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.

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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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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

The post The 10 Greatest Spider-Man Comic Book Runs of All Time 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.

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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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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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Academy Award winner Ke Huy Quan appears in a major role in season two of Loki. The Everything Everywhere All At Once and Indiana Jones actor just can’t get enough of stories about the multiverse, it seems. His name is Ouroboros, or O.B. for short. But how does Ke Huy Quan’s Loki character tie into the existing Marvel Comics lore? And how does Ouroboros relate to existing mythological roots in our own world? Here’s what we know so far about Ke Huy Quan’s Ouroboros and his role in Marvel’s Loki season two.

The Ouroboros in Folklore and Norse Mythology’s Jörmungandr

You’ve no doubt heard the turn of phrase “the snake eating its own tail.” Well, that particular iconography comes straight from ancient mythology. That snake consuming its own tail is actually called the Ouroboros, and is found in the mythologies of ancient Egypt and Greece. According to Britannica, “[The Ouroboros] represents a being that is continually devouring itself, and thus reborn from itself. A gnostic and alchemical symbol, Ouroboros expresses the unity of all things, material and spiritual, which never disappear but perpetually change form in an eternal cycle of destruction and re-creation.” The Ouroboros is a fitting mythological reference to invoke in the MCU’s Loki which is all about questions of the destruction, creation, and flow of timelines.

Although the character Ke Huy Quan plays on Loki season two has the name Ouroboros, he might also have ties to a more specific character from mythology, one that even more directly related to our titular God of Mischief. In Norse mythology, the snake that consumes its own tail, a.k.a an Ouroboros, goes by the name Jörmungandr. This Ouroboros is also known as the Midgard Serpent or the World Serpent. In the old Norse myths, Jörmungandr encircles the realm of Midgard, which is another name for Earth. He is the son of Loki and the giantess Angrboða. He’s also the brother of the great wolf Fenrir and Hel. During Ragnarök, a.k.a, the Twilight of the Gods, Thor kills him.

In the pages of Marvel Comics, the Midgard Serpent has played a big role in several Thor comics. He first appeared back in 1966 and reappeared again and again over the years to fight the God of Thunder. Although the Odinson slays the gigantic beast, Marvel resurrects him more than a few times, and the two battle all over again.

When it comes to a connection with Loki, the god of mischief does ride the Midgard Serpent at one point. But there is never any real indication that Marvel Comics’ version of this Ouroboros is in any way the literal child of Loki. Marvel writers often play fast and loose with Norse myths, changing many things outright. This is another example of that. It will be interesting to see, however, what Loki season two does with the mythological origins of Ouroboros as the show continues to remix and reference mythology.

Ke Huy Quan’s Loki Character O.B./Ouroboros and His Marvel Comics Connections

Ke Huy Quan’s Ouroboros might be an original creation for the MCU series, not based on a preexisting Marvel Comics character. However, his name does pop up in several comics from the past. And in different forms.

The only Marvel Ouroboros with ties to the TVA is a certain Mr. Orobourous, who made one appearance in a She-Hulk comic in 2005. Created by Dan Slott, Orobourous was a judge for the Time Variance Authority. In Marvel’s She-Hulk comic, Orobourous is spelled a bit differently than the traditional Ouroboros of mythology, but the reference seems to be the same. This character was also a clone of Mr. Paradox, who himself was a clone of several TVA bureaucrats. We already know the O.B. is not a judge in Loki, but it seems the creators took a shine to the name at least.

But She-Hulk‘s judge is not the only Ouroboros in Marvel lore. First, there was the Oculus Ouroboros, which was not a person in Marvel Comics, per se, but a conduit of elemental magic, that depicts a variation on the classic Ouroboros shape of a snake eating its tail by featuring a second snake. It first appears in Doctor Strange #92, back in 1993. The Sorcerer Supreme stops an attempt by Doctor Doom to gain access to its power.

An actual character using the name is Admiral Ouroboros. He made his first Marvel Comics appearance relatively recently in 2015’s Silver Surfer #11. He battled the former Herald of Galactus during an adventure where the Surfer became stuck in a time loop.

The most recent Marvel usage of the name Ouroboros appeared in 2022, in Marvel’s Contest of Champions. In this instance, Ouroboros is an organization in universe 517. This organization came together to oppose the rule of the Elders of the Universe across the reality called Battlerealm.

However, despite all these possible references, we think it’s unlikely that Loki’s O.B. is directly related to the previous Marvel concepts of Ouroboros. It’s far more likely the MCU’s Ouroboros is riffing on one or more of the mythological histories of the creature.

Ke Huy Quan’s O.B./Ouroboros in the MCU and Loki Season Two

The version of Ouroboros played by Ke Huy Quan in Loki is an integral part of the TVA. He’s just someone who rarely gets a visit from other TVA employees. He’s been toiling away, quite literally without sleeping, in the Repairs and Advancement department. O.B.’s office is stuffed in the TVA’s basement. It’s a sprawling mishmash of all kinds of mechanical parts and different inventions. Mobius takes Loki to help with his time-slipping problem. O.B., a nickname for Ouroboros we learn Loki gave to him when he time-slipped into the past, becomes invaluable in helping them. In episode two of Loki, O.B. gives Mobius and Loki the TVA Guidebook to help them.

Here’s How O.B. Connects to Victor Timely and Kang on Loki

In the fourth episode of Loki’s second season, “Heart of the TVA,” O.B. and Victor Timely meet at last. In fact, their meeting reveals an actual ouroboros of sorts for the pair. Timely was taken aback at meeting the man who wrote the TVA Handbook, the book that he received as a child, which inspired all his inventions and career. O.B., meanwhile, was having his own fanboy moment meeting Victor Timely. The man who inspired him to write the Handbook in the first place. As O.B. said, their meeting was “the snake eating its tail.”

Loki’s co-executive producer Kevin Wright said that O.B. is integral to the functioning of the Time Variance Authority. Even if we never saw or heard of Ouroboros in season one of the MCU show. Wright said, “His job is basically every piece of tech, every computer, everything that is running at the TVA… He either designed it, or he fixes it and keeps it running.” None of that sounds remotely like the Marvel Comics versions of Ouroboros. So far, it seems as if the MCU’s O.B. is tied far more to the mythological concept of the character than anything in the comics.

Hopefully, we’ll soon learn more secrets about Ke Huy Quan as O.B. when Loki season two continues on Disney+.

Originally published on October 2, 2023.

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Blue Beetle was a highlight of Warner Bros.’ recent output of DC Comics films, showcasing the first Latino superhero with his own feature film. A fun mix of Iron Man, Spider-Man, with a dash of Venom, both critics and fans enjoyed the film. We recently got the chance to chat with Blue Beetle’s director, the Puerto Rican-born Ángel Manuel Soto. He talked to us about bringing the fan-favorite character to life ahead of Blue Beetle‘s Blu-ray debut.

Nerdist: The Jaime Reyes Blue Beetle, compared to other DC heroes at least, hasn’t been around that long. Only since 2006. When it came to crafting the movie, was that more of a blessing or an obstacle, to not have as many years to draw from story-wise?

Ángel Manuel Soto. No, it was a benefit to some extent. Especially the writer [Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer], I have to give him credit for, one, being a diehard fan of Blue Beetle, and two, being open to having fun and picking the “greatest hits” of the things that we like so that we could form a story that is also based on our collective experience as much as we can. We have the opportunity to finally show the story of a Latino hero from the ground up. Often, our stories are told from the middle of the sentence or the middle of the paragraph. We never get the opportunity to show us come into anything. If it’s a villain, we never get a chance to ask “How did he become a villain?” There’s this whole mentality that you’re bad because you’re born bad, and you’re Latino, so Latinos are bad.

And the same thing that we did with Carapax and showing the history of violence that led him to be the villain that he is. We wanted our hero also to show that his heroism doesn’t come from his just getting powers. It comes from the whole history and legacy that his family comes with once they cross the border. So that part might not have been the biggest element of the comic, but we wanted to use that as our own starting point. Even the animated iterations.

The aspect of the Reyes family is so important to why this movie works as well as it does. They’re not even supporting cast, they’re fellow heroes in the end. What made you decide to include them all in the adventure in the way you did?

Soto: Well, right off the bat, one of the things the writer wanted to do is a throwback. The movie has this throwback energy to the origin stories of heroes that we love. But one of the tropes that is very common within superhero movies is that they keep their identity a secret from the people they love, and rightfully so. They’re trying to protect them. It does make total sense. But good luck trying to keep a secret from a Latina mom. So how can we take that reality and apply it to the superhero trope and how that ripples into the film?

So if we know that it’s not a secret, and our families always stick their noses in everything that we do, why not bring them into the adventure? Usually, they’re left in the back. They’re backdrop, they’re props, or they’re one dimensional. And they’re only there to kill one of them, or just to protect them. And for us, we said, “No, what if it’s the other way around?” Sure, exploring the lowest of lows is interesting. But what if instead of the villain using the family as bait, the villain captures our hero, and the family does the rescue mission? That is something new we haven’t seen before. And it’s through that community, family, the community, that extension that you call family, that makes you a superhero.

Xolo Maridueña really owns this role. It feels like it was made just for him. He manages to be funny and light, but really brings the drama in the heavy scenes. Was there a favorite scene you directed him in?

Soto: That’s all him. And that fierceness that he has, and then the transformation to vulnerability and empathy, it’s not easy. Those are big emotions, they have a big gap between them. And that’s where I saw this kid is the real deal. I was moved by that because I saw him go from Cobra Kai to this. Then seeing that manifest when we were shooting was like, “Oh my gosh, we made the right choice.”

I saw the film at an early screening, and you could tell who was Latino in the audience by the laughter erupting from just seeing the Vicks VapoRub. My friend who isn’t Latino has to ask me what was funny about that, but I’m Cuban-American so I totally got it. I know our grandmas use it as a cure-all for everything. Did you get any pushback about gags like that which would only land with the Latino audience?

Soto: Yeah, of course you get pushback, sadly. There is a legacy of fear of the unknown. And by conforming to the status quo, you lose authenticity. And then it’s just fake, it’s a cookie-cutter version of what the US expects a Latino should be. We had to fight a lot of those battles. And some didn’t make it. But the ones that stayed, they paid off. And the thing is, if you don’t know it, just ask. Ask and we’ll tell you. Or just open your minds to other cultures. The whole Vicks idea wasn’t in the script. It was because one of the actresses, Belissa Escobedo, was trying to find out what would wake him up. She said, “Well, my mom used to wake me up with Vicks.” And Nana had Vicks with her, so she brought it in and we just did it.

In the special features for the Blu-ray, the screenwriter talks about how you really drew from the previous versions of Blue Beetle, even if Dan Garrett and Ted Kord weren’t in the movie. Did you ever consider ignoring the legacy hero concept and streamlining it? Or was the legacy angle something you felt you had to do?

Soto: Yeah, we wanted to honor them. In the same spirit of the movie celebrating our family and our ancestors and those who came before us, we didn’t want to brush away the first two Blue Beetles. Although Dan Garrett might not have had a direct relationship with Jaime, he had one with Ted Kord. In the title sequence, we do the montage of the legacy of Blue Beetle. But also, we had his suit in the lair. Jaime does a nod to Dan Garrett when he summons Khaji Da. So we wanted to keep that legacy in it, but also open the doors towards the end so that if and when Ted Kord shows up, we can see what can happen with him.

Blue Beetle hits 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, standard Blu-ray, and DVD on October 31.

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In the latest chapter of Loki season two, we learned some pretty huge revelations about the relationship between former TVA judge Ravonna Renslayer (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) and He Who Remains, a.k.a. Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors), thanks to Miss Minutes. But what does it all mean, and how does it tie into some of the earliest Marvel comics? Buckle up, because the Ravonna and Kang romance is a very twisted affair.

Ravonna Renslayer and Kang Were Partners Before the Multiversal War

In episode four of Loki’s second season, Miss Minutes explains a crucial piece of Ravonna Renslayer’s history to her. Information she would not be happy to hear. She explains that Ravonna and He Who Remains were working together as partners during the Multiversal War and were likely romantic partners as well. At some point, he indicated she would lead with him in the aftermath. Together, they’d rule from the Citadel at the End of Time. But He Who Remains betrayed Ravonna. Remember when Victor Timely said he doesn’t work with partners? That seems to apply to He Who Remains as well. So he sends her back to the TVA and erases her memories along with the rest of its employees. As Miss Minutes explains to an angry Ravonna, she says “Maybe we don’t need him. Maybe we never did.” This leads Ravonna to attempt to take over the TVA herself, along with Miss Minutes.

The Complex Marvel Comics Love Story of Ravonna Renslayer and Kang the Conqueror

In the comics, Princess Ravonna Lexus Renslayer made her first appearance in Avengers #23, back in 1965. She and Kang have a rather complicated relationship, to say the least. She was the daughter of King Carelius, who ruled 40th century Earth. Kang tried to destroy any monarch who did not submit to him, like Ravonna’s father. But Kang fell in love with the stubborn and determined Princess Ravonna, and she also fell in love with him, admitting to it only before her death. In fact, she threw herself in front of a deadly blaster bolt meant for him, dying to save his life. But this was not the end of the Kang/Ravonna romance.

Another variant of Kang eventually plucked a version of Ravonna from the timeline moments before her death, while another Kang preserved her body in stasis, hoping to gain the power of Life (or Death) from the cosmic Grandmaster in a game. A Grandmaster who is far more powerful than his MCU played-by-Jeff Goldblum counterpart. He’d then use the Power of Life to revive her. Although he won the game, he chose the Power of Death to get revenge on the Avengers, instead of the Power of Life to revive Ravonna. Grandmaster revived Ravonna anyway, who was now furious and betrayed that Kang had chosen vengeance on his enemies over his love for her. The lovers were now mortal enemies.

In the Marvel Comics, Ravonna Renslayer Becomes the Terminatrix

Now hellbent on revenge, Ravonna eventually infiltrated the Council of Cross-Time Kangs. Not long after, she took on the very ’90s identity of the Terminatrix. She put Kang in stasis, much as he had done to her when she was presumed dead. She then fought a future variant of herself known as Revelation. After many time travel machinations and attempts at altering her own future, Ravonna and Kang were reunited. And she seemingly forgave him. Then, she literally stabbed him in the back. She went back in time to Timely, Wisconsin in 1903 to start things over with an earlier version of Victor Timely, hoping to rewrite their narrative.

He Who Remains Wiped Ravonna Renslayer’s Memories in the MCU

So how does all that comic lore inform Loki? Earlier in the season, we heard recordings of He Who Remains saying “Ravonna Renslayer, you are quite a marvel. I would be proud to lead with you. Thank you, for being on my team.” Now, we know these very words to her were spoken by He Who Remains after the Multiversal War. But He Who Remains betrayed her and sent her back to the TVA and enacted Protocol 42, which saw her and all the other TVA employees have their memories wiped. It’s also why Agent Mobius doesn’t remember He Who Remains. He wiped Mobius’ mind of all knowledge of him and replaced it with false memories of the Time Keepers. We’ll see how this anger and betrayal leads to a changed, and more dangerous, Ravonna Renslayer in the remainder of Loki’s second season. Maybe we’ll see the Terminatrix after all.

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The original Green Lantern, Alan Scott, first appeared in All-American Comics #16 in 1940. Armed with a magic ring and a multi-colored costume, he was a far cry from later sci-fi Green Lanterns like Hal Jordan and John Stewart. But as the first bearer of the name, he still has iconic status. In recent years, DC has reinvented Alan as a hero who struggled to keep his gay identity a secret. Now, writer Tim Sheridan (Teen Titans Academy, Masters of the Universe: Revelation) is exploring the original Lantern’s secret past, in the new mini-series Alan Scott: Green Lantern.

Nerdist: Many write most LGBTQ characters these days from a very 21st-century perspective. But in your new series, you’re approaching it from a mid-20th-century POV, where things were completely different. Being discovered as gay could literally cause you to lose everything, even your life. How different was it writing a queer character from this perspective over say, a Gen Z gay in 2023?

Tim Sheridan: Well, there’s no way around the fact that I am reporting from 2023. So some of my sensibilities, are going to find their way into it. It’s not a historical document, right? It’s a comic book, and there are some slight liberties we take in trying to keep within as honest a historical framework. But I think that this period we’re dealing with wasn’t just a difficult period to be a closeted queer person. I think if you weren’t a straight white man during that period, there was a lot of adversity. There were a lot of things that you came up against.

In some ways, Alan is a lot like I was when I was growing up. Where you’re able to hide in the light, and people look at you and they don’t necessarily know that you have a secret identity. And so that’s something that Alan is grappling with, and I think a lot of people in that period would’ve grappled with. I wish I could say that that wasn’t the case today, but I think today people are still dealing with coming out of the closet, and being honest about who they are. If it’s not something that you wear on your skin or with the way you outwardly present to the world, you have a choice. And it can be a very tragic choice. Certainly, the consequences in the 1930s and 1940s were dire for someone like Alan Scott.

But the other side of that coin is Alan Scott’s a hero, and he’s a born hero. So what does that mean for someone like him in that period of time? Those are the things that I was thinking about. And like I said, there’s no way to completely divorce ourselves. We know that we’re looking back through a window in time with all of the advantages of living in the present.

Alan Scott had a circuitous route to becoming an LGBTQ character. First, his son Obsidian came out as gay in the ‘90s. And then an alternate Earth version of him was a gay man in the New 52 era. Now, the original version of Alan is a gay man. Before his very late in life coming out, did you perceive Alan as a queer hero who was basically closeted? Or did it come as a surprise when DC made the decision to make him a queer hero?

Sheridan: I think I was surprised that they were willing to do it. Surprised in a good way. I never considered it. I’m a big Obsidian fan and a big Infinity Inc. fan, and I love that character and I love what they introduced with that character. I think in a lot of ways, I hunger for more stories about Obsidian and what his life’s been like. I didn’t expect it, and it was a delight for me because I think it makes a lot of sense.

On the Watchmen TV series, they dealt with and touched on the idea of being closeted gay heroes during the golden age. And so the idea of taking a character like that and introducing this new layer of information about everything that they were dealing with during all of those adventures and all of that time and all the things we saw play out for them? I just think it opens up an incredible new level of storytelling that we can reach with this character. And a new audience that we can really talk to about this character.

So, like I said, I was surprised and delighted. I never dreamed that I would get a chance to add my voice to Alan’s and to the canon. And it was only because Geoff Johns, when we worked on Flashpoint Beyond, started setting up this concept for the new Golden Age. And he called me and said, “I think you should write a story about Alan Scott as a closeted gay superhero in the 1940s. I think you’re the one to do it.” Honestly, I was completely terrified. Because I’ve never written a story with a lead character who was gay first of all, but also who was like me in any way, really. And so I said, “Okay, let’s do it. Let’s see what we can do.”

In the old ‘40s Green Lantern comics, Alan had a sidekick named Derby “Doiby” Dickles. He was a taxi driver with an ultra-thick New York accent. Not to give away a big spoiler, but in this mini-series, you reveal that he’s fully aware of Alan’s sexuality. Even though he’s a ‘40s street tough kinda guy, he accepts him. What made you decide Derby knew, and that Derby would be ok with it despite the times?

Sheridan: Well, for me, knowing how Derby, aka Doiby, knowing the way he worships the Green Lantern, as an inseparable sidekick, I wanted Alan to have some kind of confidant. Somebody who knew more about him than everyone else, the way that Doiby always did. They were tight. So for me, it made sense to have Doiby be a sort of sounding board and a confidant for Alan Scott.

He’s outside the world of superheroes. He’s outside the world of the JSA. These are things that remain complicated for Alan at this point in the story. The JSA has just formed. He is terrified that he is endangering the Justice Society by being, as he sees it, by the laws of the day, a criminal. He’s a criminal in his own bedroom. And he knows he stands for the law, and here he is, someone who is breaking it and knows that he’s breaking it. So to have somebody like Doiby outside of that circle as a sounding board for him was important for me in terms of how to tell the story.

Doiby represents that. A glimmer of hope for a world that could eventually accept someone like Alan. He’s a rarity, certainly in 1941, Doiby Dickles. But this book is about a beacon of hope. And the Green Lantern himself should be a beacon of hope. And I think his inextricable partner, Doiby Dickel, should also represent that hope for a better future

Cian Tormey’s art is incredible in this. It has a throwback flavor while still looking modern. His illustrations of Alan and his boyfriend really convey how these two characters really love each other.

Sheridan: I don’t think I’m overselling it when I say that he’s doing the best work of his career on this book. And he’s somebody who even from issue to issue, or from the six-page DC Pride story that we did, and then to issue one and issue two, his work just gets richer, and better. And more emotional. The storytelling gets better. He really has locked into something, and I’m very happy for that for him. I’m very happy to see that for him. But I’m thrilled and relieved that it’s happening in our book.

I’m very grateful that he signed on, and our relationship has been amazing. We didn’t know each other before and we just kind of threw ourselves in and we started having four-hour conversations, just talking about the character, talking about the world. He’s a huge history buff, and specifically US history. Cian was born in Ireland and he lives in Spain, but he’s a huge of US history and is well-read, so it’s been a joy to get to say things to him and have him bounce some ideas back.

As the first superhero named Green Lantern, Alan Scott retains a kind of prestige at DC. But he’s also often cast aside, or thought of as a footnote to the overall Green Lantern mythology. What do you plan to do to fight people’s notions of Alan as just the “rough draft“ of Green Lantern?

Sheridan: I’ve seen people say that before, the “rough draft Green Lantern,” oh my gosh. I don’t think about Alan that way, and I’ve never thought of Alan Scott that way. I believe there’s so much great work done over decades to connect and flesh out the connection to the mythology. But I think that work has been done, and I think he’s an integral part of Green Lantern history. He is an inspiration to the ones who come after him. And I think that’s the exciting thing about doing a story about a golden age hero that we know is going to be someone who inspires other heroes, not just the public.

There has always been room to expand upon the lore and mythology surrounding Alan’s Green Lantern. And that’s where Geoff Johns’ creation of the Golden Age Red Lantern character, Alan’s arch nemesis, the Soviet answer to the Green Lantern, comes in. Vladimir Sokov is his name, and that’s where that gets really exciting. Geoff created a dynamic where this character, this important figure in Alan’s life became removed from time. And then in a very sort of huge Geoff Johnsy way, reinserted back into the timeline. This book takes place in and around the origins of Alan, and also the origin of the arch nemesis relationship between the Red Lantern and the Green Lantern. And so it’s incredibly exciting to add to the lore and the mythology like this.

Alan Scott: Green Lantern #1, the first of a six-issue mini-series by Tim Sheridan and Cian Tormey, is on sale now.

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Why should Star Wars be the only epic space fantasy film with a penchant for desert planets that gets all the cool LEGO sets? Not to be outdone by that other space fantasy franchise, Dune receives a new LEGO set next year, showcasing the Atreides Royal Ornithopter. The Ornithopter features in one of the most iconic scenes from Denis Villeneuve’s first chapter of his Dune saga. This premium-quality replica, aimed at the adult collector market, features fold-out, flappable wings, deployable landing gear, and an opening cockpit.

The set also includes 8 iconic characters from Dune in LEGO Minifigure form. Included are Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet), Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson), Gurney Halleck (Josh Brolin), and Chani (Zendaya). Also Duke Leto Atreides (Oscar Isaac), Liet Kynes (Sharon Duncan-Brewster), and Duncan Idaho (Jason Momoa). The coolest of all the Dune LEGO Minifigures, however, is the Baron Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgård) Minifigure in his extremely long robe. The Baron even has a clear plastic stand to make it appear as if he’s floating. You can check out several images from the new Dune LEGO set in our gallery below.

Click To View Gallery

This new 1,369-piece model, with wings folded out, measures over 9 in. (23 cm) high, 22 in. (57 cm) long and 31 in. (79 cm) wide. This LEGO replica has the option for both flight and landing mode displays. Thanks to the use of the LEGO Builder app, owners of the Atreides Royal Ornithopter will be able to access detailed instructions on how to assemble the Dune ship. The set will also include a print version of the manual. There’s no LEGO version of an Arrakis sandworm yet, but who knows what the future holds.

The Dune Atreides Royal Ornithopter LEGO set is already available for pre-order, and it will set you back $164.99. It’s scheduled to start shipping on February 4, 2024, mere weeks before Dune: Part Two hits theaters on March 15.

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

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The Infinity Stones were the greatest movie MacGuffins of all time, in the forefront of the first 22 MCU films. Thanks to Thanos’ quest, even your grandma knows about these all-powerful gems, created at the dawn of time. Well, Thanos may have destroyed the stones in Endgame, but now you can own the next best thing. At San Diego Comic-Con in 2022, Marvel and East Continental Gems announced the launch of the official Infinity Collection of Gemstones. And now, the time has arrived to begin buying… If you have a Tony Stark-sized fortune at your disposal anyway. The set is valued at $25 million.

The real-life Infinity Gems will be on display in New York for a limited time at the ECG Concept showroom. Fans can purchase the Infinity Gems, but ECG will also have more affordable options available. They’ll reveal the Jarvis Series of gems which are 2-carats and start at $225 each. Other MCU-inspired collectibles at the store will include mini Infinity Gauntlet statues and an Eye of Agamotto.

Click To View Gallery

The Most Powerful Rocks in the Known Universe

Each of the Infinity Stones are remnants of singularities that predated the Universe. Of course, their values in the Marvel Universe cannot be imagined because of the powers each stone carries. But this collection is primed to become one of the most valuable Marvel collectible items. The six stones combined are over 150 carats and come with a total estimated value surpassing $25 million. In a statement, Paul Gitter, SVP, Marvel Consumer Products said the following.

Fans and collectors are a very important consumer for Marvel, since they truly live the Marvel lifestyle every day and are always seeking to connect with the brand in new and unique ways. We feel this authentic gemstone collection is cool and unexpected and extends the reach of the Marvel brand

Each of the Stones will be displayed in an exclusive Infinity Gauntlet customized to house these gems. Gentle Giant Ltd created the Gauntlet. They are the industry leader in the high-end collectible toys and consumer products sold throughout the world. Below is a description of each of the real-life stones and what they represent in the Marvel Universe:

The Time Stone

The Time Stone is a Colombian emerald that is rare and brilliant in color. Experts suggest they minded this stone at the turn of the century. Somewhere in a location that produces the most desirable emerald green. Documented by four prestigious gemology laboratories, this gem has no treatment, nearing 23 carats.

About the Time Stone in the Marvel Universe. This unique Marvel artifact is at the center of the Marvel Universe itself. The Time Stone has the ability to manipulate time, even in places beyond time.

The Space Stone

The Space Stone is a 30-carat sapphire from the island of Madagascar. Here is what we know about the Space Stone in the Marvel Universe. It allows its user to exist in any location, and move through different realities. Also, it allows one to warp or rearrange space, and teleport across planes regardless of the laws of physics or magical barriers. It even allows for omnipresence.

The Reality Stone

The Reality Stone is a 15-carat oval-shaped, natural ruby from Mozambique, Africa. In the Marvel Universe, things that would normally be impossible to realize are made possible with the Reality Stone. And on a universal scale. In other words, aside from the power to will anything in or out of existence, it can retroactively create alternate realities around those changes.

The Power Stone

The Power Stone is a 35-carat oval-shaped, natural amethyst. About the Power Stone in the Marvel Universe – The biggest mystery of all the Stones may be the Power Stone. The Power Stone allows its users to access and manipulate all forms of energy as well as enhance their own physical strength and durability. At full potential, the Power Stone can even grant omnipotence!

Notably, this jewel also boosts the effects of the five other Stones; it’s like a kind of key to start the engine of the Infinity Stones as a single collective force. The ultimate power behind the Power Stone—and why it sits at a place of honor on the Infinity Gauntlet—does not necessarily come from the Stone itself, but from how the Stone interacts with the others.

The Soul Stone

The Soul Stone is this cushion-shaped, spessartite, exceeding 35 carats. About the Soul Stone in the Marvel Universe – The first to appear of all the Stones, the Soul Stone served as inspiration for all the rest. It can manipulate the soul and essence of a person, control life and death, and contains a pocket dimension called the Soul World.

The Mind Stone

The Mind Stone is a high clarity, intense color rectangular brilliant cut yellow diamond, close to 35 carats. About the Mind Stone in the Marvel Universe – The Mind Stone allows its user to enhance their mind, awaken or heighten psionic abilities like telepathy and telekinesis, and—when combined with the Power Stone—even access all minds in existence concurrently. In the spirit of the Mind Stone, we’re taking a look at the minds responsible for some of the most significant Infinity Stone stories ever!

No word yet on if purchasing all the stones and getting a gauntlet to go with them will unlock the powers of the universe for its wearer. Maybe you can find out if you visit East Continental Gems’ showroom. Get all the details here.

Originally published on October 26, 2022.

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“They were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn’t stop to think If they should.” Those were the immortal words of Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) in the classic blockbuster Jurassic Park. Well, we would usually agree with the good doctor, except in this case. Because Wizards of the Coast making Jurassic Park-themed Magic: The Gathering cards? We’re of the opinion if you can make them, then you totally should. Because the newly revealed Jurassic Park cards, part of their Universes Beyond crossovers, are pretty darn cool. They’ll be a part of The Lost Caverns Of Ixalan, revealed at the 2023 Las Vegas MagicCon. You can check out images of the new cards below:

Click To View Gallery

Among the cards included within the Lost Caverns Of Ixalan packs are ones featuring characters and creatures from the beloved ’90s film and its many sequels. These arrive just in time for the Steven Spielberg classic’s 30th anniversary. At a MagicCon panel, Wizards revealed three new cards from the Jurassic Park line, together with a new “stamped” variant with the Jurassic World logo embossed over the card. The three revealed cards were Dr. Ian Malcom/Chaotician, listed as a “Legendary Creature.” (We agree, he’s a pretty legendary creature). Then there’s the Indominus Rex/Alpha from Jurassic World, and a “Welcome To…/Jurassic Park” double-sided Saga card.

These Jurassic Park/Jurassic World cards are the beginning of an overall partnership between Wizards of the Coast and NBC Universal. Does this mean we’ve got Fast & Furious and Minions cards coming our way too? Who knows, who ever saw these Jurassic Park cards coming? Stranger things have happened. You can learn more about The Lost Caverns of Ixalan and the Jurassic Park Magic cards in the video below.

The Lost Caverns Of Ixalan launches November 17, with the Jurassic World cards contained in booster packs, collectors booster packs, and bundles.

Originally published on September 22, 2023.

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What is canon and what is not to the MCU has been a topic of fervent fan debate for years. Is Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., which referenced the events of Avengers, actual MCU canon? What about the former Netflix shows like Daredevil, which also made mention of Avengers like Captain America and Thor? Well, we now have an answer to that question from the guy in charge, Kevin Feige. In his introduction to the book Marvel Studios: The Marvel Cinematic Universe—An Official Timeline, he wrote the following:

On the Multiverse note, we recognize that there are stories—movies and series—that are canonical to Marvel but that were created by different storytellers during different periods of Marvel’s history. The timeline presented in this book is specific to the MCU’s Sacred Timeline through Phase 4. But, as we move forward and dive deeper into the Multiverse Saga, you never know when timelines may crash or converge (hint, hint/spoiler alert).

FYI, our own Editor-in-Chief Amy Ratcliffe cowrote that book.

So, in short, everything utilizing Marvel characters, whether produced by Marvel Studios or not, is part of a branched timeline in the overall Marvel Multiverse. Some we already knew about. The original Sam Raimi Spider-Man films, and the Marc Webb Amazing Spider-Man films? No Way Home confirmed them as Multiverse canon. Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness confirmed Patrick Stewart’s Professor X, and Deadpool 3 is set to canonize Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine. Even if these are variants of the Fox X-Men films, it indicates all those movies are also Multiverse canon.

Also, with clips of Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield’s respective Peter Parkers in Across the Spider-Verse, not to mention the appearance of Donald Glover in his MCU role as the Prowler in that film, those animated films also exist in the overall MCU Multiverse tapestry. Will movies like Ang Lee’s Hulk, Sony’s Ghost Rider films, and others get included in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty or Secret Wars? Well, Jennifer Garner as Elektra in Deadpool 3 suggests it’s all on the table now. Heck, why not Howard the Duck? Stranger things have happened.

Right now, the MCU is the highest-grossing film franchise of all time. By a lot too, with $29 billion dollars total. By contrast, the #2 slot goes to the Star Wars franchise, which is a distant second at $10 billion. But if the MCU now includes pre-Marvel Studios films? Oh man, then does that number ever go up. The mutant franchise at Fox adds $10 billion to that sum. The non-MCU Spider-Man films? About $8 billion total. Even the Fantastic Four films have collectively made $800 million. Throw in a couple of Blade films, we’re talking about a franchise that has made some $50 billion dollars. Easily the biggest success story in Hollywood history. And a record we’re likely never going to see surpassed in our lifetimes. In the meantime, we’re just excited to see Hugh Jackman take on Tobey Maguire while Deadpool just laughs at them both.

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The Halloween 2023 episode of Critical Role brought joy to the hearts of many fans, as it featured a brand new title sequence. Fans were surprised to see the Bells Hells adventuring party, now rendered in stunning animation. We learned (via Comic Book Resources) that the new title sequence paid homage in different ways to each of the character’s backstories, and had shout-outs to current campaigns. You can watch the full title sequence for the Halloween episode of Critical Role below. After the title sequence ends, you can see the Critical Role cast actually react to seeing it for the first time.

In this year’s Halloween episode, the Critical Role cast wore costumes based on the Lord of the Rings characters. In the actual episode, we witnessed the Bells Hells return to Whitestone. There, they crossed paths with several iconic Vox Machina characters. The special animated credits came courtesy of Kamille Areopagita, Kevin Areopagita, Mark Adams, and Peggy Shi. Critical Role’s Mighty Nein campaign also showcased a fan-favorite animated intro. And ever since, Critical Role fans have wanted to see the Bells Hells get some animated love too. And now, their wish has come true.

This latest version of Campaign 3’s opening title sequence is the third one overall. And so far, every version has had the theme song “It’s Thursday Night,” sung by the cast, in some form. One version of Campaign 3’s opening introduction had the cast dressing up as explorers. Versions without all the fantasy trappings. Meanwhile, another had Bells Hells rotoscoped in watercolor style. We highly doubt the Halloween episode of Critical Role is the last time we’ll see an animated opening sequence. The Bells Hells will return in both their animated and live-action character forms on Thursdays in November at 7 PT, on Twitch and YouTube.

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Yet another fan-favorite video game series is making the transition to television. Fallout is heading to Prime Video with Westworld‘s Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy executive producing the show. Their pitch for the Fallout TV series based on the successful post-apocalyptic franchise received a straight-to-series order from the streaming service. And now its cast is coming together. Ella Purnell, who recently starred in Yellowjackets, will lead the series and act alongside, among others, Walton Goggins and Kyle MacLachlan. Most recently, Prime Video released a first look at the Fallout series, as well as a release window for when we can expect the show to air.

Fallout TV Series Announces Release Date

We’ve known for a little while that the Prime Video Fallout series would release in 2024. But now, we’re thrilled to know exactly when we’ll get to see the show. To celebrate “the 26th anniversary of Fallout Day, an annual celebration of all things dedicated to the award-winning and best-selling video game franchise,” Prime Video treated us to a release day announcement alongside the launch of its Fallout social media accounts. Fallout will release on April 12, 2024. Thanks to this Pip-Boy for sharing the news.

Prime Video’s Fallout Series Will Take Place in LA

A recent release date window announcement signaled that the Fallout show would take place in Los Angeles/Hollywood, a location the series has never before gone in the games. And now a further release from Prime Video confirms this, noting, “Set in the future post-apocalyptic Los Angeles and world of Fallout, the series is an original story based on Fallout that will be part of the canon of the games.”

We’ll be curious to see how this version of the apocalypse takes shape in the city of dreams and angels. Our first clue that the Prime Video’s Fallout series would take place in the canon world of the games was that it had been assigned an official Vault number. The Fallout series will circle Vault 33. Since the Fallout games haven’t visited Vault 33, this allows the show to fit into the canon events already set for the world but still create its own story.

Our First Look at the Fallout Series

Some time ago, Prime Video shared a first-look tease for the Fallout series. The first look doesn’t reveal too much, just a glimpse at Fallout‘s Vault 33. But we’re excited to know the show is coming along. In the Fallout, ghouls “are mutated humans or animals affected by the phenomenon of ghoulification… Despite their zombie-like appearance, the flesh of ghouls is not actually rotten… They have greatly extended overall lifespans and are immune to (and sometimes even healed by) background radiation and/or nuclear fallout.” So we expect to see a lot of that in the show. We wonder how ghouls will stack up against The Last of Us‘ clickers and bloaters when they arrive. We suspect they will all give us nightmares.

More About the Fallout Series

Nolan and Joy’s Kilter Films is producing the Fallout series under the pair’s Amazon overall deal. They produce together with Bethesda Game Studios and Bethesda Softworks. In a statement, Joy and Nolan said, “Fallout is one of the greatest game series of all time. Each chapter of this insanely imaginative story has cost us countless hours we could have spent with family and friends. So we’re incredibly excited to partner with Todd Howard and the rest of the brilliant lunatics at Bethesda to bring this massive, subversive, and darkly funny universe to life with Amazon Studios.”

Nolan and Joy serve as executive producers on the show. Jonathan Nolan will also direct the first three episodes of the series. Meanwhile, Geneva Robertson-Dworet and Graham Wagner are executive producers and co-showrunners of the Fallout series. 

When the initial announcement dropped in mid-2020, Amazon Studios released a short teaser video, which you can watch below:

Prime Video Fallout‘s Cast

In addition to Ella Purnell, Walton Goggins, and Kyle MacLachlan, Aaron Moten, Moisés Arias, and Xelia Mendes-Jones have also joined the cast of the Fallout series. Sarita Choudhury, Michael Emerson, Leslie Uggams, Frances Turner, Dave Register, Zach Cherry, Johnny Pemberton, Rodrigo Luzzi, Annabel O’Hagan, and Xelia Mendes-Jones will also star. Their roles are currently under wraps.

More About the Games

The post-nuclear apocalypse games have been best-sellers since their debut in 1997. The Fallout franchise has expanded to include 10 games since then. The game’s world is based on a harsh future. Post World War II, Americans hoped for a future rooted in nuclear energy. They had a utopian vision of a better world. However, that results in a full on nuclear war in 2077. The Great War that wrecks the United States provides the setting for Fallout world. Players travel through a total wasteland. Although the games are mostly serious in tone, they also have their share of ironic humor.

Rumors of a Fallout television adaptation have circulated for a long time, so we’re glad to finally see it in action. There have been many video game series adaptations released recently, and we can’t wait to see how this one turns out.

Originally published on July 2, 2020.

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The traditional mascots of Halloween tend to be skeletons, witches, zombies and the like, but also, a handful of very specific horror characters. Namely Dracula, Frankenstein’s Monster, and the Wolf Man. Occasionally we get supporting appearances by the Mummy, Frankenstein’s Bride, and the Creature from the Black Lagoon. We see them in Halloween decorations decade after decade, and on any and all kinds of Halloween merchandise. Now, most of these characters are technically in the public domain, as the trademark on those 19th-century novels they came from has long since expired. But it’s not just any versions of these characters that have become ubiquitous with spooky season. They’re the ones from Universal Pictures, who dominated Hollywood from the 1930s through the early ’50s.

But how did this happen? How did these specific versions of certain monsters become icons of a whole season? After all, most people under the age of 50 have never even seen those Universal Monsters movies. At least, not beyond clips used in other media. Even modern-day kids, for whom these films might as well be as old as the pyramids, know who these specific character archetypes are. Many still dress like them each Halloween. Ultimately, the story of how the Universal Monsters became synonymous with Halloween is about the power of the Hollywood dream machine, and how movies can create icons that transcend the big screen and enter the pop culture fabric. Decades after their supposed expiration date.

The Universal Monsters Become Hollywood’s First Big Franchise

The Universal Monsters as we know them launched in 1931, with the release of Dracula and Frankenstein. Both films were based on already celebrated novels, and had prior silent adaptations. But these versions were instant blockbusters, and the double whammy of Dracula and Frankenstein‘s massive success helped save Universal Studios financially that year. However, both versions deviated from their book incarnations. Dracula wearing a tuxedo and cape like a dapper gentleman? That was an invention of the 1924 stage play, popularized on screen by Bela Lugosi. Frankenstein’s iconic, lumbering look, with the flattop head and the bolts coming out of actor Boris Karloff’s neck? That was certainly not how Mary Shelley described him. No, that was the invention of makeup artist Jack Pierce. Once millions of moviegoers saw those versions, however, they imprinted on the mass consciousness. They became the definitive versions of Dracula and Frankenstein.

As many know now, Universal Pictures launched a whole universe of monster sequels coming from these films. There was The Mummy, The Bride of Frankenstein, and eventually The Wolf Man. Starring Lon Chaney Jr., The Wolf Man was not based on any one werewolf story. But the idea of a werewolf, half-man/half-wolf hybrid who walks on two legs, was also Universal Pictures’ invention. By 1948, and after endless crossovers and sequels, the monster well had run dry. Dracula and Frankenstein had become parodies, mocked in comedic films like Universal’s own Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein. That might have been the end of them, were it not for the advent of television in the 1950s. Combined with a post-war suburban surge in trick or treating, this confluence of events would keep these versions of the classic monsters cemented in the public consciousness for all time. And forever linked to Halloween night.

The Monster Craze of the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s

These new television stations needed content. Lots of it. In 1957, those old Universal horror classics were sold as a package, and started to be rerun late at night, primarily on shows like Shock Theater. Baby Boomer kids became obsessed with the classic monsters, which their parents now discarded as silly camp. To them, they weren’t necessarily scary, they were cool, outsider figures to admire. This led to magazines celebrating those old movie boogeymen, like Famous Monsters of Filmland the very next year, and a ton of merchandise. Specifically, Halloween costumes. The chief producers of cheap, vinyl Halloween costumes from the ’50s through the mid-80s were Ben Cooper (pictured below) and Collegeville. They did their off-brand version of the Universal Monsters, and Frankenstein became their biggest seller. Suburban streets were flooded with pint-sized versions of the Universal Monsters on October 31, owning the night.

During this time, tons of other companies, like Dennison and even Hallmark, who produced Halloween merchandise used the images of the Universal Monsters, now beloved by American kids. However, not all had the official Universal license. In fact, most didn’t. But those other companies found a way to skirt around such pesky legalities. Their Frankenstein might be pale orange instead of green. Their Dracula might have more exaggerated features, so as to not be confused with Bela Lugosi. But everyone knew; these versions were the same monsters from those old movies. Changing little details was enough to not get sued by Universal, but every kid knew exactly who they were. And because they managed to do a dance around trademarks, they were used to sell everything from Colgate shampoo to Fritos chips, especially at Halloween. Off-brand or not, the Universal Monsters became the unofficial ambassadors of the holiday.

The Universal Monsters Become Rock Stars, Sell Cereal, and Star in Cartoons

The early ‘60s was when the “Monster Craze” peaked. During this time, model kits were all the rage so Aurora Plastics sold thousands of models of Dracula, Frankenstein, the Wolfman, and the Mummy. These began in 1962, and they sold so briskly that the plant where they were made had to run overtime to keep up with demand. The same year, a novelty single cashed in on the fad, Bobby “Boris” Pickett’s “The Monster Mash.” Frankenstein, Dracula, and the Wolf Man all got a namecheck. The song became a Halloween season staple, and has remained so for 60 years. The creatures that terrorized the Greatest Generation were now the cuddly Halloween season icons of their children. Just as Santa and his elves became the mascots of Christmas, versions of Universal’s monsters were now the same for Halloween.

The apex of this fad was the release of The Munsters on TV in 1964. In a Universal-produced show, Herman Munster’s makeup could legally look like the one made famous by Karloff. But it further ingrained the idea of these monsters as almost cuddly friends to kids, and representative of all things Halloween. They’d continue to become kid-friendly going into the ‘70s, and non-official versions turned into wholesome entertainment, with animated shows like The Groovie Ghoulies, the Count on Sesame Street, and the Monster cereals like Count Chocula and Franken Berry.

There was even Drac Pack, a cartoon that reinvented the classic monsters as teenage superheroes. And, of course, Scooby-Doo had fun doing their own versions of the Universal Monsters, although there was always some boring old man under the mask. Halloween was mainly a kid’s holiday, so naturally, the monsters kids like the most ruled it. Although this trend slowed down after the ’70, it reached all the way into the ’80s, with all the Universal Monsters together (again, off-brand) fighting Goonies-style kids in The Monster Squad. That film, of course, became a Halloween night tradition.

Why the Classic Monsters Will Always Rule Halloween

This trend of paying homage (but also defanging) these icons continues all the way to the modern day, with franchises like Hotel Transylvania. All of these versions of the Universal Monsters are tweaked ever so slightly, as to avoid copyright infringement. However, it’s unmistakable who they are to anyone who knows. Collectively, all these knock-offs have kept the Universal Monsters alive in the minds of one generation after the next. Audiences would take seriously characters like Dracula on film, but in every instance, they’d have to ditch the old Universal trappings to become scary once more. Sure, these days, modern horror icons are just as ubiquitous with the season. But no others really embody Halloween night like the originals. As these classic Universal versions slowly became the domain of young kids, they became the domain of the Halloween season itself. And we don’t foresee that changing anytime soon.

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In the third episode of Loki season two, Tom Hiddleston’s God of Mischief and agent Mobius travel to the 1893 World’s Fair, in an effort to find a variant of He Who Remains. In the World’s Fair pavilion for the country of Norway, they see wooden carvings of their ancient gods. There’s Odin, Thor… and Balder the Brave. In the MCU series, Loki scoffs at Balder’s inclusion in the pantheon, saying “nobody cares about Balder.” But whatever Loki says, in Marvel Comics, Balder is indeed a key member of Thor’s supporting cast who has been conspicuously absent from the MCU. With confirmation now that Balder exists in the MCU, we never know when he might appear in the flesh. But just who is Marvel’s Balder the Brave?

Here’s the comics history of Balder, why he wasn’t in the MCU until this Loki season two mention, and how Balder nearly made his MCU debut previously.

The Marvel Comics History of Balder the Brave

Long before his Loki appearance, Marvel Comics introduced Balder the Brave in one of the earliest Thor stories, 1962’s Journey into Mystery #85. This story was written and illustrated by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, who created Balder. This issue not only introduced Balder, but also Loki, Odin, Heimdall, and most of the other Asgardian gods. For years, Marvel Comics portrayed Balder as Thor’s trusted friend and battle companion, even though Balder was described him in Norse mythology as Thor’s brother. (We’ll get to that.) In Marvel’s comics, Thor and Balder trained together growing up, and no one was a fiercer ally to Thor.

The Marvel Powers of Balder the Brave

Like all of Marvel’s Asgardians, Balder’s abilities include heightened strength, speed, and invulnerability, but he also controls vast light powers. Only Thor was arguably a better warrior than Balder. In addition to the other powers, Balder can create powerful light blasts, manipulate light to appear invisible, and make clouds of mist. And just as Thor has his enchanted hammer in the Marvel universe, Balder has an enchanted sword Svraden, that allows him to teleport.

Because of Odin’s paranoia regarding Balder’s prophesied death triggering Ragnarok, he had his wife Frigga place an enchantment on him. One that would make him invulnerable to all harm, at least while in the Asgardian realm. The belief was that if they could not kill Balder, it would not trigger Ragnarok.

Balder the Brave’s One Weakness and Loki

Balder did have one very odd weakness, however. Balder the Brave remained vulnerable to, of all things, mistletoe. So often, his enemies laced arrows and other weapons with it hoping to do harm to the Asgardian warrior. Loki, of course, discovered this weakness in Balder, and sought to exploit it and kill Baldur, but was ultimately waylaid in his attempts.

We wonder if the MCU Loki has created a similar weak point for the MCU version of Balder. Loki exploiting Balder’s aversion to mistletoe sure would make for an interesting Loki Marvel Christmas special.

Is Marvel’s Balder Thor’s Best Friend or Thor’s Brother Like in Norse Mythology?

In the 616 universe of Marvel Comics, Marvel did not portray Balder as a Prince of Asgard like Thor or Loki. He believed himself to be a foundling child, taken in as a ward of the Asgardian court. And that was the official company line on Balder for many decades, Balder was Thor’s friend but not his brother. It wasn’t until Thor Vol. 3 #10 in 2008 that Marvel Comics continuity lined up more with Norse mythology with Balder.

Although Balder believed he was only Thor’s friend and a ward of the Asgardian court, he was, in fact, the first son of Odin and Frigga. Odin abandoned him out of fear because the King of Asgard had premonitions about how Balder’s death would cause Ragnarok, the end of all things. He later regretted that decision and took his child back into the court. But he kept his true parentage a secret.

Thor and Balder fought together in many, many battles. And Balder has died and returned to life several times (as have all the Marvel Asgardians). He’s been a stalwart member of Thor’s cast of characters since the earliest days. At the peak of Thor’s comics popularity, under the direction of writer/artist Walter Simonson, Balder the Brave even received his own Marvel mini-series. In more recent years, he’s even been the King of Asgard itself… at least for a brief time. So if he’s so crucial to the overall Thor mythos, why then no Balder the Brave in the MCU?

Does Balder the Brave Appear in the MCU? His Mysterious Absence, Detailed

When Marvel Studios introduced Chris Hemsworth’s Thor in 2011, they managed to introduce most of his most well-known comic book family and supporting cast. There was Tom Hiddleston’s Loki, of course, but also their parents, Odin and Frigga, Heimdall, the Warriors Three, and Lady Sif. But there was one big omission from the comics in the MCU, and that was Thor’s best friend (and sometimes brother) Balder the Brave. A major character from the earliest Thor comics, Balder previously went unmentioned and unseen in any MCU project. This has led many to believe Balder didn’t even exist in the MCU. But now, thanks to Balder’s mention on Loki, we know that’s not true. Balder the Brave has officially appeared in the MCU and he is even part of the main MCU continuity.

But why didn’t Balder the Brave appear in Marvel’s cinematic world until now? There’s never been a concrete answer for Balder’s MCU omission. However, one can guess that Kevin Feige thought another sibling would muddle the rivalry of Thor vs. Loki. Although the MCU could have made Balder just a good friend, the role of the loyal companions was essentially filled by the Warriors Three and Lady Sif. Perhaps the MCU thought of Balder as just superfluous? It’s unknown, but until the third episode of Loki season 2, Balder the Brave just didn’t exist in the MCU’s version of Asgard.

Daniel Craig Almost Played Balder in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

When Marvel Studios was developing Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, we almost got an MCU appearance of Balder the Brave at last. In fact, he was nearly played by James Bond himself, Daniel Craig. Craig was all set to play Balder as a member of the Illuminati on Earth 838. And that would have officially confirmed that the character existed in the greater Marvel multiverse. Elizabeth Olsen also confirmed in interviews that she saw the concept art of Craig as Thor‘s Balder the Brave. Everything was ready to go, until Craig dropped out due to concerns over the pandemic filming. But he was this close to appearing in the MCU.

A Balder Confirmation in the MCU’s Disney+ Series Loki Might Lead to His Arrival 

Even though evidence of Balder appeared before Loki in a branched timeline in the 19th century, he recognized Balder’s statue and knew exactly who he was. And since the Loki of the series is a variant that branched from the Sacred Timeline, it means Balder exists in the main MCU version of Asgard. But where is he? Balder certainly wasn’t on Asgard during the first three Thor movies and didn’t get a mention in Love and Thunder.

Given that we almost got Balder in Multiverse of Madness and his big name drop in Loki, it feels like Balder the Brave is gearing up for an MCU arrival at last.

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Episode three of Loki season two on Disney+ introduced us to a variant of He Who Remains. As a child, this variant, Victor Timely, received a TVA instruction manual in the year 1868. This acquisition of future knowledge led him to become an inventor. In Loki, we meet adult Victor Timely at the Chicago 1893 World’s Fair, where he is presenting his rudimentary version of the Temporal Loom. Timley gets caught up in the time-traveling shenanigans of Loki and Mobius, who travel to his branched timeline to find him. But how is the MCU’s Victor Timely different from the one found in Marvel Comics? So far, the Victor Timely in Loki is a totally different character from his Marvel Comics counterpart—aside from both being variants of the despotic Kang the Conqueror.

Victor Timely, the Victorian Era Marvel Comics Kang Variant

In Marvel Comics, the Victor Timely variant of Kang the Conqueror first appeared in 1992’s Avengers Annual #21. Writer Peter Sanderson and artist Rich Yanizeski created him. In that issue, we learned this Kang variant traveled back to Wisconsin on January 1, 1901, the first day of the new century. Once there, he established the town of Timely. He named it after his newly assumed name, Victor Timely. This small town, with its quaint All-American Victorian feel, would serve as a 20th-century base for his future self. From this chronal vantage point, Timely would eventually evolve into the Prime Kang and make life miserable for the Avengers.

The relatively immortal Victor Timely became an industrialist, turning Timely into a boom town of industry. He became a business rival of people like Thomas Edison and Henry Ford. As the 20th century unfolded, Timely faked his death repeatedly. He would then assume the identity of his own son Victor Timely Jr., then Victor Timely III, and on and on. He introduced very advanced technology to unsuspecting scientists of the time. Timely was the man who introduced the concept of androids to Dr. Phineas Horton. The same man eventually created the first android Human Torch in 1939. The Torch, in the comics, would also become the basis for the synthezoid Avenger, the Vision.

Timely, Wisconsin and Kang’s City of Chronopolis

Timely, Wisconsin also became the hub from which Kang would create the city of Chronopolis. Existing outside normal time and space, Chronopolis would serve as a hub for Kang’s conquest of all known time periods. Various eras of history intersected in Chronopolis, only perceivable to Kang himself. It eventually bled into the realm of Limbo, which exists outside of time. It’s something very similar to how the Time Variance Authority functions on Loki.  

The MCU Victor Timely and How He Differs from Marvel Comics’ Version

The MCU Victor Timely on Loki does not seem to be a Kang from the future who has settled in the past. That is, unless they throw some last-minute twist at us. From what we can tell, Loki‘s Victor Timely was born in the 19th century when Ravonna Renslayer and Miss Minutes interfered in his life and created the version of Victor Timely we see in 1893. From all indications, it appears the MCU’s Victor Timely belongs to that time and that he isn’t a future Kang who went back in time. The main similarity between the comics and the MCU is that Victor Timely is an assumed name. We may never know what the true birth names of the Kangs really are.

The MCU Victor Timely may actually evolve into Kang during Loki‘s run and may even be the same version from Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. But for now, Victor Timley’s ultimate MCU fate and future are some of the big questions the Loki series sets up. We’re interested in what we’ll learn about Timely going forward.

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Recently, Gargoyles was rumored as a feature film. But it now looks like we know what the plans are for Disney’s live-action take on the ’90s animated TV hit. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Gargoyles is being reinvented as a live-action Disney+ series by Gary Dauberman and James Wan’s Atomic Monster. The two previously collaborated on the Annabelle franchise. Dauberman not only wrote Annabelle: Creation, but he also directed Annabelle Comes Home. Recently, he wrote and directed the remake of Stephen King’s Salem’s Lot. Dauberman will write, executive produce, and serve as the Disney+ Gargoyles series showrunner along with James Wan’s Atomic Monster.

Long before Disney+ existed, the original Gargoyles cartoon series ran for three seasons and 78 episodes, from 1994 to 1997. Despite seeming like a comic-book-based property, it was actually a totally original concept. Writer Michael Reaves spearheaded Gargoyles, along with future Young Justice showrunner Greg Weisman. It centered on a group of 10th-century gargoyles who were petrified in stone for 1,000 years. Eventually, they arrive in New York, perched atop some Manhattan skyscrapers. There, they finally awaken and become the defenders of the city. Actor Keith David played the lead Gargoyle Goliath. And a metric ton of Star Trek actors also lent their voices to the show.

Ever since the cartoon ended in ’97, Disney has attempted to revive Gargoyles in one format or another. The animated series’ original writers once wrote a script that translated the show’s first several episodes into live-action. In more recent years, even Jordan Peele came up with a Gargoyles script. Gargoyles makes sense for Disney+ to adapt as a series. It’s not Marvel or Star Wars, but it certainly appeals to a very similar demographic — those who grew up with the original cartoon on weekday afternoons. And with Dauberman and James Wan involved, we can expect something a little darker than the usual Disney+ fare.

We don’t know too much about the Gargoyles series yet, but Variety has shared the following logline:

Based on the cult classic Disney animated series, Goliath is the last of a heroic race of gargoyle warriors who once lived among mankind. Free from a centuries long curse that turned him into stone, Goliath struggles to solve the mystery of his past while watching over modern-day New York City alongside police detective Elisa Maza.

We can’t wait to see how this take on the original unfolds.

Originally published on October 16, 2023.

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For Marvel Studios’ upcoming film The Marvels, it seems the story is not leaning into some of the more well-known villains from the pages of Marvel Comics. In fact, what appears to be the film’s “big bad” is a fairly obscure character. One that even the most die-hard Marvel fans have likely forgotten about. Here’s what we know about Marvel’s Kree leader Dar-Benn, played by Zawe Ashton in the Captain Marvel movie, their comic book origins, and how they factor into The Marvels and the overall MCU.

Who Is Marvel Comics’ Dar-Benn?

So just who is The Marvels‘ upcoming villain Dar-Benn in Marvel’s comics? Dar-Benn is a very minor Marvel Comics villain in the grand scheme of things, making only two appearances in the early ‘90s comics. The comics introduced Dar-Benn in the cosmic Marvel crossover Operation: Galactic Storm, in 1991’s issue #53 of Silver Surfer. A general in the great Kree Empire, Dar-Benn, along with Kree general Ael-Dann, coordinated a plot to assassinate a Kree leader named Clumsy Foulup. (Yes, that was his name. The ‘90s comics were not subtle). Aliens known as Cotati put Foulup in a leadership position. The generals later assassinated Foulup using an imposter robot Silver Surfer, leaving Dar-Benn and Ael-Dann as co-rulers of Marvel’s Kree Empire. However, this was a brief reign.

A brutal tyrant, Dar-Benn considered himself superior to the previous Kree leader. He saw that ruler as weak and believed they should eliminate him. Even the infamous Kree villain Ronan the Accuser was viewed as weak by Marvel Comics’ Dar-Benn. But Dar-Benn met his match when the Shi’ar leader Deathbird, often a foe of the X-Men and Carol Danvers, killed his right-hand man Ael-Dann in front of him. It wasn’t long after that Deathbird killed Dar-Benn too, and she became the new leader of the Kree Empire, now calling herself Viceroy Cal’syee Neramani. The minds of Dar-Benn and Ael-Dann were ultimately absorbed into the Kree Supreme Intelligence, and that was the end of Dar-Benn in Marvel Comics, at least for now. Often MCU appearances can bring comic book resurrections.

The MCU’s Dar-Benn Is the Villain in The Marvels

In the MCU, Marvel gender-swapped Dar-Benn, who is now an Accuser of the Kree Empire. This is much like Ronan’s title in Captain Marvel and Guardians of the Galaxy. It appears that the MCU version of Dar-Benn blames Carol for the fracturing of her planet’s dominance of the galaxy. We assume this is something that happened after the events of the first Captain Marvel movie. So it appears Dar-Benn’s mission in The Marvels is twofold—establish a new Kree Empire, and get revenge on Carol Danvers.

What Are Dar Benn’s Powers in The Marvels?

As a very skilled Kree warrior, Dar Benn is an expert in armed and unarmed combat. Usually, they wield either a gun or a staff that dispels a very deadly energy beam. In images we’ve seen from The Marvels, it seems Dar-Benn holds the Warhammer, or “cosmi-rod,” of a Kree Accuser.

Dar-Benn’s Bangle

Another deviation from Marvel Comics is that the MCU version of Dar-Benn seems to wear a bangle similar to the one worn by Ms. Marvel, Kamala Khan. We don’t know for sure yet, but this implies that the mythologies of Ms. Marvel and her ancestors, citizens of the Noor, are tied into the Kree in some way. And also, perhaps, so are the Ten Rings from Shang-Chi. We’ll be interested to see what role the bangle plays in the hand of The Marvels‘ villain.

Who Plays Dar-Benn in The Marvels?

Actress and filmmaker Zawe Ashton plays Dar-Benn in The Marvels. She’s famous for her roles in Not Safe for Work and the Netflix horror thriller film Velvet Buzzsaw. She has one other rather big MCU connection, though. She and Tom Hiddleston, a.k.a. Loki, are a couple.

The Marvels, starring Brie Larson, Iman Vellani, and Teyonah Parris, is scheduled for release on November 10, 2023.

The post Who Is THE MARVELS’ Villain Dar-Benn? Zawe Ashton’s Marvel Comics Character, Explained appeared first on Nerdist.

Most characters in the MCU draw inspiration from those in the pages of Marvel’s comics. Sometimes, two characters are combined. But usually, it’s a character or characters with a long history, often going back decades. And then, there’s Prince Yan D’Aladna (Park Seo-joon), soon to star in The Marvels. Prince Yan is joining the MCU and making it to the big screen after only one Marvel Comics appearance in an issue of Captain Marvel. Here is everything you should know from Marvel’s comics about alien royalty Prince Yan D’Aladna and everything we know already about the version Park Seo-joon will play in The Marvels.

Prince Yan D’Aladna’s First Marvel Comics Appearance

In Marvel Comics, Prince Yan of Aladna’s first and so far only appearance happened in 2014’s Captain Marvel (Vol.8) issue #9. The issue has Carol Danvers, who had only recently become Captain Marvel, and her alien sidekick Tic journeying to the distant world Aladna to help a mutant rock star, Lila Cheney, who also happened to be a cosmic adventurer. Lila Cheney had the mutant power to teleport across the cosmos, which led her to many entanglements with the X-Men and Carol over the years. Now, Lila found herself trapped in an unwanted engagement with alien royalty, and needed her old friend Carol to bail her out. In Prince Yan’s world, everyone has to rhyme when they speak. Good times.

Prince Yan’s Connection to an X-Men Character

When she was a child, and her mutant powers first manifested, young Lila Cheney transported herself to Aladna and fell for the planet’s handsome prince. Lila was an Earth mutant of considerable power who once dated Xavier’s student Cannonball. In Prince Yan d’Aladna’s world, only women could choose their lifemates. Being from Earth, Lila didn’t realize that when she chose Prince Yan, it was a real commitment that would have to be honored. When she returned to Aladna as an adult, they forced Lila to marry Prince Yan, even though neither of them wanted that.

Prince Yan asked Captain Marvel to help him stop the ceremony by formally objecting. During the ceremony, Marlo of Sleen, who wished to rule Aladna, appeared, intending to defeat Lila in combat and marry Yan. Carol represented Lila in battle and won. Now officially betrothed to Yan, Captain Marvel offered him the right to choose whoever he wanted to marry. Hoping to avoid the possibility of Yan being denied the crown if he attempted not to marry, Tic volunteered to become Yan’s wife. Once he became king, Yan abolished this rule of Aladna.

What Are Prince Yan’s Powers?

As far as we know, Prince Yan D’Aladna doesn’t have any superpower, at least not in Marvel’s comics. However, like everyone on his home planet, Yan can always speak and carry on a full conversation totally in rhyme. Essentially, all of Aladna’s people speak musically. So, that’s kind of a power? We’ll have to see if Park Seo-joon’s MCU Prince Yan develops any other powers in The Marvels.

Is Prince Yan Captain Marvel’s Husband?

Although Carol Danvers won the right to marry Prince Yan, she decided not to. She allowed the Prince to choose his own consort. Or rather, the consort chose him. So no, Carol is not married to the Prince in the Marvel Comics and is, therefore, not secret alien royalty. However, that did not stop him from being flirty with her. It remains to be seen how the MCU relationship between Captain Marvel and Yan D’Aladna unrolls in The Marvels and if they end up entangled in some kind of marriage plotline.

Park Seo-joon as Prince Yan D’ Aladna in the MCU

We also don’t know yet how Park Seo-joon’s version of Prince Yan in The Marvels will differ from his comic book counterpart more globally. We don’t think Lila Cheney is in this movie, so that aspect of his comic book storyline probably won’t play out in the same way. And Prince Yan doesn’t have the Davie Bowie-esque lightning bolt image over his eye in the MCU. Park Seo-joon’s The Marvels character also definitely feels like a warrior prince in this film, something the 616 universe Prince Yan really wasn’t. Or didn’t seem to be.

We’ll learn more about Prince Yan d’Aladna, his relationship with Captain Marvel, and whether Park Seo-joon is actually playing him when The Marvels hits theaters on November 10.

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In October 1923, Walt and Roy Disney began the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studios. A century later, those cartoons have blossomed into literally thousands of beloved animated characters, all known across the globe. To celebrate, Walt Disney Animation has created a special short film that unites 543 of those characters, called Once Upon a Studio. When it came to the voices for the 9-minute short, Disney wanted it to sound as authentic as possible. And that included Robin Williams’ iconic turn as the Genie in Aladdin. But how to create Williams’ voice without resorting to using dreaded A.I.? The answer lay in the Disney Vault.

According to Variety, there were many unused outtakes from Robin Williams’ recording sessions for Aladdin from the early ’90s that Disney could use, enough to incorporate the Genie into a scene for Once Upon a Studio. But Disney had to get permission from his estate to use them. Once Upon a Studio directors Dan Abraham and Trent Correy approached the Williams estate and said, “This is what we hope to do. Eric [Goldberg], who originally animated the genie is on the show, and he’s going to be part of it. And it was wonderful to see that happen.” Luckily, the estate agreed, and Genie appears in all his glory, sounding just as he did in 1992.

It was never a sure thing that the Williams estate would say yes. Back in the ’90s, many “Talking Genie” Aladdin toys were recalled, as they used Robin Williams’ voice without his permission. He made it explicit that he didn’t want his voice used for any Aladdin-related merchandise, only the film. Because of this, Disney replaced him with The Simpsons‘ Dan Castellaneta for The Return of Jafar VHS movie. After an eventual public apology from Disney, Williams returned for 1996’s Aladdin and the King of Thieves. And Disney and Williams buried the hatchet. In any event, Robin Williams remains the Genie for this special project, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

Once Upon a Studio debuted on ABC on October 15 and is available on Disney+ starting October 16.

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Few games are as anticipated as Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, which arrives on October 20. Expectations are high. This game follows up the incredibly well-received Marvel’s Spider-Man and Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, and also features the Venom symbiote. Now, for fans who want a peek behind the curtain, Dark Horse Books, Marvel Games, and Insomniac Games are teaming up to present The Art of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2.

The Art of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, regular and deluxe editions will arrive on shelves at the same time. These new artbooks celebrate the fan-favorite game, and give Spidey aficionados a behind-the-scenes look at its development. You can check out the cover art of The Art of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and read the book’s official synopsis below:

Peter Parker and Miles Morales return for an exciting new adventure in the critically acclaimed Marvel’s Spider-Man video game saga. As the inimitable web-heads swing, jump, and glide across Marvel’s New York, iconic villains threaten to destroy their lives, their city, and the ones they love. Now readers can explore the creation of this dynamic new entry in the Marvel’s Spider-Man video game series—from unforgettable characters, extraordinary equipment, breathtaking locales, thrilling storyboards, and more—all accompanied by insightful commentary from the game’s creative team!

The Art of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 regular and deluxe edition arrive in bookstores on April 16, 2024. They arrive next in comic book shops on April 17, 2024. Both are 232 pages long. The Deluxe Edition edition features an exclusive cover, a decorative slipcase, and a folio enclosing a gallery-quality print. The standard edition is now available to pre-order at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and your local comic shop and bookstore for $49.99. Meanwhile, The Art of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 Deluxe Edition is also available to pre-order at the same retailers for $99.99. 

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The second episode of Loki season two introduced a reference to a very obscure character from the pages of Marvel Comics—the murderous and monstrous Zaniac. We actually learned in Loki season two’s second chapter that TVA Hunter X-05, played by Rafael Casal, actually was an actor who portrayed Zaniac in 1970s movies. It’s something he did when he escaped into the past of the Sacred Timeline. But who is this long-forgotten Marvel baddie? Here’s the comic book history of the killer called Zaniac.

In the comics, Zaniac was a villain who first appeared in Thor #319, back in 1982. Created by writer Doug Moench and artist Keith Pollard, this wild villain remains a relatively obscure one from the God of Thunder’s pantheon of bad guys. While most of Thor’s main villains are other mythological beings, occasionally, he battled a more Earth-bound villain like Zaniac. Although, Zaniac’s powers came from otherworldly forces. So god or not, he was definitely more than a mere human.

Who Is Zaniac in Marvel Comics?

In the late 19th century, Dormammu, Lord of the Dark Dimension and mortal enemy of Doctor Strange, exiled an entity to Earth to possess a mortal human to be his agent of chaos. This being attached itself to a deformed and shunned man named Tom Malverne, a man harboring bitter resentment for the way the world treated him. With the power of this entity within him, Malverne went on a murderous rampage in 1888 London, where he butchered five women. He became the serial killer we know as Jack the Ripper. Once the person it possessed died, the entity continued to possess as the decades went on.

Also, this is the basic idea for the original Star Trek episode “Wolf in the Fold.”

Zaniac Fights Thor

This brings us to the modern day. A movie star by the name of Brad Wolfe was filming a slasher movie at the University of Chicago, which was where many early experiments for the Manhattan Project took place. While in costume as the film’s slasher villain, the Zaniac, Wolfe found himself trapped in a nuclear explosion. A pyrotechnics accident on set triggered residual radiation from the Manhattan Project experiments of the 1940s, causing this explosion. Wolfe gained incredible super strength and could create energy knives with a thought. Clad in the killer’s movie costume, he became the Zaniac.

The Entity drove Wolfe to madness; it also amplified Wolfe’s already inherent misogyny. He began to act out the movie’s plotlines. He kidnapped Shawna Lynde, a friend of Thor’s alter-ego Dr. Donald Blake. Thor saved Shawna from Zaniac, but Zaniac got away. He then attempted to act out the movie’s ending in real life, which involved murdering dozens of innocent women. Victims he called his “pretty pretties”. Luckily, Thor ended Zaniac’s plans. Zaniac only appeared a few more times, and Marvel killed him off in 1986’s Thor #372, a story where the Time Variance Authority appears.

How Zaniac Ties into Loki Season Two

In the second episode of Loki’s second season, we found outTVA hunter X-05, upon learning the truth about the Timekeepers, retreated into a new life on the Sacred Timeline, in the year 1977. He used the name Brad Wolfe, which might have been his true name. Much like the comics, this Brad Wolfe was a movie star. He played a character named Zaniac in a film of the same name. However, the similarities ended there with his comic counterpart. Zaniac was just an acting role for MCU Brad, not a being who possessed him. Loki eventually takes him back to the TVA as a prisoner. Will his Zaniac past come up again? Maybe when Marvel Studios does Wonder Man we’ll learn the superhero/actor is now starring in a modern reboot! We definitely think that would be a fun connection.

Originally published on July 31, 2023.

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AMC’s adaptation of Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire is finally ready to launch its second season in early 2024. The WGA and SAG strikes halted production on season two, but the series got a special dispensation to continue filming in Prague. This allowed them to complete the season. Now, AMC has released a first look scene from season two. The clip shows Louis (Jacob Anderson) and Claudia, now played by Delainey Hayles, involved with a coven of Parisian vampires. In the scene, we see the coven attack a mansion owned by some very corrupt humans. You can watch the scene in full below:

Interview with the Vampire ended its first season around the middle point of Anne Rice’s 1976 novel. Louis and Claudia had finally dispatched with their controlling maker Lestat (Sam Reid). Or at least that’s what they think. The big reveal came at the end of the season one finale. We learned that Louis’ human assistant in the modern day, Rashid, (Assad Zaman) was actually the vampire Armand, one of Rice’s most famous creations. Now, it looks like season two will deal with the second half of the novel, which dives deep into the relationship between Louis and Armand, and all its tragic fallout.

In the book, the American vampires Louis and Claudia flee New Orleans after attempting to kill Lestat. They eventually wind up in 19th century Paris. In France, they discover an undead coven who operates the Théâtre des Vampires. There, they murder victims on stage in front of a human audience, pretending it’s all a show. The leader of the coven was Armand, a 400-year-old vampire of powerful blood. In the AMC series, the setting for the Théâtre des Vampires is now post-World War II Europe, and it seems the coven, which includes the vicious vamp Santiago (Ben Daniels), is also a biker gang now. It will be interesting to see how Lestat, who only appears briefly in the second half of the novel, will be incorporated into the season.

Interview with the Vampire season two premieres in early 2024 on AMC.

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When a studio like A24 comes out with a project called The Curse, you’d probably expect something a little bit more in the vein of Talk to Me. But A24’s The Curse is actually an upcoming TV series from Showtime and Paramount+. It’s co-created and executive-produced by Benny Safdie and Nathan Fielder. The Curse is “a genre-bending series that explores how an alleged curse disturbs the relationship of a newly married couple, Emma Stone and Nathan Fielder, as they try to conceive a child while co-starring in their new home-improvement show.” You can see the first key art for The Curse, as well as watch the first trailer for the series, right here:

The Curse is a ten-episode series, but its trailer paints a pretty good picture of what’s to come. The series premieres on streaming and on demand for Paramount+ subscribers with the Paramount+ with Showtime plan on Friday, November 10. After that, it will make its on-air debut on Showtime on Sunday, November 12, at 10 p.m. ET/PT. The Curse has its world premiere at the 2023 New York Film Festival on Thursday, October 12. There, the first three episodes of its run will be screened.

In its first trailer, The Curse looks to at least partially parody the reality TV “home-flipping show” craze, a trend that consumes basic cable television these days. In this new series, the HGTV-style show of couple Asher and Whitney Siegel (Stone and Fielder) goes by the name Flipanthropy. The premise is that they flip houses in lower-income neighborhoods, supposedly intending to help the residents. But judging from The Curse‘s trailer, the duo mostly want to garner ratings for their new series and hope to achieve fame. Then, a cringe-worthy incident with a local child happens on camera. And it sends their whole reality TV endeavor into a tailspin. Especially as the child in question actually places a curse on them. We genuinely can’t wait to see the glorious train wreck unfold.

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Writer and artist Keith Giffen, prolific for decades of groundbreaking comic book work at both DC Comics, Marvel Comics, and other publishers, has passed away at the age of 70 from a stroke on October 10. He was perhaps most famous as the co-creator of Lobo and the Jaime Reyes Blue Beetle for DC, Rocket Raccoon for Marvel, and his legendary runs on Justice League International and Legion of Super-Heroes for DC. Known especially for his comedic takes on superheroes, his final message to his fans on social media exhibited the legendary creator’s signature humor even up to the end.

Giffen got his start as a professional artist in comics at both Marvel and DC in 1976. At Marvel, he co-created the character Rocket Raccoon with writer Bill Mantlo. Of course, Rocket is character who decades later would gain pop culture icon status thanks to the MCU. At DC that same year, he started to do layout pages for artist Wally Wood in All-Star Comics. This title showcased the adventures of the Justice Society of America. He’d continue to lend his talents to a ton of other titles in the ‘70s, like Marvel Comics’ The Defenders.

However, it was in the ‘80s when Keith Giffen became a true force in the comics industry. He began to co-plot many of the comics he illustrated and transitioned into a full-on writer. With writer Paul Levitz, he illustrated DC’s teen heroes of the far future in Legion of Super-Heroes. Together, they worked on the book for four years, from 1982 to 1986. Under their tenure, Legion became DC’s second biggest title, far outselling books like Superman and even Batman. In 1982, he drew the Legion’s “Great Darkness Saga,” which elevated Darkseid into one of the DC Universe’s biggest villains.

After producing two characters for DC that showcased Giffen’s wry sense of humor — the parody hero Ambush Bug, and the Legion spin-off Legion of Substitute Heroes — DC hired him to co-plot their revival of Justice League with writer J. M. DeMatteis. Instead of using an all-star lineup of heroes, the Giffen/DeMatteis League largely consisted of DC’s second-stringers. Heroes like Blue Beetle and Booster Gold. Instead of Hal Jordan, their League’s Green Lantern was the obnoxious Guy Gardner. He was a G.L. who Batman took out with one punch in a single panel in the hilarious Justice League issue #5.

Justice League was a runaway hit for DC and quickly rebranded as Justice League International. Giffen and J. M. DeMatteis turned JLI into a franchise that gave Avengers a run for its money, spinning off Justice League Europe, Justice League America, Justice League Quarterly, and Dr. Fate. Together, Giffen and DeMatteis worked on the franchise for five years, from 1987 to 1992, producing over 100 issues together. They somehow turned the formerly deadly serious League’s catchphrase into characters bursting out in “Bwah-ha-ha-ha-ha!” laughter.

In 1990, Giffen would revive a character he co-created for the series Omega Men in 1983, the cosmic bounty hunter Lobo. Only now, Lobo became a hilarious parody of tough biker characters, and “badass” heroes like Punisher and Wolverine. It was another instant hit for Giffen, and Lobo became a comics icon. That same year, he returned to the Legion as a plotter and artist. He showcased the former teen heroes as washed-up middle-aged characters, who have to get the band back together. Controversial in its day, his “5 Years Later” Legion of Super-Heroes is now beloved by fans.

Giffen took a break from comics in the late ‘90s and early 2000s. He became a storyboard artist for animated shows like Ed, Edd, ‘n Eddy and Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi. In the ‘80s, he’d even written an episode of The Real Ghostbusters. But he returned to comics where he teamed up with his old Justice League partner J. M. DeMatteis once more, producing several comics featuring their comedic League again. Most importantly, during this time, Giffen co-created the Jaime Reyes version of Blue Beetle, and wrote the first ten issues of his series in 2006-2007. He also returned to Marvel as the writer of their cosmic Annihilation event series. This series eventually led to the modern version of the Guardians of the Galaxy. He also co-created several independent comics such as 10, Tag and Hero Squared for Boom! Studios, Zapt! and I Luv Halloween for Tokyopop.

In an era when comics were desperate to show how grim and adult they were, Giffen created stories that showed that yes, grown adults in silly costumes beating up bad guys is actually pretty funny. But he never forgot to give the characters actual personalities and pathos, and infuse drama into the usually comedic stories when needed. In many ways, Giffen’s superhero comics were precursors to things like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the MCU’s Guardians of the Galaxy. His contributions to the comics medium were vast, as there’s almost no major character he didn’t leave a mark on. Everyone who loves the medium of comic books shall miss him.

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One can make a fine argument that C-3PO is the face of the entire Star Wars franchise. Anthony Daniels’ fussy golden protocol droid has been with the series since 1977, and for over 45 years has appeared in 10 Star Wars films, 3 animated shows, and most recently popped up on Star Wars: Ahsoka. Oh, and in one infamous Holiday Special as well. If you’ve got a cool £1 million/$1.2 million U.S. to spare, then you can now own the forever startled face of the galaxy, as the original C-3PO head from A New Hope could be yours via the Propstore’s Entertainment Memorabilia auction, coming to London November 9-12.

This particular Threepio head is one of the originals from his 1976 shoot in Tunisia and the U.K. It was a part of Anthony Daniels’ own personal collection. Other parts of his enormous Star Wars collection are also up for sale. In a statement, Daniels said “I’m thrilled that Propstore has agreed to curate my collection and I trust that the pieces will go into the right hands.” We assume whoever pays over a million dollars for this unique item will indeed take very good care of it. Hopefully, they put it in a nice, climate-controlled room with an original R2-D2 prop right next to it.

This auction will also have a metric ton of other incredible artifacts from beloved films up for grabs. We’re talking about truly iconic pieces, like Indiana Jones’ whip from Temple of Doom. Or Freddy Krueger’s glove from A Nightmare on Elm Street, and Steve Rogers’ shield from Captain America: The First Avenger. Even Stanley Kubrick’s original annotated shooting script for The Shining is among the items. But if you’re only in it for the Star Wars of it all? Then there is a wealth of items from the franchise for you, from the original films to today. This is definitely an auction that true collectors of Hollywood treasure (with very deep pockets) can’t afford to miss, especially if they want a C-3PO head.

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In season three of Star Trek: Picard, production designer Dave Blass made the dreams of millions of fans come true. He achieved this when he meticulously recreated the bridge of the Enterprise-D from Star Trek: The Next Generation. Not only did he recreate the old Enterprise, but he introduced us to a new starship, the former U.S.S. Titan. With the Picard complete collection set to arrive on Blu-ray soon, we caught up with Blass to chat about the monumental task of delivering for the fans in Picard’s final season.

Nerdist: You joined Picard in the second season, which was filmed back-to-back with season three. What was your relationship with the franchise before that?

Dave Blass: Star Trek was the reason I got into filmmaking. So, famously I shared in my little talks at Comic-Con, I put up my photo of myself at age 16 in my Spock outfit. That was really, for me, the visual idea of “I want to go to Hollywood to do Star Trek.” So to follow that goal and then achieve the goal was something pretty amazing. And especially with Picard season three. To really stick the landing on putting a closure on The Next Generation storyline was pretty amazing.

The Blu-ray special features for the third season of Picard show the incredible reproduction of The Next Generation’s Enterprise-D bridge. You went out of your way to stick to details from back in the day—many that 99% of viewers wouldn’t notice. Was it important for you that it looked exactly like the The Next Generation era bridge?

Blass: 100%. I mean, when you’re doing something, especially if you’re building it from scratch, there’s no reason not to do it properly. And I think that what we tried to do was to inspire the team to our level of creating a museum-quality replica. Again, a lot of times it’s just using a term like “museum-quality replica.” And rather than say we’re recreating the set, it’s like, no, we’re building a museum-quality replica of the Enterprise-D. From TNG season seven. And then we would just paper the walls with these details.

By doing that, it inspired all the artisans to rise to that level of detail. They would say “Oh, can I match the wood grain exactly the way it was?” Because each one of them is an artist in their own right. So can we get them to elevate their craft and to say, “Okay, this is what we’re doing with the carpet, guys, can you do this?” The upholstery guys would say “Here’s what we need to do, and here’s finding this exact right leather and the exact right carpet.” Just going down the rabbit hole of trying to be where it isn’t just “Oh, it’s a red carpet, it’s fine.” It’s like, “No, it’s not fine. Fine’s not good enough. It’s got to be perfect.” And then once everyone got that, then it became exciting. Then they knew they were working on something special.

In the Blu-ray, we see how emotional it was for the actors to step foot on that bridge again after almost 30 years. Knowing what it would mean for those seven actors, did that add pressure to make sure it was as identical as possible to the TNG era Enterprise?

Blass: Yeah, a friend of mine was prop master on Curb Your Enthusiasm, and they did a season where they did a Seinfeld reunion. And for the show, they rebuilt the diner and Jerry’s apartment. He said that he was on set when they came walking in, and he said that they sat down in the booth and they started crying, because they realized how much that set and that show had changed all their lives. We knew it was going to be powerful for us in that way, and that was why we were so detail-oriented about all the different things. For example, there’s no scene in which Geordi (LeVar Burton) goes and sits in his chair in his station. So we could have easily skimmed and not built the chair that pulls out. But that’s the first thing that LeVar Burton went and did.

He’s like, “Oh look, the chair even pulls out!” It was so important to us just to be there on the day and to share in that moment. They thanked us for all the hard work, it was pretty amazing. I’ll tell you, standing on that bridge, especially having that unique experience? As the person in charge, to stand there on the empty bridge of the Enterprise alone? I don’t want to say it’s a religious thing, but it’s like going to the Parthenon and being like, “Wow, there’s history there.” And it was powerful. You felt it was something different.

We spend most of our time in Picard season three on board the Titan. Which was a redress of the Stargazer from season two. Which elements did you feel you needed to keep from the Stargazer? And which ones did you bring into the Titan that you felt made it unique?

Blass: The main thing was upgrading. We realized that the actors needed busy work. And if you look at the Stargazer, the captain and the command officers didn’t really have consoles to play with, and we added those in. Little computers for them to be playing with at any time. So that was the main difference in adding a bit more eye candy. Some more screens, and things that people can touch and play with. Unfortunately, we really had eight days from when it was the Stargazer to when it was the Titan. So we barely had time. We didn’t even have time to repaint the floors. There were still scratch marks from the finale of season two on the floors when we hit season three.

Another ship you designed for Picard season three was the enemy ship the Shrike. Spoilers, but eventually we learn that Captain Vadic and crew are changelings. Aliens that are part of Deep Space Nine lore. Did you go back and look at the Dominion ships at all when designing that ship?

Blass: We ignored it because there was an initial concern of going, “Okay, do we go Dominion?” And then as soon as you see the ship, you’d know. “Oh, they’re Changelings.” So, it was the idea that this ship was not specific to a race that they had acquired. And it’s also the idea that if you’re going to go out and do something sketchy, you don’t drive the company car to do it. It was the whole idea of they were out there doing this, they would find a ship that would be unique. One they could do whatever they wanted in, but be on the down low.

M’Talas Prime is the planet that we spend the most time on in Picard’s third season. Without a feature film budget, you designed a fully realized world. Can you talk about the influences that went into designing it?

Obviously, you can’t really do a dystopian world without talking about the original Blade Runner. And years ago, I was designing an episode of ER and I was shooting on the back lot of Warner Bros. And then I realized that was one of the main Blade Runner streets that was in the show. All of a sudden, I realize I’m decorating the Blade Runner street. But also it was like we were shooting in the Iraqi village from American Sniper. So it was a backlog studio set that was out in the desert. So it was finding this thing, taking the elements that we wanted to add. It’s at night, so the lights, the neon, the smoke, and then just give it an alien world type of feeling.

You designed the “Nu Borg” ship, or should we say the Jurati-Borg ship, in season two. And also the new but more classic-looking Borg ship from season three. These are two different Borg, so how did you approach designing them differently?

Blass: Yeah, the funny thing is when [Picard showrunner] Terry Matalas came to me for season three, he said, “Okay, so we want a Borg ship completely new, something I’ve never seen before.” I reply “Dude, you just said that to me like six months ago [for the end of season two] and I just gave it to you.” So we did that for season two, and I think that I feel that the Borg singularity ship that we did for that, it’s cool, it’s different. It looks like a Borg but not. But then when we came back, it was the whole idea of how do you do a Borg cube but don’t do a Borg cube? But also, there was the idea that we wanted it to be decaying, but then if you go back to season one, they had a decaying Borg cube in season one.

So it was the whole idea of going, “It’s got to look like a Borg ship. It can’t look like season two’s, it can’t look like season one’s.” And then we looked at all the different variations of Unimatrix Zero [in Voyager] and what else had been done and how do we do that? And we had dozens of different ideas. In the end, Terry’s like, “What if it’s a cube?” I’m like, “Good idea. Let’s just go with a cube.” But it’s like a super cube. And then he came up with the idea that this box is sending out antennas and signals. So the spikes on it just gave it a little bit more of a mean look. And that was something that Doug Drexler and John Eaves developed, and Igor Knezevic also worked on that. So a lot of people doing some great work on that.

Was there anything you really wanted to do in the third season that either time or money just didn’t let you do?

Blass: I would’ve loved to change the Titan around a little bit more. It’s like, thank you to the audience for not giving me a ton of shit on Twitter for the Titan looking exactly like the Stargazer bridge. I would’ve loved to, because also we learned stuff after seeing how it shot. And if I had painted the walls a little bit brighter, going with something different on the floors or something. But we didn’t have time. And again, we knew that we had to budgetarily focus on a lot of stuff. But [I/m] really, really pleased with how season three ended up.

Star Trek: The Picard Legacy Collection Blu-ray set arrives on November 7 from Paramount Home Entertainment. It contains seasons 1-7 of Star Trek: The Next Generation, 4 feature films, and seasons 1-3 of Star Trek: Picard.

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Makeup artist James MacKinnon has been a part of the Star Trek family since the early ’90s. In recent years, he’s served as makeup department head on Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Short Treks, and all three seasons of Star Trek: Picard. With the latter series now wrapped, we caught up with MacKinnon to talk about the challenges of creating new looks for the celebrated final season, and on being part of the Trek family for decades.

Nerdist: Definitely the most regular prosthetic makeup on a single character you got to do in Picard season 3 was on Worf (Michael Dorn). Obviously, Worf has white hair now, so that’s a visual change. But this was the first time Michael Dorn was in his iconic Klingon makeup in 20 years. He looked like the Worf we remember, but were there any subtle changes you made to his look that the average viewer might not notice? Beyond just the white hair?

James MacKinnon: I think we’re elevating what we did in the past, so still keeping to the core of his character. The sculpture is a little different. Our Klingon prosthetics are a different material. They were foam latex back then, and now they’re silicone, so there’s a weight difference. The paint job is different. Back in the foam days, it was opaque, so you had to paint all that detail, and now you kind of see through it.

We splatter this type of skin texture on there to have more realism, because that 8K camera can now see all the sculptures and all the paint. As an artist, you actually have to fine-tune where you don’t see my little paint splatters from an airbrush that looks realistic. That’s my job, to make sure that you look at him as Worf, not as Mike Dorn in makeup. But the sculpture is a little different, similar, but again, it’s different because the material is different and the flow of it is elevated, but still super close.

Your very first professional work was on Star Trek: The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine back in the day, and then later the film First Contact. Even though you’d already worked on modern Trek shows like Discovery and the first seasons of Picard, with the original cast of The Next Generation back, did it feel like this season was like coming full circle for you?

MacKinnon: Oh yeah, but I was already seeing Jonathan Frakes in Toronto on Discovery, because he was directing a couple of episodes, so it was just great. They’re kind of my family now. It’s been so long. That relationship is there, and I can call them friends now, because we go to dinner, and I do little side projects with Jonathan for his TV show that he’s doing, Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction. But we have a little personal connection there, as well, which happened way back then. We were much, much younger, and they were a little bit older than me. Not by much, I’ve just aged well. (laughs) But it’s really nice to have friends that long and have a career expand with such an iconic TV show that is part of everybody’s life.

The makeup on the Borg Queen in Picard season three is the coolest and creepiest she’s ever looked. There was an HR Giger influence on her look going back as far as First Contact. But now it’s full-blown horrific. Was there ever any concern from the showrunners that she was maybe too horror-esque, or did they encourage you to take that far?

MacKinnon: Well, I think [Picard showrunner] Terry Matalas wanted it to be like that. Neville Page is our alien designer, so that starts with Terry and Neville, and that magic happens. After that, it goes to Vincent Van Dyke, where he has to figure out how to make that one-dimensional photograph sculptural, put it on her face, and how is that going to break down into pieces that I’m going to have to put on. There is subtle changes after that.

The process from the design, to the makeup, to the building, to the foam latex, to all the stuff; it all has to work for me on set as well. That’s the best combination of a team that this makes between me, Vincent, and Neville, because they know what they want, and who knows what happened underneath that swirly pool of goop that they fell in [in First Contact], because obviously, Data popped out and he was a little effed up, melted. He came out like that, so what is she going to look like? That’s been 20-some-odd years, so there’s a rotted zombie mess to it. That took five hours to do that makeup, too, which was fun. At 1:30 in the morning, we would start and at 7:00 in the morning she would go to set. Everybody’s sleeping while we’re working.

Speaking of the Borg, we saw a new incarnation of the Borg in the Picard series finale with the young Starfleet officers. Those all leaned into the zombie more and less into the robotic prosthetics. What kind of changes did you implement to make sure they still read to fans as Borg?

MacKinnon: Yeah. That was more of that nanobot type, that nanobot stuff that we did in a previous season. It was a little more showing where that is taking over their skin, so the veins are coming through. There’s a depth in there. There’s that possible roboty-type material too. It was a layering effect before they were to get to become true Borg, where their missing parts are put together. Right before they’re almost completely Borg instead of human. There was a little bit of a play of, how do we do that transition before they become the Borg? I agree with you, it’s a little rotty, veiny, and gross.

One place that had the most aliens in season 3 was the planet M’Talas Prime, where we met Ferengi crime lord Sneed. We hadn’t really seen Ferengi in a long time in Trek, at least not any with significant screen time. What was it like to do classic Ferengi makeup after so long, only now for a 4K world?

MacKinnon: It has been decades. It was amazing. Our Ferengi, Sneed, his makeup, and the actor underneath it were amazing. Obviously, we elevated that so you didn’t have the piece of carpet around the back of the head [like on The Next Generation] and that most likely was there because sculptures then were different. You didn’t have to have a complete sculpture back there, and you could have that hide all the seams and the edges. Now we got to actually see that, see the detail, what it would look back behind his head. It’s just an elevation. You still kept that core classic Ferengi look. But with those new materials, it can just be softer and more organic of a makeup now, yeah.

We saw Vulcans in this season of Picard too, who are very different from previous Vulcans. These were gangsters. How did you approach them, as opposed to the cousins, the Romulans? They’re almost the same, but not quite.

MacKinnon: Yeah. I mean, that’s a difference in the pointing of the eyebrows. The ears are shaped a little bit different and have a little bit of ridges. Kind of like the Romulans from the South [of the planet Romulus] had ridges. The Romulans from the North didn’t have forehead pieces. That’s a long story. That might’ve been more of a budgetary thing, anyway.

You actually got to have an on-screen role in the final episode of Picard as a Starfleet officer. Before that, you played a Borg drone in season one, and appeared in Discovery too. Was it fun to be on the other side of the camera, and did you get a bit of the acting bug at all?

MacKinnon: I do! I like to get a SAG day out of it so I can get some residuals [laughs]. No, but I like a little bit of acting. I’m not an actor at all, but I like to put my face on there. On Discovery, Airiam, the robot girl, I was the guy who unplugged her and turned her off. I got to create her, and then kill her, basically.

Now that Picard has ended, what was the highlight of all three seasons for you? And what was your favorite of the metric ton of different makeups you got to do over the course of the series?

MacKinnon: It was to walk around that corner to see that legacy cast on the ship from The Next Generation. Yes, half of our makeup budget and everybody’s makeup budget went to build that ship. Not that I’m happy about that, but it was worth penny-pinching a little bit. Unfortunately, we penny-pinch for this kind of thing. Just to see those cast members again, after I saw them a hundred years ago in that same situation. They’re a couple of days older, but not by much. They’re what, 27 now? Yeah, it’s fun. It’s a fun relationship to have and grow with, and be part of. I’m sad it’s over with.

Star Trek: The Picard Legacy Collection Blu-ray set arrives on November 7 from Paramount Home Entertainment. It contains seasons 1-7 of Star Trek: The Next Generation, 4 feature films, and seasons 1-3 of Star Trek: Picard.

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With his appropriately titled memoir Making It So out now, Sir Patrick Stewart has shared many anecdotes of relevance to Star Trek fans in its pages. Thanks to Slashfilm, we learned he talks at length about his three conditions for returning to his most iconic character after 18 years away from Starfleet in 2020. By the end, when Star Trek: Picard wrapped after its third season, the story met two of those conditions. One of them though? Not so much.

In the book, Stewart recalls how producer Alex Kurtzman, Star Trek novelist Kirsten Beyer, and screenwriter James Duff approached him about the Picard project. Although he flat-out turned them down at first, after a little coaxing, he was more open to listening to their ideas. Once sold on the possibility of his return, here’s how he laid out his conditions for playing Jean-Luc Picard once more.

“1. The series would not be based on a reunion of The Next Generation characters. I wanted it to have little or nothing to do with them. This was not at all a mark of disrespect for my beloved fellow actors. Rather, I simply felt it was essential to place Picard in entirely new settings with entirely new characters. Perhaps Picard might encounter Riker or Dr. Crusher in the second season, but such encounters were not to be the series’ raison d’être. 2. Picard would no longer be serving in Starfleet, and he was not to wear any kind of uniform or badges. 3. The series would run for no more than three seasons.”

Star Trek: Picard was greenlit by Paramount+, and the streamer two of those rules. Well, mostly. After the first season, Picard had his Starfleet status reinstated, even if he’s technically a retired admiral now. He did wear a uniform for the Starfleet Academy graduating class commencement speech that season, but he’s not in uniform throughout the series. So we’re going to say Paramount basically adhered to that rule. Also, Picard only ran for three seasons. So that’s two out of three.

However, the veto on a Star Trek: The Next Generation reunion? Clearly, that went out the window. Even in Picard season one, Riker (Jonathan Frakes), Troi (Marina Sirtis), and Data (Brent Spiner) all appeared. Data in particular had a significant role in season one. Whoopi Goldberg’s Guinan also played a big part in the second season of Picard. By year three, it was a full-on Star Trek: The Next Generation reunion series. Even the Enterprise-D came back! All of this was much to the delight of fans everywhere. So as much as we love Sir Patrick, we’re all collectively glad he relented on at least one of his three rules.

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If you were a kid in the ’80s, you’re likely aware of the phenomenon called Garbage Pail Kids. These trading cards from Topps caused a nationwide craze. Children traded these gross-out spoofs of the popular Cabbage Patch Kids dolls during recess at school. This resulted in many schools banning them from campus. Which honestly just made them that much cooler. Now, as with all things of the ’80s, the Garbage Pail Kids are making a comeback.

A Garbage Pail Kids Series Is Still Coming to Max

In 2021, we learned via The Hollywood Reporter that a new animated series had been greenlit for Max (then named HBO Max). It’s coming from the creative team of Halloween 2018’s Danny McBride, David Gordon Green and Josh Bycel. The hope is that characters with names like Atom Bomb, Jay Decay, and Corroded Carl will become pop-culture favorites all over again. And recently, we finally got a hint of the Garbage Pail Kids series’ status. It seems like the show is not dead despite its lack of updates, instead, it continues to be developed.

Topps

Speaking to the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Green shared, “Right now, McBride and I are trying to do an animated series on the Garbage Pail Kids, if you ever had those cards… So we’re working on that, and we’ve got some pretty cool ways we can make a naughty animated show. We’ll see if they’ll have us on that one.” In previous, reports seemed to allude to the new series being family-friendly and appropriate across age ranges. Now it sounds like something a bit more mature may be on the horizon. But, hey, a lot could have changed in two years. Hopefully, our next update about the Garbage Pail Kids series will come more quickly.

Previous Garbage Pail Kids Adaptations

The Topps Garbage Pail Kids cards were a massive success, running for an impressive fifteen different series from 1985-1988. At the time, nothing could stop the Garbage Pail Kids train, and there were early attempts at creating media spin-offs. There was a live-action movie in 1987 that sought to capitalize on the pop culture phenomenon. But it was a terrible film and a massive box office bomb. It really is on another level of atrocious. You gotta see it to believe it.

1987 also saw a Saturday morning cartoon show created as well. A full 13-episode season was fully produced by CBS. But parent groups complained, and the show never aired one episode. It did play in other territories, though, countries where the parents presumably had better things to do than get bent out of shape about a dumb cartoon.

Will This GPK Adaptation Succeed?

Despite all these failed attempts and the current seeming delays, maybe Danny McBride and David Gordon Green can make a Garbage Pail Kids series work this time. As big fans of the original cards growing up, this is more than a cynical cash-in attempt for them. They genuinely love the likes of Leaky Lindsay and Dead Fred. Who knows, maybe McBride will voice one of the characters. Maybe Drippy Dan?

Originally published on May 26, 2021.

Featured Image: Topps

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Star Wars: Ahsoka has aired its season (series?) finale, and all of us Star Wars fans are eagerly awaiting what’s next. Will Ahsoka Tano and her apprentice Sabine Wren stay stranded in Peridea? While Ezra Bridger return the favor and rescue them? We have a lot of questions. But in the meantime, here’s something fun to ease your post-Ahsoka withdrawals. Via Geeks are Sexy, we’ve learned of a parody video from Auralnauts showcasing what Ahsoka would have looked like as TV action show in 1986. Something in the A-Team or Knight Rider vibe. You can watch the full hilarious video below:

Okay, so we love Ahsoka, but they do point out some hilarious things. First off, why does Hera Syndulla always dress in pilot gear even when she’s just hanging out? I mean, it does look cool. But this is live-action, she can change it for a staff meeting. Then there’s our priceless droid Huyang, who is 25,0000 years old and has the knowledge of just about every Jedi ever, and who is indeed used mainly for ship piloting and maintenance in this series. We really hope someone backed up his memories somewhere. Because this is a bit like taking the sarcophagus of King Tut to storm the beach at Normandy.

Having an A-Team-inspired video parodying Ahsoka fits, because Star Wars Rebels, to which Ahsoka is very much a sequel, had a lot of A-Team vibes. Except the Rebels crew had the Ghost to go from mission to mission. The A-Team just had a 1983 GMC Vandura van. One of those has lightspeed capabilities and is therefore that much cooler. Oh, and since she’s the pilot, does that make Hera Rebels’ version of Mr. T? We’re not sure if we like 1986 Ahsoka or 1975 Andor better. However, Auralnauts is knocking it out of the galaxy with their Star Wars video lately.

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In the post-credits scene in the first episode of Loki season two, we finally find out what happened to Sylvie after her killing of He Who Remains. She actually went to a branched timeline, in the town of Broxton, Oklahoma in 1982. She wanders into a local McDonald’s establishment and sees the customers just living their ordinary lives. So she decides to stay there. But why would an Asgardian god want to live in a small town in the American Midwest? Well, there actually is a comic book precedent for Asgardians hanging out in this particular Oklahoma town, believe it or not.

Broxton, Oklahoma Was Home to Asgard in the Thor Comics of J. Michael Straczynski

Broxton first appeared in writer J. Michael Stracyinski’s celebrated run on Thor, which began in 2007. After the events of Ragnarok and the death of all the Asgardians, they are all ultimately reborn once more. Only this time, the Asgardians are mortals with no memory of their godly lives. Thor eventually awakens to his true self and recreates the City of Asgard close to the town of Broxton, OK, a mere few miles away.

For some months, the ordinary citizens of the town had to contend with ancient and powerful gods who were living among them. Asgard actually floated above the ground, making it even more off-putting to the nervous Broxton residents. Thor actually paid for the use of the land with Asgardian treasure, even if it took him some time to do so.

Lady Loki First Appeared During the Broxton Era of Thor

Interestingly enough, Loki during his time in Broxton took the form of a woman. It was the first time they portrayed Loki as female, at least for an extended time. Since Loki is the God of Mischief, when he was reborn he took the form that they originally intended for Lady Sif. But the truth is, in comics as well as actual Norse mythology, they have always described Loki as genderfluid. So the Lady Loki we met in Broxton was actually the same Loki as the one we’d always known in a different form. Unlike Sylvie, who is a variant from another timeline. But it’s fitting that a version of the Trickster God that’s a woman resides in Broxton in both the comics as well as the MCU.

The Sad End of Broxton in the Pages of Marvel Comics

Hopefully, MCU Broxton receives a better fate than the one in the pages of the comics. Obviously, a floating City of Asgard nearby placed a huge target on the small town. The often corrupt company Roxxon, a longtime enemy of the Thunder God’s, started “investing” in Broxton. Sadly, the town became wrecked as a result. It was their evil CEO’s plan to blame the Asgardians for what befell the town. When the Asgardians finally left, they allowed their Everlasting Fountain and Bountiful Tree to remain there. But the town was later totally destroyed when the God of Hammers annihilated it just to spite his nemesis, Thor. Ultimately, this poor small American town paid the price for its association with these higher beings.

The “ancient Asgardian god in a tiny American town” was the basis for the first Thor film back in 2011. Only there, they changed it to a New Mexico town instead of one in Oklahoma. Thor: Love and Thunder also played with the concept of Asgard coming to a small human town and integrating. Now, Broxton has arrived in live-action thanks to Loki. Hopefully, nothing terribly sinister happens to the poor Broxton in the MCU, as it did in the comic books. It seems like a nice chill town. And that McDonald’s that Sylvie pops in gives us all the retro vibes we love. And yes, there actually is a real town named Broxton in Oklahoma, near Caddo County. Hey, if Marvel can use real big cities like New York and Los Angeles, then why not real small towns?

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One of the big questions as Star Wars: Ahsoka continued week after week was whether Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo), the Mandalorian turned Jedi apprentice to Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson), would develop any Force abilities. For much of the run of the series, despite her proficiency with a lightsaber, something that dates back to Star Wars Rebels, we saw almost no evidence that Sabine had any real Force sensitivity. But Ahsoka believed she had the potential. In the final episode of Ahsoka, “The Jedi, the Witch, and the Warlord,” Sabine is finally able to wield the Force.

Sabine Became Ahsoka’s Apprentice After Rebels, But Struggled

Throughout the series, we learn details about Sabine’s time as Ahsoka’s apprentice. Apparently, she took her under her wing after the end of Rebels, and the destruction of the second Death Star. But Sabine’s whole family, Clan Wren, was killed in the Night of a Thousand Tears, when the Empire completely devastated Mandalore, leaving the planet a burning ruin. Ahsoka thought with so much anger and resentment in her, that it would not be wise to train Sabine in the ways of the Force. So she abandoned her training for many years as a result.

There’s also the fact that Sabine, at least in Rebels, had shown little to no abilities using the Force. Unlike Ezra Bridger, who showed a natural talent from the get-go. However, little abilities do not mean none. Because Sabine trained with Kanan Jarrus on how to use the Darksaber. And as Star Wars lore tells us, wielding a lightsaber is more than just being good at swordplay. To be truly good at it, there must be some connection between the user and the blade that involves the Force. And Sabine got pretty good at using the Darksaber in battle.

Ahsoka Showed Sabine Resume Her Training, But Still Failing at Using the Force

Early in Ahsoka, we saw Sabine try (and fail) to use the Force many times. At one moment, she tried to bring a cup towards her, and she couldn’t do it. The Jedi training droid Huyang told her that in all of his years helping build lightsabers for Jedi younglings, he’d never seen anyone with as little Force talent as Sabine. (We don’t need to verbalize all our opinions Huyang.) We don’t know what Sabine’s Midichlorian count was, but it surely would not have been enough to get her into the Jedi Temple as a child.

Luckily, Ahsoka Tano had a larger view of the Force. This is possibly due to her dissatisfaction with the dogmatic ways of the Jedi Order when she herself was a Padawan learner. She believed, as Master Yoda once said, that the Force resides in all living things, not just beings who show extra abilities at a young age. Ahsoka believes anyone can learn to wield it with proper training and patience. And we saw that training finally paid off for Sabine in the Ahsoka finale.

Sabine Finally Wields the Force in the Ahsoka Finale

At the climax of the episode, Sabine and Ezra Bridger are fighting off a battalion of Thrawn’s zombified Night Troopers, as the Grand Admiral tries to get away in the Hyperspace Ring. At one moment, Sabine loses her saber, which once belonged to Ezra. As a Night Trooper has her by the throat, Sabine is finally able to use the Force to summon her saber to her. She then takes the trooper out with a lightsaber to the head. Later, she gives Ezra a bit of a hand when she helps Force push him back onto Thrawn’s Star Destroyer. This act allows him to get back home. After eight episodes, Sabine Wren finally can call herself a Jedi. Or, at the very least, a true Jedi Padawan.

With Ahsoka and Sabine now stranded on the planet Peridea, Ahsoka will have plenty of time to train her apprentice even further. So we imagine the next time, she’ll be doing more than just summoning her lightsaber in a life-or-death moment and more than giving a little extra Force push to a friend. Sabine Wren is living proof that with a little patience and perseverance, any living being can use the Force.

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When you’re swinging through the skyline of New York City and running on the side of buildings, you probably need some amazing footwear. Well, as Stan Lee was fond of saying, you’re in luck, True Believers! Via Marvel, we’ve learned Adidas is joining forces with Sony Interactive Entertainment, Marvel, and Insomniac Games to create the Adidas Peter Parker Advanced Suit and Venom collection, featured in the latest installment of Marvel’s franchise video game series, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, which arrives October 20 for the PlayStation 5 console. You can check out an image gallery of the new shoes below.

Click To View Gallery

This new collection showcases Peter Parker’s Advanced Suit, right as the Venom symbiote overtakes it. The Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 collection includes a large selection of Spidey-inspired footwear and apparel. These include Ultraboost J and Ultra 4D sneakers, the Adizero 12.0 football cleat, sweatshirts, and even compression tights. Adidas made this collection to appeal to both gamers and athletes, and of course, everyone who is both. Also, look out for some Adidas-branded products featured in-game. The regular folks on the ground in New York mainly wear these, but maybe you’ll see a super person or two wearing them as well.

This is not the first time there’s been an Adidas collaboration with the Spider-Man and Sony brands. Back in 2020, at the time of the release of Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Adidas came out with a special red and black pair of Superstar shoes in honor of the game. But this new Venomized shoe is just that much cooler. When you wear them, make sure you let everyone know you did not, in fact, step in black tar. The Peter Parker Advanced Suit and Venom collection will be available to purchase from October 20 via the Adidas app, online, in stores, and in selected retailers.

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Over the past few years, we’ve reported often on the sad end, and potential revival, of the Toys R Us retail chain. Going into this store was like entering a magical realm for several generations of American children. But like some kind of toy miracle, the iconic toy store is making a big return. First, it was just as a pop-up shop, or as a section in a Macy’s department store. But according to CNBC, Toys R Us are opening a new brick-and-mortar store in November, in Terminal A of Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. The rollout of Toys R Us stores will expand to up to 24 different locations, located in airports, cruise ships, and elsewhere.

In January 2017, there were 1,691 Toy R Us stores in North America. The company also licensed 257 stores across 38 countries. Then, thanks to the rise of Amazon and the dominance of big box stores like Target and Walmart, the legendary chain closed its doors. Afterward, a company called WHP acquired a controlling interest in Toys R Us’ parent company, Tru Kids, in 2021. Their plan was to open more stores nationwide after the only two remaining locations (outside of Macy’s) closed in 2021. The first new separate Toys R Us was a massive flagship store in a mall in New Jersey.

Its current flagship two-level store is at the American Dream mega-mall in New Jersey. This huge Toys R Us includes experiences for kids such as a two-story slide, a café, and an ice cream shop. It seems to survive in a post-pandemic, less retail shopping-centric world, Toys R Us is learning to upgrade into more than a store and become an experience. But for all of us who grew up in the ’70s through the ’90s? Just setting foot in that toy paradise was an experience. We all wanted to be Toys R Us kids, as the commercial jingle sang. Here’s hoping the brand can properly regain its standing in the culture at large.

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For the better part of 60 years, Marvel Comics’ X-Men franchise has ruled the comic book store shelves. And in that time, the mutants sworn to protect a world that fears and hates them have had some legendary creator runs. We’re here to reveal our choices for the best of the best. Now, we should note, that these are just the flagship X-Men books. So, no spin-off teams. Also, unless it’s a writer/artist duo that collaborated on the entire run together, we’re classifying each run by writer primarily. For unknown reasons, writers defined the X-Men runs, with various artists contributing more often than not. Now, with all that out of the way, let’s rank the top 10 X-Men creator runs of all time.

10. Fabian Nicieza (X-Men, Vol. 2)

Writer Fabian Nicieza, the co-creator of Deadpool, had the unenviable task of following up writer Chris Claremont’s legendary 16-year run on the X-Men, which was no easy feat. To say he (and writer Scott Lobdell, who wrote Uncanny X-Men) had big shoes to fill is an understatement. But after a rocky start, Nicieza wrote the hell out of the main X-Men title. He really developed Psylocke into more than a gimmick character, truly developed Gambit, and wrote some of the best issues of the groundbreaking Age of Apocalypse storyline, not to mention, he was behind the moment Magneto ripped the adamantium off of Wolverine’s skeleton. His writing was also augmented by some incredible artwork from folks like Andy Kubert. You can’t write that many iconic X-Men moments in their history and not make it on this list.

Issues in Fabian Nicieza’s X-Men Comic Run:

X-Men (Vol.2) #12-45, Amazing X-Men #1-4, X-Men Forever #1-6

9. Brian Michael Bendis (All-New X-Men, Uncanny X-Men)

Writer Brian Michael Bendis wrote many celebrated Marvel contributions. His run on Ultimate Spider-Man is legendary, and he co-created Miles Morales, Jessica Jones, and more. Then there’s his New Avengers run, his time on Daredevil, and on and on. So, expectations were high when he finally came on board the X-Men in 2013 for All-New X-Men. And to be fair, for many, he didn’t meet those expectations. His run, which saw the teenage original five X-Men come to the present, was not without its faults. However, it had some big, noteworthy highlights.

For starters, Bendis made Kitty Pryde the primary mentor of the young, time-lost X-Men. Many of them were her mentors as adults (oh, timey-wimey headaches!), all of which yielded great storytelling moments. He wrote some great chemistry between the adult Emma Frost and the teen Jean Grey. And Bendis finally made it official, and had Iceman come out of the closet as a gay man. This after years of speculation. The art by the likes of Stuart Immonen and others was also consistently top-tier. So yes, the “teen X-Men in the past” thing went on for way too long. But the best parts of this run make it worthy of inclusion in a best X-Men runs list.

Issues in Brian Michael Bendis’ X-Men Comic Run:

All-New X-Men (Vol.1) #1-41, Uncanny X-Men (Vol.2) #1-35, (Vol.1) #600 (2012-2015)

8. Mark Millar (Ultimate X-Men)

In the early 2000s, Marvel Comics was just emerging from bankruptcy and was desperate to get new readers. Unlike DC Comics, they had never resorted to rebooting their universe. But with their new Ultimate line of comics, they created a new universe where younger, contemporary versions of their iconic characters start from scratch, all adjacent to the main universe. Marvel tasked writer Mark Millar, fresh from DC’s controversial superhero book The Authority, to reinvent the X-Men for the 21st century with Ultimate X-Men.

Although some of his choices were questionable (no one needed incest versions of Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver), some were so exciting to read. Millar and his principal artists Adam Kubert and Chris Bachalo gave the X-Men’s classic stories a blockbuster movie makeover, showing the potential of what the mutants could be with a budget behind them. Eventually, this series ran out of steam, especially as other writers took over. Not least because they stopped having truly classic stories to reinvent. But Millar’s run remains a big, bombastic blast to read. Sometimes a slightly problematic blast, but a blast nevertheless.

Issues in Mark Millar’s X-Men Comic Run:

Ultimate X-Men (Vol. 1) #1-33 (2000-2003)

7. Mike Carey (X-Men, Vol. 2, X-Men: Legacy)

Although Mike Carey wrote the X-Men for five years, the longest outside of Chris Claremont’s, his run remains criminally underrated. While he used many iconic members like Wolverine and Cyclops, his best team during his years on the title had a very unusual roster—Iceman, Mystique, Rogue, Sabretooth, Cannonball, Cable, and new characters Lady Mastermind and Omega Sentinel. This oddball grouping of wild cards and ex-villains provided the X-Men with some much-needed uniqueness, smack in the middle of crossover event after crossover event.

Carey introduced the Children of the Vault, another advanced breed of humanity which continues to play a part in X-Men lore today. He finally gave Rogue control of her powers after decades, and when the title switched names to X-Men: Legacy, he used it to truly develop Charles Xavier into a multi-faceted character, after years of being either a saint or a monster. Carey’s run was accompanied by a bevy of talented artists, including Chris Bachalo, Humberto Ramos, and more. Hopefully, one day, more X-Men fans will recognize this run as one of the best. We sure think it is.

Issues in Mike Carey’s X-Men Comic Run:

X-Men (Vol.2) #188-207, X-Men: Legacy #208-260 (2006-2011)

6. Stan Lee and Jack Kirby (X-Men, Vol. 1)

Stan Lee and Jack Kirby were only on the original X-Men series for the first seventeen issues, from 1963-1965. Compared to Lee & Kirby’s run on Fantastic Four, Thor, and even Avengers, these first X-Men comics were certainly lacking. But without a doubt, they lay the groundwork for the entire future of the franchise in these still innovative first few years of Lee and Kirby’s run. Xavier’s School, the Magneto vs. Charles conflict, the love affair of Scott Summers and Jean Grey, the Sentinels. All Lee and Kirby concepts. Really, just the entire idea of Marvel mutants, period. It all started here. Other creators might have improved on the framework that Lee and Kirby created, but without a doubt, their run is where a large chunk of what makes the X-Men THE X-MEN came from.

Issues in Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s X-Men Comic Run:

X-Men (Vol.1) #1-17 (1963-1965)

5. Joss Whedon and John Cassaday (Astonishing X-Men, Vol.2)

When writer Joss Whedon came on board the X-Men titles with Astonishing X-Men, he wasn’t the problematic creator we know him as today (Or he likely was, we just didn’t know). Nor was he the director of the first two Avengers films. He was the guy who reinvented TV genre storytelling with Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, and Firefly. But the inspiration for many of the characters on those shows was none other than the X-Men. Buffy Summers herself was based on Kitty Pryde, and her last name was a nod to Scott Summers, a.k.a. Cyclops. So Whedon on an X-Men series felt like a long time coming.

Whedon and artist John Cassaday did a full 25-issue run on Astonishing X-Men that followed up on Grant Morrison’s, incorporating elements of his run, like Cyclops and Emma Frost in a relationship, and the Xavier School expanded to dozens of students. However, they also made the X-Men into costumed superheroes once again, something Morrison stayed away from. Most importantly, the Whedon/Cassaday run put Kitty Pryde back in the spotlight after years of being a second-stringer, and gave the character one of her defining moments in the franchise. New villains like Danger, and Cassaday’s incredibly detailed pencils on every issue, also make this a truly top-notch run, and one that was hard to beat for several years after.

Issues in Joss Whedon and John Cassaday’s X-Men Comic Run:

Astonishing X-Men (Vol.2) #1-24, Giant Size Astonishing X-Men #1 (2004-2008)

4. Jason Aaron (Wolverine and the X-Men, Vol. 1)

These days, Jason Aaron is thought of more for his extended run on Thor, or even his own series, Scalped. But his Wolverine and the X-Men series was a breath of fresh air during an era when the X-books were mostly deadly serious. After the (most recent) death of Jean Grey, Cyclops and Wolverine have an ideological schism, and split the team in two. Logan ends up being the headmaster of the newly named Jean Grey School. Characters like former students Kitty Pryde, Beast, and Iceman were now part of the faculty.

Aaron infused a ton of humor into the awkward nature of Wolverine trying to teach a bunch of teenage kids. All while also writing those same kids with genuine heart and pathos. Aaron wrote the first 42 issues, with artists like Chris Bachalo, Nick Bradshaw, Ramon Perez, and Pepe Larraz. Each of them gave the book a true visual panache. A second Wolverine and the X-Men series came from writer Christos Gage for another 12 issues. It ended when Wolverine died under Marvel mandate (he got better). But the Jason Aaron run remains the best version, and still one of the best X-Men runs overall.

Issues in Jason Aaron’s X-Men Comic Run:

X-Men: Schism #1-5, Wolverine & The X-Men (2011) 1-35, 38-42; Wolverine & The X-Men Annual (2011-2014)

3. Grant Morrison (New X-Men)

Grant Morrison took over the X-Men titles in 2001, following a full decade of other writers trying to emulate Chris Claremont’s style. Some pulled it off. But just as many did not. By the turn of the 21st century, the Jim Lee/X-Men: The Animated Series look and feel was just tired. Morrison, who’d already written groundbreaking runs for DC on JLA and Doom Patrol, decided to change the game for Marvel’s mutants. Their New X-Men run, with artists like Frank Quitely and Phil Jimenez, was the biggest change to the series since 1975.

Morrison’s New X-Men focused on Xavier’s students teaching at a much-expanded School for the Gifted. Mutants became trendy in Morrison’s world, but also an endangered species when the mutant nation of Genosha was obliterated. Morrison evolved Hank McCoy, a.k.a. the Beast into something even more animal-like yet smarter. They even dared to have Cyclops cheat on Jean Grey, and engage in a (psychic) affair with Emma Frost. Their character of Xorn, a Chinese mutant with a star for a brain, was more than we thought at first. Morrison finally evolved the mutants into something more than they’d been in years, more than just costumed heroes. Their three-year run pushed the envelope in ways few writers have ever dared to.

Issues in Grant Morrison’s X-Men Comic Run:

New X-Men #114-156, New X-Men Annual #1 (2001-2004)

2. Jonathan Hickman (House of X, Powers of X, X-Men, X-Men: Inferno)

With few exceptions, for decades, the X-Men were always a group of mutants fighting for a world that fears and hates them. They usually lived in a big mansion, where they trained in the use of their powers. Then, in 2019, Jonathan Hickman came in and blew that whole paradigm up. Starting in the mini-series House of X and Powers of X, the mutants of Earth, under the guidance of Professor X and Magneto, migrate to the living island nation of Krakoa (itself a mutant). There, they essentially become immortal gods on Earth. For the first time, they find themselves in a position of power within humanity, and not perpetual victims.

Hickman’s X-Men era (of which he wrote the main X-Men title and topped it off with the series X-Men: Inferno) introduced new concepts and ideas to the Marvel mutant universe with practically every new issue. Because of this, the franchise became more exciting than it had been in years. Hickman worked with many artists during this time, primarily Pepe Larraz and Leinil Francis Yu, all of which elevated it to one of the best-looking X-Men runs, along with one of the most innovative and fresh. It might have only lasted three years, but Hickman’s time on the X-Men franchise is one fans will still be talking about for decades to come.

Issues in Jonathan Hickman’s X-Men Comic Run:

House of X (#1-6), Powers of X (#1-6) X-Men (Vol.5) #1-20, Giant-Size X-Men: Jean Grey, Giant Size X-Men: Storm, Giant Size X-Men: Magneto, Giant Size X-Men: Fantomex, Giant Size X-Men: Nightcrawler, X-Men: Inferno #1-4 (2019-2022)

1. Chris Claremont (Uncanny X-Men, X-Men, Vol. 2, X-Treme X-Men)

Simply put, no one else, alive or dead, could have topped this list. Writer Chris Claremont might not have created the X-Men himself, or even the “All-New, All-Different X-Men,” which he inherited from Len Wein. But he wrote the book on them in every other sense of the word. His epic 16-year run on Uncanny X-Men from 1975 to 1991 saw Xavier’s students go from previously canceled and washed-up heroes to the stars of Marvel’s best-selling flagship series. Claremont worked with artistic titans during his tenure too. Creators like Dave Cockrum, John Byrne, Paul Smith, John Romita Jr., Marc Silvestri, and Jim Lee, to name but a few. To list Chris Claremont’s contributions to the X-Men universe would take us all day, so we’re just gonna lightly touch Claremont’s unique contributions to X-Men one at a time.

Ready? Here we go. The Shi’ar Empire. Magneto reframed as an anti-hero. Mystique. Rogue. The actual characterizations of Wolverine, Storm, and Nightcrawler. Jean Grey’s evolution from constant hostage to the all-powerful Phoenix. The creation of Kitty Pryde (with artist John Byrne). The Dark Phoenix Saga. Days of Future Past. The Mutant Massacre. Mister Sinister. Madelyne Pryor. The Brood. Gambit. All of this culminated in the legendary X-Men #1 in 1991, which sold 8 million copies. Chris Claremont’s later X-Men runs were not as beloved as his first, but who cares? He could have never written another issue again after 1991, and he’d still top this list. The X-Men simply would not be what they are today without him. Period.

Issues in Chris Claremont’s X-Men Comic Run:

Uncanny X-Men #94–279, 381–389, 444–473, Annual #3-14, X-Men (Vol.2) #1-3, (1975-1991) 100–109, 165, Annual 2000, X-Treme X-Men #1-46 (2000-2004) X-Men Forever #1-25, X-Men Forever 2 #1-16 (2009-2011)

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This year saw the incredible ending to Star Trek: Picard’s third season, which brought a close to the saga of the crew of the starship Enterprise from Star Trek: The Next Generation. But in his new memoir, Patrick Stewart reveals he’s not necessarily done with Jean-Luc Picard. He also revealed that they dragged him back into the 24th century kicking and screaming in the first place. In an excerpt published in Time magazine from his memoir Making It So, Stewart revealed he initially refused to take part in any revival of his iconic character. But after a meeting with producers Alex Kurtzman and Kirsten Beyer, they sold him on the idea of playing Captain Picard again.

However, they had to meet certain demands first. Number one, Picard wouldn’t be in Starfleet, so no uniforms. The show could only last three seasons. And it would absolutely not be a Star Trek: The Next Generation reunion series. Well, they stuck to the first two. As we all know, the final season of Picard was a full-blown The Next Generation reunion. And it was the best-reviewed season of Star Trek: Picard by both fans and critics alike. After a less-than-stellar fourth film, Star Trek: Nemesis, the crew of the Enterprise-D got to go out on a high note, 35 years after they debuted on television. But the Picard ending, with the crew playing poker, was almost not the ending. Stewart actually pitched a different one, that nearly happened. Here’s what he had to say in his memoir:

“What I’d like to see at the end of the show,” I told them, “is a content Jean-Luc. I want to see Picard perfectly at ease with his situation. Not anxious, not in a frenzy, not depressed. And I think this means that there is a wife in the picture. The writers came up with a lovely scene. It is dusk at Jean-Luc’s vineyard. His back is to us as he takes in the view, his dog at his side. Then, off-screen, a woman’s loving voice is heard: ‘Jean-Luc? Supper’s ready!’ Is it Beverly Crusher’s voice? Laris’s? Someone we don’t know? It isn’t made clear. But Sunny [Stewart’s real-life wife] was set to record the lines. Heeding his wife’s call, Jean-Luc turns around, says to his dog, “C’mon, boy,” and heads inside. Dusk fades to night, and Picard fades into history.”

The studio didn’t think it was necessary, and the scene didn’t make it in. But perhaps, there’s still a chance. Because Stewart also revealed in his memoir that he has pitched Paramount on a Star Trek: Picard movie. He said this would not be a fifth Star Trek: The Next Generation movie. Instead, “This would be an expansion and deepening of the universe as we’ve seen it in Star Trek: Picard. I’ve discussed this with Jonathan, Brent, and LeVar, and they are all game. Jonathan [Frakes] is my first choice to direct it.”

While we think the ending of Picard’s third season is the best send-off that the cast could hope for, if there’s a really good idea for a film there, then why not? If we get both a Star Trek: Legacy series and a Picard feature, then the future of the 25th century might be bright after all.

_{This post has affiliate links, which means we may earn advertising money if you buy something. This doesn’t cost you anything extra, we just have to give you the heads up for legal reasons. Click away!}

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It’s been thirty years since Jodie Foster won her second Oscar for playing young investigator Clarice Starling in The Silence of the Lambs. Now, she’s playing a detective again in the fourth season of HBO’s True Detective alongside Kali Reis, completing the traditional True Detective duo. According to TV Line, True Detective: Night Country will premiere on January 14. We also have a new teaser trailer for this season.

Jodie Foster is also an executive producer for this season and will play Detective Liz Danvers in the series. Kali Reis meanwhile, will play Detective Evangeline Navarro. The creative force behind this newest iteration of True Detective is writer and director Issa López. You can read the official description right here:

The series is centered around Detectives Liz Danvers and Evangeline Navarro who are looking to solve the case of six men that operate the Tsalal Arctic Research Station vanishing without a trace, when the long winter night falls in Ennis, Alaska. The pair will have to confront the darkness they carry in themselves and dig into the haunted truths that lie buried under the eternal ice.

This already sounds spooky and intriguing—and in the vein of the celebrated first season of True Detective. While many big film actors transitioned to TV over the years, this marks the first time Foster has done television work since childhood. At least in front of the camera that is. In recent years, she directed episodes of Orange Is the New Black, Black Mirror, and Tales from the Loop.

Reis, meanwhile, recently debuted in Catch the Fair One, an indie movie whose story she also helped to develop. According to Deadline, she is the first Indigenous American female world champion in boxing, as well as an Indigenous rights advocate. She’ll soon appear in Black Flies alongside Sean Penn and Tye Sheridan.

True Detective Season Four’s Premiere Date

The last season of True Detective came in 2019 and, as stated previously, this new season will come our way on January 14, 2024. Here’s hoping that Foster can channel some of those Clarice Starling vibes, and give fans a new classic character. We love Jodie Foster best when she’s the smartest sleuth in the room. And we can’t wait to see what she and Reis have in store for us.

Originally published on June 28, 2022.

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One of the best parts of Star Wars: Ahsoka so far has been seeing the sheer amount of love for past animated Star Wars projects like The Clone Wars and Rebels. The flashback in episode five featuring a teenage Ahsoka (Ariana Greenblatt) and her mentor Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) during the Clone Wars sent fans into the stratosphere. Seeing Clone Wars-era Anakin as a hologram in episode seven just fueled the demand even more. Many fans created some incredible fan art. Some are even calling for a full live-action “remake” of The Clone Wars series, which, in our opinion, is totally unnecessary. However, flashbacks to the Clone Wars would solve a big problem: how to crack Obi-Wan Kenobi season two. A second season is not in the works as far as we know. However, if it was, the Clone Wars is right there.

Season 2 of Obi-Wan Kenobi Should Be a Flashback Clone Wars Adventure

The first season of Obi-Wan Kenobi saw the long-awaited rematch of Obi-Wan and Darth Vader. Set 10 years after Revenge of Sith, and nine before A New Hope, it reunited actors Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen after 17 years. And based on comments made by both actors since, they are itching to do it all again. But how? Another rematch between Ben and Vader would cheapen their final showdown in A New Hope. So why not do a season of Obi-Wan Kenobi that, at least primarily, takes place during the events of the Clone Wars?

A flashback season would allow McGregor and Christensen to act together as more than adversaries. We only really saw them as friends and allies in live-action in the first half of Revenge of the Sith. In Attack of the Clones, their Master and Padawan relationship was much more prickly.

Of course, if it’s Obi-Wan Kenobi season two, then the story would have to center on Obi-Wan. But there could easily have been an adventure we didn’t know about during the Clone Wars that was formative to Obi-Wan. Depending on when the episodes were set, we could also possibly get a live-action version of Obi-Wan’s great love, the Duchess Satine Kryze. There’s a tremendous opportunity there to get Ewan McGregor to explore a part of Obi-Wan that he never got a chance to in live-action—the romantic hero.

Obi-Wan Kenobi Season 2 Could Have a Post-Season 1 Framing Device

There could even be an opportunity to make the series a sort of sequel to the first season of Obi-Wan Kenobi. We think it would really push it to have Obi-Wan leave Tatooine during exile again for another adventure. However, it would be interesting if adult Ahsoka (Rosario Dawson) came to him. It’s never been confirmed, either on Ahsoka or Star Wars Rebels, if Ahsoka ever found out Obi-Wan Kenobi was still alive. While he wasn’t her master, the two were friends. And her ally in the early rebellion, Bail Organa, does know where Obi-Wan is. Bail might have cause to tell her, forcing her to seek him out. An Ahsoka and Obi-Wan reunion set before the time of Rebels could be a framing device for an excellent flashback tale.

Of course, such a season could scratch a lot of Star Wars fan’s “pie in the sky” wants off the list. We could see a live-action Asajj Ventress at last. Samuel L. Jackson has long wanted to play Mace Windu again, and has been pretty public about it. This could allow for it in a way that doesn’t undo his death scene in Revenge of the Sith. Heck, why not throw in Master Yoda as well? The list of prequel-era characters served better by The Clone Wars animated series is long.

Of course, the biggest obstacle would be the sheer amount of digital de-aging. And Star Wars has a spotty track record with this. But if they can figure out a way to make it happen and look decent enough? We think fans would overlook some imperfections here and there. In the end, it’s really all about getting the characters together. And in that respect, we think Obi-Wan Kenobi season two can deliver in a way that would make Star Wars fandom jump with joy.

The post How AHSOKA Could Pave the Way for OBI-WAN KENOBI Season 2 appeared first on Nerdist.

There has been much speculation about which characters from the old DCEU would make the transition to James Gunn’s new DCU. No one, including Gal Gadot, seems to know if she is coming back as Wonder Woman or not. Well, now we know three actors who are definitely coming back in this new DC Universe. They are John Cena as Peacemaker, Viola Davis as Amanda Waller, and Xolo Maridueña as Jaime Reyes, the Blue Beetle. This was all confirmed by Gunn on social media, via The Hollywood Reporter.

So does that make the previous Peacemaker series, or Gunn’s own Suicide Squad canon? What about the very recently released Blue Beetle? After all, the actor playing him is officially returning. Here’s what Gunn said in a post on Threads when a fan asked about the new DCU canon.

“Nothing is canon until Creature Commandos next year — a sort of apéritif to the DCU — & then a deeper dive into the universe with Superman: Legacy after that. It’s a very human drive to want to understand everything all the time, but I think its okay to be confused on what’s happening in the DCU since no one has seen anything from the DCU yet. And, yes, some actors will be playing characters they’ve played in other stories & some plot points might be consistent with plot points from the dozens of films, shows & animated projects that have come from DC in the past. But nothing is canon until Creature Comandos and Legacy.”

It will be fascinating to see if any other characters from the old canon make the transition. Margot Robbie is very liked as Harley, and is personal friends with Gunn, she seems like a sure thing. But what about Jason Momoa as Aquaman? That one seems very up in the air. Hopefully, as Superman: Legacy approaches, we start to see a clearer picture of who is, and who is not, making the transition to Gunn’s new DC Universe.

The post James Gunn Confirms 3 DCEU Actors Carrying Over to the New DCU appeared first on Nerdist.

Although she only appeared for barely more than a minute in Return of the Jedi, briefing the Rebel Fleet about the attack on Endor, the character of Mon Mothma is crucial in Star Wars. Not only did she get to deliver that iconic line about how “many Bothans died to bring us this information” she gave a face and voice to Rebel Alliance leadership. Since then, Mon Mothma has appeared in a prominent way in many Star Wars stories. And now, Mon Mothma is one of the main characters in the Andor series. Additionally, Mon Mothma has also appeared on Star Wars: Ahsoka, as the leader of the New Republic. But her history stretches back to almost the very start of the Skywalker Saga.

Jump to: Who Is Mon Mothma // Mon Mothma Star Wars Appearances // Mon Mothma in Andor // Mon Mothma’s Husband // Mon Mothma’s Daughter, Leida // Mon Mothma’s Evolution into a Leader // Mon Mothma in Ahsoka

Who Is Star Wars’ Rebel Leader, Mon Mothma?

Mon Mothma was a member of the Galactic Senate in the dying days of the Republic. She represented her home system of Chandrilla. Along with Padme Amidala, she was one of the youngest persons ever elected to the Senate. Mon Mothma, along with Padme and Bail Organa, were a part of the Loyalist Committee, a group of senators dedicated to preserving the ideals of the Republic. Despite their opposition to the Separatist movement, they fiercely opposed the ongoing conflict, hoping to end it through diplomacy.

Mon Mothma During The Republic’s Last Days

Seen mainly in the background, Mon Mothma appeared in a speaking role only in deleted scenes for Revenge of the Sith. She appeared in one crucial deleted Sith scene in particular, where she and several other senators met in secret. Among them were Bail Organa and Padme. They discussed the growing authoritarian movement within the Republic, which a mere few days later would grow into the Empire. We saw the planting of the seed of what would become the Rebellion in that one scene. For many years, Mothma remained as a part of the new Imperial Senate, secretly working against them from within.

Mon Mothma Forms Star Wars‘ Rebel Alliance

For years, Mon Mothma tried to fight the system in a peaceful way. However, war was inevitable. Over a decade later, Mon Mothma publically left the Imperial Senate and formed the Rebel Alliance. Despite misgivings from some of her generals, Senator Mothma was behind Star Wars’ Operation Fracture. This was a secret operation to extract Imperial scientist Galen Erso so that he could confirm to the galaxy the existence of the Death Star.

However, despite being swayed by Galen’s daughter Jyn Erso’s pleas to take the battle to the Empire, Mon Mothma felt the odds were against them. (Luckily, Erso and Cassian Andor go anyway). After the Battle of Scarif, where the Rebels won a victory at great cost, the Galactic Civil War was officially in full swing. And Mon Mothma became not just Chancellor of the Rebel Alliance, but also their Commander-in-Chief. She led the Alliance all the way to ultimate victory on Endor.

Mon Mothma After the Battle of Endor

In the era after the defeat of Emperor Palpatine, Mom Mothma was elected as the first Chancellor of the New Republic. Instead of housing the seat of government on Coruscant, as it had been for thousands of years, the first home of the New Republic was now on Mothma’s homeworld of Chandrilla. She later advocated moving it to Hosnian Prime. Mon Mothma invoked the rule of having a rotating seat of government for the New Republic, keeping it away from Coruscant. Mostly as a way of disassociating from the Empire of old.

Mon Mothma: Chancellor of the New Republic

During the rebuilding of the Republic, Mon Mothma made some key mistakes which cost the Star Wars universe. Mistakes that lead to a new wave of tyranny across the galaxy. Because the militarization of the former Republic allowed for the Empire to happen, Mon Mothma advocated for decreasing the New Republic fleet by 90%. This allowed member systems to have their own defense forces. A good idea in theory, but one which proved to be unwise.

This led to the breaking of two factions within the Senate. The Populists, who believed each world should have more autonomy, of which Mothma was a vocal proponent, and the Centrists, who argued that a stronger central government was needed. One with a stronger military. Elements of those Centrists would ultimately back what became the Neo-Imperialist First Order. They covered most of this in canon novels, like Bloodline, and various comics as well.

How Did Mon Mothma Die in Star Wars Lore?

Mon Mothma’s death, at least in canon, has yet to be recorded in Star Wars. In older, now non-canon Legends material, she died after serving as the New Republic’s Chief of State for many years. In the new canon, she served as Chancellor of the New Republic after the Battle of Endor, similarly to Legends. After many years, she stepped down from her post because of an ongoing illness. But we never found out if she died from it or not.

Mon Mothma’s Star Wars Appearances

Which Star Wars Movies Is Mon Mothma in?

Two different actresses have portrayed Mon Mothma in Star Wars movies. First, British actress Caroline Blakiston played Mon Mothma in Return of the Jedi. Then, over twenty years later, Genevieve O’Reilly took on the role of a younger Mon Mothma in Revenge of the Sith. When Rogue One: A Star Wars Story came around a decade later, O’Reilly returned to the role. Thus far, the character has appeared in three different Star Wars films but has been played by two actresses.

Which Star Wars Animated TV Series Is Mon Mothma in?

Mon Mothma appears in over a dozen episodes of The Clone Wars, all of which showcased her efforts in the Senate between the events of Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith. Here, she was voiced by Kath Soucie. We next saw Mon Mothma on TV in Star Wars Rebels, voiced by Genevieve O’Reilly. She appeared in an important role in the season three episode “Secret Cargo,” which took place about two years before the events of Rouge One/A New Hope.

In that episode, the now Imperial Senator Mothma publicly spoke out against the genocidal campaigns of the Emperor. Knowing this one act finished her days in the Senate, she formally left the Empire. Onboard the bridge of the Ghost, she sent out a message on the Holonet, one where she asked all rebel cells to unite under one banner to topple the Empire. At this moment, the Rebel Alliance was born. Mothma appears in several more episodes in a leadership role in season four of Rebels.

Mon Mothma in Disney+’s Rogue One Spinoff Series, Andor

O’Reilly returned to the role she played in Revenge of the Sith, Rogue One, and Rebels for the live-action series Andor. The series begins five years before Rogue One, and Mon Mothma is a sort of co-lead in Andor. From her perspective, we’ll see the rise of the Rebellion from the side of those within the Empire. In an interview with Slashfilm, O’Reilly said the following:

She is still that very dignified senator, but we get to see the woman behind the robe. We get to see a private face of Mon Mothma. We get to flesh out not just the senator, not just the would-be leader of the Rebel Alliance, but also the woman.

O’Reilly added that “we find her in Andor very alone, living in a world of orthodoxy and construct. We see a woman who has had to navigate her ideals and beliefs within systems of oppression.” Season two of Andor will overlap with the events of Rebels, so we may see Mon Mothma’s formation of the Rebel Alliance in Star Wars live-action.

Married Life on Coruscant: Mon Mothma’s Husband, Perrin Fertha

Something we learned in Andor about the future Rebel leader is that Star Wars’ Mon Mothma is married. In episode four of the series, we meet her husband, Perrin Fertha (Alastair Mackenzie). Unlike his wife, he seems more interested in a life of luxury on Coruscant than in fomenting rebellions. Given that when we Mon Mothma in Rebels, she seems very single, we’re guessing this marriage may not last on the show. We just hope Perrin doesn’t betray Mon Mothma and her Rebellion efforts.

Additionally, O’Reilly noted to Entertainment Weekly:

We see her talking to senators, and then we meet her at home with her husband,” O’Reilly teases. “We see the public and the private. We see her literally and figuratively take off her cloak and reveal herself as a woman in a way we’ve never seen before.

Mon Mothma’s Daughter, Leida Mothma

Another new character, introduced in episode five of Andor, is Mon Mothma’s teenage daughter, Leida Mothma, played by Bronte Carmichael. She seems as dismissive of her mother as her father is, and frankly, a bit of a brat. The character originally appeared in Legends canon, in a 1993 Dark Empire sourcebook, and she was still a part of her mother’s life after the events of the original trilogy.

Of course, as we well know, current Star Wars canon may draw inspiration from Legends, but they often take it in their own direction. Perhaps Leida sides against her mother in the upcoming conflict? That seems to be the direction her father is headed towards. We certainly don’t see either Mon Mothma’s husband or child with her in Rebels or Rogue One. That alone doesn’t bode well. Leida also has a brother in canon, but it remains to be seen if he’ll appear as well.

From “Mild Irritation” to Rebel Leader in Andor

After the Aldhani incident in episode 7 of Andor, Mon Mothma visited her ally Luthen (Stellan Skarsgard), wondering if he was behind it all. He pretty much confirmed it for her, and she then became terrified of the Imperial crackdown that she knows is coming soon. But she also realized it was time to step it up when it comes to the Rebellion. Ahldani was a point of no return.

At one of her husband’s parties, she reunited with a childhood friend from her homeworld of Chandrila, Tay Kolma. He’s a banker and not exactly a big fan of the Empire. She confides in him that she needs his help in pulling funds from her family’s fortune. Funds that she all but confirms will go to the burgeoning Rebellion. He becomes the first person she allows into her life as a double agent.

Mon Mothma tells Tay that the Empire may see her as just “an irritation,” but she plans on being much more than that to them. Andor reveals to us how Mon Mothma is distracting the Empire with harmless antics of seeming good will, but really she is taking large strides for the Rebellion and crucially maintaining a source of money for them. By the end of the season, she’s willing to marry off her daughter to the son of a criminal because it will be lucrative for her cause.

Mon Mothma in Star Wars: Ahsoka

In episode three of Star Wars: Ahsoka, Mon Mothma appeared, albeit in hologram form. This marks the first post-Return of the Jedi appearance of Mon Mothma, and the first time O’Reilly has played her in an era after the Battle of Endor. Mon Mothma’s appearance in Ahsoka takes place over a decade since the events of Andor. Mon Mothma is now Chancellor of the New Republic, although not Supreme Chancellor, as Palpatine tainted that title forever. With several high-ranking senators at her side, Mon Mothma hears the request for aide from General Hera Syndulla, who asks for Republic military help in the search for Grand Admiral Thrawn.

Although Mon Mothma is sympathetic to Hera’s cause in Ahsoka, having witnessed the dangers of Thrawn herself in the time of Star Wars: Rebels, she ultimately has to give in to the wants and needs of the worlds in New Republic jurisdiction. Worlds who do not want to get involved in another long, bloody conflict. We see Mon Mothma again in Ahsoka episode five, and she continues to question Hera’s decision and desire to pursue Morgan Elsbeth and Thrawn. Her scene concludes by telling Hera that she may lose her command.

Mon Mothma in Ahsoka Episode Seven

In Ahsoka episode seven, Mon Mothma returns alongside the rest of the New Republic council. This time she presides over the tribunal as they determine whether Hera was wrong to ignore their initial decision about pursuing Morgan Elsbeth at Seatos and whether she should thusly lose her command. Mon Mothma again is sympathetic to Hera’s desires to stop General Thrawn’s potential return but is rendered inert by the senators around her, especially Senator Xiono.

Thankfully, C-3PO intervenes in a surprise Star Wars cameo. He is sent by Senator Leia Organa and relays that Leia would like to assure the rest of the senators that she approved Hera’s mission as the ultimate leader of the Defense Council. Mon Mothma takes the opportunity to clear Hera Syndulla of any wrongdoing. Afterward, she approaches Hera and tries to ascertain how real the threat of Thrawn is. It’s unclear whether Mon Mothma fully believes that he can return at the end of Ahsoka‘s penultimate episode.

Mon Mothma Future Star Wars Appearances

It remains to be seen if Mon Mothma will return further in Ahsoka or any other Mandalorian-era Star Wars series. But as leader of the galactic government, it’s almost guaranteed that she has to factor in somehow. It’s really a matter of when, not if.

We fully expect Andor to flesh out the character of Mon Mothma more than any Star Wars media before it when it returns for season two, and Ahsoka will only add to her characterization. We can’t wait to see how this character will continue to evolve.

Jump to: Who Is Mon Mothma // Mon Mothma Star Wars Appearances // Mon Mothma in Andor // Mon Mothma’s Husband // Mon Mothma’s Daughter, Leida // Mon Mothma’s Evolution into a Leader // Mon Mothma in Ahsoka

Originally published on August 30, 2022.

The post Who Is ANDOR and AHSOKA’S Mon Mothma: The STAR WARS Rebellion Leader, Explained appeared first on Nerdist.

A highlight of Ahsoka‘s seven episode was getting to watch Anakin Skywalker return one more time. This time however, not in the World Between Worlds. Ahsoka was actually watching him in an old training hologram, recorded decades before. Hayden Christensen returned to play his younger self, tutoring his Padawan apprentice. He even mentioned how Ahsoka might have to face certain foes in battle, name-dropping Clone Wars villains General Grievous, Dooku, and Asajj Ventress. But Ahsoka watching a training holo from her old mentor is actually a call back to Rebels season two, episode 18. You can watch the moment in question below:

At the point that Ahsoka is watching this hologram in Rebels, she suspects that her old Master is actually alive. In fact, she sensed he was alive when she made contact through the Force with Darth Vader earlier that season. But she’s also a bit in denial at this point about what she felt coming from the mind of the Sith Lord. She wouldn’t find out for sure until she faced Vader in battle in the Rebels episode “Twilight of the Apprentice.” Thanks to Rebels, we know that Anakin making holograms for his apprentice was not something invented solely for Star Wars: Ahsoka.

Ahsoka mentioned in the episode how Anakin recorded some 20 of these for her during her training. The one she was watching in episode seven was but the last of them. But, that means there are 18 more of these we haven’t seen, which they could show us over time. Or, they may choose to keep them a mystery. We just know that after the last few episodes of Ahsoka, we’re down for more Hayden as Anakin any way we can get him. We’ll happily take more training holograms if that’s how it can happen.

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