Ben is STILL the Batman!

Actor Ben Affleck took time to address rumors of his immanent departure while promoting the upcoming Justice League movie this past weekend at San Diego Comic-Con.

"Let me be very clear. I am the luckiest guy in the world, Batman in the coolest part of any universe -- DC, Marvel. It's incredible... I'm so thrilled to do it.  I know that there was a misconception that because I didn't direct it that I wasn't enthusiastic about it, but its fucking amazing, and I still can't believe I've done two films and have this great history with this studio"

Addressing his decision to vacate the directors chair and working with War For The Planet Of The Apes director Matt Reeves, Affleck told moderator Chris Hardwick:

"I would be an ape on the ground for Matt Reeves -- never-mind being Batman, so I'm really blown away and excited, and it's a great time time in the DC Universe."

With "The Batman" script going through a literal re-write there is no official release date for the stand-alone film, but all eyes will be on Affleck's Batman when he returns as part of the Justice League on November the 16th.

Stephen Amell is a real life superhero!

Actor Stephen Amell has once again proven himself to be a real life hero, this after a question and answer season at this past weekends San Diego Comic-Con.

A young fan who identified herself as Sarah asked if the CW star would once again be promoting his F-Cancer shirts, as she herself was currently battling the disease.  Amell responded to the question then invited the young lady to the stage where he presented her with a custom made Arrow necklace from around his neck - explaining that she could return it to him at next years show.

Amell has been a strong advocate for cancer research, having told The Hollywood Reporter in 2014:

"My mom was going through chemotherapy in April of 2012 and she and I just took a photo outside of a bar in Toronto when I was visiting. I was just giving the middle finger to the camera - representing F--- Cancer. At the time I didn't know there was a charity called F---Cancer. They got in touch via Twitter and we've been working together ever since."

A hero is defined as:

"a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities"

In my opinion this genuine gesture has once again proven Amells nobility, and has solidified his standing as a real life superhero!

Well done Sir!

:

The Walking Dead: Could this be the beginning of the end?

Could this be the beginning of the end?

This past Friday at San Diego Comic-Con saw the much-anticipated release of The Walking Dead season 8 trailer from AMC, and as the final seconds ticked away fans the world over were given reason to take pause before scrambling to the internet.

We are of course referring to the time-jump which presented us with a much older Rick Grimes, shorter hair, long grey beard, waking up in bed next to a nightstand with a cane resting against it, what was happening here?

As fans flocked to the net the speculation began, was Rick waking up from his coma?  Have the events of The Walking Dead been nothing but a dream?  Creator Robert Kirkman has ruled this possibility out several times throughout the years, and as fans we'd like to believe that when the end comes it won't be so obvious.

Many speculated this time-jump would follow the upcoming All Out War story arc, which in the comics saw Rick defeat Negan and his Saviors but not before Negan broke Ricks leg - forcing him to rely upon the use of a cane as a mobility device.

While this would be another obvious assumption, we'd like to suggest one alternative - could season eight be the beginning of the end? 

When "The First Day Of The Rest Of Your Life" aired at the beginning of April, the 90 minute season seven finale saw a decline in viewership of 20% compared to its season six finale, this decline also represented the shows third lowest finale results since the series began on October 31st, 2010.

With 15.8 million viewers, season five's "Conquer" holds the record for the season finale which drew in the largest audience.

In an industry which feeds off merchandising and advertising revenue, we can't help but wonder if AMC executives have been taking notes, and if so could they be preparing to pull the plug on one of our favorite Sunday night series?

Sadly we wouldn't be surprised if, sometime in the near future, it was announced that season eight of The Walking Dead was in fact the finale season.  Should this be the case then all we can hope for is that our Walking Dead family gets the send off they deserve after providing us with so many years of entertainment.

What do you think, how would you like to see The Walking Dead end?

Is Ben Affleck out as The Batman?

Here we go again.

Rumors have once again begun to circulate that actor Ben Affleck wants out of the Warner Brothers "stand-alone" Batman film.

Although Warner Bros. studio chief Toby Emmerich was quoted as saying: 

"Ben is our Batman. We love him as Batman. We want to keep him in the cowl as long as we can"   

The Hollywood Reporter has stated that a source close to the films production has confirmed that the studio is working on plans to usher Affleck's Batman out gracefully, and will address the change in one of the upcoming DC films.

This has been a year of uncertainty for the films production, with Affleck first stepping aside as its director in January, and the rumors of his departure beginning to circulate shortly thereafter. It was also confirmed earlier this month that director Matt Reeves would not be using Affleck's script for The Batman, choosing to have a complete re-write take place instead.

Reeves told MTV's Happy, Sad, Confused podcast:

"No (we won't be using that), it's a new story. It's just starting again. I'm excited about it. I think it's going to be really cool."

With Affleck scheduled to make a promotional appearance at Comic-Con international in San Diego this weekend as part of the Justice League promotional event, could this be one of the last times we see the actor as part of the DC Extended Universe?

Going GEEK: October 14th - October 16th

If you live within or relativity close to the Greater Toronto Area this is a great weekend to be a
geek!  With multiple events taking place your biggest challenge might be finding the time and money to take in these outstanding events.

1.  Unplugged Expo:

Celebrating their fifth anniversary & featuring a lineup of guests from multiple genres, Unplugged Expo is a little bit cosplay, a little bit nostalgia and a lot geek!  The staff strive to maintain your level of excitement from the moment you arrive.

Featured events include but are not limited to the YTV Zone PJ reunion, the Harry Potter: Room Of Requirement, the Masters Of Cosplay competition, Unplugged singing idol,  and Just Dance 2016 dance off.

Unplugged Expo is being held at the Weston Harbor Castle hotel on October 15th and 16th with tickets ranging in price from $10.00 to $35.00 plus applicable taxes.  For a complete list of events and guests head over to the Unplugged Expo website.

2. LEGO Imagination Nation Tour:

Concluding a tour which began in June with stops in Ottawa, Montreal, Calgary and Vancouver, the LEGO Imagination Nation event roles into the Metro Toronto Convention Center from October 14th to October 16th.

From diving into a pit of LEGO bricks or going hands on with the latest and greatest in LEGO Video Games including LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens and LEGO Dimensions this event promises to have something for every LEGO enthusiast.

This event also boasts your opportunity to meet one of only seven people to be certified as a LEGO Master Builder in the world, this is your opportunity to learn from a true LEGO master.

With a general admission ticket valued at $28.50 plus applicable taxes this seems like a can't miss event for the entire family.  Head over to the LEGO Imagination Nation Tour website for all the details.

3.  Oshawa Comic-Con:

We love our small regional shows, they don't seem to get lost in their own hype and the vendors aren't fighting to make up the costs of overpriced tables by super inflating prices.  

One such show is the Oshawa Comic-Con held at the Harmony Creek Community and Events

center.  We've had the opportunity to attend this show a few times now and have found the staff and the vendors to be friendly and outgoing folks who are attending as much out of a sense of enjoyment as they are for financial gain.

This one day event which is presented by Pop Culture Canada runs from 10:00am until 4:00pm with a completely reasonable $5.00 admission per person.  For more details we recommend visiting the Oshawa Comic-Con Facebook events page.

As always thanks for reading and remember to visit the CanGeek website for links to our various social media feeds.