This article is part of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/upstream" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Upstream</a>, The Daily Wire’s new home for culture and lifestyle. Real human insight and human stories — from our featured writers to you.
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Even if you&#8217;ve never seen &#8220;The Boys,&#8221; you’ve probably come across the face of Anthony Starr as Homelander, an evil parody of Superman. He gave us one last meme this past week as Amazon’s superhero series reached its conclusion after five seasons. In the climactic confrontation between the antihero Billy Butcher and Homelander, Homelander is stripped of his powers, exposed as a fraud on live television, and forced to grovel on his knees for his life — a plea that is not granted.
After his gruesome demise, is righteous order restored to the land? No. In a subsequent scene, the antihero Billy Butcher is murdered by another cynical comrade who once fought side by side with Billy in their rebellion. Fans of the show complained about its unsatisfactory ending, but this sense of emptiness and the nagging feeling of despair that linger even after the story has ended are actually the most appropriate feelings for the postmodern ideology on which this series was built.
&#8220;The Boys&#8221; is a textbook “deconstruct the superhero myth” trope, and it is far from being new or edgy. Arguably, the original and greatest of superhero-deconstruction stories was Alan Moore’s &#8220;Watchmen&#8221; comic book series, which debuted in 1986. In that same year, Frank Miller’s &#8220;The Dark Knight Returns&#8221; portrayed Superman as a dopey stooge for an evil President Ronald Reagan. The original source material for &#8220;The Boys&#8221; series was a comic book series that debuted in 2006.
All of these stories are motivated by the same core ethos of postmodern thought: the suspicion of power. Power corrupts, institutions lie, and every grand story you’ve been told about what’s “good and evil” is just propaganda written by the “oppressor” — this has been the “anti-story” of pop-culture postmodernism over the past 40 years. In this anti-story, there are no true virtuous heroes. The new “hero” is the anti-hero who exposes the lies, rages against the machine, and takes down the powerful.
The pitch is seductive because it isn&#8217;t entirely wrong. Power can, and often does, corrupt. Institutions regularly betray our trust. The heroes you once thought were Superman — whether it was a teacher, parent, pastor, or politician — can have moral failures. There really are Homelanders out there.
But here&#8217;s where &#8220;The Boys,&#8221; and the worldview it dramatizes, runs out of road.
What do you do after you expose Homelander? Now what? 
Who leads the rebuilding efforts after the ruin? Who flies into the burning building tomorrow? Who do the kids on the playground want to be when they grow up? The show has no answer because the worldview underneath it has no answer. 
Long before postmodernism moved into the pop culture mainstream, C.S. Lewis understood that the ideologies of deconstruction — whether Marxist, postmodern, or what many might call “wokism” today — ultimately fail. Lewis argued that we can only know a crooked line because we’ve seen a straight line, and being stuck trying to “see through” everything forever without ever seeing to something better was only a form of blindness. 
Deconstruction, treated as the only noble act, can never have a satisfactory ending. Why? Because it only knows that it should be against something; it is always in rebellion, always trying to expose and tear down. If you believe hierarchies are inherently oppressive, your rebellion never ends. There can never be an end like J.R.R. Tolkien’s &#8220;The Return of the King,&#8221; where a just and righteous king restores order to the land. You never get that original &#8220;Star Wars&#8221; trilogy moment when darkness is dispelled and the light redeems a fallen republic. 
The award-winning writer David Foster Wallace was well acquainted with the “patricidal” nature of the postmodern anti-story. He called living in this state of perpetual cynicism and deconstruction being stuck as a “third-world rebel.” The “third-world rebel” is permanently in opposition, permanently tearing down, and permanently incapable of building.
We’ve been stuck in this cultural anti-story for 40 years, and it is why so many people in our cultural moment feel exhausted without being able to name why. They&#8217;ve been handed an anti-story to live in that has only a critical mode. It can spot the lie in every institution, the power play behind every story, the manipulation in every appeal to virtue — and then it stands there in the rubble with nothing to offer. No next steps to a positive reconstruction. No vision of the good worth aspiring toward.
The good news is that something has begun to shift in our culture. People are tired of the endless cynicism and the perpetual rebellion sold to them as “progress.” Hopefully, &#8220;The Boys&#8221; finale is the last we see of the “deconstruct the superhero myth” genre for a long time. We’re ready for positive reconstruction and cultural renewal. 
But to get there, we have to be willing to take the risk of hope and faith again. We need to recover and retell stories of virtuous heroes, sacrificial saviors, and ordinary men and women who walk the path of light. We need more than just a Homelander to rail against; we need a Superman to aspire to.
***
Paul Anleitner is a cultural theologian whose work focuses on the role of culture and story in our quest for meaning. He is the author of “Based on a True Story: Vibe Shifts, the End of Deconstruction, and the Reboot of Meaning.”

Antony Starr (Homelander)

The Anti-Hero Era May Have Finally Gone Too Far

Amazon

Comics

Superheroes

Upstream

Marvel and DC comic writer Deniz Camp seemingly posted his disappointment about President Trump’s assassin failing at his mission, then backtracked and faced even more criticism for playing dumb.
It all started when Camp posted on X, “Missed again :(” just after news broke over the weekend that there had been an assassination attempt at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington, D.C., Saturday night.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Missed again 🙁
— Deniz Camp (@DenizCamp) <a href="https://twitter.com/DenizCamp/status/2048217802289369538?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 26, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
His comments were immediately flooded with outraged followers, even fellow leftists who were disgusted by the seeming celebration of violence.
“Pretty sickening to see a writer I once admired wishing death on the President of the United States,” one reply said.
“Bravo on the all-time self-own. Heroism and hope in your comics, pure glee at political murder in your tweets. Mask fully torched. Exactly why comics suck now and nobody cares what you &#8216;creatives&#8217; think anymore. Enjoy the backlash and canceled orders,” another commenter <a href="https://x.com/RiftWatcher73/status/2048795499042410762">wrote</a>.
Instead of deleting the post or apologizing, Camp made the claim that he was talking about something else entirely.
Follow up tweets included one that said, “I am so bad at darts!” alongside a stock image of a dartboard with darts not hitting their mark, and another that said, “People are really passionate about darts.”
No one in the comments believed that Camp was posting about darts. Many X users tagged DC and Marvel in the posts.
Camp is a comic book writer who has worked across Marvel, DC, and independent publishers. He wrote for “The Ultimates” for Disney-owned Marvel and contributed to X-Men-related projects. He&#8217;s also the writer of “Absolute Martian Manhunter” for DC’s “Absolute Universe” line. His independent work includes “Assorted Crisis Events” and “20th Century Men,” <a href="https://geeksandgamers.com/deniz-camp-trump/">per</a> Geeks and Gamers.
Meanwhile, actor and Trump critic Ben Stiller faced similar backlash for a social post that got misinterpreted and does seem to be a mistake, according to Community Notes.
Prominent figures including Congresswoman Nancy Mace and Richard Grenell came after Stiller when he <a href="https://x.com/BenStiller/status/2048203719846633967">posted</a> “Got it done” about 20 minutes after the would-be assassin breached security at the Washington Hilton. But his post also coincided with the end of the Knicks game.
“Ben Stiller’s post refers to the New York Knicks’ 114-98 playoff win over the Atlanta Hawks, as shown by his preceding Knicks post and the game recap,” the note clarified.

Deniz Camp

Marvel Comics Writer’s Two-Word Tweet Ignites Firestorm After Assassination Attempt

assassination attempt

Disney

Donald Trump

Entertainment

General

Marvel

U.S.

Anyone who relished 1978’s “Superman: The Movie” winced over the saga’s fourth installment, 1987’s “The Quest for Peace.”
That didn’t erase the mark Christopher Reeve left on the Man of Steel and pop culture writ large. Iconic. Then and now.
<div id="attachment_930427" style="width: 471px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-930427" class="size-large wp-image-930427" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-166979319-461x576.jpg" alt="Superman, played by American actor Christopher Reeve (1952 - 2004), holds a green crystal at the Fortress of Solitude, in a promotional still from 'Superman', directed by Richard Donner, 1978. (Photo by Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images)" width="461" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-166979319-461x576.jpg 461w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-166979319-240x300.jpg 240w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-166979319-768x960.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-166979319.jpg 819w" sizes=" (max-width: 461px) 100vw, 461px" />Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images</div>
So, after Marvel’s “Iron Man” blew the doors off the box office in 2008 and ignited Hollywood’s new superhero craze, it made sense to bring the DC Comics hero back to theaters.
He’s arguably the most recognizable hero in the men in tights genre, dating back to the late 1930s. So why can’t the industry get Superman right?
Here’s hoping director James Gunn does just that with the latest “Superman.” The summer’s most anticipated release casts relative newcomer David Corenswet (“Twisters”) as the Krypton native. Early <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhUht6vAsMY">trailers</a> suggest a lighter tone and emphasis on humor as much as rock ‘em, sock ‘em action.
<div id="attachment_930429" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-930429" class="size-large wp-image-930429" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/MixCollage-06-Jun-2025-11-20-AM-503-1024x576.jpg" alt="David Corenswet. &quot;Superman&quot; 2025. Photo by Courtesy of Warner Bros. Copyright: Warner Bros." width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/MixCollage-06-Jun-2025-11-20-AM-503-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/MixCollage-06-Jun-2025-11-20-AM-503-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/MixCollage-06-Jun-2025-11-20-AM-503-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/MixCollage-06-Jun-2025-11-20-AM-503-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/MixCollage-06-Jun-2025-11-20-AM-503-2048x1152.jpg 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Photo by Courtesy of Warner Bros. Copyright: Warner Bros.</div>
Why is it so hard to make the Man of Steel as popular as the Hulk or Thor on movie screens? 
We’ve had endless small-screen Supermen, from George Reeves’ ‘50s era here to Dean Cain in the rom-com-ish ‘90s series “Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman.”
The first major attempt at Superman came two years before Robert Downey, Jr. kick-started the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The 2006 film “Superman Returns” deployed a Reeve doppelganger (Brandon Routh) but underwhelmed at the box office.
Something was missing, and not just the “American Way.” The film ditched the hero’s signature phrase, “Truth, Justice and the American Way” to placate foreign audiences or the industry’s Left-leaning sensibilities.
By the time Warner Bros. hired Henry Cavill to play Clark Kent the superhero craze was in full swing, but this wasn’t your father’s Superman. Cavill’s “Man of Steel” (2013) was conflicted, a far cry from Reeve’s Boy Scout persona. Even the legendary suit’s colors were muted, a darker shade to reflect his inner turmoil.
<div id="attachment_930431" style="width: 812px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-930431" class="size-large wp-image-930431" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-171517650-802x576.jpg" alt="SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - JUNE 25: (EUROPE AND AUSTRALASIA OUT) British actor Henry Cavill poses during a photo shoot on June 25, 2013 in Sydney, Australia. Cavill is in Australia to promote his new superman film 'Man of Steel'. (Photo by Chris Pavlich/Newspix/Getty Images)" width="802" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-171517650-802x576.jpg 802w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-171517650-300x215.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-171517650-768x551.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-171517650.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 802px) 100vw, 802px" />Chris Pavlich/Newspix/Getty Images</div>
The film made millions, but it didn’t rock the culture like Reeve did in the late 1970s nor did it generate a direct sequel. Cavill starred in “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” (2016) and “Justice League” (2017).
Cavill made a Superman cameo in the 2022 disappointment “Black Adam” before learning he was out of the DCEU (DC Extended Universe).
It’s not surprising that Hollywood has struggled to make Superman “Superman.” Antiheroes are all the rage in Tinsel Town, from Tony Soprano to the misfit warriors of “Thunderbolts*” and two “Suicide Squad” films.
It’s hard to make a Boy Scout-like hero pop off the screen in our cynical age. The writing must be rich and detailed, showcasing layers that make the “aw, shucks” heroism matter. Antiheroes offer far more shades of gray and opportunities to grab our attention. That’s what Walter White did for five mesmerizing seasons of “Breaking Bad.”
“Say my name!”
Goody two-shoes characters aren’t hip in the eyes of many screenwriters. White hat heroes need not apply. How many recent films have glorified hit men, paid assassins who serve as judge, jury and executioner? The “John Wick” saga is the tip of that morally dubious iceberg.
So where does that leave this summer’s Superman reboot?
It’s Gunn’s baby, through and through. The veteran writer/director is in charge of the DCEU’s reboot, and this is his coming-out party after working with the MCU on the “Guardians of the Galaxy” trilogy.
<div id="attachment_930433" style="width: 879px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-930433" class="size-large wp-image-930433" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2179646001-869x576.jpg" alt="NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 19: James Gunn speaks at the DC Studios Creature Commandos panel during New York Comic Con 2024 at The Jacob K. Javits Convention Center on October 19, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Craig Barritt/Getty Images for ReedPop)" width="869" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2179646001-869x576.jpg 869w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2179646001-300x199.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2179646001-768x509.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2179646001.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 869px) 100vw, 869px" />Craig Barritt/Getty Images for ReedPop</div>
Gunn brings a quirky sense of humor to his work, but he’s hardly a traditionalist. He also has a dark side. He previously got canceled in 2018 for resurfaced <a href="https://deadline.com/2018/07/james-gunn-fired-guardians-of-the-galaxy-disney-offensive-tweets-1202430392/">pedophilia and rape jokes</a> on Twitter. Disney later had a change of heart and hired him to helm the third film in the “Guardians” saga.
<a href="https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/james-gunn-donald-trump-dick-joke-twitter-james-mangold-1201908489/">Gunn also blasted then-President Trump</a>, a common pose in his field.
The Daily Wire’s Ben Shapiro, no fan of Gunn’s work, has <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbefouUAF2w">low expectations</a> for the new reboot after reviewing the trailer. “Two thumbs down.”
A recent revelation suggests Hollywood didn’t learn from its past mistakes. Official “Superman” movie merchandise drops the “American Way” phrase once more in favor of “<a href="https://cosmicbook.news/james-gunn-superman-ditches-the-american-way">the human way.”</a>
Yet the director <a href="https://thescreenbrief.com/james-gunn-interview-superman-teaser-press-launch/">spoke to the character’s innate goodness</a> in a late 2024 interview that suggests a Reeve-like take on the material. 
“We can expect a Superman who is about the compassion of the human spirit, a Superman who is about kindness, love and compassion, while also being a very strong character. He is the best of humanity, even though he is an alien from outer space.”
Maybe Gunn will rise to the cultural occasion. We could use a unifying hero like Superman at this point in American culture. We’re at each other’s throats over political differences, egged on by social media platforms that feast on conflict.
<div id="attachment_930443" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-930443" class="size-large wp-image-930443" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2172998627-864x576.jpg" alt="NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 18: (L-R) Peter Safran, Co-Chairman &amp; CEO, DC Studios, David Corenswet and James Gunn, Co-Chairman &amp; CEO, DC Studios attend &quot;Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story&quot; New York Premiere at Museum of Modern Art on September 18, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2172998627-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2172998627-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2172998627-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2172998627.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images</div>
Superman isn’t Right or Left, although his Midwest upbringing suggests he’d call the former camp home. Still, Reeve’s Superman never became a culture war talking point. His chaste pursuit of Margot Kidder’s Lois Land was PG-rated perfection. He’s true to his word and lives to save cats stuck in trees.
That’s all for the good.
Gunn teased Superman’s core strength as a character in the aforementioned interview, another tease that he might be channeling the Reeve model.
“[He’s ]this symbol of really old-fashioned values and hope, and it’s an idea that’s been a bit battered over the years.”
Gunn is no conservative, but he may realize “Superman” needs heartland values to connect with the character’s past … and the franchise’s future. That’s assuming he still has one.
* * *
Christian Toto is an award-winning journalist, movie critic and editor of <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HollywoodInToto.com</a>. He previously served as associate editor with Breitbart News’ Big Hollywood. Follow him at <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HollywoodInToto.com</a>.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
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Auction Of Superman Suit In Melbourne – Preview

Why Can’t Hollywood Get Superman Right?

DC Studios

Hollywood

Movies

Superman

Warner Bros

Director Todd Phillips ditched laughter for tears with 2019’s “Joker.”
The mind behind “The Hangover” franchise, “Old School” and more got fed up with woke comedy restrictions and joined the superhero craze.
On his terms.
His “Joker” became a sensation, earned star Joaquin Phoenix a Best Actor Oscar and proved there’s more to superhero films than CGI dustups.
The media tried to turn “Joker” into an incel warning, but when the film refused to spark violence journalists moved on to other false narratives.
One thing was clear. An encore was inevitable.
“Joker: Folie à Deux” defies superhero norms. Again. No action sequences, lycra-clad heroes or tired genre tropes. Phillips even made it a musical, tasking stars Phoenix and Lady Gaga to play out their tortured romance in song.
Two-plus hours later, you’ll still wonder why they bothered.
The first “Joker” delivered a brutal study of a man in psychological agony. Arthur Fleck’s transformation into the Joker happened because society pushed him to the boundaries. The health care system failed him. His co-workers couldn’t empathize with his middling comedy career.
Bullies pounced and seized at will. And, eventually, he snapped. Or, to be more specific, he opened fire.
That arc touched on societal critiques that spiked the narrative punch. “Folie à Deux” revisits some of those themes but adds precious little to the franchise.
Arthur is being held at a mental institution (Arkham style!) following the events of the 2019 film. He faces the death penalty for killing five people, although the law doesn’t realize he also killed his Ma. His lawyer (Catherine Keener) wants to improve his public image in the hopes of avoiding the electric chair.
<div id="attachment_807101" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-807101" class="wp-image-807101 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/MV5BMWFmNDA0ZjQtZDFiYS00ZDE4LWJkMWItMTczMjU3Yjg4ODBmXkEyXkFqcGc%40._V1_-1024x547.jpg" alt="Joaquin Phoenix in “Joker: Folie à Deux” (2024). DC Entertainment. Warner Bros. Pictures. IMDB." width="1024" height="547" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/MV5BMWFmNDA0ZjQtZDFiYS00ZDE4LWJkMWItMTczMjU3Yjg4ODBmXkEyXkFqcGc%40._V1_-1024x547.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/MV5BMWFmNDA0ZjQtZDFiYS00ZDE4LWJkMWItMTczMjU3Yjg4ODBmXkEyXkFqcGc%40._V1_-300x160.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/MV5BMWFmNDA0ZjQtZDFiYS00ZDE4LWJkMWItMTczMjU3Yjg4ODBmXkEyXkFqcGc%40._V1_-768x410.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/MV5BMWFmNDA0ZjQtZDFiYS00ZDE4LWJkMWItMTczMjU3Yjg4ODBmXkEyXkFqcGc%40._V1_-1536x820.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/MV5BMWFmNDA0ZjQtZDFiYS00ZDE4LWJkMWItMTczMjU3Yjg4ODBmXkEyXkFqcGc%40._V1_-2048x1093.jpg 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Joaquin Phoenix in “Joker: Folie à Deux” (2024). DC Entertainment. Warner Bros. Pictures. IMDB.</div>
The guards at the institution try to pry jokes from Arthur.
All Arthur wants is to smoke every cigarette within reach. This film loves smoking in ways that would make Joe Camel blush.
Meanwhile, society has made Arthur a hero of sorts. He fought back against The System on his terms. They even made a TV movie about his transformation.
That warped fame draws the attention of a fellow patient, Harleen “Lee” Quinzel (Lady Gaga). That’s Harley Quinn, of course, one of the micro-nods to the comic book source material.
The other? Harry Lawtey’s Harvey Dent is the prosecutor hoping to end the Joker’s reign.
Lee is drawn to Arthur’s anti-social Joker and he’s just happy to have a woman look his way. Can their bond survive the trial and their self-defeating ways? What are the stakes in said trial, anyway?
Phillips cast convention aside the first time around. Now, he’s doubling down in his cinematic sandbox. The film begins with an animated short featuring the Joker and his mischievous shadow.
Huh?
The musical numbers, drawn in naturalist fashion and relying on classic tunes like “That’s Entertainment” and “If My Friends Could See Me Now,” offer modest rewards. Phoenix isn’t a singer but throws himself into the unorthodox dancing.
Lady Gaga is squarely in her element, but the film won’t embrace the full musical charms that Gene Kelly and Judy Garland embraced. “Joker: Folie à Deux” is surprisingly lifeless despite two charismatic stars and a bracing origin story.
<div id="attachment_807103" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-807103" class="wp-image-807103 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/MV5BZmRkOGNlMjUtNzllMi00ODJhLTg3YjUtNjE3MWI5NzY3NTlmXkEyXkFqcGc%40._V1_-864x576.jpg" alt="Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga in “Joker: Folie à Deux” (2024). DC Entertainment. Warner Bros. Pictures. IMDB." width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/MV5BZmRkOGNlMjUtNzllMi00ODJhLTg3YjUtNjE3MWI5NzY3NTlmXkEyXkFqcGc%40._V1_-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/MV5BZmRkOGNlMjUtNzllMi00ODJhLTg3YjUtNjE3MWI5NzY3NTlmXkEyXkFqcGc%40._V1_-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/MV5BZmRkOGNlMjUtNzllMi00ODJhLTg3YjUtNjE3MWI5NzY3NTlmXkEyXkFqcGc%40._V1_-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/MV5BZmRkOGNlMjUtNzllMi00ODJhLTg3YjUtNjE3MWI5NzY3NTlmXkEyXkFqcGc%40._V1_-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/MV5BZmRkOGNlMjUtNzllMi00ODJhLTg3YjUtNjE3MWI5NzY3NTlmXkEyXkFqcGc%40._V1_-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/MV5BZmRkOGNlMjUtNzllMi00ODJhLTg3YjUtNjE3MWI5NzY3NTlmXkEyXkFqcGc%40._V1_-1800x1200.jpg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/MV5BZmRkOGNlMjUtNzllMi00ODJhLTg3YjUtNjE3MWI5NzY3NTlmXkEyXkFqcGc%40._V1_-1200x800.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga in “Joker: Folie à Deux” (2024). DC Entertainment. Warner Bros. Pictures. IMDB.</div>
Steve Coogan appears as a tabloid journalist eager to make Arthur summon the Joker for his audience. It’s all about ratings and The Narrative, not the truth. Is Phillips, who co-wrote the screenplay with Scott Silver, mocking corporate journalism? 
Maybe. Likely. The scene ends and the film drops that criticism cold.
Other scenes depict how society continues to keep poor Arthur down. The asylum’s security guards, including a brute played by the great Brendan Gleeson, use Arthur to further their own ends. 
And? Prison guards routinely behave badly on screen and, we’re sure, sometimes off-screen. What’s so different, or meaningful, here?
The most memorable moment brings back actor Leigh Gill, whose character witnessed one of the Joker’s killings in the first film. The haunted soul describes to the courtroom how the tragedy left him fearful of everyday life.
Gill’s performance chills. We’re reminded what the real-world implications of worshiping a serial killer are. “Joker” made us mourn a sick man’s descent into madness. We rooted for him to find some sort of comfort or healing. That never materialized.
The sequel marinates in the idea that this fallen man matters. He has a purpose, a mission beyond himself. His fame alone makes him worth our admiration.
He’s suddenly … cool. No. And there’s no oversized Bat to put him in his place.
Moral complexities could have powered “Folie à Deux.” There’s a reason we hoped Tony Soprano could stay one step ahead of The Law. Instead, we get a lethargic courtroom trial, a romance with little heat and a third act that proves the sequel never had a plan in the first place.
<h4><a href="https://www.amiracist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Am I Racist? Is In Theaters NOW — Get Your Tickets Here!</a></h4>
There’s no denying “Folie à Deux” looks magnificent. The dream sequences marry the film’s gritty aesthetic with old Hollywood panache. Phillips’ camera captures every scene for maximum impact, crafting indelible images along the way.
The film’s waning moments seem like they’re building to something mythical, a rationale for everything we’ve just witnessed. Instead, what follows erases the modest goodwill already generated.
“Joker” reinvigorated the comic book movie. “Joker: Folie à Deux” reminds us that sequels for sequels’ sake only taint the original.
* * *
Christian Toto is an award-winning journalist, movie critic and editor of <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HollywoodInToto.com</a>. He previously served as associate editor with Breitbart News’ Big Hollywood. Follow him at <a href="https://x.com/HollywoodInToto?lang=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@HollywoodInToto</a>.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

MixCollage-03-Oct-2024-02-30-PM-6545

‘Joker: Folie à Deux’: Two Charismatic Stars In A Surprisingly Lifeless Sequel

'Joker: Folie à Deux': Two Charismatic Stars In A Surprisingly Lifeless Sequel

Joaquin Phoenix

Lady Gaga

Serial Killers

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/comics">Comic</a> creator Alan Moore pledged to donate future movie royalties he received to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/black-lives-matter">Black Lives Matter</a>.
The 69-year-old author is best known for his work on “Watchmen,” “V for Vendetta,” “The Ballad of Halo Jones,” “Swamp Thing,” “Batman: The Killing Joke,” and “From Hell.” Moore typically avoids public appearances but shared some of his thoughts in an <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/books/what-to-read/alan-moore-comic-books-black-lives-matter-watchmen/">interview</a> with The Telegraph published on Wednesday.
The comic writer hasn’t wanted his name associated with big-screen adaptations of his work in the past. He previously shared his movie royalties with the film&#8217;s writers and creative types, but no more. 
“I no longer wish it to even be shared with them. I don’t really feel, with the recent films, that they have stood by what I assumed were their original principles,” Moore told the outlet. “So I asked for DC Comics to send all of the money from any future TV series or films to Black Lives Matter.”
The “V for Vendetta” creator said he’s become a recluse partly due to his popularity with the public. 
“I’d talk to people and they were looking at me like they were having some sort of religious experience rather than an ordinary conversation. So I’ve sort of retired into what I probably originally thought a writer’s life was like, where you sit at home and write books,” he explained.
Moore has been openly critical of the modern comic industry, including the concept of comics for adult audiences.
“Now they’re called ‘graphic novels’, which sounds sophisticated and you can charge a lot more for them. What appealed to me most about comics is no more, and these innocent and inventive and imaginative superhero characters from the Forties, Fifties, Sixties are being recycled to a modern audience as if they were adult fare,” he said.
Moore continued, “I didn’t mean my experiments with comics to be immediately taken up as something that the whole industry should do. When I was doing things like Watchmen, I was not saying that dark psychopathic characters are really cool, but that does seem to be the message that the industry took for the next 20 years.”
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He told the interviewer that he wished he had never entered the comic industry in the first place.
Moore is currently working on fantasy books but is also critical of how he perceives those as formulaic, just like comics. 
“Fantasy these days seems to have been boiled down to a kind of J.R.R. Tolkien, George R.R. Martin world of warriors and dragons and, for some reason, dwarves. The fantasy books that inspire me are things like Mervyn Peake’s Gormenghast trilogy, which is actually about the real world in some ways, the changing nature of British society,” he said.
“Fantasy has no restrictions whatsoever, so it’s a bit lame to be constantly hitting the same note on the piano,” Moore added. “Let’s have fantastic visions that nobody has ever seen before — and lay off people of restricted height for a change.”

Alan Moore

Comic Writer Alan Moore Said He’s Donating His DC Movie Royalties To Black Lives Matter

Comic Writer Alan Moore Said He's Donating His DC Movie Royalties To Black Lives Matter

Black Lives Matter

Celebrities

Comic Books

World

On Tuesday, DC Comics released an issue featuring a “pregnant” Joker who “births” a son.
The son, a mud monster who Joker vomits into existence, transforms into a smaller carbon copy of the Joker reminiscent of an Austin Powers-esque Mini-Me trope. The storyline appeared as a backup feature in the fourth book in the series, “The Joker: The Man Who Stopped Laughing.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Today, DC released a comic in which the Joker becomes pregnant and gives birth to a mud monster who transforms into a child-version of himself who he adopts as his son.
&#8230;I don&#8217;t know how much longer I can do this&#8230;<a href="https://twitter.com/ComicLoverMari?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ComicLoverMari</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/MrGabeHernandez?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MrGabeHernandez</a> <a href="https://t.co/WUIUf4RI23">pic.twitter.com/WUIUf4RI23</a>
— Jester_Bell 🎥 🍿 🥳 (@TheresaCampagna) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheresaCampagna/status/1610363700569059328?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2023</a></blockquote>
It appears that the Joker was “impregnated” by a nemesis who he became enamored with: the female magician Zatanna. She curses the Joker, proclaiming that no one else could have his baby as she knocks him into a mud puddle. While Zatanna intended for the spell to ensure he never had children, it inadvertently “impregnated” the Joker.
The comic summary on DC’s website didn’t disclose the backup storyline:
<blockquote>Why did The Joker cross town? To get to the bottom of the mystery that has been haunting him: Who is the man pretending to be The Joker and what does he want? But every lead he follows is a dead end, and every move he makes brings the Red Hood one step closer to him. What happens when the former Clown Prince of Crime comes face-to-face with the current crime boss of Gotham? Everyone is dying to find out.</blockquote>
The comic was written by <a href="https://www.dc.com/talent/matthew-rosenberg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Matthew Rosenberg</a>, whose bylines with DC Comics span 72 titles.
Comic review site Batman News <a href="https://batman-news.com/2023/01/03/joker-the-man-who-stopped-laughing-4-review/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">characterized</a> this latest edition as “probably the worst story” read by them — and not just for the Joker impregnation bit. The critic, Theresa Campagna, noted that the Joker has never been a character obsessed with chasing after women. Campagna surmised that Rosenberg must have been influenced by marijuana.
“This is one of those comics you can’t really review, because there’s no real story or artistic vision to pick apart,” said Campagna. “Writing aside, however, there have been a lot of these little moments or stories at DC lately that make me go, ‘How the heck did DC editorial give that a green light?’”
DC has incorporated a social justice spin on its classic characters over the past few years, progressing these narratives despite a steep, steady <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/crowdfunding-site-cancels-comic-book-about-vigilante-targeting-drug-dealers-at-border-after-leftists-complain" target="_blank" rel="noopener">decline</a> in sales.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OFOpHYgefec" width="720" height="385" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen">﻿</iframe>
One of the “woke” comics that failed more recently was “Superman: Son of Kal-El,” in which Clark Kent’s son, Jonathan, was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dc-made-superman-gay-climate-change-activist-readers-arent-buying-it" target="_blank" rel="noopener">revealed</a> to be bisexual. DC Comics then incorporated this new version of Superman into their “<a href="https://www.dc.com/reader/%23/comics/485737" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DC Pride</a>” anthology, giving him a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gay-supermans-boyfriend-gets-him-surprising-new-gift-in-dcs-latest-caper" target="_blank" rel="noopener">makeover</a> with a rainbow Pride Flag cape.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Superman Now Bisexual: Don’t Need ‘Another Straight White Savior,’ Writer Says <a href="https://t.co/i17rPwPPXI">https://t.co/i17rPwPPXI</a> <a href="https://t.co/HlXFU8wuH3">pic.twitter.com/HlXFU8wuH3</a>
— Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDailyWire/status/1447617131013541890?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 11, 2021</a></blockquote>
After initial interest from fans, the series quickly <a href="https://cosmicbook.news/fans-reject-woke-superman-dc-comics-sales-terrifying" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dropped out</a> of top ratings within a month.
Prior to the LGBTQ+ focus, DC Comics would use its books to respond to other current social justice issues. In 2017, DC <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/superman-protects-illegal-immigrants-white-james-barrett" target="_blank" rel="noopener">released</a> a comic as an apparent rebuke of former President Donald Trump’s announcement that he would shut down former President Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy. The comic depicted Superman rescuing a group of illegal immigrants from a white man donning an American flag bandana and wielding a machine gun. The assailant was angry that the group had stolen jobs from him.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Action Comics #987 <a href="https://t.co/zUwXcEWQNV">pic.twitter.com/zUwXcEWQNV</a>
— young george costanza (@bigboybouhanna) <a href="https://twitter.com/bigboybouhanna/status/907951519483486208?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 13, 2017</a></blockquote>

Joker

DC Releases Comic With ‘Pregnant Joker’ Who ‘Births’ A Son

DC Releases Comic With 'Pregnant Joker' Who 'Births' A Son

Batman

Director and new DC Studios co-head <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/james-gunn-addresses-wonder-woman-3-cancelation-rumors-without-confirming-anything/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">James Gunn</a> responded on Tuesday to backlash over some of the early decisions that he and fellow co-head Peter Safran had made — namely the decisions not to move ahead with the third installment in the &#8220;Wonder Woman&#8221; franchise and not to bring back actor <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/henry-cavill-will-not-return-to-superman-role-in-new-film-eyed-to-play-different-dc-character-report/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Henry Cavill</a> as Superman.
Both decisions — coupled with the news that Dwayne &#8220;The Rock&#8221; Johnson&#8217;s &#8220;Black Adam&#8221; would not have a continuing storyline in the DC Universe — raised eyebrows and <a href="https://deadline.com/2022/12/james-gunn-shoots-down-claim-gal-gadot-booted-dc-universe-wonder-woman-3-axing-1235203061/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">angered fans</a> alike, but <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/director-james-gunn-responds-to-calls-to-recast-chris-pratt-over-actors-public-christianity/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gunn</a> made it clear that he and Safran were prepared to face the consequences of their decisions.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
It&#39;s official, James Gunn is the Grinch of 2022. 😂 &#8211; No Wonder Woman 3 &#8211; No more Henry Cavill as Superman &#8211; and now THE ROCK just got Jabroni&#39;d <a href="https://t.co/OBKuqOCqbE">https://t.co/OBKuqOCqbE</a>
&mdash; TheresaRockFace (@TheresaRockFace) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheresaRockFace/status/1605596491078213634?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Gunn laid out his thought process in a lengthy Twitter thread, explaining that while he and Safran both understood that not all of the decisions they made would be popular, they intended to always move forward with what they believed was best for the studio and stayed true to the characters that had been around for decades.
&#8220;One of the things Peter &amp; I were aware of when we took the job as heads of DC Studios was a certain minority of people online that could be, well, uproarious &amp; unkind, to say the least,&#8221; Gunn began, noting that they had expected backlash and that they were prepared for it to be unpleasant.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Our choices for the DCU are based upon what we believe is best for the story &amp; best for the DC characters who have been around for nearly 85 years. Perhaps these choices are great, perhaps not, but they are made with sincere hearts &amp; integrity &amp; always with the story in mind.
&mdash; James Gunn (@JamesGunn) <a href="https://twitter.com/JamesGunn/status/1604929009787146240?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 19, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
He went on to explain that backlash, however unkind, would not deter them from doing what they believed was best when it came to honoring the characters&#8217; history and moving the stories forward. He also conceded that they were well aware of the possibility that they could make mistakes in that effort.
&#8220;Our choices for the DCU are based upon what we believe is best for the story &amp; best for the DC characters who have been around for nearly 85 years. Perhaps these choices are great, perhaps not, but they are made with sincere hearts &amp; integrity &amp; always with the story in mind,&#8221; he said.
Gunn went on to note that however prepared they were for complaints and social media uproar, that did not change the fact that it could be hurtful. &#8220;No one loves to be harassed or called names — but to be frank, we&#8217;ve been through significantly worse. Disrespectful outcry will never, ever affect our actions.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
We were aware there would be a period of turbulence when we took this gig, &amp; we knew we would sometimes have to make difficult &amp; not-so-obvious choices, especially in the wake of the fractious nature of what came before us.
&mdash; James Gunn (@JamesGunn) <a href="https://twitter.com/JamesGunn/status/1604929012790239232?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 19, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;We were aware there would be a period of turbulence when we took this gig,&#8221; Gunn added, noting that some of the choices they were making might be &#8220;not-so-obvious&#8221; to the fans, at least at face value, and that they were prepared to move forward with them regardless.
Gunn&#8217;s overall assessment was that the backlash came with the territory — and in the grand scheme of things, was less important than making sure that DC Studios had a solid path forward.
&#8220;This means little to us in comparison to our jobs as artists &amp; custodians in helping to create a wide &amp; wonderful future for DC.,&#8221; he said.

Warner Bros. Premiere Of “The Suicide Squad” – Arrivals

‘No One Loves To Be Harassed’: James Gunn Replies To Haters After Backlash Over ‘Wonder Woman’ Sequel, Henry Cavill Exit

James Gunn Replies To Haters After Backlash Over 'Wonder Woman' Sequel, Henry Cavill Exit

James Gunn

Wonder Woman

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/movies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Filmmaker</a> James Gunn addressed the report that “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/wonder-woman" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wonder Woman 3</a>” got axed from the upcoming schedule, but he didn’t confirm or deny if the rumors were accurate.
“So. As for the story yesterday in the Hollywood Reporter, some of it is true, some of it is half-true, some of it is not true, &amp; some of it we haven’t decided yet whether it’s true or not,” Gunn <a href="https://twitter.com/JamesGunn/status/1600920132691189760" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tweeted</a> Thursday. “Although this first month at DC has been fruitful, building the next ten years of story takes time &amp; we’re still just beginning.”
He described how he and producer Peter Safran were picked to revamp <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/entertainment" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DC Studios</a> to make changes and acknowledged that there was &#8220;an unavoidable transitional period as we moved into telling a cohesive story across film, TV, animation and gaming.&#8221;  
“But, in the end, the drawbacks of that transitional period were dwarfed by the creative possibilities and the opportunity to build upon what has worked in DC so far and to help rectify what has not,” he wrote in the tweet thread.
Gunn was replying to a story <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/wonder-woman-3-not-moving-forward-dc-movies-1235276804/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">published</a> by The Hollywood Reporter earlier this week alleging that the third “Wonder Woman&#8221; movie wasn’t happening anymore. 
Gunn and Safran will present their current plans for the DC Universe across film, television and gaming next week to Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav. For now, insiders are guessing about what those plans entail.
Upcoming films in the DC Universe for 2023 include “Shazam! Fury of the Gods,” “The Flash,” “Blue Beetle” and “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom,” the publication noted. The next era of DC hopes to compete with the massive success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Fans are confused because “Wonder Woman” lead actress Gal Gadot <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cl0D3B1r8lV/">posted</a> Monday to Instagram that she’s “so grateful for the opportunity to play such an incredible, iconic character” and that she “can’t wait to share her next chapter with you.” 
Safran and Gunn’s vision for the future of DC will officially end the cinematic universe which was brought to life by Zack Snyder. The so-called “Snydervese” has mixed reviews thanks to its “morally gray and visually gritty approach,” as <a href="https://variety.com/2022/film/news/wonder-woman-3-man-of-steel-2-warner-bros-dc-reboot-1235453630/">Variety</a> described it, which wasn’t ideal for some fans. Snyder effectively ended his tenure with the franchise following 2017’s “Justice League,” briefly returning in 2021 for “Zack Snyder’s Justice League” before leaving for good.
DC fans should have more answers next week on the future and whether Gal Gadot and “Wonder Woman” will be part of it.

James Gunn Addresses ‘Wonder Woman 3’ Cancelation Rumors Without Confirming Anything

James Gunn Addresses 'Wonder Woman 3' Cancelation Rumors Without Confirming Anything

Actress <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/celebrities">Margot Robbie</a> said she’s keen on playing <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/comics">Harley Quinn</a> and exploring her romance with Poison Ivy for the first time on the big screen. 
The 32-year-old native Australian, who has played the role of Quinn in several projects, made the comments during a recent <a href="https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/twitter-reacts-dc-universe-harley-quinn-poison-ivy-first-kiss/">interview</a> with ComicBook.com while promoting her new <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/entertainment">movie</a>, “Babylon.” When asked about bringing the romance between the two characters front and center in a potential film version, Robbie said she’s not just open to it, she’s also been asking for it.
&#8220;I have been pushing for that for years. I cannot tell you how hard I&#8217;ve been pushing for that. I want it too,&#8221; the actress said of a future project with their lesbian romance front and center. 
When asked who should play Poison Ivy opposite her, she said, &#8220;Honestly, when I pictured, I always picture like Poison Ivy in the comics. I don&#8217;t really actually picture an actress doing it, but I agree, that would be so good.&#8221;
<a class="c-link" tabindex="-1" href="https://get.dailywire.com/readers-pass/read-only-v2?utm_campaign=dwplus&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_source=dwsite&amp;cid=dwplus&amp;mid=z&amp;xid=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://get.dailywire.com/readers-pass/read-only-v2?utm_campaign=dwplus&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_source=dwsite&amp;cid=dwplus&amp;mid=z&amp;xid=0" data-sk="tooltip_parent" data-remove-tab-index="true">TIRED OF THE LEGACY MEDIA’S BIAS CONTROLLING THE NARRATIVE AND OBSCURING THE TRUTH? JOIN US.</a>
The romance between these two DC Comics characters won’t be new, but so far, it hasn’t been included in any film adaptations. A 2020 episode of the adult animated TV series “Harley Quinn” featured the first kiss between Harley and Poison Ivy. Some fans started calling the couple &#8220;Harlivy&#8221; after the reality of their romantic feelings became clear.
Series co-creator Justin Halpern <a href="https://comicbook.com/dc/news/harley-quinn-showrunners-confirm-harlivy-romance-season-two/">explained</a> to ComicBook.com, &#8220;We tried to play the reality of how messy, uncomfortable, and awkward it would be to figure out that you&#8217;re in love with your best friend. It&#8217;s messy, it takes a while, and it&#8217;s not smooth at all. And there are definitely a lot of two steps forward, one step back kind of thing going on.&#8221; 
For now, it’s unclear if Robbie will reprise her role as Harley Quinn in the future. Next up to take on the character is Lady Gaga opposite Joaquin Phoenix in “Joker: Folie A Deux,” which is scheduled to be released in October 2024. The publication notes that since “Joker” is not set in the same cosmos as the DC Extended Universe, it means Lady Gaga isn’t technically replacing Robbie.
Robbie said she’s excited to see the “Bad Romance” singer interpret the character.
&#8220;It makes me so happy because I said from the very beginning that all I want is for Harley Quinn to be one of those characters, the way Macbeth or Batman, always gets passed from great actor to great actor,&#8221; Robbie told <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n88nYIEBQSU&amp;t=493s">MTV News</a>. 
“&#8230; It&#8217;s such an honor to have built a foundation strong enough that Harley can now be one of those characters that other actors get to have a go at playing. And I think [Lady Gaga will] do something incredible with it.&#8221;

“Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn” World Premiere – Red Carpet Arrivals

‘Been Pushing For That For Years’: Margot Robbie Wants Gay Romance Between Harley Quinn And Poison Ivy To Hit Big Screen

Margot Robbie Wants Gay Romance Between Harley Quinn And Poison Ivy To Hit Big Screen

Actor <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/dwayne-the-rock-johnson-says-he-will-listen-and-learn-after-46-favor-him-for-president/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dwayne &#8220;The Rock&#8221; Johnson</a> shared his emotional response after a father crowd-surfed an infant to him at a recent Mexico City publicity event for his upcoming film &#8220;Black Adam.&#8221;
Johnson takes on the eponymous role of the DC Comics character in the film that Internet Movie Database (IMDb) has <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6443346/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">described</a> as: &#8220;Nearly 5,000 years after he was bestowed with the almighty powers of the Egyptian gods-and imprisoned just as quickly-Black Adam (Johnson) is freed from his earthly tomb, ready to unleash his unique form of justice on the modern world.&#8221;
The actor, who has been touring ahead of the film&#8217;s October 21 release, shared video of the moment the baby girl, whom he said was named Luciana, was passed through the crowd to him as he stood on stage.
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<p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CjYG37nPSl1/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Dwayne Johnson (@therock)</a>
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&#8220;Our BLACK ADAM Tour has been electric, fun and emotional,&#8221; Johnson began his caption. &#8220;People do cry and they hand me things — I was NOT surprised to be handed this beautiful little baby.&#8221;
Johnson went on to explain that, at least at first, he had not realized that the man intended to hand him a real baby — instead, he thought that the man was holding up a doll that he wanted the star to keep.
&#8220;Her father caught my attention because he had tears in his eyes when he held her up high and gestured for me to hold her. I honestly thought he was holding a toy doll he wanted me to have as a gift,&#8221; Johnson explained, adding, &#8220;This beautiful, serene, present and trusting angel is Luciana. One day, I bet she’ll inspire all those around her.&#8221;
&#8220;And whatever this moment meant for her emotional father — means it meant something special for me too,&#8221; Johnson concluded. &#8220;Love you back MEXICO and the mana is strong. Girl dads ROCK.&#8221;
And Johnson speaks from experience, as he himself is father to three girls. He shares Simone Alexandria (21) with ex-wife Dany Garcia, and two younger daughters — Jasmine (6) and Tiana Gia (4) with his current wife, singer Lauren Hashian.
Watch the official trailer for &#8220;Black Adam&#8221; below:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Black Adam - Official Trailer 2" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mkomfZHG5q4?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Black Adam – Mexico City Fan Event Black Carpet

‘Girl Dads ROCK’: Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson Gushes After Father Crowd-Surfs A *Baby* To Him

Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson Gushes After Father Crowd-Surfs A *Baby* To Him

Dwayne Johnson

Non-woke comic book creator Eric July announced that he has raised more than $3.3 million to put out his new comic book, something he called an &#8220;alternative to the mainstream&#8221; and to the social/political push in the genre.
The comic creator tweeted, &#8220;We&#8217;re about to be LIVE over on YouTube! Rippaverse is at $3.3 million plus. August plans and more,&#8221; as he thanked fans for <a href="https://rippaverse.com/product/isom-1-campaign/">their support</a> of his company. The first book comes out this month through his comic company Rippaverse. He said on his <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsItuK7Wn1E">YouTube</a> Tuesday that the book is called &#8220;Isom #1&#8221; as he explained that &#8220;Isom&#8221; will be the launching pad for the entire &#8220;universe&#8221; coming out of his company.
In a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSmFBOLFCLI&amp;t=6s">recent show</a>, July talked about &#8220;creating something alternative to the mainstream,&#8221; as he referenced things like &#8220;race swap,&#8221; and &#8220;gender swap&#8221; issues in comics these days, noting a recent comic book with &#8220;they/them&#8221; characters. It starts at the 1:33 minute mark <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSmFBOLFCLI&amp;t=6s">here</a>.
July said he wrote the 96-page book with &#8220;pencil and ink&#8221; work from comic book artist Cliff Richards. The color work came from colorists <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/superman-colorist-quitting-over-dc-comics-woke-makeover-of-hero-its-a-bunch-of-fing-nonsense">Gabe Eltaeb</a>, who previously worked on the Superman series for DC Comics because he had no interest in woke comics.
&#8220;Working on Isom with Eric has been amazing,&#8221; Eltaeb <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/non-woke-comic-book-hit-readers-rakes-2-million-afraid">said</a>. &#8220;Eric shares my ideals that we don&#8217;t want to be anti-woke and attack people. We want to be non-woke. We just want to give people classic superhero action.&#8221;
Gabe previously <a href="https://boundingintocomics.com/2021/10/19/superman-son-of-kal-el-colorist-gabe-eltaeb-to-exit-dc-comics-over-superman-motto-change-im-tired-of-them-ruining-these-characters/">shared</a> that he was finishing out his contract with DC and leaving because he was &#8220;tired of this s***. I&#8217;m tired of them ruining these characters; they don&#8217;t have a right to do this.&#8221;
&#8220;What really pissed me off was saying truth, justice, and a better world,&#8221; Eltaeb added. &#8220;F*** that it was Truth, Justice, and the American way. My Grandpa almost died in World War II; we don&#8217;t have a right to destroy s*** that people died for to give us. It&#8217;s a bunch of f***ing nonsense.&#8221;
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We&#39;re about to be LIVE over on YouTube! Rippaverse is at $3,300,000+ | August Plans and more! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RippaVerse?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RippaVerse</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/isom?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#isom</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeWillWin?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeWillWin</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/comicbooks?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#comicbooks</a> <a href="https://t.co/tullvsdMho">pic.twitter.com/tullvsdMho</a>
&mdash; Eric July (@EricDJuly) <a href="https://twitter.com/EricDJuly/status/1554594225819467778?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 2, 2022</a></blockquote>
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The comic creator previously <a href="https://twitter.com/EricDJuly/status/1547752049231572992?s=20&amp;t=MXHlOgEDr5lQ_D4DImtbwQ">tweeted</a> about the &#8220;meltdown&#8221; happening on Reddit over the money he had raised for his non social-political issues. The picture he used showed a character reacting to a comic book that was &#8220;Not Political!&#8221;
&#8220;Leftist comic book &#8216;fans&#8217; on reddit are in full-blown meltdown mode over the success of the Rippaverse,&#8221; July tweeted after he raised more than $1.5 million for his new comic book company. &#8220;These people reveal who they are by making every disingenuous excuse they can come up with, and they STILL won&#8217;t stop us. #rippaverse #isom #WeWillWin #comicbooks.&#8221;
In July, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/non-woke-comic-book-hit-readers-rakes-2-million-afraid">Eric said</a> that what his goal was to &#8220;be a part of the solution instead of griping about the problem, so I had the idea, it made sense financially, and it was the perfect time to do it.&#8221;
&#8220;This American comic book market is still kind of thirsty for this type of material,&#8221; he added. &#8220;They&#8217;ve just been not getting it from the big two,&#8221; (presumably referring to DC and Marvel comics).

‘Alternative To The Mainstream’: Non-Woke Comic Book Creator Raises More Than $3.3 Million For Non-Political Comics

Woke Culture

The San Diego Comic Con took some heat this week for slapping a woke label on a panel featuring Filipino &#8220;Voices In Pop Culture&#8221;: Filipinx.
Much like the often-criticized term <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/ive-never-met-a-latinx-van-jones-says-the-way-liberals-talk-is-just-weird/">Latinx</a> — which has been <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/new-poll-shows-only-2-of-hispanics-use-term-latinx-many-find-it-offensive/">widely panned</a> by members of the very community it is used to describe — the convention&#8217;s social media team&#8217;s use of the term Filipinx appeared to be an attempt to be gender-inclusive.
&#8220;The Filipinx Voices in Pop Culture was a fun and educational all Filipinx panel discussing Filipinx influences behind your favorite media!&#8221; @Comic_Con <a href="https://twitter.com/Comic_Con/status/1550269418953125888">tweeted</a>.
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The Filipinx Voices in Pop Culture was a fun and educational all Filipinx panel discussing Filipinx influences behind your favorite media! 📸 Edward S. <a href="https://t.co/OOgLFKp2pf">pic.twitter.com/OOgLFKp2pf</a>
&mdash; Comic-Con International (@Comic_Con) <a href="https://twitter.com/Comic_Con/status/1550269418953125888?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 22, 2022</a></blockquote>
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But critics were not impressed, and quickly took to Twitter to hit back at Comic Con.
&#8220;Stop using these made-up words to score woke virtue signaling points from people who never asked you to speak for them in the first place,&#8221; @nknewsorg&#8217;s social media editor Oliver Jia (@OliverJia1014) <a href="https://twitter.com/OliverJia1014/status/1552020027398037504">commented</a>.
&#8220;Want to know why white liberals push this &#8216;Latinx&#8217; and &#8216;Filipinx&#8217; s***? It&#8217;s the &#8216;white man&#8217;s burden,'&#8221; @ReviewsPossum <a href="https://twitter.com/ReviewsPossum/status/1552019029048676353">added</a>. &#8220;They see you as a savage and feel the need to civilize you, so they colonize your language to make it more appealing to their own &#8216;enlightened&#8217; sensibilities. It&#8217;s racism.&#8221;
&#8220;We are NOT going to start using Filipinx. nuh uh. no,&#8221; @Chef033 <a href="https://twitter.com/chef033/status/1552099331968221184">declared</a>.
&#8220;The gringx are at it again,&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/KalebPrime/status/1551971962599182336">came</a> from @KalebPrime.
@RioXVII <a href="https://twitter.com/RioXVII/status/1551948739149021185">added</a>, &#8220;We don’t use Filipinx at all. this isn’t a thing. It’s always been gender neutral, which is why we use Kami = us, Tayo = we, Sila = they. Please stop trying to make it a thing.&#8221;
&#8220;¿Qué diablos es Filipinx? ¿Una nueva enfermedad venérea?&#8221; Agustin Laje <a href="https://twitter.com/AgustinLaje/status/1552084650570485760">tweeted</a>. (Translation: What the devil is Filipinx? A new venereal disease?)
&#8220;If you call me Filipinx I will personally go to your house and eat you alive,&#8221; @yousoromi <a href="https://twitter.com/yousoromi/status/1552099156868489218">warned</a>.
&#8220;How is it that I, a white American dude, who has a moderately basic knowledge of Latin languages know more about said languages — like the fact that &#8216;X&#8217; doesn&#8217;t exist in the vocabulary or that gender neutral terms already exist in said languages — than these people?&#8221; @soulkibble <a href="https://twitter.com/soulkibble/status/1552063361235357696">added</a>.
A number noted that the <a href="https://learningfilipino.com/language/filipino-alphabet/">Filipino language</a> did not include the letter X at all until 1976, when 8 new letters were added to the original Tagalog alphabet — and even then, the letter only appears in words that are derived from foreign origins.
Others pointed out the fact that the word Filipino is already a <a href="https://preen.ph/96642/on-the-filipino-gender-neutral-language-and-our-egalitarian-origin">gender neutral</a> term — as are the language&#8217;s pronouns. Typically, a person is addressed as &#8220;siya&#8221; (&#8220;them&#8221;) and there are no gender-specific words for he/she or him/her.

San Diego Exteriors And Landmarks – 2022

‘Stop Using These Made Up Words’: Comic Con Slaps Woke Term On Filipino Panel, Gets Torched

Comic Con Torched For Labeling Panel 'Filipinx'

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