From what has been revealed, the series ties in to James Gunn and Peter Safran’s upcoming “Gods and Monsters” arc for the DCU, which is said to cover the next decade for moviegoers and TV viewers. Gunn himself has written all the episodes for Creature Commandos, and is also penning Superman: Legacy, a reboot of the Superman franchise without previous actor, Henry Cavill. The forthcoming films will crossover not only in animated shows, but video games and live-action series as well.

As to the show itself, it is based off of the band of supernatural creatures who debuted in 1980’s Weird War Tales #93 created by J.M. DeMatteis and Pat Broderick.  In the comics, The C.C.’s were a covert team created by the organization known as Project M, who sought to aid in the war effort from 1941 onward. Of late, the team has made appearances in Batman: The Brave and The Bold, as well as its own animated short as part of DC Nation in 2014.

DC’s Creature Commandos: Who’s Who?

For the show, updates have been made, especially with Amanda Waller – voiced by Viola Davis who has already played the character in. live action projects like The Suicide Squad film and Peacemaker TV series.  In this animated film, Waller could be in charge of this possible expansion of Task Force X . The roster starts with their leader, former air force pilot Rick Flagg, Sr. (Joel Kinnaman) who has been tasked by S.H.A.D.E. (Super-Huiman Advanced Defense Executive) to lead a different kind of team for his “Suicide Squadron.” The Squadron is a precursor to the Suicide Squad that will be led by his son, Rick Flagg Jr.

Flagg is joined by biologist Nina Mazursky (Zoe Chao), whose work on genetics ultimately led her to test her findings on herself. She is now a female amphibian who divides her time between the lab and the field.

Another scientist on the team is Doctor Phosporous (Alan Tudyk), whose radiation exposure turned him into a flame-like being and who longs for revenge on those responsible.

The Suicide Squad fans will remember, Weasel. By bringing him onto the Creature Commandos decades before Task Force X exists, Gunn and Safran expand on the life of this fan favorite.  Sean Gunn played Weasel in The Suicide Squad reprises that role here.  Also voiced by Sean Gunn is G.I. Robot, the second of two characters designed by J.A.K.E. (Jungle Automatic Killer – Experimental) to aid the military. James Agee like Viola Davis takes on his role as John Economos from The Suicide Squad, who may or may not be their team coordinator

And then there is the muscle of the group, Eric Frankenstein, voiced by Stranger Things alum and star of the Hellboy reboot, David Harbor. This is an update from the comics, as it was the original Frankenstein’s Monster that was on the Creature Commandos.

Last but not least, where would a Frankenstein creature be without his Bride? Lady Frankenstein aka The Bride, voiced by Indira Varma, was also a member of S.H.A.D.E. in the comics. She and Frank even had a child together, which unfortunately had to be put down and, in doing so, caused a rift between the two of them. It will be interesting to see if that subplot will play out in the series.

The project is currently in development and there is, therefore, no official release date.

Official Source – DC’s Creature Commados Full Cast Revealed [Exclusive] (collider.com)

The post DC’s “Creature Commandos” Cast Revealed! appeared first on DC Comics News.

A behind-the-scenes featurette, specifically, this first look shows principal photography in progress as well as some dialogue from lead actor Colin Farrell.

The Penguin Descends on Post-Riddler Gotham

The series picks up where Matt Reeves’s The Batman left off.  A power vacuum has been created in the wake of Carmine Falcone’s murder at the hands of The Riddler, and Oswald Cobblepot is bound and determined to fill it. However, that is not to say that the rest of Gotham’s criminal underworld will let him. Colin Farrell reprises his role as Cobblepot from the film, and is joined by Cristin Milioti as Sofia Falcone and Clancy Brown as Salvatore Maroni. Maroni is infamous among comics fans as the man who disfigured D.A. Harvey Dent in court with acid, unleashing his dual personality of Two-Face.

Sofia, like Carmine, was cocreated by Jeph Loeb and the late Tim Sale in Batman: The Long Halloween, a story that was the basis of Reeves’s film. However, much like Crystal Reed playing Sofia in Fox’s Gotham, casting has gone against type in the casting of Milioti, as Sofia, in the comics, is physically imposing, much like the late Joanie “Chyna” Laurer.

Other actors in TBD roles include Theo Rossi, Carmen Ejogo, David H. Holmes, James Madio, Scott Colven, Francois Chau, Deidre O’Connell, Michael Kelly, and Shoreh Aghdashloo.

There is no set air date at this time for The Penguin to debut, but it has been confirmed that Craig Zobel will direct the first two episodes. Zobel also serves as Executive Producer. Eventually it is going to link up with the greenlit sequel to the Robert Pattinson film. There is no word, as of yet, if Pattinson’s Batman will make an appearance in the show.

Please click the trailer below to view.

Official Source – Max releases first Penguin trailer | Batman News (batman-news.com)

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Announced at Megacon 2023, “The Dawn of DC” era will include a new Batman and Robin ongoing title this fall, and it turns out that Bruce Wayne’s willful son, Damian, won’t have to ride shotgun anymore with his dad. A “Robin Mobile” will debut in the pages of this new book, spinning out of the current Lazarus Planet story and Batman Vs. Robin. The Robin Mobile will be designed by series artist Simone Di Meo. DeMeo’s regular collaborator on the book will be writer Joshua Williamson.

Robin Revs Up Robin Mobile After One Long Bat-Year!

As fans of the 90s will remember, the third Robin, Tim Drake, was the first to have his own vehicle. Dubbed “The Redbird,” it debuted in the first issue of his ongoing series back in 1993. For the 1996 Batman And Robin feature film, however, The Redbird was assigned as the name of Dick Grayson’s motorcycle. And we will leave that comparison there.

The Bat-family have seen their share of difficult times these past several months, as chronicled in Batman Vs. Robin. Batman had been forced to go up against his young charges, who had been put under the sway of The Devil Nezha. Further, a resurrected Alfred Pennyworth that had appeared from the start of this adventure turned out to be merely an agent of Nezha, created from Pennyworth’s soul. The climax and conclusion of this story saw the explosion of Lazarus Island’s volcano and kicked off Mark Waid‘s Lazarus Planet before the family could catch their breath. Drawn by Riccardo Federici, the volcano’s Lazarus Resin rained down upon the world and either endowed, nullified, or transferred the abilities of metahumans and magic users. Possessed by The Devil Nezha, Batman became a bat-like creature, while Damian found himself in possession of Superman’s heat vision for example. After dying from injuries Nezha inflicted upon him, Batman was resurrected by Damian and a handful of mystics, Zatanna chief among them. Gothamites offered a part of their soul to bring him back, declaring in a unified chant “We are Batman!” After a year of being blacklisted after Joker War, this was the recharge that Bruce Wayne needed along with his son back by his side.

Batman And Robin is set to hit the stands in September 2023

Official Source – Robin Gets His Own Batmobile in New Batman and Robin Series (cbr.com)

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The Doctor Sleep director foresees bringing Batman’s gelatinous shapeshifting foe to life in a horror film approach. To that end he and Intrepid Studios have pitched this concept to DC Studio heads James Gunn and Peter Safran. At this time, there is no confirmation of either approval or rejection of the idea.

Flanagan is also best known to Netflix binge watchers as the mind behind Midnight Mass, The Haunting of Hill House, and The Haunting of Bly Manor.

Other than Clayface, Flanagan reportedly tossed other pitches for such horror-associated properties as Constantine. Regardless, there is much speculation as to how this project will fit in to DC Studios. Some sources claim it may be connnected to Matt Reeves’s sequel to The Batman. Others, however, contradict this belief with the possibility of Clayface being part of Gunn’s and Safran’s DC Gods and Monsters: Chapter One. As to how he would tackle the project, as revealed in a podcast last January, it would be a standalone  “horror/thriller/tragedy.”

As a shapeshifting, malformed mutated human whose real identity has been lost forever, all three of those boxes are easily checked off.

The Clayface persona has been inhabited by many antagonists since The Golden Age of Comics, and has thus established a lengthy history. Created in 1941 by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, the mantle of Clayface first belonged to Basil Karlo, modeled after silent film star Lon Chaney and Frankenstein actor Boris Karloff. This version merely disguised himself in his famous movie role of Clayface to seek revenge on both cast and crew remaking one of his old films without his involvement. The second Clayface was Matt Hagen, created in 1951 by Finger and Sheldon Moldoff. Hagen had been a treasure hunter who accidentally discovered a pool of plasma that made his skin malleable and granted him shapeshifting abilities whenever he bathed in it. After this version was killed in Crisis On Infinite Earth, Swamp Thing cocreator Len Wein and artist Marshall Rogers introduced a third Clayface. Instead of a shapeshifter like Hagen, Preston Payne was a scientist living with hyperpituitarism that sought to reverse-engineer Hagen’s plasma-fused blood and cure his deformity. Unfortunately he instead became deformed and in consistent physical pain that could only be stabilized through drawing out plasma from victims, reducing them to melted puddles. A fourth version was a woman named Sondra Fuller, who had a romantic relationship with Payne. In the 90s, things would come full circle as Karlo, the original Clayface, was reintroduced by injecting himself with blood samples from Payne and Fuller to become “the ultimate Clayface.” DC Rebirth saw a younger version of Karlo, whose path even saw him try to work alongside The Dark Knight and his team to redeem himself for his crimes.

Modern fans best remember the Matt Hagen version from his appearances in 1992’s Batman: The Animated Series, voiced by actor Ron Perlman. Instead of being a treasure hunter, however, elements of Karlo’s acting career were woven into his backstory. Disfigured in a car accident, Hagen is dependent upon a highly-addictive cream that enables him to reshape his face into not only his own, but others. When his luck runs out and he attempts to steal a large quantity from supplier Roland Dagget, Dagget’s men attempt to drown him with an overdose of the drug, transforming him into Clayface. A made-for-TV version appeared in 2004’s The Batman series as GCPD Detective Ethan Bennett, Bruce Wayne’s best friend from childhood, and yet pressured by his superiors to apprehend The Batman. Bennet is held hostage by The Joker, psychologically tortured, and  accidentally inhales flakes of his volatile “Joker Putty.” This later turns his body grey and misshapen, but malleable at mental command. When Bennett eventually went on a redemptive path, that series also saw the mantle inhabited by down-and-out actor Basil Karlo, the first ever animated adaptation of the original. The Karlo version has also been featured prominently in Rocksteady Games’ Batman: Arkham series, voiced by Fred Tatasciore. The first live-action portrayal of Clayface was Cassius Payne – the son of Preston and Sondra in the comics – in the short-lived WB series Birds of Prey, played by Kirk Baltz.  Though his backstory is not revealed, his relevance was that he was responsible for the murder of Selina Kyle at The Joker’s request. Another Clayface – this time Basil Karlo – appeared in the third season of the Fox TV Series Gotham. This incarnation, played by Brian McNanamon, was the result of Professor Hugo Strange’s Summerhill experiments, resurrected and empowered with shapeshifting powers through the properties of octopus DNA. Lastly, an original iteration of Clayface appears in Pennyworth, played by Lorraine Burroughs.

Official Source – Clayface Movie From Mike Flanagan Pitched To DC Warner Bros – Deadline

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The edgy HBO Max series’ remaining episodes in its fourth season are showcased in this latest preview. Longtime fans of the comic will recognize story points, such as Raven’s all-white look and Connor Kent struggling with the Lex Luthor side of his DNA. However, there is also the debut of Tim Drake as Robin, and the chaos caused by Mother Mayhem and Sebastian “Brother” Blood. In the case of Superboy, fans of the Geoff Johns run will remember how he shaved his head with his heat vision and went on a rampage against the Titans. This approach, it seems, leans towards the manipulative megalomaniac within as opposed to just a savage killer.

Titans Will Fall, But Which Specifically?

Click on the trailer below.

Here is the official synopsis:

In the mid-season 4 premiere, the Titans – with the exception of Gar – are returned to the place they had vanished, the Temple of Trigon, only to find Sebastian and Mother Mayhem are no longer there. The Titans rush to find them before Sebastian summons Trigon, their pursuit leading them to a mysterious town whose populace is hiding a deep secret. Along the way, the Titans come across a prophecy that may require Kory to make a huge sacrifice to save the world, but Dick’s feelings for Kory surface and he refuses to let her die.

In the final episodes, the Titans enter into an epic battle to save both Kory and the world. Gar goes on a quest of self-discovery, attempting to find his true purpose and to save his friends. Rachel embraces darker powers while Conner, struggling with his Lex Luthor side, goes his own way to defeat Sebastian. Tim and Bernard’s growing feelings for each other become increasingly difficult to resist, and when Bernard’s life is threatened, Tim finally becomes the hero he has always strived to be.

This explosive conclusion to Titans is set to debut on HBO Max April 13.

Official Source – Titans Season 4B Trailer Teases Final Chapter of HBO Max Series (comingsoon.net)

The post ‘Titans’ Season Four Teaser Trailer Drops! appeared first on DC Comics News.

Beginning in the fall, the popular web comics will be released in print with the objective of reaching new audiences for the DC Universe.

“We’re immensely proud of the stories we’ve been able to tell with DC and thrilled to bring these narratives to bookshelves, ” David Lee, Vice President of Webtoon content says. “The creative teams behind these series have given fans fresh takes on legendary DC characters, and we’re excited to give WEBTOON and DC fans a new way to enjoy these titles.”

DC WebToons Comics – What Are They and When Will They Be Released?

This would be a continuation of the collaboration that began in 2021 with Batman: Wayne Family Adventures. The Eisner-nominated web comic focused on Batman’s fatherly role over his young charges, both adopted and biological. Currently it is in its second season. This line was expanded in May 2022 with Vixen: NYC, following the journey of college student Mari Jiwe as she learns her ability to channel the abilities of animals. Rounding out the line in the same month was Zatanna & The Ripper, a period take on DC’s resident mystic in fishnets set in the 1800’s as she pursues the infamous Jack The Ripper.

Anne DePies, DC’s senior vice president and general manager, shares in David’s enthusiasm over the line. “Fans can’t get enough of our DC and WEBTOON [content and] expanding DC’s creative partnership with WEBTOON into print with books like Batman: Wayne Family Adventures reflects this demand. Each page of these new volumes is meticulously reproduced to be read seamlessly in book narrative format. DC’s continuing partnership with WEBTOON combines legendary franchises with new technologies and global fandoms, and we can’t wait to get these new print editions into your hands.”

Here is the release schedules for the aforementioned titles:

Batman: Wayne Family Adventures Vol. 1 (9781779523273, $14.99 US) – August 1
Vixen: NYC Vol. 1 (9781779523280, $14.99 US) – August 15
Zatanna & The Ripper Vol. 1 (9781779523389, $14.99 US) – October 3

Official Source – DC Announces Batman: Wayne Family Adventures Vol. 1, Vixen NYC Vol. 1, and Zatanna & the Ripper Vol. 1 to Be Available in Print Fall 2023 | DC

The post DC: “Batman: The Wayne Family”, “Vixen NYC,” and “Zatanna” Coming To Webtoon This Fall! appeared first on DC Comics News.

This is the fifth time the long-awaited multi-player game has been withheld from release. The game was originally previewed during the Pandemic in 2020 at the first DC FanDome online event. The previous rescheduling had planned to debut the game last year before it was again rescheduled for this coming May. Developers released a recent trailer that added more hype to the project with the reveal of the late Kevin Conroy voicing Batman in the game one final time. The recent passing of the voice actor added more emotional investment and anticipation to this game’s launch.

Suicide Squad Problems Target Rocksteady’s Reputation

So why another delay?

Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier’s latest Tweet on the topic claims that it was the result of a Playstation showcase last month. The gameplay had been “poorly received by fans.” Another source closely familiar with the game has stated that the game is on an indefinite hold until they work out the problems the fans noted about the quality of the product. This is a major blow to the Montreal-based Rocksteady, which has not released a game since 2015’s Batman: Arkham Knight. 

Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League is set five years after the events of Batman: Arkham Knight and revolves around Task Force X’s latest mission in Metropolis which initially pits them against the forces of Brainiac.  That is, until it’s revealed he has taken control of the Justice League, thus creating a new mission objective. The voice cast includes Tara Strong as Harley Quinn, Bumper Robinson as Deadshot, Samoa Joe as King Shark, Daniel Lapaine as Captain Boomerang, and Debra Wilson as Amanda Waller. Aside from Conroy as Batman, the only other Justice League voice actor confirmed is Scott Porter as The Flash.

Official Source – Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League Release Date Reportedly Delayed Again (comicbook.com)

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Barda, written and drawn by Ngozi Ukazau, is set during Barda’s earlier years on Apokalips, under the command of Darkseid and Granny Goodness. Moulded by Granny to be the leader of her Female Furies, Barda, in this story, is tested in ways she never expected. This is the latest in DC’s line of YA graphic novels that are meant to introduce young readers to DC’s iconic line of heroes through contemporary examinations of what forged them into the people they are now. For Barda, this would be the first time such layers of the character have been examined to this extent.

DC Expands With Barda’s Discovery of Love and Her True Purpose

Likened to a journey of self-discovery for the fierce warrior, Ukazau describes the plot as a young woman pushed to her limits:

Barda is a story of a very tough soldier who slowly realizes that her loyalties are more complicated than it seems. Barda is a great character because she is so complicated. She’s big, she’s mean, she’s tough. But on the inside, she’s very scared. But she’s a defender. The story calls her to be a bit more cruel than she actually is. And we start to see the tension. Does she like defending people or does she like causing pain? And she figures out who she is through the course of the story.

The key player in her turn away from Apocalypse stays in tradition, as her future love, Scott Free, aka Mister Miracle, is part of Granny’s “education.” For those new to Jack Kirby’s Fourth World and the New Gods, Scott Free is the son of Darkseid’s counterpart, the benevolent Highfather of New Genesis. In a treaty between both worlds, Darkseid gave his son, Orion, to Highfather, and Highfather, in turn, relinquished custody of Scott to Darkseid. His very name was a way of mocking the hopelessness of his situation. Expected to break the young New God’s spirit, Barda, instead, begins to question her own motivations as she finds herself falling for Scott. Coincidentally, another YA graphic novel focuses on Scott, entitled Mister Miracle: The Great Escape.

Other DC YA graphic novels include Batman: Nightwalker, I Am Not Starfire, Mera: Tidebreaker, Harley Quinn: Breaking Glass, Swamp Thing: Twin Branches, and others.

Barda is set to debut on book shelves in June 2024.

Official Source – DC’s BARDA Gives The New God Warrior A Graphic Novel of Her Own (screenrant.com)

The post DC Presents “Barda,” A Graphic Novel Focusing on The New God’s Fury-to-Hero Journey appeared first on DC Comics News.

GQ Magazine’s interview with Director Reeves not only confirmed Pattinson’s involvement, but Andy Serkis’s return as Alfred Pennyworth. “Reeves confirmed to me that Serkis would return in his forthcoming sequel to The Batman, ” the GQ reporter claims. “But beyond that, Serkis has little planned, instead focusing on direction and producing his own projects. [Serkis claims] ‘I don’t have a burning desire to play [anyone]. What I do want is to go back to the stage. That’s one thing I want to do for sure – and I’m terrified of it.'”

As to what the plot of the film will be, Reeves claims “It’s very much a point of view-driven, noir Batman [tale. It’s] told very squarely on his shoulders, and I hope it’s going to be a story that will be thrilling but also emotional. It’s more Batman in his detective mode than we’ve seen in the films. The comics have a history of that. He’s supposed to be the world’s greatest detective, and that’s not necessarily been a part of what the movies have been. I’d love this to be one where when we go on that journey of tracking down the criminals and trying to solve a crime, it’s going to allow his character to have an arc so that he can go through a transformation.”

Robert Pattinson Suits Up Again, But How Does “The Batman 2” Figure Into DC Studios?

As to how the world established in The Batman will fit in to DC Studios’ plans, Co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran claim it is anything but a stepchild. Gunn elaborates, “Matt is working on Batman 2, which he thinks of it as a Batman crime saga, which includes The Penguin TV [series. And] it is its own thing, and he’s hard at work on that. He came in and pitched us some amazing, really cool stuff the other day. Our plan is for that to continue.” Safran added that they are devoted to ensuring the success of the franchise as they are in their other projects. A month earlier, the plan established that multiple continuities on screen and TV can be treated as separate branches of the multiverse, using the popular DC Comics term “Elseworlds.”

Utilizing the standalone film approach used by the successful Joker, The Batman found its own acclaim at the box office. The film raked in $770 million for its $180-200 million dollar budget. It also has been nominated in three categories at the 95th Academy Awards. The grounded, back-to-basics approach and Pattinson’s gritty portrayal of The Dark Knight prevailed over initial skepticism. Its success also greenlit the aforementioned Penguin project. Actor Colin Farrell will again get into the makeup chair to reprise Oswald Cobblepot. The show is to pick up where the movie left off, and follow his rise from former lieutenant to Carmine Falcone to the crime boss he’s known for in the comics.

The Batman: Part II is scheduled to premiere in theaters October 3, 2025. As it stands, it remains to be seen whether Zoe Kravitz will reprise her role as Selina Kyle aka Catwoman.

Official Source – The Batman Actor Confirmed to Return for DC Sequel (comicbook.com)

The post Robert Pattinson Returns For “The Batman 2,” Sources Confirm appeared first on DC Comics News.

The actor has been attached to play the man who murdered Thomas and Martha Wayne in front of their young son, Bruce, setting him on the course to becoming Batman. Gotham Knights Executive Producers James Stoteraux, Natalie Abram, and Chad Fiveash explained their logic in a joint statement: “When casting the iconic role of Joe Chill, arguably the man who created Batman, there was only one name we considered – Doug [Bradley. We] needed an actor with the kind of gravitas that would do justice to such a seminal character in DC Comics canon. And who better to embody the role of the classic Gotham fiend than the man whose legendary portrayal of another classic fiend – Pinhead in the Hellraiser franchise — continues to terrify generations of horror fans?”

Doug Bradley as Joe Chill – Who is Joe Chill and Why Is He Important?

Besides Hellraiser, Bradley has kept active in recent projects such as the CGI Howard Lovecraft film series, the TV series Lore, and the video game Star Wars: The Old Republic – Legacy of The Sith. Bradley will be the third actor to portray Chill in a live action format. He was first portrayed by actor Richard Brake in 2005’s Batman Begins, followed by Steve Earl in the Fox TV series Gotham.

Since debuting in 1939’s Detective Comics #33, Chill has cast as large a shadow over Bruce Wayne as Batman does Gotham’s underworld. Formally named in Batman  #47 (July 1948), Pre-Crisis Chill meets his end at the hands of thugs who discover he inadvertently created Batman after Bruce Wayne unmasks himself when he confronts Chill. Post- Crisis Chill, however, is killed in “Batman: Year Two” by The Reaper, a story retconned after Zero Hour. His next appearance was in The New 52, confronted by Batman while he sat in the Moebius Chair. Left alive, but terrified, Chill’s memory of the confrontation was erased after Batman tormented him with what his inmates would do if they discovered his connection to the Dark Knight.  Writer Geoff Johns brought him back in his series Batman: The Three Jokers, ailing in health and the selected candidate to next become The Joker. However, these plans are thwarted and Chill remains remorseful for his actions against Bruce Wayne, who is at his side as he passes away.

Bradley is set to debut in the sixth episode of the first season, which will premiere on March 14th on The CW.

This is the official synopsis for the series:

Batman is dead, and a powder keg has ignited Gotham City without the Dark Knight to protect it. In the wake of Bruce Wayne’s murder, his adopted son Turner Hayes (Oscar Morgan) is framed for killing the Caped Crusader, along with the children of some of Batman’s enemies: Duela Doe (Olivia Rose Keegan), aka The Joker’s Daughter, an unpredictable fighter and skilled thief who was born in Arkham Asylum and abandoned by her father, Harper Row (Fallon Smythe), a streetwise and acerbic engineer who can fix anything, and her brother Cullen Row (Tyler DiChiara), a clever transgender teen who is tired of being polite and agreeable.

Official Source – Doug Bradley joins Gotham Knights as Joe Chill | Batman News (batman-news.com)

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