Superhero Bits: Captain America: New World Order Casts Key Role, Marvel's Summer Of Symbiotes & 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:

• "Captain America: New World Order" is casting up.

• David Ayer, once again, teases his cut of "Suicide Squad."

• New "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin" spin-offs announced. 

• Marvel is ushering in the summer of Symbiotes.

• All that and more!

"Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin" is one of the true success stories in comics over the last few years. That being the case, IDW is striking while the iron is hot. The publisher has announced two new spin-offs joining what they are now calling the Ronin-verse. First up we have "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin—Lost Day Special," which will serve as a tie-in to the upcoming "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin—Lost Years" five-issue miniseries. We also have "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin—Lost Years #1, Director's Cut", which will include new materials from legendary TMNT co-creator Kevin Eastman, as well as series artists Ben Bishop and SL Gallant. In the official announcement of the project, writer Tom Waltz had this to say:

"The amazing success of 'TMNT: The Last Ronin' has certainly opened doors to new and exciting storytelling opportunities within what we are now fondly calling the Ronin-verse. 'Lost Years' will expand upon some of the Last Ronin's history that was hinted at in the first volume, while simultaneously pushing forward the new reality that was teased in its epilogue ... And within 'Lost Years,' Kevin and I are excited to have the opportunity to join artist Ben Bishop to tell a one-shot tale, 'Lost Day.' The past, present, and future are full of surprises that we can't wait to share with our readers!"

Look for "The Last Ronin—Lost Day Special" on shelves in May.

Venom is celebrating his 35th anniversary this year and, to celebrate, Marvel Comics has announced the Summer of Symbiotes. This season-long celebration will include several symbiote-heavy titles, but the big thing here is the miniseries "Extreme Venomverse." The five-issue limited series kicks off its run in May and promises to shake things up in a big, bad way. The official description of the event reads as follows:

Launching in May, "EXTREME VENOMVERSE" will take fans to uncharted corners of the hive in brand-new stories by an all-star lineup of talent! In the same spirit as the recent hit series, "EDGE OF SPIDER-VERSE," this landmark new series will feature jaw-dropping turning points for iconic characters like Eddie Brock and Dylan Brock and see never-before-seen Venoms bear their fangs for the very first time! But this thrilling tour through the Marvel multiverse is headed towards an explosive destination, and whether your favorite new symbiotes will survive this summertime saga remains to be seen...

Look for "Extreme Venomverse" #1 on shelves on May 10. Full details on the Summer of Symbiotes can be found by clicking here.

"Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" director Destin Daniel Cretton is currently developing a "Wonder Man" series for Disney+, with Yahya Abdul-Mateen II ("Aquaman," "Watchmen") set to star in the lead role. Well, it turns out, this project might be further along in development than we thought. According to a listing in Production Weekly (via Comic Book Resources), the show is set to begin filming in March. That means the series is likely on deck to arrive in 2024, assuming this is indeed accurate. If that proves to be the case, we'll very likely hear a lot more regarding casting and whatnot in the near future. Stay tuned.

The folks at Hot Toys have revealed that they are going to be celebrating the 100th anniversary of Warner Bros. this year with a series of re-release figures from "The Dark Knight" trilogy. First up, we've got Tom Hardy's Bane from "The Dark Knight Rises," with some new improvements made to the figure for its re-release. There is no word yet on when it will ship, or when pre-orders will go live, but you can check out plenty of photos of the figure above.

For years now, we've heard director David Ayer discuss his cut of 2016's "Suicide Squad," a movie that was essentially completely remade by Warner Bros. in the editing room. However, following Zack Snyder's "Justice League," WB didn't appear to have interest in revisiting this one, and the so-called Ayer Cut has not materialized. Taking to Twitter to discuss the topic once again, Ayer addressed a fan's skepticism with the following:

"This is an extraordinary case of a movie being utterly re-engineered in post. It's not a couple cut scenes being added. The nature of the film was fundamentally changed. I'm looking you in the eye telling you this. My cut is vastly better."

Odds are, with James Gunn and Peter Safran steering DC Studios in a new direction, we are never, ever going to see this version of the film. At least not any time even remotely soon. So, whether or not it really is better is a question that will remain unaddressed in the eyes of the public.

Marvel has announced a new collaboration with the folks at Foot Locker and Champs Sports. The retail stores are set to launch a new collection of "X-Men" shoes, pictured above, that will be available in-store and online beginning January 24 at 10 am ET. The three shoes in the collection are modeled after Wolverine, Phoenix, and Storm, with the retail price set between $110 and $130. Full details can be found by clicking here.

It appears as though the cast for "Captain America: New World Order" is rounding itself out ahead of filming later this year. As reported by Deadline, Xosha Roquemore has landed a key role in the film, which will feature Anthony Mackie as our new Captain America. No word yet on who Roquemore will be playing, but it's undoubtedly a huge break for the actor. Her previous credits include "Space Jam: A New Legacy" and "Atlanta," among others, but this is by far the biggest project she's been connected to. Especially given that it sounds like she has a relatively large role. Julius Onah ("The Cloverfield Paradox") is directing, with Tim Blake Nelson, Harrison Ford, Danny Ramirez, Carl Lumbly, and Shira Haas also set to star. The film is set to hit theaters on May 3, 2024.

Lastly, the folks at the Marvel HQ YouTube channel have uncovered a little blast from the past in the form of a couple of episodes of the "Super Hero Squad Show." The series originally aired on Cartoon Network from 2009 to 2011 and was aimed at younger viewers. It's a pretty fascinating time capsule as it contains many characters who have become massive figures in the MCU, such as Thanos and Scarlet Witch. Yet, this was years before they took over the big screen. The episodes here are from the "Another Order of Evil" arc that is very Thanos heavy. The first episode is above, while the second episode is located below for interested parties to check out.