DC fans finally got their first look at the return of Michael Keaton’s Batman in the trailer for The Flash during Sunday’s big game. However, Keaton wasn’t the only version of Batman getting back into action. With Ben Affleck also donning the cape and cowl once more, fans are wondering what other versions of the Dark Knight we could see in the multiversal adventure. Hector heads to Gotham to investigate a fan theory that could see the Flash turn into DC’s answer to Spider-Man: No Way Home on today’s episode of Nerdist News!
More DC Comics News: https://nerdist.com/topic/dc/
Watch more Nerdist News: http://bit.ly/1qvVVhV
DC fans finally got their first look at the return of Michael Keaton’s Batman in the trailer for The Flash during Sunday’s big game. However, Keaton wasn’t the only version of Batman getting back into action. With Ben Affleck also donning the cape and cowl once more, fans are wondering what other versions of the Dark Knight we could see in the multiversal adventure. Hector heads to Gotham to investigate a fan theory that could see the Flash turn into DC’s answer to Spider-Man: No Way Home on today’s episode of Nerdist News!
More DC Comics News: https://nerdist.com/topic/dc/
Watch more Nerdist News: http://bit.ly/1qvVVhV
The Boys hit Prime Video back in 2019 and TV hasn’t been quite the same since. Over the past three seasons, we’ve watched a band of morally corrupt supes maim, kill, and completely destroy lives without remorse. And, no matter how much the Boys try to mitigate the Seven’s impact, it seems that nothing can stop the worst of them all—Homelander—from becoming an increasing threat. So, what does the future hold for these characters? That remains to be seen next season.
And, for those who fear that The Boys might wrap things up after season four, we have good news for you! Eric Kripke assures us that there will be more seasons to come. Also, it seems that season four is almost done shooting so that puts us one step closer to more action.
Cause you're asking! We've been shooting since late August. I'm here to prep & direct the Season 4 finale. No, not the series finale, there will be more! Most importantly, S4 premieres… at some point in the future in our discernible reality. @PrimeVideo@SPTVhttps://t.co/UgNBPZKlCT
Here’s everything else we know about The Boys season four so far.
The Boys Season Four’s Plot
Prime Video
Right now, there are little to no specific details about the plot. Based on the season three finale, we do know that the events of season four will center around a couple of key storylines. Homelander will be a terrible father to Ryan and Butcher will have to cope with his grim diagnosis. It remains to be seen how the other characters will weave into the events of The Boys season four. But, according to showrunner Eric Kripke’s interview with Deadline, the Gen V college spinoff will somehow affect the events of season four.
For now, we’re content with the fact that The Boys season four has officially begun to film. And we even have the title of its first episode.
“Department of Dirty Tricks” sounds like a promising start to what we’re sure we’ll be an even more shocking season of television than the previous three. And somehow, we will go from that to whatever the “assassination run” is several episodes later.
Showrunner Eric Kripke got fans hype with the revelation that season four’s eighth episode is called “Assassination Run.” It is about to be diabolical, indeed…
For now, we’re excited by our first good look at two new Supes coming onboard the show, according to Variety. Firecracker and Sister Sage now officially have superhero costumes and they look good. Not much is known about these two new characters, but Susan Heyward will play Sister Sage, and Valorie Curry will play Firecracker. We can’t wait for more details because they sure have caught our attention.
Meet Sage. She’s already a thousand steps ahead of you.
Additionally, Giancarlo Esposito is teasing us with hints that Stan Edgar will soon be back on our screens in The Boys season four. We definitely need that in our lives.
Eric Kripke will continue to be the showrunner for The Boys season four. And, the show began filming in August 2022.
The Boys Season Four’s Cast
The titular crew is coming back for another round with Karl Urban (Billy Butcher), Jack Quaid (Hughie Campbell), Tomer Capone (Frenchie), Karen Fukuhara (Kimiko), Laz Alonso (Mother’s Milk), and Erin Moriarty (Starlight) reprising their roles. From the evil supes (and those who support them) side, Antony Starr (Homelander), Jessie T. Usher (A-Train), Chace Crawford (The Deep), Colby Minifie (Ashley Barrett), and Claudia Doumit (Victoria Neuman) will return. Giancarlo Esposito will also make his way back onto the show. It’s not clear if Dominique McElligott will return as Queen Maeve. But we do know that Black Noir actor Nathan Mitchell will return as a new person in that infamous suit.
Some S4 supe news for ya. Join us congratulating our favorite lad Cameron Crovetti on his promotion to series regular, and give a warm Boys family welcome to @susanheyward as Sister Sage and @valoriecurry as Firecracker. pic.twitter.com/mgFQLx8IBs
In August 2022, Variety revealed that Cameron Crovetti—who plays Ryan—will be upped to a series regular. As mentioned above, newcomers Valorie Curry and Susan Hayward will portray Firecracker and Sister Sage. They are not comic book characters, so fans will have to wait and see how they fit into the season’s puzzle.
We also got major news that The Walking Dead‘s Jeffrey Dean Morgan will join the cast. The details about his character are a secret for now, so we will have to see if he’s a friend or foe.
In this week’s episode of the Black Girl Nerds Podcast we interview actor Skyla I’Lece and tech entrepreneur DeJuan Strickland.
Segment 1: Skyla’s will appear on the upcoming Disney+ basketball drama series, The Crossover. Poetry and basketball collide in this powerful new series about 14-year-old twin brothers who come of age on and off court, and this inspirational and emotional family drama is narrated through lyrical poetry. Skyla plays female lead ‘Alexis’ (known as ‘Miss Sweet Tea’ in the novel), a talented musician who has just moved back to the neighborhood and becomes intertwined with the twin brothers. NBA star LeBron James serves as an executive producer. The Crossover will debut on Disney Channel on April 4, 2023 then will drop the following day on Disney+.
Host: Ryanne
Segment 2: DeJuan Strickland is a 14-year old scholar who enjoys gaming, anime and comics. He has launched 2 comic books of his own called “Techboy” and “Science Girl”. He is a member of the National Black Society of Engineers Junior Chapter. He’s an advocate for anti-bullying and proceeds of his comic goes to the organization Therapy For Black Kids.
If seeing Viola Davis as General Nanisca in The Woman King piqued your curiosity about the fierce women who protected the Motherland, then African Queens: Njinga is the perfect next step. The docudrama is produced by Jada Pinkett Smith and narrated by her as well. There are four episodes, and each one interlaces drama and talking heads to tell the story of an unknown hero.
African Queens: Njinga was written by NneNne Iwuji and Peres Owino. Iwuji is a diplomat in Latin America and Africa. She’s also a studied filmmaker and novelist, working now on her debut work, Anika’s Daughter. Owino is an award-winning writer and director. She’s worked with the best in the business in bringing Black stories to life.
The talking heads include anthropologist Luke Pepera, University of Chicago assistant professor Mary Hicks, and more academics who support the on-screen narrative. Njinga’s story is full of twists and turns and is told in beautifully filmed vignettes that make the history lesson engaging and entertaining.
We open in 17th century Western Africa where we meet Njinga, who is a princess of Ndongo. She was a woman of language — speaking her native tongue and Portuguese — and quickly became a diplomat and trusted counsel to her father. While her father is battling nearby tribes and local enemies, the Portuguese are closing in. One of the first major expanding empires, the Portuguese are pilfering slaves to take to Brazil to work their overtaken valuable sugar plantations.
Njinga realizes the threat of the Portuguese and advocates that her father unite with other tribes to drive them out. There are nearby mercenaries that are starting to work with the Portuguese, and these distractions, along with turmoil within Njinga’s own community cause her complaints to fall on deaf ears. After tragedy strikes, she’s forced to put aside her feelings and use her cunning and political prowess to protect her people and save her nation.
Jada Pinkett Smith narrates all four parts and does so with a learned gravitas and soulful voice. She’s able to set the scene with warmth when it’s needed and with cool hardness in necessary moments. The project is her baby, and by creating a docudrama rather than a narrative feature, she eliminates the need for embellishment. When certain scenes are unclear, the episode shows you a version and then an academic speaks to the legitimacy of that possibility.
In order for a concept like this to work, you need to have a cast that is up to the challenge. Playing Njinga is Adesuwa Oni. She’s relatively new to acting, with small roles in The Witcher and 400 Bullets. Though she may not be as seasoned, she brings passion and energy to the role of Njinga. She showcases not just her strength, but her vulnerabilities as well. Njinga soars off the page and becomes a true queen right before your eyes due to Oni’s thoughtful performance.
Another thing African Queens: Njinga does well is talk about the behaviors of the men of the tribe using the focus of today’s mental wellness studies. The king may have seemed indecisive and Njinga’s brother may seem psychopathic, but when framed in the very real depression that both appeared to suffer from, it adds context. To go through something like that is one thing, but to do so without having the language to understand why there was such a drastic change in mood and/or personality is different, especially when the backdrop of fighting slavery is added.
The episodes are shot beautifully and help tell the story almost as much as the words. The colors are bright, and the tribes are represented in ways that are distinct and each are given their own character. The only mild misgiving is the “when in doubt make them British” approach to accents, but it’s forgivable and only a small thing when put with the series as a whole.
African Queens: Njinga has the power to spark conversations and cause a thirst in those seeking more knowledge outside of what is taught in schools. There’s been a newly awakened focus on African royalty, and the kingdoms and tribes that existed where lies of poverty and destitution once lay. Along with this knowledge comes the fleshing out and humanization of these complex characters. We learn that before there was “Black” and before “African” there were Ndongoans, Matambans, and Kabasians. They were learned and educated people who were adept in trade and business. They also had faults and blindspots just like any historical dynasty or kingdom.
There’s a phrase that says, “If you want to be it, you need to see it.” Having something like this for a new generation to see is key important to guaranteeing the next form of African ancestral royalty is just around the corner. The series is both education and inspiration and well worth the watch. It’s something the whole family can watch and only contains some mildly suggestive themes. But it’s a series that will spark conversation and a hunger for more knowledge.
African Queens: Njinga premieres February 15, 2023, on Netflix.