BLACK LIGHTNING Casts Chantal Thuy as Grace Choi

Are the Outsiders coming to The CW?

Variety has revealed that the upcoming CW series Black Lightning, based on the DC Comics character, has cast Chantal Thuy as DC Comics superhero Grace Choi.  The role will be recurring.

According to the article, Grace Choi is described as "a bartender who becomes the love interest of Anissa Pierce (Nafessa Williams).  Grace is a comic book fan who befriends Anissa while she is coming to terms with her abilities and becomes Anissa’s first confidant about the struggles and challenges of having abilities."

Thuy is a Canadian actress who has appeared in episodes of Madam Secretary, Pretty Little Liars, Matador, and Fast Food Heights.  She also appeared as Kim Wong in the TV miniseries Crossing the Rubicon: The Journey.

Created in 2003 by Judd Winick and Tom Raney, Grace Choi first appeared in Outsiders (vol.3) #1 as the daughter of a Bana Amazon, which accounted for her strength and resilience.  Headstrong and opinionated, Grace was one of the surviving victims of a prostitution ring that exploited abducted and runaway children as its "merchandise".  Upon reaching puberty, Grace used her emerging metahuman powers to escape, and spent the next several years living independently.

Grace became the bouncer for the metahuman nightclub Chaney's in Metropolis, where Arsenal recruited her for the newly-formed Outsiders.  Despite being old friends with Arsenal, she wasn't very keen on joining until he told her the Outsiders job would pay her three times more than her bouncer job.  Her relationship with the other Outsiders was a difficult one from the start, with her constant chastising of the others, most notably the android Indigo.  She continually questioned the team's effectiveness and their role as superheroes, which caused her to be on the outs with leader Nightwing at times.  Her casual attitudes towards sexuality also led to insults by others, most notably Thunder/Annisa Pierce.  Nonetheless, she earned the group's respect and in return respected each of the other members' capabilities, sometimes even pushing them farther than they thought they could go.

One year later, it was revealed that Grace had entered into a romantic relationship with Thunder.  Following the apparent death of Bruce Wayne, the Outsiders fell into a trap set by Simon Hurt, and most of the team members were severely injured.  The group disbanded shortly thereafter, and was replaced by a new team of Outsiders.  Many months after her departure from the Outsiders, Grace was shown in a live-in relationship with Anissa, with both women now in a state of semi-retirement following Anissa's recovery.  When Black Lightning arrived at Grace and Anissa's apartment with his small band of fugitive heroes, Grace came to his aid and helped fight off the attacking members of the Justice Society of America.  In the ensuing battle, Grace rendered Stargirl and Mister America unconscious, telling them not to threaten her "in-law".  After the battle with the JSA, both Grace and Thunder agreed to join up with Black Lightning's small team of Outsiders, who were tasked by Amanda Waller with capturing Geo-Force and his rogue faction of the team in Markovia.  Following a massive battle, both teams of Outsiders were disbanded by Batman, and the individual heroes returned home.

Black Lightning is expected to debut on The CW sometime in early 2018.

GOTHAM Re-Recasts Peyton List as Poison Ivy

Okay, even for Gotham, this is getting a bit too much.

Deadline has word that once again, the Fox series Gotham is recasting the role of Ivy Pepper, who becomes the DC Comics supervillain Poison Ivy, this time with Peyton List.  List takes over from Maggie Geha, who took over from Clare Foley, who originated the character in Seasons 1 and 2.

According to the article, it's unclear if List will debut as Ivy early next year or as part of a possible Season 5 in Fall 2018.  Early next year seems the most likely.

Gotham producers said in a statement, "In the continuing evolution of Poison Ivy’s origin story, Ivy Pepper has been transformed once again taking another step toward becoming the Ivy we know from the comics.  Dangerous.  A live wire of crazy energy.  She’ll set her sights on Gotham, intent on making the city her own green paradise."

List, 31, is best known as Jane Sterling on the AMC series Mad Men and as Raimy Sullivan on the CW series Frequency.  She's also appeared as Golden Glider/Lisa Snart on The Flash and as Lucy Lane on Smallville.  She also starred as Cara Coburn in the CW's remake of The Tomorrow People, and appeared on episodes of Charlie's Angels (2011), Hawaii Five-O, Moonlight, Monk, 90210 and FlashForward.

Created in 1966 by by Robert Kanigher and Sheldon Moldoff, Poison Ivy first appeared in Batman (vol.1) #181 as Dr. Lillian Rose, Ph.D., a promising botanist from Seattle, who was seduced by Marc LeGrande into assisting him with the theft of an Egyptian artifact containing ancient herbs. Fearing she would implicate him in the theft, he attempted to poison her with the herbs, which were deadly and untraceable.  She survived this murder attempt and discovered she has acquired an immunity to all natural toxins and diseases.

The character's origin was revised by Neil Gaiman in 1988's Secret Origins (vol.3) #36 as Pamela Lillian Isley, who grew up wealthy with emotionally distant parents.  She later studied advanced botanical biochemistry at a university with Alec Holland under Dr. Jason Woodrue.  Isley, a timid shy girl, was easily seduced by her professor.  Woodrue injected Isley with poisons and toxins as an experiment, causing her transformation.  She nearly died twice as a result of these poisonings, driving her insane.  Later, Woodrue fledfrom the authorities, leaving Isley in the hospital for six months.  Enraged at the betrayal, she suffered from violent mood swings, being sweet one moment and evil the next.  

She began her criminal career by threatening to release her suffocating spores into the air unless the city meets her demands.  Batman, who appeared in Gotham that very same year, thwarted her scheme, and she was incarcerated in Arkham Asylum.  From this point on, she developed something of an obsession with Batman, with him being the only person she could not control.  Over the years, she developed plant-like superpowers, the most noticeable being a lethal toxin in her lips; she is able to literally kill with a kiss.

List will be the fourth actress to portray the character in live action, after Geha, Foley and Uma Thurman in the 1997 movie Batman & Robin.  The character has also appeared in a number of animated projects, including Batman: The Animated Series, The New Batman Adventures, Static Shock, Gotham Girls and Justice League (all voiced by Diane Pershing), The Batman (voiced by Piera Coppola), Batman: The Brave and the Bold (voiced by Jennifer Hale),Young Justice (voiced by Alyssa Milano), Justice League Action (voiced by Natasha Leggero), and Batman and Harley Quinn (voiced by Paget Brewster).

Gotham airs Thursday nights on Fox at 8 p.m. EST.

SHAZAM! Casts Zachary Levi as...Shazam

New Line just found someone to say the magic word.

The Hollywood Reporter has revealed that the upcoming New Line Cinema film Shazam!, based on the DC Comics character, has cast Zachary Levi in the title role.  Levi was chosen over WWE wrestler John Cena, Derek Theler (star of ABC Family's Baby Daddy), Zane Holtz (From Dusk Til Dawn: The Series), Billy Magnussen, and Jake McDorman (Limitless).

The film centers on a boy named Billy Batson, who can transform into an adult superhero by uttering the magic word "Shazam!"  The name is an acronym of the ancient world gods and historical figures Solomon, Hercules, Atlas, Zeus, Achilles and Mercury, from which the adult Batson obtains his heroic abilities.

Levi, 37, is best known as Chuck Bartowski on the NBC series Chuck, and as Fandral the Dashing in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films Thor: The Dark World and Thor: Ragnarok.  His other television appearances include episodes of Alias Grace, Telenovela, Heroes Reborn, Robot Chicken, and Curb Your Enthusiasm.  He's also appeared in the films Tangled, Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel, and Big Momma's House 2.

Levi wrote on his official Instagram account, "Honored and greatly humbled to be a part of the #dcuniverse by bringing the original Captain Marvel to life.  I am beside myself with gratitude, not only for this opportunity, but also the incredible outpouring of love and support from so many of you out there in the world.  Now if you'll excuse me, I'll be in the gym for the rest of forever."

According to the article, David F. Sandberg will direct Shazam! from a screenplay by Henry Gayden and Darren Lemke.  Annabelle: Creation producer Peter Safran is reuniting with Sandberg for the film, and is also producing DC's Aquaman for Warner Bros.  The film is currently looking at a February 2018 start date in Toronto.

Created in 1940 by Bill Parker and C.C. Beck, Shazam first appeared as the Fawcett Comics superhero Captain Marvel in Whiz Comics #2.  Billy Batson, a homeless 12-year-old newsboy slept in a subway station until a mysterious man in a green trenchcoat and hat asked Billy to follow him, where a magic subway car painted in unusual shapes and colors escorted them to an underground throne room, inhabited by a very old man with a long beard and a white robe.  As the man in green disappeared, the old man on the throne explained to Billy that he was the wizard Shazam, and used the powers of the gods Solomon, Hercules, Atlas, Zeus, Achilles, and Mercury to fight evil for over 3,000 years. However, he grew too old to continue and was in need of a successor.  The wizard explained that Billy was chosen due to his misfortune, after he had been thrown out by a greedy uncle who stole his inheritance following the deaths of his parents.  

Ordered by the wizard to speak the name "Shazam," Billy was struck by a sudden bolt of lightning and transformed into a superpowered adult in a red costume with gold trim.  The wizard Shazam declared the new hero "Captain Marvel" and ordered Billy to carry on his work, just before a stone block suspended above Shazam's throne fell on him, killing him as prophesied.  The wizard later returned as a spirit to serve as a mentor to Billy and Captain Marvel, summoned by lighting a torch on the wall of his lair.  As a spirit, the wizard Shazam lived at the Rock of Eternity, a bicone-shaped rock formation situated at the nexus of time and space.  Saying the word "Shazam" allowed Billy to summon the magic lightning and become Captain Marvel, while Captain Marvel could say the magic word to become Billy once again.

In the current DC Comics continuity known as The New 52, the character was renamed Shazam in 2011 to avoid legal conflicts with Marvel Comics' characters using the name Captain Marvel, even though those characters were created decades after DC's Captain Marvel.  Shazam made his debut in Justice League (vol.2) #7, with Billy Batson now a terrible foster child who became cold and cruel to most people following the death of his parents and his treatment thereafter.  Growing selfish and heartless, he went from foster home to foster home until he landed in an orphanage in Philadelphia and was partially forced to live with a new family, the Vasquezes.

After being adopted, he moved into the Vazquezes' home where he met Mary, Freddy, Eugene, Pedro, and Darla, who were also adopted.  Annoyed by his new family, Billy decided to leave as he's done countless times before, but he was whisked away to the Rock of Eternity where he met the Wizard.  There, the Wizard searched the boy's soul and saw that he was not perfectly good.  Billy was instantly enraged, telling the wizard off for thinking that perfect good exists.  The Wizard, seeing the boy's point, witnessed all the good that Billy had done and accepted that the world had changed and now perfection has been exchanged for the hope of becoming good.  The Wizard granted Billy the ability to wield the Living Lightning, turning him into the champion, Shazam.  As Shazam, Billy defeated the threat of Black Adam and eventually joined the Justice League for a brief time.

Levi will be the fifth actor to portray Captain Marvel/Shazam in live action, after Tom Tyler in the 1941 film serial The Adventures of Captain Marvel, Jackson Bostwick and John Davey in the 1974-77 CBS series Shazam!, and Garrett Craig in the two Legends of the Superheroes TV specials.  The character has also appeared in various animated projects, including The Kid Super Power Hour with Shazam! (voiced by Burr Middleton), Justice League Unlimited and Superman/Shazam!: The Return of Black Adam (voiced by Jerry O'Connell),
Superman/Batman: Public Enemies (voiced by Corey Burton), Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox (voiced by Steven Blum), Batman: The Brave and the Bold (voiced by Jeff Bennett), Young Justice (voiced by Rob Lowe and Chad Lowe), and Justice League: War, Justice League: Throne of Atlantis and Justice League Action (voiced by Sean Astin).

Shazam! is currently expected to arrive in theaters sometime in 2019.

Gareth Evans in Talks to Write & Direct DEATHSTROKE Movie

There's a new Terminator movie in the works, only it's Deathstroke the Terminator.

The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Warner Bros. is in early talks with Gareth Evans to write and direct Deathstroke, based on the DC Comics super-assassin.  

According to the article, Deathstroke would be a starring vehicle for Joe Manganiello, who was first reported back in September 2016 to play the character in Ben Affleck's Batman solo film The Batman, which is now being directed by Matt Reeves.  It's unclear if Manganiello will still portray Deathstroke in The Batman, or if the character has been written out of the movie.

Evans, 37, is best known as the director of The Raid and The Raid 2.  His other films include Merantu and the upcoming Apostle, starring Dan Stevens.

Created in 1980 by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez, Deathstroke first appeared in The New Teen Titans (vol.1) #2 as Slade Wilson, a former United States Army officer who was chosen for a secret Army experiment, which gave him with enhanced physical powers in an attempt to create metahuman super soldiers for the U.S. military.  Deathstroke became a mercenary soon after the experiment, when he defied orders and rescued his friend Wintergreen, who was sent on a suicide mission by a commanding officer with a grudge. However, Slade kept this career secret from his family, even though his wife was an expert military combat instructor.

A criminal named the Jackal took his younger son Joseph Wilson hostage to force Slade to divulge the name of a client who had hired him as an assassin.  Slade refused, claiming it was against his personal honor code.  He attacked and killed the kidnappers at the rendezvous.  Unfortunately, Joseph's throat was slashed by one of the criminals before Slade could prevent it, destroying Joseph's vocal cords and rendering him mute.  After taking Joseph to the hospital, his wife Adeline Wilson was enraged at his endangerment of her son and tried to kill Slade by shooting him, but only managed to destroy his right eye. Afterward, his confidence in his physical abilities was such that he made no secret of his impaired vision, marked by his mask which has a black, featureless half covering his lost eye. Without his mask, Slade wears an eye-patch.

Deathstroke has a long history as an enemy of the Teen Titans, beginning when his other son Grant received superhuman enhancements from the H.I.V.E., dubbed himself Ravager, and accepted a contract from them to kill or capture the Teen Titans.  However, Grant's enhancements proved fatal, and Slade agreed to complete the contract.  His first mission involved stealing the element Promethium from S.T.A.R. Labs and selling it as the ultimate weapon.  He then kidnapped the Titans and placed them in the path of a Promethium bomb to test his device for the buyers.  The Titans escaped and pursued Deathstroke, but he severely wounded Beast Boy in his escape.  This would be the start to a lasting animosity between the two.

Deathstroke next appeared in New York, holding officials hostage in order to lure the Titans into confronting him. Terra, a new ally of the Titans, and Beast Boy were the only ones available to answer the call.  Terra knocked Beast Boy out and fought Deathstroke single-handedly in an effort to prove herself worthy of being a Titan.  Deathstroke escaped as the other Titans arrived, but by then, Terra had proven herself and the team offered her membership.  Later that night, it was revealed that Terra and Deathstroke had conspired to fake the fight in a plot to infiltrate the team.  Since then, Deathstroke has had a number of encounters with other heroes and villains in the DC Universe.

Manganiello will be the third actor to portray Deathstroke in live-action, after Michael Hogan on the series Smallville and Manu Bennett on Arrow.

THE FANDOM ZONE 119: "The Blade's Path" is Up!

"That's absolutely it.  Unless you want to check my undercrackers."

– Alfred Pennyworth, Gotham: "The Blade's Path"

You guessed it, we're back for a HUGE episode of The Fandom Zone Podcast!  So huge, in fact, we're splitting this episode into two parts!  This week's reviews of comics on television include:

Lucifer 3x03: "Mr. & Mrs. Mazikeen Smith"

The Gifted 1x03: "eXodus"

Supergirl 3x02: "Triggers"

The Flash 4x02: "Mixed Signals"

Legends of Tomorrow 3x02: "Freakshow"

Arrow 6x02: "Tribute"

Gotham 4x05: "The Blade's Path"

In this episode, Karen and I talk about things like Batman: The Long Halloween #2, why we're not covering the rest of Inhumans until the finale, Geddy Lee from Rush singing with Bob & Doug McKenzie, Mazikeen beating up a guy just to take his winter jacket, Mazikeen giving a rich woman a breast massage, Trixie trying to smuggle herself inside Mazikeen's bag of whips and knives, Beautiful Dreamer's violation of Blink's memories, Polaris' fondness for metal-studded bracelets, Polaris' prison break fail, Reed doing the right thing...eventually, Andy going down the Magneto path, teasing the X-Men villain Ahab, Alex going bridezilla, why it's kind of important that you know if your fiancee wants kids before you marry her, Reign's daughter coming in like a wrecking ball, Lena laying the boss smackdown on Kara, the cool POV shot of Kara's pod leaving Krypton as it erupts, Cisco ending up in Gypsy's doghouse, Barry and Iris in couples therapy, some background on Flash villain The Kilg%re, holding a wake for Karen's pop screen, the return of Billy Zane, wondering if Nate's the grandfather of the modern-day Vixen, being embarrassed by Ray and Jax going along with posing as conjoined twins, being annoyed that the Legends are portrayed as incompetent idiots, explaining who Kuasa is, wondering why Oliver doesn't put his son William in therapy, wondering how most of Team Arrow doesn't notice that Diggle was having problem with shooting people, wondering why Diggle doesn't fire his gun using his other hand, Karen wanting to dunk herself in a Lazarus Pit, Felicity and Curtis having a phone app that somehow figures out a poison antidote by taking a picture of the victim's face, Anatoly cutting ties with Oliver, who's playing Richard Dragon, the debut of Butch as Solomon Grundy, the Riddler making friends with Solomon Grundy, Ra's al Ghul going Spock at the end of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, some new feedback from Justina, the potential CW series Project 13, and more!

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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 I'm joined by special guest host with the most Lola Lariscy as we review the Season 8 premiere of AMC's The Walking Dead, along with new episodes of The CW's The Flash, Supergirl, Legends of Tomorrow and Arrow, and Fox's The Gifted, Lucifer and Gotham, right here on The Fandom Zone Podcast!

Ben Mendelsohn in Talks for Skrull Leader in CAPTAIN MARVEL

The Skrulls may have found their leader.

Variety has word that Ben Mendelsohn is in talks for the villain role in the upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe film Captain Marvel, presumably as the leader of the alien shapeshifters known as the Skrulls.

Mendelsohn would join Brie Larson as Captain Marvel/Carol Danvers and Samuel L. Jackson, reprising his role as Nick Fury.  Back in July, Variety reported that the Skrulls would be the film's primary antagonists and that the film would be set in the '90s, before Nick Fury loses his eye.

Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck will direct the film, with the latest version of the script written by Geneva Robertson-Dworet.  Captain Marvel is centered around Carol Danvers, an Air Force pilot whose DNA is fused with that of a Kree alien during an accident.  The resulting alteration imbues her with the superpowers of strength, energy projection, and flight.

Mendelsohn, 48, is an Australian actor best known as Director Orson Krennic in the film Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.  His other films include the upcoming Ready Player One, The Dark Knight Rises, Mississippi Grind, Exodus: Gods and Kings, Killing Them Softly, Black Sea, Animal Kingdom, and Quigley Down Under.  In addition, he's appeared on episodes of the TV series Farscape, Girls, Bloodline, Love My Way, and The Secret Life of Us.

Created in 1962 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the Skrulls first appeared in Fantastic Four (vol.1) #2, where a small scouting party of Skrulls used their shapeshifting powers to impersonate the Fantastic Four, committing crimes so that the United States would turn against the Fantastic Four, the only ones with the power to stop them.  However, the Fantastic Four were able to locate the Skrulls and tricked their leaders into believing the Earth was full of threats.  The fleet left and Mister Fantastic hypnotized the Skrulls left behind into shapeshifting into cows and remembering nothing about their true heritage.

The Skrulls had been involved in a war against the Kree, which lasted for thousands of years and eventually involved Earth.  The Kree Accuser Ronan had wrested control of the Kree Empire from the Supreme Intelligence and attacked the Skrulls, reigniting hostilities.  The Avengers become involved once the Super-Skrull kidnapped the first Captain Marvel, Mar-Vell, and they soon battled a Kree Sentry robot, three of the original Skrulls that had fought the Fantastic Four, S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, rogue Inhumans and legions of Skrulls.  The Supreme Intelligence ended the immediate conflict by revealing to Avengers' ally Rick Jones that he had vast mental potential, which was then used to freeze all combatants in place.  The Supreme Intelligence announced that, while the Kree and Skrulls had reached genetic dead ends, the human race displayed incredible untapped potential.

Years later, in the event known as Secret Invasion, a flailing Skrull empire, under the leadership of newcomer Queen Veranke, made an all-out effort to infiltrate and conquer Earth.  It was revealed that the Skrulls were already infiltrating Earth for some time by capturing and replacing many of Earth's heroes, which was followed by the main assault group.  This wave of Skrulls formed a new version of the Super-Skrull, with each possessing the abilities of several different heroes.  Their invasion ultimately failed, costing the life of Veranke, and reduced their numbers even further.

Captain Marvel is currently scheduled to arrive in theaters on March 8, 2019.

DOCTOR WHO Reveals Series 11 Cast & Return Date

The TARDIS might be a bit more crowded that usual next year.

The official Doctor Who website has announced the cast for the show's upcoming Series Eleven, the first for Jodie Whittaker's incoming Thirteenth Doctor.  According to the announcement, Series Eleven will feature Bradley Walsh as Graham, Tosin Cole as Ryan, and Mandip Gill as Yasmin.  Sharon D. Clarke will also appear, but in a recurring role.

Presuming all three new regulars will be the Doctor's new companions, this will be the first time the TARDIS crew will have three companions at once since the Peter Davison era in 1983.  At that time, Janet Fielding's Tegan Jovanka, Sarah Sutton's Nyssa, and Mark Strickson's Vislor Turlough all traveled together with the Fifth Doctor during Season 20 of Doctor Who's original run.

In addition, it was confirmed that Series Eleven of Doctor Who will have a ten week run of fifty minute episodes beginning sometime in Autumn 2018, starting with a longer one-hour episode.

Incoming Doctor Who showrunner Chris Chibnall remarked, "The new Doctor is going to need new friends.  We’re thrilled to welcome Mandip, Tosin and Bradley to the Doctor Who family.  They’re three of Britain’s brightest talents and we can’t wait to see them dive into brand new adventures with Jodie’s Doctor.  Alongside them, we’re delighted that Sharon D Clarke is also joining the show."

Jodie Whittaker commented, "I am so excited to share this huge adventure with Mandip, Tosin and Bradley.  It's a dream team!"

Bradley Walsh said, "I remember watching William Hartnell as the first Doctor.  Black and white made it very scary for a youngster like myself.  I was petrified but even though I’d watch most of it from behind the sofa through my fingers, I became a fan.  I then queued up for ages to get into the Carlton picture house in Watford to watch the great Peter Cushing appear as the Doctor in a full length feature film made in glorious color.  Am I thrilled to be part of this whole ground breaking new dawn for the Doctor?  Oh yes!"

Mandip Gill remarked, "I am over the moon to be joining the Doctor Who family. This is an iconic show with an amazing fanbase and I look forward to everything that brings. Certain roles seem unattainable and this is one of those, so much so I didn't believe it to be true for the first few weeks. To be working alongside the likes of Jodie, Bradley and my old friend Tosin is thrilling.  This show is worlds away from the work I've done previously and that's the part that excites me the most."

Tosin Cole said, "I'm grateful and excited to be a part of this journey with the team.  I'm looking forward to jumping in this Doctor Who universe."

Jodie Whittaker will make her debut as the Thirteenth Doctor at the end of this year's Christmas special, "Twice Upon a Time."

CW Developing PROJECT 13, Based on DC Comics' Traci Thirteen

The CW is trying to make 13 its lucky number.

Variety has revealed that The CW is developing another DC Comics drama series centered around the supernatural character Traci Thirteen, a.k.a. Traci 13 and Girl 13.  

According to the article, the series is titled Project 13, and is a one-hour drama that centers on Traci Thirteen, a twenty-something forensic scientist and believer in the paranormal who discovers her own hidden extra-sensory abilities when she joins her estranged, skeptic father to investigate mysterious cases of the paranormal and unexplained phenomena.

Traci's father, Doctor Thirteen, is a parapsychologist and "ghost-breaker" also from DC Comics lore, first appearing in 1951's Star Spangled Comics #122 and created by Leonard Starr.

Daegan Fryklind is the writer and executive producer on the project, with none other than Elizabeth Banks attached as a producer along with Max Handelman through their Brownstone Productions company.  Brownstone will produce the series in association with Warner Bros. Television.

Project 13 would be the seventh DC Comics series on The CW, after Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl, iZombie, and the upcoming Black Lightning.

Created in 2003 by Joe Kelly and Dwayne Turner, Traci Thirteen first appeared in Superman (vol.2) #189 as the latest in the long line of "Homo Magi", humans born with innate powers of sorcery.  Traci was forbidden by her father, Doctor Thirteen, to practice magic, since her mother, Meihui Lan, died due as a result of magical influences.  Traci moved to the Suicide Slum area of Metropolis, determined to live on her own.  There, she began to tap into the "urban magic" of Metropolis, and assumed the name of Girl 13, becoming a superhero of sorts.  

Traci soon met Superboy (Kon-El), who was attracted to her, but the feeling was not reciprocated.  She used her magic to defend an injured Superman from a ghostly female ninja, along with two other "Supergirls", Natasha Irons and Cir-El, with whom she formed a friendship.  She later moved back into her father's home, Doomsbury Mansion, the ancestral home of her family and was involved in a brief relationship with the current Blue Beetle, Jaime Reyes.  Presently, Traci is active once again as a superhero and is involved in a relationship with Natasha Irons.

Project 13 would be the Traci Thirteen's first appearance in live-action, although the character has appeared in the animated movie Teen Titans: The Judas Contract (voiced by Masasa Moyo) and will be appearing in the upcoming series Young Justice: Outsiders.

NEXT STOP EVERYWHERE 096: "The Parting of the Ways" is Up!

"This is Emergency Program One.  Rose, now listen, this is important. If this message is activated, then it can only mean one thing -- we must be in danger, and I mean fatal.  I'm dead, or about to die any second with no chance of escape."
"No!"
"And that's okay, I hope it's a good death.  But I promised to look after you, and that's what I'm doin'.  The TARDIS is takin' you home."
"I won't let you!"
"And I bet you're fussing and moaning now, typical.  But hold on, and just listen a bit more. The TARDIS can never return for me.  Emergency Program One means I'm facing an enemy that should never get their hands on this machine.  So this is what you should do -- let the TARDIS die.  Just let this old box gather dust.  No one can open it, no one will even notice it.  Let it become a strange little thing standing on a street corner.  And over the years, the world will move on, and the box will be buried.  And if you wanna remember me, then you can do one thing, that's all, one thing...Have a good life.  Do that for me, Rose...Have a fantastic life."

-- The Ninth Doctor and Rose Tyler, Doctor Who: "The Parting of the Ways"

You guessed it, 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, Jesse and I review the 2005 classic "Bad Wolf/The Parting of the Ways", the two-part Series One finale, which features Christopher Eccleston's final story as the Ninth Doctor, Billie Piper as Rose Tyler, and John Barrowman as Captain Jack Harkness!

This time, Jesse and I discuss things like getting the announcement that Christopher Eccleston was leaving Doctor Who before the series returned in 2005, Captain Jack balancing Rose and the Ninth Doctor, UK reality TV show hosts as androids, the bittersweet feeling of watching Doctor Who's return in 2005 knowing that Eccleston was already leaving, the Ninth Doctor's moral dilemma of letting humans live only to become Daleks, Lynda with a Y as an almost companion, Captain Jack calling out the cowards not wanting to help him fight the Daleks, Rose's petulance at returning to a normal existence on Earth, Rose not knowing what ripping open the TARDIS console would do to her or possibly England, Rose as the Bad Wolf being a bootstrap paradox, our reactions to seeing the first modern era regeneration, my Reverse the Polarity segment, new feedback from Christine from Michigan, David K. Proctor, Holly from Wisconsin & Paul from Australia, and more!

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Be sure to come back in two weeks as Jesse and I review the two-part 2009-10 classic "The End of Time", featuring David Tennant's final story as the Tenth Doctor, Bernard Cribbins as Wilfred "Wilf" Mott, John Simm as the Sixth Master, and Timothy Dalton as Rassilon!  Look for more of Next Stop Everywhere on iTunes, Google Play Music, YouTube, Libsyn, Soundcloud, Stitcher, and the official Southgate Media Group website!

THE FANDOM ZONE 118: "The Flash Reborn" is Up!

"Barry's trying to send us a message, I know it.  I mean, he spent all this time in the Speed Force.  Maybe now he knows the answers to life, the universe, and everything."
"So you think all this crazy writing is Barry's way of telling us 42?"
"Yes, exactly."

– Cisco "Vibe" Ramon and Caitlin "Killer Frost" Snow, The Flash: "The Flash Reborn"

You guessed it, we're back for a HUGE episode of The Fandom Zone Podcast!  This week's reviews of comics on television include:

Lucifer 3x02: "The One with the Baby Carrot"

The Gifted 1x02: "rX"

Supergirl 3x01: "Girl of Steel"  (Season Premiere)

The Flash 4x01: "The Flash Reborn"  (Season Premiere)

Legends of Tomorrow 3x01: "Aruba-Con"  (Season Premiere)

Arrow 6x01: "Fallout"  (Season Premiere)

Gotham 4x04: "The Demon's Head"

Inhumans 1x04: "Make Way for...Medusa"

In this episode, Karen and I talk about things like my "Run Barry Run" Flash t-shirt, Medusa's run-in with Spider-Man, Caitlin Strucker finally finding a purpose, Polaris in a women's prison porn movie, that awkward moment when Blink teleports a truck bed into your headquarters, Amenadiel and Dr. Linda still being on speaking terms, Tom Welling still not being able to act, Kara being with Lena Luthor taking away from Kara being with Alex, some background on Morgan Edge, introducing Reign, Alex asking J'onn J'onzz to walk her down the aisle, the Fearless Girl statue, Team Kid Flash a.k.a. Team Vibe, Cisco lying yet again to Iris, Barry experiencing past, present and future all at once, my love of the scene where Joe shaves Barry's beard off, teasing Blacksmith, the introduction of The Thinker, wondering why Rip Hunter is with the Time Bureau, the Legends being depicted as the Rodney Dangerfields of the superhero set, the Time Bureau using their Men in Black flashy-things, wondering what will happen to Firestorm when Victor Garber leaves, not wanting to lose Karen's Thea Queen impression, whether Samantha would've left William with Oliver if she had a choice, Wild Dog's costume upgrade, the really dumb idea of C4 hidden in someone's tooth, the Penguin's frustration with the Riddler's sucky riddles, more of Scott Buck being a horrible showrunner, Crystal having to deal with a dysfunctional human couple just to get Lockjaw healed, Louise as Felicity, Jr., some new feedback from Justina, the New Mutants trailer, an update on Karen's "Running with the Gnomes" fundraiser, and more!

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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 new episodes of The CW's The Flash, Supergirl, Legends of Tomorrow and Arrow, Fox's The Gifted, Lucifer and Gotham, and ABC's Inhumans, right here on The Fandom Zone Podcast!

TITANS Casts Ryan Potter as Beast Boy

Titans together...at last.

Deadline has word that the upcoming DC Comics direct-to-consumer digital service series Titans has cast Ryan Potter as Garfield "Gar" Logan, better known to DC Comics fans as the superhero Beast Boy.  Potter joins Brenton Thwaits as Nightwing, Teagan Croft as Raven, Anna Diop as Starfire, and Alan Ritchson and Minka Kelly as Hawk and Dove.

According to the article, Beast Boy has the following description -- "As a child, Garfield 'Gar' Logan contracted the lethal disease, Sakutia, while on an African expedition with his geneticist parents.  Treated with an experimental drug, Gar survived but not without developing some bizarre side effects.  Along with skin and hair turning permanently green, the wisecracking, fun-loving Beast Boy is able to reshape himself into any animal of any size he can imagine."

Potter, 22, is an actor and martial artist probably best known as the voice of Hiro Hamada in the animated film Big Hero 6.  His other films include Underdog Kids and Senior Project, while his previous television appearances include episodes of Supah Ninjas, Lab Rats: Elite Force, Figure It Out, and Fred: The Show.

Created in 1965 by Arnold Drake and Bob Brown, Beast Boy first appeared in Doom Patrol (vol.1) #99 as Garfield Logan, a young child who lived with his scientist parents in Africa, who were developing "reverse evolution" to bring back extinct creatures.  Garfield contracted a rare illness called Sakutia, which was lethal to every species except the West African green monkey.  To save his life, his father used an untested serum to change him into a West African green monkey for 24 hours, so that the virus could die out.  The serum had the unintended effect of turning his skin, eyes, and hair green, and granting him the ability to metamorph into any animal of his choice.  His parents later died in a boating accident.  

After being rescued from two kidnappers who forced him to use his powers to help them in their crimes, Garfield was left under the care of a court-appointed guardian, Nicholas Galtry, who renamed him "Craig".  Galtry realized that his embezzlement from the Logan estate would be exposed when Garfield reached maturity and received his inheritance, so he plotted to kill Garfield.  The villains he hired to kill Garfield were stopped by the Doom Patrol.  Elasti-Girl and her husband, Steve Dayton, exposed Galtry's embezzlement and adopted Garfield, who later joined the Doom Patrol as Beast Boy.  He eventually joined the West Coast team of the Teen Titans (known as Titans West), then later joined the New Teen Titans under the new alias Changeling.

In the current DC Comics continuity known as The New 52, Beast Boy debuted as a member of the superhero team The Ravagers, led by Caitlin Fairchild.  In this incarnation, Beast Boy was red instead of his traditional color green, because of a relation to "The Red", the extradimensional power source of Animal Man's abilities.  The team was formed after the Teen Titans and the Legionnaires stuck in the present day were abducted by the supervillain Harvest.  Garfield eventually left the Ravagers and joined the Teen Titans, becoming green once again after some unexplained event.  He currently belongs to a new group of Teen Titans, whose members include Robin (Damian Wayne), Raven, Starfire, and Kid Flash (the younger Wally West).

This will be the first time the character will appear in live-action, although he has appeared in various animated projects, including Teen Titans,Teen Titans Go!, Teen Titans: Trouble in Tokyo and DC Super Hero Girls (voiced by Greg Cipes), Justice League vs Teen Titans and Teen Titans: The Judas Contract (voiced by Brandon Soo Hoo), and Young Justice (voiced by Logan Grove)

Titans is expected to debut on DC Comics' digital service sometime in 2018.