Archives for September 2017

Supe-A-Dee-Do-Da!

September 29, 2017 by Bill McCormick

The new ad for the popcorn is a humdinger!

At the beginning of the month I took a look at the super powered TV shows that were coming to a screen in your home. And only yours. No one but you would be able to see them. Today, thanks to Adam Chitwood over at Collider, we’ll dumpster dive into the upcoming films. One thing I’ve done is remove all vague releases. Those are ones with assigned dates but no title, no cast, or just one cast member, and could end up being anything or nothing. One example would be the untitled film starring Ben Affleck slated for November 1, 2019. That could be the Batman solo film, the Nightwing Film, or something else entirely. I should note that there are a dozen or so dates held out like that between the primary companies making super hero movies. This list doesn’t even begin to contemplate supernatural or general science fiction films, which are another lengthy list all their own.

Just to give some sort of update here, so you can stop reading emails your Uncle Elmo keeps sending to show how hep he is, the following items are true; as of this writing Wonder Woman is the highest grossing origin film ever, Spider Man: Homecoming, far from being a bust, is now the highest grossing superhero film of the year. In other words, the market’s still there and isn’t going anywhere any time soon.

Anyway, as you plow through this chronological list, keep in mind that I haven’t added trailers since we live in a finite universe and you’ll, one day, need to get back to work.

So, without further ado, away we go!

Thor: Ragnarok

Release Date: November 3, 2017

Director: Taika Waititi

Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Mark Ruffalo, Cate Blanchett, Jeff Goldblum, Tessa Thompson, Karl Urban, Idris Elba, and Anthony Hopkins.

What We Know So Far: The title most likely refers to the event from Nordic mythology in which catastrophic destruction comes to Asgard, submerging the entire world underwater and killing nearly every god. Marvel says the “Norse End of Days” is coming to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. They tapped What We Do in the Shadows director Taika Waititi to take the helm, making for a very curious hire given his background in comedy. Cate Blanchett leads the villain charge as Hela, Tessa Thompson is Valkyrie, and Karl Urban is the villainous muscle Skurge, while the MCU is about to get a lot weirder with Jeff Goldblum as Grandmaster, one of the Elders of the Universe. The tone of the film is radically different from the previous Thor movies, and Hulk has a supporting/co-starring role.

Justice League

Release Date: November 17, 2017

Directors: Zack Snyder and Joss Whedon

Cast: Henry Cavill, Ben Affleck, Ezra Miller, Gal Gadot, Jason Momoa, Ray Fisher, Amy Adams, Jeremy Irons, J.K. Simmons, Willem Dafoe, and Amber Heard.

What We Know So Far: Warner Bros.’ highly anticipated Justice League unites Affleck as Batman, and Adams as Lois Lane, along with Jason Momoa’s Aquaman, Ezra Miller’s The Flash, Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman, and Ray Fisher’s Cyborg. The villain of Justice League is Steppenwolf, who we saw Lex Luthor summoning in a deleted scene from Batman v Superman. As evidenced by the trailers there certainly appears to be a lighter tone, and the film will broaden the DCEU so far with J.K. Simmons as the new Commissioner Gordon and Amber Heard as Aquaman character Mera. And Cavill’s Superman is in the mix here somewhere/somehow. The film also marks a curious collaboration, as Snyder left the film during post-production to tend to a personal tragedy while Joss Whedon came in to oversee the final editing and to direct reshoots.

Black Panther

Release Date: February 16, 2018

Director: Ryan Coogler

Cast: Chadwick Boseman, Lupita Nyong’o, Michael B. Jordan, Danai Gurira, Angela Bassett, Sterling K. Brown, Forest Whitaker, Andy Serkis, Martin Freeman, Letitia Wright, and John Kani.

What We Know So Far: The comics character made quite the impression with his first appearance in Captain America: Civil War, and he gets his own feature film not long after. 42 star Chadwick Boseman is filling the role of the powerful native of Wakanda, an African nation that is isolated from the rest of the world. Marvel says the crux of the film will be how this isolationist nation meets the world, so expect some friction. Selma director Ava DuVernay came close to signing on, but ultimately opted not to helm the film over concerns her artistic voice would be lost in the final product. Subsequently, Marvel hired Joe Robert Cole—who came up through the Marvel Studios writing program—to pen the script, and finally nabbed Creed and Fruitvale Station helmer Ryan Coogler to fill the director’s chair and co-write. He’s forging ahead with quite possibly the most exciting MCU film to date, and he announced his intention to fill out the cast with 90% African and African-American actors, establishing a fantastic ensemble with folks like Oscar-winner Lupita Nyong’o as Nakia, Danai Gurira as Oyoke, and his Creed and Fruitvale star Michael B. Jordan as villain Erik Killmonger.

The story of Black Panther will find T’Challa returning to his technologically advanced homeland of Wakanda after the events of Civil War, only to find himself drawn into a dangerous conflict with an old enemy.

New Mutants

Release Date: April 13, 2018

Director: Josh Boone

Cast: Anya Taylor-Joy, Maisie Williams, Alice Braga, Charlie Heaton, Blu Hunt, Henry Zaga

What We Know So Far: Writer/director Josh Boone (The Fault in Our Stars) has been attached to direct New Mutants for some time now, but 20th Century Fox has finally confirmed the film with a spring 2018 release date. The film is said to be both YA-esque and horror-tinged in tone, revolving around a group of much younger mutants in the X-Men universe than the adults from the proper X-Men movies. The story will also ditch traditional superhero costumes and supervillains in favor of telling a story about these young mutants locked up together in some facility. James McAvoy has been rumored to be reprising his role as Professor X in the film.

This will be the cinematic debut of Squirrel Girl. Click the link, learn all there is to learn about her, and get excited. She is, hands down, one of my favorite, and most fun, characters.

Avengers: Infinity War

Release Date: May 4, 2018

Directors: Joe and Anthony Russo

Cast: Everybody

What We Know So Far: Marvel is finally tackling the Infinity War storyline, and it’ll take two films to tell it. The main antagonist will be Thanos (played by Josh Brolin), although he’ll be joined by his Black Order aka the “Children of Thanos” as subvillains the Avengers heroes will have to defeat first. Indeed, the film stars nearly every single character who’s appeared in the MCU before in what’s said to be a “culmination event.” Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Captain America: Civil War directors Joe and Anthony Russo direct both Infinity War and its untitled sequel, which are being shot back-to-back. Moreover, Infinity War was shot entirely using IMAX’s brand new digital cameras. No pressure.

Deadpool 2

Release Date: June 1, 2018

Director: David Leitch

Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Josh Brolin, Zazie Beets, T.J. Miller

What We Know So Far: While Deadpool director Tim Miller was originally supposed to return to helm Deadpool 2, he left the sequel in Fall 2016 over creative differences. Reynolds and 20th Century Fox subsequently set John Wick and Atomic Blonde director David Leitch to take over, but then came the long process of casting two major new roles. Domino, the female lead, went to Atlanta breakout Zazie Beets, while the casting of Cable proved as lengthy as it was complex. Names like Michael Shannon and David Harbour surfaced, and Brad Pitt at one point considered the role, but ultimately Josh Brolin is the one who signed on to play Deadpool’s favorite frenemy.

And, no, despite many fans clamoring for it, there will be no sex scene, implied or otherwise, between Deadpool and Spider Man. Not that stating this fact will even slow down the Internet, but a scribe must try.

Ant-Man and the Wasp

Release Date: July 6, 2018

Director: Peyton Reed

Cast: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lily, Michael Douglas, Michelle Pfeiffer, Walton Goggins, Laurence Fishburne, Michael Peña, Randall Park, Judy Greer and Hannah John-Kamen

What We Know So Far: Evangeline Lily‘s Wasp will be the co-star of this film and not just the “female lead”, making this Marvel Studios’ first release in which the heroine is in the title. Plot-wise we don’t know much, but Michelle Pfeiffer is playing Janet Van Dyne, so we presume the story will at least partially revolve around heading to the Quantum Realm to rescue her. Meanwhile Walton Goggins plays the villainous Sonny Burch.

Venom

Release Date: October 5, 2018

Director: Ruben Fleischer

Cast: Tom Hardy

What We Know So Far: This Sony Pictures spinoff is intended to kick off a new loosely-connected universe of Marvel Comics adaptations, but Venom will not take place in the same universe as the Marvel Studios/Sony co-production Spider-Man: Homecoming. This is planned as an R-rated adaptation of the symbiote storyline, described as something of a twist on the horror genre, and Venom will be portrayed as an anti-hero with Carnage serving as the villain.

Yes, the symbiote can extend its appendages, yes it can be a swirling mass of death dealing whips, and, NO DAMNIT, there will be no kinky sex scenes between the symbiote and anyone. Seriously, what the hell is wrong with you people? The R rating will be for violence and, maybe, a gratuitous boob like they had in Logan.

Aquaman

Release Date: December 21, 2018

Director: James Wan

Cast: Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, Patrick Wilson, Nicole Kidman, Dolph Lundgren, and Willem Dafoe

What We Know So Far: Momoa made his first appearance in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and will be part of the Justice League ensemble. Warner Bros. has enlisted Furious 7 and The Conjuring helmer James Wan to direct, and after attempting to fast-track this thing to production with multiple screenwriters writing separate drafts, Wan and DC Films head Geoff Johns convened, nailed down the story, and set Gangster Squad scribe Will Beall to pen the script. The ensemble cast includes Nicole Kidman as Queen Atlanna and Patrick Wilson as the film’s antagonist, Aquaman’s half-brother Orm.

X-Men: Dark Phoenix

Release Date: November 2, 2018

Director: Simon Kinberg

Cast: Sophie Turner, Tye Sheridan, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Alexandra Shipp, James McAvoy, Jennifer Lawrence, Michael Fassbender, Nicholas Hoult, and Evan Peters

What We Know So Far: The sequel to X-Men: Apocalypse has been firmed up as Dark Phoenix, which will tackle the beloved Jean Grey story arc from the comics that was first broached (and botched) in X-Men: The Last Stand. X-Men writer/producer Simon Kinberg has penned the script and is making his directorial debut on the project, which may also star Jessica Chastain as the villain Lilandra and is bringing back pretty much the entire main X-Men cast.

Untitled Animated Spider-Man
(Miles Morales)

Release Date: December 14, 2018

Directors: Bob Perschietti, Peter Ramsey

Cast: Shameik Moore and Liev Schrieber

What We Know So Far: Sony originated this animated Spider-Man movie with an idea by Phil Lord and Chris Miller, with Lord penning the script solo while the duo prepped their untitled Han Solo spinoff. This animated feature will kick off a new Spider-Man franchise different from the live-action one, but the kicker is that the Spider-Man of this movie is the black Miles Morales, not Peter Parker. Which means we’ll get our first non-white Spider-Man in 2018. Dope standout Shameik Moore has been set to voice Spidey, while Liev Schreiber is playing the film’s villain—although character details are under wraps. Schreiber, however, has teased that the film has a throwback tone.

A side note here, there is a cut scene in Spider Man: Homecoming which would lead a dedicated viewer to assume that Miles Morales may make an appearance in a future live action film. The character who’s supposed to be his uncle does appear in the film so we shall see what we shall see.

Captain Marvel

Release Date: March 8, 2019

Director: Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck

Cast: Brie Larson and Samuel L. Jackson

What We Know So Far: Marvel’s first female-led superhero film will revolve around the most powerful character in the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe. This iteration of Captain Marvel will focus on the character of Carol Danvers, whose adventures are earthbound but whose powers are based in the cosmic realm. Joss Whedon wanted to introduce the character at the end of Avengers: Age of Ultron, but Marvel didn’t want to bring Captain Marvel into the MCU fully formed without first telling her origin story. Meg LeFauve (Inside Out) and Nicole Perlman (Guardians of the Galaxy) are writing the screenplay, and Oscar-winning Room actress Brie Larson has been set to star. And after a lengthy director’s search, Marvel settled on Half Nelson and Mississippi Grind filmmakers Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck.

This film will be a prequel to the MCU, taking place in the 90s and bringing the comics characters the Skrulls into the mix as the villains. That could have major repercussions leading into Avengers 4, but Captain Marvel will also give us a two-eyed Nick Fury.

The fact that some leaked footage got made into a full trailer, tells you all you need to know about how much fans want this movie to get made and get made well.

Shazam!

Release Date: April 5, 2019

Director: David F. Sandberg

Cast: TBD

What We Know So Far: Making his superhero movie debut, Dwayne Johnson opted to take on the role of the villainous Black Adam in this DC comics adaptation, but Warner Bros. has now decided to hold Johnson for a separate Black Adam movie, so Shazam will be all about that hero. Lights Out and Annabelle: Creation director David F. Sandberg is directing, and this is being planned as Warner Bros.’ next DCEU film in production after Aquaman.

Spider-Man: Homecoming 2

Release Date: July 5, 2019

Director: Jon Watts

Cast: Tom Holland

What We Know So Far: Nothing, but obviously Sony and Marvel Studios plan on Spider-Man: Homecoming launching a franchise, and Sony has already slated the sequel. Bolstered by the positive response to Homecoming, director Jon Watts is returning.

There is one thing to consider, at the end of the first movie there is a scene between the Vulture (Michael Keaton) and a prisoner named Mac Gargan, who has a scorpion tattoo (yes, fans noticed this). Given that the Tinkerer, the dude who made the Vulture’s gear, is still on the loose at the end of the first film it’s not hard to see him hooking up with the prisoner to give us a new villain for the second. And, as true fans know, Scorpion is a great villain.

Wonder Woman 2

Release Date: December 13, 2019

Director: TBA

Cast: Gal Gadot

What We Know So Far: Very little, but Wonder Woman marked a major turning point for the DCEU with wildly positive reviews and massive box office, so anticipation is high. Negotiations are ongoing with Patty Jenkins to return to direct, and while rumors have swirled about a potential 1980s-set sequel revolving around the Cold War, Jenkins is said to be already working on a story treatment with Geoff Johns.

Gambit

Release Date: TBD

Director: TBD

Cast: Channing Tatum

What We Know So Far: Tatum has been keen on playing the X-Men mutant for a while now, and 20th Century Fox finally pulled the trigger on a standalone movie for the fan-favorite Cajun. Production had initially been slated to begin Fall 2015, but when it was pushed back to early 2016, director Rupert Wyatt abruptly dropped out due to personal reasons. Doug Liman (Edge of Tomorrow) subsequently signed on to direct, and while producer Simon Kinberg told us the film will be a heist picture and a “sexy thriller”, the film was pulled from its October 2016 release date and is now listed as TBD. Moreover, due to the delays, Liman has since departed to helm Warner Bros.’ Justice League Dark movie.

Educated guess here, I doubt this thing ever sees the light of day. This is the fourth iteration and it’s already kicked almost half a decade down the road. Gambit isn’t a tough character to get right so I have no idea why the girls aren’t getting the eye candy they deserve.

The Flash: Flashpoint

Release Date: TBA

Director: TBA

Cast: Ezra Miller, Ray Fisher, Kiersey Clemons, and Billy Crudup

What We Know So Far: Miller made his brief debut in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, but he’s a fully fledged star of the Justice League. After tasking Phil Lord and Chris Miller with penning a treatment only to see them head off to direct the Han Solo Star Wars film (and then leave that), the studio subsequently tapped Seth Grahame-Smith to make his directorial debut on the superhero picture. Alas, after the disappointing reception to Batman v Superman, Warner Bros. opted to change course and parted ways with Grahame-Smith, seeking to find a more established filmmaker in his stead. They settled on Dope filmmaker Rick Famuyiwa, working from Grahame-Smith’s script that was a buddy film of sorts between Flash and Cyborg. But after months of developing the project and with casting underway (Dope standout Kiersey Clemons landed the role of Iris West), Famuyiwa exited the project in late October.

This put the March 2018 release date in doubt, as it was dependent upon production getting underway in early 2017. Now, Miller is due to start filming Fantastic Beasts 2 in mid-2017, which would push production of The Flash to late 2017 or early 2018, meaning the March 2018 date is now pretty much impossible. Not to mention the fact that this movie still doesn’t have a director.

Some big names have been mentioned like Robert Zemeckis, and Warner Bros. announced at Comic-Con that this Flash movie will be an adaptation of the Flashpoint time travel comics storyline, which could give WB a way to reboot the DCEU somewhat.

Batgirl

Release Date: TBA

Director: Joss Whedon

Cast: TBA

What We Know So Far: Warner Bros. pulled Joss Whedon over from Marvel to write and direct a Batgirl movie. We don’t know much, but Whedon has said he may favor hiring an unknown or little-known actress in the lead role. But this one may be coming a bit later than intended, as Whedon is spearheading Justice League post-production through November 2017.

Given that there are numerous fan films featuring Batgirl, we are almost at the point where Warner could go and steal the plots from the uncopywritten flicks and just have at it. I should note some of them are fucking awesome.

Suicide Squad 2

Release Date: TBA

Director: TBA

Cast: TBA

What We Know So Far: David Ayer definitely isn’t coming back to direct this sequel, and Warner Bros. looked at some intriguing names for his replacement. Mel Gibson was approached towards the end of 2016, but Warner Bros. eventually moved on and currently has its eye on Jaume Collet-Serra of The Shallows and Non-Stop fame to take the helm.

Suicide Squad was a bullet train on meth. I would guess they’ll slow things down a little for this one and let us get to know the characters a touch more.

Green Lantern Corps

Release Date: TBD

Director: TBD

Cast: TBD

What We Know So Far: This will be a reboot of the Warner Bros. franchise so Ryan Reynolds is not expected to reprise his role — plus he’s also busy being Deadpool for Fox. Green Lantern is rumored to make his first appearance at the end of either Justice League Part One or Justice League Part Two when he warns the team that Darkseid is on his way to bring destruction to Earth. But the title of the reboot tells us this will be a team-up film featuring two Green Lanterns. Tyrese Gibson has been openly campaigning for one of the roles, as the film will find Hal Jordan and John Stewart in a Lethal Weapon-type situation. Warner Bros. recently kicked the tires on this one, hiring David S. Goyer (Batman Begins, Man of Steel) to co-write the script with Justin Rhodes.

No matter what I would sincerely doubt that Dex Starr, the super powered kitty version of Green Lantern, will make an appearance. Unless something goes horribly wrong.

Justice League Dark

Release Date: TBD

Director: TBD

Cast: TBD

What We Know So Far: Warner Bros. has been developing an adaptation of Justice League Dark for awhile now, with Guillermo del Toro first writing a script a few years ago before departing the project. But with the DCEU now up and running, Edge of Tomorrow and The Bourne Identity helmer Doug Liman signed on to direct in August 2016, and then left the project in May 2017. WB is already looking for a replacement and is eyeing an A-List ensemble for the pic, which focuses on the DC superheroes with more supernatural powers as opposed to the bright and shiny heroes of the Justice League proper. The protagonists of Justice League Dark aren’t exactly antiheroes either, as the comics lineup has included folks like John Constantine and Swamp Thing.

For those who’ve missed it, the cartoon version of this film just missed an R rating. Since Batman, a rationalist, makes an appearance in the cartoon it’s not out of the question to think this is the new Affleck movie that didn’t have a name.

Gotham City Sirens

Release Date: TBD

Director: David Ayer

Writer: David Ayer

Cast: Margot Robbie

What We Know So Far: Shortly after the release of Suicide Squad, Margot Robbie put in motion a female-centric spinoff film that would follow her Harley Quinn and other DC characters like Poison Ivy. This one’s still deep in development, but it’s definitely on the table.

Yes, Harley Quinn & Poison Ivy have a sexual relationship in the comics. But, I’m sorry to burst your bubble here, if you think that Warner, et al, is going to spend $100 MIL on a soft core lesbian porno you’re sadly mistaken. I don’t care how carefully they prune the shrubs.

Cyborg

Release Date: TBD

Director: TBD

Cast: Ray Fisher

What We Know So Far: Fisher was first introduced in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and will play a role in Justice League, and while a Cyborg movie was on WB’s ambitious initial slate, the status of the project is unclear at the moment.

I would tell you to watch for this movie to get pushed up a bit if the character resonates with fans the way it does in the Justice League trailers.

In any case, this should keep you busy for a while. See you at the movies!

Listen to Bill McCormick on WBIG (FOX! Sports) every Friday around 9:10 AM.
Stay up to date with his podcasts here and here.
contact Bill McCormick
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COMIX!

September 28, 2017 by Bill McCormick

An odd phenomena has been occurring in the comic book industry. Revenue generated by things related to comics, movies, merchandise, etc., has been steadily climbing for the last decade. But, and this is important, revenue from actual comic books have been in a steady decline. Both Warner Brothers and Disney have had internal discussions about spinning off DC & Marvel Comics respectively. Quite a large section of the internet has been devoted to what that might, might not, mean. A subset of that has been devoted to what it will all mean to Diamond Distribution, the monopoly of comic book distribution. But a funny thing has been happening on the way to the death of all things. Indy comics have been popping up and filling some voids. Unencumbered by massive overhead and puritanical restrictions, they have been finding wider, and wider, audiences. I have written about a few of these before, and am about to do so again today, and have found a willing market. Those posts get shared, and re-shared, around the world. David Gabriel, VP of Sales for Marvel, famously said the reason for declining sales was diversity. This would be news to the creators who are out there now. From my humble offering, Legends Parallel, which is rated M for Mature and features a predominantly African-American cast, to Valiant Comics’ Faith Herbert series, about an overweight telekinetic girl, to the indy Geek Girl comic series, which has to be read to be believed, to more than I have time to mention, a whole slew of creators are setting the bar high with excellent story telling, beautiful art, and more diversity than you could shake a stick at.

So let’s get this party started.

The Couch. Written by David A. Byrne & drawn by Matt Magill

There is so much fun, and angst, to unpack here it’s thrilling. Dr. Warren J. Lee, a very white man who keeps getting confused for Korean due to his name, is a shrink in somewhere U.S.A. He has issues that make him socially dysfunctional. Lots and lots of issues. He fires his secretary, who is also his girlfriend, via email. He deals with OCD patients in a way that borders on torture, and is up to his heiney in debt. He doesn’t even know how to bill a patient. To make his life even more chaotic I should note that he lives in a universe populated with super heroes. Naturally they do not make his life better.

If you like some dark humor, an occasional psychosis, and a plot that keeps zigging when you expect a zag, then The Couch is for you. Click the link to read more and buy an issue or two,

Jelly Vampire by Ida Eva Neverdahl

Jelly Vampire follows the adventures of a young girl named Lulu. That will be the only normal fact from here on out. When she plucks her eyebrows they turn into butterflies. When she puts hand cream on her feet, her feet turn into hands. She meets a magical being who can make her life wonderful and eats it. She meets fascists. She turns into a giant worm. She becomes a princess of a candy kingdom and ends up killing, and eating, everyone there. We won’t even talk about the unicorns. That is a whole series that will send you to Mr.Lee’s couch above.

Each of the episodes of Jelly Vampire is short and free to read online. If you need a reference point just think of the Far Side on acid. I couldn’t stop smiling when I read the preview edition they sent me and I doubt that you, faithful reader, will be disappointed when you check it all out.

Brother Bones The Undead Avenger by Ron Fortier

In the mood to hearken back to the glorious days if yesteryear? Are the classic comic books of The Phantom, The Lone Ranger, and others, what’s missing from your life? If so, I have some great news for you. Brother Bones is cut from the same cloth as those classics but takes it in a whole new, and fun, direction. The hero is a former mobster turned monk, thus the “Brother” moniker, who gets whacked at a monastery and, in death, is given the chance to save his soul. So far so good. But, to make it all work he has to take over the body of his mobster brother. Oh, did I mention his mentor in death is a young woman he killed? I really should. Brother Bones is non-stop action writ large in stark, black and white, images. It’s a great read for all ages and it’s a fun series to follow.

Check out all the issues of Brother Bones if you want to make your day better.

So, there you go, three wildly different comics to enhance your cool factor. Trust me, bust these out on the bus and you’ll be hipper than the cool kids and a a lot more fun to talk to.

Listen to Bill McCormick on WBIG (FOX! Sports) every Friday around 9:10 AM.
Stay up to date with his podcasts here and here.
contact Bill McCormick
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We’re Getting Better

September 21, 2017 by Bill McCormick

While the Internet keeps puking up stuff that is supposed to make you healthy but will, in reality, get you killed, or, at least, not make you any better, there have been some stunning advances in the real world. Granted, they use that magic science stuff and not something cool someone once said their Aunt Sadie swore might work. If you believed and sent $100 to someone somewhere. These remedies, and I use that term incorrectly here, are only slightly less effective than praying for rainbows or sending good vibes via Twitter. Steve Jobs chased a holistic rainbow and died because of it.

Alice G. Walton, over at Forbes, sums it up.

According to Steve Jobs’ biographer, Walter Isaacson, the Apple mastermind eventually came to regret the decision he had made years earlier to reject potentially life-saving surgery in favor of alternative treatments like acupuncture, dietary supplements and juices. Though he ultimately embraced the surgery and sought out cutting-edge experimental methods, they were not enough to save him.

Jobs’ cancer had been discovered by chance during a CT scan in 2003 to look for kidney stones, during which doctors saw a “shadow” on his pancreas. Isaacson told CBS’ 60 Minutes last night that while the news was not good, the upside was that the form of pancreatic cancer from which Jobs suffered (a neuroendocrine islet tumor) was one of the 5% or so that are slow growing and most likely to be cured.

Kids, those doctor people aren’t perfect, no human is, but when faced with something like this you should get a second diagnosis, not skip to Mexico and drink magic juices. Just FYI, the cure rate for what he had, in the stage it was caught, runs around 95%. In other words, had he lived the world would probably have been spared a $1,000 i-Phone that finally is capable of mimicking an Android.

I have previously written about how science is closer to an actual cure for Alzheimer’s, worked out a method so the paralyzed can walk, and heal wounds with an easy to apply polymer that requires no special treatment. You can read about all of those by clicking the link.

And now, since you’ve been kind enough to read this far, I’m going to share some new cures that are headed to a doctor near you.

Let’s start with cancer. Lydia Ramsey, on loan to Science Alert from Business Insider, says that science has discovered a way for patients to, literally, heal themselves with a little help from a medical professional.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) just approved a cutting-edge cancer therapy.

On Wednesday, the FDA approved Novartis’s Kymriah, also known as tisagenlecleucel, a treatment for pediatric acute lymphoblastic lymphoblastic leukemia.

“I think this is most exciting thing I’ve seen in my lifetime,” Dr. Tim Cripe, an oncologist who was part of the FDA advisory committee panel that voted in favour of approving the drug in July.

The highly personalised treatment is called CAR T-cell therapy. It’s a type of cancer immunotherapy — or a therapy that harnesses the body’s immune system to take on cancer cells.

“We’re entering a new frontier in medical innovation with the ability to reprogram a patient’s own cells to attack a deadly cancer,” FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb said in a statement.

“New technologies such as gene and cell therapies hold out the potential to transform medicine and create an inflection point in our ability to treat and even cure many intractable illnesses. At the FDA, we’re committed to helping expedite the development and review of groundbreaking treatments that have the potential to be life-saving.”

Short for chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy, CAR-T treatment takes a person’s own cells, removes them from the body, re-engineers them, and then puts the cells back in the body where they can attack cancer cells.

Novartis’ therapy is one of two cutting-edge treatments for blood cancers are poised to get approved by the end of the year.

The FDA is also expected to make a decision about another CAR-T treatment from Kite Pharma, which just got acquired by Gilead Sciences. That’s for Kite’s CAR-T treatment for aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (more general than DLBCL).

In data Kite released in February, the company found that out of the 101 patients, 36 percent had a complete response to the treatment after six months.

It’s a type of cancer that Novartis wants to get approval for in the future.

In June, Novartis released data from its Phase 2 trial of CTL019 in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL for short), an aggressive form of lymphoma that’s one of the two types Kite’s data looks at. The trial found that of the 51 patients with DLBCL, 23 had either a complete response (meaning cancer had disappeared completely) or a partial response (meaning their tumour displayed signs that it was shrinking).

Back in June of 2015 I wrote about how scientists were using stem cells to speed the healing of damaged bone tissue. For example, the kind of damage people suffer when they go through chemo, have muscular dystrophy, have been in a severe accident, and so on. That treatment, which works and is getting more advanced, basically grinds up the bones of random dead people, extracts the varied stem cells, and slams the resulting genetic slurree into a patient via a needle.

Scientists have long known that stem cells are key to human life and healing. Now they are figuring out how to make that knowledge work for you. And those you love.

Right now the treatments listed above for cancer cure run about $300,000 a pop. Everyone is well aware that’s not feasible for the average patient. But, if it can be mass produced, the treatment – not your stem cells, that will bring down the price. They are also looking to the government for subsidies. I’ll keep you posted on that.

One side note, while this is prohibitively expensive, the costs for current drugs can run around $10,000 a month, and some therapies can run upwards of $30,000 per month, not including the additional expenses for the care of the patient. Wiser minds than mine might see the new treatment as cost effective when everything is factored in.

Another thing stem cell treatment has been lauded for is its ability to repair permanently damaged cells. Well, in theory at least. Now, its a fact.

I’ll let Meg Aldrich, over at USC News, tell the story since she does a better job at it than I could.

On March 6, just shy of his 21st birthday, Kristopher (Kris) Boesen of Bakersfield suffered a traumatic injury to his cervical spine when his car fishtailed on a wet road, hit a tree and slammed into a telephone pole.

His parents were warned there was a good chance their son would be permanently paralyzed from the neck down. However, they also learned that he could possibly qualify for a clinical study that might help.

Enter Keck Medical Center of USC, which announced that a team of doctors became the first in California to inject its patient with an experimental treatment made from stem cells as part of a multi-center clinical trial.

Charles Liu, director of the USC Neurorestoration Center, led the surgical team, working in collaboration with the Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center and Keck Medicine of USC, that injected an experimental dose of 10 million AST-OPC1 cells directly into Boesen’s cervical spinal cord in early April.

“Typically, spinal cord injury patients undergo surgery that stabilizes the spine but generally does very little to restore motor or sensory function,” Liu explained. “With this study, we are testing a procedure that may improve neurological function, which could mean the difference between being permanently paralyzed and being able to use one’s arms and hands. Restoring that level of function could significantly improve the daily lives of patients with severe spinal injuries.”

Two weeks after surgery, Boesen began to show signs of improvement. Three months later, he’s able to feed himself, use his cellphone, write his name, operate a motorized wheelchair and hug his friends and family. Improved sensation and movement in both arms and hands also makes it easier for him to care for himself, and to envision a life lived more independently.

“As of 90 days post-treatment, Kris has gained significant improvement in his motor function, up to two spinal cord levels,” Liu said. “In Kris’ case, two spinal cord levels mean the difference between using your hands to brush your teeth, operate a computer or do other things you wouldn’t otherwise be able to do, so having this level of functional independence cannot be overstated.”

Doctors are careful not to predict Boesen’s future progress.

“All I’ve wanted from the beginning was a fighting chance,” said Boesen, who has a passion for repairing and driving sports cars and was studying to become a life insurance broker at the time of the accident. “But if there’s a chance for me to walk again, then heck yeah! I want to do anything possible to do that.”

There is a lot more to that article and I hope you’ll take the time to click the link and read it all. In the meantime, if you, or someone you know, is interested in partaking in the treatment, here is the info:

To qualify for the clinical trial, enrollees must be between the age of 18 and 69, and their condition must be stable enough to receive an injection of AST-OPC1 between the 14th and 30th days following injury.

Keck Medical Center is one of six sites in the United States that is authorized to enroll subjects and administer the clinical trial dosage.

Just click the Keck Medical Center link to get in touch with them. They will help you find the treatment center closest to you.

Listen to Bill McCormick on WBIG (FOX! Sports) every Friday around 9:10 AM.
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And Yet They Breed

September 13, 2017 by Bill McCormick

A long time ago, on an internet far, far, away, I used to write about stupid criminals in Florida. It was an endless source of material. But, finally, it began to feel like I was clutching low hanging fruit. After all, all I needed to do was punch naked + meth + crime into Google and I’d be deluged with Floridians, and Arizonians, behaving badly. Often at Walmarts. I never understood the fascination, but that could just be me. Maybe getting naked in a Walmart is a fun way to kill an afternoon. God knows I have been naked inappropriately in my life. Not in a chain store, but still not smiled upon. Nevertheless, I stopped. Besides, there were far more interesting topics to handle. I used my new found free time to write about basic science, robot overlords, eugenics, evolution, comics, superheroes, new artists from around the world, and a much broader spectrum of topics. Plus, there are now well funded sites dedicated to stupid criminals in Florida. So why bother competing? I certainly had better things to do. I even did some of them.

But every now and then, the clarion call of HomoIdiotus beckons. It’s keening wail echoing across the virgin plains of social order. While I’m not sure if it’s a good thing or not, their ilk seems to be spreading. These are just some highlights from the last two weeks.

This headline, Thieves steal U-Haul containing father-in-law’s body, tells you all you need to know about this story. What makes this story rock are the auto-generated related items at the bottom.

Never More?

September 8, 2017 by Bill McCormick

I’ve written before about how some of our simian cousins have entered the Stone Age. Simply put they are using stone tools and planning for events that haven’t happened. Those are definable signs of sapience. I have also noted that octopuses, those yummy tasty octopuses laden in garlic and butter, are also developing along the same lines. Before they meet the garlic and butter, natch. The point is that life is not some stagnant thing. It wasn’t plopped here to never grow. On the one hand life adapts to its surroundings. People who live in the mountainous regions of Peru have larger lungs than the rest of us simply due to the thin air. No large lungs equals no breathing. At least not easily. Polar bears have different furs than grizzlies simply due to environment. I could go on, and on and on and on …., but you get the idea.

On the other hand, life develops intelligence if it’s faced with obstacles that basic cunning can’t overcome. For humans that was finding food in the veld. They had to learn to hunt and cook if they were to survive. Other proto-humans learned those skills as well. Then our ancestors hunted, and killed, them. They may have eaten them too. Either way, they eliminated the competition.

That last sentence is the one you need to remember.

Sarah Chodosh, over at Popular Science, notes that ravens are joining the party and moving up the evolutionary ladder.

Ravens can solve puzzles, trick other animals into helping them out, and communicate with each other at a level even apes can’t match. And now we know they can hatch plans. These aren’t dastardly plans to overthrow humans in a battle for control of the Earth (we hope)—they’re plans to get better food for themselves. It’s like the marshmallow test—more on that in a minute—but for birds that have more self control than most children.

This latest revelation comes courtesy of two cognitive scientists at Lund University in Sweden who literally put ravens to test. They published their findings on Friday in the journal Science. Up until now, we knew that ravens had some ability to plan ahead for their own food needs because they hide caches of food to dig up later. Then again, squirrels store food in the ground for later and they’re, well, not the smartest. They forget about 75 percent of their nuts, planting millions of trees in the process. They’re accidental environmentalists. And if moronic squirrels can be biologically programmed to cache food for later, maybe ravens aren’t as smart as we thought.

Except obviously they are.

Ravens, as it turns out, will often choose to forgo a tasty morsel now in favor of getting access to a better treat later. Faced with a food tidbit and a tool that they know can open a box containing more tempting food, they will generally choose the tool—even if they don’t have the box yet. They’ve learned that when researchers present them with the box in 15 minute’s time, they can use that tool to unlock their prize. That’s forethought right there. Even small children often choose to eat one marshmallow immediately rather than wait a few minutes for more marshmallows, and all that experiment makes the participants do is sit there being cute.

This shouldn’t come as such a shock. Ravens also steal from each other by watching competitors hide food, noting the location, and returning later to dig up their spoils. And because they get stolen from, some ravens will actually pretend to hide food to throw thieves off the scent. What’s more, they can tell other ravens where to find a juicy, rotting carcass and team up to scare off their competitors. That ability—to communicate information about a distant location—is shared only by ants, bees, and humans. Note that great apes and monkeys are not on that list. Plus, ravens can apparently deceive one another if it means keeping a food source a secret. They can also call wolves over to a carcass that hasn’t broken down enough yet so that the canines can rip it apart, leaving more convenient scraps for the birds to scarf down.

If all that doesn’t make you love and embrace our raven overlords, nothing will. These birds are geniuses in their own right—so what if their look is a little goth? Their intelligence isn’t to be feared, it’s to be revered. Ravens for President 2020.

Okay, so super smart birds that can plan, like some horror movie creatures shambling into your home in the dark, may not make you happy. But, as I noted above, it’s only when faced with direct competition that one species wipes out another.

Humans, ravens, and octopuses, have very few areas where they need the same resources. They could, much like the creatures in David Brin’s Uplift series, be brought up the evolutionary ladder to be our partners. To be a boon rather than a bane. In other words, the exact opposite of what happens when I write about it.

The simians, however, might be a different issue. They are similar enough to us that they may, at some point, want what we have. And history has shown us that rarely goes well for someone.

All that said, none of this is a concern for today. In fact it may all be moot. according to David Wallace-Wells global warming could make Earth uninhabitable in before 2100 AD. In other words, if he’s right, your teenage kids will live just long enough to see the end of the world.

There’s your happy thought for today.

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Dream a Little Dream

September 7, 2017 by Bill McCormick

This week saw our president do something that no other president has ever done. He signed an Executive Order to force Congress to deal with an issue. By doing this he ensures a nifty win/win situation for himself; if congress actually accomplishes this (something they have not been able to do previously) then the president can say he solved a centuries old problem; if Congress fails then he can say he tried, blame everyone but himself, make his base happy, and then do whatever he wants. Oddly, all signs seem to point to him not actually killing DACA. While doing so would make his base happy it would be political suicide nationally and we have a president who is married to public perception. Also he is surrounded by people would like to be re-elected. No matter the issue he eventually bends with the wind. In this case the issue is immigration. While many on the left hand side, pass that Dutchie kids, have said this will cause the U.S. to deport 800,000+ children to their certain deaths and many on the right have bemoaned that we need to rid our country of 800,000+ adults, all of whom are a drain on society, if we are to restore law to the lands, neither quite illuminates the real issues. This is one of those rare instances where both sides are so glaringly wrong that, should you allow their combination in the same brain, they could cause a cerebral tautology. So we need to step back and see what is really what before we continue typing IN ALL CAPS on various social media outlets.

Let’s take the two most common arguments, listed above, in order.

We will be condemning children to horrible fates.

1) DACA is a program to protect DREAMers — unauthorized immigrants brought to the US as children in the 1990s to mid-2000s, the US started building up enforcement on the US/Mexico border, with a huge unintended consequence: Many unauthorized immigrants avoided repeated risky border crossings by settling in the US with their families. (Previously, unauthorized immigrants had mostly been working-age men who crossed back and forth to the US for work while their families stayed in their home countries.)

Around the same time, changes to US law made it nearly impossible for an immigrant to get legal status if they’d lived in the country illegally. So the children who crossed illegally into the US with their parents were growing up in a country where they could never become legal residents or citizens.

These children became known as DREAMers, after the DREAM Act, a piece of legislation meant to give them a path to citizenship first introduced in 2001. But with that legislation stalled in Congress, President Barack Obama in 2012 created the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA. While it didn’t give them a path to citizenship, DACA offered DREAMers a temporary grant of protection from deportation and a permit to work legally in the US. The protections last two years, after which immigrants can apply to renew for them.

Not all DREAMers, though, became DACA recipients. To apply for DACA, immigrants have to have come to the US before 2007, and have been 15 or younger when they arrived and younger than 31 when DACA was created in June 2012. They had to have a nearly spotless criminal record and be enrolled in high school or have a high school diploma or equivalent.

Perhaps most importantly, they have to apply. It’s estimated that about 1.3 million people would be eligible for DACA, but right now, about 800,000 people actually have it. – courtesy Vox.com

Okay, now we know how we got here and who’s involved. They were children, brought to the U.S. illegally, prior to 2007. That was ten years ago. Many, obviously, were brought here well before then which is why there was a max limit that the person could be no more than 31 years of age in 2012. So the oldest would now be 36 and the rest would be younger than that, all the way down to 10 now. That is quite a span. The youngest would, if you think about it, probably not speak their native language, not have any idea what their ancestral home is like, and probably like Bieber just as much your kids.

I should note that not all immigrants affected are Hispanic. Many are Middle Eastern Christians others are from Poland, India, China, and other parts of the globe. Therefore, when the focus is shifted to just one group you can safely assume that the person doing so is a racist asshole.

That said, while deportation would be a logistical nightmare, and cause harm on each and every DACA signatory, it’s not a death sentence.

I’ll get back to all this in a minute, but let’s deal with the second part; that these people are a drain on U.S. infrastructure, due to their increasing numbers, and society as a whole due to their illegal activities.

‘Surge of Unaccompanied Minors’

Sessions also blamed the DACA program for the surge of unaccompanied minors who illegally crossed the Mexico border, beginning in fiscal year 2012, mostly from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.

Sessions, Sept. 5: The effect of this unilateral executive amnesty, among other things, contributed to a surge of unaccompanied minors on the southern border that yielded terrible humanitarian consequences.

This is misleading.

It is true that there was a surge of unaccompanied children that caught the Obama administration off guard in fiscal 2012. The number of unaccompanied minors crossing the border peaked in fiscal 2014 at 68,541, dropping 42 percent to 39,970 in fiscal 2015 before rising again in fiscal year 2016 to 59,692.

But the children who crossed the border illegally were not eligible for DACA. As we said earlier, the criteria for DACA is continuous residence in the United States since June 15, 2007.

All the government reports on the subject that we could find said that misinformation about U.S. immigration policy may have driven some to cross the border illegally. But these reports cited multiple reasons for the surge, primarily violence in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.

The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees in 2013 conducted a survey of 404 unaccompanied minors who illegally crossed into the U.S. since fiscal 2012. The U.N. survey found that 48 percent of the apprehended children “said they had experienced serious harm or had been threatened by organized criminal groups or state actors, and more than 20 percent had been subject to domestic abuse,” according to a July 3, 2014, report by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service.

“It is not known if, and how, specific immigration policies may have influenced decisions to try to enter the United States unlawfully,” the CRS report said.

The Government Accountability Office also sought to determine the causes of the surge in a 2015 report. In that case, GAO surveyed nine federal officials stationed in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador for the Department of State, Department of Homeland Security and USAID. The federal officials used “various sources of information” to identify the causes of the surge, “ranging from conducting first-hand interviews to analyzing various statistical data.”

The nine officials “most commonly identified crime and violence and economic concerns as causes primarily responsible for the recent rapid increase” in unaccompanied minors entering the U.S. illegally, the GAO report said.

Five officials told GAO that misinformation about U.S. immigration policies spread by smugglers were “a primary cause.” The example given in the report was a failed congressional attempt to pass comprehensive immigration legislation that would have provided a path to citizenship for those living in the U.S. illegally.

Crime Risk?

In listing his reasons for rescinding DACA, Sessions also cited the need to enforce immigration laws “to ensure the safety and security of the American people.”

Sessions: We are a people of compassion and we are a people of law. But there is nothing compassionate about the failure to enforce immigration laws. Enforcing the law saves lives, protects communities and taxpayers, and prevents human suffering. Failure to enforce the laws in the past has put our nation at risk of crime, violence and even terrorism.

However, according to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, those who committed “a felony offense, a significant misdemeanor offense, or three or more other misdemeanor offenses” are not eligible for DACA. Neither are those who pose a public safety threat, which “include, but are not limited to, gang membership, participation in criminal activities, or participation in activities that threaten the United States.”

Also, there is no evidence that DACA holders are more likely to commit crimes than U.S. citizens.

As we wrote in February, numerous studies have found that immigrants do not commit crimes at a higher rate than non-immigrants. A recap of the literature on this topic can be found here. A 2013 study published in American Sociological Review confirmed that immigration is strongly associated with less violence in a neighborhood.

We take no position on the merits of DACA. But Sessions’ description of the program doesn’t tell the whole story, leaving a misleading impression about DACA holders and the impact that the program has had on illegal immigration and crime. – courtsey of FactCheck.org

Let’s look at the four most commonly listed reasons for rescinding DACA.

1. DACA provided legal immigration status to illegal aliens

Jeff Sessions said that DACA “essentially provided a legal status for recipients for a renewable two-year term, work authorization, and other benefits, including participation in the social security program, to 800,000 mostly-adult illegal aliens.”

Nope. It does nothing of the sort. They don’t even have the basic rights we give to resident aliens (green card holders). They cannot collect any government benefits beyond tax refunds. Please keep in mind that the only way to get those refunds is to pay taxes in the first place. So DACA members pay taxes, pay into Social Security, and pay to support our government with few discernible for themselves. All in the, long shot, hope they can one day become citizens.

2. DACA is unconstitutional

Sessions claims that DACA was an “unconstitutional exercise of authority.” That isn’t true; this is his opinion. The issue of constitutionality, Kalhan says, “has never been resolved.” – courtesy QZ.com

3. DACA is a amnesty program

DACA is a “unilateral executive amnesty,” Sessions said. This is false. An amnesty is intended as an official blanket pardon of all offenders who receive it. DACA, however, does not cover everyone; Kalhan points out that it only applies to eligible immigrants who are then required to apply and have their individual case evaluated. It’s also only temporary, and doesn’t come cost-free: Recipients have to pay $495 when they apply for their permit, and then again every two years at the time of renewal, whether or not a renewed permit is granted. – courtesy QZ.com

4. DACA led to a surge of unaccompanied minors illegally entering the US

Nope. Those who spout this point to a surge that happened from 2011 on. Four years after the DACA cut-off. Those children were fleeing war zones, not coming here to get in on some cool deal. There is no deal for them to get in on in the first place. They are refugees in the purest sense of the word.

So where does that leave us? In a hot mess. There are those who say “illegal is illegal and, therefore, they must go.” That is shortsighted and simplistic. Shortsighted due to the fact that such an action will severely impact the American economy. Don’t take my word on it, the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy released its report in March of this year.

A newly updated report released today provides data that helps dispute the erroneous idea espoused during President Trump’s address to Congress that undocumented immigrants are a drain to taxpayers. In fact, like all others living and working in the United States, undocumented immigrants are taxpayers too and collectively contribute an estimated $11.74 billion to state and local coffers each year via a combination of sales and excise, personal income, and property taxes, according to Undocumented Immigrants’ State and Local Tax Contributions by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy.

On average, the nation’s estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants pay 8 percent of their incomes in state and local taxes every year. While it is unlikely to happen in the current political environment, undocumented immigrants’ state and local tax contributions could increase by up to $2.1 billion under comprehensive immigration reform, boosting their effective tax rate to 8.6 percent.

You see, it’s this last part of the report, read the full report here, that gives me hope. Governments, by their very nature, are loathe to throw money away. Especially when it’s, for all intents and purposes, free money. None of it goes back to any benefits for the people paying it. It’s all just cake for the government to do with as it pleases. And it is one huge fucking piece.

Take that Marie Antoinette.

Additionally, all hyperbole aside, the President’s order does nothing but stop new memberships. Congress now has six months to figure out the rest. As the president noted, he is free to revisit the issue at that time. Since killing it would be a revenue killer, as evidenced by the letter signed by 400 C.E.O.s., and would do irreparable harm to our economy, as already evidenced by the problems the agriculture industry is having, you can expect the push to be pro-DACA from all the President’s golf partners.

So we stand in limbo, for now. Who knows, maybe this time Congress does pass a bi-partisan bill that deal with immigrants fairly and humanely. I’m not counting on that. But I am counting on our President remaining true to form and doing what’s in his best interests. My bet is that, given his global business presence, he will soon enough become a fan of immigrants and work to make them legal.

Listen to Bill McCormick on WBIG (FOX! Sports) every Friday around 9:10 AM.
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Supe-De-Do!

September 1, 2017 by Bill McCormick

According to Google Translate: CREATIVE CREATIONS THAT MAKE HEAVY LEAVING THE JOKE KORMI ….

I have no idea what’s happening in Russia right now but between the image at the left, which is an ad for an artist named Boby, and their superhero team, The Guardians, which is the most batshit crazy thing I’ve ever seen, they are clearly hell bent on taking over the world. The Guardians is the most Soviet thing you’ll ever see. Right down to the machine gun wielding bear. Never let it be said I didn’t hip you to new and exciting shit. If Russia isn’t your bag, and I can certainly understand why that may be so, then click THIS LINK superhero movies in Japan and other fun films involving dinosaur riding Nazis from the moon. That last group is an American offering. Go figure. But, for the rest of you, I give you this. Here are the upcoming superhero related shows that will debut from now through 2018. Thanks to Movie Pilot for the list.

The Defenders

Release date: 08/18/2017
Showrunner: Marco Ramirez

Cast: The Defenders unites the stars of Marvel’s Netflix shows, including Charlie Cox’s Daredevil, Krysten Ritter’s Jessica Jones, Mike Colter’s Luke Cage, and Finn Jones’s Iron Fist. The show will also feature Elodie Yung as the resurrected assassin Elektra, and introduce us to Sigourney Weaver’s mysterious villain, Alexandra.

Season: 1
Next up from Marvel Television, #TheDefenders is the hotly anticipated climax of all their Netflix shows to date. The eight-episode series will unite a ragtag band of heroes against the threat of the Hand — and a dark, dangerous figure that looms in the shadows…

The Tick

Release date: 08/25/2017
Showrunner: Ben Edlund

Cast: Peter Serafinowicz will take center-stage as the Tick, with Griffin Newman and Valorie Curry as Arthur and Dot Everest.

Season: 1
Amazon’s live version of #TheTick — which has gone from comic to cartoon to live-action superhero series — is set to debut on August 25th. An underdog accountant will discover a criminal conspiracy, and find himself teaming up with a strange superhero…

The Inhumans

Release date: 09/29/2017
Showrunner: Scott Buck

Cast: Starring Anson Mount as the silent Inhuman monarch Black Bolt, with Iwan Rheon as Maximus the Mad. We’ll also be seeing Serinda Swan as Medusa, Ken Leung as Karnak, Isabelle Cornish as Crystal, Eme Ikwuakor as Gorgon, Mike Moh as Triton, and Sonya Balmores as Auran. Ellen Woglom’s role is currently unknown.

Season: 1
Possibly Marvel’s most high-risk show to date, #Inhumans has been produced thanks to a ground-breaking deal between Marvel, ABC, and IMAX. The first two episodes will premiere on IMAX cinemas worldwide from September 1st, with the series airing from the 29th.

Krypton

Release date: Fall 2017
Showrunner: Damian Kindler

Cast: Krypton stars Cameron Cuffe as Seg-El and Georgina Campbell as Lyta Zod. Other major cast members include Ian McElhinney as Val-El, Elliot Cowan as Daron-Vex, and Ann Ogbomo as Alura Zod.

Season: 1
Hot on the heels of Gotham, #Krypton promises to be a unique sci-fi superhero show. It charts the desperate attempts to save the doomed world of Krypton — and we’ve been promised some surprise guest-stars. In an exciting twist, it seems Krypton is the only DCTV show to actually be set in the #DCEU!

Gotham

Release date: 09/21/2017
Showrunner: Bruno Heller

Cast: Gotham stars Ben McKenzie as Commissioner Gordon, with David Mazouz as the young Bruce Wayne and Camren Bicondova as Selena Kyle. Other key figures include Sean Pertwee’s Alfred, Robin Taylor’s Penguin, and Cory Michael Smith’s Riddler.

Season: 4
Darker and grittier than your standard DC fare, #Gotham is the story of Batman before he was Batman. By all accounts, Season 4 is going to be an important chapter in the life-story of David Mazouz’s young Bruce Wayne, as he takes some major steps on the road to becoming the Dark Knight.

Lucifer

Release date: 10/02/2017
Showrunner: Tom Kapinos

Cast: Lucifer stars Tom Ellis as the titular figure, with supporting cast including Lauren German as Chloe Decker and Lesley-Ann Brandt as Mazikeen.

Season: 3
#Lucifer is returning for a super-sized third season, with four episodes migrating into Season 3. Let’s face it, Lucifer adds a tremendous sense of range to the network superhero TV shows — it’s one of the few to dive deep into the idea of magic and mysticism!

The Gifted

Release date: 10/02/2017
Showrunner: Matt Nix

Cast: The Gifted focuses in on the Strucker family: Reed (Stephen Moyer), Caitlin (Amy Acker), Lauren (Natalie Alyn Lind), and Andy (Percy Hynes White). Confirmed X-Men include Blink (Jamie Chung), Polaris (Emma Dumont), and Thunderbird (Blair Redford).

Season: 1
The continuity of the #XMen universe is a thing of mystery, so we don’t yet know whether or not #TheGifted is actually part of the same universe as any of the films. Whatever the truth may be, though, Matt Nix’s show promises to dive straight into the heart of the mythos — in a world that hates and fears mutants.

Supergirl

Release date: 10/09/2017
Showrunner: Andrew Kreisberg, Jessica Queller and Robert Rovner

Cast: Melissa Benoist takes center-stage as Supergirl, with Chyler Leigh as Alex Danvers, Mehcad Brooks as Jimmy Olsen, and David Harewood as the Martian Manhunter. We can expect to see more of Tyler Hoechlin’s Superman, while Calista Flockhart is returning as a series regular for Season 3.

Season: 3
Nobody was surprised to hear that #Supergirl had been renewed for a third season: it’s one of the most successful superhero TV shows around! Melissa Benoist has captured our hearts as the Girl of Steel, even if the close of Season 2 has given poor Kara Danvers yet another dose of tragedy. Where will the show go from here?

The Flash

Release date: 10/10/2017
Showrunner: Greg Berlanti

Cast: Grant Gustin plays the scarlet speedster, with supporting cast including Danielle Panabaker’s Killer Frost, Candice Patton’s Iris, Jesse L. Martin’s Joe West, and Carlos Valdes’s Sisco.

Season: 4
Season 3 of #TheFlash ended with a bang and with an unexpected departure, leaving Team Flash in quite a predicament. By all accounts we’re about to see the Scarlet Speedster enter a season with a villain who isn’t a fellow speedster; comic book villain Devoe, a.k.a. The Thinker, was teased throughout The Flash Season 3, so expect at least a passing appearance from him.

Legends Of Tomorrow

Release date: 10/10/2017
Showrunner: Phil Klemmer

Cast: With hints that the cast is about to change significantly — we’ll have to wait and see!

Season: 3
After a tremendous Season 2 finale, what’s next for #LegendsOfTomorrow? Unlike the rest of the #Arrowverse, this is one show that doesn’t mind killing characters off (although, given the concept of time-travel, that doesn’t rule out their returns). Showrunner Phil Klemmer has been teasing that we can expect the team to change shape in Season 3, and the only thing that has to remain is the Waverider. Season 3 is due to air an hour later, showing immediately after The Flash, so it’s going to be interesting to see if it gets a little darker.

Arrow

Release date: 10/12/2017
Showrunner: Marc Guggenheim

Cast: Arrow stars Stephen Arnell as Green Arrow, with recurring cast including Emily Bett Rickards’s Felicity, Colton Haynes’s Roy Harper, and John Barrowman’s Malcolm Merlyn.

Season: 6
Although every year is the beginning of a new story for the flagship #DCTV series #Arrow, that’s especially the case for Season 6. After all, the five years of island flashbacks have come to an end, meaning the show has to take a slightly different approach. With the show moving to a later time slot, will it get even darker?

The Punisher

Showrunner: Steve Lightfoot

Cast: The Punisher sees Jon Bernthal reprise his famous role, while Deborah Ann Woll returns as Karen Page. It’s also set to introduce us to Ebon Moss-Bachrach’s Micro.

Season: 1
Jon Bernthal is reprising his role as the widely acclaimed #Punisher, and he’s sure to cut a bloody swathe through the Marvel Universe’s criminal underworld! One of the show’s directors recently let slip that it’s due to stream in November.

Runaways

Release date: 11/21/2017
Showrunners: Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage

Cast: Boasting a massive cast, the heroes are Rhenzy Feliz (Alex Wilder), Lyrica Okano (Nico Minoru), Virginia Gardner (Karolina Dean), Ariela Barer (Gert Yorkes), Gregg Sulkin (Chase Stein), and Allegra Acosta (Molly Hayes).

Season: 1
How many kids have thought their parents were evil? Brian K. Vaughan’s dearly-loved #Runaways told the tale of a group of teenagers who learned that their parents were actually super-villains — and it only got more dramatic from there!

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Release date: 11/24/2017
Showrunners: Jed Whedon and Maurissa Tancharoen

Cast: Starring Clark Gregg’s Agent Coulson and Chloe Bennet’s Quake, the cast is rounded out by Ming-Na Wen’s Agent May, Elizabeth Henstridge’s Simmons, Iain De Caestecker’s Fitz, Henry Simmons’s Mack, and Natalia Cordova-Buckley’s Yo-Yo.

Season: 5
#AgentsOfSHIELD has been renewed for a fifth season, and many fans fear this will be the end of the line for Coulson and his team. ABC President Channing Dungey recently revealed that the series will begin airing “right after” the 8-episode-long Inhumans, meaning we can expect the show to return on November 24th. It’s expected to air its 22-episode-season mostly uninterrupted, which means we’re likely to see an explosive tie-in with Avengers: Infinity War — not least because Season 4 closed with a tease that the show is heading to space!

Black Lightning

Release date: Fall 2017
Showrunner: Greg Berlanti

Cast: Starring Cress Williams as the main man, the show also features China Anne McClain and Nafessa Williams as Black Lightning’s daughters and Christine Adams as his ex-wife.

Season: 1
Recently receiving a full series order, The CW’s #BlackLightning is believed to stand apart from the Arrowverse. A first trailer promises a superhero show that’s a lot grittier than the standard CW fare, so we’re eagerly awaiting further details!

Legion

Release date: February 2018
Showrunner: Noah Hawley

Cast: Expect familiar faces, including Dan Stevens’s David Haller, Rachel Keller’s Syd, Jean Smart’s Melanie Bird, Katie Aselton’s Amy Haller, and — of course — Aubrey Plaza’s sinister Shadow King.

Season: 2
The first season was head-spinning and trippy in the extreme, but we’ve now learned what to expect from Noah Hawley’s #Legion. Season 1 ended on a cliffhanger, with David imprisoned by a mysterious force, and the Shadow King loose once again. One thing’s for sure with Legion, though; you won’t ever be able to predict which direction this show will take.

Cloak and Dagger

Release date: 2018
Showrunner: Joe Pokaski

Cast: Olivia Holt and Aubrey Joseph star in this intriguing new show.

Season: 1
One of Marvel’s more surprising new shows, #CloakAndDagger is clearly being geared up as one of Freeform’s flagship shows. It promises to blend superhero action with teenage angst in all the best ways!

Daredevil

Release date: 2018
Showrunner: Doug Petrie and Marco Ramirez

Cast: Charlie Cox returns as Daredevil, and we can expect Deborah Ann Woll as Karen Page and Elden Henson as Foggy.

Season: 3
The flagship of Marvel’s Netflix shows, #Daredevil Season 3 was teased at last year’s SDCC — but won’t arrive until next year. It’s going to be interesting to see how The Defenders changes Matt Murdock’s status quo.

Jessica Jones

Release date: 2018
Showrunner: Melissa Rosenberg

Cast: Expect Krysten Ritter’s Jessica Jones and Rachael Taylor’s Patsy Walker to return, while there are good odds Wil Traval’s Nuke will play a major role.

Season: 2
The first season of #JessicaJones was a dark, brooding psychological drama. Now that Kilgrave’s out of the way, though, the show’s going to have to adapt as Jessica Jones faces a new threat — and works to solve the mystery of her own powers.

Luke Cage

Release date: 2018
Showrunner: Cheo Hodari Coker

Cast: Mike Colter’s Luke Cage returns, but we really don’t know much about the series’ secondary characters to date.

Season: 2
Rounding out next year’s Marvel Netflix shows, #LukeCage will see Mike Colter reprise his role as the hero of Harlem. As the timeline of the Marvel Netflix shows relentlessly advances nearer to the events of Captain America: Civil War, though, Luke Cage’s superhero life is surely about to get a lot more complicated!

New Warriors

Release date: 2018

Showrunner: Unknown, but there are strong rumors Kevin Biegel is near a deal to sign up as showrunner

Cast: Unknown

Season: 1
Mixing up the Marvel range all the more, #NewWarriors promises to be a teenage comedy about a young group of wannabe heroes. In a move that indicates the youthful target demographic, Marvel has blended the original comic book concept with the unbeatable Squirrel Girl!

Titans

Release date: 2018
Showrunner: Greg Berlanti

Cast: Brenton Thwaites as Dick Grayson a/k/a Robin a/k/a Nightwing, Anna Diop as Starfire and Teagan Croft as Raven

Season: 1
Launching DC’s OTT range, #Titans promises to bring the fan-favorites to life! We don’t yet know much about the project, so keep your eyes peeled for details…

Iron Fist

Release date: Unknown (possibly 2018)
Showrunner: Raven Metzner

Cast: Finn Jones is reprising the starring role of Iron Fist, joined by Jessica Henwick’s Colleen Wing and Simone Missick’s Misty Knight

Season: 2
#IronFist Season 1 may have been panned by the critics, but it was a ratings success. As a result, at #SDCC2017 Marvel announced a second season, but switching things up by replacing showrunner Scott Buck with Raven Metzner, a martial-arts fan who’s best known for Sleepy Hollow. Filming is due to start later this year, raising the intriguing possibility that we may get four Marvel Netflix shows next year!

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Archives for September 2017

Thor: Ragnarok

Justice League

Black Panther

New Mutants

Avengers: Infinity War

Deadpool 2

Ant-Man and the Wasp

Venom

Aquaman

X-Men: Dark Phoenix

Untitled Animated Spider-Man (Miles Morales)

Captain Marvel

Shazam!

Spider-Man: Homecoming 2

Wonder Woman 2

Gambit

The Flash: Flashpoint

Batgirl

Suicide Squad 2

Green Lantern Corps

Justice League Dark

Gotham City Sirens

Cyborg

‘Surge of Unaccompanied Minors’

Crime Risk?

1. DACA provided legal immigration status to illegal aliens

2. DACA is unconstitutional

3. DACA is a amnesty program

4. DACA led to a surge of unaccompanied minors illegally entering the US

The Defenders

The Tick

The Inhumans

Krypton

Gotham

Lucifer

The Gifted

Supergirl

The Flash

Legends Of Tomorrow

Arrow

The Punisher

Runaways

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Black Lightning

Legion

Cloak and Dagger

Daredevil

Jessica Jones

Luke Cage

New Warriors

Titans

Iron Fist

Untitled Animated Spider-Man
(Miles Morales)