DF Interview: James Patrick unleashes cool science fiction, a dash of horror and, oh yeah, perhaps the end of the world in ‘Astronaut Down’



By Byron Brewer

Douglas Spitzer wants to be one of the "astronauts" selected for the crucial Mission Politzer. And just as astronauts like Buzz Aldrin and Sally Ride, Douglas is brave, adaptable and self-sacrificing. He's one of the program's best candidates.

But if he qualifies, Douglas won't be traveling through space; he'll be launched into alternate realities on a desperate mission to save Earth from a horrific crisis that has our world on the brink of extinction. Unfortunately, it's a mission where everything will go wrong, where Douglas' training and very humanity will be put to the test, and where a deep-seeded secret could sabotage everything.
Writer James Patrick (Kaiju Score, Campisi: The Dragon Incident) and artist Rubine (Search for Hu) lead us on a perilous undertaking to save the planet from total destruction in Astronaut Down! They had ME at “Buzz Aldrin and Sally Ride”, so I tethered myself to a wall and floated into an anti-grav chamber to discuss the coming comic with scribe James Patrick.


Byron Brewer: James, tell readers a little about the inspiration for Astronaut Down coming soon from AfterShock Comics. Curiously, I heard it had to do with your fondness for the 2020 film Possessor, written and directed by Brandon Cronenberg?



James Patrick: Sure. And yeah, Possessor had kind of pushed me into making this particular book. I watched and loved that movie, and the aesthetic and originality was just mesmerizing to me. It had a unique mix of sci-fi, realism and violence. It was one of my favorite movies that year. And so I wanted, initially, to kind of just create after seeing that. To do a unique mixture. You come out of certain art, viewing it or listening to it, with kind of a high and kind of an urge to create. Now, the final product that is Astronaut Down does not resemble Possessor. It didn't inspire it in that way. It's more of a carrot that gets you off the couch and to the keyboard, and that was the big giant carrot at that moment. And I've heard a lot of creative people say that same thing about the Green Knight lately – a kind of, "I want to do something that feels like the Green Knight!" – and this was exactly that. So yeah, this thing started spinning out of that spark, and we threw in some 70's NASA, some Akira, and a dash of maybe Moebius when the scripts started growing.

And the other inspiration for the book was that I had a sh*t ton of stuff rejected and I wanted another book! I'd just come off the success of Kaiju Score, I knew there was a window in there to maybe take advantage of, and I didn't want it to pass by.
So yeah, my two motivations were Possessor and practicality.


Byron: Before we discuss more about the comic and its cast, what can you say about the world you and artist Rubine are building here? Give us just a taste of this Earth, where folks travel through things other than space and oceans.



James Patrick: The canvas here is kind of our world and kind of not our world. It resembles ours. I've said this in interviews before, but it gets the point across. Frank Miller once said he uses iconic pieces of different eras to fill Sin City. So, he might like a gun from the 20's or a car from the 50’s and so on. Astronaut Down isn't exactly like that, but to put the reader in the right sort of mindset, hopefully, we used a little 70's NASA, even though what's occurring hasn't occurred in our world yet and would technically be the future. All while society is in a place that's straight out of two years ago to now. So there's no locking down if this is our world or when it would be in our world. And all of that doesn't work on a conscious level unless people think about it. So there's this world where there's a similar program for sending people into alternate realities just like NASA sends astronauts to space or the moon. It's approached the same way, here it's been sped up out of necessity, and all the problems that come with an expedited space race arise. And the backdrop is a world that is dealing with a crisis that has changed it dramatically physically and societally, the latter of which is very similar to covid. There's just no denying this is a post-covid book the same way you can feel the post-9-11 influences in entertainment after 9-11. I did not set out to make some allegory on covid in any way, but when I needed certain elements to populate this story, it made sense. It made sense for the mechanics of the story.



Byron: Introduce us to Douglas Spitzer. Who is he as a character, his vocation and family, and how those may or may not have bearing on what we’ll be reading in this exciting new mag?



James Patrick: Douglas has had one course his whole life. He's aimed, trained and been focused on one thing: to be an astronaut. Whether it be to explore space or, in this case, the more symbolic version of what that means and explore alternate realities. He's been on this path and he thinks he has everything that's necessary – the exact tool-set – but when his destiny occurs and everything is on the line, he realizes there's been a wrench thrown into it. And it begins to reveal itself at the worst time.



Byron: No spoilers needed, but talk a little about Mission Politzer and how that converges with Spitzer’s life.



James Patrick: Mission Politzer is one of the missions to put an "astronaut" into another reality in an attempt to save the world. Previous missions have ended in disaster. Launches have gone horribly wrong for the "astronauts", and it's basically all come down to this to save everything. It's going to be their last shot since they're out of time. So imagine if you had to send a space shuttle up after Challenger and the stakes were, well, everything. Douglas is one of the astronauts. He's exceptional. Physically. He thinks that there is no way he can not succeed at this mission.



Byron: Are there a few other characters in the series that you can tell readers about? Maybe spotlight two or three here?



James Patrick: After Douglas, the Project Manager of Mission Politzer is Beverly Engle, and she has to not only save the world, she has to deal with all the fallout and bullsh*t that revolves around the mission. A press that's critical of her every decision. Her own self-doubt. The very stakes of the decisions she makes when it comes to selecting the astronauts, the timetable, etc. And then there's Maddie, who I won't get into, but she's a breath of fresh air that is completely the opposite of the duty-driven Douglas. She evens him out.



Byron: I will probably get a “Read the book” comment for this, but I am going to see if I can get a bit about some of the book’s mysteries. Can you give readers even the slightest of clues about a crisis which threatens Earth or an existing secret which may lead to the failure of Mission Politzer? (Haha! I know, I know… read the book.)



James Patrick: The crisis is essentially a crisis that has to do with the laws of physics and I won't get into the specifics or its origins. This is comics, so it's executed in a visual way. And how the world deals with this crisis is, as I've hinted at, similar to the different ways we dealt with covid. Where it goes from there I won't spoil, but I will say that, yes, there is a deep-seeded ticking time bomb that all of this place into Mission Politzer. A personal truth that nobody knows. It's very hard to describe it more without giving too much away.



Byron: What makes artist Rubine a great fit for this series?



James Patrick: Well, firstly and generally, he's just an exceptionally talented artist. But he also has a knack for finding that realism while still drawing amazing sci-fi. His storytelling is also very clean. And they say that the more complex a story, the more need for a cleaner art style. I'm not saying the story is super complex, but in any event he delivers it perfectly.



Byron: James, what other projects in which you are involved can you tell readers about?



James Patrick: Campisi: The Dragon Incident TPB, which collects the series, just came out on May 11th, Kaiju Score: Steal from the Gods, the sequel to Kaiju Score (optioned by Sony) is coming out right now and issue 2 hits stands on May 18th. I can't say too much about anything after those and Astronaut Down.



Dynamic Forces would like to thank James Patrick for taking time out of his busy schedule to answer our questions. Astronaut Down #1 from AfterShock Comics is slated to be on sale June 1st!
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.

We are in the age of Matthew Lillard and everyone except Quentin Tarantino seems to be happy about it. The Scream and Scooby-Doo actor has been having a bit of a resurgence lately coming shortly after Tarantino made some disparaging comments about the actor with no provocation. Many in the industry stood up for Lillard and now the actor seems to be popping up everywhere including the latest Scream film, the second season of Cross and the second season of Daredevil: Born Again. The latest news reported by multiple sites has the actor joining the cast of Man of Tomorrow, the next DC Studios film written and directed by James Gunn. Gunn, who is good friends with Lillard and has worked with him previously on both Scooby-Doo movies, posted the below image of the pair together, commenting on the news reports as “pure speculation” and saying that they are just “casually hanging out”. Most took the posts to be sarcasm and assume that Lillard is now in the film as that is where Gunn is right now, filming the project. Fans on-line have begun even more speculation as to who Lillard could be playing including various heroes and characters with the most notable being Jim Gordon from Gotham and Plastic Man, a character that Gunn and Lillard once tried to pitch as a project to DC/Warner Bros. It’s my belief that he will be a more Superman centric character such as STAR Labs Professor Emil Hamilton or police detective Dan Turpin. But that also would be pure speculation. 

Fans of Matt Reeves’ film The Batman got excited this week because of driving in the snow. The director posted images to his social media showing test footage of the Batmobile driving in winter conditions, which were the first signs that the long-awaited sequel had begun production. Though it has been postponed many times, it is set to be released in October of 2027 and will make the first time live-action Batman and Superman films will be released in the same year. The cold weather setting has long been assumed for the film based on the timeline created in both the first movie starting on Halloween and ending on Election Day and then The Penguin series on HBO Max which took place over a week or so immediately after the flooding of Gotham. The new film will pick up right after the award-winning series which places the time frame squarely in December. The plot for the film is still under wraps, but along with returning stars Robert Pattinson, Andy Serkis, Colin Farrell, Barry Keoghan and Jeffrey Wright, the project has reportedly added Scarlett Johannson, Sebastian Stan and Charles Dance. Stan is reported to be playing Gotham DA Harvey Dent aka Two-Face while Dance is said to be his father, Christopher. These castings have been reported by multiple reputable outlets but not confirmed by DC Studios or Reeves. With production having begun, the film is on track to keep its release date of October 2027. 

James Gunn, co-head of DC Studios, has addressed the strange “partial reboot” of the DCEU and why he didn’t just start completely fresh. With the new DCU starting with the animated Creature Commandos series and the new Superman movie, certain elements from the previous regime carried over like Viola Davis as Amanda Waller and there were some questions about more recent projects like Gunn’s own The Suicide Squad and Blue Beetle. And Gunn’s first DC movie also had elements from previous films including Margot Robbie as Harley Qiunn. So why not just start over? Turns out a lot of it has to do with the John Cena lead Peacemaker series on HBO Max. According to a social media post by Gunn, “Peacemaker Season 2 deals were all in place when I became head of DC. It was either break everyone's contracts and pay out all that money and take away HBO Max's biggest show at the time or find a way to make it work. I chose the latter. Mostly tho because I love the character and the show and thought he/they could be an important part of the DCU.”   Now, this has left quite a mess trying to figure out what is and isn’t cannon, and Gunn realizes this. He posted, “I've been thinking about this a lot in regards to The Suicide Squad & Blue Beetle and I've been meaning to rewatch both with an eye towards that knowing what I know now almost three years into the DCU (with a couple more years of scripts being actively filmed or created). Maybe after MoT Jenn & Steve & I can get together for a special couple podcasts to discuss. What do you guys think is potentially or definitely NOT canon from TSS & BB?” He is referring to Jennifer Holland, his wife and actress who plays Harcourt and Steve Agee who plays Economos. The three of them did the post-episode podcasts for Peacemaker season two.   Doing The Suicide Squad film makes sense with its ties to Peacemaker, but the reason for the Blue Beetle is that there are talks of an animated Blue Beetle series based on the 2023 film with Xolo Maridueña continuing in the role of Jaime Reyes. The fact it’s included here confirms the animated series is still happening. 

David Harbour is heading into the jungle. The actor has joined the cast of John Rambo, an upcoming origin-story film set before the events of First Blood. Harbour will portray Major (also known in earlier films as Colonel) Sam Trautman, the tough-minded commander and mentor figure long associated with the franchise. The film stars Noah Centineo as a younger John Rambo and is directed by Jalmari Helander (Sisu) from a screenplay by Rory Haines and Sohrab Noshirvani. The project is expected to explore the experiences that forged Rambo into one of action cinema’s most enduring figures—years before he returned home to the confrontation that launched the original 1982 film. John Rambo is backed by Lionsgate and Millennium Media, with Templeton Media and AGBO also involved, and has reportedly wrapped production in Thailand. Additional cast members include Yao, Jason Tobin, Quincy Isaiah, Jefferson White, and Tayme Thapthimthong. Sylvester Stallone—who originated the role across five films—is attached as an executive producer, alongside Anthony and Joe Russo and other producers tied to the project. 

Deadline is reporting that Game of Thrones actor Charles Dance will be joining the cast of the upcoming The Batman Part 2, which is set to start filming in the next few weeks. While this is unconfirmed by DC Studios, Dance is believed to be playing Charles Dent, the father of Harvey Dent aka Two-Face played by fellow newcome to the franchise, Sebastian Stan. There had been many reports over the last few months of other actors turning down the role of the elder Dent which is believed to have some parallels with the role Dance is best known for, Tywin Lannister. He joins a cast that also returns Robert Pattinson, Andy Serkis, Colin Farrell and that has added Scarlett Johansson in an undisclosed part. Prior to joining the Matt Reeves’ sequel, Dance appeared recently in Guillermo Del Toro’s Frankenstein and the Peacock series Day of the Jackal. 

FX is doubling down on one of television’s most unlikely success stories. The Emmy‑winning docuseries Welcome to Wrexham has been officially renewed for three additional seasons, ensuring the show will run through at least Season 8. The announcement comes just weeks ahead of the series’ Season 5 premiere on May 14, 2026. The series chronicles the ownership journey of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney—often credited onscreen as Rob Mac—after their 2020 takeover of Welsh football club Wrexham AFC. What began as a celebrity‑owned sports experiment has evolved into one of FX’s most successful and beloved nonfiction franchises, following the club’s extraordinary rise through the English football pyramid. FX Entertainment president Nick Grad called the renewal “nearly unheard of,” praising the creative team and the global connection audiences have formed with the club and its community. Reynolds and McElhenney echoed that sentiment in a joint statement, crediting the documentary crew and Wrexham’s rapid on‑field success for making such a long‑term commitment possible. Season 5 will continue to track Wrexham’s pursuit of promotion to the Premier League following three consecutive promotions, a feat never before achieved in English Football League history. With cameras set to keep rolling for years to come, FX has made it clear that Wrexham’s story—both on and off the pitch—is far from finished. 

As anticipation builds for DC Studios’ upcoming Superman sequel Man of Tomorrow, speculation around its final unannounced role has gone into overdrive. Over the past several days, a wave of casting rumors surged online—only to be decisively debunked by director and DC Studios co‑chair James Gunn himself. The most prominent rumor centered on the alien queen Maxima, a character from DC Comics long speculated to appear in the film. An initial report from Deadline claimed that Ella Purnell, Marisa Abela, and Adria Arjona had screen‑tested for the role. Gunn fired back on Threads, calling the report “shoddy & incorrect” and stating that he had never even met two of the actresses named. He emphasized that had anyone from the outlet checked with the production, the story would have been immediately denied. Gunn further clarified that his statement was not an indirect confirmation that Maxima is in Man of Tomorrow at all. When pressed by fans, he said he was “absolutely not confirming” the character’s inclusion, while adding that the film has only one remaining role left to cast, with all major roles already announced. Shortly after Gunn posted, the Hollywood Reporter came out with its own list of finalists for the role that included Arjona, the one actress in the first report that Gunn has worked with previously, along with Eva De Dominici, Sydney Chandler, and Grace Van Patten. Another rumor floating around is that Maxima is just a cover character and that they are really casting the DCU’s new Wonder Woman. While the character’s stories are very different, the physicality of both women are similar enough and it would be a good cover if DC Studios wanted to keep the introduction of a major character quiet. Which ever it is, a decision will need to be made soon as Man of Tomorrow is slated to begin filming sometime this month down in Atlanta and is slated to be released July 9th, 2027. 

Marvel fans may finally be getting the reunion they’ve been waiting for. Mike Colter and Finn Jones were recently spotted on the New York set of Daredevil: Born Again season 3, sparking widespread excitement that The Defenders are officially back. Photos from the production show Colter and Jones alongside Krysten Ritter, who reprises her role as Jessica Jones, strongly suggesting that Luke Cage and Iron Fist are once again entering Marvel’s street-level corner. While Marvel Studios has not formally announced their return, the presence of all three actors together during filming points to a deliberate reunion rather than a coincidence. The sighting is significant because Colter and Jones last portrayed their characters during Marvel’s Netflix era, where they joined Charlie Cox’s Daredevil and Ritter’s Jessica Jones in the 2017 crossover miniseries The Defenders. With Daredevil: Born Again already reestablishing that continuity on Disney+, season 3 now appears poised to fully reassemble the team for the first time in nearly a decade. Although plot details remain under wraps, the set photos alone have reignited fan enthusiasm for Marvel’s grounded, Hell’s Kitchen–based heroes. If the reunion is confirmed on screen, Daredevil: Born Again season 3 could mark a major turning point—bringing The Defenders back together and firmly reintegrating Marvel’s Netflix characters into the broader MCU. 

Games Workshop has officially unveiled Warhammer 40,000: 11th Edition, confirming that the next evolution of its flagship tabletop wargame will launch in June 2026. The announcement was made during the AdeptiCon 2026 preview event, where a cinematic trailer, a new starter box, and early details about rules changes were revealed. The narrative focus of 11th Edition returns players to Armageddon, one of the most iconic war zones in Warhammer 40K lore. The new storyline centers on a massive conflict between the Imperium of Man and invading Ork forces, with the Blood Angels Space Marines positioned as the headline Imperial faction opposing an Ork Waaagh!. A major lore highlight is the confirmed return of Commissar Sebastian Yarrick, a long‑standing fan‑favorite character closely associated with Armageddon’s wars. His reappearance anchors the edition firmly in classic Warhammer history while advancing the ongoing narrative following recent campaign books. The launch of 11th Edition will be accompanied by a new boxed starter set titled Warhammer 40,000: Armageddon. The set includes newly revealed Space Marine and Ork miniatures, with early previews showing updated Intercessors that blend modern Primaris design with visual callbacks to older armor marks. While the full contents of the box have not yet been detailed, Games Workshop confirmed that additional starter products at different price points will follow, continuing the company’s recent approach to onboarding new players. Unlike the dramatic overhaul that accompanied 10th Edition, early information indicates that 11th Edition is designed as an iterative update rather than a full system reset. Existing 10th Edition Codex and Supplement books will remain valid at launch, meaning players will not need to immediately replace their current army rules. Confirmed design goals include streamlined core mechanics, reduced rules stacking, and a closer alignment between narrative and matched play. Games Workshop has emphasized faster gameplay, clearer interactions, and improved balance without discarding the foundations introduced in the previous edition. Although the June 2026 release window has been confirmed, many specifics—such as the full ruleset, complete model lineup, and codex roadmap—remain under wraps. Games Workshop has stated that deeper rules previews and additional reveals will be shared in the months leading up to launch. 

While attending a comics convention this weekend, Tom King offered fans a substantive update on the long‑anticipated Mister Miracle animated series, confirming that the project has moved into a significant new phase of development. King, who serves as both lead writer and showrunner on the series, revealed that the pilot episode has now been completed. According to his comments at the event, the show is no longer in early conceptual stages but is actively progressing, with King currently involved in editing the series and writing later episodes. One of the biggest takeaways from the panel was confirmation that a voice cast has already been hired. While no names were announced, King teased that fans would be extremely excited once the cast is officially revealed, suggesting that announcements are likely forthcoming. The Mister Miracle animated series is based on the acclaimed 12‑issue comic run written by King and illustrated by Mitch Gerads. During the panel, King reiterated that the show is aiming to closely reflect Gerads’ distinctive visual style, an approach that has been a priority throughout development. This commitment aligns with previous statements that the production is pushing the boundaries of animation to faithfully translate the look and tone of the original comics. King also confirmed that the series is set within the DC Universe and that he is writing all eight episodes himself. His dual role as writer and showrunner positions the project as a deeply personal adaptation of his Eisner Award–winning work, rather than a loose reinterpretation. Although no release date was announced during the convention, King’s update makes it clear that Mister Miracle is firmly in active development rather than stalled or uncertain. The completed pilot and hired voice cast mark major milestones, signaling that the project is steadily moving forward.