With the current eighth season of Smallville possibly being its last, the CW network is looking to the future with a show about a young Dick Grayson before he becomes Robin. Titled The Graysons, it's being developed by Smallville co-showrunners Kelly Souders and Brian Peterson, along with Supernatural and Chuck executive producer Joseph "McG" McGinty Nichol. The network has greenlit a pilot episode, with a full series dependent on how well the pilot is received.

Speaking of Smallville, tonight's episode features the secret origin of Green Arrow, and an episode later this season will introduce the Legion of Super-Heroes.

Fringe is a hit for FOX on Tuesday evenings, so the network ordered an additional nine episodes for the first season to bring the total to twenty-two.

The second season of Pushing Daisies began last night with disappointing ratings. It was a surprise hit for ABC in its first season, but the network declined to order additional episodes after the WGA strike ended, preferring to simply wait for the second season. That strategy may have backfired to the detriment of a quality show.

Marvel Studios continues to develop the Thor film, which has a screenplay by Mark Protosevich (The Cell, I Am Legend). The company is currently in talks with actor/director Kenneth Branagh (Henry V, Dead Again, Hamlet) to direct the film, scheduled for release on 16 July 2010. Interesting choice, but the best superhero films of the 21st century so far have been from directors like Bryan Singer (X-Men), Christopher Nolan (Batman Begins), and Jon Favreau (Iron Man), all of whom were considered "interesting choices" at first. I'd include Ang Lee, but I know I'm in a tiny minority of people who liked Hulk.

The first season of Sanctuary begins tomorrow night on the Sci Fi Channel. It stars Amanda Tapping of Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis, and was created by former Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis staff writer Damian Kindler. Like big screen films Sin City, 300, and the upcoming Watchmen, it's filmed in a green screen environment and the sets, backgrounds, etc. are digitally rendered. Sanctuary began as an eight episode web series. The web episodes were edited together to form the two-hour first episode, with the remaining twelve episodes of the first season being new.

Tim Burton directing a new version of Alice in Wonderland with Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter and Helena Bonham Carter as the Queen of Hearts? Oh, I so want to see that when it's released on 19 March 2010. The screenplay is by Linda Woolverton (Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King).

The First Avenger: Captain America will be exactly what I hoped it would be: a period film set during World War II. Thank you, Marvel Studios! If you're going to tell the origin of Captain America, it has to be set in that time period.

Thor will be more of an epic fantasy film, set mostly in the realm of Asgard.

The Avengers now has a scheduled release date: July 1, 2011.

Marvel Studios is also developing a big screen adaptation of Runaways, with co-creator Brian K. Vaughan aboard as screenwriter. The only thing that could make it better is if they could get Joss Whedon aboard as director.

Iron Man's opening weekend garnered an impressive $201 million at the box office worldwide ($104.2 million in the US, $96.8 million internationally). Only Spider-Man had a better historical opening among non-sequels. Can you say Iron Man 2? Marvel Studios already has. The sequel is set to be released on April 30, 2010.

Other release dates announced by Marvel: Thor on June 4, 2010, The First Avenger: Captain America on May 6, 2011, and The Avengers later in 2011. That last film will feature Iron Man, the Hulk, Thor, and Captain America.

On the DC side of the fence, although there has been no official announcement, actor Brandon Routh said in a recent interview that he expects Superman: Man of Steel to start shooting next year for release in 2010. Bryan Singer is expected to return as director.