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05/21/15 @ 2:43 pm EST
In a deal brokered by The Joester Loria Group, DEFY Media's YouTube sensation SMOSH has licensed with Dynamite Entertainment to develop a series of comics and graphic novels. SMOSH, the powerhouse digital comedy brand with more than 30 million subscribers across multiple YouTube Channels and over 20 million social media followers, launched in 2005 as the brainchild of Ian Hecox and Anthony Padilla. Founded in 2004, Dynamite Entertainment has become a leading comic publisher focusing on creating adaptations of top entertainment properties. An extension of DEFY Media's SMOSH comedy brand, which includes multiple YouTube channels, a highly trafficked website, mobile, OTT and gaming apps, and merchandising, the comic & graphic novel series will give Hecox and Padilla a new platform for their distinct brand of humor, and will provide SMOSH fans with another way to connect with their favorite digital channels. The SMOSH Graphic Novels and Comics will hit retail shelves Holiday 2015 and will retail for 3.99-$4.99 for comic books, $14.99-$19.99 for soft cover graphic novels, $24.99-$49.99 for hard covers. The program will target the growing community of graphic novel and comic book enthusiast in the young millennial demographic Ian Hecox and Anthony Padilla have been listed as the highest ranking public figures among teens 13-17 years old according to a 2014 survey commissioned by Variety ( http://www.businessinsider.com/youtube-smosh-video-millions-2014-12#ixzz3WXm1Udsi) Domestic sales of comics and graphic novels have been rising for years, reaching $870 million in 2013, up from $265 million in 2000, according to estimates by Comichron's John Jackson Miller and ICv2's Milton Griepp. ( http://www.businessinsider.com/the-comic-book-industry-is-on-fire-2014-8#ixzz3WBS9uBcu) 10/05/25 @ 11:50 am EST
One of the more controversial things in this summer’s Superman film was the appearance of Kara Zor-El aka Supegirl played by House of the Dragon’s Milly Alcock. The character has been on screen before, first played by Helen Slater and then Melissa Benoist and in both interpretations the character came across in a lot of ways as a female version of her cousin, Kal-El. This didn’t make sense to writer Ana Nogueira who DC Studios asked to take a swing at writing a new feature for. Nogueira, a former actor turned writer, told Variety, “She watched Krypton completely be destroyed. I was always like, ‘I can’t get my head around the version of the character that is so sunny.’” And then she came across Tom King’s Woman of Tomorrow series with a rougher, grittier, edgier and funnier Supergirl. “When I read it, I was like, ‘There she is,’” Nogueira says. Fueled by this different take on the character, Nogueira crafted a script that not only won over DC Studios co-heads James Gunn and Peter Safran, but earned her two more assignments, Wonder Woman and Teen Titans. Supergirl, directed by Craig Gillespie, will hit theaters in June of 2026.  10/05/25 @ 11:20 am EST
While appearing at the Hamptons International Film Festival to promote her new film Eternity, Elizabeth Olsen was asked about a possible return to the MCU. “It is something that I love, and it’s something I always want to return to. I think the thing that’s been so special about the last five years is I’ve gotten to do so much with the character that I never thought I would. There are still character through lines that have happened in the comics that I’d love to do that I think fans also want to. I mean, these movies aren’t for critics, these movies are for fans.” Olsen first appeared as Wanda Maximoff in a brief cameo at the end of Captain America: The Winter Soldier in 2014 and reprised the roles in Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Captain America: Civil War (2016), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Avengers: End Game (2019) and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022) as well as lead a spinoff Disney+ series, WandaVision in 2021. And while her character has died, that doesn’t necessarily mean the end when it comes to comic=book-based movies. And while she’s not been announced for any new Scarlet Witch projects, she remains very positive towards the whole thing. “It’s really fruitful, and the stories have only gotten better for me, my character. I really enjoyed it. Some people have ongoing television series that they get to return to. Very few, I feel like, get to be a part of franchises that, I know we might culturally get a little bit exhausted by, but there is something about them that becomes very familial. There’s nothing else really like it, and I don’t know that I’ll have [that] again unless it’s for an ongoing show. I do like that kind of consistency. It feels good. I mean, job security feels nice — I think we can all agree on that.”  ... 10/04/25 @ 9:53 am EST
If you're a fan of Peacemaker, you may have recognized the familiar face of Keith Smith as David Denman, a seasoned actor whose career spans television, film, and even stage performances. Denman is perhaps best known for his role as Roy Anderson on the beloved NBC sitcom The Office. He played Pam Beesly’s fiancé during the first few seasons, making frequent appearances and creating memorable moments in the show's iconic Scranton branch setting. Where I first saw him was as Brian Murphy, one of the football players in the sports comedy The Replacements, starring alongside Keanu Reeves and Gene Hackman. His portrayal of the tough yet endearing deaf tight end made him a standout in this memorable ensemble cast. He also starred alongside John Krasinski in 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi, portraying a member of the security team. Denman worked with James Gunn previously in the horror film Brightburn, playing the adoptive father to the film’s central character. Denman’s television career includes appearances in shows like Parenthood, Outcast, and Mare of Easttown. His ability to slip into a variety of characters has made him a familiar face to audiences across genres, from comedy and drama to horror and action. In addition to his main roles, Denman has also shown up in guest spots on popular series such as Grey’s Anatomy, True Detective, and The X-Files. His versatility and range have made him a reliable presence in Hollywood for over two decades. So, if you’re watching Peacemaker and wondering where you’ve seen David Denman before, chances are it’s been in one of these standout projects. His extensive resume ensures that he’s a familiar face to fans of both television and film.  10/04/25 @ 9:36 am EST
After several seasons of quirky humor and heartwarming family moments, Fox has officially canceled the animated series The Great North. The series premiered on Fox as part of the network’s Sunday night animation lineup, joining the ranks of beloved shows like Bob’s Burgers and The Simpsons. Created by Wendy Molyneux, Lizzie Molyneux-Logelin, and Minty Lewis, the show focused on the Tobin family living in the wilds of Alaska. Its cast featured the voices of Nick Offerman, Jenny Slate, Will Forte, and Dulcé Sloan, who brought the unique and eccentric characters to life. Fox did not cite a specific reason for the cancellation. Despite positive critical reception and a loyal audience, The Great North struggled to achieve the same mainstream popularity as some of its animated peers. This likely contributed to the network’s decision to end the series.  09/28/25 @ 8:53 am EST
If you are enjoying season 2 of Peacemaker and are wondering if there is going to be a season 3… well, sort of. According to writer/director James Gunn, the eight and final episode of the season will set up what’s next, “Some of these characters will continue, but also, it’s not exactly Peacemaker 3. I’m not ruling it out. You’ll see (episode) 8 and maybe you’ll find out a little bit more.” There is speculation that this might be tied into the planned Amanda Waller series with Viola Davis, which has been progressing slowly since the initial Gunn/ Peter Safran announcement. One interesting thing, it seems this week’s scene between Lex Luthor ( Nicholas Hoult) and Rick Flag Sr. ( Frank Grillo) had been in the works even before the Earth X plot for the season had been settled on. “When I pitched to DCU what the basic stories were throughout the TV shows and movies, this was a part of that.” The Belle Reve scene and the Justice Gang auditions were filmed on consecutive Saturdays during the filming of the Superman movie. There is also one more Superman character crossover to come in episode 8.  09/28/25 @ 8:37 am EST
Tom Holland is on the mend after an incident on the set of Spider-Man: Brand New Day which left the actor with a concussion and a week off as production halted. Holland was well enough to attend a recent gala for his parents’ nonprofit The Brothers Trust alongside his fiancée and co-star Zendaya. He posted to Instagram, “What a night! Another huge success. The Brothers Trust means more to me than I could possibly say and I have to say a huge thank you to my Mum and her wonderful friends for putting on another incredible night. Raising money for fantastic causes and having fun doing it! I’m sorry I had to leave early but I’m feeling better and on the mend. A huge thanks to my Dad for taking over after I left. The show got considerably funnier.” Holland received the mild concussion during a stunt gone wrong and was taken to the hospital immediately but not admitted. The film is being shot in Scotland and even with the delay should still be able to make it’s July 31st, 2026 release date. 
09/27/25 @ 1:01 pm EST
Earlier this year we learned that plans for a second season of Hawkeye were derailed when Jeremy Renner received an offer for only half of what he made on season one. The actor commented that perhaps Disney thought he was only half the actor he was after getting run over by a snowplow in 2023. But he made it clear that this wasn’t Marvel or even the higher ups at Disney but rather the accountants. He, of course, refused the offer, but he didn’t close the door to the idea. Renner, who continues to recover from the accident, was at Florida Supercon and was asked if he would still want to reprise the role in a second season. “It was great to dive more into the character a bit, in a world that’s more grounded. To me, it was a lot more fun to do and more to explore for the character, which is nice. I always wanted to do more of that stuff, and there’s the incident that happened, and I have to get my body in shape to be able to sling arrows again and dive around and do all that stuff, but I’ll get there. I’m doing good.” The actor remains hopeful for a second season, “I’ll always dance with Marvel. I’ll always dance with them for sure when appropriate, when it’s rocking, I’m happy to do season two of Hawkeye. I love that character. I think there’s so much for us to do.” Renner continues his series Mayor of Easttown as well as will be appearing in the upcming third Knives Out film, Wake Up Dead Man!.  09/27/25 @ 12:24 pm EST
Warner Bros made Superman available digitally after just 73 days, far earlier than normal for a tent pole film and when asked why, co-head of DC Studios James Gunn said that he wanted to make sure that fans could see the film before Peacemaker season 2 was released. Turns out that it also lined up that it would be released on HBO Max the weekend prior to the sixth episode which turned out to be very important to both the story and the future of the DCU. In a scene that is said to help set up Gunn’s next film, Man of Tomorrow, Nicholas Holt reprised his role as Lex Luthor showing us not only the ramifications of his actions in Superman, but we see Rick Flag Sr. ( Frank Grillo) give the character an opportunity that will likely lead to the believed team up between Lex and Superman in the summer of 2027. Gunn spoke about the scene on Peacemaker: The Official Podcast, “This was one of the first scenes we shot. I think we shot it in the middle of Superman, while we were shooting the pentagon sequences in Superman. It was cool, it was weird because tonally, it instantly felt different from Superman, which is so big and brash. And this show is so grounded and gritty. And then also hearing Nick curse. But I felt like even Nick’s performance was different. It felt a little darker, it was a little different.” In the scene, Flag travels to Belle Reve prison to see Lex to get his help tracking the dimensional portal currently in the hands of Peacemaker ( John Cena). Gunn explained, “We have a really important moment, for not only Peacemaker, but the entire DCU, in that Rick Flag, the head of ARGUS, strikes a deal basically with Lex Luthor. In exchange for Lex Luthor finding where Peacemaker’s portal might be, he is going to move him from a prison with metahumans to a prison with no metahumans.” The importance of this deal will undoubtedly play out in Man of Tomorrow, a film that Gunn has said isn’t a true sequel to Superman, but a film that will focus on both Superman and Lex.  ... 09/21/25 @ 12:57 pm EST
Christopher Nolan, acclaimed director of films like Inception, Dunkirk, and Oppenheimer, has been elected president of the Directors Guild of America (DGA), ushering in a new phase of leadership for the influential organization. Known for his dedication to creative control, practical effects, and film preservation, Nolan is expected to champion directors’ rights and artistic integrity in an evolving industry. Nolan’s priorities include protecting creative autonomy, supporting innovation in storytelling, and ensuring fair compensation and working conditions for DGA members. He is also committed to advancing diversity and inclusion and preserving the theatrical experience in the face of growing streaming platforms.“To be elected President of the Directors Guild of America is one of the greatest honors of my career,” Nolan said. “Our industry is experiencing tremendous change, and I thank the Guild’s membership for entrusting me with this responsibility. I also want to thank President Glatter for her leadership over the past four years. I look forward to collaborating with her and the newly elected Board to achieve important creative and economic protections for our members.” The filmmaking community has largely welcomed Nolan’s election, hopeful that his experience and passion will help the DGA navigate industry changes and support both established and emerging directors. 
09/21/25 @ 12:37 pm EST
James Gunn, co-head of DC Studios, has signaled that more characters from Charlton Comics may soon make their way into the DC Universe (DCU). Gunn, known for spotlighting lesser-known comic book characters, recently responded to a fan question on social media asking about the inclusion of more of the original Charlton Comic characters to which he replied, “you may be in luck.” Charlton Comics introduced characters like Blue Beetle, The Question, Captain Atom, Nightshade, Judomaster and Peacemaker—many of whom were later acquired by DC. Their unique qualities and stories offer new directions for the DCU. Gunn’s approach embraces these unconventional heroes, as seen in the success of the Peacemaker series. He has suggested that some big cameos are still ahead in the new season, which could lead to the characters he was hinting at. This could include an appearance by Xolo Maridueña’s Blue Beetle. There has been talks about an animated series for the character after the moderate success of the live action film in 2023 and this would be a good way to bring the character fully into the new DCU. The final three episodes of Peacemaker season two were not released to reviewers meaning that just about anything could happen at this point. 
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