THE FANDOM ZONE 091: "The Gentle Art of Making Enemies" is Up!

"Face it, kid -- Gotham has no heroes."
– Jerome Valeska to Bruce Wayne, Gotham: "The Gentle Art of Making Enemies"

With Karen off the disabled list, we're back with a new HUGE episode of The Fandom Zone Podcast!  So huge, in fact, we're splitting it into two parts!

This week's reviews of comics on television include:

Supergirl 2x10: "We Can Be Heroes"

Gotham 3x14: "The Gentle Art of Making Enemies"

Lucifer 2x13: "A Good Day to Die"

The Flash 3x11: "Dead or Alive"

Legends of Tomorrow 2x10: "The Legion of Doom"

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. 4x12: "Hot Potato Soup"

Arrow 5x11: "Second Chances"

This time, we talk about things like Karen dropping some geek cred points, Karen's new Funko figures, the term "chicks" still being acceptable, hoping that Mon-El's new costume isn't permanent, Kara telling everybody how to be a superhero, wondering why The CW pushes angsty junior high romance on all of their shows, hoping for a Lois & Clark reunion on Supergirl, National Lampoon's Vacation, another rehashed imposter storyline, David Mazouz stepping his game up, the Penguin's doomed crush on the Riddler, Bruce vs. Jerome in a prototype Batman vs. Joker showdown, why flipping Lee Thompkins to the Dark Side is a terrible thing, Bruce getting his arm stapled, Bruce developing his code against killing, Lucifer sending himself to Hell to save Chloe, Karen missing Arrow, my theory that Gypsy was actually working with H.R./Abra Kadabra, why Barry and Iris are much better together than apart, not wanting Dark Future Barry, Keane vs. Lily Allen's cover, Heat Wave beer runs being better than replicated beer, Karen watching Twin Peaks Season 1, Northern Exposure, being disappointed that the Koenigs are clones instead of LMDs, why it's okay to give heroes superpowers without using that damn particle accelerator accident, Karen on the Dark Web, wanting Mystery Arrow Theater 3000, some feedback from Justina, and more!

You can now check out episodes of The Fandom Zone using...

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Direct Download MP3s/Libsyn -- HERE

The Fandom Zone on Facebook -- HERE

The Fandom Zone on Twitter -- @FandomZoneCast

And if that isn't enough for you, you can also check us out on YouTube, Libsyn, Soundcloud, Stitcher, and the official Southgate Media Group website!  Oh, and if you're interested in an officially official Fandom Zone Podcast t-shirt that all the cool kids are wearing, you can get those on TeePublic HERE as well!  Feel free to post a picture on our Facebook page of you or some other cool person you know wearing the shirt!

Be sure to come back next week, as Karen and I review the series premiere of Legion, along with new episodes of Supergirl, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, Arrow, and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., right here on The Fandom Zone Podcast!

NEXT STOP EVERYWHERE 074: "The Stones of Blood" is Up!

"If they should break through, run as if something very nasty were after you, because something very nasty will be after you."

– The Fourth Doctor to Professor Emilia Rumford, Doctor Who: "The Stones of Blood"

You guessed it, my partner in time Jesse Jackson and I are back once again with a new episode of Next Stop Everywhere: The Doctor Who Podcast!  In this episode, we review "The Stones of Blood", the third serial from Season 16, a.k.a. "The Key to Time" season, starring Tom Baker as the Fourth Doctor, Mary Tamm as the First Romana, and John Leeson as the voice of K-9!  

This time, Jesse and I discuss things like Super Bowl Sunday, Vivian Fey's cheap silver makeup, reading more into Professor Rumford and Vivian Fey's relationship, the Simon Pegg and Nick Frost movie Hot Fuzz, the greatness of Professor Rumford, Romana's very poor choice of shoes, Tom Baker's massive 'fro, K-9 taking things way too literally, wanting to catch up with Romana in the modern era, my Reverse the Reverse the Polarity segment, paying tribute to Sir John Hurt as the War Doctor, Peter Capaldi's upcoming departure from Doctor Who, the latest Series Ten and Series Eleven news, some more feedback from Fred Firestine, and more!

If you'd like to check out our latest episode, you can find us on...

Google Play Music -- RIGHT HERE

iTunes -- RIGHT HERE

Stitcher -- RIGHT HERE

Direct MP3 downloads/Libsyn --  RIGHT HERE

Next Stop Everywhere's Facebook page

Next Stop Everywhere's Twitter account

And hey, if you'd like to pick up the officially official Next Stop Everywhere t-shirt, you can find it on TeePublic right HERE!  Help support the show and feel free to post pictures on our Facebook page of you or some other cool person you know wearing the shirt!

Be sure to come back soon as Jesse and I review "The Androids of Tara", the fourth serial from Season 16, a.k.a. "The Key to Time" season, starring Tom Baker as the Fourth Doctor, Mary Tamm as the First Romana, and John Leeson as the voice of K-9!  Look for more of Next Stop Everywhere on iTunes, Google Play Music, YouTube, Libsyn, Soundcloud, Sticher, and the official Southgate Media Group website!

First IRON FIST Trailer Showcases the Final Defender

The final Defender is about to arrive.

Netflix has released the first full trailer for their latest Marvel Cinematic Universe television series, Iron Fist.  The 2-minute, 10-second trailer gives us our first real taste of the upcoming martial arts drama series starring Finn Jones as Danny Rand.

As the trailer opens on the streets of New York, we see a bearded and barefoot Danny Rand pounding the pavement until he comes across the Rand Enterprises building.  "Hi, I'm Danny Rand," he says warmly to the receptionist upon entering.  "I've been away for a long time."

Based on Danny's appearance, Rand's security team immediately assumes he's a homeless person and starts shoving him toward the door, telling him he doesn't belong there.  Danny tries to explain who he is and that he just wants to talk, but the security team isn't buying it and keeps on shoving him outside, until Danny easily disables them before proceeding up the elevator.

As we see a picture of young Danny with his parents, Danny explains more in a voiceover. "I left here, ten years old, in a jet with my parents," he says as we see Danny's mother get sucked out of the exposed roof of an airplane.  "I became the lone survivor."

"Danny Rand, back from the dead," says Harold Meachum (David Wenham), the ruthless corporate leader who was partners with Rand’s parents at the time of their deaths.  "Why has he waited this long to show up?  How the hell did he learn martial arts?"

We're then introduced to Colleen Wing (Jessica Henwick), an ally of Danny who runs her own martial arts dojo in New York City.  "Where'd you train?" she asks after seeing his skills.

"K'un L'un," replies Danny as we see fleeting glimpses of the mystical city.

"My father instilled in me a love and respect for this company that has never faded," says Danny in another voiceover as he visits his parents' graves.  "This is my home."

We then see Harold with blood spatter on his face, followed by him brutally beating someone.

"This city is no place for Danny Rand," says the mysterious Madame Gao (Wai Ching Ho), whom we remember from Daredevil.  

"Danny, what happened to you?" asks Harold's daughter, Joy Meachum (Jessica Stroup).   "Why are you really back here?"

"Some bad people have gotten on the inside," replies Danny as we see dangerous men with throwing axes.  "Criminals."

"I know what they are," says Claire Temple (Rosario Dawson) as she connects Iron Fist to the other three Marvel Netflix shows, "what they can do.  To fight them, we need someone with special skills."

As Danny reads the message "THIS IS THE ANSWER FOR WHICH YOU SEEK", he looks inside a small bowl and see the image of the Steel Serpent, which Madame Gao used for her drug trade on Daredevil.

"I've been training my whole life for this," remarks Danny as we see Madame Gao watching something (or someone) rather ominously.  "This is my destiny."

From there, we see a number of fleeting images, including Danny's right hand glowing with mystical energy, before getting an exchange between Danny and Colleen.

"I'm going with you," she says as we see a shot of her and Danny running down a street.

"No, you're not," Danny counters as we see a thrown ax just missing his face.

"You need me," replies Colleen as we see her briefly in a sword fight..

"The change is coming, Danny," someone says to him as we see Danny's Iron Fist punch through a wall.  "Become what you were meant to be."

In the last scene, Danny remarks to Claire, "I am the Iron Fist."

Claire simply shrugs.  "What the hell does that mean?"

You can view the trailer below, thanks to the official Netflix US and Canada YouTube account...




All 13 episodes of Iron Fist will be released on Netflix on March 17, 2017.

Extended GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2 Super Bowl Trailer Reveals Ayesha

Well, at least Drax tried.

Once again, Disney/Marvel took advantage of America's most-watched sporting event by promoting the next Marvel Cinematic Universe film during last night's Super Bowl.  The 30-second TV spot was just as thrilling as the New England Patriots' comeback to beat the Atlanta Falcons in overtime, showing us more from James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.  However, a spiffier extended trailer was immediately released online, with a full minute providing even more anticipation.

Opening to the classic rock goodness of Fleetwood Mac's "The Chain", we find the Guardians brought before a new villain, Ayesha (played by Elizabeth Debicki).  Ayesha asks the Guardians, "Just who...in the hell...do you think you are?"

Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) replies "Well...", which is immediately followed by multiple fleeting images of the Guardians in outer space action.  We see glimpses of new team members Yondu (Michael Rooker) with a more traditional Yondu headfin, Mantis (Pom Klementieff) in awe at how cute Baby Groot is, and Nebula (Karen Gillan) unleashing a battle cry as she swoops down in some sort of fighter craft.

Yondu, however, is apparently a little freaked out by Baby Groot and asks Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper) what Baby Groot meant by "I am Groot."  "He says welcome to the frickin' Guardians of the Galaxy..." replies Rocket.  "...only he didn't use frickin."

In the final scene, the Guardians stand assembled, but a fireball abruptly comes down from the sky and takes out Mantis.  "Look out!" cries Drax (Dave Bautista), far too late after the fireball has already struck.  Drax looks up at the astonished others and says "I tried, guys."

If you'd like to check out the one-minute extended Super Bowl trailer, you can view it below thanks to Marvel Entertainment's official YouTube account...




Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is scheduled to arrive in theaters on May 5, 2017.

THE FANDOM ZONE 090: "Raiders of the Lost Art" is Up!

"What are you doing up so late?"
"Just trying to figure out what the Legion of Doom wants with those two amulets."
"The Legion of Doom?"
"Darhk, Merlyn, and the speedster.  It's from a Hanna-Barbera cartoon I liked to watch when I was a kid."
– Vixen and Citizen Steel, Legends of Tomorrow.: "Raiders of the Lost Art"

With Karen temporarily on the disabled list, I'm joined by my Next Stop Everywhere partner in time Jesse Jackson for a new episode of The Fandom Zone Podcast!

This week's reviews of comics on television include:

Supergirl 2x09: "Supergirl Lives"  (Midseason Premiere)

Gotham 3x13: "Smile Like You Mean It"

Lucifer 2x12: "Love Handles"

The Flash 3x10: "Borrowing Problems from the Future"  (Midseason Premiere)

Legends of Tomorrow 2x09: "Raiders of the Lost Art"  (Midseason Premiere)

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. 4x11: "Wake Up"

Arrow 5x10: "Who Are You?"  (Midseason Premiere)

This time, we talk about things like the Phantom Zone projector from Silver Age Superman comics, Jesse's love of Supergirl, wondering why Mon-El has the last name El if he's from Daxam and not Krypton, why Jesse bailed on Gotham, Cameron Monaghan as Jerome, a guest appearance from Jesse's son Chris, catching Jesse up on Lucifer, remembering Linda Park on The Flash, Gypsy from Justice League Detroit, Jesse's thoughts on Legends of Tomorrow, Star Wars and Indiana Jones references with George Lucas, wondering if the Legends stop off to make beer runs, catching Jesse up on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., wondering how Oliver and Felicity are funding Team Arrow's operations if they're supposedly broke, wanting to see Talia and Nyssa together, the destruction of the ugly Black Canary statue that looked nothing like Katie Cassidy, and more!

You can now check out episodes of The Fandom Zone using...

Google Play Music -- HERE 

iTunes -- HERE

Direct Download MP3s/Libsyn -- HERE

The Fandom Zone on Facebook -- HERE

The Fandom Zone on Twitter -- @FandomZoneCast

And if that isn't enough for you, you can also check us out on YouTube, Libsyn, Soundcloud, Stitcher, and the official Southgate Media Group website!  Oh, and if you're interested in an officially official Fandom Zone Podcast t-shirt that all the cool kids are wearing, you can get those on TeePublic HERE as well!  Feel free to post a picture on our Facebook page of you or some other cool person you know wearing the shirt!

Be sure to come back next week, as Karen and I review new episodes of Supergirl, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, Arrow, Gotham, Lucifer, and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., right here on The Fandom Zone Podcast!

Fox Passes on BLACK LIGHTNING, The CW Gives Pilot Order

The CW, you say?  That's just shocking.

Deadline reported late yesterday that the proposed drama series based on DC Comics superhero Black Lightning will not be at Fox and is moving to The CW instead.  Deadline reported today that The CW has already issued a pilot order.

According to the article, the project was shopped to other networks by Warner Bros. Television immediately after Fox opted to not give a pilot order, with The CW becoming the likely new home.  Reportedly, Fox executives decided that the series "was not a good fit into its already crowded genre drama space that includes the DC/WBTV series Gotham and Lucifer, Seth MacFarlane’s upcoming space dramedy, and two pilots: the X-Men-themed drama written by Matt Nix and The Passage; all are from 20th TV."

This will be the third comic book television series to move to The CW, after the Archie Comics series Riverdale moved from Fox and the DC series Supergirl was picked up for Season 2 from CBS.  The CW's current slate of DC Comics superhero shows (Supergirl, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow and Arrow) have all been renewed for the fall.

Black Lightning is being developed by Greg Berlanti (famous for the four DC Comics series currently on The CW), Mara Brock Akil and her husband Salim Akil (The Game, Being Mary Jane).  The project is from Warner Bros. Television, Berlanti Productions and Akil Productions.  Salim Akil and Mara Brock Akil will serve as executive producers with Berlanti Productions' Greg Berlanti and Sarah Schechter.

According to the article, Black Lightning "centers on Jefferson Pierce.  He made his choice: he hung up the suit and his secret identity years ago, but with a daughter hell-bent on justice and a star student being recruited by a local gang, he’ll be pulled back into the fight as the wanted vigilante and DC legend Black Lightning."

Created in 1977 by Tony Isabella and Trevor Von Eeden, Black Lightning first appeared in Black Lightning #1 as Jefferson Pierce, a gold medal-winning Olympic decathlete who returned to his old neighborhood in the Southside (Suicide Slum) section of the city of Metropolis, with his wife Lynn Stewart and his daughter Anissa to become the principal of Garfield High School.  Southside was where his father, renowned journalist Alvin Pierce, had been murdered.  Guilt over this event was a factor in Jefferson's decision to leave the city of Metropolis.  Suicide Slum was being torn apart by a local organized criminal gang called the 100, shady corporations, and crooked local politicians like Tobias Whale.

Peter Gambi, a family friend and tailor, had taught a much younger Jefferson how to suppress his inborn metahuman ability to generate and magnify externally-localized electro-magnetic phenomena, by manipulating intense bio-electric fields generated from his body, so that he would not accidentally hurt any of the people he cared about.  Upon his return, Gambi suggested to Jefferson that he should use his powers to help the neighborhood.  Appalled by the public murder of Earl Clifford, one of his more promising students, Pierce tried to intervene on behalf of the schoolchildren, but quickly learned that the 100 objected violently to any interference.  He soon adopted the identity of Black Lightning.

As Black Lightning, Pierce developed a strong reputation as a crimefighter and was invited to join the Justice League of America, but turned them down.  He did, however, end up joining the Outsiders and remained with them until their eventual breakup.  After moving to Brick City, Black Lightning continued fighting crime, while his daughter Anissa joined a new incarnation of the Outsiders as the superhero Thunder, and his sixteen-year-old, younger daughter, Jennifer Pierce, was recruited by the Justice Society of America under the code name Lightning.  Black Lightning eventually joined another incarnation of the Justice League of America, who needed help fighting the android Amazo.

AQUAMAN Casts Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Black Manta

As if the Ocean Master wasn't enough for Aquaman to deal with.

The Hollywood Reporter has revealed that the upcoming Aquaman movie directed by James Wan has cast Yahya Adbul-Mateen II as the DC Comics supervillain Black Manta. 

Abdul-Mateen joins Jason Momoa as Aquaman/Arthur Curry, Amber Heard as Mera, Willem DeFoe as Vulko, and Patrick Wilson as Ocean Master/Orm.  The movie is expected to start production in April in Australia.

According to the article, Wan and Warner Bros. have met with numerous actors for the part for the past two weeks and settled on Abdul-Mateen over the weekend.  The official offer went out yesterday and the parties are now in talks.

Abdul-Mateen is probably best known as Cadillac on the Netflix series The Get Down and is appearing in the upcoming Baywatch movie and The Greatest Showman.  He was also a finalist for the role of Lando Calrissian in Han Solo: A Star Wars Story.

Created in 1967 by Bob Haney and Nick Cardy, Black Manta first appeared in Aquaman (vol.1) #35 as David, a boy who grew up in Baltimore, Maryland, and loved to play by Chesapeake Bay.  As a child, he was kidnapped and forced to work on a ship for an unspecified amount of time, where he was sexually abused by his captors.  At one point, he saw Aquaman with his dolphin friends and tried to signal him for help but was not seen. Finally forced to defend himself, David killed one of his tormentors on the ship with a knife. Hating the emotionless sea and Aquaman, whom he saw as its representative, the boy was determined to become its master.

As an adult, David designed a costume comprised of a black wetsuit with a bug-eyed helmet, that was able to shoot rays from its eyes, and fashioned a high-tech submersible inspired by manta rays. Taking the name Black Manta, he and his masked army became a formidable force, engaging in at least one unrecorded clash with Aquaman prior to his first appearance as a rival to the Ocean Master.

Black Manta and Aquaman battled repeatedly over the next several years.  During most of his appearances, his main goals were defeating Aquaman and gaining power for himself through the conquest of Atlantis.  At one point, Manta murdered Arthur Curry, Jr., Aquaman's son, which left Aquaman obsessed with revenge.

In the current DC Comics continuity known as The New 52, it was revealed that Aquaman had killed Black Manta's father by accident in retaliation for Manta attacking Aquaman's father.  Seeking revenge, Black Manta attempted to kill all of Aquaman's family and friends, some of whom belonged to a team Aquaman once formed called the Others.  Aquaman and the Others soon defeated Black Manta, placing him in Belle Reve Prison, where he was briefly part of Amanda Waller's Suicide Squad.

This will be the first time the character will be depicted in live-action, although he has appeared in various animated projects, including The Superman/Aquaman Hour and The All-New Super Friends Hour (voiced by Ted Knight), Challenge of the Super Friends (voiced by Ted Cassidy), Batman: Brave and the Bold (voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson), Young Justice (voiced by Khary Payton), and Justice League: Throne of Atlantis (voiced by Harry Lennix).

Aquaman is currently scheduled to arrive in theaters on October 5, 2018.

Peter Capaldi to Leave DOCTOR WHO, New Doctor for Series Eleven

Well...here we go again...

The official Doctor Who website has confirmed reports that Peter Capaldi will leave his role of the Twelfth Doctor in the 2017 Christmas Special, making his run four years to the day since his full debut replacing Matt Smith at the very end of "The Time of the Doctor" on Christmas Day, 2013. The 2017 Christmas Special will also be the last for series executive producer Steven Moffat, who will turn control of the series over to incoming showrunner Chris Chibnall for Series Eleven in 2018.

Making the announcement on Jo Whiley's BBC Radio 2 show earlier today, Capaldi said "One of the greatest privileges of being Doctor Who is to see the world at its best.  From our brilliant crew and creative team working for the best broadcaster on the planet, to the viewers and fans whose endless creativity, generosity and inclusiveness points to a brighter future ahead.  I can’t thank everyone enough.  It’s been cosmic."

Capaldi made a very brief appearance as the Twelfth Doctor in the show's 50th anniversary special "The Day of the Doctor" in 2013 and previous appeared as Lobus Caecilius in the 2008 David Tennant era story "The Fires of Pompeii".  He also appeared as John Frobisher in the Doctor Who spinoff Torchwood: Children of Earth.

Moffat remarked, "For years before I ever imagined being involved in Doctor Who, or had ever met the man, I wanted to work with Peter Capaldi.  I could not have imagined that one day we’d be standing on the TARDIS together.  Like Peter, I’m facing up to leaving the best job I’ll ever have, but knowing I do so in the company of the best, and kindest and cleverest of men, makes the saddest of endings a little sweeter.  But hey, it’s a long way from over. Peter’s amazing, fiery, turbulent Doctor is still fighting the good fight, and his greatest adventures are yet to come.  Monsters of the universe, be on your guard -- Capaldi’s not done with you yet!"

Executive producer Brian Minchin said, "Peter Capaldi is an extraordinary Doctor and has taken the show to amazing places.  Although I'm sad he has decided to move on in 2018, I'm delighted that we have one final series with Peter Capaldi and Steven Moffat.  I know what they're planning and it's going to be incredible."

Capaldi will be joined by new companion Pearl Mackie (Bill Potts) and Matt Lucas (Nardole), with guest appearances to come from David Suchet and Michelle Gomez (Missy/The Mistress).

Doctor Who will return to BBC America for Series 10 on April 15, 2017.

CLOAK & DAGGER Casts Aubrey Joseph & Olivia Holt as Leads

Get ready for more of Marvel Cinematic Universe on television.

Deadline has revealed that the upcoming Freeform (formerly ABC Family) series Cloak and Dagger, based on the Marvel Comics superheroes, has cast Aubrey Joseph and Olivia Holt in the lead roles of Tyrone Johnson and Tandy Bowen.

According to the article, Cloak and Dagger "follows the interracial romance between Tandy Bowen (Holt) and Tyrone Johnson (Joseph), who come from starkly different backgrounds, each growing up with a secret they never dared share with another soul. Tandy can emit light daggers and Tyrone has the ability to engulf others in darkness. They quickly learn they are better together than apart — but their feelings for each other make their already complicated world even more challenging."

"The characters of Tandy and Tyrone have always stood out to me ever since I first met them in the pages of Marvel Comics when I was a boy," said Cloak & Dagger executive producer/showrunner Joe Pokaski.  "When Olivia and Aubrey read for the roles, these characters leapt off the page.  We’re so excited to see what these talented young actors bring to the Marvel Universe."

"Marvel is delighted to have found our Cloak & Dagger," said Jeph Loeb, Head of Marvel Television and Executive Producer.  "Olivia Holt and Aubrey Joseph encompass the true essence of the characters and we are excited for the audience to see them in these roles."

The character description for Cloak/Tyrone states "Young Tyrone Johnson wanted nothing more than to prove he was fearless.  But when everything he held close was taken away, life taught Tyrone to be afraid.   Now older and more sheltered, Tyrone closes himself off. But when he meets a girl named Tandy his life changes forever."

Joseph, appeared as Dwight Gooden Stone on the HBO miniseries The Night Of and in the 2015 Liam Neeson film Run All Night.  He also appeared in the TV movie Death Pact and on an episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

As for Dagger/Tandy, she is described as "Once a privileged little girl, Tandy Bowen watched as her family was destroyed by a disastrous storm that uprooted her life.  Now in her late teens, an unexpected encounter with a boy named Tyrone sparks a life changing event."  

Holt, 19, starred as Kim in the Disney XD series Kickin' It and previously voiced Spider-Girl/Petra Parker on the animated series Ultimate Spider-Man.  She also appeared in the film Tinker Bell and the Legend of the NeverBeast and on episodes of The Evermoor Chronicles, Dog with a Blog, and Shake It Up.

Created in 1982 by Bill Mantlo and Ed Hannigan, Cloak and Dagger first appeared in Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #64 as pair of runaways who met in New York City. Tyrone was a 17-year-old boy from Boston, Massachusetts with a debilitating stutter who ran away to New York City when his speech impediment prevented him from stopping his friend from being shot by police, who mistakenly believed he had just robbed a store.  Tandy was a 16-year-old girl from a privileged upbringing in Shaker Heights, Ohio, who ran away because her multi-millionaire supermodel mother was too busy with her career and social life to spend time with her daughter.  When they met, Tyrone considered stealing Tandy's purse, but before he could, a thief stole the purse and Tyrone retrieved it for her. Afterwards, they had dinner and became fast friends.

After Tandy naïvely accepted an offer of shelter from some strange men, Tyrone went along to protect her.  The two teens were soon delivered to criminal chemist Simon Marshall, who was developing a new synthetic heroin for Silvermane and the Maggia, testing it on runaway teens with fatal results.  Johnson and Bowen somehow survived injections of the drug, and they fled.  During their escape, the drug turned them into superpowered beings, later retconned that they were both actually mutants and that the drug had simply awakened their latent abilities.  Tyrone found himself engulfed in darkness and seized by a strange hunger which eased in the presence of Tandy glowing with a brilliant light.  Trying to hide his newly shadowy appearance in a makeshift cloak, Tyrone began absorbing Marshall's thugs into his darkness while Tandy struck them down with daggers of light.  The two teens dubbed themselves "Cloak & Dagger" and declared war on drug crime in combating drug-dealers and helping runaway children.

This will be the first time the characters have appeared in live-action, although they were on the animated series Ultimate Spider-Man, with Cloak voiced by Phil LaMarr and Dagger voiced by Ashley Eckstein.

Cloak and Dagger is expected to debut on Freeform sometime in 2018.

DOCTOR WHO: Memories of the War Doctor

"Great men are forged in fire.  It is the privilege of lesser men to light the flame, whatever the cost."
-- The War Doctor, Doctor Who: "The Day of the Doctor"

Three days ago, the world lost noted English actor Sir John Hurt, better known to Doctor Who fans as the War Doctor, although his death at the age of 77 wasn't announced until yesterday.  Hurt's career spanned six decades, including such classic films as The Elephant Man, 1984, Alien, Spaceballs, V for Vendetta, Hellboy, Contact, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Snowpiercer, and the Harry Potter films.  The man, quite simply, was a legend, which made his decision to become such a integral part of the Doctor Who mythos so wonderful.

We got our first glimpse of the War Doctor in 2013's "The Name of the Doctor", the Series Seven finale, where Matt Smith's Eleventh Doctor and his companion Clara Oswald encounter a mysterious stranger the Doctor ominously describes as "The one who broke the promise". Clara suddenly collapses from exhaustion, and as the Doctor picks her up, the stranger addresses the Doctor, saying "What I did, I did without choice...in the name of peace and sanity", to which the Doctor replies angrily, "But not in the name of The Doctor."  As the Doctor carries Clara away, the stranger turns around to reveal an elderly bearded man and an on-screen caption states "Introducing John Hurt as The Doctor."  Needless to say, fans (including myself) who watched this on BBC America were stunned by the cliffhanger and positively squirmed at the idea of having to wait six months to find out what that damn caption meant.

On November 23, 2013, Doctor Who's 50th anniversary special, "The Day of the Doctor", finally revealed the War Doctor as a previously unknown and unmentioned incarnation of the Doctor between Paul McGann's Eighth Doctor and Christopher Eccleston's Ninth Doctor.  Created by writer and showrunner Steven Moffat as a replacement character because Eccleston declined to return for the anniversary special, the War Doctor fought in the Time War as a warrior and was responsible for the planet Gallifrey's destruction, an act which tormented his later incarnations. Hurt's war-weary and grumpy performance won fans over quickly, especially when he began interacting with the Tenth and Eleventh Doctors and felt like a character "worthy" of being one of the Doctor's incarnations.  At the end of the special, we were sad to see the War Doctor regenerate into the Ninth Doctor, officially connecting the Eighth and Ninth Doctors in continuity, and simply hoped he might return someday, however unlikely that was.

In 2014, the War Doctor turned up again, this time in his first Doctor Who novel, Engines of War, written by George Mann.  Yeah, this wasn't as good as seeing the War Doctor on television again, but at least it was something with the character. With so much of the Time War still unrevealed, there was a lot of untapped potential to be explored and it was fun to get a proper War Doctor adventure at last.  In the story, the TARDIS crashes on the planet Moldox following a battle with Dalek saucers, where the Doctor meets a human resistance fighter Cinder, a young woman whose family were killed by the Daleks when she was a child.  The Doctor learns that the Eternity Circle, a group of Daleks created by the Dalek Emperor, have produced temporal weapons which they plan to use against the Time Lords, removing them from history.  Travelling to Gallifrey to warn the Time Lords, he finds them preparing to counterattack using a weapon that will cause the death of billions, Dalek and non-Dalek alike.  Mann's novel was satisfying, in my humble opinion, but it still wasn't the same as hearing Hurt's gravelly voice once again.

Big Finish Productions came to our collective rescue in 2015, with John Hurt reprising his role of the War Doctor at long last in a series of three audio adventure sets.  The first War Doctor audio adventure, "The Innocent", arrived with the first set, Only the Monstrous, and gave the War Doctor his own militaristic theme arrangement by Howard Carter and a supporting character in the form of a manipulative Time Lady, Cardinal Ollistra.  The Big Finish audios essentially created a War Doctor "TV season" of twelve stories total where Hurt was able to develop his Doctor beyond the 50th anniversary story.  The final set of three audio adventures, Casualties of War, is slated to be released by Big Finish in February, including Hurt's final story as the War Doctor, "The Enigma Dimension".

Unless the role is recast at some point in the future, there will probably be "No more" adventures of the War Doctor.  Although the character's time with us was short and sweet, if a bit grumpy along the way, John Hurt's performances will be cherished by Doctor Who fans all over the world for decades to come.  

THE FLASH Movie Script To Be Completely Rewritten

The Fastest Man Alive is being slowed down once again.

Variety revealed yesterday that Warner Bros. is taking The Flash movie adaptation in a different direction and has brought in Joby Harold to completely rewrite the script.  This latest delay makes it unlikely the movie will reach its planned 2018 release date.

According to the article, former director Rick Famuyiwa had written the latest draft and Variety's sources claim "the original reason for his departure had to do with executives disagreeing with where he had taken the script."  Seth Grahame-Smith, another former director on the film, had also written a previous draft.

Harold is an English screenwriter who previously worked with Warner Bros. on Army of the Dead and the adaptation of Frank Miller's Ronin.  He also created a franchise series based on the Arthurian legend for Warner Bros., which will debut in May 2017 with King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, directed by Guy Ritchie.  In addition, he served as executive producer on the film Edge of Tomorrow and as writer/director of the film Awake.

Meanwhile, The Flash star Ezra Miller will next appear in the Justice League movie this November and will return as Credence Barebone in the 2018 sequel to Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.  Joining Miller on The Flash are Kiersey Clemons as Iris West and Billy Crudup as Henry Allen.

Miller's Justice League co-star Ray Fisher was reported to reprise his role as Cyborg in The Flash, but that may change, depending on how the studio wants to proceed.

NEXT STOP EVERYWHERE 073: "The Pirate Planet" is Up!

"What is it you're really up to, eh?  What do you want?  You don't want to take over the universe do you?  No...You wouldn't know what to do with it beyond shout at it."

– The Fourth Doctor to The Pirate Captain, Doctor Who: "The Pirate Planet"

That's right, my partner in time Jesse Jackson and I are back once again with a new episode of Next Stop Everywhere: The Doctor Who Podcast!  In this episode, we review "The Pirate Planet", the second serial from Season 16, a.k.a. "The Key to Time" season, starring Tom Baker as the Fourth Doctor, Mary Tamm as the First Romana, and John Leeson as the voice of K-9!

This time, Jesse and I discuss things like the Pirate Captain being like Donald Trump, Peter Capaldi showing up for the Women's March, Douglas Adams writing for Doctor Who before The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, the Red Woman on Game of Thrones, a special appearance by Jesse's son's dog Charlie, Romana trying to instruct the Doctor on how to fly the TARDIS, Tom Baker reciting Douglas Adams' lines, the TARDIS being a vintage time machine, Romana being prettier than the Doctor, the Fourth Doctor's neverending supply of jelly babies, robot dog vs. robot parrot, the Fourth Doctor walking the plank, wondering how the Fourth Doctor doesn't track mud into the TARDIS with his ridiculously long scarf, my Reverse the Reverse the Polarity segment, some feedback from Fred Firestine, more pimping of Ghostwood: The Twin Peaks Podcast, and more!

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Be sure to come back soon as Jesse and I review "The Stones of Blood", the third serial from Season 16, a.k.a. "The Key to Time" season, starring Tom Baker as the Fourth Doctor, Mary Tamm as the First Romana, and John Leeson as the voice of K-9!  Look for more of Next Stop Everywhere on iTunes, Google Play Music, YouTube, Libsyn, Soundcloud, Sticher, and the official Southgate Media Group website!