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04/16/15 @ 12:44 pm EST
As we get closer to the launch of Dynamite’s all-female written and lead summer event Swords of Sorrow, Byron Brewer caught up with writer Leah Moore to talk about her three-part miniseries Swords of Sorrow: Dejah Thoris / Irene Adler. Cover art by Jay Anacleto.  BYRON BREWER: Leah, how does it feel to be a part of this special event saluting the Women of Dynamite, AND to be hand-picked to write this portion of it by its architect, Gail Simone?LEAH MOORE: It feels fantastic. The line-up of talent is extremely humbling to be included in, and the characters Gail has got for us all to write are just amazing. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a crossover like it. Gail is really good at this kind of project, and she makes it look really easy, but writing the main story, and then coordinating all the other stories that are weaving into the main one? That’s so hard to do, keeping all the plates spinning. She’s a badass though. It makes you up your game to be writing alongside her. No slacking! BB: This miniseries features two strong women characters, with Dejah Thoris being one of the most popular at Dynamite. Were you a fan of either heroine before this project?LM: Well I’ve co-written two Sherlock Holmes OGN’s with my husband John Reppion, so I’m well steeped in the whole Holmes mythology. I think when we were writing them ( The Trial of Sherlock Holmes, Sherlock Holmes: The Liverpool Demon) we were very self conscious and didn’t want to do a second rate job, we wanted to make sure they could stand up next to the original Holmes mysteries. We have gradually loosened up, as people came and said they enjoyed those books, so when I heard I was writing Irene Adler, I thought okay, this time I can really relax and have some fun.Dejah Thoris, I was aware of from the phenomenal run she has had at Dynamite, but I had never read the novels themselves. I’ve started reading them now though, she is a fantastic character. The costume she wears can distract people I think, because when you first meet her in the novels, it’s really clear that she is in charge, she has the upper hand, it’s John Carter that is trying to work out how things work. I have been having great fun writing her. She is awesome. BB: Irene Adler has been a lot of things in her seemingly young life: fugitive, master of disguise, the quintessential femme fatale. What role does she play here? As writer, give us your perception of who Adler is.LM: Well the thing Adler is known for is that Sherlock Holmes really rates her. The great Detective says she is unparalleled among womankind, that she matches him in her powers of reasoning, and resourcefulness. This and the fact that she’s a Prima Donna opera singer, an Adventuress and can actually beat Holmes at his own game, most notably in Scandal in Bohemia, made me want to write her as a female Holmes but without the social restrictions. Holmes is known for being weird and awkward and obsessive. I wanted Adler to show that it’s possible to be a badass genius with mad fencing skills and super fast reflexes, and still be capable of human interaction and emotion. Having spent so long trying to be as careful and reverential as possible with the canonical Holmes, I love the feeling that I can poke and prod the mythos and see if it stands up to modern eyes and Adler is great for that!Irene Adler is a fixer, a brain-for-hire who will go and sort out any sticky or strange situation with deftness and aplomb. She is not afraid to ask people why they want something doing, and she judges the situation as she goes along. I would say she is not 100% trustworthy and good, she is not 100% nice, but she is a really fascinating character to write! BB: For all her flaunted sexuality, Dejah Thoris of Mars has always been, at least in the modern comics, a strong and quite capable woman. What threat is she facing on Barsoom as our story begins here?LM: Dejah Thoris is only flaunting her sexuality by Earth or Jasoomian standards. On Barsoom she is wearing the equivalent of jeans and a t-shirt.Burroughs took the idea of a white man turning up in some remote village and being utterly amazed to see the women’s breasts out in the fresh air, and transposed it into the fantasy pulp world. It’s a classic trope, where the young dashing man is sent to a planet where the natives only wear cling film and demand lessons in Earth Kissing.The difference with Dejah is that from the start she is not impressed with John Carter. She finds him gauche, bumbling and socially awkward with his total lack of Barsoomian manners. Yes she succumbs to his Jasoomian wiles eventually, but she is not just a good looking girl to drape over his arm. She is written as a smart regal woman who can handle herself in a fight, and I’m so happy to write that character!When we meet her she doesn’t know where her husband is, as he has been missing since the last Dynamite arc finished, she has had a weird black and silver sword delivered, her right hand man Tars Tarkas has vanished, a huge statue of Red Sonja has appeared, and then a mad gunman appears and starts taking pot shots at the people of Helium. Dejah is understandably vexed by all this, and the first time we see her, she is in full on battle mode. No royal manners, no nice conversation, just a chip on her shoulder and a mean right hook BB: Now will this be a “vs” book, a “team-up” book or just two women sharing the same title in separate stories. If they do come together, can you hint at how that comes about?LM: I wanted to fling them together explosively, because they are both women who know their own minds and do not suffer fools gladly. Trouble is, if you fling them together at the start, then they can’t just battle for three whole issues, people would get bored. Also Gail wanted a mystery story from me, and I couldn’t see them both walking about like something from Scooby Doo together, so I had to wrench them apart for a bit. Don’t worry, I keep it all fast and fun. And then presumably they have to find each other again, right? And do they like each other then, or are they still not happy? Too much fun writing this. Too much fun. BB: What does artist Francesco Manna bring to the table here?LM: He is the most incredible draughtsman, his pages flow really well, his lines are so full of life and bounce, there is not a dead panel, or a dead bit of a panel, the guy is amazing. His women are soooo gorgeous, he can do all the facial acting a writer could ask for, he doesn’t mind detail, he handles insanely twiddly architecture like it’s just some easy blobby trees at the back, his costumes are really fun and exciting, and if I write a document in, (and I do that, in these Holmes books) he draws the document and puts in all the pictures and lettering and makes it all look amazing. I am so lucky to have him. I know that whatever I put in there, it’s in safe hands. I can really push things, do big panels, big scenes, epic scale, and he can handle it. To be honest I’ve probably not tried hard enough. Maybe I’ll make #3 a real challenge… 05/16/26 @ 2:01 pm EST
Winter is coming to Gotham and Matt Reeves is heating up the internet with his social media posts. He started it off with a couple camera tests showing the Batmobile in the snow, letting us know that production had begun on the long-awaited sequel. Then he began letting fans know the cast for the upcoming The Batman Part II starting with a gif of Robert Pattinson as the caped crusader with the quote, “We meet again, my friend.” This led into a series of posts that welcomed back the Dark Knight’s to main allies, Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth and Jeffrey Wright as Jim Gordon. Then we got the two sides of the city fighting for control represented by Jayme Lawson as newly elected Mayor Bella Real and Colin Farrell as crime boss Oz Cobb aka The Penguin. Then he welcomed back the true hero of the film, Gil Perez-Abraham as Officer Martinez. Martinez is the representation of how the GCPD views The Batman as he appears multiple times in the first film, each time becoming more comfortable with working with the vigilante. Reeves would return to posting the next day and introduce the new characters to the film, but through gifs from their previous projects and not officially naming characters. This would include three MCU veterans starting with Scarlett Johansson and Sebastian Stan. Then Game of Thrones patriarch Charles Dance, from A Good Day to Die Hard, Sebastian Koch and from Atlanta and the Eternals, Bryan Tyree Henry. Stan has been heavily linked to the role of Harvey Dent aka Two-Face with Dance likely playing his father Christopher. Johansson is believed to be playing Dent’s wife Gilda but that has never been confirmed and there had been no rumors at all about Koch and Henry, though Koch’s management posted a tweet about him helping rid Gotham of evil. Many on-line are speculating that Henry could be playing Detective Harvey Bullock. What is interesting are the names not mentioned in posts such as Con O’Neil as Chief Mackenzie Bock, Barry Keoghan as the Joker and Paul Dano as the Riddler. I wouldn’t assume that not being mentioned doesn’t mean they don’t show up in the film, just that the character may not have a lot of screen time. The assumption is that the film will focus on Dent working with Gordon and Batman to clean up Gotham, so there will be lots of room for other characters in this film. The film has started production and is on track to premiere in October of 2027.  ... 05/09/26 @ 3:03 pm EST
We are in the age of Matthew Lillard and everyone except Quentin Tarantino seems to be happy about it. The Scream and Scooby-Doo actor has been having a bit of a resurgence lately coming shortly after Tarantino made some disparaging comments about the actor with no provocation. Many in the industry stood up for Lillard and now the actor seems to be popping up everywhere including the latest Scream film, the second season of Cross and the second season of Daredevil: Born Again. The latest news reported by multiple sites has the actor joining the cast of Man of Tomorrow, the next DC Studios film written and directed by James Gunn. Gunn, who is good friends with Lillard and has worked with him previously on both Scooby-Doo movies, posted the below image of the pair together, commenting on the news reports as “pure speculation” and saying that they are just “casually hanging out”. Most took the posts to be sarcasm and assume that Lillard is now in the film as that is where Gunn is right now, filming the project. Fans on-line have begun even more speculation as to who Lillard could be playing including various heroes and characters with the most notable being Jim Gordon from Gotham and Plastic Man, a character that Gunn and Lillard once tried to pitch as a project to DC/Warner Bros. It’s my belief that he will be a more Superman centric character such as STAR Labs Professor Emil Hamilton or police detective Dan Turpin. But that also would be pure speculation.  05/09/26 @ 2:44 pm EST
Fans of Matt Reeves’ film The Batman got excited this week because of driving in the snow. The director posted images to his social media showing test footage of the Batmobile driving in winter conditions, which were the first signs that the long-awaited sequel had begun production. Though it has been postponed many times, it is set to be released in October of 2027 and will make the first time live-action Batman and Superman films will be released in the same year. The cold weather setting has long been assumed for the film based on the timeline created in both the first movie starting on Halloween and ending on Election Day and then The Penguin series on HBO Max which took place over a week or so immediately after the flooding of Gotham. The new film will pick up right after the award-winning series which places the time frame squarely in December. The plot for the film is still under wraps, but along with returning stars Robert Pattinson, Andy Serkis, Colin Farrell, Barry Keoghan and Jeffrey Wright, the project has reportedly added Scarlett Johannson, Sebastian Stan and Charles Dance. Stan is reported to be playing Gotham DA Harvey Dent aka Two-Face while Dance is said to be his father, Christopher. These castings have been reported by multiple reputable outlets but not confirmed by DC Studios or Reeves. With production having begun, the film is on track to keep its release date of October 2027.  05/02/26 @ 1:59 pm EST
James Gunn, co-head of DC Studios, has addressed the strange “partial reboot” of the DCEU and why he didn’t just start completely fresh. With the new DCU starting with the animated Creature Commandos series and the new Superman movie, certain elements from the previous regime carried over like Viola Davis as Amanda Waller and there were some questions about more recent projects like Gunn’s own The Suicide Squad and Blue Beetle. And Gunn’s first DC movie also had elements from previous films including Margot Robbie as Harley Qiunn. So why not just start over? Turns out a lot of it has to do with the John Cena lead Peacemaker series on HBO Max. According to a social media post by Gunn, “Peacemaker Season 2 deals were all in place when I became head of DC. It was either break everyone's contracts and pay out all that money and take away HBO Max's biggest show at the time or find a way to make it work. I chose the latter. Mostly tho because I love the character and the show and thought he/they could be an important part of the DCU.” Now, this has left quite a mess trying to figure out what is and isn’t cannon, and Gunn realizes this. He posted, “I've been thinking about this a lot in regards to The Suicide Squad & Blue Beetle and I've been meaning to rewatch both with an eye towards that knowing what I know now almost three years into the DCU (with a couple more years of scripts being actively filmed or created). Maybe after MoT Jenn & Steve & I can get together for a special couple podcasts to discuss. What do you guys think is potentially or definitely NOT canon from TSS & BB?” He is referring to Jennifer Holland, his wife and actress who plays Harcourt and Steve Agee who plays Economos. The three of them did the post-episode podcasts for Peacemaker season two. Doing The Suicide Squad film makes sense with its ties to Peacemaker, but the reason for the Blue Beetle is that there are talks of an animated Blue Beetle series based on the 2023 film with Xolo Maridueña continuing in the role of Jaime Reyes. The fact it’s included here confirms the animated series is still happening.  ...
04/18/26 @ 12:44 pm EST
David Harbour is heading into the jungle. The actor has joined the cast of John Rambo, an upcoming origin-story film set before the events of First Blood. Harbour will portray Major (also known in earlier films as Colonel) Sam Trautman, the tough-minded commander and mentor figure long associated with the franchise. The film stars Noah Centineo as a younger John Rambo and is directed by Jalmari Helander ( Sisu) from a screenplay by Rory Haines and Sohrab Noshirvani. The project is expected to explore the experiences that forged Rambo into one of action cinema’s most enduring figures—years before he returned home to the confrontation that launched the original 1982 film. John Rambo is backed by Lionsgate and Millennium Media, with Templeton Media and AGBO also involved, and has reportedly wrapped production in Thailand. Additional cast members include Yao, Jason Tobin, Quincy Isaiah, Jefferson White, and Tayme Thapthimthong. Sylvester Stallone—who originated the role across five films—is attached as an executive producer, alongside Anthony and Joe Russo and other producers tied to the project.  04/18/26 @ 12:24 pm EST
Deadline is reporting that Game of Thrones actor Charles Dance will be joining the cast of the upcoming The Batman Part 2, which is set to start filming in the next few weeks. While this is unconfirmed by DC Studios, Dance is believed to be playing Charles Dent, the father of Harvey Dent aka Two-Face played by fellow newcome to the franchise, Sebastian Stan. There had been many reports over the last few months of other actors turning down the role of the elder Dent which is believed to have some parallels with the role Dance is best known for, Tywin Lannister. He joins a cast that also returns Robert Pattinson, Andy Serkis, Colin Farrell and that has added Scarlett Johansson in an undisclosed part. Prior to joining the Matt Reeves’ sequel, Dance appeared recently in Guillermo Del Toro’s Frankenstein and the Peacock series Day of the Jackal. 
04/11/26 @ 11:27 am EST
FX is doubling down on one of television’s most unlikely success stories. The Emmy‑winning docuseries Welcome to Wrexham has been officially renewed for three additional seasons, ensuring the show will run through at least Season 8. The announcement comes just weeks ahead of the series’ Season 5 premiere on May 14, 2026. The series chronicles the ownership journey of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney—often credited onscreen as Rob Mac—after their 2020 takeover of Welsh football club Wrexham AFC. What began as a celebrity‑owned sports experiment has evolved into one of FX’s most successful and beloved nonfiction franchises, following the club’s extraordinary rise through the English football pyramid. FX Entertainment president Nick Grad called the renewal “nearly unheard of,” praising the creative team and the global connection audiences have formed with the club and its community. Reynolds and McElhenney echoed that sentiment in a joint statement, crediting the documentary crew and Wrexham’s rapid on‑field success for making such a long‑term commitment possible. Season 5 will continue to track Wrexham’s pursuit of promotion to the Premier League following three consecutive promotions, a feat never before achieved in English Football League history. With cameras set to keep rolling for years to come, FX has made it clear that Wrexham’s story—both on and off the pitch—is far from finished.  04/11/26 @ 11:17 am EST
As anticipation builds for DC Studios’ upcoming Superman sequel Man of Tomorrow, speculation around its final unannounced role has gone into overdrive. Over the past several days, a wave of casting rumors surged online—only to be decisively debunked by director and DC Studios co‑chair James Gunn himself. The most prominent rumor centered on the alien queen Maxima, a character from DC Comics long speculated to appear in the film. An initial report from Deadline claimed that Ella Purnell, Marisa Abela, and Adria Arjona had screen‑tested for the role. Gunn fired back on Threads, calling the report “shoddy & incorrect” and stating that he had never even met two of the actresses named. He emphasized that had anyone from the outlet checked with the production, the story would have been immediately denied. Gunn further clarified that his statement was not an indirect confirmation that Maxima is in Man of Tomorrow at all. When pressed by fans, he said he was “absolutely not confirming” the character’s inclusion, while adding that the film has only one remaining role left to cast, with all major roles already announced. Shortly after Gunn posted, the Hollywood Reporter came out with its own list of finalists for the role that included Arjona, the one actress in the first report that Gunn has worked with previously, along with Eva De Dominici, Sydney Chandler, and Grace Van Patten. Another rumor floating around is that Maxima is just a cover character and that they are really casting the DCU’s new Wonder Woman. While the character’s stories are very different, the physicality of both women are similar enough and it would be a good cover if DC Studios wanted to keep the introduction of a major character quiet. Which ever it is, a decision will need to be made soon as Man of Tomorrow is slated to begin filming sometime this month down in Atlanta and is slated to be released July 9th, 2027.  ... 04/05/26 @ 4:17 pm EST
Marvel fans may finally be getting the reunion they’ve been waiting for. Mike Colter and Finn Jones were recently spotted on the New York set of Daredevil: Born Again season 3, sparking widespread excitement that The Defenders are officially back. Photos from the production show Colter and Jones alongside Krysten Ritter, who reprises her role as Jessica Jones, strongly suggesting that Luke Cage and Iron Fist are once again entering Marvel’s street-level corner. While Marvel Studios has not formally announced their return, the presence of all three actors together during filming points to a deliberate reunion rather than a coincidence. The sighting is significant because Colter and Jones last portrayed their characters during Marvel’s Netflix era, where they joined Charlie Cox’s Daredevil and Ritter’s Jessica Jones in the 2017 crossover miniseries The Defenders. With Daredevil: Born Again already reestablishing that continuity on Disney+, season 3 now appears poised to fully reassemble the team for the first time in nearly a decade. Although plot details remain under wraps, the set photos alone have reignited fan enthusiasm for Marvel’s grounded, Hell’s Kitchen–based heroes. If the reunion is confirmed on screen, Daredevil: Born Again season 3 could mark a major turning point—bringing The Defenders back together and firmly reintegrating Marvel’s Netflix characters into the broader MCU.  03/28/26 @ 1:40 pm EST
Games Workshop has officially unveiled Warhammer 40,000: 11th Edition, confirming that the next evolution of its flagship tabletop wargame will launch in June 2026. The announcement was made during the AdeptiCon 2026 preview event, where a cinematic trailer, a new starter box, and early details about rules changes were revealed. The narrative focus of 11th Edition returns players to Armageddon, one of the most iconic war zones in Warhammer 40K lore. The new storyline centers on a massive conflict between the Imperium of Man and invading Ork forces, with the Blood Angels Space Marines positioned as the headline Imperial faction opposing an Ork Waaagh!. A major lore highlight is the confirmed return of Commissar Sebastian Yarrick, a long‑standing fan‑favorite character closely associated with Armageddon’s wars. His reappearance anchors the edition firmly in classic Warhammer history while advancing the ongoing narrative following recent campaign books. The launch of 11th Edition will be accompanied by a new boxed starter set titled Warhammer 40,000: Armageddon. The set includes newly revealed Space Marine and Ork miniatures, with early previews showing updated Intercessors that blend modern Primaris design with visual callbacks to older armor marks. While the full contents of the box have not yet been detailed, Games Workshop confirmed that additional starter products at different price points will follow, continuing the company’s recent approach to onboarding new players. Unlike the dramatic overhaul that accompanied 10th Edition, early information indicates that 11th Edition is designed as an iterative update rather than a full system reset. Existing 10th Edition Codex and Supplement books will remain valid at launch, meaning players will not need to immediately replace their current army rules. Confirmed design goals include streamlined core mechanics, reduced rules stacking, and a closer alignment between narrative and matched play. Games Workshop has emphasized faster gameplay, clearer interactions, and improved balance without discarding the foundations introduced in the previous edition. Although the June 2026 release window has been confirmed, many specifics—such as the full ruleset, complete model lineup, and codex roadmap—remain under wraps. Games Workshop has stated that deeper rules previews and additional reveals will be shared in the months leading up to launch.  ... |
