Fandom News Roundup 5/1 – 5/7/21

Congratulations, Fandom Fans! You have made it to level five of 2021. This level is filled with enemies like pollen, bugs, and an onslaught of commercials for diets and exercise equipment. As you make your way through this level, you may miss some important fandom news!  Never fear, we collected some of the best stories to keep you going. So, get to a save point and let’s proceed to the news.

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Game of Thrones Actress Sues Marilyn Manson 

Esme Bianco, who you may know for her role as Ros on Game of Thrones, is suing Marilyn Manson. Bianco filed a federal lawsuit against Marilyn Manson on Friday accusing him of rape and other acts of sexual violence. The British actress was one of many women who has alleged that Manson had abused them. In an interview with The Cut, Bianco shared that “Manson had subjected her to psychological abuse, whipped her, cut her and chased her around his apartment with an axe.” In her lawsuit, Bianco states that Manson had raped her in May of 2011. The lawsuit describes a “four-day shoot” as a harrowing experience, in which she was kept in Manson’s home and made to wear lingerie the entire time. She alleges that Manson would fly into rages and destroyed camera equipment. She also claims that he locked her in a bedroom, tied her to a prayer kneeler, whipped her, and subjected her to electric shocks. The music video was never produced. The lawsuit includes even more horrifying details. Manson responded by saying, “horrible distortions of reality.” There is no word when or if this case will go to trial.

HBO Max Finds A Guy

HBO Max has been working on a live-action Green Lantern Corps series. The series will feature many Earth Lanterns, and explore the galaxies they protect. Finn Wittrock (Assassination of Gianni Versace) is set to play Green Lantern Guy Gardner. Gardner is known for his arrogant personality, and annoying Batman. While he isn’t my ideal pick for the character, it will be interesting to see who else will be cast for the series. Also, will this show cross over with other DC series?

Look, Morty! Another Trailer! 

Rick and Morty are back for their 5th season! From the trailer above, you can see you are in for even more shenanigans and memeable content. Rick and Morty return for season 5 on Sunday, June 20 at 11 pm ET/PT on Adult Swim.

Another History-Making Kamala

Kamala Khan aka Ms. Marvel is a fan favorite! The young Pakistani American from New Jersey uses her Inhuman abilities to be like her idol: Captain Marvel. Ms. Marvel is not only getting her own series on Disney Plus, but will be in the sequel to Captain Marvel. Photos of Iman Vellani in her Ms. Marvel suit appeared online… we’ve got to say… it is perfection.

Photos via Just Jared

We are hoping Vellani’s Kamala gets to interact with Tom Holland’s Peter Parker.

The Future of MCU is Revealed 

This week, Marvel released a trailer honoring the past MCU films and also showing us the future of the MCU. We got a detailed look at Phase 4 with footage of The Eternals, Black Widow, and Shang-Chi. Here is a list of the films coming out in 2021 and beyond.

Which of these films are you most excited about?

Doctor Who Actor Accused of Bullying and Sexual Harassment 

Photo via BBC

Noel Clarke, known for playing Mickey Smith on Doctor Who, has been accused of sexual harassment and bullying on set by 20 women. According to reports, Clarke is accused of unwanted touching,  groping, sexually inappropriate behavior and comments on set, professional misconduct, and taking and sharing sexually explicit pictures and videos without consent. The actor denied these claims by stating, “If anyone who has worked with me has ever felt uncomfortable or disrespected, I sincerely apologize. I vehemently deny any sexual misconduct or wrongdoing and intend to defend myself against these false allegations.”

A letter was written by Meriel Beale, a freelance producer, anti-bullying campaigner, and harassment officer at Bectu in response to the allegations made against Noel Clarke. The letter asks for a change within the UK Film and Television industry. “We just want to do our jobs. But we end up having to manage and navigate these situations. We don’t want to be seen as ‘killjoys’ and we don’t want to anger the men into violence. It is a constant, terrifying tightrope. We are exhausted and we are angry,” writes Beale. So far the letter has over 800 signatures in support of Beale’s demand for change.

Eleven, are you listening? 

A new trailer was released this week for season 4 of Stranger Things.  The trailer shows what looks to be a government facility with other children like Eleven. We also see a man enter a room with many children, who appears to be the scientist from season 1. The last shot pans to a door marked 11 and then we get a glimpse of Eleven’s eyes as she is asked a question. Will we be getting a glimpse of Eleven’s past or is this the present?

The CW’s Naomi Looks Comic Book Accurate

Photo: The CW — © 2021 The CW Network

The CW’s Naomi is the newest show in their CWverse. DC Comics released the first official photo of Naomi herself. Kaci Walfall plays the titular character and she is a dead-ringer for her comic book counterpart. Naomi McDuffie is a teenage superhero from an alternate Earth. She had to leave her “home” Earth to escape Zumbado, who conquered her world. Noami has the ability to transform into her super-powered form, has energy projection, super strength, and can fly. Naomi has special connections to The Wonder Twins, Batman,  Dr. Ray Palmer, and members of the Teen Titans. It will be interesting to see which DC heroes appear in her TV series.

Real Lightsabers…for REAL

During Disney’s trailer announcement about their Star Wars-themed hotel, The Galactic Starcruiser, there was a scene of Rey turning on her lightsaber. Many believed this was the work of CGI. Only it’s real. Disney has been working on creating “real” lightsabers for some time and it looks like they have succeeded. Guests will be able to see these working lightsabers at the Galactic Starcruiser when it launches in 2022.  How long we have to wait until we can buy them… remains to be seen. But this is definitely a case of shut up and take my money!

We Say Goodbye to 2 Screen Legends

Frank McRae Passes at 80 

Frank McRae passed away this week at the age of 80 due to a heart attack. Fandom Fans may know Frank McRae from his work in The Last Action Hero, License to Kill, and Loaded Weapon. We send our deepest condolences to his family, friends, and fans.

Olympia Dukakis Passes Away at 89 

Oscar award-winning actress Olympia Dukakis also passed away this week. She was 89 years old. Her cause of death was not released. Dukakis is known for her Oscar award-winning role in Moonstruck. Fandom Fans may recognize her for her role as Margie Carsen from The Librarian TV movies.  We at Fandom Spotlite would like to extend our condolences to her family, friends, and fans.

Congratulations on making it to the end of the news! You unlocked the special achievement of “Coolest Fandom Spotlite Fan!” Feel free to brag to your friends. Which story stood out to you the most? Share with us in the comments and online. Remember to stay safe this weekend and we’ll see you next week.


About Yali Perez

When she's not writing about pop culture for Fandom Spotlite, curating social media for the*gameHERS, or helping to produce the DB4L podcast, she is a single mom to the coolest kid in the world. In Yali's free time she likes to bake, exercise, watch horror films, and play Mario Kart. Yali's goal as a writer is to share her nontraditional and colorful view of the world with readers everywhere.

View all posts by Yali Perez

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