Did You Hear? is a weekly examination of headlines in the entertainment industry and a take on what they could mean for the future of the industry and (often), the little geeky bubble that we occupy.
Spider-Man: A Bit More
This morning Kevin Feige announced that Sony and Disney would be coming together (perhaps one last time), to bring Tom Holland’s Spider-Man into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
He said specifically:
I am thrilled that Spidey’s journey in the MCU will continue, and I and all of us at Marvel Studios are very excited that we get to keep working on it. Spider-Man is a powerful icon and hero whose story crosses all ages and audiences around the globe. He also happens to be the only hero with the superpower to cross cinematic universes, so as Sony continues to develop their own Spidey-verse you never know what surprises the future might hold.
There is literally nothing else known about the terms of the deal or how it came together, although fans are already lauding it as a victory. Whether is stands as a testament to negotiation or caving on behalf of either studio remains to be seen. While I would like to look at this as a positive development it might be interesting to know who blinked and what that could say about the state of the modern studio systems.
Tom Welling Joins Crisis on Infinite Earths
Just when it looked like the only actor to ever play Superman who didn’t really want to be Superman wouldn’t be joining the episode 5 episode DCTV Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover, EW announced late last week that Tom Welling would be reprising his role as Clark Kent.
Said Marc Guggenheim, Executive Producer:
For eight years, Arrow has stood on the shoulders of Smallville. Simply put, there would be no Arrow, and no Arrowverse, without it. So when we first started talking about Crisis on Infinite Earths, our first, second and third priorities were getting Tom to reprise his iconic role as Clark Kent. To say that we’re thrilled would be a Superman-sized understatement.
Many fans were shocked at the quick turn around when this week Smallville lead and Supergirl stapl Erica Durance posted a photo to her Instagram of a generation’s definitive Lois and Clark standing together on set:
https://www.instagram.com/p/B24bciDDvD9/
While it seems like the deal came together in the barest seconds before the actors had to be on set we might just be learning about it late in the day. Filming has officially begun, so we can only look for more announcements … and wonder just how much Welling was paid to step back into the world of Smallville.
Birds of Prey’s Huntress Also Joins Crisis
Hours after Erica Durance’s Instagram post blew up the geeksphere, EW confirmed that Birds of Prey actor 
Ashley Scott would be reprising her role as Huntress in Crisis on Infinite Earths as well. Scott played the role in the short lived 2002 television series that now shares its name with an upcoming WB feature film.
Fans of Crisis on Infinite Earths know what an important story role Earth 2’s Huntress plays – this being the Huntress who is the daughter of Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle. The version of Huntress we saw on Birds of Prey went by the name “Helena Kyle” and was also the daughter of Bruce and Selina.
In the wake of the recent news that Batman: the Animated Series star Kevin Conroy would be taking his iconic turn as Bruce Wayne in live action for the first time during the crossover I can’t help but wonder if Scott’s Huntress will be his daughter?
Jeffrey Wright in Talks to Join The Batman
Westworld star Jeffrey Wright has already played a key supporting playing in the contemporary James Bond franchise and now it looks like WB is eyeing him for a key role in the upcoming Robert Pattinson-led The Batman standalone movie.
According to THR the actor is “in talks” to take the role. This could mean anything from a single phone call was placed to he is about to ink the deal, but fans have already exploded with support when the news broke. If WB hasn’t made a serious push to bring Wright on board they probably are now!
While I think it’s a bummer J.K. Simmons only got to play James Gordon one time, Wright would be an incredible addition not only to The Batman, but to the character’s surrounding pop culture mythology. The minute after he’s signed I look forward to the social media push for Zendaya to play his daughter – and current Batgirl – Barbara Gordon.
