DF Interview: What ghost stories do ghosts tell? Cullen Bunn reveals the answers in ‘Ghostlore’

By Byron Brewer

We've all heard of ghost stories... but what stories do the ghosts themselves tell us?

An estranged daughter and her pastor father wander a haunted land; they only have the restless spirits, each with its own story to tell, as company along the way.
After a deadly accident of which they were the only survivors, Lucas and Harmony Agate can see the dead – an overwhelming amount of the deceased, all with their own warnings, cries for help, and malevolence alike.
But Lucas and Harmony aren't the only ones with this ability; there are other nearly-deads, some of which have malicious motivations!
Writer Cullen Bunn of Basilisk and Empty Man acclaim is joined by artist Leomacs (Basketful of Heads) and guest artist Brian Hurtt (The Sixth Gun) – the first in a haunting lineup of artists featured in each issue – to bring readers the most eye-opening spectral story since The Sixth Sense.
All I need to do is see three words: “Cullen Bunn” and “horror” and I’m on board. As such, I sat down with my old pal and Cullen told me about this new 12-issue limited series. Here’s what he said.


Byron Brewer: Well, Cullen, you’re back at it, weaving story threads of horror beyond imagination in this brand new book, Ghostlore. Tell us, O master of the macabre, how long have you been keeping this tale of terror on the Bunn back burner and what was its inspiration?



Cullen Bunn: While many of the concepts I pursue stick with me for years and years before they see print, Ghostlore is a relatively new creation. It rose from my love of ghost stories, anthology comics, and epic supernatural adventures. It also sprang to life from me asking myself the question, “What ghost stories do ghosts tell?”



Byron: I know that in each issue of this 12-issue series, artist Leomacs will be laying down the shadows for your stories. But there is also apparently a star-studded cast of guest artists who will be assisting on the stories. How does that work exactly?



Cullen Bunn: Leomacs is the maestro of our primary story, but with every issue, our lead characters will encounter ghosts who tell strange and horrific stories. These short stories will each be drawn by a different artist. So, with every issue you’ll be reading our main tale, drawn by Leomacs, and a short creepy tale of horror drawn by one of our guest artists!



Byron: Describe the creep-filled canvas, the haunting world you and the artists are preparing to drop readers into for Ghostlore.



Cullen Bunn: Ghostlore takes place in our world.

Sort of.
On the surface, at least, it looks like our world. But there are dark corners that most of us never see. A hidden world. There are ghosts in this hidden world. That’s a given. But there are many, many other surprises and horrors that we should count ourselves lucky that we never see.
Of course, we will see these horrors—as the ghost stories are revealed.


Byron: Introduce us to father and daughter protagonists Lucas and Harmony Agate. Who are they, what are their abilities, and how do they get to the circumstances that we find them as this book begins?



Cullen Bunn: Lucas and Harmony are an ordinary pair of people. Lucas is a reverend who is having trouble connecting with his daughter. Harmony is an angst-ridden teen who just wants to get away from her dad. A near-death experience, though, opens their eyes to a world of ghostly entities who are lurking around us all the time. They discover that the restless spirits around them want to tell them their stories. The telling of those stories seems to cement the ghosts into our world. And at that point they can be laid to rest. For Harmony, it is a peaceful transition. For Lucas, helping lay the ghosts to rest seems to be a little more violent. This difference in approaches drives an even wider wedge between father and daughter at a time when they are finding themselves in great danger.



Byron: What other characters are important to this tale’s beginning? And who are these “other nearly-deads” who seem to share the Agates’ abilities?



Cullen Bunn: Well, it’s a big world out there, and Lucas and Harmony are not the only people who can see and communicate with ghosts. We’ll be meeting quite a few of these folks. Perhaps most important among them is Shane Demos, a mysterious fellow who doesn’t want to help ghosts pass on like Harmony, doesn’t want to destroy them like Lucas. Instead, his agenda is something completely different and altogether much more sinister.



Byron: Can you give us an overall view of the series, a sort of summary of what readers can expect when issue #1 hits the stands?



Cullen Bunn: This is a story that starts with a small, tragic incident and then blows out into a huge, sweeping horror epic. Our first issue is focused on introducing you to the Agates, setting them up for the creepiness to come, establishing that there is a strange and supernatural undercurrent to our “normal” world. From there, we rocket into a sprawling story that will take the Agates far from their home… and far from safety.



Byron: Talk about the art of Leomacs and what it brings to this new book. If possible, mention some of the other artists involved.



Cullen Bunn: Leomacs does such a great job of bringing Lucas and Harmony to life, of showcasing the emotion between these characters. And that says nothing about his horror and action elements, which are just amazing. As I mentioned, each issue will feature a “ghost story” that will be drawn by a different artist. And talk about a star-studded cavalcade! A few I can name right away include Brian Hurtt, Vanessa Del Rey, Danny Luckert, Jonas Scharf, Naomi Franquiz, and Jakub Rebelka! It’s a celebration of one of the things I like most about working in comics—all the incredibly talented artists I get to work with!



Byron: Cullen, what other haunts do you have coming from your keyboard that you can tell readers about?



Cullen Bunn: I’m working on a broad range of horror and dark fantasy stories right now. Glancing over at my project bulletin board, I see five other projects that haven’t been announced yet, including horror/comedy, action/horror, and some very dark body horror projects.



Dynamic Forces would like to thank Cullen Bunn for taking time out of his busy schedule to answer our questions. Ghostlore #1 from BOOM! Studios is slated to be on sale May 10th!



For more news and up-to-date announcements, join us here at Dynamic Forces, www.dynamicforces.com/htmlfiles/, “LIKE” us on Facebook, www.facebook.com/dynamicforcesinc, and follow us on Twitter, www.twitter.com/dynamicforces.

In 1989 writer/artist John Byrne was working on the West Coast Avengers title for Marvel and decided to have some fun. Since there was both an east and west coast version of the team, he decided to make a third one, in the middle of the country, and keeping with the body of water theme to the names… we got the Great Lakes Avengers. The team was made up of five founding members: Mr. Immortal, Flat Man, Big Bertha, Dinah Soar and Doorman and while the team has probably had more cease-and-desist lawsuits filed against them than real battles, they have been around for years now and have popped up a lot. The interesting thing though is that two of these members have now made appearances in the MCU. And not just blink-and-you-missed-it moments. Both Mr. Immortal and Doorman have had at least half, if not a full episode of a series dedicated to them. In She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, David Pasquesi plays Craig Hollis aka Mr. Immortal who has his immortal ability and uses it to get out a marriages, which he has a lot of. When pressured by his own attorneys, he leapt out of a high-rise window and plummeted to the street below, slamming into the roof of a car, only to pop right back up and walk away. It doesn’t end well for him though as he is forced to pay off all of his exes. Then we get to meet DeMarr Davis aka the Doorman in the new Wonder Man series. Byron Bowers plays the man with the ability to use his body as a door in and out of the dark dimension. While he is a mutant in the comics, in the MCU he gets his abilities by touching toxic waste from Roxxon, similar to how Cloak & Dagger got their powers. DeMarr becomes a cautionary tale about chasing fortune and fame in Hollywood that may have cost the life of beloved actor Josh Gad. It also made the industry enact a law banning superpowered people from working in show business. This is a major plot point in the series. With two of the five characters both located in Southern California, could we end up getting the rest of the team at some point and them relocating for a fresh start? Sounds like the perfect idea for one of those Marvel Spotlight one-hour specials. 

Fans are eager to see the upcoming Lanterns series on HBO and besides a still shot and a few seconds of footage, very little about the series is known at this point. We got our first comments about it from series star Kyle Chandler who will be playing one of the most well-known Green Lanterns, Hal Jordan. Chandler was being interviewed on the Today Show for his new film The RIP with Ben Affleck and Matt Damon. During the interview he was asked about Lanterns and said, “I’ve never had as much fun shooting something as I did that. The people from the top to the bottom. I can’t say enough about Chris Mundy, and the producers, the DC folks. It was an excellent experience. I expect the show to be as good as the experience I had. Aaron Pierre, who I worked with, he and I had a great time.” The series is slated to be released later this year and comes from Mundy, Damon Lindelof and Tom King. Joining Chandler and Pierre in the cast are Ulrich Thomsen as Sinestro, Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner and then Kelly Macdonald, Garret Dillahunt, Jason Ritter, Poorna Jagannathan, and Paul Ben-Victor. There will be eight episodes and it is said to be mostly an Earth-based mystery set in the heartland of America with a True Detective vibe. 

Netflix’s proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. has stirred plenty of speculation across Hollywood, but one message from the streamer’s leadership has been unusually clear: the theatrical experience isn’t going anywhere. In fact, if the sale closes, Netflix says it will strengthen Warner Bros.’ traditional theatrical model rather than shrink it. Ted Sarandos, Netflix’s co‑CEO, has repeatedly emphasized that Warner Bros. films will continue to enjoy a 45‑day exclusive theatrical window—a stance that directly counters fears that Netflix would rush major releases to streaming. Sarandos described Warner Bros.’ theatrical distribution as a “phenomenal” engine that generates billions in revenue, insisting Netflix has no intention of putting that at risk. This commitment marks a notable shift in tone for Netflix, which historically prioritized streaming-first strategies. But after reviewing Warner Bros.’ financials, Sarandos acknowledged that the economics of theatrical releases are stronger than Netflix had previously modeled. He framed the 45‑day window not as a compromise but as a competitive strategy: Netflix wants to “win opening weekend” and “win box office,” embracing the same metrics that drive traditional studios. Industry observers have taken notice. While some feared the acquisition would accelerate the decline of theatrical exclusivity, Netflix’s public stance suggests a more balanced future—one where streaming power and box office ambition coexist. For now, at least, moviegoers can expect Warner Bros. films to keep lighting up big screens for a full month and a half before landing on Netflix’s platform. 

The DCU is expanding with the casting of one of the universe’s biggest bads… Darkseid. While this seems to go against something co-studio head James Gunn has said previously about staying away from the cosmic threat, but this casting isn’t for Man of Tomorrow, but rather the upcoming Mister. Miracle animated series and you can’t really tell the story of Scott Free with mentioning his adopted daddy. Writer Tom King was on the Word Balloon podcast when he talked about the series that he is showrunning and said that they had cast Darkseid and Orion along with Mr. Miracle and Big Barda. If you’re not familiar with these characters, they are all part of the Fourth World Saga created by comic legend Jack Kirby during his short stint with DC Comics. It tells the story of two warring factions, the New Gods and the planet Apokolips and a deal that was made in an attempt for peace. The leaders of the factions, High Father and Darkseid, would exchange children… this sent Scott Free to be raised on the oppressive planet while Orion was sent to the peaceful New Genesis. Scott would become and escape artist, finding a way off of Apokolips with the female warrior, Barda, and eventually come to Earth. Exactly what part of that history the series will focus on is unclear, but we do know that Darkseid and the others will be involved. Gunn also confirmed on social media that the series will be cannon to the DCU that includes the recent Superman movie, the Peacemaker series and the animated Creature Commandos. This means that whoever is voicing these characters in the series would also play them in live action in the future and King has said that the Mister Miracle series will have big ramifications on the DCU as a whole. No word on when the series will debut, but with the casting already made, we can expect an announcement in the near future. 

Takashi Yamazaki’s follow-up to the 2023 Godzilla Minus One is set to hit North American theaters on November 6th, 2026, three days after its premier in Japan. The Academy Award winning film took in $11.4 million in the US on its opening weekend and $57 million total during its domestic box office run. Godzilla Minus Zero is the second film in the franchise from Gkids since taking Toho acquired the company in 2024. David Jesteadt, president of Gkids, said in a statement: “Gkids is proud to bring Godzilla Minus Zero to North American audiences, following the incredible global reception of Godzilla Minus One. This next chapter is sure to become another defining moment for the most colossal monster ever to dominate the screen. It is only fitting that this bold, new Godzilla event be experienced in its fullest theatrical glory, and we’re honored that Toho has entrusted us to carry this legacy forward.” 

As we get closer to the start of production on Matt Reeves’ The Batman Part 2, the cast starts to take shape with the second MCU veteran being added to the cast. We heard of Scarlet Johansson’s casting earlier in December and now multiple sources are saying Sebastian Stan has come on board as well, with the Hollywood Reporter’s Heat Vision report claiming that the actor who plays Bucky Barnes will now take on the role of District Attorney Harvey Dent aka Two-Face. This lines up with the rumors that Johansson would be playing Gilda Dent and that the story may be following the Long Halloween, a popular comic arch by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale. While the story does focus on the Dents, many of the other characters in the story have already appeared in The Batman and The Penguin and have already been eliminated. Plus, the setting of the sequel is said to be set around a week after The Penguin series ended, just before Christmas. How ever the characters are used, if Stan is in the film, it then puts the fate of his MCU character in question as The Batman Part 2 will be filming around the same time as Avengers: Secret Wars. While the casting of both Stan and Johansson have not been made official, neither have they been denied by Reeves, James Gunn or DC Studios. 

Deadline is reporting that Mike Flanagan is working on a new adaptation of Stephen King’s The Dark Tower series. Flanagan said his plan is to adapt the beloved franchise into a five-season series that would then be capped off by two stand-alone movies. The acclaimed horror director recently told Empire Magazine, “We’ve got a lot of scripts done for it. It’s the first priority.” He also made it clear that he doesn’t want the 2017 Idris Elba/Matthew McConaughey film to be the final word on the property. That adaptation has a 16% critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Though Flanagan and Intrepid Pictures have a deal with Amazon, the rights to the Dark Tower were specifically carved out of their arrangement and could end up with another studio, but Amazon is also a possibility. Flanagan is known for his work on films like Gerald’s Game, Doctor Sleep and the Life of Chuck as well as series like The Fall of the House of Ushers, The Midnight Club and Midnight Mass. He also came up with the initial story and script for the upcoming Clayface movie that was so strong that James Gunn and Peter Safran has to greenlight a body horror film starring a B-level Batman villain as the third film released in their new DCU.   

Now that we’re in 2026, we need to keep an ear out for casting news for the two big DC Studios films shooting this year, Man of Tomorrow and The Batman Part 2. The Superman follow-up is the one going first and we already got the casting announcement for the main villain, Brainiac with the addition of German actor Lars Eidinger to the cast. There have been rumors that there was a female role being cast for a potential hero that many have assumed was going to be this universe’s Wonder Woman, and while that has not been confirmed, John Rocha of the Hot Mic podcast says his sources confirm that James Gunn is looking to cast the Amazon warrior for the film. That would make sense with the idea that DC is pushing Wonder Woman for a new film with Supergirl scribe Ann Nogueira said to be working on the script. This still falls into the rumor category, but Gunn has not debunked the story as of yet. With the film expected to begin production in the spring, more casting news is expected in the next few weeks/months, and we know that if the “scoopers” have it right, DC likes to get the news out their themselves as they did with Eidinger. So I wouldn’t trust any of the rumored castings as of now. 

James Gunn took to social media this morning to welcome Lars Eidinger to the DCU and Man of Tomorrow in the role of Brainiac. Eidinger, while not a household name, is best known for his roles in Clouds of Sils Maria and Personal Shopper but also appeared in the recent Netflix film Jay Kelly. Gunn talked about a worldwide search for the iconic Superman villain led to Eidinger rising to the top. He will join David Corenswet, Nicholas Hoult and Rachel Brosnahan as the film is expected to begin shooting in the spring of 2026 for a release in July of 2027. There have been multiple attempts to use Brainiac in a Superman film, but each attempt has fallen to the wayside, and his only live-action appearance so far was in the short-lived SciFi series Krypton where he was played by Blake Ritson.    

After having begun production in August of this year, director Destin Daniel Cretton revealed that Spider-Man: Brand New Day has wrapped filming as of Friday. The film, which is set to premiere July 31st, 2026, features the return of Tom Holland as Peter Parker and is the first in the MCU franchise to not be directed by Jon Watts. Cretton wrote on Instagram, “I’m so deeply grateful for the people who walked with me through the biggest, most rewarding film I’ve ever been a part of. To our amazing cast, for breathing so much life into these beloved characters and moving us every day. To our unbelievable crew, who worked tirelessly with unmatched creativity and craftsmanship, who made me laugh so hard my stomach never stopped hurting. I love you all so much and can’t wait for the world to see your stunning work on the big screen. And of course, to @tomholland2013, for your kind, generous leadership on and off screen, for your relentless work ethic, your fearless performances, and for your friendship. That’s a wrap on Spider-Man: Brand New Day!” This is Cretton’s second MCU film after having helmed Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. He has also produced the Wonder Man series set to debut on Disney+ next month.