Did Will Smith’s Deadshot die onstage at last year’s Academy Awards? Why can’t Michael B. Jordan just tell us that he’s Superman? And will DC at long last feature a queer superhero in Shazam! Fury of the Gods?

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James Gunn liking this Tweet may mean we won’t see a Will Smith Deadshot in the DCU

Will Smith slapped himself out of the next ten Oscar ceremonies when he took the stage to physically assault emcee Chris Rock after the comedian made light of Jada Pinkett-Smith’s hair at last year’s Academy Awards. It looks like there’s a good chance he slapped himself out of James Gunn and Peter Safran’s fast-approaching new DCU reboot of the DC Studios cinematic universe as well.

Smith and Rock have entered the headlines again on the heels of Rock’s recently dropped Netflix special, which streamed live on March 5. Rock let both of the Smiths have it as he was wrapping up the live broadcast, commenting on the couple’s history of extramarital affairs.

Apparently, Gunn agrees. The DC Studios co-CEO liked a tweet featuring footage of the comedian’s pointed commentary meaning Gunn’s sympathies lie more with the slappee than the slapper and Smith may not be getting jiggy with the upcoming DCU reboot as his Suicide Squad character Deadshot or anyone else in the future.

Michael B. Jordan’s reps help him bob and weave around yet another Val-Zod Superman question

Creed actor Michael B. Jordan may not be able to “float like a butterfly” as well as Muhammad Ali can in real life but he can certainly duck a jab like a champ when it comes to avoiding talking about his rumored Superman project with DC studios. The Black Panther baddie had a movie based upon the Earth 2 Kryptonian Val-Zod, in development prior to James Gunn and Peter Safran stepping into harness as studio co-CEOs but you wouldn’t know it from talking to the actor-director.

Jordan avoided a direct question about whether he would be taking up the role of DCs first black superman on the Creed III red carpet by simply avoiding addressing the question at all. Now it seems he’s enlisted the help of his PR team to really up the flak factor.

A Tweet from @homeofdcu shows a clip of the actor answering Q&A during the Creed III press junket. When asked about the Superman/Val-Zod project the actor at first looked completely blank before a pr rep loudly announced that “We’re not going to talk about that.” Jordan burst into a good-natured laugh afterward calling the question ” a noble attempt.” But we still aren’t hearing a hard “no” on the topic. Let’s hope DC is at least trying to harness some of Jordan’s red-hotness.

Will Fury of the Gods give DC a gay hero ahead of the DCU?

Neither the MCU nor the DC movie universe has done a particularly good job of representation when it comes to LGBTQ individuals. While Harley Quinn is canonically bisexual and Gal Gadot has at least agreed that Wonder Woman is as well neither character has been portrayed as openly bi in the DCEU/Snyderverse. James Gunn has stated that the new DCU will definitely have a queer rep. The Authority’s Midnighter and Apollo are both gay and in a relationship with one another in the source material. So far DC hasn’t had a real queer superhero. That may be changing even sooner than the new DC Universe.

Shazam! Fury of the Gods  Henry Gayden and Chris Morgan dropped some significant bombshells during a recent interview with Dorkaholics that the character of Billy’s foster sibling Pedro Peña (he wears the Green Shazam! Uniform) portrayed by Jovan Armand and D.J. Cotrona will be played as more forthrightly gay in the film.

Pedro was portrayed as shy in the first Shazam film with a few subtle hints that he may not be straight. Both screenwriters claim Pedro will play an important part in the film but they did not reveal any specifics or how (or even if) his sexuality would figure into the story.