Aquaman may not have the Rogues Gallery of some of his Justice League teammates like Batman, Superman, or the Flash. His baddies aren’t even on the level of Green Lantern’s or Wonder Woman’s, if we’re being honest. But that’s not to say they are all bargain basement baddies. The King of Atlantis has a few truly lethal and memorable villains who have plagued him over the decades, and these are the best of the best. Or should we say the worst of the worst?

7. The Scavenger (Peter Mortimer)

The villain known as the Scavenger was just as his name suggests—an underwater scavenger. First appearing in 1968’s Aquaman #37, Peter Mortimer wore a high-tech underwater diving suit, which he used to rummage through the ocean floor for lost treasure and powerful weapons. All of this, of course, brought him into conflict with Aquaman. Scavenger made a handful of appearances in the Silver and Bronze Age of comics. Eventually, he gained mystical powers, which made him a bigger threat. The New 52 reboot of the DC Universe brought him back to basics. Once again, he was a scavenger looting the ocean for ancient Atlantean artifacts. Only this time, he had a much cooler suit.

That much cooler suit helps him land a spot as one of Aquaman’s best baddies.

6. The Shark (Karshan)

The Shark is not to be confused with the Suicide Squad’s King Shark; that’s a totally different guy. No, the villain called the Shark actually originated as an antagonist for Green Lantern Hal Jordan, way back in Green Lantern #24 in 1963. His backstory was your basic Silver Age origin for a villain. A radioactive explosion went off in the ocean, transforming a basic tiger shark into a humanoid hybrid—one who only wanted to seek out prey and devour them. While he was mostly a Green Lantern adversary at first, as a water-based creature, it was inevitable he would wind up as an Aquaman villain. When he fought Arthur, he took on the Atlantean identity of Karshan. He wasn’t as menacing looking as later, similar villains like King Shark. At least not at first. But for some time there, he was a big thorn in Aquaman’s side.

5. The Fisherman

The Fisherman is one of those Silver Age Aquaman villains that just had that extra something creators and fans liked, so he kept coming back. His real name has never been revealed. He’s one of DC’s many pirates who use oceanic motifs as part of his schtick. Still, his look is slightly more memorable than the others. This is mainly because he literally used a giant titanium steel fishing rod as his main weapon. All while wearing a yellow fisherman’s cowl too. Oh, and with thigh-high boots. Because why not? He’s one of the few comic villains who made it into the ’60s Aquaman cartoon, which probably helped him, recognition-wise. DC eventually revealed his goofy fisherman’s hat was actually a parasitic entity that controlled his victims! That fact alone is so bizarre and off-the-wall, that it earns The Fisherman a place on this list.

4. Kordax

When writer Peter David created a whole history and lore for ancient Atlantis in his 1990 series The Atlantis Chronicles, one of the best additions was the villainous Kordax. He was born to an ancient Atlantean queen, but then abandoned after his birth because of his green-scaled body and (unusual for Atlanteans) blonde hair. But Kordax didn’t die when abandoned on the reef, because he had the power to telepathically communicate with sea life. And he learned to control them, and later, use them to do his bidding.

Kordax returned as an adult and tried to claim the Atlantean throne, but failed in his coup. Because of his unique hair color, blonde hair became a sign of evil to Atlanteans. And this was also why the Atlantean people abandoned his descendant Orin to die. Centuries later, he returned, and became a lethal enemy for his descendant Orin, now Aquaman, in the Sea King’s ’90s solo series written by his creator, Peter David. Aquaman ultimately killed him, but he made his mark in his short time as an Aquaman adversary. He will at least be referenced in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.

3. Charybdis

Charybdis didn’t make a ton of appearances in many Aquaman comics. However, he inflicted the most pain on Arthur Curry than anyone other than Black Manta. Created by Peter David and Martin Egeland and first appearing in 1994’s Aquaman #1, Charybdis and his wife, Scylla were named for ancient monsters from Greek mythology. Both were high-profile terrorists who attempted to kill Aquaman for fame and money. But when Scylla was herself instead killed, Charybdis lost his mind with grief.

Similar to Marvel’s Rogue, Charybdis could absorb powers from others. He attempted to absorb Aquaman’s power, and then controlled a school of piranha to eat Aquaman’s hand, leaving nothing but bones. (He’d later replace that lost hand with a giant hook, which was pretty badass, we can’t lie). Charybdis couldn’t control Aquaman’s power, and he himself fell into a pool of piranha. But since this is comics, he didn’t really die. Instead, he melded with the creatures and absorbed their traits, and became Piranha Man. The name Piranha Man might sell more action figures, but we still like the name Charybdis better.

2. Ocean Master (Orm Marius)

Aquaman’s second most important villain is his own half-brother Orm, also known as Ocean Master. Orm has had several backstories over the years, but he’s always been Arthur Curry’s bitter sibling. First appearing in 1966’s Aquaman #29, he was originally a high-tech pirate. In the post-Crisis era, DC reinvented him as a sorcerer who wielded Atlantean magic, and the half-brother of Aquaman via his human father, Tom Curry. Peter David’s version was Aquaman’s half-brother via sharing the same father, this time the ancient Atlantean sorcerer Atlan.

In Geoff Johns’ New 52 era take on the character in 2011, he was an Atlantean royal, the other son of Queen Atlanna, who had a vendetta against the surface world for their pollution of the oceans, and who sought to destroy them. This was the version Patrick Wilson played that made it to live-action in the Aquaman film. Regardless of how he was related to Aquaman and by which parent, his role as the wildly jealous half-sibling was always constant. It always made the stakes between himself and his arch-enemy truly personal. Add to that a memorable design (that helmet is both goofy and cool), and he’ll always be one of Aquaman’s most famous bad guys.

1. Black Manta (David Hyde)

Over the decades, Aquaman faced off against many air-breathing undersea criminal types in diving suits. Many of which remain forgotten today. So why did Black Manta, who debuted in Aquaman #35 in 1967, rise to the top? And why is David Hyde the greatest of all Aquaman villains, even over his jealous half-brother Orm? Three reasons: His costume design is cool as hell. Never underestimate the power of a killer look in superhero comics. Second, he appeared in the Aquaman animated series, and later, on the Challenge of the Super-Friends. And finally, he committed the worst act ever done by a supervillain to their arch-enemy—he murdered Aquaman’s young son.

Ever since that seminal story back in the ‘70s, Black Manta became Arthur Curry’s most famous foe. The Joker to his Batman. Modern comics have given Black Manta more layers and backstory, including revealing his motivations against the King of Atlantis. One of those reasons is that he blamed Aquaman for the death of his father. Because of all of these things, Black Manta was not only a villain in the first Aquaman film, played by Yayah Abdul-Mateen II, but also in the upcoming Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom as well. For all of these reasons, we highly doubt anyone will ever replace Black Manta as Aquaman’s most notorious enemy.

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There have been many Spider-Man cartoons over the decades. The original 1967 is iconic thanks to that theme song, and many a Millennial Marvel fan loves the ’90s Spider-Man: The Animated Series. But one of the best Spidey toons of all time was the 2008 Spectacular Spider-Man series. It only ran for two seasons, but many view it as one of the best interpretations of Peter Parker outside of comics. Now, via The Direct, we’ve learned that after its Disney+ debut in October 2022, Spectacular Spider-Man is now mysteriously gone from the platform. Spidey didn’t even stick around long enough on Disney+ to make any new amazing friends.

So why is it gone, and where can fans watch it? As to why it’s no longer on Disney+, we can only guess. Sony produced the show, so it’s likely to do with some kind of licensing deal. Non-MCU Marvel properties tend to vanish and then reappear on the platform all the time. The many Fox X-Men films are a perfect example of this. As to where fans can now watch it? Well, it’s still not available on its previous home on Netflix. However, you can still buy individual episodes on Amazon Prime. And, of course, fans can always just buy the complete series set on Blu-ray. Physical media will never suddenly disappear without warning.

Hopefully, one of these days, they will sort out all the various licensing issues, and Disney+ can be the permanent home to all Marvel Comics-based media, especially Spider-Man. With the Spectacular Spider-Man version of Peter Parker appearing (briefly) in Across the Spider-Verse, more fans have become curious about him, and having it vanish from the platform now after a mere few months is rather unfortunate. Having said that, we have a feeling this is not the permanent end of the Spectacular Spider-Man on Disney+. The real question is “When will it return?”

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The world of The Boys continues to expand. After the first live-action spinoff series Gen V arrived to much fan and critical acclaim, now yet another spinoff is on the way from Amazon. Only this will be a Spanish language series, set in Mexico City. According to Deadline, The Boys: Mexico will be written by Blue Beetle’s Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer, and produced by Diego Luna and Gael García Bernal, who may both take on minor acting roles in the series.

In a Variety interview, Banal confirmed the series as well as his involvement. He couldn’t go into details, obviously, but did offer a brief statement saying, “I’m very excited about what we can do, because we can do something very interesting in Latin America.” Flagship series creators Eric Kripke, Seth Rogen, and Evan Goldberg will executive produce for Sony/Prime Video.

So what would The Boys: Mexico even be about? Right now, we don’t have details. We’re not even sure that title is sticking. The name “The Boys” is about the underground group trying to bring down Vought and The Seven. Unless Mexico has its own set of Vought heroes and its own underground group of “boys,” would that title even make sense? So much of the adaptation of the Garth Ennis comic book series parodies famous tropes from Marvel and DC Comics. But both universes have superhero groups all over the world. Groups like DC’s Global Guardians and Marvel’s Canadian heroes, Alpha Flight. We may see a more unhinged version of this concept for this new show.

Gen V tied directly into the events of the previous season of The Boys, even though it was very much its own show. We even had an appearance by Homelander himself at the end. It will be interesting to see how many of the cast of the main series will appear, as they will shoot in Latin America. The show is only in development as of right now, and has not landed a greenlight yet. But given how hugely popular The Boys is, we expect this one to go through.

Originally published on November 28, 2023.

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Over the last 15 years, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has flourished on both the big and small screens. Not to mention the X-Men movie universe at Fox, and the Spider-Man universe at Sony. From all indications, it seems as if almost no Marvel Comics hero is too small or obscure for the live-action treatment. Between the MCU, the former Fox X-Men films, and the Sony Spider-verse, just about everyone of importance has had their big screen debut.

In just the last couple of years alone, they have introduced Marvel Comics fans in quick succession to the likes of She-Hulk, Ms. Marvel, Moon Knight, Namor, Ironheart, and in cameo form, Hercules and Starfox, to name but a few. Wonder Man is even getting a series soon. And yet, there still are a handful of important Marvel Comics characters long overdue for the live-action treatment. So without further ado, here are our picks for the top 10 Marvel superheroes that still need to make it to MCU live-action film and television.

10. Beta Ray Bill

In the MCU, we’ve only seen two other heroes worthy of lifting Thor’s hammer Mjölnir, — the Vision, and Steve Rogers. However, in the comics there was another who was worthy, a horse-faced alien from the planet Korbin. Beta Ray Bill was the champion of the Korbinites, given powers by his near-extinct alien race. Thanks to some classic comic book misunderstanding, Beta Ray Bill met Thor in battle when approaching Earth, and he actually defeated the God of Thunder. Not only defeat him, but he was able to wield Mjölnir, one of the few who could.

Impressed with Beta Ray Bill’s fortitude, Thor’s dad, Odin All-Father gifted the Krobinite with his very own enchanted hammer, Stormbreaker, which he now used as a hero and ally to Thor. Beta Ray Bill has almost made it to the MCU before. We’ve seen his statue on the planet Sakaar in Thor: Ragnarok, and his hammer Stormbreaker has also appeared in Infinity War and Endgame. We think Bill is long overdue for an MCU appearance. It just might be time for Thor to hand over Stormbreaker to its rightful owner.

9. Tigra (Greer Nelson)

Greer Nelson, originally known as “The Cat,” was one of the first female heroes to receive her own Marvel comic. A runway model, Greer fought crime with cat-themed gadgets and a skin-tight cat costume. The Claws of the Cat only lasted four issues, and truthfully, seemed like a knockoff of DC Comics’ Catwoman—only with a neon yellow costume instead. Years later, the heroine Hellcat would use that costume with far more success.

But Marvel tried again with Greer a couple of years later. They gave her the powers of a magical lost race of Cat People, and suddenly Greer was a ferocious cat/human hybrid named Tigra. This version was far more popular, and served with the Avengers for years. A cat-person in a bikini might be hard to pull off in live-action, but we trust Marvel Studios to make the right changes. They mentioned someone named Greer in Hawkeye. Could it be? We hope to see her, tail and all, in the MCU one day.

8. Ka-Zar of the Savage Land (Kevin Plunder)

On the surface, Ka-Zar just seems like a Tarzan rip-off. He’s the son of a British Lord who finds himself stranded in an exotic jungle location as a child. After his father dies, locals take him in. He no longer goes by the name Lord Kevin Plunder, but becomes Ka-Zar. Sound familiar? So how is this more than a dime-store Tarzan? Well, instead of a real-world location like Africa, Ka-Zar lives in the Savage Land, a secret primordial world in the Antarctic.

The Savage Land is filled with dinosaurs, humanoid mutates, and Ka-Zar’s trusty sabretooth tiger Zabu. In the comics, it became the prime location for many Uncanny X-Men stories. It even became the home base of Magneto for a time. Anyone who grew up with X-Men: The Animated Series will remember several episodes set in this location. To be fair, the location of the Savage Land world is much cooler than Ka-Zar himself, but he could be used to anchor a very cool Savage Land series or movie.

7. Captain Britain (Brian Braddock)

Captain Britain has been a part of the Marvel Universe since the mid-’70s. But he first appeared only in the Marvel UK line of comics. Captain Britain Weekly #1 featured his canonical first appearance. In the comics, Brian Braddock was the nerdy heir of an old aristocratic British family. He received a bad injury in a lab accident and nearly died. Soon after, the wizard Merlyn appeared to him, and offered Brian the chance to become the United Kingdom’s mystically strong champion. And thus, Captain Britain is born.

In the UK, Captain Britain had his own comic for years, and teamed up with Spidey and Captain America in North American Comics. He eventually led the British X-Men spinoff team, Excalibur. His sister is Betsy Braddock, who fans know best as the prominent ’90s X-Man named Psylocke. All of these aspects of his character could prove interesting story material, as Marvel Studios seeds mutants into the MCU. Fans have been clamoring for Superman Henry Cavill to play Captain Britain. And we can’t say that we don’t approve of that choice.

6. Darkhawk (Christopher Powell/Connor Young)

Darkhawk is one of the lesser-known Marvel heroes on this list, but in the ’90s, he was fairly popular. He even carried his own series for some 50 issues. Christopher Powell was a teenager from Queens, New York, just like Peter Parker. He came upon an amulet that allowed him to switch places with a powerful alien android body possessing huge metal wings, one that his mind could control. (And he had a Wolverine-like claw. As we said, quite popular in the ’90s.

Darkhawk joined the New Warriors, and briefly, the Avengers. Recently, Marvel Comics launched a new Darkhawk series, with a new teenage hero at its center. Connor Young was a star athlete, recently diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. As he struggles with his new medical reality, he also has to become a superhero when he discovers the amulet. The original comic series wasn’t all that memorable, but the ingredients for this new Darkhawk — the origin, the costume, the powers — are perfect for a live-action adaptation.

5. Moondragon (Heather Douglas)

Moondragon is one of those oddball Marvel heroes. But this martial artist with psychic powers has ties to several prominent MCU characters. Namely, Drax the Destroyer and Thanos. In the comics, young Heather Douglas was driving through the desert with her family when they caught Thanos landing on Earth, totally by chance. The Mad Titan promptly killed her entire family, but Heather escaped.

Her father’s soul bonded to Drax, essentially making Drax her dad. And Mentor, Thanos’ own father, instructed her in the use of her powers. She joined the Avengers, and later, teams like the Defenders and the Guardians of the Galaxy. For the MCU, Moondragon’s origins could be simplified. She could be the literal daughter of Drax now. Perhaps the daughter he thought he lost to Thanos? And if Thanos’ father trained her, that would create a lot of conflict for this family. She’s also a bisexual character, and we know the MCU could use some more canonically LGBTQ heroes.

4. Quasar (Wendell Vaughn)

They have introduced many of the most prominent Avengers into the MCU at this point. But one fairly major Avenger from the ‘90s has yet to show up, and that’s Wendell Vaughn, also known as Quasar. An Avenger during the early ‘90s, at which time he carried his own solo title for sixty issues, Vaughn was a SHIELD scientist who came across the cosmic weapons called the Quantum Bands. They bestowed on him incredible power, as the owner of the bands was the chosen Protector of the Universe, a title given by the cosmic entity Eon.

With the Quantum Bands now introduced into the MCU thanks to The Marvels, it would be interesting to see them wind up in the hands of a new hero like Quasar. After all, neither Kamala Khan nor Carol Danvers need the bands to activate their powers. They should go to someone else who can use them to do good. In Thor: Love and Thunder, we saw a representation of the cosmic entity Eon, so maybe he’ll appear to give the Quasar the Protector of the Universe title. Everything lately feels like it’s setting it up. With the MCU needing more spacefaring heroes, Quasar seems like a perfect choice.

3. Nova (Richard Rider/Sam Alexander)

Although the Nova Corps, Marvel’s interstellar police force (and answer to DC’s Green Lantern Corps) has already been introduced in the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie, the Nova I’m talking about is Richard Rider. He had his own series in the late ’70s, The Man Called Nova, and then regularly appeared as a cast member of New Warriors. Rider was a working-class teen in the Peter Parker mold; he inherited the title and cosmic powers from a dying member of the Nova Corps. (We told you he was Marvel’s answer to Green Lantern).

The character has had a comeback in the last few years. Mainly because of Marvel Comics doubling down on their cosmic heroes with events like Annihilation. A new teenager named Sam Alexander recently took on the mantle of Nova, but either he or Richard Rider would make for ideal candidates for a TV series or a movie. Perhaps tying his origin to the offscreen destruction of the Nova homeworld of Xandar (referenced in Avengers: Infinity War) might be a good way to make this tie into the MCU.

2. Doctor Voodoo (Jericho Drumm)

Jericho Drumm was created way back in 1973, and for five issues was the lead character in Strange Tales, the anthology that introduced Doctor Strange. Created by a group of Marvel legends, which included Stan Lee, Roy Thomas, John Romita, and Len Wein, the character originally went by the name Brother Voodoo. A psychologist originally from Haiti, Drumm returned home to discover his voodoo practitioner brother was dying. He sought out his brother’s mentor, Papa Jambo, who taught him mastery over voodoo practices and powerful sorcery, and Drumm assumed the title of Brother Voodoo.

Although his lead series was short-lived, Brother Voodoo continued to appear in various Marvel comics over the succeeding decades as a guest star, and hero and ally to many. He eventually became the Sorcerer Supreme, replacing Stephen Strange in the role. It was during this time he officially took the name Doctor Voodoo. He’s since served on over three different iterations of the Avengers. Although he was heavily rumored for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, he never appeared. But the MCU needs some more magically powered heroes besides Strange, and we can’t think of a better one than Jericho Drumm.

1. Spider-Woman (Jessica Drew)

Despite what her name might suggest, Jessica Drew is anything but a female carbon copy of Spider-Man. Created in the ‘70s, Spider-Woman headlined her own ongoing series for over 50 issues, and even had a short-lived cartoon series on Saturday morning TV. In the comics, Jessica Drew’s parents were scientists who accidentally gave her arachnid-based powers as a child. The powers were a side effect of their trying to cure a lethal childhood disease. They have tweaked her origin story a few times over the past few decades, but the character always has ties to both SHIELD and HYDRA in any version.

Marvel put her on the shelf for nearly two decades years for inexplicable reasons. It was Brian Michael Bendis who brought Jessica as Spider-Woman back in 2004 in the pages of New Avengers. She’s remained a Marvel mainstay ever since. With her ties to both SHIELD and the Avengers, she’s an obvious choice for the MCU either on film or TV. She has appeared recently in animation, in Across the Spider-Verse. But we still await her live-action debut. Sony announced a Spider-Woman movie years ago with Olivia Wilde at the helm. But nothing ever came of it. The Madame Web movie will feature various Spider-Women, but not Jessica. We hope that Sony and Marvel Studios can find a way to work together and bring Jessica into the MCU where she belongs.

Originally published on April 23, 2017.

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Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney Parks is one of the most immersive theme park lands in history. When you set foot inside, it truly is like you’re on another world in the galaxy far, far away. But that doesn’t mean that it’s perfect. The great John Williams did record a new theme for the land. However, you never hear a hint of any classic Star Wars music while you’re wandering Black Spire Outpost. Well, in 2024, that will change at the location in Anaheim’s Disneyland Resort.

According to Disneyland, 2024 will see the return of Season of the Force at Disneyland. This will include a new Star Tours adventure featuring Ahsoka Tano. Also, the event will feature the Hyperspace Mountain re-theme of Space Mountain and something new. The official announcement says “Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge will provide a fresh perspective on the fireworks above Disneyland Park, with galactic music sweeping through the spires.” Although obviously not 100% confirmed, we imagine “galactic music” is actual music from the many Star Wars films and Disney+ series.

Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland is uniquely positioned for such a show. One can clearly see the fireworks above the peaks of the planet Batuu. But if you’re in Galaxy’s Edge, you don’t hear any music to go with the fireworks. It’s the perfect opportunity to create a totally separate musical score for the fireworks that only those visiting Galaxy’s Edge can hear. We’re already excited at the prospect of hearing Williams’ main theme, or “Duel of the Fates,” “Battle of the Heroes,” and “Imperial March,” all while fireworks explode above. The lack of classic Star Wars music has always been an issue with Galaxy’s Edge, and this would go a long way in correcting that mistake. Here’s hoping it stays past the allotted limited time. 

Season of the Force is celebrated at Disneyland Park from April 5-June 2, 2024.

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There have been many rumors that the original roster of the Earth’s Mightiest Heroes will all return in Avengers: Secret Wars. And yes, that would presumably include Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man/Tony Stark. But via Variety, we’ve learned that in a recent story on Downey for Vanity Fair, Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige said there are no plans to bring Tony Stark back from the grave. Iron Man’s heroic death in Avengers: Endgame, in which he saved the universe from Thanos, was just too important to undo. Here’s what Feige had to say:

“We are going to keep that moment and not touch that moment again. We all worked very hard for many years to get to that, and we would never want to magically undo it in any way.”

So it seems like the MCU creatives powers that be will never use magic or nanotech to revive Tony’s corpse for a future film. This is a choice which we all of course applaud. However, we must point out that Feige very carefully worded that response. It’s safe to say we can take Feige at his word, and the MCU won’t resurrect the Tony Stark we knew and loved in 11 films. Iron Man’s death will not change. But that does not mean we are never seeing Robert Downey, Jr. play him again.

Right now, we are in the middle of the MCU’s Multiverse Saga. And we would be genuinely shocked if we did not encounter a multiversal variant of Tony in Secret Wars. And for that matter, a variant of Natasha Romanoff (Scarlet Johansson) too. With Secret Wars likely capping off twenty years of the MCU, it’s hard to imagine no Tony Stark involvement in that. Regardless of what Kevin Feige said, don’t count out seeing Iron Man again. He just won’t exactly be the one you remember. Because that guy is staying dead for sure.

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It’s been 30 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 TVLine, True Detective: Night Country will premiere on January 14. We also finally have a full 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. The trailer for True Detective: Night Country honestly looks amazing, eerie, and incredibly well-acted as it plunges us deep into the plot of the season. As always with True Detective, murder is happening, but there’s something deeper at play, and more themes to explore than your average true crime series. The trailer for True Detective: Night Country offers us something truly dense and has us at the edge of our seats.

The Series Official Synopsis and More

The Night Country trailer lays out the plot of this season for us pretty well. Scientists are being found frozen, but they were killed before the ice got to them. And there’s a greater darkness at work.

But, to help what we see make even more sense, you can read True Detective: Night Country‘s 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: Night Country also stars Finn Bennett, Fiona Shaw, with Christopher Eccleston, Isabella Star LaBlanc, and John Hawkes.

True Detective: Night Country‘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 in Night Country. 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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The intergalactic journey of U.S.S. Discovery is coming to an end. Paramount+ has revealed that they are ending Star Trek: Discovery with the upcoming fifth season of the show. It is set to release in April 2024. At the fan convention CCXP, we saw a clip from the upcoming final season—a season that will see Captain Burnham and the crew of the U.S.S. Discovery uncovering a mystery that will send them on an epic adventure across the galaxy to find an ancient power whose very existence has been deliberately hidden for centuries. But there are others on the hunt as well … dangerous foes who are desperate to claim the prize for themselves and will stop at nothing to get it.

Discovery‘s fifth season wasn’t necessarily meant to be the end. But according to The Hollywood Reporter, additional filming was set to help craft a conclusion for the series. Discovery was historic for many reasons. Debuting in 2017, it was the first streaming series in the franchise’s history. It was also the first Trek series since the cancellation of Enterprise some 12 years earlier.

Discovery launched a whole world of Trek in the streaming world, first on CBS All Access, then on its successor, Paramount+. This lead to Picard, Lower Decks, Prodigy, and most recently, Strange New Worlds. Of course, it was also the first Star Trek series with an African-American woman in the lead, and the Trek series with its first regular trans character.

Discovery was unique in Trek canon for several reasons. It began as a prequel to the original series, set some ten years before the time of Kirk on the Enterprise. But at the end of season two, they propelled the starship Discovery over 900 years into the future. This allowed the show to explore a completely different era in the Star Trek timeline. It was also unique in that the lead character was not a Captain or Commander. But she eventually evolved into taking command of the ship by the end of the third season. It will be interesting to see if Star Trek remains in this time period for future series, or returns to the past.

The final season of Star Trek: Discovery will drop on Paramount+ in April 2024.

Originally published on March 2, 2023.

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Marvel Comics has finally made good on an idea that’s over 40 years old. In the recent X-Men Blue: Origins one shot, the true origin story of longtime X-Man Nightcrawler was revealed. And it’s what Uncanny X-Men writer Chris Claremont intended decades ago, but Marvel Comics forbade him to do so. In X-Men Blue: Origins, writer Si Spurrier revealed Raven Darkholme, the shapeshifting mutant called Mystique, had morphed into a man and become Nightcrawler’s father. Her longtime lover Irene Adler, better known as the precognitive mutant Destiny, was the mother. This was always the plan. It just took four decades to get there.

Marvel Teased the Nightcrawler/Mystique Connection Since 1981

From his very first appearance in 1975’s Giant Size X-Men #1, there’s been an air of mystery surrounding the origins of Kurt Wagner, a.k.a. Nightcrawler. When the blue-skinned Nightcrawler first met the mutant villain Mystique in 1981’s Uncanny X-Men #142, he immediately noticed the similarities between the two of them. From that first meeting, Mystique teased Kurt with the knowledge that there was a deeper connection between them. Yet, Marvel kept that connection a mystery for decades.

Chris Claremont toyed with the idea of making the Doctor Strange villain Nightmare into Kurt’s dad. But he preferred his second option for Nightcrawler’s origin. His idea was that Mystique had shapeshifted into a man, and impregnated her longtime lover Destiny, making her Kurt’s mother. Although in the ’80s he was not allowed to explicitly say Mystique and Destiny were romantic partners, it was all but obvious to anyone who could read between the lines. Marvel editorial feared the still active Comics Code Authority censors would never allow it, so they scrapped the plan. Not wanting to replace the story he had in mind, Chris Claremont never touched the question of the Nightcrawler/Mystique connection again for the rest of his run on the title.

Mystique Revealed She Was Nightcrawler’s Mother in the ’90s

After Chris Claremont left the X-Men world in 1991, writer Scott Lobdell took over. In 1994’s X-Men Unlimited #4, by Scott Lobdell and Richard Bennett, Marvel finally had Mystique explain to Kurt that she was his mother. She told him the story of his birth. Mystique told Kurt she was once married to a German aristocrat, Baron Christian Wagner. He had no clue about her mutant powers, or that she married him for wealth and safety, not love. When she became pregnant, she gave birth to a blue infant with pointed ears and a tail.

This freaked out her husband, who accused her of having an affair. He could not have possibly imagined fathering a demonic baby. Later, the local townspeople found out Mystique was a mutant and chased her and her infant son out of the village with pitchforks, Frankenstein-style. Telling Kurt she was too weak to fight and run, she chose herself over her newborn child, coldly throwing the infant down a raging waterfall. She imitated a villager and escaped, and the child activated his teleporting powers for the first time and survived, eventually getting adopted.

Marvel Introduced Nightcrawler’s Demonic “Father” in the 2000s

Later, in the 2000s, writer Chuck Austen revealed Nightcrawler’s father was not the German Baron, but the demon Azazel, a being Mystique had an affair with. Azazel looked just like Nightcrawler, except he was red instead of blue. Nightcrawler had always been called a “demon,” thanks to his pointed ears and tail. Now we learned at least one parent of his was indeed just that. Later, Azazel’s demonic nature would come into question. Some writers have suggested he was a mutant posing as a demon lord. Up until recently, that’s been Nightcrawler’s in-canon origin story.

Nightcrawler’s True Origins Revealed at Last

But with the Comics Code Authority no longer being an issue, in X-Men Blue: Origins #1, writer Si Spurrier, artists Wilton Santos, Oren Junior, Marcus To, and Ceci De La Cruz actually made Claremont’s intended origin story for Kurt canon. They took into account all the reveals and changes over the years. Mystique tells Kurt she used her shapeshifting powers not to just change appearance, but also her sex, allowing her to impregnate Destiny. It was Destiny, posing as the German Baron’s maid, who gave birth to Nightcrawler nine months later. During Destiny’s pregnancy, Mystique used her shapeshifting abilities to fake her own pregnancy. This explains all the previous flashbacks of Mystique pregnant with Kurt.

So why does Azazel look so much like Kurt if he’s not the father? Well, it turns out Mystique can absorb some of the genetic code of those she touches when mimicking them. She used Azazel’s genetic code as the basis for her male form when impregnating Destiny—not only Azazel’s, but also some of Baron Christian Wagner’s as well. So why assume the form of Azazel at all when attempting to have a child with Destiny? Because the precognitive mutant had a vision of Azazel conquering the world. A vision showing that only his son could stop him (or someone he believed to be his son). So they concocted this elaborate ruse. But soon after, Destiny left Mystique, leaving her heartbroken.

Mystique and Destiny Are Officially Nightcrawler’s Parents

When they eventually reunited, Destiny asked Professor Charles Xavier to psychically remove the memories of giving birth to Kurt. This was so she and Mystique could move on and properly raise their adopted daughter Rogue. Meanwhile, Mystique refused to allow Xavier to remove the knowledge that she was Kurt’s parent. She said she did not want to forget the boy was her own. However, Xavier warned Mystique that tampering with her memories could alter her own perception of the past and it could lead to false memories—ones that were uglier than the truth. One of those false memories involved Mystique throwing her child over the waterfall, something she never truly did. In reality, she was heartbroken over the loss of her son. Xavier then deleted the memories of both women from his own mind as well, saying this was all a “private matter.”

With recent events in the X-Men line of comics removing Charles Xavier’s psychic tampering with Mystique’s mind, it revealed the truth to her. This knowledge caused a mental breakdown, but she eventually bonded with her son Kurt, whom she now acknowledges she never tried to kill to protect herself. Will these two characters finally form a parental bond that has always eluded them? And what will happen when Destiny inevitably comes back to life? The X-Men is an endless soap opera, and we can’t wait to see what happens to the Wagner/Darkholme family in the years ahead.

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The villains turned “heroes” of DC Comics’ Suicide Squad are back, only this time, they’re getting an anime makeover. The folks at Warner Bros. Japan/WIT Studio have revealed the trailer, character art, main theme song, and voice cast for Suicide Squad ISEKAI. Directed by Eri Osada, with a screenplay by Tappei Nagatsuki, this is an all-new original anime series. Based on the classic DC characters, it includes icons like Harley Quinn, the Joker, and Peacemaker. You can check out the first full trailer for Suicide Squad ISEKAI, and read the official synopsis for the series, down below:

In the crime-ridden city of Gotham, Amanda Waller, the head of A.R.G.U.S., has assembled a group of notorious criminals for a mission: Harley Quinn, Deadshot, Peacemaker, Clayface, and King Shark. These Super-Villains are sent into an otherworldly realm that’s connected to this world through a gate. It’s a world of swords and magic where orcs rampage and dragons rule the skies—an “ISEKAI”!

With lethal explosives planted in their necks, there’s no running or hiding, and failing the mission means a one-way ticket to the afterlife! Can Harley Quinn and her crew conquer this perilous ISEKAI realm?! Brace yourselves for the pulse-pounding saga of the elite task force known as the “Suicide Squad” as they embark on a jaw-dropping adventure!

The new anime series showcases favorites from the first Suicide Squad film, like Deadshot and the Joker. But also brings in characters used in James Gunn’s sequel, like our boy King Shark and Peacemaker. And then there are new additions to the team, like Clayface. Although there are several Batman characters in this series, and a Gotham City setting, no sign of the Dark Knight anywhere. But we have a feeling ol’ Bats will pop in somewhere. The voice cast includes Anna Nagase as Harley, Yuuichirou Umehara as the Joker, Reigo Yamaguchi as Deadshot, Takehito Koyasu as Peacemaker, Jun Fukuyama as Clayface, and Subaru Kimura as King Shark.

Suicide Squad ISEKAI is set for a global release in 2024.

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Aquaman is one of the comic book medium’s most iconic characters, and is the only non-Batman DC superhero to headline a film that made a billion dollars. (Having Jason Momoa play him didn’t hurt.) Yet, his comic book history has been hit and miss. He debuted in 1941, as a back-up feature in More Fun Comics. He wasn’t even popular enough to get his own series, or even join the Justice Society of America.

But the tenacious undersea hero clung on when many other superheroes faded, and thanks to the boost of Justice League membership, he became popular enough to finally get his own comic in 1962, a full two decades after his debut. Since then, he’s more or less been a DC Comics mainstay, with a few years off here and there. Some comic book runs were forgettable, but some were truly great. Here are our choices for the best Aquaman comic book runs of all time.

7. Sword of Aquaman by Kurt Busiek, Tad Williams

with Jackson Guice, Shawn McManus

In 2006, after the big Infinite Crisis event, DC took a gamble on this oddball Aquaman title. This came after recent interpretations of the character were not really clicking with readers. DC went for a bold new take from writer Kurt Busiek, famous for his work on Avengers. Busiek’s Aquaman, was not the ruler of Atlantis as we’d known him for years. Instead, he was the similarly named Arthur Joseph Curry, a younger man who gained water-breathing powers thanks to experiments performed by his scientist father. This series renamed Aquaman vol. 6 as Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis.

This was all a callback to the 1940s Aquaman, who, costume and powers aside, was an almost totally different hero than the one we know today. Arthur’s adventures were more fantasy-oriented in nature, hence the “sword” in the title, and beautifully illustrated by Jackson Guice. Writer Tad Williams and artist Shawn McManus continued the Busiek/Guice story until the end of this run. This weird version of Aquaman only lasted for 18 issues, after which the original Arthur Curry returned from the dead. But it’s one of the more interesting takes on a hero named “Aquaman” that’s out there.

Issues in Kurt Busiek and Tad Williams’ Aquaman run:

Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis #40-57 (2006-2007)

6. Aquaman (Vol.3) by Keith Giffen and Robert Loren Fleming

with Curt Swan, Al Vey

After the more radical reinvention of Aquaman in 1986 didn’t make a big enough splash sales-wise, the King of the Seas lay low for several more years, only appearing as a guest star in various series. Then in 1989, DC brought in Justice League International writer Keith Giffen and classic Superman artist Curt Swan. Writer Robert Loren Fleming helped with the writing duties as well. They first teamed up for the Legend of Aquaman special. This one-shot was more retro in style, mainly thanks to Swan’s art. However, it did add some new elements to the Aquaman lore.

One of those new elements was that Arthur Curry was now abandoned as an infant on the reef by his own people for his “cursed” blonde hair, later adopted by the human lighthouse keeper. This replaced the origin where he was the product of a human/Atlantean union. The same creative team reunited for a five-part mini-series that same year. This story focuses on an invasion of Atlantis from sentient squid, while Aquaman must deal with his deteriorating marriage to Mera. After this run, we got a new ongoing series by another creative team, although that book only lasted one year. Nothing breaks the mold here, but it’s still a fun read.

Issues in Keith Giffen’s Aquaman run:

Aquaman, Vol.3, #1-5, The Legend of Aquaman Special #1, (1989)

5. Aquaman (Vol.2) by Neal Pozner and Craig Hamilton

Despite consistently appearing in Justice League, and on Super Friends on TV, by 1986, Aquaman had not headlined his own series in eight years. Then, after the events of Crisis on Infinite Earths, DC Comics gave Arthur a bit of a modern facelift. This took place in an exciting four-part mini-series by writer (and former DC production designer) Neal Pozner, that updated his costume into something quite stylish, and gave the Sea King a unique adventure. This series really tied in with ancient Atlantean history, as seen in DC’s fantasy series Arion. It was an Aquaman we’d never really seen before.

This mid-’80s mini-series also elevated Aquaman’s sibling Ocean Master into a real menace for our hero at last. One who wields sorcery and isn’t just another water-themed techno-pirate. Artist Craig Hamilton’s art is simply incredible for this series, and remains underrated. DC hoped this series might boost the character in the way John Byrne and Frank Miller gave Superman and Batman a boost, respectively, that same year. But Clark and Bruce overshadowed him again (jerks). But it’s still a truly memorable run, and DC should collect it in some form. And that cool, new Aquaman costume? Arthur never wore it again. Years later, artist Phil Jimenez repurposed it for Aquaman’s former sidekick Aqualad, now Tempest. So its legacy lived on.

Issues in Neal Pozner’s Aquaman run:

Aquaman, Vol.2, #1-4 (1986)

4. Adventure Comics and Aquaman (Vol.1) by David Michelinie

with Jim Aparo, Don Newton

In the early ‘70s, DC canceled Aquaman’s solo series after a decade. But a few years later, new solo stories appeared in the pages of the anthology Adventure Comics. Starting in 1977, future Spider-Man writer David Michelinie and longtime Aquaman artist Jim Aparo began a multi-part epic that wound up as one of Aquaman’s defining storylines. In Adventure #450, Michelinie began a storyline that explored Aqualad’s mysterious past, but also saw the return of Black Manta on a mission of vengeance. Retribution that saw Manta do the unthinkable, and murder Aquaman’s baby son, Arthur Jr.

This storyline so shocked and enraptured readers, DC revived Aquaman’s solo comic thanks to Adventure Comics’ high sales. The revived Aquaman series, continued the story of Arthur Curry’s revenge quest against Black Manta, and its emotional fallout. David Michelinie and Jim Aparo continued to work together, with Don Newton ultimately taking over for Aparo. The revived Aquaman series then ended again with issue #63 in 1978, but DC has since collected the “Death of a Prince” story, marking this run as a very significant chapter in the Sea King’s career.

Issues in David Michelinie’s Aquaman run:

Adventure Comics #441, 443, 445, 450–452, Aquaman, Vol.1, #57–61 (1977–1978)

3. Aquaman (Vol.1) by Bob Haney with Nick Cardy

In 1962, thanks to years as a back-up feature for more popular superheroes and a slot on the Justice League of America, Aquaman finally got his own series as a headliner. The first issue of Aquaman hit in 1962, with stories largely written by Jack Miller and drawn by artist Nick Cardy. Most of these one-off stories had Aquaman and his kid sidekick Aqualad fight off random aliens and undersea despots. Silly fun, but unmemorable. Towards the end of the Miller run, DC had Aquaman marry Mera, and take the throne of Atlantis. However, all this provided excellent opportunities for the new series writer.

In 1965, writer Bob Haney, co-creator of the Teen Titans and the Doom Patrol, took over Aquaman with issue #25. He expanded the lore of the newly crowned King of Atlantis, adding in elements like Aquagirl, Arthur’s son Aquababy, and Aquaman’s two most iconic villains, Ocean Master and Black Manta. Unlike the perpetually single Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman, Haney had a blast exploring what it would be like to be a “married with children” superhero, while also juggling ruling a kingdom. By today’s standards, these stories remain quite dated, but they lay the foundation for so much future Aquaman lore, it is hard to deny its importance.

Issues in Bob Haney and Nick Cardy’s Aquaman run:

Aquaman, Vol.1, #25-39 (1965-1968)

2. Aquaman (Vol.7) by Geoff Johns

with Ivan Reis, Paul Pelletier

After a very celebrated run in the ‘90s, DC sidelined the character of Aquaman again. Despite some interesting takes on the King of the Seven Seas, nothing really clicked with comics fans in a big way. That is, until the 2011 New 52 reboot, when writer Geoff Johns reinvigorated the character in a new ongoing series which made him cool again. Although this time, he’d be cool while retaining his classic costume and Silver Age origin story. Illustrated by Ivan Reis and Paul Pelletier, during two years and 25 issues on the book, Johns was quick to shatter the “my power is just talking to fish” perception Aquaman had with the mainstream. In Johns’ view, Arthur Curry was a true force of nature, not a Super Friends punchline.

In Geoff Johns’ Aquaman run, he introduced many new concepts. There were the Others, new heroes who wielded ancient Atlantean weapons, and the Lovecraftian horrors of the Trench. He also reimagined Atlantis as a more multifaceted kingdom, with many different undersea tribes. Ocean Master and Black Manta received major upgrades. Their new personalities and backstories became a big influence on their big-screen interpretations. And after decades where DC treated Mera like a hysterical ex-wife, Geoff Johns made her a hero in her own right. Something that has stuck to this day. Aquaman was so popular at this time, that he even received a spin-off series, Aquaman and the Others. For only a 25-issue run, Geoff Johns really left his mark on the hero of Amnesty Bay.

Issues in Geoff Johns’ Aquaman run

Aquaman, Vol.7, #1-25 (2011-2013)

1. Aquaman (Vol.5) by Peter David

with Brad Vancata, Kirk Jarvinen, Marty Egeland, Jim Calafiore

When writer Peter David took over Aquaman in 1994, he was already a comics superstar. This was in large part to Marvel work on The Incredible Hulk and Spider-Man 2099. He actually began the seeds of his Aquaman run years before, in his seven-part series The Atlantis Chronicles. That series chronicled thousands of years of Atlantean history. It provided the foundation for what David would do with Arthur Curry for a nearly five-year run on the character.

David began with the mini-series Aquaman: Time and Tide, which updated Aquaman’s origins for the modern age. David made a big change to the mythology, making Aquaman the product of the Atlantean Queen Atlanna, and the ancient sorcerer Atlan. By issue three of the new Aquaman ongoing series, David “went there,” by having a villain amputate Arthur’s hand via Piranha. But instead of being sidelined by the injury, he replaced his hand with a giant hook. He also took on a long-haired, almost barbarian look. A complete 180 from his classic. Silver Age appearance. Fans ate it all up.

David’s Aquaman stories revealed that Arthur was just his adopted human name, his Atlantean name was Orin. This run also reunited him with his long-lost son Koryak, enter into a new romantic relationship with seafaring heroine Dolphin, and transformed into a warrior badass. Although DC produced this during the grim n’ gritty era of the ‘90s, David always brought humor to his comics. Aquaman was no different, often being quite funny. A lot of David retcons to Aquaman’s origins were undone by subsequent runs. However, the attitude and overall feel of Peter David’s Aquaman remains, seen most evidently in Jason Momoa’s big screen version.

Issues in Peter David’s Aquaman run:

The Atlantis Chronicles #1-7 (1990), Aquaman: Time and Tide #1-4 (1994), Aquaman Vol. 5 #0-46 (1994-1998)

The post The Greatest Aquaman Comic Book Runs of All Time, Ranked appeared first on Nerdist.

Actor Bruce Campbell and director Sam Raimi go together like peanut butter and jelly. The pair have worked together ever since the first Evil Dead way back in 1981. You could say Campbell is like Raimi’s lucky charm. (Along with that 1973 Oldsmobile that appears in all of his movies). And Campbell’s “lucky charm” status has extended to Marvel films. He appeared in Raimi’s three Spider-Man films in cameo roles, and in 2022 he appeared as street vendor “Pizza Poppa” in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. But according to an interview with Comic Book, Campbell says those are all the same guy. Here’s what he had to say:

“The cameos are like, in the Spider-Man movies — if you know anything about the multiverse, you know now, retroactively, I’m in the multiverse now because of Doctor Strange. I’m not a pizza vendor, OK? That would be a massive mistake to think I’m just a pizza vendor, or an usher, or a ring announcer, or a maître d’. It’s called the multiverse, my friend. So, yes, he is the same character, but we don’t know who he really is. It has not been revealed yet. I just got off the phone with the guys at Marvel, and we’re getting close to finding out.”

We don’t know if Mr. Campbell is just yanking our chains, or if he really knows more about these cameo characters being the same person. We’ll throw out this suggestion, though. What if Bruce Campbell is playing a rouge Watcher? Just a cosmic entity who happens to be there at key moments in the lives of superheroes across the multiverse? Yes, we know that in the comics and in What If…? the Watchers are these giant aliens with big old heads. But they can also assume other forms to disguise themselves. We’re not sure if Bruce Campbell is going to appear in any future non-Raimi Marvel films. However, we’d like to nominate him for Beyond the Spider-Verse and Deadpool 3. Who wouldn’t want to see Bruce and Ryan Reynolds on screen together? Make it happen, Kevin Feige!

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These days, nearly every ‘80s and ‘90s movie is getting or has already had a legacy sequel. But we bet this is one you did not expect to ever see. We learned in May 2022 that Rob Reiner was re-teaming with the original cast of his debut film This Is Spinal Tap for a sequel. Aside from directing, Reiner will also star again in his role as filmmaker Marty DiBergi. Also coming back are David St. Hubbins (Michael McKean), Derek Smalls (Harry Shearer), and Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest). The original movie is one of the all-time cult classics of the era. It’s even part of the National Film Registry.

Rob Reiner gave a basic premise for the new film, saying the following:

When it was announced that Spinal Tap would reunite for one final concert, Marty DeBergi saw this as a chance to make things right with the bag who viewed This Is Spinal Tap as a hatchet job. So he left his position as visiting adjunct teacher’s assistant at the Ed Wood School of Cinematic Arts in pursuit of film history.

Reiner recently appeared on RHLSTP with Richard Herring and said of the This Is Spinal Tap sequel, “We’re going to start shooting at the end of February and everybody is back.” He added Elton John and Paul McCartney will feature in the sequel, as will Garth Brooks.

This Is Spinal Tap pretty much invented the mockumentary format. The film’s screenwriter and star Christopher Guest even turned the format into a whole career. Especially with films such as Waiting for Guffman and Best in Show. In the past, the fictional band has actually played several concerts, always leaving audiences cheering for the ridiculous songs from the film. We can’t wait to hear the songs they perform now that they’re all senior citizens trying to recapture their glory days.

Originally published on May 12, 2022.

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That very familiar Godzilla roar is currently coming from a very odd source. Thanks to the folks at IGN, we’ve discovered how one Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Godzilla fan has mashed up both properties together for a fan film. Created by sumoguri2323 on Twitter, they have made a whole Godzilla-inspired film entirely within Tears of the Kingdom, and it’s genuinely a sight to behold. And it’s all thanks to Tears of the Kingdom’s customizable crafting mechanics. You can watch this short fan film, which currently has over a million views on Twitter and counting, down below.

In this short video, we witness as a Lurelin Village must contend with the Zonai/Godzilla hybrid kaiju emerging out of the ocean depths. And it’s about to treat the poor village and its inhabitants in the very same manner that Godzilla usually does with Tokyo. They created the mashup of Godzilla and the Zonai using Zonai materials and devices and the Ultrahand ability. We see tanks fire on the rampaging creature with abandon. But once we hear that familiar roar, and see the electricity charge up its spine? We just know that the poor village is toast. Also, points for using the classic Godzilla theme from the old Toho movies. It really adds to the whole mood.

Godzilla is having quite a moment this year. The Big Guy currently appears (sporadically anyway) in the excellent Monarch: Legacy of Monsters series on Apple TV+. Plus, he’s starring in two movies. There’s the Japanese Godzilla Minus One, and next year’s continuation of the Monsterverse version, with Godzilla x Kong: The New Kingdom. But we’ll take any version of the King of the Monsters we can get. Even one with a Legend of Zelda makeover. Now, is anyone out there up for Zonai/Mothra mashup?

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

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Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse did what every great sequel aims to do. It somehow surpassed the original installment of the franchise. It did so while introducing a ton of new characters and without sacrificing Miles Morales and Gwen Stacy’s story arcs. The script was written by Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, and Dave Callaham who, in their own words, was “inspired by the work of thousands of writers and artists over sixty or so years.” Now, as part of Deadline’s Read The Screenplay series, you can read the entire 158-page script for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse for free.

There are a few fun facts about this particular script. The writers named it “Whac-A-Mole,” no doubt due to the hundreds of spider-people in the movie. Not only did it include Spider-Man 2099 Miguel O’Hara, but also Spider-Woman Jessica Drew and Spider-Punk Hobie Brown. Even ’90s favorite Scarlet Spider Ben Reilly made the cut. And those are just the spider folk who had speaking lines! Animated films rarely get Academy Award nominations for their screenplays. However, we have a strong feeling that this coming year will be different, as Across the Spider-Verse showcased one of the best scripts of any film this year, animated or live-action.

The third Spider-Verse film was originally scheduled for release in March 2024, but it’s now off the schedule. This uncertain delay is probably giving the creative team more time to craft something worthy of the first two films. After that shocking conclusion for Across the Spider-Verse, and the unanimous praise for the film, they know they need to deliver a Return of the Jedi-style conclusion to that Empire Strikes Back cliffhanger ending. Hopefully, we won’t have to take too much longer to see Miles Morales and our favorite arachnid heroes again.

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The folks at Loungefly have created a metric ton of festive backpacks featuring all manner of pop culture properties, from Disney to horror movie icons. Now, the folks at AMC Theatres are teaming up with Loungefly to produce an exclusive backpack just for AMC Stubs Premiere and A-List members, and it’s designed to look like a fashionable pinstripe suit. But not just any pinstripe suit. This backpack captures the spirit of the the suit Nicole Kidman wears in the now-iconic AMC ads running in every theater in the chain. The back of the backpack even includes her often-parodied quote, “Heartbreak feels good in a place like this.” Lovers of the Nicole Kidman AMC ad can check out images of this unique Loungefly backpack below:

Qualifying AMC Stubs Premiere and A-List members can purchase this Nicole Kidman-inspired backpack on the official AMC website, exclusively at 11:00 am EST on December 4, 2023. To qualify, members must already have active enrollment into AMC Stubs Premiere or A-List that existed before 11:59 pm EST on November 26. Qualifying member will need to enter their AMC Stubs account number within the checkout flow process to qualify. Members are limited to one Nicole Kidman AMC backpack per member. Limited quantities are available. We should note, that AMC Stubs ember status does not guarantee item availability.

The Nicole Kidman ad first appeared in September 2021. The theater chain intended to excite audiences about the moviegoing experience. This was in the wake of most theaters shutting down for a year during the height of the pandemic. AMC only meant for the ad to run for one year. But it became so iconic (and parodied online) that it’s still running today, over two years later. At one point, AMC trimmed the ad down, removing Kidman’s “heartbreak” line. Yet fans demanded that they restore the “Kidman cut,” and it was. As this new Nicole Kidman/AMC-inspired backpack proves, you just can’t deny the power of a glittery pinstripe suit.

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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. Though it took a while to learn more about the show, the latest developments have been big ones. According to Deadline, the Alien series has cast Timothy Olyphant in a major role. The site reports he players Kirsh, a synth. Additionally, Hawley recently shared a bit of insight about what we can expect from the series, including when we might see it finally release.

When Will Noah Hawley’s Alien TV Series Release?

There’s no firm date yet for Noah Hawley’s Alien TV series to arrive on FX and our screens. However, speaking to The Wrap, Hawley offered a little bit more of a timeline for the release of this anticipated show.

He offered, “We’re all just waiting for the strike, and it will end… The plan right now is to go back in January and be shooting in February, and looks like shoot until July or so, which puts the air date somewhere in the in the first half of ’25.” Hawley further noted to Deadline, “We’re getting back into production as quickly as possible.”

There you have it, the Alien series will most likely release somewhere in early 2025. That’s not too long to wait.

The Cast of FX’s Alien TV Series

As mentioned, Sydney Chandler will play one of the leads in Noah Hawley’s Alien TV series, reportedly named Wendy. 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. And, as mentioned, Timothy Olyphant will reportedly play “Kirsh, a synth who acts as a mentor and trainer for Chandler’s Wendy, who is a hybrid, a meta-human who has the brain and consciousness of a child but the body of an adult.” Fargo‘s David Rysdahl has also joined the cast in an unknown role.

Finally, Babou Ceesay, Jonathan Ajayi, Erana James, Lily Newmark, Diêm Camille, and Adrian Edmondson will all play a role on the series.

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.'”

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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Ready to celebrate the holidays in the galaxy far, far away? No, we don’t mean Wookiee Life Day. But if you want to attempt Princess Leia’s song from the Star Wars Holiday Special, be our guest. No, we mean regular Earth holidays like Christmas and Chanukah. Well, the folks at RSVLTS have just the right Star Wars-inspired holiday shirts to wear this season, and they are so festive they will put Emperor Palpatine in the spirit. You can check out images of the three 2023 holiday season button-up shirts from RSVLTS right here:

Star Wars – “I Am Your Father Christmas”

The first shirt, “I Am Your Father Christmas,” shows Darth Vader in the Santa role, commandeering his sleigh through the skies. Only, instead of being led by flying reindeer, it’s flying Imperial AT-ATs. As Santa Vader flies past the Death Star, we can see his wrapped gifts of lightsabers, remotes for saber training, and an Imperial torture droid?? Just what little Luke always wanted to find under the tree. It comes in four styles: Men’s ($70), Long sleeve ($72), Women’s ($70), Preschool ($39), and Youth ($45).

Star Wars – “Festival of Lightsabers”

Their next shirt celebrates Chanukah, droid style. Instead of a Festival of Lights, we get a Festival of Lightsabers. (The dad jokes keep on coming with these shirt names). This button-up shirt showcases the Rebel Alliance symbol as a menorah, surrounded by the lightsabers in question, and many versions of R2-D2. It comes in four styles: Men’s ($70), Long sleeves ($72), Women’s ($70), Preschool ($39), and Youth ($45).

Star Wars – “Vader’s Little Helpers”

And now, we’re back to the Dark Lord of the Sith as Santa again. And Kris Kringle thought he had it bad when Jack Skellington replaced him. With “Vader’s Little Helpers,” we see Darth Vader running things in his factory in the North Pole (or is that Hoth?) He’s even got Stormtroopers instead of Elves wrapping gifts. Like the previous two shirts, it also comes in four styles: Men’s ($70), Long sleeves ($72), Women’s ($70), Preschool ($39), and Youth ($45).

So get ready for the holiday season and grab one (or four) of these Star Wars RSVLTS as soon as possible.

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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 launched on November 17, with the Jurassic World cards contained in booster packs, collectors booster packs, and bundles.

Secret Lair x Jurassic World: Dr. Ian Malcolm Collection

As if that wasn’t enough Jurassic World fun, Dr. Ian Malcolm is also getting his very own collection as part of Secret Lair’s Secretversary 2023. Yes, this collection is all Dr. Malcolm all the time. The description for the set shares, “Dr. Ian Malcolm is here to sweep you off your feet and slip into your collection. Whether the magnetic mathematician is scolding a megalomaniacal millionaire, recovering from a dinosaur attack, or slowly dripping water on your hand while explaining the intricacies of entropy, he’s got charisma to spare. And with art like this, chaos has never been so beautiful.”

Click To View Gallery

This Secret Drop Jurassic World collection features four Magic cards and an egg token all reimagined to feature Dr. Ian Malcom. They are as follows:

• 1x Laboratory Maniac as “Chaotic Chaotician”
• 1x Tasha’s Hideous Laughter as “Malcolm’s Mercurial Mirth”
• 1x Tasigur, the Golden Fang as “Ian, Convalescent Charmer”
• 1x Atla Palani, Nest Tender as “Dr. Ian Malcolm”
• 1x Egg token

We can’t wait to see what other kinds of Jurassic World mayhem Magic: The Gathering will dream up next.

Originally published on September 22, 2023.

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Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, the final chapter in the DCEU that we’ve known it for the past decade, is a mere month away. And now, we have our final (or close to final) trailer for director James Wan’s newest adventure for the Sovereign of Atlantis. Jason Momoa is back as our titular King of the Seven Seas, and so is Patrick Wilson as his brother Orm, Nicole Kidman as their mother Atlanna, and Yahya Abdul-Mateen as Black Manta. Plus, there’s a new addition to the cast of characters, the adorable Aquababy. You can watch the full trailer for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom right here:

So this Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom trailer is definitely on the spoilery side of things. We know that Black Manta is on a mission of revenge against Arthur Curry for his defeat in the previous film, vowing to destroy everything in his life. Judging from what we see here, he destroys Aquaman’s childhood home, the lighthouse of Thomas Curry, Aquaman’s human father. And probably Thomas Curry himself. He also kidnaps Arthur Jr., from the look of things. Now, in the comics, Black Manta famously murdered Aquaman’s son. Will this blockbuster movie go that dark? We doubt it, but the trailer is definitely playing with the comic book fan’s expectations.

We also see that Black Manta is seeking to eradicate the entire bloodline of the Royal Family of Atlantis in the Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom trailer. This forces King Arthur to team up with his half-brother Orm. Will these two siblings reconcile? We were hoping that perhaps we would see one of the Aqualads in this movie, either Garth or Jackson Hyde. The latter of the two is the son of Black Manta in the comics. But, we’ll probably have to wait for James Gunn’s new DCU before we see those additions to the Aquaman family on the big screen. At least we get to see Aquaman ride a giant seahorse this time. Who doesn’t want to see that?

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom hits theaters on December 22.

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Even though the underwater hero Aquaman has been around in the DC Universe since 1941, he didn’t really have an arch-enemy of his own until the ‘60s. Although some fans cite Ocean Master as King Arthur of Atlantis’ main foe, we think that title goes to Black Manta. He’s had a few different origin stories over the decades, but his memorable armored look made him forever iconic. Before Yahya Abdul-Mateen’s return to the role in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, let’s take a deep dive (pun intended) into the history of Black Manta.

Black Manta’s DC Comics History

Black Manta first appeared as an antagonist for Arthur Curry in Aquaman #35 in 1967. He had no civilian name and his true appearance behind the black helmet and diving suit was a mystery. In that first story, Black Manta and his “Manta Men” attack Atlantis and, despite this being his first appearance, Aquaman describes him as “an old enemy.” In a foreshadowing of much darker things to come, Black Manta kidnaps Arthur Jr., Aquaman’s son. But Aquaman’s other arch-enemy Ocean Master rescues him.

Black Manta would continue to plague Aquaman throughout the ‘60s and ‘70s, first in his solo series, then in the anthology titles like Adventure Comics. What really elevated Black Manta to iconic status, however, were Saturday morning cartoons. He was a recurring bad guy in the ‘60s Superman/Aquaman Hour series, and was a part of the Legion of Doom in Challenge of the Super Friends in 1978. This made Black Manta known to millions of kids who never read a single comic book.

It’s quite possible that Black Manta was part of a long line of DC heroes created for outside media that just debuted in comics first. Both Batgirl and the second Aqualad were part of this group. The Aquaman issue introducing him had a cover date of August 1967. Black Manta then appeared in the first episode of the Superman/Aquaman Adventure Hour one month later in September 1967. It’s likely that they created him for the cartoon, the folks at DC heard about him, and so he debuted in the comics first.

Black Manta’s Many DC Comics Origins

For a long time, Black Manta was just a cool name and a cooler costume. He had almost no backstory. He finally took off his helmet in a 1977 story, revealing that he was an African-American man. He explained how he was trying to establish an underwater colony where his people would live freely without the persecution of the surface world. (How he planned for them all to breathe underwater remains a mystery.) This continued a problematic comic book trope, of African-American characters needing a codename with the word “black” in it. Several characters were a part of this trope, like Black Goliath, Black Lightning, and more. But Manta’s backstory reveal gave him more actual motivation than before.

Black Manta’s First Aquaman Origin Story

Manta would not get his first origin story until 1992, in Aquaman vol. 4 #6. In a flashback, they showed the boy who would grow up to be Black Manta growing up in Maryland, somewhere near the Chesapeake Bay. One unfortunate day, he was playing near the ocean when a group of pirates kidnapped him. They forced him to become their unwilling servant aboard their ship.

He spent years abused and tortured by these pirates, forced to do their bidding. One day, he saw Aquaman swimming through the ocean with dolphins, and signaled him for a rescue. But Aquaman didn’t see or hear him. But the young boy felt he ignored him, and it began a lifelong grudge. Once the boy was able to escape, he became a vicious pirate himself. And he now harbored a deep hatred for the King of the Seven Seas.

Black Manta’s Batman-Related Origin Story

Years later, a new origin story emerged, one that tied Manta to Batman’s home city. They revealed that the young child was diagnosed with autism and, because of caretakers who didn’t understand his condition, was committed to Arkham Asylum. While staying at Arkham, doctors there subjected him to experimental treatments designed to cure him. But they ended up having the opposite effect, making him grow up into the extremely violent criminal he became. Around this time, they finally revealed Manta’s real name—David Hyde. They also revealed that his son, Jackson Hyde, had become the superhero Aqualad II, spitting in the face of his father’s hatred.

The New 52 Black Manta Backstory

The New 52 reboot of 2011 was controversial, but Geoff Johns’s Aquaman run was celebrated. And here, Black Manta got yet another new origin story. In this iteration, Black Manta was a mercenary who was paid to obtain a sample of Arthur Curry’s blood to see if he was really from Atlantis. During the attack, Arthur’s father Thomas Curry dies of a heart attack. Blaming Manta and seeking vengeance, Arthur attacked the vessel that Black Manta was on, but accidentally killed his father instead. Blaming each other for losing their respective fathers, a rivalry began that would go on forever. Much of the cinematic Aquaman’s backstory drew inspiration from the New 52 run.

Black Manta Kills Aquaman’s Son, Arthur Jr., a.k.a “Aquababy”

While many villains threaten the lives of their respective enemy’s loved ones, few ever go through with it. The Joker killing Robin notwithstanding. But in 1977, Black Manta did the unthinkable in DC Comics and murdered Aquaman’s child Arthur Jr., also known as Aquababy. As revenge for his string of defeats at the hands of the Sea King, Black Manta kidnaps Arthur Jr. and places the water-breathing child in a bubble, slowly filling it with air and suffocating him.

Although Aquaman defeats Manta, he’s too late to save his son, and Arthur Jr. suffocates to death. It’s a horrible fate and a truly dark story for a Bronze Age-era comic. Our guess is someone at DC Editorial really didn’t care for Aquababy. The “Death of a Prince” storyline had huge ramifications for Aquaman as a character, and ultimately led to the end of his marriage to Queen Mera, who blamed her husband for their child’s death.

Black Manta’s Powers

Black Manta has no innate powers to speak of, although he is quite adept at various forms of combat. However, his suit packs quite a wallop. His high-tech diving suit allows him to have not only an indefinite oxygen supply underwater, but also protects him from the crushing depths and freezing cold of the ocean. The suit also allows Black Manta to increase his own strength and gives him incredible speed underwater. It’s resistant to bullets and plasma weapons, and this allows him to go toe to toe with Aquaman, despite just having average human strength. It can fire a variety of deadly plasma blasts as well.

Black Manta’s Role in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom

In the first Aquaman movie, Yahya Abdul-Mateen portrayed the Black Manta. The origin story in the 2018 James Wan film sticks pretty close to the DC Comics New 52 version. He’s a high-tech pirate alongside his father, and when his dad dies after an incident involving Aquaman, he vows revenge. He attacks Arthur Curry in Italy, but Arthur ultimately defeats him. But as the post-credits scene shows us, Black Manta definitely did not die. All signs point to Manta trying to exact his revenge on the King of Atlantis in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.

The Black Manta Spin-off The Trench

Warner Bros. planned a spin-off film for Black Manta called The Trench. We saw Aquaman face off against the monsters who live in the undersea trench in the 2018 film. James Wan revealed that The Trench was secretly a stealth solo Black Manta movie. When Warner Bros. canceled those plans, ideas for the spin-off found their way into the sequel Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.

Black Trident in Aquaman 2

In the trailer, we see that Black Manta is wielding the Black Trident, a relic from Atlantis from before King Atlan’s time. Chances are we are going to see Trident vs. Trident in the upcoming sequel. This would put Manta on equal footing with his famous nemesis. We’ll find out when Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom hits theaters on December 22, 2023.

The post Who Is AQUAMAN 2’s Main Villain? Black Manta’s Comic History and Powers, Explained appeared first on Nerdist.

The 1978 The Star Wars Holiday Special is one the cringiest things to ever come from the galaxy far, far away. It was so bad, in fact, that it aired only once, despite the involvement of almost the entire main Star Wars cast. It has never seen an official home video release, and don’t even bother looking on Disney+ for it. Now, we’ve learned that a documentary about how this special ever came to be is on the way, and it will release on digital early this December. You can watch the trailer for A Disturbance in the Force below:

Set on the Wookiee home planet, the TV special was a variety “comedy” hour. (Comedy in quotes for a reason.) It focused on Chewbacca’s family celebrating Life Day, with celebrity guests galore. The special circulated for years on bootleg VHS tapes at conventions. Then, it became available in an unofficial capacity online. One YouTuber even remastered it. Lucasfilm has never done anything to crack down on this. Maybe they realized that the genie was long out of the bottle, and there’s no use. Hopefully, in this new documentary, we will finally learn how this train wreck of a cash-in ever went on the air.

Among the folks interviewed are Seth Green, “Weird Al” Yankovic, the late Gilbert Gottfried, Paul Scheer, and writer Bruce Vilanch. In the trailer, Vilanch explains that they even tried to get Cher to be in the special. To her credit, she was wise enough to turn it down. (Although that would have been a sight to see). What other secrets about the making of this infamous pop culture artifact might we learn?

In a weird way, the “bootleg” reputation of the The Star Wars Holiday Special has only made it more popular with fans. And elements of it have survived into official Star Wars canon. The animated short that was part of the special introduced Boba Fett. His unique phase pulse blaster, which looked like a tuning fork, saw use on The Mandalorian. And the planet of Kashyyyk was a major location in Revenge of the Sith. And these days, they honor the Wookiee celebration of Life Day with merch all over Galaxy’s Edge. Even the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special probably wouldn’t be a thing if Star Wars hadn’t gone there first. So it’s about time it got its props, even if everyone involved is embarrassed by it today.

A Disturbance in the Force will arrive on digital, Blu-ray, and DVD on December 5. You can pre-order it today and take it home just in time for the holidays.

Originally published on January 12, 2023.

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Marvel Studios is certainly at a crossroads at the moment. The once indestructible brand where every film was an out-of-the-ballpark hit had its share of disappointments in 2023. There are a myriad of reasons for this, chiefly too much content in too short a time, and not enough of them were “events.” (Spider-Man: No Way Home notwithstanding). Aside from cutting back on films and shows drastically, there is a solution for this MCU malaise. And that solution involves putting the Avengers and the X-Men on screen together at last, and probably in Secret Wars.

A big part of the solution is to truly make the next Avengers film an event that even the most jaded and burnt-out MCU fans would have to check out in theaters—a proper Avengers/X-Men crossover. Certain hints that have popped up recently suggest Earth’s Mightiest Heroes and Marvel’s Mutants are headed for a collision course with multiversal ramifications. Whether or not Avengers: The Kang Dynasty actually happens as planned, we do believe that the next Avengers film will feature the two iconic Marvel teams at odds.

The X-Men Hints So Far in the MCU

Since Disney acquired Fox back in 2019, fans have been asking “So when are the X-Men coming to the MCU?” Even She-Hulk asked it in her own show. And so far, Marvel Studios has been playing the long game, not jumping into anything. We got the mutant hint in Ms. Marvel, and Patrick Stewart as Charles Xavier in Multiverse of Madness. Plus, the news of Hugh Jackman returning as Wolverine in Deadpool 3. Heck, we’re not convinced that Evan Peters’ Quicksilver in WandaVision isn’t more than he seems and not just a gag.

Now, The Marvels has revealed yet another connection to the X-Men universe with the return of Kelsey Grammar as Beast, working in the X-mansion from the original films. An incursion event with the X-Men universe and the 616 seems imminent, and that can only mean we’re getting an Avengers vs. X-Men project. And in fact, Avengers: Secret Wars could very likely be rebranded as Avengers/X-Men: Secret Wars. An announcement of that magnitude would blow the doors off of San Diego’s Hall H, and stop all talk of “Marvel Fatigue” dead in its tracks. Just from a mercenary business perspective, it makes sense. But frankly, it’s also a story fans have waited decades to see.

Will These MCU Mutants Be the X-Men We Know?

The big question is, which X-Men are we dealing with here? Beast was working in a lab that looked identical to the underground medical bay in the Fox X-Men films. The Charles Xavier we saw in Doctor Strange on Earth-838 seemed very reminiscent of the one from X-Men: The Animated Series. But the Scarlet Witch killed that Charles. Obviously, the Charles that the Beast refers to seems to be very much alive. So, this is another hint that Beast is in the classic X-Men movie universe, not Earth-838. Or, at least, a version of the classic Fox X-Men world. And yes, we know his appearance looks different. We remind you that the look of comic book Beast is continually evolving. No reason to think the live-action Henry McCoy would be any different.

X-Men: Days of Future Past May Hold the Answer

Fans of the Fox X-Men films know that the timeline and continuity of those films are a bit of a mess. And that’s putting it mildly. But at the end of X-Men: Days of Future Past, Logan’s adventures in the past caused him to wake up in a new present. Essentially, a “happy ending” future, where Xavier is still alive. The school was open, and former tragically dead X-Men like Cyclops and Jean Grey were alive and well. In fact, Kelsey Grammer’s Beast was there too, in a cameo moment.

Given one of music cues in The Marvels’ post-credits scene is from Days of Future Past, we think that they’re trying to tell us that we’re in that “happy ending” reality from that film. A reality that takes the best elements of the original movies and loses the things viewers hated. Mainly, the random and arbitrary deaths of the main X-Men. So, in short, it’s a new X-Men universe, made up of bits and pieces of the old one. And part of what it’s keeping is the classic actors. The rest is up to the filmmakers.

Deadpool 3 May Set the Stage for Avengers/X-Men: Secret Wars

With three confirmed X-Men characters back, there’s no telling who else might show up coming up soon. There are rumors already that Halle Berry, Famke Janssen, and James Marsden are back for Deadpool 3 as Storm, Jean Grey, and Cyclops, respectively. Patrick Stewart has all but confirmed he’s back too. What’s to stop Anna Paquin, Shawn Ashmore, Alan Cumming, and Rebecca Romijn from returning as well? If you’re going to bring back the OG X-Men, it seems only using them in small roles in Deadpool 3 is a waste. No, we think there are much bigger plans afoot.

The 2015 event comic Secret Wars by Jonathan Hickman began when incursions across the Multiverse resulted in its total destruction until there were only two realities left—the classic 616, and Earth 1610, home of the Ultimate universe. Eventually, both of those realities had to do battle with each other to determine which one would get to live. Spoiler alert—neither reality gets to live, and Doctor Doom fuses what remains of them together into a new “Battleworld.”

Although it could still be Kang in the MCU, In Avengers/X-Men Secret Wars, we could get a version of that story. But it would be the MCU Earth vs the Fox X-Men Earth. And the protectors of each reality would have to fight for the existence of their world. Much like Captain America: Civil War, neither side would be wrong. Who wouldn’t fight to protect everyone they know from annihilation? In an Infinity Wars-type cliffhanger, we could see both realities fade to white, presumably destroyed. A sixth Avengers film could open on Battleworld, a hodgepodge reality made of elements of both universes. It would be an excuse to bring back anybody.

X-Men vs. Avengers: A Battle Fans Have Waited Decades to See

From a pure fan point of view, the battles would be cant-miss events. Thor vs. Storm, Wolverine vs. Hulk, Scarlet Witch vs. Phoenix, etc. And yes, an all-star lineup of Avengers vs. an all-star lineup of X-Men is a lot of characters. But let us remind you that Civil War juggled 18 principal characters. Infinity War and Endgame showcased 30, and somehow gave everyone something to do. So an Avengers/X-Men crossover could absolutely work. Although Kevin Feige might want to give Civil War, Infinity War, and Endgame screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely a call. They seem extremely adept at juggling so many superheroes cohesively, and giving emotional character stakes to these comic book battles.

The original X-Men films truly started the Marvel superhero craze in cinemas after Blade proved it could be done. It led to Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy, and ultimately, the MCU. If, in fact, Avengers: Secret Wars and the Multiverse Saga are intended to bring an end to not just one era of storytelling, but going back even before the MCU, what better way to go out than with a bang?

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Destin Daniel Cretton, the director of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, has stepped away from directing duties on Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. Deadline reported this news on Wednesday afternoon. The fifth Avengers film is still set to debut on May 1, 2026, but currently has no director attached. Cretton is not leaving the MCU, however—far from it. The original report suggests he is still continuing work on the Wonder Man series starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen, of which he directed the first two episodes. The show will resume production now that the WGA and SAG strikes have ended. Cretton’s also still returning for the sequel to Shang-Chi.

Cretton is both the showrunner and EP of Wonder Man, a series he co-created with Andrew Guest. It’s resuming production after Thanksgiving under the Marvel Spotlight banner introduced for Echo. This means it will be a standalone project, not connected to the overall Multiverse Saga. This also likely means that Simon Williams in this series won’t become one of the main Avengers (which is kind of a bummer). But who knows, things could change. Rumors ran rampant that Marvel Studios was going to cancel Wonder Man, but this seems to not be the case.

Hopefully, this means that a sequel to Shang-Chi is on the fast-track now for Marvel Studios. It’s been two years since the first film hit theaters, and not a word since. It would not surprise us at all if Shang-Chi’s continuing adventures take the place of Avengers: The Kang Dynasty on the MCU calendar, and debuts on May 1, 2026 instead. It seems the Marvel Studios is rethinking a lot of what the next Avengers are going to be—especially after the financial and critical disappointments of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and The Marvels. For all we know, The Kang Dynasty will transform into something else entirely.

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In the world of Marvel Comics, they say the tail wags the dog. By that, we mean that a popular iteration of a character on TV or film will usually inform that character’s comic book portrayal. And it seems we have a great example of that coming soon. After their success as a mentor and student duo in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Marvel Comics is teaming up Peter Parker and Miles Morales for an ongoing comic book series from an all-star creative team. Spectacular Spider-Men—written by Spectacular Spider-Man and Gargoyles animated series creator Greg Weisman along with Amazing Spider-Man artist Humberto Ramos—is coming in March 2024. You can see the cover for issue #1 as well as a special trailer for the long-awaited series right here:

In a statement, Weisman said “I’m so thrilled to be writing Spidey again. And the fact that I get to write both Spideys, together, makes the gig doubly sweet. It’s fun for me, because in this book, I see the younger Miles trying really hard to show his maturity to his mentor Peter, while the older Pete feels free to let out his inner 16-year-old with Miles. So there’s a bit of role reversal to the normal mentor-protégé relationship than one might expect to see. But I think both Pete and Miles still feel very true to character. And when things get serious, so do our boys (quippage notwithstanding). What we’re seeing here is the evolution from mentor and protegee, to them simply being good friends. And that change of status (in process, as it is) really interests me as a writer. Oh, and Humberto’s art is so damn gorgeous.”

Both arachnid heroes previously teamed up before in their own title, although that was a mini-series, simply called Spider-Men. Originally, Miles Morales crossed over from the Ultimate Universe, where he’d taken over for a dead Peter Parker. Once in the 616, he teamed up with our adult Peter Parker. Although the mini was successful, this is the first time Peter Parker and Miles Morales have had a team-up comic book series since then.

Artist Humberto Ramos had this to say about working on both Spideys: “From a very young age, my goal was to draw Spider-Man for Marvel Comics, and now that it has become a recurring reality in my life, I enjoy every occasion in which I am called to do so, or as I like to say ‘come back home,’ and I could not ask for a better way to do that than alongside Greg Weisman who gave us the greatest Spider-Man TV series! Not only that, but in this book I not only have the joy of drawing not one but two Spider-Mans. Drawing Peter’s adventures was exciting enough, I can only imagine how it will be drawing both Peter and Miles’ adventures! I love my job!”

Spectacular Spider-Men #1 hits comic book shops and digital in March, 2024.

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The original Chicken Run was Aardman Animations’ breakthrough theatrical hit back in 2000, becoming the highest-grossing stop-motion film ever, earning over $200 million at the box office. It allowed Aardman, which had been around since 1972, to grow and make further features. But the original Chicken Run remained a sacred cow (well, sacred fowl) and it never received a proper sequel. Until now, that is. This December, via Netflix, Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget, finally arrives, some 23 years later.

Earlier this year, Nerdist got to tour Aardman Animations’ studios in Bristol, England, and got a behind-the-scenes look at the upcoming follow-up to Chicken Run. Making stop-motion films takes double or triple the time it takes to make other animated films, something we became keenly aware of while visiting the studios. We saw just how long and arduous a process this was to just bring one movie to life by the film’s director, Sam Fell (Flushed Away, Paranorman) as well as supervising animator, Ian Whitlock, puppet maker Jimmy Young, DP Charles Copping, Supervising Art Director Matthew Perry, and animator Thiago Calçado. Here are 10 things we learned about Dawn of the Nugget during our Aardman Animations Studio tour.

The Plot of Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget

The original Chicken Run, which featured Julia Sawalha as the chicken Ginger, Mel Gibson as the rooster Rocky, and Miranda Richardson as the villainous Mrs. Tweedy, centered on a group of chickens trapped in an egg farm. One structured like a prisoner of war encampment. In the original, things ended rather hopefully. But as we know, these kinds of happy endings often don’t last. According to Sam Fell, “It’s a lovely, beautiful world, but their peace can’t last forever.”

Fell continued “The peace is shattered when a new road appears on the other side of the lake with these trucks taking chickens to this place called Funland Farms, which doesn’t look too good for chickens. Ginger knows that, although she and her flock may be safe, the rest of chicken-kind is in danger. So, she’s got to do something about it.” For the latest chapter, it’s all about breaking into Funland Farms, where the owners are looking to turn their inhabitants into the latest fast food concoction — chicken nuggets.

The Classic Chicken Run Characters Who Returned for Dawn of the Nugget

Sam Fell explained that we should expect to see the very familiar faces (and beaks) on screen. “Our main characters are back, our hero is Ginger, as she was in the first film, this kind of brave, determined, very clever chicken who masterminded their escape from Tweedy’s farm in the first film. And you remember that she was a great escape artist, and she could have got out there on her own. But she said, ‘No, we’re not going until we can get every chicken out here.’ She’s an idealist, she’s a visionary, and those kinds of themes around freedom and duty to others are at the heart of this movie as they were in the first movie.”

The original film’s male lead character, Rocky, is back too. Fell described him as “a fun-loving and laid-back American rooster, a little less footloose than he was in the first film. Not so much like that kind of playboy, but now he’s settled down, he’s in love with Ginger, and he’s the doting father of their daughter, Molly. She’s amazingly adventurous and curious. She’s a real live-wire. She’s a chick off the old block, really of Ginger, so a real handful.”

Same Characters, New Voice Cast (Mostly)

This time, these classic characters are (mostly) voiced by a new cast. According to Fell, Westworld’s Thandie Newton as Ginger “Brings an amazing strength and vulnerability and the humor to the part, for this next chapter in Ginger’s story. Shazam’s Zachary Levi, [now playing Rocky] he’s so warm, he’s so charming. He’s got some fantastic comic timing. I think he’s the perfect Rocky for our age. And Molly, played by Bella Ramsey, brings all the kind of nuance, pathos, and humor that she brought to The Last of Us, but with less swearing. And she just has a teaspoon this time, not a flick knife.” Miranda Richardson returns from the first film, however, as the villainous Mrs. Tweedy. Some perfect castings you just don’t mess with.

‘60s Culture and James Bond Films Were Big Inspirations

We learned that Dawn of the Nugget has a pretty big time-jump from the first film. Fell explained “We roughly set the original Chicken Run sometime during the ‘50s, in post-war England. Now, it’s several years later. And with a sixties setting, comes a very sixties genre for the film. If the first film was a World War II escape movie, then this is a 007 Bond movie, a Mission Impossible-type break in.”

But a Chicken Run film is only as good as its villain. And Mrs. Tweedy from the original is back, now sporting a swingin’ ‘60s makeover. Of Mrs. Tweedy and her adjustment to a new decade, Fell said “I think she’s like our Cruella de Vil. I think she’s such a rich and wonderful villain. You can see this time she’s received a makeover. She’s got rid of Mr. Tweedy, she’s got a new husband, Dr. Fry, who’s this very clever scientist who actually has a large inheritance. So she’s been using his money to kind of get this makeover. She’s got the beehive, the Nehru jacket. If you could see widely, you’d see she has these lovely Mary Quant boots. We were in the sort of drab, post-war era of the 50s in the first film. And then we just shifted it into the early sixties.”

There Were No Physical References From the Original Chicken Run to Work From

A huge monkey wrench thrown at the production actually happened almost two decades ago, one that caused them to have no physical assets at all to refer back to from the first film. According to puppet maker Jimmy Young, “We didn’t have any reference to the first film. There was a fire at our warehouse, [back in 2005] so a lot of the molds were lost.” As for the chickens that we did have, because they were 20 years old, they’d crumbled away, and disintegrated. The team was using behind-the-scenes books from the first film and references from the film to look at all the colors and all that.” What we saw of the film on the tour really made it look like they designed and produced everything with every reference on hand, making it even more impressive.  

Dawn of the Nugget Mixes Classic Stop Motion Techniques With Modern VFX Methods

Even though Aardman is still doing animation the old-fashioned (and painstakingly slow) way, that doesn’t mean they haven’t incorporated modern advances. While touring the studio, Animation Supervisor Ian Whitlock told us “For us at Aardman, we pride ourselves on the fact that there’s a real hand-built feeling about all of it, and we’d like to keep that going. So even when we have set extensions as VFX extensions, all their textures are coming from things that we’ve actually made.” One large chicken village set, for example, took two full years to build.

“We use a lot of technology, but the essence is in painting and things like that. It’s really traditional, still. All these chickens get hand-painted. It’ll take about three days to paint each one, but then you have something like where we’re trying to replicate the very first film, and all the detailing. We’ll scan the puppet and then we’ll start our 3D build within that. We’re using 3D engineering software to build the armatures, the skeletons inside, and then we’re using other software too.”

Aardman Studios Has “Puppet Hospitals”

When you make a production with this many actors made of clay and wire, there are bound to be some “injuries.” According to Dawn of the Nugget puppet maker Jimmy Young, “As the film is progressing, we’re continuously making puppets. And not only are we continuously making puppets and supplying the floor, we have our “puppet hospitals.” Because animators break things, and they’re a bit dirty, and they’ll just come back all trashed. So we have to either repress heads or fix slices or cuts or rigging, and things like that, and then put the puppets back out again. It’s a continuous thing. Even if we’ve got a few weeks left, we’re continuously doing that right until the very end.”

The Director Stopped Eating Meat Because of the Film

When asked if making a movie from the chicken’s POV made it so eating chicken was difficult, Sam Fell didn’t mince words. “I stopped eating chicken, and I stopped eating meat entirely during [the making of Chicken Run]” he said. “So, I did look into industrial farming, I kind of looked into it just for design purposes, and the idea of production, and it kind of got to me a bit, and put me off. Plus, I think the chickens are my heroes. So now I can’t eat chicken. And I’m always at the canteen with the chicken on the menu.”

Dawn of the Nugget Is as Much a Reboot as a Sequel

With so much fidelity to the original film, we had to wonder, was there ever any thought to bring the original voice cast back? We asked Sam Fell, who took over from the original’s Peter Lord and Nick Park, if they ever considered the original cast (besides Richardson). He said he wanted to make the film his own. And that meant new voice actors for familiar characters.

For Fell “Coming in new, I kind of want to make my own film in a way. Like I said, I love the first film. It was brilliant and perfectly cast, and I have no lack of respect for it. So I come in and I want to take a fresh look at it. The casting decisions made for the first one they probably made in 1997, and ’98. All based on where those actors were then, and what those characters were. It’s like a quarter of a century ago. So it’s as much a reboot in a way as a sequel. If they set it five years later, it’d be more like a straight sequel.”

A Third Chicken Run Film Is Possible

With Dawn of the Nugget on the horizon, we asked if a third installment was on the table already. Fell answered “There’s a really good third if anybody ever wanted to do that. But we’ll see. We’ll see if people love this. It’s a bit pretentious to call it a universe, but yeah, it’s a universe of chickens because the stakes are so high. It is like life and death. So yeah, I think there is a good father-son story there actually. There is a good, the world of roosters and the way roosters work story. It was interesting.” If there is a third Chicken Run, here’s hoping it’s not two decades between sequels if it happens.

Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget drops on Netflix on December 15.

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Now we know the nerds have truly inherited the Earth. We learned in May that Hasbro’s Entertainment One, or eOne, would launch a free 24-hour streaming channel dedicated solely to Dungeons & Dragons. That’s right, in addition to the current feature film Honor Among Thieves and an upcoming live-action series, the iconic RPG would stake a claim to its very own network. And now, the Dungeons & Dragons Adventures FAST channel (Free Ad Supported TV) is here. The network has launched on Amazon Freevee and Plex with three original series.

The series include Faster, Purple Worm! Kill! Kill!, Thursdays and Saturdays at 6 PM PST and 9 PM PST, Heroes’ Feast, Mondays and Wednesdays at 6 PM PST and 9 PM PST, and Encounter Party, Tuesdays and Fridays at 6 PM PST and 9 PM PST. Now that’s a lot of D&D!

Early reports about the channel said the classic 1980s Dungeons & Dragons Saturday morning cartoon show would be among the offerings. You didn’t think they’d forget that one, did you? The channel will also have plenty of third-party content from more internet creators and D&D influencers, including lots of live gameplay. Hey, if there are 50 or more golf channels, it’s high time someone rolled the d20 on a D&D channel.

Featured Image: Wizards of the Coast

Originally published on May 11, 2023.

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It’s been a good year for your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. Recently, there was the much-loved Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 game, and earlier in the year, there was Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. Or maybe we should say Spider-Mans, because both the game and the movie feature both Peter Parker and Miles Morales Spideys. Well, if 2023 has got you in an extra wallcrawlery mood, then Citizen Watch has the thing you need—a special, incredibly limited edition Marvel Spider-Man Collector’s Box Set. This set brings together three iconic watch styles, which you can see below:

This Spider-Man watch collection is a very limited edition set, with Citizen only producing 40 worldwide. It brings together three fan-favorite Spider-Man watch styles, each capturing the essence of everyone’s favorite web-slinger. The set comes complete with a Certificate of Authenticity. Any light with Citizen’s proprietary Eco-Drive technology powers all three Spider-Man Citizen watches, and they never need a battery. Those who buy this will receive an exclusive free gift – the Marvel x Citizen Light on Time comic book. 

The first watch in the set is a Disney100 celebration Spider-Man timepiece. The striking dial depicts Spidey in his signature crouching position. He’s in a silver-tone stainless steel case and bracelet complemented by a black bezel. The dial features a gradient blue background, with its darker periphery and brighter center highlighting the illustration of Spider-Man. This Spider-Man watch also has three silver-tone hands and a bright white date aperture at 3 o’clock.

Next up in the collection is Citizen’s “Spidey” watch; it uniquely features the date and crown at 4 o’clock, while the red and blue dial sits as the perfect backdrop to a Spider-Man design. The silver-tone stainless steel case and blue leather perforated strap complete the look.

The last watch in this Spider-Man box set has a stainless steel case with a blue chroma finish and a silver-tone stainless steel bracelet. This Citizen Watch features Spider-Man’s iconic web and logo with red and silver accents. This piece also includes advanced features, including the 1/5 second chronograph that measures up to 60 minutes, 12/24 hour time, and a tachymeter that measures speed based on time traveled over a distance.

The Limited Edition Marvel Spider-Man Collector’s Box Set will set you back $995.00 and goes on sale starting November 24.

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One of the most jaw-dropping reveals in any MCU post-credits scene happened at the end of The Marvels. We learned that Monica Rambeau, after fixing a tear in the fabric of spacetime, gets trapped in a parallel universe. She awakens to find what she thinks is her deceased mother, Maria Rambeau (Lashana Lynch), at her bedside in a medical facility. But it’s not just any medical facility. It’s what appears to be the lower levels of the Xavier’s School mansion from the Fox X-Men films. Her attending doctor is none other than Hank McCoy, a.k.a. Beast, once again played by Kelsey Grammer.

But then, Maria Rambeau reveals that in this universe, she gained the power of Captain Marvel, but goes by the codename Binary. She also revealed that she had no child named Monica in this universe. And she wears a totally different costume than Carol Danvers does. Or even that the other Maria Rambeau from Earth-838 (seen in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness) wore. That one also looked like a modified Kree uniform. But the Binary codename and costume have direct ties to Carol Danvers in the comics, and also, to X-Men lore. In explaining that, we first have to explain a dark chapter in the history of Carol Danvers.

TW: Discussion of kidnapping, gaslighting, and sexual assault.

Marvel Comics’ Mishandling of Carol Danvers, the First Ms. Marvel

In Marvel Comics, Carol Danvers was one of the first female heroes to receive her own ongoing series. A spin-off of the male Captain Marvel character, back then she went by Ms. Marvel. Her ongoing Ms. Marvel series ran for 23 issues, from 1977 to 1979. Uncanny X-Men writer Chris Claremont wrote most of those stories. When Marvel canceled her series, Carol found a new home in the pages of Avengers. But that wasn’t meant to last, as Avengers writer Jim Shooter, also Marvel EIC at the time, wasn’t a big fan of the character. What he did to her next was pretty darn awful.

In Avengers #197, Carol discovers she’s pregnant, with no father. This immaculate conception is at hyperspeed, and she gives birth mere days after she finds out. Once the baby is born, it grows at an accelerated rate to adulthood, and reveals that he is Marcus, son of Immortus (a.k.a. Kang). Trapped in his own Limbo dimension, he could only emerge in our world if he was physically born into it. So he kidnapped Carol, impregnated her, mind-wiped her and sent her back to Earth so she could give birth to his new body. If this sounds like kidnapping and sexual assault, that’s because it is.

If all that wasn’t bad enough, his mind-control powers forced her to fall in love with him, or at least make her think that she loved him. After realizing he couldn’t stay on Earth-616, he whisked her away, back to his home dimension…with the full blessing of the Avengers, who didn’t even try to stop him. They just seemed happy Carol had a new man in her life, as if that’s all that mattered. With that, they wrote Carol Danvers/Ms. Marvel out of the Marvel Universe for two full years.

Carol Danvers Finds a Home with the X-Men

This did not sit well with her former series writer, Chris Claremont, who happened to be writing the biggest superteam in comics, the X-Men. So in 1981, in Avengers Annual #10, he addressed the situation. He revealed that Carol had returned home. This was after Marcus, who ages rapidly, died in his own dimension. But as soon as she returned to Earth, she was attacked by the power-absorbing mutant Rogue, under orders from her mother, Mystique. She held on to Carol too long, siphoning her super strength and flight powers permanently, leaving Carol in a coma.

When Carol regains consciousness, most of her memories are gone. She goes to Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters, where she hopes the telepathic Charles Xavier will help her restore her memories. While he restores the basic facts about her life, the emotional connection to those memories goes away. When the Avengers come to visit the returned Carol at the X-Mansion, she is rightfully enraged with her teammates, who allowed Marcus to manipulate and kidnap her. She vows to remain with the X-Men over the Avengers, despite now being powerless.

Carol Danvers Goes from Ms. Marvel to Binary

For a brief time, a now powerless Carol Danvers was an unofficial member of the X-Men, using her military training and top-secret clearance to help them on missions. She forms a bond with Wolverine, who also had his memories tampered with. On an outer space adventure with the X-Men, the alien race called the Brood kidnapped and experimented on her, discovering that although she was technically human, she had latent mutant genes. Those genes probably allowed her to survive the accident that made her Ms. Marvel in the first place. These latent mutant genes would unlock her true potential, when exposed to the power of a “white hole” in space.

Carol Danvers Becomes Binary, an Unofficial X-Man

As a result of those experiments, Carol got her powers back, and then some. She transformed into a cosmic being, calling herself Binary. More powerful than ever before thanks to Brood experiments, and wearing a new red and white costume. She remained an associate of the X-Men, in a way filling in for the now-deceased Phoenix. But when Professor X took in Rogue as a new X-Man, Carol couldn’t abide to live in the same house with the woman who stole her life and memories, and departed for the stars. Years later, her godlike powers decreased, and she became Ms. Marvel again, and eventually, Captain Marvel.

MCU Binary is Maria Rambeau, a Member of the X-Men

So what does this mean for the MCU Binary? Well, it likely means that in the X-Men universe, Carol Danvers didn’t pilot the experimental jet that fateful day. So her best friend and fellow pilot Maria Rambeau received superpowers from the Tesseract instead. Did she become Captain Marvel in this X-Men universe, only to later lose her powers and become Binary? Something very similar to what happened to Carol in the comics could have happened to Maria in the X-Men universe. We just don’t know yet.

Maria might have become Captain Marvel, lost her powers (possibly even to Rogue), and then regained them tenfold and become Binary. And much like the Carol Danvers Binary in the comics, she might have become something of an unofficial X-Man. This explains why she was at the X-Mansion in the post-credits for The Marvels. In the post-credits scene, we notice she is wearing both Quantum Bands. Is that what unleashed her Binary potential in the X-Men universe? It’s quite possible. Hopefully, Marvel Studios will reveal what happens next very soon.

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For Marvel Studios’ upcoming film The Marvels, they did not lean into some of the more well-known villains from the pages of Marvel Comics. In fact, 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 Marvels, their comic book origins, and how they factor into 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 he 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 (Zawe Ashton) is now a former Accuser of the Kree Empire and the villain in The Marvels. This is much like Ronan’s title in Captain Marvel and Guardians of the Galaxy. We learn in The Marvels that Dar-Benn was part of the Kree military when Carol Danvers, in an early act as Captain Marvel, destroyed the Supreme Intelligence on Hala, which controlled life on that planet. She actually witnessed Carol doing this, and nearly lost her life.

This act plunged Hala into a decades-long civil war that devastated the planet, and caused the Kree to name Carol “The Annihilator.” In The Marvels, Dar-Benn blames Carol for the fracturing of her planet, and its plunge into environmental disaster. Dar-Been begins siphoning natural resources from worlds Carol has a connection to in order to restore Hala, and also get revenge on her in the process.

Dar-Benn’s Bangle

Another deviation from Marvel Comics is that the MCU version of Dar-Benn wears a bangle identical to the one worn by Ms. Marvel, Kamala Khan. We learn in the film that the bangle she discovered buried on a moon is one-half of the Quantum Bands, powerful artifacts that helped map the galaxy eons ago. She uses the band to open jump points in places they don’t belong, hurting the fabric of spacetime. When she steals the other Quantum Band from Kamala Khan, she attempts to use it to siphon the power of Earth’s sun to save Hala’s own dying star. The effort proves too much for Dar-Benn in The Marvels and ultimately kills her.

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 The Marvels, it seems Dar-Benn holds the Warhammer, or “cosmi-rod,” of a Kree Accuser. Combined with the power of one of the Quantum Bands, Dar-Benn renames it “the Universal Weapon.” This makes The Marvel‘s villain nearly as powerful as Carol, even though the power is not innate to Dar-Benn, and she needs the weapon to wield it.

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 in theaters now.

Originally published on October 16, 2023.

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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), in The Marvels. Prince Yan has joined the MCU and is 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 about the version Park Seo-joon plays 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 for 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.

That’s the comics’ world though; in the MCU, however, Captain Marvel and Prince Yan D’Aladna end up entangled in a “marriage of convenience,” and indeed, Prince Yan is Captain Marvel’s husband.

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

As mentioned, the MCU’s Prince Yan is played by Park Seo-joon. In The Marvels, Prince Yan is still part of the royal family on the planet Aladna. Carol, Kamala, and Monica go to his home planet once they realize that Kree villain Dar-Benn has made the water-rich world her next target. Her plan is to steal water from Aladna, since 90% of that world is covered by oceans. When Carol and the Marvels arrive, she awkwardly reveals to Kamala and Monica that she’s actually the Princess of Aladna, since she married Prince Yan in a diplomatic ceremony.

This is when we discover that the people of Aladna only communicate through song, which leads to much hilarity with the arriving heroes. Park Seo-joon gets to show off his vocal chops in The Marvels when he sings to his lovely princess in her gown, and then shows off his warrior chops when defends Captain Marvel from attacking Kree soldiers. Unlike most of his people in The Marvels, Park Seo-joon’s Prince Yan also can communicate non-musically, as it’s revealed that he is bilingual. The MCU version of Prince Yan got to do what his comic book counterpart did not– marry the superhero. And get to be a hero himself.

The Marvels is now in theaters everywhere.

Originally published on October 23, 2023.

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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 Isn’t Designed to Support 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. This explosion destroys the TVA, which appears to doom every branch, too. Every universe and thread of reality appears to literally shred, and there is nowhere to go for anyone except Loki, who finally manages to control his time slipping. But in the finale of season two, we learn that the Temporal Loom is a failsafe; it’s not designed to support the multiverse. No matter how many times Loki tries to get expanding it right, it simply always fails because it’s impossible to scale up for an infinite number of timelines. He Who Remains explains that the Loom’s purpose isn’t to support a multiverse of endless branches, but to destroy everything but the sacred timeline. To keep existence stable for other branches, something else has to be done.

Loki Replaces the Temporal Loom with Himself

In Loki season 2’s final episode, Loki destroys the Temporal Loom and replaces it with himself, forming the great tree of Yggdrasil out of the timelines and supporting them with his magic. With Loki at the center, the universe and all its branches can exist and thrive in a way they could not when the Temporal Loom wove the universe.

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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Fans have speculated for years now when the Young Avengers might be coming to the MCU. Well, before the credits rolled on The Marvels, we got our first official confirmation that the Young Avengers are on their way. Ms. Marvel/Kamala Khan appears in the loft of Hawkeye/Kate Bishop, in a scene that comically echoes Nick Fury’s post-credits scene in the first Iron Man. Ms. Marvel informs Kate she’s gathering a group of younger heroes together, based on intel she procured from Nick Fury. She even mentions that she heard that “Ant-Man has a daughter.” We of course know she’s talking about Cassie Lang.

All of this is leading to what Marvel fans have been wanting for some time now—confirmation of some kind of plan to see the Young Avengers on screen. So, just who are these Young Avengers in the comics? And are the other members of the team already in the MCU? Surprisingly, most of them already are. Let’s go down the list of candidates for the MCU’s Young Avengers, starting with those already introduced, to the ones we’re still patiently waiting for.

Stature (Cassie Lang)

In the comics, Cassie Lang is the daughter of Scott Lang, the second Ant-Man. When her father supposedly died in the Avengers Disassembled storyline, she took up the mantle of hero herself, revealing she had the same size-changing powers as her dad after years of exposure to Pym Particles. She was one of the first new recruits into the Young Avengers when they formed, and has been an on-and-off member ever since. Sometimes she goes by the superhero name Stature, and other times, the codenames Stinger and Ant-Girl.

We’ve known all about the MCU’s Cassie Lang since the very first Ant-Man, when she was played by Abby Ryder Fortson. In Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantamania, Kathryn Newton played the part of Cassie as a now 18-year-old, one who was able to harness the Stature tech from her “Uncle” Hank Pym into becoming superpowered herself. She went on an adventure into the Quantum Realm with her family, establishing herself as a hero and aiding the freedom fighters against Kang. Besides Kate Bishop, she’s the most fully developed of the Young Avengers heroes in the MCU. So, it makes sense for Kamala and Kate to try to recruit her first.

Wiccan and Speed (Billy Kaplan and Tommy Shepherd)

One of the founding members of the Young Avengers, Billy and his twin brother Tommy were the children of the Scarlet Witch, Wanda Maximoff. Or at least, they were the manifestations of children Wanda created through her own incredible power. They eventually vanished when Wanda discovered they were not real. The comics eventually reincarnated Billy and Tommy into new teenage bodies, with superpowers to boot. Billy was reborn as Billy Kaplan, and discovered he had magical powers like his “mother” as a teen. Tommy was reincarnated into another family, growing up as Thomas Shephard. He had super speed powers like his uncle Quicksilver, and took on the heroic name of Speed.

In WandaVision we met child versions of Billy and Tommy inside Wanda’s hex in Westview. They went from babies to children almost overnight. When Wanda’s hex came down, they vanished, seemingly into non-existence. However, we doubt that highly. Rumor has it Joe Locke, who stars in Netflix’s Heartstopper, will play the teenage Billy, a.k.a. Wiccan, in Agatha: Darkhold Diaries. He’s definitely in the series, and all circumstantial evidence points to his being teenage Billy. Now, if Billy Maximoff was indeed reborn, that means his twin brother Tommy is likely also out there somewhere as well. Hopefully he’s ready to answer the call to join the Young Avengers.

Patriot (Eli Bradley)

In the comics, Patriot was a founding member of the Young Avengers, sporting a star-spangled shield and costume similar to Captain America. We eventually learn he is Eli Bradley, the grandson of the original Captain America, Isaiah Bradley. The government used the elder Bradley as a guinea pig during WWII in developing the super soldier serum, and kept his status as the world’s first true Captain America a secret for years. Years later, a blood transfusion would give Eli some of his grandfather’s powers, and he’d become a superhero himself.

In The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, Bucky Barnes introduced Sam Wilson to the original African-American Captain America, Isaiah Bradley. Instead of pre-dating Steve Rogers, in the MCU he was the only living survivor of several soldiers the government tested on to recreate the super-soldier serum. Isaiah’s grandson Eli appears briefly on The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, played by Elijah Richardson, living with his grandpa. So we know he exists in the MCU already. Someone just needs to go ring his doorbell.

America Chavez

Although not a founding member of the Young Avengers, America Chavez became a mainstay of the team during writer Kieron Gillen’s run on the title. America Chavez was actually born in another dimension called the Utopian Parallel. She had the power to open portals from one universe into the next. America is Marvel Comics’ first Latina LGBTQ hero, and served not only as a Young Avenger, but also the Ultimates, and the West Coast Avengers.

She was introduced into the MCU in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, played by Xochitl Gomez. And she played quite a big role. In fact, due to her multiverse skipping powers, she became the target of the Scarlet Witch, and became a sidekick (of sorts) to Doctor Strange. She was last seen training in the use of her powers at Kamar-Taj. It seems like Kamala and Kate will have to pay her a visit very soon.

Ironheart (Riri Williams)

Marvel introduced Riri Williams in 2016, as a 15-year-old genius MIT student who was able to build her own Iron Man armor. Tony Stark heard about her and was impressed, becoming her official sponsor at the university. After Tony landed in a coma some time later, a version of his consciousness communicated with her via an A.I., guiding her as a nascent superhero. Eventually, Riri made a name for herself as Ironheart, and found her way onto the team known as the Champions. Although technically not the Young Avengers, this group of teenage heroes was very similar to the Young Avengers, and even Ms . Marvel was a member, along with the Miles Morales version of Spider-Man.

The MCU introduced Riri Williams as key part of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, played by Dominique Thorne. Slightly older than her comic book counterpart, Riri was still studying at MIT. Her inventions drew the negative attention of the underwater nation of Namor. She became a ward of the Wakandans, who were impressed at her DIY version of the Iron Man armor. With access to superior Wakandan technology, she created her first real Ironheart armor, and helped the Wakandans in the final battle with Namor’s people. She returned home, soon to star in her own Ironheart series on Disney+. As a key player already in the MCU, we think she’ll be at the top of the list for Kamala and Kate’s recruitment list.

Kid Loki

In the comics, a younger version of Loki brought together a later iteration of the Young Avengers team. The junior version of the Asgardian God of Mischief was a true pain. But he also found genuine friendship with his teammates. The MCU introduced a version of this character in the first season of Loki, as a Multiversal variant who killed his brother Thor. Eventually, the TVA arrested him to save the sacred timeline. When last we saw him, the younger Loki remained in the Void at the End of Time. This means he still exists out there, and might join an MCU version of the Young Avengers at some point. Although we’re not sure how Kamala and Kate are making that particular house call.

Iron Lad (Nathaniel Richards/Kang)

Iron Lad was a founding member of the Young Avengers, and the true identity of this teenage Iron Man remained a mystery for some time. It was eventually revealed that Iron Lad, a.k.a. Nathaniel Richards, was a time-traveling, adolescent version of Kang the Conqueror—version who was trying to avoid his destiny as a villain and made an attempt to become a hero. A young actor who could play Iron Lad has yet to be cast, but we definitely know there’s a Kang. And thus, a teenage variant of him out there could fit the bill. Since any Young Avengers project would fall squarely in the Multiverse Saga, using Iron Lad sounds like the perfect way to tie it in.

Hulkling (Teddy Altman)

Probably the most significant Young Avenger not yet introduced or even hinted at yet is Hulkling. A founding member in the comics, Hulkling, a.k.a. Teddy Altman, first appeared to be what his name suggested—a teen version of the Hulk. But he was no gamma-irradiated human, he was a half-Kree/half-Skrull prince raised on Earth. Teddy could shapeshift into Hulk size, but also into anything else he wanted. His father was Mar-Vell, the original Captain Marvel, and a Skrull princess, thus making him royalty. His boyfriend (and future husband) is his fellow teammate, Wiccan.

The MCU gender-swapped Mar-Vell, and introduced her in the first Captain Marvel. It would be easy enough to say she married and had a child with a Skrull prince rather than a princess, perhaps one of the Skrull refugees, and Teddy is the product of that union. Of course, that would mean Teddy is pushing 40 now, but hey, we’ll let the writers figure all that out. As half of Marvel’s most beloved gay power couple, Hulkling needs to turn up soon in the MCU. It’s just not the Young Avengers without him.

Prodigy (David Alleyne)

One of the few Young Avengers characters related directly to the X-Men, David Alleyne, a.k.a Prodigy, came aboard the team after appearing in comics like New X-Men, and The Champions. Prodigy is a mutant with the power to telepathically absorb and copy any knowledge and skills from the minds of people around him. However, the knowledge eventually dissolves away. After his time as a member of the Young Avengers, Prodigy began a romantic relationship with Speed. His power set isn’t very showy or fun on screen, so he might not make it in. But he’s another candidate who has not shown up in live-action yet, and aside from Kamala Khan and (arguably) the Maximoff twins, he might be one of few known mutants who could make the cut.

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One of the big questions left over from the Ms. Marvel series was all about the origins of the bangle left to her by her grandmother—the one that unlocked all the incredible powers within Kamala Khan. Well, thanks to The Marvels, we now know the truth. That cosmic bangle is but one of a pair, and they are older than history itself. They have deep ties to Marvel Comics lore. The Marvels reveals Kamala’s bangle is one of two Quantum Bands, one of the most powerful artifacts in the universe. They connect to a character who was an Avenger for many years, as well as one of the Guardians of the Galaxy.

The Marvel Comics’ Quantum Bands Were Weapons of the Protector of the Universe

In the comics, the Quantum Bands were ancient and powerful energy-manipulating devices that most humanoids could wear. The ancient cosmic entity named Eon, whose statue was shown in Thor: Love and Thunder, possibly created them. Although it’s also possible they are even older than he is. Eon then appointed a mortal champion to wear them, giving them the title of Protector of the Universe. The Quantum Bands were weapons, but also revered symbols of the Protector of the Universe.

The power of the Quantum Bands comes from a place called the Quantum Zone, where all the energy and power in the Marvel Universe actually comes from. The Quantum Bands store energy from the Quantum Zone, but if they ever cut access to that power coming from the Zone, then these instruments would have to use whatever energy they had stored within them. And once that energy ran out, without access to the Quantum Zone, they would be totally useless.

The Powers of the Quantum Bands in Marvel Comics

These bands allow whoever wears them control over the electromagnetic spectrum, and can sap the energy away from both lifeforms and machines. They can project energy beams of varying degrees of power, and can even make hard light constructs (similar to DC Comics’ Green Lantern). They grant the wearer a degree of strength, invulnerability, and flight. The bands even allow the wearer to make cosmic jumps across lightyears under their own power. They do have their limits though. The Quantum Bands can’t be used to control psychic energies or magic of any kinds, as those powers originate outside known reality.  

Quasar Wore the Quantum Bands in the Marvel Comics Universe

In the Marvel Universe, there have been countless Protectors of the Universe who have worn the Quantum Bands. However, two are the most famous. The first was Wendell Vaughn from Earth, a.k.a. Quasar. Wendell Vaughn was a scientist working for S.H.I.E.L.D., who was studying the Quantum Bands which they had acquired. When the terrorist organization A.I.M. attacked, Wendell put them on, and became the superhero known as Quasar. Even though he was not granted the Quantum Bands by Eon, the entity eventually deemed him worthy of the status of Protector of the Universe. He eventually joined the Avengers, and served on many missions with the team over several years. In more recent times, he’s shared the Quantum Bands with another Earth scientist, S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Avril Kincaid.

The other most famous wearer of the Quantum Bands was Phyla-Vell, daughter of Mar-Vell. In the cosmic crossover event Annihilation, a deadly energy wave reached across the universe, initiated by the Lord of the Negative Zone, Annihilus. Wendell Vaughn lost the Quantum Bands to Annihilus during this event. Later, Phyla-Vell managed to steal the bands from Annihilus, and became the new Quasar herself. As the new Quasar, she joined the Guardians of the Galaxy. During her time as owner of the Quantum Bands, she was able to create the Quantum Sword, a weapon unique to her. When she died, the Quantum Bands returned to Vaughn, although Phyla eventually returned to life.

The Quantum Bands in the MCU

Fans believed the bangles Kamala used in Ms. Marvel were the Nega Bands, the traditional Kree weapon of Captain Marvel. But In the MCU, we learned they were actually the Quantum Bands. These creations were millions of years old, and split up at some point in time. Legend says they actually were used to map the galaxy, where the various jump points were created, allowing for interstellar travel.

Although they never explicitly stated where their power comes from in the MCU, there is the Quantum Realm, which might as well be the same thing as the Quantum Zone from the comics. So it may be their source of power. The villain of The Marvels, the Kree warrior Dar-Benn, found one in a remote world. When she briefly had both that one and Ms. Marvel’s in her possession, she could tear a hole in spacetime itself.

Unable to control the incredible power of both bands at once, Dar-Benn died while fighting the Marvels. However, the Quantum Bands themselves survived. We see Kamala at the end with only one on. Will Kamala wear both in the future? Or will someone else wear them? The bands unlocked Kamala’s powers, but those powers are innate to her. Perhaps Wendell Vaughn will appear in the MCU soon. And if not him, Phyla-Vell already exists in the MCU too, as they showed her in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 as a new member.

One thing’s for sure: someone is going to wear both Quantum Bands in the MCU. The question is who will have the honor?

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Director Nia DaCosta has been doing promotion for her upcoming film The Marvels, and of course, questions about the film’s ties to X-Men lore have been brought up. Mainly because one promo for The Marvels lingered on the letter “X” in the word “Next,” leading fans to view it as a big X-Men tease. So naturally, someone asked DaCosta what her dream X-Men-related project would be. And it turns out it would focus on the two most famous leaders of the mutant team, Cyclops and Storm.

In an interview with Jake’s Takes, DaCosta said the following:

I really like Scott Summers [Cyclops] and Storm together and their dynamic fighting over who should lead the X-Men, like in the Chris Claremont run. I think some Cyclops and Storm team-up movie would be fun. I really like Scott Summers and Storm together.

When DaCosta says “the Claremont run,” you know she’s a big fan of the X-Men comics. The Claremont run refers to writer Chris Claremont’s epic 16-year run writing Uncanny X-Men. It was an era that defined so much of what Marvel’s mutants even are to this day. The struggle for leadership between Scott Summer and Ororo Munroe was a central plot point in many Claremont stories. Professor Xavier had Cyclops in mind for a leadership role since the X-Men’s inception, but when Storm joined later, she proved she was also a stellar candidate.

In Uncanny X-Men #201, the two finally fought each other over who would be the team’s field leader. Storm had no powers at the time, and she still managed to beat Cyclops through her ingenuity. Later, both Storm and Cyclops would lead their own squad of X-Men. Scott would lead the Blue Team, while Storm would command the Gold Team into battle. While we know it will be some time before this scenario can ever play out in the MCU since the X-Men need a proper introduction first. But we’re all for Nia Dacosta helming this X-Men story when it’s time.

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The Avengers is the biggest name when it comes to superhero media, thanks to the MCU. But those Marvel Studios stories are all based, in some way or another, on stories from over 60 years of Marvel Comics. Some of those Avengers comics were unmemorable, but some creative teams produced runs for the ages. Stories that deserve to be recognized today. Here are our choices for the ten best Avengers comic book runs of all time.

10. All-New, All-Different Avengers and Avengers by Mark Waid

Mark Waid was already a comics legend by the time he came on board the Avengers franchise, thanks to series like Kingdom Come and The Flash. but the Avengers he got to write were not the all usual suspects. In 2016’s All-New, All-Different Avengers, Waid kept stalwart members like Tony Stark, but added Ms. Marvel Kamala Khan, Miles Morales Spider-Man, Jane Foster’s Thor, and the teenage Nova, Sam Alexander, as a new generation of Avengers. And Sam Wilson was finally on the team as Captain America and not as the Falcon.

Waid excelled at writing this mix of heroic generations, giving the Avengers a multi-generational perspective it never had before. To make Waid’s run even better, he was joined by artists like Adam Kubert and Mahmud Asrar. Eventually, the younger generation would form their own team, the Champions, but Waid would continue with the older members in a new volume of Avengers. He’d close out his run in 2018 with the epic No Surrender arc, one of the best and most epic Avengers sagas of the 21st century. It was a brief run overall, but one that made a mark. No pun intended.

Issues in Mark Waid’s Avengers Run

All-New, All-Different Avengers #1-16, Avengers (vol.6) #1-11, Avengers (vol.1) #675-690 (2016-2018)

9. Uncanny Avengers by Rick Remender, w/John Cassaday, Adam Kubert, Daniel Acuña, and Steve McNiven (2012-2014)

The Avengers and the X-Men, two teams who debuted on the same day in 1963, were enemies as often as they were friends. But they’d never really united to become one team before, until 2012’s Uncanny Avengers series. Written by Rick Remender, with incredible art by John Cassaday, Adam Kubert, and others, arrived in the fallout of the Avengers vs. X-Men. Captain America decided that he and other human heroes had not done enough for the mutant race. So he proposed a joint team of Avengers and X-Men, called the Avengers Unity Squad.

Several iconic Avengers like Wonder Man and Scarlet Witch were members, but so were important X-Men like Rogue and Havok. The stories were consistently great and explored the tension between human heroes and the mutant community, all while the Avengers faced epic villains like the Red Skull and his S-Men. Rick Remender’s run was relatively brief, only lasting two years in total. Later, other writers did their own run of the Avengers Unity Squad, to varying results. If it were longer, Remender’s Uncanny Avengers might have gone up a notch in the ranking, because this is some darn great superhero storytelling.

Issues in Rick Remender’s Uncanny Avengers Run:

Uncanny Avengers (vol.1) #1-24, 2012-2014

8. Avengers and West Coast Avengers by John Byrne with Paul Ryan (1988-1990)

Writer/artist John Byrne was the comic book industry’s biggest superstar by the time he took on the Avengers franchise in 1988. He had drawn issues here and there previously. However, this run was the first time he was the creator in charge of both writing and drawing. Actually, he took on both the monthly West Coast Avengers and Avengers at the same time, with help on the art of Avengers from Paul Ryan. His opening storyline involves the Scarlet Witch and Vision discovering the truth about their children. Not to mention, the Vision being dismantled and rebuilt as “White Vision.” Both stories had a huge influence on WandaVision.

Byrne’s run also saw Spider-Man join the team for an extended space adventure. Another significant addition was the Eternal named Sersi. The original ’40s Human Torch also made a comeback after 50 years during his tenure. Byrne’s run was big, pulpy, and just plain fun. He even took dated concepts like the Lava Men and made them a credible threat. And we can’t forget to mention that he introduced the comedic Great Lakes Avengers during his run. That alone makes this a run for the history books.

Issues in John Byrne’s Avengers Run:

West Coast Avengers (vol.1) #42-57 Annual #4, Avengers (vol.1) #305-317, Annual #19, 1988-1990

7. The Avengers by Stan Lee, with Jack Kirby, Don Heck (1963-1966)

When Marvel publisher Martin Goodman asked Stan Lee to copy DC’s success with the Justice League of America, he did his own thing instead, creating the Fantastic Four. But by 1963, Marvel had enough solo characters to create their own “all-star” team, and The Avengers was born. The first two issues, by Lee and Jack Kirby, featured a lineup that included Iron Man, Thor, Ant-Man, the Wasp, and the Hulk. Issue one also introduced the idea of Loki as a primary villain for the team.

But by issue #4, the Avengers really came into their own when Lee thought of having Captain America join the team. As leader, Cap proved to be the missing ingredient the Avengers needed. From that point on, Stan Lee was off to the races. Kirby left fairly early on, and capable artist Don Heck replaced him. Stan Lee’s run only lasted 35 issues and three years. Yet he introduced so many key concepts to what the Avengers are to this very day. Rotating memberships, major villains like Kang, and so much more were birthed in Lee’s run.

Issues in Stan Lee’s Avengers Run:

Avengers (vol.1) #1-35, 1963-1966

6. The Ultimates by Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch (2002-2005)

Forget what the title of this comic says; the Ultimates are the Avengers in all but name. When Marvel launched the streamlined and modern Ultimate Universe in 2000, it focused on Spider-Man and the X-Men. But when it came time to do the Avengers, Marvel editorial believed the name was too associated with a property that was no longer popular. So Marvel dubbed this series The Ultimates. Even though the lineup featured Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Giant-Man, the Wasp, and the Hulk. So, basically, the Avengers.

Mark Millar, who became a name at DC writing the fascistic hero team series The Authority, brought some of his trademark grit and satirical take on heroes to Marvel. He and artist Bryan Hitch made Ultimates feel like you were watching a blockbuster movie. So it’s no surprise that Marvel Studios’ Avengers borrowed heavily from this run. If there’s one thing that makes this book cringe today, it’s that Millar’s take on the heroes is that they’re all slightly sociopathic at worst, self-centered jerks at best. And the modern twists to Black Widow, Scarlet Witch, and Quicksilver are icky. But the big screen scale and imagination on display in The Ultimates make up for those shortcomings.

Issues in Mark Millar’s The Ultimates Run:

The Ultimates #1-13, Annual #1, The Ultimates 2 #1-13, 2002-2007

5. The Avengers by Roy Thomas, with John Buscema, Sal Buscema, Neal Adams, (1966-1971)

Roy Thomas took over writing duties on Avengers from Stan Lee in 1966, with issue #36. But more than any other writer, Thomas solidified who we think of as the most important and iconic Avengers. Taking over from Stan Lee must have been daunting, but Thomas somehow surpassed his mentor. During his run, Thor and Iron Man returned after a long absence, and he introduced the first hero created specifically for the team, the Vision. He increased the importance of the non-powered Hawkeye, and solidified ex-villains Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver as crucial members of the team.

Roy Thomas also added in Black Panther as a mainstay of the team, and created one of the Avengers’ primary antagonists, the sentient A.I. Ultron. During his tenure, Thomas dialed up the soap opera aspects of the Avengers, setting the standard for future writers. He also scripted the first true Avengers epic, the intergalactic Kree/Skrull war. He also worked with a genius young artist named Neal Adams, who took the book to a whole new level in a visual sense. Although his collaborators like John and Sal Buscema were no slouches either. So much of what everyone loves about the Avengers, and who we even think of as the Avengers, is rooted in Roy Thomas’ five-year run.

Issues in Roy Thomas’ Avengers Run:

Avengers (vol.1) #35–104, 132; Annual #1–2

4. The Avengers by Roger Stern, with John Buscema and Tom Palmer, (1982-1988)

The Avengers had featured a steady lineup of characters ever since the late ‘60s, until writer Roger Stern took over in 1982. He changed up the team roster in a way that hadn’t been seen since early in Stan Lee’s run. During the Stern era, a new character he created, Monica Rambeau, joined as Captain Marvel. Also joining was the Prince of Atlantis, Namor. Often neglected members like Hercules and Black Knight got a chance to shine in Stern’s run. And the Wasp (Janet Van Dyne) went from writers relegating her to merely “Ant-Man’s wife” to team leader.

The Wasp was quickly succeeded by Captain Marvel as chairwoman. She-Hulk also became a cornerstone of the team during Stern’s run. These elements made Roger Stern’s time on Avengers a strong showcase for female heroes. Sure, some new recruits like Starfox and Dr. Druid were among the least popular Avengers ever. But hey, points for trying something new. Stern’s run saw one of the greatest Avengers stories ever in “Under Siege,” when Baron Zemo attacks Avengers Mansion, using their HQ’s own defenses against the team. Stern lasted five years on Avengers, primarily with the duo of John Buscema and Tom Palmer on artistic duties. Their run remains one of the best Earth’s Mightiest Heroes has ever had.

Issues in Roger Stern’s Avengers Run:

Avengers (vol.1) 227–279, 281–287, Annual #13–14 (1982-1988)

3. New Avengers, Mighty Avengers, Avengers (Vol. 3), and Dark Avengers by Brian Michael Bendis (2004-2013)

In the mid-2000s, Marvel realized the “main universe” Avengers needed a massive overhaul, and so Marvel’s editors pulled out the big guns. Not just on the creative team, with superstar writer Brian Michael Bendis, but also on the team roster. Bendis added two of Marvel’s most famous heroes, Spider-Man and Wolverine, who had never been Avengers before. After Bendis closed out the old Avengers era with Disassembled, which saw Scarlet Witch go mad and Hawkeye die, he launched New Avengers with artist David Finch, and later Leinil Francis Yu, Alex Maleev, Mike Deodato, John Romita Jr., and several others.

This run was an instant sales success, and New Avengers overtook X-Men in sales for the first time in over two decades. From the get-go, the conflict between Iron Man and Captain America was at the heart of this series. A conflict that would boil over into Mark Millar’s Civil War event. Bendis would continue his run for almost a decade, extending it to books like Mighty Avengers, Dark Avengers, and just plain Avengers. Although this run ties into way too many big events, like Secret Invasion, Dark Reign, and others, the characterization was always top-notch under Bendis’ watch.  

Issues in Brian Michael Bendis’ Avengers Run:

Avengers (vol.1) #500-503, Avengers Finale, New Avengers (vol.1) #1-62, (vol.2) #1-34, New Avengers: Illuminati #1-5, The Mighty Avengers #1-36, Dark Avengers (vol.1) #1-16, Avengers Assemble #1-8, Avengers (vol.4) #1-34, 2004-2013

2. Avengers by Jonathan Hickman (2012-2015)

Writer Jonathan Hickman has already made a name for himself thanks to his run on Fantastic Four and creator-owned titles like East of West. But on the heels of the Avengers film, he took over the franchise with a take on the team that used the MCU roster from the film, but also heroes from the previous New Avengers run like Spider-Man, Wolverine, and Spider-Woman. Not to mention, there were several new characters, and even former X-Men Sunspot and Cannonball. Hickman worked with several artists at the top of their game during this run, including Jerome Opena, Stefano Caselli, Steve Epting, and many more.

Hickman’s run was a game changer due to the sheer breadth of its imagination, introducing concepts like Avengers World, and the threat of Multiversal incursions. All of which would culminate in Hickman’s Secret Wars event in 2015. Hickman found a role for each member of this superhero army to play, somehow balancing so many characters together in a way that just worked. No Avengers run has ever gone as big and outside the box in its scope as Hickman’s. Somehow, he found a way to push the very concept of what the Avengers were meant to be within the Marvel Universe. And readers everywhere had their minds blown.

Issues in Jonathan Hickman’s Avengers Run:

Avengers (vol.5) #1-44, New Avengers (vol.3) #1-33, Avengers World #1-5

1. Avengers by Kurt Busiek, with George Perez, Alan Davis, Carlos Pacheco (1997-2002)

When veteran writer Kurt Busiek took over Avengers with a new #1 issue in 1997, the team had just come back from a year away with the Image Comics creators doing their own spin on the concept. He went “back to basics” doing classic storytelling with a modern sensibility, as part of Marvel’s “Heroes Return” publishing initiative. Together with superstar artists George Perez, and later Alan Davis and Carlos Pacheco, this creative team remembered how to balance the melodrama with world-ending threats. In this regard, no one did it better than Busiek and his creative partners.

This run featured just about every iconic Avenger in a significant role. All while graduating teen heroes like Firestar and Justice into Avengers themselves. Busiek rescued Carol Danvers from obscurity and gave her a rightful place at the forefront of the Marvel pantheon again, as well as expanding on often-neglected heroes like Wonder Man. And the versions of longtime arch-foes like Ultron and Kang were never better than under Busiek’s direction. For five years and 56 issues, Kurt Busiek gave fans the quintessential Avengers run, and it still hasn’t been topped.

Issues in Kurt Busiek’s Avengers Run:

Avengers (vol.3) #1-56, Avengers Forever #1-12, Avengers: The Ultron Imperative #1, 1997-2002

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We all love an excellent mashup video. Now YouTuber RwanLink has taken The Legend of Zelda, and created an animated teaser showing what it would be like if Link came to life in the style of Studio Ghibli. This short teaser was created with Unreal Engine 5, the latest engine created by Epic Games. RwanLink recreated Ocarina of Time, which many believe to be the franchise’s most popular installment. In fact, Ocarina of Time turns 25 this year, so what better way to honor the game? You can watch the full 4K teaser for Zelda Ocarina of Time X Ghibli: Castle Town below:

Of course, this video is just a teaser. RwanLink has revealed they will release another, longer trailer on November 21. Then, their full Zelda Ocarina of Time X Ghibli: Castle Town video will drop on December 25th. That will be a true Christmas present for Zelda and Studio Ghibli fans. The full video will showcase over 30 characters in total. This is not the first fan video RwanLink has created based on The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time in Unreal Engine 5. So far, the artist has recreated Goron City, Kokiri Forest, and Zora’s Domain.

All those other videos from RwanLink look incredible, and will blow you away with their detail. However, mashing up The Legend of Zelda with the Studio Ghibli aesthetic really took it all to the next level. This is not the only remake of Ocarina of Time going around these days, especially with the 25th anniversary this year. But it certainly seems like the best one, as it truly captures the look and feel of a Hayao Miyazaki production. Hopefully, this is a harbinger of a real Nintendo and Studio Ghibli collaboration at some point. Yes, it’s unlikely, but this trailer proves it sure would be cool.

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Even after 50 years, the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction remains one of the best dark rides in theme park history, and is still a fan favorite. The first version opened at Disneyland in 1967, and since then, Disney has recreated it in all the other Disney parks around the globe. Now, it has been recreated again—this time in someone’s own home, with only120,000 LEGO bricks. The makers of this incredible LEGO build are brothers Joel and Jonathan Nueber, whose video they presented on the Beyond the Brick YouTube channel. And yes, this amazing LEGO build has real water. You can watch the full video right here:

The Nueber brothers mainly based their LEGO version of Pirates of the Caribbean on the one found in Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. The loading dock is similar to the one found there, which resembles an old Spanish Fort. The one at Disneyland has the name “Lafitte’s Landing,” named after the infamous pirate Jean Lafitte. But just about every famous scene found in the attraction found new life here in LEGO brick form. From the mysterious caverns with skeletal swashbucklers to the dreaded pirate ship The Wicked Wench. Yes, even the dog holding the key to the jail cell with the pirate prisoners is here.

After the video showing the complete ride-through, there’s a side-by-side comparison with the original Disney Parks ride. And you can see how they thought of just about every detail. We’d love to see the video timed to the original soundtrack of the attraction at some point. Although it’s a small thing, we kind of love that one of the passengers is an Imperial Stormtrooper. Maybe he’s a cast member who came over from the LEGO version of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge? Now, we dare someone to make that in LEGO brick form! No really, we think that would be amazing. This LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean proved anything is possible.

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The recent trailer for Marvel Studios’ Echo blew everyone away with its return to the gritty realism of the former Netflix shows like Daredevil. But beyond that, we recently learned another piece of fascinating information about the series. Echo will be the first in a new series of MCU projects using the label Marvel Spotlight. Marvel even unveiled a logo for this new initiative, which you can see below. If a project is released under the Marvel Spotlight banner, it will signal to fans that they don’t need to watch all, or in fact, any other MCU projects to be able to understand what’s going on in that series or movie. According to Marvel’s Brad Winderbaum, here’s what the Marvel Spotlight banner really means:

Marvel Spotlight gives us a platform to bring more grounded, character-driven stories to the screen, and in the case of Echo, focusing on street-level stakes over larger MCU continuity. Just like comics fans didn’t need to read Avengers or Fantastic Four to enjoy a Ghost Rider Spotlight comic, our audience doesn’t need to have seen other Marvel series to understand what’s happening in Maya’s story.

The massive MCU continuity, once its greatest strength, is viewed by many now as a hindrance. Casual fans feel there are too many MCU projects to catch up and watch the latest offering and understand it. Hopefully, the Marvel Spotlight arm will make it easier for fans, allowing the MCU to make projects that don’t require any previous knowledge. Even in the comics, tight continuity eventually goes from a strength to a weakness. This is why both Marvel and DC have done “fresh slate” takes on characters when it all gets too overwhelming.

We don’t know which Marvel Studios project will be next to get the Marvel Spotlight treatment. But since they mentioned Ghost Rider, we might interpret that as a hint. Certainly, Ghost Rider is a character that can exist without mentioning other MCU heroes or having any prior knowledge. Also, when Blade finally hits theaters, it seems like the perfect choice to arrive under the Marvel Spotlight banner. The first Marvel Spotlight series Echo, starring Alaqua Cox in the title role, hits Disney+ and Hulu on January 10, 2024.

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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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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.

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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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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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