It is true that our Hobbit heroes bow to no one, but we here at Nerdist must bow to the majesty that has been NZ Post’s collections of coins, stamps, and prints celebrating the various 20th anniversaries of The Lord of the Rings‘ three movies. It has truly been a journey of epic proportions as we went there and back again to The Fellowship of the Rings, The Two Towers, and now The Return of the King with creations that can be described as nothing short of precious artworks. But like all good journeys, there must be an ending to this quest, however bittersweet.

Before we sail west, though, NZ Post’s final The Lord of the Rings collection, celebrating The Return of the King is here to take our breath away one more time.

The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King Commemorative Stamps (Don’t Miss the Hidden Messages)

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King always makes me feel emotional. Has there ever been a finer ending to a trilogy? And somehow, NZ Post manages to encapsulate everything powerful and wonderful about the movie in six incredible stamp designs. This time around, we are treated to stamps that depict Arwen’s grief and fading time, Gandalf’s realization of the eagles’ arrival at the Battle at the Black Gate, Frodo’s fight against Shelob with the beautiful light of Eärendil gifted to him by Galadriel, Aragorn calling upon the Army of the Dead with Legolas and Gimli at his side, Eowyn defeating the Witch King of Angmar, and, of course, Frodo and Gollum’s last stand in the heart of Mount Doom.

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Basically, these The Lord of the Rings stamps show all our favorite characters in their most epic moments from Return of the King. Phew, it gives me chills. And, our favorite part—if you look closely at the designs of the stamps, you can see secret messages embedded in the gorgeous artwork by Sacha Lees. For example, if you really peer at Eowyn’s Shieldmaiden stamp, you can see small letters spelling out, “I am no man.” See if you can spot them all below.

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You can order these stamps today.

Return of the King Commemorative Coins

In addition to exquisite stamps, NZ Post has also been creating The Lord of the Rings Commemorative Coins. We know Gollum and dwarves alike would be absolutely entranced by this latest set. There are four Return of the King coins in total, one set of three and one that stands alone. In the set of three, aptly titled “The Lighting of the Beacons,” we see the lighting of the Beacons of Gondor scene come to life in silver and gold. The artistry of these is just beyond incredible. And, in our solo coin is the King of Men himself, Aragorn, being crowned by Gandalf.

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These epic coins are not available to purchase yet but are coming soon.

The Lord of the Rings Art Prints

If you’d like to enjoy this glorious artwork on a bit of a larger scale, some of the concepts for The Return of the King‘s stamps are also available in print form.

But you had better not delay at the Prancing Pony because these are limited edition and selling out. Prints of Gandalf and Eowyn are still available and cost $32.44 each.

About the Artist, NZ Post, and More

Artist Sacha Lees

These gorgeous The Lord of the Rings creations come from the glorious mind and fingers of artist Sacha Lees. A release shares, “The artist behind the stamps and pins is New Zealander Sacha Lees, who began her career at Wētā Workshop working on The Lord of the Rings trilogy as an illustrator, creature designer, and airbrush and concept artist.” What a true talent. You can check out Lees’ other work on her website, here. Trust us, you will not feel sorry you did.

New Zealand and The Lord of the Rings

We also wanted to extend a big round of applause to NZ Post. NZ Post has taken the time to honor The Lord of the Rings because of its incredible relationship with New Zealand. The company shares, “The 2003 release saw a world premiere bring Wellington to a standstill, and scored notable breakthroughs for the local film industry. Held in Wellington, the world premiere of The Return of the King saw a parade begin at Parliament and featured two hundred extras in costume, and demonstrated the growing profile of Aotearoa New Zealand’s film industry on the world stage… As Nancy Swarbrick notes in Te Ara – The Encyclopedia of New Zealand, the film’s stunning financial and critical success further increased international interest in Aotearoa New Zealand as a place to make big-budget movies.”

Of course, New Zealand played no small role in making the films look and feel incredible. We love this symbiotic relationship.

NZ Post’s Collectables

Finally, if you’ve loved NZ Post’s The Lord of the Rings collectibles as much as we have, make sure to check out its Collectables page for more excellent surprises. You never know what you might find. We’d also like to say a special thank you to NZ Post Head of Stamps and Collectables, Antony Harris, for keeping Nerdist informed about the latest in NZ Post news.

We’re crossing our fingers to see a 25th anniversary The Lord of the Rings collection or two someday soon.

The post NZ Post Celebrates 20 Years of THE RETURN OF THE KING appeared first on Nerdist.

One of the most fun aspects of Loki, that they frankly have not done enough of, is when the writers use time travel aspects to explain away historical mysteries. In season one, we learned Tom Hiddleston’s Loki was actually the infamous D.B. Cooper, who robbed an airplane in the ’70s, popped out with a parachute, and vanished for all time. Now, in the second season’s penultimate episode, “Science/Fiction,” the show solved yet another historical mystery, MCU style. One involving the most infamous (and mythologized) prison in American history—Alcatraz.

At the end of episode four of this season, the Temporal Loom exploded, and we learned the different TVA employees who were in the control room, as well as Sylvie, were sent back to their lives before the TVA took them and wiped their memories. Mobius was a single dad named Don who sold jet skis (of course). O.B. was a scientist and an aspiring sci-fi author. Hunter B-15 was a doctor. Sylvie just went back to work at McDonald’s in 1982. But the most interesting true identity of a TVA employee had to be Casey. Turns out, the mild-mannered “guy at the desk” was once a notorious criminal, Alcatraz escaped convict Frank Morris.

When Loki starts time slipping again, Casey appears in 1962, escaping from Alcatraz. We even see the crude dummies the inmates made to appear as if they were sleeping during bedcheck. It’s something that really happened. Casey even says “If they catch us, they’re going to gut us like a fish!” That was a fun callback to season one, when Loki threatened to do the same to him but he had no idea what a fish even was. As they’re trying to escape, a time-slipping Loki appears on the shores of Alcatraz island in San Francisco. He finds Casey, now called Frank, who doesn’t recognize him, along with two other men getting ready to escape in a makeshift raft.

In reality, the two other men were Clarence and John Anglin. They were portrayed by the episode’s directors, Aaron Moorhead and Justin Benson. The real Frank Morris was a lifelong criminal who spent much of his life in correctional facilities. Authorities arrested Morris for armed robbery, car theft, and finally, the crime that put him in Alcatraz, bank robbery. However, he had a genius I.Q., and was likely the real mastermind behind the whole escape. Being so smart, it’s no wonder the TVA wanted him as an employee.

Later in the episode, Loki appears to Frank Morris on a beach along with the other two escaped convicts, who made it to dry land. In reality, no one really knows what happened to the three men. Official reports suggest they drowned in the waters of San Francisco Bay, or hypothermia got them. But they never discovered any bodies. Over the past 60 years, some anecdotal evidence points to at least one of the men surviving. We have since mythologized the only successful escape from Alcatraz in pop culture. It was even the subject of the 1979 film Escape from Alcatraz with Clint Eastwood playing Frank Morris.

Frank accepts Loki’s offer to help restore the TVA, even though he doesn’t understand what’s going on. Once he realizes that O.B.’s temp pad can take anyone to anywhen, he even asks if it could take him into a bank vault. Even after doing time in the world’s most infamous prison, Frank still can’t get rid of the urge to rob banks. When one of the TemPads vanishes due to reality coming undone everyone thinks Frank stole it. Hey, when you’re famous for robbery, it’s hard to shake that reputation.

While we saw Frank/Casey unravel at the end of the episode, we have a strong feeling it’s not the last we’ve seen of him. If Loki has taught us anything, it’s that there’s always another branched timeline somewhere.

The post LOKI Reveals How One Character Was Involved in an Infamous Historical Event appeared first on Nerdist.

Victor Timely’s stay at the TVA was both short and long. Soon after arriving he tried to stop the Temporal Loom’s complete failure but before he could, temporal radiation turned him into human spaghetti. What exactly happened to Victor? And what does his demise mean for Loki, the TVA, the Sacred Timeline, and the entire MCU? His un-Timely death just unleashed total chaos—and infinite Kang Variants— on the multiverse.

What Happened to Victor Timely on Loki?

Victor Timely provided the final component O.B. and Casey needed for the device they’d built to expand the Temporal Loom’s capacity. The Throughput Multiplier that Victor designed would ensure the Loom could handle more strands of universes safely, stabilizing the Sacred Timeline.

Just like in the season two premiere with Mobius and the Temporal Extractor, someone needed to physically place that piece of equipment on the Loom. That meant going outside the TVA and risking exposure to extreme temporal energy and “fatal corporeal de-husking.” (A term we know from an official show poster featuring O.B.)

Despite the risk, there was no time to waste. The Loom was ready to burst under the strain of too many branches. Victor, whose temporal aura had unlocked the blast doors, offered to go. Sadly his bravery led to his death. Even with a suit on, the instant Victor stepped outside he burst into ribbons. The amount of temporal radiation had become too much.

Why did Victor turn into spaghetti instead of simply exploding or having his skinned peel off, though? In the show’s season two premiere, Loki asked O.B. what would happen if the Temporal Extractor failed to the pull the Asgaradian out of the time stream. Ouroboros answered with a question. “Well, have you heard about how if you fall into a black hole you turn into spaghetti?” Loki had not, but we have.

What Is “Spaghettification?”

“Spaghettification” is a theoretical concept introduced by Stephen Hawking in A Brief History of Time. It hypothesizes what the immense density and gravitational pull of a black hole would do to someone or something who crossed the black hole’s event horizon. As NASA explains, “This effect essentially stretches out the object more and more as the object gets closer to the black hole, creating a long, thin shape.”

That is what O.B. warned Loki about, but it’s not exactly what happened to Victor Timely. For one Victor wasn’t caught in the time stream like Loki had been. Victor also wasn’t stretched into one long Variant noodle. Temporal radiation caused Victor to burst into multiple spaghetti-like ribbons, something we’ve seen before in the MCU.

Who Else Was Turned Into Spaghetti in the MCU Before Victor Timely?

Thanos used the Reality Stone in Avengers: Infinity War to briefly transform Mantis into loose ribbons.

The Scarlet Witch also used her dark magic to brutally murder Reed Richards of Earth-838 in Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Magic. Wanda stretched Reed out into long spaghetti-like pieces before making his head explode.

Reed Richards’ slower, painful splintering more resembled Victor Timely’s instant death in many ways. However, the Kang Variant’s fate will have far greater ramifications for the entire multiverse. That starts with what Victor failed to stop.

What Happened to the TVA at the End of Loki Season 2 Episode 4?

Without the Throughput Multiplier in place the ever-increasing number of branches overwhelmed the Temporal Loom. The “heart of the TVA” could no longer weave all those strands of existence into one neat timeline. The result was an explosion of all branches and unrefined time that seemingly destroyed the TVA.

Without the Time Variance Authority there is no one to help manage the chaos of a multiverse that also lacks the guardrails offered by the Sacred Timeline. And we know that means because we know what happened before the TVA existed.

What Does the Implosion of the Temporal Loom Mean for Loki and the MCU?

The Temporal Loom’s explosion literally threatens all threads of reality in the MCU. In Loki season two, episode six, we learn that no branch of existence is safe after the Temporal Loom’s meltdown, they are all dying. We see both Sylvie’s and OB’s separate branches disintegrate into nothing before our eyes. Sphagettification is now happening across branching timelines, essentially destroying every MCU universe and every variant in existence.

But that’s not the only threat that exists for the MCU. He Who Remains created the TVA after defeating his Variants in the Multiversal War. Their battle nearly resulted in the end “of everything and everyone.” The TVA was He Who Remains’ solution to avoiding total annihilation, because without the organization, his Variants would always be a threat to existence. Without the TVA, Kang Variants always live since time is a circle. The TVA alone eliminated them as threats forever. (Except possibly Victor, who might have been He Who Remains’ backup plan specifically because Victor was not a threat, though we need more information to know for sure.)

The breaking of the Temporal Loom, and therefore the Sacred Timeline, means the system created to prevent Kang Variants from existing is gone. That means they might all have come back the second the Loom exploded. That would explain the existence of the Council of Kangs at the end of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. All those infinite strands of existence that just broke free of TVA control represent infinite Kangs.

That might ultimately explain why Victor himself turned into strands.

Is Victor Timely’s Spaghetti Fate Related to the Branching Timeline?

Temporal radiation is not a black hole, so Stephen Hawking’s theory doesn’t fully explain why Victor Timely became spaghetti in Loki. There’s also too much we don’t know about how time works in the MCU, specifically at the TVA, to explain exactly what happened to him and why. And since we know the season did not end with the Loom’s explosion, there’s still more to learn. But we can’t ignore that Victor literally branched out right before every branch of reality broke free.

Did Victor splinter into strands because the branches of reality did that to him? Or did the Loom finally burst because He Who Remains’ Variant did? If so, does that mean Victor’s temporal aura spaghetti-ed and brought all the Kangs back? Did He Who Remains actually want that so he’d come back, too? The last thing he told Sylvie after she stabbed him was that he’d see her “soon.” Was Victor his backup plan to restore himself rather than save the TVA? Does He Who Remains just assume he’ll win the next Multiversal War same as before?

Whatever answers await us during the final episode of Loki season two, one thing is clear: the untimely death of Victor Timely unleashed infinite strands of chaos on the multiverse. Fortunately, if anyone knows how to deal with time chaos it’s the God of Mischief, who already knows what it’s like to slip through time.

Originally published on October 26, 2023.

Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist. You can follow him on Twitter and Bluesky at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.

The post What Victor Timely’s Fate Means for LOKI, the Sacred Timeline, and TVA appeared first on Nerdist.

The Temporal Loom is central to Loki’s second season, and we learn it’s critical in making the Time Variance Authority function. But what is Loki‘s Temporal Loom exactly? Here’s what we know about the Temporal Loom from Loki season two and what we can glean from Loki‘s various inspirations.

The MCU’s Loom: Loki Season Two’s Temporal Loom

Created by He Who Remains at some unknown point in time, Loki‘s Temporal Loom takes raw temporal energy and refines it into a physical timeline. Part of the reason the TVA prunes the extra timelines is so that the Temporal Loom doesn’t overload trying to “weave” too many timelines at once. Without the Temporal Loom, the TVA can’t function. And if it overloads, the TVA goes boom, and all of reality would soon follow. In episode two, we learn that a meltdown can’t be prevented without the temporal aura, or time signature, of He Who Remains. Who is currently quite dead.

By the third episode of Loki season two, the Temporal Loom is indeed overloading, thanks to the countless branched timelines that are returning with the death of He Who Remains. It simply wasn’t made to handle so many divergent timelines branching off at once. And without it, not only does the TVA cease to function, but chaos will reign in the multiverse. But we also learned of the origins of the Temporal Loom and how they tie into a specific Kang variant.

Victor Timely and the Origins of the MCU’s Temporal Loom

In episode three of Loki’s second season, Loki and Morbius travel back in time to the year 1893. There, they encounter a variant of He Who Remains. This variant, Victor Timely, is presenting his latest invention at the Chicago World’s Fair of 1893. It’s a very rudimentary version of the Temporal Loom, sold to the 19th-century audience as a way of harnessing energy. Victor Timely was able to create this Temporal Loom prototype based on his understanding of the descriptions of the TVA manual. A book that was left for him by Ravonna Renslayer and Miss Minutes when he was a child. Of course, the Temporal Loom malfunctions on stage after a mere few minutes. Yet it shows that as early as the 1890s, a Kang variant was working on the very thing that would make the TVA run.

Loki‘s Temporal Loom Implodes Threatening the MCU’s Multiverse

In episode four, Loki and Mobius bring Victor Timely to the TVA to fix the overloaded Temporal Loom. They need the temporal aura of He Who Remains to open the blast doors to the Loom, which Timely matches. But Timely provided another service, what he called his “greatest invention” in the previous episode. Timley’s greatest invention is something that looks like a primitive version of Kang’s Multiversal Power Core from Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. He can attach this invention to the Throughput Multiplier and expand the rings of the Temporal Loom. This would allow the new branched timelines to filter through, and save the TVA, and all reality. However, it doesn’t quite work out that way.

When Victor Timely tries to head out and fix the loom, he turns into spaghetti. And the Temporal Loom, well, it overloads and explodes. We don’t know the full extent of what the Temporal Loom’s explosion means yet, but already there are major consequences in the world of Loki and the MCU.

In episode six of Loki, we see that seemingly due to the Temporal Loom’s explosion, every branch of reality is starting to turn into spaghetti and die. Every universe and thread of reality is literally shredding, and there’s nowhere to go. Thankfully, Loki seems to be able to turn back the clock and is trying to head to a time before the Temporal Loom’s complete meltdown. Whether or not he is able to remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure, it looks like the Temporal Loom being able to do its job is key to keeping existence stable.

That’s the MCU. But does Loki‘s Temporal Loom have a precedent in the pages of Marvel Comics? Well, yes and no. But mostly, no. However, Loki season two’s Temporal Loom found inspiration in various parts of Marvel’s comics and actual myth.

Loki‘s Temporal Loom and Its Mythological Inspirations

In Greek mythology, there is a Loom of the Fates, which also exists in the Marvel Universe. In Norse mythology, that loom is the Loom of the Norns. (Marvel Comics combines these two mythologies together into one.) Essentially, in mythology, the three Fates weave this loom to shape the life and destiny of every being in creation. Thor destroyed the Loom of the Fates in Thor Vol. 2 #85 and broke the thread that holds the destiny of Asgardians, from which Those Who Sit Above in Shadow were absorbing energy. Those Who Sit Above were the silent beings who created the Asgardian Gods. So it’s fitting that a powerful loom that determines how the universe flows originated in Thor comics since the MCU’s Temporal Loom now appears in Loki, thus tying it to Thor’s mythos.

Spider-Man’s Loomworld

In the Spider-Man lore, there’s another powerful loom of sorts, reminiscent of Loki‘s temporal loom. The loom in this instance is a whole world itself, one that accesses all existence. There’s an entire Loomworld, where beings called the Inheritors could access the Web of Life and Destiny to travel across the multiverse and hunt down Spider-Totems. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse especially drew inspiration from this. They created the Loomworld of conquered realms from countless wars fought across realities. Eventually, several spider-people formed the Web-Warriors. They operated from Loomworld and used it as a focal point to protect the multiverse, which is similar to how the MCU’s TVA works.

Temporal Limbo, Chronopolis, and the Heart of Forever

In the comics, Kang did not create the TVA. There was a “He Who Remains,” but as far as we know, he’s not a Kang variant. However, the TVA has a lot in common with the realm of Limbo, a place outside of time historically ruled by Immortus, who was, of course, a Kang variant. Temporal Limbo was a timeless realm facilitating time travel to various points in history. Much like the MCU’s TVA, it existed outside the time stream. And time did not flow there the way it does everywhere else.

Limbo is also part of Chronicles, which has something very similar to the MCU’s TVA. At its heart is the most important component of the city, the Heart of Forever. It’s a trans-chronal engine that enabled Kang’s home to exist in every branch of the timestream simultaneously. While not exactly like the Temporal Loom in Loki, it has key similarities.

In the end, Loki‘s Temporal Loom is a hodgepodge of different elements from the pages of Marvel Comics—not to mention actual mythology itself. Ultimately, though, the Temporal Loom is a unique creation designed for the MCU. However, we’d hardly be surprised to see it retconned into the comics at some point.

Originally published on October 5, 2023.

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Heads will roll in Echo. And get bashed in. And explode. The first trailer for the upcoming MCU series Echo is full of violence, blood, and a whole lot of goodness. The trailer for this five-episode special event honestly looks amazing. Both Alaqua Cox’s Maya Lopez and Vincent D’Onofrio’s Wilson Fisk are delivering. This truly looks like an MCU series like none other, and we kind of love it. Take a look at Echo‘s first trailer below, if you dare.

We first met Echo in the Hawkeye series, which carried a very different tone. And we feel thrilled to see her coming into her own in this outing. It is incredible to see a Marvel show center on a deaf and Indigenous character and for it to have taken care to support this representation in front of and behind the camera.

A logline for the series revealed with the trailer shares more about the show, noting:

No bad deed goes unpunished on Jan. 10, 2024, when Marvel Studios’ “Echo” launches on Disney+ and Hulu. The five-episode streaming event spotlights Maya Lopez (Alaqua Cox) as she is pursued by Wilson Fisk’s (Vincent D’Onofrio) criminal empire. When the journey brings her home, she must confront her own family and legacy. All five episodes will stream on Jan. 10 on both platforms. They’ll be available on Hulu until April 9. This marks the first Marvel Studios series to drop all entirely bingeable episodes at once. 

The relationship between the MCU’s Kingpin and Echo is fraught, as we’ve seen before and see again in this trailer. But when the chips fall, will Echo end up as much a monster as her mentor? Only time will tell. At one point, rumor had it that Charlie Cox’s Daredevil would also appear on the Echo show. And though he is not mentioned in any official materials so far, we caught a brief glimpse of Daredevil in a montage of shots featured in Echo‘s trailer. Very exciting.

As the description of the series mentions, there are a few interesting aspects of Echo‘s release. Firstly, the series will run on both Hulu and Disney+, likely an homage to its grittier nature. Echo also has the distinction of being the MCU’s first series rated TV-MA. And, of course, all episodes of Echo will land at once. Disney+ has never shared a series in this format before, so it will be interesting to see how it impacts viewership. We can only hope that it helps.

All five episodes of Echo will be available to stream on January 10.

The post Excellent ECHO Trailer Teases a Dark MCU Series Full of Heads Getting Bashed appeared first on Nerdist.

One of the greatest unrequited loves in the whole of the MCU has been the one between Loki‘s Mobius and a jet ski. Loki‘s first season gave us glimpses of Mobius’ jet ski adoration. Despite living his whole remembered life in the confines of the TVA, where there are certainly no rivers, lakes, ponds, or jet skis, Mobius had a very specific dream. In episode two of Loki season one, Mobius has a magazine with jet skis on his desk and tells Loki that he keeps it because “they’re awesome.” Then Mobius proceeds to give a touching monologue about jet skis and how they’re the only perfect thing in history. He calls them “a beautiful union of form and function.” Sadly, Mobius confesses he’s never actually ridden a jet ski. A cruel twist of fate! But did Mobius finally get to ride a jet ski in season two of Loki?

Here’s what went down.

Mobius Gets to Ride a Jet Ski in Season Two of Loki… Sort Of!

In episode five of Loki season two, we finally get to see Mobius ride a jet ski. And just like he told Loki in season one, it looks like fun. Mobius has the time of his life during his jet ski montage. He’s feeling the wind in his hair, he’s experiencing the sting of mist slapping him in the face, he’s surfing the waves. And it’s all set to some incredible funky instrumentals. But then, record scratch. It turns out Mobius hasn’t actually taken a jet ski out onto the ocean; he’s sitting on a stationary version of the watercraft in Piranha Powersports, the store where he works.

So did Mobius actually get to ride a jet ski in Loki? Well, technically, he was riding on a jet ski, but the adventure was still only in his mind. In our book, this is not that dissimilar to when he imagined riding jet skis in the TVA, though, of course, it’s closer. We feel happy that Mobius gets to actually touch and feel a real jet ski, but we still need to see him fulfilling his dreams.

Loki Season Two Enhances Mobius’ Love of Jet Skis

The anticipation is only heightening, though. Although Loki season one teased Mobius’ jet ski love, in season two, we see how deep it runs. In episode six, after the Temporal Loom’s dramatic explosion, Loki time slips to a a 2022-branched timeline where he meets a version of Mobius called Don. And this Mobius is obsessed with jet skis. He sells them and hypes them up every chance he gets. Among other things, Mobius shares that “a personal watercraft is kind of a thinking man’s dirtbike” and even very earnestly tries to sell the branched timeline version of Hunter B-15 on the idea of buying one though she lives in New York City. (New Yorkers will truly appreciate the futility of this mission. But Mobius is right; a jet ski would be a thrilling way to commute… Although maybe not on the Hudson.) What a truly pure love. It warms our hearts.

Mobius even owns two jet skis which he refers to as “beauties,” and offers to sell one to Loki. He, wholeheartedly agrees, of course, when Loki repeats his own words back to him and calls them “a beautiful union of form and function.” It would break his heart to let one go. But, well, Mobius can’t ride two of them, after all. Sounds like an excellent setup to us for a full-force “Mobius rides a jet ski” scene in Loki or elsewhere in the MCU.

The MCU Needs to Show Us Mobius Living His Dream in Full

Even though the branched timeline’s Mobius may have ridden his jet skis on open water, we don’t see our version of Mobius do that very thing. But we hope that in time, he gets to see his whole wish come true.

Producer Kevin Wright notes of the scene, “We wanted to find a way to do it in an unexpected way… I mean, there’s been so much anticipation, and I think we could have just plopped him on a jet ski riding around a lake, and people would have been just as happy. Owen said something really funny, which was he compared it a little bit to an old TV romance — will they, won’t they? He’s like, well, the second you do it, the thing kind of is done. So he’s like, if we’re going to do it now, it’s got to be really fun and really unexpected.”

He further shares, “That was kind of the genesis of, well, what if we tease this out?… We know we can get some of that out there. He’s working at a dealership. Also, the fun of, it is in Cleveland, which is not known for its water sports. It’s the dream but not exactly the ideal version of it.”

We completely agree that in the scope of this episode, this version of the moment was the right way to go. Mobius took one step toward his dream of riding a jet ski. But there’s still a dream out there ready to be realized… And two empty jet skis waiting patiently in a garage.

The post Does Mobius Finally Get to Ride a Jet Ski in LOKI Season 2? appeared first on Nerdist.

If you’re lucky enough to have a tabletop gamer to buy for this holiday season, we’ve found the perfect presents for them—including the most popular new games, incredible gifts for Dungeon Masters and Dungeon & Dragons players, and even a game designed to get you outside to literally touch grass.

And if you’re the tabletop gamer? Give someone one of these picks from our Holiday Gift Guide and you’ll immediately have someone to play with! Win-win.

The Deck of Many Things

The Deck of Many Things is a D&D magic item so legendary that most Dungeon Masters shudder when they hear its name. (Or they cackle, which is much worse.) Just in time for the holiday season, The Deck of Many Things is now available as a gorgeous gift set with updated rules, a 66-card deck (which includes the 22 classic cards), its own supplement guide for incorporating the reimagined deck into your game, and more.

Dungeon Masters will love its ability to create adventures on the fly complete with traps and puzzles; D&D players will find new character backgrounds, spells, and star-signs inside. ($99.99, available digitally on November 14 with the physical copy release date TBD)

Disney Lorcana

Lorcana is a Disney-themed trading card game that’s taking the tabletop by storm! While the first starter sets quickly sold out, more are on the way to stores everywhere. Rise of the Floodborn, the second chapter of the game, is due out in December.

In Lorcana, players take the role of Illumineers and use character and item cards to collect 20 lore and win the game. This trading card game is easier to learn than most, but still encourages thought-out strategy and card collecting. And have you seen some of the art? Pick this up for the Disney or TCG fan in your life, and be sure to grab a starter pack for yourself while you’re at it. (2 players, Ages 8+, $5.99-$49.99)

Linkee

Part trivia, part lateral thinking, and part party game, Linkee is the perfect gift for the social butterfly in your life. (It also has two-player rules if your gift recipient prefers to cocoon at home.) Each Linkee card features four short trivia questions. Players remember the trivia answers as they’re revealed, and once they see the connection between them, they shout, “Linkee!” The first team to successfully find the common link for the answers wins the card.

Work together as a team to find the connection and earn bragging rights for eternity. Well, maybe until the next game night. (2+ players, Ages 12+, $8.45)

Magic: The Gathering – Doctor Who

All we really have to say is “Doctor Who Magic cards” and you’ll know immediately who to give this to for the holidays. But, if you need a little more info, we have you covered. The new official “Universes Beyond” set features gorgeous art of 13 Doctors and their companions. These cards with Doctor Who-themed mechanics are now available to join the Magic lineup.

Choose your gift recipient’s favorite Doctor to find the perfect 100 card Magic: The Gathering – Doctor Who Commander Deck, and allons-y! (2 players, Ages 13+, $59.99)

Nine Arches

Nine Arches might be designed like a tabletop card game, but it’s intended to take you and your friends and family away from the table. The game includes a 54-card deck similar to tarot cards that are used to choose your next adventure. Cards feature activities like “dance party,” “caravan,” and “ghost.” With the drawn cards and input from each player, the group adventure’s is talked out. Will you do the activities all at once? One at a time? It’s up to you and the group. Then you’re all off on a real-life journey based on the prompts on the cards!

If your recipient is the type who appreciates experiences instead of plain gifts, you’ll wow them with this one. (1-5 players, Ages 13+, $34.99)

Potion Pack – Cantrip Candles

Whether your lucky gift recipient is a fan of tabletop role-playing games or video game RPGs like Baldur’s Gate 3, this three-candle set from Cantrip Candles will be met with delight when it’s unwrapped. The Potion Pack comes as a lovely gift set of 10 ounce soy wax candles in decorated glass containers.

The Health Potion, Stamina Potion, and Magicka Potion candles are sure to heal and reenergize any weary adventurers (or office workers) who lights them. And how can you pass up the opportunity to give someone a container labeled “Dragon’s Blood”? ($80.00)

The Practically Complete Guide to Dragons

Do you remember being a kid and re-reading your favorite book so many times you had every page memorized? This is your chance to give the youngest Dungeons & Dragons or fantasy fan in your life that same experience!

The Practically Complete Guide to Dragons is exactly what it says on the cover: an imaginative, in-depth look at the dragons that populate the D&D setting of Dragonlance. Written in-character by the kender Sindri Suncatcher, this guide to dragons is packed with personality—along with, you guessed it, lots of dragons. Dragon facts, dragon stories, dragon lair maps, it’s all here. Your lucky gift recipient will spend hours staring at the gorgeous art alone. ($39.95)

Sea Salt & Paper

The stocking stuffer-sized card game Sea Salt & Paper is a delightful set collecting game with a dash of luck to keep things exciting. Collect and play pairs of cards to score points and use their effects to earn even more points. If the player thinks they have enough points in hand, they can call for the end of the round or give everyone one last chance to try to beat them for bonus points. Reach the necessary number of victory points to win the game!

Not only does each card feature charming and original origami art, Sea Salt & Paper includes bold icons so that colorblind players aren’t excluded from the fun. (2-4 players, Ages 8+, $14.95)

Kelly Knox is a pop culture writer and the author of Star Wars Conversation Cards, Be More Obi-Wan, and the upcoming Star Wars Dad Jokes. You can still find her on Twitter at @kelly_knox.

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The second installment of Denis Villeneuve’s Dune franchise isn’t the only new entry into Dune‘s world coming our way.  Warner Media, together with Legendary Television, is creating a Dune tie-in series titled Dune: The Sisterhood. The show will serve as a prequel to the films and focus on the Harkonnen Sisters as they create the mysterious order of the Bene Gesserit. Villeneuve will even serve as an executive producer.

Dune: The Sisterhood may be transforming a bit, though, when it comes to its title. According to IGN, the series has been renamed Dune: Prophecy and is expected to arrive in fall 2024. We’ll be excited to soon hear more about the show if this is true.

Here’s everything we know about Dune: The Sisterhood so far.

Title

The title for this Dune series is Dune: The Sisterhood.

Dune: The Sisterhood‘s Plot

We do not have specifics about Dune: The Sisterhood‘s plot. But, as mentioned, we do know it will serve as a prequel to the story taking place in Dune: Part One and Dune: Part Two. A logline for the show reveals more about what we can expect:

Set within the mystical world of Dune, created by acclaimed author Frank Herbert, and 10,000 years before the ascension of Paul Atreides, Dune: The Sisterhood follows the Harkonnen Sisters as they combat forces that threaten the future of humankind, and establish the fabled sect known as the Bene Gesserit.

Behind the Scenes

To help cement the connection between the series and movies, Denis Villeneuve will serve as an executive producer on Dune: The Sisterhood. Meanwhile, Alison Schapker will be the showrunner and an executive producer of the series. Schapker previously worked as an executive producer on Westworld. She also had a hand in Netflix’s Altered Carbon and other series like Fringe, Lost, and Almost Human. Additionally, Warner Media shares that “Diane Ademu-John serves as creator, writer, and executive producer.”

According to a release:

Academy Award-nominated writer Jon Spaihts, Scott Z. Burns, Mark Friedman and Matthew King will executive produce with Brian Herbert, Byron Merritt and Kim Herbert for the Frank Herbert estate. Kevin J. Anderson will co-produce. The series is co-produced by HBO Max and Legendary Television with Legendary also producing the film franchise that released its first installment to critical acclaim in October 2021 and garnered six Academy Awards, including Oscar nominations for Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay.

Dune: The Sisterhood‘s Cast

So far, we’ve seen quite a few exciting casting announcements for Dune: The Sisterhood.

Emily Watson will act as the lead of the show. Watson will play the role of Valya Harkonnen. Shirley Henderson was slated to play Tula Harkonnen but has exited the series. Other cast members include:

• Indira Varma as Empress Natalya, a formidable royal who united thousands of worlds in her marriage to Emperor Corrino
• Sarah-Sofie Boussnina as Princess Ynez, an independent young princess dealing with the pressures of her responsibility as heir to the Golden Lion Throne
• Shalom Brune-Franklin as Mikaela, a strong-willed Fremen woman who serves the royal family while longing for a home planet she’s never known
• Faoileann Cunningham as Sister Jen, a fierce, unpredictable acolyte in training at the Sisterhood School who rarely reveals her emotional core
• Aoife Hinds as Sister Emeline, a zealous acolyte descended from a long line of martyrs, who carries fervent religion to her training at the Sisterhood
• Chloe Lea as Lila, the youngest acolyte at the Sisterhood School with a deep empathy beyond her years
• Travis Fimmel as Desmond Hart, a charismatic soldier with an enigmatic past, who seeks to gain the Emperor’s trust at the expense of the Sisterhood
• Mark Strong as Javicco Corrino, a man from a great line of war-time Emperors, who is called upon to govern the Imperium and manage a fragile peace
• Jade Anouka as Sister Theodosia, a talented and ambitious acolyte at the Sisterhood who harbors a dangerous secret about her past
• Chris Mason as Keiran Atreides, a Swordmaster to a Great House whose ambition to live up to his family name is disrupted when he forms an unexpected connection to a member of the royal family
• Josh Heuston as Constantine, the illegitimate son of the Emperor (Strong). His character is described as being ‘torn between seeking his father’s approval and his own happiness
• Edward Davis as Harrow Harkonnen, a rising politician from a once-great family, who harbors a strong desire to elevate his House to its former glory

Dune: The Sisterhood‘s Release Date

Dune: The Sisterhood does not yet have a release date.

Originally published in 2021.

Editor’s Note: Nerdist is a subsidiary of Legendary Digital Networks.

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If you’ve heard of Sarah J. Maas’ A Court of Thorns and Roses book series, then you are possibly (likely?) a rabid fan. Frequently abbreviated to ACOTAR, the fantasy series tells the story of Feyre Archeron, a young mortal huntress who gets swept into a journey in the faerie lands of Prythian. With a sprawling world, deeply flawed and intriguing characters, and a whole lot of steamy love scenes, the ACOTAR series has attracted legions of fans since Maas published the first book in 2015. And now the beloved book series is becoming a TV series for Hulu.

In 2021, Maas first shared the news via a now-deleted Instagram post. But that post let us know she was working with Ron Moore (Battlestar Galactica, Outlander) to adapt A Court of Thorns and Roses for Hulu. Since then, we haven’t heard any updates for a while, but recently, Moore shared with TVLine that Hulu is still game for the ACOTAR series. He noted, “It’s still in development… We’ve written some scripts, and we’re just sort of waiting. I think the whole town is kind of waiting to see if we have actors before things really move forward, but it’s still in development.” Hey, we’ll take it.

If there’s one thing that’s for sure, it’s that Moore has plenty of material to work with. The first book, which carries the title of the whole series, is a loose adaptation of the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale. As punishment for killing a faerie, a faerie leader, Tamlin, imprisons Feyre in Prythian. He and everyone else in his court wear face-obscuring masks; a curse affixed the masks to their faces. Things just get progressively wilder from there in each of the 600-plus-page books.

Bloomsbury Publishing

A Court of Thorns and Roses TV series would have a vast playground to explore. And given Moore’s experience in telling epic stories, he seems like an excellent choice to work with Maas. Especially given his role in bringing Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander to the screen. Given the rise of fantasy books coming to the screen, with series such as Shadow and Bone delighting viewers on Netflix, it’s no surprise to see that it’s ACOTAR‘s turn.

Maas is also known for her Throne of Glass series (which Nerdist Book Club read a portion of). But just anecdotally, I feel like folks get most excited about A Court of Thorns and Roses. By folks, I mean myself. I definitely named my Animal Crossing: New Horizons character Feyre. I’ll just be over here daydreaming about who will play Rhysand.

Originally published on March 26, 2021.

The post A COURT OF THORNS AND ROSES Hulu TV Series Adaptation Is Still in the Works appeared first on Nerdist.

The giant lizard Godzilla (maybe you’ve heard of him) has been around for 69 years. Nice. When the first movie came out in 1954, it was a clear allegory to Japan’s Postwar turmoil following the U.S. dropping atom bombs. Atomic energy created Godzilla, which led to more devastation. Over the years, Godzilla has gone from adversary to savior and back again. The last Japanese-made film was 2016’s Shin Godzilla which recontextualized the threat for a new generation. Now, Toho will take us all the way back to the beginning with Godzilla Minus One. Take a look at the terrifying new trailer for Godzilla Minus One below.

The synopsis for the movie shares, “Post-war Japan is at its lowest point when a new crisis emerges in the form of a giant monster, baptized in the horrific power of the atomic bomb.” And we see that power crystallize in our latest Godzilla Minus One trailer, which puts the kaiju at center as it reigns down horror. At the very of the tease, we see the emergence of some kind of glowing appendages. And that can only mean bad news. This Godzilla is pure terror on land and sea and is not holding back as it seeks to cause destruction.

Setting this new movie in the aftermath of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki devastation is also an interesting and harrowing new wrinkle in the Godzilla mythos. We’re used to seeing him demolish buildings, but what if the buildings are already destroyed? I wonder if any of the politics of the U.S. occupation following Japan’s surrender will be there at all. It’s clear from the trailer and the title, that Godzilla is just another horror for the people of Japan to deal with, one of many.

In addition to the new trailer, there is also a sweet new poster for Godzilla Minus One.

Godzilla Minus One is written and directed by Takashi Yamazaki, who also wrote and directed 2019’s excellent Lupin III: The First. Clearly he has no problem tackling some of Japan’s biggest pop culture icons. The movie will open in Japan on November 3 and in the United States on December 1, 2023.

Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Instagram and Letterboxd.

Featured Image: Toho

Originally published on July 11, 2023.

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Superman & Lois’ upcoming fourth season will officially be its last, according to news we saw at The Hollywood Reporter. The series, which premiered in 2021, has been one of the best iterations of the Man of Steel mythos ever. Tyler Hoechlin as Clark Kent and Elizabeth Tulloch as Lois Lane instantly won over the hearts of DC Comics fandom. But with The CW changing ownership, their programming is undergoing an overhaul as well, with fewer scripted shows. In a statement, The CW’s Brad Schwartz said the following:

“Over the last three seasons, Superman & Lois redefined both the superhero genre and family drama as Tyler, Elizabeth and the entire cast effortlessly portrayed these classic characters with new layers of depth and complexity that had never before been explored in the Superman universe. We are grateful for the years of hard work and graceful storytelling from the show’s writers, producers, actors, and crew, as well as our terrific partners at Warner Bros. Television and Berlanti Productions. As Superman embarks on his final flight, the team is leaving us with an absolutely epic 10-episode must-watch-every-minute farewell to one of the most legendary CW families ever.”

The end of Superman & Lois shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone, for many reasons. With James Gunn launching a new DCU and Superman: Legacy in 2025, he probably wants only one iteration of Superman in live-action. He also wants one consistent DC Universe across film and TV. This means the old Arrowverse (of which Superman & Lois is technically a spinoff) must come to an end.

The cancelation of Superman & Lois marks the true end of an era. Since 2012, after the debut of Arrow, producer Greg Berlanti launched a staggering 11 DC Comics-based shows. These include The Flash, Supergirl, Legends of Tomorrow, Black Lightning, Batwoman, and for Max, Stargirl, Doom Patrol, and Titans. The last two were Gotham Knights and Superman & Lois. We just hope that knowing the show has an endpoint in advance will allow the writers to craft a fitting finale for the Kent family.

The post SUPERMAN & LOIS to End With Season 4 appeared first on Nerdist.

This week we heard discussions about the original Avengers returning to the MCU, saw a Mean Girls sequel (kind of), and learned the secrets of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 post-credits scenes and Easter eggs. But in the mix of all of that, there have been some truly exciting announcements and reveals we wouldn’t want you to miss out on.

Here are some of our favorite pop-culture news odds & ends from this week.

This Week’s Odds & Ends in News

Jump to:

• Poltergeist TV Series Is in Development at Amazon MGM Studios 
• Disney+’s Cancelled Captain Nemo TV Series Nautilus Saved By AMC
• The Fall of the House of Usher Prop Auction Invites You to Purchase Something Haunted and Stylish
• Another John Wick Spinoff Series Is Apparently In Development
• Bratz Dressed Up as Barbie for Halloween, and Rick and Morty Dressed as Five Nights at Freddy’s
• The Boys Will Likely Have More Seasons Than Originally Planned
• Sesame Street Is Changing Its Format to Include “More Peril”
• Fourth Wing TV Series in the Works From Amazon and Michael B. Jordan’s Outlier Society
• Jurassic World LEGO Sets Are Roaring to Life in January 2024
• Horror Sequels Galore! The Black Phone 2 and It Follows 2 Are On the Way, Terrifier 3 Sets Release Date

Poltergeist TV Series Is in Development at Amazon MGM Studios 

You can never be free of some ghosts. Variety reports a series adaptation of the classic ’80s movie Poltergeist is in the works at Amazon MGM Studios. Currently, no plot details or writers are attached to the series. However, we know “Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey will executive produce on behalf of Amblin Television.” In 1999, Showtime released a four-season series adaptation set in Poltergiest‘s world—but television has come a long way since.

For more horror-based TV, check out what we know about Max’s The Conjuring show.

Disney+’s Cancelled Captain Nemo TV Series Nautilus Saved By AMC

In a worrying streaming trend, shows are being ordered and completed only to be canceled before release. But sometimes, there is good news. Deadline reports that although Disney+ canceled its Nautilus series, a 10-episode TV show based on Jules Verne’s Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, AMC has now saved the series. Nautilus will air on AMC and AMC+ in 2024 and tell the origin story of the iconic Captain Nemo.

To see what we learned about Nautilus initially, check out our write-up here:

The Fall of the House of Usher Prop Auction Invites You to Purchase Something Haunted and Stylish

Mike Flanagan’s final show with Netflix, The Fall of the House of Usher, was filled with horrifying yet beautiful visuals. If you loved the show’s aesthetic, you can now take a part of it home with a special prop auction.

The Fall of the House of Usher auction will take place from November 15-29 with 100% of its proceeds going to charity. Among other items, you can bid on “Verna’s (Carla Gugino) Rave Costume with Red Cloak,” “Napoleon ‘Leo’ Usher’s (Rahul Kohli) Drywall-Covered ‘Thor’ Hammer Replica,” and “Arthur Pym’s (Mark Hamill) Briefcase with Files and Accessories.”

For more about The Fall of the House of Usher‘s aesthetic, take a look at what its use of color really means.

Another John Wick Spinoff Series Is Apparently In Development

Surprise! Another John Wick spinoff series is apparently in development, according to John Wick director Chad Stahelski. Stahelski noted to Collider, “We’re doing a John Wick TV show, which, again, keeps my head going.” And added, “I would love to do a couple of episodes of the TV show just because I think I’d have fun trying things that we didn’t get to try in the films. I mean, absolutely. There’s some great ideas. And to work with a different cast and a different story structure without John Wick, it would be a fun challenge.”

Another John Wick spinoff show, aside from The Continental, which recently aired, doesn’t seem to have been widely announced yet. So we guess we’ll stay tuned to see what develops.

As if that weren’t enough John Wick, John Wick 5 is still on the table.

Bratz Dressed Up as Barbie for Halloween, and Rick and Morty Dressed as Five Nights at Freddy’s

Happy Halloween from our favorite franchises. In a bit of a shady move, some Bratz dolls dressed as the unimpressed teens looking at Barbie for Halloween—a truly hilarious spin on a Barbie movie costume which was, admittedly, very popular this year.

Meanwhile, Rick and Morty‘s characters disguised themselves as Five Nights at Freddy’s animatronics, homaging the popular game series that just released its movie adaptation. We love series dressing as series!

If you enjoyed Five Nights at Freddy‘s, you may be wondering what that sound at the end of the credits means.

The Boys Will Likely Have More Seasons Than Originally Planned

The Boys showrunner Eric Kripke originally planned for the series to have a five-season run. But it looks like that number is now defunct, and The Boys will likely have more seasons than that. Kripke shared with Inverse, “I have since realized that literally, no one in history is worse at predicting the amount of seasons of a show, like literally. I have learned my lesson, and I’ve stopped predicting how many seasons these shows go. You will find out in hindsight.” With the popularity of The Boys and its spinoff Gen V, that seems like a fair assessment to us.

Catch up with Gen V‘s most gory and shocking moments, here:

Sesame Street Is Changing Its Format to Include “More Peril”

Sesame Street wants you to know you can reinvent yourself at any age. Recently, The Hollywood Reporter revealed Sesame Street‘s format would be “reimagined” for season 56. The show will drop its “magazine style” format, which has been around for decades, in favor of “two longer, more narrative-driven segments, which will be paired with a new animated series, Tales From 123.”

Wilson Stallings, the executive VP and chief creative development and production officer for Sesame Workshop shared, “Kids love a little bit of peril, they love having emotional stakes, and in nine minutes, it’s kind of hard to really dive into those areas really effectively.” The show hopes to be able to tell a more compelling tale with these changes.

Be that as it may, we have to wonder, does Sesame Street really need more peril?

All we have to say is that Sesame Street had better keep gems like this.

Fourth Wing TV Series in the Works From Amazon and Michael B. Jordan’s Outlier Society

Amazon MGM Studios and Michael B. Jordan’s Outlier Society will be bringing to life a TV series based on Rebecca Yarros’ popular fantasy series, Fourth Wing. This overall deal includes all the books from the Fourth Wing universe titled The Empyrean, including its sequel Iron Flame, releasing on November 7, and the three books slated to follow.

Per Variety, the logline for the TV series shares:

Enter the brutal world of Basgiath War College where there is only one rule: Graduate or Die. Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail expected to live a quiet life among books and history. Now, the commanding general― her tough-as-talons mother―has ordered Violet to join the hundreds of candidates striving to become the elite of Navarre: dragon riders. If the fire-breathing beasts don’t kill her, one of her fellow riders just might. Suspense, action, romance, and dragons blend together in a propulsive fantasy adventure from NYT bestselling author Rebecca Yarros.

In other fantasy novel adaptation news, House of the Dragon season two will release in the summer of 2024.

Jurassic World LEGO Sets Are Roaring to Life in January 2024

Show off your dino love with these two new Jurassic World LEGO sets. First up is a Dinosaur Fossils: T. rex Skull LEGO set, which turns LEGOs into bones. The official description of the set shares, “The first Jurassic World set made for display features a skull with an opening jaw, a stand with an information plaque, a hidden ‘amber’ piece at the back of the model and a ‘fossilized’ footprint.” Honestly, building a T. rex skull out of LEGOS, teeth and all, is pretty cool.

Also available is the “Baby Dinosaur Rescue Center” LEGO set and it comes complete with a bunch of, you guessed it, baby dinos. D’aww. Both Jurrasic World LEGO sets will release on January 1, 2024.

Click To View Gallery

For more creative and nature-focused LEGO fun, check out LEGO’s insect collection.

Horror Sequels Galore! The Black Phone 2 and It Follows 2 Are On the Way, Terrifier 3 Sets Release Date

October may be over, but Halloween season never is. And it’s a good thing, too, because a ton of horror sequels are coming our way.

First up, the truly terrifying Universal and Blumhouse movie, The Black Phone, will get a sequel. The Black Phone 2 is currently set to release on June 27, 2025 and, per Variety, will be the “launch of a sinister new franchise.” We have chills already.

Next, It Follows will also receive a sequel titled They Follow. The writer and director of It Follows, David Robert Mitchell, will return for the sequel alongside star Maika Monroe. It Follows was a movie that encapsulated the terrifying feeling of someone always lurking behind you, and we bet its sequel will double the sensation.

Finally, Terrifier 3 and its terrifying slasher Art the Clown will arrive in theaters on October 25, 2024, for another round of Christmas horror. We can’t wait to see what terrifying naughty-list mayhem will transpire.

In case you were curious, we’ve broken down the horoscopes of 12 iconic horror villains.

The post Another JOHN WICK Series in the Works, JURASSIC WORLD LEGO Sets, and More News Odds & Ends appeared first on Nerdist.

History is a funny thing. It can be cruel, it can be informative. It can be weird or nuanced, even be entertaining. In the case of Killers of the Flower Moon, it’s all of these and so much more. 

Before we go any further, it’s important to acknowledge that although I am Indigenous, I am Apsáalooke, not Osage. In addition, although I am going to try to be very light on the spoilers and abstract things, I am still going to reference things about the plot. If you want to see this movie without hearing my opinion first, please go do so now! (TL;DR: It’s worth it!)

This film is almost a masterpiece.

It features a star-studded cast giving amazing performances. It was directed by the legendary Martin Scorsese. It’s even based on a critically acclaimed novel of the same name by author David Grann.

So, why do I say it’s “almost” a masterpiece?

It’s an interplay of where this story began, and where it ended up. You see, Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI is a true story. It’s a nonfiction book about true events. Contrarily, Killers of the Flower Moon is a dramatized retelling of the same story through the lens of a modern Western.

The story is accurate to history. As far as my knowledge goes, it does a fair job of recounting what happened. It remains a story full of truth. The problem is that the film is tainted by perspective. Not my perspective, per se, but the perspective of the movie itself.  

As the title of the novel suggests, the film is about the Osage Murders. These were a string of homicides between 1921 and 1926 dubbed “the Reign of Terror”, for their pointlessness, viciousness, and seeming randomness. For “five” years indigenous people of the Osage tribe lost their lives, and nobody could figure out why.

The motivations were simple enough to figure out. The Osage had struck oil several years before, and both the tribe and individual members were comparatively wealthy. Other people wanted access to that wealth. For awhile, people had made use of the “headship” system to steal from the tribe. Now, certain people wanted to do so more directly. However, no one could really figure out who was committing these murders. Local law enforcement was “stumped.” The Osage attempted to reach out to the Bureau of Investigation, but “somehow” their representative was murdered before they completed their mission.

With no other options, Mollie, an Osage woman who had suffered the loss of her mother and siblings, as well as a mysterious wasting disease, resolved to make the trip herself. It was Mollie who finally managed to reach out to the federal government for help. It was only then that the crimes were solved, and the full depths of depravity were revealed.

The sheriff’s department hadn’t been so much stumped, as it had been corrupt. In fact, one of the deputies had been the mastermind of the whole thing. His nephew, Ernest, had been his willing accomplice, as well as Mollie’s husband.

Ernest had married Mollie explicitly to gain the headship rights of her and her family. He’d helped arrange the deaths of his in-laws and had even been poisoning Mollie’s insulin, resulting in her apparent illness. After the Bureau revealed these crimes, Ernest received justice, but for “five” years he helped terrorize an entire reservation.     

So, it’s a real shame that they decided to hang the movie on Ernest. The film has an incredible cast that portrays dynamic, interesting individuals. Not the least among these is Mollie herself. She was an incredibly resilient woman who survived pain and heartbreak, and a dangerous journey to bring help to her people.

But we’re not following her for the majority of the film. Rather, our POV character isn’t an Osage at all. Instead, we’re following Ernest, a veteran of World War I, a former taxi driver, and, more importantly, a murderer, a terrorist, and one of the primary antagonists of the situation. 

This is ironic, given that a big point of the story is how often the Osage of the time lost control of their money to white “guardians.” The headship system meant that, if an Osage was declared “incompetent” for whatever reason, control of their assets would default to a court-appointed individual. Couple this with the rampant corruption of the courts, and the racist attitude towards indigenous people as savages, and it becomes clear how easily Osage families could lose everything.

So in a way, it’s incredibly apropos that the focus of the story, and thus control of the narrative, remains centered on Ernest rather than the Osage Woman who suffered at his hands. As our main character, we’re supposed to connect with him, to empathize with him on some level. I didn’t find this aspect of the film a very appealing prospect.

Observant readers will note that I keep using quotation marks for “five” years. That’s because, although the film omitted it, the book discusses evidence that suggests deaths as far back as the 1910s and as late as the 1930s connected to the events of the reign of terror. So that “five” years, could really be more than 20. The sad truth is that events like these still happen.

The story is dramatized, but it has elements that are familiar to many indigenous people in the United States. Although a hundred years have passed, some of these plot points could come ripped from today’s headlines. Indigenous women still go missing with startling regularity and getting local law enforcement to investigate or care is incredibly difficult. The Guardian system may not be the same anymore, but plenty of systems still exist that echo it. Indigenous people still battle the idea that they’re “simple people.”

I want to end this by restating and expanding on my earlier assessment: Killers of the Flower Moon is almost a masterpiece. The writing is fantastic. The story is engaging, despite the film’s long running time, (clocking in at a whopping three hours and twenty-six minutes!) The film’s portrayals are incredibly powerful and well done. Every member of the cast delivers an excellent performance. Special mention should go to Lily Gladstone, for the raw and powerful dignity she imbues in Mollie.   

However, none of that can change the decision to center this story on Ernest.

I understand the necessity of change when you’re adapting a book for the silver screen. I don’t envy the task of converting a nonfiction book about historical homicide into something engaging for a modern audience. Equally understandable is the allure of telling the story from a villain’s point of view. It’s an interesting subversion of classic expectations. I understand it much less when we’re talking about a real-life person committing atrocities that still happen in the modern day.

It’s especially galling when Mollie is right there, and her story would have been more compelling, as well as more poignant for the subject matter. Instead, the film relegates her to what is essentially a secondary character in Ernest’s story.

Killers of the Flower Moon is a powerful movie that tells a tale of murder and betrayal that’s incredibly visceral and evocative. It’s an incredibly important movie that throws a spotlight on a piece of history few talk about. Even if the spotlight could have been positioned on a much better figure. It would just be nice if the problems of the story weren’t still viscerally familiar a century later, right down to the misplaced spotlight.

The post KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON Misses Its Own Point appeared first on Nerdist.

The Upside Down has never looked cuter. Fisher-Price’s latest Little People collector sets bring us the world of Stranger Things but in adorable miniature. Of course, the world of Stranger Things is no less harrowing or strange than we know it to be in these toy sets; it’s just, well, cuter. Vecna certainly looks like the most adorable version of himself that we’ve ever seen. But he’s not the only one. In total, Fisher-Price has announced three new Stranger Things Little People Collector sets, and they include all our favorite characters and moments from the series. These sets are the perfect thing to distract us as we wait for Stranger Things 5.

Take a look at the details of the “Castle Byers,” “Max’s Song, and “Hellfire Club” collectibles below.

Stranger Things’ New Fisher-Price Little People Collector Sets

Castle Byers Figures Take Us Back to Season One

Click To View Gallery

Head all the way back to the very first season of Stranger Things with this Fisher-Price Little People Collector Set. With this collection of figures, you can explore the castle both from within and without the Upside Down. There’s even a precious Demogorgon that gives Dart a run for its money. Just wait until it adorably tries to chomp your face off.

A release for this set shares, “True fans know Eleven loves a good waffle and can see the nethering creep and crawl across the packaging bringing Castle Byers and the Upside Down to life.” And additionally, “Fans can revel in the wonderful world of Stranger Things with this Little People Collector set, which features the whole gang including Eleven, Mike Wheeler, Dustin Henderson, Lucas Sinclair, and Will Byers, plus the monstrous (but really awesome looking) Demogorgon. Each figure stands over 2.5 inches tall and is styled in each character’s signature look from the first season.”

It really is a blast from the past, in the best way.

The Castle Byers Stranger Things Fisher-Price Little People Collector set is available on Amazon. It costs $29.99.

The Max’s Song Stranger Things Little People Collector’s Set Is Adorably Terrifying

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Okay, this Little People Stranger Things toy set is absolutely ridiculous, but we love it. Is there a more harrowing scene than when Max starts to rise to the sky with her eyes rolling back into her head in Stranger Things 4? Any minute now, Vecna will crack her bones. Just look at the darling terror on Steve’s face. The juxtaposition of terrifying and cute really shows how committed these Stranger Things Little People sets are to their bit.

A release shares, “Fans of the hit Netflix series, Stranger Things, can relive the memorable scene from Season 4 when Max’s favorite song saves her from Vecna’s curse with this special edition Little People Collector Max’s Song set from Fisher-Price. Featuring 5 Little People figures styled like Max Mayfield, Lucas Sinclair, Steve Harrington, Dustin Henderson, and Vecna, this must-have set comes in a display-worthy package that takes fans from the cemetery to the Upside Down.”

And little Vecna? Come on, this one is just incredible.

The Max’s Song Stranger Things Fisher-Price Little People Collector set is available at Target. It costs 29.99.

The Hellfire Club Figure Set Is the Best

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Who could more deserve a Little People Collectors figure than Eddie Munson? No one. This Stranger Things collection celebrating the Hellfire Club is our favorite. It captures the joy the club brings to all its members and especially to us. We love all the details on this set of figures, especially Erica’s American Flag, Dustin’s cap, and the miniature Hellfire Club shirts. We’re going to need these figures for our collection immediately.

A release shares, “​Inspired by the hit Netflix series Stranger Things, this special edition Little People Collector Hellfire Club set brings the members of the Hawkins High School’s group down to Little People figurine size. Assemble the team and relive the campaign to vanquish Vecna with Eddie Munson, Dustin Henderson, Mike Wheeler, and Erica Sinclair. Arriving in a specially designed, display-worthy package, this Little People Collector figure set is the perfect gift for fans and RPG players.”

The Hellfire Clubs Stranger Things Fisher-Price Little People Collector set is available at Best Buy. It costs $24.99.

The post STRANGER THINGS Fisher-Price Little People Sets Reveal Adorable Upside-Down appeared first on Nerdist.

If you weren’t a Ryan Gosling fan before Barbie this past summer, then you probably became one after seeing it. Gosling was so brilliant as (just) Ken, we honestly feel he deserves an Oscar nomination. But some of us have recognized Gosling’s brilliance for a long time. Like the time he played a stoic replicant in Blade Runner 2049. Or a stoic Hollywood stunt guy in Drive. Well, now he’s playing Colt Seavers, another Hollywood stunt performer, just one who’s clearly more talkative, in The Fall Guy. This action comedy also stars Emily Blunt as Colt’s ex, Jody Moreno, and John Wick and Deadpool 2‘s David Leitch is directing. You can watch the first full trailer right here.

The Fall Guy looks like a throwback to the action comedies of the ’80s and ’90s. This fits, as the film is based on an old ’80s hit TV series, which ran for five seasons from 1981 to 1986. In the show, which starred former Six Million Dollar Man star Lee Majors, he was a Hollywood stuntman who had a second job as a bounty hunter. This new big-screen version doesn’t seem to do the whole “moonlights as a bounty hunter” part. Instead, it seems like some kind of murder mystery that our hero gets wrapped up in.

David Leitch directing a movie about a stuntman seems like a natural fit. Before he directed his first film in 2014, he had a very impressive resume as a stuntman himself, going back to 1997. We can see his stunt work in movies like Blade and Fight Club. He then became a second unit director, before finally stepping into the director’s chair with the original John Wick. So who better to helm a movie about a guy who does dangerous things in movies for a living? Seems like a match made in heaven.

The Fall Guy‘s synopsis is as follows:

He’s a stuntman, and like everyone in the stunt community, he gets blown up, shot, crashed, thrown through windows and dropped from the highest of heights, all for our entertainment. And now, fresh off an almost career-ending accident, this working-class hero has to track down a missing movie star, solve a conspiracy and try to win back the love of his life while still doing his day job. What could possibly go right?

The Fall Guy hits theaters on March 1, 2024.

The post Ryan Gosling Turns on Full Gosling Charm in THE FALL GUY Trailer appeared first on Nerdist.

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Welcome back, Rick & Morty fans! Although so far this season, there seems to be a growing lack of the “and Morty” aspect of the show. In an episode all about growth, Dan is diving in to look closer at what this development means for the character of Morty and the show moving forward.

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It’s probably not a hard sell getting big names to sign on for a Hayao Miyazaki movie. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of the legendary filmmaker’s Studio Ghibli legacy? No one is too famous for that. But even though we know that to be true, we’re still floored by the newly announced cast for the English-language dub of the iconic director’s upcoming The Boy and the Heron. It features some of Hollywood’s most popular and beloved stars, a list too impressive to pick only one or two to highlight. And in its first trailer for the english-language dub of The Boy and the Heron, this Miyzakai movie shows off its steller cast.

GKIDS, which handles North American distribution for Studio Ghibli recently announced the cast for the English dub of The Boy and the Heron (A film we here at Nerdist described as a “truly mesmerizing feat of animation.”) And now we can hear them in action. The list of voice performers—fittingly—speaks for itself. It includes: Christian Bale, Dave Bautista, Gemma Chan, Willem Dafoe, Karen Fukuhara, Mark Hamill, Robert Pattinson, and Florence Pugh. The full list of who plays who is below, but we especially cannot get over Robert Pattinson playing the gray heron.

The film will also feature Luca Padovan, as well as Mamoudou Athie, Tony Revolori, and Dan Stevens as the Parakeets. Yeah, Dan Stevens is the last person they mentioned.

The Boy and the Heron‘s Famous Cast and Their Character Roles

Here is the breakdown of The Boy and the Heron‘s cast and the characters they play. See if you can hear their voices in the trailer for this Studio Ghibli movie’s English dub.

SHOICHI MAKI is played by Christian Bale

THE PARAKEET KING is played by Dave Bautista

NATSUKO is played by Gemma Chan

NOBLE PELICAN is played by Willem Dafoe

LADY HIMI is played by Karen Fukuhara

GRANDUNCLE is played by Mark Hamill

GRAY HERON is played by Robert Pattinson

KIRIKO is played by Florence Pugh

MAHITO MAKI is played by Luca Padovan

THE PARAKEETS are played by Mamoudou Athie, Tony Revolori, and Dan Stevens

More About The Boy and the Heron

If you’re unfamiliar with the movie, which debuted at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, here’s its official synopsis:

A young boy named Mahito yearning for his mother ventures into a world shared by the living and the dead. There, death comes to an end, and life finds a new beginning. A semi-autobiographical fantasy about life, death, and creation, in tribute to friendship, from the mind of Hayao Miyazaki.

Both the original Japanese and new English language versions will come to North American theaters on December 8. (Some special preview screenings will begin earlier on November 22.) Which version should you watch: the Japanese version or the English dub? Why choose when you have the perfect excuse to see a new Hayao Miyazaki movie twice? We doubt the biggest names in the industry would pass on that opportunity, either.

Originally published on October 17, 2023.

The post THE BOY AND THE HERON Shares English-Language Trailer Featuring Star-Studded Cast appeared first on Nerdist.

Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet are finally here. These latest games in the Pokémon franchise will build help the series “take a new evolutionary step” into “a richly expressed open world.” While Pokémon Legends: Arceus’ gameplay was expansive and exploration-driven, Pokémon has not yet had true open-world games before. This makes Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet extra exciting. And, of course, new Pokémon games mean a new generation of Pokémon to discover. Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet have three adorable new starter Pokémon that players can look forward to catching, Legendary Pokémon that turn into vehicles, adorable new regional forms, and many other new Gen 9 Pokémon. Not to mention, Scarlet and Violet will offer all Pokémon a way to transform into something novel, the games introduce the mysterious Terastal phenomenon.

Here are the new Pokémon we met before Scarlet and Violet‘s release and some additional ones that will be coming in its new DLC expansion.

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet‘s new Pokémon; Jump To:

• Scarlet and Violet‘s New Pokémon: Iron Treads // Great Tusk // Gimmighoul // Greavard // Bellibolt // Wiglett // Armarouge // Ceruledge // Klawf // Grafaiai // Cyclizar // Cetitan // Fidough // Pawmi // Lechonk // Smoliv
• Scarlet and Violet‘s New Regional Variants: Paldean Farigiraf (Girafarig Evolution), Paldean Wooper
• Scarlet and Violet’s Legendary Pokémon: Koraidon and Miraidon
• Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet‘s Starters: Sprigatito // Fuecoco // Quaxly
• All of Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Creatures: Full Pokédex
• Scarlet and Violet‘s New Features: Terastallizing with Tera Orbs // Titan Pokémon
• New Pokémon From Scarlet and Violet‘s DLC Expansion: The Teal Mask // The Indigo Disk

Scarlet and Violet‘s New Pokémon

As mentioned, Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet will feature the next generation of Pokémon: Gen 9. And given the open-world nature of the game, we expect there will be many surprises when it comes to the Pokémon the game will introduce. The official description for the game shares: “Various towns blend seamlessly into the wilderness with no borders. You’ll be able to see the Pokémon of this region in the skies, in the seas, in the forests, on the streets—all over!” Here are all the new Pokémon Scarlet and Violet creatures we’ve met so far.

New Gen 9 Pokémon: Iron Treads

So far, we’ve only glimpsed the mysterious new Pokémon, Iron Treads. It sounds like this Pokémon only exists in the Violet game. A description of it offers, that Iron Treads is “a monster that rolls to attack and leaves scorched earth in its path.” Iron Treads could be a Paldean regional variant of the Pokémon,  Donphan. Or it could be its ancestor.

Iron Treads and Great Tusk both live in books title The Violet Book and Scarlet Book respectively. These books hold notes about the Paldea region and its Pokémon from an ancient expedition.

New Gen 9 Pokémon: Great Tusk

Meanwhile, Great Tusk is the new Donphan relative from Pokémon Scarlet. Great Tusk attacks with its large body and tusks.

New Gen 9 Pokémon: Gimmighoul

The latest new Pokémon Scarlet and Violet creature is ghoulishly delightful. Gimmighoul is a ghostly Pokémon that loves treasure. In fact, it hides itself in a treasure chest most of the time. Though its treasure chest home provides safety for Gimmighoul, it also makes it move slowly. And, often, Gimmighoul, in what we learn is its chest form, may get mistaken for an antique.

But beware, anyone who gets too close to a Gimmighoul may be ambushed. Gimmighouls use ghost energy to control people and then make them hunt for coins. And these people can stay under this Pokémon’s spell for a long time.

Gimmighoul also has a roaming form. This form of Gimmighoul carries a single coin on its back. The Pokémon is found all over Scarlet and Violet‘s Paldea, but no one has ever captured one because it moves so speedily. This form of the Gimmighoul will make its way to Pokémon Go.

This Pokémon is a part of the ‘Coin Cheat Pokémon’ category of Pokémon and is a Ghost-type. Its height is 1′ and it usually weighs about 11 lbs.

New Gen 9 Pokémon: Greavard

Not all puppy-like creatures are sugar and spice in the world of Pokémon. In fact, this new Scarlet and Violet Pokémon is anything but at first glance. According to Greavard’s official description, “It has powerful jaws that can shatter bones.” One bite can lead to a lot of pain. But as we look deeper, it seems like Greavard isn’t actually vicious, just a little odd. Most of the time, Greavard just lays underground. But if someone gets too close, it will let out eerie howls.

Greavard does want to make friends, and it loves attention. But apparently, “Greavard will slowly and inadvertently absorb the life-force of those around it, so it’s best not to play with it too much.” Poor thing!

This Pokémon is a part of the ‘Ghost Dog Pokémon’ category of Pokémon and is a Ghost-type. Its height is 2’1 and it usually weighs about 77.2 lbs.

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet‘s new Pokémon:

• Scarlet and Violet‘s New Pokémon: Iron Treads // Great Tusk // Gimmighoul // Greavard // Bellibolt // Wiglett // Armarouge // Ceruledge // Klawf // Grafaiai // Cyclizar // Cetitan // Fidough // Pawmi // Lechonk // Smoliv
• Scarlet and Violet‘s New Regional Variants: Paldean Farigiraf (Girafarig Evolution), Paldean Wooper
• Scarlet and Violet’s Legendary Pokémon: Koraidon and Miraidon
• Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet‘s Starters: Sprigatito // Fuecoco // Quaxly
• All of Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Creatures: Full Pokédex
• Scarlet and Violet‘s New Features: Terastallizing with Tera Orbs // Titan Pokémon
• New Pokémon From Scarlet and Violet‘s DLC Expansion: The Teal Mask // The Indigo Disk

New Gen 9 Pokémon: Bellibolt

Bellibolt is an adorable frog-like Pokémon that lives in the Paldea region. It contracts and expands its body to generate electricity in its belly-button like organ. This electricity then releases through eye-like bumps on Bellibolt’s head, which help this new Pokémon to appear intimidating. Bellibolt has an easy going nature and won’t typically attack first. Its stomach emits noises that sound like cries when it’s hungry.

Bellibolt has a brand new ability, Electromorphosis. When attacked, Bellibolt becomes charged and its next Electric-type move gets a power boost.

This Pokémon is a part of the ‘EleFrog’ category of Pokémon and is an Electric-type. Its height is 3’11” and it usually weighs about 249.1 lbs.

New Gen 9 Pokémon: Wiglett

The Pokémon Company recently revealed another brand new Pokémon to the world of Scarlet and Violet. Even though the Paldean Wiglett looks like a Diglett, this is a brand new creature altogether. In the video, the Pokémon researchers consider whether Wiglett could be a Scarlet and Violet regional form of Diglett, but decide this is not the case.

While no one is sure how long Wiglett’s really are, we do know they have a great sense of smell. If a Wiglett catches the scent of another Pokémon, it will burrow down into the sand and hide.

Scarlet and Violet‘s Wiglett is a part of the ‘Garden Eel’ category of Pokémon and is a Water-type. Its height is 3’11” and it usually weighs about 4 lbs.

New Gen 9 Pokémon: Armarouge

In addition to all its cute critters, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are introducing us to two new more humanoid Pokémon. The first of these is Armarouge. This noble Pokémon dons armor that once belonged to a distinguished warrior (whether human or not isn’t confirmed). The armor is the energy source of Armarouge’s psychic moves. The armor’s psychic abilities also allows the Pokémon to control the fire energy in its body and attack. The official description for Armarough notes that it believes in a fair fight and will always approach an opponent head-on, no matter the power difference between them.

Armarouge has a fire-type special move called Armor Canon, which this new Scarlet and Violet Pokémon can learn. To use Armor Canon, Armarouge “moves both its pauldrons to its hands and puts its arms together to form a cannon, allowing it to shoot its own armor out as blazing projectiles.” But in exchange for power, its defense falls.

Armarouge is a part of the ‘Fire Warrior’ category of Pokémon and is a Fire/Psychic-type. Its height is 4’11” and it usually weighs about 187.4 lbs. This Pokémon is one fiery knight.

New Gen 9 Pokémon: Ceruledge

Ceruledge is Armarouge’s Scarlet and Violet foil. While Armarouge’s armor belonged to a great fighter, Ceruledge wears armor “steeped in grudges and wields blades made of fire and ghost energy.” This new Pokémon sounds pretty cool though. Ceruledge’s blades become great swords in battle and wounds from them leave cuts that cause life energy to flow away.

Ceruledge will never hesitate to sneak attack to gain an advantage. It uses its fast movements to capitalize on opponents’ blind spots and then attacks with its blades. It can learn the fire-type move “Bitter Blade.” This move “gathers the lingering regrets of the fallen into Ceruledge’s swords, allowing it to focus that bitterness into a slashing attack. The swords then absorb life energy from wounds they made, and the user’s HP is restored by up to half the damage taken by the target.”

Ceruledge is a part of the ‘Fire Blades’ category of Pokémon and is a Fire/Ghost-type. Its height is 5’3″ and it usually weighs about 136.7 lbs. This Pokémon is one to watch out for.

New Gen 9 Pokémon: Klawf

But, back to the cute new Pokémon. Klawf may not be able to compete with puppy-like Pokémon, but we still love this crab character. According to its description, Klawf has powerful claws. They can hold things incredibly tightly and will grow back if cut off. Typically, Klawf uses one claw to hold its opponent in place while it attacks with the other. A bit disturbingly, “in certain parts of the Paldea region, Klawf claws are considered a valuable cooking ingredient.” Sounds like one for the Pokémon cookbook.

Klawf also has the advantage of bulbous spinning eyes that can see all and leave it with no blindspots. To hunt its prey, it latches onto cliffsides and hangs upside down to attack from above. However, eventually it gets dizzy from the blood rushing to its head. Klawf also has a new Pokémon special ability, “Anger Shell.” This means that “when Klawf’s HP drops to half or less, the Pokémon gets angry. This lowers its Defense and Sp. Def stats but boosts its Attack, Sp. Atk, and Speed stats.”

Klawf is a part of the ‘Ambush’ category of Pokémon and is a Rock-type. Its height is 4’3″ and it usually weighs about 174.2 lbs. This Pokémon is not monkeying around.

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet‘s new Pokémon:

• Scarlet and Violet‘s New Pokémon: Iron Treads // Great Tusk // Gimmighoul // Greavard // Bellibolt // Wiglett // Armarouge // Ceruledge // Klawf // Grafaiai // Cyclizar // Cetitan // Fidough // Pawmi // Lechonk // Smoliv
• Scarlet and Violet‘s New Regional Variants: Paldean Farigiraf (Girafarig Evolution), Paldean Wooper
• Scarlet and Violet’s Legendary Pokémon: Koraidon and Miraidon
• Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet‘s Starters: Sprigatito // Fuecoco // Quaxly
• All of Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Creatures: Full Pokédex
• Scarlet and Violet‘s New Features: Terastallizing with Tera Orbs // Titan Pokémon
• New Pokémon From Scarlet and Violet‘s DLC Expansion: The Teal Mask // The Indigo Disk

New Gen 9 Pokémon: Grafaiai

Grafaiai is a mysterious new Pokémon coming to Scarlet and Violet. The official description of Grafaiai shares, “Grafaiai is a moody Pokémon with a fastidious disposition. It doesn’t form packs, preferring to roam alone. It’s constantly caught up in territorial struggles with other Pokémon.” In short, this new Pokémon is a loner monkey/lemur. The nocturnal Grafaiai uses its poisonous saliva to paint designs on trees in its territory during the night. Bug Pokémon are attracted to the saliva’s sweet smell, but when they encounter the poison, it paralyzes them. At dawn, Grafaiai collects its prey… Very ominous.

When this Scarlet and Violet Pokémon feels like it’s in danger, its saliva becomes more potent and the poison in it more concentrated. Grafaiai attacks with this venomous saliva, which changes colors depending on what it has eaten. It spits at its foes or coats its claws to slash at enemies. Grafaiai’s toxins can immobilize victims for days.​​

Grafaiai is a part of the ‘Toxic Monkey’ category of Pokémon and is a Poison/Normal-type. Its height is 2’4″ and it usually weighs about 60 lbs. This Pokémon is not monkeying around.

New Gen 9 Pokémon: Cyclizar

The upcoming games seem to love the idea of Pokémon that become machines. And Cyclizar, a new Scarlet and Violet Pokémon does exactly this. Its official description shares that it’s very common to see people riding Cyclizar. Apparently, the Pokémon has lived in households in the Paldea region since ancient times. Apparently, the warmth of a rider helps Cyclizer to keep away the chill.

Cyclizar can go at speeds of over 70 mph with a human rider. It has a hard and thick head, but also a lithe tail. These help it keep its balance and absorb shock while sprinting, but also help it attack during battle. In addition, Cyclizar has a new move to introduce to the Pokémon world called “Shed Tail.”

Apparently when Shed Tail is launched, “the user creates a substitute for itself using its own HP before switching places with a party Pokémon in waiting.” A very interesting ability.

Cyclizar is a part of the ‘Mount’ category of Pokémon and is a Dragon/Normal-type. Its height is 5’3″ and it usually weighs about 138.9 lbs. Trainers will definitely appreciate the skills of this Pokémon.

New Gen 9 Pokémon: Cetitan

It’s not every day a whale lives on land, or in the snow, for that matter, but Cetitan does both these things. A Terra Whale Pokémon​, Cetitan uses its tough muscles and other adapatations to survive. According to its description, this new Pokémon​ have tough muscles that make their bodily attacks incredibly powerful. In addition, they are protected from the elements by a layer of thick blubber. In addition, Cetitan has five powerful horns and one on the upper jaw can even gather ice energy from the Pokemon’s freezing surrondings. Definetly one whale not to mess with.

Cetitan is a part of the ‘Terra Whale’ category of Pokémon and is an Ice-type. Its height is 14’9″ and it usually weighs about 1,543.2 lbs. There’s no word yet on any evolutions for Cetitan. But can imagine that it will only grow more powerful in every form.

New Gen 9 Pokémon: Fidough

Although the the Gen 9 starters have been lauded as supremely sweet and other new Scarlet and Violet Pokémon, like Lechonk, are super adorable, Fidough may have just claimed the cutest prize. This Scarlet and Violet Pokémon is literally a puppy made of bread, and it helps people bake. What could be cuter than that? According to its description, Fidough’s skin has the quality of dough, it’s smooth, moist, and elastic. When it gets excited it puffs right up like puff pastery to intimidate its opponents by appearing bigger. (No word yet if that actually works.) In addition, Fidough ferments things around it with the yeast in its breath. This yeast is useful for cooking and baking, so Fidough is greatly loved and protected.

Fidough is a part of the ‘Puppy’ category of Pokémon and is a Fairy-type. Its height is 1′ and it usually weighs about 24 lbs. There’s no word yet on any evolutions for Fidough. We hope if it gets any though it becomes even cuter and turns into a more complicated pastry.

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet‘s new Pokémon:

• Scarlet and Violet‘s New Pokémon: Iron Treads // Great Tusk // Gimmighoul // Greavard // Bellibolt // Wiglett // Armarouge // Ceruledge // Klawf // Grafaiai // Cyclizar // Cetitan // Fidough // Pawmi // Lechonk // Smoliv
• Scarlet and Violet‘s New Regional Variants: Paldean Farigiraf (Girafarig Evolution), Paldean Wooper
• Scarlet and Violet’s Legendary Pokémon: Koraidon and Miraidon
• Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet‘s Starters: Sprigatito // Fuecoco // Quaxly
• All of Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Creatures: Full Pokédex
• Scarlet and Violet‘s New Features: Terastallizing with Tera Orbs // Titan Pokémon

New Gen 9 Pokémon: Pawmi

Move over Pikachu, because Pokémon Scarlet and Violet‘s adorable new Pokémon, Pawmi, is coming for the best electric-mouse Pokémon prize. Well, okay, okay, there’s room enough for everyone. But this Pokémon sure is cute and, as mentioned, it has the advantage of being new to the game.

According to its description, Pawmi has electric sacks in its cheeks, similar to Pikachu. But in addition, “Pawmi has electricity-discharging organs on its forepaws. It generates electricity by rubbing its cheeks, then it shocks its opponents by touching them with the pads on its forepaws.” Don’t get too close, no matter how adorable, is the moral of the story.

Pawmi’s thick fur gives it good insulation against the cold. But that fur also stores electricity for Pawmi. And “when it feels uneasy, this cautious Pokémon will begin rubbing its cheeks, preparing itself to discharge an electric shock.” So, let’s make sure to keep this new Scarlet and Violet Pokémon very comfortable.

Pawmi is a part of the ‘Mouse’ category of Pokémon and is an Electric-type. Its height is 1′ and it usually weighs about 5.5 lbs. There’s no word yet on any evolutions for Pawmi. But we’re sure whatever evolutionary form it takes will probably be a little less cute and a little more fierce.

New Gen 9 Pokémon: Lechonk

Lechonk‘s name really says it all. This new Pokémon will bring some much-needed chonky energy to Scarlet and Violet. And we already admire its commitment to getting a delicious treat.

According to its official description, this Pokémon is a “gourmand with an excellent nose.” And that means it can always sniff out “only the most fragrant wild grasses and the richest Berries” to eat. It’s not a favorite of bug Pokémon though, as its eating habits give it a specific smell of herbs those Pokémon dislike. That certainly gives us food for thought.

While Lechonk is timid and fainthearted, don’t let that fool you. The Pokémon may panic if attacked, but it is made of mostly muscle. All that walking around in search of food keeps Lechonk in shape.

Lechonk is a part of the ‘Hog’ category of Pokémon and is a Normal-type. Its height is 1’8″ and it usually weighs about 22.5 lbs. There’s no word yet on any evolutions for Lechonk. But honestly, we don’t need any new Scarlet and Violet evolutions for this Pokémon. It is perfect as is.

New Gen 9 Pokémon: Smoliv

Smoliv may be… smol, but it sure packs a punch. This new Pokémon may look like a tiny little plant but it releases an oil from its head that’s bitter and will make you back away. When Smoliv is threatened, it will shoot this oil at its opponents, slowing them down. Smoliv is also an incredibly adaptable Pokémon. It’s official description shares:

In the fruit on its head, Smoliv stores oil made from nutrients it gathers through photosynthesis. As a result, it can go for a week without eating or drinking.​ It prefers dry and sunny climates, and it seems to spend its days sunbathing.

Smoliv is a part of the ‘Olive’ category of Pokémon and is a Grass/Normal-type. Its height is 1′ and it usually weighs about 14.3 lbs. There’s no word yet on any evolutions for Smoliv. But we can’t wait to see what Smoliv’s evolutionary forms will look like. It surely has us in mind of Mediterranean climes. And that makes a lot of sense considering the new Pokémon games will take place in a world that seems inspired by Spain. We wonder what other kinds of new Pokémon Scarlet and Violet will bring.

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet‘s new Pokémon:

• Scarlet and Violet‘s New Pokémon: Iron Treads // Great Tusk // Gimmighoul // Greavard // Bellibolt // Wiglett // Armarouge // Ceruledge // Klawf // Grafaiai // Cyclizar // Cetitan // Fidough // Pawmi // Lechonk // Smoliv
• Scarlet and Violet‘s New Regional Variants: Paldean Farigiraf (Girafarig Evolution), Paldean Wooper
• Scarlet and Violet’s Legendary Pokémon: Koraidon and Miraidon
• Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet‘s Starters: Sprigatito // Fuecoco // Quaxly
• All of Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Creatures: Full Pokédex
• Scarlet and Violet‘s New Features: Terastallizing with Tera Orbs // Titan Pokémon
• New Pokémon From Scarlet and Violet‘s DLC Expansion: The Teal Mask // The Indigo Disk

Scarlet and Violet‘s New Regional Variants

Of course, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet introduce us to a new region, the region of Paldea. According to the games’ official website, the Paldea regions is “a land of vast open spaces dotted with lakes, towering peaks, wastelands, and perilous mountain ranges.” There, people and Pokémon live together. Naturally a new Pokémon region means new regional forms and variants for us to explore. Here are the new Gen 9 Scarlet and Violet regional variants that we’ve met so far.

New Gen 9 Regional Form: Paldean Farigiraf

Pokémon’s Girafarig has never before had an evolutionary form, until now. In Paldea, Girafarig will evolve into the Paldean regional variant, Farigiraf. Technically, Farigiraf is a brand new Pokémon, but since it comes from an existing one, we’ll label it a Scarlet and Violet regional variant.

Farigiraf actually has two brains, one from its tail and one from it head, which have fused together in this evolutionary form. They are connected through thick nerves and can attack with psychic energy. Sometimes, a Farigiraf’s brains move faster than its body. Farigiraf can also attack and defend with its long neck. The force of its neck, made sturdy by the connection of its tail, can crush rock.

Farigiraf has two new unique abilities, Cud Chew and Armor tail, which really power up the Scarlet and Violet Pokémon.

The height of this regional variant is 10’6 ” and it usually weighs about 352.7 lbs. It is a “Long Neck” Pokémon and its type is Normal/Psychic.

New Gen 9 Regional Form: Paldean Wooper

The Paldean Wooper is every bit as cute as its normal counterpart. While a normal Wooper is usually a Water Fish category Pokémon that is a Water/Ground-type, this Scarlet and Violent regional variant is a little bit different. The Paldean Wooper is a Poison/Ground​-type and a Poison Fish Pokémon.

According to its description, this Gen 9 regional Pokémon lives on land. And it’s actually a sad story. The official website shares, “In ancient times, Wooper lived underwater in the Paldea region. But it seems after losing in a struggle for territory, they began living in bogs on land.​” In order to avoid drying out, they began to “cover their bodies with a poisonous film.”

Additionally the Paldean Wooper’s gills have hardened because of its new land life, and its body is heavy and moves slowly. But in its Scarlet and Violent regional form, the Wooper can shoot poisonous liquid from the gills instead, poisioning the Pokémon around it.

The height of this Scarlet and Violet regional variant is 1’4″ and it usually weighs about 24.3 lbs. There’s no word yet on whether the Paldean Wooper evolves into a Paldean Quagsire. We guess we will have to hear more about Scarlet and Violet‘s regional forms to find out.

Scarlet and Violet‘s Legendary Pokémon

It wouldn’t be a new Pokémon game if we didn’t get some incredible Legendaries to marvel at. And Pokémon Scarlet and Violet absolutely do not let us down in the Legendary Pokémon department. We now know that the Legendary Pokémon Koraidon will appear in Pokémon Scarlet. In the meanwhile, the new Legendary Pokémon Miraidon will appear in Pokémon Violet. We also recently learned that both these Scarlet and Violet Legendary Pokémon can turn into vehicles, such as motorcycles and planes, their trainer can ride.

Gen 9’s Legendary Pokémon: Koraidon and Miraidon

Both the new Scarlet and Violet Legendary Pokémon look like dragons to us and Miraidon looks like it could be an electric-type Pokémon. However, not much information is yet available about these Legendary Pokémon.

The official website for the games shares:

Koraidon is a Legendary Pokémon you can meet in Pokémon Scarlet, and Miraidon is a Legendary Pokémon you can meet in Pokémon Violet. These two Pokémon are said to have powers that far surpass those of other Pokémon, but details about Koraidon and Miraidon are still shrouded in mystery.

A new trailer for the game does give us a better look a the mythical creatures, though.

In the trailer, we get a more life-like rendering of these two new Legendary Scarlet and Violet Pokémon. And what jumps out to us there is how machine-like Miraidon seems. The Legendary Pokémon even has blasters for legs. Meanwhile, Koraidon seems all-natural. Some internet speculation wonders if the design of these new Legendaries reflects a theme of nature vs. technology, with Pokémon Scarlet repping nature and Pokémon Violet representing technology. The professors for the two games seem to also fit into this idea. We guess we will just have to wait and see what these powerful creatures have in store for us.

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet‘s new Pokémon:

• Scarlet and Violet‘s New Pokémon: Iron Treads // Great Tusk // Gimmighoul // Greavard // Bellibolt // Wiglett // Armarouge // Ceruledge // Klawf // Grafaiai // Cyclizar // Cetitan // Fidough // Pawmi // Lechonk // Smoliv
• Scarlet and Violet‘s New Regional Variants: Paldean Farigiraf (Girafarig Evolution), Paldean Wooper
• Scarlet and Violet’s Legendary Pokémon: Koraidon and Miraidon
• Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet‘s Starters: Sprigatito // Fuecoco // Quaxly
• All of Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Creatures: Full Pokédex
• Scarlet and Violet‘s New Features: Terastallizing with Tera Orbs // Titan Pokémon
• New Pokémon From Scarlet and Violet‘s DLC Expansion: The Teal Mask // The Indigo Disk

Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet‘s Starters

Starter Pokémon are among some of the most important Pokémon in the games. Trainers pick these creatures as their first companions and they set the tone for the rest of a player’s adventure. They also often reveal the theme of the game. For instance, Gen 9’s starter Pokémon hint at the idea that the Scarlet and Violet games will take place in a Spain-inspired Region, as mentioned above. Often, starter Pokémon are Earth, Fire, and Water-types, and Scarlet and Violet‘s new starters follow this format as well.

Gen 9’s New Grass-type Starter: Sprigatito

The first of Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet‘s new starters is Sprigatito, Gen 9’s grass-type starter. More specifically, Sprigatito is a Grass Cat Pokémon. This Pokémon’s height is 1’4″ and it weighs 9 lbs. Its primary ability is Overgrow.

According to its official description, Sprigatito is a “capricious, attention-seeking Grass Cat Pokémon.” Well, that sounds like every cat we’ve ever met to us. But watch out for this one’s leaves, in addition to its claws. It has a sweet smile, but we can see the mischief lurking underneath.

We’ve also now learned that “when Sprigatito kneads and rubs with its forepaws, a sweet aroma is released that can mesmerize those around it. This aroma has therapeutic qualities and makes opponents lose their will to battle.” Sounds like a handy ability. Additionally, Sprigatito creates energy by absorbing sunlight and it “adds moisture to its fur by grooming itself, which aids its ability to photosynthesize.”

Gen 9’s New Fire-type Starter: Fuecoco

Gen 9’s adorable fire-type starter is Fuecoco. This Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet creature is actually a Fire Croc Pokémon. He reminds us more of a fire dinosaur, but we can see the croc there if we squint. We’re sure that aspect will come out more in Fuecoco’s evolutions.

Additionally, we know now that the square scales on Fuecoco’s stomach absorb heat. And this heat can be converted into fire energy. Although always warm, watch out for these scales getting hot. This Scarlet and Violet starter also has flames sprouting out of its head, that’s actually fire energy leaking out. The more excited Fuecoco is, the more flames decorate its head. Happily, this member of the Scarlet and Violet starters club is very chill.

In its starter form, Fuecoco measures 1’4″ and weighs 21.6 lbs. Its main ability is Blaze. Its official description shares, “The laid-back Fire Croc Pokémon that does things at its own pace” and “it will sprint toward any food it finds with a glint in its eye.” Absolutely adorable. Perhaps Fuecoco and Slowpoke can be good friends.

Gen 9’s New Water-type Starter: Quaxly

Quaxly makes up the last part of the Scarlet and Violet starters trio. This adorable duck is a water-type Pokémon in the Duckling category. (Our new favorite category, it must be said.)

Although Quaxly is a brand new Pokémon, he has already won many hearts. At 1’8″, it stands as the tallest of the Gen 9 starter Pokémon. And Quaxly weighs 13.4 lbs. Its main ability is Torrent.

Quaxly’s whole body is covered in a protective, glossy gel which repels dirt and grime. And that’s why Quaxly is always shiny. Quaxly’s coif is kept in place with a thick, rich cream but can become unkempt when dry. Quaxly also has some strong legs and can swim against fierce currents. In battle it will often kick its opponents repeatedly.

We also know that Quaxly is an “earnest and tidy Duckling Pokémon” and that it “dislikes getting its head dirty.” Cue the collective awwwwws over this Pokémon.

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet‘s new Pokémon:

• Scarlet and Violet‘s New Pokémon: Iron Treads // Great Tusk // Gimmighoul // Greavard // Bellibolt // Wiglett // Armarouge // Ceruledge // Klawf // Grafaiai // Cyclizar // Cetitan // Fidough // Pawmi // Lechonk // Smoliv
• Scarlet and Violet‘s New Regional Variants: Paldean Farigiraf (Girafarig Evolution), Paldean Wooper
• Scarlet and Violet’s Legendary Pokémon: Koraidon and Miraidon
• Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet‘s Starters: Sprigatito // Fuecoco // Quaxly
• All of Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Creatures: Full Pokédex
• Scarlet and Violet‘s New Features: Terastallizing with Tera Orbs // Titan Pokémon
• New Pokémon From Scarlet and Violet‘s DLC Expansion: The Teal Mask // The Indigo Disk

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet‘s Full Pokédex

To get to know every single one of Scarlet and Violet‘s Pokémon, you can check out this full Pokédex that YouTube MELOO has put together.

Enjoy catching them all!

New Pokémon Scarlet and Violet Features

Terastallizing with Tera Orbs in Scarlet and Violet

In addition to new Scarlet and Violet Pokémon, regional forms, legendaries, and starters, every Pokémon gets a novel form in the Paldea region. The upcoming Pokémon games introduce a new gameplay element. With the help of a Tera orb, Pokémon can undergo the phenomenon of terastallizing. This makes Pokémon shine like gemstones as they crystallize into new forms of themselves. All Pokémon in the Paldea region are able to terastallize. Undergoing this process may provide or change a Pokémon’s type and enhance its moves. These changes occur based on a Pokémon’s Tera-type and some Pokémon possess rare Tera-types. All we know is, these Scarlet and Violet crystalline Pokémon forms sure are pretty.

Titan Pokémon

What are Pokémon Scarlet and Violet‘s Titan Pokémon? Well, Titan Pokémon are a new variation of existing Pokémon that appear in the games that are “bigger and stronger than ordinary Pokémon.” It seems like these Titan Pokémon will offer something like boss battles during Scarlet and Violet‘s adventures.

To defeat them, you’ll likely need to use Herba Mystica. Herba Mystica are “extremely rare herbs that can only be found in Paldea.” And they’ll restore your health immediately after you eat them. Incredible.

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet‘s new Pokémon:

• Scarlet and Violet‘s New Pokémon: Iron Treads // Great Tusk // Gimmighoul // Greavard // Bellibolt // Wiglett // Armarouge // Ceruledge // Klawf // Grafaiai // Cyclizar // Cetitan // Fidough // Pawmi // Lechonk // Smoliv
• Scarlet and Violet‘s New Regional Variants: Paldean Farigiraf (Girafarig Evolution), Paldean Wooper
• Scarlet and Violet’s Legendary Pokémon: Koraidon and Miraidon
• Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet‘s Starters: Sprigatito // Fuecoco // Quaxly
• All of Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Creatures: Full Pokédex
• Scarlet and Violet‘s New Features: Terastallizing with Tera Orbs // Titan Pokémon
• New Pokémon From Scarlet and Violet‘s DLC Expansion: The Teal Mask // The Indigo Disk

New Pokémon From Pokémon Scarlet and Violet‘s DLC Expansions

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet will receive their first DLC expansions in 2023. These two-part additions to the game, titled The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero will, of course, bring with them some more entries to the Pokédex. You can see them in action in the latest teaser trailer for the Scarlet and Violet DLC.

Here are the new Pokémon you’ll receive when you add these DLCs to Scarlet and Violet.

The Teal Mask

In The Teal Mask, you’ll find new Pokémon that inhabit the land of Kitakami. They include Legendary Pokémon Ogerpon as well as Okidogi, Munkidori, and Fezandipiti. Ogerpon seems to resemble a demon of some sort, while Okidogi looks like a humanoid dog, Munkidori carries a monkey presence with him, and Fezandipiti is pheasant-like. Dipplin, the Candy Apple Pokémon and a new evolution of Applin, also joins the fun.

Click To View Gallery

Additonally, The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero Part 1: The Teal Mask DLC for Pokémon Scarlet or Pokémon Violet will reveal a very special Matcha Pokémon, Poltchageist. Don’t be fooled by its cute appearance. “After a target is sprinkled with some of Poltchageist’s powdery body or eats food dusted with it, Poltchageist drains their life-force and absorbs it as energy.​

We finally have a specific release date for The Teal Mask—this Scarlet and Violet DLC will arrive on September 13, 2023.

The Indigo Disk

The Indigo Disk presented us with the new Scarlet and Violet Pokémon, Terapagos. This sea-turtle like creature seems to be tied to the terastallizing phenomenon somehow.

the Legendary Pokémon Terapagos also has a second Normal Form in addition to its Terastal Form.

Joining Terapagos we also have Raging Bolt, an Electric/Dragon Pokémon, and Iron Crown, a Steel/Psychic Pokémon. These fellas seem very powerful.

Archaludon, a Steel/Dragon evolution of Duraludon, also joins the fray. Archaludon can take the form of a bridge in battle.

We also finally have a release date for The Indigo Mask—this Scarlet and Violet DLC will arrive on December 14.

Other Expansion Additions

The official site also shares, “These expansions bring with them over 230 familiar Pokémon that had not appeared in Pokémon Scarlet or Pokémon Violet.” For instance, Gligar will appear in The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero for Pokémon Scarlet, while Aipom turns up in The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero for Pokémon Violet. Here is a sampling of other Pokémon we’ll see.

From Teal Mask

From Indigo Disk

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet’s Gameplay, Order/Release Information, and More

The Pokémon Company has now released two trailers for the upcoming games. In addition to information about the new Scarlet and Violet starters, we see some of the cool environments and gameplay we can expect from the open-world adventures in the first trailer. From desert areas to beachside houses, the game offers a lush variety of different settings. We also feel interested to see if an element of time travel comes into play.

The trailer seems to focus on a whirling clock. In Pokémon Legends: Arceus, trainers traveled back in time. But perhaps in Scarlet and Violet, fans will see gameplay across time periods. This would allow the games to showcase a wider scope of action. Additionally, if the games really are inspired by Spain, they could take players to different moments in history. It would certainly offer a cool twist on the standard Pokémon game. We’re used to seeing regional variants of Pokémon, but maybe Scarlet and Violet could lean even harder into temporal variants.

The second trailer for the game also revealed some other important information, Scarlet and Violet‘s release date information. The games released on November 18.

For now, you can already pre-order Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. 

Order Pokémon Scarlet Order:

Amazon // Wal-Mart

Order Pokémon Violet:

Amazon // Wal-Mart

Discover All of the New Pokémon From Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

We love the first new Pokémon we’ve got to meet, and now it’s time to play the games and explore the world of Paldea fully. With so many different environments, you never know what’s around the corner. From new Pokémon Scarlet and Violet starters to more new legendaries to eagerly anticipated regional forms and evolutions, these creatures are unique. May your Pokémon trainer journeys be the very best.

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet‘s new Pokémon:

• Scarlet and Violet‘s New Pokémon: Iron Treads // Great Tusk // Gimmighoul // Greavard // Bellibolt // Wiglett // Armarouge // Ceruledge // Klawf // Grafaiai // Cyclizar // Cetitan // Fidough // Pawmi // Lechonk // Smoliv
• Scarlet and Violet‘s New Regional Variants: Paldean Farigiraf (Girafarig Evolution), Paldean Wooper
• Scarlet and Violet’s Legendary Pokémon: Koraidon and Miraidon
• Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet‘s Starters: Sprigatito // Fuecoco // Quaxly
• All of Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Creatures: Full Pokédex
• Scarlet and Violet‘s New Features: Terastallizing with Tera Orbs // Titan Pokémon
• New Pokémon From Scarlet and Violet‘s DLC Expansion: The Teal Mask // The Indigo Disk

Originally Published February 28, 2022.

The post Meet POKÉMON SCARLET and VIOLET’s New Pokémon and Regional Forms appeared first on Nerdist.

The House of the Dragon is about to get a lot bigger on HBO. Warner Bros. Discovery has ordered another Game of Thrones prequel set during the Targaryen dynasty to series. Based on George R.R. Martin’s collection of novellas, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, it will bring the beloved duo of Dunk and Egg to life. But unlike its two predecessors, they won’t be moving around like their famous family members. This will be the first Game of Thrones show not to feature dragons. Instead it will feature a famous One-Eyed Raven.

HBO has finally settled on a second Westeros spinoff. Currently known as A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight, the show will follow two legendary figures in the Realm’s history: Ser Duncan the Tall and his young squire/secret Targaryen prince, Aegon. (Yup, another Aegon.) The show has been in development for more than two years. Martin and Ira Parker will write and executive produce the show. Ryan Condal and Vince Gerardis will also serve as executive producers. According to Variety, at a recent press event, HBO CEO Casey Bloys shared that the series will begin production in spring 2024, pending the resolution of the SAG-AFTRA strike. Hopefully, the studios will soon agree to fairly compensate and protect their actors.

HBO also shared an official logline for the prequel:

A century before the events of Game of Thrones, two unlikely heroes wandered Westeros… a young, naïve but courageous knight, Ser Duncan the Tall, and his diminutive squire, Egg. Set in an age when the Targaryen line still holds the Iron Throne and the memory of the last dragon has not yet passed from living memory, great destinies, powerful foes, and dangerous exploits all await these improbable and incomparable friends.

Martin has released three novellas about Dunk and Egg’s adventures together, which came in the immediate aftermath of the Blackfyre Rebellion. That was the second famous Targaryen civil war in Westeros, the one fought after dragons went extinct. The three stories were later collected in the book that lends its name to the show’s title.

While we know the fate of Dunk and Egg many years later (which you can read about here if you don’t mind spoilers), there’s so much of their earlier time together we do not. Beyond the three stories Martin has published, he has long said he had/has plans for many more entries. Even if he never writes them, he can now use those ideas as a basis for storylines on the show.

Recently, HBO’s head of drama Francesca Orsi noted more about how the series would structure itself. She offered that it would run “ideally year-to-year and arcing out a three-season series, which maps out the three novellas that George wrote… Of course, we’d like more beyond that, and George is continuing to think about the remaining novellas that he still wants to write, but at this point, we have our eye on three seasons that would map out each book, each novella.”

Even if we simply get adaptations of the three we have read, though, they will provide a fascinating look at the Seven Kingdoms during an important era in its history. The first Blackfyre Rebellion split the Realm in two. But the end of a war does not guarantee peace. And while House Targaryen did not have dragons during this time period, they did have magic. Also, the actions of family members also had major implications on their ancestors 100 years later during the events of Game of Thrones. A couple of them were still around then, too.

Maester Aemon of the Night’s Watch was Egg’s brother. (He called out to Egg while dying.) And the Three-Eyed Raven (known as the Three-Eyed Crow in the novels) was one of the most important figures before, during, and long after the Blackfyre Rebellion. Long before he became part of a tree far beyond the Wall he was an infamous sorcerer and political figure. Just getting to see him in his heyday will make this spinoff worth watching.

Not that it needs any more reasons than Dunk and Egg. Warner Bros. Discovery didn’t need a Three-Eyed Raven to tell the people love this duo for a reason. Or that another Game of Thrones spinoff is a good idea.

Originally published on April 12, 2023.

The post GAME OF THRONES Dunk and Egg Spinoff Series to Adapt A KNIGHT OF THE SEVEN KINGDOMS appeared first on Nerdist.

How did Panem devolve into the casual cruelty we see in The Hunger Games? The capitol of the nation prospers while citizens in many of its districts suffer and struggle to survive. Author Suzanne Collins explored the events before the 74th Hunger Games in a prequel novel, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, set 64 years in the past. The story, which Lionsgate is adapting into a film, specifically focuses on Coriolanus Snow. He later becomes the tyrannical leader of Panem. But as a young man, he doesn’t see the world—or the games—so clearly. A girl from District 12, Lucy Gray Baird, gives him a new perspective.

Before you see The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, here’s what you should know about the characters and how they connect to what and who you know from The Hunger Games. We also have a few exclusive character images to share.

Coriolanus Snow

Coriolanus Snow, played by Tom Blyth, is an 18-year-old looking out for his family. He’s decades away from becoming the President Snow we know from the books and movie adaptations. Here, he’s trying to regain status for his family, as the aftermath from the war has left them under financial duress. Snow wants to keep up appearances and improve their situation. As part of this, when he is chosen to mentor a tribute in the 10th Hunger Games, he accepts the position with aplomb—even when he is stuck with a tribute from District 12, Lucy Gray Baird.

Lucy Gray Baird

Lucy Gray Baird, from District 12, is the captivating and enigmatic tribute in the 10th annual Hunger Games who young Coriolanus mentors. Rachel Zegler portrays Lucy Gray. District 12 is, of course, the coal-mining district where we later meet Katniss Everdeen. Lucy Gray charms the Capitol at the reaping and makes a memorable entry to the games. A performer in a musical singing troupe, the Covey, with her family, Lucy Gray is unafraid of the Capitol and the architects of the game. She doesn’t hesitate to enlighten Snow about what life in the districts is like.

Casca Highbottom

Oh, Casca Highbottom. Peter Dinklage plays this character, dean of the Academy and the person who came up with the concept for the Hunger Games. Highbottom once shared that idea with Coriolanus’ father and eventually, their hypothetical ponderings became reality, leaving Highbottom (rightfully) morally conflicted. Highbottom has an addiction to the painkiller morphling.

Tigris

Remember Tigris from Mockingjay? She appeared in Mockingjay – Part 2, played by Eugenie Bondurant. In that time, she owns a clothing shop and has altered her appearance; she offers shelter to Katniss. But Tigris is Coriolanus’ cousin. Hunter Schafer plays her in The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes Tigris is already stylish and resourceful, and she believes in her cousin and his character.

Sejanus Plinth

Josh Andrés Rivera plays Sejanus Plinth. He attends the Academy with Snow and is also chosen to mentor a Tribute for the 10th Hunger Games. He’s in a privileged position, with his now wealthy and powerful family at his back, but he still must define his allegiance to the Capitol and prove himself.

Lucretius “Lucky” Flickerman

Caesar Flickerman brings pizazz to the Hunger Games in Katniss’ time. He’s a well-known figure, playing a key part in the Games’ success. But it’s his predecessor, Lucretius “Lucky” Flickerman who kicks off this legacy. Jason Schwartzman plays Lucky, the first-ever host for The Hunger Games broadcast. He’s a weatherman and amateur magician eager for a chance to show his talents in the national spotlight and make the games a can’t-miss event.

Dr. Volumnia Gaul

Dr. Volumnia Gaul, played by Viola Davis, is a cruel force behind the games. An instructor at the Academy and the Head Gamesmaker, Dr. Gaul ensures the Hunger Games are riveting. She wants to show the Capitol’s commitment to the punishment of the Districts and make it an unforgettable spectacle. She operates the Capitol’s weapons division, coming up with inventive and horrific ways to torment the Tributes.

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes will arrive in theaters on November 17.

The post A Guide to THE HUNGER GAMES: THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS & SNAKES Characters appeared first on Nerdist.

A new entry into the world of Planet of the Apes is coming our way. And it picks up generations after we left Caesar and his tribe living peacefully in War for the Planet of the Apes. Trouble, of course, is brewing, as it naturally does in order for franchises to continue. And we can sense an epic conflict coming our way. The first teaser trailer for Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes sets us up well for the “action-adventure spectacle” that awaits, promising ape tyrants, human friends, lots of danger, but also beauty. You can get your first look at what’s in store below.

The official logline for Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes released with the trailer reveals more about its story; it notes:

Director Wes Ball breathes new life into the global, epic franchise set several generations in the future following Caesar’s reign, in which apes are the dominant species living harmoniously and humans have been reduced to living in the shadows. As a new tyrannical ape leader builds his empire, one young ape undertakes a harrowing journey that will cause him to question all that he has known about the past and to make choices that will define a future for apes and humans alike.

That young ape, of course, is Cornelius, Caesar’s son. And he won’t allow his father’s legacy to be ruined by those who would use it for ill. But will he successfully bring peace to apes and humans alike in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes? We’ll have to wait and see where his journey goes. But this trailer suggests it certainly won’t be an easy quest.

A release shares, “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is directed by Wes Ball (the “Maze Runner” trilogy) and stars Owen Teague (“IT”), Freya Allan (“The Witcher”), Kevin Durand (“Locke & Key”), Peter Macon (“Shameless”), and William H. Macy (“Fargo”).” This Planet of the Apes movie releases in theaters on May 24, 2024.

The post KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES Trailer Teases an Ape Tyrant on the Rise appeared first on Nerdist.

The Boys‘ spinoff series Gen V is doing its own thing with a slowly unraveling mystery at Godolkin University. But that doesn’t mean these shows aren’t closely intertwined. For college supes like Marie Moreau, the impact of the Seven looms large over their lives. In fact, the deification of superheroes led some parents to inject their babies with Compound V in hopes that they’d gain powers. This drug is a big part of The Boys’ overall history and future storylines. So, let’s dig into all things Compound V, its different forms, and what it means for the characters of Gen V and The Boys. 

The History of Compound V and Compound V24 in The Boys, Explained

The first season of The Boys introduces us to Compound V. It is a blue serum that can give both humans and animals extraordinary abilities. Nazi scientist Frederick Vought created it during WWII to turn adult soldiers into supes. Over the years, Vought International continued to make and manipulate his formula. The abilities a person can get are random and, if there are multiple doses, the powers can change based on how it mutates in the body. Interestingly, Compound V has a better survival and success rate with babies and young children versus adults. It is not a guarantee that anyone who takes Compound V will develop powers at any point in their lives. And, as expected, higher doses for those who can successfully process Compound V makes them stronger/faster/etc. This is why Queen Maeve and Homelander are so wildly strong.

In The Boys, we see an adult and already superpowered A-Train and his then-girlfriend Popclaw take Compound V. They use it in regular, small doses to enhance their abilities, much like a steroid does for normal human athletes. Unfortunately, it can cause the opposite effect and weaken their powers or cause major damage to their organs. That’s what happens to the speedster A-Train, who ends up needing a heart transplant.

The Boys season three gives us a different form of the serum with Compound V24, which is also known as Temp V. Compound V24 is a green super serum that allows a regular person to be a supe for 24 hours with just one dose. It is expensive—two million dollars, to be exact—and doesn’t seem to be addictive. Well, unless you count a person’s ego boost as addictive. Butcher gets his initial dose from Queen Maeve in hopes of being able to fight Soldier Boy and the Payback collective. Hughie also takes some of it so he can gain powers and feel more useful in general. 

Like any drug, Compound V24 has side effects. It made Butcher vomit green blood, drizzle goo out of his ears, and eventually led to such severe sickness that he only has months to live (allegedly). Starlight reveals that Compound V24 is fatal after three doses and Butcher has hit that mark.

Compound V24 will surely come into play in The Boys season four as we learn more about Butcher’s fate. 

Compound V in Gen V, Explained

It’s pretty obvious that Compound V plays a role in Gen V. It is right there in the show’s name. According to Indira Shetty’s conversation with Ashely Barrett in episode two, 400 kids (including Marie) found out that they weren’t born special but were drugged with Compound V as babies. Luke and Sam further discuss this in an episode three flashback. Sam is understandably furious when he finds out but Luke tries to defend his parents, saying they just thought they were giving them powers.

Why would a parent give their child a dangerous and potentially fatal drug? We assume most parents did this in hopes of making their kids wealthy/famous like the Seven. That is the case with Emma’s mom for sure. As we discover in Gen V, many of these young supes don’t know how to control their abilities when they first activate. Like Marie, some of their powers don’t kick in until puberty or another life-altering event and they are completely shocked.

They often end up in places like the Red River Institute, which is a supe orphanage. After a certain age/timeframe, they “transition” to a facility like Sage Grove psychiatric hospital or Elmira Adult rehab center where they are locked up or killed. Some supes like Sam have to grapple with mental health hurdles, too.

Marie’s power may not be as “marketable” as being a speedster or having super strength; however, she’s still one of the lucky ones. Landing at God U seemed like the best fate given her traumatic past. But we now know that the school is a front for gruesome experiments. Interestingly, we discover more about Marie’s powers, including her ability to suss out Compound V in a person’s bloodstream.

With the mysteries of that weird facility known as “the woods,” we may discover something new about Compound V soon. Vought is always “refining” the process of creating Compound V and there are probably science researchers at this university. How will it affect this generation as they come fully into adulthood? The answers could be lurking in the shadows of God U.

Originally published September 29, 2023.

The post Compound V and Compound V24 in THE BOYS and GEN V, Explained appeared first on Nerdist.

Godolkin University is a place where you can thrive, cause chaos, and apparently run head first into murder. The Boys‘ spinoff Gen V draws from a bizarre The Boys comic arc with a wild roster of new characters who boast a bevy of powers. Compound V is one hell of a drug, right? And, as the show transpires, we will learn even more about each supe’s power and how it plays into all the bloody action.

Here is every new Gen V hero and what you need to know about their powers. 

Gen V’s Godolkin University Student Hero Lineup and Their Powers

Marie Moreau (Power: Hemokinesis/Blood Manipulation)

Our main girl Marie Moreau is an 18-year-old superhero with the power of hemokinesis, which is the ability to control and weaponize her own blood. We saw her use her power in the Gen V trailer as she uses blood tentacles of sorts to whip around and destroy things. The first episode of Gen V reveals that Marie’s powers activated when she began her menstrual cycle at around 10, even though she was injected with Compound V as a baby. She panics in the bathroom and accidentally ends up killing her parents because she doesn’t know how to control her weaponized blood. We also learn that she frequently uses her powers by cutting her hands and manipulating the blood.

Unlike most kids who end up at Red River Institute and later go to Elmira Adult Rehabilitation Center where they are either locked up or presumably killed, Marie gets into Godolkin University. But she still grapples with her past and how people view her presently. That is, until Golden Boy’s death and some PR foolery by Godolkin and Vought leads her to become ranked in the top ten. Her newfound fame goes over well with everyone except Jordan Li (obvious reasons) and Polarity, who wants his son to be the sole star and finds Marie’s powers “unsanitary.”

Marie doesn’t seem to regret her powers but she is soon disillusioned with being the diversity showpony for God U. She moves up in the rankings to #2 in episode four; however, she’s now fully into exposing the nefarious woods. We get to see a different side of her powers when she explodes a fellow student’s penis after he tries to sexually assault her. Marie isn’t sure how she did it but being able to control blood within another person’s body is a new part of her abilities.

In episode five, Marie humorously reveals that she can sense when a person is about to start their menstrual cycle. More importantly, Marie is able to sense when there’s something obstructing blood flow, which is how she discovers the tracking device implanted in her neck. She can also sense Compound V in a person’s blood, which happens when she meets Victoria Neuman in episode seven. Honestly, her powers are the coolest.

Andre Anderson (Power: Metal Manipulation and Superhuman Strength)

Andre is a junior at Godolkin University with magnetic powers and, of course, superhuman strength. We assume his powers are like his father Polarity considering he’s set to take his place after retirement. And if being charming and handsome are superpowers, then he has those too. He not only draws a metal bottle straight to his hand but also causes two trucks to smash together and capture a fleeing man. But that doesn’t mean his powers are dangerous. He nearly kills a woman after doing a “magic trick” with a piece of metal but Marie saves her, thankfully. Andre’s father pushes him even harder after Golden Boy’s death when he becomes the top-ranked student.

As Andre begins to investigate Golden Boy’s death, his powers come into play quite often. Unfortunately, the soldiers protecting the “woods” secrets have a device that can subdue his powers. But when that device isn’t in play, Andre can be a dangerous guy. He launches a refrigerator at Sam to subdue him and, in episode five, Andre uses gardening tools to pin (and nearly decapitate) Rufus in a moment of anger.

Emma Myer/Little Cricket (Power: Size Manipulation/Reduction)

Emma’s supe moniker Little Cricket is due to her ability to get super small. She’s much like Termite on The Boys, except she’s a YouTuber who makes fight videos with her rodent pet David Caruso. Her power also shines in the Gen V trailer when she crawls out of a dead man’s ear. Fantastic. In the show’s first episode, we discover that Emma sadly has to force herself to vomit in order to get small. People are either cruel to her online, fetishize her in real life, or use her to forward their own agendas. Justine is a terrible person. Emma’s own mother wants to use her to create a TV show. Things are rocky between her and Marie for a bit but they become friends, which brings some light to her sad story.

She also gets close to Golden Boy’s brother Sam. This relationship causes Little Cricket to use her powers in a different way in episode four. Sam is having a mental breakdown and all the blood and metal moving powers in the world won’t stop him. Little Cricket is at her regular size and gorges on food to get super big. She’s able to subdue him and also shocks everyone with her new (to them and us) ability. Emma’s new power reveal (and a video of her getting loose) increases her popularity and makes her rise up the student rankings.

Cate Dunlap (Power: Mind Control)

Cate can make people do anything she asks by simply touching them with her hands. Of course, she uses this to her advantage, like sliding her way into a packed nightclub, and is super popular. She can also use them for revenge or to save someone in a tight spot. Like Marie, her powers accidentally destroyed her family after she told her brother to leave and never return. Her powers do have side effects from severe headaches to seizures if she takes things too far.

Unfortunately, Dean Shetty is using Cate’s power to her advantage. Cate is able to wipe people’s memories, which she did to the group to make them forget The Woods. She was also responsible for mind-wiping Golden Boy to make him keep forgetting his brother Sam. When Cate is not under strong meds, she’s able to hear everyone’s thoughts around her.

Jordan Li (Power: Gender/Body Transformation, Superhuman Strength and Durability, Energy Blasts)

They can change between male and female forms. Depending on their form, this hero has access to different power sets that we see in Gen V. The man is dense and indestructible, while the woman can use energy blasts and appears to be quick. They put up a formidable fight against Golden Boy towards the end of the first episode. Jordan doesn’t fit the social bill to be the hero of Godolkin so we will see how that affects their future.

Thankfully, Jordan can kick down doors, which helps save Marie from a campus creep. This, along with their obvious tension with Marie, leads to the pair hooking up. Love to see it.

Luke Riordan/Golden Boy (Power: Pyrokinesis/Fire Manipulation and Superhuman Strength)

Luke Riordan can light his entire body on fire and apparently use it as a shield. It seems he is this universe’s version of the Human Torch. But there’s a lot more to this pretty boy than meets the eye. Sure he’s all charms and smiles with Marie; however, Luke is dealing with something heavy. He keeps seeing visions of the mysterious “woods” and discovered the truth about what happened to his younger brother Sam. The visions cause him to go on a rampage, killing his supposed buddy Brink before he flies in the sky and explodes himself.

His story and the ongoing mystery about the woods unfolds over the first three episodes.

Other Gen V Characters Who Have Powers

When Marie Moreau arrives at Godolkin University, we see a lot of ancillary students with a bevy of powers. It remains to be seen if we will get to know any of them in the season but there are some other Gen V characters who play a role and have powers.

Maverick (Power: Invisibility)

Maverick is Marie’s RA who makes an appearance a couple of times. He’s pretty witty but we don’t get a ton of him this season.

Polarity (Power: Metal Manipulation and Superhuman Strength)

Like we mentioned earlier, Polarity is Andre’s father and has the same powers. He is also well-aware of the secrets of the woods and, after falling into some serious illness in episode seven, could end up being a victim in the finale.

Sam (Power: Superhuman Strength and Invulnerability)

Sam is a troubled supe (and Golden Boy’s brother) who is trying to escape his unfortunate circumstances. He is a former resident at Sage Grove psychiatric hospital and a part of the sinister secrets of the woods facility, trapped in a lab where he is subject to torture. He’s extremely powerful with super strength and invulnerability but he also has to deal with hallucinations that blur the lines between reality and fiction. Luke was told his brother is schizophrenic but we aren’t sure if that is his true diagnosis or not.

Sam is perhaps the most powerful supe in this series but he’s also been through a lot of physical and mental trauma. But his powers, inside knowledge of the woods, and his brother’s tragic death all make him an asset in taking down God U and Vought.

Originally published September 29, 2023.

The post Every New GEN V Hero and Their Powers on THE BOYS’ Spinoff appeared first on Nerdist.

There are a new class of supes who hope to join the Seven in Gen V. Marie Moreau, Andre Anderson, and others are fighting for the coveted #1 spot at Godolkin University and all the perks that come with being great. It’s an exciting new direction for The Boys universe but our hearts are always with characters like Hughie, A-Train, and even Homelander. We know that a few characters from The Boys are coming to Gen V throughout its first season. But how will their stories intertwine with God U? Here’s what The Boys characters are doing in Gen V. 

A-Train Is a Beacon of Hope in Gen V 

It’s not clear if A-Train will make his way to God U before the season ends. We do see him in the show’s opening scene, which is a flashback from eight years ago. Marie’s dad is proud to see a Black man make it into the Seven. If he only knew the truth about that organization. A-Train’s draft clip is the only time he appears in the first three episodes. 

Ashley Barrett Continues to Lie for Vought in Gen V

Ashley Barrett appears at the end of episode one after Golden Boy’s rampage and death by suicide. Of course, the Vought CEO lies and says that there’s nothing wrong at Godolkin. She calls Golden Boy “psychotic” and a “drug user.” Then, her clip pulls us back into our reality before we get a taste of what will happen this semester. 

She shows up early in episode two on a board meeting/phone call with Godolkin University president Indira Shetty to discuss Golden Boy’s death. Ashley quickly creates a narrative to push Marie and Andre as the “Guardians of Godolkin” who saved the day so they can score points with the public and the NAACP. Jordan Li is purposely left out of the narrative because of their race and gender identity. A private conversation between Indira and Ashley reveals that the woods being exposed is a big and, in Ashley’s words, a “potentially fatal” problem. Indira assures her that she will handle everything from a PR perspective.

Adam Bourke Is a Godolkin Professor in Gen V, Apparently

Adam Bourke shows up exactly where we thought he would in Gen V—the school of performing arts. The famed director tells his acting class to use their grief over Golden Boy’s death to push forward. His appearance is hilarious with a pitch-perfect monologue about the importance of the artist. Apparently, his students have to “bring the funk and not the junk” to get a passing grade.

The Deep Ranked #6 at God U and Loved Brink

The Deep (well, his photo) shows up in a Godolkin University orientation video in episode one. While Queen Maeve and A-Train were #1 in their classes, The Deep came in at #6. Honestly, I’m shocked he made it that far up the rankings. He’s not qualified to be a professor but he did send in a video for a fundraiser gala honoring Brink. In episode three, The Deep says Brink helped him hone his skills and sharpen his mind to turn him into the intelligent man he is today. He tells him to “rest in peace bro.”

This will probably be the only time The Deep makes a Gen V appearance but it is a fun cameo.

Soldier Boy’s Gen V Cameo Is a Dirty Delight

It only took six episodes for Jensen Ackles to return as Soldier Boy in Gen V. His appearance wasn’t technically the real him but rather how he exists in Cate’s mind/imagination as her childhood crush. He meets Marie and company, tells them a little too much info about Cate’s masturbation methods, and dies after being struck by a burst blood vessel. Everything about him showing up is awesome, especially when you consider that Ackles improvs his lines.

Victoria Neuman Is on the Campaign (and Chaos) Trail 

Victoria Neuman makes her Gen V debut in episode six. The head-popping VP candidate is at a Godolkin Town Hall trying to repair her image as a supe hater. Predictably, the town hall goes completely off the rails and Victoria is rushed off stage only to be accosted by Marie Moreau. Through their conversation, Victoria affirms that she also has blood manipulation powers. Marie hands her information about Vought and The Woods (which she may have been at least vaguely aware of) and Victoria uses that to kill Dr. Cardosa and take vials of the supe killing virus. She will be a big antagonist in The Boys season four and surely this virus will be a part of her nefarious plans. 

The Boys‘ Grace Mallory Makes a Surprise Cameo Appearance in Gen V

Grace Mallory, the former CIA Deputy Director who was caring for Homelander’s son Ryan, is known for being the founder of The Boys and working closely with Butcher. She appears briefly in Gen V in a scene with Dean Shetty, who tries to convince her to use the supe killing virus. Grace refuses and then calls a mysterious person (Butcher, maybe?) to make sure they got the recording. So, it looks like The Boys collective will be trying to stop this horrific virus in season four. 

Originally published September 29, 2023.

The post Here’s How THE BOYS Characters Show Up in GEN V appeared first on Nerdist.

The Boys is known for its bloody and oft-gross world full of deceptive supes and shady corporate shenanigans. So it’s fitting that Gen V, the show’s spinoff series, is delivering that same energy in a college setting. Class is in session and there’s a lot of gross, shocking, and plain old weird moments in Gen V that are prime fodder for GIFs and memes. 

Here are all the scenes that will never leave your mind (and timeline).

Jump To: Episode 1 // Episode 2 // Episode 3 // Episode 4 // Episode 5 // Episode 6 // Episode 7

Gen V Episode One’s Most Gross, Shocking, and Weird Moments  – “God U”

Marie’s Bloody Supe Origin Story

Gen V wastes no time getting into some dark and bloody s**t. At first, things seem normal with a preteen Marie starting her first menstrual cycle. She’s understandably unnerved by her bleeding but she becomes terrified when her blood starts to float towards her face. Her screams lead her mom to break down the bathroom door.

Marie isn’t able to control her newfound powers and a stream of her blood slits her mother’s throat. Her dad comes in to help but Marie’s panicking causes her blood to also kill him in a brutal fashion. Her sister comes in to see their parents dead and Marie on the floor in shock. 

Not Suitable for School Sex Videos

A now-teenage Marie is at Red River Institute, an orphanage for young supes, and simply wants to use a computer. But one of her housemates is using it to watch sex videos. Weirdly, he’s watching it with no headphones in a room with others around. Marie rightfully calls him a perv and tells him to move. She also has to, um, clean the keyboard before she can use it. 

Little Cricket Vs. David Caruso the Gerbil 

This is tame for Gen V and The Boys’ universe but it is still very weird. We meet Little Cricket a.k.a. Emma, who shrinks down and makes fighting videos with her pet gerbil. It’s strange and fun and I’m okay with it. 

Golden Boy’s Arm-Ripping Techniques 

Golden Boy is the man at God U. So of course he has to battle his fellow classmates in a gladiator-style battle, right? He turns on the flames and quickly takes out an opponent. The fight ends with him ripping the other guy’s arms off for a burst of bright red. Thankfully this supe has healing powers and his arms are reconnected to his body. 

Hella Strong Supe on the Loose 

Marie and Andre both discover a supe running across campus as armed guards chase him. They use their powers to apprehend him but not before he’s able to toss some vehicles and people around. This sets up a big mystery and goes against the picture perfect image that God U maintains. 

A Night Out and a Throat Slashing (Again)

As a freshman, Marie is living the dream. Andre invites Marie to hang out with him, Golden Boy, Jordan Li, and Golden Boy’s girlfriend Cate. Are they supposed to leave campus? No. But college life is all about breaking the rules. Things are going well until Andre gets drunk and decides to manipulate a coin into a bird to impress a girl at the bar. Someone bumps into him and the coin slices a woman’s neck. Marie is able to save her life but it begins a downward spiral that nearly gets her booted from school.

Little Cricket’s Goes on a Wild and Woeful Ride

Little Cricket didn’t get a chance to hang out with Golden Boy. Instead, she hooks up with a random guy who is a fan of her online videos. Predictably, he only cares about her getting small so she can, um, take a ride on his private part. She isn’t thrilled about it but in the midst of her sadness she does it anyway. We also discover that Little Cricket has to force herself to vomit in order to get small. It really brings her story and powers into a sad focus. 

Golden Boy’s Killer Rampage and Explosive Ending

Marie decides to fight back against Professor Brink’s decision to expel her in order to protect Golden Boy and company. What she didn’t bargain for was seeing Golden Boy burning Brink alive before turning his attention to her. Jordan saves the day (even though they barely survived) but Golden Boy makes it outside. In the end, Golden Boy says goodbye to his bestie Andre before floating up in the sky and exploding himself. His blood and guts rain down on everyone below as they stand in a state of shock. An explosive ending to an episode, indeed. 

Gen V Episode Two’s Most Gross, Shocking, and Weird Moments  – “First Day”

Guts Cleanup on Godolkin Campus

The first scene of the episode shows the gory aftermath of Golden Boy’s death. Chunks of his flesh and blood are all over the place and it is terrible.

Nancy Reagan That S**t

Justine will do anything to get views, including telling others that Emma purges to get small. While that is gross and shocking from a moral perspective, Justine is also a creep. She convinces a supe to suck her tail on camera, telling her to “Nancy Reagan that s**t” in a calm voice. Yuck.

A Dive Into Polarity’s Private Parts

Andre finally pieces together what Golden Boy said moments before his death. “Your dad has it” wasn’t meant to be taken literally after all. It turns out Luke/Golden Boy hid a secret phone in the crotch of the Polarity statue, which Andre opens and retrieves.

Cate Saves the Day with Dirty Mind Control

Andre’s mission to find out about Luke and Sam goes awry when guards catch him. Cate comes in and uses her mind manipulation powers to convince one guard to suck on the others flashlight before it goes, well, where the sun doesn’t shine. Cate is so creative and clutch.

Gen V Episode Three’s Most Gross, Shocking, and Weird Moments  – “#ThinkBrink”

The Fist Up the Throat

Sage Grove doesn’t seem like a fun place to be. In a flashback, Luke and Cate go to visit Sam. Besides seeing a very long “love sausage” they discover that Sam is quite upset after learning the truth about Compound V. Luke calms him down but an officer shoots him, which leads to Sam punching an officer so hard in the chest that his fist comes out of his mouth. Delightful.

Well, That’s One Way to Grieve

Cate and Andre are both mourning Luke’s death and trying to piece together this mystery. In the midst of it all, college hormones take over and they have sex. Somehow, we don’t think Luke would be pleased.

Jordan Li’s Little Romp

This show changes scenery and tone at the drop of a hat. One moment we are grieving with Golden Boy and the next one Jordan Li is having a tryst in their room with a lot showing in broad daylight. Gen V really does embody the spirit of The Boys well when it comes to random shocking moments!

A Little Cricket Ear Adventure

Little Cricket meets Sam and they actually get along quite well. Soldiers come in and hit Sam with a taser. She chooses to defend him by crawling into a man’s ear and going all the way through to the other side. It’s bloody, weird, and a moment that no one will forget.

Gen V Episode Four’s Most Gross, Shocking, and Weird Moments  – “The Whole Truth”

Sam’s Trail of Carnage Candy

Sam is on the loose and he leaves a lot of carnage candy in his wake. Dean Shetty discovers a gruesome scene with most of her soldiers’ bodies twisted and bloody in a hallway. It’s not the first time we have seen Sam deliver blood to the screen and it certainly won’t be the last. 

I Exploded His D**k

Yes, Marie is a supe and currently #2 at God U. But that doesn’t mean she isn’t still a naive freshman who doesn’t know what’s going on sometimes. Marie is desperate to find Emma, so she seeks out Rufus, an upperclassman with psychic and telepathy powers. She wants him to use his abilities to locate Emma and he agrees, coercing Marie to sit close to him.

However, he somehow portals them to his dorm room after knocking her out with some sort of pheromones. Marie is confused and horrified when she discovers that he’s wearing a robe and fully exposing himself to her. Jordan shows up and creates a distraction. Marie holds her hands up and it causes the blood to rush to his penis. It explodes and that situation is a wrap. 

Marie and Jordan Hook Up

There’s been a ton of tension between these two and not in a sexual way. However, Marie finally telling the truth and Jordan coming to her aid sparks a flame between the pair. They share their first kiss before Emma barges in and end up having sex later in the episode. It’s not the graphic fare we’d expect in Gen V, but this moment is still shocking nonetheless. 

Tek Knight Is Humpin’ Around

Tek Knight’s extracurricular activities become his downfall in this episode. Dean Shetty discovers that his brain tumor leads him to engaging with inanimate objects in a sexual way. We actually get to see a few, including a donut, traffic cone, hand dryer, and even a tree. What a swell guy!

Emma Goes Giant

This episode reveals more about Emma’s abilities. Apparently, she can consume large amounts of food while regular sized and turn into a super-sized version of herself. This comes in handy when the God U crew tracks down Sam and tries to subdue him. Emma eats spaghetti and gets very big (and naked), holding Sam down and talking to him gently until he calms down. 

Gen V Episode Five’s Most Gross, Shocking, and Weird Moments  – “Welcome to the Monster Club”

The Dolphin Blowhole Sex Scene

The God U crew wakes up at a house party and doesn’t remember anything from the night before nor the woods. Andre and Cate walk through the house, where all sorts of wild things have happened. But nothing is like what they see in one room. A guy who can move his hand really fast sticks it inside of a girl with a blowhole. And um… she has her climax and shoots fluid out of the hole.

Who the Hell Is Sam?!

Things take a complete turn when Sam shows up. Emma and Marie have no idea who he is and remember nothing about The Woods. This is when we know something truly terrible has happened to our crew.

The Violent Puppet Scene

Dean Shetty’s guards/soldiers descend on Sam’s hiding spot. He takes them out in extremely brutal fashion but it seems less horrific because the fight is seen through his eyes. Everyone, including Sam, appears as a puppet. It’s only in the end where we see the true carnage that Sam left behind. The more you think about his puppet connection, the sadder it becomes.

Cate’s Deception

Marie discovers a tracking device in her neck and goes to Cate to see what to do next. Unfortunately, Cate reveals herself to be the one wiping their minds. Is she a horrible person? No. But it still makes everyone angry, especially Andre.

Gen V Episode Six’s Most Gross, Shocking, and Weird Moments  – “Jumanji”

Hello Soldier Boy

Everything about Marie, Jordan, and Andre’s encounter with Soldier Boy in Cate’s mind is weird and gross. He reveals that he is her childhood crush as well as all the ways she would masturbate to his image. We get great terms like “flick the bean” and “diddle that skittle” to describe it all. What a fun and wild cameo that ends explosively.

A Little Sex and an Emma Puppet

Is there anything else to say? After getting her memories back, Emma finds Sam and shows him the way to Pleasure Town. During their interaction, Sam briefly sees Emma as a puppet before she becomes herself again.

The Dean Shetty and Cate Connection

Well, well, wellll. It turns out Dean Shetty preyed on Cate at a young age after she’d been ostracized for nine years. Now we have a better understanding of why Cate would betray her friends and help Shetty in her dangerous mission.

Andre and Jordan Are Full of Sordid Secrets

Cate’s mind tells everyone’s personal business. While the revelation about Marie’s dark past made everyone feel empathy for her, Jordan and Andre’s secrets were of the anger-inducing variety. It turns out Golden Boy knew that Andre and Cate were sleeping together before he died. Spicy. And Jordan saw a confrontation between Golden Boy and Brink, but chose to stay quiet about it in exchange for their TA position.

Gen V Episode Seven’s Most Gross, Shocking, and Weird Moments  – “Sick”

Infected Andy Enters The Woods

Sam is out of The Woods but the horrors continue for the other supes there. We see the full scope of Dean Shetty and Dr. Cardosa’s nasty virus thanks to infected Andy. He looks like something from a zombie series in the grossest way possible. 

Dean’s Shetty’s Shocking Truth 

Marie and Jordan do a little snooping around in Shetty’s office and make a big discovery. It turns out Shetty’s family died in the flight that Homelander and Queen Maeve crashed in The Boys season one. This is why she’s dead set on killing all supes. For more about that crash and what this connection could mean, check this post out. 

Sam Explores Emma’s Underwear 

Sam is left to his own devices while Emma does a supply run. While it seems like a terrible idea to leave someone like Sam alone, Emma also knows he’s a wanted man. Sam explores Emma’s room and discovers her underwear drawer. Interestingly, she has underwear in all sizes and he takes a liking to her tiny ones. In fact, he begins to act out a weird scene with them to entertain himself. How can you not love him?

Polarity’s Onscreen Breakdown and Crushing Ride to the Hospital 

Polarity is back in Gen V and preparing to interview Victoria Neuman at a God U Town Hall. Things quickly go awry when Polarity goes into some sort of shock on live TV. Andre is watching and rushes to see about his estranged father. Polarity’s powers go off the rails, causing metal to fly all around and his ambulance to start crushing in on itself. Thankfully, Andre contains everything but it raises some unanswered questions about what happened to him. Is it connected to The Woods? 

Victoria Neuman’s Power Reveal

After a terrible Town Hall, Victoria Neuman and Marie Moreau sit down for a little chat. Victoria confirms that she also has blood manipulation powers, which makes sense because she pops people’s heads for fun. Maybe we will see a bloody battle between the two in the future.

Dean Shetty Dies Under Cate’s Control

The frankly awful relationship between Dean Shetty and Cate Dunlap comes to a tragic end. After years of feeding Cate meds to control her powers and coercing her to protect The Woods’ secrets, Cate is over Shetty. She gains mind control over her, making her confess all her sins before forcing Shetty to slit her own throat. This action causes some division among the group and sets Cate up to be a new antihero.

Popping the Doctor

Oh Marie. She tells Victoria Neuman all about what’s going on with The Woods and it immediately leads to mess. Victoria tracks down Dr. Cardosa, gets all the virus vials, and promptly pops his head before heading off to parts unknown.

We can’t wait to see what other gross, shocking, and weird moments will happen in Gen V.

Originally published on September 29, 2023.

The post The Most Shocking, Gross, and Plain Weird Moments of GEN V appeared first on Nerdist.

Stephen King’s IT has haunted us since 1986. But most recently, IT and IT: Chapter Two directed by Andy Muschietti really captivated popular imagination. The devious Pennywise and his red balloon caused a stir among die-hard horror fans and casual viewers. And now, we’re heading back to Derry for more of that specific world. The newly coined streamer Max (formerly HBO Max) has officially greenlit and ordered Welcome To Derry, an IT prequel series from Andy Muschietti, Barbara Muschietti, and Jason Fuchs. And now we know who will star in Welcome to Derry and when it will arrive on our screens.

The platform recently revealed that Welcome to Derry‘s cast will include Taylour Paige, Jovan Adepo, Chris Chalk, and James Remar. According to Deadline, Madeleine Stowe and Stephen Rider have also come aboard in recurring guest and series regular roles, respectively. Additionally, although the Pennywise series was slated for a Halloween 2024 release on Max, HBO CEO Casey Bloys now reveals that it will likely come in 2025.

According to TV Line, Andy Muschietti will also direct several episodes of the series, including its first. The publication reports the HBO IT series will be set in the ’60s. It will delve into the origins of Derry’s curse and, presumably, Pennywise the Clown. The HBO Max show will eventually lead to the first IT film.

It’s not clear whether we’d see Pennywise become the main character of the Welcome to Derry prequel show. But we wouldn’t mind seeing Bill Skarsgård step into the role once more. Though, for now, it doesn’t seem like he’ll have any involvement.

Skarsgård shared the following about the IT prequel with Jake’s Takes:

As of now, I’m not currently involved in it… If someone else gets to do it, my advice would be: Do it your own. Make it your own. Have fun with it… What I thought was so pleasurable about that character was how incredibly abstract he was.

We do, however, have a look at first look at the set of the series.

We’ll just have to see what else lies in store for Pennywise and Derry.

Originally published on February 23, 2023.

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Every major pop culture property has its own unofficial day. May the 4th is of course Star Wars Day. The Star Trek franchise gets two days, April 8 and September 8. And yes, even the King of the Monsters, Godzilla, has a day to himself, on November 3. As a way of celebrating the atomic lizard this year, Youtooz Collectibles is unleashing a whole new collection of Godzilla items and other notable kaiju, too. Of course, this includes his eternal enemies like Kong and Mechagodzilla. You can check out images of these new Youtooz Collectibles of Godzilla and friends below in our gallery.

Click To View Gallery

Among the items in this collection is a classic Godzilla plushie, featuring the giant Tokyo-wrecker in his original classic look. There’s also a Mothra plushie, a modern Godzilla plushie, a Kong plushie, and a Limited Edition Mechagodzilla plushie. Each of these is 9 inches tall. There’s a Godzilla and a King Ghidora that both stand 3.9 inches tall and a 3.6 inch Mothra as well.

Have you ever wanted to drink a beverage from the head of a mean, green lizard? There’s a Godzilla mug. Currently, the modern Godzilla and the Kong plushies are sold out, as are the Kong on Throne, the Heat Ray Godzilla, and the Godzilla vs. Kong figurines. But you never know when Youtooz is going to restock.

Due to licensing restrictions, the Godzilla collection only ships to addresses in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. With Monarch: Legacy of Monsters arriving soon, and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire hitting theaters next year, now is the perfect time to stock up on cool collectibles featuring the characters from the Monsterverse. We all need a few more giant monsters in our lives.

The post Celebrate Godzilla Day with YouTooz’s Kaiju Collectibles appeared first on Nerdist.

House of the Dragon’s first season flew in with all the drama, shocking moments, and, of course, dragons that fans expect from this universe. Season one took us back many decades before Daenerys Targaryen’s birth to show us the events leading to the decline of the mighty House Targaryen. Now, we are fully locked into the fury that Rhaenyra will rain upon her former BFF Alicent and her supporters after Jace’s death. What does the future hold for these warring factions? We shall see what happens in this upcoming season.

But one thing we do know is when we can expect House of the Dragon season two to arrive. Per Variety, in a press event, HBO’s CEO Casey Bloys shared that the second season of House of the Dragon would arrive in summer 2024. According to the report, the first trailer for the series was also screened at the event. However, no further details were shared. Still, it seems like we will get our first look at the HBO show very soon.

Here’s everything we know about House of the Dragon season two so far. 

House of the Dragon Season Two’s Plot 

The show is based on George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood, so book fans have a general sense of where this show will go. Of course, there will be some creative liberties taken, but the obvious “Dance of the Dragons” between Team Rhaenyra (the Black Queen) and Team Alicent will happen. Rhaenyra and her uncle-husband Daemon will wage war against Aegon II, Alicent’s son and the newly crowned king. House Velaryon stands with the “Blacks” along with their massive navy. On the other side is the “Greens” with Alicent, her father Otto Hightower, Ser Criston Cole, and her son Aemond, the rider of Vhagar, the largest dragon in the world. There is no longer a chance at mediation as Rhaenyra’s rage takes over. 

Behind the Scenes 

House of the Dragon co-creator and executive producer Ryan Condal will continue on as a showrunner; however, his season one co-showunner Miguel Sapochnik will not return for season two. George R.R. Martin will continue his involvement as an executive producer. This time, fans will get eight episodes, which is two fewer than the first season.

House of the Dragon Season Two’s Cast

After many time jumps and casting changes in season one, House of the Dragon’s second season will stick with the faces we know now. And boy are there a lot of characters in this show. Matt Smith and Emma D’Arcy will return as Daemon and Rhaenyra Targaryen. Olivia Cooke (Alicent), Eve Best (Rhaenys Targaryen), Steve Toussaint (Corlys Velaryon), Fabien Frankel (Ser Criston Cole), Ewan Mitchell (Aemond Targaryen), Tom Glynn-Carney (Aegon Targaryen), Sonoya Mizuno (Mysaria), Matthew Needham (Larys Strong) and Rhys Ifans (Otto Hightower) are also set to round out the main cast. 

Simon Russell Beale, Freddie Fox, Gayle Rankin, and Abubakar Salim have joined the series as well, according to Deadline. Beale plays Ser Simon Strong, Castellan of Harrenhal. Fox is Ser Gwayne Hightower. Rankin is Alys Rivers, and Salim is Alyn of Hull.

House of the Dragon Season Two’s Release Date 

There is currently no release date for House of the Dragon season two. However, the series is slated to release in the summer of 2024.

Originally published on May 8, 2023.

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Most of the time, when original comic book artwork goes up for auction, it’s because it has great historical value. But occasionally, sometimes a piece of comic book art has historical value not necessarily for contributing anything great to the medium. Such is the case with this original uncolored piece of Captain America art from artist Rob Liefeld. Boing Boing reports this piece is going up for sale via Heritage Auctions. It’s currently going for north of $8,000. But what’s so special about this one promo image of Marvel’s Sentinel of Liberty? In a way, this one illustration of Cap, which you can see below, encapsulated an entire era of “extreme” ’90s comics.

So, a little background on this particular image, and why it sums up a whole decade of comics. In the early ’90s, artists like Rob Liefeld, Jim Lee, and Todd McFarlane became superstars for their work at Marvel Comics. Books like Spider-Man and X-Men, which showcased their art, sold better than ever before. But in 1992, they and several other artists left Marvel to form their own imprint, Image Comics. Although a success, the glut of comics led to a speculator boom. And eventually, that led to a cratering of the entire comic book industry in 1994. Marvel Comics was in such dire straits that it canceled almost every ongoing title that wasn’t Spidey or mutant related. The outlook for Marvel at the time was bleak.

So in 1996, Marvel came to their former superstar artists with an idea. They’d allow Image Comics, specifically Jim Lee and Rob Liefeld, to take over four of their once most famous series for one year. These series were Fantastic Four and Iron Man by Jim Lee’s Wildstorm Studios, and Avengers and Captain America by Rob Liefeld’s Extreme Studios. They named this publishing initiative Heroes Reborn, and fans were legit excited.

Marvel released an early example of what Captain America’s redesign from Liefeld would look like. Let’s just say that actual human proportions for Steve Rogers were not a concern. His manly chest was so ridiculously inflated that this one image seemed to sum up everything wrong with ’90s superhero media. And it became almost instantly infamous. Even Liefeld himself has poked fun at it in recent years. And this is exactly why this one piece of art is a true piece of comics history. Marvel would find a way to reboot their line in a better way in the 2000s, with the Ultimate line. But this one image really is the symbol of an era.

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Are the original Avengers returning? Is Doctor Doom set to replace Kang as the “Big Bad” of the Multiverse Saga? And just what the heck is going on with the Blade reboot starring Mahershala Ali? Variety ran a story about the troubles Marvel Studios is having post-Avengers: Endgame, and in particular, post-pandemic. While Marvel has still had tremendous box office success, the glut of series and movies has made the MCU daunting for the casual fan. We’ll break down each of the big reveals from the Variety article, and what these reveals might mean for the future of the MCU as a whole. We should note, we’re focusing on what this means for future films and series here and not any behind-the-scenes drama.

Are the Original Avengers Making an MCU Comeback?

According to the report, there have been talks to bring back the original Avengers back for a film. This would include Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man and Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow, both of whom were killed off in Avengers: Endgame. While the Variety pieces used the word “revive,” we would be shocked if they literally resurrected the versions who died. It’s far more likely we’ll meet their Multiversal variants in Avengers: Secret Wars, which would mean that they’d still be played by Robert Downey Jr. and Scarlett Johansson.

Putting on our Nerdstradamus cap on, we think Avengers: Secret Wars, while loosely based on the 2015 comic, will at least feature a Battleworld made of various mashed-up realities and timelines. That puts every character, dead or alive, back on the table. So yes, that means the original Avengers are reunited—in a way. And also probably teamed up with the likes of Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine, and maybe Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man. If they ever wanted a real “victory lap” film, likely before Secret Wars reboots everything, something like this might be the only way to come close to the success of Endgame. It’s not something even the most cynical person who grew up with Marvel films would ever miss. And we’d bet it was always the plan too.

Is the MCU Replacing Kang with Doctor Doom as the Multiverse Saga’s Main Villain?

And now, there’s the Kang problem. Between Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and Loki, everything was gearing up to have Jonathan Majors’ Kang the Conqueror be the main villain of Phases 5 and 6. But then, all of Major’s personal and legal troubles began (which the Variety article details). It all leaves the MCU in a pickle. How do you make Avengers: The Kang Dynasty with possibly no Kang? The article suggests that at a recent Marvel Studios Palm Springs retreat, executives discussed backup plans, including pivoting to another comic book adversary, probably Doctor Doom.

Victor von Doom is one of Marvel’s greatest villains. Heck, he’s one of the entire comic book medium’s greatest villains. So a pivot toward the megalomaniacal ruler of Latveria makes sense. Also, as will all things MCU, the answers lie in the comics. In the 2015 Secret Wars series, Doom essentially steals the god-like power of the omnipotent Beyonder. It could be that Doom usurps Kang’s role and power in the story in a similar way. The Kang Dynasty could become The Doom Dynasty, and there’s ample Marvel Comics precedent for that. While the original report suggests the upcoming end of Loki forces Marvel to have Kang as the primary antagonist, we bet they have an out planned.

What Is Happening with the MCU Version of Blade?

So what about poor Blade? Things have certainly been contentious in the world of the Daywalker ever since SDCC 2019, when Feige announced Mahershala Ali as the iconic vampire hunter. The project has apparently gone through at least five writers, two directors, and one shutdown six weeks before production. Feige most recently hired Michael Green, screenwriter for Logan, to start from scratch. The hope is that Blade will now make it for a 2025 release date. The supposed budget may have come down to $100 million or so, way less than the standard MCU fare.

We think if that’s the case, it’s a wise move. Blade is a bloody, horror action franchise. Cleaning it up to be a PG-13 tentpole defeats the purpose. If Marvel Studios is releasing an R-rated Deadpool 3, why not do the same for Blade? Nobody wants to see a sanitized version of the character. We would not be shocked if going back to the drawing board for Blade means looking at what worked in the original Wesley Snipes films (well, at least the first two) and giving the Marvel vampire saga a modern spin. The report says Mahershala Ali almost walked away from the project, but we think Kevin Feige is too smart to let that happen.

The X-Men May Be the Focus Post Multiverse Saga in the MCU

The report also mentions Kevin Feige’s trump card is the acquisition of the X-Men library of characters from Fox. Although it is rumored that many of the original Fox-era mutant heroes are returning for Deadpool 3 and possibly Secret Wars alongside Hugh Jackman, we’re guessing this is a big swan song for those iterations of the characters. A reboot of X-Men is inevitable, and we agree Marvel Studios is likely to pivot to all things mutant post-Secret Wars. Feige knows the X-Men world has much unrealized potential. They can make government operative strike teams like X-Factor or mutants in a Doctor Who-style world like Excalibur. A mutant black ops team? There’s X-Force. While we doubt the Avengers brand is going away, we foresee a big pivot towards Marvel’s mutants.

Why We Shouldn’t Count Out the MCU Just Yet

Although the original report has a real “the sky is falling” approach, the truth is more complex. A “failure” for Marvel is a big success for anyone else. If The Flash made as much as Quantumania, they’d be popping champagne bottles over there. But for Marvel, compared to the peak of the Infinity Saga, it paled. Marvel’s biggest enemy is its own success. The first decade of the MCU, from Iron Man to Avengers: Endgame was unprecedented in terms of success. We’re talking about a franchise of 23 films, all opening at #1 at the box office. All with Fresh Rotten Tomatoes scores. And all of which collectively made a staggering $25 billion. To expect that kind of wild success indefinitely is totally unrealistic. We’d suggest not writing off the MCU just yet. And even if it dies, what stays dead in comics forever? The answer: Nothing.

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For over 60 years, the pages of The Amazing Spider-Man and its various other Marvel spinoffs have been home to some of the best superhero storytelling of all time. From the days of Stan Lee in the ’60s to today’s creators like Dan Slott, here are our picks for the 10 greatest creative team runs of the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man of all time.

10. J.M. DeMatteis with Sal Buscema, Spectacular Spider-Man #178-203 (1991-1993)

Writer J.M. DeMatteis is perhaps most famous for his comedic take on DC’s Justice League, but he also wrote a relatively brief but fantastic run on The Spectacular Spider-Man, from issues #178-200. This was after he wrote the epic Kraven’s Last Hunt storyline in 1987. During his 26-issue run, which lasted from 1991 to 1993, he and artist Sal Buscema told one of the best stories ever involving Harry Osborn and his descent into becoming the Green Goblin, which culminated in issue #200 of Spectacular Spider-Man. It was one of the very few gimmick covers of the ‘90s that actually had a good story behind it. Add in the introduction of the villain Vermin, some X-Men, and this run deserves its status as one of the best.

9. Peter David with Rick Leonardi, Spider-Man 2099 #1-44 (1992-1997)

Peter David has defining runs on several iconic comic book characters, including the Hulk, X-Factor, and for DC, Aquaman. But he also had a pretty defining run for Spider-Man. It’s just the Spider-Man that wasn’t Peter Parker. In 1992, Marvel tasked David with creating a new, futuristic Spider-Man with Spider-Man 2099. This wall-crawler was Miguel O’Hara, the half-Mexican/half-Irish hero who was the first not Peter Parker ongoing character to be called Spider-Man in 30 years.

Together with artist Rick Leonardi, David inverted almost everything about Peter Parker’s Spidey. Miguel was wisecracking out of costume, totally mute as Spider-Man, and so on. His web shooters were organic and not mechanical (something Sam Raimi would later use). The run only lasted 46 issues and four years, but judging from the character’s renewed popularity thanks to Across the Spider-Verse, it’s fair to say David’s run had a long-lasting impact.

8. Todd McFarlane, Spider-Man #1-16, (1990-1991)

Todd McFarlane became an instant superstar in the comics world when he illustrated David Michelinie’s Amazing Spider-Man run in the late ‘80s. His versions of Spidey and Venom became iconic, so much so that Marvel gave him his own Spider-Man title to both draw and write—despite his inexperience as a writer at the time. So in 1990, McFarlane launched Spider-Man #1, which sold an incredible 2.5 million copies. Marvel would break that record a year later with a certain team of mutants.

McFarlane’s writing was a bit over the top, especially by modern standards, but his overall storytelling was undeniably entertaining. It was exactly what the audience craved at the time. His darker take on villains like the Lizard, Kraven, and Hobgoblin redefined the look of those characters. The crossovers with Wolverine and Ghost Rider were very ‘90s, but also very fun. This is one of the shorter runs on this list, but also one of the most iconic. McFarlane’s run only lasted 16 issues as he left Marvel in 1992 to form Image Comics, yet its impact was huge.

7. Dan Slott, with Humberto Ramos and Ryan Stegman, The Superior Spider-Man #1–33 (2013-2014)

Dan Slott has been one of the most prolific Spider-Man writers of the 21st century. But although he’s written plenty of iconic Peter Parker stories, his best Spider-Man run was actually about Otto Octavious, a.k.a Doctor Octopus. In Slott’s Superior Spider-Man series, Peter Parker’s body is taken over by the consciousness of Doc Ock, who takes over Peter’s life and decides he can be a better Spider-Man than his old enemy ever was. Although he does try to do the right thing as Spider-Man, more or less, he’s still arrogant and insufferable. Nevertheless, it was all fun as heck to read. The art by folks like Humberto Ramos, and Ryan Stegman was also always top-notch. Otto was Spidey for less than two years, but it was a memorable two years.

6. Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale, Spider-Man: Blue #1-6, (2002-2003)

In the late ‘90s, the creative team of Jeph Loeb and the late Tim Sale produced one of the greatest Batman stories of all time, The Long Halloween. A few years later, from 2002 to 2003, they re-teamed to tell a story about Peter Parker and his great lost love, Gwen Stacy. In the mini-series Spider-Man: Blue, Peter Parker recounts the events of Amazing Spider-Man #40-48. This modern retelling includes Sale’s incredible renditions of characters like Kraven, the Lizard, the Rhino, and the Green Goblin. And, of course, Gwen Stacy and Mary Jane Watson. Blue is only six issues long, but it still stands as one of the most heartfelt and beautifully written and illustrated Spider-Man stories of all time.

5. Gerry Conway with Gil Kane and John Romita, The Amazing Spider-Man #111-149 (1972-1975)

Following up the legendary run of Stan Lee, which lasted a decade, would have been an unenviable task for any writer. But Gerry Conway took big swings in his Amazing Spider-Man run, which lasted from 1972 to 1975. Conway’s stories were enhanced by some gorgeous art by Gil Kane and Spidey veteran John Romita. It was during Conway’s run that fans met the villainous Jackal and his cloning operation (this would matter a lot 20 years later).

Conway’s MJ became a more fully fleshed-out character. She wasn’t just the “out of his league” supermodel anymore. Oh, and Conway’s run also introduced the world to the Punisher. You may have heard of him. Most importantly though, Gerry Conway bucked all known comic book conventions at the time with one shocking act. He did this by killing off Peter Parker’s longtime girlfriend Gwen Stacy. The repercussions of this are still being felt in the Spider-Man titles today.

4. David Michelinie with Todd McFarlane, Erik Larsen, and Mark Bagley, Amazing Spider-Man 296-352, #359-388 (1987-1994)

In the late ‘80s, Spider-Man was still Marvel’s best-selling solo character, but some excitement had fallen away from Peter Parker. Then, writer David Michelinie took over writing duties in 1987. This was shortly after Peter Parker married MJ, and he focused on the high-stakes soap opera of their lives. During his seven-year run on Amazing Spider-Man (second longest-run after Stan Lee) he worked with some of Spidey’s best-ever artists. Names that became iconic, like Erik Larsen, Mark Bagley, and Todd MacFarlane. And together, they made comics magic. Highlights of his run include the introduction of villains Venom and Carnage. Luckily, he bailed from writing duties right before the infamous Clone Saga, so his run remains untainted.

3. J. Michael Straczynski with John Romita Jr., Mike Deodato, and Ron Garney, Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 1 #500-545, Vol. 2 #30-58 (2001-2006)

At the same time Marvel was injecting new life into teenage Peter Parker in the Ultimate Spider-Man titles, the comics publisher had to figure out what to do with the adult Peter in the 616 universe. They brought in Babylon 5 creator J. Michael Straczynski, who made Peter a school teacher. He teaches at the very same place others bullied him as a kid, Midtown High School. Straczynski wrote adult Peter and MJ better than anyone in years and did so by adding a level of sophistication largely absent in the late ‘90s stories.

He also introduced lasting elements to the mythology like Morlun, a villain who hunts spider-totems across dimensions. That’s a huge influence on the Spider-Verse mythology in the animated films. Sadly, his run also revealed a sordid retcon of Gwen Stacy and Norman Osborn, but nobody’s perfect. The main artists for this run were Mike Deodato and John Romita Jr. The latter’s work on this run made him stand with his father as one of the definitive Spidey artists of all time. Straczynski’s run ended with the much-hated undoing of the Peter Parker and MJ marriage. However, that was an event Marvel editorial forced on him. We don’t hold it against him.

2. Brian Michael Bendis, with Mark Bagley, Stuart Immonen, Sara Pichelli, Chris Samnee, David Marquez, and Pepe Larraz, Ultimate Spider-Man #1-160, Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #1-27 (2000-2011)

During the late ‘90s, Marvel was in trouble creatively and financially. The company emerged out of bankruptcy in the early 2000s, knowing it had to take drastic measures to gain new readers. Marvel conceived the Ultimate line, which involved fresh modern takes on classic characters. Writer Brian Michael Bendis reintroduced Peter Parker and his supporting cast as 21st century teens in Ultimate Spider-Man. And from issue one, the dialogue and characterization were absolutely top-notch. The kids felt real in a way mainstream comics characters hadn’t in a long time.

The reinvented versions of Spidey’s villains often surpassed the originals as well, particularly Norman Osborn. Bendis and artist Mark Bagley did over 100 issues together. Actually surpassing Stan Lee’s run, Bendis continued the title with artists Stuart Immonen, David Lafuente, and Sara Pichelli, with whom he co-created Miles Morales, one of the biggest contributions to come from the Ultimate Spider-Man line. Between Peter Parker and then Miles, this run heavily influenced Spider-Man’s portrayal in other media. This run was an absolute game-changer, surpassed by only one other.

#1. Stan Lee with Steve Ditko, John Romita, John Buscema, and Gil Kane, Amazing Fantasy #15, Amazing Spider-Man #1-100 (1962-1971)

“With great power, comes great responsibility.” This was the only run that could have ever taken the top spot. While Stan Lee co-created almost all the most iconic Marvel Comics heroes, without a doubt his 100-issue run of The Amazing Spider-Man was his best work. With artists like Steve Ditko (Spidey’s co-creator) and later, John Romita, Lee introduced everything that forms the core of what Peter Parker is to this very day. Name a classic Peter Parker personality trait or trope, and chances are it came from Lee.

Lee’s stories introduced 90% of the most iconic Spider-Man villains, like Green Goblin, Doc Ock, Sandman, Mysterio, Kraven, and so many more, not to mention most of the most well-known members of Spidey’s supporting cast. Stan Lee’s run on Amazing Spider-Man lasted a full decade, and it remains the bible from which all following Spider-Man runs on this list pulled from. Simply put, no other Spider-Man run could likely ever take the top spot. Stan Lee and his collaborators broke the mold.

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Mean Girls debuted in 2004, bringing wearing pink on Wednesdays, fetch, and the importance of October 3 with it. The film has continued in memes and through the Mean Girls musical, but there’s never been a sequel (Mean Girls 2 technically exists, but…) following the characters—until now. The Mean Girls cast has reunited to continue the story in an unexpected form: a commercial for Walmart. Lindsay Lohan, Amanda Seyfried, Lacey Chabert, Daniel Franzese, and Rajiv Surendra all reprised their roles and returned to North Shore High School in the below Black Friday Mean Girls reunion ad.

Lohan’s Cady Heron narrates the video. She’s a guidance counselor at the school now. Karen Smith is a weather reporter and as… unaware as you’d expect. Gretchen Wieners is a stage mom. Yes, she is still, much to her kid’s embarrassment, trying to make fetch happen in this Mean Girls reunion ad. Kevin Gnapoor is a dad looking out for Kevin Jr., and Damian is there being a supportive friend.

The whole ad is a blast from the past. The new clique of cool girls, one of whom is Gretchen’s daughter, even performs “Jingle Bell Rock,” complete with the sexy Santa Claus outfits. Like Cady says in the video, “Some things never change.” We’re glad to pick up with all our favorite Mean Girls characters in this pseudo-sequel, even if it is only a reunion for a commercial.

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After many years of insisting that its platform would remain ad-free, Netflix’s ad tier launched a year ago. At the same time, Netflix also put significant efforts into its password-sharing crackdown, another long-time facet of the platform. And it seems like, in combination and alongside strategic price shifts, Netflix’s ad tier has found success.

In May, Netflix revealed that its ad tier had 5 million monthly active users. It now shares that number has tripled in its latest report. In a blog post, Netflix notes that its ad-supported plan “[reaches] 15 million global monthly active users.” That is indeed a huge jump. In that span of time, Netflix became increasingly strict about account-sharing. And it also moved to increase the price of its ad-free offerings. Deadline notes that “Instead of paying the new fee to share their passwords, evidence suggests that many subscribers simply enrolled in the ad-supported plan.” Since Netflix’s ad-free plans cost nearly double its current ad-supported tier, it’s not surprising that users would be drawn to the cheapest option when faced with needing to change their mechanism of viewing.

Unfortunately for the consumer, it seems like what’s always been true for the television and movie business remains true for streaming. Ads generate money. Across the board, streaming platforms that once sought to disrupt the traditional ecosystem are returning to their roots. And for those trying to watch their favorite shows, that means more ads, more price hikes, and more password-sharing crackdowns are on the horizon.

Netflix’s update does have some good news for users, though. In an effort to enhance the member experience, Netflix has “upgraded the feature set of our ads plan to include 1080p versus 720p video quality, two concurrent streams, and downloads to become available by the end of this week. All members of the ad-supported plan will be able to download their favorite series and movies, making Netflix the only ad-supported streamer to offer downloads.” Downloads are a convenient facet of Netflix’s offerings, so it’s nice that ad-tier users will get that ability back.

Additionally, Netflix notes that it has developed a new “binge ad (wt) format.” Essentially this means that “after watching three consecutive episodes, members will be presented with a fourth episode ad-free.” Netflix has always based itself partially on a model of continuous viewing. We suppose this is good news if you were intending to watch a whole series in one sitting already.

As streaming shenanigans continue to occur, it will be interesting to see if these new developments are actually sustainable.

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Summer is nothing but a memory now and fall is coming to a close. It’s time to start preparing for a long Hoth-like winter. It’s also time to start filling out our holiday wish lists. Fortunately Columbia Sportswear is back to help us with both. The company has announced its newest Star Wars winter collection. This year’s lineup celebrates the iconic flightsuit worn by one of the greatest Jedi ever. The new special-edition Skywalker Pilot Collection is an orange-ode to Luke’s X-wing garb.

And this set is Columbia’s biggest Star Wars one ever.

On December 1, 2023 Columbia wants you to take on both the elements and the Empire. That’s when it’s launching its special Skywalker Pilot Collection. The nine-piece orange and white set will keep you toasty from head to toe in the style of the famed Rebel. (It will also lead to you explaining Aurebesh to those unfamiliar with that galactic alphabet.)

The five big ticket items include:

• Skywalker Pilot Ski Suit ($500) – Luke flight suit inspires this online, limited exclusive. It’s Omni-Tech waterproof-breathable and has Omni-Heat Infinity lining. It also comes with multifunctional pockets and Star Wars extras like a T-65 X-wing Starfighter and R2-D2 blueprint graphics.
• Skywalker Pilot Ski Jacket ($350) – Luke Skywalker’s flight jacket is the foundation of this ski coat. It also features all the same features as the collection’s Ski Suit.
• Skywalker Pilot Lightweight Jacket ($200) – This is the set’s second coat based on Luke’s flight jacket. It has Omni-Heat Infinity lining, as well as comfort cuffs and zippered pockets. And it is comes adorned with a T-47 Airspeeder/Snow Speeder graphic on the security pocket.
• Skywalker Pilot Pullovers ($150) – This zippered sweatshirt is made of heavyweight cotton-blend fabric and has high-loft fleece backing. It also includes a utility chest pocket with flak-vest inspired baffling. Plus it has the same Star Wars details as the Ski Suit
• Skywalker Pilot Snow Goggle ($300) – This limited snow goggle takes its inspiration from Luke Skywalker’s helmet and visor. It comes with two interchangeable lenses with Swiftlock lens change system. It also has an anti-fog treatment and a triple-layer face foam and armored venting. It comes with a carrying pouch that features T-65 X-wing Starfighter and T-47 Airspeeder/Snow Speeder blueprint graphics. The snow goggle has its ow custom box, a Rebel patch, Star Wars logo on the inner strap, and silicone and prints inspired by helmet insignia.

Fans who want to stay warm this winter can also grab four other items. That includes a Skywalker Pilot Long Sleeve Shirt ($70). You can also opt for the short sleeve version (55). And you can round everything out with Skywalker Pilot Ball Cap ($40) and adjustable Pilot Crossbody Bag ($50)

Like we said, Columbia’s yearly winter Star Wars collection really makes filling out your holiday wish list easy. Just so long as you don’t lose track of time filling it out and get ambushed by some TIE fighters. The Skywalker Pilot Collection does not include a way to call Han Solo for help.

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Uh-oh. Do you use an ad blocker? You probably do. But if you also like to use YouTube, you may soon have to turn off that handy dandy ad skipper. YouTube is testing taking a hardline against ad blocker usage on its interface, using its own version of tactics other websites employ. Instead of blocking you from viewing page content if you’re using an ad blocker, YouTube could soon block you from viewing its videos. Ads, it seems are at the center of every conversation right now.

YouTube’s Ad Blocker Crackdown Is Ramping Up

As we saw on The Verge, in June, YouTube was running “a small experiment globally that urges viewers with ad blockers enabled to allow ads on YouTube or try YouTube Premium.” This experiment entails warning users that they may no longer be able to watch videos on YouTube if they don’t disable ad blockers. If an ad blocker is active, users will be able to watch only three videos on YouTube before the platform stops letting them watch any more. And, as of October, it seems like this test has been ramped up in scope, with many users suddenly receiving the ad blocker warning.

Gizmodo reports that, initially, warnings against ad-blocker usage on YouTube could be immediately closed or closed after a brief period of time had elapsed. But now, when a user receives these YouTube pop-ups, they cannot close out of them and continue to view videos on Youtube unless the ad-blocker is disabled.

YouTube and Google’s Perspective

Google spokesperson Oluwa Falodun shared with The Verge, “We take disabling playback very seriously, and will only disable playback if viewers ignore repeated requests to allow ads on YouTube… In cases when viewers feel they have been falsely flagged as using an ad blocker, they can share this feedback by clicking on the link in the prompt.”

Additionally, YouTube communications manager Christopher Lawton noted that using an ad-blocker violates YouTube’s terms of service.

Of course, YouTube taking a stance against ad blockers is one we might have seen coming. One of the perks of YouTube’s paid version, YouTube Premium, is an ad-free experience. If users can get an ad-free experience anyway, they may not be as incentivized to sign up. The company shares, “YouTube’s ad-supported model supports a diverse ecosystem of creators, and provides billions of people globally access to content for free with ads.” There is, however, the fact that YouTube Premium costs $13.99/month, which is no small price to pay, especially as other streaming platforms become more expensive and complex to navigate.

YouTube shares finally, “We want to inform viewers that ad blockers violate YouTube’s Terms of Service, and make it easier for them to allow ads on YouTube or try YouTube Premium for an ad-free experience.” We imagine that is indeed what the platform wants.

Originally published on June 29, 2023.

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Whenever the prospect of a new video game movie adaptation materializes, we usually run the gamut from “Oh hey, cool” to “Oh, but probably it won’t be good” pretty fast. We’ve got years and years of movies like Assassins Creed, Doom, and Street Fighter tempering those expectations. Though we’ve also had the likes of Pokémon: Detective Pikachu and Sonic the Hedgehog to perk us up a bit. (Also, sidebar, the original Silent Hill movie is actually quite good.) But nothing has given us as much cautious optimism as the following: a Ghost of Tsushima movie is in the works from John Wick series director Chad Stahelski. And happily, its showing signs of life.

Sony

In 2021, Deadline reported that Sony Pictures and PlayStation Productions are developing the film based on the massive 2020 bestselling game from Sucker Punch Studios. Roundly considered the final big game of the PlayStation 4 generation, it has sold millions of copies. The story follows samurai Jin Sakai as he must thwart an invasion by the vicious Mongol army in the 13th century. In the course of the story, Jin puts his code of honor to the test as he engages in stealth and terror techniques to overtake the invaders. That right there is a pretty John Wicky character arc.

Since the initial announcement, we haven’t seen much movement from the Ghost of Tsushima movie. But recently, Chad Stahelski gave a fairly promising update to ScreenRant. He shared:

We have a script, we’re very close to getting our s–t together on that, as well. Development is always tricky, it’s studios, it’s strikes, and availabilities, and scouting. You have to will things into existence. I think the two things that I am closest and most interested in are Highlander and Ghost of Tsushima. Both amazing, amazing properties, the story of Ghost is, also, one of my favorite properties of all time.

Sony

Of any recent video game, Ghost of Tsushima already feels very cinematic. The massive open world allows players to traverse a damn near real-size map of the actual Tsushima Island. Massive open vistas and scenic mountains fill the screen. In fact, there’s a specific “Kurosawa Mode” which makes the player feel like you’re playing a movie by the legendary director Akira Kurosawa.

This is all to say that there’s a lot to make one think a movie adaptation could be amazing. Story and character-driven; fast-paced and visceral action; gorgeous period setting and landscape; plus you get to pet foxes, which better be in the movie or so help us. We already were keen to see Ghost of Tsushima turn into a TV series, a la The Last of Us‘ recent adaptation, but I guess a movie will be okay too.

In hiring Chad Stahelski to direct, Sony is ensuring some of the most bone-crunching, arterial-blood-spraying action one could hope for. It could do for samurai movies what the John Wick series did for gunplay. This might also hopefully be the rare instance in which people who played the characters in the game will reprise their roles for the film. The performance capture is so good, there’s really no mistaking any of the cast.

Ghost of Tsushima is born of the partnership between Sony Pictures and PlayStation Productions. We hope we’ll get to see it come fully to life.

Originally published on March 25, 2021.

Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Twitter!

The post GHOST OF TSUSHIMA Movie Is Still Coming From JOHN WICK Director appeared first on Nerdist.

One of Stephen King’s earliest novels is coming to the big screen… at some point. The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Annabelle Comes Home director Gary Dauberman will soon be helming a big-screen adaptation of Salem’s Lot. The epic vampire tale was one of King’s earliest success stories and was his follow-up novel to his breakthrough hit Carrie in 1975. Dauberman will not only direct the film, but he’s writing the screenplay as well. He also wrote the screenplay for both chapters of the blockbuster It. Horror maestro James Wan is one of the film’s producers. Unfortunately, in the latest round of Warner Bros. release date shakeups, Salem’s Lot lost its release date. The movie no longer has a slot on Warner Bros.’ upcoming theatrical calendar. Its release date remains unknown, and reports indicate it could ultimately head to Max.

Warner Brothers

Salem’s Lot Release Date

Salem’s Lot had an original release date of April 21, 2023. But in a recent slew of release date changes which included shifting release dates for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom and Shazam! Fury of the Gods, the movie has found itself without a date at all. Deadline reports the Salem’s Lot remake will release at a TBD time in the next year.

In addition to the question of Salem’s Lot‘s release date, its release platform could also be in flux. According to Variety, Salem’s Lot seems to now be heading toward a streaming release on Max. However, a  spokesperson for Warner Bros. shared, “No decision has been made about the film’s future distribution plans.” So we’ll just have to wait and see.

Salem’s Lot Cast

The Hollywood Reporter broke the news that Lewis Pullman (Bad Times at the El Royale) will play the story’s lead character, Ben Mears. Additionally, Makenzie Leigh, Bill Camp, and Spencer Treat Clark will co-star alongside Lewis Pullman. Pullman plays Ben Mears, an author who discovers a bloodthirsty vampire is preying on his childhood hometown.

Deadline further shared that Oscar-nominated actress Alfre Woodard has joined the cast as Dr. Cody. In the novel, the character is actually Dr. Jimmy Cody. Jimmy helps Ben Mears (Pullman), Susan Norton (Leigh), and Matt Burke (Camp) fight against the vampires. Also, John Benjamin Hickey will portray Father Callahan. We feel interested to see how this character will evolve in the movie.

Finally, in a recent addition to the casting, Pilou Asbæk has joined Salem’s Lot. Asbæk is well-known for playing the villainous Euron Greyjoy on Game of Thrones. In Salem’s Lot, Asbæk will be taking on the role of Richard Straker. Straker is the vampire’s familiar, or servant, who gets his hands plenty dirty as well.

The History of Salem’s Lot

Salem’s Lot is essentially a modern retelling of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and centers on an author who returns to his hometown in Maine (King’s home state) to write about a creepy abandoned mansion that’s haunted him since childhood. Not long after arriving back home, he finds out that the mansion was bought by a mysterious and reclusive antiques dealer, who is a vampire master. After turning several of the locals into his vampire minions, the author and several other townsfolk join together to put an end to the undead infestation.

The 1979 Mini-Series

The novel was turned into a two-part mini-series in 1979. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre’s Tobe Hooper directed this Stephen King adaptation. It was big success and re-aired on TV for years. It was later edited down into a shorter runtime and released on VHS, where it became a favorite rental choice among horror fans. The scene were a young boy sees his vampified friend float to his window in the middle of the night traumatized an entire generation, myself included.

The original mini-series made several changes to the book, most notably turning the talkative vampire master Kurt Barlow into more of a Nosferatu-style vampire, who doesn’t speak and is more animalistic and terrifying looking. Although this was very different from the novel, the mini-series Barlow was a horrifying and memorable creation.

The 2004 Mini-Series

A TNT mini-series that stuck closer to the book released in 2004. It featured Rutger Hauer as Barlow and Rob Lowe in the lead. This was another vampiric notch on the actor’s belt. Not only was he the physical inspiration for Anne Rice’s Lestat, but he played vamps in movies like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Argento’s Dracula, and Dracula III: Legacy. It remains to be seen if this new version of Barlow will stick closer to the ’70s mini-series or the 2004 one, or go off in a completely new direction.

One thing is for sure, though. This is one King adaptation we can’t wait to sink our fangs into.

Featured Image: Warner Brothers

Originally published on April 20, 2020.

The post Stephen King’s SALEM’S LOT Remake Loses Its Theatrical Release Date, May Move to Max appeared first on Nerdist.

In Stranger Things 4, fans met and fell in love with Eddie Munson. But, unfortunately, they didn’t get to spend too much time with him. After all, there were tons of characters and plots that divided the screen time. And then, of course, Eddie met his untimely death, much to the sadness of all. But happily, Stranger Things: Flight of Icarus, a Stranger Things prequel novel by Caitlin Schneiderhan, sets aside time for us to spend just with Eddie Munson. In the pages of this Eddie Munson-centric book, fans get to uncover many fascinating facts about Eddie, some we already kind of knew and some we were delighted to discover.

Although the book has many other fun facets for you to explore, like Eddie blackmailing Hawkins High’s principal into letting Hellfire Club exist (but only after he was blackmailed first), his early meetings with Reefer Rick, and his relationship with Wayne—here are some of the best things we learned about Eddie Munson from the Stranger Things prequel book Flight of Icarus.

Eddie Munson Is Corroded Coffin’s Lead Singer and Writes His Own Songs

Since Stranger Things 4, fans have speculated about who exactly played the role of Corroded Coffin’s lead singer. Although many imagine it was Eddie, in truth, Stranger Things never let us know for sure. But Stranger Things: Flight of Icarus is here to unequivocally confirm that Eddie Munson is Corroded Coffin’s lead singer.

But not only that, the Eddie Munson prequel book reveals that Eddie is also a songwriter. In Flight of Icarus, Eddie plays his/Corroded Coffin’s original song “Fire Shroud” during an important story moment. We have to say, between songwriting and DM-ing, we love the idea of Eddie Munson growing up to be an author should he mysteriously return to life.

Eddie and Chrissy Bonded Over Their Bad Parents at the Middle School Talent Show

To the delight of many HellCheer fans, Eddie and Chrissy’s meeting at the middle-school talent show gets a long flashback in this Stranger Things prequel book. Stranger Things 4 mentioned the encounter, but Flight of Icarus puts a lot of meat on its bones.

As they wait their turn to perform, Eddie and Chrissy run into one another away from everyone else. They’re both trying to sneak a peak at the audience and thinking of their respective bad parents. Eddie is looking for his dad, who isn’t there though he promised to be, and Chrissy is looking at her mother, who, though present, only wants to pick at her daughter. Eddie and Chrissy commiserate over their shared lack of support and promise to cheer one another on in lieu of having anyone else who will. After the show, when Eddie’s father has indeed bailed, and Chrissy’s mother is indeed criticizing her, they share a smile that salvages the evening.

Eddie Loves to Discuss the Intricacies of Elven Politics in Tolkien

We knew Eddie was a J.R.R. Tolkien nerd. (“The Shire is burning, so Mordor it is,” anyone?) But we didn’t know how deep the nerdery went. In the book, we learn Eddie Munson can give a half-hour monologue on the “intricacies of Elven politics in Tolkien.”

Eddie Munson’s Mother Taught Him to Love Music (But Sadly, She Died)

Stranger Things: Flight of Icarus reveals that although Eddie Munson’s father taught him how to play the guitar, it’s Eddie’s mother who taught him to love music. While we only learn a little about her, it’s clear Eddie’s mom wasn’t a fit with Hawkins either. And she used her favorite music, Chicago blues, as a way to connect to the wider world and learn its stories. Eddie’s mom taught him music could be transformative, a means to go somewhere he couldn’t literally. He shares, “My mom’s music was plane tickets. I guess that makes my music a portal to another dimension.”

Eddie Was Gareth’s Mentor Figure Before He Was Dustin’s

Hawkins, Indiana, sees Eddie Munson as a big bad wolf, but the truth couldn’t be further from that vision. In Stranger Things 4, we see Eddie as a brotherly figure to Dustin, helping him find his way in the world and treating him as an equal and friend. But it turns out, much like Steve Harrington, Eddie has had an assortment of younger friends that he’s helped evolve. In Stranger Things: Flight of Icarus, we meet future Corroded Coffin member Gareth. While Gareth is a seasoned member of Hellfire Club by the time of Stranger Things 4, in the Eddie Munson prequel book, he barely knows or likes Dungeons & Dragons. He’s mostly looking for a place he can fit in, and that’s what brings him to Hellfire Club.

Ultimately, Eddie provides that place for Gareth, and we see him teaching Gareth how to love the game and, more importantly, how to love and be true to himself.

Eddie Munson Got to Meet Will Byers

Speaking of mentoring, one of the biggest fan regrets that came after Eddie Munson’s Stranger Things 4 death is that he didn’t get to meet Will Byers. Fans rightfully believed Will would have delighted Eddie and that Eddie would have been aspirational for Will. But happily, Eddie Munson and Will Byers get to interact in Stranger Things: Flight of Icarus.

When some bully jocks heckle Will, Eddie steps in to distract them and save Will and then passes on words of wisdom to the distraught younger boy. It’s a big moment for Eddie, who is finally ready to embrace his own advice, and probably had an impact on Will. (“To hell with what they think./You’re the only person who knows who you are.”) Eddie also tells Will that Zombie Boy is a metal nickname and invites him to Hellfire Club after immediately clocking that Will plays Dungeons & Dragons.

Eddie Often Puts Himself Between His Flock and Bullies’ Fists

Will isn’t the only mini-Freak that Eddie saves from terrible jocks, though. Almost any time a younger nerd is in danger in Flight of Icarus, Eddie Munson steps in to distract the bully. Sometimes he protects kids he doesn’t even know. The idea that Eddie thinks he’s a coward is especially ridiculous after this Stranger Things prequel novel. Eddie Munson is taking literal punches, baseball bats to the stomach, and a lot of ridicule to protect those who are part of his freak flock. We can’t think of anything more heroic than that.

Eddie Munson Had a Best Friend Who Rocks (And Is Possibly Queer)

Eddie’s best friend Ronnie is also his first friend, and he’s known her since childhood. According to Eddie, they’re pretty similar, “same broken home, same trailer park, same haircut.” Except unlike Eddie, “Veronica Ecker is going places. She’s headed to college, she’s headed to law school, she’s getting the hell out of Indiana.” (“Eddie Munson? He’s gonna die in this town.”)

It’s devastating that Eddie ends up being right about this summation because Ronnie would not have disagreed harder with it. Throughout Stranger Things: Flight of Icarus, Ronnie is the person who believes in Eddie the most overtly, except for his Uncle Wayne. Ronnie can see what’s so special about Eddie and the space he creates for other “freaks” in need of it. Ronnie and Eddie have a real “platonic life partners” energy that both resembles Robin and Steve’s Stranger Things dynamic but is completely different. It’s a shame that Ronnie and Eddie end things on a sad note.

Another cool thing about Ronnie is that Flight of Icarus implies she’s queer. After Eddie tries to make a move on her, Ronnie lets him know that she doesn’t like anyone that way and “didn’t think she’d ever have a crush on anybody.” It certainly feels queer-coded.

Eddie’s Guitar Is the Only Thing That Survived a Fire in His House

Eddie’s sweetheart is one metal guitar. Not only does she play a concert in the Upside Down, but she’s actually the only thing that survives a major fire in the house Eddie once shared with his dad. Eddie loses all of his other belongings, including his mom’s records, some of the last things he had to remember her by, but miraculously his guitar survives. This Flight of Icarus backstory makes Eddie Munson’s Upside Down weapon of choice that much more special.

The post The 9 Best Eddie Munson Facts We Learned From the STRANGER THINGS Prequel Novel appeared first on Nerdist.

In the lead-up to the Doctor Who 60th anniversary, along with a trio of David Tennant-starring specials, the BBC has announced a very cool thing for long-time fans. Tales of the TARDIS will see in-canon reunions between various classic-era Doctors and their companions. Fifth Doctor and Tegan, Sixth Doctor and Peri, and Seventh Doctor and Ace will all have scenes together again. For Doctor actors who’ve passed, companions will get back together. These include First Doctor companions Vicki and Steven and Second Doctor companions Jamie and Zoe. Third Doctor companion Jo Grant will meet up with Clyde from The Sarah Jane Adventures.

The interstitials—written by showrunner Russell T Davies and Who writers Phil Ford and Pete McTighe—will weave between episodes of classic Doctor Who to create 90-minute omnibus versions. It sounds like so much fun! But people outside of the UK, and more than that people who don’t pay for a television license fee, can’t watch them. You see, these are only available on the BBC iPlayer, the public broadcaster’s on-demand service. Only people who pay for a license fee and live in the UK can legally watch programming on this service.

In an Instagram post, Davies explained that he’s not sure when, or if, the Tales of the TARDIS episodes will ever make their way elsewhere.

This is the latest in a series of programming and distribution choices which have left many a bit confused. There, all of Doctor Who is on some BBC service. In North America, it’s a different story. So here’s a quick rundown of what episodes you can see on what service.

Brand New Doctor Who Will Be on Disney+

As we reported a year ago, starting with the three David Tennant specials, all subsequent Doctor Who episodes, and presumably specials, will stream on Disney+. This is a massive deal that will bring the show to the streamer day-and-date as it airs on BBC One in the UK. It’ll be on Disney+ everywhere else in the whole wide world (that has Disney+).

Classic Doctor Who Is Still on BritBox

BritBox, the global streamer the BBC and ITV went in on together, has been the home of classic series Doctor Who—a catalogue of nearly 700 episodes, including missing episode animation and reconstruction—since 2017. This also has a number of specials and ancillary material for your viewing pleasure. If you want to catch up on the first 26 seasons of the show, BritBox is the place to do it.

Where Is the Rest of Modern Doctor Who?

This is a little bit trickier. In the United States, Doctor Who from 2005 through 2022 is on Max. This is not the case for Canada, which has been without a streaming home of modern Doctor Who since January. The Max deal came from back in the halcyon HBO Max days when the WB-owned service wanted people to come to them for quality programming. Presumably, this is a deal that’s in place for the foreseeable future, but given how ephemeral Max programming is, we wouldn’t hold our breath that everything from the Ninth through Thirteenth Doctors will remain there forever. Where will it go after that? No idea.

That means, come November 25, you’ll need three separate streaming services to watch the whole of Doctor Who in the US. This is why I advocate for physical media, folks.

Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. He hosts the weekly pop culture deep-dive podcast Laser Focus. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Instagram and Letterboxd.

The post Lots of New DOCTOR WHO Stuff Is Only Available in the UK appeared first on Nerdist.

Catching movies on IMAX screens can be tough. Often, there’s a limited window and many movie-goers vying for the same seats. This was especially true of watching Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer on IMAX screens in 70mm. Oppenheimer was specially filmed to be viewed in this format, but getting seats to the screenings proved tough. In some theaters, they sold out for the entire run. But in a rare turn of events, Oppenheimer is actually making its way back to IMAX screens in select global theaters. So, if you missed your chance to view the movie in its most desirable format the first time, you have another shot.

The Hollywood Reporter shares that “six IMAX 70mm film projections locations worldwide” will screen Oppenheimer in November for one additional week. These IMAX Oppenheimer screenings will begin on November 3. Location-wise, four IMAX theaters in the United States, located in NYC and California, will screen the movie. Oppenheimer will also run in 70mm IMAX in London, and in Melbourne, Australia. If you visit the website for your local IMAX theater, for example, AMC Lincoln Square 13 in NYC, you can see that the tickets for the Christopher Nolan movie on IMAX 70mm are now available.

The Hollywood Reporter additionally shares, “Oppenheimer was shot by cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema using Imax cameras and a combination of Imax 65mm and 65mm large-format film. That included the use of IMAX black and white analog photography.” In short, don’t miss the movie’s limited return to cinema’s biggest screen. This could be the last time Oppenheimer screens in this specific way.

Now we just need to somehow convince IMAX to do a double-feature screening of Barbie and Oppenheimer so that we can relive the summer in full. It certainly would make for a visual cinematic feast well worth witnessing.

The post OPPENHEIMER Is Returning to IMAX Screens in 70mm appeared first on Nerdist.

McDonald’s jingle is as famous as its Chicken McNuggets, but the company might need to update its tune ahead of a new collaboration. We’re not talking about a big rewrite or anything. We’re thinking something like, “Ba da ba ba ba, I’m wearin’ it,” because the fast food chain is getting into the comfortable footwear business. The latest line from Crocs gives McDonald’s mascots their own signature shoes. And while these clogs might sound very silly (they are), they are also strangely stylish.

Crocs is about to serve up a tasty new line of McDonald’s footwear. Their latest partnership (which we first learned about at Hypebeast) transforms McDonald’s characters, foods, logos, and colors into four different pairs of clogs. Each shoe—which has no business looking as good as it does—also comes with its own custom Jibbitz charms. The four McDonald’s Crocs options include:

• McDonald’s red and yellow classic clog with Big Mac, french fries, drink, Chicken McNuggets, and Golden Arches Jibbitz
• Birdie yellow and pink classic clog with Birdie figure, lashed eyes, scarf, and yellow wrapped burger Jibbitz
• Hamburglar black-and-white striped classic clog with yellow interior and Hamburglar figure, red tie, white wrapped burger, hat, and smiling mouth Jibbitz
• Grimace purple Cozzzy Slide clogs with a lined interior and Grimace figure, shake, eyes, and smiling mouth Jibbitz

No, you aren’t wrong. Those Grimace Cozzzy Slide clogs are straight purple fire.

The collection is expected to go on sale to the public at the end of this week starting on November 2. You can grab your McDonald’s Crocs at select retailers and Crocs’ online shop. Hypebeast says they will range from $70 to $75.

I doubt they’ll be available for long. With billions of customers served and everyone in the world looking for comfortable footwear, this seems like a very happy (meal) meeting of brands. I know I’m going to try and snag the pair that celebrate my personal hero, the Hamburglar. However, unlike him, I am willing to pay for a product I love. Why? Ba da ba ba ba, I don’t feel like wearin’ an orange jumpsuit with my new McDonald’s Crocs.

The post Crocs Serving Up New Line of McDonald’s Mascot Clogs appeared first on Nerdist.

Considering it made roughly 40 gazillion dollars at the box office, earned rave reviews from critics and viewers alike, and might very well garner multiple Oscar nominations next year, it’s hard to imagine Barbie could have been any better. But there’s at least one way to make it awesome in a different way: add a cat. That always improves any film or show. And if you doubt that, the latest video from the YouTube channel OwlKitty shows why. It edits a black cat into Barbie to serve as the true object of Ken’s affection.

Sorry Stereotypical Barbie, you had your chance. You are no longer Kenough for Barbieland’s lovesick blonde beacher. Not after OwlKitty finally gave Ken what he wanted in life and reciprocated his love.

Well, at least this cat (real name Lizzy) is willing to do that some of the time. Every furry feline owner knows you can never get your cat to appreciate you 100% of the time. Sometimes they just want to be left alone to nap. But this cat’s love is still a huge improvement over the lack of attention Ken got from Barbie in the film. Honestly, it’s a great solution for everyone.

This video is the latest piece of fantastic internet silliness from a channel that has also re-imagined Top Gun: Maverick, Titanic, and Jurassic Park with a cat as the main star. And despite this new entry being so short, it touches on some of the best parts of the movie. From replacing Margot Robbie in the opening sequence to editing the cat into some of Ken’s best moments, this Barbie mashup is among the YouTube channel’s best. Especially since it seamlessly adds OwlKitty into one of 2023’s best movie moments, Ken’s big musical number “I’m Just Ken.”

I’m already on record as having an out-of-body experience the first time I saw that sequence. It is perfect in every way. Now it’s perfect in a second way, the only way anyone possibly could have improved Barbie. It now has a cat.

The post Ken Gets a Cat Who Thinks He’s Kenough in Fun BARBIE Movie Edit appeared first on Nerdist.

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World made an impression when it rocked into theaters in 2010. The story, adapted from Bryan Lee O’Malley’s comics about the titular Scott, came to life in stylized live-action with director Edgar Wright. Now a Netflix series will make the story even more visually splashy with a Scott Pilgrim anime. Titled Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, the eight-episode series goes back to the world of Scott Pilgrim, Ramona Flowers, indie rock sounds, and lots of fighting. The animated show even brings back the entire cast of the cult classic movie. Get your best looks yet at Scott Pilgrim Takes Off with its opening sequence, trailer, and more.

The Scott Pilgrim Series Gets an Anime Opening Credits Sequence

It wouldn’t be an anime series without an excellent opening credits sequence. And we love seeing Scott Pilgrim Takes Off follow this tradition. The Scott Pilgrim series’ opening credits sequence features custom animation from Science SARU and “an official theme song “bloom” by Japanese rock band, Necry Talkie.” It’s already stuck in our heads, and gets us excited for what the Scott Pilgrim anime has in store.

Get an even better look at what’s to come with the series’ official trailers.

Scott Pilgrim Takes Off Shares Official Trailers

Doesn’t this trailer for the Scott Pilgrim anime make you feel like punching life in the face? In a good way, of course. We love seeing all these familiar characters a whole new way.

Netflix partnered on Scott Pilgrim Takes Off with UCP. We don’t know yet how much of the anime will adapt what Scott Pilgrim vs. the World already did. However, Scott Pilgrim‘s creator Bryan Lee O’Malley is working as an executive producer and writer alongside BenDavid Grabinski, so we know it’s in good hands.

Lee O’Malley notes of the new anime series, “I don’t know who needs to hear this but… It’s not the books. I already wrote those and you can read them anytime. The show is its own new thing in many ways. Do NOT expect a word-for-word remake. Many fun surprises to come.” We do like the sound of that!

Scott Pilgrim Takes Off‘s Official Synopsis and Cast Information

For now, Netflix has shared the following synopsis for the Scott Pilgrim anime series. It doesn’t really give us much new information, but it’s good to know the seven evil exes will still make their appearances. We certainly see them ready for battle in the latest trailer for this anime adaptation. Here’s what the streamer has to say about Scott Pilgrim Takes Off.

In SCOTT PILGRIM TAKES OFF, Scott Pilgrim meets the girl of his dreams, Ramona Flowers, and discovers he must defeat her seven evil exes in order to date her. But this time, things get even more complicated. Based on the graphic novels by Bryan Lee O’Malley, SCOTT PILGRIM TAKES OFF revisits and reimagines the beloved cult classic, taking Ramona Flowers, her evil exes, Scott, and his friends off on a mysterious new action-packed journey to find love.

Click To View Gallery

The Scott Pilgrim Takes Off cast includes Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Satya Bhabha, Kieran Culkin, Chris Evans, Anna Kendrick, Brie Larson, Alison Pill, Aubrey Plaza, Brandon Routh, Jason Schwartzman, Johnny Simmons, Mark Webber, Mae Whitman, Julian Cihi, and Ellen Wong. Abel Gongora will direct the Scott Pilgrim anime, while Wright is one of the show’s executive producers. Here’s some of the best news: Anamanaguchi will provide original songs and work on the score with Joseph Trapanese.

Scott Pilgrim Takes Off will arrive on Netflix on November 17, 2023.

Originally published on August 16, 2023.

The post Watch the SCOTT PILGRIM Anime’s Full Opening Credits Sequence appeared first on Nerdist.

Welcome back to the TVA, Loki fans! Things continue to go from bad to worse for Loki as he and the rest of the group attempt to fix the time loom, but did their actions end up dooming the multiverse instead? Dan Casey dives in to break down what this spaghetti ruining episode and what it means for the rest of the season on today’s episode of Nerdist News!

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The post Did Loki Just Doom the Multiverse? | Loki Season 2 Episode 4 appeared first on Nerdist.

The members of U.S. Outpost #31 might have been exhausted from fighting an extraterrestrial foe and not knowing who they could trust, but we’ll never get tired of watching John Carpenter’s The Thing. His seminal 1982 sci-fi horror film is still one of our favorites. It had always, and will always scare us. But while we’d normally be loathe to invite any of that arctic encampment’s personnel home (you really can’t be too careful when shape-shifting aliens are involved), we’re definitely going to make an exception soon. Mondo’s incredible new figure of Kurt Russell’s R.J. MacReady is ready to protect us with his flame thrower. And we’ll need him to. He’s coming with two of the movie’s most iconic monsters.

Mondo’s newest collectible (first announced by SyFy) brings a truly iconic character to life. The Thing‘s MacReady is getting a highly-detailed 1/6 scale figure designed by Joe Allard. It also features sculpts by Pichet Pitsuwan and Matt Black, painting by Viola Wittrocka, Hector Arce, and Ed Bradley, and clothing from Tim Hanson. And it comes with a ton of accessories to allow personalization. Here’s everything in included in the base figure:

• Fabric Faux Leather Jacket 
• Fabric Flight Suit 
• Fabric Under Shirt 
• Faux Leather Belt 
• Standard Head 
• Frozen Head 
• Shot Gun 
• Pistol 
• Pistol Holster 
• Flame Thrower Pack 
• Flame Thrower 
• Detachable Flame Accessory 
• Hand Sets – Fist, Trigger and C-Grip 
• Gloved Hands 
• Figure Stand 

Never has a figure looked so cold but also been so fire. Our bet, though, is not many fans of The Thing will opt to get the Regular Edition base figure ($235). Not when the limited Timed Edition version ($265) also comes with an articulated replica of the Spider-Head Creature as well as a mini-figure of the film’s Mutated Dog.

Click To View Gallery

Shh. No one tell Mondo we would have paid waaaay more to get those two monsters. And maybe don’t mention our fear they’ll come alive in the middle of the night is greater than zero.

Fittingly pre-orders for The Thing: MacReady Timed Edition will open at MondoShop.com on Halloween at 12 noon CT. It will be available for just ten days, with sales ending at Friday, 11/10 at 11:59 PM CT. Both editions are estimated to ship next summer in July 2024.

That’s not too long, and yet we’re already tired of waiting.

The post New Mondo THE THING Figure Brings MacReady and Monsters to Life appeared first on Nerdist.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 took the world by storm upon release, and like any good Marvel narrative worth its salt, it’s chock full of teasers for the future and many Easter eggs. If you weren’t excited about the idea of a third Spider-Man game from Insomniac for PlayStation 5 before, you will be after all of these hints of what’s to come. Let’s break down those Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 post-credits teases and cameo appearances.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 Hints at Doc Ock’s Return and the Green Goblin

In the mid-credits scene of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, we witness the return of Doc Ock himself, Dr. Otto Octavius (William Salyers), the first game’s Big Bad. After the Venom symbiote is removed from Harry Osborn, his father, Norman, appears, blaming both Spider-Men for hurting his son. Afterward, Norman arrives at the supervillain prison called the Raft, hoping to learn the Spider-Men’s identities from Dr. Octopus. But Doc Ock keeps his secrets and tells Norman, “We all have to experience loss.” When Norman Osborn sees that Otto Octavius has been writing something in a journal, he asks “What are you writing?” to which Dr. Octavius answers ominously, “The final chapter.”

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, The game’s co-creator Bryan Intihar, said of the Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 mid-credits scene, “I can tell you that scene, in some way, has always been the plan since day one. We knew that the second game would end with that kind of scene.” As for the appearance of Spider-Man’s biggest nemesis of all, the Green Goblin, it’s been teased since the first game, where we saw Norman’s pumpkin bombs and prototype mask. But the Green Goblin persona has yet to appear in the Marvel’s Spider-Man games. “We’ve literally discussed Green Goblin at every game,” Intihar says. “If you bring him in, it’s kind of like Venom. There are very, very big expectations. So, you want to make sure if you’re going to do it, you’re going to deliver on it.” If Marvel’s Spider-Man 3 is indeed the grand finale, expect to hear a familiar cackle.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 Introduces the Spider Heroine Silk

The second Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 post-credits scene introduces yet another popular arachnid hero to the mix. As we learned throughout the game, Miles Morales’ mom, Rio Morales (Jacqueline Pinol), mentions that she’s begun dating again after her husband’s death. In the final Marvel Spider-Man 2 post-credits scene, we learn who that someone is. Rio introduces her new beau Albert Moon to Miles. But also tagging along is Albert’s daughter Cindy Moon, who waves in the background.

As Marvel Comics fans know, Cindy Moon is a superhero herself, known as Silk. The very same spider that bit Peter Parker also bit her on that field trip. She kept her powers secret until adulthood, unlike Peter. But the introduction of Silk adds another member of the Spidey family to Marvel’s Spider-Man game’s universe. Even though the team considered adding in Spider-Gwen, the game’s co-creator Jacinda Chew said, “Cindy Moon is a character that has so much possibility because she’s not as well known. We were like, ‘Let’s just do something different.'”

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 Hints at Spider-Man 2099

Also, the game looks to connect to the wildly popular Spider-Verse films. This should come as no surprise, as the Insomniac Spider-Man appeared in Across the Spider-Verse. In one of the game’s side missions, we see Peter and Miles try to round up some rogue Spider-bots. Miles’ buddy and tech expert Ganke (Griffin Puatu) sends you to an alleyway where a portal opens up. A portal in the familiar hexagonal style of Multiverse travels from the Spider-Verse films. Here is where we see the character of the assassin Delilah, who in the comics has fought Spidey. After examining the Spider-bot, she remarks, “If Miguel comes looking for these, tell him, ‘Finders keepers.'” This Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 Miguel mention can only allude to Miguel O’Hara, better known as Spider-Man 2099. Hey, it’s not just the MCU that’s “all connected.”

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 Features a Mini Firefly Reunion

Oh, and blink and you miss it, but the game had a small Firefly reunion. Actors Nathan Fillion and Alan Tudyk play two dudes wearing cat mascot suits and Spider-Man masks christened Bodega Cats in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. These two have an argument outside a bodega. Both Fillion and Tudyk came in for the relatively small roles just because they are huge fans of the Marvel’s Spider-Man game franchise. And the two, who are both no strangers to voice-over acting, recorded their Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 cameos in one weekend.

With all these teases and reveals, including the ones mentioned above and some others teasing Carnage and Chameleon, here’s hoping that a Marvel’s Spider-Man 3 game from Insomniac isn’t too many years away.

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He is Kenough! And, honestly, even though Barbie is everything and he’s just Ken, the new “I am Kenough” Ken Doll is also kind of everything. We’re sure even Barbie would agree. We’re just surprised it took this long for him to arrive. But, yes, is the answer to the question you’ve all been asking since the Barbie movie was released. There is an “I am Kenough” Ken doll you can buy, complete with hoodie, Ryan Gosling’s face, and swoopy blonde hair. This new Ken doll has discovered himself, self-actualized, and is now available for pre-order. You’ll have to wait a while longer for him to actually reach you, but he’s worth it.

The Kenough Ken doll is truly inspired. Of course, it was a given that the Barbie movie would have a very meta-arc of being motivated by the story of a doll and then creating more of the doll that created it. But we can’t even be mad at this circle of capitalism when this new Ken doll has a perfectly designed miniature replica of Ken’s Kenough sweater. We have to take our joy where we can get it.

A release from Mattel shares more about this “I am Kenough” Ken Doll. It notes of the Barbie movie figure:

He was complete and worthy just as he was. He was perfectly molded, deserving of both admiration and success. He was more than enough in Barbie Land – he was, in fact, “Kenough.” Thanks to Ryan Gosling’s performance of Ken’s self-discovery in Barbie The Movie, this moment inspired millions around the world and became immediately iconic. Our Ken doll is sculpted in Ryan Gosling’s likeness, and wears the hoodie that is also the must-have, real-life apparel item of the year.

Click To View Gallery

You can take a look at all facets of the “I am Kenough” Ken doll above. While, of course, the hoodie makes the man, there’s a lot more happening for this Ken than that. Firstly, it has a face sculpted in Ryan Gosling’s likeness. And who can resist that? Secondly, we love that this Ken is fully poseable, so he can do his famous end-of-movie wave and sheepishly tuck his hands into his pockets. The embroidery that lives not only on the Kenough sweater but also on this doll’s sweatpants is also pretty cool. We have to hand it to this Ken; he looks pretty good. It’s definitely Kenough for us.

So how do you buy the “I am Kenough” Ken doll? Well, the figure is available to pre-order via Mattel Creations right now. He will be a made-to-order product. “I am Kenough” Ken will ship out sometime in 2024, but the doll will definitely head to you on or before October 31, 2024. This Ken costs $50.00. But being Kenough, that’s truly priceless. Don’t forget, you can also match your doll with a hoodie of your own.

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Paramount+’s newest trailer welcomes you back to Good Burger, home of the Good Burger, for Good Burger 2. Sure, that might be a mouthful to say, but at least it was written by a human. Dexter and Ed won’t be lucky enough to deal with actual people in the sequel to their beloved 1997 kid’s comedy. A big corporation wants to turn their jobs over to robots. But as we all know, while he’s a dude, and she’s a dude, machines aren’t. And they definitely aren’t as funny. Take a look at the official trailer for Good Burger 2 below.

More than 25 years after All That‘s best buds went from TV to the big screen, Good Burger‘s most famous employees are back on the job. At least temporarily. Their reunion doesn’t go as planned when Dex inadvertently sends them both to the unemployment line. Here’s the official synopsis of Good Burger 2 that Paramount+ released with the movie’s trailer:

The highly anticipated film sequel follows Dexter Reed (Kenan Thompson) and original cashier Ed (Kel Mitchell) as they reunite in the present day at fast-food restaurant Good Burger with a hilarious new group of employees. In Good Burger 2, Dexter Reed is down on his luck after another one of his inventions fails. Ed welcomes Dex back to Good Burger with open arms and gives him his old job back. With a new crew working at Good Burger, Dex devises a plan to get back on his feet but unfortunately puts the fate of Good Burger at risk once again.

The sequel also features Lil Rel Howery, Jillian Bell, Kamaia Fairburn, Alex R. Hibbert, Fabrizio Guido, Elizabeth Hinkler, Emily Hinkler, and Anabel Graetz. The film will also mark the return of original Good Burger stars Josh Server, Lori Beth Denberg, and Carmen Electra. And as this Good Burger 2 trailer reveals, we’re also getting served up some famous celebrity cameos.

Not that we need them. Just getting Dex and Ed back together is enough for us. So long as it’s the human thems and not robot thems. Machines are not dudes, dude.

Good Burger 2 debuts at Paramount+ on November 22. That’s also where you can stream all four seasons of All That and the 1997 film.

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The Simpsons aren’t the only animated characters to make themselves an indelible part of the spooky season. This year marks the 20th(ish) “Ween” installment from Homestar Runner. Normally the site’s October holiday videos conclude with Homestar incorrectly guessing what everyone else dressed as. But this year The Brothers Chaps turned their traditional ending segment into an entire ‘toon. Their clueless star made his costume ignorance into a game show. And while it doesn’t end the way you expect, this Halloween cartoon is as funny as you’d hope.

Homestar Runner‘s new “The Show: Ween Edition” cartoon isn’t your normal TV game show. Rather than simply have Homestar guess everyone’s Halloween costumes—which always leads to zero correct answers and much hilarity—players must predict the exact way Homestar will get their ensemble wrong.

From obscure pop culture characters to Halloween costumes worn by fictional characters in a very famous movie, there’s a full range of identities for Homestar to mess up here. That’s always true of the site’s “Ween” cartoons, though. What makes this year’s installment especially fun is the chance to play along. If you know Homestar Runner well enough, like his friends clearly do, you have a decent shot at guessing his guesses.

I even got one right! I was all over Homestar’s “Devo Construction Worker” answer for Coach Z. However, as is always the case, I also had no idea who some characters are dressed as. I’ve spent a lot of time obsessing over the Halloween costumes of Homestar Runner characters over the years, and every year there are those I don’t recognize at all.

Does that make me as dumb as Homestar? No. No, I am much dumber. There’s no way I’d be smart enough to turn my own costume ignorance into a game show that I both host and guarantee I win.

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We’ve known since Disney’s Investor Day presentation in December 2020 that the House of Mouse has big plans for the Alien franchise as a streaming series for FX. The studio even tapped Fargo’s Noah Hawley to develop it. But since then, we’ve heard very little about this show. Our latest developments are big ones, though. According to Deadline, the Alien series has recently cast Sydney Chandler as one of its leads. However, nothing more is known about the role at this time. Additionally, Hawley shared a bit of insight about what we can expect from the series.

The Cast of FX’s Alien TV Series

Sydney Chandler is joined by The End of the F*cking World‘s Alex Lawther who will play the male lead, a soldier named CJ, and Samuel Blenkin, who is named as another main character, a mysterious CEO called Boy Kavalier. Essie Davis and Adarsh Gourav also join the series as Dame Silvia and Slightly.

According to Deadline, Shadow and Bone‘s Kit Young has also come aboard the FX Alien series and will play a character named Tootles.

The Setting, Plot, and Timeline of Noah Hawley’s Alien TV Series

While speaking to Esquire about his novel Anthem, Hawley spilled a little more tea about the series. And he gave fans of the Xenomorph some things to ponder. Here’s what Hawley had to say about his Alien TV series:

“It’s set on Earth of the future. At this moment, I describe that as Edison versus Westinghouse versus Tesla. Someone’s going to monopolize electricity. We just don’t know which one it is. In the movies, we have this Weyland-Yutani Corporation, which is clearly also developing artificial intelligence. But what if there are other companies trying to look at immortality in a different way? With cyborg enhancements or transhuman downloads? Which of those technologies is going to win? It’s ultimately a classic science fiction question: does humanity deserve to survive?”

Additionally, according to Slash Film, Hawley offered that the show was inspired by a specific moment from Alien. He noted, “There’s that moment you realize Ian Holm [who plays Ash] is an android where you go, ‘Oh, this is really interesting now, because this is humanity trapped between the primordial past and the AI future, and they’re both trying to kill us.'”

So as we guessed before, the Weyland-Yutani Corp., otherwise known simply as “the Company,” are likely the new Alien series’ “Big Bads.” But we’re still unclear about a lot of things. For starters, how will all this tie into the ongoing Xenomorph saga? After all, they call this show Alien, not “Android.” So we’re going to have to see the acid-blooded bad boys at some point. Otherwise, it will disappoint a great deal of very disappointed fans out there.

The Series’ Plot

Speaking to this, Hawley recently commented on the presence of the aliens in the new series. He offered that the movies “always [mimic] the life cycle of the creature, right? Which is egg, slow, Facehugger, starts to get faster — you know what I mean? And, of course, that’s great for a horror movie to build that way. So I found a way to kind of innovate around that structure and play with it.” He didn’t add more detail about how the structure of the Facehuggers’ life would come into play or be updated, but it’s good to know the Xenomorphs are on Hawley’s mind.

Additionally, Hawley noted more about the difference between the new Alien FX series and the movies that originated it, offering, “Look, a two-hour movie, you can set it up, and then it’s just about, ‘Are they going to survive?’ But if you’re making a series, ‘Are they going to survive?’, you can’t sustain it. Even if you have 60% of the best action-horror on television, you still have 40% of ‘What are we talking about?'”

That makes sense to us, and we can’t wait to see how the Alien series manages all these different expectations.

The Series’ Timeline

Another big question is when does the Alien TV series happen with respect to the movies? Prometheus takes place in 2089, while Alien: Covenant takes place in 2104. The original Alien takes place exactly 100 years from now, in 2122. The events of Aliens occur some 57 years later in 2179, with Alien Resurrection finishing things a whopping two hundred years later. And Weyland-Yutani exists in all these eras.

But happily, we now know a little bit more about where the show will land in the timeline. FX Chief John Landgraf shared an update on the Alien series at a TCA winter panel for the network.

He said, “Alien takes place before Ripley. It’s the first story that takes place in the Alien franchise on Earth. So, it takes place on our planet. Right near the end of this century, we’re in — so 70-odd years from now. Ripley won’t be a part of it or any of the other characters of Alien other than the alien itself.” That’s right folks, no Sigourney Weaver. We’re sad, on the one hand, but excited for more specificity on the other.

Really though, all we want is one good chestburster scene. Is that too much to ask? The Alien series does not yet have a release date.

Originally published on January 5, 2022. 

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