Welcome back to The Rundown, our daily breakdown on comic news stories we missed from the previous day. Have a link to share? Email our team at rundown@multiversitycomics.com.
– According to Deadline the long-awaited “Deadly Class” television adaption from Anthony and Joe Russo (Community, Captain America: Civil War) has found a home at Syfy. The series “Deadly Class,” which centers on a homeless youth growing up in the Reagan era training at a prestigious school for the worlds top assassins in order to kill the aforementioned Hollywood President, was created by artist Wes Craig (“Guardians of the Galaxy,” “Gravediggers Union”) and writer Rick Remender (“Black Science,” “Uncanny Avengers”), who also wrote the pilot with Miles Feldsott (Undertow, Trunk).
– Marvel’s Agents of S.H.E.I.L.D will be returning to ABC this fall for its fifth season in spite of the wishes of ABC studios who apparently did not wish to renew the show. ABC renewed the show in spite of low season 4 ratings reportedly because of a mandate by Disney to renew the series for at least one more season, in which I might add the titular Agents will be going to space. No cheap feat. Agents of S.H.E.I.L.D will return later this year on ABC after Inhumans‘s 8 episode run.
– Vault Comics, publisher of comics such as “Heathen,” “Spiritus,” and “Zojaqan” has issued a statement denouncing harassment of comic book creators. Vault joins the likes of Mark Waid (“Kingdom Come,” “Avengers”) in championing an industry-wide shift towards a more positive and inclusive environment for both comic book creators and fans, this coming after a wide range of fans and creators have illustrated a lack of control when it comes to criticism and in some cases harassment and threats towards members of the communities female and LGBTQ creators. The pair called on fans, creators, and publishers to join in a message and display of inclusion and positivity, and I for one will be joining them.
– The upcoming X-Men: Dark Phoenix, according to actress Olivia Munn (The Newsroom, The Daily Show), may stretch across two films. Munn will be returning as Betsy Braddock aka Psylocke for X-Men: Dark Phoenix along with the majority of her X-Men: Apocalypse co-stars for the possible next two installments. The film will see the X-Men returning to deal with the emerging power of the phoenix force in the young Jean Grey, played by Sophie Turner (<i>Game of Thrones</i>, <i>Another Me</i>), as it’s destructive power threatens the planet. The first of the possible two installments will be released November 2, 2018.
– Writer Margret Atwood (The Handmaid’s Tale, Hag-Seed), artist Johnny Christmas (“Sheltered,” “Island”), and colorist Tamra Bonvillain (“Nighthawk,” “Wayward”) have all won the Aurora Award for best graphic novel for the first volume of their superhero comic “Angel Catbird.” The cat pun-heavy comic centered around a genetic scientist who in a freak accident has is mutated into a cat-owl-man hybrid who has decided to fight crime and notably was Atwood’s first foray into comic book writing. All three of volumes of “Angel Catbird” are available at your local comic book store and online.
– Michelle Williams (My Week with Marilyn, Shutter Island) has reportedly been cast in Sony’s upcoming Venom film alongside Tom Hardy (Mad Max: Fury Road, Bronson)’s Eddie Brock/Venom and Riz Ahmed (Rogue One, Jason Bourne)’s Cletus Kasady/Carnage. Williams will be playing a district attorney and possible love interest for Hardy’s Venom. Venom is slated for release October 5, 2018 and will, according to Sony, not be associated with the solo Spider-Man films they are producing in association with Marvel Entertainment.
