Superhero Bits: Harrison Ford On Joining The MCU, Marvel's Midnight Suns Flopped & 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:

• Harrison Ford elaborates on his choice to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

• That "Ninja Turtles" animated movie should have a bangin' soundtrack.

• "Marvel's Midnight Suns" didn't sell very well.

• Grant Gustin is very much ready to say goodbye to "The Flash."

• All that and more!

With the series premiere just around the corner, The CW has released a new trailer for the upcoming "Gotham Knights" series. While we don't yet have a synopsis for the premiere episode, the show picks up in the aftermath of Bruce Wayne's murder, with his rebellious adopted son forging an unlikely alliance with the children of Batman's enemies when they are all framed for killing the Caped Crusader. No, it is not based on the recently released game of the same name, even if its premise is suspiciously similar. The series is set to premiere on March 14, 2023.

Marvel's latest animated series, "Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur" is set to premiere on the Disney Channel tomorrow. Never one to be behind the ball, Funko has revealed the above Pop! figures based on the show. Both figures are available for pre-order now from Entertainment Earth, with Moon Girl retailing for $11.99, while Devil Dinosaur will set you back $19.99. Those interested can grab one or both figures now by clicking here. You can also check out our recent interview with the show's producer, Gary Anthony Williams.

After nine seasons, "The Flash" is getting ready to come to a close, with the final season kicking off its run on The CW last night. While there are surely bittersweet feelings amongst fans, Grant Gustin, who plays Barry Allen on the series, is very much ready to say goodbye. Speaking with E! News, the actor explained that, for no negative reason, it's time to wrap it up:

"I'm ready for it to be over. And that's not for any negative reason. It's like when you're getting ready to finish high school and — granted I don't know what college I'm going to after this, I might not get into college — but you're excited to wrap up and move on to the next phase of your life."

"The Flash" returns with new episodes Wednesdays on The CW.

Anyone reading this column surely doesn't have to be reminded that the "Batgirl" movie was scrapped by Warner Bros. even though it had been shot entirely. Brendan Fraser played the villain in the movie, Firefly, and recently spoke with Howard Stern about the experience. In addition to providing details about the character, he explained that Gotham City, as seen in the movie, looked rather perfect. "Gotham never looked better cast as Glasgow, Scotland. It's decaying, and just gorgeous. It's like it's Gotham City, you know? It's perfectly cast. You believe it no matter where you look in the town, if you light it the right way," Fraser said. He also had very kind things to say about Leslie Grace, who was playing Batgirl. You can check out his full comments on the film in the video above.

Publicist Wes Greer has revealed a new standee that is available for comic book shops as we speak, which is tied to the "Flash" movie. The very troubled, long-in-the-works film is finally set to hit theaters this summer, and this standee offers a new look at Ezra Miller as the Scarlet Speedster. Wisely, DC Comics is using this as an excuse to try and sell some books connected to the hero in advance of and after the release. As it stands, the movie is set to hit theaters on June 16, 2023. Also, look for a new trailer this Sunday, which is set to debut during the Super Bowl.

Seth Rogen is producing the new animated "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" movie. Titled "Mutant Mayhem," it is set to hit theaters this summer. And while not much has been revealed about it, Rogen did recently appear on the "Hawk vs Wolf" podcast and told hosts Tony Hawk and Jason Ellis about the soundtrack. Specifically, that it is not unlike the soundtracks for the "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater" video games:

"They do skate, actually What's funny is we were having a call with the music supervisor because we were pretty far along on and there's a lot of music in it and they're like, 'The music doesn't go together. [...] It goes together but in a weird way like how would you describe it?' And our director [Jeff Rowe] was like, 'I kind of describe it as what you would kind of hear playing 'Tony Hawk's Pro Skater.” It's like a random assortment of music, kind of, but it all fits together perfectly, it kind of has that same energy and spirit. [...] It's, like, very similar and there are literally some songs that are from like the original 'Tony Hawk's Pro Skater.' It's amazing, it's really cool, and it's fully animated and it comes out in August and it's incredible. I'm really psyched about it."

So yeah, that sounds pretty great, given that the soundtracks for those games are downright legendary in certain circles. "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem" is currently set to hit theaters on August 4, 2023.

The legendary Harrison Ford is set to take over the role of Thunderbolt Ross in the MCU in both "Captain America: New World Order" and "Thunderbolts." So, why did Ford decide to join the Marvel ranks at this point in his career? Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, the actor made it sound pretty simple: he just wants to have a great time like everyone else:

"I don't know. I can't explain myself to myself, I just work here. (Laughs.) I thought, 'Everybody else seems to be having a great time.' I watch all these terrific actors having a good time [in Marvel movies]. I like doing something different to what I've ever done and pleasing people with it. So I'll try a piece of that."

"Captain America: New World Order" is set to hit theaters on May 23, 2024, with "Thunderbolts" set to follow on July 26, 2024.

Domonique Thorne is about to become a big part of the MCU as the star of "Ironheart," which is due to arrive on Diseny+ later this year. Audiences got to meet her in last year's "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever," setting the stage for what's to come. But, as it turns out, the actor originally auditioned for the role of Shuri in "Black Panther." Now, her screen test has actually started making the rounds online, and we can see her auditioning right alongside the late Chadwick Boseman. Check it out, above.

Lastly, some bummer news. Though it debuted to very solid reviews upon release, "Marvel's Midnight Suns" was not a successful commercial venture according to the parent company of 2K Games, Take-Two Interactive. The news comes from Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier, who shared a snippet of an interview with Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick on Twitter. In short, things did not go well:

"'Marvel's Midnight Suns' was a critical success but a commercial flop. Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick told me in an interview this afternoon that 'it's possible the release window wasn't perfect' but that he thinks it could have a long tail, like other Firaxis games."

With luck, the game could find an audience over time, but one wonders if Marvel will have the patience to allow that to happen, or if this critical darling will just be left to die on the vine. Whatever the case, it's certainly not what anyone involved was hoping for.