deerstalker

Although it will be some time before we see David Corenswet in the full Kal-El regalia for James Gunn’s Superman (no longer Superman: Legacy) we did get a preview of a very important part of the costume — the ‘S’ shield emblem of the Last Son of Krypton. Although the photo released by James Gunn on social media on Clark Kent’s birthday doesn’t give us a full view of it, we have a pretty good idea of what the symbol looks like now. It draws inspiration from three distinct eras of Superman. Some from the pages of DC Comics, and some from other media. Here are the principal design influences on the new Superman ‘S’ shield.

Kingdom Come Superman

The first Superman ‘S’ Shield that the new emblem recalls is the one artist Alex Ross designed for the series Kingdom Come. That 1996 mini-series by writer Mark Waid was about an older Superman, one who retired from being a hero after a personal tragedy. This is a darker Superman, so the yellow in the emblem was replaced with black. But the very minimalist ‘S’ shape is present in the version of Gunn’s design. We actually have seen this design in live-action before. Brandon Routh used it in the Arrowverse Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover event in 2019. At first, it was a direct copy of the Kingdom Come look. By the end, it was a version in the traditional Superman colors. One of the first teases Gunn released on social media when he took over DC Studios was an image from Kingdom Come. Now we know why.

Golden Age/Fleischer Animated Superman

The yellow trim outside the ‘S’ shield goes back to the earliest days of the comics. About two years after Superman debuted in 1938’s Action Comics #1, his emblem began to be a black triangle with a big red ‘S’ in the center, surrounded by a yellow trim. The yellow trim didn’t last that long in print. But they used it in a major milestone in non-comics Superman media. We’re talking about the 1940s-era Fleischer cartoons, which ran as afternoon serials. These shorts were extremely popular, and a big influence on the look and design of Batman: The Animated Series. Although the comics quickly pivoted away from the yellow trim, it’s clearly present in the costume design David Corenswet is going to wear.

The Classic Superman Emblem

Finally, the color scheme for this Superman looks to be pretty classic. The iconic Superman emblem most people know, worn by Christopher Reeve and seen on countless pieces of merchandise, made its debut in 1944. And it mostly stuck around for decades after, undergoing only minor revisions. Red and yellow is how we mostly think of the Superman emblem today. So far, it seems that Gunn is sticking to that aesthetic. Although it’s hard to say, the color palette does look more muted than the classic version. It’s akin to the one worn by Henry Cavill in Man of Steel, or Tyler Hoechlin in Superman and Lois. However, that could be lighting. The actual suit colors might “pop” a lot more than what we see in the image.

Superman hits theaters on July 11, 2025.

The post The Comic Book Influences of Superman’s New ‘S’ Shield appeared first on Nerdist.

Jesse Eisenberg’s A Real Pain premiered at the Sundance Film Festival 2024 earlier this week. The comedy-drama follows mismatched cousins David (Eisenberg) and Benji (Kieran Culkin) as they reunite for a tour through Poland to honor their beloved grandmother. The adventure takes a turn when the pair’s old tensions resurface against the backdrop of their family history.

Written and directed by star Jesse Eisenberg (When You Finish Saving the World), this is his second directorial feature. A Real Pain is somewhat based on Eisenberg’s family history with the movie being filmed in some locations linked to Eisenberg’s family origins in Poland. That gives it an added emotional layer.

Jesse Eisenberg’s (The Social Network) David plays his usual neurotic character. Being an anxious person myself, I find watching him makes me feel even more anxious. The character seems close to his real-life persona and thus is one that feels very real.

Although A Real Pain is written, directed, and starring Jesse Eisenberg, it feels very much like it’s all about Kieran Culkin (Succession). Benji is a livelier character, he has more highs and lows than David. He brings a lot of emotion to what is, understandably, a very somber holocaust tour. It’s not too far away from Culkin’s Roman in Succession, it’s a role he fills with aplomb.

A Real Pain is very much about the two cousins. The rest of the tour group isn’t given a lot to do within the tight 90-minute runtime. Will Sharpe’s (The White Lotus) tour guide James provides a lot of context for the audience as well as the tour group. He does well with what is essentially an exposition role.

The film is beautifully shot by Michal Dymek (EO), he shows the beauty of the architecture of Poland in a simple yet stylish way. The classical music that accompanies it is perfect for the tone of the film. It’s also not overplayed during some of the more emotional parts of the film, leaving the images to do the talking.

A Real Pain isn’t a 5-star film for me but it’s a strong effort. I didn’t get enough to explain the tension between the cousins, that seemed a little vague. The images of the concentration camp hit hard, they are perfectly shown without over explaining or lingering too long. The film sure has its emotional moments but as a whole it didn’t click perfectly.

The film was bought by Searchlight for $10 million, to be released later this year in theatres. I think A Real Pain is worth watching, it has some good moments and Culkin’s performance is great. Eisenberg has shown promise as a director in both of his features. His future efforts will be worth looking out for.

The post Sundance 2024: Kieran Culkin Stars in Jesse Eisenberg’s ‘A Real Pain’ appeared first on The Nerd Element.

BGN interviews the cast and crew of the latest Blumhouse horror film Imaginary.

Featured in the interviews are: DeWanda Wise, Taegen Burns, Pyper Braun, Producer Jason Blum and Director Jeff Wadlow.

When Jessica (DeWanda Wise) moves back into her childhood home with her family, her youngest step daughter Alice (Pyper Braun) develops an eerie attachment to a stuffed bear named Chauncey she finds in the basement. Alice starts playing games with Chauncey that begin playful and become increasingly sinister. As Alice’s behavior becomes more and more concerning, Jessica intervenes only to realize Chauncey is much more than the stuffed toy bear she believed him to be.

Interviewer: Jamie Broadnax

Video Editor: Jamie Broadnax

Imaginary premieres in theaters nationwide March 8th.

Miikka Skaffari/Getty Images By Victoria Uwumarogie ·

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