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WIRE Buzz: Batman will be first in comic book hall of fame; Arrow losing veteran; and more
There's always time for a WIRE Buzz, even on Batman's birthday!
In the latest edition of our genre roundup, we bring you exciting news on the first comic book character to join Comic Con's Character Hall of Fame, a long-running Arrow alum departing the series, and some fresh intel on when we'll see the latest season of Fear the Walking Dead.
Hold on to your backsides, folks. This is one Buzz that tries its hardest to knock your socks off!
Today, the Caped Crusader himself, Batman, celebrated his 80th birthday with Detective Comics and received one hell of a surprise gift. The iconic hero will be the first inductee into Comic Con's Comic-Con Museum’s Character Hall of Fame.
The ceremony is set to take place on Wednesday, July 17, during the 50th annual San Diego Comic-Con at the future home of the museum, the Federal Building in San Diego’s Balboa Park.
"The event will feature displays of authentic props and memorabilia, and special appearances by artists, actors and other creative talents who have contributed to making Batman a global icon of popular culture," reads the official release.
Tickets for the ceremony become available Monday, June 3.
Emily Bett Rickards, who plays Felicity Smoak on The CW's Arrow, announced today that she is leaving the superhero series ahead of its final, eighth season.
"Felicity and I are a very tight two. But after one through seven we will be saying goodbye to you," the actress wrote in an Instagram post. "I thank you all for the time we’ve shared. The elevators we have climbed. The monsters we have faced and scared. And The burgers we have dined. I will keep her in my heart for always. And I hope that you can too. Because she would not be alive if it weren’t for all of you."
Not long after Rickards made her post, the show's main star, Stephen Amell (Oliver Queen), seemed to confirm her departure by posting a photo of Smoak with no caption.
First introduced in the third episode of Season 1, "Lone Gunman," Felicity (based on the comics character created by Gerry Conway and Rafael Kayanan) is a talented member of Queen Consolidated's IT department, aiding Oliver in his vigilante antics and becoming one of the first members of Team Arrow. Originally just a recurring character, Smoak was upgraded to a regular in the second season, eventually becoming romantic with Queen and even marrying him.
"We’ve had the pleasure of working with Emily since season one and in those past seven years she has brought one of TV’s most beloved characters to life," executive producers Greg Berlanti and Beth Schwartz said in a statement published by THR. "And although we’re heartbroken to see both Emily and Felicity leave the show, we’re completely supportive of Emily and her future endeavors. She will always have a family at Arrow."
Still airing its seventh season, Arrow will end after one more season, The CW revealed earlier this month. Season 8 is set to debut this fall.
AMC's Walking Dead spinoff, Fear the Walking Dead, finally has a premiere date for its fifth season. Per Deadline, the post-apocalyptic zombie series returns to the airwaves Sunday, June 2, at 9:00 p.m. EST. The debut episode will be immediately followed by the network's adaptation of Joe Hill's NOS4A2.
Having introduced Lennie James' Morgan James last season, the show will have yet another crossover character in Season 5, Austin Amelio's Dwight.
In terms of plot, the group of survivors (led by James) will be looking for other non-zombie humans in an effort to reestablish some sense of societal normalcy.
“Showrunners Andrew Chambliss and Ian Goldberg brilliantly reinvented Fear in its fourth season to much critical acclaim and we can’t wait to share with fans what they have in store for Season 5," Sarah Barnett, president of AMC Networks Entertainment Group, said in a statement published by Deadline.
The first trailer for Season 5 will be screened tomorrow at Anaheim's WonderCon before dropping online.
