batman

Hold onto your butts because that Joker origin movie just keeps getting wilder. According to a new report, Todd Phillips’ DCEU spinoff is taking a page from Martin Scorsese’s The King of Comedy, exploring how one desperate man’s failed career as a stand-up comic in the ’80s inspired him to become Batman’s most iconic villain. Is this a movie project or a series of escalating dares?

It seemed inevitable that something would have to give behind the scenes in the DCEU, and with the recent success of Wonder Woman, the hiring of Matt Reeves to helm The Batman, and Ben Affleck’s heavily-rumored departure — among other things — a major change felt imminent. That change has come, as a new report reveals that a huge shakeup is underway with the DCEU, with the head of the comic book film production division leaving his post, while the role of DC chief creative officer Geoff Johns will become “more advisory in nature.”

Batman Ninja sees Batman and his Bat-friends tossed back in time to feudal Japan.

Left confused by some of the weird plot holes and continuity errors in the latest DC movie? So were we.

Who needs Batman when you’ve got the police? Actually, considering current events and the history of police brutality, Batman would be much preferred to (and more fun than) cops. But alas, the Dark Knight must have been on vacation this week because it was the officers in uniform who apprehended the Joker’s real-life doppelganger.

Batman made his first comic book appearance in 1939, but it wasn’t until 1972 that the Mego Corporation got the bright idea to mass-produce a line of toys featuring the superhero and all his gadgets, vehicles, sidekicks, and adversaries. Ever since then, the character has been a staple of the toy aisle, even during the years when his comics weren’t selling so well.

At some point we’re all going to have to stop asking, “Is this real life?! Is this really happening right now?!” The daily proliferation of surreal news headlines will never feel normal (nor should they), but it’s the frequency our country is operating at now, and it will likely continue at this pitch for the next four years, which officially kicked off today. In the latest episode of The Surreal Life, Donald Trump basically plagiarized Bane, Tom Hardy’s mush-mouthed villain from The Dark Knight Rises, in his inauguration speech.

Good news: fans are finally getting their shot to lay claim to two highly sought-after pieces of comic book memorabilia, with George Reeves’ original Superman costume and the Batsuit worn by Michael Keaton during his stint as the Batman both up at auction until January 26. The bad news: you’re going to have to part with at least tens of thousands of dollars if you want to get your mitts on that spandex.

Rough year for Ben Affleck, noted Jennifer Garner spouse and one-time star of Gigli. His big starring vehicle Batman v Superman made a whole lot of money but was critically reviled almost across the board, his latest directorial effort Live by Night got a quiet and unceremonious limited release that was buried in the holiday craziness, he was spotted sadly vaping in a car, and now a pall of uncertainty has been cast over his future. He’s confirmed for Zack Snyder’s upcoming Justice League crossover, but Affleck’s relationship with the Dark Knight’s cowl and cape may be getting a bit strained. In a new interview, Affleck indicated that what was once presumed to be set in stone is, in fact, still up for debate.

A bonafide TV Batman may have become the holy grail for DC fans, between the Arrow-verse tiptoeing around direct reference to the Dark Knight, or Gotham languishing in its inability to wait for Bruce Wayne’s future. Supergirl even made our first direct reference to Gotham City, and may now have hinted at Tyler Hoechlin’s Superman working with a troubled, technologically skilled vigilante.