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As expected, “The Flash” viewers haven’t seen the last of Hunter “Zoom” Zolomon. However, when the character returns, it may not only be on that CW drama — and he may not be portrayed by Teddy Sears.

Transformed by time wraiths into Black Flash and then pulled into the Speed Force in “The Flash’s” Season Two finale, the villain will indeed race back into the Arrowverse.

RELATED: The CW Renews “Arrow,” “Flash,” “Supergirl” and “Legends of Tomorrow”

“I will say that you might be seeing him on multiple shows,” executive producer Andrew Kreisberg revealed today at the Television Critics Association’s winter press tour in Pasadena, California. He didn’t say which shows those are, or when fans can expect Black Flash’s return.

“[Black Flash] is a classic character. We have storylines on multiple shows that fit having him around,” he said. “There’s something so scary about him, something even scarier than when he was just the man, because now it’s now he is the Grim Reaper, he is the devil. How do you stop the devil? So it presents an interesting challenge for the heroes of the respective shows in which he appears.”

RELATED: “Flash”/”Supergirl” Musical Villain Revealed

However, as Sears indicated last month, the actor’s commitment to Fox’s “24: Legacy” may prevent him from reprising his “Flash” role.

“It would be a lot of fun to drop back into that world,” he shared. “We’ll just have to see if the guys on the other end feel the same way,” he said. “It sounds like they do, but it’s funny – now I belong to Fox, so there’s lots of people that would have to give a thumbs up. But I really hope so.”

Starring Grant Gustin, “The Flash” returns Tuesday, Jan. 24, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on The CW.

(via TheWrap)

The post Black Flash to Return on ‘Multiple’ Arrowverse Series appeared first on CBR.com.

Over seven seasons, “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” went far beyond the “monster of the week” format. Episodes explored taboo topics while characters dropped pop culture references left and right. “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” won only a few awards during its run from 1997 to 2003, but many TV critics (and its gigantic fandom) count “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” as one of the best TV shows ever.

RELATED: It’s Cool, Buffy’s A Superhero

Several episodes stood out for either changing the direction of the plot or unveiling more about a character, with the tone of the show evolving over its legendary run. The first season quickly ramped up its dramatic chops, letting viewers know that the series would be full of tragedy, as well as surprises, with the later episodes becoming, for many, a cultural televisual touchstone. With that in mind, and to celebrate that its first episode aired 20 years ago, in 1997, CBR takes a look at the 20 most important episodes of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.”

SPOILER WARNING: The following article contains major spoilers for “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.”

WELCOME TO THE HELLMOUTH

The series premiere of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” kicked off seven seasons of a game-changing TV show. Although it was set in high school, it tackled very mature issues about good and evil, love and sex, loyalty and friendship. “Welcome to the Hellmouth” introduced Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) as a seemingly ditsy blonde cheerleader, but soon enough we found out she had a lot more going on.

“Welcome to the Hellmouth” also dispelled any worries that the audience or the network had about the TV show being the same quality as the movie with the same title. The “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” movie was panned, but the TV show proved right away that it was going to be a much different (some might say better) animal. Creator Joss Whedon has said many times that, as a screenwriter, he lost control of the movie when he handed over the script. However, as the TV show’s creator and executive producer, he had complete control, and the difference showed.

BAND CANDY

This is the kind of episode that fans gleefully devour. In “Band Candy,” cursed chocolate bars made adults act like teenagers. The premise gave the cast a chance to have fun with their characters. The actors, specifically Anthony Stewart Head as Giles and Kristine Sutherland as Joyce Summers, got to play attitudes and emotions their characters didn’t usually feel. The audience enjoyed watching the role reversal of the kids and grown-ups. Just seeing Giles and Joyce behave like teenagers was a parody, not only of their normal stuffy selves, but also of Buffy and her friends.

The show couldn’t have pulled off this episode in the first season. “Band Candy” aired during the third season, and by then, the characters were so well established that the writers could play with them a little. In fact, we got a peek into what kind of punk Giles might have been in his youth. Plus, by the third season, the audience knew the characters well enough to get the joke.

HUSH

Monsters don’t get much creepier than the silent, suited, skeletal creatures in “Hush.” The Gentlemen may have worn perma-smiles, but they were some of the scariest villains “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” ever had. They stole the voices of everyone in Sunnydale so residents couldn’t scream when the Gentlemen cut out their hearts. The gang was forced to find other ways to communicate, like rude finger gestures (shame on you, Anya!) and white boards.

“Hush” made headlines when it aired in the fourth season for masterful storytelling, even in the absence of speech. Joss Whedon wrote “Hush” as a response to critics who said the show’s success was thanks to its dialog, and not its production values. Ironically, “Hush” was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series, the only nomination the show ever received for writing. “Hush” was also hailed for how it cleverly filmed the Gentlemen floating, rather than walking, around Sunnydale using a variety of techniques.

Lastly, “Hush” also marked turning points in two important relationships. Riley (Marc Blucas) discovered that Buffy wasn’t just another coed, and Tara (Amber Benson) and Willow (Alyson Hannigan) begin to realize they have feelings for each other.

EARSHOT

“Earshot” dealt with two frightening and controversial topics. Buffy gained the ability to read minds and discovered someone wanted to kill all the students. Eventually, the gang found Jonathan (Danny Strong) in the clock tower with a rifle, planing to kill himself. They also uncovered the lunch lady’s plot to poison everyone.

“Earshot” was originally supposed to air in the spring of 1999, but it was pulled from the schedule after the shooting at Columbine High School. Whedon and the network felt that airing the episode would be offensive in the aftermath of such a tragedy, as well as a painful reminder to anyone who watched. Instead, “Earshot” aired in September.

The episode dealt not only with mass killing, but also with suicide, another difficult issue. Buffy talked Jonathan out of killing himself by explaining that they all felt like outsiders, and that they were all insecure. Until that episode, Jonathan had been a funny background character. Showing a comedic character in tragic circumstances highlighted the fact, again, that you can’t assume what’s going on with someone by their outward appearance.

SCHOOL HARD

Spike (James Marsters) arrived in Sunnydale in Season 2 and the show was changed forever. In “School Hard,” Spike brought his lady love, Drusilla (Juliet Landau), to Sunnydale to find the Slayer and kill her. Their brand of evil was chaotic and fun, tinged with lots of danger. They were conceived as the Sid and Nancy of Sunnydale. Spike and Drusilla’s backstory tied them to Angel (David Boreanaz), and gave us information about his past, but more importantly, helped establish more of the Slayer mythology.

Although Drusilla eventually faded into the background on the series, Spike’s role only got bigger, thanks in part to James Marsters’ exuberance and charisma. Spike transformed over the years from a superficial villain to a complicated hero. He went from being Buffy’s enemy to being her lover, and finally, her savior. As a character, Spike also helped the show explore the theme of good vs. evil, and the gray area that lies in between.

LIES MY PARENTS TOLD ME

Although Angel was the first vampire we fell in love with, Spike was arguably more interesting and a better partner to Buffy. In “Lies My Parents Told Me,” Spike’s life before he became a vampire is revealed in bits and pieces. Like a lot of vampires, Spike was nothing like his vampire self when he was a human. He was meek and insecure. He was called “William the Bloody” because of his “bloody awful” poetry. Seeing Spike’s mother reject him, and how much it hurt him, went a long way toward explaining why Spike is so murderous and vengeful.

We also found out more about Principal Robin Wood (D.B. Woodside), who was the son of a Slayer. The episode plays with the theme of good vs. evil again, challenging the audience’s perceptions. Whedon shows their commonality by making both of their mothers emotionally unavailable. It’s hard to decide who is good and who is evil when both characters are bent on vengeance, but have also experienced terrible hurt and disappointment.

ANGEL

“Angel” was, perhaps, the quintessential “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” episode, because nothing was what it seemed. Buffy and Angel shared their first kiss, which was wonderful. But Buffy found out Angel was a vampire, which was conflicting, to say the least. Not only did she find out she was dating the ultimate bad boy, she knew it was her job to kill him. Nothing was ever easy on that show. When most teen dramas are centered on break-ups and make-ups, “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” took it further into a life or death situation.

“Angel” also set up themes for the entire series. What did it mean to be good or evil? How do you decide which is which? And, as the series progressed, what does it mean to make sacrifices for the greater good? Buffy had a big decision to make when it came to Angel. This was the episode that started Buffy down the twisted path of being a Slayer.

WHO ARE YOU

In interviews, actors always say how much fun it is to play a villain. Bad guys say what they want, do what they want, without worrying about consequences. Faith (Eliza Dushku) may not have been a true villain, but she certainly played fast and loose with rules and morals. In “Who Are You,” however, she discovered that the consequences of being a good person has rewards she would never experience if she continued to be bad. When she took over Buffy’s body and pretended to be her, long-buried emotions and desires came to the surface and made her question who she was and the life she was living.

On the flip side, watching Faith’s body take on Buffy’s mannerisms and behavior was also fascinating. Although Faith, in Buffy’s body, decided to make Buffy’s life her playground, Buffy had no interest in being Faith or living her life. Her goal was escape her captors, kill the vampires and get back to her own body. Faith, on the other hand, enjoyed being in Buffy’s body, because she had the love and affection of Riley, as well as Buffy’s friends. “Who Are You” showed that Faith was conflicted about her choices.

BAD GIRLS

Just like “Who Are You,” “Bad Girls” explored the differences between Buffy and Faith. They were both Slayers, but while Buffy adhered to the rule book and her Watcher’s instructions, Faith played by her own rules. She relished her power, even sexualized it, while Buffy kept it almost separate from herself. Faith was a Slayer 100% of the time, but Buffy was a Slayer only when she needed to be. The rest of the time she wanted to be a normal teenager.

In “Bad Girls,” Buffy got a taste of what it was like to be Faith and embrace her inner badass in everyday life. The two of them got more and more daring, but soon enough, they got drunk on power and were out of control. By the end of the episode, the difference between the two Slayers was very clear. After accidentally killing a man, Buffy was incredibly remorseful, but Faith shrugged it off as collateral damage. That was the turning point both in their relationship and in Faith’s path as a Slayer.

SMASHED

“Smashed” was the episode that made ‘shippers around the world happy. It’s also the episode that showed how dark the show could get. Spike realized that he could hurt Buffy, even though the chip in his head was still working, which meant that she came back to life “wrong.” He goaded her into a fury. Their resulting battle morphed into sex. After coming back to life, Buffy was lost and depressed. Giving in and having sex with Spike was her rock bottom. Having violent, desperate sex was a long way from the dreamy kiss she shared with Angel back in Season 1. It was shocking, sad and complicated, all things that which “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” excelled.

Meanwhile, Willow was experiencing her own descent into darkness. She played with her witchy power at The Bronze, which showed that both characters were hurting and dealing with their pain in terrible ways. It’s no coincidence that the title of the episode was “Smashed,” another word for being drunk, as both Buffy and Willow were clearly drunk on power and violence.

BLOOD TIES

Introducing Dawn (Michelle Trachtenberg), Buffy’s sister who literally came out of nowhere in Season 5, was met with a lot of fan griping. Despite being under pressure from fans to know why there was suddenly a new character on the show, Whedon and his crew did a marvelous job of keeping Dawn’s importance and origin a secret. In “Blood Ties,” Dawn found out she was the Key that goddess Glory (Clare Kramer) needed to return to her hell dimension.

“Blood Ties” was the turning point for Season 5. Dawn’s revelation had been coming for a long time. Finally, the season’s big secret was out and the gang could deal with it in the open. Although it was a confusing and heartbreaking discovery for Dawn, uncovering her secret meant the gang didn’t have to waste time and energy hiding it from her. Plus, Dawn’s identity crisis brought her closer to Buffy and their mother. Buffy was able to prove to Dawn how much she loved her and that they truly were sisters.

PROPHECY GIRL

“Prophecy Girl,” the first season finale, was important for a couple of reasons. First, Buffy finally and completely accepted her role as the Slayer. When she saw vampires and demons were taking over the world, she decided to fulfill her role in the prophecy about the Master, even though she knew she would die. It was the first time she sacrificed herself to save the world.

Second, Buffy died and came back to life. That meant a new Slayer had been activated when she died. For the rest of the series, there were at least two Slayers, first Kendra (Bianca Lawson), then Faith, who provided many episodes of stories. Buffy’s death and resurrection set the mythology of the Slayer for the series.

Third, it was Buffy’s first really big win. Defeating the Master (Mark Metcalf), and closing the Hellmouth proved to everyone, and herself, that Buffy really could get the job done. Killing the Master removed any doubts she had that she could make a difference.

THE BODY

“The Body” was another episode that was hailed by critics and fans alike. In a fantasy TV series full of vampires, demons and magic, “The Body” was a stand-out episode because it depicted a natural death in a very realistic way. The episode started where the previous episode left off, with Buffy coming into the house and calling for her mother. The first time we saw Joyce, dead on the couch, she was blurry in the background over Buffy’s shoulder, which was a disturbing image. “The Body” was beyond sad and very emotional.

The episode was shot and produced in ways to emphasize the mundane circumstances after someone dies. The episode had no soundtrack, when the show normally had sweeping music from Christophe Beck accompanying its emotional scenes. At times, the camera focused on objects rather than the actors’ faces to contrast the drama of death with the boring reality of life, like when the camera focused on the wind chime outside rather than on Buffy throwing up in the bushes.

It’s been nearly 16 years since “The Body” aired and I can still remember Tara’s response when Buffy asked if her mother’s death was sudden: “No. And yes. It’s always sudden.”

VILLAINS

“Villains” was another turning point, for both the series as a whole, and for a specific character. In the previous episode, Warren (Adam Busch) shot both Buffy and Tara. While Buffy survived, Tara did not. Her death sends Willow straight to the dark side. Tara’s death, and Willow’s subsequent reaction, put the season on the path to world destruction. (Willow’s dark turn was wonderfully portrayed by Alyson Hannigan.)

Just as Buffy’s resurrection sent her on a journey through darkness, Tara’s death pushed Willow into using dark magic and becoming evil. Willow’s transformation, however, was much more shocking and upsetting than Buffy’s was. Buffy struggled with her role as a Slayer from the beginning. She frequently lived in the gray area, especially when it came to her relationship with Angel. However, Willow was always the chipper one in the group, seeing a silver lining and keeping everyone on the up and up. She was also timid and meek. Becoming a dark magician was a complete role reversal for Willow. Watching the usually sensitive Willow become remorseless and vindictive was very disturbing.

GRAVE

“Grave” had more than one big moment. While one storyline was resolved, another was beginning. Both instances were important for several main characters, especially in episodes to come. In the first storyline, Willow was in the midst of destroying the world. Magic couldn’t stop her and no one was strong enough to even get near her. For the first time on the show, Xander (Nicholas Brendon) saved the world. He got through to Willow, friend to friend, and she reverted to her red-headed self. Xander, the Zeppo, who was always underestimated, blew everyone away, on the show and in the audience.

The other big story moment happened in Africa, where Spike was enduring an ordeal in order to win back his soul. Spike wanted his soul back so Buffy would forgive him. At the very end of the episode, his soul was restored, which put Spike on the path to redemption, although he would go through many trials to get there. Having his soul restored right at the end of Season 6 was a tantalizing and intriguing cliffhanger.

ONCE MORE, WITH FEELING

Musical television shows generally suck. I don’t mean shows that have stand-alone songs in them, like “Empire,” but rather shows that tell a story through song. Although Rachel Bloom won a Golden Globe for “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” it isn’t winning any ratings races. When Whedon announced he wrote a musical episode, fans cheered but critics groaned. However, it was sheer genius.

“Once More, With Feeling” showcased the musical talents of the cast. Only a couple of the cast members had sung on screen before, but all of them were brilliant. Whedon, who had never written a musical before, tailored the songs to his cast, which made their performances easier. Every character had a song that explored something with which they were grappling, like trust in a relationship or loving someone from afar.

Whedon purposely saved an important revelation for “Once More, With Feeling.” Ever since Buffy had returned from the dead, she wasn’t the same, but no one was really talking about it. In this episode, Buffy finally came clean. Much to her friends’ surprise and dismay, she revealed she wasn’t happy to be back in the living world. Though they thought they had rescued her soul from a hell dimension, she sang about how wonderful Heaven had been and how she wished they had left her there.

SURPRISE / INNOCENCE

“Surprise” and “Innocence” are listed together because they were a two-parter. While “Angel” revealed a fairly big secret — that Angel was a vampire — “Surprise / Innocence” was an even bigger shock for fans. Buffy, a virgin, finally gave herself to Angel. What seemed to be a teen dream, however, turned into a nightmare, however. Because Angel had experienced a moment of happiness and true love, the curse binding his soul to his vampiric body was lifted and he became the evil Angelus again. Angel’s reverting to his vampire form, and Buffy’s loss of a true love, was the beginning of the story that led to the season finale.

“Surprise / Innocence,” like so many “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” episodes, was a brutal metaphor for real-life circumstances. Buffy fell for the dreamy older guy and slept with him. But the next day, he turned into a monster who didn’t love her and tossed her aside. Not only was she ashamed, but she also had to get over him in order to kill him.

CHOSEN

One of the most important constructs of the whole show was turned on its head in “Chosen,” the series finale. The premise that in “every generation, there is a Chosen One” was destroyed. Willow used the Scythe to channel its essence and activate every Potential Slayer on Earth to help them fight The First. Dozens of Slayers were activated on site and joined the battle, while around the world other Slayers were activated too.

Longtime fans of the show felt the same way Buffy did at the end of the episode. When Dawn asked, “What are we going to do now?” Buffy smiled with a joy she had never experienced before. She was no longer the only Slayer (or one of two). She didn’t have to bear the burden of saving the world by herself anymore.

In addition to the world getting a whole bunch of Slayers, another big storyline — and character — came to an end. Spike wore the amulet that opened the sky and let in the sun. He sacrificed himself like the champion he had become. In true Spike fashion, he declared “I want to see how this ends” right before turning to ash.

THE GIFT

Buffy was no stranger to sacrifice. But her sacrifice in “The Gift” was bigger and more dramatic than any other in the series. Although she knew she was going to die in “Prophecy Girl,” she was still inexperienced and probably hoped it wouldn’t really happen. Sure enough, Xander resuscitated her after she was dead for only a moment. In “The Gift,” however, Buffy was exhausted and kind of tired of being the Slayer. She was also grieving the loss of her mother. And by then, she had seen human death up close, a lot. She had a much better understanding of what it meant to die.

Her death was not only spectacular — complete with a high dive, a funeral and a tombstone — but also final. Her death at the end of Season 5 meant that no one, the characters or the audience, knew how the show would carry on without her. Her name was in the title! But Whedon doesn’t do anything halfway. Her return to life was difficult and painful and had long-reaching consequences.

BECOMING, PART 2

When someone watches “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” for the first time and they get to “Becoming, Part 2,” they break down. They also know they aren’t watching an ordinary TV show anymore. “Becoming Part 2” was heartbreaking and epic, in the true sense of the word. Not many TV shows can top the emotional power of this episode. The shocking turn of events is heightened thanks to the juxtaposition of Buffy’s mission to save the world, with the enormous love she felt for Angel.

Buffy’s sadness and regret was bad enough when she knew she had to kill Angel, who was formerly her lover. Her pain was increased tenfold when she saw that his soul was restored and he became his old self. It was increased one hundredfold when she had to plunge her sword into the guy she fell in love with in anyway in order to save the world. It’s no wonder she packed up and left town after the portal closed. The episode wouldn’t have been so impactful, however, if the entire season hadn’t also been carefully plotted and so well-written to deserve that payoff.

What was your favorite episode of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer?” Tell us in the comments!

The post Buffy The Vampire Slayer: The 20 Most Important Episodes appeared first on CBR.com.

The back half of “Arrow” Season 5 will see the introduction of Talia al Ghul, and executive producer Wendy Mericle promises that she’ll be a big piece of the Prometheus puzzle. Speaking to TVLine, Mericle revealed that Talia plays a “crucial part” in the mystery behind Prometheus.

“Arrow” won’t be Talia’s first “Arrow”-verse debut. After all, she appeared on “DC’s Legends of Tomorrow,” albeit as a child. The time travelling team met Talia in the ’50s, after Sara, Ray Palmer and Kendra Saunders were stranded there by the Waverider for two years. However, “Arrow’s” Talia will be a full grown adult played by “The 4400’s” Lexa Doig.

RELATED: Oliver Tells Diggle About [SPOILER]’s Surprise Return In Arrow Clip

Debuting in the “Arrow” winter premiere, Talia is the latest member of the al Ghul family to appear on the CW show; her half-sister Nyssa al Ghul (Katrina Law) played a major part in “Arrow” seasons two through four, and their father Ra’s al Ghul (Matt Nable) was a major villain in season three of the show. The better-known daughter of Ra’s al Ghul, Talia al Ghul debuted in “Detective Comics” #411 in 1971. She initially served as a love interest for Batman, with most of her villainous acts coming at the request of her father Ra’s al Ghul. She’s been trained by the League of Assassins and is a deadly hand-to-hand combatant and is also skilled in the use of numerous weapons. More recently, Talia has become an adversary of Batman in her own right.

RELATED: Arrow’s Felicity Will Set Her Sights on Prometheus

Mericle also weighed in on the big Laurel Lance mystery, saying that her reappearance “is a very welcome surprise… But there will be… whatever the reverse of a ‘silver lining’ is… when [Oliver] finds out what’s really going on. It will have a lot of emotional resonance, particularly for him and Felicity.” Of course, thanks to a mid-season premiere promo, it appears as though this version of Laurel may very well be the Black Siren of Earth-2, who was a metahuman and never needed a device to power her sonic scream.

Starring Stephen Amell as the Emerald Archer, “Arrow” airs at 8 pm ET/PT on The CW. The series also stars Emily Bett Rickards, David Ramsey, John Barrowman, Willa Holland and more. “Arrow’s” fifth season returns to the CW on January 25.

The post Arrow: Talia al Ghul Will Be ‘Crucial’ to Prometheus Mystery appeared first on CBR.com.

Ever since “Deadpool” and its star Ryan Reynolds scored Golden Globe nominations, people have been wondering if the film can break the comic book curse and score — or even win — an Oscar or two in non-technical categories. And if “Deadpool” doesn’t take away a statue this year, then star Ryan Reynolds has a feeling that the upcoming X-Men film “Logan” could.

RELATED: Wolverine Strides Away From The Sunset In New Logan Poster

While speaking with Variety, Reynolds commented on the film’s chances of landing a Best Picture nomination, something no superhero film has ever received. “‘Logan’ looks like a movie that might break that glass ceiling,” said Reynolds. “I know first-hand that it’s amazing. I’ve seen some of it. It’s mind-blowing. It relies a lot on character.”

The R-rated film “Logan” comes from director James Mangold, whose Johnny Cash biopic “Walk the Line” earned Reese Witherspoon a Best Actress Oscar in 2005. Jackman’s also talked about the Oscars recently, talking to Variety about “Deadpool’s award chances.

“When I hosted the Oscars, ‘Batman’ didn’t get nominated, and everyone was talking about it,” said Jackman. “It’s a stretch to say these are injustices in life — we are happy and making movies. But I love it when someone like Ryan gets recognized… These big-budget or comic book movies are not easy to pull off.”

Set beyond the events of “X-Men: Days of Future Past,” 2017’s “Logan” is set in the near future following a cataclysmic event that ravaged the mutant race. It will also be Hugh Jackman’s final outing as Wolverine, and will introduce Dafne Keen as the character’s teenage clone X-23.

Directed by James Mangold, written by Michael Green, Scott Frank, James Mangold and David James Kelly, and starring Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Boyd Holbrook, Richard E. Grant, Dafne Keen and Stephen Merchant, “Logan” arrives in theaters on March 3, 2017.

The post Ryan Reynolds Thinks Logan Could Be An Oscar Contender appeared first on CBR.com.

Michael Keaton’s reason for bowing out of the Batcave once director Joel Schumacher took over the Warner Bros. franchise is a pretty simple one; upon reading the script for “Batman Forever,” the actor’s reaction was, “It sucked.”

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the man who helped usher in a new era of superhero movies opened up on exactly why he decided it was prudent for him to hang up the cape and cowl after just two movies, opting to join director Tim Burton in leaving the streets of Gotham City behind him. “I knew it was in trouble when he [Schumacher] said, ‘Why does everything have to be so dark?'”

RELATED: Ben Affleck’s Batman Film May Use LA For Gotham City

Since his career hit its latest upswing with the release of “Birdman,” Keaton has been more than happy to discuss his time as the Dark Knight during press events. When promoting the acclaimed 2015 film, the actor recalled just how excited he was when originally offered the role.

“Yeah, I was glad. Are you kidding? I mean, who gets to play Batman? It was awesome!” Keaton said at a press event. “It goes down in film lore, film history. What Tim Burton did really reinvented how those modern day superheroes are done. He started a whole thing, and I was part of his pioneering venture.”

While Keaton’s time as a DC Comics icon may be in the past, the actor is set to embark upon his first journey into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The actor portrays iconic villain the Vulture in “Spider-Man: Homecoming,” the first film co-produced by Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios, slated for release July 7, 2017.

The post Michael Keaton Explains Why He Left the Batman Franchise appeared first on CBR.com.

With the upcoming live-action adaptation due in theaters March 31st, the original anime classic Ghost In The Shell is returning to theaters on February 7th and 8th.

Lionsgate and Funimation Films are putting the 1995 animated film back into 110 theaters. Directed by Mamoru Oshii, the film follows a female cybernetic government agent, Major Motoko Kusanagi, as she hunts down a computer virus called The Puppet Master that can effect human hosts. There will be a new deluxe edition of the remastered film released on March 7th on Blu-ray and digital HD.

The new adaptation of the film stars Scarlett Johansson as the Major and is directed by Rupert Sanders.

Original Ghost In The Shell Film Returns To Theaters

It’s a tough business getting into price predictions for unannounced consoles. Reports are often wrong, either due to misinformation or things changing.

However, Japanese paper Nikkei don’t usually get things wrong about Nintendo. That is why their report (translated by Engadget) stating that the console will cost around ¥25,000 is at least worth note. That is $215, making it much cheaper than most consoles at launch. (Of course, Nintendo might make it more expensive in other countries as it changes currency. In fact, I’d bet money on it.)

It is worth keeping in mind that this might be more of a prediction than a scoop. That being said, Nikkei clearly have good contacts within the company based on their track record, and as a massive newspaper, I wouldn’t expect them to be throwing around numbers too liberally. We are likely to find out the price on Friday though, as that is when Nintendo’s Switch stream will take place.

Report Says The Nintendo Switch Will Be Priced Around $215 In Japan

In 1987, Mike Grell wrote and drew the three-issue prestige format limited series Green Arrow: The Longbow Hunters. He redesigned the character’s costume, away from the costume Neal Adams had designed in 1969, and recast Green Arrow as an “urban hunter” going up against non-super-powered, real world villains such as serial killers, terrorists, street gangs, American mobsters and Yakuza.

He lost the trick arrows in favour of penetrating broadhead arrows. And he killed for the first time.

It transformed the character into one taken seriously and saw him write, and sometimes draw, the character’s first ongoing series for five years from 1988 to 1993, and reduced the fantastic elements of the DC Universe that Green Arrow would have to deal with.

Not only that but the character wouldn’t even be referred to as Green Arrow.

But that was then, and Grell has pursued other projects since, with his run on Green Arrow as a calling card, even as it informed much of the current Arrow TV series.

Well, for 2017, the thirtieth anniversary of Longbow Hunters, Mike Grell is returning to Green Arrow as the series new variant cover artist.

He writes,

As anyone who is following this page already knows, GREEN ARROW has always been my favorite comic character and it was the GREEN LANTERN/GREEN ARROW series by Denny O’Neil, Neal Adams and Dick Giordano that inspired me to get into the comic business. After having drawn both characters in backup features, I was fortunate enough to have been in the DC offices when Denny announced he was resurrecting the title. I marched straight into his office and said, “Okay, who do I have to kill?”

A dozen years later, I returned to Green Arrow with THE LONGBOW HUNTERS, which led to the first series with the character starring in his own title and, ultimately, to the CW series ARROW.

And now I’m home again.

Now, if I can just talk DC into letting me write the book… and a hard-cover edition for the 30th anniversary of THE LONGBOW HUNTERS would be nice… and a pony… and a Red Ryder B.B. gun…

So… who wants Mike Grell to write Green Arrow again? He certainly does…

Mike Grell Returns To Green Arrow In 2017

The New Mutants is in the works with Fox, bringing a new cast of characters to the onscreen X-verse. Demonic Bear is set to appear, as revealed by a pre-vis sequence that hit a few months ago, but we now likely know a familiar face who is set to re-appear.

It appears that James McAvoy‘s appearance as Professor X might have been let slip. Speaking to ComingSoon, Anya Taylor-Joy who looks to be set to play Magik, suggested that McAvoy was already set. This was already rumoured, but when asked point-blank his involvement she said:

I mean, I think James is already a part of it, isn’t he?

Now, she could simply just be mistaken, which isn’t to say this is a confirmation. What I would say though is that this certainly does seems a strong indication.

James McAvoy Is Likely Going To Be Back As Professor X In The New Mutants

After the tragic passing of film and screenwriting royalty Carrie Fisher, fans are left wondering how to further memorialize the iconic writer and actress. Obviously, she will always be most well-known for playing Princess Leia in Star Wars. To fans young and old, she will always be royalty. And now there is a fan petition to make it official.

The petition, which as of this writing has over 34,000 signatures, aims to have Disney make the character an official Disney Princess. In the Change.org posting, fan Cody Christensen calls for the following:

“After the tragic lose of Carrie Fisher, we feel that it is only fitting for Disney to do away with the rule that an official Disney princess must be animated and make Leia a full-fledged princess. This would be a wonderful way to remember Carrie and a welcoming to one of Disney’s new properties that is beloved by millions.

What we are asking is that the Walt Disney Corporation hold a full ceremony inducting Leia as the newest Disney princess as well as a special service in memory of Carrie Fisher.”

Some people may not be fully aware that there are rules for a character being made into an “official” Disney Princess, but we learn something new every day don’t we? That being said, I think here they could stand to make an exception. Disney paid $4 billion for Star Wars, and surely they wouldn’t want to waste any opportunity to make something off of that. But, for fans and fandom at large, it would be a nice thing to do to honor a character and woman who meant so very much to us for so long. Some would say it would be the ultimate tribute, with Leia blazing yet another trail and changing the rules one last time.

Art by J.L. Moses 990031 from Deviantart.

Jeremy Konrad loves Star Wars and collecting action figures and collectibles. He also watches wrestling, maybe more than Jude Terror. Follow him on Twitter @jeremyohio

Honoring Royalty: Fans Petition Disney To Make Leia An Official Princess

We learned last month that Gypsy will be joining the cast of The Flash in this new year. It was originally hinted at by Carlos Valdez that she would be coming on in a way to help Cisco Ramon learn his powers. But executive producer Aaron Helbing told TVLine that she will be a very strong adversary for him as well as the fact he can’t stop thinking about the “bad ass” Gypsy. Actress Jessica Camacho has been tapped to play the new character.

We’ve talked about the comic history between Gypsy and Vibe, how the two basically started out together in the Justice League Detroit era along with Vixen. The two also worked together in the recent Justice League: Vibe series written by Geoff Johns, so it comes as no surprise that the two will be sort of paired off on the show. But in just what way?

We know Cisco is in a bad place emotionally. He’s still trying to deal with the loss of his brother and with the revelation that Barry Allen (Grant Gustin) was in part responsible. He hasn’t really had any luck with women. The only ones that seemed interested was the villainous Golden Glider (Peyton List) and the destined to be with another Hawkgirl (Ciara Renee). This could be his chance for a little happiness… so the writers make her an adversary.

And he won’t have Caitlin (Danielle Panabaker) to help him out too much as she will spend the rest of the season wrestling with her powers. Add that to Wally (Keiynan Lonsdale) still getting up to speed and the whole save Iris (Candice Patton) in the future thing… Team Arrow will be very busy.

Will Gypsy Be A Friend Or Foe For Cisco Ramon?

Ridley Scott has really jumped from genre to genre the years. With each film, it seems like he is really trying to do something new in some way or another, but it does leave the question of genres he hasn’t yet touched. For example, the zeitgeist king right now, superhero movies.

Well, I wouldn’t expect that to change anytime soon. That is off the back of comments he made to Digital Spy, where he didn’t hold back on what he thinks of the genre. He said:

[I’ve been asked] several times, but I can’t believe in the thin, gossamer tight-rope of the non-reality of the situation of the superhero. I’ve done that kind of movie – Blade Runner really is a comic strip when you think about it, it’s a dark story told in an unreal world. You could almost put Batman or Superman in that world, that atmosphere, except I’d have a f**king good story, as opposed to no story!

I- I don’t think Ridley Scott likes Superhero movies very much…

Ridley Scott Hasn’t Directed A Superhero Movie Before Because He “Can’t Believe In Them”

With Sherlock returning today, Ancestry.com hit upon the ultimate connection to make the news. They found that Benedict Cumberbatch, the actor who stars as the modern day Sherlock Holmes and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of the super-sleuth, are related. They share a common ancestor named John of Gaunt. The 14th century Duke of Lancaster was the fourth son of King Edward III of England and a close friend to Geoffrey Chaucer, the author of The Canterbury Tales.

This also means that both Doyle and Cumberbatch are descendants of royalty.

John of Gaunt’s son John Beaufort was the 16th great-grandfather of Cumberbatch while John of Gaunt’s daughter Joan Beaufort was the 14th great-grandmother of Doyle, making the two men 16th cousins twice removed.

Here is the genealogy chart to show the connection.

[Source: EW.com]

Benedict Cumberbatch A Distant Relative Of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Here at Bleeding Cool, we strive to bring our readers the most interesting comic book news on the internet. To do that, we use cutting edge technology to locate the stories our readers most want to hear about, and then we investigate and report. One of the most important tools in our arsenal is our famous WHEEL OF STORIES, which has an uncanny ability to point us in the direction of the hottest industry gossip and breaking news.

The wheel has provided us with two stories today. Dare we go for a third? Of course we dare! We are Bleeding Cool!

*spins the wheel*

Donald Trump connection! Always a classic. Let’s see what we’ve got…

Superstar comics creator Frank Miller and pleasant gentleman Brian Azzarello gave an interview to Comic Book Resources today, and though Azzarello valiantly abstained from calling CBR Managing Editor Albert Ching a pussy during the interview, he and Miller did talk a little bit about Donald Trump, a barely disguised analog of whom has appeared throughout the Dark Knight III series.

“Let me put it this way,” Miller, who somewhat surprisingly, based on his reputation, supported Hillary Clinton in the election, said of the President Elect.” I don’t think I could have dreamt of a story where the United States president was best friends with a member of the KGB.”

“And you know what?” Azzarello added. “If he would have come up with that, I would have said, ‘Come on! Too far-fetched. Nobody would buy that!'”

“What’s next for us,” Miller wondered. “Nazis?”

Speaking of Nazis, Miller also elaborated on his next DC project, of which he said, “As far as ‘DK4,’ yes, I always plan to continue the DK story but there will be something else in between. It’ll take some seminal DC characters back to their origins.” Miller is likely talking about the project he alluded to at Brazil’s Comic Con Experience back in November, when he said, “I have a fixation with World War II and I’m talking to DC on a project with their heroes at that time.”

The pair also addressed the big twist in the latest issue of Dark Knight III: Ill-Advised Nazi Subtitle, which we’ll give you a chance to avoid if you haven’t read it yet…

In Dark Knight #7 features, according to CBR’s naughty spoilery interview, “Superman reviving Bruce Wayne via the Lazarus Pit, and him coming out apparently much younger.” According to Miller and Azzarello, this will “open up” the Dark Knight universe for more sequels and expansion.

“I think what we’ve done to him definitely opens up the whole Dark Knight world a little bit more,” Azarello said.  “A lot more stories that can be told. We added some time.”

So in case you were worried, fear not – Dark Knight can be milked for sequels and spinoffs for years to come!

Head over to CBR to read the whole interview. We’re gonna go back to spinning that wheel and see other stories we can find today.

Frank Miller Talks Dark Knight Spoilers, Elaborates On Next DC Project, Couldn’t Dream Up President Trump

When “What We Leave Behind” drew to a conclusion, longtime fans of “Arrow” were in for a big surprise. Following her death in Season 4, Black Canary has been physically absent from the show, but her memory has loomed large over the series. So, when she staged a surprise return in the very last scene of the Season 5 fall finale, she left a lot of questions hanging in the air for the winter hiatus. On Facebook Live, “Arrow” star Stephen Amell used this opportunity to address the importance of Black Canary to Green Arrow, though he danced around any confirmation of her return.

When a fan said they’d love to have Black Canary back on the show, Amell said, “I agree. Lots of consternation within the fan base about what’s important in… the Green Arrow-verse. And I will say that, forgetting about the show for a second… if you just look at the canon of ‘Green Arrow,’ John Diggle wasn’t actually a character and he’s indispensable. Felicity Smoak wasn’t really a character and she’s indispensable. So we’ve picked and plucked from various parts of the DC Universe, but — if you’re just getting into the canon of Green Arrow, the comic character, not necessarily the show, but the comic book character — the Black Canary is easily the most important feature next to the Green Arrow. Period. Full stop. Forever. So it would be very nice to have the Black Canary back. I would agree with that.”

RELATED: Arrow: Oliver Finds [SPOILER] in the Bunker in Fall Finale Twist

In “What We Leave Behind,” Katie Cassidy’s Laurel Lance reappeared, but — beyond that — not much else is known about the character’s status. After visiting Susan Williams for a pick-me-up, Oliver shuffled back to an empty Arrow cave, only to see a shadowy figure standing in front of the costume display. When Oliver barked, “Who are you?”, Laurel turned around to face him and said, “Hey, Ollie” — and that’s where the episode ended. Since no one else was in the bunker at the time, it’s hard to say whether or not Laurel was actually, physically in the room. Is she a vision triggered by the traumatic events he just went through? A doppelganger from a parallel universe? A product of time travel, or perhaps even Flashpoint? Unfortunately, those questions won’t be answered until the show returns from its winter hiatus.

Amell also offered a few teases for the back half of Season 5. When a fan asked for two truths and a lie, Amell offered, “There’s a road trip. A boys’ trip, as a matter of fact, where we’re looking for a girl. There is a resurrection, and there is something we dedicated early in the season is destroyed.” Of course, one of these teases is a lie, but it’s enough to spark some speculation for the direction of Season 5 as we move into the new year.

Starring Stephen Amell as the Emerald Archer, “Arrow” airs Wednesdays at 8 pm ET/PT on The CW. The series also stars Emily Bett Rickards, David Ramsey, John Barrowman, Willa Holland and more.

The post Arrow’s Amell Calls Black Canary ‘Most Important Feature’ of Green Arrow appeared first on CBR.com.

Tonight “Arrow” delivered an outstanding winter finale. The episode — which was titled “What We Leave Behind” — superbly showcased Prometheus’ plan to bring down Team Arrow, while also providing an intense emotional landscape that allowed Oliver to address and grieve over the sins of his past. While never fully unmasking Prometheus (as was expected,) the episode did provide some clues as to his identity: the son of Justin Claybourne — someone that Oliver killed off the list back in Season 1. While Oliver was dealing with the heavy emotional burdens in this episode, his team also suffered greatly at the hands of Prometheus. Curtis was attacked and may have ruined his marriage, Wild Dog and Rory were betrayed by Evelyn, Diggle was arrested, and Felicity’s boyfriend Billy was killed. The episode concluded with the surprise return of Laurel Lance, which will have to be explained when the series returns in January. This episode may have been “Arrow’s” strongest of the season, as it created space for Stephen Amell to deliver one of his finest performances on the show ever.

Prometheus’ Hit List

The episode kicked off in Prometheus’ lair, where he outlined his plans to his inside woman, Artemis. On his wall he had the photos of everyone connected to Oliver Queen and the Green Arrow — Felicity, Diggle, Lance, Thea, Curtis, Rene, and Rory. While Evelyn assumed that Prometheus wanted to kill Oliver, he said that he actually didn’t want to kill him, he wanted to tear down his life and everyone in it. Prometheus began his attack by hurting Curtis, who collapsed on the steps of the Mayor’s office after a town Christmas party. Curtis was rushed to the hospital, where he had to tell his husband the truth about being a member of Team Arrow. Later, when the team tracked Prometheus down to a warehouse, Evelyn revealed herself to the team as a traitor, because she believed that Star City needed to be saved from the Green Arrow. Artemis and Prometheus fled, but not before Oliver and the team discovered some key clues about Prometheus’ identity.

Justin Claybourne

While the team was investigating the warehouse and the chemical that Curtis was injected with, the team discovered a connection to a name Oliver had once crossed off his father’s list. Here, the flashbacks took us not to Russia or a time Oliver was on the island, but to the Arrow Cave in Season 1. Oliver and Diggle were investigating an outbreak of tuberculosis and a pharmaceutical company that was profiting from the outbreak. Their search led them to Justin Claybourne — the man responsible for weaponizing the outbreak and a name on the list. The flashbacks showed Oliver threatening Claybourne’s life and when he didn’t stop profiting from the outbreak Oliver shot and killed him. All of these scenes played out over a current timeline/flashback overlay, where Oliver retraced his steps at the chemical plant in both past and present. At first, Team Arrow thought that Prometheus was Justin Claybourne back from the dead, but when they found Justin’s remains and a baby picture of his son, they knew Prometheus must be this unnamed child. Oliver came face to face with Prometheus in the same place that Justin Claybourne was killed, but instead of killing Prometheus, he killed Felicity’s boyfriend Billy Malone. Billy was trapped inside the Prometheus suit and Oliver killed him by accident. When Oliver pulled Prometheus’ mask off he was devastated to realize that he had killed an innocent man.

Oliver’s Guilt

Oliver then had to deliver the tragic news to his team and to Felicity. Stephen Amell’s performance in this scene absolutely made the episode. In that moment Oliver was ashamed at what he had done, he was broken, he wanted to push everyone away from him because he was afraid they would all die at his hands. Felicity took the news the hardest, but instead of fleeing from Oliver, the team rallied around him. This guilt play was all part of Prometheus’ plan to isolate Oliver, to get him to hit rock bottom — as if other seasons of the show haven’t already shown Oliver at his lowest point. Interestingly, this episode allowed for multiple motivational speeches, from Thea to Oliver’s new girlfriend, Oliver was encouraged multiple times that all of the good he did for the city completely outweighed the bad and that he needed to learn to focus on the good. Ultimately Oliver was left to deal with the truth that doing something good — crossing someone off his dad’s list — could also do something bad — like create a mortal enemy.

The Canary Rises 

The episode concluded with Curtis’ husband leaving him, Evelyn off the team, Felicity in shock, the arrest of John Diggle, and the shocking return of Laurel Lance. When the show returns on Wednesday, January 25, 2017, it will have a lot to answer for, including the true identity of Prometheus. So far he’s believed to be Claybourne’s son, but that might be a misdirect. Some theories have been floating around that Prometheus could be Grant Wilson, Slade Wilson’s son, which was hinted at when Prometheus threw a throwing star at Oliver’s picture and it landed in his eye. Oliver did point out this week that whoever Prometheus is, he was trained by the same woman in Russia who trained Oliver — is that a clue? As for Laurel, while it was previously announced that she would be returning to the show, she was not expected to return until the second half of the season. Laurel’s arrival and the true identity of Prometheus may have something common, just like Felicity said this week, “Dead people show up alive pretty much every Wednesday.”

Starring Stephen Amell as the Emerald Archer, “Arrow” airs Wednesdays at 8 pm ET/PT on The CW. The series also stars Emily Bett Rickards, David Ramsey, John Barrowman, Willa Holland and more.

The post Arrow Recap: Prometheus Sets Oliver Up for a Devastating Fall appeared first on CBR.com.

Spaceship Earth, the iconic sphere that’s long been a symbol of Disney World’s Epcot theme park, will turn to the Dark Side on Dec. 5 to celebrate the upcoming release of “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.”

The structure will be transformed into the Death Star through digital projections during an invitation-only, after-hours event that filled up shortly after the announcement was made Friday on the Disney Parks blog. Don’t worry if you didn’t make the list, though. The event will be streamed live on the blog for fans to enjoy around the world.

RELATED: Disney Debuts New Image of “Star Wars”-Themed Land

Some “Star Wars” announcements may also come out of the event, as Disney teased that it will “be sharing updates on current and upcoming ‘Star Wars’ experiences at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.” “Star Wars”-themed lands are under construction at Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, and Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. No opening dates have been revealed.

Directed by Gareth Edwards, “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” follows a group of freedom fighters who undertake a dangerous mission to steal the design plans for the Galactic Empire’s new planet-destroying superweapon, the Death Star.

Opening Dec. 15 in the United Kingdom and Dec. 16 in the United States, the film stars Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Ben Mendelsohn, Donnie Yen, Mads Mikkelsen, Alan Tudyk, Jiang Wen, Riz Ahmed and Forest Whitaker.

The post Epcot’s Spaceship Earth to Turn Into Death Star appeared first on CBR.com.

A mysterious little app launched on iOS in 2014 — a puzzle game titled “Do Not Believe His Lies.” This game has subsequently been released on Android and been downloaded by more than 100,000 people, but to date, nobody has been able to solve it.

That’s not for lack of trying. People have poured countless hours into this puzzle, yet it still remains a mystery, with some of the sharpest players no match for this enigmatic app.

The description simply reads: “Only the Weak Give Up. It always seems impossible, until it’s done!”

Fans of the game who have become obsessed with figuring it out have launched an appeal to try to bring in some fresh sets of eyes. There are small communities based around the game, and the devs seem to keep a close eye on them and to even include little hints in the game to suggest that they’re listening. So while the app has given life to these communities, the communities are now feeding the game in return.

Here’s the video asking for help:

Secure Video Sharing

Progress had been quiet for a while, as new players made their way through the puzzles and everyone else has been stuck at the same place, unable to complete it or move ahead any further. Until: At 4:52 p.m. PT on Nov. 30, a Ustream broadcast appeared until about 5:13 PM. This stream went live shortly after a player emailed the developer with a certain code at the exact right time, obtained through complex puzzles.

It would seem the code launched the livestream, and now it looks like things are starting to move forward again — but will it be enough to finally solve this puzzle, or will it just lead to more questions than answers?

“I started writing, designing and publishing my first apps on the App Store some time ago,” the game’s creator, Lukasz Matablewski, said. “I do all the work on my apps by myself, from initial idea throughout the design and finishing on writing the code.””

The game’s official website doesn’t have a lot. They have links to download the game, a link to a YouTube video, a link to send in an email, and a seven-second clip of a Ustream.

From translating morse code, to puzzle pieces that players have to print out and arrange to reveal hidden messages, to editing images in order to reveal hidden codes, you never really know what the next “Do Not Believe His Lies” puzzle has in store, or what the game wants you to do — until you figure it out.

The post Nobody Has Been Able to Solve This Disturbing Puzzle Game appeared first on CBR.com.

If you thought “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” just echoed 1977’s “Star Wars,” it turns out the film may have also borrowed heavily from another source. As pointed out in an episode of the “Caravan of Garbage” series on the Mr. Sunday Movies YouTube page, “The Force Awakens” bears a strong resemblance to aspects of the 1985 animated series “Star Wars: Droids” — but it’s probably just a coincidence.

“Droids” followed the misadventures of C-3PO and R2-D2 in the time period before “Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope.” The animated series only lasted for one 13-episode season, but its effects can still be coincidentally (?) be felt today.

In the “Caravan of Garbage” episode, part of a series revisiting old pop culture artifacts, the hosts recap and riff on the first episode of “Droids” from 1985. At about 5:20 seconds in, they come across a mysterious woman under a heavy disguise surviving alone on a desert planet. Sound familiar? The unmasking scene unfolds similarly to how audiences meet Rey in “The Force Awakens.” Coincidence?

The hosts also point out that the character is named Kea — and that Rey was originally named “Kira.” On top of that a future episode of “Droids” introduces a pirate villain named Kybo Ren-Cha. Are Kea and Kybo-Ren the inspiration for Rey and Kylo Ren? Is it just a coincidence? Watch the video for yourself and decide!

(via Comic Book Movie)

The post Wait, Is Star Wars’ Rey A Copy Of A Character From The Droids Cartoon? appeared first on CBR.com.

It’s the day after Christmas and you’re bored. You’ve got almost a week until New Year’s and you’ve got nothing to do. How are you going to pass the time? How about a trip to Westeros? Or rather a Game of Thrones Marathon? Yes, HBO 2 is going to run the first six seasons of Game of Thrones in a row starting at noon on December 26th and continuing until December 31st.

It’s a good time to catch up before Season Seven returns.

5 Day Game Of Thrones Marathon Coming To HBO 2

The most common complaint tabled at Star Wars: Battlefront when it initially came out was its lack of single player story. The game while certainly impressive, only really worked for those who like to get stuck in with multiplayer modes.

This isn’t lost on DICE or EA though. In fact, it looks likely we will be getting a larger single player componant in the sequel. Speaking on the Achievement Oriented podcast (via Gamespot), EA’s Justin McCully, while not stating outright the mode, certainly alluded to it pretty heavily. He said:

The focus of the first game was to nail the core multiplayer experience of what DICE does great. That was the strategy of that title. And now as we expand in the universe we have better sense of what characters are coming into play, what stories we can tell, what stories are maybe being told in a film versus a game, that’s where we’ve really ramped up the interaction with the [Lucasfilm Story Group] to bring those games to market.

We heard the fans loud and clear that the multiplayer was great, but it wasn’t enough and they wanted that complete package. So the team has been very focused on delivering that single-player element.

While Battlefront most certainly could have used a story mode, I also can understand EA being new to the liscence and not understanding what they wanted or in fact could make yet in the universe. With a solid campaign, I think the sequel could be something really special.

EA Seem To Confirm That Star Wars: Battlefront 2 Will Have Single Player Campaign

There is to be a Gotham City Sirens film starring Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn. But who to play Poison Ivy? Well someone who may already be lining up is actress Megan Fox.

Here’s why.

Megan is a proper old school comic book geek. A good friend of the late Michael Turner, she committed to playing Fathom in any film adaptation because she loved the comics.

She’s been in comic book productions, the recent Turtles films, Jonah Hex and playing Lois Lane on Robot Chicken.

She has expressed an interest in playing Poison Ivy before. That or Red Sonja.

Lastly, and why we are really writing this article, Fox has been ordering comic books online, Very specific ones. I have been shown hard evidence that she has ordered these specific titles, sent to her Warner Studios address.

They are Harley Quinn #14, #17 and #38. The first two feature early appearances of Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy together and the latter regarding her relationship with the Gotham City police. Maybe they have relevance to a certain film?

Is Megan Fox Planning To Play Poison Ivy In Gotham City Sirens? Speculator Corner

Seems David M. Jones had a fun idea… what if Earth-66 had Green Arrow and The Flash starting off as live-action television shows in 1966. Nice mash-up of the classic opening credits with what the CW is doing now. Even Stephen Amell liked it enough to tweet about it.

What If Arrow Had Aired In 1966?

The trailer for the fifth Transformers movie, Transformers: The Last Knight, is due to drop sometime today so that means that director Michael Bay is out doing press. The only things that are bigger than the Transformers movies are comic book movies so naturally people, in this case Collider, have started to ask Bay what he thinks of the genre and if he’d like to be involved.

“I wouldn’t want to, it’s not my thing, it’s just not my gig,” Bay explained. “I don’t ever wanna take someone like a third of something or second of something. I gotta do my own thing,” Bay continued, “’cause the most fun is when a real director creates the world. You know, you talk to Ridley Scott, one our favorite things to do is to create the world. Steven Spielberg, create the world. That is what it’s about.” Adding, “If I were to do something I would have to redo it my way.”

So it sounds like Bay would much rather create his own universe rather than step into a fully formed one. However, unlike other directors who have said they wouldn’t want to direct a comic book movie, Bay at least appears to respect the genre.

“I really liked Civil War. I like a lot of the Marvel movies,” he told the journalists on set. “When I saw Iron Man, it broke a lot of new ground for me, and it was a great character. Funny, witty, I liked that about it.”

It appears that Bay is going to continue to do his own thing and not enter the comic book scene anytime soon. Unless someone wants to hand him the reins of a new universe.

Michael Bay Doesn’t Want To Direct A Marvel Movie And Marvel Fans Breathe A Sigh Of Relief

By most accounts, Final Fantasy XV was an incredibly important installment for the franchise. There has been some word that the series might be in trouble if the game doesn’t sell, making some fans curious.

Right now, it doesn’t look like there is too much to be worried about on that front though. Square Enix have said that the game sold a whopping 5 million copies on launch day. That’s more than a lot of AAA games make… ever. This makes it the fastest selling entry in the franchise by some way (although, it’s worth noting, this is the first time it has ever had a simultaneous global launch).

These sales are humongous, and it’s great to see. From what I’ve been able to get played, the game is full of ideas. It’s always nice to see that be rewarded, and it’s especially nice to see it all come together after a decade long production.

Final Fantasy XV Is The Fastest Selling Game In The Series

Fans of George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire novels, the basis for HBO’s Game of Thrones, got a bit of a disappointment this morning as the author updated his Not A Blog this morning. Martin is getting ready to leave for the Guadalajara International Book Fair and stated that this would be his last public appearance for a few months. This is his last event of 2016 and he will be keeping his 2017 schedule limited so he can focus on The Winds of Winter, the upcoming sixth book in the series of seven.

The last book in the series to be published was A Dance with Dragons back in 2011 that coincided with the premiers of the television series. Fans have been waiting over five years for the next chapter and the television series has no only caught up to the novels, but has surpassed them. Many fans thought the new novel was complete and were expected it to be released around the time of the premiere of season seven of the series.

The first three books A Game of Thrones (1996), A Clash of Kings (1998) and A Storm of Swords (2000) came out on a bi-annual basis. It took another five years to get A Feast of Crows (2005) and another six to get A Dance with Dragons (2011)… Fans now have to be wondering if the television series will conclude it’s scheduled eight seasons before they get the sixth book. My advice to them… take a deep breath and keep saying to yourself, “Winter is coming”.

George R. R. Martin Is Still Working On The Winds Of Winter

CBS and Entertainment Weekly announced that Doug Jones (Hellboy, Pan’s Labryth, The Strain) and theater actor Anthony Rapp (Rent) have joined the cast of Star Trek: Discovery. They are only the second and third cast members that been announced, besides Michelle Yeoh, for a series that is set to premiere in May of next year.

Doug Jones will play “Lt. Saru, a Starfleet Science Officer and a new alien species to the Star Trek universe.” This isn’t that surprising since Jones is a master of making creature designs believable and captivating to watch.

Anthony Rapp will play “Lt. Stamets, an “astromycologist,” fungus expert, and Starfleet Science Officer aboard the Starship Discovery. Lt. Stamets is the new gay character; previously, Trek icon Lt. Sulu was revealed to be gay in this year’s movie Star Trek Beyond.” The common outcry from fans when a character is changed from the original canon, such as Sulu, is to say that we should make new original characters. It appears that Rapp will be playing a new character who is gay. The thing that the writers will have to do now is making sure that Rapp’s character isn’t defined only by his sexuality. We are defined by who we are and our actions and not who we are attracted to.

Michelle Yeoh has been confirmed to play “Captain Georgiou, the Starfleet Captain aboard the Starship Shenzhou.”

Executive producer Bryan Fuller has mentioned how he is pushing for diversity in Star TrekL Discovery. So far it appears that they are moving forward with that.

Star Trek: Discovery will premiere on CBS Access in May of 2017.

Doug Jones And Anthony Rapp Join The Cast of ‘Star Trek: Discovery’

Over two years ago I wrote a story about Anne Rice working a deal with Brian Glazer and Universal for the rights to do a Vampire Chronicles television series. Yesterday she posted the following on Facebook:

The short version is that she will be working with her song Christopher Rice on a pilot script for an open ended series. She refers to her fans wanting a Game of Thrones style epic series and her plan is to likely begin with The Vampire Lestat. She and her son plan to be on board as executive producers when they go to pitch the series.

This sounds like something the steaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime would be interested in.

Anne Rice Gets Her Vampires Back

Today sees the release of Wonder Woman #11 by Greg Rucka and Liam Sharp. It is called “Lies”. I think “A Geography Lesson” may have been more appropriate.

In previous issues of the Rebirth series we have skipped between a story telling her very first tale, of living on Paradise Island, and then leaving it for the world of man – and for Steve Trevor, and with a story set in the present where she is challenging her very reality. She has lost Paradise Island and is trying to find it.

It’s been seen as a meta-tale, challenging previous versions of the character, the nature of herself as God Of War, and of her origins. It’s been quite the journey.

But this issue she has made it back, bringing Steve with her. But something is wrong. The reds, the blues, the rips, the tears, the tatters, the rot…

This is not the Paradise Island that Steve remembers. And Wonder Woman begins to realise that it is not hers either.

And then the revelation.

Wonder Woman has never been back to Paradise Island since that first time she left. Every time Paraside Island has been portrayed in the comics since, it has been a fake. An illusion, A mockery. A parody. Every one, from every creator.

Everything she knows, everything we knew, was wrong.

I hope someone told Scott Lobdell, writing her fellow Amazon, Artemis, over on Red Hood & The Outlaws. Is she an illusion too?

Everything Wonder Woman Knew Was Wrong (Major Spoilers)

Lionsgate has found a new director for its “Highlander” reboot in Chad Stahelski, who previously directed “John Wick” alongside David Leitch. Stahelski is the latest director to join the project, which was originally announced in 2008 and has lingered in production ever since. Directors such as Juan Carlos Fresnadillo (“28 Weeks Later”) and Justin Lin (“The Fast and the Furious” franchise) had previously signed on to direct, and stars such as Ryan Reynolds and Dave Bautista were floated for the cast.

It’s unclear hat Stahleski’s incarnation of “Highlander” will look like at this time, as the hunt for writers and cast members is still on, but he spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about some of his favorite elements from the original. He said, “I’ve been a huge fan of the original property since I saw it in high school. Such great themes of immortality, love, and identity are all wrapped up in such colorful mythology. I can’t think of a better property that gives the opportunity to create interesting characters, mythic themes and action set pieces.”

In the 1986 original “Highlander,” the immortal swordsman Connor MacLeod (Christopher Lambert) faces the evil Kurgan (Clancy Brown) to see who will be the last immortal left standing; “there can be only one,” after all. Four sequels and three television series followed.

Stahleski recently wrapped shooting on “John Wick: Chapter 2,” which he is directing solo. That film is due out in theaters on February 10, 2017. The “Highlander” reboot does not yet have a release date.

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