Superhero Bits: Gambit Movie Storyboards, The Green Lantern Show Is Not Canceled & 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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DC Comics ushers in a new era for Superman
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"Eternals 2" might be happening
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No, the "Green Lantern" TV show is not canceled
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Some storyboards from the scrapped "Gambit" movie
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All that and more!
Action Comics #1050 is here, ushering in the future of Superman
While we won't be getting into spoilers here, "Action Comics" #1050 has officially hit stands, and it sets up a lot for the future of DC Comics, particularly as it relates to Superman. The book contains some pretty big stuff, so much so that it was actually trending on Twitter today. So, for those looking for a jumping-on point to get back into the Man of Steel, this might not be a bad way to go. The synopsis for the issue reads as follows:
The Dark Crisis is over, and a new dawn shines on the DCU! In the wake of cataclysmic battles with Mongul, Henry Bendix, and Pariah's Dark Army, Kal-El is back on Earth and here to stay. And the people of our planet are ready to look up, up, and away into a brighter tomorrow. Well...most of the people. Clark Kent's reunion with Lois and his son, Jon Kent, proves fleeting when strikes the ultimate attack from Superman's greatest adversary: Lex Luthor. But this time something is different...Luthor has stolen something from Clark's life, something so important that it will change the very planet itself! If you think you've seen the biggest battle between Superman and Lex Luthor–think again! This clash will rock the course of their lives forever...and it's only the beginning. Two years' worth of Superman stories come to a head in this oversize anniversary issue with all-star talent that launches Superman and the DCU into an exciting new era!
Look for "Action Comics" #1050 on shelves now.
What went wrong with Iron Fist? Finn Jones blames scheduling conflicts
We all know that of the Marvel shows produced by Netflix (which now reside on Disney+), "Iron Fist" was widely considered to be the worst of the bunch. So, what went wrong? Well, according to star Finn Jones, who recently spoke on the Geekscape Podcast, it all came down to scheduling.
"I think, really, the first season, there was a lot of creative challenges, and it didn't live up to the expectations, and I think that came down to ... really, it came down to scheduling conflicts. That season of television was rushed because we had 'The Defenders' that we had to film straight afterwards. We had to film 'The Defenders,' we had all those other actors locked into that schedule, so we had to film those 13 episodes of television in that set time, and unfortunately, we just didn't have the time to do what was expected and what was desired, which was a kick-ass, amazing kung fu show and martial arts show. And the reason that show failed was because of the time constraints, because of bad scheduling."
Jones also acknowledged that they "understood what the flaws were" heading into season 2 and did their best to course correct. But the damage was done, and that was that.
Wait...is Eternals 2 a thing?
What's the time? It's rumor time! "Eternals" arrived last year with the MCU's worst reviews from critics ever. Then again, it also managed to cross $400 million at the box office, even during a particularly difficult year where few movies made a lot of money. Was that enough to get a sequel going? Well, according to a Korean website YTN, yeah, it might be! In an update on star Ma Dong-seok's upcoming slate, "Eternals 2" was listed as a project he's got on the burner. Now, we've heard absolutely nothing from Marvel Studios and/or Disney on this front, though we did get confirmation that these characters will be appearing again in the MCU. So, who knows? Stranger things have happened. Though, given the fate of his character Gilgamesh in the first film, barring some flashbacks, it's hard to imagine he would have a significant role.
The Green Lantern on HBO Max has not been canceled...yet
Recently, reports started floating around on the ol' interwebs suggesting the long-in-development "Green Lantern" show for HBO Max had been scrapped. Not so fast! DC Studios co-head James Gunn decided to take Twitter to debunk this personally. Responding to an article sharing the report, Gunn simply said "fake." So that's that. Gunn and his partner Peter Safran have been laying out plans for a new DC Universe as of late, and the filmmaker has personally been debunking a lot of false information online in this way. At the very least, it certainly keeps the rumor mill on its toes. When last we heard, the "Green Lantern" series is being reworked and will supposedly focus on John Stewart. We'll see what happens in 2023.
Shazam! Fury of the Gods director shares dance-y BTS video for Christmas
We've still got a few months until "Shazam! Fury of the Gods" hits theaters, and we're almost certainly going to get at least one more full-length trailer before the time comes. In the meantime, director David F. Sandberg posted the above behind-the-scenes video for the world to enjoy for Christmas. While it doesn't reveal too much, we do get to see Rachel Zegler dancing her heart out in her costume, which we haven't seen too much of up to this point. If nothing else, it certainly looks like everyone had a great time making the movie. "Shazam! Fury of the Gods" is currently set to hit theaters on March 17, 2023.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever crosses $800 million at the box office
While the Christmas weekend firmly belonged to "Avatar: The Way of Water" at the box office, Marvel's "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" did manage to cross a pretty significant milestone over the holiday weekend. Per Box Office Mojo, the film has now earned over $801 million worldwide, meaning it is firmly a success for Marvel Studios and Disney. Is it going to cross $1 billion? Most likely no, but the over-performance of the first film, which earned $1.3 billion back in 2018, does not mean that the sequel's number is anything to scoff at. Will we see signs of Marvel fatigue? Maybe someday but, for now, it remains the most reliable brand in all of entertainment, and is rapidly approaching 15 years of that being the case.
Check out some storyboards from that Gambit movie that never happened
While Channing Tatum tried very hard to make it happen for a very long time, the planned "Gambit" movie never got off the ground at Fox. Following Disney's purchase of the studio in 2019, the project was dead in the water for good. But what might have been? Artist Anthony Winn has offered a tiny window into the scrapped project as he has shared a few storyboards on his ArtStation page. They appear to show our titular mutant struggling with some alcohol issues before making some stuff blow up. It's not much, but it's enough to make you wonder what this could have turned into. You can get a closer look at the storyboards by clicking here.
Watch the New Year's Resolution of Avengers Assemble for free
Lastly, as we get ready to ring in the new year, the folks at Marvel have offered up a little slice of New Year's Eve goods to help out on that front. Over on the Marvel HQ YouTube channel, the "New Year's Resolution" episode of "Avengers Assemble" is now available to stream for free. The episode is very heavy on Captain America and Iron Man, with Kang the Conqueror serving as the main villain. Given that Kang is about to become a huge part of the MCU, this little taste of the baddie might be a good place to start. Check the episode out in its entirety for yourself above.