A Sense of Doubt blog post #3848 - Thor Replaced - The Mortal Thor - Comic Book Sunday For The Last Day of August 2025

A Sense of Doubt blog post #3848 - Thor Replaced - The Mortal Thor - Comic Book Sunday For The Last Day of August 2025

I have posted about Thor several times this year despite not being the biggest Thor fan:

Saturday, March 29, 2025

A Sense of Doubt blog post #3693 - The Troubled Birth of Thor via Tom Brevoort

Sunday, May 4, 2025

A Sense of Doubt blog post #3729 - Why Do I Still Read Comics - pt.1 of 828

Sunday, July 6, 2025

A Sense of Doubt blog post #3792 - Thor #168 - 1969 - and a Collection of My Oldest comic books - part four

Dad introduced me to comics in 1966 with Detective Comics  #351. Would I have found comics on my own? Probably. After all, there were a lot of superheroes on TV in 1966: Batman live action show, Fantastic Four cartoon, Justice League cartoon, Spider-Man cartoon, Hanna Barbera classics like Space Ghost, Herculoids, Jonny Quest.

Surely, I would have found comics through those shows if not from my Dad.

It would be a couple of years (three, precisely) until I got my first Thor comic.

And as I confessed in the posts above, I dropped the Immortal Thor comic in 2024 because I needed to save money, and it was in back log.

But then I caught up. I will be posting on the genius of The Immortal Thor some time before the year is out.

Moreover, now that Ewing has revealed that the twenty-five issues of The Immortal Thor was act one of a three-act story, can we expect that acts two and three will each be two years or 25 issues in the making?

We shall see.

The The Immortal Thor, which is now titled The Mortal Thor, went from back log (which means unread and deep in the stack) and then dropped to one of my favorite comic books right now, top five of Marvel comics for sure!! Maybe top five overall. Have to think about that.

The Mortal Thor comic just came out and I read it last night. LOVED IT. So great to see Pascual Ferry's art again.

Here's the SCREEN RANT teaser from June about the changes to Thor and the entire Marvel universe.

I am here for it. Changing established conventions to tell good stories is what this art form is all about.

Thanks for tuning in.

https://screenrant.com/thor-remove-continuity-avengers-lore-change-beta-ray/

Marvel Officially Removes Thor from Official Continuity, Replacing Him with a Shock Hero

In a seismic change to Marvel lore, Thor - the God of Thunder - has been officially removed from the publisher's mainstream continuity. The hero is no longer considered a founding Avenger (with another hero taking his place) and has a totally new name and status quo not connected to any of Marvel's other heroes.

In probably the biggest comic event of 2025, Thor is no longer a part of Marvel lore, and he's taken all of Asgard with him, relegating Loki, Odin, Sif and all the other gods to their own separate continuity, erased not just from Earth-616's present but also its past. Here's everything you need to know.


With Thor gone from Marvel lore, a new hero takes his place as a founding member of the Avengers.

In today's The Immortal Thor #25 - from Al Ewing, Jan Bazaldua, Justin Greenwood, Pasqual Ferry, Matt Hollingsworth, Romulo Fajardo Jr and Joe Sabino - Thor dies after being stabbed in the back by Loki. Meanwhile, Thor's ally Skurge shatters the Rainbow Bridge, cutting the Asgardians off from all contact with the Marvel Universe, including its history. The issue confirms that:

All links between Asgard and Midgard were sundered. Even in history. Even in memory.

However, Loki's murder of his brother isn't as simple as it looks. Loki has used a cosmic artifact known as an Eternity Arrow, 'sacrificing' their brother in a way that has rewritten reality. While Thor is dead - he passes into the afterlife and his physical body dies - he is then reborn in a new body as a mortal being.

The Immortal Thor series ends this issue, with Marvel launching a follow-up series titled The Mortal Thor, beginning August 27, from the same creative team. But with Thor gone from Marvel lore, who is taking his essential place in all of Earth-616's most iconic moments? And what is the former god's new name and status quo as a mortal?

Thor Has Been Replaced by Beta Ray Bill

His Blood Brother Is Now a Founding Avengers Hero

The Immortal Thor #25 shows that even as Thor is erased from history, his place is taken by Beta Ray Bill. Beta Ray Bill is now considered a founding Avenger, presumably taking Thor's place in all the iconic moments previously featuring the Asgardian God. It's a smart choice, given that Beta Ray Bill and Thor have similar powers and perspectives. But who is this horselike hero?

The hero is an alien from planet Korbin who underwent experimental enhancements to protect his homeworld from the demonic being Surtur.


Introduced in 1983's Thor #337, Beta Ray Bill is a creation of iconic Thor artist and wrtier Walter Simonson. The hero is an alien from planet Korbin who underwent experimental enhancements to protect his homeworld from the demonic being Surtur - a longtime enemy of Asgard. Bill is one of the few people to prove themselves worthy of Mjolnir, gaining the abilities of the mighty Thor and becoming his closest ally and blood brother

Odin's respect for Beta Ray Bill resulted in him creating a second hammer similar to Mjolnir - a golden hammer named Stormbreaker, which grants Beta Ray Bill Thor's powers when held. More recently, Bill lost Stormbreaker and took up the fiery sword Twilight, which he claimed from Surtur's realm, though it's unclear whether this will remain true in Marvel's rewritten timeline, especially because it was Thor who broke Stormbreaker in the first place.

Bill is the former lover of Sif and possesses a sentient spaceship named Skuttlebutt. Without his hammer, he reverts to his far weaker Korbinite form - a humanoid alien - though he has been locked in his stronger appearance since the hammer was shattered. It will be interesting to see how Beta Ray Bill's lore changes as the Asgardian gods are removed from history, especially given they played such a big part in empowering him. The answers will likely come in The Mortal Thor...

Thor Has a New Name as a Mortal Hero

And a New Love Interest Is on the Horizon

While Thor's past as a god and superhero have been erased, the individual character still exists. The end of the issue shows him reborn on Earth as a human, taking the name Sigurd Jarlson. It appears Thor has no memories of his godly past, and will be guided in his new life by a mortal Loki, who has taken the name 'Lucky.' This isn't the first time Thor has used this name - in the 1980s, Thor spent a short time using this name while posing as a human construction worker.

It's clear that as Sigurd, Thor is truly mortal, though Al Ewing's cover for Mortal Thor #2 does show him clutching a regular hammer while lightning strikes in the distance. Marvel's summary for Mortal Thor #1 reads:

The legend begins! The Norse Myths tell of Gods who walked the Earth, doing great deeds for the mortals who believed in them. But Asgard isn't real, and never was. The Gods never soared in our skies, never stood with our heroes, never fought for kindness or justice. It was all just a story. Nobody's coming to help us. But somewhere in the city... a man is waking up. A man with a hammer.

It's essentially guaranteed that this new status quo will last for several years in Marvel's comics.


In a recent interview with Comicbook.com, writer Al Ewing confirmed that Thor will have a new love interest who meets and loves him as a mortal. He also confirmed that classic villains Cobra, Mister Hyde, Grey Gargoyle and Radioactive Man will return, and Marvel has revealed that Thor will also face a motorcyle gang named the Thunder Gods, who work as enforcers for the evil Roxxon Corporation

All in all, it's seeming like The Mortal Thor will be a fascinating new way of looking at the classic character, with Ewing promising that some 'Tales of Asgard' issues will visit other Asgardians and show how their own lives and lore have changed - hopefully including Beta Ray Bill's newfound fame as a founding Avenger.

But Why Is Thor Turning Mortal?

Marvel Is Making a Huge Change, But It's All In the Name of a Great Story

The Immortal Thor #25 sees Thor confronted by his old human identity/godly brother Donald Blake. Transformed into Asgard's God of Lies, Blake argues that Thor's origin story is a lie - while he was sent to Earth to learn humility by Odin, he never shed his godly nature, and didn't have to suffer and fear like a mortal. Thor appears to take the lesson to heart, using his connection to the mortal Blake to return to life as a human.

The Mortal Thor will therefore see Thor finally living as a true human, with all the risk that entails. Given that Immortal Thor is a companion series to Immortal Hulk - which ran for 50 issues - it's likely that Thor will spend around 25 monthly issues as a mortal, meaning that this new status quo will last for several years in Marvel's comics. Fans will get the chance to see Thor go from heroic god to flawed mortal, facing his classic threats in all new ways, in a move that is reinventing the God of Thunder like never before.

The Immortal Thor #25 is available now, with The Mortal Thor #1 coming August 27.

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- Bloggery committed by chris tower - 2508.31 - 13:40

- Days ago: MOM = 3713 days ago & DAD = 367 days ago

- New note - On 1807.06, I ceased daily transmission of my Hey Mom feature after three years of daily conversations. I post Hey Mom blog entries on special occasions. I post the days since ("Days Ago") count on my blog each day, and now I have a second count for Days since my Dad died on August 28, 2024. I am now in the same time zone as Google! So, when I post at 10:10 a.m. PDT to coincide with the time of Mom's death, I am now actually posting late, so it's really 1:10 p.m. EDT. But I will continue to use the time stamp of 10:10 a.m. to remember the time of her death and sometimes 13:40 EDT for the time of Dad's death. The blog entry numbering in the title has changed to reflect total Sense of Doubt posts since I began the blog on 0705.04, which include Hey Mom posts, Daily Bowie posts, and Sense of Doubt posts. Hey Mom posts will still be numbered sequentially. New Hey Mom posts will use the same format as all the other Hey Mom posts; all other posts will feature this format seen here.

ADDED: For this week only (August 25-31 2025), in honor of the one year since, I am going to post at 13:40 Pacific Time. My Dad died at 13:40 Eastern, which would be 10:40 Pacific, but I am not going to make the conversion.

A Sense of Doubt blog post #3847 - How to Remove a Pop-up Bathtub Stopper - WATCO

A Sense of Doubt blog post #3847 - How to Remove a Pop-up Bathtub Stopper - WATCO

Doing household things like this makes me think of my Dad.

He tried to prepare me for being able to do such things, but I feel very unprepared. When it comes to lacking skills, I feel I lack skills substantially in doing handy things around the house, even though, with Dad, I have done many, many such things.

My bathtub/shower drain has been clogged for over two months.

I could not figure out how to remove the stopper, and I figured I would have to snake out the drain.

I called the plumbers that I have used who cleared a sink drain for $50. Well, apparently that price is not the usual price but rather a one-time special, also known as a "lure."

This time they wanted $500 - $1000 depending on whether I wanted the lifetime warranty.

My fear of not being capable to clear the clog had me seriously thinking of spending $500 (and I qualify for the "senior" discount; however, that's a lot of money.

I did some Internet research.

The second video, the "three ways" did not work for my style of stopper, but then I found the first video about the WATCO stopper.

Apparently, you use one wrench to hold the bolt under the stopper, which allows for using another wrench to unscrew the cap on the stop of the stopper and then use a flat head screw driver to remove the entire stopper assembly.

But my crescent wrench was missing!!

So, off to the Kalama hardware store, and had a discussion with the proprietor who recommended:

FLOW EASY DRAIN

If my clog was all organic material, this mix of chemicals including sulfuric acid would clear the drain.

He warned me to vent the area well as the stuff is stinky.

Also, it can eat the tub-shower material, so clean the area if any comes back up during the pour.

NOTE: Wear gloves! I forgot to do this and got a drop of stuff on my hand. Also, the instructions suggest wearing a mask because of fumes, which I should have done as well.

Wisely, not only did I buy a crescent wrench to replace the one Dad had given me, but another pair of pliers with nice grips. It was the channel locks (which I had) and the pliers that I used to dismantle the stopper.

And this stuff worked! It worked right away.

There was hair just underneath, which I cleared first, and then poured in the substance.

After two-plus months of anxiety about this and showering in ankle deep water, I have solved my issue in a very short time.

This is the kind of task that I would ask my Dad about or get his help when we still lived in the same town. I wish he was still here to do these things with me.

For any who may come to my post to solve your own problem, YOU CAN DO IT.

Just figure out what kind of stopper you have, which is why I shared the second video as yours might be of that kind.

There are other types that I did not include here, but surely you can find those on the Internet.

Thanks for tuning in.

How To Easily Remove Bathtub Drain Plug Stopper | Remove Pop-up Stopper| WATCO Pop-up Shower Drain

Chester TV

Remove pop up bath tub drain stopper - 3 ways

Home Repair Hub

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- Bloggery committed by chris tower - 2508.30 - 13:40

- Days ago: MOM = 3712 days ago & DAD = 366 days ago

- New note - On 1807.06, I ceased daily transmission of my Hey Mom feature after three years of daily conversations. I post Hey Mom blog entries on special occasions. I post the days since ("Days Ago") count on my blog each day, and now I have a second count for Days since my Dad died on August 28, 2024. I am now in the same time zone as Google! So, when I post at 10:10 a.m. PDT to coincide with the time of Mom's death, I am now actually posting late, so it's really 1:10 p.m. EDT. But I will continue to use the time stamp of 10:10 a.m. to remember the time of her death and sometimes 13:40 EDT for the time of Dad's death. The blog entry numbering in the title has changed to reflect total Sense of Doubt posts since I began the blog on 0705.04, which include Hey Mom posts, Daily Bowie posts, and Sense of Doubt posts. Hey Mom posts will still be numbered sequentially. New Hey Mom posts will use the same format as all the other Hey Mom posts; all other posts will feature this format seen here.

ADDED: For this week only (August 25-31 2025), in honor of the one year since, I am going to post at 13:40 Pacific Time. My Dad died at 13:40 Eastern, which would be 10:40 Pacific, but I am not going to make the conversion.

A Sense of Doubt blog post #3846 - One Year Ago - The Next Day

A Sense of Doubt blog post #3846 - One Year Ago - The Next Day

Hi Dad (Big Guy), You died a year ago yesterday. I was holding your hand. 

I didn't write about it in yesterday's post. I thought the day would be harder than it was. I have been living with grief since Mom died in 2015. I understand myself. I know to let the grief through me. I am grieving, but I can cope.

This one with you feels harder. As I have shared before, when Mom died, you were still with us, and we leaned on each other. Now, you're gone, and though I have many loved ones, I don't have you or Mom.

And that's weird. It's wrong. I still have a lot of disbelief about it all.

Yesterday was a nice day. I wrote on my book, did some work, did some things around the house, spent time in the hammock on the porch reading, and enjoyed a delicious Wurst dinner from Gustavs -- traditional German, like the Old German in Ann Arbor or that place next to Mary Free Bed, the name of which I have forgotten.

And then today, I went into Portland. Did some shopping. Had lunch at Phuket Cafe, excellent Thai food. Sat outside in an outdoor area shaped like a train car. Found a new bookstore next to Tin House. Then had some porch time. Excellent day. Oh, and DID NO WORK. I had discussion board replies due, and I decided they would be 12 or so hours late. I needed to step away from all that stuff. I even did a little writing on my book.

I am honoring you and thinking of you (and Mom) often. In many ways.

I wouldn't want you to be in pain or have low quality of life, but I do wish you were still here. I know that's selfish because where you are is HOME, a place of pure love.

I do sense you and Mom with me all the time.

Thanks for giving me such a great life.

Love you,

Christopher



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- Bloggery committed by chris tower - 2508.29 - 13:40

- Days ago: MOM = 3711 days ago & DAD = 365 days ago

- New note - On 1807.06, I ceased daily transmission of my Hey Mom feature after three years of daily conversations. I post Hey Mom blog entries on special occasions. I post the days since ("Days Ago") count on my blog each day, and now I have a second count for Days since my Dad died on August 28, 2024. I am now in the same time zone as Google! So, when I post at 10:10 a.m. PDT to coincide with the time of Mom's death, I am now actually posting late, so it's really 1:10 p.m. EDT. But I will continue to use the time stamp of 10:10 a.m. to remember the time of her death and sometimes 13:40 EDT for the time of Dad's death. The blog entry numbering in the title has changed to reflect total Sense of Doubt posts since I began the blog on 0705.04, which include Hey Mom posts, Daily Bowie posts, and Sense of Doubt posts. Hey Mom posts will still be numbered sequentially. New Hey Mom posts will use the same format as all the other Hey Mom posts; all other posts will feature this format seen here.

ADDED: For this week only (August 25-31 2025), in honor of the one year since, I am going to post at 13:40 Pacific Time. My Dad died at 13:40 Eastern, which would be 10:40 Pacific, but I am not going to make the conversion.

A Sense of Doubt blog post #3845 - One Year Ago Today

A Sense of Doubt blog post #3845 - One Year Ago Today


One year ago today at the time of the publication of this post my Dad, Robert B. Tower, died as I held his hand.

He was 89 years old.

Though this post will publish at 13:40 Pacific time, Dad died at 13:40 Eastern time, 10:40 Pacific, which is the time now as I write these words.

I set an alarm today for both the actual time of death -- 10:40 a.m. Pacific -- and the more significant time by number in Pacific time, 13:40 PDT.

Perhaps dramatic of me to post an all black image and a cryptic title.

But I have learned, like with Mom's 10th anniversary of her death last month, maybe writing a lot just now is not the thing to do. I am actually working on one of my novel projects.

More about grief and Dad and a year ago later on.

Thanks for tuning in.

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- Bloggery committed by chris tower - 2508.28 - 13:40

- Days ago: MOM = 3710 days ago & DAD = 364 days ago

- New note - On 1807.06, I ceased daily transmission of my Hey Mom feature after three years of daily conversations. I post Hey Mom blog entries on special occasions. I post the days since ("Days Ago") count on my blog each day, and now I have a second count for Days since my Dad died on August 28, 2024. I am now in the same time zone as Google! So, when I post at 10:10 a.m. PDT to coincide with the time of Mom's death, I am now actually posting late, so it's really 1:10 p.m. EDT. But I will continue to use the time stamp of 10:10 a.m. to remember the time of her death and sometimes 13:40 EDT for the time of Dad's death. The blog entry numbering in the title has changed to reflect total Sense of Doubt posts since I began the blog on 0705.04, which include Hey Mom posts, Daily Bowie posts, and Sense of Doubt posts. Hey Mom posts will still be numbered sequentially. New Hey Mom posts will use the same format as all the other Hey Mom posts; all other posts will feature this format seen here.

ADDED: For this week only (August 25-31 2025), in honor of the one year since, I am going to post at 13:40 Pacific Time. My Dad died at 13:40 Eastern, which would be 10:40 Pacific, but I am not going to make the conversion.

A Sense of Doubt blog post #3844 - Superman movie - too woke?

A Sense of Doubt blog post #3844 - Superman movie - too woke?

Summer of Superman.

I could have bumped this post for the school shooting that took place in Minnesota this morning, but I am not sure I have anything useful to add to that tragedy. Just noting that it took place.

So, just a share.

Loved this movie.

Here's my other two posts about the film or Superman-related:

Friday, July 18, 2025

A Sense of Doubt blog post #3804 - I Went to the Superman Movie!

Sunday, August 10, 2025

A Sense of Doubt blog post #3827 - Superman Year One - a review - Comic Book Sunday for 2508.10

Thanks for tuning in.

Director James Gunn and David Corenswet

https://ew.com/superman-james-gunn-talks-ultraman-reveal-superwoke-discourse-justice-league-plans-11774874

Superman's James Gunn unpacks the 'Superwoke' discourse, Ultraman reveal, and Justice League plans

The writer/director and DC Studios co-head sits with EW for a spoiler-filled conversation.

By Nick Romano

Nick is an entertainment journalist based in New York, NY. If you like pugs and the occasional blurry photo of an action figure, follow him on Twitter @NickARomano.

EW's editorial guidelines

July 18, 2025 2:00 p.m. ET

• James Gunn unpacks some of the movie's biggest spoilers, including the Ultraman reveal and how the pocket universe connects to Peacemaker.
• The writer/director/studio co-head addresses the "Superwoke" MAGA backlash and how kindness used to be "an American value."
• What about Supergirl and Justice League? Gunn comments on both.

Warning: This article contains spoilers from Superman.

James Gunn is still basking in the glow of Superman, the first movie of the new DC Universe. After opening in theaters last weekend, the Warner Bros. release jockeyed the "superhero fatigue" discourse to rake in a cumulative total of $177.7 million domestically (as of Friday morning), which also means it now crosses $300 million globally.

However, the writer and director of the film, who's also the co-head of DC Studios with Peter Safran, is admittedly "basking in the euphoria that has been finishing the press tour."

On Wednesday of this week, Gunn finished a month-long continent-hopping tour with his Superman stars, including David Corenswet (Clark Kent/Kal-El), Rachel Brosnahan (Lois Lane), and Nicholas Hoult (Lex Luthor). Sitting over Zoom in a plain black t-shirt, he's now at home in Atlanta with his wife, Peacemaker star Jennifer Holland, and their pets, including Ozu, their rescue dog who inspired the character of Krypto in the movie. "It is pretty nice to have not had to put makeup on this morning," he admits.

For one of his final interviews on Superman, Gunn speaks with Entertainment Weekly for an open conversation about some of the movie's biggest spoilers, some of the discourse, and what the film means for future DCU properties.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: The first thing I want to ask you about is this Ultraman reveal. Knowing that the same actor who was going to play Superman would be playing Ultraman, did it make you want to look out for certain things in the audition process?

JAMES GUNN: It didn't really. Just thought the guy needed to be a good actor, but I knew what I was looking for in Superman was so much more varied and nuanced than what had often been looked for in somebody to play Superman. He had to be funny, he had to be emotional, he had to do all this different acting stuff. He had to do that scene with Rachel — the long interview scene — and anybody that could do that could be this goofy idiot that is Ultraman.

It felt like part Bizarro from the comics, but also it made me think of Nuclear Man from Superman IV: The Quest for Peace [1987]. Is it fair to say that you had a lot of different inspirations for this particular incarnation of Ultraman? 

Yeah, for sure. It's funny, [Marvel Studios President] Kevin Feige wrote me yesterday, He says he hopes his old pal Bizarro... [Laughs] He wants to see Bizarro. Yeah, I think he's all those things, but also just kind of this f---ed-up version of Clark. There used to be some sadder stuff in there at some point that I got from the script that I really liked. I didn't have time for everything. You don't have time for everything.

Sadder stuff for Ultraman?

Yeah, yeah, yeah. And I don't know if you noticed...David's got prosthetics on [as Ultraman]. He's got a chin that's jutting out, his ears poke out, he's got one eye kind of going in a little direction. [Luthor] took him out of the oven a little too quickly or something.

I also got a really fun kick out of the image of Ultraman tumbling back into the pocket universe. It reminded me very much of General Zod and his cronies at the end of Superman II [1980]. Was that a direct influence for that moment? 

I can see where you would see it. I didn't think of it, but who knows? Those things all affect you. You don't know where things come from, but, yeah, I like to think about where he's going and what he's going to do next.

When we're thinking about this pocket universe, you said in previous interviews that this is similar technology as the Peacemaker QUC [Quantum Unfolding Chamber].

That's right.

So is it fair to say that this particular element, this idea of a pocket universe, is instrumental to this larger story you're telling across the DCU?

Yes, absolutely it is. You'll see in Peacemaker [season 2], too... It's just Lex's version is much jankier than the one in Peacemaker. The one in Peacemaker works better. What the whole season of Peacemaker revolves around is that.

Where did you get the idea to hone in on this pocket universe concept? Was it from Peacemaker season 1, or was it other comic book elements?

No, it's just about the fact that it's possible to make a pocket universe theoretically, and that it seemed like a good place for Lex to do his dirty work that was not really under any laws. He could do whatever he wanted in that pocket universe. I liked the idea of Lex being able to do all these things that are so incredibly scientifically progressive that they almost seem like magic. I think that's true about the early Silver Age versions of Lex — I like that aspect of him — but he's just so incredibly intelligent beyond anybody else on this planet.

One thing we see in the trailer for Peacemaker season 2 is this Peacemaker doppelgänger of sorts. Is it fair to make a connection to the multiverse when fans think about the idea of the pocket universe and the QUC?

Yeah, but in Peacemaker, it's done in a much different way. Traditionally, when we're dealing with multiverses, we're dealing with...I mean, not traditionally. [Laughs] Over the past four or five years, they've suddenly been everywhere. I think of Peacemaker as more of a high-concept story about one other world. It's more akin to Philip Roth's The Counterlife than it is to the third Spider-Man movie [2021's No Way Home], which I love that movie, but it isn't about that. It isn't Deadpool & Wolverine. It's really a very simple, simple story about his relationship to this one other world.

Is this connection between Superman and Peacemaker the main reason you got John Cena in there for a quick cameo? 

Oh, no, no, no. He would've been in there no matter what. I like the idea that he's going on this incendiary talk show, and he's one of these assholes that would be on that show. Cleavis Thornwaite [Michael Ian Black]. I haven't heard many shoutouts, but to me, he's perfect in the movie. He's perfect. He shows up again, Cleavis Thornwaite, in Peacemaker. 

This next one is a deep cut...At the end of the film, everyone is released from the pocket universe, including Luthor's smart monkeys. Did we just low-key get the origin story for Gorilla Grodd in the DCU?

No, no, no. Because I know exactly what that is. I love Gorilla Grodd, so got other plans for that guy. He's not a monkey, he's an ape!

Fair.

What am I, some plebeian? [Laughs] But I do like the idea of the monkey-bots forever infesting metropolis in the same way that we have the parrots here in Los Angeles. We have those big flocks of parrots that have supposedly descended from parrots that were let loose from a pet store or something. Now there's going to be these f---ing monkey bots all over in Metropolis, and you're going to just see 'em creating mischief in the background.

When we got to that scene in Luthor's pocket universe with the monkeys...Because you have been vocal about your own experience dealing with online trolls and the online rumor mill, I was curious if this was a direct commentary on a lot of what you experienced online over the years.

When you say commentary, I don't think I ever put anything in a story that I didn't just think was fun for the story. So when I thought of the monkey bots, I thought of the foreign governments that are enlisting bots to try to sway public opinion in the United States. I'm thinking more about that type of thing. But, yeah, at the end of the day, does it reflect all the angry...? I was looking at somebody who was writing something really nasty online the other day. I don't really see too much anywhere anymore, but this one guy said something, just going off on the movie, but in an especially mean-spirited and weird way. The comic writer Mitch Gerads posted a little keyboard and a monkey next to it, and that's been something I've been seeing a lot lately, which is funny.

This leads me to another point...I found myself laughing a lot about the Fox News and the ultra-right coming out to label Superman as "Superwoke." It was not lost on me that scene where Lois is interviewing Superman. The phrase "Superwoke" sounds exactly like the in-world critics of Superman. I was curious what you made of that.

I've heard people say it was woke, and then I've heard a lot of people say it's not. I am curious as to what in the movie is considered woke. I think people took something I said...The guy for the London newspaper [Jonathan Dean of The Times]. Originally, he said that [Superman comic creators] Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster were the sons of immigrants, and they wrote Superman as an immigrant story. And I said, yeah, it's a story about an immigrant, but mostly it's a story to me about kindness, which it is. That's the center of the movie for me.

That's the thing we can all act upon, is kindness. And so what does that lead to? Well, does that lead to the way you vote? Sure. Does that lead to everything? Yeah. Does it lead to how many people are dying from road rage? Yes. All those things are affected if people just start to value kindness. I mean, people did value kindness in the past. That was an American value, was kindness, and it doesn't necessarily seem to be that way to me anymore. So that was always the center of the movie for me, and it wasn't about anything other than that.

It was just so funny to me that you constructed this whole scene with Lois interviewing Superman and "#Supersh--," hashtag all these things, and then it was almost like the real world feels stranger than fiction.

Well, I think those things are always coming from...the question I ask myself when I'm putting the movie together is, what if Superman was real? I still have that kid in me that wants to believe in Superman. If I go to a movie where I believe Superman is acting in a way that Superman would be, but still has all the comic book crazy s--- that I love of robots and giant monsters, but I believe him as a real human being with thoughts and feelings and beliefs and morals and flaws, I believe what he is. So in that scene, I'm just like, what if these two people were real? What would their real conversations be about?

For me, that was the most fun scene to write and in a lot of ways to direct. What's the engine in each of them? What are their psychologies? How would they be the same, and how would they be different? If they're reacting to a real world, what would it be like in a world with Superman, where he's just trying to do good, but he doesn't think that much about it? He just does what's good. But there are governments that are trying politically to handle things in a certain way, and there's no doubt that he would come up to clash with that at some point. 

Changing the subject, you have so many awesome cameos in this movie, but especially voice cameos, which feel like the James Gunn extended family back together. You have Pom Klementieff and Michael Rooker from Guardians of the Galaxy voicing Superman robots. You have Michael Rosenbaum playing a Raptor. For those fans who keep going back to the theater to see which new voice they can decipher, are there subtle cameos that people still haven't caught?

You notice Bradley Cooper was in the film? [Laughs] Honest to God, I don't think so.

You shared previously that you have a specific philosophy about post-credit scenes. Did you have a specific philosophy about cameos in the context of this film? 

Yes, I do have a philosophy about cameos. A cameo is fine as a cameo, where somebody appears for two seconds, and it's fun, like with Peacemaker, or how Stan Lee would appear in the Marvel movies. I don't like cameos when it has nothing to do with the story or the plot, and is anything more than a line or seeing them for two seconds. There seems to be, in some superhero movies, cramming other people in because people like seeing these characters together. I don't really love that new tradition. They need to have a story reason for being in the movie. I wouldn't have put Hawkgirl and Mr. Terrific and Guy Gardner in there if they were representing something different than to what Superman represented, and if they didn't have the role in the story that they did, where they too are inspired by Superman.

One of my personal favorite cameos was Supergirl because, to your point, it was short and sweet, but at the same time, you used that time so wisely to give us a perfect encapsulation of who Kara is in the DCU.

But for me, the main reason for Kara showing up is to show that Superman not only risked his life to go save a dog that was his dog, that so many of us would do, he was watching the dog for somebody else. The dog's a pain in his ass. He didn't want to take that dog. She's off being irresponsible. He doesn't want to have to watch a dog. He's having to save the world every two seconds. And even still, he goes to the ends of the earth for that dog.

To me, that's one of the most touching things in the movie. Earlier, when Lois says, "It's just a dog," and he says, "Yeah, not even a very good one, but it's probably scared," it just shows you the depths of his empathy. I find that so touching. Then, when you find out at the end, it's not even his dog; she just left it with him.

Last topic...Justice League. The Justice Gang, their home base is the Hall of Justice. By the end of the movie, they feel inspired by what Superman has motivated them to do in Jarhanpur. Metamorpho seems to be joining their ranks.

No, he is. He joins them at the end of the movie, for sure. I mean, Guy says he's in, so he is in. He probably has to get a rubber stamp by Maxwell Lord, but I think he'll be fine with that. 

Are these really the first kernels of the Justice League for you in the DCU?

Yeah, I think you could say that. I don't know why not, but I wouldn't jump the gun with thinking that's going to happen tomorrow.

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- Bloggery committed by chris tower - 2508.27 - 13:40

- Days ago: MOM = 3709 days ago & DAD = 363 days ago

- New note - On 1807.06, I ceased daily transmission of my Hey Mom feature after three years of daily conversations. I post Hey Mom blog entries on special occasions. I post the days since ("Days Ago") count on my blog each day, and now I have a second count for Days since my Dad died on August 28, 2024. I am now in the same time zone as Google! So, when I post at 10:10 a.m. PDT to coincide with the time of Mom's death, I am now actually posting late, so it's really 1:10 p.m. EDT. But I will continue to use the time stamp of 10:10 a.m. to remember the time of her death and sometimes 13:40 EDT for the time of Dad's death. The blog entry numbering in the title has changed to reflect total Sense of Doubt posts since I began the blog on 0705.04, which include Hey Mom posts, Daily Bowie posts, and Sense of Doubt posts. Hey Mom posts will still be numbered sequentially. New Hey Mom posts will use the same format as all the other Hey Mom posts; all other posts will feature this format seen here.

ADDED: For this week only (August 25-31 2025), in honor of the one year since, I am going to post at 13:40 Pacific Time. My Dad died at 13:40 Eastern, which would be 10:40 Pacific, but I am not going to make the conversion.