Doubling Down With the Derricos alum Karen Derrico has reportedly been accused of threatening to kill her ex-husband, Deon Derrico, and their kids.

Karen, 46, was recently arrested in Las Vegas and charged with harassment, violating a restraining order, preventing a witness from testifying through threat of violence and aggravated stalking, according to documents obtained by TMZ on Wednesday, June 24.

Per the outlet, prosecutors alleged that Karen sent several threatening emails to Deon, 55, with whom she shares 14 children.

“I want you dead,” she allegedly wrote in a June 14 email, per court records obtained by Oxygen True Crime. ”I could kill you, and it won’t even bother me to go to jail and I’ll kill any of my kids if they take your side.”

Related: Karen Derrico Calls Deon Derrico the ‘Best Father Ever’ Amid Divorce

Days after announcing their divorce, Karen Derrico had nothing but good things to say about her estranged husband, Deon Derrico, on Father’s Day. “Happy Fathers Day to the best father any 14 children can ask for! @deonderrico,” Karen, 44, wrote via Instagram on Sunday, June 16, alongside a photo montage of Deon, 53, and their […]

In a May 2 email, Karen allegedly warned Deon to “watch out” because she planned on “getting a gun and/or will have someone kill him before he can go to court.” She allegedly tried to prevent Deon from attending a court hearing about a temporary protection order he requested.

Authorities claimed that the emails left Deon “in reasonable fear of death or substantial bodily harm,” according to Oxygen.

Karen was arraigned on the felony charges on Tuesday, June 23, and pleaded not guilty.

“The allegations are completely false,” her attorney Jess Marchese told Oxygen. “And we will prove they were completely fabricated by Mr. Derrico.”

Marchese told TMZ that Karen was released from custody on a $2,000 bond and outfitted with an ankle monitor. Her next hearing is scheduled for August 6.

Related: Doubling Down With the Derricos’ Deon Shares Telling Message After Divorce

Courtesy of Deon Derrico/Instagram Doubling Down With the Derricos star Deon Derrico shared a telling message following news of his divorce from Karen Derrico. “When you have nothing else in this world as long as you have your great health, and family nothing else really matters!” Deon, 53, captioned an Instagram post on Tuesday, June […]

Karen and Deon rose to fame on the TLC reality series Doubling Down With the Derricos, which documented the former couple’s life raising their 14 kids, including sets of twins, triplets and quintuplets. The show ran for five seasons from 2020 to 2024, when Karen and Deon got divorced.

Thank You!

You have successfully subscribed.

The exes confirmed their split to Us Weekly in June 2024, noting that they remained “unified in the parenting of our 14 beautiful children.”

Deon previously shared an update on his divorce in December 2025.

“At this point, we are just working it out as a family collectively,” he said on “The Sarah Fraser Show” podcast at the time. “No, I am not ‘dating.’ She is not ‘dating.’ We have talked about how that would look because our biggest concern is our children. It is a unique, complicated, different, esoteric, and I cannot think of enough words to describe it because of the 14 children.”

RELATED: Close Enough? Tems Calls Sasha Obama The Wrong Name Before Issuing An Apology (VIDEO)

Barack Obama Said It Politely… But It Was Still A Read

In a recent appearance on the ‘All the Smoke’ podcast, Obama called Trump’s continued focus on him and his family an “obsession,” even saying, “I obviously have a room in his head…a suite in his head” He went on to explain that during his presidency, he wasn’t spending time worrying about predecessors or critics, adding that his focus was always on doing the job rather than tracking what others were saying or doing. Obama also suggested the repeated criticism reflects someone not fully focused on governing, calling the fixation “a strange thing.”

And The Shade Didn’t Start Here…

This didn’t come out of nowhere. In recent months, Trump has continued to take shots at Obama online, including sharing an AI-generated Truth Social post that depicted the Obama Presidential Center as a trash can. He has also called Obama a “traitor” and even accused him of plotting a coup while calling for his arrest—claims that sparked immediate backlash across political circles. And that’s not all. Earlier this year, Trump faced criticism after posting an AI-generated video showing Barack and Michelle Obama depicted as gorillas, which he later deleted. Republican Sen. Tim Scott called it “the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House,” as the post fueled widespread controversy online.

Meanwhile, the Obamas have also made subtle remarks of their own. At the opening of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago, Michelle Obama drew cheers after referencing her husband “winning a peace prize,” a moment widely seen as a subtle jab at Trump.

Barack Admits He Had To Make It Up To Michelle

Now, former President Obama also gave us a rare peek into what life looked like after leaving the White House—and let’s just say, it wasn’t all speeches and ceremonies anymore. He kept it all the way real, admitting that his first priority was repairing what he called a “deep deficit” with Michelle Obama, even saying, “I had a lot of making up to do.”

Obama acknowledged the intense pressure Michelle carried as the first African American First Lady, and shared that stepping away from the spotlight meant finally getting back to the basics—family time, travel, and just enjoying life without the constant weight of the presidency. And while he says he doesn’t miss the formal events or daily suit-and-tie routine, he did admit he misses the “foxhole” energy of working closely with a tight-knit team to make high-stakes decisions.

RELATED: Oop! Social Media Jumps To Michelle Obama’s Defense After UFC Fighter Josh Hokit Calls Her “A Man” At White House Event

One TikTok user @H claimed, “She ain’t acting – she a bad a** kid“

This TikTok user @Vee2 added, “My husband and I cuss a lot too and both my kids didn’t grown up cussing 🤷🏻‍♀️”

And, TikTok user @Takeila Brown said, “Pinkface is the Million $$$ baby 😁”

Meanwhile, TikTok user @Rue shared, “I cuss and my son knows not to even say that ..“

While TikTok user @M⋆V⋆U⋆L⋆I⋆Z⋆A⋆N⋆A⋆ wrote, “Born actress right if you say so“

Lastly, TikTok user @Steven commented, “Idc she funny asf“

Karlissa Said Y’all Got Her Twisted

RELATED: Karlissa Weighs In As Chrisean Rock Discusses Blueface Being “Madly In Love” With Her And Their Co-Parenting Struggles (VIDEO)

By Chris Snellgrove
| Published 6 seconds ago

The upcoming merger between Paramount and Warner Bros. has fans nervous, and for good reason. Leadership changes usually lead to major franchise changes, like the recent decision to pivot Star Trek into a film-only franchise. For superhero fans, the franchise they are most worried about is James Gunn’s DCU. His Superman movie was the hit of the summer last year, and his hilariously vulgar Peacemaker show has proven insanely popular. Now, Supergirl is about to hit theaters while Gunn himself works on the Superman sequel The Man of Tomorrow. With this cinematic universe going up, up, and away, nervous fans are worried that a merger could drag it back to Earth.

Under new leadership, James Gunn could be ousted in favor of a new creative visionary for the DCU. Should he keep his job, there’s a risk that the studio would suddenly start meddling with movies and TV shows. In the absolute worst-case scenario, the new WB might pull the plug on the DCU altogether. Does that mean that fans of this cinematic universe should start worrying? According to Supergirl executive producer Lars P. Winther, there’s nothing to worry about. After meeting with Paramount’s David Ellison and declared that the CEO is a big fan who has mostly been giving DCU gurus like Gunn whatever they want.

Under The Gunn

Ever since news of a merger between Paramount and Warner Bros. broke, DCU fans have been getting increasingly nervous. Paramount CEO David Ellison is a very prominent conservative, and skeptics were worried he might demand massive changes to this cinematic universe. After all, Ellison is the one Star Trek fans blame for pulling the plug on Starfleet Academy and pivoting this long-running sci-fi franchise away from TV and back to film. Considering how proudly “woke” DCU projects like Superman and Supergirl are (not to mention Gunn himself), many fans have been worried that Ellison would make drastic changes that would effectively ruin future projects. 

To hear executive producer Lars P. Winther tell the story, though, there’s nothing to worry about. He told The Hollywood Reporter that Ellison “came to Atlanta” when they were filming Supergirl. “We showed him everything, and we’re having discussions with him.” He claims Ellison had questions about the upcoming slate of 10 DCU projects and that “He’s pretty open to what we’re doing.” He noted how Clayface and Lanterns were projects that had already “left the station” and how fans didn’t have to worry about Ellison. “He’s a big fan, he’s been great with us. He’s giving us kind of what we want. So far, everything’s good.” 

Box Office Kryptonite

So, does that mean fans can stop worrying altogether? We may know more about that after this weekend. Supergirl is flying into theaters this Friday, with some box office projects predicting it will make as little as $39 million in its opening weekend. By comparison, Superman (2025) opened to a $125 million weekend, and that movie ultimately made the studio far less than they were hoping. If Supergirl ends up being a commercial and critical bomb (at 57 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, it’s officially “rotten”), Ellison might want to make some major changes just to help the DCU stay afloat.

That was, of course, the ultimate lesson of NuTrek. Shows like Starfleet Academy weren’t canceled early because they were woke but because they didn’t have enough viewers to justify the high, per-episode price tag. It won’t be the end of the DCU if Supergirl bombs, and the Superman sequel, The Man of Tomorrow, is much more likely to be a hit. If it’s not, though, then this cinematic universe might be more trouble than it’s worth. Should the DCU fail, it likely won’t be because Ellison personally pulled the plug. Rather, it will be because the movies keep experiencing the scariest Kryptonite of them all: bad box office.

General Hospital early weekly spoilers for June 29th through July 3rd with Willow Tait (Katelyn MacMullen) absolutely horrified at a false accusation slung at her out of the blue. Plus, Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) is furious when he can’t get any leads on Sidwell, who he’s ready to murder in cold blood.

We’re going to get into all the good stuff. Kicking off the week of June 29th, including July sweeps kicking into high gear. As always, on early edition day, we start with what is coming the rest of this week, then we get into next week.

General Hospital Week of June 24th-26th Developments: Emma Relived & Carly Confesses

So, on Wednesday, June 24th, Emma Scorpio Drake (Brayden Bruner) spends time hanging with Gio Palmieri (Giovanni Mazza) by the Metro Court pool. Also, Emma tells Felicia Scorpio (Kristina Wagner) she has no idea how relieved she is to hear that. And I suspect this is an update about Anna Devane (Finola Hughes) coming home, which is going to have everybody excited.

Speaking of Emma’s grandma, Anna is knitting in her hospital bed at the French psychiatric facility when her doctor walks in saying “bonjour” and she tells her doctor she’s really looking forward to a visit. So, yes, Finola Hughes is finally back. Carly Corinthos Spencer (Laura Wright) makes a shocking confession. She tells Lucas Jones (Van Hansis) that Josslyn Jacks (Eden McCoy) is a WSB agent. And then Carly tells Lucas she needs to break into Wyndemere and needs him to help her get in there and get to Josslyn. I’m sure Carly’s going to lay out the whole thing. And she’s telling him, “We’re going to go in.” And Lucas says, “And we won’t leave without Josslyn.”

General Hospital: Britt Makes Rocco Leave Her

Still hiding out on that island, Britt Westbourne (Kelly Thiebaud) extracts a promise from Rocco Falconeri (Finn Carr). So, we’re going to see Britt telling Rocco that he needs to take his passport and leave. So, it looks like Britt may run an errand. And she comes back to the cottage and finds an uncomfortable situation.

We know Dante Falconeri (Dominic Zamprogna) and Lulu Spencer (Emme Rylan) were headed that way and we’re going to see Britt walk in. She’s startled and Rocco looks shaken. Hopefully, this is Dante and Lulu and they got there before Ross Cullum (Andrew Hawkes). I’m sure that Dante and Lulu want to take Rocco and just run, but I don’t know if he’ll agree to leave Britt.

Charlotte Cassadine (Bluesy Burke) tells Danny Morgan (Asher Jared Antonyzyn) nobody can know this. And then we’re going to have Charlotte, I’m sure, telling him that she overheard her mom Lulu telling her grandma Laura that Rocco shot Cullum and you know he may know that Rocco shot him.

Cassius Faison (Ryan Paevey) tells somebody that once the project is up and running, he plans to disappear. He may be talking to Cullum. Also, on Wednesday, that bad WSB guy is doing something deceptive. So, Cassius knows where Britt and Rocco are, and I don’t think Cassius would willingly tell Cullum, but he may trick him.

General Hospital: July Sweeps Begins – June 25th and Beyond

Then on Thursday, June 25th, it’s the very first day of July sweeps. It’s going to run all the way through July 20th. Josslyn and Cassius not see eye to eye. He goes down to talk to Josslyn and may want to chat with her about Dante and Lulu. Cassius may tell Josslyn that they’ve gone to retrieve Rocco and Britt. We know that Josslyn is one of the few people Cassius can be totally honest with because she knows everything, but something’s going to go sideways and they wind up clashing.

Alexis Davis (Nancy Lee Grahn) has to go down to the PCPD, so Willow may ask Alexis to be present while she’s being questioned since Drew Cain (Cameron Mathison) is trying to help frame Willow. Also, Harrison Chase (Josh Swickard) gets a warning. This may be from DA Justine Turner (Nazneen Contractor). If Dante tells the acting DA that Chase tried to stop him from questioning Willow, I’m sure Justine will jump at the chance to find something to charge Willow with and to fire Chase if she can.

But we know that Willow was at the house during the day. She wasn’t there that night. She wasn’t on the road, but Brick (Stephen A. Smith) has faked her cell records. Also, Drew affirming that Willow was on the road. I don’t think it’s going to hold up. I mean, how would the housebound paralytic know where she was?

General Hospital: Michael Trying to Help Brook Lynn

I did think it was interesting that Michael Corinthos (Rory Gibson) tried to warn Brook Lynn Quartermaine (Amanda Setton) that bringing scrutiny to that crash wasn’t a good idea. Michael was trying to warn Brook Lynn she could expose her own misdeeds, but Michael stopped short of revealing that he knows that she was the second car in that crash.

Dante and Lulu find out the truth about something. So, if they make it to where Rocco and Britt are hiding out, she may finally unpack it all for Dante and Lulu and just tell them what Cullum and Sidwell forced her to do and withheld her meds, all that good stuff. Plus, on Thursday, Jordan Ashford (Tanisha Harper) needs assistance. We’ll see if this has anything to do with Brook Lynn’s frame job on Willow or some other matter. Sidwell may yet come to her looking for payback.

General Hospital Spoilers Friday and July Sweeps Week

Friday, June 26th, Danny thinks on his feet. So, this could tie into Cullum if he’s sniffing around looking for Lulu to grill her more about Rocco and why he’s out of town because nobody wants Cullum to know that Lulu and Dante have left. Also, Curtis Ashford (Donnell Turner) gets things wrong again. I’m sure he’s going to find out soon that Willow’s being questioned as the other driver. And if Curtis finds out someone, but not who, made a statement reporting that she was on the road that night, I wouldn’t be surprised if Curtis thinks it’s Isaiah trying to frame Willow for his actions.

Also, Anna takes a risk. She’s set to go back to Port Charles soon. Hopefully, she won’t mess that up. But also, she knows about Victor and she wants the people in Port Charles to know but has been unable to alert anyone. So, maybe she gets a chance to do so. And Willow is in shock and disbelief. I expect her to be blindsided if Justine confronts her with cell phone record evidence that she was on that road along with a witness statement saying Willow was at the house that night and then left driving on that route.

General Hospital: July Sweeps in Full Gear – June 29th Through July 3rd

Then the week of June 29th through July 3rd. This is the first full week of General Hospital July sweeps. Also, Friday, July 3rd is the official federal holiday. Independence Day happens to fall on a Saturday this year, so there is a chance of a rerun, but hopefully it’ll be a new episode and we won’t have a rerun. But just keep an eye on your DVR.

We’ll find out more about Carly and Lucas’ plan to creep onto Spoon Island and rescue Josslyn. With Valentin gone and Carly thinking she’ll never see him again, she’s not willing to gamble on this mysterious Z to come save her daughter, Josslyn. We’ll see Rocco and Britt back in Port Charles soon, even though Dante and Lulu had initially planned to stay on the run with their son. Something changes that brings them back home.

General Hospital: Drew’s Recovery Coning Up Soon

Drew is going to start to get better soon. But if Jack comes through for Willow, she can blackmail Drew into not only keeping quiet about her causing his stroke and possibly can also get him to discredit Dante about his blinking answers to those questions. We know that Drew wants revenge on Willow, but not at the cost of his freedom. And Jack’s got hard evidence on him that could send him to prison.

Plus, we’ll get an update on Jack Brennan (Chris McKenna) as he continues to struggle with his recovery while faking locked-in at Turning Woods. The frame job on Willow is going to stick for a while. But even if they have that fake proof putting her on the road that night, there would be no evidence that she knew about a wreck. And again, Jordan was at fault. So, I’m sure that Willow is going to tell Chase she’s being set up. I think he will believe her, which may drive Brook Lynn over the edge.

Sidwell’s gathering his resources and plotting revenge while Sonny is desperate to find and kill him and furious that he’s got no leads on the villain. There’s going to be collateral damage in their final fight. And as this week ends, by the way, we are just 10 days away from Steve Burton’s return as Jason Morgan (Steve Burton).

Lindsey Vonn’s ongoing recovery includes some much-needed time by the pool.

“June is gassed, no glazing!” the Olympian, 41, wrote via Instagram on Sunday, June 21, alongside a slideshow of how she’s spending her summer.

The first pic showed Vonn rocking a black bikini as she soaked up the sun on a warm afternoon. Her blonde hair was down, cascading in natural waves.

Vonn included additional moments where she was out with Laura Dern, Gayle King and other loved ones. The skier also attended a Black Eyes Peas concert.

Related: Lindsey Vonn Posts Brutal Video of Leg During Recovery After Olympics Crash

Lindsey Vonn is currently living by the motto, “No pain, no gain,” and her recovery videos prove it. The professional athlete, 41, shared a brutal video of her injured leg on Friday, March 13, following her 2026 Winter Olympics crash that resulted in multiple surgeries earlier this year. In the clip shared via Vonn’s Instagram […]

In addition to her fun adventures, Vonn shared several snaps in the gym. In one clip, Vonn can be seen doing pull ups and posing alongside exercise equipment.

Earlier this year, Vonn suffered multiple leg injuries. Back in January, she tore her ACL during a World Cup race in Switzerland. Despite the pain, Vonn pushed through to make it to the Olympics, which began the following month. While competing in Milan and Cortina, Vonn crashed during the downhill event and needed to be airlifted to the hospital.

Vonn sustained a complex tibia fracture and underwent emergency surgery. The athlete later revealed that she nearly had her leg amputated due to the severe trauma caused by the crash.

“Dr. Tom Hackett saved my leg,” she explained in a March social media video. “He saved my leg from being amputated. He did what’s called a fasciotomy, where he cut open both sides of my leg and kind of filleted it open so to speak, let it breathe, and he saved me.”

Following the surgeries, Vonn’s top priority has been her recovery. She started hitting the gym again six weeks after the crash.

“First set of pull ups post surgery… slowly getting there,” Vonn captioned a video showing off her fitness routine.

As Vonn continued to put in the physical work, she opened up about the difficulties in her recovery process.

Thank You!

You have successfully subscribed.

Advertisement

Related: Lindsey Vonn Shares Dramatic Picture of Her Legs After Multiple Surgeries

Lindsey Vonn showed off her battle scars after undergoing multiple surgeries as a result of her dramatic crash at the 2026 Winter Olympics. “And just like that….All my muscles are gone 😔,” Vonn, 41, shared via her Instagram Story on Sunday, March 1, alongside a photo of her legs resting on an exercise ball.  Vonn’s […]

“All these things, it took time,” she said in an April interview with The Athletic. “There were so many layers to it. That made it challenging. And then of course, when you have such slow progress, that inevitably becomes more mentally challenging as well.”

Last month, Vonn attended the Met Gala and ditched her crutches for the first time. Before arriving at the event, Vonn shared how much it meant for her to reach her recovery goal.

“I’ve been in such a different world, especially since my crash,” she told Vogue ahead of the Met Gala. “This is kind of my coming-out party — I get to be around people, wearing a dress that’s beautiful and feminine, and put my crutches down for the first time.”

Reese Witherspoon is proudly flaunting her romance with German boyfriend, Oliver Haarmann, but fans aren’t loving the relationship.

The “Legally Blonde” actress and billionaire finally made their red carpet debut almost two years after first getting linked.

Witherspoon and Haarmann became an item following her shock divorce from Jim Toth after 12 years of marriage in 2023, but have kept things super private.

For the New York premiere of “Elle,” Witherspoon shocked fans when she stepped out on the red carpet with Haarmann by her side. The couple who have been super low-key put their love on full display.

The actress channeled her 2001 comedy “Legally Blonde” character, rocking pink from head to toe. She donned a daring, sheer, pink, lacy dress with dramatic puffy sleeves.

The off-shoulder ensemble clung tightly to her petite frame and teased her cleavage. Witherspoon paired the outfit with a pair of baby-pink strappy open-toe heels and styled her blonde hair to a side part.

Haarmann, on the other hand, looked dapper in a crisp navy blue suit paired with a pink tie that matched his woman’s outfit. The lovebirds looked so in love, with Witherspoon staring sweetly at him as she held on closely, according to Daily Mail.

The duo was barely separated during the premiere, which also saw Witherspoon’s son, Deacon Phillippe, in attendance.

Fans Mock Reese Witherspoon & Haarmann’s Red Carpet Debut

While Witherspoon and her financier boyfriend seemed thrilled to show off their romance, many fans criticized their appearance, suggesting that Haarman looked significantly older.

“Imagine going from Ryan Phillipe to a man who looks like her father??” one fan slammed on X, while a similar comment read, “He could be her daddy.”

A third fan advised, “Just be single, Reese. You’re rich already. Or go back with your first husband if he’ll have you.” Another described Haarmann as her “grandpa”

A fifth comment read, “I thought he was her dad…Had never seen him before!” However, some fans defended Witherspoon and Haarmann, saying they looked right for each other.

“He’s actually age-appropriate. We’re not used to seeing it,” this user argued. Haarmann, 58, and Witherspoon’s romance was confirmed a year after their divorce from Toth.

The Actress Hoped To Keep Things ‘Private’

Witherspoon and the German native gracing the red carpet in New York came as a shock, as the actress has been keen on keeping her love life away from the prying eyes of fame.

After two failed public marriages, including her union to actor Ryan Phillippe, which ended in 2008, close sources say she planned to do things differently the third time.

“She loves what she does but not the fame side of things and wants to keep her private life private,” the insider alleged, per The Blast.

As a result, in her search for love again, Witherspoon, 50, opted for a partner “who wasn’t in the film industry.” Luckily, Haarmann, the co-founder of Searchlight Capital Partners, loves to keep out of the spotlight.

Reese Witherspoon’s Personality Rules Her Relationships

Apart from her desire to keep her romantic life separate from her fame, close sources say Witherspoon’s personality affects how her relationship turns out.

Often described as someone who loves being in charge, “The Morning Show” star is reportedly “difficult to deal with” and goes for a partner who wouldn’t be competing for fame with her. Hence, the financier fits the profile.

Also, it helps that Haarmann is super wealthy, as his success and financial independence bode well for their relationship. Nevertheless, Witherspoon has no intention to rush into marriage with the billionaire.

Reese Witherspoon Advocates For AI Despite Backlash

When Witherspoon’s love life isn’t making headlines, her stance on artificial intelligence recently landed her in hot water.

The “Big Little Lies” actress first made headlines after she spoke encouragingly about the use of AI, highlighting the gap between how men and women use AI tools. Unfortunately, her advocacy was slammed by fans, who assumed she was being paid to push the technology forward.

Regardless, Witherspoon doubled down on her stance, taking to social media to debunk speculations that she received any payment to promote AI, as reported by The Blast.

While acknowledging fans’ concerns as “valid,” the actress explained that she wasn’t in favor of technology replacing humanity. Instead, she wants more people, especially women, to be open about learning amid the technological adjustment all sectors are facing.

Of all the superheroes who’ve made their mark on the big screen, Batman is one of the few that Hollywood rarely seems to get tired of. The Dark Knight’s been the focus of multiple silver screen adventures, ranging from Tim Burton‘s gothic, gripping vision of Gotham to Christopher Nolan‘s more grounded character studies. Batman also thrives in animation, with plenty of animated series and movies to his name; one could even argue that the greatest Batman movie of all time is animated, if you talk with fans of Batman: Mask of the Phantasm. A new trilogy of Batman animated movies is slated to debut starting this year, and it’ll adapt a story that fans of the Caped Crusader have been waiting to see for years.

Batman: Knightfall — Part 1 will adapt the first part of the sprawling “Knightfall” storyline, which pushed Batman to his limits by introducing one of his deadliest foes: the masked mastermind known only as Bane. Wanting to take Gotham City for himself, Bane breaks into Arkham Asylum and frees all of its prisoners, which leads Batman into a series of physically and mentally taxing conflicts. While The Dark Knight Rises previously adapted elements of Knightfall, this new trilogy intends to bring the entire storyline to life, even gathering a top tier cast that includes Anson Mount as Batman and Michael Mando as Bane.

‘Batman: Knightfall’ Was One of Two Storylines That Radically Reshaped the DC Universe

Image via DC comics

Knightfall helped establish multiple elements that are still present in DC Comics’ current slate of Batman titles; chief among them is the idea of a crossover spanning all of those titles that usually pits Batman against one of his deadliest foes, like “City of Bane” by Tom King, Tony S. Daniel and Mikel Janin that features another major confrontation between Batman and Bane, or the upcoming “Bad Seeds” storyline where Poison Ivy will unlease an extinction-level event in Gotham City. Knightfall also features one of the most shocking moments in comic book history, where Bane defeats Batman in battle and breaks his back. What made this storyline even more impactful is that it took place around the same time as The Death of Superman, meaning that longtime comic book fans had to watch Superman die and Batman get beaten into a bloody pulp.

Even more shocking was the fact that a new successor to the Batman mantle would take Bruce Wayne’s place: Jean-Paul Valley, the former assassin known as Azrael. Valley manages to defeat Bane with the help of a mechanically augmented Batsuit, but starts to grow more violent and erratic due to the conditioning he underwent at the hands of the Order of St. Dumas. Bruce Wayne, having been healed through supernatural means (because comics) eventually returns to Gotham and trains himself into fighting shape so he can take back his mantle from Valley. Dennis O’Neil, who helped conceive the Knightfall storyline, would later confirm that Valley’s tenure as Batman was meant to serve as commentary on the antihero trend that permeated 90s-era comics.

“We’d been wondering for a long, long time, with his stricture against killing and his Boy Scout morality, if our hero was outmoded…So instead of continuing to avoid the question, we decided to confront it and put out there a Batman who was as genuinely nuts as our Batman was sometimes accused of being.”

‘Batman: Knightfall’ Is Finally Giving One Robin A Much-Needed Spotlight

When Batman: Knightfall — Part 1 premieres, it will see Batman working side by side with Tim Drake, who was Robin at the time. This is a major deal because Tim is rarely depicted in most media. Most of this is due to other adaptations choosing to zero in on Dick Grayson, who eventually becomes Nightwing; Jason Todd, who dies and is reborn as the violent vigilante Red Hood; or Damian Wayne, Bruce Wayne’s biological son and the grandson of Ra’s al Ghul. Most people forget that what makes Tim a compelling character is that he willingly chose to be Robin, and helped pull Batman out of a dark place. With most heroes choosing to be heroes after suffering a tragic event, that makes Tim a truly refreshing character.

The Batman: Knightfall trilogy might be one of the rare Batman adaptations that will please longtime fans and newcomers alike. Its first installment is receiving rave reviews out of the Annecy Festival, and with an R-rating it’s bound to push the boundaries of what a Batman film can be. Bane may have “broken the Bat”, but Batman’s silver screen streak remains untarnished.

Advertisement

Release Date

June 23, 2026

Advertisement

Runtime

79 minutes

Director

Advertisement

Jeff Wamester

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement