The Supergirl is All Right

I share my spoiler-light take on Supergirl, from its grief-driven core to the choices that set Kara up for what comes next. Then we move through major DC Studios business questions, a stacked wave of geek movie news, and two losses that shaped TV comedy and early-2000s pop culture. 
• my Supergirl review, including themes of grief, loss, and revenge 
• how the film adapts Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow and where it diverges 
• Lobo’s role and what Kara’s arc reveals about her past 
• DC Studios leadership questions amid merger chatter and what we hear about the slate 
• why the team frames each DCU film as a standalone “graphic novel” 
• Werewolves finally enters the writing phase and what that could mean for the tone 
• Donkey gets a theatrical origin story and Shrek franchise momentum 
• Rick and Morty aims for a movie that feels like classic adventure 
• Netflix wins Sesame Street film rights and what it signals for streaming 
• Grinch sequel plans, Lord of the Rings casting and timeline, Blair Witch return, Magic School Bus live action 
• remembering sitcom director James Burroughs and his unmatched run of iconic shows 
• remembering Daveigh Chase and the impact of Lilo and Stitch plus The Ring 
Please be sure to check us out on social media. We’re on Blue Sky at Multiverse Tom Threads, Facebook, and Instagram at Multiverse Tonight. If you’ve got some value out of the show, uh please head on over to multiverse tonight.com, where you’ll find our Patreon and Kofi links. Go ahead, hit that subscribe button and share us with others.

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Cold Open And Teasers

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Tonight. I saw the Supergirl, we're Wolves, and remember James Burroughs and the voice of Leela Lilo. A lot of and more in this edition of Multiverse Tonight. Welcome to Multiverse Tonight, your source for EQ. We dissect films, games, comics, and much more, bringing you entitled commentary on Up Humble. This is Multiverse Tonight. Now here's your host, Thomas Townley.

Supergirl Review And Big Themes

SPEAKER_00 0:26

Well, hello and welcome to episode 268 of Multiverse Tonight. I'm of course your host, Thomas Townley. And well, as I said at the opening there, I saw Supergirl a couple days ago on Thursday, in the preview day. Um you know, not what not widely attended, but it's a Thursday. It was a good movie, frankly. You know, I'm you know, it's a pretty much about grief, loss, and you know, that revenge doesn't get you anywhere. It doesn't get you anything, it just you know destroys you. But that's pretty much what the book that was based on super uh Supergirl Woman of Tomorrow. You know, I do advise it. You know, look at that because it will give you a sense of the of the story beats as you go along. It changed of course a lot of things. They put Lobo as uh kind of a recurring character. She meets up with him once and then she uh he comes in at the you know towards the end to help exact revenge on Krim and his his uh pirates. So you know, it's a good film. You know, gives you gives you backstory on Supergirl, why she's you know, why she wants to get drunk all the time, you know, why she has the the hang-ups that she does, and basically sets her up to be, you know, I'm gonna give this, you know, superhero thing a shot. So I recommend going to see it. Yeah. Why not? I mean sure you've seen Toy Story 5. Five Toy Stories. Why do we need five Toy Stories? The story ended two times already. Anyway, let's get on. First with a little bit of DC news and then a lot of geek news. This is not really big news week. So let's go.

DC Studios Merger Questions And Slate

SPEAKER_00 2:48

DC News begins with DC Studios co-chairman and co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Saffran, having met with Paramount Skydance chairman and CEO David Elson, who met the ongoing merger between Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount Skydance. At the Brooklyn Blue Cup Park Blue Carpet premiere of Supergirl this past Monday night, executive producer Lars P. Winther confirmed that Elson had already been to Atlanta, where Man of Tomorrow, the follow-up to 2025 Superman, is currently in production. Quote, he came to Trillis Studios already. That's where we shot all our movies that James directs. He came to Atlanta. He we showed him everything, and we're having discussions with him. Unquote. After Netflix declined to raise its bid for Warner Burst Discovery, and Paramount and Warburst Discovery agreed to move forward to the tune of $111 billion. Questions arose about James Saffron's or James Guntz and Pierce Saffron's future at the helm of DC Studios. According to Winthor, Elson is currently interested in the duo's work and slate, which when announced in 2023 included 10 titles. Quote, he's pretty open to what we're doing. We have a slate and a lot of it, obviously. Clayface is already out. We're already having the lanterns TV show on those things. The trains left the station, so we're good, but he's a big fan. He's been great with us. He's given us kind of what we want so far. Everything's good. Unquote. As for where that slate will take them once the Millie Alcock led Supergirl come uh you know comes and goes out of theaters, Winther points to several announced titles and what will follow 2027's Man of Tomorrow. Quote, Supergirl we shot in London. Lakeface was in London. We started shooting Batman 2 about a week and a half ago in London. Man of Tomorrow, which is what we're shooting now, Alcock is in that movie. Without giving too much away, this movie ends a particular way, and you see where she's going to end up. She's done her wild ways, and now she's going to try to get back in with her cousin and be more on Earth again. That's where she is in Man of Tomorrow. It's all more Earth-based. We have Man of Tomorrow, and we are already know what the next movie is going to be after that, and she's a big part of that, unquote. Now that transition between Supergirl's more intergalactic set story and Superman's earthbound narrative was a major reason why Korzo Zorel was selected to front the next DC Universe film. Quote, we're trying to build our DCU and that food Superman family. That's the main reason we went there. The comic is also based on the Women of Tomorrow and love that comic, and we haven't seen a supergirl movie in a long time. We are now just trying to do what the previous regime did and dig in about the same characters. We're trying to get some to some of the newer characters in. So we want to base it with Superman and felt that Kara was the next best character to build that story. Also, that comic is intergalactic, which is where we wanted to go with it. Now you have an Earth story, an intergalactic story, so we're starting to see what the larger DC universe looks like. Unquote. While Kara still will appear in future DC films, Supergirl director Craig Gillespie confirms that this latch isn't merely a lead-in to something down the pipeline. Quote, it's a standalone film. That was what was amazing. When I first met James, he was like, We're treating each of these as their own graphic novel. This is your graphic novel, the director recalled. It was both intimidating and exhilarating to not have any railings on this of where we could go with it. So I really leaned into this as a character story and went on this journey. I think that the journey is not complete, so I would love to see how she keeps exploring her own journey. So we'll see, unquote.

Why Supergirl Works As Standalone

SPEAKER_00 6:40

It also was a film that, unlike most of its modern counterparts, runs about an hour and 48 minutes. As Gillespie says, quote, I hate a long film, he explained, because it's a road trip between two women, and it's very specific about their goals and where they're getting and going through their trauma. It's just and ended up landing there. The more that we kept lean and true to just their mission, the better the film was. There's a ticking clock in this. We trim some scenes, we just want the audience to be on the right, right from the get-go. Now, of course, that's based on the Tom King and Billquist Everly and Mathius Lopes. Uh Lopez's uh co-created comic, Super Wom Supergirl Woman of Tomorrow, and serves as the origin story of Krypton. They didn't do that in Superman, so you see the demise of Krypton through Kara's eyes, which is different. She didn't leave Krypton when she was a baby like Superman, she left when she was like twelve or thirteen years old. Uh there's definitely some emotional stuff here because she's leaving when she's close to her parents and she sees their demise. So, uh, you know, what what's next? Or The Maid of Might? Frank again, frankly, it was a good it was a good film. It was worth the the time and the effort to go and see it. So, you know, again, go see it. Don't be a baby. Don't be It's a girl! It's like no, she kicks ass. She does. And she gives no Fs about it. Anyway, let's go on to the geek news.

Werewolves Script And Donkey Spinoff

SPEAKER_00 8:41

Fans of the 2014 vampire mockumentary What We Do in the Shows have a reason to celebrate. After a decade of rumors and development delays, Jermaine Clement has confirmed that he and Takawatiti have officially begun writing the script for the long-awaited werewolf sequel Werewolves. Uh, Clement shared the update with Collider at while at the Anasi International Animation Film Festival, stating that the pair began collaborating on the project earlier this year, often coordinating remotely via Zoom to work around their respective schedules. The Creative team is currently deliberating on the film's production methodology. While the original What We Do in the Shadows film relied on 100% improvised dialogue, the subsequent television series utilized a more structured, scripted format. Clement indicated that they have not yet decided where to return to the improvised approach or move forward with a traditional script, knowing that both methods offer distinct advantages. While progress is being made, audiences are advised that the project remains in the very early stages. Clement estimated that the script may not be completed until next year with a projected theatrical release in 2027. I am so looking forward to this. Universal Pictures announced Thursday that the studio was set to release Donkey theatrically, June 30th, 2028. Eddie Murphy will return for the DreamWorks animation feature to voice the character that he played since the original Shrek hit theaters in 2022 or 2001. Donkey returns audiences to the land far away in telling the adventure-seeking title character's origin story. Charlie Bean, known for helming the Lego Ninjago movie, is directing the prequel movie that counts Matt Flynn, who worked on The Bad Guys as co-director. Rebecca Huntley serves as producer. Now, uh, this might be good news for the animation franchise that explores the fairy tale world and is loosely based on William Staigg's 1990 picture book, Shrek. Hitting theaters next summer, Shrek 5 sees in Deia joined the voice cast that includes returnees Mike Myers as the titular misunderstood ogre, Eddie Murphy as his best Bal Donkey, and Cameron Diaz as Princess Fiona. The Shrek series for theatrical movies have surpassed $2.9 billion at the Global Box Office, with the most recent title being 2010's Shrek Forever After. It also spawned two spinoff movies centering on Antonio Benderis' Puss and Boots, with Puss and Boots The Last Wish arriving in 2022. Murphy teased the Donkey Focus project late last year during a conversation with the Hollywood reporter. I love the whole cast, so I was excited when it was like, hey, they're doing another one, and they want to do a Donkey one too. I'm totally into it. Completely. Yeah. Do do Shrek do a new Shrek movie 30 years from now. Or never. But uh don't don't give us more than that. Yeah, I know. It it it means it's mainly a kids' movie. Kids don't care. Kids will see it. But for the rest of us, it's like anyway.

Rick And Morty Movie Ambitions

SPEAKER_00 12:23

Rick and Morty has been a fixture of adult swim for over a decade now. But the series is looking to go br bigger and better than ever on the big screen. Creator Dan Harmon is still working out the details, but he knows what iconic film franchise will serve as his guiding light. Collider Steve Wintraub sat down with Cartoon Network president Michael Auleen at the Annasi International Film Festival to get a peek at Harmon's thought process and bring the title duo to movie theaters. While Auleen couldn't reveal much about the movie, which is now in development, we know Harman is working on it alongside Rick and Morty, which will finish off its ninth season next month, and then the new spin-off, President Curtis, starring Keith David, which will debut later this year. For the series' first big trip to the big screen, Harman is taking inspiration from a classic Spielberg franchise, often seen as a high watermark for on-screen high adventure. Quote, these guys understand story and adventure better than anybody. What Dan would want to do with the Rick and Morty movie is what he indelibly remembers going to see the Indiana Jones movies. So he's solving for what the feeling of walking, or that feeling of walking out. He's like, I want to replicate the feeling of walking out and hitting the sidewalk, having just seen an Indiana Jones. And you know, he holds himself to a high bar. So that's the bar he's holding himself on that thing, unquote. Now Aulin insists that the movie will be enjoyable for diehards and newcomers alike, and he asserts that you won't have to have studied Rick and Morty. Quote, he couldn't shed any light on a possible title when asked, saying, Oh god, no. Well, that I'm I'm I would, you know, that and the next Simpsons movie, I'm all for that. See, because we haven't had Rick and Morty on the big screen. This might be interesting. You know, a Simpsons movie, we haven't had that in years either. Anticipation. Anticipation is where it's at, folks.

Sesame Street Deal And Grinch Sequel

SPEAKER_00 14:31

Onwards, uh, Netflix has successfully secured the feature film rights to the iconic children's series Sesame Street. The streaming giant emerged as the winner following a competitive bidding war involving Universal and Warner Brothers. Right back, the production company behind the live-action hits, like Lilo and Stitch and Aladdin, is set to produce the film in collaboration with Sesame Workshop. This acquisition marks a significant expansion for Netflix, which has already held the television rights to the series since May 2025. While the studio has cleared the path for development, no filmmaker is currently attached to the project. This movie is brought to you by the letter O and the signal and the symbol dollar sign. It's going to be a Merry Grinchmas all over again. Universal and Imagine Entertainment is moving forward with a sequel to the 2000 Holiday classic, How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Key talent from the original film is in Talks to Return with Jim Carrey reportedly in discussions to reprise his iconic roles to Grinch and Ron Howard attached to direct. Howard is also set to produce alongside longtime partner Brian Grazer. The studio was has tapped a veteran comedy team to pen the script with Alec Berg, Jeff Schaefer, and Dan Mandel, known for their work on Barry, Silicon Valley Veep, and Kerber Enthusiasm, up to uh set to write the sequel. The trio had previously collaborated on the 2003 bomb, The Cat and the Hat. Released in 2000, the original Grinch movie was a massive success, dominating the domestic box office with 260 million and earning a total of 345 million worldwide, and also secured an Academy Award for Best Makeup, honoring the transformative work that defined Carrie's performance. The project remains a streaming powerhouse today, constantly ranking among the most watched holiday titles each tier. Not in my house, though. Middle-earth continues to expand its ranks.

LOTR Casting Plus Blair Witch Return

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Anna Taylor Joy is the list star to join the cast of the highly anticipated film The Lord of the Rings, The Hunt for Gollum. Gollum, Gollum. Taylor Joy is set to step into the role of Serene, a lethal Cindar elf of the Woodland realm, joining a growing ensemble that already includes Kate Winslet, Jamie Doran, and Leo Woodall. Andy Circus is set to direct the project and reprise the role of Gollum himself. The story is confirmed to take place in the time frame between The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings trilogy. The plot follows Aragorn, and Gandalf as they track Gollum to uncover critical information about the One Ring, the artifact that threatens the very fabric of Middle-earth. Fans can also look forward to several familiar faces returning to the screen with Ian McKillen reprising his role as Gandalf, Elijah Wood returning as Frodo, and Lee Pace back as Thurendal. Produced by Philip Jackson, by Pierre Jackson, Fran Walsh, and Philip Boyans, The Hunt for Gollum is scheduled to hit theaters on December 17th, 2027. And looking further ahead, the studio also released that or revealed a second film, The Lord of the Rings Shadow of the Past, is currently in development with Stephen Colbert attached to write the script. That will be a good one. That will be a good one. Horror fans, mark your calendars. The Blair Witch franchise is officially returning to the big screen. Lionsgate has announced that the next installment in the series is set to hit theaters on September 24th, 2027. The production is a major collaboration between Blum House and Atomic Monster, with filmmaker Dylan Clark tapped to direct. The project's creative team includes producers Jason Blum and James Wann, alongside a strong nod to the franchise's roots, original creators Eduardo Sanchez, Daniel Merrick, and Greg Hale, as well as original cast members Joshua Leonard and Michael C. Williams are all on board as executive producers. The latest entry aims to revive the series that redefined the found re that basically started the found footage genre in 1999. Following previous attempts to expand the franchise in 2000 and 2016, this new film looks to recapture the tension and authenticity that turned the original project into a global cultural phenomenon. Yeah, considering that they just kind of restarted that with that backrooms film. Yeah, it might be the right time to take another bite at that apple. Speaking of bites on the apple, it's time to hop on the bus, but not the one you remember from your classroom

Magic School Bus Goes Live Action

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days. Legendary Entertainment and Classic Entertainment have joined forces to develop a live-action feature film adaptation of the beloved children's book series, The Magic School Bus. Rob Larman, known for his work on Detective Peak Choo, has been tapped to rewrite the treatment and direct the upcoming film. In a major casting announcement, Elizabeth Banks is set to reproduce the project and will star the eccentric and adventurous science teacher, Ms. Frizzle. This new development joins comes as the franchise celebrates its 40th anniversary, with over 90 million books sold worldwide. The Magic School bus has been a cornerstone of children's education and entertainment for decades, following Ms. Frizzle and her class of extraordinary shapeshifting bus that rides through space, stigma and body, and beyond. The project finds a new home at Legendary Entertainment following a lapse in rights at Universal, which had previously announced a different take on the material back in 2020. While details regarding the release date or further cast members remains in our wraps, the film is poised to introduce a new generation to one of the most iconic classrooms in history.

Remembering Sitcom Director James Burroughs

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The most decorated film multicamera director in the history of the medium passed away in his sleep on June 19th after a brief illness. The Olympic time Emmy winner was 85 years old. His 50-plus year career will remain unmatched, both in longevity and influence, as he played a crucial role in some of TV's biggest hits, including Cheers, which he co-created, Taxi, Friends, Fraser, Willing Grace, Two and a Half Pen, and The Big Bang Theory. Burroughs' longtime agent Rick Rosen said, quote, Jimmy was the greatest comedic television director in the history of the medium. He directed the most iconic, defying shows of generations, always a gentleman. It was an absolute honor to represent him. Unquote. He began his career with the Mary Tyler Moore Show in 1974 and directed a slew of episodes of comedy shows such as the Bob Newhart Show and Laverne Charlie. He went on to set the tone and help assemble the cast for some of the biggest sitcoms of the last five decades by directing the pilots for Taxi, Cheers, Frasier, Friends, Will and Grace, Third Rock from the Sun, Two and a Half Men, Mike and Molly, Two Broke Girls, The Big Bang Theory, and The Neighborhood. Quote, James Burroughs was a legend, an icon, a singular talent and revolutionary intelligence. He brought laughter and love into more homes globally than any other TV director in history, said Will and Grace star Deborah Messing. Burroughs directed all 246 episodes of Will and Grace, 236 episodes of Cheers, 75 episodes of Taxi, 49 episodes of Mike and Molly, 36 Episodes of Frasier, 21 episodes of Caroline in the City, and 15 episodes of Friends. Burroughs also served as the executive producer on Cheers, Will and Grace, and Mike and Molly, among many others. NBC said in the statement, Jimmy Burroughs was the man behind the curtain. He knew how to make us laugh, what buttons to push, and what was the absolute master of getting the most out of every joke. Every time you have a smile on your face watching the Mary Tyler Moore show, Taxi, Cheers, Will and Grace Friends, and countless others, think of Jimmy and know he made all our lives funnier. The prolific director never slowed down. In November of 2015, Burroughs marked his 1000th episode as a director, a milestone celebrated with a star-studded primetime special on NBC the following Friday, the following February, that featured the stars from the biggest hits in his career. He worked on both the Will and Grace and Fraser recent revivals, and also exact produced and directed all 10 episodes of Will and Grace creators Max Mutt Mutchik and David Cohen's 2025 Hulu comedy series, Mid-Century Modern, which landed him his 28th Emmy directing nomination at age 84 last year and 47th overall. Over his career, Burroughs won 11 Emmy Awards, including five for directing and five for Outstanding Comedy Series, those being Cheers and Will and Grace. He also exec produced two live in front of a studio audience of ABC specials, which recreated Norman Lear's All in the Family and Good Times in 2019, and The Facts of Life and Different Strokes in 2021. He earned his final Emmy for the former in 2020. In 2006, Burroughs was inducted into the Television Academy's Hall of Fame. In what we believe his last public appearance, Burroughs spoke at the November 2025 memorial of his agent for 50 years, Bob Broder. While he looked frail at the time, the director brought the house town with his signature wit and comedic timing. The poignant end to his career, Burroughs most recently recurred on the third season of HBO's The Comeback this year, Green Nang with friends star Lisa Coudreau playing a fictional final version of himself. James Burroughs was 85 years old.

Remembering Actor And Voice Star Daveigh Chase

SPEAKER_00 24:21

And finally tonight, Davy Chase, the former child actor who voiced the character of the Lilo in 2002's acclaimed Lilo and Stitch, and the same year was named Best Villain by MTV Movies Awards for her effectively creepy portrayal of the evil Samora Morgan in the ring, died Tuesday from complications from meningitis. She was 35 years old. Her death was announced by to TMZ by her boyfriend Roy Hernandez, who has set up a GoFundMe page for the ailing chase. Hernandez wrote the that recently Deva was uh diagnosed with uh meningitis and several serious blood infections. Her condition became critical, and the doctors that told him that she may not have much time left. Deadline reached out to a representative for Chase and got the response a man claiming to be Deva's boyfriend has launched a GoFundMe page purportedly on behalf of Deva and her family. Neither her family nor her close friends know who this person is. I can confirm Deva was a SAG trust uh uh with a SAG trust account with more than enough funds to cover all medical and related expenses. Born Deva Elizabeth Chase on July 24th, 1990, in Los Angeles, or Las Vegas, excuse me, and raised in Albany, Oregon. Chase had launched her career as a child actor by age seven when she appeared in commercials and on stage. At age eight, she began appearing on TV series like Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Charmed, The Practice, and ER. In 2001, she was cast as Samantha Darko in Richard Kelly's cult film Donnie Darko, starring Jake Gyllenhall. She voiced the character of Chihiro Ogina in the 2001 English dub of the studio Ghibli film Spirit of the Way, but her breakthrough and signature role came in 2002 when she voiced one of the title characters in Disney's Lilo and Stitch. Her performance is Lilo, the orphaned Hawaiian girl who befriends an extraterrestrial she mistakes for a puppy. Lelo names her new friend Stitch. Chase voiced the character in various sequels and the 2003-2006 TV series. Also in 2002, Chase appeared in Gore Verbinski's horror hit the ring as Samaro Morgan, the lank-haired little girl dressed in white and possessing deadly supernatural powers. At just 12 years old, Chase became the ghostly face of the film and its most recognizable character. She was named Best Villain at the 2003 MTV Movie Awards, being out Spider-Man's William Dafoe, Gang of New York's Daniel Day Lewis, Daredevil's Colin Farrell, and Mike Myers, who portrayed both Dr. Evil and Goldmember in that year's Austin Powers and Gold member. From 2006 to 2011, Chase recurred on HBO's Big Love as the young sociopath, Rhonda Vollmer, and in 2009, Chase reprised her role as Samantha Darko in Donnie Darko's Darko. After appearing in Thomas Decker's 2016 horror film Jack Goes Home, Chase largely withdrew from acting, and the GoFundMe page, Hernandez refers to various difficulties encountered by the actor, including bullying and a falling out with her family. Chase, he writes, struggled to find safety and happiness in downtown LA, but that the two found moments of happiness and hope until her recent health issues. According to TMZ, Chase was taken to the hospital earlier this month for malnutrition. Dave Ott Chase was 35 years old.

Where To Follow And Support The Show

SPEAKER_00 27:49

And that brings us to the end of this edition of the show. Now, please be sure to check us out on social media. We're on Blue Sky at Multiverse Tom Threads, Facebook, and Instagram at Multiverse Tonight. If you've got some value out of the show, uh please head on over to multiverse tonight.com, where you'll find our Patreon and Kofi links. Check our show notes, visit our Tea Public store, leave us with some feedback and so much more. And if this is your first time listening, thank you and welcome. Go ahead, hit that subscribe button and share us with others. Now, special thanks to Shane Ivers for the intro music and Lobo Loco for the outro theme music. Thanks for watching this edition of Multiverse Tonight. We'll be back in two weeks with more sci-fi and comic book news. Now please exit the universe in an orderly fashion. Good night. Multiverse Tonight is a production of Half Break Genre Productions, Copyright 2026. All right, freezer.