[Warning: this story contains spoilers from Tuesday's season two finale of The Flash, "The Race of His Life."]

John Wesley Shipp's days as a speedster are no longer behind him on The Flash.

The original Barry Allen from the 1990 The Flash series has played father to Grant Gustin's Barry Allen on The CW reboot for two years. But the season two finale revealed that, just one episode after Henry Allen's tragic death at the hands of Zoom (Teddy Sears), Shipp is also playing the identity of the man in the iron mask that Zoom kept locked up in his lair. But this isn't just another Earth's version of Henry Allen. Shipp is the Earth-3 version of Jay Garrick, the original speedster that Zoom/Hunter Zolomon was pretending to be all year to get closer to Barry and the S.T.A.R. Labs team.

"I never saw this coming," Shipp tells The Hollywood Reporter of the twist. "I left at the beginning of the season, I came back once, but for the most of the season, I was gone. So to be brought back as part of a triple whammy, first with Henry's death, which I expected, then the reveal of the man in the iron mask, which is me, which I didn't expect, and then I certainly didn't expect the man in the iron mask to be Jay Garrick. It's a triple whammy for sure."

But Shipp wasn't told about this shocking revelation in any concrete way.

"I went up on March 1 to film the last four episodes and I began hearing things," Shipp says with a laugh. "I was fitted in this costume that was all brown and shredded and like a prison costume. But it obviously wasn't a Henry Allen costume. And then I started hearing about fittings for an iron mask. I wrote [executive producer] Greg [Berlanti] and email saying, 'I'm starting to hear things about characters that I may or may not be playing going forward. What's going on here?'"

Shipp continues with a laugh, "I was dying for him to talk to me. Of course he got back to me within three minutes and he was like, 'Oh my God, I thought they had already talked to you!' So we had a great conversation and he laid out this story for me and the series of reveals in the last couple of episodes. I have to tell you, my mind was blown."

When Shipp first began to process the big Jay Garrick revelation, he wasn't sure how he felt about it.

"I had a couple of reactions. One is that it's great TV," Shipp says. "And it's really an expert channeling of fan expectations, because the audience always wanted me to be Jay Garrick from the very beginning. And I felt some apprehension of assuming the role of a costumed superhero, a quarter of a century later after I had done it before."

While viewer speculation ran rampant all season long about who was the man in the iron mask, Shipp didn't have any ideas or theories of who he thought it would be.

"The writers know how to keep things secret and how to throw everyone off," Shipp says. "I also think it worked to our advantage that absolutely everyone was convinced that Henry Allen was actually Zoom. When they turned out to be wrong about that, they were a little gun shy about being burned twice by saying that I was the man in the iron mask."

But Shipp was glad that he didn't have to play this speedster role right out of the gate.

"When this role came to me initially, I wanted to play Henry Allen. I didn't want to suit up again right away," Shipp says. "'Is this all this guy can do? Run around in a costume?' But Henry Allen was a quiet, truthful, emotional character grounded in grit. He was a true character role in the midst of all this action and adventure. Having done that for two years, now I feel like, OK, I've proven myself again as an actor. Now maybe I can get in and have a little fun as a costumed superhero again."

What excites Shipp the most about taking on the new role is the acting challenge of making this character completely different from Henry Allen.

"He looks like just Barry's father but it's vital that he not be Henry Allen," Shipp says. "Coming out of the iron mask, my challenge was: how do we let the audience know right away that this is not Henry Allen?"

And that means Jay's dynamic with Barry is going to be completely different from Henry's.

"Barry just lost the person he's closest to, his father, the person he could be vulnerable with, who he could cry with," Shipp says. "They had a very physical, hands-on relationship. It was very important to Barry. But that's not who Jay is. Jay has no idea when he comes out of that iron mask, the emotional mine field that he is walking into. Going forward, that's going to be interesting to explore."

Of course, Jay's appearance means quite a lot to Barry.

"He wants to have the same relationship with Jay that he had with his father, but Jay is coming from place of, 'That has nothing to do with who I am,'" Shipp says. "Barry and Jay have to make their own relationship which will be separate and distinct from the Henry and Barry relationship. That was the challenge."

He continues, "This isn't the Henry/Barry relationship in another form. Jay is a very different guy. People say that I, John Wesley Shipp, am the original Flash, but he's the original original Flash. This is the Golden Age Flash, the head of the Justice Society. This is the real Flash daddy. I have to remind myself of that, because there were some aspects of the Henry/Barry relationship that I treasured, the absolute emotional vulnerability, being a safe haven for him, that emotional connection. It's going to be very tempting for me to want to go back and play that dynamic again, but the Jay/Barry dynamic is going to be very different."

It's pretty coincidental timing that The Flash would introduce the founder of the Justice Society of America right at the same time that Legends of Tomorrow revealed that Justice Society member Rex Tyler aka Hourman (Patrick J. Adams) would have a major role in season two of the Arrow/The Flash spinoff series.

"There have been endless suggestions and possibilities [that I can cross over to Legends as Jay Garrick]," Shipp says. "Jay Garrick formed the Justice Society. Not that I know of anything concrete, but this character is so open-ended. Henry Allen had a shelf life. He had one purpose: to be there to support Barry. Jay Garrick, it's wide open. Who knows what we're going to see? That's very exciting."

Shipp is grateful that his time on The Flash will extend long after his first character's tragic death.

"It has been indicated to me that I will play an important role going forward, again," Shipp says. "But this is Grant Gustin's The Flash. He is the speedster on the show. I will be privileged to show up and support his journey in any way that I can. But it has been indicated to me that the palate is so much broader now and there's so many more things I can do on the show now."

But most of all, he's relieved that he can finally live up to fan expectations when it comes to who he's playing on The Flash.

"No matter where I go, I always get the same message from fans: 'Yes, we love you as Henry Allen, but we really were hoping you'd be Jay Garrick,'" Shipp says with a laugh. "Now that that's coming to fruition, I can't wait to see what's going to happen on the Twitterverse. I can't wait to see fans' reactions when suddenly, I'm dawning the mantle of the character that just about every Flashfan wanted me to play from the get go. That's going to be a wonderful treat for the audience. I'm just going to bathe in the reaction."

The Flash season three returns this fall on The CW. (Via THR)

Don’t say we didn’t warn you—the Eisner Award nominated horror anthology is back and CREEPIER than ever! Today Skybound and Image Comics announced a third volume of Creepshow, the hugely popular comic book anthology based on Greg Nicotero’s hit Shudder TV series produced and licensed by Cartel Entertainment. Creepshow Volume 3 #1, featuring stories by comics talent Chip Zdarsky (Batman), Kagan McLeod (Kaptara), and James Stokoe (Godzilla), will arrive in comic book shops on September 25, 2024. In the spirit of all iterations of Creepshow in pop culture, every issue of the Creepshow comic series comes packed with two spine-chilling stories from your favorite creators. Each issue of the five-part anthology will feature different creative teams from the worlds of comics, books, film, television, and beyond. Every uniquely horrifying standalone story is guaranteed to SCARE YOU TO DEATH. In the debut issue of the third volume, writer Chip Zdarsky and artist Kagan McLeod bring you the terrifying tale of a repressed housewife who decides to take matters into her own hands and rescue her daughter from a local psychedelic cult…but the true terror is not what anyone expects! Then, James Stokoe introduces a chilling mystery of a severed human hand, and the lengths one writer will go to discover the truth, learning that perhaps he is not the author of this story.... In addition to the main cover by Martín Morazzo and Chris O’Halloran (Ice Cream Man), Creepshow Vol. 3 #1 comes with an impressive lineup of variant covers, including an open to order cover by James Stokoe and the launch of a set of 1:10 incentive connecting covers by Steve Beach (Action Comics). Creepshow Volume 3’s superstar creative roster will also include John Ridley (12 Years a Slave), Mike Carey (Lucifer), Jorge Fornés (Batman), John Arcudi (BPRD), Ed Brisson (The Displaced), Stefano Raffaele (Detective Comics), Chris Condon (That Texas Blood) and many others to be announced. Creepshow Volume 3 #1 (of 5) (SRP $3.99) will be available at comic book shops and digital platforms including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, comiXology, and Google Play on Wednesday, September 25, 2024.

The full list of covers is below:

Creepshow Vol. 3 #1 Cover A by Martín Morazzo and Chris O’Halloran (Lunar Code Coming Soon)

Creepshow Vol. 3 #1 Cover B by James Stokoe (Lunar Code Coming Soon)

Creepshow Vol. 3 #1 Cover C (1:10 Incentive Variant) (Connecting) by Steve Beach (Lunar Code Coming Soon)

While the X-Men’s mission forces them to work outside the law, certain teams have found ways to fight for mutant rights within the system as officially sanctioned strike forces! In the upcoming From the Ashes era, that tradition continues in a new volume of X-FACTOR from Eisner winning writer Mark Russell (Fantastic Four: Life Story, The Flintstones) and acclaimed X-Men artist Bob Quinn (Captain America, Knights of X). Formed by the government in response to a post-Krakoa outbreak of mutant paramilitary, ops squads, and mercenary teams, X-FACTOR will be co-led by Angel and Havok and include recruits like Pyro, Frenzy, Feral, and more. Part special agents for missions that require an arsenal of superpowers and part celebrity propaganda machine, X-FACTOR will wage war against emerging factions like the Mutant Underground and X-Term. Whether they believe in their actions or are just doing it for a check, the members of X-Factor are no fools when it comes to shady politics. As hidden agendas rear their ugly head, they’ll fight against the dark consequences and disastrous public opinion from the inside! FAME, FORTUNE, MUTANTS! From the ashes of Krakoa, a new mutant arms race sweeps the globe! International governments are building their own mutant armies. But only America’s X-Factor has the most powerful, most patriotic, most marketable mutant heroes to stem the tide and make the world safe for democracy! Join them as they go from one death-defying mission to another. Who will die? Who will fall in love? Who will be the first to sell out? Like, comment and subscribe to find out! “The thing I've always loved about the X-Men is that they're characters first, super heroes second,” Russell shared. “So being able to write characters like Havok and Angel and Frenzy in a post-Krakoa reality is an opportunity to write about what I really care about, which is how do we help each other survive the apathy of the world we live in?” “It’s so exciting to be back and drawing mutants in the X-Men universe again, and doubly exciting to work with Mark again,” Quinn added. “To my mind, Mark’s mix of humor and ability to shine a light on the peculiarities of modern society make him the perfect writer to tackle the relaunch of X-FACTOR. Drawing this team and every unexpected twist and turn of the story has been a blast so far, and I can’t wait for readers to get their hands on it.” Mutant sell-outs or mutant role models? You be the judge! Check out the main cover and preorder X-FACTOR #1 at your local comic shop today!

“Wednesday” Season 2 is officially in production in Ireland, with Netflix revealing the full cast for the new season of the hit series. Jenna Ortega will of course be returning as Wednesday Addams, while Catherine Zeta-Jones, Luis Guzmán, Isaac Ordonez, and Luyanda Unati Lewis-Nyawo will all be upped to series regulars for Season 2. Zeta-Jones plays Morticia, while Guzmán plays Gomez and Ordonez plays Pugsley. Emma Myers, Joy Sunday, Hunter Doohan, Victor Dorobantu, Moosa Mostafa, and Georgie Farmer will also be returning, as will Fred Armisen and Jamie McShane in guest roles. Noticeably absent from the announcement is Percy Hynes White, who starred in Season 1 as Xavier Thorpe. In 2023, Hynes White decried a “campaign of misinformation” after allegations of sexual assault were made against him on social media. (via Variety) For more on the cast, click here.

The third installment in the hit shark thriller franchise 47 Meters Down is launching at the Cannes market. Series creator Johannes Roberts and screenwriter Ernest Riera, who wrote the first two films, have co-written the third installment: 47 Meters Down: The Wreck. Veteran horror director Patrick Lussier (My Bloody Valentine) will direct. FilmNation, the sales agent on the franchise’s second installment, 47 Meters Down: Uncaged, is returning to launch worldwide sales in Cannes. The story will follow a father who is determined to rebuild his relationship with his daughter as they bond during a scuba diving in beautiful tropical waters while exploring a famous shipwreck. But soon after their descent, their master diver has an accident leaving them alone and unprotected inside the labyrinth of the wreck. As tensions rise and oxygen dwindles, the pair must use their newfound bond to escape the wreck and the relentless barrage of bloodthirsty great white sharks. Production is being lined up for the fall with casting discussions underway. (via Deadline)

Everything Everywhere All at Once Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh has found her next major starring vehicle in Blade Runner 2099, Prime Video‘s limited series following up the 2017 movie sequel Blade Runner 2049. Details of Yeoh’s role are under wraps, as is the show’s plot. But it marks the latest expansion of the sci-fi franchise based on Philip K. Dick’s seminal novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, which kicked off with Ridley Scott’s classic 1982 film, Blade Runner. Production recently began overseas, following a delay of nearly a year due to the double strikes of 2023. While it originally had been set to shoot in Belfast, the show wound up relocating to Prague following the work stoppage. Jonathan van Tulleken (Shōgun) is directing the first two episodes. (via Deadline)

Vin Diesel is officially returning to the world of Pitch Black and galactic antihero Riddick, the sci-fi action franchise that gave the actor his first major leading role.Riddick: Furya, which was announced in February 2023, is now moving full steam ahead toward an Aug. 26 shoot date, producers announced Monday. Diesel stars and produces the film, which reteams him with David Twohy, the filmmaker who has directed all of the franchise’s previous entries. Furya will film in locales such as Germany, Spain and the U.K.In Furya, which Diesel and Twohy have been developing and teasing since 2014, Riddick finally returns to his home world, a place he barely remembers and one he fears might be left in ruins. But there he finds other Furyans fighting for their existence against a new monster. And some of these Furyans are more like Riddick than he could have ever imagined. (via The Hollywood Reporter)

BOOM! Studios today revealed a first look at PROFANE #1, the premiere issue of a brand new mind-bending murder mystery from comics legend Peter Milligan (Hellblazer, Enigma), veteran artist Raül Fernandez (Detective Comics, Justice League Dark), colorist Giada Marchisio, and letterer Jeff Eckleberry, that treads the precarious razor’s edge between reality and fiction. Coming to comic shops in June 2024. Will Profane is a seasoned private eye, and solving murders in the sunbaked streets of Los Angeles is his daily bread. But something is strange about his latest case. Every clue leads him back to a world-famous crime novelist lying at the center of this mystery–and dangerous truths about Profane’s own life. PROFANE #1 features main cover art by star artist Javier Rodriguez (House of Slaughter) and variant covers by acclaimed illustrators Mike Deodato (Damn Them All) with Jão Canola, and Marguerite Sauvage (Captain Marvel)! PROFANE is the newest release from BOOM! Studios’ eponymous imprint, home to critically acclaimed original series, including BRZRKR by Keanu Reeves, Matt Kindt, and Ron Garney; Something is Killing the Children by James Tynion IV and Werther Dell’Edera; Grim by Stephanie Phillips and Flaviano; Stuff of Nightmares by R.L. Stine and A.L. Kaplan; Damn Them All by Simon Spurrier and Charlie Adlard; Once Upon a Time at the End of the World by Jason Aaron, Alexandre Tefenkgi, Leila del Duca, and Nick Dragotta; Know Your Station by Sarah Gailey and Liana Kangas; A Vicious Circle by Mattson Tomlin and Lee Bermejo; The Neighbors by Jude Ellison S. Doyle and Letizia Cadonici; Ghostlore by Cullen Bunn and Leomacs; Sirens of the City by Joanne Starer and Khary Randolph; Coda by Simon Spurrier and Matías Bergara; Rare Flavours by Ram V and Filipe Andrade; Underheist by David and Maria Lapham; and Animal Pound by Tom King and Peter Gross. The imprint also publishes popular licensed properties, including Dune: House Corrino from Brian Herbert, Kevin J. Anderson, and Simone Ragazzon; Mighty Morphin Power Rangers by Melissa Flores and Simona Di Gianfelice; and The Expanse: Dragon Tooth by Andy Diggle and Rubine. PROFANE #1 will be available in comic shops June 5, 2024. It is available for pre-order at your local comic shop. Digital copies can be purchased from content providers, including Kindle, iBooks, and Google Play.

Check out DYNAMIC FORCES' interview with PROFANE writer PETER MILLIGAN by Byron Brewer. https://www.dynamicforces.com/htmlfiles/interviews.html?showinterview=IN04222438305

Superman is easily one of the most iconic fictional characters of all time, with the Man of Steel's story being told across comics, movies, television, and so much more. Next year, the DC character is headed back onto the big screen with a new live-action portrayal, as David Corenswet has been cast in the titular role of James Gunn's Superman. With production of the film underway, Gunn today officially unveiled the first full look at Corenswet in costume as Clark Kent AKA Superman on Threads. You can check it out below. Superman is currently scheduled to be released exclusively in theaters on July 11, 2025. (via ComicBook.com)

The English-language adaptation of Momo, one of the best-loved fantasy books by The Neverending Story writer Michael Ende, has set a buzzy cast, with Alexa Goodall (A Gentleman In Moscow) taking the lead role of the young orphan girl Momo. The main cast is completed by Araloyin Oshunremi (Top Boy, Heartstopper), Kim Bodnia (Killing Eve, The Witcher), Claes Bang (The Square), Laura Haddock (The Recruit, Transformers: The Last Knight), Jennifer Amaka Peterson (The Sandhamn Murders), David Shütter (Charlie’s Angels) and Martin Freeman (The Hobbit, Sherlock). The story focuses on Momo, a young orphan girl who lives in the ruins of an old Roman amphitheater and becomes friends with everybody in the neighborhood. But, when a powerful international corporation starts stealing everybody’s time, nobody has any time left for her, let alone their friends or families. Momo, together with Master Hora, the custodian of time, are the only ones who can go up against the time thieves before all is lost forever. Momo is currently filming in Croatia and Slovenia. (via Deadline)

Normally, the first weekend in May is a big one at the box office where we usually get a new Marvel movie to fill the theaters. But with all the delays happening and only one actual Marvel Studios film releasing this year and nothing coming from DC until next year, this weekend was left open for a new franchise to take hold. It didn’t happen. The Ryan Gosling / Emily Blunt lead Fall Guy opened up short of estimates, taking in just $28 million to lead the box office. The total box office for the weekend is only $73 million, down 55% from this time last year when Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 opened for $118.4 million. That’s how a summer schedule is supposed to launch. And it’s not like other films did well, the second highest grossing film of the weekend, making $8.1 million, was Star Wars: The Phantom Menace which included $300k from a series of marathon screenings over the weekend to celebrate May the 4th. Though one also has to look at the star power of Ryan Gosling as this is his third highest box office opening yet behind Barbie ($162 million) and Blade Runner 2049 ($32.7 million) and in neither of those films would I consider Gosling the main draw. The overall response to the film has been positive, getting an A- CinemaScore and 90% positive on PostTrak. Maybe word of mouth will help lessen the second week drop for the Fall Guy.