Superhero Bits: The Moon Knight Countdown Begins, The Batman Was Very Expensive & 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 fake Spider-Man butt situation gets more interesting.

• "The Batman" has a much higher budget than previously reported.

• Scarlett Johansson was very unfamiliar with the gym before "Iron Man 2."

• The countdown for Marvel's "Moon Knight" begins.

• All that and more!

With the success of "Radiant Black," Image Comics has decided to go big with a shared superhero universe that will tie together several new titles that are making their way out into the world. The latest of which, "Rogue Sun," is hitting shelves this Wednesday with its first issue. This is interesting because Image deals in creator-owned comics, so it's not quite like Marvel and DC, who own everything outright. Still, it seems Image is looking to build a roster of superheroes that might become attractive to a streaming service or movie studio at some point. That is admittedly a bit speculative, but with Todd McFarlane talking about a "Spawn" cinematic universe, it doesn't seem all that far-fetched.

The "Awesome Mix" soundtracks have helped make the "Guardians of the Galaxy" films stand out amongst the rest of the MCU. Naturally, we are going to get yet another edition in "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3." Now, director James Gunn has stepped in to offer some clarity, revealing that Peter Quill will not be making any additions from his brief time on Earth. Rather, it will purely be coming from the Zune he was gifted at the end of "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2." Though that still opens the door for a greater variety in the upcoming sequel.

Unfortunately, Joe Manganiello's time in the DCEU as Deathstroke was short-lived. He was originally supposed to be the main villain in Ben Affleck's version of "The Batman," but once Reeves took over, that fell through. He appeared briefly in "Justice League," but because his solo spin-off fell through, that was pretty much it. Yet, Manganiello recently shared the above image on Instagram, which now serves as his profile picture. Is this a tease of more to come? Honestly, probably not. But one can dream.

We are pretty accustomed to superhero actors being in excellent shape for these roles. Yet, Scarlett Johansson has revealed in a new interview with Vanity Fair that she had literally never been to the gym before being cast as Black Widow in "Iron Man 2," leaving her just weeks to get ready for the physically demanding job. "I had never stepped foot in a gym, and I had five weeks to prepare myself for these huge stunt sequences," she revealed. It was Bobby Strom, a trainer to the stars, who helped get her where she needed to be.

"He took me under his wing and was so positive, and really made me understand what functional training was. And I could never go back the other way. Fitness is such an important part of my mental wellness."

It all worked out, as the actress played the part for a full decade culminating in last year's "Black Widow." The movie's release resulted in a messy lawsuit, but for the most part, it was a happy marriage between Johansson and the MCU.

As the release of "The Batman" draws ever nearer, Warner Bros. is making its final marketing push for director Matt Reeves' superhero flick. To that end, a brand new featurette has been released by DC (above) which focuses on Paul Dano's Riddler, the main villain of Robert Pattinson's first outing as our new Caped Crusader. Both Reeves and Dano participate in the video, which gives a better understanding of what to expect from this iteration of the character. Needless to say, this is a far cry from what Jim Carrey did in "Batman Forever."

Well, well, well. We recently heard from Tom Holland that one of his fellow "Spider-Man: No Way Home" co-stars wore a fake butt in the movie. Now, the plot has THICCened as Andrew Garfield has weighed in on the matter. Speaking to Entertainment Tonight on the red carpet for the SAG Awards, Garfield said the following:

"I have no idea. It's not me. So, I have no clue. I don't know. I assumed everyone's butts were their butts... I don't think it's Tobey. I've seen Tobey's butt. Tobey's got back."

So what's going on? Is Holland lying? Is Garfield lying? Is Tobey wearing a very convincing fake butt? We may never know, but next time you watch "No Way Home," you know what to look for.

Marvel's "Moon Knight" series is just around the corner and they are here to let us know that's the case. While it's not the most substantial teaser in the world, the above video begins the one-month countdown to Oscar Isaac's debut as the titular hero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The series premiere is set to arrive on Disney+ on March 30, 2022. Be sure to check out the teaser for yourself and get ready for the craziness to come.

While "The Batman" was still in production, reports circulated suggesting that the movie carried a budget of $100 million. That is indeed high, but not nearly as high as so many other superhero movies these days. That made it seem like an incredibly good bet by Warner Bros. Yet, in a recent report from Variety detailing the studio's decision to not release the film in Russia due to the current crisis with Ukraine, it's revealed that the movie actually carries a $200 million budget. Did the multiple production delays caused by the pandemic inflate the budget? Was that initial report just way off? It's tough to say, but either way, this means the movie is going to need to be an even bigger hit to make its money back. Though all signs are looking good as of right now.

Lastly, to go along with the "Moon Knight" push, Marvel has released a brand new poster featuring Mr. Knight. As we've seen in the trailers, Oscar Isaac's character is going to have multiple personalities, which is going to make things rather interesting. Mr. Knight, it seems, is going to be a way in which this disorder manifests within the framework of the show. It seems fair to say this is going to be quite unlike anything we've seen in the MCU to date.