Superhero Headlines for 7/11/17 – RIP Adam West, Wonder Woman reigns
There were some big time Superhero Headlines this week. We got our first trailer for Black Panther and said farewell to the happy Batman, Adam West.
Long before Mr. Mom suited up as Batman, Kevin Conroy provided the definitive voice for The Dark Knight or Christian Bale’s gravely voiced Batman, Adam West was the Batman.
Thanks to the magic of syndication, the three years of his Batman TV show felt endless in a good way. Batman the Movie remains one of my favorite DC movies. And thanks to his voice work on Super Friends, all of my favorite childhood Batman memories revolved around Adam West’s take on the character.
I’m not sure when it became cool to trash West’s happier Batman. Batman is a big and storied enough character to work in any situation…provided Joel Schumacher is far away from it.
I’m going to miss West and his appreciation for having his career defined by being Batman. For a legion of fans that was more than enough.
Here’s what some of his friends and co-stars had to say about West’s death Saturday at the age of 88.
Burt Ward in a statement:
‘I am devastated at the loss of one of my very dearest friends. Adam and I had a special friendship for more than 50 years. We shared some of the most fun times of our lives together; our families have deep love and respect for each other. This is a terribly unexpected loss of my lifelong friend, I will forever miss him. There are several fine actors who have portrayed Batman in films, in my eyes there was only one real Batman and that is and always will be Adam West; He was truly the Bright Knight.’
Julie Newmar in a statement:
‘Stellar, exemplar, a king to the end. He was bright, witty and fun to work with. I will miss him in the physical world and savor him always in the world of imagination and creativity. He meant so much to people – A friend said: ‘The father that we wanted.’ That is a great gift, no matter how you live it.’
Adam West has passed. The Batman of my childhood. He brought us so much entertainment and was a truly class act. We'll miss u Adam pic.twitter.com/5ddeOrUCSp
— Kevin Conroy (@RealKevinConroy) June 10, 2017
Adam West kept Batman alive and thrilled my generation. It's a sad day.
— Frank Miller (@FrankMillerInk) June 10, 2017
Ah dear Adam West. He was always so kind when we met. A real gent. Once when I was a kid we found ourselves in front the batmobile. I got in
— Val Kilmer (@valkilmer) June 10, 2017
#AdamWest was such a wonderful actor & so kind, I'm so lucky to have worked w/ him & tell him how much he meant to me & millions of fans. pic.twitter.com/Bu0OOaRgX9
— Mark Hamill (@HamillHimself) June 10, 2017
Oh Batman my Batman! I'm standing on my chair to honor #adamwest – the man whose portrayal of… https://t.co/wnQiErBanb
— KevinSmith (@ThatKevinSmith) June 10, 2017
Gotham City has lost a legend. Adam West was every bit as gracious and loving in person as you'd expect. @therealadamwest
— Robin Lord Taylor (@robinlordtaylor) June 10, 2017
Farewell Adam West. You were MY Batman. Such a super funny, cool, charismatic actor. Loved the show as a kid, still love the show now. POW! pic.twitter.com/6QAZnOhtMs
— edgarwright (@edgarwright) June 10, 2017
Goodbye to #AdamWest, one of my first heroes and still the only #Batman who matters to me…… https://t.co/TXQhbOzVJr
— Chris Jericho (@IAmJericho) June 10, 2017
Rest in Peace Adam West. We met once in 1987 and I was too embarrassed and too foolishly "cool" to tell you what you meant to my childhood.
— Neil Gaiman (@neilhimself) June 10, 2017
Some days you just can't get rid of a bomb. Adam West's #Batman is a huge reason I grew up to be a campy superhero (villiian?). #RIPAdamWest pic.twitter.com/Vzc4i2DIdH
— Joey Ryan (@JoeyRyanOnline) June 10, 2017
God Bless Adam West pic.twitter.com/9OK7kHNZHS
— Conan O'Brien (@ConanOBrien) June 10, 2017
Thank you, Adam West. pic.twitter.com/ecDzKXCpp9
— WB Games (@wbgames) June 10, 2017
RIP Adam West. You'll always be Batman to me.
— George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) June 10, 2017
R.I.P. Adam West. We'll be seeing you soon — same Bat-time, same Bat-channel! pic.twitter.com/dy9Urze4UN
— Adam Rackoff (@AdamRackoff) June 10, 2017
One of the better moments in Family Guy. May you rest easy Adam West. pic.twitter.com/x6Wey5SZiD
— Jacob 'n' Stuff (@Jacob_Pinecone) June 10, 2017
Me getting an autograph (true story)
Adam West: "Name?"
Me: "Adam."
AW: "Yes?"
Me: "That's my name."
AW: "Oh! I missed you at the meetings."— Adam Hughes (@AH_AdamHughes) June 10, 2017
DC’s Legends of Tomorrow
Tala Ashe is joining the team for the third season. She’ll be playing Zari Adrianna. TV Line describes Zari as
‘a Muslim-American computer nerd with a wry, combative attitude who hails from the year 2030.
Zari lives in a world of contradictions. Technology has brought about incredible change in her future — too bad human nature hasn’t kept pace. Fear, prejudice, and a lack of care for the planet have forced Zari to become a ‘grey hat hacktivist.’
RELATED: Legends of Tomorrow Episode Guide and List
Zari has no idea that she possesses secret, latent powers derived from an ancient, mystical source. Adrianna Tomaz last had a pretty major role in DC’s 52, where she was the heroine Oh-Mighty-Isis!
I’m curious how Legends will incorporate her. She could potentially be the most powerful member of the team provided she’s not neutered like Firestorm and Atom.
Wonder Woman still reigns
Gal Gadot’s superhero standalone had a strong second weekend pulling in $57 million. That’s a decent 44 percent drop from the $103 opening weekend. That’s easily the best of any of the DC Comics Extended Universe as all three previous films saw at least a 64 percent drop after their initial weekend. This takes Wonder Woman’s total gross to $205 million.
Now in its second weekend, Wonder Woman could be in line for a three-peat. That largely depends on the reception for Cars 3, which seems to be the only real obstacle at this point. If it continues to stave off most of the newcomers, it’s not unreasonable to see Wonder Woman cracking the $300 million mark and eventually surpassing Suicide Squad ($325 million) and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice ($330 million) Either way, Wonder Woman has definitely helped fortify the DCEU.
Universal Pictures’ Dark Universe might be in some trouble. The Mummy, the Tom Cruise film intended to kick off the monster icon franchise, only managed $32.2 million. With its $125 million budget, it’s going to depend on the international market where it grossed $141 million.