Currently filming its first season, with an eye on a 2025 launch date, is the latest series in the Star Trek franchise, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. Some kind of Starfleet Academy project has been rumored since the ’80s, for both film and TV. But one is finally happening at last. Starfleet Academy is the fourth Paramount+ Star Trek live-action series, and the ninth live-action Star Trek series overall. Here’s everything we know so far about the upcoming Star Trek: Starfleet Academy series.

Title

The official title of the upcoming Paramount+ series is Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. Although, we think that most fans will simply refer to it as Starfleet Academy without the brand name attached. We also imagine in the greater Star Trek fandom the name of the show will be shortened even further to ST:SA.

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy’s Plot

The new series is a spin-off of Star Trek: Discovery, and will take place in the 32nd Century, some 800 years after the time of Star Trek: Picard. After a period of 100 years where the Federation dwindled to a handful of worlds, and Starfleet was a small operation, Starfleet Academy will introduce the first class of cadets in a century. Below is the official description from Paramount+:

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy will introduce us to a young group of cadets who come together to pursue a common dream of hope and optimism. Under the watchful and demanding eyes of their instructors, they will discover what it takes to become Starfleet officers as they navigate blossoming friendships, explosive rivalries, first loves and a new enemy that threatens both the Academy and the Federation itself.

Behind-the-Scenes

Alex Kurtzman and Noga Landau will serve as co-showrunners for Starfleet Academy. Gaia Violo wrote the series pilot. Kurtzman of course is the head honcho for all things in the Star Trek universe on Paramount+, including Discovery, Strange New Worlds, and Picard.

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy’s Cast

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy has a robust cast, headlined by Academy Award winner Holly Hunter. She’ll be the captain and chancellor of Starfleet Academy, presumably still located in San Francisco. She’s the third woman to headline her own Star Trek series, after Kate Mulgrew and Sonequa Martin-Green. The series’ main villain is none other than Paul Giamatti, who plays “A man with an ominous past connected to one of our cadets.”

Speaking of the cadets, in the roles of the student body we’ve got Karim Diané, Zoë Steiner, Kerrice Brooks, Bella Shepard, George Hawkins, and Sandro Rosta. Legacy actors from Star Trek: Discovery joining the series include Tig Notaro, Oded Fehr, and Mary Wiseman. The biggest surprise in terms of legacy Trek actors is Star Trek: Voyager‘s Robert Picardo. He returns as the Emergency Medical Holographic doctor.

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Release Date

There is no release date yet for Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, but it’s expected in the latter half of 2025 on Paramount+. Presumably, it will drop some months after Star Trek: Strange New Worlds wraps up its third season.

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We’re going to have to cancel our visitor’s pass for Gotham City’s most notorious mental hospital. Via Variety, we’ve learned that the Max streaming service is not moving forward with the proposed Arkham Asylum series, which was formally announced back in late 2022. This would have been the first Batman-centric series set in James Gunn’s new DCU, not in The Batman universe, like the upcoming Penguin series. Antonio Campos was developing the series, which originally began as part of Matt Reeves’ universe, before switching gears. Apparently, DC Studios and Warner Bros. have not ruled out another take on the Arkham Asylum series in the future.

This series has gone through several permutations since 2020. Originally, it was a show about the Gotham P.D. That evolved into a show about Arkham Asylum itself, where Gotham City’s most mentally deranged criminals reside. So basically, every Batman foe is not named Catwoman or Ra’s al Ghul. Creators like Terrance Winter and Joe Barton came in to develop the project, but both left over creative differences. The last iteration from Antonio Campos was described as a “horror movie or haunted house that is Arkham.” That sounded pretty cool to us.

Recently, Matt Reeves discussed the canceled The Batman spinoffs, noting, “The things that we’re talking about [now] are evolved versions of those things. It’s not like that just didn’t work. It was like, we need to evolve this. I would describe it less as something that didn’t work out and more as something that is still along a path toward arriving at its destination.”

We think an Arkham-based series will see the light of day at some point. We’re just going to have to wait a bit longer.

Originally published on July 8, 2024.

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The upcoming Thunderbolts film from Marvel Studios is slated to introduce one of the most powerful characters Marvel Comics has ever produced, the Sentry. Essentially, he’s Marvel’s Superman, but with a dark secret. He’ll be portrayed by actor Lewis Pullman in the upcoming MCU film, and we officially have our first look at Pullman as the character from the MCU’s Thunderbolts* trailer. But who is Sentry, a (relatively recent) Marvel character, and what is his strange origin story, both on and off the page?

The Bizarre Backstory of Marvel Comics’ Sentry

The Sentry began his comic book existence as an elaborate trolling by Marvel Comics editorial. Back in the ’90s, the Marvel Knights line of comics helped save the company after bankruptcy. Edgy titles like Kevin Smith’s Daredevil got critical acclaim and big sales. In 2000, creators Paul Jenkins and Rick Veitch came up with the Sentry series for Marvel Knights, about a superhero in a more classic DC Comics mode than a Marvel one. His costume suggested Superman’s, or Shazam’s. Although he’s not the only analog for Superman at Marvel (Hyperion predates him) he is the most powerful. He may be stronger than Superman himself.

Sentry, The “Lost” Stan Lee Marvel Hero

When the Sentry mini-series was announced, Marvel touted the series as a discovery of a “lost” concept by Stan Lee and a forgotten artist named Artie Rosen from the early ’60s that never made it to print. When Rosen “died” in 1999, writer Paul Jenkins discovered his original creation with Lee, a classic hero named the Sentry. He decided it was time to give the hero a proper Marvel debut in his own mini-series. Marvel EIC Joe Quesada even used the octogenarian Stan Lee himself as part of the promotion, giving interviews to comic book media about how even he had forgotten he co-created this hero. Of course, all of this was complete nonsense. Sentry was a pure creation of Jenkins. The whole backstory was a marketing gimmick.

Sentry Is Marvel’s Superman, with a Dark Side

In the Sentry original limited series, we meet Robert Reynolds. He’s an out-of-shape, middle-aged man living a bleak existence. Reynolds starts remembering a superhero career in his younger days, when he was the Sentry. Having taken “the Golden Sentry Serum,’ an advanced version of Captain America’s Super Soldier Serum, he now had “the power of a million exploding suns.” His arch nemesis was a dark presence called “The Void.” He was a contemporary of early Marvel heroes like the Avengers, Spider-Man, and the Fantastic Four. In fact, he was very close friends with Reed Richards, the Fantastic Four’s genius leader. As he encountered each Marvel hero in the present, they all slowly began to remember him. But why did they forget him in the first place?

After a deadly attack by the Void that resulted in high casualties during his heroic heyday, Sentry disappeared from the Marvel Universe when his mind was wiped, along with the memories of everyone on Earth, to make everyone forget that he ever existed. This was because of Reed Richards and Doctor Strange realizing that the Void was not just Sentry’s arch-foe, he was also a part of him. The only way to get rid of the Void was to make everyone forget that both Sentry and Void existed, including Bob Reynolds himself. So for years, he lived a life of anonymity, forgetting his heroic past entirely.

Sentry Becomes the Mightiest Avenger

In the New Avengers series in 2005, writer Brian Michael Bendis brings Sentry back to the Marvel Universe. We see Reynolds in a cell inside the supervillain prison the Raft, where he has voluntarily imprisoned himself for murdering his wife, Lindy Lee. When a huge jailbreak occurs, the Avengers catch several of the escaping villains. During this time, Daredevil finds the Sentry, and the powerful hero saves several others from Carnage, whom he flies into space and rips in half. Later, the Avengers discovered that X-Men villain Mastermind, who was at fault for Jean Grey’s descent into Dark Phoenix, was responsible for what happened to Sentry. He implanted a psychic virus in Robert Reynolds’ mind that created the delusion of the Void, but it was all really an aspect of his own repressed personality, unleashed by the serum.

Readers learned that the psychic virus does not allow Reynolds to remember his life as he lived it. Instead, he subconsciously implants his memories into the mind of comic book writer Paul Jenkins, a meta-commentary on the real-life creator of the same name who invented Sentry. Eventually, the Avengers show Reynolds that his wife, whom he confessed to murdering, is still alive. Sentry runs away, going to a house in the suburbs he shares with his wife Lindy. The Marvel heroes find him there, and attempt to reason with him. But he insists the Void is coming, and will destroy the world. Ultimately, X-Men telepath Emma Frost frees Reynolds from the psychic virus and restores his memories, and the Sentry joins the Avengers. The rest of the world does not regain their memories of Sentry. To them, he’s a brand new hero and new addition to the Avengers.

The Many Powers and Abilities of Sentry

The Sentry is one of the most powerful superheroes in the Marvel universe, even more powerful than his DC counterpart Superman. His powers supposedly came from a more advanced version of Captain America’s super soldier serum. Later, they revealed that an alien intelligence actually infused itself with the serum, making Reynolds its host body. Whatever the true origins are, Sentry has super strength, enough to subdue the Hulk at his most powerful. He can fly, has super speed, has telepathy, and can even shapeshift. He can also project light and project energy blasts. Sentry can also pass on a portion of his power, as he did to his kid sidekick, Billy Turner, a.k.a. Scout, an amalgamation of DC’s Robin and Captain Marvel. Jr. He even passed on powers to his Welsh Corgi, Watchdog, a riff on DC’s Krypto the Superdog. Sentry is the definition of the phrase “OP.”

Sentry’s Death and Rebirth

Sentry remained an Avenger for many years, although he constantly battled the emergence of the Void, a symptom of his own mental illness. Eventually, he joined former Green Goblin Norman Osborn’s Dark Avengers, as Osborn’s secret weapon. Thanks to Norman’s mental manipulations, he is able to break down the barriers that keep Robert Reynolds’ darker Void persona at bay. In the Siege storyline, Osborn and the Dark Avengers, together with Loki, attack Asgard itself. Osborn uses the powers of the Sentry to destroy Asgard, which was hovering above Oklahoma at the time.

The Dark Avenger Ares, the actual Greek god of war, attacks Sentry for his loss of control. Then, Sentry literally rips the god in half. (It’s a pretty gross panel too). Sentry then murders Loki, although he is eventually reborn as Kid Loki. Realizing what he’s done, upon reverting to his Bob Reynolds persona, Sentry asks the Avengers to kill him. Thor obliges, and carries his body to the sun to be cremated. But Sentry is effectively immortal, and can’t truly die. He eventually merges his Sentry half with his Void half, now seemingly more in control, but also elevated to godhood. In the comics, it seems it is the destiny of the Sentry to effectively never die.

Sentry in the MCU’s Thunderbolts* Movie

The MCU Thunderbolts* trailer officially gave us our first look at Lewis Pullman as the Sentry. But we really don’t know too much about him yet. All we know about Sentry in the MCU for now is that he’ll be a part of the Thunderbolts* film. We have no idea what role he’ll play, but we imagine a scenario similar to the comics. We foresee a situation where Sentry is assigned by the government to the Thunderbolts team. Perhaps to be their public face? But when the ultra-powered hero loses control of his darker half, the former assassins will have to find a way to stop him. But that’s just us guessing. We’ll know for sure when Thunderbolts hits theaters in 2025.

Originally published on February 2, 2024.

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Spooky season is upon us, and before you know it, it’ll be October 31. And as fans of the cult classic film Trick ‘r Treat know, that’s the night when the spirit of the holiday, Sam, emerges from hibernation. On the night of Halloween, he ensures the rules of the holiday are followed to the letter….or else. Now, fans of Mike Dougherty’s Trick ‘r Treat can celebrate mischievous little Sam with a new collection of stylish apparel from the folks at RSVLTS. These include button-up shirts, sweatshirts, crewneck tees, and hats. You can check them all out in down below:

Trick ‘r Treat “Candy and Costumes” Short Sleeve Shirt

The “School Bus Massacre” zombie trick-or-treaters join Sam on this shirt, which comes in men’s and women’s sizes. Both versions are $70.

Trick ‘r Treat Halloween Rules Short Sleeve Shirt

Sam emerges on All Hallow’s Eve to enforce the rules of the night, including not blowing out the candle on a Jack-o’-lantern before midnight. Otherwise, he gets grumpy. This shirt celebrates Sam’s strict rule enforcement and also comes in men’s and women’s sizes. Both are $70.

Trick ‘r Treat “Lollygagging” Short Sleeve Shirt

Sam’s favorite weapon is a half-bitten pumpkin lollipop. If you’ve seen the movie, you know the damage it can do. Like the previous two shirts, it also has men’s and women’s sizes available, and is priced at $70.

Trick ‘r Treat “Always Check Your Candy” Sweatshirt

Halloween rule #1: Always check your candy. Who knows what some weirdo might have done. This sweatshirt bears the iconic phrase from the film, and shows Sam emerging from a Jack-o’-lantern. You can buy this one for $75.

Trick ‘r Treat “Sinister and Sweet” Crewneck Tee

“Sinister and Sweet” is the perfect way to describe Sam, who rises out of a pumpkin on the back of this t-shirt. The crewneck shirt only sets you back $32.

Trick ‘r Treat “Smilin’ Sam” Dad Hat

A masked version of Sam adorns this “dad hat,” priced at $30.

You can order all of these Trick ‘r Treat items now on RSVLTS.com.

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

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It’s been a minute since Lara Croft had a live-action film of her own, or a big push outside of video games. But worry not, all you loyal Tomb Raider fans. The erstwhile archaeologist and adventurer returns at last in a new animated series coming to Netflix this October, Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft. This is in addition to a new live-action show coming soon to Prime Video. And we now have our first teaser trailer for the series. It features Marvel’s Agent Peggy Carter herself, Hayley Atwell, providing the voice for Lara Croft. You can watch Lara Croft get in and out of all manner of predicaments in the Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft trailer right here:

Here’s the official synopsis for Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft:

The animated series Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft picks up after the events of the highly successful Tomb Raider video game Survivor trilogy (Tomb Raider; Rise of the Tomb Raider; Shadow of the Tomb Raider), and will chart the globetrotting heroine’s next chapter as the iconic adventurer. More than 25 years after her first appearance, Lara Croft (voiced by Hayley Atwell) continues to explore ancient mysteries and uncover lost truths across breathtaking and dangerous destinations.

Joining Hayley Atwell in Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft are Allen Maldonado (Zip) and Earl Baylon, returning as Jonah from the Tomb Raider video games. In the aftermath of the Survivor trilogy, Lara Croft leaves her friends behind for a new round of solo adventures. Yet nothing ever stays uneventful in Lara Croft’s world. Especially when someone steals a powerful Chinese artifact from Croft Manor, and Lara has no choice but to pursue it until she gets it back. She’ll soon discover that the thief in question is someone with whom she has personal ties. (Isn’t that always the way?) Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft drops on Netflix on October 10.

Originally published August 2024.

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Batman has owned many Batmobiles over his illustrious eight decades in the spotlight. And while many were awesome, at the top of our list of amazing Batmobiles is the one from Tim Burton’s 1989 Batman film. The one Michael Keaton’s Dark Knight rode through the streets of Gotham City is the pinnacle of superhero aesthetics in film. And while you may never drive that iconic car yourself, you can now wear it on your feet. Crocs has released a new Batmobile Classic Clog, that gives off all the stylish vibes of Tim Burton’s film. You can check out images of the new Batmobile clog right here, as well as read the official description below:

Click To View Gallery

It’s high-octane style. The Batman Batmobile Classic Clog is ready to own the night (and the day) with a design inspired by Batman’s ride — right down to the bat wings on the side of the strap. And you can customize your new favorite mode of transportation, with Jibbitz charms. To the Batcave!

These Batmobile Crocs are water-friendly and buoyant, weighing only ounces. The ventilation ports add breathability and help shed water and debris. They feature a bat wing detail on the heel strap, which pivot for a more secure fit. The heel even has the fire exhaust port that jets out from the back of the car. They also come with appropriate Batman Jibbitz charms. Most importantly, they’re easy to clean, as well as quick to dry. They are, of course solid black, just like Batman’s world-famous car. The Batmobile clogs are $69.99, but only a few sizes still remain. These are selling out fast, so you might want to grab a pair from the official Crocs online store now before it’s too late.

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While Universal Studios Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights (HHN) gets the lion’s share of the attention, Universal Studios Hollywood’s own event is just as good, if not better at times. This is the 23rd year of the event, which has been scaring guests regularly during spooky season since 1997. We visited Universal Studios Hollywood’s HHN and now we are fully prepared to rank all eight of this year’s haunted house attractions, from the least frightening to the scariest.

8. Insidious: The Further

Insidious is one of the most popular horror franchises of the last decade. It has had five (soon to be six) films, and several haunted houses at HHN over the years. And this year’s Insidious house, The Further, celebrates all the demonic entities that exist in that supernatural realm. This haunted house has a lot of great scare actors throughout, jumping out at you to the tune of “Tiptoe Through the Tulips.” We appreciate a house that has a copious amount of jump scares throughout.

So why is it at the bottom of our HHN Hollywood rankings? Here’s why: there’s a room in this haunted house that recreates a bathroom where a dummy dressed as a man is throwing up into a toilet. And they actually pump in vomit smells into the room. Look, we really don’t need that level of immersion, Universal. It’s just gross. We can kind of understand why you had vomit smells in The Exorcist attractions of years past. However, the Insidious house shouldn’t make us want to puke ourselves.

7. Dead Exposure: Death Valley

This year’s “science gone wrong” haunted house takes us into a secret government lab deep in the desert, where things have recently taken a turn for the worse. We’re not sure what went wrong in this lab, but there’s toxic waste, (projected) flames, and lots of dead bodies in encased in plastic bags. Actually, it’s the monkeys they’ve experimented on that creep us out the most, that appear in the beginning of the experience. Pure nightmare fuel. While this house has many toxic waste-zombified creatures, far too many of them are static dummies and not actual scare actors. There’s also a path of blood on the floor you think would lead to something scarier. The theming is top-notch for this haunted house, but the lack of good jump scares puts this one closer to the bottom of our ranking.

6. Universal Monsters: Eternal Bloodlines

Universal Studios started modern horror cinema (and cinematic universes) with their Universal Monsters in the ‘30s and ‘40s. So almost every year, HHN gives us a Universal Monsters-themed haunted house of some kind. This year, it was Eternal Bloodlines, where we follow a female Van Helsing descendent as she fights creatures of the night. We see a lot of a warrior Bride of Frankenstein, and a few assorted ghouls wandering the halls. But we don’t encounter Dracula, the Wolfman, or Frankenstein till the very end of the experience. So we have to knock off a point or two for that. We think 2022’s Legends Collide and last year’s Unmasked were better Universal Monsters haunted houses overall.

5: Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire

We weren’t crazy about Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire as a movie. Yet in terms of detail and adherence in recreating that film, this haunted house succeeds. We enter through Ray’s Occult Books, recreating a key location from the movie. After, we journey into other locales from the film’s narrative. The best part of this house is the scene where a group of 1900s-era firefighters become frozen solid by supernatural means. The “frozen” scare actors actually convinced us they were dummies and genuinely scared us when they “thawed,” so to speak.

We were startled here and there in the Frozen Empire haunted house by Slimer and the occasional Terror Dog. But this one is perhaps the least traditionally scary haunted house this year. As much as well love it, Ghostbusters is just not that scary of a franchise, let’s be honest. But we don’t suggest you skip it, because getting to wander in the Ghostbusters’ firehouse as they try to capture spooks is worth it. Still, this one can’t compete with the excellent Universal haunted house that recreated the original Ghostbusters back in 2019. That one was an all-time favorite.

4. The Weeknd: Nightmare Trilogy

This is the third haunted house at HHN centering around pop megastar The Weeknd, which takes us on a journey of his deepest, darkest nightmares. It’s mostly a series of demented nightclubs featuring demons, psychedelic imagery, and monstrous versions of the singer in various stages of torture. There’s even a version of him where he’s some kind of demonic baby in a bathtub full of blood. (Don’t ask.) The creepiest and coolest part is a walkway with several giant neon eyeballs. Some of these eyeballs are, of course, scare actors waiting to jump out at you. The weirdest part is when you get to a torture chamber where various versions of the singer are mutilated to the sound of his own music. We don’t know exactly what The Weeknd is working through considering the content of these attractions but we can’t lie, it’s entertaining!

3. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Legacy of Leatherface

Tobe Hooper’s The Texas Chainsaw Massacre turns fifty this year. So of course, HHN needed to have a haunted house to honor Leatherface and family on their golden anniversary. From the moment you enter the Hooper & Henkel Meat Processing Plant and are greeted by a scare actor wearing a dead cow’s head, you know you’re in for a gruesome good time. Leatherface and his demented family immediately greet you with buzzing chainsaws. Not to mention all the corpses of their poor victims ready to become lunch.

The best jump scare moment comes as one of the twisted family members rips the face off what looks like a dummy on the table, exposing his mutilated musculature underneath, only for him to suddenly move and scream bloody murder, revealing he’s not a dummy at all. This got a real yelp out of us. We noted some unpleasant odors wafting in, but nothing that revolting. Between that, all the barrels of decomposing corpses, and human meaty bits thrown all over the place, this one is definitely the most revolting haunted house at HHN this year.

2. Monstrous 2: The Legends of Latin America

Latin America has a vibrant spooky mythology of its own, which HHN has explored before. A few years back, they gave us the Legend of La Llorona house. And this year, they’ve sequelized Monstrous: The Legends of Latin America with a part 2. From the start, where you enter a dusty crypt with crumbling skeletons, you know you’re in for some good theming. The first monster who jumps at you is El Charro Negro from Mexican folklore, who appears as an undead mariachi.

Several genuinely creepy hell hounds growl at you, too. But the best creature in the house is El Chuy, whose massive claws pop out from under a child’s bed in a very cool effect. But the best part is when its massive head emerges out of a cave wall, and it’s legit terrifying. That grand finale moment makes this one a favorite of the night.

1. A Quiet Place

A Quiet Place is one of the biggest horror franchises of the modern era, so it was high time they got a haunted house of their own at Universal HHN. Despite A Quiet Place: Day One is still fresh in everyone’s minds, but this haunted house focuses on the first film. We’re taken to the remote Abbot family farmhouse from the original, and actors appear throughout the house reminding you that you need to stay completely silent, or else the creatures will sense you and have you for breakfast.

The Death Angels, the blind aliens from the franchise, are this haunted house’s highlight. And they appear quite often in the form of giant screeching animatronics, some that are among the best HHN has ever made. A few of these are so detailed and genuinely screen worthy, like the one who hovers over the baby’s crib recreating a scene from the film. Between the animatronics and the generous amount of scare points along the attraction, A Quiet Place truly raises the bar for HHN Haunted Houses. This is the one you want to make sure you see this year.

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The collectible fantasy card game Magic: The Gathering has been an institution for over thirty years. It has inspired video games, comic books, and novels alike. But despite announcing many a Magic: The Gathering TV or movie project over the years, most recently for Netflix, nothing ever came of them. Now, Magic: The Gathering is back from the dead at Netflix. The streamer has officially announced that a Magic: The Gathering animated event series is now in production, with a new creative direction from showrunner Terry Matalas. Folks may know Matalas as the showrunner of Star Trek: Picard’s popular third season. He is also the main creative voice behind Marvel Studios’ upcoming series about the android Avenger, the Vision.

The new Magic: The Gathering event series is made in partnership with Hasbro Entertainment and Wizards of the Coast, longtime owner of the franchise. A few years back, they announced that Netflix cast Brandon Routh from Superman Returns and Legends of Tomorrow in a lead role. Only that iteration of a Magic: The Gathering Netflix series never made it off the drawing board. Brandon Routh confirmed to Collider recently that despite recording lines for it, Netflix completely scrapped the version he was in.

This time, it seems production has at least begun on the new Magic: The Gathering series project. So it will likely see the light of day. Netflix describes this card-inspired creation as an “event series,” meaning that there is no guarantee of additional seasons. Event series seems to be the new word for mini-series. We are not sure what the plot of this new Magic: The Gathering series will be. We also have no idea which iteration of the franchise they will be drawing from. Also, we still have no clue as to when it’s actually dropping on the streaming service. Here’s hoping Netflix finally does justice to the iconic game that so many fans love the world over. Magic: The Gathering series, here we come!

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It’s official—Black Mirror is coming to Netflix for season seven in 2025. The six-episode season of Charlie Brooker’s anthology series that treads on the dark side will also include a sequel to the season four sci-fi adventure “USS Callister.” That episode, the first of the show’s fourth season in 2018, was a kind of spoof on classic Star Trek iconography. Fans went wild for it, and the episode won four Emmy Awards. That now-classic episode was written by Brooker and William Bridges and directed by Toby Haynes. Netflix has also officially shared the cast for Black Mirror season seven. You can check out that information and a brief teaser trailer below.

Netflix Reveals Black Mirror Season 7 Cast

Drumroll please. The Black Mirror season seven cast has arrived and it’s a good one. Among Nerdist favorites appearing are Doctor Who‘s Peter Capaldi, The Penguin‘s Sofia Milioti, and Deadpool and Wolverine‘s Emma Corrin. But they’re not the only ones who will be involved. You can check out the full lead cast of Black Mirror‘s newest season below. For now, Netflix notes that “Additional information about specific episodes and characters is under wraps.”

Lead Cast (Listed Alphabetically): 

• Awkwafina (Jackpot)
• Milanka Brooks (Mum And I Don’t Talk Anymore)
• Peter Capaldi (Criminal Record)
• Emma Corrin (Deadpool and Wolverine)
• Patsy Ferran (Firebrand)
• Paul Giamatti (The Holdovers)
• Lewis Gribben (Blade Runner 2099)
• Osy Ikhile (Citadel)
• Rashida Jones (Sunny)
• Siena Kelly (Domino Day)
• Billy Magnussen (Road House)
• Rosy McEwen (Blue Jean)
• Cristin Milioti (The Penguin)
• Chris O’Dowd (Bridesmaids)
• Issa Rae (Barbie)
• Paul G. Raymond (Horrible Histories)
• Tracee Ellis Ross (Black-ish)
• Jimmi Simpson (Westworld)
• Harriet Walter (Succession)

Black Mirror Season 7 Features the USS Callister

Now that we have a better idea who will be involved in the the upcoming season, you can check out Black Mirror season sevens’s brief teaser trailer below.

Here’s what the streaming giant said on the return of the USS Callister. “Robert Daly is dead, but for the crew of the USS Callister, their problems are just beginning.” In the original episode, Robert Daly (Jesse Plemons), was a reclusive programmer who co-founded a popular MMO that emulated classic Star Trek tropes—particularly those of the original 1960s series. He used his co-workers’ DNA to make digital clones of them, and commanded them as captain of the starship USS Callister. However, in traditional Black Mirror fashion, things did not go smoothly for Robert Daly. Many fans believe that the retro-flavored Star Trek: Strange New Worlds was greenlit because of its success.

Black Mirror Season 7 Release Date and Status

Although starting on the UK’s Channel 4, Black Mirror has found a home on Netflix since season three. No word yet on when the new season drops on the streamer. For now, Netflix notes, “The series is currently filming and will be returning to Netflix in 2025.”

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Zack Snyder might have never directed an MCU movie starring any Asgardian gods; however, his latest project for Netflix definitely deals with stories and heroes from Norse mythology. Twilight of the Gods is Snyder’s latest offering, an animated series offering bombastic and bloody battles. All playing out on a mythological scale. If you’ve seen 300, you know Snyder loves some epic sweeping battle scenes.

In honor of the show’s release on September 19, Netflix’s Geeked Week gave fans the gift of a Twilight of the Gods clip along with reminding everyone of its debut.

Netflix previously gave us a Twilight of the Gods teaser:

In addition to the teaser trailer, the synopsis for Snyder’s Twilight of the Gods shares:

In a mythical world of great battles, great deeds, and great despair, Leif (Stuart Martin), a mortal king, is saved on the battlefield by Sigrid (Sylvia Hoeks), an iron-willed warrior with whom he falls in love. On their wedding night, Sigrid and Leif survive a wrath of terror from Thor (Pilou Asbæk), which sets them — and a crew of crusaders — on a merciless mission for vengeance, against all odds. This heroic story of love, loss, and revenge, is a journey to hell and beyond … across fantastical lands, battlefields fierce and bloody, and wars waged against deities and demons.

For a gorier glance at the series, you can also take in the Red Band teaser trailer below.

The series features the voices of Sylvia Hoeks, Stuart Martin, Kristopher Hivju, Pilou Asbaek, and John Noble. Also in the cast are Paterson Joseph, Rahul Kohli, Jamie Clayton, Peter Stormare, Jamie Chung, Lauren Cohan, and Corey Stoll. The term “Twilight of the Gods” is another name, of course, for Ragnarok. We can see why Snyder chose to not call his series that. Marvel’s Thor kind of owns that one for now.

In recent years, after the end of his DCEU, Zack Snyder has found a supportive home on Netflix. They financed and released his Army of the Dead, as well as both chapters of Rebel Moon. Those were movies, and Twilight of the Gods is his first series for the streaming giant. We’ll see if it’s the first of many, or just a one off.

Twilight of the Gods drops on Netflix on September 19.

Originally published August 21, 2024.

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This year marks the 85th anniversary of Batman and the entire world of characters he introduced to DC Comics. A big part of his world is his incredible Gotham City rogues’ gallery. Up near the top of that iconic grouping of villains are Poison Ivy and her lovely girlfriend Harley Quinn. Now, these two deadly ladies (who are occasionally good guys) are getting their own collector’s edition Batman Barbie dolls. Each doll costs $55.00 and you can order both of them from the Mattel Shop. Check out the first images of the Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy Gotham City Siren Barbie dolls, and read their official descriptions, down below:

Poison Ivy Batman Barbie Doll

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Meet the Queen of Green from Gotham City, Poison Ivy. Part woman, part plant, her hybrid DNA shows in every detail of our doll, from her vibrant chlorophyll-colored skin to her verdant eyes. But don’t be fooled by her natural beauty—with a wrist-mounted crossbow and ferocious Venus flytrap, she’s ready to defend the environment at all times. Poison Ivy’s organically inspired touches contrast with her flowing red hair and ruby lips. Toxic venom is not included. A leaf-like crown and earrings complete the plant-themed look, while her crossbow hand stays poised and ready. We need this Batman Barbie, stat!

Harley Quinn Batman Barbie Doll

Click To View Gallery

Knock knock! It’s the Clown Princess of Crime, Harley Quinn, in Batman Barbie form. The punchline is, she’s got her mallet with her and she’s ready to bust in wherever she pleases. With bouncy pigtails, a black-and-red outfit, and a mischievous grin, this Harley Quinn doll brings together the modern and classic looks of the beloved baddie. Could you ask for anything more, puddin’? Mismatched black and red elbow and knee pads give Harley a rough-and-tumble look that matches her superhuman acrobatic abilities. A choker, earrings, and studded belt bring a bit of flair, because it’s nice to look good while you’re doing bad.

Will we get more Batman Barbies soon? We’re hoping for Batgirl, Huntress, and Catwoman in the near future. Gotham has no shortage of badass ladies who would make for truly amazing Barbie dolls.

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From the first two episodes of Agatha All Along, all we know about Joe Locke’s mysterious character, simply called “Teen,” is that he’s a 16-year-old gay Westview resident. A resident with quite an interest in witchcraft. He helps to break Agatha out of the spell that Wanda Maximoff placed her under at the end of WandaVision. A spell that lasted three whole years, only weakened by Wanda’s death in Doctor Strange in the Mutliverse of Madness. He essentially tells her he’s the ultimate Agatha fanboy, a fan who knows way too much about her life.

Teen Has a Mystical Sigil Placed on Him

But when Agatha asks Teen who he is, his words sound muffled and she can’t hear what his name is. In fact, a series of cursive letters appear over his mouth, which prevents Agatha from knowing who he really is. Agatha then explains that the letters are part of a sigil, which is a concealing spell. Who (or what) placed that spell on Teen is a mystery. It’s certainly a mystery that annoys Agatha to no end since she can’t break the spell in her current powerless state.

Later on in episode two, the two characters take a car ride together. Teen attempts to explain to her where he’s from to make small talk. However, the very same magic prevents Agatha (and the viewer) from hearing it. We imagine lip readers will have a field day trying to figure out what he’s saying. This only annoys Agatha further. It’s evident to her there is something special about the boy.

Is “Teen” Billy Kaplan, a.k.a. Wiccan, or Someone Else?

The prevailing theory, of course, is that Teen is really Billy Kaplan. Billy in the comics is the reincarnated soul of Billy Maximoff, Wanda’s son she created in the Hex in WandaVision. In the comics, he becomes one of Marvel’s most important LGBTQ heroes, Wiccan, a Young Avenger.

There are other possibilities though. He could also be the son of Agatha, the one she supposedly gave away centuries ago in exchange for the Darkhold. In the comics, that son was Nicolas Scratch. Although, why her son would still be a teenager after hundreds of years is perplexing. We have a strong suspicion that we may not find out the true identity of Teen until the very end of the series.

When Will Agatha All Along Reveal the Truth about “Teen?”

We do hope that Marvel Studios understands how important the character of Wiccan is to fans, especially LGBTQ fans, and doesn’t wind up dropping the ball on the perfect way to formally introduce Joe Locke’s Teen character. As much as we loved WandaVision, we’re still a little bitter about Evan Peters’ character who they teased as Quicksilver from the Fox X-Men universe, only to really be some dude named Ralph Bohner. If the same producers pull that trick again, we might be more than a little annoyed. Right now, our money is on Teen being some form of Billy Maximoff, but who knows what the producers of Agatha All Along have in store?

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The Witches’ Road, which teasers hint plays a big part in the plot of Agatha All Along, is a relatively recent addition to Marvel Comics lore. This addition to the universe first came in the 2015-2017 Scarlet Witch series, in issue #3, and was created by writer James Robinson and artist Steve Dillon. This series came after a decade-long period of instability for the character of Wanda Maximoff, and the Witches’ Road helped set her on the path to full redemption. But to explain the Witches’ Road, we have to briefly explain the modern history of the Scarlet Witch first.

The Fall and Rise of the Scarlet Witch

The 2004 event Avengers Disassembled had the Scarlet Witch lose control of her chaos magic, nearly destroying the Avengers and killing several teammates. This is after she learned her children were merely magical constructs, and not flesh and blood. Afterward, she decimated the mutant race in House of M. She vanished for years, until coming under the control of Doctor Doom. She was finally freed from his influence in Young Avengers: The Children’s Crusade, and embarked on a new life where she tried to redeem her heroic legacy.

The First Scarlet Witch Ongoing Series Introduces the Witches’ Road

In James Robinson’s Scarlet Witch series, the newly returned Wanda learns that witchcraft itself is broken. Magic is no longer working correctly for the witch community around the globe. To get to the bottom of the mystery, she journeys to the mystical realm known as the Witches’ Road. She embarks on this quest with her guide and former mentor, the witch Agatha Harkness. In the comics, the pair were not adversaries as they are in the MCU. Agatha actually tutored Wanda in the use of magic, beyond her own mutant powers. Wanda learns that only witches and other magic users can travel on the Road.

When Wanda embarks on the Witches’ Road, she faces a series of trials over the course of the fifteen-issue series. She learns more about herself, discovering that her superhero name “The Scarlet Witch” is actually a title first used by her birth mother, Natalya Maximoff. They adapted this idea into the MCU in WandaVision, with the name Scarlet Witch also being a formal title assigned to a powerful being, and not just a heroic codename.

The Many Trials of the Witches’ Road

As part of her trials on the Witches’ Road, Wanda comes up against various spirits, creatures, sorcerers, and demons. Although Wanda is on the Witches’ Road for several weeks, time passes far slower on Earth than on the Road. In our world, only hours have passed. She eventually learns that the battles she fought on the Road were caused by the entity called Chaos, who is the source of her own Chaos Magic. Chaos was attacking Witchcraft, itself an entity that is the source of all the witches’ powers. It was the attack from Chaos that caused the sickness in witchcraft across the world.

In the end, Wanda’s final trial is facing her own traumatic past, and all the pain and suffering she caused. Not only to her fellow Avengers, but also the mutant community. She must also confront what others did to her, especially her adopted father, Magneto. Wanda, along with Agatha and her mother, find a way to save the entity Witchcraft by combining into the so-called “Witches’ Trio,” the Mother (Natalya), the Maiden (Wanda) and the Crone (Agatha). The powers of Witchcraft and Chaos then combine in Wanda, making her the most powerful witch in the Marvel Universe.

The MCU Version of the Witches’ Road in Agatha All Along

The basics of the Witches’ Road remain the same in Agatha All Along. It’s another dimension with its own magical rules that govern reality. It’s a realm that only witches and other magically inclined people can access. In the series, most witches think of the road as a myth. Although Agatha has walked the Road before, and knows it’s real. In the MCU, one needs a coven of witches to access the road (although in the past, Agatha was able to do it alone, suggesting something was afoot there). We suspect like Wanda Maximoff in the comics, Agatha will have to face the misdeeds of her past to regain full power. Will she remain a selfish villain, or will the Witches’ Road teach her to become a better person? We will soon find out.

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Star Wars is all about that trilogy format. So it should come as no surprise that the mega-popular video game franchise that began with Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and Jedi Survivor will conclude with a third game, already in development. We’ve known another game was definitely coming from developer Respawn. But we now know for certain it will be the final chapter in the adventures of Cal Kestis. Via Games Radar, we’ve learned that Laura Miele, president of entertainment at EA, discussed the series as part of the company’s future plans. Here’s what she had to say about the eventual final chapter of the series:

Over 40 million Star Wars fans have connected with Cal Kestis and his arc of becoming a powerful Jedi. Respawn is working hard to bring the final chapter of this thrilling story to players.

So we don’t have any kind of timeframe for the game’s release yet. And we doubt it will be coming within the next year or so. We certainly don’t have a name for the game yet (Jedi Requiem? Jedi Legacy? Who knows!) There were three years between Fallen Order and Survivor. Right now, we’d say the third game is as anticipated as the next Star Wars movie or Disney+ series.

Will Cal Kestis survive the events of the upcoming third game? After all, how many Jedi can there possibly still be in the era of the original trilogy? Between Ahsoka, Ezra Bridger, and about a dozen others, it seems Yoda saying to Luke in Return of the Jedi “When gone am I, the last of the Jedi you will be” was somewhat exaggerated. Whatever the case may be, the Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order/Jedi Survivor games are so popular that we’re pretty sure fans are willing to throw continuity out the window if it means a triumphant finale for Cal Kestis.

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AMC’s “Immortal Universe” of series based on the novels of Anne Rice is expanding. A new series based on the psychic order of scholars the Talamasca is coming next year, according to Deadline. In Rice’s books, the Talamasca is an ancient and secret order that catalogs and studies the supernatural. And now, they’re joined by a veteran actor who’s a familiar face to many — William Fichtner. Fans know him from decades of roles in films like The Dark Knight. He’ll be playing a character named Jasper, who Variety describes in the following way:

Jasper is a mysterious American who has quietly assumed control and influence over the Talamasca’s London Motherhouse. Though his motives and methods are cloaked in shadow, his charm and righteous sense of purpose are as dangerous as the power he’s pursuing.

He’ll be joining Nicholas Denton (Dangerous Liaisons) who has been cast as the lead. He’ll play a character named Guy Anatole, who, like Jasper, seems to be created just for this series and not from the novels. Here’s the Talamasca character’s official description:

 Guy Anatole is brilliant, handsome and sharp on the surface, but he’s always known his mind works a little differently. On the cusp of graduating law school, he is approached by a representative of the Talamasca, a secretive agency that monitors and protects us from the supernatural world. When Guy learns that the Talamasca has been tracking him since his childhood, he falls headlong into a world of secret agents and immortal beings who, up to now, have maintained a fragile balance with the mortal world. But for that balance to hold, and for Guy to survive, he will have to learn to embrace the dark, treacherous depths of his true and singular self.

Production for the series begins next month in the U.K. The six-episode season will focus on the people responsible for tracking and containing the witches, vampires, and other creatures scattered around the globe. Members of the Talamasca have already been introduced to viewers of Mayfair Witches and Interview with the Vampire. Although, they are a bigger presence on Mayfair Witches so far. John Lee Hancock (The Blind Side) and Mark Lafferty (Halt and Catch Fire) will be the series writers, co-showrunners, and executive producers. Hancock will also direct. 

Unlike the previous two series inspired by Rice novels, there is no Talamasca series of books by the late author. Instead, she used them as seasoning throughout several of her supernatural novels. In the 2000s, when Rice “crossed over” her Witching Hour series and her vampire books, they played a significant role. Rice often teased a standalone Talamasca novel, but it never came to fruition. She finally revealed the origins of the organization in her 2014 novel Prince Lestat. She tied their beginnings more strongly to the vampires. The AMC shows change much of the mythology Rice created, so who knows if any of that will stick in Anne’s Rice’s The Talamasca series.

According to Dan McDermott, president of AMC Studios, a Talamasca spin-off series is something the studio has been thinking about since their Anne Rice Immortals Universe began. He said, “This is a story we’ve been developing and wanting to tell from the earliest moments of this franchise, focused on a fascinating and compelling secret society that has already appeared in both of our existing Anne Rice series.” Shooting starts this fall in Manchester, England. In the novels, the main Talamasca Motherhouse is in England, so this makes sense. Anne Rice’s The Talamasca series is scheduled to debut on AMC and AMC+ in late 2025.

Originally published on September 4, 2024.

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Batman is about to receive an honor usually reserved for actors, directors, and musicians just in time for his 85th birthday. Believe it or not, Batman is receiving his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce will honor the Dark Knight with the 2,790th star on Thursday, September 26. It will sit right next to Batman ’66 star Adam West’s star and the character’s co-creator Bob Kane’s star. In addition to the star on Hollywood Blvd., they will also induct Batman into the Guinness Book of World Records as the first superhero character with his own star.

Batman might be the first superhero with his own star, but it’s not his first time in the Guinness Book. His original comic book series, Detective Comics, was inducted as longest-running comic book. Back in 2012, they recognized Batman as the most adapted comic book hero in live-action movies. Back then, he’d appeared in eight live-action films. (It’s now twelve films, in case you were wondering.) That record beats Iron Man and Wolverine by a hair. He’s also the superhero with the most Oscar winners who have played him. Former Caped Crusaders George Clooney, Christian Bale, and Ben Affleck all have won Oscar gold. Batman will actually receive his new honors in front of the Guinness Museum.

In collaboration with Funko, an all-day fan event on September 26 will take place alongside the Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony at the Funko Hollywood store. DC’s Chief Creative Officer (and notable Batman artist) Jim Lee will be on hand to participate in an exclusive one-hour meet and greet and signing for fans at Funko Hollywood from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Perhaps no fictional superhero is more deserving of a star on the Walk of Fame than Batman.

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Fans of LEGO Star Wars have been waiting a long time for this one. LEGO has announced that a Jabba the Hutt Sail Barge display set is on its way, complete with all the details from Return of the Jedi fans could hope for. With 3,942 pieces in total, this deluxe set has an authentically detailed interior, including the barge’s cockpit, prison cell, armory, kitchen, and entertainment room equipped with Jabba’s bed. The Sail Barge also has features that allow you to fold down the sides and lift off the sails and top deck. You can check out images of the LEGO Star Wars Jabba’s Sail Barge right here:

Click To View Gallery

This LEGO Star Wars Jabba’s Sail Barge Display Set also includes 11 collectible Star Wars characters as minifigures. There’s Jabba the Hutt himself (naturally), as well as Princess Leia in her infamous prisoner outfit. Also included is Jabba’s right-hand man Bib Fortuna, his (temporary) protocol droid C-3PO, and musician Max Rebo. Kithaba, Vizam, Wooof, a Gamorrean Guard, and Jabba’s obnoxious pet Kowakian monkey-lizard Salacious Crumb round out the figures. Oh, and R2-D2 with a bar table accessory, so he can serve drinks like an astromech cocktail waiter. A Sarlacc Pit is not included.

You can show off this set with a display stand, which has space for the Jabba the Hutt LEGO minifigure, an information plaque, and a LEGO Star Wars 25th anniversary brick. Jabba’s Sail Barge measures 25cm wide, 77cm in length, and 25cm in height. This deluxe set has a price of $499.99, becoming available for LEGO Insiders from October 3 at www.LEGO.com/StarWars. It arrives at LEGO Stores on October 6. As an added bonus, between October 3-6, all purchases will receive a LEGO Star Wars Luke Skywalker’s Lightsaber Set as a free gift. This is one deluxe display set Return of the Jedi fans won’t want to miss out on.

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The upcoming sixth season of FX’s What We Do in the Shadows will sadly be its last. And to be blunt, we are just not ready to say goodbye yet to our favorite undead housemates Nandor, Laszlo, Nadja, and Colin Robinson. But for those of us who want to keep our favorite bumbling vampires alive past the series finale, we now have a way to keep them truly immortal. Thanks to Comicbook.com, we’ve learned that a What We Do in the Shadows edition of the Clue board game is here. And it’s here just in time for Halloween season.

In the new edition of Clue, you’ll get to play as the vampire roommates along with The Guide in an attempt to find Laszlo’s 100% Witch Skin Hat. This is a reference to a particularly hilarious episode of the series. And as fans of the show know, that Witch Skin Hat isn’t something one actually wants. You’ll search for clues through iconic locations from the show’s Staten Island residence. It’s all in an effort to find out just who would dare take Laszlo’s precious hat. Whoever did it, they’ll probably just find a way to blame poor Guillermo.

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You can pick up a copy right now directly from The Op Games for $44.99. It’s already in stock and shipping. Meaning that you have plenty of time to order it and have a game night every night in October. The game includes 6 suspect movers, 21 Rumor Cards, and 25 Intrigue Cards. We’re glad they let poor Guillermo receive his own suspect mover. Usually, they’d make him sleep in the tool shed or something and not be part of the fun. They treat their familiar so badly.

What We Do in the Shadows season six premieres on FX on October 21.

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Despite all the rumors, none of the OG cast of the Fox X-Men films appeared alongside Hugh Jackman in Deadpool & Wolverine. Not even Patrick Stewart as Professor X came back, who was the odds-on favorite to return. We have speculated that it’s because they are planning for the original X-Men cast to return in Avengers: Secret Wars. Or maybe they will return as early as Avengers: Doomsday. Recently, Comic Book Movie asked Halle Berry if Marvel asked her to return as Storm. This was while she was promoting her film Never Let Go. Her response: “You never know. We’ll find out!”

So that’s not a yes, but certainly not a “no” either. To be fair, even if they cast her in a future MCU Multiversal Avengers project, she couldn’t say anything at this stage. But when you add Halle Berry playing coy to Kelsey Grammer’s recent comments about returning as Beast after his cameo in The Marvels, you start to think there’s a plan afoot here. Grammer recently said he’s had “some conversations” about Beast returning. This is thanks to an “overwhelming” response to his cameo. Of course, he was also sure to say, “There’s nothing I can talk about.”

Earlier this year, when asked about a return as Cyclops in the MCU, James Marsden answered by saying “That’s a bit of a Pandora’s box.” With Channing Tatum stealing our hearts as Gambit, and Hugh Jackman back as Logan, we’d only need Halle Berry as Storm, James Marsden as Cyclops, Famke Janssen as Jean Grey, Patrick Stewart as Xavier, Anna Paquin as Rogue, and Kelsey Grammer as Beast to have the complete adult members from X-Men: The Animated Series. If we see them in Doomsday or Secret Wars taking on the Avengers in battle, especially wearing their classic costumes? Well, then we’re pretty sure the internet might literally explode.

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The Alien franchise, dormant since 2017’s Alien Covenant, is about to come roaring back to life. Not only is there the new feature film on the way, Alien: Romulus, directed by Fede Álvarez, but there’s also a new Alien TV series on the way as well, now officially titled Alien: Earth. And, this series has Fargo‘s Noah Hawley as the creative in charge.

Recently, Hawley spoke a little bit about the Xenomorph’s we can expect in the Alien: Earth series. Hawley promises they will retain their iconic forms, but be more terrifying than ever before. He notes, “That is truly chilling to think of it moving here among us, and so I can’t tell you under what circumstances you’ll see that, but you’ll see it — and you’re going to lock your door that night.” Hawley further shared, “What was really fun for me was to really engage with the creature, bring some of my own thoughts to the design while not touching the silhouette, because that’s sacrosanct… But some of the elements, as we know, whatever the host is, informs what the final creature is. I just wanted to play around a little bit to make it as scary as it should be.”

Here’s everything we know so far about the upcoming Alien series, set for release on FX for Hulu.

Title

For a long time, everyone involved with the series is simply calling it Alien. But we knew they’d change it. If only to not confuse it with the original 1979 film, or more likely, to not confuse it with any new films in the franchise like Romulus. The official title for the series, according to a report in Variety, is Alien: Earth.

Alien: Earth’s Plot

The new series is a prequel to every iteration of the franchise so far, taking place in the year 2089. That’s about four years before Prometheus, and about thirty years before Ridley Scott’s film. Unlike previous films, Alien: Earth will take place on, well, Earth. It deals with the emergence of the Weyland-Yutani Corporation, often referred to in the films as “the company.” In the later part of this century, Weyland-Yutani will be pioneering android intelligence, as we saw with Ash in the original film and Bishop in James Cameron’s Aliens.

Showrunner Noah Hawley has said the race between corporations to create new android life will largely be the focus of the Alien: Earth series. But given that the title of the show is Alien, the actual xenomorphs have to turn up at some point we think. The aliens on Earth decades before Ripley and the crew of the Nostromo discover them is a bit of a huge continuity change, but we expect Noah Hawley to discover a decent workaround. There’s lots of wiggle room there.

You can check out Alien: Earth‘s teaser trailer below.

The official synopsis for Alien: Earth reveals, “When a mysterious space vessel crash-lands on Earth, a young woman (Sydney Chandler) and a ragtag group of tactical soldiers make a fateful discovery that puts them face-to-face with the planet’s greatest threat.“

Behind the Scenes

The new Alien series has quite a pedigree of talent behind it. Fargo and Legion creator Noah Hawley came up with this series and will also direct at least some of the episodes. Original Alien director Ridley Scott is an executive producer on the series. Alien: Earth is filming in both Thailand and the United Kingdom.

Alien: Earth’s Cast

Alien: Earth stars Sydney Chandler as a series lead, Alex Lawther as a soldier named CJ, and Samuel Blenkin as the mysterious CEO Boy Kavalier. Essie Davis is Dame Silvia, Adarsh Gourav as Slightly, and Kit Young as Tootles. Additionally, Timothy Olyphant has reportedly joined the cast as “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 come aboard in an undisclosed role, as has The Peripheral‘s Moe Bar-El, who will have a major recurring role on the season of the Alien series. Foundation‘s Sandra Yi Sencindiver, meanwhile, will play “a senior member of the Weyland-Yutani Corporation” in multiple episodes.

Babou Ceesay, Jonathan Ajayi, Erana James, Lily Newmark, Diêm Camille, and Adrian Edmondson round out the series casting.

Given the timeline of Alien: Earth, it’s all but confirmed that none of the original film’s actors will reprise their roles for the series. Sadly, that means no Sigourney Weaver this time.

Alien: Earth’s Release Date

The Alien: Earth series is set to arrive in 2025 on FX.

Originally published December 28, 2023.

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With legacy sequels all the rage, rumors have been floating around for years about a sequel to The Goonies These rumors picked up steam this week when several online reports surfaced that The Goonies 2 was already greenlit. Then, original The Goonies star Sean Astin added fuel to the fire when he posted this:

However, at least for now, we have to throw some cold water on those rumors. Via Variety, we’ve learned that two original cast members have now debunked these reports of a Goonies 2 sequel movie. And they are letting the fans know via social media. The first cast member to speak up was Martha Plimpton, who said the following on Instagram:

People, there is no ‘Goonies 2’ script, there is no one ‘attached.’ Spielberg is not directing, it’s not real. What IS real is CHECK YOUR REGISTRATION AND VOTE!!!!

Original Goonies star and the ’80s most in-demand child actor Corey Feldman also posted that he’s that he had “no information” whatsoever of a Goonies sequel movie. So that’s now two original stars that are debunking this widely circulating story about Goonies 2. Next year will be the film’s 40th anniversary, so if ever there was a time to release it, 2025 would be the year. But it would have to be filming now for such a thing to happen. And that is simply not the case.

Rumors of a Goonies sequel picked up serious steam back in 2014. This was when Sean Astin said of a Goonies 2 movie, “I’m 1,000% certain there will be a sequel. I will bet my children on it.” But since then, original Goonies director Richard Donner has passed away. And Steven Spielberg has been focusing less on popcorn movies, and more serious fare. Also, the asking price of original actors like Ke Huy Quan and Josh Brolin has likely gone way up. With the big box office of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Top Gun: Maverick and other ’80s classics, you’d think Warner Bros. would be all over this. But alas, it seems Goonies 2 might be one that forever remains on our wish lists.

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Thus far, the Sony Spider-Man cinematic universe has not had what we’d call a Thanos-level threat… until now. The latest trailer for Venom: The Last Dance introduces Knull, a powerful cosmic villain who has become a major threat to the Marvel Universe in just a few short years. In the film, he’s rumored to be portrayed by Norman Reedus of The Walking Dead franchise. Here’s everything you need to know about the ancient dark being known as the King in Black, the God of the Symbiotes, and Lord of the Abyss.

The First Marvel Comics Appearance of Knull, God of the Symbiotes

Created by writer Donny Cates and artist Ryan Stegman, Knull’s first official appearance was in 2018’s Venom Vol. 4 #3. Technically, he first appeared as a nameless entity in Thor: God of Thunder #6 in 2013, a full five years earlier. In just a handful of years, he became one of Marvel’s most powerful villains, and became one of the arch-enemies of Venom, and to a lesser extent, Thor and the Silver Surfer. As the main antagonist of the crossover event The King in Black, he became a threat practically every hero on Earth had to face.

The Ancient Origins of Knull in the Marvel Comics

Knull is an entity older than time, created after the destruction of the sixth iteration of the cosmos. When the god-like Celestials created the 7th iteration of cosmos, what we think of as the 616 Marvel Universe, they offered Knull the title of “King in Black,” tasked with watching over their new creations. However, when the Light of Creation came through, it devoured his kingdom of Eldritch Darkness, and Knull rebelled. He created a weapon, the Necrosword, also called the All-Black, and used it to murder one of the Celestials. Outraged by this betrayal, the other Celestials banished Knull deep into the Primordial Void. The head of the Celestial he killed went with him.

Using that head, he created the first symbiote, combining it with the remaining Celestial energies within it. The head would eventually become Knowhere, later the home base for the Guardians of the Galaxy. The first symbiotes Knull created in the earliest years were forged in heat and noise. In doing so, he unintentionally gave the symbiotes their weaknesses to high sonic frequencies and fire. These symbiotes were an extension of his own consciousness. Knull forged a symbiote armor and began using All-Black to start killing other gods. At some point, he crash-landed on an unnamed planet where the creature Gorr took the All-Black from the incapacitated Knull and became the God-Butcher. Later, Gorr the God-Butcher became a major enemy of Thor, after killing multiple gods.

Knull vs. Thor and Knull’s Banishment

Over a thousand years ago, a gigantic symbiote arrived on Earth, hoping to assimilate our world into the Symbiote Hive. This is when a younger Thor Odinson came to Earth to battle the symbiote, who was shaped like a dragon, and which local Vikings and villagers called Grendel. A lightning strike summoned by Thor’s hammer Mjölnir shattered the connection between Knull and his symbiote hive mind. Now roaming the cosmos and free from Knull’s control, they began bonding with new hosts and learning about something other than just endless darkness. The symbiotes rebelled against their god and master, containing him inside a world made of billions of symbiotes. They named this world Klyntar, which in their language translates to “cage.”

Knull in the King in Black Crossover Event

After a millennia, archeologists discovered the remains of Grendel. Later, several SHIELD scientists tried to hone its power for military use, but it only served to reactivate their symbiote connection to Knull. Years later, he returned to full strength after a conflict between Eddie Brock, a.k.a. Venom, and Carnage, two symbiotes on Earth. Now at full power once more, Knull destroyed Klyntar, and created a suit of draconic armor for himself. He then created a fleet of symbiote dragons to conquer the universe, starting with Earth. When he attacked the Earth in 2020’s King in Black crossover event, it took Venom, the Avengers, the Fantastic Four, and the X-Men together to defeat Knull. But it was Venom who gave Knull the killing blow, becoming the new King of the Symbiotes as a result.

Knull’s Powers and Abilities

As the God of the Abyss, the immortal Knull has superhuman strength and durability. He can fly and has regenerative powers that allow him to heal from almost any injury. Knull has the power to create and manipulate the Eldritch Darkness. He can also create weapons and living creatures out of pure darkness, creatures he can control remotely. Many of the symbiotes he creates have different powers and different shapes, like the dragon symbiotes. As a shapeshifter, Knull can transform his mouth into a set of enormous fanged jaws with an elongated tongue, a trait passed on to his symbiotes.

The Live-Action, Cinematic Future of Knull

So what does this mean for the future of the cinematic Knull? Is he the “big bad” of Venom: The Last Dance, or will he just be teased in a post-credits sequence? It’s been said that Venom: The Last Dance is the final film featuring Tom Hardy as the Eddie Brock persona, so could this be leading to Knull vs. Spider-Man in Spider-Man 4? Knull is too big a villain not to use in a significant way. He’s also a major enemy of Thor, but with the God of Thunder over at Marvel Studios, we don’t see that happening anytime soon. We’re very curious as to what the big screen future of the King of the Abyss will be.

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After waiting for over 35 years, the “Ghost with the Most,” better known as Beetlejuice (government name: Betelgeuse) is back. With Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice Beetlejuice cleaning up at the box office, everyone is going to want Michael Keaton’s iconic bio-exorcist as part of their spooky season decorations this year. Thankfully, Home Depot just released a new life-size Beetlejuice Halloween decoration that will be the envy of everyone on your block this spooky season. Heck, maybe even in the Netherworld too. You can see images of Home Depot’s new 6-foot-tall Beetlejuice right here:

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The 6.4 ft./3 ft. wide Beetlejuice arrives all decked out in his classic striped suit and green hair. He is intended to be displayed indoors only. This new animated Beetlejuice has a spinning head, and speaks nine different phrases from the movies, sure to startle all your trick or treaters on October 31. This amazing Beetlejuice Halloween décor collapses for easy storage. It includes everything needed for setup, which only takes a mere fifteen minutes. This Beetlejuice has a motion and sound sensor, and a plug-in power adapter included.

Home Depot has other amazing animated life-size Halloween mascots available this year, including Jack Skellington from The Nightmare Before Christmas. That’s for all of you who might want your Beetlejuice to have another Tim Burton friend to scare house guests with. There’s also a “Victorian Vampire,” which basically is another way of saying “Nosferatu.”

The company also has the most classic of spooky season icons, like the Frankenstein monster. That one’s 7 feet tall, and it costs a little bit more than the others. And there are even other horror icons. The 6-foot-tall animated Beetlejuice will set you back $199.00. You can buy one for your home now at the official Home Depot website.

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Spooky season is here, complete with all the ghosts and monsters. And although they live in a galaxy far, far away, the Star Wars universe has plenty of dark-sided beings that fit in perfectly for Halloween. Kids have been dressing up as Darth Vader and other dark side characters to go trick or treating since 1977. To celebrate two great tastes that go great together, RSVLTS is offering up a new Star Wars Spooky Collection.

The Star Wars Spooky Collection includes an incredible lineup of seasonal, spooky, and zombified designs, all available on RSVLTS signature Kunuflex material. They are available across classic (unisex) and women’s styles/sizing, with select designs available across youth and preschooler sizes/styles as well. There are even doggy bandanas and golf accessories, including two club headcovers featuring Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi. You can check out images and pricing for each item right here:

Day of the Dark Side

A little Day of the Dead meets the Sith, this one comes in classic, women, youth styles/sizes, and also a dog bandana.

Carved Wars

Pumpkin styling, only in the Star Wars tradition. Carved Wars arrives in classic, women, youth & preschooler styles/sizes.

“It’s A Treat!”

No, it’s not a trap (or a trick), it’s a treat! Make Admiral Ackbar proud with this shirt has classic, women, as well as youth & preschooler styles and sizes.

The High Ground

The battle between Anakin and Obi-Wan on Mustafar from Revenge of the Sith comes alive in this all-day lifestyle polo.

Star Wars Spooky “Drip” Logo Dad Hat and Crew Neck Shirt

This “dad hat” and t-shirt give us an ooky-spooky “dripping” version of the classic Star Wars logo.

Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi Golf Club Accessories

These driver and fairway covers showcase Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi before their epic duel.

Each adult button-down shirt retails for $70; $45 for youth sizes, and $39 for preschool. Polos are priced at $70, and $32 for t-shirts, $30 for dad hats, $16 for dog bandanas, and $60 for driver and fairway covers. You can buy these now on RSVLTS’ official site.

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The massive box office success of the video game adaptation Five Nights at Freddy’s last Halloween took everyone by surprise. Though to many, this adaptation of a beloved game has been years in coming. So of course, a Five Nights at Freddy’s sequel is in play. We may get it soon, too. Star Josh Hutcherson, while speaking to Variety, said “I know they’re in the process right now of nailing down the story, and they want to get going as soon as possible.” He added that his The Hunger Games co-star Jennifer Lawrence even texted him after the film’s big success. She told him “My movie’s #1 on Netflix, and yours is #1 at the box office! Let’s go!” This news was recently confirmed at CinemaCon, where Universal revealed the Five Nights at Freddy’s sequel was officially a go.

So, just how soon is soon? Universal and Blumhouse have confirmed the Five Night’s at Freddy’s sequel will have a release date of December 2, 2025. If this seems too soon, remember it’s not uncommon for big horror franchise films. At its peak, the Saw franchise was putting out a movie once a year. During their ’80s heyday, the Friday the 13th and A Nightmare on Elm Street franchises dropped a movie a year too. For a Five Nights at Freddy’s sequel to shoot in mere months makes sense. And that’s what is happening because, according to Collider, filming will commence in October 2024.

In true Blumhouse fashion, the studio made Five Nights at Freddy’s for only $20 million dollars, and its box office gross finished out at $300 million worldwide. Even more amazing is that the movie made so much at the domestic box office even though it also streamed on Peacock. The fanbase really wanted the theatrical experience for this one. The Blumhouse way has always been about making low-budget horror and getting huge returns on their investments. And Five Nights at Freddy’s is one of their biggest successes in this regard.

Originally published on January 8, 2024.

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When Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse came out in spring 2023, they promised a sequel just one year later. However, that didn’t quite work out. Sony took Beyond the Spider-Verse off the schedule for 2024 before indefinitely delaying it. Rumors then started to surface that Sony had scrapped almost everything so far for the third chapter. Furthermore, the film would not see the light of day until 2027. That’s a full four years since Across the Spider-Verse hit theaters and left a cliffhanger ending. But now, two creatives involved have debunked this rumor.

Via The Hollywood Reporter, we’ve learned that Spider-Verse co-writer and producer Chris Miller has said the following via social media. “Nothing has been scrapped. The reels are coming along nicely.” Meanwhile, composer Daniel Pemberton said “Don’t really ever want to weigh in on this sort of stuff, BUT would you ever believe there could sometimes be stuff on the internet that might not always be particularly accurate? Hmmm.” Both creators are assuring the fans that they are not starting from scratch with the third part of this trilogy.

Of course, Beyond is still not on any schedule. While it may be true that they’re not starting over as rumors suggest, there are clearly changes going on. When Across the Spider-Verse did significantly larger box office than Into the Spider-Verse, as well as getting similar critical praise, the pressure was on to stick the landing. So we might not be waiting to find out what happened to Miles Morales until 2027. Yet it might still be 2026. It would be quite a coincidence if the MCU’s Multiverse Saga and Sony Animation’s Spider-Verse saga both ended within months of each other. Hopefully soon, we’ll get concrete information from Sony Animation on when Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse officially hits theaters.

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The world of comic books has been shocked and saddened by the untimely passing of artist John Cassaday, at the age of 52. No cause of death has been revealed. A truly beloved figure in the comic book community, many creators are pouring out love for their friend and colleague on social media. Among those friends were DC’s Jim Lee, Marvel’s Bill Rosemann, Mitch Gerads, and many, many others.

A Texas native, Cassaday was known mainly for his work at Wildstorm and Marvel, where he drew a highly-praised run of Astonishing X-Men and relaunched their ongoing Star Wars series. After going to film school, Cassaday started working in comics in the early ’90s, on series like Negative Burn for Caliber Press and later Ghost for Dark Horse Comics. But it was in 1999 that Cassaday really broke through, working on the series Planetary for Wildstorm/DC Comics.

Written by Warren Ellis, Planetary was about a group of interdimensional archaeologists. It was Planetary that really put Cassaday on everyone’s radar. His detailed renderings and ability to convey facial expressions won him tons praise. Planetary came out on a random release schedule, which allowed him to pursue other projects. In total, it ran 27 issues and ten years. This included an acclaimed Batman crossover one-shot. In 2002, he began illustrating a new Captain America series, written by John Rey Neiber. The book was a hit and Cassaday’s illustrations of Cap in his WWII glory made Steve Rogers look more inspirational than he’d been in years.

In 2004, Buffy the Vampire Slayer creator Joss Whedon chose Cassaday to illustrate his entry into comics with Astonishing X-Men. This relaunch of the iconic mutants saw massive critical acclaim and big sales, and Cassaday illustrated the entire 25-issue run. Astonishing X-Men remains one of the most critically acclaimed X-Men runs of all time, in large part thanks to his stellar art.

Cassaday’s redesign of Wolverine’s costume from Astonishing X-Men is the main inspiration for Hugh Jackman’s outfit in Deadpool & Wolverine. The series won John Cassaday two Eisner Awards for Best Penciler/Inker. After finishing X-Men, Marvel tasked him with launching Uncanny Avengers, an X-Men/Avengers hybrid series, with writer Rick Remender, in 2012.

In 2015, Marvel Comics got the Star Wars license as part of the Disney purchase of Lucasfilm. The company relaunched a brand new Star Wars series written by Jason Aaron, featuring the cast of the original trilogy. The first issue sold a million copies. After this point, Cassaday mostly just drew covers for various publishers, and no longer drew interior pages.

In 2018, publisher Humanoids hired John Cassaday to serve as its Chief Creative Officer. However, he continued to draw covers for other publishers, like Dynamite Comics. At Dynamite, he illustrated a series of covers for their Lone Ranger series. Having gone to film school, Cassaday did design work for Watchmen. He also directed an episode of Joss Whedon’s TV series Dollhouse. The world of narrative storytelling is a lesser one without him.

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Alien: Romulus from director Fede Álvarez functions as a sequel to Ridley Scott’s original Alien from 1979, while also referencing his more recent prequel films, Prometheus and Alien: Covenant. Álvarez combined elements of both of those films for a wild third act that has everyone talking, because it’s pure nightmare fuel. Here, we’ll break down the ties to the other films in the franchise, and what the future might hold for further Alien installments. Especially after that wild ending left audiences gagged.

Before we dig into it all, here’s a look peek into the horrors of Alien: Romulus and its ending.

How Alien: Romulus Ties into Alien and Prometheus

When Alien: Romulus begins, we see a space probe has discovered the remains of the Nostromo, the mining vessel destroyed at the end of the original Alien. This is some 17 years after the events of that film. As you might recall, before fleeing in her escape pod, Ripley blasted the Xenomorph out of the airlock. As a “perfect organism,” it survived in space with no nutrients by going into a cocoon mode. That same Xenomorph was discovered near the remains of the Nostromo. It is brought back to a space station named the Renaissance, in orbit of the ringed planet Jackson’s Star. This takes us to the year 2142, twenty years after the events of Alien.

The Weyland-Yutani Company Is Once Again the True Villain

The Weyland-Yutani scientists working there try to experiment on the Xenomorph. But of course, it breaks free, killing the crew and creating new baby Xenomorphs, and releasing a metric ton of facehuggers. When labor worker Rain (Cailee Spaeny) and her friends from Jackson’s Star, including her synthetic “brother” Andy (David Jonsson) pilot the mining ship Corbelan to the station in hopes of finding cryo pods to escape to a more hospitable world than their own, they find no one alive on the station. All that’s left is a half-functioning synthetic scientist named Rook, the same model as the android Ash from the Nostromo (played by Ian Holm). He explains to Rain and the others what happened on the station.

The scientists in the Romulus lab aboard the station performed experiments on the captured Xenomorph, discovering a new form of the black goo from Prometheus. In fact, the scientists give that tar-like substance the name “the Prometheus strain.” With this strain, the Weyland-Yutani scientists believed they could reverse engineer it to create a cure for all human illnesses and build “a perfect human lifeform” of their own which they could then exploit on dangerous and inhospitable mining worlds as a labor force. The scientists in the lab synthesized this strain, but all hell broke loose before any samples could leave the station.

The Birth of a Human/Engineer/Xenomorph Hybrid Being

One of Rain’s friends from the Corbelan, Kay (Isabela Merced), was already pregnant when she escaped to the station. As the Xenomorphs pick off the Corbelan crew one by one, one of them captures Kay. Eventually, Rain and Andy find Kay in a cocoon, free her, and take her with them as they try to escape the station. Kay survives her injuries, but she chooses to inject the experimental sample into herself to increase her odds of survival. To paraphrase Aliens, this was a very bad call on her part.

Kay then suddenly gives birth to an egg. It hatches into a rapidly growing human-Xenomorph creature. The terrifying being looks part Xenomorph and also very similar to the Engineers from Prometheus. It kills its mother and nearly kills Andy, damaging him significantly. Rain ejects the cargo pod and the creature onto the asteroid rings of Jackson’s Star, and gets back control of the ship, and manages to escape with the damaged Andy. They go into cryo sleep, hoping to land on a more hospitable world than the hell they left behind. Even if it takes years to get there.

What Happens After Alien: Romulus?

Will someone find the remains of the creature in the rings of Jackson’s Star? And will the Company try again to replicate it? And what happens to Rain and Andy now? Just like Ripley (and Jones the cat) in Alien, they might float in cryo for years or decades. The universe they wake up in might be very different. Fede Álvarez clearly embraces the entire canon of the Alien franchise here. So whatever comes next likely continues building on what’s come before. For all we know, she arrives on Earth in the year 2381 or after, and encounters Ellen Ripley. We’re not saying that’s what will happen, but “going to sleep and waking up in a messed up world” is part of this franchise’s DNA. Anything can happen now.

Originally published August 16, 2024.

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Marvel Studios’ Infinity Saga, from 2008’s Iron Man through 2019’s Spider-Man: Far From Home, was one of the biggest success stories in Hollywood history. Over 11 years and 23 films, the MCU scored record-breaking box office numbers and critical ratings. But its follow-up, The Multiverse Saga, has not fared quite as well. Oh, it’s still a huge success, don’t get us wrong. Just look at the billion-dollar box-office for Deadpool & Wolverine. But this saga saw Marvel’s first outright flop, and just too much content all at once. Well, according to Marvel’s Brad Winderbaum, the Multiverse Saga won’t go on as long as its predecessor. 2027’s Avengers: Secret Wars will mark its official end. Here’s what he told ScreenRant:

I think that’s [what] Secret Wars is going to be, an amazing culmination to the saga, I think it’s going to make the journey feel like it was worthwhile.

Although it was long assumed that Avengers: Secret Wars would mark the end of the Multiverse Saga, this is the first official confirmation from Marvel. The 2015 comic book version of Secret Wars by Jonathan Hickman brought an end to that specific comic book iteration of the Multiverse, so it makes sense for the MCU to follow suit storywise. With Avengers: Secret Wars marking the end of this chapter, it will have lasted less time than the Infinity Saga (three Phases, but eight years overall) but with many more projects as a part of it. At this time, we count 24, with many more on the way before Secret Wars hit theaters.

So what comes after Avengers: Secret Wars, and whatever the RDJ version of Doctor Doom’s evil plot is? We have no concrete idea yet. However, we suspect “The Mutant Saga” is next, with the X-Men officially folded into the MCU and taking center stage. We don’t think the Avengers brand is going away or anything like that. After all, there are way too many Avengers products and Disney theme park lands to put it on ice. But we have a feeling in Marvel Studios Phase 7, we’re going to see way more mutants on the screen. We’ll know for sure when the Russo brothers’ Avengers: Secret Wars hits theaters in May, 2027.

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Most of the famous X-Men villains, like Magneto or Apocalypse, are products of the ‘60s to the ‘90s. But the 21st century has provided us with one of the most lethal X-Men foes of all time, Cassandra Nova Xavier. The Crown’s Emma Corrin played the character with a sense of delicious, evil glee in Deadpool & Wolverine. Here’s the comic book history of one of the X-Men’s most dangerous adversaries.

Cassandra Nova’s Marvel Comics First Appearance

The genocidal maniac is the creation of writer Grant Morrison and artist Frank Quitely, introduced during their New X-Men run in the early 2000s. The story that introduced her, “E is For Extinction,” was a game-changer for the X-Men.” First appearing in 2001’s New X-Men #114, she’s since popped up several other times. Usually her appearance makes life hell for the mutant race in each instance.

Cassandra Nova’s Origin Story, and Charles Xavier

Cassandra Nova is that tried and true villain archetype of fiction — the evil twin. But in Grant Morrison’s imagination, “evil twin” has an even darker meaning. Cassandra is what the alien Shi’ar Empire calls a Mummudrai. A Mummudrai is something the Shi’ar believe every living being in the universe has, an astral “shadow self” without form. Cassandra began existence in the same womb as Charles Xavier, but without a corporeal body. She then copied her twin brother’s DNA and essentially became his physical twin, and attempted to strangle her brother in the womb with their mother’s umbilical cord. But the fetus of Charles uses his powers for the first time with a psychic blast, which causes her to be stillborn.

However, the Mummudrai’s essence survived as “chaotic cellular matter.” That blob of cells clung to a sewer wall for years and years, slowly regrowing its physical form, rebuilding itself, and copying human traits. One thing fueled this malevolent being, and that was revenge on her twin brother Charles Xavier, and everything he held dear. Particularly his dream for mutant and human coexistence. Fully grown, Cassandra activated a Sentinel Master Mold, which unleashed the Homo-superior-hunting robots on the mutant nation of Genosha. There, it murdered 16 million mutants in one fell swoop.

Cassandra Nova and the X-Men

After the Genoshan genocide, Cassandra fought the X-Men, and they thought they defeated her. Actually, she switched minds with her brother Charles Xavier, and when he was in her body, she allowed him to be shot and seemingly killed. After months of posing as Charles and creating chaos, eventually Xavier reasserted control of his old body, thanks to Jean Grey storing pieces of his psyche in every mind on Earth, and then putting them back into his original body, forcing her out. Cassandra’s essence then entered a newly created body with a synthetic brain, now locked into a self-repeating program for all time. Or so they thought.

Cassandra Nova was once thought to have been released from her mental prison a few years later in Astonishing X-Men, but she turned out to be a mental projection by Emma Frost. Eventually, she escaped her imprisonment by hopping from one host body to another. Once free, she used Sentinel tech implanted in baseline humans to kill mutants. A human with this Sentinel tech in them would go wild with rage at the very sight of a mutant. Jean Grey eventually used her considerable psionic ability to enter her mind and thwart her plans. She did this by making her feel human empathy for the first time, which caused her to surrender.

Cassandra Nova in Marvel Comic’s X-Men Spin-off, Mauraders

When the mutant community founded their own nation on the living island of Krakoa, Cassandra Nova was moved there. Hoping she’d reformed, she joined Kate Pryde’s Marauders, a sort of corsair group of X-Men on the high seas. Pryde and Emma Frost never believed Nova had reformed, and still held much animosity towards her for the genocide of Genosha. Especially Emma Frost, who was the sole survivor. At one point, the Marauders found themselves stranded over two billion years in the past on a time travel mission. Emma and Kate decided to leave Cassandra Nova stranded there as payback for her heinous acts. What became of her after that remains a mystery. We seriously doubt it’s the last we’ve seen of her in the pages of the comics.

Cassandra Nova’s Powers

Cassandra Nova is one of the most powerful adversaries the X-Men have ever faced. As a Mummudrai, she mimicked all of Charles Xavier’s powers, including his telepathy, but also, all his latent mutant powers. Powers that were dormant within his DNA. Cassandra can do things he never could, like telekinesis, as well as phase through solid matter. She has regenerative capabilities comparable to those of Wolverine’s. She can also even evolve latent mutants to their true potential with a thought.

Emma Corrin as Cassandra Nova in Deadpool & Wolverine

In Deadpool & Wolverine, Cassandra Nova’s origin is fairly close to her comic book counterpart. She is still the twin sister of Charles Xavier, who tried to kill him when they shared a womb, by strangling him with her umbilical cord. The MCU version does not appear old, retaining the looks of a younger woman. There’s no mention of anything alien with her creation, however. Cassandra Nova tells Deadpool and Wolverine that Xavier telepathically tried to kill her before she could walk, and she came to the TVA’s attention that way. All we know is that at some point after that, the TVA pruned her existence from the timeline of Earth-10005, and she wound up in the Void. The suggestion is that she grew up there.

Like her brother Charles, Cassandra Nova is an Omega Level mutant with powerful psychic abilities. Unlike her brother, however, she has tremendous telekinetic powers as well. While most others sent to the wasteland of the Void in Deadpool & Wolverine saw it as a curse, Cassandra Nova loved it there. She could use her power with impunity and force those exiled there to do her bidding. In her time in the Void, she killed several variants of her brother Charles Xavier exiled there, as well as a variant of Stephen Strange, taking his sling ring. With this sling ring, she was able to leave the Void whenever she wished. Deadpool & Wolverine‘s Cassandra Nova formed an arrangement with the TVA, however, that allowed her to run the Void with an iron fist, taking care of their “scraps.” In the end, Cassandra Nova proved too much of a wild card, so the TVA’s Mr. Paradox arranged for his spy in the Void, Pyro, to kill her. When she discovered his betrayal, she set out to use a TVA Time Ripper to destroy all timelines except for the Void itself. Luckily, Cassandra Nova was thwarted by Deadpool and Wolverine, and was atomized in the resulting explosion.

Cassandra Nova’s MCU Look

Cassandra Nova sported a very unique look in the MCU. Deadpool & Wolverine‘s makeup artist Bill Corso revealed a little bit more about the process of creating Cassandra. He writes, “When Emma was first cast, I did an initial concept design that leaned a little closer to Cassandra’s interpretation in the comics, but it was decided that Emma had such a wonderful look, why mess with it, just add the bald head. Not wanting to leave it at that, I still wanted to come up with something unusual I could add that would be fun and I realized Cassandra had so much action with her hands that it might be fun to lengthen her fingers. The trick was, when I lengthened them, they just looked normal, so I decided to elongate her nail bed to emphasize the weirdness and length.” The result was unusual and fun indeed.

Will Cassandra Nova Return to the MCU After Her Deadpool & Wolverine Death?

A being of such powerful psionic energy should not be counted out, though. Her brother Charles Xavier also survived his body being destroyed more than once. It’s quite possible we haven’t seen the last of Deadpool & Wolverine‘s Cassandra Nova in the MCU.

Originally published on April 22, 2024

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Few voice actors love the character they portray as much as X-Men ’97’s Lenore Zann loves Rogue. And playing the sassy mutant Southern Belle for thirty years has not diminished Zann’s affection. At the 2024 Creative Arts Emmy Awards, where X-Men ’97 received a nomination for Outstanding Animated Program, Zann took her fangirling to the next level. She actually wore one of her character’s formal outfits from recent X-Men comics to the ceremony. Lenore Zann also rocked a Rogue wig with the character’s signature skunk stripe hairdo. You can see her comic book-inspired outfit below:

Comic book artist Luciano Vecchio designed the costume, which was created for last year’s Hellfire Gala in the comics. The Hellfire Gala was a formal event thrown by the mutants of the island nation of Krakoa three years in a row. Every year, the X-Men and other Marvel heroes would bring their very best attire to the party. And every year, the fans ate up all the haute couture high-end fashion. The Hellfire Gala also gave artists like Vecchio a chance to flex their design muscles and come up with new fashion for the X-Men each time the event rolled around. With the end of the Krakoan era, it may be some time before we see the X-Men so runway-ready again.

Sadly, X-Men ’97 did not win the Emmy for Outstanding Animated Program. That honor went to the series Blue Eye Samurai. X-Men ’97 received a nomination for its emotional and shocking fifth episode, “Remember It.” That harrowing chapter was truly a showcase episode for Zann as Rogue. Even with no win, it’s still amazing that a sequel to X-Men: The Animated Series made decades later could receive such accolades. We’re just happy the cast and crew of the series got to enjoy their much-deserved nomination and look so fierce doing it.

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Two of the greatest Jim Henson fantasy films from the ’80s are making their way to limited-edition 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray releases this year. Both of them in a pair of collector’s sets that’ll have fans in awe. Shout! Studios, together with The Jim Henson Company, presents Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal in Limited Edition 4K UHD and Blu-ray Collector’s Sets. Both arrive on November 19, 2024. Each Limited Edition SteelBook will also be available to own separately at Walmart. You can check out images and details for each release right here:

Labyrinth Limited Edition Collector’s Set

The lavish offering of Labyrinth contains a glass crystal ball (iconic of the one in the movie) with interior 3D-etching of the movie title. Also, a wooden labyrinth-style base for display, five art cards, and a 28-page book with a new essay. There are also production stills, and concept art by Brian Froud. Plus, a collectible sticker, a payload of bonus content, and sparkling 4K UHD and Blu-ray of the film. It arrives packaged in an awe-inspiring box with wrap-around original concept art from the movie. The lid flap that opens to a window display of the crystal ball. The 4K disc features new Fan Event Q&As with Brian Henson and Toby Froud. Not to mention a new contact juggling Tutorial. The Blu-ray disc contains all the legacy special features.

Starring David Bowie and Jennifer Connelly, and produced with Lucasfilm, Labyrinth originally came out in theaters in 1986. The film is an unforgettable fantasy adventure that follows Sarah Williams (Connelly) as she makes her way through the labyrinth of the Goblin King Jareth (Bowie) in search of her little brother Toby. A mainstay of the fantasy genre with its spectacular visual effects and ground-breaking animatronics, the film is of special interest to David Bowie fans worldwide as the film contains original songs written and recorded by Bowie just for the film.

The Dark Crystal Limited Edition Collector’s Set

Collectors and loyal fans will rejoice over The Dark Crystal Limited Edition Collector’s Set, which includes a glass replica of the shard (1:1) from the movie, five art cards, a 28-page book with a new essay, production stills, concept art by Brian Froud, a collectible sticker, insightful bonus content, and stunning 4K UHD and Blu-ray of the film. All are housed in a gorgeous box with wrap-around concept art and a lid flap that opens to a window display. The 4K disc contains a Fan Event Q&A with Lisa Henson. The Blu-ray showcases all of the previous legacy special features.

This puppetry work of genius recounts the timeless tales of good versus evil, becoming a cult favorite around the world. Directed by Jim Henson and Frank Oz, the film features innovative animatronics and uniquely memorable characters. Each character was created by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop. Since its initial release in 1982, the film has earned a place in cinematic history as a masterpiece of fantasy. Travel back in time to the faraway planet of Thra where evil Skeksis are in control. There, the Gelfling Jen, last of his kind, is sent on a quest by the peaceful Mystics to find the missing shard. A shard that will restore balance and heal the world.

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Marvel Studios’ series starring Paul Bettany as the synthezoid hero Vision, continues to take shape. A few months back, Marvel hired Star Trek: Picard season 3 showrunner Terry Matalas to take the helm of the series. At the time the working title was Vision Quest. Now, according to The Hollywood Reporter, Matalas has added a new cast member to the series, with actor Todd Stashwick. Stashwick previously starred in Picard season three as Captain Liam Shaw of the Titan, quickly becoming a fan-favorite character. Stashwick will play an assassin who is tracking Vision, and the advanced technology he possesses.

Todd Stashwick and Terry Matalas go way back professionally as the two worked together on the Syfy Channel series, 12 Monkeys. Stashwick becomes the second new cast member added to the upcoming Vision-centric series. This is after Marvel announced that James Spader was returning as the Vision’s “father,” Ultron. We’re not sure if Stashwick’s assassin role is a new one created just for the series or not. It may be someone based on a Marvel Comics character. There are plenty of Marvel assassin characters that have yet to make it to the MCU, like Paladin. Another option is the mutant Fantomex from the X-Men.

The Disney+ Vision series is planned as the third part of a trilogy of sorts. The first part of the trilogy was WandaVision, with the second part being the upcoming Agatha All Along. Will this trilogy end with the Scarlet Witch and the Vision, reunited at last? Perhaps with their superhero children, Wiccan and Speed, fighting at their side? It would be amazing if the Maximoff family reunited in time for the events of Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars. The Vision series starts filming in the U.K. in early 2025, with a probable 2026 release date.

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Barbie might have been the “It Girl” of summer 2023, thanks to a billion dollar blockbuster movie. But her power is not limited to just one pop culture moment. Barbie has been slaying the house down since 1959, and she’s not stopping anytime soon, nor are her many branded products. And while you may never own Barbie’s hot pink car, or her stylish Dream House, you now can own a real-life flip phone in authentic Barbie pink. Via The Verge, we’ve learned that the HMD Barbie phone will officially go on sale for $129 this October. You can check out the first images below:

Click To View Gallery

The Barbie phone is as old school as it gets. It has no apps, just a tiny, 2.8-inch inner screen. It only has enough connectivity for calls and texts. So not only can you pretend to be Barbie, you can pretend to be Barbie in 2002. (Or maybe Elle Woods from Legally Blonde?) HMD says that with this Barbie flip phone, users can “take a vacation from your smartphone.” Now, I’m not sure that’s something people are eager to do, but if they are, might as well do it Mattel style. The phone has a 5-megapixel camera with a built-in flash, so you can make your pics look like your summer vacation from the early 2000s.

The new Barbie Phone comes with extremely two extra Barbie-esque battery covers, and an external display with a mirror. It also comes with a beaded lanyard with cute attachable charms, stickers, and stick-on gems for customization. The old-school Snake game even gets Barbie-ized. It also comes in a hot-pink jewelry box. The HMD Barbie Phone works on all three major US wireless networks, and becomes available for preorder on September 23. It will ship on October 1st. Just don’t tell Ken, he’ll find some way to make it all about him. You know how he is.

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One of Stephen King’s earliest novels is coming to the screen, but it won’t be the big screen anymore. The Hollywood Reporter initially revealed that Annabelle Comes Home director Gary Dauberman is 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. But, after some shakeups in the Warner Bros. release schedule, Salem’s Lot will actually skip theaters and head straight to Max in October. And that’s a shame because it has Stephen King’s very own seal of approval. Either way, this new clip from Salem’s Lot makes us excited to see it:

Here’s what we know about this Salem’s Lot adaptation.

Warner Brothers

Salem’s Lot Release Date

Salem’s Lot had an original theatrical 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. But now, Max has officially shared that the Stephen King adaptation will be coming to Max in October 2024. Hopefully, we will get a trailer and a specific date soon considering it is September.

Max shares in a release:

New Line’s film adaptation of Stephen King’s 1975 bestselling novel “Salem’s Lot” will debut on Max in 2024. Salem’s Lot reunites the producing teams behind the record-breaking horror franchises “The Conjuring” universe and the “IT” films. Gary Dauberman writes, directs, and executive produces with James Wan and Michael Clear for Atomic Monster and Roy Lee for Vertigo alongside Mark Wolper.

Salem’s Lot Synopsis

Max also revealed the official logline for the Stephen King movie. It shared:

Author Ben Mears returns to his childhood home of Jerusalem’s Lot in search of inspiration for his next book only to discover his hometown is being preyed upon by a bloodthirsty vampire.

According to Entertainment Weekly, this new Salem’s Lot movie will take place in the 1970s like the original King novel. There will be lots of practical effects and physical action from its stars.

Stephen King Opines on the Salem’s Lot Movie

We might assume that all this shifting around indicates the upcoming Salem’s Lot movie isn’t much good. But one important voice is speaking out to contradict that hypothesis. Stephen King himself took to Twitter to share that the Salem’s Lot movie is a quality one. In fact, King shared, “I’ve seen the new SALEM’S LOT and it’s quite good.”

In full, Stephen King noted, “Between you and me, Twitter, I’ve seen the new SALEM’S LOT, and it’s quite good. Old-school horror filmmaking: slow build, big payoff. Not sure why WB is holding it back; not like it’s embarrassing, or anything. Who knows. I just write the fucking things.”

Well, we suppose it’s good news that the movie is good. But that makes us sadder that it’s in such limbo. Hopefully, we will hear more news about it soon.

Salem’s Lot Cast

Lewis Pullman (Bad Times at the El Royale) will play the story’s lead character, Ben Mears. Ben Mears is an author who discovers a bloodthirsty vampire is preying on his childhood hometown. Additional cast includes Alfre Woodard as Dr. Cody, Makenzie Leigh as Susan Norton, Bill Camp as Matthew Burke, Spencer Treat Clark as Mike Ryerson, Pilou Asbæk as Straker, and John Benjamin Hickey as Father Callahan.

In the novel, Alfre Woodard’s character is actually Dr. Jimmy Cody. Jimmy helps Ben Mears (Pullman), Susan Norton (Leigh), and Matt Burke (Camp) fight against the vampires. Pilou Asbæk’s Straker, meanwhile, is the vampire’s familiar, or servant, who gets his hands plenty dirty as well. Finally, as mentioned, John Benjamin Hickey will portray Father Callahan. We feel interested to see how this character will evolve in the movie.

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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Recently, The Batman director Matt Reeves doubled down that his upcoming sequel won’t lean into fantastical elements, instead focusing on more realistic themes. But that means that for 20 years, since Batman Begins, every Batman movie will have gone for the realistic approach. But DC Comics‘ Batman stories often go big and fantastical. While Reeves’ Dark Knight is staying “real,” we’ll soon have another big-screen Batman, the new DCU’s Brave and the Bold. We hope this version of Bruce Wayne does the opposite of Christopher Nolan and Matt Reeves’ version, and finally gives us sci-fi, fantasy, and larger-than-life elements from the comics at last. These are the main elements we hope to see in the DCU Batman to differentiate from the past two decades of movies.

The Sci-Fi Freak Villains

So many of Batman’s classic villains lean into science fiction, and have been ignored in live-action film for the past 20 years. There’s Poison Ivy and her control of plant life, the shapeshifting Clayface, and the tragic “science gone wrong” characters like Mister Freeze and Man-Bat. All remain iconic Bat foes. Yet because of the campy Batman and Robin, it seems they’ve blacklisted Freeze and Ivy. But it’s been almost 30 years. It’s time for their redemption on the big screen. They can portray them as sci-fi villains without leaning into camp like the Schumacher movies. Just look Batman: The Animated Series. They don’t fit into Matt Reeves’ Gotham, but hopefully they find a place in James Gunn’s DCU.

The Supernatural Foes

Famously, the Dark Knight mostly fights colorful criminals, and then tragic sci-fi freaks next most. But he also has incredible enemies that lean into the realm of the supernatural. Yes, we’ve seen Ra’s al Ghul in Batman Begins, in the form of Liam Neeson. But they stripped the character of all of his supernatural trappings. We want a version of Ra’s that is truly an immortal despot, thanks to his constant dips in the mystical Lazarus Pits. We want to see that version of Ra’s, and his daughter Talia, on screen. Also, the zombie Solomon Grundy is due for a big-screen appearance, and maybe even the spectral Gentleman Ghost. Let’s hope DCU Batman gets a little spooky when he arrives.

The Vampire Villains

This falls into “supernatural enemies,” but Batman has fought enough of the undead they should have their own category. Going back to the Dark Knight’s earliest days, Batman has crossed paths with several bloodsuckers. In 1939, he fought a vampire called the Monk. In later years, he fought the vampiric seductress Nocturna, and even became a vampire when he fought Dracula himself in the trilogy Batman/Dracula: Red Rain comics. There was even a The Batman vs. Dracula animated film several years ago. Two dark souls in dramatic capes, one good, one evil? This deserves the cinematic treatment at some point. Here’s hoping the DCU Batman goes there someday. We just hope he carries wooden stakes in his utility belt.

The Mystical Allies

Just as Batman has supernatural enemies, he also has supernatural allies. Characters with actual ties to the magical realms who help Batman out in times of need. We saw this recently with voodoo expert Papa Midnight in Batman: Caped Crusader, but Bruce Wayne also had friends like Jason Blood, a.k.a. the immortal demon Etrigan, and the sorceress Zatanna. We love the scenes in comics and cartoons where Batman has to admit he’s not an expert in everything and goes to a strange occult bookstore and ask for help from someone who has an expertise he doesn’t. We’d love a scene like this in a live-action film.

The Bat-Family

This isn’t really sci-fi or fantasy per se, but modern grim and gritty cinema sees Batman working with a bunch of youngsters as too ridiculous. But we don’t care, they’re crucial parts of Batman lore and it’s time they got their due. We already know The Brave and the Bold will feature Damian Wayne as Robin, and probably Nightwing too. But we want to see the rest of Batman’s allies on screen. The modern post-Nolan Batman films have totally shied away from Batman having any partners, probably as a reaction to the Joel Schumacher films. But Batman has so many amazing allies, and we’re not just talking about the Robins. There are several Batgirls, the Huntress, and the Signal. It’s high time cinema reclaimed Batman’s partners, and made them as cool as they are in the comics.

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It’s been a few weeks since Lucasfilm canceled The Acolyte. But the Star Wars fans out there who love it have not let go of hope that we’ll see the further adventures of Osha and Qimir, a.k.a. the Stranger. Now, star Amandla Stenberg has made her own feelings known on the end of the series. In an Instagram story, she went into great detail on her feelings about the show ending and the hate she and the rest of the cast received even before they ever shot a frame. Here’s some of what she had to say. You can also watch a reshare of her full Instagram reel below:

I’m gonna be transparent and say that it’s not a huge shock for me. Of course I live in the bubble of my own reality, but for those who aren’t aware, there has been a rampage of vitriol that we have faced since the show was even announced, when it was still just a concept and no one had even seen it.

Stenberg stated “It has been an incredible honor and dream for me to be in this universe.” But she also said she had to “Honor my value system by being vocal. Even within the context of working for Disney and working within the large, massive IP that is Star Wars.” Clearly, she’s very proud of being a part of this galaxy. And would continue if given the chance. Who wouldn’t? Hopefully, her speaking out about the attacks that the cast and crew received will make Lucasfilm consider coming out publicly to support their employees when this kind of thing happens. Especially as it happens way too often. Ewan McGregor did something like that for Moses Ingram when Obi-Wan Kenobi came out in 2022. They should follow his example.

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It’s been some time since we’ve heard much new information about The Batman – Part II. But in a recent interview with SFX Magazine (via Deadline), while promoting the HBO spin-off series The Penguin, director Matt Reeves revealed that he has a story very much in mind for the anticipated sequel to his 2022 film. One that may hint at a very beloved storyline about the Dark Knight from the pages of DC Comics. Here’s what he had to say:

It’s going to dig into the epic story about deeper corruption and it goes into places he couldn’t even anticipate in the first one.

An epic tale about deeper corruption in Gotham City? That sure sounds like “The Court of Owls” to us. That story is Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo’s 2011-2012 saga that ran through the pages of Batman. It revealed a secret society that controlled Gotham City for over a century. This secret group was made up of the city’s most rich and powerful. This society, known as the Court of Owls, wore ominous white owl masks to hide their true identities. They also employed zombie-like agents they referred to as their Talons. It’s one of the most popular modern Batman stories, and one that has never been adapted into live-action film.

Matt Reeves’ take on Batman lore is shying away from both the sci-fi and the overtly supernatural aspects. In the same interview, he confirmed Penguin’s return for the sequel, but shot down the spectral villain Gentleman Ghost (recently appearing in the animated Caped Crusader) as a potential bad guy. Reeves said the following:

We might push to the edge of the fantastical but we would never go into full fantastical. It’s meant to feel quite grounded. Gentleman Ghost is probably pushed a bit too far for us to be able to find a way to do, but there is a fun way to think about how we would take characters that might push over into a bit of the fantastical and find a way to make sense of that.”

The Court of Owls just might be the perfect villains for his next film because of this. They have an almost mystical, spooky aura around them, but are actually just a cabal of the rich and powerful. This seems very much in Matt Reeves’ storytelling wheelhouse. It also goes along with the “epic crime story” he set up in the first film. Over the past thirty or so years on film, we’ve had three Catwomans, two Penguins, four Jokers, two Riddlers, and two Two-Faces (appropriate). It’s good to introduce some newer villains from modern DC Comics lore into live-action at last. Here’s hoping the Court of Owls really make their presence felt in The Batman – Part II.

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Jennifer Kale is one of many powerful magic users in the Marvel Universe. And she’s about to make her live-action debut in Agatha All Along, played by Sasheer Zamata. She’ll be a part of the coven that Agatha Harkness forms when she attempts to get her magical powers back by taking the legendary Witch’s Road. Jennifer Kale may not be a name every Marvel Comics fan knows, but she’s been around for over 50 years now, weaving in and out of different series. And she has quite an interesting history.

Jennifer Kale’s First Appearance Was an Adventure with Man-Thing

Jennifer Kale first appeared in 1972’s Adventure in Fear #1, in a story starring the swamp monster known as the Man-Thing story. Born in Citrusville, Florida, her family were all magic users who lived in the Everglades. Her grandfather, Joshua Kale, was the keeper of the Book of Zhered-na, an ancient mystical tome passed down through the generations. To see if she could wield magic as well as her family members, she stole the Book of Zhered-na and attempted to try spellcasting herself. A novice in magic, she accidentally summoned Thog, one of the Hell-Lords, to our dimension. Luckily for Ms. Kale, the benevolent creature Man-Thing was nearby, and fought the creature off, saving her life.

This adventure started a friendship between herself and the mysterious Man-Thing leading to many adventures together. Eventually, the two even formed a sort of psychic bond. As a result of one of these adventures, Jennifer encountered a 20,000-year-old sorcerer named Dhakim the Enchanter, studying the mystic arts under him. Together with Dhakim, they protected the Nexus of All Realities, which existed in Jennifer’s (and Man-Thing’s) home in the Florida Everglades. As her magical abilities grew, Jennifer eventually learned that she was the reincarnation of an ancient Atlantean sorceress.

Jennifer Kale’s Connections to Ghost Rider, Doctor Strange, and the Midnight Sons

Although primarily associated with the Man-Thing, Jennifer Kale has connections to many mystical Marvel characters. She is blood cousins with two different Ghost Riders, Johnny Blaze and Danny Ketch. She continued her magical studies under Dr. Stephen Strange, fighting his arch nemesis Baron Mordo alongside him. She’s even been an ally to Howard the Duck. Jennifer has also been a member of such supernatural teams as the Midnight Sons and the Legion of Night. Her old friend Doctor Strange recruited her, along with fellow spellcasters Satana and Topaz, into a trio simply called the Witches. They headlined their own series for a brief time.

When her brother, Andrew Kale, wound up possessed by the demon Hellphyr, Doctor Strange recruited Jennifer and her fellow Witches to stop him. Jennifer managed to kill him, but it was only then she found out the demon was truly her sibling. This drove a massive wedge between herself and Strange. Victoria Hand actually later killed Jennifer Kale. But death rarely keeps a good witch down. Her spirit uses her knowledge of dark magic to return to the world of the living, although she returned with the flesh missing from one side of her face. Eventually going to the dimension known as Weirdworld, she began a relationship with Deadpool that lasted years, although Wade Wilson ultimately chose to leave her.

Jennifer Kale’s Magical Powers and Abilities

Thanks to her having the Book of Zhered-na, Jennifer Kale has access to immense magical powers. She can project magical energy to fire concussive blasts, create protective shields, open gateways and portals to other dimensional planes, teleportation, and mental powers that include mind control and hypnosis.

Jennifer Kale in Agatha All Along, and the Greater MCU

We already know that Jennifer Kale is joining Agatha’s coven in Agatha All Along. Yet not much else about her MCU iteration. She might be Jennifer Kale in name only. However, she also might have similar origins to her comic book counterpart. We know Man-Thing exists in the MCU already, as we saw him in Werewolf by Night. Could he and Jennifer have a shared history, similar to the comics? Here’s hoping she has a better fate in store in Agatha All Along than her comic book counterpart. We’d hate for her to lose her facial skin or worse, date Deadpool. We’re hoping this version of Ms. Kale is another breakout witch character just like Wanda Maximoff and Agatha Harkness were.

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Star Trek: The Motion Picture celebrates 45 years this year and Paramount Home Entertainment is releasing director Robert Wise’s film in a limited edition 4K Blu-ray Steelbook edition. This new 4K Blu-ray Steelbook will have the same contents as the now out-of-print Director’s Edition and limited-edition collector’s set entitled “The Complete Adventure” that came out back in 2022. The Steelbook comes with an exclusive booklet with behind-the-scenes images and info from the film, and the cover features the iconic original movie poster artwork.

Star Trek: The Motion Picture was a very expensive movie for its day and was a famously troubled production. The effects took so long to complete, they finished them literally days before the movie premiere. Although reaction to the film from audiences and critics was mixed at first, it launched a feature film franchise that’s still going today. And these days, Star Trek: The Motion Picture has many loyal fans who cite this installment as their favorite, especially for its grand ambition. It also gave us the best version of the starship Enterprise yet.

Here are the new special features for this disc of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, only available previously via the exclusive limited edition version from 2022.

Star Trek: The Motion Picture 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc Contents:

Audio Commentary with David C. Fein, Mike Matessino, and Daren R. Dochterman
Audio Commentary by Robert Wise, Douglas Trumbull, John Dykstra, Jerry Goldsmith, and Stephen Collins
Text Commentary by Michael and Denise Okuda

Star Trek: The Motion Picture Blu-ray Disc Bonus Features:

The Human Adventure—An all-new 8-part documentary detailing how the Director’s Edition came to life
Preparing the Future – How the remastering began
A Wise Choice – The storied history of Robert Wise
Refitting the Enterprise – How the Enterprise design shaped future federation starships
Sounding Off – Exploring new dimensions of sound in Dolby Atmos
V’ger – The conception and restoration of an iconic alien antagonist
Return to Tomorrow – Reaching an already high bar with new CGI effects
A Grand Theme – Behind the iconic, influential music score that shaped the franchise’s future
The Grand Vision – The legacy and evolving reputation of this classic movie
Deleted Scenes
Effects Tests
Costume Tests
Computer Display Graphics
Additional legacy bonus content

Star Trek: The Motion Picture 4K UHD Steelbook, Blu-Ray, and Digital Copy arrives on November 19, and is already available for pre-order on Amazon.

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Marvel Studios has been hinting at a series or film based on their cosmic sci-fi hero Nova since 2017. Earlier this year, Kevin Feige revealed that Nova would indeed be coming to live-action as a Disney+ series. He said it was still “three to four years away,” but that doesn’t mean they don’t have an idea what this new show will be based on. Talking to the Phase Zero podcast, Marvel’s Brad Winderbaum revealed that Nova will draw inspiration from two specific spacefaring franchises. And for once, none are Star Wars. Here’s what he had to say:

The Nova that’s being developed right now, it’s an amazing ensemble piece. I shouldn’t say too much, but it’s like a great case of characters that’s got shades of [Star]Trek , shades of Battlestar Galactica

In the comics, Nova first appeared in The Man Called Nova #1 in 1976, as New York teenager Richard Rider. He is bequeathed the cosmic power of a Nova Centurion from the last member of the Nova StarCorps from the planet Xandar. With this power, he could tap into the Nova Force, and could fly, release energy blasts, and has super strength. (If this sounds like a cross between Spider-Man and DC’s Green Lantern, it kind of is.) Richard Rider has been a recurring player in Marvel Comics ever since. In more recent years, he became a mentor to a new Nova from Earth, teenager Sam Alexander.

We’ve actually met the Nova Corps already in the MCU, as they appeared in Guardians of the Galaxy on the planet Xandar. In Avengers: Infinity War, we later learned that Thanos later destroyed Xandar. We assume that the Nova Corps died along with it. This makes for the perfect setup for a Nova Corps survivor to make it to Earth. Once on Earth, they could hand Richard Rider the powers of Nova. Or maybe some of the Nova Corps survived the destruction of Xandar? That lines up with the Star Trek/ensemble comments from Winderbaum.

The Nova Corps in the MCU might be akin to Star Trek‘s Starfleet, with many Nova Centurions serving on board a starship. And if there are just a handful left, that would explain the Battlestar Galactica comparisons. We’re just excited to finally see Nova arrive in the MCU after all this time.

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We always love to talk about how many Batmobiles the Batman has had over the years. But he’s had just as many costume changes as he’s changed rides. And the most evident costume difference is always in the cowl. Sometimes it’s blue, sometimes it’s black. Sometimes the ears are long, other times they’re small. Heck, sometimes, they even have painted on eyebrows! Now, via Comicbook, we’ve learned that McFarlane Toys and DC Direct are releasing a trio of 1:1 scale replica Batman cowls ranging from the comics, movies, and TV. You can check out images of the three 7-inch Batman collectible cowls right here:

The first cowl is a replica of the one Adam West wore in the iconic Batman ’66 television series and the original Batman movie. This blue cowl is the one that helped turn Batman into a household name. The second is the black one Michael Keaton wore in Tim Burton’s classic 1989 Batman film. He wore it again in Batman Returns in 1992. Finally, we’ve got a comic book-accurate version of the cowl from the DC Comics story “Knightfall.” That saga saw the villain Bane break Batman’s back, leading to new hero Azrael taking over the role. That storyline was a big influence on Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises.

McFarlane Toys/DC Direct is releasing more scale Batman cowls in this series sometime in the near future. We’d sure love to see the one from Batman: The Animated Series and the Christopher Nolan Dark Knight trilogy. If we’re talking comics, let’s see DC Comics artist Kelley Jones’ version of the cowl with the long sinister ears.

These new Batman mini-cowls follow up the full-scale Michael Keaton 1989 cowl replica, which measures 24.5-inches tall, which arrived this summer. Each cowl costs $14.99, and they are available to pre-order now, and ship in November.

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With Alien: Romulus currently cleaning up at the box office, we now turn our attention to the next chapter of the iconic sci-fi saga, Alien: Earth. This new FX series, from Fargo creator Noah Hawley, went into production last year. And now, we finally have our first look at this show. Some lucky fans got to see this teaser playing before select screenings of Romulus. The brief, 16-second teaser shows our vulnerable blue planet from space. And then, the unmistakable head of a Xenomorph, ready for the kill. You can check out the teaser trailer for Alien: Earth right here:

Here’s the official synopsis for Alien: Earth:

When a mysterious space vessel crash-lands on Earth, a young woman (Sydney Chandler) and a ragtag group of tactical soldiers make a fateful discovery that puts them face-to-face with the planet’s greatest threat.

If this series is in continuity with the films, we can assume that the Xenomorphs don’t take actually over the Earth and turn it into a breeding ground. Also, we can assume that Weyland-Yutani keeps their existence a secret from the masses. The series takes place in the year 2092, so about 30 years before Ellen Ripley and the crew of the Nostromo answer a distress call from the planet LV-426. We’re eager to see how it all fits together in the larger tapestry of the Alien saga.

They’ve been teasing Xenomorphs on Earth since the first teaser trailer for Alien 3 in 1991. After they released that teaser, however, the studio went in another direction for the film. Now, we’ll see them on terra firma at last. Alien: Earth stars Syndney Chandler, Alex Lawther, Timothy Olyphant, Essie Davis, Samuel Blenkin, Babou Ceesay, David Rysdahl, Adrian Edmondson, Adarsh Gourav, Jonathan Ajayi, Erana James, Lily Newmark, Diem Camille and Moe Bar-El. Right now, the show is scheduled to premiere sometime in 2025 on FX.

The post ALIEN: EARTH’s First Teaser Trailer Hints at an Ominous Future appeared first on Nerdist.

The cancelation after one season of Star Wars: The Acolyte still has its devout fans in shock. And not just the fans, but cast members as well. The man behind the Sith mask, Manny Jacinto, recently noted at Dragon Con that his personal life goal was to see season two of The Acolyte come to life. In fact, in context, Jacinto revealed that getting season two of The Acolyte was something he wanted to do “before he leaves this mortal coil.” That’s an intense desire, but we know fans are with him 100%. You can watch a video of Jacinto noting his desire for The Acolyte season two below.

Jacinto also posted the final shot of The Acolyte on his social media. It showed the Stranger and his new apprentice Osha (Amandla Stenberg) holding hands, looking across the ocean, into their future. Now that we know there’s probably no future for the characters, Jacinto posted a heart emoji along with the photo.

And Manny Jacinto is not the only cast member commenting on The Acolyte’s premature end. We also now know that Jedi Master Sol himself, Lee Jung-jae, was just as surprised at the cancelation news as the fans were. Of course, even if Lucasfilm were to green light a season two, Lee Jung-jae wouldn’t be a part of it (His character is kind of dead). That didn’t stop him from expressing his disappointment, however. Here’s what he had to say about the end of The Acolyte to the folks at Entertainment Weekly.

As you know, my character had died already in the first season. So I wouldn’t have appeared in the second season if there was one anyway. But personally speaking, I really loved Leslye’s writing. I thought that she was a great writer and director who was very talented in the storytelling, as well as creating characters and creating meaningful structures within the story. So I was actually personally really looking forward to watching a season 2 with her at the helm. Honestly, I am hoping that maybe there could be changes in the future. Because you never know what’s going to happen. So on a personal level, I really hope we could get to see further stories of Leslye’s second season.”

Joining them, Joonas Suotamo, who plays Jedi Master Kelnacca, also posted a heart and an image of his character.

Fans are reading into it that it’s not a broken heart emoji, giving them some hope. We also have our fingers crossed that it’s not really the end. Even if it’s not The Acolyte season two but something new, we want to see this saga continue.

Originally published on August 23, 2024.

The post Manny Jacinto Shares Making THE ACOLYTE Season 2 Is His Life Goal appeared first on Nerdist.

It may still seem like summer outside, but a chill in the air is imminent. Fall will be here soon, and with the start of the spooky season, it means it’s time for a return to Halloween Town. And this year, you get to build the Pumpkin King Jack Skellington’s home territory for yourself. All thanks to the new LEGO Ideas The Nightmare Before Christmas set. It features connectible models for three separate locations from the classic stop motion film. There’s Spiral Hill, Jack Skellington’s house, and the Halloween Town Hall. You can check out images of the new LEGO The Nightmare Before Christmas set right here in our gallery:

Click To View Gallery

This The Nightmare Before Christmas LEGO set has several details that diehard fans of Tim Burton’s iconic characters will appreciate. There’s the walking bathtub, and the chalkboard in Jack’s house with his formula for Christmastime. There’s also the lectern at the Town Hall, where Jack gave his speech to convince the Halloween Town citizens that taking over Christmas was a good idea. (Turns out, not so much). The LEGO set includes eight characters from The Nightmare Before Christmas as minifigures — Jack Skellington, Sally, Santa (Sandy?) Clause, Lock, Shock, and Barrel minifigures. Not to mention Zero, Jack’s loyal ghost dog, and a brick-built Mayor figure with both of his faces.

Intended for the age 18+ adult collector, the LEGO model of Jack Skellington’s house in this 2,193-piece model kit measures over 10.5 in. (32 cm) high, 20 in. (51 cm) wide, and 10.5 in. (27 cm) deep. This is the perfect holiday decoration to display in your home for both the Halloween and Christmas seasons. The new LEGO The Nightmare Before Christmas set will set you back $199.99, and will be available for the general public to purchase starting September 6.

However, if you already have (or sign up for) a free LEGO Insiders account, you can go ahead and grab your set on September 3!

For more information, be sure to head on over to the official LEGO site.

The post LEGO Ideas’ NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS Set Brings Halloween Town to Life appeared first on Nerdist.

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, no titled Alien: Earth, 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, the official teaser trailer for the series notes it will come in 2024.

Speaking to The Wrap in previous, 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.

We Can Expect More Than One Season of this Alien Series

Though we don’t know when season one will arrive, we can expect the series to have more than one outing. Hawley recently revealed that he and FX built the series to recur and have multiple seasons and did not envision it as a limited series.

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. Additionally,  The Peripheral‘s Moe Bar-El will play a “a major recurring role” in season one of the Alien series. Finally, Foundation star Sandra Yi Sencindiver has come aboard as well. She’ll play a senior member of the Weyland-Yutani Corporation.

Finally, Babou Ceesay, Jonathan Ajayi, Erana James, Lily Newmark, Diêm Camille, and Adrian Edmondson all also join 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?'”

Finally, Hawley recently shared that his intention was to ignore some of the lore put forth by the later Alien movies. It will be interesting to see how this series comes together.

The official synopsis for the series notes, “When a mysterious space vessel crash-lands on Earth, a young woman (Sydney Chandler) and a ragtag group of tactical soldiers make a fateful discovery that puts them face-to-face with the planet’s greatest threat.“

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. 

The post Noah Hawley’s ALIEN TV Series Reveals Plot and Cast appeared first on Nerdist.

Since the 1960s, the Teen Titans, often just referred to these days as the Titans, have been a staple of DC Comics. In fact, they were once DC’s best-selling monthly title, even outselling Batman and Justice League. They’ve gone on to star in three animated series, a live-action show, and soon, a movie in James Gunn’s DCU. But with 17 different series featuring these iconic young heroes, which ones are the best of the best? We’ve narrowed down their greatest and most influential comic book series over the past six decades.

10. Teen Titans by Bob Rozakis

with Irv Novick, Don Heck, José Delbo

The original Teen Titans series, which began in the ‘60s, ran out of steam and ended up cancelled in 1973;’s issue #43. But DC decided to try again in 1976, with a relaunched title by writer Bob Rozakis, picking up at issue #44. Now, these comics are definitely of their time. It had the Titans running a disco called “Gabriel’s Horn,” and Speedy in a rock band called The Great Frog. They also fought ridiculous villains like the Rocket Rollers, that cashed-in on popular trends at the time like skateboarding. But to writer Bob Rozakis’ credit, this run on Teen Titans elevated the female heroes more than the previous run did. That counts for something.

Also on the plus side, this run introduced new characters like the Joker’s Daughter and Bumblebee, DC’s first African-American superheroine. Both characters are still around in new and improved forms today. The concept of a Titans West spin-off team was born in this run too, years before Marvel did their own West Coast Avengers. Yes, the dialogue is kind of cringe throughout this run, and the artwork is not always that great. But this very brief era of Teen Titans is fun and charming regardless. For the Teen Titans, however, it was the third time that proved to be the charm. But we’ll get to that.

9. New Titans by Marv Wolfman

with George Pérez, Tom Grummett

In many ways, this is an extension of Marv Wolfman’s earlier New Teen Titans run. But since the series got a title change, we’re counting it as its own distinct era. In 1988, New Teen Titans needed a bit of a kick in the pants. So DC decided to let the now-adult heroes drop the “Teen” from their name, and rebranded as The New Titans. After an absence of several years, New Teen Titans co-creator George Pérez returned, to reimagine the origin of Wonder Girl for a post-Crisis era. They followed that epic up with a Batman crossover which introduced the third Robin, Tim Drake, into the DC mythos, called “A Lonely Place of Dying.”

When Pérez left after a year, Wolfman teamed up with an up-and-coming artist named Tom Grummett. Their year-long saga “Titans Hunt” saw all of the team captured by the Wildebeest Society. Only Nightwing manages to escape. So Dick Grayson has to put together a new group of misfits to find his missing comrades. This run is very soapy, with twists and shocks and character deaths in each issue. And it was fun as hell to read month-to-month. After “Titans Hunt,” things got very sloppy, leading to New Titans‘ eventual cancellation in 1995. But from ’88-’92, Marv Wolfman proved that after a decade on Titans, he could still do some darn good, meant n’ potatoes comic book yarn spinning.

Issues in Marv Wolfman’s New Titans Run:

New Titans #50-130 (1988-1995)

8. Titans by Tom Taylor

with Nicola Scott, Lucas Meyer

It’s hard to know what the final ranking for this series is, if only because it’s still running. But we’re pretty confident in placing writer Tom Taylor’s current Titans run in this spot, even though it’s not finished yet. After the events of Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths, the Justice League disbanded. As a result, Superman left the Earth in charge of the Titans for protection, believing it was finally their time to shine. Tom Taylor first proved he understood Dick Grayson as a character in his Nightwing run. Now, he proves he understands his best friends as well with this current series.

Among the great stories so far in this run include Beast World. Last year’s crossover event saw Beast Boy weaponized against the Earth, and the resulting public turn against the Titans. Also, Raven’s current turn to the dark side is providing for some fun reading. (Even if this storyline has kind of been done to death already). The initial art by Nicola Scott is gorgeous, as are the pencils from follow-up regular artist Lucas Meyer. With Taylor wrapping up his writing duties on Titans this fall, it’s ultimately a far too brief run. But one worth mentioning.

Issues in Tom Taylor’s Titans Run:

Titans (vol. 4) #1-15 (2023-2024)

7. The Titans by Devin Grayson, James M. Faerber, Tom Peyer

with Mark Buckingham, Paul Pelletier, Barry Kitson, Adam DeKraker, Peter Grau

After a chilly reception to a rebooted Teen Titans series by Dan Jurgens in 1996 with all new characters, DC decided to go back to basics. After Grant Morrison’s massively successful JLA relaunch, the company reunited the original five Titans, now all adults with new codenames. Writer Devin Grayson took the original five members and brought back Starfire and Cyborg from New Teen Titans, Jesse Quick from Mark Waid’s Flash comics, the teen hero Damage, and Argent, from Dan Jurgens’ previous and little-loved Teen Titans run. Somehow, this hodgepodge team mostly worked.

Devin Grayson got the family dynamic right off the bat, writing the core five heroes as people who literally grew up together. They also integrated well with the newer generation of heroes, even if stalwarts like Raven and Beast Boy were very missed. Some of the villains introduced in this series, like the group Tartarus, should still be around (others, like the Marilyn Manson lookalike named Goth, can stay in 1999). The artwork from pencilers like Mark Buckingham were not often flashy, but always solid. After Grayson left, writers Jay Faerber and Tom Peyer continued her storylines. Overall, this was a fun run that really cemented the Titans as adult heroes in their own right, something that continues to this day.

Issues in Devin Grayson, Jay Faerber, and Tom Peyer’s The Titans Run:

JLA/Titans: The Technic Imperative #1-3 (1998) The Titans #1-50 (1999-2003)

6. Teen Titans by Benjamin Percy

with Jonboy Meyers, Khoi Pham, Scott Eaton

The New 52 era rebooted the Teen Titans as kind of extreme, ‘90s-style versions of the characters, making them almost unrecognizable to fans. When the classic DC continuity returned in 2016’s DC Rebirth era, DC relaunched the team yet again, only with a Robin who had never been a Titan before—-Batman’s son, Damian Wayne. Robin recruits a team that, at least superficially, resembled that animated Teen Titans TV series roster. Only difference, Kid Flash Wallace West replaced Cyborg, who was in the Justice League.

Damian Wayne needed a new Titans roster to fight his grandfather, Ra’s al Ghul, and his lethal League of Assassins. Benjamin Percy writes an appropriately cocky Damian, who despite being much younger than his teammates, always thinks he knows better than they do. His learning to truly appreciate working and relying on others is a highlight of this version of the Titans. The artwork from pencilers Jonboy Meyers, and later, Khoi Pham and Scott Eaton, was modern and dynamic. The book eventually ran out of steam, but it’s one of the better modern Teen Titans series.

Issues in Benjamin Percy’s Teen Titans Run:

Teen Titans: Rebirth #1, Teen Titans (vol. 5) #1-19 (2016-2018)

5. Teen Titans Academy by Tim Sheridan

with Rafa Sandoval, Steve Lieber, and Tom Derenick

This was a very brief and fairly recent run, one that went under the radar, written by Alan Scott: Green Lantern writer Tim Sheridan. And it certainly wasn’t celebrated nearly enough. In Teen Titans Academy, the now-adult ’80s Titans members decided to train the next generation of younger heroes, and turn Titan’s Tower into a school, the Roy Harper Academy, named for the then-dead founding Titan Arsenal. (He’s much better now). Yes, it’s very X-Men as a concept. But at the time, the school aspect of X-Men had been dropped, so this filled a niche. The book focused on teen heroes with names like Megabrat and Gorilla Greg, with the adult faculty taking more of a backseat.

The ongoing mystery of the series, just what was the true identity of the mysterious student Red X, never really sticks the landing. Still, it was so fun to see these younger student characters refer to their teachers as “Mr. Nightwing” and “Ms. Starfire,” etc. The series ended prematurely with the school burned to the ground, and all of the students leaving. But someone needs to revisit this concept at some point. (It’s also odd the adult Titans have seemingly forgotten they ever tried to run a school in their new series). We hope more fans discover this hidden gem of a Titans series in the future.

Issues in Tim Sheridan’s Teen Titans Academy Run:

Teen Titans Academy #1-15, Teen Titans Academy 2012 Yearbook (2021-2022)

4. Young Justice by Peter David

with Todd Nauck

Ok, this is technically not a Teen Titans book. But only technically. In the late ’90s, Incredible Hulk writer Peter David and artist Todd Nauck were tasked with giving the new generation of teen sidekicks like Robin (Tim Drake), Superboy (Conner Kent), Impulse (Bart Allen), and Wonder Girl (Cassie Sandsmark) their own series. DC considered the name “Teen Titans” toxic at the time, thanks to the previous few years of failed attempts at launching a new series, so they received a new name—Young Justice. But different name or not this was essentially the Teen Titans in everything but name. The core four eventually added new members, like The Secret, and Arrowette.

Young Justice operated out of the Justice League’s old mountain base. There, they found a mentor in the android JLA member, the Red Tornado. This series had the traditional mix of humor, soapy drama, and adventure that Peter David was known for in series like X-Factor for Marvel. Todd Nauck’s art was wonderfully whimsical, and actually made the kids look like, well, kids. And fans ate it up. The series ran a respectable 53 issues with this creative team, and it remains beloved to this day. Another reason we feel comfortable regarding this as a Teen Titans series? All the members went on to become the core of the Teen Titans in the 2003 revival just a few years later.

Issues in Peter David’s Young Justice Run:

Young Justice #1-53 (1998-2003)

3. Teen Titans by Bob Haney

with Nick Cardy, Sheldon Moldoff, Irv Novick, George Tuska, Neal Adams

One of comics’ longest-running teams started off as not much more than a gimmick. “What if the Justice League’s kid sidekicks formed their own group?” DC teamed up Robin, Kid Flash. and Aqualad for an adventure in a 1964’s The Brave and the Bold #54, and its sales justified a spin-off team. In 1965, Teen Titans launched, written by their creator Bob Haney. The three boys teamed up with Wonder Girl, and eventually, Green Arrow’s partner Speedy, as DC’s “Fab Five.” This was smack in the middle of the Batman ’66 era, and Teen Titans piggybacked off that success. They even got a short-lived cartoon a mere few years after their first issue hit stands.

The original Teen Titans stories are very silly, generally revolving around the Titans just hanging out in their HQ, hassling each other in a typical teenage way, and having one-off adventures. The middle-aged writers trying to write the youth lingo of the era comes across as painful, probably even at the time. There are a lot of “Daddy-O’s” and such. They were so ’60s, they even fought a villain called “Mad Mod.” The artwork, usually by Nick Cardy, pales in comparison to what Marvel was doing at the time. But it gets the job done. The Titans never called each other by their real names, had any real problems, and “character development” was non-existent. But it had a fun energy to it that was undeniable, and its light tone later informed the very successful Teen Titans animated series.

Issues in Bob Haney’s Teen Titans Run:

Teen Titans (vol. 1) #1-43 (1965-1973)

2. Teen Titans by Geoff Johns

with Mike McKone, Tony Daniel, Tom Grummett

After their triumphant ‘80s run, the Titans as a concept fell on hard times. A 1996 reboot didn’t find any traction, and the adult 1999 The Titans series run didn’t exactly set sales records either. But with an animated series on the horizon in 2003, DC decided to reboot the concept for comics with writer Geoff Johns and artist Mike McKone. In what would become a Geoff Johns trademark as a writer, especially on Green Lantern, he celebrated DC’s rich history and forged a new future for the franchise at the same time. Teen Titans vol. 3 was a very big success, reviving the franchise in a big way.

The members of Young Justice graduated at last to Teen Titans status. Meanwhile, several members of Wolfman and Pérez’s team were now the older mentors. This fusing of two eras worked like gangbusters. Johns added new layers to characters like Superboy Conner Kent, and he grew up the immature speedster Impulse into Kid Flash. He also re-established Deathstroke as the Titans’ greatest enemy, and created a link between the Titan’s nemesis Brother Blood and team member Raven. While the first couple of years remain the book’s peak, when penciler Mike McKone was mostly drawing it, Johns’ entire fifty-issue run gets what makes the Teen Titans tick more than almost any other.

Issues in Geoff Johns’ Teen Titans Run:

Teen Titans (vol. 3) #1-50, (2003-2007)

1. The New Teen Titans by Marv Wolfman

with George Pérez, Eduardo Baretto, José Luis García-López, Chuck Patton

The New Teen Titans by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez, not only rescued the franchise, it helped rescue DC Comics overall. After a middling attempt at a revival in the late ‘70s, DC hired Marvel creators Marv Wolfman and George Pérez to relaunch the title a third time. They took the X-Men approach to this reboot—keep a few key characters from the previous run (Robin, Wonder Girl, and Kid Flash) and introduce vibrant new heroes like Raven, Cyborg, and Starfire. They even took a forgotten hero named Beast Boy and made him the comic relief of the team as Changeling. Thanks to more serious storytelling, real pathos for the characters, and stunning art for Pérez, The series was a runaway hit, infusing DC with a Marvel-esque storytelling that outsold every other comic at DC at the time, five-to-one.

During this era, Wolfman and Pérez introduced iconic villains Deathstroke, and Trigon, and they transformed Robin from a joke “kid sidekick in peril” character into Nightwing, an adult hero in his own right, not just Batman’s junior partner. Their two-year storyline “The Judas Contract” saw the introduction of Terra, a young female hero who ultimately betrayed the team and broke their hearts. It remains one of superhero storytelling’s fines arcs. Perez’s art was detailed and incredible, doing career-best work here, elevating the artform. Because of this success, DC launched a second monthly book, Tales of the Teen Titans. DC eventually gave Wolfman and Pérez allowed them to reboot the DC universe in Crisis on Infinite Earths. And the rest, as they say, is history. But it wouldn’t have happened without the success of The New Teen Titans. Still, and probably always, the gold standard of Teen Titans series.

Issues in Marv Wolfman’s New Teen Titans Run:

New Teen Titans (vol. 1) #1-40, Tales of the Teen Titans #41-59, Tales of the New Teen Titans #1-4, New Teen Titans (vol. 2) #1-49 (1980-1988) New Teen Titans: Games OGN (2005)

The post The 10 Greatest TEEN TITANS Comic Book Runs, Ranked appeared first on Nerdist.

The latest trailer for Agatha All Along shows Kathryn Hahn’s titular witch breaking free of the spell Wanda Maximoff put her under in the finale of WandaVision. And judging from the newest teaser, it seems Heartstopper star Joe Locke’s mysterious character, only confirmed as “Teen” in official materials, is the one who breaks the Scarlet Witch’s. But his doing so has led to further speculation as to who he’s actually playing. Watch the new trailer for Agatha All Along down below, and then we’ll unpack that big clue.

As we can see in the trailer, Joe Locke’s character is something of a fanboy of witches. Also, a novice magic user himself. He discovers who Agatha Harkness really is, and breaks her from Wanda’s spell. When Agatha asks what this boy’s name is, a stylized squiggly pattern appears over his mouth. A pattern that looks to be the letters “W” and “V.” Yes, as in WandaVision. It also might be a very stylish “M,” as in “Maximoff.” This adds juice to the speculation that his character is none other than Billy Kaplan, a.k.a. Wiccan of the Young Avengers. A character who just so happens to be one of the twin sons of Wanda Maximoff and the Vision.

So how can this teenage boy be Wanda’s son Billy? Wasn’t he only a little kid the last time we saw him a couple of years ago? And wasn’t he a kid who never really existed in the first place? Well, let’s put on our tin foil caps. Wanda created her children Billy and Tommy within the Hex and they seemingly dissipated when it came down. But that doesn’t mean their souls were destroyed. We believe that somehow, the soul of Billy Maximoff found a new home, in the body of teenager Billy Kaplan. Perhaps Kaplan died and Billy Maximoff’s soul “moved in,” so to speak, and doesn’t even know who he really is. He would still retain Billy Kaplan’s memories. This is just speculation, but this is the easiest explanation for how Joe Locke can be the future Young Avenger.

Agatha All Along drops its first two episodes on Disney+ on September 18.

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Although not advertised as such, the iconic horror classic Rosemary’s Baby is getting a prequel film this fall. Apartment 7A is heading straight to streamer Paramount+ just in time for Halloween. This time, there’s no Rosemary Woodhouse staying at the infamous Dakota apartments in New York, with the story instead centering on a minor character from the original film, Terry Gionoffrio, now played by Julia Garner. Oscar-winner Diane Wiest and Kevin McNally now portray the creepy old couple from Rosemary’s Baby, the Castevets. You can check out the unsettling new trailer for Apartment 7A right here.

The film takes place in 1965, presumable at least a few months before the events of Rosemary’s Baby. Judging from the trailer, both Diane Wiest and Kevin McNally do an eerily spot-on impression of Minnie and Roman Castavet, the elderly couple from Roman Polanski’s original 1968 film. Dianne Weist especially does a perfect imitation of actress Ruth Gordon, who won an Oscar for the role of the nosey neighbor who (surprise!) actually worshipped the Devil and was trying to bring about the Antichrist. It’s great to see Diane Wiest in a horror film again, some 35 years after her role as the lovable mom in The Lost Boys.

Natalie Erika James is the director for Apartment 7A, from a screenplay she co-wrote with Christian White and Skylar James. Hopefully, this will be as good as some other recent prequels to iconic horror films we’ve seen recently. Films we first assumed were nothing more than just cash grabs. Among them is The First Omen, released earlier this year, which was actually quite good. Who saw that coming? Everyone was surprised at how good that ended up. Apartment 7A is premiering first at Fantastic Fest later this fall, before its debut on Paramount+ on September 27 and, if the trailer is any indication, it will be scarily good.

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This year marks 85 years since Batman made his first DC Comics appearance in Detective Comics #27. Sadly, there’s no new Batman movie in theaters this year to coincide with his milestone birthday, but Warner Bros. is re-releasing Matt Reeves’ The Batman in theaters for a limited time to AMC Theatres, including a special preview of the upcoming The Penguin series. Like any big movie worth its salt these days, it’s getting a cool commemorative popcorn bucket. This Bat Signal popcorn bucket actually lights up, ready for display in your own Batcave when you take it home. You can see images and read the official announcement from AMC below:

On Aug. 28, as the world celebrates Batman’s 85th anniversary, AMC Theatre’s Batman 85th Popcorn Collectible Concession Vessel (CCV) beckons the Caped Crusader with a near prop quality 85-ounce light-up Bat Signal popcorn bucket (comes with a large popcorn for $34.99+tax) — and a 32-ounce lenticular (the images morph and move) drink cup with lid that comes with a large drink for $11.99+tax, while supplies last. Guests can bundle them together for $44.99+tax.

The drink cup comes with images from several of the different live-action Batmobiles over the years. It goes from Batman ’66, to the Tumbler from the Dark Knight Trilogy, all the way through to the tricked-out muscle car from The Batman. We expect this Bat Signal popcorn bucket to sell out fast. So if you want to avoid paying a hefty price for it on eBay later, we suggest getting to your theater early. We’ve seen some truly wild popcorn buckets lately. (Yes, we’re looking at you, Dune and Deadpool & Wolverine.) Yet this Batman Bat Signal bucket from AMC Theatres might just be the slickest one we’ve seen so far. It’s definitely one you’ll want to display alongside all your other Batman collectibles.

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