'THE FLASH' REVEALS IDENTITY OF THE MAN IN THE IRON MASK: 05/24/16 @ 10:15 pm EST
Source: The Hollywood Reporter | Categories: Flash | Comments (0) | E-mail Article | Add a Comment[Warning: this story contains spoilers from Tuesday's season two finale of The Flash, "The Race of His Life."]John Wesley Shipp's days as a speedster are no longer behind him on
The Flash.
The original Barry Allen from the 1990
The Flash series has played father to Grant Gustin's Barry Allen on The CW reboot for two years. But the season two finale revealed that, just one episode after Henry Allen's tragic death at the hands of Zoom (Teddy Sears), Shipp is also playing the identity of the man in the iron mask that Zoom kept locked up in his lair. But this isn't just another Earth's version of Henry Allen. Shipp is the Earth-3 version of Jay Garrick, the original speedster that Zoom/Hunter Zolomon was pretending to be all year to get closer to Barry and the S.T.A.R. Labs team.
"I never saw this coming," Shipp tells
The Hollywood Reporter of the twist. "I left at the beginning of the season, I came back once, but for the most of the season, I was gone. So to be brought back as part of a triple whammy, first with Henry's death, which I expected, then the reveal of the man in the iron mask, which is me, which I didn't expect, and then I certainly didn't expect the man in the iron mask to be Jay Garrick. It's a triple whammy for sure."
But Shipp wasn't told about this shocking revelation in any concrete way.
"I went up on March 1 to film the last four episodes and I began hearing things," Shipp says with a laugh. "I was fitted in this costume that was all brown and shredded and like a prison costume. But it obviously wasn't a Henry Allen costume. And then I started hearing about fittings for an iron mask. I wrote [executive producer] Greg [Berlanti] and email saying, 'I'm starting to hear things about characters that I may or may not be playing going forward. What's going on here?'"
Shipp continues with a laugh, "I was dying for him to talk to me. Of course he got back to me within three minutes and he was like, 'Oh my God, I thought they had already talked to you!' So we had a great conversation and he laid out this story for me and the series of reveals in the last couple of episodes. I have to tell you, my mind was blown."
When Shipp first began to process the big Jay Garrick revelation, he wasn't sure how he felt about it.
"I had a couple of reactions. One is that it's great TV," Shipp says. "And it's really an expert channeling of fan expectations, because the audience always wanted me to be Jay Garrick from the very beginning. And I felt some apprehension of assuming the role of a costumed superhero, a quarter of a century later after I had done it before."
While viewer speculation ran rampant all season long about who was the man in the iron mask, Shipp didn't have any ideas or theories of who he thought it would be.
"The writers know how to keep things secret and how to throw everyone off," Shipp says. "I also think it worked to our advantage that absolutely everyone was convinced that Henry Allen was actually Zoom. When they turned out to be wrong about that, they were a little gun shy about being burned twice by saying that I was the man in the iron mask."
But Shipp was glad that he didn't have to play this speedster role right out of the gate.
"When this role came to me initially, I wanted to play Henry Allen. I didn't want to suit up again right away," Shipp says. "'Is this all this guy can do? Run around in a costume?' But Henry Allen was a quiet, truthful, emotional character grounded in grit. He was a true character role in the midst of all this action and adventure. Having done that for two years, now I feel like, OK, I've proven myself again as an actor. Now maybe I can get in and have a little fun as a costumed superhero again."
What excites Shipp the most about taking on the new role is the acting challenge of making this character completely different from Henry Allen.
"He looks like just Barry's father but it's vital that he not be Henry Allen," Shipp says. "Coming out of the iron mask, my challenge was: how do we let the audience know right away that this is not Henry Allen?"
And that means Jay's dynamic with Barry is going to be completely different from Henry's.
"Barry just lost the person he's closest to, his father, the person he could be vulnerable with, who he could cry with," Shipp says. "They had a very physical, hands-on relationship. It was very important to Barry. But that's not who Jay is. Jay has no idea when he comes out of that iron mask, the emotional mine field that he is walking into. Going forward, that's going to be interesting to explore."
Of course, Jay's appearance means quite a lot to Barry.
"He wants to have the same relationship with Jay that he had with his father, but Jay is coming from place of, 'That has nothing to do with who I am,'" Shipp says. "Barry and Jay have to make their own relationship which will be separate and distinct from the Henry and Barry relationship. That was the challenge."
He continues, "This isn't the Henry/Barry relationship in another form. Jay is a very different guy. People say that I, John Wesley Shipp, am the original Flash, but he's the original original Flash. This is the Golden Age Flash, the head of the Justice Society. This is the real Flash daddy. I have to remind myself of that, because there were some aspects of the Henry/Barry relationship that I treasured, the absolute emotional vulnerability, being a safe haven for him, that emotional connection. It's going to be very tempting for me to want to go back and play that dynamic again, but the Jay/Barry dynamic is going to be very different."
It's pretty coincidental timing that
The Flash would introduce the founder of the Justice Society of America right at the same time that
Legends of Tomorrow revealed that Justice Society member Rex Tyler aka Hourman (Patrick J. Adams) would have a major role in season two of the
Arrow/The Flash spinoff series.
"There have been endless suggestions and possibilities [that I can cross over to
Legends as Jay Garrick]," Shipp says. "Jay Garrick formed the Justice Society. Not that I know of anything concrete, but this character is so open-ended. Henry Allen had a shelf life. He had one purpose: to be there to support Barry. Jay Garrick, it's wide open. Who knows what we're going to see? That's very exciting."
Shipp is grateful that his time on
The Flash will extend long after his first character's tragic death.
"It has been indicated to me that I will play an important role going forward, again," Shipp says. "But this is Grant Gustin's
The Flash. He is the speedster on the show. I will be privileged to show up and support his journey in any way that I can. But it has been indicated to me that the palate is so much broader now and there's so many more things I can do on the show now."
But most of all, he's relieved that he can finally live up to fan expectations when it comes to who he's playing on
The Flash.
"No matter where I go, I always get the same message from fans: 'Yes, we love you as Henry Allen, but we really were hoping you'd be Jay Garrick,'" Shipp says with a laugh. "Now that that's coming to fruition, I can't wait to see what's going to happen on the Twitterverse. I can't wait to see fans' reactions when suddenly, I'm dawning the mantle of the character that just about every
Flashfan wanted me to play from the get go. That's going to be a wonderful treat for the audience. I'm just going to bathe in the reaction."
The Flash season three returns this fall on The CW. (Via THR)
ALAN RITCHSON SET FOR ACTION SCI-FI FILM ‘WAR MACHINE'03/29/24 @ 8:48 am EST
Source: Deadline | Categories: MIsc | Comments (0) | E-mail Article | Add a CommentReacher’s Alan Ritchson is set to star in
War Machine, the Patrick Hughes-directed and scripted action sci-fi film that will find its home with Netflix. Lionsgate developed the script with Hughes, best known for
The Hitman’s Bodyguard films. Hughes wrote the script with James Beaufort (
Machine). Lionsgate set the title in a deal with Netflix. This comes on the heels of Lionsgate announcing it has Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively reuniting for
A Simple Favor 2, setting the film as a streamer title with Amazon MGM Studios. It is part of a third facet of Lionsgate’s long term plan, which includes a direct-to-streaming business, to go with theatricals and multiplatform titles that have included
Sisu and
Retribution. The plot? During the final 24 hours of the world’s toughest selection process, a team of Army Rangers encounters a threat beyond their imagination. (via
Deadline)
THE BEST & THE MERC WAGE WAR IN THE 'DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE: WWIII' TRAILER03/29/24 @ 8:36 am EST
Source: Marvel | Categories: Marvel | Comments (0) | E-mail Article | Add a CommentThis May, an all-new three-part, globe-spanning saga starring the most intensely mismatched team-up in pop culture begins in DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE: WWIII #1. Deadpool and Wolverine’s latest joint adventure comes courtesy of two of the pair’s most legendary storytellers—formative
Deadpool writer Joe Kelly and iconic
Wolverine artist Adam Kubert. Together, they’ve crafted a relentlessly explosive and deliciously violent series that’s both a must-have for comic fans and a perfect entry point for newcomers. Featuring never-before-seen artwork, the all-new
DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE: WWIII trailer shows just how deadly the situation Wade and Logan find themselves in this time. The series kicks off when the pair is targeted by Delta, an all-new super villain with the power to amplify a person’s abilities, strength, and savagery to their ultimate limit! Taken to the ends of the earth by this new foe, Deadpool and Wolverine must embrace radical change and manage to work together to survive and bring down a twisted group of individuals bent on seeing them rip each other to shreds—THOSE WHO WATCH. The action-packed trailer provides a first look at this villainous group and the weaponry at their disposal, but fans will have to wait till later in the series to behold the Delta’s fury! On the action he and Kubert will be delivering, Kelly said. “We've seen both guys get put through the physical ringer in many ways, and part of the fun is trying to one-up the next person, or whoever played with these characters before you, but always in service of the story. And I think in this case, my hope at least, is that we came up with a way to use these guys' very, very unique abilities in a way that reflects what's going on with them emotionally.” Check out the trailer and preorder DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE: WWIII #1 at your local comic shop today!
HEROES SUIT UP FOR 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF SPIDEY'S ICONIC BLACK COSTUME03/28/24 @ 4:16 pm EST
Source: Marvel | Categories: Spider-Man | Comments (0) | E-mail Article | Add a CommentIn 1984, Spider-Man discovered a mysterious black costume during the original
Secret Wars. Adopting it as new suit, it became one of Spidey’s signature looks before it dramatically revealed itself as the Venom symbiote! It’s impact on the Spidey mythos cements it as one of the most significant super hero costume changes in comic book history, and this year, Marvel Comics is celebrating 40 years of the Black Costume with facsimile editions of Spider-Man’s early adventures wearing the costume, and the launch of new BLACK COSTUME VARIANT COVERS this May! Across 23 covers on some of Marvel’s hottest current series, see your favorite heroes suit up in sleek all-black looks! Featuring all-new designs by Marvel’s most acclaimed artists, these pieces give a glimpse into universes where Captain America, Iron Man, Ms. Marvel, and more came across symbiote suits of their own and slowly discovered its sinister secrets.
STEPHEN KING HORROR 'THE MONKEY' ADDS TATIANA MASLANY, ELIJAH WOOD03/28/24 @ 4:07 pm EST
Source: Deadline | Categories: MIsc | Comments (0) | E-mail Article | Add a CommentClockwise L-R: Tatiana Maslany, Elijah Wood, Christian Convery, Colin O’Brien, Rohan Campbell and Sarah Levy Horror movie
The Monkey, the adaptation of the Stephen King short story, wrapped shooting a week ago and
Deadline is reporting that lead cast joining Theo James (
The White Lotus) includes Tatiana Maslany (
She–
Hulk:
Attorney at Law), Elijah Wood (
The Lord Of The Rings), Christian Convery (
Sweet Tooth), Colin O’Brien (
Wonka), Rohan Campbell (
The Hardy Boys) and Sarah Levy (
Schitt’s Creek).As was previously reported, the team behind the movie includes genre supremo James Wan, creator of the
The Conjuring Universe and co-creator of the
Saw and
Insidious franchises.In
The Monkey, when twin brothers Hal and Bill discover their father’s old monkey toy in the attic, a series of gruesome deaths starts occurring all around them. The brothers decide to throw the monkey away and move on with their lives, growing apart over the years. But when the mysterious deaths begin again, the brothers must reunite to find a way to destroy the monkey for good before it takes the lives of everyone close to them.
COVER REVEAL: THE EPIC SERIES FINALE OF 'DUKE'03/28/24 @ 4:01 pm EST
Source: Skybound | Categories: Skybound | Comments (0) | E-mail Article | Add a CommentToday Skybound and Image Comics, in collaboration with leading toy and game company Hasbro, revealed new variant covers for Duke #5 from writer Joshua Williamson (DC’s Superman, Dark Ride), artist Tom Reilly (The Thing) and colorist Jordie Bellaire (W0rldtr33). The series finale of the Energon Universe’s acclaimed limited series arrives in comic book shops on April 24, 2024. Duke has been betrayed by his allies and hunted by new enemies. The time has come for Duke to start fighting for something bigger than his country. Bigger than he ever could have imagined. Get ready for the last page shocker than no one will see coming! Duke #5 will feature a main cover by Reilly, along with a stacked lineup of variant covers by Mateus Santolouco, Tyler Boss & Jason Wordie, Brian Level, and Dustin Nguyen. One of four action-packed G.I. JOE miniseries that introduce the iconic characters of the G.I. JOE and Cobra factions to the Energon Universe, Duke is running concurrently with Cobra Commander from writer Joshua Williamson, artist Andrea Milana (Impact Winter: Rook) and colorist Annalisa Leoni (Oblivion Song). These miniseries set the stage for a fresh new take on G.I. JOE, Cobra and the iconic characters that you only think you know in a shared universe with TRANSFORMERS and Void Rivals! The Energon Universe officially began last summer with the surprise first appearance of iconic TRANSFORMERS character Jetfire in Void Rivals #1 from Robert Kirkman (Invincible, The Walking Dead) and Lorenzo De Felici (Kroma), introducing the historic new collaboration between Hasbro and Skybound, with TRANSFORMERS and G.I. JOE comics finding a new home with the publisher. Then TRANSFORMERS from writer/artist Daniel Warren Johnson (Extremity, Do a Powerbomb, DC’s Wonder Woman: Dead Earth) and colorist Mike Spicer (Stillwater, Murder Falcon) kicked off a brand-new era for the iconic franchise. The Energon Universe recently expanded with the launch of Duke and Cobra Commander. Beginning in June 2024, limited series Scarlett, from writer Kelly Thompson (Black Widow, Birds of Prey) and artist Marco Ferrari (Frontiersman) and Destro, from writer Dan Watters (Loki, Universal Monsters: Creature from the Black Lagoon Lives!) and artist Andrei Bressan (Dark Ride, Birthright), will round out the lineup of action-packed G.I. JOE miniseries that introduce the iconic characters of the G.I. JOE and Cobra factions to the Energon Universe. Fans should expect can’t-miss moments from every issue of the Energon Universe, as secrets are unveiled along the path to answering the BIG questions. Duke #5 (of 5) (Lunar Codes Below $3.99) will be available at
comic book shops and digital platforms including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, comiXology, and Google Play on Wednesday, April 24, 2024.
The full list of variant covers is below:
Duke #5 Cover A by Tom Reilly (Lunar Code 0224IM262)
Duke #5 Cover B by Mateus Santolouco (Lunar Code 0224IM263)
Duke #5 Cover C (1:10 Copy Incentive) (Connecting) by Tyler Boss & Jason Wordie (Lunar Code 0224IM264)
Duke #5 Cover D (1:25 Copy Incentive) by Brian Level (Lunar Code 0224IM265)
Duke #5 Cover E (1:50 Copy Incentive) by Dustin Nguyen (Lunar Code 0224IM266)
STAR TREK CONFIRMS WHEN 'STARFLEET ACADEMY' WILL START FILMING03/28/24 @ 10:45 am EST
Source: ComicBook | Categories: Star Trek | Comments (0) | E-mail Article | Add a CommentThe Star Trek franchise continues to grow with the addition of
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, and the new series is gearing up for filming. Star Trek received a breath of fresh air on Paramount+, with
Star Trek: Discovery,
Star Trek: Lower Decks,
Picard, and
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds all finding success. Even more content is on the way, most notably in the form of a young adult series titled
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. What sets
Starfleet Academy apart from its predecessors is it takes place in the 32nd century, meaning it shouldn't have to worry about continuity as much. Now, we have an idea of when Starfleet Academy production kicks off. Variety reports production on
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy will begin this summer, with the show sporting "the largest single set ever created for Star Trek on TV." A description of the series states
Starfleet Academy "will follow the adventures of a new class of Starfleet cadets as they come of age in one of the most legendary places in the galaxy." The newest season of
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is currently in production, and Michelle Yeoh's
Section 31 movie has wrapped filming, so there's a lot for Star Trek fans to look forward to. (via
ComicBook.com)
BRANDON SKLENAR JOINS BLUMHOUSE THRILLER 'DROP'03/28/24 @ 10:31 am EST
Source: Deadline | Categories: MIsc | Comments (0) | E-mail Article | Add a CommentFollowing his breakout role in
1923, Brandon Sklenar looks to have found his next feature film project as he is set to join Christoper Landon’s film
Drop from Platinum Dunes and Blumhouse.
Meghann Fahy is also on board with Landon directing. The film’s logline is being kept under wraps, but it’s said to be a fast-paced thriller. Jillian Jacobs and Chris Roach penned the script, with Michael Bay, Jason Blum, Brad Fuller and Cameron Fuller — who brought the script in to Platinum Dunes — producing. Sam Lerner is an executive producer. The film is a Platinum Dunes and Blumhouse production for Universal. The partnership between the two production companies has delivered huge results from its
Purge franchise that includes five films with the sixth on the way as well as a TV series. (via
Deadline)
'AMONG US': DAN STEVENS, LIV HEWSON & KIMIKO GLENN JOIN CAST03/27/24 @ 7:46 pm EST
Source: Deadline | Categories: MIsc | Comments (0) | E-mail Article | Add a CommentL-R: Dan Stevens, Liv Hewson and Kimiko GlennDan Stevens (
Downton Abbey), Liv Hewson (
Yellowjackets) and Kimiko Glenn (
Orange Is The New Black) have joined the cast of
Among Us, an animated series based on the highly popular game, from CBS Studios, Innersloth, and creator Owen Dennis
(Infinity Train). They join previously announced Randall Park, Ashley Johnson, Yvette Nicole Brown and Elijah Wood. CBS Studios‘ animation arm Eye Animation Productions is currently developing the project in partnership with Innersloth, the independent studio behind the game.The series is created and executive produced by Dennis, who is under an overall deal at CBS Studios. No network or streamer is currently attached.Per the logline, the series is based on the game’s premise: “Members of your crew have been replaced by an alien shapeshifter intent on causing confusion, sabotaging the ship, and killing everyone. Root out the ‘Impostor’ or fall victim to its murderous designs.” (via
Deadline) For character details and more, click
here.
'THE BRIDE!': JULIANNE HOUGH JOINS MAGGIE GYLLENHAAL FRANKENSTEIN MOVIE03/27/24 @ 7:40 pm EST
Source: Deadline | Categories: MIsc | Comments (0) | E-mail Article | Add a CommentJulianne Hough has landed a role in
The Bride!, writer-director Maggie Gyllenhaal‘s follow-up to her Academy Award-nominated drama
The Lost Daughter.A Warner Bros title steeped in the Frankenstein lore, the film also stars Christian Bale, Jessie Buckley, Peter Sarsgaard, Annette Bening and Penelope Cruz, as previously announced. Details as to Hough’s role are under wraps. Slated for release in IMAX on October 3, 2025,
The Bride! sees a lonely Frankenstein travel to 1930s Chicago to seek the aide of a Dr. Euphronius in creating a companion for himself. The two reinvigorate a murdered young woman and the Bride is born. She is beyond what either of them intended, igniting a combustible romance, the attention of the police and a wild and radical social movement. (via
Deadline)
CHAOTIC MAGIC & UNFINISHED BUSINESS IN YOUR FIRST LOOK AT 'ORCS!: THE GIFT' #303/27/24 @ 7:36 pm EST
Source: BOOM! Studios | Categories: MIsc | Comments (0) | E-mail Article | Add a CommentBOOM! Studios today revealed a first look at ORCS!: THE GIFT #3, the next issue of the third and final chapter of the critically acclaimed comic book series by cartoonist Christine Larsen (
Adventure Time, By Night), in the world of the beloved misfit ORCS! Available in April 2024. As the Orcs hurtle towards the final issue of The Gift, Pez struggles to control her chaotic magical powers. Back in the caves meanwhile, a mysterious specter is seemingly haunting the entire tribe... Who (or what?!) could it be? What unfinished business do they have with the Orcs? And why do these things always seem to happen when the Wise Woman is away? Answers to all of these questions (and more!) await readers in the penultimate issue of Christine Larsen's latest
ORCS! adventure! ORCS! THE GIFT #3 features a main cover by Christine Larsen, with variants by Gus Allen (
Lumberjanes). ORCS! THE GIFT is the latest release from BOOM! Studios’ award-winning KaBOOM! imprint, home to comics for middle grade and younger readers including original series
Mech Cadets by Greg Pak and Takeshi Miyazawa;
Just Beyond by R.L. Stine, Kelly & Nichole Matthews, and Irene Flores;
ORCS! By Christine Larsen;
The Princess Who Saved Herself by Greg Pak, Jonathan Coulton, and Takeshi Miyazawa;
Forever Home by Jenna Ayoub;
Jo & Rus by Audra Winslow,
Hex Vet by Sam Davies;
Drew and Jot by Art Baltazar; and
Hotel Dare by Terry Blas and Claudia Aguirre.
ORCS! The Gift #3 A Main: DEC230191
ORCS! The Gift #3 B Variant: DEC230192
ORCS! The Gift #3 C 1:10 INCV: DEC230193
ORCS! THE GIFT #3 will be available in comic shops April 24, 2024. It is available for pre-order at your local
comic shop. Digital copies can be purchased from content providers, including iBooks, Google Play, and Kindle.