Welcome back to Collider’s “This Week in Superhero News”! The place to go to find the latest news of each week regarding the various superhero projects in movies, television, and other mediums. Trying to keep up with all of the superhero news that drop daily can be a daunting task, so we make it easier for you by compiling them in one place. The superhero news of this week includesDeadpool 2eyeing possible directors,The DefenderssettingS.J. Clarksonto direct, whenThe Batmancould start filming, a newThe LEGO Batman Movieimage, cast additions forThe Punisher, and more. Get caught up below.
‘Deadpool 2’: Eyeing Possible Directors
The news that directorTim Millerwas departing fromDeadpool 2was both disappointing and surprising, but apparently producer/starRyan Reynoldsand Fox are wasting no time in finding a replacement, since a few names have already been revealed aspossible directors. According to reports,John Wickco-directorDavid Leitchis being eyed by the studio to take over directing duties forDeadpool 2. Further reports also add directorsDrew Goddard(The Cabin in the Woods) andMagnus Martens(Marvel’s Luke Cage) to the list of possible candidates.
Other reports place Leitch at the top of Fox’s list and confirm the director has already met with Reynolds, while Goddard and Martens remain on the studio’s meeting list. While many would have loved to see Miller return, the list of names being considered is encouraging, and it will be interesting to see if more names come up and who will eventually end up getting the job.
‘The Defenders’: ‘Jessica Jones’ Standout S.J. Clarkson to Direct
Fans of Marvel’s Netflix shows are very much looking forward to the heroes we already know (Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and Luke Cage) and those we are about to meet (Iron Fist) coming together inThe Defenders. Not much is known about the upcoming miniseries at this point and we don’t have a firm release date yet, but what we do now know isone of the names on the directing roster. Marvel announced this week thatS.J. Clarkson, who directed the first two episodes ofJessica Jones, will also be helming the first two episodes ofThe Defenders. Additionally, Clarkson was announced to be serving as an Executive Producer on the premiere episode.
Clarkson evidently did a fantastic job in kicking-offJessica Jones, so she’ll be looking to repeat that success with introducingThe Defendersas well. Luckily by then we will already know all of these characters, but the challenge will be handling all of them together andwhatwill be bringing them together in the first place.
‘The Batman’: Jeremy Irons Suggests Filming Stars Next Summer
News onBen Affleck’sThe Batmanhas been dropping here and there recently, with Affleck himself every so often giving updates on the film. Nothing we’ve heard up to this point hinted atThe Batmancoming our way too soon, but apparently the film will beshooting next yearaccording to Alfred Pennyworth himself,Jeremy Irons. During an interview, when asked if his character would have more to do inJustice League, Irons replied that his role would be similar. But Irons adds that Affleck promised him there would be more Alfred in the Batman film, which the actor said shoots as soon as next summer.
Affleck has reportedly been working on the script forThe Batmanwith DC Comics COO and DC Films headGeoff Johns, so if Irons’ comments are true it means the team is happy with the script they have. There hasn’t been any official confirmation on whenThe Batmanstarts filming, and the film doesn’t have a release date at this point, but it looks like that could be changing very soon.
‘The LEGO Batman Movie’: New Images Shows Off Bat-Vehicles
LikeThe LEGO Movie,The LEGO Batman Moviewill be looking to present us with a brighter and more comedic side of the Dark Knight, a character we’ve gotten accustomed to seeing in darker and more serious surroundings. This week we got a fresh look at that lighter side of Batman with anew imagefromThe LEGO Batman Movie. In this image, we are jokingly reminded that Batman has no shortage of vehicles, ranging from his classic Batmobile all the way to a Batboat and Batcopter. It’s very entertaining to see how this version of the character almost makes fun of himself, so we can very much look forward to seeing that in full force whenThe LEGO Batman Moviehits theaters.
‘The Punisher’: New Possible Allies and Antagonists Added
Filming is currently underway on the upcomingPunisherNetflix series, and as production continues the show hasrevealed the latest additions to its cast. Marvel announced this week the additions ofDaniel Webber,Jaime Ray Newman,Jason R. Moore,Michael Nathanson, andPaul Schulzeto the series. This new group joins starJon Bernthalas Frank Castle,Deborah Ann Wollas Karen Page, and previously announcedBen Barnesas Billy Russo,Ebon Moss-Bachrachas Micro, andAmber Rose Revahas Dinah Madani. It remains to be seen how these new additions will come to interact with The Punisher and whether some of them will be with him or against him.
‘Thor: Ragnarok’ Wraps Production
Taika Waititi’sThor: Ragnarokwill be landing in theaters next year, and as the release date gets closer the film has recentlywrapped production. Marvel’s next journey to Asgard concluded principal photography in Australia this week, and the celebrations of the cast and crew were broadcast on Facebook Live. The broadcast was actually from the last day of filming, and Waititi gave a pretty nice behind-the-scenes look from the set, including chats with starsChris HemsworthandTessa Thompson. Naturally no spoilers or details were given from the film, but wrapping of the shoot means we’re that much closer to getting to see promotional material amd more.
