Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 52

SUPERMAN Is ‘The Story of an Immigrant,’ Says James Gunn, and ‘Basic Human Kindness as a Value’

Although he’s not called Captain America, Superman has long been a symbol that’s as American as apple pie. He does grow up in the Midwest after all, and seems to carry a kind of wholesomeness with him, donning trademark red and blue. He’s even used to expound on “the American Way.” But, of course, although Clark Kent/Superman is from the Midwest, he wasn’t born there. It’s no spoiler to share Superman was born on the planet Krypton, and that’s what makes him, well, super. And more than anything, it makes him a beautiful symbol of the true American spirit. As Superman creator James Gunn shares, “Superman is the story of America. An immigrant that came from other places and populated the country,” adding that it’s also “a story that says basic human kindness is a value and is something we have lost.”DC Studios

For Gunn, this means Superman is a universal story, as well as an American one of an immigrant finding his home. “It’s about kindness,” Gunn stresses, “I’m telling a story about a guy who is uniquely good.” A story that Gunn feels is much needed at this moment, offering at greater length, “This Superman does seem to come at a particular time when people are feeling a loss of hope in other people’s goodness. I’m telling a story about a guy who is uniquely good, and that feels needed now because there is a meanness that has emerged due to cultural figures being mean online.”

Basic human kindness seems like the simplest thing, but one that, as Gunn shares, does feel strangely out of reach these days. Gunn doesn’t expect Superman to alter that, but he does note, “I don’t make films to change the world, but if a few people could be just a bit nicer after this, it would make me happy.” And to those “jerks out there who are just not kind and will take it as offensive just because it is about kindness… Screw them.”

We love to see it. Although the idea of immigration and even kindness can feel political these days, Gunn shares the motivation is not necessarily politics; he reveals, “on another level it’s about morality. Do you never kill no matter what — which is what Superman believes — or do you have some balance, as Lois believes? It’s really about their relationship and the way different opinions on basic moral beliefs can tear two people apart.”

Those are some deep themes for a superhero movie to unpack, but given these comments, we’re excited to see Gunn’s work in Superman. After all, even America’s literal founding fathers were immigrants, just like Superman, and no matter who you are, we could all do with a little more basic human kindness in our day.

After the movie’s release, Gunn spoke further on the notion, sharing on Threads, “I’m incredibly grateful for your enthusiasm and kind words over the past few days. We’ve had a lot of ‘Super’ in Superman over the years, and I’m happy to have made a movie that focuses on the ‘man’ part of the equation — a kind person always looking out for those in need. That that resonates so powerfully with so many people across the world is in itself a hopeful testament to the kindness and quality of human beings. Thank you.”

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SUPERMAN LOUDLY Reminds Us Knowing Right From Wrong Is Simple

Superman released on July 11, 2025.

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SUPERMAN LOUDLY Reminds Us Knowing Right From Wrong Is Simple

“People were going to die!“

David Corenswet’s Man of Steel stopped a war in James Gunn’s Superman. It was an act so objectively good in every way that it seems impossible anyone could have argued against it. The fact that everyone did exactly that made it the best, most important idea in Superman, because the world has forgotten that when it comes to human life, the difference between right and wrong really is simple.

DC Studios

Clark Kent’s exasperation with Lois Lane’s Superman interview wasn’t just about having to answer tough questions from a relentless reporter. It was that she was questioning his actions in Jarhanpur at all. She wanted to know if he’d consulted with politicians and generals before unilaterally intervening. Lois wasn’t just asking as a journalist, either. In this Superman scene, she personally wasn’t sure if he’d done the right thing. Somehow, for reasons Clark couldn’t understand, everybody thought saving innocent lives was not the correct course of action.

To Clark, that was absolutely absurd. It’s why he got so angry in Superman. Diplomacy, hurt egos, political alliances, legality, laws, history, and consequences weren’t considerations for him because nothing else matters when people were going to die. There’s no worse consequence than that. You can amend treaties, and you can renew friendships. You can’t bring people back from the dead. For the world’s most powerful being, it was that simple because it is that simple. Saving lives and stopping an armed conflict—which we later learned was really a false pretense for Boravia to commit genocide, something politicians and analysts all seemed to conveniently miss/ignore/deny—was wholly a good thing. The right thing to do in Superman. Full stop. It was objectively and inherently good for all the reasons war is objectively and inherently bad.

DC Studios

It’s so obvious, yet somehow only Superman could see that. He was the only person on the planet who didn’t see Boravia like a politician, as an ally. He didn’t look at Jarhanpur and see an adversary with a problematic past (whatever that meant). Superman only saw people. The powerful alien from a distant world only saw their humanity. And he saw that when literally no one else could, because somehow the world of the DCU is just as blind to obvious truths as our own. The lives of the Jarhanpurians were just as important and worth saving as anyone’s. For Superman to save them was the right course of action. They deserved a chance to live. It was wrong to kill them. It was right to save them.

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SUPERMAN Is Really, Really Good (Thank God)

Clark was right about something else, too. Superman’s kindness, his ability to see people as people and not political pawns of the powerful, is punk rock. It was anti-establishment to stop a war that everyone else thought was okay to let happen. And through his unwavering goodness, Superman inspired others to heroism and to do the right thing. The Justice Gang, an arrogant band of corporate glory boys, stepped up when Jarhanpur needed saving again. Without Superman’s goodness as a shining symbol of righteousness, showing the way, the Justice Gang would have remained on the sidelines. And people, blameless women, children, and men alike, would have died.

DC Studios

The world is a complicated place. Life is complicated, both for each of us individually and for all of us together. But saving lives is not complicated. Whether to stop a war or not is not a difficult decision. Both are easy. People were going to die. That was the only thing that mattered. You shouldn’t have to be a super man to recognize that. We all should.

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The Real-World Impact of Mr. Terrific in SUPERMAN

Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist and he is on Superman’s “War Is Bad” team. You can follow him on Bluesky at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.

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Does SUPERMAN Feature a Stealth Cameo From an Iconic DC Villain?

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You might not realize it, but James Gunn’s Superman likely has a major cameo from one of the character’s most persistent adversaries. In the scene where a demoralized Superman talks to Lois in his apartment, we see a huge battle going on outside his window. The Justice Gang is fighting …something. It looks like a big energy bubble, and it’s hard to make out. That’s when Superman says, “It’s just a dimensional imp.” Well, the DC Universe actually has two other-dimensional imps. But the most famous one is Mister Mxyzptlk, who has been making trouble for Supes since the ’40s. And if you’re wondering how to pronounce his name, Superman: The Animated Series conveniently explained it to everyone.

DC Studios

First appearing in 1944’s Superman #30, Mr. Mxyzptlk was an all-powerful version of a gnome or an elf. He hailed from the 5th-dimensional world of Zrfff. Dressed in a purple suit, bow tie, and bowler hat, he looked like he walked off the Vaudeville stage. He had reality warping powers, which gave him godlike abilities. Essentially, he used magic, which is one of the few things Superman is vulnerable to. He would come into our dimension regularly and taunt Superman, playing pranks on a grand scale. Mxy, as he’s nicknamed, is one of the only villains in Superman’s rogues gallery with a greater power set than he has.

DC Comics

More of a nuisance than an evil villain, Mxy tormented the Man of Steel with various tricks and menaces he conjured, but there were rules to his games. If Superman could get Mxy to say his name backwards, he would disappear into his own dimension for 90 days. But like clockwork, Mxy would always reappear 3 months later, and Supes would find a way to trick the imp into saying his name backwards. And it went on this way for decades. As silly and Rumpelstiltskin as all this was, it did force Superman to solve a problem with his super brain and not his super fists for a change.

DC Comics

In the Silver Age, Mxy ditched the old suit and tie for a more Jetsons-esque sci-fi costume and started to appear more frequently. He was so popular that Batman got his own 5th-dimensional imp, Bat-Mite. He would show off over-the-top displays of power and, in the ‘80s, he even changed the genders of everyone on Earth, including Superman’s Justice League pals. Wonder Woman became Wonder Warrior, Batman became Batwoman, etc. In more modern comics, the Joker took his powers, becoming a psychotic version of Mxy. Luckily, he could undo everything with a snap of a finger, and he usually did. Certainly, Star Trek’s Q took great inspiration from DC’s Mxy.

DC Comics

Mxy began to appear in animation, like the 1966 Adventures of Superman cartoon, and later, multiple times on Super Friends. He appeared in later animated shows like Superman: The Animated Series and most recently My Adventures With Superman, where he got an extreme anime-style makeover. Live-action shows like Lois & Clark, Smallville, and Supergirl all had their version of Mxy as well. However, the live-action shows all ditched the comic book look and just had the character present as a regular guy. And to be fair, Mxy can look like whatever he wants, so it tracks.

DC Comics

So how can we be sure that the Justice Gang is fighting off Mxy? Well, it technically could be Bat-Mite. We already know Bat-Mite exists in the DCU, because John Economos in Peacemaker told that show’s title character that “Bat-Mite is a fifth-dimensional imp that stans Batman.” Clearly, James Gunn loves these omnipotent nuisances from DC Comics lore. But since Bat-Mite almost exclusively bothers Batman, we’re going to assume the Metropolis imp in Superman is none other than Mxy. Will we ever see him again in the DCU? We can’t say for sure. But now that we are pretty sure he exists, it seems a reappearance is inevitable. And maybe, just maybe, we’ll see that little bowler hat on a well-known actor.

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George Lucas Will Attend SDCC for the First Time Ever

Since its inception 55 years ago, San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) has grown to become THE convention for major news in genre. Every year, thousands of geeks and nerds come to Cali to pack into panels and see their favorite creators and stars onstage. From big moments like Robert Downey, Jr.’s reveal as Doctor Doom to smaller delights like the dealer areas and parties, SDCC is the place to be. While it seems like everyone who is someone in the genre space has attended this major con, that’s not true. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Star Wars creator George Lucas is attending San Diego Comic-Con for the first time ever.

That’s pretty wild considering the first Star Wars panel came to the con back in 1976. It was a year before the first film hit theaters and changed everything we know about pop culture. Since then, many stars and executives from Star Wars have come to this big convention. And finally after years of choosing to forgo SDCC, George Lucas will be there as a panelist. 

Disney+Which Panel Will George Lucas Be in at SDCC and What Time Is It? 

He will be joined by Guillermo del Toro and artist and Star Wars prequels production designer Doug Chiang. The panel will dig into the power of illustrated stories and give fans their first look at the new Lucas Museum of Narrative Art. The museum will open sometime in 2026. This George Lucas SDCC panel will happen on Sunday in the infamous Hall H. 

“We are beyond thrilled to welcome George Lucas to Comic-Con for the very first time,” said David Glanzer, chief communications and strategy officer of Comic-Con. “Nearly five decades ago, Star Wars made one of its earliest public appearances at our convention, along with a booth featuring Howard Chaykin’s now legendary Star Wars poster as a promotional item.

“Now, to have Mr. Lucas return, this time to debut the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, is a true full-circle moment. His lifelong dedication to visual storytelling and world-building resonates deeply with us and our community, and the museum’s mission to celebrate narrative art in all its forms perfectly reflects what Comic-Con has championed from the very beginning.”

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Rian Johnson Says WAKE UP DEAD MAN: A KNIVES OUT MYSTERY Is Gothic and Poe-Inspired

Benoit Blanc and his Kentucky Fried Foghorn Leghorn drawl is coming back for his “most dangerous case yet.” That’s how Daniel Craig’s brilliant detective described his next outing in the announcement trailer for Rian Johnson’s third Knives Out installment, Wake Up Dead Man. Who will join Craig for some murder-mystery fun this time around? What is the movie about? And when (and where) can we expect to see it?

We will get more answers to plot questions and such soon. But, for now, Rian Johnson is teasing more about Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery’s overall tone and vibe, noting that it is more Gothic than its predecessor. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Johnson said, “It’s much more a Gothic, much more grounded tone. It’s more similar to the first one in that way. It kind of gets back to the real origins of the genre, which, predating [Agatha] Christie, go back to [Edgar Allan] Poe.”

Netflix

He talked further about moving away from Glass Onion‘s more humorous and campy tone, saying that he wants to keep things fresh for fans. And, while Johnson admits that he doesn’t have current ideas brewing for more Knives Out sequels, he does want to make sure that this one really hits in a different manner.

“If I feel like I’m repeating the same thing, or turning the crank on the handle and turning out more of what I did last time, I’m not good enough to hide that from the audience. So what I end up chasing is the experience of each of these things. It’s not necessarily where I’m going to flip and do a totally different tone, but after three years of working on something that has a particular tone, it’s like you’ve been eating the same thing for lunch every day for three years. I’m more excited about doing something that feels new. That’s similar with the show. It’s not so much a conscious decision. In order to keep it exciting for myself, I don’t want to repeat myself.”

Here’s everything we know about Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery.

Title

Knives Out 3 is officially titled Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery. That latter half of that title also appeared in Glass Onion‘s title, much to the chagrin of Rian Johnson.

Netflix

Netflix reveals, “As it turns out, Wake Up Dead Man shares its title with a 1997 U2 song off their album Pop.” And Johnson adds, “Pop is a very underrated album, and that song is very right for the title. But I’ve had ‘Wake Up Dead Man’ in my head for a long while, and I first heard the phrase in American folk music.” Netflix teases that you should “listen closely” for any clues about the Knives Out movie to come.

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery‘s PlotNetflix

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery does not have an official synopsis, but we do have some early clues about what to expect from it. Johnson’s announcement of the film included commentary about how much he loves the malleability of whodunits. Combined with calling it Benoit Blanc’s “most dangerous case yet,” and everything points towards the darkest entry in the franchise yet.

The title and its accompanying font also suggest the film will have something to do with pirates. (Though we can’t rule out the film is about U2. Hopefully The Edge is safe either way.)

Netflix

Does that mean a good old-fashioned treasure hunt gone wrong? A setting somewhere in the Caribbean? Arr, until we be getting something more official, wese can let our imaginations run wild like the sea. (Sorry.)

A mysterious Instagram clip teases an eerie church, but doesn’t tell us much else, except, “”The wicked desire the stronghold of evildoers, but the root of the righteous endures.” Sounds like religion will play a Knives Out‘s newest murderous scheme.

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery‘s Cast20th Century Studios/Netflix

Johnson confirmed a report that Mare of Easttown and Alien: Romulus‘ Cailee Spaeny is joining the returning Daniel Craig in the cast. The Crown‘s Emmy winner and Challengers star Josh O’Connor will also join the cast of Knives Out 3. Additionally, Glenn Close, Kerry Washington, Andrew Scott, and Jeremy Renner have come aboard.

The full cast is below:

Daniel Craig (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Casino Royale)Josh O’Connor (Challengers,  The Crown )Glenn Close (Dangerous Liaisons, Fatal Attraction)Josh Brolin (No Country for Old Men, Dune)Mila Kunis (Black Swan,  Luckiest Girl Alive )Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker, The Town)Kerry Washington (Scandal, Django Unchained)Andrew Scott (All of Us Strangers,  Ripley )Cailee Spaeny (Civil War, Priscilla)Daryl McCormack (Good Luck to You, Leo Grande;  Peaky Blinders )Thomas Haden Church (Sideways, Spider-Man 3)NetflixMarvel StudiosBehind the ScenesLionsgate

For the third time, Rian Johnson is directing his own script in Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery. He’s also producing the film with his T-Street Pictures partner Ram Bergman.

The film officially wrapped August 17, 2024.

On August 17, 2024, Johnson shared an image of a graveyard with a sign that says “Please be mindful of the graves” to say filming had wrapped.

Johnson calls the shoot a “VERY special experience” and that he can’t wait to “put this thing together and show you all what we’ve got.” Well we certainly can’t wait either! Let’s go, donut holes!

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery‘s Release DateNetflix

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery will come to Netflix in 2025. It will also hopefully also come theaters, and for a longer run than its predecessor.)

The movie does not have an official release day yet; however, the first two installments have Thanksgiving weekend releases. Knives Out arrived in theaters Thanksgiving weekend on November 27, 2019. After some film festival screenings, Glass Onion came to theaters for a brief run on Thanksgiving weekend, November 23, 2022. It then started streaming on Netflix, Wake Up Dead Man‘s ultimate home, on December 23.

If Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery follows a similar release schedule, we should expect to see it on the big screen on November 26, 2025. And we didn’t even need to be Benoit Blanc to figure that out. For now, Netflix has confirmed a release date window of “Fall 2025.”

Originally published May 30, 2025.

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How SUPERMAN Sets Up One Character to Become the DCU’s Bizarro

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It’s safe to say that James Gunn’s Superman doesn’t have a ton of unexpected plot twist reveals, but there are a couple of big ones. One of the bigger ones is learning that Lex Luthor’s masked metahuman soldier, Ultraman, is actually a clone of Superman. And one who doesn’t seem to be very cognizant of his actions. If that all sounds familiar, it’s because it sounds an awful lot like one of Superman’s most persistent foes in the pages of DC Comics, Bizarro. Having said that, Ultraman doesn’t go full Bizarro mode quite yet. But James Gunn certainly plants the seeds in this film for that to happen down the line.

DC ComicsBizarro’s Silver Age Comic Book Origins

In the comics, Bizarro has been one of Superman’s most frequently recurring villains since the Silver Age, when he first appeared as an enemy for young Kal-El in 1958’s Superboy #68. He was created when a scientist used a “duplicating ray” on Superboy, resulting in an imperfect copy that had Kal-El’s powers, but none of his intellect. He also had chalky white skin, which made him appear monstrous. Clearly, the idea behind Bizarro was “what if Frankenstein’s monster had Superboy’s powers?” Only a little more kid-friendly. The writers designed him as a one-off adversary, but he proved too popular with readers, and DC soon resurrected the character.

DC Comics

A year later, Lex Luthor used the duplicating ray on the now-adult Superman, creating a new, more confused Bizarro in Action Comics #254. The Frankenstein parallels were even stronger, with Bizarro speaking in a broken, childish English, and saying everything in “opposite” fashion. This Bizarro became a staple of Silver Age comics, creating his own Bizarro world with strange duplicates of all of Superman’s friends and allies. And they even lived on a square planet. (The Silver Age was very silly, folks.) Bizarro gained even more relevance when he became a member of the Legion of Doom on the Saturday morning series Super Friends. Christopher Reeve fighting an evil duplicate of himself in a dingy costume in Superman III also seemed very Bizarro-inspired.

Bizarro in the Modern Era of Superman ComicsDC Comics

In the post-Crisis on Infinite Earths reboot of Superman by John Byrne, Bizarro was created once again by Luthor. Only this time, via cloning. But because Lex wasn’t aware that Superman was an alien (it wasn’t public knowledge at this time), they couldn’t compensate for the non-terrestrial DNA. So he came out…wrong. Soon, this imperfect clone escaped Luthor’s control, and began to terrorize Metropolis. Although, it wasn’t coming from malice, so much as confusion. And this version of Bizarro was the template for his Superman: The Animated Series incarnation. Most comic book versions subsequently went with this take on the character as well.

Could Ultraman Become the DCU’s Bizarro?DC Comics

So Ultraman in the DCU already fits much of the typical Bizarro origin story. He’s a Luthor-created clone of Superman, except slow-witted and not fully developed. He doesn’t wear a version of Superman’s costume, and he doesn’t have Bizarro’s signature corpse-like skin. However, should he survive the black hole in the collapsing pocket universe? Which he almost surely will, with that Kryptonian DNA. Then he might come out even worse for wear. Perhaps a little pale and monstrous looking? Clearly, whatever form a Superman sequel takes, it seems Ultraman is primed to become Bizarro. Now, Gunn has to make sure he has a dirty Superman costume on with a backwards ‘S’  symbol. It’s not so much “if” Ultraman becomes Bizarro, to us, it’s just a question of “when.”

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WARHAMMER 40K Spinoff HORUS HERESY’s New Edition Is a VERY Dense Dive (Review)

Horus Heresy, the Warhammer 40K spinoff set during the civil war that shattered the Imperium of Man, is getting a brand-new edition with a Dreadnought-sized launch box. However, while the rules of Horus Heresy have received several tweaks, this game is hardly for newcomers to the wargamer genre. Instead, this is a dense game made for old school fans of Warhammer 40K. It is also for those who are looking to celebrate the most memorable moments of the Imperium of Man’s fall from ascendency.

The Horus Heresy is the defining event of Warhammer 40K, a civil war that saw half of the Imperium of Man’s Space Marine Legions declare for the forces of chaos and turn on their brothers-in-arms. The Horus Heresy culminated in a terrible siege on Terra and the mortal wounding of the Emperor of Mankind, leading to his interment on the Golden Throne. The Imperium never recovered from the Horus Heresy, and the civil war directly led to the stagnation and decay that now defines mankind’s place amongst the stars.

The war was defined by the machinations and maneuverings of the Primarchs, the gene-fathers of the Space Marines and demigods in their own right. A 50+ novel series detailed the Horus Heresy in its entirety, painting a grim and overly dramatic space opera that showed just how close Chaos came to consuming mankind. And while most of mankind has forgotten the truth of the Horus Heresy within the Warhammer 40K universe, the civil war seems to hold a sway over parts of the Warhammer 40K fandom, to the point that the Primarchs are making their slow return to the modern day, one after another.

Back in 2011, Games Workshop released the first version of Horus Heresy, or Warhammer 30K as its often called by its fanbase given that it’s set 10,000 years before the events of Warhammer 40K. The game was based on Warhammer 40K’s 7th Edition and quickly became a refuge of sorts for players who longed for an old-school version of Warhammer instead of the more streamlined and modern versions of Warhammer 40K.

Horus Heresy is notably different from its modern cousin in a few distinct ways. For one, all the playable armies in Horus Heresy are human. There are no xenos factions to choose from, only loyalist or heretic forces.

Games Workshop

Another big difference is that Horus Heresy is intended to be a narrative-focused game. Instead of building lists for competitive play, players opt for a certain style of army that they want to play as, usually pulled from some snippet of lore from the games. Army building remains a major part of the Horus Heresy, but it’s often about finding a balance between finding an army that’s legal and syncs up with the story you want to tell.

Later this month, Games Workshop will release a brand-new Starter Box for the Horus Heresy, containing a whopping 50 miniatures. While Warhammer 40K starter boxes are split into two factions, the miniatures in the new Saturnine box can technically be combined to form the foundation of a full 3,000-point army. (Another difference between Horus Heresy and Warhammer 40K is that the standard army size is a whopping 3,000 points instead of 2,000 points.)

The miniatures in the Saturnine box are technically brand new, either totally new to the game or printed in plastic as opposed to resin for the first time. The bulk of the miniatures are Space Marine Legionnaires, all in MKII Crusade Armor. The highlight of the box are the brand-new Saturnine Terminator armies, a refresh of old-school design for Terminator armor from the 1980s. With massive shoulder pads and massive weapons, these Terminators look awesome and dangerous, a highlight for the box.

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Warhammer’s Horus Heresy Goes Digital: The New Grim Futuristic Card Game

Also included in the Saturnine box are a Araknae Quad Accelerator Platform and a Saturnine Dreadnought, which resembles a jumbo-sized Saturnine Terminator. There are also two ranked Space Marines in the set: a Legion Centurion and a Terminator Praetor. All four are intended to serve as centerpieces of sorts for an army, providing some visual pop and some unique options when building the army.

As a Warhammer 40K dabbler, someone who enjoys building miniatures but rarely gets to build an army list or play a game, Horus Heresy is especially intimidating. The new edition allows for more room for army builds, meant to allow players to create a thematic army with fewer restrictions. Combined with plastic model kits that are mostly based on older designs, opening the Starter Set and seeing the sheer amount of possibility is enough to make you take a deep breath to try to figure out exactly what you want to do with a full box of minis.

Even with a Starter Set meant to serve as an entry point, the game feels just different enough from Warhammer 40K to make it feel pretty intimidating. Morale plays much more of a factor in Horus Heresy. The new edition adds several advanced characteristics like Willpower and Cool to mix up different morale tests during battle. One way Horus Heresy has skewed towards its more popular cousin is that all weapons now have a base damage characteristic, with melee weapons getting modifiers based on a unit’s individual melee stats.

Games Workshop

Another concern is that Horus Heresy seems to be settling into a familiar three-year cycle for new editions. Games Workshop waited over a decade to update Horus Heresy from first to second edition, but it only waited three years to update the game again. While players can continue to use their old miniatures in the new edition, Horus Heresy previously had a reputation of being the place to go if you wanted to avoid edition churn and it appears that’s no longer the case. Personally, I liked the idea of Games Workshop making a game that could be enjoyed at a slower pace, but it seems that the game no longer is immune to its company’s capitalistic tendencies.  

 If you’re looking to dive into the world of Warhammer for the very first time, the new Horus Heresy box probably isn’t the place to take your first steps. There are far more inviting spots for newcomers to try to dive into and at the end of the day Warhammer 40K is just easier and less fiddly than Horus Heresy. However, for Warhammer veterans that are ready for the challenge that Horus Heresy presents, the Saturnine box is a ton of plastic waiting to be built and players won’t have to make much more of an investment to have a full army to play with. Of course, the nature of Horus Heresy means that players will likely want to start customizing their army immediately, pulling in new miniatures to create a custom army that fits their narrative bent.

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How SUPERMAN Pays Homage to 8 Decades of Man of Steel Media

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Superman has existed in print for 87 years, with countless movies, cartoons, and animated series featuring the character. And each era contributed distinct elements to the Last Son of Krypton’s ever-expanding mythology. Here’s how James Gunn’s Superman pays homage to each decade of the iconic superhero’s existence. We warn you, however, some of these elements spoil plot developments in the film. So if spoilers are your personal kryptonite, we suggest watching the film, then coming back and reading this.

The 1930s: Superman #2DC Comics

In Superman #2 from 1939, a mere year after the character’s DC Comics debut, the Man of Steel stopped a war in the fictional country of Baravia. This whole scenario inspires a key part of James Gunn’s Superman. So even though Superman as a character only existed for two years of the ’30s, the new film still nods to this early Golden Age era in a big way.

The 1940s: The Animated Fleischer Studios Superman CartoonsDC Comics

The animated shorts from Fleischer Studios from 1941-1943 remain the best superhero animation yet produced, even 85 years later. These cartoons are where Superman began to fly and not just “leap tall buildings,” truly showing off his power set. In one famous shot from the animated shorts, Superman protects Lois Lane from a flow of molten liquid with his whole body (and cape). In Gunn’s Superman, we see Kal-El shield a young child in similar fashion. This moment echoes those iconic World War II-era cartoons.

The 1950s: Krypto the Superdog, the Fortress of SolitudeDC Comics

The Silver Age of comics began for Superman in the late 1950s, and lasted until about 1970. During this era of comics, Superman’s adventures became bigger and more sci-fi oriented, and alien villains like Brainiac came into the picture. This was also the era when DC writers created the Fortress of Solitude, as well as Krypto the Superdog. Both became a key part of the lore. The Fortress first appeared in Action Comics #242 in 1958, with Krypto appearing first in 1955. Both figure largely in Gunn’s Superman, which is why so many cite the film’s Silver Age flair.

The 1960s: Metamorpho, UltramanDC Comics

One of the metahumans used in Superman is Metamorpho, the Element Man, whose real name is Rex Mason. The character, whose body can transform into any element, was one of the wackier Silver Age DC creations, and had his own solo series. And although the Ultraman used in the film is not the same as in the comics, the name Ultraman for a doppelganger of Kal-El that he must fight originated in a 1964 issue of Justice League of America.

The 1970s: Superman: The Movie, The Hypno-GlassesWarner Bros.

The biggest ‘70s era influence on Gunn’s Superman is the original Richard Donner Superman: The Movie from 1978. Not only does Gunn use a variation of John Williams’ iconic Superman theme, but Eve Teschmacher, Luthor’s girlfriend, was created for Donner’s film. The crystalline look of Superman’s Fortress is also inspired by the one from the 1978 film. Even Lex Luthor’s land grab scheme is a nod to his evil plan from the Donner film. From the comics, Superman’s identity-concealing “Hypno-glasses” are from an issue of Superman, also published in 1978.

The 1980s: John Byrne’s Man of Steel RebootDC Comics

In the mid-80s, after the multiverse-altering Crisis on Infinite Earths, writer/artist John Byrne rebooted Superman’s mythos for the modern age. This all took place in his six-part mini-series, Man of Steel. One of the biggest changes was to Clark’s arch-rival, Lex Luthor. In the ’80s, Lex went from mad scientist to a billionaire CEO. This version heavily informed the iteration we meet in Superman.

DC Comics

Also, for the first 50 years of Superman’s history, his adopted parents, Jonathan and Martha Kent, were dead by the time he became an adult superhero. This changed in the ‘80s, but Gunn’s movie maintains that both parents are still alive. Another addition to Superman lore from the ‘80s was that of a Pocket Universe, one where a younger version of himself existed. While not exactly the same in Gunn’s film, the term “Pocket Universe” became important to the character during this era.

The 1990s: Superman For All Seasons, Mister Terrific, Kingdom ComeDC Comics

For years and years in Superman comics, it was baked in that Lois Lane didn’t know Clark Kent’s secret identity. Until 1990, that is, when she finally learned the truth. That’s how it remained for decades. Gunn’s Superman just ditches the idea of Lois not knowing Superman’s secret from the get-go, embracing a ‘90s version of the Daily Planet reporter. The character of Mister Terrific, who plays a big part in the film, was also introduced in 1999.

DC Comics

Although there isn’t one specific reference to Superman: The Animated Series in Gunn’s film, the overall vibe mirrors that of the cartoon. Superman’s specific ‘S’ symbol originated in Mark Waid and Alex Ross’ seminal series Kingdom Come. And the Jeph Loeb/Tim Sale mini-series Superman For All Seasons really cemented an All-American, traditional take on Superman’s hometown Smallville, one that Gunn’s film leans into.

The 2000s: Superman: Birthright, All-Star Superman, SmallvilleDC Comics

The turn of the 21st century had several pieces of iconic Superman media, which all influenced Gunn’s film. In the comics, Mark Waid’s Superman: Birthright retold the character’s origin. In this iteration, Lex  Luthor revealed to the public that Superman was an advance scout for a Kryptonian invasion force. Lex in the film does a similar media ambush to discredit Superman using information about his heritage. Grant Morrison’s All-Star Superman visually influenced the film, especially in the look of the robots in the Fortress. The TV series Smallville also provided a key inspiration for Superman, as Jor-El in the series also sent his son Kal-El to Earth to conquer it, presumably to mold the species in the Kryptonian image.

The 2010s: The New 52DC Comics

Although not an exact replica, Superman’s costume in the film reflects a great deal of the character’s costume from 2011’s New 52 DC Universe reboot. Specifically, the higher collar and the extra stitching and details on the body. Although, New 52 Superman did not have the iconic trunks, which David Corenswet’s does.

The 2020s is still too young a decade to factor in how its Superman influenced Gunn, especially as he started writing the script in 2022. But we imagine by the time that the next Superman film arrives, it’ll take inspiration from modern iterations like My Adventures with Superman and Absolute Superman. We’ll just have to wait and see when the next chapter rolls around.

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What The Big Change to SUPERMAN Core Lore Means for the DCU

James Gunn’s Superman featured a big change to the character’s lore. Was it an effective reimagining of Clark Kent’s life? How fans feel about it will depend on how comfortable they are with a fundamental (though not totally new) alteration to Kal-El’s past. But no matter what you thought of it, this change will have big ramifications for the DCU’s future..cls-2{fill:#9d342c}Warner Bros./DC

David Corenswet’s Clark Kent went through life believing his Kryptonian parents, Jor-El and Lara, sent him to Earth with noble intentions. The incomplete message they gave their son had greatly shaped Clark’s ethics and purpose. It seemed to indicate they didn’t just want to save his life by sending him to an alien world. They seemed to want him to use the powers he’d have there to make his new home a better place. That lined up with the traditional representation of Jor-El as an honorable person throughout Superman‘s history. That’s been true in every movie adaptation. Every Jor-El has been his world’s best person who also instilled a strong moral code in his son.

That was not the Jor-El of Gunn’s film. When the Engineer hacked into the Fortress of Solitude she was able to decrypt the rest of the splintered message. The whole world then learned a shocking truth. Jor-El wanted his powerful child to rule with an iron fist over the stupid people of Earth. He also instructed his son to form a harem so he could populate the planet with his offspring.

Warner Bros./DC

The revelation crushed Clark who questioned everything about himself. It also seemed to validate everything his enemies, both present and potential, feared about him. But Jonathan Kent, the Father who actually raised Clark, the man who helped teach his super son about empathy, compassion, and justice, reminded his child that a single message did not define him. His actions did. So although Kal-El and Lara proved to be very different people than Clark thought he knew, it didn’t change who’d he had grown up to be. Clark was super, but he was also human.

In the context of the movie this change was not only interesting it made sense for the story Gunn told. It successfully subverted expectations for a story that has been told countless time. It also contributed to one of the film’s best themes, that Clark Kent is as human as anyone else, just a nice kid from Kansas who believes in the best ideals of humanity. Having those ideals stand in contrast to his Kryptonian parents’ own intentions reinforced just how good and heroic Clark really is.

DC Studios

Yet, it’s also to easy to understand why longtime fans of both Superman and Jor-El would have an issue with such a fundamental change. Superman has always represented the best of two worlds, an idea that reinforces fundamental truths about what it means to be good. If right and wrong are the same on a distant alien planet as they are on Earth, they’re universal truths. Jor-El teaching his son to be benevolent also represented a special kind of hope for Earth. Jor-El, despite his best intentions, couldn’t save Krypton from its own mistakes. But rather than be bitter, he hoped his son could hopefully save Earth from a similar fate. There was/is great meaning in Clark Kent/Kal-El having two sets of parents that both taught him to be the best version of himself he could be.

Changing that, even if it didn’t change who Superman turned out to be (because Gunn essentially had his cake while eating it too via the incomplete message) does fundamentally change Superman’s story. That’s what made it shocking. But it wasn’t wholly new. On Smallville, Jor-El was presented as an Artificial Intelligence devoid of the morality Superman fans expect from the character. That was in part because the A.I. was incomplete and missing much of the actual Jor-El’s personality, but it was enough that Gunn’s movie was not the first time anyone saw the ill-fated Kryptonian as something other than a noble being. Just like with Corenswet’s Man of Steel, it didn’t stop Tom Welling’s from being a great hero.

Warner Bros.

If you liked this change is personal, but no matter how anyone feels it’s going to matter in the DCU. The film also introduced Milly Alcock’s Supergirl, Clark’s hard-partying Kryptonian cousin. James Gunn had previously warned us she’s “kind of a mess” and very different from her famous family member. He grew up in a loving household in Kansas. She spent the first 14 years of her life watching everyone on Krypton die. And after the Jor-El and Lara revelation, it’s obvious the DCU’s version of that planet was seemingly an even worse place than we thought.

Clearly Supergirl’s backstory will dramatically shape her story going forward in the franchise. She grew up among awful people on a doomed Krypton. It’s easy to understand why someone with that kind of history spends her time on red sun planets drinking her troubles away while her well-adjusted cousin is Earth’s greatest hero. But she’s not the only other Kryptonian we expect to see in the DCU. In a world where Jor-El was an amoral man, what will his son think of General Zod if/when he shows up?

Warner Bros.

In the DCU, Jor-El and General Zod won’t be natural enemies with opposing goals the way they’re almost always depicted. Zod will arrive with the same kind of message and purpose Jor-El gave his son. How will that undeniable truth influence Superman? What will it do to him emotionally? How will him and his cousin, who personally knows just how terrible Krypton was, deal with that?

You might love this hatable Jor-El. You might detest this version of the character. But either way, his unexpected message of oppression has made the new DCU a lot more interesting.

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STAR TREK: CAPTAIN’S CHAIR Game Reveals Final Iconic Starfleet Captains Joining Game

Red Alert, all you Trekkie gaming card fans out there. This year, the folks at WizKids announced a new strategic deckbuilding game that puts Star Trek fans where they always imagined themselves—in command. In Star Trek: Captain’s Chair, you step into the shoes of an iconic captain from Star Trek’s long history. Each of the captains comes with their own unique deck of cards, themed to that captain’s personality. The initial captains, who appear in two different decks, include Jean-Luc Picard, Benjamin Sisko, Michael Burnham, Sela the Romulan Commander, Koloth, the Klingon Dahar Master, and Thy’lek Shran of Andoria. But we at Nerdist are thrilled to reveal the final captains coming to Star Trek: Captain’s Chair – To Boldly Go and Star Trek: Captain’s Chair – Second Contact.

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Now, WizKids has revealed the remaining two captains in Star Trek: Captain’s Chair – To Boldly Go, plus an official confirmation of the third captain from Star Trek: Captain’s Chair – Second Contact. In Star Trek: Captain’s Chair – To Boldly Go, in addition to Captain Kirk and Khan, you can now play as Jonathan Archer or Soval from Star Trek: Enterprise. This is in addition to the already announced Philippa Georgiou from Star Trek: Discovery, Rebner from Star Trek: Lower Decks. This is a fully standalone game that can be combined with other Star Trek: Captain’s Chair products. 

WizKidsWizKids

As for Star Trek: Captain’s Chair – Second Contact, we can exclusively reveal that you’ll be able to play as William T. Riker, Captain of the U.S.S. Titan, and former Enterprise-D first officer. This is Riker as he appeared on the animated hit Star Trek: Lower Decks, voiced by his original actor, Jonathan Frakes. Riker joins Carol Freeman, Captain of the U.S.S. Cerritos, and Christopher Pike, Captain of the U.S.S. Enterprise in Strange New Worlds. Riker joins previously announced captains Carol Freeman and Christopher Pike.

WizKids

True to the philosophy of Star Trek, antagonism will not win every game. You will need to pursue diplomacy, exploration, and science, with different captains excelling at different paths. For more information, be sure to head over to the official WizKids Star Trek site to pre-order To Boldly Go and Second Contact. And remember to keep those hailing frequencies open.

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