Superhero Bits: Shazam! Fury Of The Gods Gets Some Good News, Guardians 3 Funko Pops & 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:

• "Shazam! Fury of the Gods" now has better box office prospects.

• "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" gets some Funko Pop! figures.

• Why isn't Amy Jo Johnson in the "Power Rangers" 30th anniversary special?

• Some haunting "Morbius" concept art.

• All that and more!

Avengers Campus is a destination for Marvel fans galore, as a relatively recent addition to the Disney parks across the world. For those who may not have the opportunity to see what Disneyland Paris has to offer in this respect, the above video offers a little tour of the grounds to showcase what it's like to be immersed in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, whilst in France. Even aside from the tour itself, the video is pretty impressively shot. Check it out for yourself above.

Netflix is bringing us "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always" later this year, a 30th anniversary special that will bring together members of the original cast, as well as other Rangers from throughout the years. But what of Amy Jo Johnson, the original Pink Ranger? Why isn't she involved? Taking to Twitter, Johnson addressed her absence, explaining:

"For the record I never said no...I just didn't say yes to what was offered. But other fun stuff is in-store! Looking forward to watching my friends kick ass!"

As for what was offered? Was the part just too small? Is she talking about money? We may never know. Either way, she doesn't sound bitter about it. In any case, be on the lookout for the special on Netflix on April 19, 2023.

We are officially in the one-month countdown to the release of "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania," which will kick off Phase 5 of the MCU. Presumably with a bang, as Jonathan Majors will make his big-screen debut as Kang the Conqueror. The folks at IMAX have debuted a new poster for the film as tickets went on sale, pitching that viewers should see it on one of their premium format screens next month. See it wherever you'd like, but feel free to check out the poster for yourself and look for this one in theaters on February 17, 2023.

If one needs further proof that "Daredevil: Born Again" is really, truly happening, look no further than the fact that the series is casting up. As reported by Deadline, Nikki M. James, known for "The Book of Mormon" as well as appearances on shows like "Severance," has joined the upcoming series, which will bring back Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock, as well as Vincent D'Onofrio as Kingpin. No details on her character have been revealed, but with filming expected to begin next month, it looks like casting for supporting roles is about to ramp up. The series is expected to debut on Disney+ sometime in 2024.

Sony attempted to expand its "Spider-Man" spin-off films last year with "Morbius," a movie that was meant to exist alongside the likes of "Venom" and, moreover, was bet on to be a big success. That, as we know, didn't happen, and we're likely never going to see Jared Leto's Living Vampire on screen ever again. Looking back at what could have been, artist Darrell Warner recently shared the above concept art that he cooked up at the behest of director Daniel Espinosa. It is, to say the very least of it, wild to consider. Had this iteration gone through, the character would have had huge bat ears, much more prominent fangs, and some facial hair. Just try to imagine Leto decked out like this. Remarkably weird stuff.

Tobey Maguire made his return as Peter Parker in "Spider-Man: No Way Home," while director Sam Raimi made his return to superhero cinema with last year's "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness." The success of both films has led many to wonder if we might get a version of "Spider-Man 4" that would reunite Maguire and Raimi for one last ride. Well, if such a thing does happen, J.K. Simmons is absolutely game to reprise his role as J. Jonah Jameson once more. Speaking with Screen Rant about the proposed film, the Oscar-winning actor said the following:

"Absolutely. I would do anything that Sam Raimi approached me with. I mean, almost anything."

While there is no indication as to whether or not this is even being discussed by Sony and/or Marvel, it sounds like all Raimi would have to do is pick up the phone to get a key player in the mix.

The folks at Funko have unveiled the first wave of vinyl toys for this summer's "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3," which you can get a glimpse at in the above Instagram post. What's more, these and other toys from the line, including several Pop! figures and plushes are currently available for pre-order from a variety of retailers. So, if you have your heart set on an Adam Warlock Pop! or a Groot plush, now is the time. Pre-order information can be found by clicking here.

There was a time, pre-pandemic, where pretty much every superhero movie got a release in China, which could help to bolster the movie's box office prospects. In some cases, by an awful lot. But Chinese regulators have been far more restrictive with U.S. movies in recent years and, even when superhero flicks do open in the country, there's no guarantee of success anymore. Be that as it may, Chinese outlet Global Times has confirmed that "Shazam! Fury of the Gods" will indeed be released there at some point this year. It joins "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" and "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" as superhero movies that will also debut in China in 2023. Perhaps the tide is turning? Whatever the case, this is good news for Warner Bros. and DC Studios. "Fury of the Gods" is currently due to hit theaters in the U.S. on March 17, 2023.

Lastly, the folks at Marvel Games have shared the above video featuring none other than Deadpool to confirm that a livestream for "Midnight Suns" will be taking place tomorrow at 9 am PT. The subject of said livestream will be the game's first DLC, with full details promised. So, we can expect a launch date, what the DLC will entail, what characters will be involved, and more. We'll be sure to include any new details in tomorrow's edition of the column but for those who would like to tune in, mark your calendars.