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By now, you’re probably still on a head high from the electric six-episode premiere of Marvel’s Ironheart last month. If you’re anything like us, you’re itching for more of Riri Williams and her squad, but a second season is simply too far away. Although not confirmed, we’re all hoping we will see more of Ironheart in next year’s Avengers: Doomsday, but that, too, is a little ways away. So what can you do in the meantime to get more of Riri and her wild adventures? We’ve gathered a list of a few comic book runs that’ll allow you to dive deeper into her character, her origin story, and might even hint at where Marvel Studios may take her character next. 

Invincible Iron Man Vol. 3 (2016)

Every hero has their beginning, and for Riri, it was in the seventh issue of Invincible Iron Man #3 in 2023. Sidenote: that was a mere 10 years ago, so this would mark one of the fastest introductions of a character that led to a film or series shortly after. While she is briefly teased as an MIT student, we get a glimpse of our future Ironheart building what looks to be armor similar to War Machine. We later learn more about Riri, including how she is a bit more unconventional in her ways of coming across materials for her projects (in other words, she steals them). She eventually catches the eye of Tony Stark and the rest is history.

In the ninth issue she suited up for the first time, so it’s quite a moment to see her humble beginning from broke genius to determined hero. While this is essentially our first encounter with Riri, it isn’t her breakout run of comic books. Still worth the read if you want to know her origin through and through.

Ironheart (2018) 

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This series hits a little different as it was written by the talented Eve Ewing, whom added to the experience of a Black female character. Ironheart was released in 2018 and was Riri’s first solo series that fully allowed readers to peel back the layers of her story and who she is as a person. These issues will take you on a rollercoaster of emotions as we see Riri determined to make a name for herself through her journey. Many fans of the character will tell you this is THE series to read if you want to start anywhere as it truly captivates every trial and tribulation she had to go through to end up fighting alongside some of the strongest heroes. She also crosses paths with Miles Morales, which is an exciting moment as we are eagerly await their teamup on screen. While we currently don’t have an actor cast as a live-action Miles, many fans have called for Into the Spider-Verse’s, Shameik Moore to take on the role.

Champions (2019)

By now, it has been four years since Riri caught people’s eye and now she has been tapped to fight alongside a younger group of heroes called Champions. The final issues in the series are complete fan favorites as Mephisto’s son, Blackheart, manages to control Riri and turn her against her Champion squad. If you watched the series (which, who hasn’t by now), then you know Sacha Baron-Cohen was introduced as Mephisto, so this storyline being adapted in future projects isn’t a long shot at all.

The Ms. Marvel-led team battle Blackheart in issue #10 is quite an exhilarating read. Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige made several comments that lead audiences that he has learned a lot from past abysmal releases, so he might have the juice to deliver what the fans really want with these upcoming projects. Fantastic Four: First Steps is a good example of the Marvel Studios team really showcasing how invested they are in doing this right. In an interview with Empire Magazine, he said, “I was around for those early Fantastic Four movies… and like all of the pre-MCU movies, I learned a lot. I always thought, if we ever got creative autonomy ourselves, we might do things a little differently… It was a different time… there was still a bit of a fear of being silly.” With that being said, no official word has hit the street, but IMDb has a Champions series listed under Ironheart star Dominique Thorne’s credits, sparking a lot of conversation.

Infamous Iron Man #8 (2017)

This is an interesting read that not only could possibly tease what happens with Riri, but might also give some clues into what Doomsday could tap into. Infamous Iron Man features Victor von Doom donning the Iron Man armor while Stark is deep in a coma. Riri attempts to defend his image and, while we have no official word whether Thorne will reprise her role in Doomsday, it would be s tragic miss if they don’t allow the idea to play out on screen that Robert Downey Jr. is the actor behind Doom and Stark. These issues show Riri’s drive and strong will to do the right thing, and she is determined to take down Doctor Doom as he seeks to tarnish Iron Man’s legacy. Her heart and soul is on full display, so this run of comic books is a must to truly learn about our girl.

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Before we proceed, please beware: this discussion contains some spoilers ahead, so if you haven’t seen Superman yet, you might want to skip this piece. If you’ve seen the movie, or simply don’t care, you’re more than welcome to join us as we explore why Supergirl needs to be completely different from a Superman movie.

The recently released Superman (previously titled Superman: Legacy), by James Gunn, has taken the world by storm, as it continues its screenings worldwide. This new film introduces the audience to the brand-new era of the DC Universe, which deliberately reimagines Krypton’s legacy (hence the original title), and the heroes who survived its destruction. The new Superman, perhaps the most comic-accurate of them all, is everything we’ve come to expect from the Man of Steel. He’s kind, compassionate, and was raised by Kents to have an unwavering moral compass.

However, we’re not here to discuss the hopeful tone of Superman’s story, but the striking cameo that takes place near the end of the film’s 130-minute runtime. Yes, we’re here to discuss the appearance of Kara Zor-El, aka Supergirl, portrayed by Milly Alcock of Upright and House of the Dragon. Her version of the character establishes Kara Zor-El as a very different kind of Kryptonian, which will undoubtedly demand an entirely different approach to her own story in the upcoming Supergirl, scheduled to release in 2026.

During her brief appearance at the end of Superman, Kara Zor-El basically crash-lands into the Fortress of Solitude, visibly drunk. It’s clear, right from the start, that this isn’t the innocent, sweet, and often well-behaved Kara that most of us know. Instead, she stumbles around, swears, and even calls Superman, her cousin, a bi*ch, while sarcastically thanking him for taking care of her dog Krypto while she was out “adventuring”. This explains the foster situation Superman alluded to earlier in the movie.

Whatever the case may be, this clearly isn’t the polished hero we’ve come to expect from her previous iterations, such as Melissa Benoist’s optimistic portrayal in CW’s Supergirl, or Helen Slater’s less super version. This seems to be an angry teenager with plenty of emotional baggage that she’s trying to drown in unhealthy behavior. So, what gives, and how did we end up with such a different version of a beloved character? Well, our first clue lies in the title of the upcoming Supergirl movie.

While Superman was originally supposed to be Superman: Legacy, the original title of the upcoming Supergirl film was Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow. While this may not sound like much, comic book fans can recognize the connection with the Woman of Tomorrow comic, an eight-issue limited series by Bilquis Everly and Tom King from 2021. This comic book series is actually being adapted into the upcoming 2026 film.  

Unlike typical portrayals of Kara in the comics, which ranged from cheerful and optimistic to more rebellious and headstrong, the Woman of Tomorrow version of the character is far more hardened and emotionally scarred by her experiences. Namely, the Woman of Tomorrow comic book series portrays Kara as a wandering hero traveling from one red-sunned planet to another. The exposure to red suns strips Kara of her superhuman powers, and allows her to inebriate herself to dull her pain of seeing Krypton destroyed.

One of the key differences between Superman and Supergirl is that she remembers their home world, because she was actually born before Kal-El, whom we also know as Clark Kent, or Superman. She was actually a teenager when Krypton was destroyed. While Kal was sent away as a baby, she survived the destruction of Krypton thanks to her father, who built a protective shield around their hometown of Argo City. Sadly, that shielding was destroyed by a meteor swarm, which is why Kara’s parents, Zor-El and Allura, decided to send their 15-year-old daughter to Earth.

Regardless of the continuity, she arrives on Earth much later than Kal-El, and thanks to the power of suspended animation, she’s still basically a teenager when she arrives, even though her baby cousin is now an adult. So, not only does Kara remember Krypton’s destruction, she also had to watch everyone around her wither and perish in some horrible way, which is the source of her trauma, and Woman of Tomorrow is basically about Supergirl dealing with her trauma in a much different way than most superheroes.

So, while Clark arrived on Earth as a baby and had never experienced Krypton’s downfall first hand, Kara’s experience was quite different. By the time she reaches Earth, she is no longer a hopeful child in need of guidance but a young woman scarred by unimaginable loss. This is what shapes the personality we witnessed at the end of Superman. This is why her solo movie, the upcoming Supergirl, can’t rely on the same formula Gunn used for Superman’s story. And the backdrop we were introduced to allows the upcoming narrative to be different.

Instead of providing us with a gender-swapped version of Superman, Gunn now has the opportunity to explore themes that Superman rarely does. These could include the gray areas of justice, the damaging effects of anger and blind fury, and the challenge of retaining one’s kind heart after they have witnessed so much suffering. And in order to tell that story right, Supergirl needs to be fundamentally different from the recently released Superman.

The post Why a ‘Supergirl’ Film Needs to Be Completely Different from a ‘Superman’ Movie appeared first on Black Girl Nerds.

Water. Earth. Fire. Air. Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony. Then everything changed when a new Avatar: The Last Airbender movie was announced. Yes, we’re getting a cinematic outing that will continue the story of all our favorite characters from the original series. The Gaang, a.k.a Aang, Katara, Sokka, Zuko, Toph, and company, will grace our screens again in a brand new movie titled, The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender.

In big news, Zuko’s new voice actor in The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender has been revealed, and it’s Steven Yeun. Yeun has big shoes to fill when it comes to Zuko’s character because Dante Basco, the original voice of Zuko is quite beloved. We’re excited to see what Steven Yeun will do with Zuko’s character.

Here’s everything we know about the new Avatar: The Last Airbender movie.

Title

The new Avatar: The Last Airbender animated movie finally revealed its new name. The Avatar: The Last Airbender movie is now officially titled The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender. That’s not much of a change from the working title Aang: The Last Airbender, but hey, why not?

The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender Movie‘s Plot

Not much has been revealed about the plot of the Avatar: The Last Airbender movie. However, a glimpse at artwork from the film revealed at CinemaCon 2023 showed us all our favorite characters looking a little older than we left them. Possibly the group in The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender is somewhere in their late 20s. That will certainly be an interesting age to explore the dynamics between them all.

We assume the movie will reveal to us Aang, Zuko, and pals’ continued quest to bring peace to the four nations after the intense upheaval Fire Lord Ozai wreaked upon the world. A lot still needs fixed, after all. We hope this movie can continue the series’ legacy of delivering exactly the right story to its fans.

Additionally, we know that this movie is one of three animated Avatar movies that Nickelodeon’s Avatar Studios will create. Avatar Studios is “a newly formed division designed to create original content spanning animated series and movies based on the beloved world of Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra.” We don’t know, however, if the movies will serve as sequels to one another or each will be a stand-alone.

The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender Movie‘s Cast

We know that Dave Bautista and Eric Nam will headline the voice cast of the new Avatar: The Last Airbender animated movie. Bautista will play a villain in the film, while Nam will voice Aang. Joining this pair in the voice cast are Dionne Quan, Jessica Matten, Steven Yeun, and Roman Zaragoza. We don’t yet know who they will play in The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender.

We don’t have any word yet on whether we’ll see some of our original favorites reprise their roles or in any other capacity. But we do feel like Dante Basco is Zuko.

Recently, Toph’s original voice actress Michaela Jae Murphy, also knowns as Jessie Flower, noted she didn’t believe the original cast would return. However, there’s not yet an official confirmation of this statement. Hopefully, our original actors will have a role to play yet.

Behind the Scenes 

Lauren Montgomery will direct the Avatar: The Last Airbender movie. Additionally, series co-creators Bryan Konietzko and Michael DiMartino will produce the film alongside Eric Coleman.

The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender Movie‘s Release Date

One thing we do know is when we can expect the new Avatar: The Last Airbender animated movie. The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender will release on January 20, 2026.

Originally published on May 2, 2023.

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Despite helping create modern geek culture as we know it today with Star Wars, George Lucas himself had never attended a single Comic-Con in San Diego in its fifty-year history. Until 2025, that is. And it wasn’t his space fantasy saga that finally brought him to Hall H. He came to promote his major passion project of the last decade — the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, set to open in Los Angeles in 2026. Joining him on the panel were Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro, who is on the museum’s board of directors, and Lucasfilm concept artist Doug Chiang. Moderating the SDCC panel with del Toro and George Lucas was musician and sci-fi superfan Queen Latifah. You can watch the full 44-minute panel below:

George Lucas co-founded his Museum of Narrative Art with his wife, businesswoman Mellody Hobson. The project was first announced in 2017, and cities like San Francisco and Chicago turned it down. Los Angeles finally became the home city of the museum. Since film is a big component of narrative art the museum celebrates, it’s only fitting that it’s adjacent to Hollywood. All the art on display will be narrative in nature, meaning film, comics, magazine illustrations, even cave paintings. Anything that uses art as a storytelling format. So, probably no Jackson Pollock on display. In Lucas’ own words from the SDCC panel, this will become “Sort of a temple to the people’s art.” And this temple, designed by Ma Yansong, looks like a spaceship landing in the middle of L.A.

The panel opened with a video narrated by Samuel L. Jackson, which gave the fans in Hall H a sneak peek at the museum. Which, of course, contains many Star Wars items from the Lucasfilm archives. Among the other items in the museum from Lucas’ own collection is the first drawing of Flash Gordon from 1934. Also, several original panels of Charlie Brown comics from artist Charles Schulz, and early Marvel drawings, including Black Panther. Unlike most celebrity art collectors, Lucas revealed at the SDCC panel that he never sold any of his acquisitions. Now, the 81-year-old icon says, “What am I going to do with it all? I refuse to sell it. I could never do that.”

Del Toro’s own home, “Bleak House,” also has a metric ton of art from film and comics he’s collected. But after nearly losing them in the fires that raged in Southern California earlier this year, he revealed that “Now that the museum exists, a lot of it may go there.” It’s fitting that Comic-Con is where this panel occurred, as comics are a huge part of modern storytelling art. Guillermo del Toro reminded the crowd, “Comics were the first ones to punch Nazis. Before movies.” Doug Chiang, now a production designer at Lucasfilm, said he got into art via inspiration from comics as a child.

Toward the end of the SDCC panel, Lucas said, “Society cannot exist without a common belief system. And that’s where illustration is vital to show you what that means in everyday life. Science fiction is a myth, but we have made it real. Humans made it real because of science fiction books and art that makes people say, ‘Oh, we could go to the moon,’ and once that idea is implemented, then we believe we could do it… (In science fiction) you can’t depend on what we know, but you can be inspired by what we think we know.”

The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art opens to the public sometime in early 2026.

The post George Lucas, Queen Latifah, and Guillermo del Toro Walk Into an SDCC Panel… (Watch the Video) appeared first on Nerdist.