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Superhero Bits: Recapping Marvel's D23 Announcements, More Harley Quinn In The DCEU & More

King Thanos Avengers Campus artwork Disney
By Ryan Scott/

(Superhero Bits is a collection of stories, updates, and videos about anything and everything inspired by the comics of Marvel, DC, and more. For comic book movies, TV shows, merchandise, events, and whatever catches our eye, this is the place to find anything that falls through the cracks.)

In this edition of Superhero Bits:

  • A recap of Marvel's D23 presentation.

  • Harley Quinn isn't done in the DCEU.

  • Don Cheadle is no longer under contract with Marvel.

  • "Titans" season 4 finds its Lex Luthor.

  • All that and more!

Marvel's Wastelanders: Doom podcast has arrived!

The latest installment in the "Marvel's Wastelanders" podcast series has arrived, and it puts Victor Von Doom front and center. Following in the footsteps of the "Hawkeye" and "Black Widow" podcasts, "Marvel Wastelanders: Doom" will bring the beloved villain far into the future for a post-apocalyptic, ten-episode tale, with the first two episodes out now. You can check out the trailer above for a taste of what's to come. We've also got a synopsis for the show, which reads as follows:

After thirty years of imprisonment, Doctor Doom has freed himself and seeks revenge on the former allies who betrayed him on The Day The Villains Won. To achieve this, he teams up with Valeria Richards, the daughter of his most hated enemy – but whose side is she really on?

"Marvel's Wastelanders: Doom" is available on all major podcast platforms.

Pre-order the Batman: Arkham City Joker from McFarlane Toys

The folks at McFarlane Toys have made the upcoming "Batman: Arkham City" Joker figure available for pre-order at a variety of retailers. This version of the Clown Prince of Crime is inspired by the game in question, and the company has done a good job of making him look bloody and ready for business. The figure retails for $19.99, and pre-order links can be found by clicking here.

Titus Welliver is Lex Luthor in Titans season 4, check him out

There's a new Lex Luthor in town! Superman's famous foe is set to join in on the action when "Titans" season 4 arrives in November, and he'll be played by none other than Titus Williver ("Bosch"). And he's far from the only new villain! The show's official Twitter account shared a first look at the actor in all of his Lex Luthor glory, which was originally shared as part of Entertainment Weekly's fall TV preview. So, how exactly does Lex fit into the show's proceedings? Perhaps we'll get a better idea of that when a trailer drops for the new season. For now, check out that beard.

Sorry, but the X-Men movie reboot is a long way away

X-Men '92 cover art Marvel Comics

A whole lot happened on the Marvel Cinematic Universe front during Disney's D23 Expo over the weekend, though not as much as some fans would have liked. Specifically, we got no update regarding the "X-Men" reboot, which has quietly been in the works for a little while now. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem remotely close to actually getting made. As per Deadline reporter Justin Kroll, the film isn't happening for a very long time. Taking to Twitter, Kroll said the following:

"Speaking of X-MEN, this film isn't happening for a very long time, so outside of a writer being tapped, it's super unlikely any casting decisions get made on that one for some time."

So, make your peace with that for now and maybe don't lend too much credibility to any casting rumors that surface in the near future. But hey, at least we've still got "X-Men '97" to look forward to.

Red Guardian is getting a new suit in the Thunderbolts movie

One of the biggest announcements during D23 was the confirmation of the main "Thunderbolts" cast, which includes David Harbour reprising his role as Red Guardian from "Black Widow." During an interview after the panel (above), the actor revealed that his Russian hero is going to be getting a new suit come time for his return to the MCU.

"I was told I would get a new suit. And I don't want to say the 'F' word, but I am really psyched about that. You watch Captain America and you see him in all of these different movies, and you see him the white star and the black star [on his costume]. I just want a full closet's worth of suits, and I'm well on my way."

At the very least, Harbour will have two suits in his closet after "Thunderbolts" hits theaters. Will there be many more beyond that? Time will tell, but this is a good start.

Don Cheadle's Marvel contract is done, but we haven't seen the last of Rhodey

Iron Man 2 War Machine Marvel Studios

Don Cheadle was also at D23 over the weekend, as he is set to appear in the upcoming Disney+ series "Armor Wars." But as it turns out, the actor, who has been playing War Machine/Rhodey since "Iron Man 2," is no longer under contract with Marvel Studios. But that doesn't mean his MCU days are numbered. As Cheadle explained in a conversation with Variety, "I'm done with my contracted years in the MCU, so now, it's just like, if something sounds fun and I'm presented with it ... let's go." So it's just a matter of project-to-project from here on out. (And, in all likelihood, a money issue.) But it's hard to imagine Rhodey not being a part of "Avengers: The Kang Dynasty" and/or "Secret Wars."

A recap of the major Marvel announcements from D23

For those who may have missed some of the goings-on during Disney's D23, Marvel has put together a handy video that recaps the biggest announcements that were made during the convention over the weekend. This includes the release of trailers like "Werewolf by Night" and "Secret Invasion," as well as some of the major casting announcements that were made for upcoming MCU projects. While we may not have gotten any "Fantastic Four" casting or many other tidbits fans were hoping for, it was still a jam-packed event for Marvel. The video above is evidence of that.

We haven't seen the last of Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn in the DCEU

Recently, "The Suicide Squad" and "Peacemaker" director James Gunn took to Twitter to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Harley Quinn, who originally debuted in "Batman: The Animated Series." But it was in the replies where some interesting stuff happened. One fan asked if we are going to see Harley Quinn return to the DCEU, to which Gunn replied with a simple "yes." Another fan also expressed their desire to see Margot Robbie's version of the character appear once more, with Gunn chiming in to say, "Only once more?" So it certainly seems we haven't seen the last of Robbie's Harley. But where will she show up next? That is for Gunn to know and us to find out.

A new attraction featuring King Thanos is coming to Avengers Campus

Last, but certainly not least, it was also revealed during D23 that Avengers Campus is going to be getting a new attraction for park goers to enjoy. The new attraction will feature heroes of the Marvel multiverse gathering to battle a new threat: King Thanos. That's right! The Mad Titan is back, and he's a king this time. He's even got a fancy new beard that makes him look very king-like. Details are a bit short at this time, but we've got some concept art of the king himself, which you can check out below in addition to the video above recapping the reveal.

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