Superhero Bits: The Batman IMAX Poster By Bill Sienkiewicz, Marvel Oscar Nominations & 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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"Spider-Man 2099" is coming back in a big way
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"Shang-Chi" and "Spider-Man" score Oscar nominations
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"The Batman" preview screenings tickets are on sale
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New "X-Men '97" details
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All that and more!
Spider-Man 2099 30th Anniversary Series Announced by Marvel
"Spider-Man 2099" offered one of the most unique, multiversal shake-ups in Marvel Comics history when the inventive series debuted in 1992. Now, 30 years later, the publisher is gearing up to celebrate the anniversary with a big new series. "Spider-Man 2099: Exodus" will be hitting shelves in May with lots of creatives involved behind the scenes to bring the event to life. It will also involve more than just Miguel O'Hara, with the likes of Loki, Ghost Rider, and more characters also on board. Full details on all of the books coming our way in May can be found by clicking here.
Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur Character Art
Marvel has revealed a new look at the upcoming "Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur" animated series, which is set to hit the Disney Channel this summer. The above Instagram post contains artwork and character reveals for the show, which is based on the delightful comic book series of the same name.
Diamond White leads the cast as Lunella, with Libe Barer as Casey, Jermaine Fowler as James Jr, and Sasheer Zamata as Adria also along for the ride. We've also got Alfre Woodard as Mimi, Gary Anthony Williams as Pops, and Laurence Fishburne as The Beyonder. Last, but certainly not least, we've got Fred Tatasciore voices Devil Dinosaur himself. Expect to see a full-length trailer soon.
Agents of SHIELD Star Elizabeth Henstridge Is Game for the MCU
For a great many fans out there, "Agents of SHIELD" never quite got the respect it deserved in the wider MCU. Be that as it may, the show ended its run on its own terms in 2020. Series regular Elizabeth Henstridge recently spoke with Comicbook.com about the series, and it's clear that she's game to reprise her role as Jemma Simmons in the MCU. The actress said:
"I'm so proud of that final episode and I think, yeah, we left it in a beautiful spot. But equally, I loved being on that show, I loved the family, I loved playing Simmons, so yeah, I'd always be open to reprising the role [in the MCU], definitely."
This isn't a surprising thing to hear, but it does get to the heart of an interesting issue with these characters. Agent Coulsen started in the movies and then anchored the show before it was all but abandoned by the larger MCU. At some point, it might make sense to fold the characters into the larger universe, in order to at least acknowledge them, and Jemma would surely be a welcome addition to whatever movie or show that honors the Marvel TV series. Your move, Kevin Feige.
X-Men '97 Episode Count and Release Window
One of the most pleasant surprises of last year's Disney+ Day was the reveal of "X-Men '97," a brand new animated series that would be picking up where the beloved "X-Men: The Animated Series" left off in the 90s. Now, writers Eric and Julia Lewald have revealed an episode count and narrowed down the release window a bit:
"There is great love and affection and respect from an entire group of people that are doing this show, starting at the top with Beau DeMayo as the showrunner. And they have this challenge, I believe, looking at 10 episodes for the first season that's gonna come out mid-next year, and they're starting it soon after ours ended."
So we're definitely getting at least 10 episodes in the first season of "X-Men '97" (though that could just be the first batch of episodes from the first season), and it will be debuting on Disney+ in the middle of next year. Unfortunately, that means we've still got a long wait ahead of us. But this is undoubtedly a better late than never situation.
Lots of DC Movies Are Leaving HBO Max This Month
As pointed out by the folks at Discussing Film, HBO Max is going to be losing quite a few very popular DC movies at the end of February including "Joker," "Wonder Woman," and "Aquaman," among several others. This might come off as odd given that the streaming service has become the main hub for DC content since it launched. Unfortunately, this probably has to do with old streaming deals that were put in place by WarnerMedia before HBO Max launched. So subscribers will have to deal with the shuffling of titles around different streaming services for a while. Apologies to DC fans who wanted to watch any of these March, but you've got a few weeks to watch them still.
Marvel Celebrates Shang-Chi's Oscar Nom
"Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" was one of the biggest movies of 2021 and now, the Marvel Studios flick has been recognized by The Academy with an Oscar nomination as well. The Simu Liu-fronted MCU film has earned a nomination for Best Visual Effects. It will be up against "No Time to Die," "Dune," and "Free Guy," as well as another familiar movie that is one of the only ones that can say it had a better year than "Shang-Chi" did.
Spider-Man: No Way Home Gets an Oscar Nod Too
Indeed, "Spider-Man: No Way Home" walked away with an Oscar nomination in the Best Visual Effects category as well. That's the good news. The bad news is that it didn't land any other nominations, which could be considered a big surprise, given that it now ranks as one of the biggest movies of all time. Is it enough to be considered a snub? That's tough to say, but for my money, if "Avatar" could be nominated for nine Oscars, I don't see why "No Way Home" couldn't be honored the same way. Still, nobody is crying for Sony or Marvel on this one, as the movie has passed the original box office run of "Avatar."
The Batman IMAX Poster Revealed as Sneak Peek Screening Tickets Go On Sale
Lastly, today brings a brand new poster for "The Batman" from the folks at IMAX. The post was revealed in conjunction with the announcement of advanced IMAX screenings of the much-anticipated movie that will be taking place on March 1 around the country. These screenings are open to the public and tickets for them are on sale now. As for the poster, it's another in a series of stylish images that have been revealed for director Matt Reeves' new take on The Dark Knight, which features Robert Pattinson at its center in the cape and cowl. Those who are interested in grabbing some seats can do so by clicking here.