Ah Friday what a lovely day to talk DC tv and some movie news. This week we talk about the future of DC’s TV line-up from the likes of Arrow, Flash, Gotham, Constantine, and newcomers Legends of Tomorrow and Supergirl! BUT as usual some movie news well movie pictures from Suicide Squad’s set and BVS’ Wonder Woman!
The Flash’s Danielle Panabaker had a Reddit AMA talking mostly about The Flash’s future. Here’s a summary of some of the more important information:
– Tom Cavanagh (Harrison Wells) will be back in future seasons.
– Killer Frost is coming. Danielle hints that she may show up in the season final. The costume has already been created.
– At the end of the season final, Caitlin is terrified
– The possibility of Caitlin crossing over to Legends Of Tomorrow has been discussed but is not official yet.
– When asked to tease the season final she responded “The finale has lots of tears and lots of emotions. And it might be the end of the world for Team Flash…”
– One word description of the final: Heart-Wrenching
– Deleted scenes involve more Caitlin/Wells interaction and Caitlin/Iris/Cisco interaction. One of these scenes involves Wells suggesting that Caitlin take a job elsewhere, she declines.
– Season 2 starts filming July 7
– There’s a wedding in the season final.
Now that the dust has settled on Arrow’s eventful Season 3 finale, fans have been left wondering about the crime-fighting future of one ‘John Diggle’ in particular. While the idea was briefly teased during a conversation between Diggle and his (former?) best pal Oliver Queen, David Ramsey has now confirmed that his character will indeed be operating under a mask next season.
Speaking to Comicbook.com at The CW’s annual upfronts presentation on Thursday, Ramsey stressed the importance of preserving Diggle’s secret identity while he’s out catching the bad guys. “I do think you need some kind of concealment,” he claimed, “And to that end, they are working on something. You will see something for Diggle next year, season 4. You will.”
But what mask will he wear? Earlier this year, there was a lot of speculation about Dig potentially taking up the mantle of a certain Green Lantern. Given the character’s close partnership with Green Arrow in the comics (albeit as the ‘Hal Jordan’ incarnation), the rumors did appear to carry some weight. However, Ramsey maintained that this was never the plan:
“Everyone wants to talk about John Stewart. Is it “John Stewart Diggle” or “John Diggle Stewart” or whatever, and will he be Green Lantern? Marc Guggenheim has said publicly that it’s not the way to go right now. But people are still talking about it… I think they’ve taken great strides to making John Diggle part of the lexicon, and that’s an important thing. I don’t think you want to abandon that… I think there’s something very normal about him that’s part of the appeal. I think if you put a mask on him as part of the Green Lantern Corps, and that’s wonderful by the way – John Stewart is a wonderful character – but you lose some of that. You lose part of the “everyguy” character.”
While he may have ruled out Green Lantern, Ramsey did go on to name-drop a few other (lesser known) DC Comics heroes as potential secret identity candidates – including the likes of ‘Vigilante’ and ‘The Guardian’.
DC Comics fans are still mourning the recent cancellation of NBC’s “Constantine,“ which starred Matt Ryan as the titular occult detective — but could the character live on through another DC television series, like The CW’s “Arrow”?
The supernatural drama is produced by Warner Bros. Television — the studio behind The CW’s “Arrow,” “The Flash,” “iZombie” and newly picked up “DC’s Legends of Tomorrow,” (not to mention CBS’ “Supergirl,” and Fox’s “Gotham” and “Lucifer“) which could pave the way for a potential crossover. However, WBTV is currently trying to find a new network home for “Constantine,” which would stymie any cameo plans.
“Arrow” showrunner Marc Guggenheim admitted that “there’s a lot of desire on everyone’s part” to bring the character into the shared DC TV universe he created with Andrew Kreisberg and Greg Berlanti, telling Variety, “It would be wonderful and we certainly have a million ideas — it’s hard for me to say mainly because A: it’s not my decision to make and B: with ‘Constantine’ being shopped around to other networks… it’s really hard to make plans when a show’s kind of in limbo.”
Even The Arrow himself, Stephen Amell, was seemingly eager for a crossover between the two properties before NBC swung the ax. During a recent panel at Wizard World Philadelphia Comic-Con, Amell spoke about the interconnected nature of the DC TV universe.
“‘Constantine’ was an NBC show. I’m on The CW. I had had discussions with DC — so not NBC, not CW — but with DC Entertainment about guest starring on ‘Constantine’ when it was still on the air. And that was and is still on the table,” Amell said, according to ComicBook.com. “The reason that I was going to guest star on ‘Constantine,’ at least the idea that we were throwing around, was he’s an expert when it comes to the Lazarus Pit, which is now something that is a part of and will continue to be a part of ‘Arrow.’”
While John Constantine would arguably be a natural addition to the “Arrow” universe given the comic book character’s familiarity with supernatural phenomena, Guggenheim cautioned, “a lot of the pieces are in place, except for that one final piece, which is: what’s the fate of ‘Constantine’? That’s the tricky thing. But it comes up in the writers’ room constantly — we have a number of ideas; one idea that’s particularly exciting to me. We’re in a little bit of a wait-and-see mode, like you guys are.”
Speaking of crossovers!
Crossover episodes between its hit superhero shows — “The Flash” and “Arrow” — have fueled the CW’s success, and network president Mark Pedowitz promises there will be more to come. “We’ll be doing them as special events in the fourth quarter,” he told ad buyers at the CW’s upfront presentation.
With yet more characters from the DC Comics universe entering the CW schedule with the pickup of “DC’s Legends of Tomorrow,” the plan is for even more creative storytelling, especially since the shows will all be in the hands of executive producer Greg Berlanti and his team, including EPs Marc Guggenheim and Andrew Kreisberg.
“We do have crossovers planned,” says DC chief content officer Geoff Johns. “The point of building these three shows out on the CW network is we can make a comic book world. That’s really the secret formula starting to emerge on television for the first time.”
Johns says the plan is for the characters to weave in and out of storylines, in order to help and challenge one another. “The shows are acting like monthly comic books by doing so,” he notes.
Indeed, Stephen Amell’s “Arrow” and Grant Gustin’s “The Flash” appear prominently in the trailer for “Legends of Tomorrow.”
But there’s another DC character being introduced to the small screen this fall who might have to sit out all the crossover fun — at least for now.
Of CBS’ hotly anticipated “Supergirl,” “The network has said publicly at this point they’re going to keep her to themselves,” says Berlanti. “I always approach the shows as a fan first, so I would love to see (a crossover). I think in success, all things are possible. But there’s a lot that would have to happen before everybody might say yes to that.”
On the heels of CBS ordering Supergirl to series, Digital Spy spoke to cast member David Harewood (Homeland), who plays DEO (Department of Extra-Normal Operations) agent Hank Henshaw.
In the comics (pre-New 52), Hank has a much different background. He’s an astronaut that believes catastrophic events that plague him and his crew are Superman’s fault. Before his injuries take his life he transfers his consciousness into Superman’s birthing matrix, becoming Cyborg Superman.
Harewood well aware of Henshaw’s comic backstory. “Hank Henshaw, yes, who ends up becoming Cyborg Superman in the comics, battling Superman,” Harewood told Digital Spy when they brought up that who he is playing in the show. “So I’m looking forward to that.”
“He’s a bit of a supervillain,” Harewood teased. “He seems pretty indestructible. Which I kind of like because I keep getting blown up in these things. I’m kind of looking forward to being indestructible.”
http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9?isVid=1&isUI=1
Ciara Renee is new to the DC Universe on screen, but the actress revealed she’s a longtime fan of the comics and the characters who will grow into Legends on the show during a red carpet interview with ComicBook.com on Thursday. Despite the trailer that shows a CGI Hawkgirl soaring above the city, Renee hasn’t gotten to actually put on the wings of Hawkgirl just yet. It’s clear from her appearance on the red carpet Thursday, though, that she can’t wait for Kendra Saunders to take flight.
Ciara, Hawkgirl is a very different kind of superhero than what we’ve seen in this CW/DC Universe so far. What’s the inital appeal to you about playing a character like this?
Ciara Renee: I think the fact that she’s a girl is amazing! We don’t see many superheroines, so it’s going to be great to see a couple more bolstering the team. And, you know, she can fly! Which is not half bad! (laughs)
In the comics and even on the Justice League animated series, Hawkgirl has usually been a sort of balls-to-the-wall take nothing from anybody kind of character. Is that something you’re looking to bring to her on Legends?
CR: Oh yeah, absolutely. It’s interesting, because I think we’re finding her before she really understands her powers and her purpose. So she’s not necessarily a balls-to-the-wall human just yet, but when she gets angry… well you’ll see! (laughs)
Rumor has it we’ll see you Tuesday night on the season finale of The Flash. What was it like getting to tease the character a little bit before some of the other cast?
CR: Right! It was super cool. It was kind of a last minute thing. I signed on for the show, and they said, “Let’s try this!” and I just said, “Absolutely!” I’m excited to see it and how that turned out.
Did you get to put on the wings?
CR: No, we don’t have that costume yet, sadly. We’re still waiting for that, so not yet.
Are you hoping for the full beaked mask and all?
CR: I love her costume! I think it’s hot, man! I’ll take any part of it, wings and beak and everything.
What’s the general appeal to you of coming into the DC Universe and this new family of comic book shows?
CR: It’s so cool. It’s such a great community, and the fans are so passionate and excited about this. I was such a nerd as a kid; I watched Justice League all the time, and Justice League Unlimited, and Batman and Superman; I loved those, I love all those cartoons. So it’s really cool to be playing the real life version of one of the coolest characters on those shows.
When Morena Baccarin (Deadpool) first debuted as Dr. Leslie Thompkins, many didn’t expect her to stick around for too long, but with Erin Richards’ Barbara Kean falling out of favor with fans, Baccarin received an expanded role as her relationship with Ben McKenzie’s Jim Gordon evolved over the course of the latter half of the show’s freshman season. And with Barbara’s status, after her attack on Lee in the season finale, a little uncertain, it looks like Gordon will have the nice doctor to keep him company for a good while longer.
Earlier this week, Fox officially announced that their Batman prequel drama Gotham has decided to exercise Baccarin’s option to promote her from recurring status to a series regular.
At the CW Upfronts in New York Thursday, ComicBook.com chatted with actor Carlos Valdes about his fan-favorite character, some of those twists and turns, and how he likes feeling the vibes as Cisco.
Carlos, did you know just how far Cisco would come in season one? I feel like on a personal level, he had a lot of character development and growth.
Carlos Valdes: Yeah, absolutely. You know, with this show, we don’t know specifically what events are going to shape these characters into their ultimate trajectories, their end games so-to-speak, but we do know the sign posts. Do you know what I mean? We do know the big markers for the plot.
Like, we knew that Harrison Wells was really Eobard Thawne, the Reverse-Flash…
Wait, you knew that from the very beginning?
CV: Mm-hmm!
So who does Cisco want to interact more with in season two?
CV: Umm, you know, honestly, I love the scenes where Cisco and Joe West get to play around. I love playing off of Jesse L. Martin; he’s the best. I don’t often get scenes with him; I do every now and then, and when we do, we get along like gangbusters. I think there’s a really nice dynamic there between Joe West and Cisco. I’d love to work with Jesse a bit more.
It’s so much fun for fans every time that you get to reveal the name of a villain; comic book fans are just waiting for those ridiculous, iconic names to be said on screen. What’s that like for you, getting to reveal the icons and have that as part of your character?
CV: Well, you know, I have to give the credit first to the comic book writers who gave them those names 50 years ago, 75 years ago.
But it’s an honor. It really is! I mean, first of all, the writers came up with a really neat convention, you know? To justify these names, they have Cisco coming up with them with his unusual style, and I think that works really well. I think they did something smart and I’m trying to do it justice as best as I can. It’s an honor.
There have been some cool moments and nods to Cisco’s comic book alter ego, is that something you’re vibing on, getting to do that in the future?
CV: That wasn’t very subtle, Lucas. (laughs)
(laughs) To be super obvious and puntacular…
CV: I think, yeah, that’d be really nice. I can tease that fans can expect some big questions about the Vibe mythology to be answered in the next episode, the season finale here.
Yeah, we’ve been waiting since that mid-season trailer, where we saw that visor…
CV: Yeah! It looks good, right? You’d think, right? They’re kind of giving you the lollipop, but they’re not really giving it to you, they’re just holding it in front of your face.
What is the most surprising thing for you about coming into this DC Comics TV Universe?
CV: The most surprising thing. Huh. The most surprising thing is how supportive the network and the team are of the entire effort. We are living in an age where superhero media is huge. It’s easy for that to become stale, or become a fad, but I think we’ve kept it going strong in terms of fans’ interest because we’ve given it care, and we’ve given it dimension. We’ve given it something unique and different. I think that’s what has made the show such a success, and I’m really happy to be a part of it!
Now that you’ve had a full season to really build this character and get comfortable with him, what are some things you’re personally hoping for, for Cisco, as the show continues into season 2 and beyond?
CV: I hope he continues having romantic quandaries! You know what I mean?
That was fun this week, for sure.
CV: Those are really fun to play, because they’re an added dimension in his trajectory of growth. If he learns more about his romantic side, I think that’d be really fun to see.
Filming is still going strong this weekend for Suicide Squad in Toronto, Canada, and Just Jared has just bagged the most recent photos from the not-so-secret set. Offering yet another look at Will Smith and Margot Robbie in costume as Deadshot and Harley Quinn, respectively, these photos show the pair getting pretty close during filming as well as in-between takes. In addition, we also have another grainy look at Jai Courtney as Captain Boomerang and Joel Kinnaman as Rick Flag.
More photos have also surfaced online from the Suicide Squad shoot and they feature more of Will Smith being quite the gentlemen as Deadshot, as well as Margot Robbie seemingly putting on quite a show in the rain as Harley Quinn. There’s also a good look at Jay Hernandez as El Diablo.
Suicide Squad director/screenwriter David Ayer (Fury) caught many people by surprise when he announce that Batman foe Killer Croc (aka Waylon Jones) was joining his film. That news came with the announcement that Lost and Oz actor Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje would portray him. Then the cast the photo was released at was even more shocking to see that Killer Croc was being done with practical makeup effects, not CGI as many had assumed.
Welp, now we can see even more of that fantastic makeup design with this full-body shot of the reptilian villain-turned-hero.
The latest piece of promotional artwork from Umberto Gonzalez (formerly El Mayimbe) gives us another awesome look at Wonder Woman, presumably close to how she’ll appear when played by the lovely Gal Gadot in Zack Snyder’s Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice. She’s sans cape this time, but as you can see she appears to be in the process of blocking a hail of gunfire with her gauntlets.
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So there you have it folks a lot of tv news, Wonder Woman promo art and some Suicide Squad set photos as usual! Check back next week for more DC news!
PEACE!!
In 2013, Tom Hiddleston ruled the stage in a performance as bad guy Loki. He pretended to take over Comic-Con and exhorted the crowd to obediently chant his name (apparently easily conquered, they did). He got around to introducing Thor 2 footage, and then surprise Guardians footage was revealed, which gave the first indication this wasn’t some Feige folly and there was a worthy movie in there. Last year was comparatively low-key, with Feige showing Ant-Man footage but disappointing the crowd that expected news on Doctor Strange. Talks had hit the rocks with Joaquin Phoenix, and it took awhile for Benedict Cumberbatch to surface.
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