Marvelous opportunity

Author and journalist Ta-Nehisi Coates is best known for his celebrated works of nonfiction, most recently "Between the World and Me," a nominee for the National Book Award. But his next project is decidedly fanciful: He'll write the Black Panther series for Marvel Comics. He described the new job as a childhood dream, saying Marvel "was an intimate part of my childhood and, at this point, part of my adulthood."

Putting up a 'Fight'

Tracy Morgan, Ice Cube and Charlie Day are in talks for the comedy "Fist Fight." … Fox has moved Hugh Jackman's P.T. Barnum musical "The Greatest Showman on Earth" from December 2016 to December 2017, rescheduling Tim Burton's "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" in the 2016 slot. … Jordan Peele writes, directs and stars in the comic horror film "Get Out." … Chris Evans and Jared Leto are the front-runners for the lead male roles in "The Girl on the Train," starring Emily Blunt. … The release of "The Big Short," the financial-meltdown drama starring Brad Pitt, Christian Bale, Steve Carell and Ryan Gosling, has been moved from 2016 to an Oscar-qualifying Christmas Day.

He won the role by a hair

Taran Killam will play Donald Trump on "Saturday Night Live." … Nicole Kidman will join the second season of the Sundance series "Top of the Lake." … Trevor Noah's guests this week, his first on "The Daily Show," include Kevin Hart, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Ryan Adams. … Louis CK, Diablo Cody, Sacha Baron Cohen and Tig Notaro are among the creators of six half-hour pilots for Amazon. The streaming service will invite viewers to give feedback on the shows for possible production.

'Serial' redux

Sources say the second season of the hugely popular Peabody Award-winning podcast "Serial" will take on the case of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, the Army soldier who disappeared while deployed in Afghanistan and was abducted by the Taliban. The season will be coproduced by Mark Boal, screenwriter of "The Hurt Locker," who also is working on a film about the case.

Cynthia Dickison