From film to TV, gaming to comics and everything in between, here’s what you might have missed in pop culture news this week
TV
Jessica Jones actor Terry Chen is swapping out Marvel for DC and has reportedly been cast in the role of Ghengis Khan in series five of Legends of Tomorrow. Chen, who appeared in season two of Jessica Jones as rival PI Pryce Cheng, is set to appear in the fifth episode of Legend’s latest season.
Haunting of Bly Manor showrunner Mike Flanagan has recently tweeted out a massive list of new cast members set to join his follow-up series to last year’s hugely successful Haunting of Hill House. Amongst the new faces are iZombie’s Rahul Kohli, T’Nia Miller from the BBC’s Years and Years, and relative newcomers Amelia Eve, Amelie Smith, and Benjamin Ainsworth. The announcements also include some more familiar faces set to return from the first series, such as Henry Thomas, Kate Siegel and Catherine Parker.
Long-running zombie series The Walking Dead is set to release its tenth season in October this year, and in the lead up a new teaser has been released, hinting at the Whisperer War.
TWDxReveals is all-new with SILENCE. Don’t miss the latest reveal next week leading up to the new season of #TWD 10/6. pic.twitter.com/2cGXVuU27h
— The Walking Dead (@WalkingDead_AMC) August 29, 2019
Daredevil’s Vincent D’Onofrio, whose turn as Kingpin in the now-cancelled Netflix series has been widely praised as one of the best onscreen Marvel villains, still isn’t quite ready to give up hope on a possible series revival. His recent reply to a fan via Twitter reveals that he’s still keen for the show to pick back up after season three ended earlier this year.
I’m doing my best kiddo. https://t.co/YowanUqaL6
— Vincent D’Onofrio (@vincentdonofrio) August 28, 2019
Sons of Anarchy creator Kurt Sutter is reportedly stepping down as co-showrunner on the second season of spinoff series Mayans M.C. It is hoped that this latest move will allow Sutter time to get to work on the long-rumoured SOA prequel, The First Nine. In a podcast interview earlier this year, Sutter revealed that he sees the SAMCRO universe playing out in four chapters, with a 10 episode First Nine mini-series being the first chapter, SOA being the second, Mayans M.C being the third, and an untitled sequel series returning to focus on the Sons of Anarchy MC.
Sacha Baron Cohen is swapping out his unique brand of irreverent comedy for a more serious role in Netflix’s latest espionage series The Spy, based on the real-life events of Israeli Mossad agent Eli Cohen. The Spy is set to be released on Netflix today.
This week’s Panel Pick is from the ever-wonderful Summer Glau, who spoke about travelling the world and meeting the amazing Browncoat fandom during her visit to Sydney in 2018!
FILM
He may have some big shoes to fill, following the likes of late Heath Ledger’s Academy Award-winning performance of the Joker from The Dark Knight, but by numerous accounts, Joaquin Phoenix’s portrayal of the iconic Batman villain is one also destined for great acclaim. Not only are a spate of early five-star reviews showering both the film and Phoenix’s performance with praise, but a recent preview screening at the Venice Film Festival also received an eight-minute-long standing ovation. Looks like we’re all in for a real treat when Joker hits Australian cinemas on October 3.
Whilst It: Chapter Two has just hit cinemas, director Andy Muschietti won’t be sitting idle. Instead, he’ll be swapping killer clowns for scarlet speedsters, as he has recently confirmed rumours that his next project is the long-anticipated solo DCEU Flash film. Whilst Warner Bros. have decided to pass on the script penned by Justice League star Ezra Miller, he is still set to return in the role using another script written by Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) screenwriter Christina Hodson.
Twilight’s Robert Pattinson has recently spoken with Variety in regards to his casting as Bruce Wayne in Matt Reeves’ upcoming The Batman film and has revealed that he has already tried on the new Batsuit: “Yeah, I feel strong, I feel tough, even though I had to have someone squeezing my butt cheeks into the legs.”
Ant-Man & the Wasp’s Hannah John-Kamen has recently hinted that her character Ghost may be returning to the MCU sometime in the very near future. Whilst she has joked that the nature of working with Marvel means you need to “sign your contract with blood and then stitch your mouth together”, she was able to confirm that Ghost is still alive and well in a post-Endgame world.
Whilst the future of Spider-Man in the MCU is in doubt due to the recent falling out between Sony and Disney, a new Spidey short film has been released online in preparation for the upcoming digital and Blu-Ray release. Spider-Man: Far From Home will be available in digital from September 17 and on Blu-Ray from October 1.
One of the most memorable features of James Gunn’s directorial additions to the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise was his strong choice of soundtrack, and he has recently confirmed he will be doing something along the same lines for his upcoming Suicide Squad film.
Music is an incredibly important part of ALL of my films, both soundtrack and score. So, yeah. But it will be a lot different than Guardians musically – and in so many other ways. https://t.co/F5pP08YTm0
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) August 30, 2019
Also in Suicide Squad news, it would seem that Gunn has just recruited the help of a well-renowned Doctor. Rumours are that the twelfth Doctor, Peter Capaldi, has been added to an already star-studded cast.
One film that has undergone an extended string of delays is the final Fox X-Men property, New Mutants. Plagued by constant reshoots, many even began to question whether a final cut of the film would ever get to be seen by the public at large. Now, new rumours are that a more recent recut, undertaken at the behest of Marvel Studios head Kevin Fiege, has removed all references to Fox’s previous iteration of the X-Men and have brought the film closer to the horror film originally envisioned by director Josh Boone and is now testing much better. At this stage, New Mutants is slated for an April 2020 release.
GAMING
Animal Crossing: New Horizons had some new features revealed this week, with the adorable Tom Nook showcasing his new business venture: The Deserted Island Getaway Package. Here you’ll get to camp out on an island paradise and sculpt it into your own vision of the perfect getaway. Animal Crossing: New Horizons is out on Nintendo Switch next March.
New features were revealed for Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield during the latest Nintendo Direct stream, including a new Pokémon Camp, character customisation, a new mini-game and more alongside two new Pokémon: Polteageist, a ghost Pokémon that lives in a teapot and Cramorant, a sea bird Pokémon with a new retaliation ability called Gulp Missile. The new games drop on November 15.
Dave Bautista has finally fulfilled an acting goal of his – he will be coming to Gears of War 5 as a playable character!
Take a look behind the scenes of @DaveBautista‘s #Gears5 shoot!https://t.co/50wZ4qYVuT
— WWE (@WWE) September 5, 2019
As if Cyberpunk 2077 couldn’t get any cooler, CD Projekt Red has confirmed that it will have a multiplayer mode. Though it will sadly follow the current trend of being made available post-launch, the prospect of sharing the world of Cyberpunk with your friends is still an exciting one.
1/2 Until now, the only thing we said about multi was that it was in R&D. As we’re getting closer to launching ‘single player’ Cyberpunk 2077 in Apr. 2020, we’d like to confirm that multiplayer’s in the works! If you feel like lending us your skills apply: https://t.co/QQV6qsuvhk pic.twitter.com/GHbiS5N3DT
— CD PROJEKT RED (@CDPROJEKTRED) September 4, 2019
Untitled Goose Game was a bit of a meme when it was announced a while back, but there was something more to it than just looking funny. It also looked like a really well-made game. And now, the open-world stealth sandbox finally has a release date: September 20! Better get quacking on those pre-orders.
Nintendo Switch Online members will be pleased to discover some of their favourite Super Nintendo games will be coming to the Switch this week. Titles include Super Mario Kart, Super Mario World 1 & 2 and Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past.
Nintendo has revealed a new fighter coming to Super Smash Bros Ultimate in this week’s Nintendo Direct, Terry Bogard from Fatal Fury. The announcement came after they also revealed Banjo Kazooie would be available as a playable fighter from this week as well as a new costume for the Mii Gunner, turning them into Sans from Undertale.
Earlier in the week, Fortress eSports announced that Melbourne is set to receive the largest gaming and eSports space in the Southern Hemisphere next year. The space will be held at Emporium Melbourne and will host PC and console gaming areas, four dedicated streamer pods, a 200-seat eSports arena plus heaps more.
Disney classics, Aladdin and The Lion King, have had their retro videogame counterparts announced as a dual pack for the Nintendo Switch. The dual pack will contain multiple platform versions from each movie and will have a stack of new features, such as a music and art gallery, a rewind feature for gameplay and all of it in full 1080p.
ANIMATION
It was announced at Crunchyroll Expo that prolific horror mangaka Junji Ito’s famous work, Uzumaki, would be getting an anime adaptation! This time the show is being handled by Production I.G, and the music is being done by the composer for Ari Aster’s Hereditary, one of the best horror movies in recent memory. Even the trailer looks like Ito’s art come to life.
In news that is equal parts exciting and saddening for One Piece fans, Eiichiro Oda has put an official clock on the end of the long-running series. He stated in a recent interview that he would like the series to end “in five year’s time, with just over 100 volumes”.
It has been confirmed that Gen Urobuchi, the author famous for sadistically toying with his audience’s and characters’ emotions, is working on a new project. After expertly leaving his mark on the Magical Girl genre with Madoka Magica, and doing the same for the crime genre with Psycho-Pass, the tokusatsu genre with Kamen Rider Gaim, as well as redefining the iconic Fate series with his own take in Fate/Zero, the author has decided to expand his horizons into ‘hardcore mecha’.
In sad news, American voice actor Michael Lindsay has passed away, but he leaves behind a legacy of characters that have entertained and affected people, including Kisuke “Hat-and-Clogs” Uruhara from Bleach, Kankuro from Naruto, Shinichiro Tamaki from Code Geass, and Joe Kido from the original Digimon.
In case you missed it, during their visit in June, we sat good friends/bitter enemies Dan Green and Eric Stuart down for what we’re calling the Supanova TV Showdown! Who will be the true King of Games? Check it out below!
COMICS
DC looks to be exploring the early days of Batman and Catwoman’s relationship. Batman/Catwoman will be written and illustrated by DC favourites Tom King and Clay Mann, and will head back to one of the most iconic stories in the Caped Crusader’s history, Batman: Year One.
Marvel has a couple of interesting pieces this week, starting with a “fate worse than death” for some heroes. Absolute Carnage writer Ryan Stegman has teased something intense coming for the heroes that have come up against Carnage. “Just know that nobody is safe’, he told CBR. “A lot of events rely on that big death that shocks everyone. But what if there are fates worse than death?” Absolute Carnage issue #3 is set to be released September 18.
Along the Absolute Carnage line, Hulk will be getting a special issue tying into the main storyline. Absolute Carnage: Immortal Hulk will be written by Al Ewing and illustrated by Filipe Andrade. It’s reported that it will show the giant green guy battling the godlike, symbiote-empowered serial killer, Carnage, for the title of Marvel’s Mightiest Monster. Absolute Carnage: Immortal Hulk will be on the shelves in October.
COLLECTIBLES
It’s been another big week for Funatics, as massive announcements were made for a range of new Pop! Vinyls. The week began revealing new licenses for Guild Wars 2, The Notorious B.I.G. and The Umbrella Academy. Apex Legends was also given the Funko treatment with the release of eight new Pop! Vinyls of main characters from the popular battle royale game.
As the hype around Dragon Ball Z Pop! Vinyls grows, so does its collection – eight new Pops were announced as additions to the existing Pop! Animation sets. New design variations of characters such as Goku, Vegeta, Krillin and Piccolo are highlights of the announcement. All are available for pre-order now!
Keep an eye out for NYCC Exclusive announcements over the coming weeks, with releases from Marvel, Game of Thrones, Harry Potter and Back to the Future already announced in the lead up to the convention on October 3. More information on where these Pop! Vinyl will be available will released closer to the date.
