second Doctor, Frazer Hines as Jamie McCrimmon, and Deborah Watling as Victoria Waterfield!

This time, Jesse and I discuss things like more of the evils of Skype, reconstructing the missing episodes of the Patrick Troughton era, Jamie as the definitive male companion, Grant Morrison's comic story where the Sixth Doctor meets Old Jamie, more James Bond connections to Doctor Who, the Doctor's rivalry with Eric Klieg, the Doctor actually discussing his family, watching classic stories to appreciate the modern era even more, Victoria being really good with a gun, the '60s sexism of leaving female characters behind while male characters face danger, my Reverse the Reverse the Polarity segment, BBC America making a big mistake by pushing the premiere of Class back until April, and more!

If you'd like to check out this episode, you can find us on...

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Next Stop Everywhere's Facebook page

Next Stop Everywhere's Twitter account

And hey, if you'd like to pick up the officially official Next Stop Everywhere t-shirt, you can find it on TeePublic right HERE!  Help support the show and feel free to post pictures on our Facebook page of you or some other cool person you know wearing the shirt!

Be sure to come back soon as Jesse and I review "For Tonight We Might Die," the first episode of the new Doctor Who spinoff series Class featuring Peter Capaldi as the Twelfth Doctor!  Look for more of Next Stop Everywhere on iTunes, Google Play Music, YouTube, Libsyn, Soundcloud, Sticher, and the official Southgate Media Group website!

THE SECRET HISTORY OF TWIN PEAKS Reveals Characters' Fates

Like murdered homecoming queen Laura Palmer, The Secret History of Twin Peaks is full of seeeecrets.

Flatiron Books' new Twin Peaks novel from co-creator Mark Frost arrived in bookstores yesterday, helping to bridge the continuity gap between the original ABC television from 1990-91 and the upcoming revival airing on Showtime in 2017.  The 362-page hardcover contains a fascinating compilation of Twin Peaks Post and Twin Peaks Gazette newspaper clippings and personal letters, gathered in a fictional dossier supposedly recovered on July 17, 2016 from "a crime scene that is still classified as unsolved and may have relevance to a previous crime or crimes in 1991 that is similarly classified" according to Federal Bureau of Investigation Deputy Director Gordon Cole.

The dossier is given to Special Agent Tamara Preston, a new character that will likely be very important in the Showtime revival next year.  Agent Preston provides personal annotations throughout the dossier's chronological contents, which were apparently compiled by someone who identifies themselves as "The Archivist" and presented as a historical narrative.

Starting off with excerpts from the expedition journals of William Clark and Meriwether Lewis, dated September 20, 1805, the dossier explores the history of Twin Peaks and the surrounding area until a final entry from The Archivist, dated March 28, 1989 (Two days after the date of events featured in the TV show's final episode.)  While the major revelations are presumably being saved for the Showtime revival, there are some notable details revealing what happened to several of the show's characters (SPOILER WARNING):

Audrey Horne (Sherilyn Fenn) -- Audrey survived the explosion at the Twin Peaks Savings and Loan in the show's final episode, although she was found unconscious and placed in the ICU at Calhoun Memorial Hospital, where she was listed in critical condition.

Pete Martell (Jack Nance) -- Pete, sadly, did not survive the explosion, having shielded Audrey from the blast, and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Andrew Packard (Dan O'Herlihy) -- Andrew, being the closest to the blast, also did not survive the explosion.

Catherine Martell (Piper Laurie) -- With no living heirs or relations following the explosion, Catherine became a grieving recluse as the only resident of Blue Pine Lodge.  Gaining sole possession of the Packard Mill and its properties, Catherine sold the mill and its properties to Ben Horne and his investors in the Ghostwood Development.

Ben Horne (Richard Beymer) -- After receiving Audrey's final note to him that said she was going to call public attention to his plan to close the Packard Mill and turn Ghostwood Forest into "tacky neighborhoods and shopping centers," Ben visited Audrey in the hospital and was described as "a man broken in half with grief" and "personal guilt."  Regardless, Ben went ahead with the purchase of the mill and Ghostwood from Catherine Martell.

Hank Jennings (Chris Mulkey) -- After pleading guilty to international drug trafficking, assault and attempted murder, Hank was given a 25-year sentence at the Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla and "fatally knifed in the prison weight room by a hard-core lifer who turned out to be a distant cousin of the Renault family."

Douglas "Dougie" Milford (Tony Jay) -- Before marrying Lana Budding at the Great Northern Hotel and soon dying of a heart attack, Mayor Milford's brother Dougie served as a United States Air Force colonel in command of Listening Post Alpha, a high-security secret station located in Ghostwood Forest that monitored the area for signs of imminent attack from intelligent nonhuman life in deep space and inside Ghostwood, under the direction of President Richard Nixon.

Major Garland Briggs (Don S. Davis) -- Major Briggs became Dougie's successor at Listening Post Alpha and is eventually revealed as "The Archivist" who compiled the dossier.  After convincing himself that Special Agent Dale Cooper was the person he needed to complete his mission, he learns about Cooper being affected by the events at Glastonbury Grove shown in the series finale.  Intending to show Cooper the dossier and show him the LPA, Major Briggs meets with Cooper at home, but senses that something is wrong.  He claims that the LPA's "Mayday" protocols are in place and that he must act quickly.  He then states that he is heading to the LPA alone, which is the end of the dossier.

There are other revelations of considerable interest, notably that Margaret "The Log Lady" Lanterman, Carl Rodd (owner of the Fat Trout Trailer Park shown in the movie Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me), and another boy named Alan Trahearne, vanished in 1947 one night in the woods near Pearl Lake and returned thinking they'd only been gone an hour or so. Rodd also received the mysterious three-triangled symbol on the back of his right knee that The Log Lady mentions in the original TV series.

The Secret History of Twin Peaks is currently available as a hardcover in bookstores and will be available as an ebook on October 18, 2016.

THE FANDOM ZONE 078: "Flashpoint" is Up!

"Time.  It's already screwing with you and everyone you love.  And pretty soon, it's gonna take me right down along with you."
"Wow.  You know, you've got some nerve, I'll give you that.  Warning me about messing with other people's lives.  You -- You know the whole reason I did this is what you did to my life. To my family.  To my mother."
"Yeah, well...One day soon, Barry, you'll be begging me to kill her again."

– The Reverse-Flash and The Flash, The Flash: "Flashpoint"

That's right, Karen and I are back with another big episode of The Fandom Zone Podcast!

This week's reviews of comics on television include:

Fear the Walking Dead 2x14 -- "Wrath"

Fear the Walking Dead 2x15 -- "North"  (Season 2 Finale)

Gotham 3x03 -- "Look Into My Eyes"

Lucifer 2x02 -- "Liar, Liar, Slutty Dress on Fire"

The Flash 3x01 -- "Flashpoint"  (Season Premiere)

Arrow 5x01 -- "Legacy" (Season Premiere)

Luke Cage 1x02 -- "Code of the Streets"

This time, we talk about things like the first issue of the new Jessica Jones comic, Karen not being able to pronounce La Colonia, Chris getting the Baby James treatment, welcoming Travis to the party, the joys of schadenfreude, Strand living the good life as the 7-Up Guy, murdering people bringing Travis and Madison closer together, Nick as Moses, speculating that Boba Jim could be Clayface, the awkwardness of Lee meeting Boba Jim at the GCPD, why the Penguin running for mayor never goes well for him, the greatness of Tricia Helfer, Trixie's disturbing mutilation of her doll, Dr. Linda throwing shade on Amenadiel, the return of Alex Desert as Julio Mendez, how Wally West became Kid Flash, Barry now being responsible for his mother's death, wondering how the Reverse-Flash poops inside the secret cell Barry put him in, the welcome return of Karen's Thea Queen impression, Felicity's new boyfriend, the really ugly statue of Black Canary, the awkwardness of murdering Cottonmouth's friend from back in the day, Turk deciding it's safer with Daredevil in Hell's Kitchen than Cottonmouth in Harlem, Luke Cage not having all night for a teenage punk to shoot him, Luke's Uncle Ben moment, some feedback from Justina, Sigourney Weaver as the Big Bad of The Defenders, and more!

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

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Direct Download MP3s/Libsyn -- HERE

The Fandom Zone on Facebook -- HERE

The Fandom Zone on Twitter -- @FandomZoneCast

And if that isn't enough for you, you can also check us out on YouTube, Libsyn, Soundcloud, Stitcher, and the official Southgate Media Group website!  Oh, and if you're interested in an officially official Fandom Zone Podcast t-shirt that all the cool kids are wearing, you can get those on 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 we review the season premieres of Supergirl and Legends of Tomorrow, the third episode of Luke Cage, and new episodes of Gotham, Lucifer, The Flash, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and Arrow, right here on The Fandom Zone Podcast!

Wolverine Film LOGAN Casts Dafne Keen as X-23

Send in the clones.

The Morning Ledger is reporting that 20th Century Fox's third Wolverine solo film Logan has cast newcomer Dafne Keen as Laura Kinney, better known to Marvel Comics fans as the female Wolverine clone X-23.

Set in the future of 2024, Logan reportedly focuses on Wolverine and Professor Charles Xavier coping with the loss of the X-Men and facing off against Donald Pierce, head of security for a global corporation known as Transigen.  With Logan's healing abilities slowly fading away and Xavier's Alzheimer's casuing him to forget, Logan must defeat Pierce with the help of a young girl named Laura Kinney, a female clone of Wolverine.

In addition to Hugh Jackman and Sir Patrick Stewart reprising their roles of Wolverine and Professor X, Logan will also feature Boyd Holbrook and Richard E. Grant as Dr. Zander Rice.

Created in 2003 by by Craig Kyle and Chris Yost, X-23 first appeared in the animated series X-Men: Evolution episode "X-23."  Wolverine discovered through S.H.I.E.L.D. that Dr. Deborah Risman, working for HYDRA, had created a female clone of him.  The clone possessed two retractable claws in each hand (instead of three like Wolverine) and one similarly retractable claw in each foot (something Wolverine lacks). The clone was identified only by the codename X-23 — the first success after 22 failures. Denied the life of a normal child, X-23 was lonely and violent. She had almost no companions and had been under observation her entire life.  She had to spend most of her time training to hone her skills.  When she was 12, her entire skeleton was infused with adamantium.

X-23's first appearance in the Marvel Comics Universe was in 2004's NYX #3, written by Joe Quesada and drawn by Joshua Middleton.  In this version of the character, a top-secret program was tasked to replicate the original Weapon X experiment that bonded adamantium to the skeleton of Wolverine.  The project was taken in a new direction, with Dr. Martin Sutter recruiting renowned mutant geneticist Doctor Sarah Kinney to develop a clone of Wolverine.  Also on the team was Sutter's protege, Dr. Zander Rice, who was raised by Sutter after his father was killed by the original Weapon X.

With the only genetic sample from Weapon X damaged, Kinney was unable to salvage the Y chromosome.  Kinney proposed the creation of a female genetic twin, but her request was denied and Rice was opposed to the idea.  After 22 failed attempts at reconstituting the DNA using a duplicate X chromosome, the 23rd sample yielded a viable sample to combine with an embryo.  Although Kinney was allowed to proceed, Rice exacted revenge for her insubordination by forcing her to act as the surrogate mother of the specimen.  For nine months, Kinney's every move was monitored.  Finally, she gave birth to "X-23".

After seven years, Rice subjected X-23 to radiation poisoning in order to activate her mutant gene.  He extracted her claws, coated them with adamantium, and reinserted them back into her hands and feet – a procedure performed without affording the child any anesthetic. Rice created a "trigger scent" that drove X-23 into a murderous rage when she detected it. X-23 was then trained to be a hired assassin, ordered to kill "anyone...everyone...for a price."

Later, Kinney's niece Megan was abducted by a serial killer, so she smuggled X-23 out of the facility to rescue her.  X-23 tracked the abductor to his apartment, killed him, and freed Megan.  Kinney was fired when she returned and was escorted off the base.  Shortly thereafter, Rice assigned X-23 to eliminate Sutter and his family, and ordered her to keep it secret.  X-23 revealed to Sarah that Rice was responsible for the murders.  

Kinney drafted a letter to her daughter, assigning her a final mission -- destroy the pods and kill Rice.  X-23 succeeded and met her mother, so they could prepare to flee.  However, prior to his death, Rice exposed Kinney to the trigger scent.  X-23 went into a murderous frenzy and murdered her mother.  As she died, Kinney told X-23 that her name is Laura and that she loved her, handing her the letter and pictures of Charles Xavier, Wolverine, and the Xavier Institute.

This will be X-23's first appearance in live-action, but the character has appeared in the animated projects X-Men: Evolution (voiced by Andrea Libman and Britt Irvin), and Wolverine and the X-Men (voiced by Tara Strong).

Logan is currently scheduled to arrive in theaters on March 3, 2017.

New IRON FIST Teaser Trailer Debuts at NYCC 2016

The Living Weapon is on his way.

A second teaser trailer for the upcoming Netflix series Iron Fist, based on the Marvel Comics martial arts superhero, debuted yesterday at New York Comic Con 2016.  The one-minute, 15-second teaser premiered during a special panel previewing the new series at New York’s Javitz Center, and gives us our best look yet at Finn Jones as Danny Rand.

"Because of who you are," begins a resonant male voice that may belong to Danny's mentor Lei Kung, the Thunderer, "there will always be forces gathering against you, disguised as a friend, slipping past you as a stranger.  They are everywhere."

We see glimpses of Tom Pelphrey and Jessica Stroup as Ward and Joy Meachum, followed by Jessica Henwick as Danny's ally, Colleen Wing.  We also see the return of the mysterious Madame Gao from Daredevil, played once again by Wai Ching Ho.

"If you choose to continue as you are," continues Lei Kung, "know that you risk everything."

Next we see some fleeting images of Danny as a child in the snow, as the words "The Last Defender" flash briefly.  "A child, touched by fire," continues Lei Kung as we see Danny's fist begin to glow with the mystical energy of Shou-Lao, "destined to be our greatest warrior."

Using the power of the Iron Fist, Danny punches down a large metal door, then proceeds to fight several axe-wielding men who look like Yakuza.  "You are a living weapon," continues Lei Kung.  "Drive all other thoughts out of your mind except this."

Lastly, we see more fleeting images, this time of Danny and Colleen fighting and growing rather intimate.  As we zoom in on the dragon tattoo on Danny's bare chest, we hear Danny say "This is my purpose."

You can view the trailer below, thanks to the official Netflix US and Canada YouTube account...




All 13 episodes of Iron Fist will be released on Netflix on March 17, 2017.

Teaser & First Trailer for DOCTOR WHO Spinoff CLASS Debut at NYCC 2016

The Caretaker is back to take care of business at Coal Hill Academy.

The upcoming Doctor Who spinoff series Class was featured during a panel at New York Comic Con 2016, where BBC America debuted both a 40-second teaser and a 90-second trailer that give us our first good look at the new show, with Peter Capaldi reprising his role as the Twelfth Doctor.




The teaser shows us glimpses of Coal Hill Academy, and classmates Charlie (Greg Austin), April (Sophie Hopkins), Ram (Fady Elsayed) and Tanya (Vivian Oparah), along with physics teacher Miss Quill (Katherine Kelly).

"I can travel through space and I can travel through time," the Doctor begins in a voiceover, "but I can't always be there when you need me.  Sometimes, you have to take survival upon yourselves.  What will you do when the Shadows come, when you can't turn away from the darkness ahead?  For time has looked at your faces...and time never forgets."




As for the show's first trailer, we see the classmates asking one another what they know about the mysterious Shadows and see numerous glimpses of a fiery creature that looks an awful lot like a Pyrovile from the Doctor Who episode "The Fires of Pompeii," which featured Peter Capaldi in his previous role as Caecilius.

The equally mysterious Miss Quill gets a bit Doctor-like as she shouts, "Whoever you are, I am what waits for you!  And I am war itself!"

The Doctor shows up to save the day, of course, quipping "I used to be the caretaker here. You've heard of me, haven't you?"

Miss Quill seems a bit familiar with the Doctor, as she hangs onto the TARDIS door handle and remarks to him, "You can't seriously expect these juveniles to deal with whatever's going to come through these tears in space and time?"  Is she, perhaps, another Time Lord? Maybe one we've seen before...?

Class will debut on BBC3 on October 22nd, with BBC America airing the series in the United States sometime in Spring 2017.

THE FANDOM ZONE 077: "Moment of Truth" is Up!

"We want to hire you."
"I'm not for hire.  But you have my word, ma'am -- I got you."

– Connie Lin and Luke Cage, Luke Cage: "Moment of Truth"

That's right, Karen and I are back with a complete trainwreck of The Fandom Zone Podcast, recorded LIVE as part of the 2nd Annual Southgate Media Group Podcast Marathon!

This week's reviews of comics on television include:

Fear the Walking Dead 2x13 -- "Date of Death"

Gotham 3x02 -- "Burn the Witch"

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. 4x02 -- "Meet the New Boss"

Luke Cage 1x01 -- "Moment of Truth" (Series Premiere)

This time, we talk about things like Karen's soundboard having a stroke, being live on the YouTubez, problems with technology, a conversation between Supergirl and Wonder Woman, Chris kicking his dad Travis to the curb, Madison finally talking to her daughter Alicia, more problems with technology, Bruce making a deal with the Court of Owls, Poison Ivy's new adult body, some background on the Darkhold, Karen's husband's love of Ghost Rider, even more problems with technology, the Golden Age superhero The Patriot, the manliness of the name Jeffrey Mace, wondering why there isn't Agent Carter Season 3, still more problems with technology, where Luke Cage takes place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe timeline, the greatness of Simone Missick as Misty Knight, even yet still more problems with technology, some feedback from Justina, and more!

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

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And if that isn't enough for you, you can also check us out on YouTube, Libsyn, Soundcloud, Stitcher, and the official Southgate Media Group website!  Oh, and if you're interested in an officially official Fandom Zone Podcast t-shirt that all the cool kids are wearing, you can get those on 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 we review the season premieres of The Flash and Arrow, the Season 2 finale of Fear the Walking Dead, and new episodes of Gotham, Lucifer, and Luke Cage, right here on The Fandom Zone Podcast!