Batwheels, DC’s first show for pre-schoolers

A new show, Batwheels, the first Batman series for preschool audience, has debuted on Cartoon Network’s Cartoonito block and HBO Max.

Produced by Warner Bros. Animation, Batwheels offers young viewers a high-speed, vibrant CGI-animated iteration of the Caped Crusader. Little ones and their families will ride along with an amazing team of super-vehicles — Bam (the Batmobile), Bibi (the Batgirl Cycle), Redbird (Robin’s racecar), Buff (the Bat-Truck), and Batwing (the Bat-plane) — as they use their incredible gadgets and creative teamwork to help Batman, Batgirl, and Robin keep the streets of Gotham City safe.

Through the superhero adventures, Batwheels will teach children about what it means to be a hero through its unique “Hero” curriculum. Every Batwheels episode will demonstrate a different character strength, e.g. self-awareness, concern for others, perseverance and courage, in overcoming personal and interpersonal challenges and will model how heroes contribute to the greater good.

Ironheart debuts in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

New footage of the upcoming Marvel sequel Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, reveals the debut of Riri Williams, aka Ironheart.

Ironheart, portrayed by Dominique Thorne, is MCU’s latest superhero to take inspiration from her iron-themed predecessor, Tony Stark aka Iron Man, created in 2016. Riri Williams is a teenage engineering student and certified super-genius who crafts a suit of armour similar to that of Iron Man. The live-action depiction will introduce Ironheart into a world after Stark’s death.

Riri will make her debut in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever before launching into her own Disney+ series. The six-episode series is scheduled to premiere on Disney+ in late 2023, and will be part of Phase Five of the MCU.

Reflect stars a young plus-size ballet dancer

Reflect, a short film on Disney+, is about a young ballet dancer, Bianca, who struggles with her body image. Reflect is being celebrated as a win for representation among young girls as it shows Bianca overcoming her negative feelings and dancing freely. In an interview featured at the start of the short, director Hillary Bradfield expressed her strong belief in body positivity.

“When people watch the short, I hope that they can feel more positively about themselves and how they look, and feel okay about the tough parts of their journey,” Bradfield said.

Published in Dawn, Young World, November 5th, 2022