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!



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“You have failed this beach!” Okay, there is probably no way Stephen Amell will say that line in the new Baywatch reboot, but I can’t be the only one who thought about it. Fox announced yesterday that the former Arrow, Heels and Suits LA star would be the lead in the networks bid to recapture the popularity of their lifeguard themed drama from the 90s. Amell will be playing the role of Hobie Buchannon, a role first introduced in the OG series. Hobie’s world turns upside down when Charlie, the daughter he didn’t know he had, shows up ready to put on the red bathing suit and follow in the family business. The show got a straight-to-series 12-episode order back in September, so the network is moving quickly. An interesting note is that Amell is the right age if the network wanted to bring back David Hasselhoff to reprise the role of Hobie’s father Mitch for an episode or two. 

You may not have known this, but in 2021 a Zatanna movie was in the works. J.J. Abrams had given the project to Emerald Fennell to script as she was coming off 2020 directorial debut, A Promising Young Woman. So, what happened? According to Fennell, who recently joined the Happy Sad Confused podcast, what she had written was “probably too far away from the genre.” She was very honest about the work, saying: “I think it was demented because I was probably going through it at the time. And the thing is, I think what I can’t help but—and then, I’d just finished A Promising Young Woman, and there was this huge thing in this world I’d never operated in. And again, it was a kind of superhero movie, and I was like, ‘How do I make the version of a superhero movie that I would connect to emotionally?’ Which is sort of the woman in the middle of a nervous breakdown, so it’s a script reflective of a woman in the middle of a nervous breakdown. And in terms of what that means, I suppose it just meant that it was probably too far away from the genre.” For those of you who are not familiar with Zatanna, she was created by Gardner Fox and Murphy Anderson in the pages of November 1964’s Hawkman and has been a consistent magical character in the DC Universe ever since, regularly teaming up with Batman, John Constantine and was a member of the Justice League. Fennell went on to describe the script, “It was really dark. I haven’t read it for a really long time, because I found it really difficult. Because, also the thing is, I love JJ [Abrams] so much, and he took a chance offering me to do it, and I really wanted to deliver something amazing for them. And I always felt like I hadn’t quite maybe delivered the thing that they wanted. So, I haven’t read it since, and I wonder if I read it now, I’d be more generous toward myself. But I felt like, I wished I’d been able to deliver the thing they wanted. They were really lovely about it, it’s even just remembering. You’re making me remember scenes, I’m like, ‘Nobody would have made that.'” I have to admit I totally want to read that script now. 

Don’t expect to see Vincent D’Onofrio show up in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. It seems the rights to the character still precludes him from appearing in a film unless Sony wants him to. Which, yes, Brand New Day is a Sony/Marvel production… but while visiting the Bingworthy podcast, the Kingpin actor responded to the question about the current mayor of the MCU NYC showing up by saying, “No. I think I’ll just wait until they have the rights to my character and they put me in one of those movies, and then I’ll figure it all out.” This makes sense that Marvel can’t just have the character show up in any random film, like The Thunderbolts, without Sony saying okay, but he is available for television appearances. Why Sony has chosen to not let the character show up in a Sony film though seems a little odd, unless the actor is using the rights issue as a cover to keep from telling us that Wilson Fisk will not be the mayor after the events of the upcoming Daredevil: Born Again season two, which is scheduled to release in March and complete well before Brand New Day hits theaters. 

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.