This past weekend's San Diego Comic-Con was one of the worst in recent memory for news (most studios release their trailers before the event), but there are still lots of interesting tidbits floating around for fans of the MCU and DCU.
We'll start this roundup with a new social post from Superman director James Gunn. The horrifying Mr. Handsome—who acted as Lex Luthor's slave in his pocket universe—has intrigued fans, with some speculating that he might be a White Martian, for example.
In a post featuring several new behind-the-scenes photos, Gunn explained, "Lex created Mr. Handsome in a Petri dish when he was 12 - he was trying to make a human. He didn't come out so well, but he just might be the only one in the world Lex has any true sentiment for, as evidenced by the photo on his desk."
That ties into Luthor eventually creating Ultraman, a mindless Superman clone who he controlled through a series of computer instructions.
Entertainment Tonight also caught up with Gunn at Comic-Con, and asked about Robert Pattinson's Batman potentially joining the DCU. "We've talked about it before, but it's not what's happening right now," he reiterated. "Everything's in flux, so we'll figure out what we're doing next."
Much has been said about Hawkeye season 2. Thanks to Jeremy Renner, we know that he turned down a return as Clint Barton after he was offered half the money he made for season 1...for twice as much work.
Whether the show has now fallen by the wayside isn't clear, especially as Marvel Studios plans to release only one TV series a year moving forward. Renner, however, seems confident that season 2 will eventually happen.
"I’m always happy to be in that world, man," he told Empire Online. "I love all those guys, I love the character. I’m sure we’ll end up doing Season 2, and do other things. And I’m happy to do it. My body’s getting ready for something like that. I don’t know if anybody wants to see me in tights, but my body will look good in the tights."
Talking of MCU returns, Krysten Ritter will reprise her role as Jessica Jones in Daredevil: Born Again season 2. Talking to Deadline, the actor talked about keeping her long-awaited reunion with Charlie Cox's Man Without Fear under wraps.
"Well, I obviously knew all of the things that were happening. When I landed in New York, everybody was like, 'She’s here for Daredevil,'" Ritter recalled. "Then it was announced that I was in Dexter, so it was a fun way to throw everybody off the track."
She added, "We really wanted to preserve the Jessica Jones announcement for an event like the Upfronts. Marvel wanted to find the right time to announce so it could be celebratory and not have it leak, so it’s not something on the internet that comes and goes. We pulled it off, and that was exciting."
And staying street-level for the moment, here's a new look at the Spider-Man: Brand New Day set in Glasgow, Scotland:
We end with more on The Fantastic Four: First Steps. In the movie's mid-credits scene [SPOILER WARNING], we jump four years into the future and find Doctor Doom, mask in hand, setting his sights on young Franklin Richards.
Director Matt Shakman has already confirmed that Robert Downey Jr. was wearing the cloak for the stinger shot on the set of Avengers: Doomsday by the Russo Brothers, and now the Invisible Woman herself, Vanessa Kirby, has chimed in.
"Robert’s never not been on set. He’s always there. He is our leader," she shared with Variety. "We call him our Godfather. He’s looked after us. It’s such a joy working with the Russos and him, because they’ve had such deep collaboration for so long."
Kirby added, "And it’s been amazing being pregnant and working on 'Avengers.' I felt so inspired and so relieved that I’ve been so taken care of. It’s been a really beautiful journey. Robert is just doing incredible work. I’m so excited."
Let us know your thoughts on these latest MCU and DCU updates in the comments section below. As a bonus, here's the trailer for WandaVision star Elizabeth Olsen's new movie, Eternity.