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07/26/14 @ 9:44 am EST
In the first mini-series since Gail Simone relaunched Red Sonja for Dynamite, Frank Tieri takes the She-devil with a Sword to the Black Tower. Byron Brewer caught up with the writer to discuss his turn with the red-headed warrior.  BYRON BREWER: Like Conan, Tarzan and John Carter, Red Sonja has had a myriad of comic book stories. Is this miniseries an adaptation of a Robert E. Howard story or an original story, and is that difficult to do for such a traveled literary character?FRANK TIERI: Original story, definitely. And a very different one than what one might expect from a Sonja story, I’d say. To your point about her being such a well-traveled character, I wanted to make sure we weren’t covering ground that’s already been traveled upon with her. I didn’t want her just fighting another wizard or barbarian… that’s not to say there’s not some of that stuff in here, just that there’s a lot more to it going on. If I was going to do this, I wanted to tell a Sonja story unlike anything we’ve ever seen, and with BLACK TOWER, I believe that we have. BB: Frank, tell us your take on the She-Devil with a Sword.FT: Simply put… she’s the baddest motherfucker in her world.I think of her sort of as the female Hyborean version of Eastwood’s Man With No Name. She walks into a town or a bar or whatever and every man, woman and child shits their pants. (Or tunic, if you prefer) They all just pray to their gods that whoever she’s there for, whoever she has a problem with, it’s not them. Because if it is… they’re already dead.  BB: Are you a follower of Howard’s Sonja? Roy Thomas? Others along the way?FT: Not so much the Howard stuff (And really, Sonja with a J is a very different character than Howard’s Sonya with a Y, ya know?) but I was a big time Conan comic book guy growing up. And the issues where Sonja showed up, those were the special ones. You’d wait for those. Because in that whole fucked up universe of theirs, Sonja was the one person who could hang with Conan. She was one of the only people that could look him in the eye that he might have a second thought about fucking with.Plus, they had such a great dynamic together. If you were reading Conan back then and a part of you didn’t always hope they’d eventually end up together, then you’re dead to me. BB: Tell us a bit about the world and situation that Sonja finds herself in during this limited series.FT: The Black Tower just shows up one day. People are scared… they don’t know where this thing came from and what the hell’s going to happen now that it’s here. And what tends to happen when people are scared? They mob up, get their pitchforks and torches out and start doing some stupid violent shit to each other. That’s the situation Sonja finds herself when she hits town… so she pretty much hits the ground running.The story will actually take place over a number of years, with each issue representing a time jump. In issue 1, the Tower arrives and the stage is set. But fans won’t actually have long to wait to see it open because something comes out by the end of issue 2. What emerges is something unlike anything Sonja has faced before and going forward, it’s what she has to contend with for the rest of the series.  BB: I know this sounds like a strange question, but having worked with a character like Marvel’s Wolverine, how does that warrior compare to a swashbuckler like Red Sonja?FT: It’s not all that strange. In fact, it’s probably expected considering all the work I’ve done with Wolverine. And if you think about it, they have a lot more in common than you might think. They’ve both got that “lone wolf” thing going. They’ve both got a tremendous sense of honor, a code if you will. And they’re both pretty much the alphas of their respective universes.The big difference? Sonja’s got her shit together waaaay better than Wolvie. I mean, deep down…Wolvie’s fucking nuts. He’s got demons to fight that Sonja just doesn’t have. The demons she fights are, ya know… actual demons. BB: Does it make you feel a bit better on this mini to work with an artist like Cezar Razek, who has drawn the red-tressed warrior woman before?FT: Cezar’s really brought his A game to this, I’m happy to say. I mean, his Sonja just looks like Sonja should look, ya know? I’ve got some pretty violent stuff going on and he hasn’t shied away from any of it, which I like in an artist. Honestly, I may be a bit biased but I really think it’s the best stuff the guy’s ever done.  Plus we’ve also got the lovely Amanda Conner on covers which is worth the price of admission alone. We were down in Baltimore Comic Con last year when me and Nicky met to talk about me doing the book and Amanda was there and immediately volunteered to do covers. Let me tell you… that didn’t get a “yeah” from me, that got a “fuck yeah!”. And of course, she’s killed it as usual. BB: Is there any inspiration (beyond the obvious) for this particular tale?FT: You might be surprised when I say this but Stephen King, believe it or not. And for readers of the Dark Tower series—which I am a huge fan of – yes, the name of our series is a nod to that ( That said, I can promise you that what’s in our tower is NOT the center of the universe.). King often has these things show up in his stories out of nowhere—towers, talismans… even a buick 8—and as the story unravels you start to uncover where this thing came from and what does it all mean. Our story is very much like that. BB: Would you be interested in working with this character in a future book, and how do you see Red Sonja among the females who are heading regular comics these days?FT: Sure, I’d be open to more Sonja in the future. Hopefully this series does well enough and it opens the door for more because honestly, this story was a blast to write.As for Sonja and how she fits among her fellow female comic book compatriots… I’m always a bit surprised she’s not bigger, ya know? I mean, Sonja’s sort of the original “bad girl” character if you think about it. Before Electra and Painkiller Jane and Shi, etc… there was Sonja. To me I’d rank her right up there with a lot of those other female comic book icons and it would be cool for her to eventually get the props she deserves. 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.  ... |
