Welcome back to The Beat Digest, a twice-weekly round-up of the biggest comics-related news stories we’ve missed every Tuesday and Friday. Is there a story out there you think we should cover? Be sure to let us know in the comments.
John C. Reilly as Nova Corpsman Rhomann Dey in Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
§ Deadline reports Michael Waldron is writing a Nova movie for Marvel Studios. The project was previously being developed as a Disney+ series with Sabir Pirzada, before being shelved last year. It is unclear when the film would be released, or which version of the character it will star. The Nova Corps originally made its MCU debut in 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy. It will mark Waldron’s fourth Marvel gig as head writer, following the first season of Loki (2021), Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022), Avengers: Doomsday (2026), and Secret Wars (2027).
Speaking of Doomsday, The Hollywood Reporter claims “premium format” tickets for the film (releasing December 18) will go on sale on Monday, July 20. The news comes ahead of Marvel’s San Diego Comic-Con panel on Saturday, July 25, where the film’s first full trailer is expected to be debuted to the public. Tickets will also go on sale for the rerelease of Avengers: Endgame, hitting similar theaters on September 25. The Reporter adds Doomsday has a 165-minute runtime (halfway between those of Infinity War and Endgame), which is unlikely to change significantly at this point.
§ Via Bluesky, Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls revealed its single-player Episode Mode was written by Kieron Gillen. The game’s approach to storytelling will involve motion comics, each with a different artist for the five teams of heroes and villains in the game. It marks the first video game credit for Gillen, who is a former gaming journalist. Fighting Souls will be released on the PlayStation 5 and PC on Thursday, August 6, and a comic book special, First Strike, as well as various variant covers, will also debut next month.
§ Image will celebrate the 15th anniversary of The Strange Talent of Luther Strode with two rereleases of the first issue: an Anniversary Edition featuring a bonus art gallery, and an oversized Treasury Edition issued on newsprint. The 2011 comic, by Justin Jordan, Tradd Moore, and Felipe Sobreiro, follows a high school student who gains superpowers, only to discover his benefactor wants to turn him into a serial killer. The news came shortly after Oni announced they will release Moore’s first solo creator-owned comic, Touch Me Someplace Nowhere, sometime next year.
§ Smash Pages shares Act 4 Publishing will release Circus of Bones: The Art of Mike Mignola, a new book to coincide with an upcoming exhibit at New York’s Philippe Labaune Gallery (which doesn’t have a date yet). The 144-page hardcover book will include 53 watercolor paintings Mignola created for the exhibition, over 30 previously unpublished drawings, and more, when it releases on November 25. It’ll mark Mignola’s second artbook for an exhibit, following 2024’s Hell, Ink & Water (also held at Philippe Labaune). Act 4 previously published Artist’s Editions of Hellboy in Hell.
§ Lucasfilm revealed Star Wars: The Experience, a touring exhibit to commemorate 50 years of the saga. The exhibit will display over 70 props and costumes from Lucasfilm’s archives, in immersive galleries exploring the real-world history of the galaxy far far away, from “sound design and costume creation to fan art and gaming.” The exhibit will premiere at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia on February 13, and be held there until September 6, 2027, before going on a five-year tour in North America. Tickets will go on sale in November, while fans who attend San Diego Comic-Con will get a sneak peek at a panel on Friday, July 24.
§ Speaking of Star Wars, the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art announced free admission for residents in the museum’s ZIP code (90037) in Los Angeles. CEO Tracey Bates stated, “From the very beginning, George Lucas and Mellody Hobson envisioned a museum where everyone feels welcome and sees it as their own. Storytelling has the power to bring people together and create a sense of community.” Those who live in the ZIP code can sign up to register for the LM37 pass at the link. The museum will open on Wednesday, September 22, with a Community Preview Day set to be held for locals and others beforehand on Sunday, September 13.
Wai Ching Ho as Madame Gao on Daredevil season one (2015)
§ Finally, actress Wai Ching Ho died after a stroke on Friday, July 10. She was 82. Ho, was from Hong Kong, was best known for portraying Madame Gao on the Netflix Marvel series Daredevil, Iron Fist, and The Defenders from 2015 to 2017. She also voiced Grandma Wu in Pixar’s Turning Red (2022), and had recurring roles on Awkwafina is Nora from Queens and Fresh Off the Boat, as well as multiple appearances across the Law & Order franchise. No information on survivors was provided, although her family issued a statement thanking fans for their messages “of love and support” in the wake of the news.
