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Superhero Bits: Stan Lee's 100th Birthday, A Closer Look At The Spider-Verse Air Jordans & More

Stan Lee 100th birthday poster Marvel Comics
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:

  • The world celebrates Stan Lee's 100th birthday.

  • A fan-made trailer for Tim Burton's "Batman 3."

  • Video of the "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" Air Jordans.

  • Something mysterious is afoot for The Avengers.

  • All that and more!

What is the quest for the missing moments? The Avengers' next big mission

The recent release of Marvel Comics' "Timeless" #1 helped set the stage for some of what's to come in 2023. As the above teaser indicates, in particular, part of that has to do with The Avengers and their quest for what is being referred to as the "missing moments." Marvel isn't saying much, but Jason Aaron did recently wrap up his epic run in "The Avengers" and, if we're to guess, it looks like this is where the next era for Earth's Mightiest Heroes will begin. Those interested in gathering the clues can do so by reading "Timeless" #1, which is out now.

Charlie Cox is re-reading all of the Daredevil comics to get ready for Born Again

Chip Zdarsky's Daredevil cover Marvel Comics

Filming has yet to begin on "Daredevil: Born Again," but production on the massive 18-episode series will be taking place for most of next year. So, what's Charlie Cox doing to prepare? In a recent interview with GQ, the actor explained that he's currently re-reading all of the "Daredevil" comics from start to finish. Additionally, he explains that we can probably expect more courtroom stuff this time around:

"I'm now in the process of preparing for next year when we shoot the show: I've re-reading the comics from start to finish, and I'm just starting to try to get back into shape for a role like that. I think because of the number of episodes they've committed to, there'll be a heavy influence of courtroom stuff — Matt Murdoch the lawyer in the new show. So I'm heavily focused on researching that area of this character, and his life. It was one of the areas we didn't do a huge amount exploration around before. Even my accent is probably really rusty."

"Daredevil: Born Again" does not yet have a release date but is expected in late 2023 or early 2024.

DC Comics paid touching tribute to Kevin Conroy this week

Earlier this year, we lost a legend in Kevin Conroy, who voiced Batman in a wide array of projects for more than three decades, beginning with "Batman: The Animated Series." As revealed by publicist Wes Greer, all of this week's DC Comics titles actually came with a full-page tribute to Conroy, as pictured above. The page features kind words from the likes of Paul Dini and Alan Burnett. It speaks volumes about Conroy's impact that DC would print a full page tribute to the man in all of its comics. The ink and paper went to good use, in my humble opinion.

Finn Jones really wants another crack at playing Iron Fist

Finn Jones in Iron Fist Marvel Studios

Finn Jones had the chance to play Danny Rand, aka Iron Fist, across two seasons of "Iron Fist" on Netflix and in the "Defenders" miniseries. Unfortunately, it didn't go as well, critically speaking, as shows like "Daredevil" or "Luke Cage," for example. But as the Marvel multiverse continues to expand, Jones has revealed he'd really like another crack at the character. Speaking with the Geekscape podcast recently, Jones said the following:

"I'd love another chance. I care about Danny Rand deeply, I believe in that character, I think there's a lot of work to be done. There's something about the underdog, y'know? I love the underdog narrative. I love the ability to prove someone wrong, and I want to prove all those motherf****** wrong. I know I have it in me and I know I can give the Danny Rand performance that fans want and that is possible."

Given that Charlie Cox is back as Matt Murdock, this doesn't seem impossible. Though, admittedly, it does seem far less likely than, say, bringing Krysten Ritter back as Jessica Jones.

The writer of The Batman 2 is not having it with Elon Musk's Batman metaphor

Mattson Tomlin is a rising star in the superhero movie world, having penned "Project Power" and, more importantly, as the man currently writing the sequel to "The Batman." He also did some work on the first movie, though he didn't ultimately receive credit in the end. In any event, the man knows Batman and, as such, he felt the need to weigh in when Elon Musk, the current CEO of Twitter, decided to compare himself to the Caped Crusader recently. Above, we see the photo Musk used, seemingly comparing himself to the iconic hero. Tomlin, in response, simply said "Nope," laughing the metaphor off on main. Musk should, perhaps, find another loner in the pages of pop culture to compare himself to.

Want a closer look at the Across the Spider-Verse Air Jordans?

Next year, as part of the tie-in merch for "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse," Marvel has teamed up with Nike for a new pair of Air Jordans. The internet, particularly sneakerheads, have already been discussing the shoes quite a bit. Now, the above video offers a much more thorough look at the shoes well ahead of their launch. Some people are unimpressed, while others are still eagerly awaiting the chance to empty their wallets. For those interested, the shoes are set to hit shelves on May 20, 2023, and will retail for $200.

Check out this fan-made VHS trailer for Batman 3

Tim Burton only made two "Batman" movies with Michael Keaton and, after "Batman Returns," Keaton walked away from the role for decades. But what might have been if Burton and Keaton had finished their trilogy? The above trailer, done in VHS style, cooked up by the solyentbrak1 YouTube channel, offers a glimpse. Billy Dee Williams would have turned from Harvey Dent into Two-Face, offering an assuredly different take on the character than the one we ultimately got from Tommy Lee Jones. "Batman 3" will never be, but this is a glimpse of what perhaps happened elsewhere in the multiverse.

Happy 100th birthday, Stan Lee!

Lastly, today would have been Stan Lee's 100th birthday. The Marvel Comics legend, unfortunately, passed away several years ago, but his memory lives on in a big way. His official Twitter account shared the above video in celebration, and social media was awash with tributes to the pop culture titan. Marvel even announced that a documentary about Lee is set to hit Disney+ in 2023. Aside from that, DC Comics paid tribute to the man, and Marvel cooked up a nice piece of artwork, honoring some of his many creations from over the years. Happy birthday, Stan. Excelsior!

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