Superhero Bits: Batman Day 2022 Details, Setting The Record Straight On Shazam 2 Reshoots & 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:

  • "Black Panther" gets past "Top Gun" at the box office.

  • "Shazam! Fury of the Gods" is not undergoing reshoots.

  • A new "Thor: Love and Thunder" featurette.

  • Get ready to celebrate Batman Day 2022.

  • All that and more!

Marvel reveals the next generation of elite artists, aka the 2023 Stormbreakers

Beginning in 2020, Marvel Comics started the Stormbreakers program to highlight up-and-coming artists who were seen as the next big thing. These artists would then go on to contribute to some of the biggest titles in the publisher's library. The above video reveals the class of 2023, with the lineup consisting of Elena Casagrande ("Black Widow"), Nic Klein ("Thor"), Jan BazaldĂșa ("Legion of X), Chris Allen ("Miles Morales: Spider-Man"), Martin Coccolo ("Deadpool"), Lucas Werneck ("Immortal X-Men"), C.F. Villa ("X-Men"), and Federico Vicentini ("X Deaths of Wolverine"). Congrats to the artists! Be on the lookout for these names in 2023 and beyond, dear readers.

Grant Gustin is training hard for the final season of The Flash

Personal trainer to the stars Ben Bruno has offered a little update on "The Flash" season 9, which will bring the long-running show to an end. Grant Gustin, who will return to finish his run as Barry Allen, is seen training and doing some pretty impressive work, getting into superhero shape ahead of filming. Something like a decade into his lifespan as this character and Gustin is still putting in the work. Hard not to respect it. No word yet on when the show will return but it is expected to debut in 2023.

Alex Ross' first graphic novel, Fantastic Four: Full Circle, is out now

The legendary Alex Ross has been an incomparable artist in the comics industry for decades now. But the man has broken new ground with "Fantastic Four: Full Circle," which represents the first time he's tackled an entire graphic novel by himself, both as an artist and writer. The book is now on shelves and, as Ross details in the above tweet, fans can even get a signed copy. Those interested can pick one up by clicking here.

Top Gun: Maverick tops Black Panther as 5th biggest movie ever at the box office

Because the box office was very bad over Labor Day weekend, "Top Gun: Maverick" once again made very good money even though it came out back in May. Well, all of that money has added up as the sequel to the 80s classic has entered the top five all-time at the domestic box office with a running total of $701,230,000, according to Box Office Mojo. That means Marvel's "Black Panther" ($700,426,566), has been kicked out of the top five. But we'll see what "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" has to say about that when it arrives in November.

Watch The Rock surprise fans at a screening of Black Adam

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has been trying to make the "Black Adam" movie happen for a very, very long time and, at long last, it is going to be hitting theaters in October. Recently, the wrestler-turned-actor offered a little peek behind the curtain of one of the test screenings that Warner Bros. held for the movie. And, wouldn't you know it, The Rock turned up in person to surprise those who attended? As one might expect, people freaked out when he showed up and it was a nice moment. Now, if general audiences react as kindly to the movie, Warner Bros. and the DC universe may be in good shape.

No, Shazam! Fury of the Gods is not undergoing reshoots

The rumor mill has been churning as of late in regards to DC (for obvious reasons) but one thing we can put to bed? "Shazam! Fury of the Gods" is not getting reshoots and is well on track to hit its current release date. This was confirmed by the film's director David F. Sandberg during a recent Instagram Q&A (per Comic Book Resources). The filmmaker left precisely zero room for ambiguity here.

"No. I've seen reports that Shazam is being 'retooled' but it's not true. The cut has been locked for quite some time and we're doing final mix, color and vfx right now. Everyone is happy with the film and we're not going to work longer on it just because of the release date shift. They figured Aquaman's previous date was better for us and that's the reason we moved. Definitely not shooting more."

Now, if Warner Bros. could just find a new head of DC Films, that would be great. "Shazam! Fury of the Gods" is currently set to hit theaters on March 17, 2023.

Check out this new Thor: Love and Thunder featurette

Those who either didn't see "Thor: Love and Thunder" in theaters or are merely waiting to watch it again will soon be able to do so. The film is dropping on Disney+ Thursday as part of this year's Disney+ Day celebration. And, in anticipation of that, the folks at Marvel have released a new featurette offering a behind-the-scenes look at director Taika Waititi's latest contribution to the MCU. Check it out for yourself above and stream "Love and Thunder" on Disney+ this Thursday, September 8. Those waiting for the Blu-ray still have to wait a few weeks though.

DC announces 2022 Batman Day festivities

Lastly, this year's Batman Day is set to take place on Saturday, September 17, and DC has announced a great many things that will be happening making it easy for fans to celebrate however they so choose. Several free "Batman" comics will be available at participating comic book shops, an in-game event centered around Batman in "Multiversus" is taking place, "Injustice 2" on mobile will be giving free Batman gifts that week, DC will be launching a line of digital collectibles, and much more. Perhaps most importantly, Cinemark theaters will be having a Batman Day lineup of movies that day, including "Batman: Mask of the Phantasm," as well as Tim Burton's "Batman" and "Batman Returns." A full list of what's going on and details on said happenings can be found by clicking here.