Superhero Bits: An Official MCU Timeline Is Coming, Read The Script For The Batman & 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:

• An official, complete MCU timeline is coming.

• You can now read the full script for "The Batman" online.

• The final season of "Stargirl" hits HBO Max next month.

• A remarkably bizarre Hawkeye costume in "Marvel's Avengers."

• All that and more!

DC Universe is sort of like Netflix, but for DC Comics. Users can pay a fee to get access to a massive library of the publisher's titles, both new and old. So, what comics were readers most interested in during the course of 2022? The above video counts down both single issues and ongoing series. But, as the caption points out, the list was absolutely dominated by Batman to an absolutely staggering degree. Even many of the non-Batman titles were at least tangentially tied to the Caped Crusader. Not hard to figure out where DC's bread and butter comes from, that's for sure.

With The CW having been sold earlier this year, the era of DC TV shows on the network is just about over, it seems. As such, "Stargirl" season 3 ended up being the final season of the show, even if that wasn't the plan originally. For those who were waiting to catch up on the third and final season, it will be coming to HBO Max on January 6, along with quite a few other movies and TV shows throughout the month. So mark your calendars DC fans, and get ready to say your goodbyes.

Yesterday, Stan Lee would have celebrated his 100th birthday, and the occasion was celebrated widely on social media. Marvel Comics, in tribute to the late legend, shared a collection of "Stan's Soapbox" quotes that help capture some of the very best of his essence, including the above quote. Those interested in reading some more of Stan's selected musings from over the years can do so by clicking here.

Kathryn Newton is going to be stepping up to the plate to take on the role of Cassie Lang in "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania." Scott Lang's daughter did some serious growing up without him while he was trapped in the Quantum Realm for a full five years. So, just how old is Cassie in the upcoming finale to the "Ant-Man" trilogy? Director Peyton Reed recently spoke with Nerdbunker and answered that very question, saying the following.

"I think we've all grown and what we want to do with the movies and how we see the character, the family dynamics, to us, after the events of [Avengers: Infinity War] and Endgame, it really occurred to us, obviously, 'Well, Cassie's going to be 18 in this movie, that's great.' The whole theme is time and how much time he's missed and his main motivation is just, 'I want time with my daughter.' And now he's coming into contact with a villain in this movie, Kang the Conqueror, who has dominion over time, and what does that mean to them?"

So there we have it! Cassie is (albeit barely) an adult in this movie, and one who is going to put them face-to-face with Kang in a large-scale adventure. "Ant-Man: and the Wasp: Quantumania" is currently set to hit theaters on February 17, 2023.

Helen Mirren is one of the most celebrated and accomplished actresses currently walking the planet. Next year, she's crossing a big one off of her list by appearing in "Shazam! Fury of the Gods," as a big villain, no less. That means, naturally, she will be an action figure as a means of tie-in promotion for the film. Well, in speaking with the AP ahead of the premiere of her "Yellowstone" spin-off "1923," Mirren expressed her excitement about being an action figure, even if she joked that hers will end up on the discount shelf. But if you'd like to watch a legendary Hollywood figure extract joy from being an action figure, check out the above video.

Well, well, well! After nearly 15 years of existence, we are finally going to get the definitive timeline of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2023. As the above tweet points out, Penguin Randomhouse has a new listing for a book titled "The Marvel Cinematic Universe An Official Timeline," set to hit shelves in September of next year. Authored by Anthony Breznican, Amy Ratcliffe, and Rebecca Theodore-Vachon, it was made in close collaboration with Marvel Studios, so this will indeed be official. A synopsis for the book reads as follows:

The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is vast, incredibly varied, and richly complex. Different worlds, different timelines, countless characters. This is the guide to that universe. Created in close collaboration with Marvel Studios, it will answer the biggest questions: what happened, when, where, and why. Follow the entire story of the MCU from before the Big Bang to the Blip and beyond. Along the way, learn more about the evolution of the Iron Man armors, the hunt for the Infinity Stones, and the formation of the Multiverse. Want to know how many times aliens have invaded Earth, or the complete history of Cap's shield? Look no further!

It will be exceptionally interesting to pick this apart once the book arrives, as there are many details to be sorted out with the MCU's overall timeline. Those interested can pre-order the book for $50 by clicking here.

"The Batman" introduced us to a brand new take on the Caped Crusader, through the lens of writer/director Matt Reeves. With Robert Pattinson on board in the lead role, it proved to be a major success. Now, the folks at Deadline have actually revealed the full screenplay for the film, which you can read in its entirety. Though not quite as exciting as the film itself, it is a pretty fascinating window into how a movie makes it from the page to screen. Those interested can find the full PDF by clicking here.

Lastly, the folks at Square Enix have added a pretty unique new cosmetic item to "Marvel's Avengers" in the form of the above Hawkeye-inspired costume. This is his "Werehawk" persona, and though it looks nothing like the Clint Barton so many of us know, it does indeed come straight from the pages of Marvel Comics. As indicated above, this is from Earth-616 within the vast Marvel multiverse; to be more specific, it happened in the pages of "Secret Avengers." Those interested in picking up the suit can do so now in the in-game item shop.