Well what do you know? It’s that time of the year again when multiple news items come up around the same time and I have to make a choice on what I want to cover. So instead of choosing, how about we have a grab bag special covering all the topics I want to address, but might not be worthy of a full column on its own.

So let’s jump right into it, and tackle some topics.

Hugh Jackman finally puts on the suit

A still photo was dropped on Monday, July 10 for the upcoming “Deadpool 3”. This still image showed Deadpool walking alongside Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine/ Logan. Now we’ve known for a while that Jackman was returning to his most famous role for this movie, but what surprised the entire internet was Jackman finally donning the classic yellow and blue Wolverine suit.

I remember 23 years ago being excited for the first X-Men movie, and a little disappointed they didn’t have their classic costumes. Salt was rubbed further into that wound with the “yellow spandex” line from that movie.

To finally see him in the suit is great, and along side Deadpool, creates a great contrast of color.

But there is a bittersweetness to it too, as I imagine this will be the last time we see Jackman in the role before the introduction of the MCU’s own Wolverine. That is, at least, if the theory that “Kang Dynasty” and “Secret Wars” will have multiple version of Marvel superheroes across various films and shows teaming up against the Kangs turns out to not be true.

Overall, this movie is starting to give me similar feelings to what I felt when “Spider- Man: Now Way Home” was coming out. Yeah it’s nostalgia, but I’ve been waiting since 2000 to see Hugh Jackman in the costume…so let me have this.

Godzilla Minus One

After months of buildup and mystery surrounding Toho’s newest Godzilla film, we finally have a trailer and title for the film: “Godzilla Minus One”.

This film will be the first live action Godzilla movie that Toho has released since 2016’s “Shin Godzilla”, and the fifth in the current Reiwa-era films overall.

“Shin Godzilla” was an excellent movie that provided an interest look at Japanese bureaucracy in the event of a disaster, and like all good Godzilla films, had one foot in reality. In this case, it took visual inspiration from the Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear disaster in 2011.

The new trailer indicates that the film will be set in post-war Japan, making the film a period piece, which is honestly something I’ve been wanting to see in a Godzilla film for a long while. They are mostly set in the era of when they are made, but I always felt it was a missed opportunity to not have a newer film set in the past.

In addition to the trailer, we also got a first look at the new Godzilla design via some promotional images and the SH Monsterarts action figure.

On the whole, I like the design. I think the dorsal spines are a little too big and over-exaggerated, but the rest of the form is like a fusion of the Heisei designs from the 90s and elements of Shin Godzilla.

This film is coming out in Japan on Nov. 3, aka Godzilla Day. Why Godzilla Day? Because the first film was released on Nov. 3, 1954. What is most exciting for me is that we are getting an early USA release date on Dec. 1, which is great because I’d hate to have to wait more than a month and potentially open myself up to spoilers.

My Adventures with Superman

A new Superman animated series debuted last week and it is pretty solid.

“My Adventures with Superman” was originally going to air on Cartoon Network and then stream on HBO Max, until it was announced that it would air on Adult Swim, and then onto YouTube.

The show focuses on a younger Clark Kent (played by Jack Quaid) as he learns to become Superman and starts working with the Daily Planet as an intern along with Lois Lane (Alice Lee) and Jimmy Olsen (Ishmel Sahid).

The show has an anime-like quality in its design and has some fluid animation as well (include a Sailor Moon style transformation for Clark into Superman). After a mountain of Batman shows, it is nice to have something focusing on Superman for once.

I also really enjoy that they’ve made Lois and Clark’s budding romance a centerpiece of the story. They have excellent chemistry and I love the earnestness of this relationship.

Hints of a wider DC universe have been dropped in the second episode with Slade Wilson (aka Deathstroke), a frequent enemy of the Teen Titans, so maybe this will serve as the genesis of a new DC animated universe.

Speaking of new universes….

Superman Legacy casting and story info

Last month he got word on our new Superman and Lois Lane, David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan. Corenswet definitely looks the part, but I trust James Gunn to have picked the best person for the job.

Why you ask? Well the “Guardians of the Galaxy” movies were perfectly cast, but I think the fact that Gunn is looking to adapt elements of one of the best Superman stories of all time: “All-Star Superman”, a comic that distills the long history of Superman into his very best elements.

He also learned that the movie is expected to introduce member of the Authority ahead of their own movie. The Authority are a superhero group that was published as part of DC Comics’ Wildstorm imprint and were a group of heroes that used extreme measures to get the job done.

The other day, we got confirmed casting for other superheroes in the film including Nathan Fillion as Green Lantern Guy Gardner, Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, Edi Gathegi as Mr. Terrific, and Anthony Carrigan as Metamorpho.

A very interesting line up to say the least, now, there is the worry that the movie could be bloated with all these characters, but I remain optimistic.

Ahsoka

A new trailer was dropped for “Ahsoka”, a Star Wars Disney+ series following the character of the same name.

Rosario Dawson is reprising her role as Ahsoka, the former Jedi Padawan of Anakin Skywalker (see “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” for more on that), and the series serves as a continuation of the story from the animated series: “Star Wars Rebels” This show will be the first live action appearance of many of the cast of “Rebels” including Hera Syndulla, Chopper, Sabine Wren, Ezra Bridger, and Grand Admiral Thrawn.

Thrawn is definitely the aspect of the show I’m most excited for, as the character is one of my personal favorites from the original Star Wars Expanded Universe (or Legends) material, and was a great part of the last seasons of “Rebels”.

Thrawn is a Chiss, a species of blue-skinned and red-eyed aliens that are very secretive and located in the Unknown Regions of the galaxy. Thrawn is known for his tactical genius and cunning, always several steps ahead of everyone else and accounting for all possible contingencies.

The show is likely to be a loose adaptation of “Heir to the Empire” the first novel in the series of Star Wars novels from the 90s. If that is the case, we are likely to be in for a really great show.