DF Interview: Ethan Sacks shines the bright light of the ‘Midnight Suns’ upon the horrors of the Marvel U.

By Byron Brewer

A dark prophesy and apocalyptic new villains with horrifying powers the likes of which Earth has never faced before ordains a team of Midnight Suns to rise and tear @#$% up: Magik, Wolverine, Blade, Spirit Rider and Nico Minoru. But what does this new threat have to do with the Sorcerer Supreme's past? And why is Strange Academy student Zoe Laveau number one on the Suns' list?

From writer Ethan Sacks and artist Luigi Zagaria comes a new rise of the Midnight Suns! And, although spelled differently, my heart beat a little bit faster fueled by love for an earlier iteration of the comic. And seeing buddy Ethan Sacks’ moniker on the solicit also encouraged me to sit down with the scribe to learn wassup with the Suns!


Byron Brewer: Ethan, I understand that the comic book Midnight Suns is most likely coming about in support of the upcoming video game, even coming in line with the change of “Sons” (from the former Marvel Comics title) to “Suns”. Is there any definitive connection between the game and the comic itself (aside of use of characters and team name) or is Midnight Suns, as I hope, its own thing embedded in the Marvel 616 Universe?



Ethan Sacks: Byron, the lineup and title are definitely influenced by the video game, but the story is not an adaptation or a promotional tie-in. In fact, it’s set squarely and firmly in the 616 Universe. The switch of the team name has more to do with the fact that it’s a much more diverse lineup than the original Midnight Sons. I also particularly love the double meaning: A midnight sun is a source of light that cuts through the darkness. We’ll be playing with that conceit.



Byron: I am sure most readers know this, but for completeness, tell us please the characters that will make up this iteration of the Midnight Suns.



Ethan Sacks: The team is led by one of my all-time favorite characters, Magik, who is drawn in by her connections to Strange Academy. Wolverine, who always has her back, has been dragged in quite reluctantly to a situation in which he can’t always find something to stab. Nico, without her staff, finds herself at a crossroads going into the series. Blade brings the institutional knowledge and legacy of the original Midnight Sons. He also brings a big stick. Finally we have a Ghost Rider – or more accurately, a Spirit Rider – in Kushala. I’ve been really digging writing her. Zoe Laveau, a student at Strange Academy, plays an important role in the story.



Byron: Were you a fan of the former Midnight Sons comic from Marvel? If so, who were some of your favorite members and, if this “Suns” mag (as I hope) goes beyond just the promotional to a fan-fave regular title, which members NOT now in the coming book would you like to see join?



Ethan Sacks: I am indeed a fan of the original Midnight Sons, with my favorite member always having being Blade. To be honest, I haven’t thought too far ahead about a potential for more stories beyond this 5-issue mini-series. My hope is there’s an appetite for more. Honestly, the only character from the original lineup that I would have added is Doctor Strange, though he has a good excuse for not turning up on account of him being dead and all.



Byron: Speaking of the comic coming in September, I understand your Suns members are in keeping with the game. But did you in any way get to choose which ones you wanted of the characters utilized in the game? If so, which heroes (?) did you NOT get that you would loved to have written in this spooky supernatural team setting?



Ethan Sacks: We did briefly look at other Ghost Riders as options, too, but they were busy elsewhere in the Marvel Universe. Midnight Suns is not a video game adaptation, it is its own story with consequences in the wider 616, which is a darn good thing. So we were very conscious of where all the major supernatural heroes were on the chessboard across Marvel when this story unfolds. But I am very, very happy with this lineup. I get to play with some pretty cool toys in the most mysterious corner of the Marvel sandbox.



Byron: I know we will soon be facing “a dark prophecy and apocalyptic new villains with horrifying powers...”, but can you offer any clue at all as to who/what cause actually brings them together? I think it was mentioned it is Blade who is the catalyst, but who/what is the threat? (I’m expecting “Read the book”, but I can dream. Not Loki? LOL!)



Ethan Sacks: Your powers of prognostication are indeed strong, Master Byron…. I indeed can’t tell you much about the plot. I can reveal that Blade is NOT the catalyst. That’s all I can say. That’s probably too much. Mystery is important in a mystery book.



Byron: Can you give readers a summary, an overview of what we are about to start. What type of adventure are we embarking on when we pick up Midnight Suns in August? (No fair using solicitation copy. I am stealing that for my own purposes.)



Ethan Sacks: What if every magic user in the Marvel Universe suddenly had the same apocalyptic vision? And what if that vision suggested YOU were the one who will cause the end of the world in a few days? This Midnight Suns team are the heroes you’d want on your side—to clear your name and avert the crisis.



Byron: Wow! … Talk about the art of Luigi Zagaria.



Ethan Sacks: Luigi has hit the ball out of the park with his work on Midnight Suns, combining the big, kinetic action you’d expect from a super hero team book with little moments of intimate character beats and other moments of freakish horror. Can’t wait until you see what he’s accomplishing!



Byron: Ethan, what is getting ready to hop out of that bag of surprises you carry around with you next? What projects, in or out of comics and in which you are involved, can you tell us about?



Ethan Sacks: There are at least three projects I’m working on that should be announced in the coming months. One is a non-fiction series that taps into my journalism background. Another is a really cool tie-in to a very different kind of game. I’m in talks for a creator-owned project. But they are in the surprise bag for a reason. I don’t have permission to reveal them yet.



Dynamic Forces would like to thank Ethan Sacks for taking time out of his busy schedule to answer our questions. Midnight Suns #1 from Marvel Comics is slated to be on sale September 14th!



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.

You may have noticed that I’m not the biggest fan of ‘Industry Insiders’ who have paywalls set up to dole out rumors like… well, I couldn’t find a metaphor that wasn’t extremely insulting so we’ll just move on. Those ‘insiders’ need to have a ready supply of rumors to keep their subscribers coming back and since there is no accountability for erroneous rumors, one has to wonder if some of them are just made up out of thin air. James Gunn, co-head of DC Studios, has a times come out and addressed a batch of rumors that fans ask him about on social media. He did this again recently and here are some of the rumors he addressed along with his response. A report that the upcoming Man of Tomorrow has changed its title to Superman: Man of Tomorrow. Gunn has said before that this was more than a Superman movie and confirms the title has NOT changed by simply saying, “Nope.” Another report says that the film with begin filming in a few weeks, and while it will begin shortly, he says “by strict definition of Few, nope.” Reports say that he’s trying to rush through Matt Reeves’ The Batman Epic Crime Saga so he can then get to Brave and the Bold. That’s another ‘Nope’. Scoopers claim that Paradise Lost, the Wonder Woman prequel series was now dead or shelved. I know this will surprise you, but he said, “Nope”. And he did confirm one thing, that Superman does not believe in Santa Claus because, “He’s an adult.” Rumors can be fun to talk about and debate, but if they set unrealistic expectations that ruin the film for someone, then that’s a problem. And paying for rumors… that seems a bit crazy to me. 

Many MCU fans wonder why the events of Daredevil: Born Again won’t be even referenced in upcoming films like Spider-Man: Brand New Day. In Born Again, Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio) is the new Mayor of New York and has declared martial law along with creating a taskforce to hunt down vigilantes and you would think someone like Spider-Man (Tom Holland) would be on his radar. But that’s not going to happen on the big screen, no Fisk in BND and SFX Magazine thought that would be a good thing to ask Born Again showrunner Dario Scardapane about. “I’d be into it, because I dig the comics! But no, that’s been kind of a fun and challenging thing. We know there’s a huge world out there of the MCU. This corner of it has crossovers. We’ve seen Daredevil in other shows, there are other characters that are going to be popping up in movies and stuff, and that all goes into the larger MCU of it all. The joke we make is, ‘Oh, those guys are uptown – we’re downtown!’ We kind of have a pocket that’s in this world of Hell’s Kitchen, in this world of New York. I always think that maybe these characters take a little vacation into the larger world but the story that we’re focusing on is really granular.” Let me translate that, “They can borrow our toys, but we can’t touch there’s.” A shame as we all want a real Daredevil/Spider-Man crossover.   

“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.”