Superhero Bits: A New Shazam! Fury Of The Gods Poster, The Wakanda Forever Soundtrack & More
(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:
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"Shazam! Fury of the Gods" gets a new poster.
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The "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" soundtrack is now streaming.
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"Umbrella Academy" season 4 is underway.
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Thousands of Image Comics just became far more accessible.
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All that and more!
Planet of the Apes invade these special Marvel Comics variant covers
Next year, Marvel will be the new home for "Planet of the Apes" comics, meaning new stories in that universe. To commemorate the occasion, Marvel Comics is releasing quite a few variant covers for upcoming titles throughout February, with some of that artwork glimpsed above. Ever wondered what it would look like if Deadpool had to take on sentient apes? We need no longer wonder. Check out the preview art above and a full list of titles getting the "Apes" treatment can be found by clicking here.
Image partners with LibraryPass to bring its comics to to schools and libraries
Thousands of Image Comics titles have just become far more accessible. As announced by the publisher in a press release, they have partnered with LibraryPass to bring thousands of titles to libraries and schools through Comic Plus. This will allow books such as "Kick-Ass" and "The Walking Dead" to be accessed by schools and the general public without having to pay for them. Chloe Ramos, Image Comics' Book Market & Library Sales Manager, had this to say about it:
"Image Comics is thrilled to partner with LibraryPass in bringing our diverse catalog of comics and graphic novels to libraries and schools across the nation. We were particularly excited about offering our books through Comics Plus, because of its innovative unlimited access model, which we feel is the future of equitable digital library circulation. We've long said that comics are for everybody and with LibraryPass, we can really bring everybody comics, with no waiting and no hold lists!"
Those interested in getting in on the action can download the Comic Plus app by clicking here.
Titans featurette brings the action to Metropolis
"Titans" recently returned to HBO Max for the first chunk of the show's fourth season. Aside from some new villains, the show went to a new, important location in the DC Comics universe in the form of Metropolis, aka Superman's stomping grounds. The above featurette highlights taking the young superheroes to the city, offering a behind-the-scenes look at what it took to bring it to life. Check it out for yourself above.
The Umbrella Academy season 4 is officially underway
Writer/producer Steve Blackman has revealed in the above Instagram post that the fourth and final season of "The Umbrella Academy" on Netflix is officially underway. The above image offers a look at the script for the first episode, titled "The Unbearable Tragedy of Getting What You Want." It's not clear yet if filming has begun but Blackman makes it pretty clear that the beginning of the end is upon us.
Steven Spielberg met with Warner Bros. CEO and the co-head of DC Studios
How's about some fuel for reckless speculation on a Monday? Recently, The Hollywood Reporter revealed that none other than Steven Spielberg had lunch with Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav. As it just so happens, DC Studios co-head Peter Safran was nearby and he crashed the lunch as well. Oh, and Christopher Nolan dropped by as well. Talk about a power lunch. Anyway, nobody knows why Spielberg was meeting with Zaslav but the internet connected some dots that probably aren't there and noted that "Man of Steel 2" is in development and Spielberg may be looking for his next project given that "The Fabelmans" is coming out. See where we're going with this? Is there any actual evidence to suggest Spielberg would direct a "Superman" movie? Absolutely not. But hey, one can dream, right? At the very least, it seems like Zaslav wants to be in the Spielberg business going forward.
Stream the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack right now
"Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" officially hits theaters on Friday, representing perhaps the biggest movie of the year. But for those who are feeling a little impatient, you can now stream the movie's official soundtrack through your streaming music provider of choice. This includes the first song from Rihanna in five years, "Lift Me Up." You can find the album through your preferred streaming service by clicking here.
Zachary Levi shares a brand new Shazam! Fury of the Gods poster
One of the most anticipated sequels of the year in 2023 is undoubtedly "Shazam! Fury of the Gods." The movie has been delayed a couple of times, in no small part thanks to the pandemic. But it finally has a March 2023 release date locked in and we can start counting down the days. Now, star Zachary Levi has shared a brand new poster for the film highlighting his titular hero. It's perhaps not the most exciting poster in the world, but it gets the job done. Maybe this means we're getting a new trailer soon? We shall see.
Ryan Coogler takes the spotlight in new Wakanda Forever featurette
Lastly, Marvel has released a new featurette for "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" that focuses on director Ryan Coogler. The cast and crew discuss the filmmaker with reverence as behind the scenes footage from the production rolls. We also get some words from Coogler himself regarding what the movie is actually about. It is very emotional and one imagines it is just a primer for how emotional the movie itself will be. Check it out for yourself above.