There’s a lot of excitement surrounding the launch of the PlayStation 5, and while we’ll have more details on that for you a little later, we have to talk about the announcement that kicked the online event off. Spider-Man: Miles Morales will be a launch title and, as you can see, it will put gamers in the suit of the young hero who gained his powers in the 2018 title. 

This is presumably a spinoff from the main franchise (the graphics don’t look too different to the PS4’s Spider-Man), and a sequel revolving around Peter Parker is also sure to be in the works.

Regardless, it’s hard to complain, as we’ll be able to pick up a new Spider-Man game when the PS5 is released, and getting to suit up as Miles is bound to be welcomed by fans after how much fun it was to spend time with him the first time around. It also looks like his unique set of powers will have a big role to play as we swing into action as the webbed warrior.

It’s also been revealed that Insomniac Games will be releasing another Ratchet & Clank game, Rift Apart, which looks like an absolute blast. You can check out the trailers for both games along with some screenshots below. 

How excited are you guys to pick up Spider-Man: Miles Morales this Christmas?

Powered by WPeMatico

Powered by WPeMatico

Last month, it was revealed that Ruby Rose had decided to hang up her cape and cowl after starring in Batwoman for just one season. Soon after, we learned that The CW would be looking for another actress from the LGBTQ+ community to take over as the Scarlet Knight, and one name that’s kept coming up ever since is WWE Superstar Sonya Deville (Daria Berenato). 

The first openly gay female wrestler in the company’s history, she’s become an instant fan-favourite choice to play Batwoman, and is currently one of the top stars on FOX’s Friday Night SmackDown.

Earlier today, we had the opportunity to speak to Sonya about the outpouring of support surrounding her taking on the role of Batwoman, and talked in detail about everything from what she would bring to the role, to whether she’s met with The CW and her aspirations to both wrestle and act. 

We also discuss Sonya’s newly launched “Rainbow Love” clothing line, got her touching and inspirational thoughts on Pride Month, and much more besides. Needless to say, we want to pass on a massive thank you to Sonya for taking the time to talk to us, and definitely wish her all the best in nabbing the role of the Caped Crusader, as she would be a kick-ass Batwoman!
 

How did you first learn that The CW is looking for a new Batwoman? 

I actually got tagged in something on Instagram or Twitter by one of my fans saying, ‘Oh my God, Sonya would be the perfect replacement for Ruby Rose.’ I was like, ‘Wait a second, Ruby Rose stepped down?’ I had no idea, and so then I looked online and saw that she had stepped down from the role, so was like, ‘Oh wow, this is like a dream role right here.’

It’s been confirmed that the Batwoman in season 2 will be a new character called Ryan Wilder, so how would you feel about playing a new creation rather than following Ruby Rose as another Kate Kane?

I think that’s always cool because Ruby obviously did a great job with the character, and you don’t ever want to be a different version of somebody else. You want to be a new version of yourself, and so I think that would be an amazing opportunity to create a new role and bring something very different to it, you know?
 

Absolutely. Now, I know you’ve been talking about the role on social media, but have you had any contact with The CW at all or been given the chance to audition?

In progress. I’m working on it. [Laughs] I’ll say that. 

Do you have any concerns about how taking on a big commitment like Batwoman would affect your wrestling career?

What I do in the ring with WWE is my priority right now, and it’s my #1. But, people film movies all the time, and television roles, while working for WWE, so nothing is impossible. 

Have you got WWE’s support when it comes to potentially playing the character, or is it something still very much in the early stages for you right now?

I think they would be on board, but yes, very early stages right now. 

What would it mean for you as an openly gay woman to be able to play an openly gay superhero like Batwoman? Is that part of the appeal when it comes to a role like this?

Yeah, absolutely. Growing up in general as a female, female superheroes are so inspiring and so cool, but they weren’t always the most prevalent. You had Wonder Woman and Batwoman, but it was so cool to me to not only see a strong female being portrayed on a network like The CW, but that Batwoman is gay. That was so, so cool to me. I remember seeing when Ruby Rose got the part and being like, ‘Oh my God, that’s so badass.’ The fact they want to keep it in the LGBTQ+ community I think is something that’s really, really cool. I would love to be able to be the one to continue that inspiring message. 

With your background as a fighter and pro wrestler, is that sort of physicality something you think might give you an advantage over anyone else vying for the role?

I think it should! I literally would be my own stuntwoman. The intensity and the aggression and the physicality which comes with being a WWE Superstar I think translates over to television and film too. It’s kind of one and the same world, so I think that would be a very smooth transition and help the role if anything. 
 

I know you said you’re focused on WWE right now, but is an acting career something you’ve always had in the back of your head?

Yeah, I took my first acting class when I was 12 or 13 years old. I remember that my mom used to drive me 45 minutes from our house to take acting classes, so it’s always been a dream of mine that recently, in the past year, I’ve started pursuing more than I was before. The timing felt good with that, and it’s my retirement plan. I can’t wrestle until I’m eighty, so I would love to transition like John Cena and The Rock have. I’d like to be the first female to make the big leap. 

There’s going to be a Batwoman/Superman crossover event next year, but which of the heroes on The CW would you be most excited to interact with if you landed the role?

Ohh, that’s a tough one! I’ve always loved Batman. He’s badass. Superman…just the classics, really! 

In the past when a pro wrestler was interested in a superhero role, there would often be an uproar from comic book fans, but that perception has changed. What’s it been like for you to see that support and not the negativity you might have got five or ten years ago?

It’s kind of crazy. Like I said, the fans brought the role to me. I didn’t even see it until they tagged me in it, but once I’d seen it and quote Tweeted it or whatever, they just started going, ‘Oh my God, Sonya needs to be Batwoman,’ and I was like, ‘Yeah, I freaking do need to be Batwoman!’ They got me excited about it, so the support has been crazy, and I think timing is everything. It’s ironic, but also not, that I’ve been showing I can talk on the mic and obviously I have acting abilities, and then this role comes up. I think everything works out as it should.
 

What would you say to those comic book fans about what you would bring to the role of Batwoman? 
That’s the thing I think is unique about me being in pursuit of the role. I think I would bring a level of intensity and passion that you’ve never maybe seen before. Not only my experience in wrestling these past five years, but seven years of trained martial arts. In every sport that I’ve played, I’ve always been the most aggressive and the most intense person on the field or on the court, so that’s kind of just part of my character as a person. I think I would bring that level to screen people have never really seen before. 

I was wondering if you could tell our readers about your new clothing line? 

I started that a few months back, and it’s called Rainbow Love. It’s obviously an LGBTQ+ forward line, and my whole point with making it wasn’t to throw some clothing out there and make some quick cash. That’s not what it’s about at all. It’s just a personal line to me which features only a few items and it’s all really quality clothing. Every shirt was hand designed by me and my partner, and everything means something. One of the designs has ‘You Are Not Alone’ on the back, and it has the Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-TALK) on there too which is so important. In the LGBTQ+ community, statistically suicide rates are high, and I think it’s important to have those conversations and resources available to those who are struggling with that in the community. That was something important to me to speak out on, and we’ve been doing some really great things. There’s one coming up where we’re partnering with The Trevor Project and giving some of the proceeds to them, and we’re really excited to help the community and to be giving back in some sort of way. 
 

With this being Pride month, is there anything you’d like to say to fans out there who might be struggling with their sexuality or who look at you as an inspiration as WWE’s first openly gay female wrestler?  

First and foremost, I just want to say Happy Pride Month to everybody. I know that some people are in worse situations than normal because of the quarantine and everything as they’re living in bad home situations and are unfortunately home more than ever, so I want to say hang in there, find your safe place if you have one, reach out to friends and family, there’s always someone there to talk if you need the resources, the Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-TALK) is always open, don’t hesitate to use that. I love you guys, be yourselves, don’t ever be ashamed or afraid of being your truth, and don’t ever apologise for your sexuality. I love you all. Mwah! 

Thank you so much for that. One final superhero question – if Batwoman doesn’t work out, are there any other superhero roles you might have your eye on in future?

I’m a little near-sighted right now, so I’m going to stay in the moment and say I want the Batwoman role, and whatever happens, will happen. 
 

Powered by WPeMatico

2020 has been a big year for Marvel when it comes to audiobooks. Teaming up with Serial Box, the comic company has already launched three new series this year.

First, Marvel’s Thor: Metal Gods released, followed by Marvel’s Black Widow: Bad Blood and last month’s premiere of Marvel’s Jessica Jones: Playing with Fire. Earlier today, we shared comments from our exclusive interview with writer Elsa Sjunneson, who helped contribute to the character of Daredevil in Marvel’s Jessica Jones: Playing With Fire. You can read that here in case you missed it. 

As a follow up, we also spoke with Sarah Natochenny, the narrator behind Marvel’s Black Widow: Bad Blood. Best known for playing Ash Ketchum in Pokemon for the last fifteen years, she spoke with us about how her roles in animation differ to this role in which she narrates the story.

Check out what the voice actress had to say regarding Marvel’s Black Widow: Bad Blood below!

Joe: I’d like to start by asking how you initially became involved with Marvel’s Black Widow: Bad Blood?

Sarah Natochenny: I had worked with a director named Amanda Rose Smith on another Serial Box show called Dead Air two or three years ago, and we remained friends after that.

We went out to see 1917 with a group of friends, and afterward, we went to hang out at my place. We got a little drunk, and we had a great time, and I gave everybody assignments to draw characters that look like butts. And Amanda’s was a fabulous one. And somewhere in the midst of that, she said, ‘I think I have something for you, it’s Marvel’s Black Widow: Bad Blood.”

And I had never done an audiobook before, and they intimidated me, so I was nervous. So I went in, and I read, and Amanda directed me and said I was doing great. And Serial Box and Marvel approved, and the next thing I knew, I was doing it.

Joe: I understand that you are the narrator of Marvel’s Black Widow: Bad Blood. Is this your first narration voice role, and how would you say it differs from general voice acting?

Sarah Natochenny: Yes, most of what I do is animation, and I also do commercials. In animation, I’ll go line by line, and we’ll go back and pick up certain lines.

With an audiobook, I’m just reading it straight through. I’m not doing different takes unless I get stopped by the director or unless I stop myself if I made a mistake or if I wanted to do a different read on something. So you need more stamina and more focus to do what we’re doing here than with commercials and animation.

Joe: What can you tell us about the story of Marvel’s Black Widow: Bad Blood?

Sarah Natochenny: Natasha Romanoff had blood taken from her after trying to live a normal life. So she chases down Bucky Barnes, the Winter Soldier because the same thing is happening to him. And they team up to find out why because one drop of blood could destroy the world.

Joe: Marvel’s Black Widow: Bad Blood features Bucky Barnes’ Winter Soldier in addition to Natasha. Does the Red Guardian appear, considering his upcoming debut in the Marvel Studios film scheduled for later this year?

Sarah Natochenny: So, the stories are entirely separate. This audiobook runs independently. I haven’t seen the Red Guardian yet in the episodes released so far.

Joe: Is there anything else you would like me to share with your fans regarding your social media accounts or upcoming projects?

Sarah Natochenny: Yeah, sure. Marvel’s Black Widow: Bad Blood Episode 8 just dropped. There are 14 episodes, and they’re being dropped weekly on Tuesdays at serialbox.com and the Serial Box app.

The Last Degree of Kevin Bacon is a podcast that I do for Funny or Die with Kevin Bacon, Kiera Sedgewick, and other people.

Pokemon Journeys, the new season is dropping on Netflix on Friday.

And make sure you foster animals! I know it’s hard even to get fosters right now, but voicesforfosters.org has a lot of information if you need it.

What do you think of these comments from narrating voice actress Sarah Natochenny? Check out the synopsis for Marvel’s Black Widow: Bad Blood below, and be sure to share your thoughts with us in the usual place!

 

Someone has stolen the Black Widow’s blood. Now she must find them before it’s too late.

As Natasha Romanoff follows the trail across the globe, she discovers she wasn’t the only target. Whoever is responsible stole Bucky Barnes’ blood, too. And one thing is certain: anyone who wants the blood of the Widow and the Winter Soldier needs to be taken down, and fast.

Despite a tangled web of shared history stretching back to their Red Room days, Barnes and Romanoff must join forces, confronting the demons of their past as they race to protect their future. A single drop of blood could be all it takes to save the world—or destroy it.

Powered by WPeMatico

Image Engine, a VFX company that’s worked on movie franchises like Fantastic Beasts and Jurassic World, has shared a breakdown showcasing their work on The Mandalorian season one. 

Honestly, it’s mind-blowing to see just how much of this corner of a Galaxy Far, Far Away is created digitally, but if you’ve been watching Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian on Disney+, that shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise. In that, we’ve learned that video game technology was used to create a digital world around the titular bounty hunter. 

That’s evident from this footage as we’re treated to a montage of scenes showing how everything from environments to aliens, and even the weather were created by the Image Engine team. 

The highlight, however, has to be seeing the moment the Mandalorian Death Watch battle those Super Battle Droids as it was an even more epic sequence than you may have actually realised. We don’t know how much time season two of The Mandalorian will devote to the hero’s past now he’s been unmasked, but there’s still a lot of storytelling potential there. 

Check out this behind the scenes look at the series below, and stay tuned to CBM for much more on The Mandalorian ahead of its Disney+ debut this October. 
 

Powered by WPeMatico

Back in March, when the worldwide shutdowns related to Covid-19 began, Netflix’s The Witcher became the first major UK based production to completely shut down filming due to coronavirus concerns. We now have some idea when production can resume, and it may not be until the first week of August!

Season 2 still had over 4 months of filming remaining, which might now be futher eloganted due to a ban on crowd and sex scenes – both of which are vital for an adult fantasy show like this. So production might stretch until Christmas or even beyond as adjustments are made with the new restrictions in place.

Lead star Henry Cavill hasn’t been idle. He recently teamed up with director Zack Snyder to announe the release of the Snyder Cut on HBO Max. Since then rumors have been rife about an immindent return to the role of Superman. Cavill himself posted a gym selfie on his Instagram recently, sparking speculation that he was getting in shape again to reprise the role.

There is an expectation that Season 2 will be released in Summer 2021 if all goes to plan – 20 months after the release of the first Season in December 2019. 

The Witcher stars

Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia
Anya Chalotra as Yennefer
Freya Allan as Ciri
Joey Batey as Jaskier
Anna Shaffer as Triss Merigold
Mimi Ndiweni as Fringilla Vigo
MyAnna Buring as Tissaia de Vries
Eamon Farren as Cahir
Mahesh Jadu as Vilgefortz

Powered by WPeMatico