Superhero Bits: The Marvels Gets A Synopsis, Todd Phillips May Have Been Eyed To Take Over DC & More

(Superhero Bits is a collection of stories, updates, and videos about anything and everything inspired by the comics of Marvel, DC, and more. For comic book movies, TV shows, merchandise, events, and whatever catches our eye, this is the place to find anything that falls through the cracks.)

In this edition of Superhero Bits:

• "The Marvels" gets a synopsis.

• Another big director was eyed to take over DC Studios.

• A behind-the-scenes look at bringing the new Black Panther suit to life.

• The Dawn of DC is upon us.

• All that and more!

Over the past year, Marvel and SiriusXM have teamed up for a series of podcasts set in the post-apocalyptic future, with characters like Wolverine and Hawkeye taking center stage in solo shows. But now, in true Marvel fashion, it's team-up time! The "Marvel's Wastelanders" podcast brings the heroes (and villains) together to face a new threat in the form of Red Skull, who is president of this new, horrible future. A synopsis for the first episode reads as follows:

News of President Red Skull's death has sent the nation reeling from coast to coast, with AIM and Stark Industries both vying to fill the power vacuum. Capitalizing on Wolverine's victory over Red Skull, Hawkeye heads west to find his missing ally, Kate Bishop, enlisting Star-Lord to join his quest.

"Marvel's Wastelanders" is available through your podcast platform of choice, for those who are interested in continuing beyond the first episode.

Last month, we reported that DC Comics was set to kick off a massive new publishing initiative called "Dawn of DC" that will span the entire year of 2023. It is kicking off, in earnest, in January, but per the above teaser image, things are actually kicking off tomorrow, Tuesday, December 20. The image of Batman with Doctor Fate's helmet on is pretty intriguing. Those interested in figuring out what it all means can check out "Batman vs Robin" #4, which hits shelves tomorrow.

Stephen Amell played Oliver Queen for the better part of a decade on The CW's "Arrow," which launched the Arrowverse and became a haven for DC fans that is still going on today. But would the actor suit back up? Speaking on the "Geek House Show" recently, Amell addressed the topic, saying he would be interested in making a "Green Arrow" movie as part of the new DC Universe being put together by James Gunn and Peter Safran.

"If I'm gonna be a part of the [DC Universe], I'd probably just want to play the Green Arrow in there. If I had to pick one, I'd pick my own movie, only because there's so many things that selfishly I would like to do with Arrow that we couldn't necessarily do on TV."

Now, is this likely? Probably not. Gunn is writing a new Superman movie without Henry Cavill and, with "Wonder Woman 3" being scrapped, it's looking like we're headed for a full reboot. So it's unlikely Gunn and/or Safran would want any ties to the past.

As mentioned, it's looking like the DC Universe is headed for a reboot and, in some ways, that may be the only way out of the situation Warner Bros. currently finds itself in. Why, might you ask? Well, the above TikTok from Dave Columbo eloquently and hilariously imagines a meeting between the studio brass and James Gunn, attempting to explain what it is, exactly, he's walking into. While many of the Snyderverse movies have fans, it's hard to argue against much of what is laid out in this video. Things are messy, and they need to be less messy. For those who are extra into this painfully accurate sketch, there was a follow-up video, which you can watch here.

What's the time? It's rumor time! We know James Gunn and Peter Safran are now heading up DC Studios, but we already know they weren't the first choice. Warner Bros. Discovery came close with Dan Lin before that deal fell through, but according to a new report from the New York Post, Todd Phillips, who directed the massive $1 billion hit "Joker," was apparently offered the job as well. Per an unnamed source, WB "begged" him to take the job, though it ultimately didn't come to pass. If this is true, why did Phillips turn it down? As mentioned earlier in the column, things are a bit messy over at DC and that doesn't make taking the reins an easy job. Perhaps Phillips would rather cash his big check for "Joker: Folie a Deux" and move on. Either way, it's interesting to consider what the DCU would have looked like with Phillips at the helm, rather than Gunn and Safran.

One of the biggest mysteries of the year had to do with "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" and who would end up taking up the mantle for T'Challa. Chadwick Boseman, rather tragically, passed away, which meant Ryan Coogler had to make a very different sequel than originally planned. In the end, it was his sister Shuri who became the new Black Panther. Now, Marvel has released a behind-the-scenes video that goes over the new suit that was crafted for her for the film. So, now that the big surprise is out of the bag, we can have a better look at the making of our new Black Panther. Check it out for yourself above.

Next year will see the return of Brie Larson as Captain Marvel in "The Marvels," a sequel to her 2019 solo film. Luckily, she'll have company, as both Ms. Marvel and Monica Rambeau are forming a new team with her to fight a new universe-level threat. And, thanks to a Disney press website (via Comic Book Resources), the first synopsis for the sequel has been revealed. It reads as follows:

"Carol Danvers aka Captain Marvel has reclaimed her identity from the tyrannical Kree and taken revenge on the Supreme Intelligence. But unintended consequences see Carol shouldering the burden of a destabilized universe. When her duties send her to an anomalous wormhole linked to a Kree revolutionary, her powers become entangled with that of Jersey City super-fan Kamala Khan aka Ms. Marvel, and Carol's estranged niece Captain Monica Rambeau. Together, this unlikely trio must team up and learn to work in concert to save the universe as 'The Marvels.'"

Admittedly, that doesn't tell us a ton that we didn't already know. But could a trailer be on the horizon? That seems plausible, so stay tuned on that front.

Lastly, artist David Aja has revealed a concept poster that was cooked up for last year's "Hawkeye" show that never actually ended up being used. Aja, it's worth noting, worked on the run on "Hawkeye" in the comics alongside writer Matt Fraction that helped inspire the MCU show. This poster very much harkens back to the comic and, for my money, would have been a damn cool poster to promote the show. Why, precisely, didn't Marvel run with it? Who knows! But a year after the fact, it's out in the world, and those in need of a new wallpaper for their phone's lock screen might have something worth using.