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“The Big Two” finally unveil their long-kept secret and tease another crossover event in 2026.
By. Nick Romano
Back in February, at a ComicsPro panel held in Glendale, Calif., the editors in chief of Marvel and DC revealed they were quietly assembling something they hadn’t pulled off in more than two decades: a crossover event.
From time to time, going as far back as 1976 with the arrival of Superman vs. The Amazing Spider-Man, “the Big Two” comic brands have been known to bring their superhero titans together for the kind of convergence that their cross-pollinating fan bases crave. The last time they did this was in 2003, when JLA/Avengers kicked off a comic book arc that played out into the following year, but there hasn’t been a collaboration of this magnitude since.
“A lot of things have to align,” Dan Buckley, the President of Marvel Entertainment, explains to Entertainment Weekly. “Mostly we plan our editorial schedule pretty far out. DC does their schedule pretty far out. You want to have the right talent involved because with this type of thing, you want to elevate it as much as you can to get people excited.”
Jim Lee, the President, Chief Creative Officer, and Publisher for DC Comics, echoes similar sentiments in a separate chat over Zoom, noting how DC typically works two-to-three years in advance.
“It happens kind of once every generation of readers. I’ll leave you to draw your own conclusions as to why,” he comments. “The timing has to be right in that you don’t want to do these too often. You want them to feel special. It is sort of finding that right moment for both companies to come together because it is complex.
There’s a lot more coordination, collaboration, approvals that have to be done. And, obviously, from the business side, you’re sharing revenue, but it’s going to be a big deal. So you want the story, creatively, to warrant the hype of it all.”
The time to reveal the next crossover is finally here... Deadpool, meet Batman.
S can exclusively reveal that Marvel’s Merc with a Mouth and DC’s Dark Knight will collide this year, crossing swords and batarangs across a new publishing event. On the Marvel side, Zeb Wells, the Spider-Man comics scribe who recently worked on the big-screen spectacular Deadpool & Wolverine, pens a Deadpool/Batman one-shot with art and cover design by veteran artist Greg Capullo, who most recently worked on Wolverine: Revenge.
The story, kicking off this Sep. 17, tells how Wade Wilson is hired for a job in Gotham City that puts him in the crosshairs of the World’s Greatest Detective. Accompanying the main one-shot will be a lineup of “backup adventures” that features “exciting Marvel and DC character match-ups,” according to an official description. However, details on what that entails, including the creative teams, will be shared at a later date.
“After writing Amazing Spider-Man for 60 issues, I told Marvel I needed a break,” Wells tells EW in a statement via email. “Marvel told me I could do that or I could write a comic starring Deadpool and Batman with the best Batman artist of our generation. I no longer needed a break. In Batman we’ve found someone who has even less time for Deadpool’s antics than Wolverine, but a city-wide threat from the Joker makes strange bedfellows
Greg Capullo’s cover of Batman Deadpool #1 by Marvel.
(literally, if Deadpool had his way). It’s been a blast letting Deadpool loose in Gotham City and watching what happens.”
Capullo feels similarly. “Am I dreaming? This crossover is likely to be the high point of my career...and, I’ve had a great career,” the artist adds via email. “Some of my earliest work (many years ago) was on X-Force, so Deadpool and I go way back. More recently, I spent 10-plus years drawing Batman at DC. The idea that I get to do a crossover event with Deadpool and Batman...If I am dreaming, please don’t wake me!”
Dan Mora’s Cover for Deadpool Batman #1 By. DC
Whenever Buckley hears a Zeb Wells idea, it’s usually something that’s equally funny, clever, and heartfelt, the top brass says. “That’s how I feel about what he is putting together now,” Buckley remarks. “And I know Mr. Capullo will deliver in spades on the emotional storytelling and all the action, because that’s what he does every time he does his story.”
MONTHLY PULL LIST
Godzilla Destroys the Marvel Universe #1 Geryy Duggan & Javier
Garron
• We reccomend this book for this month not just for the fact its a new #1, but for the fact its a new crossover unlike we’ve ever seen before with the nuclear Godzilla. WIth the promise of destroying the Marvel Universe the kick off to this story dounds promising with Gerry Duggan writing and Javier Garron as the artist.
• The saga of the Absolute Batman continues with his fight against Bane still raging on , continute on this journy with writer Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta on art.
• Who would dare betray Battle Beast. Follow Battle Beasts adventure to find the fight of his life. With writter Robert Kirkman and Artist Ryan Ottely the duo behind Invincible.
Release Date: July 16th
Absolute Batman #8 Scott Snyder & Nick Draggota
Invinvible Universe: Battle Beast Robert Kirkman& Ryan Ottely
ALL-TIME PULL LIST
This pull list is for all time comic reccomendations. Since James Gunns Superman relaeases this week here at the comic-stand were reccomending all time Superman books.
• Superman for all seasons is a story within supermans second year opperarting. it shows Clarks humanity his pourpose and just how enjoyable clarks suppoting cast is. Its a story about succsess, failure, and tradjedy but all through knowing you have people who love you by your side
• Superman Smashes the Klan is a short story with great art about the fight against racism in America. Set in the golden age of comics Superman helps these childresn friend from the oppression of the Klan in their town.
• Superman up in the sky is a short simple story that is a retelling of the story of Hercules. Superman in a journey to save a little girl ventures into space and goes through trials of strength patience and compassion all just to save a little girl who needs help.
James Gunn Explains The Balance Of Sadness And Hope In His Superman Movie [Exclusive Interview]
By. Bill Bria
Superhero films have been a major cornerstone of blockbuster cinema for decades now. In fact, it’s been nearly a half-century since Richard Donner’s “Superman” proved that heroes in tights needn’t be laughed at but could be inspiring instead, and the way that our culture has viewed such characters has only continued to evolve. These movies have been experiencing a fallow period lately, slumping creatively if not financially (though the latter is happening more often). There are many specific and extenuating reasons for this, yet there have also been several major developments since the release of “Avengers: Endgame” in 2019. We may not be experiencing superhero fatigue as much as we need to redefine what these characters mean to us, and how filmmakers might approach them in a way that feels current and personal instead of in a cookie cutter fashion.
James Gunn’s “Superman” feels like a major step forward in that direction, as it’s one of the most vibrant, inventive, and unique superhero films made in the past five years. It’s a film that could’ve easily collapsed under its own perceived weight, as the movie not only seeks to re-introduce Superman (David Corenswet), Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan), and Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) to an audience generally familiar with those characters, but also officially kick off the new DC Universe, with Gunn and his DC Studios co-CEO
Peter Safran seeking to establish an interconnected tapestry of characters without stumbling in the same ways that the DC Extended Universe did. On top of this lies the question of what this movie’s Superman is like, what he and the film stand for, and whether or not audiences will respond favorably to that. How Gunn deftly threads all these needles in “Superman” is nothing short of remarkable; it’s the first movie since perhaps the initial “The Avengers” that feels like it rewards longtime fans and newcomers equally, in that it tells a story that feels utterly personal and distinct yet contains numerous possibilities for the future.
I had the pleasure of speaking with Gunn on the eve of the release of “Superman,” and the writer-director was just as refreshingly passionate and honest as the movie he’s just made. We discussed the responsibility of portraying these classic characters, the film’s kinetic camerawork, the theme of journalism and its importance to both the movie and the real world, and how Superman (the film and the character) is a potent mixture of sadness and hope.
Finding new facets to Superman and building an ensemble of favorite characters
This movie has such a wonderful message of staying true to yourself and being your own person. I love seeing that because it really feels
James Gunn at Suicide Squad Premire.
I saw you in it, and what you want to say about these characters and what they mean to you. What was that process like for you, getting that into this movie? Did it feel freeing, in terms of being the boss so you can put whatever you want in there? Or was it like, Definitely, I still felt the responsibility of the characters. And the truth is, is that I’ve made a lot of movies now, really since “Guardians [of the Galaxy] 1,” where I was able to do whatever I wanted. I’ve never had a problem with doing what I wanted in any of the “Guardians” movies or “The Suicide Squad” or whatever. So that hasn’t really been an issue.
I think it was a matter of really being true to Superman, finding an aspect of Superman that maybe we haven’t seen before, so focusing on him as a person a little bit more. At the end of the day, this is a movie about all the pyrotechnics and action and all that, but at the center of it, it’s really a story about Superman finding out something about himself, not knowing how to deal with it, and then finding a way through that emotional distress. And that’s something that I don’t feel like has been in a movie before, or a TV show. I think that was what was exciting to me.
Your movies are known for having great ensembles and being team movies, so to speak. While this isn’t technically a team movie, watching the film, I felt this is still an ensemble because Superman’s on everyone’s team. What was it like giving everybody a moment to shine in this movie while still keeping Superman, Lois, and Lex the focus?
Well, that’s just because I love those characters. I love Guy Gardner. I love Mr. Terrific. I love Lois Lane. I love Cat Grant. I love these characters from the comics, and so giving them each a little bit of a moment, [like with] Metamorpho, and looking at them in a different way maybe than they’ve normally been [seen]. Guy is very true to the comics. Mr. Terrific is pretty true to the comics. Metamorpho is a little more haunted. Really, it was fun because I’m simply a fan of those characters in the comics.
The influences of camera tech and Korean action cinema on Superman
I would love to hear about your approach to the film’s visual aesthetic, because watching it, I really noticed that you and cinematographer Henry Braham untethered the camera so much, but it never felt wild. It felt very precise. What was the process like in considering this approach?
Well, it’s just been kind of the thing that Henry and I have been developing together over the past few movies. I think you can see the shift that happens from “Guardians 1” to “Guardians [Vol.] 2” and then “The Suicide Squad.” That’s the modern era of [our] filmmaking.
A couple of things have influenced that. Number one, the Stabileye, which became kind of famous in “1917,” we used that first in “Guardians 2.” That was the first time that was ever used. After that, we’ve created these small-
er versions called Nanos and Picos, which are a small version of the Stabileye. So you’re able to move and become very intimate and move around. We can move all the cameras around in a way that gives you a little bit of a handheld feeling, but without giving you the sick feeling that you might get on the big screen with a handheld camera. We’ve been developing that.
And then the other one I have to say is, I’m a huge fan of Asian action movies, especially Hong Kong action movies from when I was younger, and then in recent years, Korean action movies. There’s a guy named Director J [Jung Byung-gil] who directed “The Villainess,” who I have to give a shout-out [to], because he reinvented action. I just stole everything from Director J, which he’ll be very happy to hear me saying that. He’s a great guy, and so I think that our action, especially starting with “The Suicide Squad,” was influenced by “Villainess” and Director J’s work in general.
Finding the sadness and hope within Superman
I asked a version of this question of George Miller when we spoke about hope in “Furiosa” last year. This movie gives me a lot of hope for humanity in terms of just giving us a bellwether in Superman of something to follow. What do you want people to take away from this movie in addition to that, or is that the main thing?
That’s the main thing. You just gave it to me, so thank you for that. That means something to me. We had a cast dinner the night before we started, at Enzo’s in Atlanta. I talked about just goodness, being a good human being, and the value of that and the value of spotlighting that in this movie — that at the end of the day, everybody cares about being edgy, or being cool, or being mean-spirited, or being funny, and none of those things matter. What matters is just that we love each other. If that comes off in the movie a little bit, and if somebody feels that a little bit, then that works. That works for me.
But I think that there’s a sadness to Superman because we want Superman. [laughs] We want somebody who’s really good, who’s powerful, and I don’t think that’s really what we’re seeing a lot of in this world. But hopefully, some kid’s going to go see it, and they will be that powerful person that’s also good in five years, 10 years, 20 years.
“Superman” is in theaters.
Superman Courtesy of Warner Bros
Fantastic Four actor Julia Garner addresses fan backlash to ‘gender-swapped’ casting
Julia Garner has responded to the initial backlash she faced for her casting in The Fantastic Four reboot.
Last April, the 31-year-old Emmy-winning Ozark star joined the cast of Marvel Studios’ new film, The Fantastic Four: First Steps.
At first, it was believed that she would be taking on the role of a female version of the iconic Silver Surfer character who appeared in earlier comics.
However, it was later confirmed that Garner will, in fact, be starring as Shalla-Bal, the immortal Empress of Zenn-La and lover of the Silver Surfer/Norrin Radd.
Speaking to the BBC on Friday at the UK launch of the reboot, the Inventing Anna actor was asked about her reaction to the criticism she first received when it was assumed she was taking on a “gender-swapped” Silver Surfer. “I’m just going to still do my job,” she remembered thinking, “and also it’s Shalla-Bal so it’s different.”
Fan negativity didn’t last long, however, as the first trailer, released in February, was widely well-received.
“I was just happy that people are resonating with it and just like any other project,” Garner added of the secondary praise. “So I’m grateful to be at this dance, to be completely honest with you.” Garner previously spoke about her confusion when she was first approached for the role.
“I was confused because I was like, ‘Wait, isn’t the Silver Surfer a man?’ I was just like, ‘Okay, well, I’ll play anything,’” she told Entertainment Weekly in April. “Then [director Matt Shakman] was explaining to me that it’s actually Shalla-Bal and that whole thing.”
Shalla-Bal was originally introduced in Marvel Comics’ The Silver Surfer #1 in August 1968. She has never appeared in a live-action movie until now.
“I knew who the Silver Surfer was, and I got to know the Silver Surfer more when I signed on to the project. I really dived in,” she added. “I read a lot of the Fantastic Four and Silver Surfer comics before starting the project, and I knew that this Fantastic Four was going to be told in a very different way than even the other movies.” Out in theaters July 25, the movie arrives 20
Pedrro pascal as Reed Richards in Time Magazinee advertisemnt
