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According to the folks at JoBlo, they’re hearing from their sources that the still not yet actually announced solo Batman film (that is reportedly co-written by Ben Affleck and Geoff Johns, with Affleck in place to direct), will center on The Red Hood: The basic plotline of Affleck’s solo Batfilm is that Jason Todd has […]

Making the announcement today, Warner Bros has unveiled that James Wan, whose Furious 7 has grossed over a billion and a half dollars worldwide, will be directing the Jason Momoa starring Aquaman.

Warner’s film chief Greg Silverman, who was the focus of Heidi’s post on DC films just a bit earlier today, had this to say about the new addition to the DC Cinematic line-up:

We’ve been so lucky to have worked with James, first on New Line’s ‘The Conjuring’ and now on their upcoming ‘The Conjuring 2 and are thrilled to have him on board as we continue to expand our DC slate. The ‘Aquaman’ film will be a major tentpole picture for us and James’s span of work has proven him able to take on any manner of project, bringing his incredible creative talent and unique voice to the material.

Producer Charles Roven added:

James is not only a great storyteller but can make action truly explode on the big screen and Jason has a dynamic presence that commands your attention. Together, they will bring an undeniable vitality and energy to this character as he headlines his first feature film.

Roven will produce alongside Deborah Snyder and Zack Snyder from a script by Kurt Johnstad (300: Rise of an Empire), which means that, sadly, the Jeff Nichols script won’t see the light of day; but Wan is a terrific addition to a group of filmmakers that thus far includes: the above mentioned Snyder (Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Justice League), David Ayer (Suicide Squad), Patty Jenkins (Wonder Woman), and some writing involvement at the very least by Phil Lord and Chris Miller (The Flash).

Momoa’s Aquaman will first appear in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice next year. Here’s how the press release describes the upcoming Aquaman:

An icon for over 70 years, Aquaman is the King of the Seven Seas. This reluctant ruler of Atlantis, caught between a surface world constantly ravaging the sea and Atlanteans looking to lash out in revolt, is committed to protecting the entire globe.

For weeks and weeks, we kept getting teases about Jared Leto‘s hair, his voice, and any other scrap of information that the internet could pull together about what his Joker looks like in David Ayer‘s upcoming Suicide Squad.

The wait is over folks, as Ayer has tweeted out the first official Joker photo in honor of the Joker’s 75th anniversary:

Not sure how I feel about the grille, and some of the tattoos (though they line up pretty well with the rumors that this Joker would look a bit like Jim Lee‘s from All Star Batman and Robin), but there’s something really unsettling about Leto’s appearance here…dare I say, it captures the kind of manic energy I was hoping we’d see in our next on-screen Joker. I’m rather creeped out looking at him, and that may be just the desired effect that Ayer and his team are going for.

Also, while I know that’s a riff on the whole “tear on the face” prison tattoo bit he has going on there…is that maybe a “J” for Jason Todd? Possibly a stretch, but we did apparently see a Robin costume in that Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice trailer.

I’m sure this totally won’t dominate the weekend at all.

It’s time to hop in the “Way Way Back Machine”, all the way to 2007 when Mad Max mastermind George Miller had lined up his cast for Warner Bros’ first attempt at a big screen interpretation of the Justice League. Entitled Justice League: Mortal, Miller’s film would have seen new versions of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Martian Manhunter, The Flash, and Green Lantern team up to take on Max Lord. The important part of the tale: in the role of Green Lantern was Hip Hop Artist Common, who at the time only had one film and a few television appearances to his credit.

Justice League: Mortal died on the vine after entering pre-production, being tabled due to shooting location tax issues and poor buzz surrounding the script. Once The Dark Knight happened, it was all basically forgotten anyway.

Common went on to become an Oscar winning songwriter and appear in a number of films since, as well as having a starring role in the AMC drama Hell on Wheels. But, as Henry Cavill learned when he was cast as Superman after losing out on the role the first time to Brandon Routh, if a studio is hot on you, there’s always a chance they’ll find another spot.

Thusly, THR is reporting that Common has been cast in Suicide Squad in an undisclosed role. Production has already begun on the picture in Toronto, and the cast had their initial table read of the script already, so it’s possible that his role is not a particularly large one (for this film anyway) or the script is being rewritten to accommodate him. Who really knows? Bronze Tiger has been the popular guess among the superhero movie beat, but that seems like too easy a guess.

Perhaps John Stewart is making a pre-Justice League appearance? Wouldn’t that be funny?

Suicide Squad opens on August 5, 2016. Common is repped by CAA and Myman Greenspan.

You’ve all heard the story, in the late 90’s, Tim Burton was scheduled to direct a Superman film entitled Superman Lives, which was to be written by Kevin Smith and star Nicolas Cage as the Man of Steel.

It was to be a radically different take on Superman that makes Man of Steel look traditional by comparison. It also never came to be for a number of different reasons. With The Death of Superman Lives: What Happened?, a new documentary by AMC Movie Talk’s Jon Schnepp, this fascinating chapter in this history of DC’s biggest icon is explored in depth.

Check out the trailer below for the film, which opens in select theaters on May 1st and expands on July 9th.

The Death of “Superman Lives”: What Happened? delves into one of Hollywood’s most enthralling ‘what could have been’ stories. In 1996, Warner Brothers engaged Kevin Smith to write the screenplay (‘Superman Lives’). Director Tim Burton assembled an elite group of artists to work on Superman Lives, including Nicolas Cage as Superman. Warner Brothers scrapped the project shortly before principal photography began.

This documentary, directed by Jon Schnepp, features interviews with director Tim Burton; producers Jon Peters and Lorenzo diBonaventura; screenwriters Kevin Smith, Wesley Strick, and Dan Gilroy; production designer Rick Heinrichs; special effects artist Steve Johnson; storyboard artist Tim Burgard; costume designer Colleen Atwood, and many more. This film delivers an inside look into what would have been the most original, unexpected and cosmic Superman movie ever made.

Sounds like something I need to see. On a related note, Superman vs. Hollywood is a great book that digs into this subject and all of the projects that came before and after (stopping short of Man of Steel).

Last night, Zack Snyder unleashed the latest marketing volley in the growing behemoth that is Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice by tweeting out the posters that will likely adorn theater walls this year in promotion of the 2016 effort.

In short? They’re surprisingly well done. Unlike most movie posters which go the boring floating head route, or crowd characters into every possible inch of the landscape, this actually takes a bit of a pop art edge and displays a modicum of creativity.

So, bravo marketing team at Warners! You win this round for sure.

After raking in $392 million worldwide with Furious 7, James Wan is now Warner Bros front-runner to direct Aquaman.

The film, which already has Jason Momoa (The Red Road, Game of Thrones) in place to star, has been a topic of rumor for a few months now. Names like Jeff Nichols and Noam Murro had been discussed by the studio according to sources, but with Wan’s big splash over the weekend (no pun intended) it seems he has skyrocketed back up Warner Bros’ radar.

According to THR, there’s no offer yet in place and talks are just in the preliminary stage, but this is certainly one of the more promising developments to surface regarding the film.

Aquaman is still in a bit of a weird situation where it’s being developed in two separate tracks, with scripts being written by both Will Beall (Gangster Squad) and Kurt Johnstad (300: Rise of an Empire). Beall wrote a Justice League script for the studio a few years back that was rumored to be “terrible” and before Warner Bros had its current plan in place.

The biggest obstacle other than nailing down a solid script? Wan still has an option with Universal for the next Fast and Furious movie. Wan isn’t expected to return, but Universal could very well exercise their option with him, and the scheduling would surely knock him out of contention.

With both Aquaman and The Flash looking at 2018 release dates, I don’t expect news to come around immediately, but there may be a big SDCC announcement brewing at the very least.

In a report that hit last night via The Wrap, it looks as though the much in demand team behind The Lego Movie and the 21 Jump Street film franchise may have finally landed on a new tent-pole project.

According to their sources, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, who are one of the hottest tickets in Hollywood right now, have signed on to write a treatment for Warner Bros’ The Flash. While they haven’t agreed to direct yet, their current task is to “flesh out the story” before making any further commitment.

Ezra Miller (The Perks of Being a Wallflower) is currently set to star as the title character, though whether this will be another iteration of Barry Allen (as seen on the CW series The Flash) or perhaps Wally West is unknown at this time. Miller is expected to make his debut in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

Lord and Miller, were they to sign on to direct the film, would join a line-up of filmmakers that includes Zack Snyder (who will direct Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and both Justice League films), David Ayer (Suicide Squad) and Michelle MacLaren (Wonder Woman). Additionally, rumored names like James Wan (for Shazam), Jeff Nichols, and Noam Murro (both have been connected to Aquaman) continue to make the rounds.

Lord and Miller are represented by UTA.

The Flash is expected to be released in 2018.

Update: And now Warner Bros is looking at James Wan for Aquaman.

After David Ayer tweeted out the big Suicide Squad cast read-through photo last night, the question on many fans’ minds was: “Where’s Jared Leto?”

The obvious answer is, as “paul” pointed out in the comments section: he’s probably just on tour.

But nonetheless, it looks like Ayer heard you loud and clear as he shared a pretty amazing response:

#WhereIsJared#SuicideSquadpic.twitter.com/D5tMnMGBop

— David Ayer (@DavidAyerMovies) April 10, 2015

In the above picture, you’ll see Leto with his green Joker hair emulating the classic Brian Bolland cover that’s haunted me since I was 5 (though he got it backwards, points for the effort!):

Let’s just pretend he was the guy that took the first picture.

Suicide Squad opens on August 5, 2016.

Cute, right?

David Ayer posted this picture on his Twitter today as the cast gathered for their first read-through of the Suicide Squad script.

Let’s see if I can name them all:

From L to R:

Director David Ayer

Will Smith as Deadshot

Joel Kinnaman as Col. Rick Flagg

Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as Killer Croc

Jay Hernandez (looking rather hairless) rumored to be El Diablo

Karen Fukuhara rumored to be Plastique

Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn

Jai Courtney as Captain Boomerang

Cara Delevingne as The Enchantress

Viola Davis as Amanda Waller

Adam Beach

Jim Parrack

Ike Barinholtz

A big thanks to Spencer Perry over at SuperheroHype for helping me identify that trio on the end. Their involvement in the film is news to me at least, and likely to a lot of people. I remember quite liking Parrack on True Blood, and I’ll be interested to see who he’s playing especially.

Jared Leto, who is playing the Joker, is conspicuously absent in this shot.

Suicide Squad releases on August 5, 2016.

UPDATE: Umberto at Latino Review is now reporting that Beach is rumored to be Ravan, Parrack is playing Deathstroke, and Barinholtz will be Dr. Hugo Strange.

Shazam!, one of the 2019 entries in Warner Bros’ DC Cinematic Universe slate, has had a tentative date of April 5, 2019 attached to it for a few months now. It seemed like an awfully long time away to have Dwayne Johnson tied up into something that won’t see release for years.

While nothing has officially changed on that front, Johnson himself hinted to MTV that perhaps we may see Shazam! sooner than we think:

Well, you know, it may happen a little earlier than what has been predicted. The script is coming in, it’s great, the support from the studio has been great, and it’s just a great opportunity especially with Black Adam where you can take a guy who starts off as a bad guy, turns into an anti-hero, we can make him vicious, a little bit of winking charm.

Given that Superman v Batman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad are both locked in, and Wonder Woman begins shooting this Fall, it’s doubtful that Shazam! can get moved up too far ahead. This goes doubly so for 2017 with both Wonder Woman and Justice League Part 1 headed for release that year. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Shazam! take over The Flash‘s spot in the 2018 schedule though. With not even a screenwriter announced for the latter as of yet, that might be the most likely development.

This is incredibly minor in the wake of today’s Aquaman news, but WB/DC Entertainment’s other big comic-based film, Suicide Squad, got a little bit of press today.

Jared Leto, who gets the unenviable task of following Heath Ledger in the role of the Joker, spoke to Billboard briefly about what drew him to the character:

The opportunity to take on this nearly Shakespearean character…that’s what graphic novels and comic books are becoming, right?…[He’s] this beautiful disaster of a character, what a big challenge.

Leto also let on that he’s bulking up for the part. Now, I realize Leto is a skinny guy, but the Joker is typically fairly thin too. Perhaps they’re going for the Frank Miller/Jim Lee All Star Batman and Robin approach:

Will Smith, who plays Deadshot (but probably not with Michael Rosenbaum‘s awesome Kevin Spacey impression) spoke with MTV News about being able to make the character his own:

With this character and the DC world, I love that I’m getting the opportunity for the global definition of Deadshot. There’s been Deadshot in little appearances here and there, there’s an idea, but Deadshot isn’t defined, really. I get to be a part of the creation that will be the biggest historical image of Deadshot.

Suicide Squad, directed by David Ayer, hits theaters on August 5, 2016.

Per The Wrap, Warner Bros may finally be on the verge of casting a new Rick Flagg for their super-villain establishing feature Suicide Squad.

According to their report, the studio is looking at Robocop remake star Joel Kinnaman to step into the role recently vacated by Tom Hardy. Hardy left the production citing scheduling concerns with Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s The Revenant and his upcoming promotional work for Mad Max: Fury Road. Though, there have been some reports that Hardy was also unhappy with his amount of screen-time in David Ayer‘s film.

Regardless, the studio is moving forward and it sounds like they’re on Plan C right now, as Jake Gyllenhaal didn’t pan out either.

Kinnaman is a capable enough actor and given how the role has apparently shrunk a good deal since the casting of Jared Leto as the Joker, a less big name probably makes sense here.

If he signs up for the film, he’ll be joining Leto, Will Smith as Deadshot, Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, Jai Courtney as Captain Boomerang, Cara Delevigne as Enchantress, and potentially Viola Davis as Amanda Waller.

Suicide Squad is scheduled to open on August 5, 2016.

While Marvel Studios is making news of fairly unprecedented proportions, its most likely challenger for king of the Superhero Movie mountain, Warner Bros, has been quiet in recent weeks.

Sure, we know that after a three year long absence from the big screen, the studio will be rolling out their two big universe establishing properties in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad in 2016, but what can we expect after that? Other than titles, a few stars, and a director; details are relatively slim.

Dwayne Johnson, star of Shazam! (one of the later films of the DC Comics-based slate), was able to shed a little light on his character, Black Adam, in a recent interview with Total Film (via GamesRadar):

I think Black Adam is going to grow into becoming an anti-hero…It’s all written within the spirit of respecting and paying homage to the comics. As we know, Black Adam started out as a slave. When he’s given the powers, he utilized them. Then in the wake of his powers, tragedy strikes, which turns his sentiment and tone in terms of psychology.

Not surprisingly, it sounds as though scriptwriter Darren Lemke (Jack the Giant Slayer) is taking some cues from the popular Geoff Johns version of the character.

But what about the actual in-universe continuity between Shazam! and the rest of the DC films? There had been some concern that, since New Line was co-producing, Billy Batson’s first big screen adventure in over 70 years might not even take place in the same universe as Zack Snyder‘s Justice League. Johnson addressed this as well:

It was all agreed that the worlds are all interconnected… One day you will see Black Adam go at it with Superman or Batman or any of the DC characters. But that said, there’s a great independence to Black Adam from the DC world, allowing us to inject, not only viciousness, but also winking humour.

Shazam! is scheduled to open on April 5, 2019.

Green Lantern has been considered the low-bar for the recent wave of superhero cinema since its release in 2011, and while it has plenty of company in Iron Man 2, Thor: The Dark World, Kick Ass 2 etc…this beleaguered adaptation of Hal Jordan’s origin has haunted its star, Ryan Reynolds, for over four years.

In 2016, Reynolds will return to the comic-based spotlight with this X-Men spinoff Deadpool, and while promoting his upcoming comedy-thriller The Voices with Yahoo! Movies, he compared the two experiences:

When we shot Green Lantern, nobody auditioning for the role of Green Lantern was given the opportunity to read the script, because the script didn’t exist. I’m not complaining about it — it was an opportunity of a lifetime, and if I were to go back and retrace my steps, I would probably do everything the exact same way. But script, that’s what’s different on this one…we’ve had a script for three years. The script got leaked, and people even loved that. That says a lot — if you can create a script around a comic-book character that is directly within the canon of the character and be embraced. That’s a huge step in the right direction. I’ve since learned that a lot of superhero movies don’t really have a fully functioning draft of the screenplay ready until they’re already well into shooting.

The failure of Green Lantern had a pretty clear ricochet effect on how Warner Bros handles their DC properties. It was an attempt at brighter super-heroics of the Marvel variety, but without any of the sharp humor, storytelling momentum and populist appeal that Marvel was able to solidify, post-Iron Man, just a few months later with Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger.

It’s fairly apparent that Green Lantern‘s critical and commercial flop is what pushed the studio into aping the grittier feel of The Dark Knight for Man of Steel. At the time, it seemed clear that the studio saw the situation as “you either do Iron Man or you do Batman”, based on box office draw. Given the massive success of The Avengers and every Marvel film that’s followed, I can’t help but wonder if WB’s position has evolved at all for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

Upcoming Aquaman star Jason Momoa, who will be making his debut as the character in next year’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, fielded a few related questions during a panel at the Sundance Film Festival.

While you can listen to the full audio of the panel, here are the relevant bits pertaining to his role as Orin:

On the subject of meeting Zack Snyder regarding the role and having to lie about his involvement:

Well, things are going to be a little different. When I first went in I met with Zack (Snyder). His idea is pretty amazing. When I went in, he told me – my jaw kind of dropped. My jaw doesn’t normally drop. What he has planned for the DC world and definitely for Aquaman is something that, you know – I think I was brought on for a certain reason and they got some really cool plans for him. I’m really excited for everyone to see it.

Last year, when I was on this panel I was like eating chicken breasts and in training when I wasn’t supposed to talk about anything. I wasn’t supposed to say anything until 2016. So I told a bunch of people that they could punch me in the face if I was on it, so I’m going to get hit a couple times. But they finally released it. I was supposed to keep it a secret for 3 years.

When a 78 year old, long-time Aquaman fan asks him about Aquaman’s appearance in the new films:

Well, just going off what you’ve seen so far ma’am, I don’t think he is going to be blonde or white. I can’t really tell you because I haven’t shot it yet. I hate to disappoint. But um, you know, I’m a little different than what those others… I hope you watch it with an open heart.

POSSIBLE SPOILER…

At one point in the panel, the moderator points out that Michael Shannon was seen at Sundance wearing an Aquaman shirt, and directly asks Momoa regarding the rumored involvement of the actor in Batman v Superman. Momoa responded with silence and a dodge, pointing out how important the Aquaman role was to him and his Polynesian roots.

Regardless of rumors, it looks like we’ll have a dark haired/Conan-esque Aquaman, likely in the Peter David mold. I’m into it, but your mileage may vary.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice opens on March 25, 2016. Aquaman is scheduled to release on July 27, 2018.

David Ayer’s Suicide Squad is now a man down (I wonder how many puns like this are being formulated across the blogosphere). Tom Hardy, thanks to Alejandro González Iñárritu’s The Revenant going over schedule into March, and his already existing promotional schedule for Mad Max: Fury Road, has been forced to drop out of the super-villain team-up.

Considering I’d argue he was the finest actor in the cast that was officially announced (check out Locke sometime if you haven’t), this would seem to be a huge loss for the production. Now, Warner Bros. is looking to find a new Col. Rick Flagg and they may already have someone in mind.

According to The Wrap, the studio is courting Jake Gyllenhaal, who recently starred in, and should have been Oscar-nominated for, Nightcrawler. WB has long flirted with Gyllenhaal for various comic-based roles, most notably he was almost cast as Batman in Batman Begins. But don’t let recent pictures from Nightcrawler fool you, Gyllenhaal has put on some serious bulk for his upcoming role in Southpaw.

Suicide Squad currently stars Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Jared Leto, Jai Courtney and Cara Delevinge. Viola Davis and Jesse Eisenberg are still in talks to join the picture as well.

Suicide Squad opens on August 5th, 2016.

It’s funny how little we know about the upcoming Man of Steel sequel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, directed by Zack Snyder, which arrives in theaters on March 26, 2016. We know who is in it, we know there have been reports that the mass destruction in Metropolis from the previous film will play a part in the story, and lastly we have a list of films that will spin-out of the events of this forthcoming feature.

That’s more or less it, we don’t even really have a plot summary yet.

We may learn a bit more soon, as Latino Review (usually a pretty good source for superhero movie “scoops”) is reporting, via Twitter, that the first trailer for Batman v Superman will be released in front of the upcoming film by the Wachowskis’ Jupiter Ascending, which opens on February 6th.

We’ll still more than a year away from the release of this major DC movie tentpole, but Snyder and company wrapped shooting about a month ago, so it’s likely there’s some footage ready that goes a good deal deeper than the brief clip that was prepared for last year’s San Diego Comic Con (which basically amounted to Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill staring at one another, but admittedly in a pretty cool way).

Say what you will about Man of Steel and the rest of Snyder’s oeuvre, the man (or WB’s marketing team) knows how to cut a pretty great trailer. Given some of the negative buzz that’s surrounded Jupiter Ascending‘s pushback from last July to this February, typically no man’s land for cinema, having this trailer attached to it will likely give it a decent audience boost…provided it doesn’t show up online first.

Photo: LA Times Magazine

It’s never been made official, at least not via a press release or anything of the like, but its been assumed that the rumored reports of Viola Davis‘ involvement in the upcoming DC Comics based film Suicide Squad, playing Amanda Waller, were a matter of fact.

Speaking with Nerd Report recently, the actress confirms that she will indeed playing the role of the Squad’s ringleader. Here’s what she had to say:

I’m fascinated by her. I’m fascinated by her in this world of superhero-ness because she is not a woman that you would expect. I think that she is a massive contradiction. She’s this big powerful black woman, hard, ready to pick up a gun and shoot anyone at will. I’m fascinated in exploring her psychology, just put it that way. And I’m excited to pick up a gun.

Davis states that she hasn’t begun researching the character in full as she’s still working on her schedule for the film, as such, it’s possible her role may not be particularly large given the actresses’ TV shooting demands for How To Get Away With Murder. Regardless, she’s another tremendous “get” for this star-studded cast.

Suicide Squad will be directed by David Ayer (Fury, End Of Watch) and also stars Tom Hardy, Will Smith, Margo Robbie, Jared Leto, Jai Courtney, and Cara Delevigne. The film will release on August 5, 2016.

by Brandon Schatz

Do you like hearing movie stars talk in circles around some Non-Disclosure Agreements? Well then do we have a video for you.

For those who don’t feel like clicking and dealing with a few minutes of talking, the news is this: Dwayne ‘The Rock” Johnson has been talking with DC for quite a while and the two sides have been trying to get him into their movie universe for quite some time. A man who looks like Johnson’s distinct polar opposite asks him what character he might want to play in the DC universe. Johnson blushes and scuffs his toe on the ground and tells the interviewer that DC has him locked to be a character in one of their movies, and that there will be an announcement coming soon. Then he says the character will have “the power of Superman” and that the interviewer should just “say the word”, causing folks to freak out about him being Shazam.

As things stand, Shazam is one of the movies Nikki Finke rumoured to be announced at the San Diego Comic Con this week – and if that’s the case, The Rock would be a good pick to fill the character’s shoes. That said, take this with a grain of salt. Even things that are set in stone tend to erode on the odd occasion. Regardless, keep an eye on the SDCC announcements for more as we go through the week.

Showbiz reporter and scooper Nikki Finke has been languishing under a no compete since she left Penske Media’s Deadline.com, which so founded. But she’s back, and the very first scoop on her site is a purported line-up of superhero films that WB is planning for the next four years. According to Finke, this is to be announced at Comic-Con.

May 2016 – Batman v Superman

July 2016 – Shazam

Xmas 2016 – Sandman

May 2017 – Justice League

July 2017 – Wonder Woman

Xmas 2017 – Flash and Green Lantern team-up

May 2018 – Man Of Steel 2

Finke adds that Suicide Squad and Metal Men were also considered but now on the back burner. And as Batman v Superman will be a “Dawn of the Justice League” film, cameos for the actors playing the rest of the universe are being signed up, including Aquaman and Green Lantern.

Ambitious plans, and as DC has been searching for its very own Kevin Feige—Zack Snyder can’t direct everything—they had better continue to search. Without a cohesive hand to helm this, this is a LOT of movies to come out in a four year period.

BTW, for year Nikki has professed that she “doesn’t do geek.” That this is her first scoop tells you all you need to know about the power of the comic book movie in Burbank.

Straight from the offices of Publishers Weekly, it’s More to Come! Your podcast source of comics news and discussion starring The Beat’s own Heidi MacDonald.

In this week’s very special podcast the More to Come Crew – Heidi “The Beat” MacDonald, Calvin Reid and Kate Fitzsimons – discuss the film Captain America: The Winter Soldier, its positive impact on the TV show Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and compare Warner Bros.’s DC Comics movie slate to Disney’s Marvel Cinematic Universe, all on PW Comics World’s More To Come.

Now tune in Fridays for our regularly scheduled podcast!

Listen to this episode in streaming here, download it direct here and catch up with our previous podcasts on the PublishersWeekly website, or subscribe to More To Come on iTunes

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The biggest success for comics over the past five years hasn’t actually been comics at all: it’s been the movie industry. Superhero films are gigantically big business now, with The Avengers pulling in over a billion dollars worldwide, and the industry paying top-dollar for any new comic rights they can get their hands on. At the same time, superhero films are in a very good critical position as well - Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy won Oscars! Top directors are almost literally battling for the chance to get their hands on characters like Daredevil or Luke Cage.

While movies have taken the characters and distilled them into their most winning core – the comic book version of Iron Man was essentially revitalised by Robert Downey Jr’s energetic portrayal of Tony Stark – the comics themselves have struggled to keep up that mindset. Whilst the Iron Man of the movies was flying about, smashing racecars and saving the world, his comic book counterpart was busy being a fugitive, living a miserable life as he attempted to clear his name. The X-Men in X-Men First Class may have been enjoying themselves, but the X-Men in the comics were hounded, segregated on an island and blocked from society. In terms of tone? Mainstream superhero comics have been downbeat rather than optimistic.

Take any comic book version of a character and compare them to the film version. Hal Jordan is nominally dead right now in the DC Universe, but in the films he was Ryan Reynolds! Even Professor X, who is lovely Patrick Stewart and James MacAvoy in the films, has spent the last decade at Marvel being a terrible bastard. And, y’know, dead. For all that the movies may offer superheroes as a safety net for people wanting to be inspired, comics have been offering superheroes as corrupted, agonised people. Now, this isn’t bad storytelling – it’s always been the way. Drama requires a little tragedy from time to time, and comics have had a long time to dwell on their characters. Eventually you run out of ways to move a character, so things have to take a turn for the darker.

And that’s why it’s going to be so fascinating, two years from now, to sit in a cinema. Because two years from now, Gwen Stacy will die.

Whoa! Spoiler. True, though. The relaunched Amazing Spider-Man trilogy are setting us up for some major tragedy just around the corner. They’ve hired an actor to play Green Goblin, they’re bringing in a Mary Jane, and thematically the first film made it blatant that Gwen has to die for the narrative to be complete. The first film hammered the point that Peter Parker is dangerous for Gwen Stacy, and his decision not to end their relationship (which seemed sweet at the time) is going to look very ominous in two years time.

The other films coming up aren’t going to be much different. If Kick-Ass 2 remains true to the original comic, then fans are going to line up for a horrible rape sequence midway through their movie, followed by a lot of murder and horror. The Man of Steel has been marketed as a brooding, mournful take on the most iconic superhero of all time, while the Wolverine franchise is soon going to introduce doomed love interest Mariko Yashida. And if this wasn’t enough, the next X-Men movie will take us into the Days of Future Past dystopia.

In essence, the movies are going to hit unsuspecting audiences with a wall of ‘darker and edgier’ storytelling all at the same time. Comic book fans have been experiencing this for a while now, with formerly silly characters getting brought back, made miserable, killed off, tortured, or turned evil. The only notable upbeat characters of the last few years have been, perhaps, Stephanie Brown, Pixie, and Squirrel Girl. For the most part, comics have moved their attention towards an older audience, with more mature stories – well told stories, but stories which focus on human drama and horror rather than fantasy and idealism.

Film fans have no idea what they’re going to get into. While comic fans are aware that Gwen Stacy is doomed, the majority of film fans have no idea what’s coming up. It’s going to be MASSIVELY shocking for to see her die. People were prepared to see Uncle Ben die, because it’s what he always does – but adorable Emma Stone? Killed off halfway through a blockbuster trilogy? Film audiences expect superhero films – with a few exceptions – to be comforting, safe, and for all-ages. That’s a big twist for them.

What they’re going to get over the next few years are an unexpectedly brutal series of events, which could completely sour the idea of superheroes as comfort food. Comic fans accepted the move away from all-ages stories – how will film fans react? And Spider-Man is barely going to scratch the surface - are we eventually going to have to deal with Iron Man’s alcoholism? To what extent might that Ant Man film deal with Hank Pym’s history of domestic abuse? Is Channing Tatum still going to die in GI Joe 2?

The reaction of film fans to these next two years of superhero films will determine the future of comic book stories, I think. The reaction people have to this upcoming ‘darker and edgier’ period of films could have massive implications for comic companies. There’s a perception in general that comic books are fun entertainment for kids – but if movies now subject audiences to an onslaught of rape, murder, abuse and horror, what will that do for the next generation of comic fans? If the films are rejected by the public, will that mean the superhero genre of cinema will fall out of favour?

Films tentatively suggested for future release include a Lobo movie, Ant Man, and several Mark Millar projects such as Nemesis and Wanted 2. It’s interesting, isn’t it? There’s little hope for a Wonder Woman or Black Panther film, and yet film companies think audiences can support super-violent, misogynistic works. Films aimed not at all fans, but a smaller, older demographic. Just like happened in mainstream superhero comics! Rather than films suggesting a brighter future for comics, could their turn towards darker and edgier stories actually be the thing which helps to bury the medium entirely?

Steve Morris writes, tweets, and comics. Follow his epic journey!