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Although Smallville wanted to use Batman, it was actually better off with Green Arrow. Due to DC standing in the way of the Superman prequel series introducing the Caped Crusader, Justin Hartley’s Green Arrow was often regarded as a substitute for the character. After all, Oliver Queen did end up filling a role in Smallville’s universe akin to what would be expected of Batman.

While Batman never appearing on Smallville will always feel like a missed opportunity to a certain degree, his absence did pay off. Batman is without question the most popular of the two billionaire vigilantes, but it’s important to note that Batman never could have had the deep and emotionally impactful arc that Green Arrow ultimately received on Smallville. Because Batman is such an iconic hero and someone that DC has long been protective of, it’s hard to imagine Smallville getting the creative...

Warning: Spoilers for Dark Crisis #6When it comes to half human aliens, the new Superman and Dragon Ball's Gohan are proving they share one of the most unexpected secret advantages an extraterrestrial could hope for.

The entire DC Universe is in the middle of a very traumatic Dark Crisis. After trapping the Justice League on separate worlds to fuel his power of darkness, Pariah raised a dark army to stand against the remaining heroes of Earth. The new Superman, Jon Kent, tried to rally a new Justice League of younger heroes to stand against him, but Black Adam, who was present when the original Justice League fell, criticized Superman for his naive approach to being a hero.

Related: Lois Lane Breaking the Watergate Story Showed Why Superman Loves Her

In Dark Crisis #6 by Joshua Williamson and Daniel Sampere, the dark army attacked the remaining heroes in a last stand.

Warning: contains spoilers for "The Life of Superman," appearing in The Death of Superman 30th Anniversary Special!On the 30th anniversary of Superman’s epic struggle with Doomsday, DC has upgraded the story–with a twist. 1992’s Death of Superman story was a milestone moment in DC history, a big-time event that ended up making waves in the mainstream and now the publisher is revisiting that fateful with The Death of Superman 30th Anniversary Special, containing new stories from the creative teams behind the mega event. In the lead story, “The Life of Superman,” the Man of Steel finds himself face to face with Doomsday once again–but with some twists.

The Death of Superman story came about, ironically, because of his engagement to Lois Lane. The creative teams behind the Superman family of titles had every intention of going through with the marriage–that is until the ABC network...

Warning: Spoilers for Titans season 4.A change to the origin of Brother Blood makes it unlikely that one story from the comics will be adapted in Titans season 4. The episode "Super Super Mart" found Brother Blood, a.k.a. Sebastian Sanger, seeking shelter with the Titans after they rescued him from the clutches of Mother Mayhem. While the Titans anticipated he was about to become the next victim of the witch who stole Raven's powers, he proved to have a much deeper connection to Raven and Mother Mayhem than they ever suspected.

In Titans season 4, episode 4, "Super Super Mart," The Titans returned to the asylum once run by the Organization behind the Trigon cult, uncovering a hidden underground complex they had not explored before. The heroes discovered evidence that Raven's mother was not the only woman impregnated by the demon Trigon as part of a prophecy to bring him to Earth,...

Warning! Spoilers for Titans season 4The famous magic words Raven uses to access her powers, “Azarath Metrion Zinthos,” have taken on a more sinister meaning in Titans season 4. Their use early in the season had been presumed to be an Easter egg paying homage to the Teen Titans animated series. Now, it seems the words have a darker meaning, connecting Raven to the new villain Brother Blood.

The words “Azarath Metrion Zinthos” were first heard in the closing moments of Titans season 4, episode 2, "Mother Mayhem," as the titular villain led her followers in chanting the phrase as part of a ritual. The magic words emerged again in Titans season 4, episode 4, "Super Super Mart," as Raven quizzed Sebastian Sanger on his encounter with Mother Mayhem. Sebastian explained that Mother Mayhem had tried to get him to say three strange words. A horrified Raven barely stopped him from completing the magic phrase.

Warning: spoilers ahead for Titans season 4, episode 4.

Somehow, Deathstroke returned, as Titans season 4 brings back the iconic DC villain in zombie form. Played by Esai Morales, Deathstroke served as the main antagonist of Titans season 2, executing an old vendetta against Dick Grayson's superhero team, who had a fish bone to pick of their own. Titans season 2 ended with Grayson reinventing himself as Nightwing and finally getting the better of his mercenary nemesis. The decisive blow was delivered by Deathstroke's own daughter, Rose, but trailer footage for Titans season 4 showed the villain back in action, fueling speculation of a survival twist, or a new incarnation of Deathstroke debuting.

In a turn few could have predicted, Titans season 4's Deathstroke appearance is the result of zombie shenanigans. The Trigon-worshiping Church of Blood has transformed the Organization's old asylum into a Super Super Mart, and in homage to Dawn of the Dead,...

Henry Cavill delighted fans in October when he made a surprise appearance as Superman in “Black Adam,” then revealed soon after that he was fully ready to once again don the red cape full time for DC Studios and Wbd. And for a while, his return seemed like a sure thing. But TheWrap can exclusively report that Cavill seems to have encountered some kryptonite on the way back to playing Superman.

According to numerous insiders with knowledge of the situation, although it has been previously reported that the search for a writer was currently underway, the fact is there’s currently no writer or director attached to the project and there’s currently no formal deal with Cavill to return.

Additionally, according to an insider, as it currently stands at the moment there’s no forward momentum on the project while newly installed DC Studio bosses James Gunn and Peter Safran...

Tom Welling discussed his unique stunt with actor and former wrestler Dave Bautista in Smallville. Famous for his iteration of Clark Kent, Welling portrayed the character for a decade, from 2001-2011, on The WB and after its merge with Upn, on The CW. Welling is currently starring in a lead role in the television series Professionals and a recurring role in The Winchesters while his action movie Deep Six will be released sometime next year.

Welling recalled a stunt with Dave Bautista, who played man-eating alien humanoid Aldar on Smallville, during the most recent episode of the podcast Talk Ville. While discussing season 1, episode 19, Welling and his co-host Michael Rosenbaum thought of examples where Welling’s character was thrown to the ground. Welling immediately responded with the Guardians of the Galaxy star’s name and said:

“He was the only person in my life who’s ever picked me up...

Titans season 4 will officially see Starfire fly, according to Anna Diop, who portrays the popular DC heroine. One of HBO Max's biggest DC TV shows is fully into the swing of things as Titans season 4, part 1 is seeing the titular heroes go up against the Church of Blood; Mother Mayhem is one of the new big bads, and Brother Blood's reign is coming up. While Sebastian Sanger has yet to become Brother Blood, Titans season 4 is going through the journey that will ultimately get him there.

In a recent interview with Chicago Go Pride, Diop chats about what's coming up for Starfire throughout Titans season 4. When asked if Diop has any major Starfire stunts in the new season that stood out, the Titans star drops a pretty big spoiler in relation to upcoming fight sequences. According to Diop, Starfire will finally fly, which has always been one of Kory's iconic abilities from the comics.

(Superhero Bits is a collection of stories, updates, and videos about anything and everything inspired by the comics of Marvel, DC, and more. For comic book movies, TV shows, merchandise, events, and whatever catches our eye, this is the place to find anything that falls through the cracks.)

In this edition of Superhero Bits:

The rumored drama with "Spider-Man: Freshman Year."

Amy Adams weighs in on returning as Lois Lane.

"Big Hero 6" director addresses a possible sequel.

The penultimate episode of "Stargirl" gets a trailer.

All that and more!

I Am Iron Man Series Announced By Marvel Comics

The greatest battles in Iron Man's history will be captured in a new comic book series from Marvel launching in March titled "I Am Iron Man." Writer Murewa Ayodele and artist Dotun Akande have teamed up on the book, which will be a five-issue miniseries. You can catch a glimpse at...

The suit. The cape. The "S." The perfectly quaffed hair. The square chin. "Superman: The Animated Series" neatly tucked all of Superman's signature features into a successful framework. The creators of "Batman: The Animated Series" brought their polished pedigree to the Man of Steel mythos — including Batman's darker tone, timeless vibe, and Art Deco design.

We've seen dark versions of Superman before with mixed results. In "Superman: The Animated Series," the darkness works because the story gives us a break from the heavy by mixing in lighthearted, bizarre, and cartoonish storylines and characters — some of which are among the best in the series. That's different from "Batman: The Animated Series," which maintains a mostly serious tone, even when the Joker frolics into frame.

It makes sense that "Superman: The Animated Series" is more out-of-this-world than Batman. Superman is an alien who fights oppression across the cosmos and meets interstellar beings...

Warning: Spoilers for Star Trek: Prodigy Season 1, Episode 14 - "Crossroads"Thadiun Okona (Billy Campbell) is back in Star Trek: Prodigy as the charming rogue makes his second canonical appearance since his introduction in the Star Trek: The Next Generation season episode named after him, "The Outrageous Okona." The teenage crew of the USS Protostar attempts to hide their starship on a frozen world and find a different way to make contact with Starfleet when they bump into Okona. Thadiun ends up on the run with the Protostar kids when they're chased by Admiral Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) and the USS Dauntless.

Okona may no longer be as outrageous as he was in Tng, but he still has a knack for inadvertently getting into trouble. In Star Trek: Prodigy's case, he was hiding in a transport that was commandeered by Dal R'El (Brett Gray), Gwyndala (Ella Purnell), and their friends,...

Warning: contains a preview of Milestone 30th Anniversary Special!DC's upcoming Milestone 30th Anniversary Special is still deep in production, but a new art tease sets up Batman Beyond's role in the hotly anticipated Static story. The initial announcement promised that Virgil would be meeting with a version of Terry McGinnis in his early days protecting Neo-Gotham. The newly released image adds on to this by showing just how much Terry is in need of help. Thankfully the Virgil Hawkins of Earth-12 is a well-seasoned hero by now, and well-equipped to watch out for the fledgling Batman Beyond.

Originally announced during this year's New York City Comic-Con, the Milestone 30th Anniversary Special one-shot is set to arrive at comics shelves sometime in 2023. The Static crossover story with Batman Beyond was framed as, "a short story featuring an older Virgil Hawkins and Terry [McGinnis] in his early days as Batman Beyond.

For the first time in 34 years, Billy Campbell reprises his role as Thadiun Okona in Star Trek: Prodigy, which he originally played in the Star Trek: The Next Generation season 2 episode, "The Outrageous Okona."

Although Okona was seen in a Star Trek: Lower Decks season 2 cameo, Campbell actually voices the lovable space rogue once more in Star Trek: Prodigy. Okona finds himself on the run with the young teenage heroes of the USS Protostar as they're pursued by Vice Admiral Kathryn Janeway.

Related: Star Trek Finally Does Its Own Version Of Galaxy Quest To Honor Tos

Screen Rant had the pleasure of interviewing Billy Campbell about his comeback as Okona in Star Trek: Prodigy, his Star Trek: The Next Generation memories, and whether he would reprise his other iconic role of Jordan Collier if there's a revival of The 4400.

Billy Campbell Discusses His Comeback As Okona In Star Trek: Prodigy...

Superman & Lois has shown that Clark Kent does not need to be tethered to his career at the Daily Planet. After appearing as a supporting player in the Arrowverse, Tyler Hoechlin's Clark Kent would come to headline his own series with Superman & Lois. From the beginning, Superman & Lois gave a complete tonal makeover to Hoechlin's Superman from his Arrowverse performances, with Superman & Lois' season 2 finale clarifying that it is set on a different Earth with Hoechlin playing a different Man of Steel.

Superman & Lois breaking from the Arrowverse is not the only way the show has put its own stamp on the Superman mythos. With Hoechlin's Superman shown as having protected Earth for 20 years, Clark Kent's time as a Daily Planet reporter is depicted in a very compartmentalized way. In lieu of his traditional journalism career, Superman & Lois has elected to both take Clark Kent back to his roots...

When Black Adam finally premiered, Dwayne Johnson has made it explicitly known that he has an immense interest in having his powerful anti-hero eventually going toe-to-toe with Superman in an ultimate battle of the gods. With this, Henry Cavill has taken to social media to announce that he is indeed returning to the role as the Man of Steel. DC film fans have rejoiced since the actor never fully got to shine amid criticisms from the early outings of the Dceu not living up to potential.

One person who is just as excited is Lois Lane herself, Amy Adams. Variety reports from the red carpet of the premiere of her new film, Disenchanted, which is set to release on Disney+. Adams, in an interview, expressed her enthusiasm over her former co-star returning to his iconic role,

Isn’t it exciting? I’m thrilled for [Cavill]. He’s such a wonderful Superman,...

Amy Adams, who played Lois Lane in the DC Universe, shares her reaction to Henry Cavill's Superman returning to the franchise. While Superman was the hero that kicked off the Dcu (formerly known as the Dceu) in 2013, Cavill's Man of Steel has been absent from the franchise since 2017's Justice League. However, the actor finally returned as the DC icon in the post-credits scene of Dwayne Johnson's Black Adam movie, which was only the first taste of the actor's new chapter in the Dcu.

During the red carpet event for Disenchanted, Adams was asked by Variety about Cavill finally coming back to the Dcu as Superman. After having starred as Lois besides Cavill's Superman in Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and Justice League, she has nothing but excitement for her co-star getting to don the iconic suit once again. According to Adams, she learned...

Amy Adams reveals if she will return as Dcu's Lois Lane following Henry Cavill's confirmed comeback as Superman. Alongside Cavill, Adams was one of the first main characters in Warner Bros.' comic book franchise, debuting the role of Lois in Zack Snyder's Man of Steel. Since then, the actor reprised the role two more times, in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League. But as the Dcu went through different twists and turns, Adams' future as Lois was cast in doubt. Between Cavill's return and James Gunn and Peter Safran now spearheading the franchise, however, many are wondering if Adams will also appear again in the Dcu.

Speaking with Variety during the red carpet premiere of Disenchanted, Adams finally speaks up about the matter. She reveals she is nothing but excited for Cavill's Dcu Superman return, but maintains she hasn't had talks about reprising Lois.

Amy Adams is weighing in on Henry Cavill’s surprise return as Superman.

“Isn’t it exciting?” Adams, who played Lois Lane to the British actor’s Man of Steel, said Wednesday at the premiere of “Disenchanted” in Hollywood when I asked about Cavill reprising his superhero role.

Adams said her husband, artist Darren Le Gallo, told her the news that Cavill appeared as Superman at the end of “Black Adam,” Dwayne Johnson’s adaptation of the DC comic.

“I’m thrilled for [Cavill],” Adams said. “He’s such a wonderful Superman so I’m very excited for him.”

Amy Adams reacts to Henry Cavill’s return as #Superman — and reveals if she would come back as Lois Lane. pic.twitter.com/YJKzpDZwfM

— Variety (@Variety) November 17, 2022

Adams insists she doesn’t know if she’s going to be back as Lois. “They haven’t spoken to me about it,” she said.

Warning: spoilers ahead of Superman: Space Age #2Everyone knows that Superman loves Lois Lane, but how many fans can explain why? As revealed in the out-of-continuity Black Label series Superman: Space Age, it was Lois Lane breaking the Watergate story that eventually led to Clark Kent revealing his true feelings for her.

Occupying the space that used to be the domain of the Elseworlds line, DC’s Black Label imprint gathers together the comics industry’s top talent and lets them tell stories with classic DC characters they wouldn’t otherwise be able to do in the main continuity. Written by Mark Russell with art by Mike and Laura Allred, Superman: Space Age depicts a world where Superman made his debut in the 1960s, with each subsequent issue depicting a different decade in a world where all the characters age in real time. Acting as something of a Forrest Gump for the superhero set,...

Superman might seem like an unchanging force in DC Comics, but he has changed drastically since his first appearance in Action Comics #1. Universally regarded as the origin of the superhero genre in American comics, Action Comics #1 features the strongman known as Superman—also known as the bumbling reporter Clark Kent. Despite the stable secret identity trope, much about Superman has changed in over eighty years, from his powers to his origin story.

DC has been publishing Superman stories continuously since his debut in 1938, and so the character has changed often over the years. Superman, of course, is still known in his daily life as Clark Kent, reporter for The Daily Planet. His supporting cast of characters is as large as it is charming: fellow reporter and Clark's wife, Lois Lane, and their son, Jon Kent; Superboy, Supergirl, and the Irons family; Jimmy Olsen, Perry White, Cat Grant, Bibbo Bibbowski—the list is practically endless.

Warning! This article contains Spoilers for Titans season 4.The appearance of one outspoken reporter in Titans season 4 has viewers wondering if the character was meant to be Lois Lane. This, coupled with the rules laid down regarding Titans' use of Lex Luthor, has many wondering if Warner Bros. has changed its policies regarding live-action adaptations of its DC Comics properties. WB once had a strict policy of only allowing one live-action incarnation of a character at a time and Titans handling of the Superman family of characters could indicate that policy is back in play.

The Titans season 4 episode "Mother Mayhem" opened with Conner "Superboy" Kent (Joshua Orpin) being arrested for the murder of Lex Luthor (Titus Welliver). The rest of the Titans learned about what had happened through a local news report, delivered by a dark-haired news anchor (Pip Dwyer). While the public seemed ready to assume the worst,...

Smallville stars Tom Welling and Erica Durance, who portrayed Clark Kent and Lois Lane, would love to explore the arc that was set up during their Arrowverse appearance. While Smallville pre-dated the Arrowverse, the crossover event Crisis on Infinite Earths made it part of the large Arrowverse multiverse, as Welling and Durance reprised their roles of Superman and Lois. During the multi-episode event, the crossover established Smallville as taking place on Earth-167 and followed Lois and Clark's lives nearly a decade after the series finale. Not only had Clark given up being Superman, but he and Lois were now parents of two daughters.

While the Arrowverse hasn't revisited the Smallville universe since the crossover, Welling and Durance are game to do more. During a recent appearance at the McM Comic Con in London (via Legendary Duo), the two Smallville leads were asked if they would ever be interested in revisiting...

Henry Cavill’s next Superman movie, which has yet to be officially announced, will mean the end of the Snyderverse. Five years after playing Superman for the last time in Justice League (2017), Henry Cavill returned to the role of the Man of Steel in Black Adam’s post-credits scene. Cavill has already teased that Black Adam’s post-credits scene is just the beginning of his Superman return and that Superman will have an exciting future in this new DC Universe. Though the Dceu is not being rebooted in the original sense of the world, it seems like Cavill’s Superman return is a new beginning for the character.

Between Henry Cavill confirming that there’s more to his Superman return than just Black Adam’s post-credits scene and the Superman actor exiting Netflix’s The Witcher, it is safe to say the Dcu has big plans for the Man of Steel.

Not only is Harley Quinn already renewed for a fourth season, but fans are getting a holiday special, to boot.

HBO Max announced on Friday that Harley Quinn: A Very Problematic Valentine’s Day Special will stream in February 2023.

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In addition to revealing how Harley (voiced by Kaley Cuoco) and Poison Ivy (Lake Bell) celebrate their...