Superhero Bits: Morbius Gets A Hot Toys Figure, The Long Gap Between Avengers Movies & 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:
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Kevin Feige on the long gap between "Avengers" movies.
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Yet another Marvel video game may be on the way.
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"Harley Quinn" season 3 finally arrives.
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Dr. Michael Morbius gets immortalized by Hot Toys.
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All that and more!
Marvel comics assembles a new Thunderbolts team next month
It was recently confirmed by Marvel Studios that a "Thunderbolts” movie is on the way and, what's more, that film will close out Phase 5 of the MCU. Unsurprisingly, Marvel Comics is also set to launch a brand new ongoing title centered on the group next month. Now, in the above preview artwork from the first issue, the publisher has unveiled the new lineup. Hawkeye, Spectrum, America Chavez, Power Man, Persuasion, and Gutsen Glory make up the new team's roster. So, a mix of well-known and lesser-known figures. Jim Zub and Sean Izaakse are heading up the new book, with "Thunderbolts" #1 set to hit shelves on August 31.
Wait, is another Marvel video game in development at EA?
Quite a few Marvel video games are on the way, with "Spider-Man 2" and "Wolverine" in the works for the PlayStation 5, as well as the upcoming "Midnight Suns." Well, it looks like that may be far from all we're getting in the coming years. It was recently reported by industry insider Jeff Grubb that EA is in early development on a "Black Panther" video game and, wouldn't you know it? The company is said to be working on another Marvel title as well, Per Grubb on a recent edition of Game Mess Mornings. Unfortunately, Grubb had tragically little to offer about this mysterious second game but, if true, it would signal a potentially larger partnership between EA and Marvel. Plus, it would mean the slate of Marvel games on the way for those who own consoles other than a PlayStation is more robust.
You can actually call She-Hulk for all of your super lawyer needs
Marvel is set to release Jennifer Walters into the MCU next month with "She-Hulk: Attorney at Law" arriving on Disney+. In a fun little bit of promotion for the upcoming series, a new hotline number has been provided (seen above) that allows fans to call the hero's law offices. I won't spoil what happens when you do call but just don't be surprised if you don't actually get to speak with Tatiana Maslany.
Alfred Pennyworth arrives in new Gotham Knights artwork
This past weekend, fans at SDCC were treated to a new look at the "Gotham Knights" video game ahead of its release on October 25. Among the reveals during the panel that made their way online after the fact is the above artwork which features none other than Alfred Pennyworth hanging out with the Bat-family. The game will pick up in Gotham City in the wake of Bruce Wayne's death but just because he's dead doesn't mean Alfred is sitting this one out. He will be assisting Nightwing, Robin, Batgirl, and Red Hood, just as he did Batman for all those years.
Heads up! The first 3 episodes of Harley Quinn season 3 are now streaming
It's been a very long wait but the wait is finally over. As of today, as indicated by the above tweet, the first three episodes of "Harley Quinn" season 3 have officially arrived on HBO Max. The show had previously streamed on DC Universe before that was turned purely into a comic book subscription app. Now, the idea is to put all of DC's content under one roof. The especially good news is that the reviews for the new season have been extremely good, with a currently perfect 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
DC League of Super-Pets looks to top the box office this weekend
We have to wait until October for the next live-action DC film in the form of "Black Adam," but DC is looking to take the spotlight this weekend with its latest animated feature, "DC League of Super-Pets." The family-friendly animated film is expected to top the box office this weekend with $25 million or more, per Variety. That would be a decent start, with The Rock and Kevin Hart's film overtaking "NOPE." That said, it would still have a long way to go in recouping its $90 million budget but, if overseas audiences turn up as well, this could be a win for Warner Bros. and DC.
Kevin Feige explains the six-year gap between Avengers films
Starting with "The Avengers" in 2012, the MCU brought audiences a new installment featuring Earth's mightiest heroes every three years. In the case of "Avengers: Infinity War" and "Avengers: Endgame," we got two gigantic films in back-to-back years between 2018 and 2019. But, as announced at SDCC, "Avengers: The Kang Dynasty" and "Avengers: Secret Wars" are both set to arrive in 2025, finishing off Phase 6 of the MCU. Speaking to MTV News, Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige explained why there will be a longer gap this time around.
"The truth is, when we were doing Phase 1, Phase 2 and Phase 3, there were less projects over more years. They were smaller projects and individual character stories, and it felt appropriate at that point, that after every two or three years that it took for a phase, we would do an 'Avengers' film. As [Phase] 4, 5 and 6 were coming together, there are more projects in less years – because of all the amazing stuff we're now allowed to do on Disney+, and getting characters from Fox, Fantastic Four and Deadpool — that it felt like, certainly after 'Infinity War' and 'Endgame,' that we thought 'Avengers' movies aren't cappers. So many of our movies now — 'Multiverse of Madness' and what you're about to see in ['Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania'], all are big team-up films introducing big parts of the mythology... 'Avengers' films really should be the capper to a saga."
So there we have it. The good news is, Phase 5 will not be devoid of big events as "Thunderbolts" is on the way, as well as "Captain America: New World Order" and a host of other projects.
This Dr. Michael Morbius Hot Toys figure is at your service
"Morbius" may not have panned out in the way that Sony had hoped critically or commercially speaking, but that doesn't mean we aren't going to get some high-end merchandise for the Marvel Comics adaptation. To that end, the folks at Hot Toys have unveiled the above sixth-scale figure based on Jared Leto's Dr. Michael Morbius, in all of his vampiric glory. He even comes complete with a swarm of bats to really complete the look. The figure is set to retail for $260 and will arrive sometime between July and December of 2023. Those interested in pre-ordering one can do so by clicking here.