The entertainment world is increasingly ruled by comic book-based material. Here’s the latest:
First look at Grant Gustin’s Flash costume
The CW released a head shot of Grant Gustin in costume as The Flash (geeksofdoom.com).
The producers had said they would go for a traditional look rather than modernize it or ease into it as they have with Green Arrow on Arrow. They weren’t lying. He looks pretty much like The Flash, although the part covering his chin is a more recent addition to the costume in the comics. Oddly, due to the leather material and dark red coloring he also instantly brings to mind Ben Affleck’s Daredevil costume:
As a point of comparison, here’s a headshot of John Wesley Shipp as The Flash in the early ’90s TV show:
And here’s how The Flash looks in the New 52 comics:
Yet more potential Arrow spoilers
Here’s the official plot synopsis for the upcoming “Suicide Squad” episode of Arrow. Only read it if you don’t mind having a pretty good idea of what happens in the episode before watching it (comicbookmovie.com):
“Following Slade’s (Manu Bennett) return and his promise to make good on his threat to destroy Oliver’s (Stephen Amell) loved ones, Oliver focuses all his energy on preparing for battle with his former friend. Sarah (Caity Lotz) tries to help but, fearing for her safety, Oliver pushes her away. Meanwhile, Diggle (David Ramsey) is recruited by Amanda Waller (guest star Cynthia Addai-Robinson) and A.R.G.U.S. to stop a warlord (guest star Lee Majdoub) he knew from his time in Afghanistan. Always the solider, Diggle agrees to help. However, he’s not prepared when Amanda introduces him to the rest of the team – Deadshot (guest star Michael Rowe), Bronze Tiger (guest star Michael Jai White) and Shrapnel (guest star Sean Maher), all criminals he and Arrow helped put away. Lyla (guest star Audrey Marie Anderson) defends the team and explains the world is a complicated place, but Diggle isn’t sure he agrees. When the mission takes a dangerous turn, Diggle is forced to make a difficult decision. Larry Teng directed the episode written by Keto Shimizu & Bryan Q. Miller.”
A new Spider-Man movie every year beginning in 2016
According to Variety, Sony is desperate to catch up with the times and crank out film franchises the way the other studios have. So, although no official dates have been set the plan is to now release a new Spider-Man-related film every year beginning in 2016 when The Amazing Spider-Man 3 is due out, directed by Marc Webb. There is already an Amazing Spider-Man 4 scheduled for 2018. 2017 and 2019 will be filled with a film about Venom, directed by Alex Kurtzman (Alias, Fringe, Star Trek, Star Trek: Into Darkness), and one about the Spider-Man villain team-up group The Sinister Six, written and potentially directed by Drew Goddard (Cabin in the Woods). This mirrors Disney’s intention to release a new Star Wars movie every year from 2015 to 2019, with a new trilogy in the odd years and spin-off character-specific titles in the even years.
At some point, this comic book movie bubble is going to burst. It just is. The market will become saturated by too many people trying to keep up with Marvel. This Sony thing will heavily contribute to that since they are mimicking the business strategy of Marvel but none of the nuance where they release very different types of films based around different characters. Since Spider-Man only has the rights to Sony they’re going to key everything off of the Andrew Garfield Peter Parker and tone of Marc Webb’s films. They’re really betting big that Amazing Spider-Man 2 doesn’t pull a Spider-Man 3 on us and do well financially while killing fan enthusiasm by being a pretty bad movie.
Doctor Strange don’t need no stinkin’ movie star although who are they to turn one down
A rumored Phase 3 Marvel film is Doctor Strange, a comic book character you can read more about here. Internet people were recently convinced Marvel was meeting with all of the following directors for the gig: Mark Andrews (‘Brave’, ‘John Carter‘), Nikolaj Arcel (‘A Royal Affair”’), Dean Israelite(‘Welcome to Yesterday’, ‘Acholiland’), and Jonathan Levine(‘Warm Bodies‘, ’50/50′).” Not so much, according to Marvel President Kevin Feige, ““Well, that article was true that we’re meeting a lot of people now. That article was not true about who we’re meeting or what level anybody is. But we’re actively looking.”
Internet people also said Johnny Depp was the front-runner for the titular role. Kevin Feige said, ““No, no. When you have a project that’s been around as long as Doctor Strange, there is sometimes, ‘Oh, I’ve met with Stan about this! Or I did that!’ So Strange is one of those projects that predates me by a long shot. Obviously, the character does, but even in its cinematic brewing. So there’s a lot of things that have happened before me, and I’ve been here 14 years. So that’s a long time ago. I don’t know if that happened then.”
So, who could play Doctor Strange, if not Johnny Depp? According to Feige, maybe someone you’ve barely heard of:
“You know, I would say that we’re pretty transparent, right? Doctor Strange would be our — well, depending on when we make it, it could be our 13th, 14th, 15th movie, right? I think if you’re looking to track our decision-making and how we’ve done things, we have a pretty wide track record now where you can sort of see. So, no, a movie star is not required, but that doesn’t mean a movie star wouldn’t be great. It just depends.” (sciencefiction.com)
The iZombie TV show will seriously depart from the comic
DC’s iZombie is set up for a pilot adaptation at the CW, to be directed and Executive Produced by the same people who were behind Veronica Mars. They’ve now cast 3 people: Malcolm Goodwin (American Gangster, Breakout Kings) who has joined the cast as as a lead police detective. Alexandra Krosney (Last Man Standing, Transformers: Prime) and David Anders (Once Upon a Time, Vampire Diaries). In Deadline‘s announcement of the casting, a more in-depth plot synopsis for the pilot was revealed which rather clearly differs from the comic book.
In the iZombie comic, the main character is a zombie named Gwen, who is a 20-something gravedigger who must eat one brain a month to keep from losing her memories. In the process, “she becomes consumed with the thoughts and personality of the dead person – until she eats her next brain. She sets out to fulfill the dead person’s last request, solve a crime or right a wrong.” The supporting cast is filled out with a best friend who also “happens to be a swinging ’60s ghost, a posse of paintball blasting vampires, a smitten were-dog and a hot but demented mommy.”
In the iZombie pilot and presumably TV show if picked up to series, the main character will be Liz, a medical student turned zombie who works in a morgue to gain access to brains, which she needs to eat to maintain her humanity. In so doing, she gains the deceased person’s memories. She passes these memories off as being obtained psychically and works with the medical examiner and a homicide detective to help solve crimes. The supporting cast will be filled out with Liz’s roommate (not a swinging 60′s ghost), and an entitled rich kid (what else would you expect from Veronica Mars people?) who is in over his head in the drug trade (sciencefiction.com).
Because iZombie has only been around since 2010 and is not as deeply revered as other comics they must have felt they had the license to change some things, and maybe a swinging 60′s ghost and cadre of goofy supernatural friends would be too much. However, if this thing ever makes it past the pilot those iZombie comic fans who tune in may be deeply disappointed. Either way, the TV version sounds like a combination of Warm Bodies, Tru Calling, and Pushing Daisies.
Son of Batman has a release date
The next DC Animation direct-to-video movie will be an adaptation of Grant Morrison’s Son of Batman, in which we were introduced to Damien Wayne. DC’s plan is to release 3 of these films a year, 2 of which exist in the same continuity started in Justice League: War (i.e., their most recent film) and 1 other doing its own thing. So, Son of Batman is their first test of this strategy, featuring the same Jason O’Mara-voiced Batman from Justice League: War. So, sucks for you if you weren’t a fan of his performance (comicbooktherapy.com).
Here’s the trailer:
It is due to hit Blu-Ray/DVD and video on demand on May 6, 2014 (sciencefiction.com).
