Despite some misleading marketing, the main villain of The Flash is not who you probably thought it was going to be. The villain in the trailers and ads definitely factors into the film, don’t get us wrong. But director Andy Muschietti kept the major villain of the film somewhat of a surprise. Here’s who the main villains of The Flash are, starting with the film’s primary antagonist.

The Dark Flash

In the film, the main bad guy isn’t the Kryptonian General Zod, as early trailers might make you believe. The “Big Bad” of the film is none other than Barry Allen himself. Well, a version of him, that is. In the film, we saw a darkly clad being tossing adult Barry out into his own past as he races through time. He had a bigger plan in mind, which was to make the college-age Barry of 2013 into the being that he would become. A “Dark Flash.” We should note, this character is never called that by name in the film. However, the McFarlane Toys figure is labeled as “Dark Flash.” So we think that’s official enough.

This Dark Flash is a being who has been attempting to undo the deaths of Batman (Michael Keaton) and Supergirl (Sasha Calle) in the film’s big climactic battle with Zod’s army. He spends up to 50 years of his own timeline trying to control the flow of time in his favor, something that main “present time” Barry knows can’t happen. Ultimately, he is unmade when college-age Barry dies in battle with his own future self, erasing the Dark Flash from existence. And thus, preserving the timeline as adult Barry knew it (mostly) and saving the Multiverse. It’s all a bit confusing, but makes more sense in the final film.

The Black Flash Inspiration

The Dark Flash is loosely based on another obsidian speedster, DC Comics’ Black Flash. Although the visual of the character is similar, the Black Flash in the comics is Death itself. Or at least, the Speed Force’s version of Death. No one knows its true origins. But some Flashes believe that the actual entity of Death is simply too slow to catch up to any speedster. So the Speed Force produced its own Death entity, the Black Flash. The film’s Dark Flash is a bit of the comics’ Blue Flash, a twisted future version of Barry, and the aesthetics of the Black Flash.

General Zod

Of course, Dark Flash is not the only villain in the film. General Zod (Michael Shannon) is our secondary bad guy, who is invading Earth just as he did in Man of Steel. Like Zack Snyder’s 2013 film, Zod is looking to recreate Krypton on Earth using something called the codex, something Jor-El stored inside his infant son. And in this timeline, Zod murdered baby Kal-El when his pod was diverted from Earth. Because in this universe, it is Supergirl/Kara Zor-El who has the codex in her cell structure.

In Man of Steel, Zod and his Kryptonian army arrive on a US Military base in the desert, where a battle with this newly formed Justice League, made of Keaton Batman, Supergirl, and both Flashes ensues. Despite their best efforts, the League falls under the might of Zod’s forces. If adult Barry had not restored the timeline to the version where his mother died, Zod would have terraformed Earth into New Krypton, killing billions. Hopefully, if we ever get a Flash sequel, or reboot, we get some of Flash’s iconic rogues from the comics. They are long overdue for their cinematic debut.

The Flash is in theaters now.

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Before The Flash, the last time we saw Ezra Miller’s version of the Fastest Man Alive was in 2017’s Justice League. (Aside from brief cameos on the CW Flash series, and Peacemaker of course.) Yes, we saw an extended cut of Justice League in 2021, but they filmed all of that footage years prior. Six years have passed since the League was formed, and it’s alluded to that a similar amount of time has passed in the in-universe timeline. In some ways, The Flash is a de facto Justice League sequel. So which of the main Leaguers do we see in the final film? Actually, a surprising amount, aside from the title character himself. Let’s go through the Justice League roll call, outside of our titular lead hero.

Batman

The Bruce Wayne of Barry Allen’s reality, played by Ben Affleck, is still an active member of the Justice League. His darker-hued costume from Batman v Superman and Justice League has been replaced by one that’s blue and grey. It’s reminiscent of the one from the comics during the ‘70s and ‘80s. It seems this Batman is more of a superhero and less of a vigilante. We see him as he helps stop a terrorist group from releasing a deadly virus. This is definitely a Dark Knight who’s not afraid to appear in daylight.

Special mention: It seems Batman’s right-hand man, Alfred Pennyworth, played once more by Jeremy Irons, is the Justice League’s “man in the chair.” We’re not sure if that qualifies him as a League member, but he’s at least an honorable mention.

Superman

As far as we know, Superman is still a member of the Justice League during the events of The Flash. They reference the Man of Steel several times. However, Alfred reminds Barry that he’s currently too busy to lend him a hand in his current predicament. When Alfred says this, the camera pans to a TV showing Superman stopping a natural disaster somewhere. Sadly, we only see him from the back, cape flowing, so no Henry Cavill cameo. Although Cavill does appear via stock footage in the Speed Force time bubble. But Superman is definitely still a Leaguer. He’s just a very busy and in-demand member.

Wonder Woman

Wonder Woman appears in a cameo during the terrorist attack on Gotham City in the film’s opening action sequence. When all hope seems lost, and it looks like Batman and Flash are losing, Princess Diana shows up with her magic lasso and saves the day. It’s a very brief appearance by Gal Gadot, but she proves she’s the League’s MVP, and then flies away. Interestingly, even though Diana realized she could fly in Wonder Woman 1984, and flies in The Flash, she seemed to have forgotten this power in BvS and Justice League.

Aquaman

Aquaman is mentioned several times as a Leaguer, but there is no sign of Arthur Curry until the post-credits scene. When Barry returns from changing reality, we see him out at a bar with Jason Momoa’s King of Atlantis Arthur has a hard time handling all these multiverse shenanigans being told to him, and gets totally plastered. Not only is Aquaman in this film, but also his father, lighthouse keeper Tom Curry (Temuera Morrison), makes an appearance in the altered timeline. In that scene, he confirms to Barry that he never married an Atlantean princess and fathered Arthur. But he does have a dog named Arthur. Who did not appear to have any powers. (That we know of).

Cyborg

Although Victor Stone gets a mention a few times, specifically when Barry Allen is trying to find him in the altered timeline, we don’t see him at all. If he’s still a League member, it’s not explicitly clear, but they imply that he is. Given Cyborg actor Ray Fisher’s extremely harsh feelings about Warner Bros. over his treatment on the original Justice League, this is perhaps not very surprising.

New Members?

As far as we can tell, the League didn’t recruit a single new member between Justice League and The Flash. And Barry does confirm that years have indeed passed since then. Despite Bruce and Diana saying the Justice League meeting table had “room for more” at the end of Justice League, as far as we can tell, no Martian Manhunter, Green Lantern, or Hawkgirl ever joined up. It remains a Magnificent Six. Well, a Magnificent Six plus Alfred.

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Without a doubt, the biggest influence on The Flash film is the 2011 DC Comics event series Flashpoint. In that storyline, written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Andy Kubert, the recently returned from the dead Barry Allen uses his super speed to go back in time, in order to undo the murder of his mother when he was a child. When he returns to the present, this act of changing the past alters everything in his timeline. His Batman is different, his Wonder Woman’s and Aquaman’s kingdoms are at war, and so much more. And it’s almost all for the worse. Barry realized he must allow his past to unfold as it did to restore the present he knew. If you’ve seen The Flash, then much of that synopsis sounds very familiar.

This event comic ultimately led to a new prime DC universe, known as “The New 52.” Flashpoint was a seminal story, one that really changed everything. Both the current film The Flash and the CW television series of the same name did their own versions of Flashpoint. But Andy Muschietti’s The Flash also carries a big influence from a previous mega DC event comic, Crisis on Infinite Earths, by Marv Wolfman and George Perez. In fact, outside of the “going back in time to save mom” plot, the sci-fi plot mechanics of The Flash more closely resemble those in Crisis on Infinite Earths.

Flashpoint: Barry Allen’s Time Travel Tragedy

In Flashpoint, Barry Allen changes races backward in time into his past, resulting in a new future. Or for him, a new present. In this reality, things were far darker. For starters, they shot Bruce Wayne in the alley instead of his parents, thereby making his father Thomas Wayne into Batman, and his mother Martha into the Joker. Superman never arrived in the Kansas cornfield, and instead was captured by Soviet Agents. But in both The Flash film and Crisis on Infinite Earths, something different occurs thanks to Barry’s interference. Barry’s meddling in the past collapses several distinct timelines into one, changing history from even before the event of his mother’s murder.

The Flash and Crisis on Infinite Earths, Two DC Sagas of Colliding Timelines

In Crisis on Infinite Earths, distinctly different Earths suddenly merged. The Justice Society of America from World War II once lived on its own distinct parallel dimension, Earth-Two. Meanwhile, the modern-day Justice League lived on Earth-One. With Crisis, these worlds and their histories merged. The JSA was still a part of history, but its Superman was erased from the timeline, and replaced with another. No one but a handful of heroes knew that this shared history was something created as a result of the Crisis. The Flash borrows from this story, with Barry’s universe now having a totally different Batman (Michael Keaton), replacing the one played by Ben Affleck. This was far more of a Crisis reference than a reference to Flashpoint.

When Worlds Collide

Of course, the biggest Crisis influence came towards the climax of the film. When the two Flashes are moving through time, we see multiple realities crashing into each other around them. We see the heroes of these realities on various time globes, for lack of a better word. All of which just brings to mind George Perez’s classic cover of Crisis in Infinite Earths #5. Only in this instance, the worlds we see feature the heroic figures not from comics, but from DC’s multimedia past—George Reeves as Superman, Adam West as Batman, and Christopher Reeve and Helen Slater as Superman and Supergirl, respectively. And the biggest fun surprise, we saw Nicolas Cage as the Man of Steel from Superman Lives, Tim Burton’s unmade ‘90s film.

The final main plot beats of both the Flashpoint and Crisis on Infinite Earths comics are largely the same however. And they seem to also be the same in The Flash. A new DCU universe with a new history emerged from all three stories. One that kept some elements from a previous continuity, while overwriting others. It remains to be seen just what James Gunn’s new DCU keeps from the old continuity. But at least some things will remain. Aside from a new Superman and Batman, we don’t really know much else at the current time. Will Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman stay? How changed is Jason Momoa’s Aquaman? We have a lot of questions still. But without a doubt, The Flash owes a great deal to Marv Wolfman’s and George Perez’s game-changing classic.

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It’s one of the coolest scenes in The Flash (and DC film history), period. Towards the climax of the film, when the multiple versions of Barry Allen are traveling through the Speed Force in an attempt to change history, or not change it, we see various timelines bleeding in. And all of them are familiar to fans of the long history of shows and movies based on DC Comics characters. This DC Multiverse scene offers cameos of some of the most iconic actors to ever play members of the Justice League, including several who are no longer with us. And we are gonna break down all the DC multiverse cameos in The Flash right here.

Superman (George Reeves)

Although not the first actor to play the Man of Steel (that would be Kirk Alyn, who played Superman in the 1940s serials), George Reeves became an icon in The Adventures of Superman TV series, which ran from 1952-1958. A show that then ran for several decades after in syndication. Although several episodes were shot in color, they filmed most in black and white. And so, the DC Multiverse version we saw in The Flash of George Reeves’ Last Son of Krypton was seemingly in a black-and-white universe. We’re not sure if it’s logical, but it sure feels right.

The Flash, Jay Garrick

One of the more perplexing DC cameos in the Multiverse scene is the original Flash, Jay Garrick. As DC Comics fans are aware, he was the speedster of DC Comics’ Golden Age, operating from 1940-1952 in the comics. The Jay we see here was shot in black and white. Just like the George Reeves Superman. It looks like this was actor Teddy Sears, who played the fake Jay Garrick from the CW Flash series. He turned out to be the villainous Zoom. But why not John Wesley Shipp, since he was the real Jay Garrick in the show? Not to mention, the first live-action Flash, period. We don’t know the answer, but whoever the actor is, that is definitely the original Golden Age Flash running through the Multiverse.

Batman (Adam West)

If you blink you might miss him, but the original cinematic Batman, Adam West, appears in the Multiverse scene. And yes, thanks to the 1966 Batman movie, which was a spin-off of the TV series, that means West was the big-screen Caped Crusader over two decades before Michael Keaton. We didn’t notice Robin there with him, which is a shame, because it’s hard to imagine Batman ’66 without him. But the so-called “Bright Knight” is definitely there in his blue and grey tights, fighting the good fight.

Superman (Christopher Reeve)

For an entire generation, the late Christopher Reeve was the ultimate Superman. First appearing in Richard Donner’s 1978 Superman: The Movie, and its three subsequent sequels, Reeve’s portrayal is still thought of as one of the greatest superhero performances on screen. In his appearance in The Flash, it looks like he’s brought to life via archival footage and CGI. Back in the ‘80s and ‘90s, fans clamored for Reeve’s Superman and Keaton’s Batman to appear in a movie together. And now, that collaboration is sort of real.

Supergirl (Helen Slater)

Sasha Calle was not the first cinematic Maid of Might. No, that honor goes to actress Helen Slater, who played Kara Zor-El/Linda Lee in the very campy 1984 movie Supergirl. And later, Slater played the CW Kara’s adoptive mother on the TV series Supergirl. It was set in continuity with the Christopher Reeve Superman films. Although sadly, the pair never appeared on screen together…. until now, that is. Thanks to The Flash, the Kryptonian cousins fly together past the Metropolis skyline at last, thanks to some digital trickery.

Superman (Nicolas Cage)

In the biggest shocker of a cameo in The Flash, Nicolas Cage appears as Superman. And he’s fighting a giant spider too. As fans may know, they cast Nic Cage in Tim Burton’s Superman Lives way back in 1997. The film’s producer Jon Peters wanted his version of Superman to fight a giant spider. A giant spider he managed to work into his next film, Wild Wild Wet. Director Kevin Smith famously shared this story, which went viral. But that movie never happened. Now, at long last, Nic Cage gets to wear the cape and tights of the Man of Steel in The Flash. We can’t wait for the inevitable action figure.

Sadly, not every iconic live-action DC hero could make the final cut. Director Andy Muschietti admitted that there were plans for Marlon Brando’s Jor-El from Superman: The Movie, as well as some of the villains from Batman ’66, like the Joker and the Penguin. Perhaps the most brutal cuts were the removal of Lynda Carter’s Wonder Woman and Grant Gustin’s Flash. (The latter feels especially egregious, given the nine years he put into playing the role on TV.) Maybe we’ll see them in a future “Extended DC Multiverse Cut” of The Flash. After all, the world is no stranger to longer versions of DC films finding a way to happen.

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We may not have officially kicked off summer, but that doesn’t mean it’s too soon to start planning for Halloween. Specifically, it’s time to think about this year’s Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights. And this year, expect to hear some disturbing clicking sounds in their latest Haunted House. Because Naughty Dog has revealed that their iconic game (now HBO sensation) The Last of Us will get its own Halloween Horror Nights haunted house this fall.

The Last of Us haunted house will welcome guests at Universal Studios Orlando on September 1. The Universal Studios Hollywood version opens on September 7. Watch the super creepy announcement video:

The description for The Last of Us Halloween Horror Nights experience is as follows:

The Last of Us haunted houses on both coasts will propel guests into a world of carnage and mayhem as they follow in the footsteps of the game’s protagonists, Joel and Ellie, who endure a brutal journey in a world overtaken by a fungal virus that turns humans into various forms of a new threat known as the Infected. As guests encounter the Infected – Runners, Stalkers and Clickers – along with The Hunters, a band of hostile humans, they will need to navigate the Pittsburgh Quarantine Zone, including iconic locations from the video game such as the creepy and desolate The Hotel Grand and a labyrinth of dark and dank tunnels, in a desperate attempt to escape and survive.

Executive Producer of Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood John Murdy has longed to include The Last of Us for a long time. In a statement, he said, “The world inside the game offers a multitude of suspenseful and horrifying opportunities.” Thanks to the popularity of both the game and the TV series, we expect the lines for this one to be substantial. We expect more HHN announcements in the weeks to come. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit Universal’s site.

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Fans of the Kent family have good reason to rejoice today. According to Deadline, The CW has renewed Superman and Lois for an abbreviated fourth season. Also returning for another season is All-American: Homecoming. In normal times, a renewal for Superman and Lois would be a no-brainer, as it’s one of CW’s better-performing shows. But with The CW shifting away from original scripted programming under its new management, the fate of the series was very much up in the air.

However, Superman and Lois’ good news comes along with some bad news for another DC Comics-related series, Gotham Knights. That series is ending after only one short season. This leaves Superman and Lois as the final DC Comics-related series on the CW, which has been home to eight series based on DC properties, with six of them occupying the Arrowverse. All series, including this one, were produced by Greg Berlanti. Superman and Lois is only tangentially related to the Arrowverse. Both Tyler Hoechlin and Elizabeth Tulloch originated their roles in episodes of Supergirl, but these versions exist on a separate Earth in the Multiverse.

Things will be different for Superman and Lois in season four, however. The network has reduced the episode count from 13 to 10. It reduced the budget as well, which likely means fewer fights in tights and big effects and more family drama. It might also mean they might reduce the rather large cast due to budgetary concerns. According to TV Line, seven series regulars have been cut: Dylan Walsh, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Erik Valdez, Inde Navarrette, Wolé Parks, Tayler Buck, and Sofia Hasmik. This leaves only four series regulars returning for Superman and Lois season four. These are Tyler Hoechlin (as Clark Kent/Superman), Elizabeth Tulloch (as Lois Lane) and Alex Garfin and Michael Bishop as the duos twin sons, Jordan and Jonathan Kent. Michael Cudlitz, who will play Lex Luthor, will become a season regular as well.

With the WGA strike in full effect, it might be some time before production begins on season four. Given that this will likely be the show’s swan song season, here’s hoping they do the Smallville crew justice.

Originally published on June 13, 2023.

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One of the most prolific and legendary artists to ever work for Marvel Comics has left us. John Romita Sr. has sadly passed away at the age of 93, on June 13. The news arrived via Twitter, in a post from his son John Romita Jr., himself an art legend at Marvel Comics. The elder Romita was especially famous for taking over art duties on The Amazing Spider-Man, redefining Peter Parker’s look. This was after Spidey’s co-creator Steve Ditko left the title. During his time with Spidey, he introduced several of his co-creations to the lore, like the Kingpin and Peter Parker’s future wife, Mary Jane Watson. Stan Lee asked Romita to draw “the most beautiful girl you can imagine” when creating MJ. Romita delivered on that promise in just one iconic panel.

In addition to his five-year run on The Amazing Spider-Man, Romita also co-created the characters of Wolverine, Luke Cage, and the Punisher. Technically Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko co-created the bulk of the classic Marvel heroes and villains. But by the early ’70s, Romita was the chief architect in how Marvel’s characters looked in merchandising. John Romita became the go-to guy when you needed images of Marvel’s pantheon of heroes drawn in heroic poses. In fact, during this period, John Romita Romita would serve the role of Marvel’s art director.

John Romita was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1930, the son of Italian immigrants. By 19, he was already working as a comic book artist. He would then find success drawing romance comics aimed at a female audience. In 1966, he got hired by Marvel, to draw their relatively low-selling series Daredevil. But after eight issues, Stan Lee hired him to take over for Steve Ditko when he left The Amazing Spider-Man.

During Romita’s time, he put his experience with romance comics to good use. He made Peter Parker more handsome, like a soap opera lead. He became a character MJ Watson would believably fall for. During Romita’s Spider-Man tenure, the title would go from Marvel’s second best-selling title to their biggest seller.

If you were a Gen-X kid growing up in the ’70s and ’80s loving Marvel Comics, then the art of John Romita was the way you perceived the Marvel characters. From calendars to plastic cups to posters to lunchboxes, it was Romita’s renditions that were on almost every piece of merchandising during this era. The Marvel “House Style” ultimately wasn’t Jack Kirby or Gil Kane or any other prolific artist, it was Romita’s. The heroic pose of Spidey standing in the center of his web was an image every kid knew back in the day. Most kids didn’t know who drew it, but it was the distinctive touch of John Romita. Although Romita mostly retired for the last several decades, he drew the occasional issue or cover for Marvel, reminding younger readers that he still had it. His contributions to the art form of comic books will not be forgotten.

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We first heard we could add Bambi to the list of Disney live-action movies in early 2020. The story of the little deer who lost his mama and made friends with the forest critters will get another chance at the big screen. And recently, the movie showed signs of new progress. According to Deadline, Oscar winner Sarah Polley is in talks to direct the latest Disney live-action film. The publication also notes that Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster wrote the latest version of the script. And additionally, the project would be a musical and would feature music by Kacey Musgraves.

The original Bambi was one of Walt Disney’s passion projects after the incredible success of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. But due to the outbreak of World War II in Europe, both Snow White follow-up films Bambi and Pinocchio lost money for the studio, with the entire European market now closed off to them. But nevertheless, Bambi garnered several Oscar nominations, and thanks to many re-releases and home video, became the classic we think of it as today.

Unlike later Disney animated films, Bambi is a relatively simple story. The actual original film is barely over an hour in length, coming in at just 70 minutes. So that means that this new version will have to have a very padded-out screenplay to make it closer to a traditional two-hour running time that most big movies have these days. I imagine we will see more of Bambi’s parents, and get way more screen time for scene-stealing characters like Thumper and Flower the skunk.

It could be that Bambi goes the same route as the recent Lady and the Tramp re-do, and the studio will release it straight to Disney+. Peter and Wendy, a live-action remake of Peter Pan, recently headed right to the streaming service. However, a live-action The Little Mermaid movie released in theaters.

Considering there are no humans seen in the original Bambi, this could wind up being another controversy similar to Disney’s remake of The Lion King, which was criticized for being an animated film posing as live-action. Unless we suddenly see the hunters who killed Bambi’s mom—who are largely off-screen characters anyway—I don’t see how this new iteration of Bambi will really be able to be considered “live-action.”

Regardless, the live-action remakes of classic animated Disney fare has been a major franchise for the studio, on par with Star Wars and Marvel. While they might run out of the original 2D animated classics to remake in the next few years, it’s only a matter of time before the Pixar films like Toy Story and Monsters, Inc. get the treatment. And with all the money that The Nightmare Before Christmas rakes in via merchandise, that one has got to be on the docket as well. Personally, I can’t wait for Hercules‘ live-action movie. That one doesn’t get nearly enough love, and could be perfect given the right casting.

This new Bambi live-action movie is still in early development, but perhaps we will hear more about it soon.

Originally published on January 24, 2020.

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With The Flash film finally upon us, positioning Barry Allen as the fastest hero on the silver screen, it has us wondering. Who is the actual fastest Flash in DC comics? While most would say Barry Allen as a certainty, given his positioning as the most well-known Scarlet Speedster, the actual answer might surprise you. We count down the fastest speed heroes in the Flash family, from “least speed” to light speed.

Note: We are only counting the speedster heroes of the main “Earth-0” continuity of DC Comics. So no Flashes from alternate futures or parallel worlds who only appeared a handful of times. And no evil versions of the Flash, like the Reverse Flashes, Godspeed, or the Black Flash.

10. Iris “Irey” West (Thunderheart, Impulse II)

Wally West, the third Flash, has two young twin children with his wife, reporter Linda Park. Their speedster kid is Iris West, named after Wally’s beloved aunt Iris, but she goes by Irey. She and her twin brother Jai grew at a sped-up rate, but stabilized at around age eight. While her brother Jai channels speed energy into his muscles, making him strong, Irey has traditional super-speed powers. She originally took the name Impulse, until Bart Allen took the name back. She currently goes by Thunderheart. Still a small child, she can’t come close to the speed records of the other Flashes. But she has managed to run hundreds of miles in a mere ten seconds. Not bad for a little kid.

9. Max Mercury

Originally an obscure Golden Age hero called Quicksilver (name changed for obvious, Marvelous reasons), Max Mercury returned in Mark Waid’s fun of The Flash in the ‘90s. We learned that Max was a “speed guru,” and actually gained his speed through a magic spell, and not some scientific mishap. Born in 1819, he’s the oldest living speedster. And he was the first to discover and name the Speed Force. Having spent years studying it, he understands the Speed Force intricacies better than most. Able to use acrobatic skills while tapping into his speed, he mentored both Wally West and Bart Allen in using their powers. Despite this, he can only run past Mach-1, the speed of sound.

8. Avery Ho (Flash VI)

One of the newest members of the Flash family, Avery Ho is the Flash of China, and a member of that country’s Justice League. She gained her powers in a Speed Force storm in Barry Allen’s hometown of Central City, which also created the villain Godspeed. After getting a better handle on her new abilities, Avery was asked to join the Justice League of China as their Flash. During a period when Flash Barry Allen vanished, Avery was recruited to take his place on in multi-dimensional team Justice League Incarnate. She can certainly keep up with the veteran Flashes, but is still not quite at their speed levels.

7. Jesse Chambers (Jesse Quick, Liberty Belle, Flash IV)

Jesse Quick, who also goes by the name Jesse Chambers, is a legacy hero like Wally West and Bart Allen. Her father was Golden Age speedster Johnny Quick, and her mother was his fellow superhero, Liberty Belle. Jesse inherited her dad’s speed, which she can access by reciting a certain speed formula as her mantra. She also inherited her mother’s super strength. This made her a formidable member of groups like the Titans and the Justice Society. And although she is pretty darn fast, she can only run at half-light speed. But while other speedsters may be faster, Jesse also has super strength, which gives her a leg up on some of the others. She very briefly took the name Flash from Wally West when he vanished, but this was for just a few issues.

6. Wallace West (Kid Flash III)

Believe it or not, there are actually two speedsters named Wallace West, both nephews of Barry Allen’s wife, Iris West. The elder one goes by “Wally,” and he’s the son of Iris’ brother Rudy West. The second is the son of her brother Daniel West, one of the Reverse Flashes, and goes by Wallace. Teenage Wallace became Kid Flash during the New 52 era of DC Comics, and inspired the Kid Flash we saw in the CW Flash series. Wallace has thus far proven to be pretty fast, able to move at superhuman speeds equal to the speed of light, or 186,000 miles per second. He may eventually surpass the other members of the Flash family in terms of his speed. But he’s still pretty new at this, and has a few miles to go before that happens.

5. Jay Garrick (The Flash I)

Created in 1940, college student Jay Garrick gained super-speed powers when inhaling the fumes of something called “Hard Water.” (Wait, isn’t hard water just ice?) He became the first superhero to call himself the Flash, and was a founding member of the Justice Society of America. But his high speeds were rather tame by modern standards, running at 20 times the speed of sound. Very impressive during World War II, but less so today. His successors would all run far faster than he could. He eventually learned how to run at much, much faster speeds after discovering the Speed Force, but he couldn’t quite match his successors. Who are all, frankly, far younger than he is. But he’s still pretty spry for a dude who’s over 100 years old.

4. Jenni Ognats (XS)

This speedster is the cousin of Bart Allen, a.k.a Impulse. She was born in the 31st Century to Dawn Allen, one of the children of Barry Allen and Iris West-Allen. Unlike Bart, Jenni remained in her future time, and joined the Legion of Super-Heroes, the teen champions of the United Planets. She can run at near-light speeds, vibrate through solid matter, and even time travel and cross dimensions by altering her molecular vibrational frequencies. She has not had as much training as her cousin Bart, so he has the edge on her speed-wise, for now. XS has not been seen for some time, and it’s unclear if she’s even still a part of mainstream DC continuity.

3. Barry Allen (Flash II)

Even though he’s the second hero named the Flash, for years, DC Comics has positioned Barry Allen as the “Prime Flash.” He set the stage for DC Comics’ Silver Age revival, and carried his own series for 29 years. In the 2009 limited series Flash: Rebirth, which resurrected Barry after more than two decades, they revealed that Barry actually created the Speed Force himself, from which all other speedsters derive their powers. That makes him the most important Flash for sure. But does it necessarily make him the fastest?

Barry’s top speed generates a multiversal constant power, allowing him to exist in every time and dimension at once. He once had to travel 9.4 million times faster than the speed of light when saving an entire city’s population from a nuclear explosion. And he’s outrun Death itself not once, but twice. So yes, he is one of the fastest being in existence. But still, Barry Allen is not quite the fastest speedster out there. That honor goes to another Scarlet Speedster.

2. Bart Allen (Impulse, Kid Flash II, Flash V)

Barry Allen’s grandson from the 31st century has had quite a tumultuous history. Born with Speed Force access in his very DNA, Bart was growth accelerated, and educated at hyper speed in the future, sent back in time to become the teen hero Impulse (later Kid Flash). Later, he became the adult Flash for a time, before dying and then regressing to puberty and becoming Impulse again. We know, it’s all pretty convoluted. But while Wally is now on record as being technically faster than Barry, by his own words, Bart will eventually become faster than he is, and is pretty close to it now. We know it’s controversial not putting Barry in the number two slot. But we are taking Wally West’s word for it and saying that Bart Allen is the second-fastest Flash.  

1. Wally West (Kid Flash I, Flash III)

For years, Wally West, the original Kid Flash, felt inferior to his predecessor Barry Allen upon taking the Flash mantle when he died in Crisis on Infinite Earths. This was because for many years, he could not match the super speed limits Barry had. He was only able to run at supersonic speeds, but not anything approaching the time barrier. Eventually though, upon discovering the power of the Speed Force, Wally West far surpassed his uncle and mentor Barry Allen in terms of velocity.

In the Flash War storyline, it was determined once and for all that Wally was faster than Barry. Unlike other speedsters, Wally is constantly mainlining pure Speed Force energy. He doesn’t need a cosmic treadmill to travel through time like Barry once did, and has even outrun death (in the form of the Black Flash) just like his uncle. In the series Flash Forward, it was determined that Wally West is the fastest being in the whole Multiverse. At least for now, as Wally is certain that Bart will surpass him one day. But for the moment, Wally West is the Fastest Man Alive.

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It usually takes some time for an animated Disney film to get a live-action film adaptation. But according to the Mouse House, they’re bringing the beloved 2016 film Moana into live-action. This live-action Moana will even see one of its original stars producing and, potentially, starring. And yes, that star is Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who played the part of demigod Maui in the original film. Johnson tweeted the official announcement of his return to the world of Moana, which you can watch right here:

The Walt Disney Company and Dwayne Johnson also released this statement on the new, live-action iteration of Moana:

I’m deeply humbled and overcome with gratitude to bring the beautiful story of Moana to the live-action big screen. This story is my culture, and this story is emblematic of our people’s grace and warrior strength. I wear this culture proudly on my skin and in my soul, and this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reunite with Maui, inspired by the mana and spirit of my late grandfather, High Chief Peter Maivia, is one that runs very deep for me. I want to thank my partners at Disney for their strong commitment to this special endeavor, because there is no better world for us to honor the story of our people, our passion and our purpose than through the realm of music and dance, which is at the core of who we are as Polynesian people.

Auli‘i Cravalho, who voiced Moana in the animated film, is also one of the producers. She shared on Instagram in May that she, however, would not be reprising the role of Moana. Cravalho said, “As an executive producer on the film, I cannot wait to help find the next actress to portray Moana’s courageous spirit, undeniable wit, and emotional strength.”

The live-action Moana will arrive in theaters on June 27, 2025.

Originally published on April 3, 2023.

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Who says summer is too soon to celebrate Halloween? Not the Sanderson Sisters from Salem, that’s for sure. This summer, the latest LEGO Ideas set arrives, and it’s the witchy cottage from the cult classic Disney film Hocus Pocus. And they filled this set with many details from the 1993 movie that fans will absolutely love. You can check out images of the latest fan-inspired LEGO Ideas set right here in our gallery.

Click To View Gallery

The new Hocus Pocus set evokes the film in every way. There’s the graveyard where much of the action takes place, and the different magical artifacts found in the Sanderson cottage, like the cauldron, the Spellbook, and more. The Minifigures include all three Sanderson sisters, Winifred, Mary, and Sarah. Also included are the film’s kid protagonists, Max and Dani Dennison, and Allison Watts. And of course, the cat Thackery Binx.

Hocus Pocus celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. Despite being a Halloween-themed film, they chose to release it during the summer months. That killed it at the box office, but years of TV airing made the film a classic. And last year, a sequel arrived, nearly three decades in the making. You can’t keep a good witch down. You can pre-order the Hocus Pocus cottage set for $229.00 by clicking on this link. It is set to arrive on July 4.

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Despite what many believe, Miles Morales was not the first non-Peter Parker Spider-Man to star in his ongoing series. Nor was he the first non-white hero to use the name. The first was Miguel O’Hara, famously known as Spider-Man 2099. Created by writer Peter David and artist Rick Leonardi, this Spidey was part of a publishing initiative by Marvel known as the 2099 universe. In the early ’90s, Marvel Comics gave many of their most popular titles futuristic updates, often with new characters wearing the famous mantles of past heroes. There was X-Men 2099, Punisher 2099, and of course, Spider-Man 2099. And thanks to Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse film, Miguel O’Hara’s Spidey is a household name. Here’s the backstory of this once-forgotten ’90s hero.

Miguel O’Hara: The Most ’90s Spider-Man

In the early ’90s, the comics industry was booming. DC sold millions of comics with stunts like Superman’s death. And Marvel crushed it by selling 10 million copies collectively of Spider-Man #1 and X-Men #1. This resulted in a brief comic boom, which also coincided with the rise of Image Comics. Marvel launched a whole new line of books, conceived by Stan Lee and superstar creator John Byrne. This new line of comics would take place a century in the future from the regular Marvel series, “The Marvel World of Tomorrow.”

That title became a bit of a mouthful, so it became Marvel 2093, then finally, Marvel 2099. Spider-Man 2009 first appeared in a preview in 1992’s Amazing Spider-Man #365, before launching in his own ongoing title a few months later. Writer Peter David named him Miguel after his friend actor Miguel Ferrer, best known for his roles in Twin Peaks and Robocop. He was given mixed ethnicity, with an Irish father and a Mexican mother. This was something that was a pretty big deal at the time when most superheroes were of caucasian and North American descent only.

The Comics Origins of Spider-Man 2099

Miguel O’Hara/Spider-Man 2099 was from what appeared to be the future of the mainstream 616 Marvel Universe. However, it was later revealed as Earth-928. Miguel was the head of the genetics department at the mega-corporation called Alchemax. He spent much of his time trying to replicate the powers of the original Spider-Man, Peter Parker. Miguel’s manipulative boss Tyler Stone got him addicted to a drug called Rapture, an addiction that Miguel tried to purge from himself by making himself the guinea pig in his experiments to replicate spider powers. But a co-worker named Aaron Delgado, who was always jealous of his success at Alchemax, sabotaged the machine that would give Miguel spider abilities. He now had a staggering 50% arachnid DNA. The machine exploded, and Tyler Stone began the hunt for his former employee to unlock the secrets of his powers.

Using an old Dia de Los Muertos costume, which was made from unstable molecules (an invention of the Fantastic Four’s Reed Richards), Miguel donned the suit and became the year 2099’s new Spider-Man. Miguel embraced this new Spider-Man 2099 identity, and became an enemy to not only his former employer Alchemax, but also all the corrupt megacorporations which run the world in the future. He also fought many futuristic versions of classic Peter Parker foes, like the Vulture and the Green Goblin. Always with the help of his holographic assistant, Lyla. Eventually, thanks to some time travel shenanigans, Spider-Man 2099 even met his predecessor Peter Parker in the past. The solo Spider-Man 2099 Marvel Comics series ran for four years and had a respectable 46 issues. But in the late ‘90s, Marvel Comics hit serious financial troubles and shuttered the whole line. Miguel’s Spider-Man 2099 would be more or less absent from the Marvel Universe for a decade.

The Powers of Spider-Man 2099

Miguel O’Hara has powers similar to Peter Parker, but they are not exactly the same. Like Peter, Spide-Man 2099 has the proportionate strength, agility, and speed of a spider. But he can only climb on walls thanks to the talons he grew on his appendages. He also has a pair of fangs that deliver poisonous venom. Some have joked that, in some ways, Spider-Man 2099 is a “vampire Spider-Man.” Unlike Peter, Miguel O’Hara’s webbing comes out of his wrists naturally, a power Spider-Man 2099 had whole decade before Tobey Maguire had organic webs. He tends to prefer gliding to swinging on webs, though. Unlike Peter, Spider-Man 2099 has no traditional Spider-Man “Spidey Sense.” However, he makes up for this fact with telescopic vision, not to mention his super hearing.   

Spider-Man 2099 in Modern Marvel Comics

In the 2000s, Miguel found himself stranded in the past. Spider-Man 2099 finally showed up again in mainstream monthly titles like Amazing Spider-Man. Miguel even worked for Peter in his Parker Industries empire before Peter lost it all and went back to being an ordinary middle-class guy. He appeared a few more times, particularly in the crossover comics events like Spider-Verse or Spider-Geddon. Spider-Man 2099 even got a new white costume while stuck almost a century in the past. But without a doubt, his upcoming appearance in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is his biggest mainstream appearance—at least outside of comics.

Who Is the Animated Miguel O’Hara/Spider-Man 2099 in Across the Spider-Verse?

We saw Spider-Man 2099 and his assistant Lyla in the post-credits scene for Into the Spider-Verse. Then Spider-Man 2099 played a key role in its sequel, with Oscar Isaac reprising his role. In Across the Spider-Verse, we learned that Miguel runs the Spider-Society of multiversal spider-heroes in Nueva York, on Earth-928B. Unlike his Marvel Comics counterpart, this Spider-Man 2099’s home city looks utopian—not like a dystopian hellscape.

Miguel built the device that allowed him to hop dimensions within the multiverse, something we saw at the end of Into the Spider-Verse. Eventually, he discovered a universe where he had a family and a daughter. When his alternate self there died, Miguel decided to replace him on that Earth and raise his daughter as his own. But that one anomaly seemingly caused that particular Earth to unmake itself, apparently killing everyone on it.

Now despondent over his unintended actions, Miguel created the Spider-Society, multi-dimensional Spider-People dedicated to returning any wayward Spider-People back to their proper dimension after the Super Collider event at the end of the previous film. Most importantly, his trauma caused him to enforce a strict mandate: every spider hero had to follow their intended destiny and “canon event,” usually a personal tragedy, otherwise it could lead to anomalies like the one that destroyed the alternate Miguel’s world.

Miguel sees Miles Morales as the “original anomaly.” He says Miles’ unintended existence as Spider-Man is the entire reason he had to create a Spider-Society in the first place. When Miles lets it be known that he won’t allow his personal “canon event” to take place—the death of his father—Miguel sends the entire Spider-Society out to stop him. Although he thinks he’s doing the right thing, Miguel O’Hara is the real antagonist of Across the Spider-Verse. Here’s hoping he sees the error of his ways by the third film. We’d hate to see Spider-Man 2099 only as a misguided villain; he deserves a heroic turn.

Originally published on May 31, 2023.

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One of the scene-stealing Spider-people in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse was Spider-Punk, voiced by Daniel Kaluuya (in his second Marvel role after Black Panther). While characters like Miles Morales, Gwen Stacy, and Spider-Man 2099 are Spider-People who have had many series of their own to their name, Spider-Punk is a more recent Spider-Man creation with a much shorter comic book resume. But he has had quite the journey so far, even before ever hitting it on the big screen. Here’s the Marvel Comics history of Hobart “Hobie” Brown, also known as the Spider-Punk.

In terms of the many spider folk we saw in Across the Spider-Verse, Spider-Punk is among the newer Spider-Man variants we meet. He first appeared in 2015—in the Marvel Comics event Spider-Verse. This, of course, inspired the first Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse film. Created by longtime Amazing Spider-Man writer Dan Slott, he was originally designed by artist Olivier Coipel to be the Spider-Man of the UK. But Slott changed his mind, as he felt the UK deserved a Spider-Man that was more than just a tribute to ’70s punk rock icons the Sex Pistols. But he loved the design, so the character was reimagined, and thus was born Marvel Comics’ Spider-Punk. 

The Origin of Spider-Punk, the Spider-Man of Earth-138

Unlike Peter Parker, Hobart Brown was living on the street as an unhoused youth on Earth-138. But as was often the case for his multiversal spider brethren, a spider bit him. This one mutated as part of President Norman Osborn’s toxic waste dumping. He gained powers that were identical to the 616 universe’s Peter Parker. A punk kid or not, Hobart was still a gifted scientist and invented his web shooters. But none of this stopped him from playing the guitar and being in a punk band. Thereby making him officially cooler than 616 teenage Peter Parker.

Becoming a punk rock-inspired Spider-Man, Spider-Punk led the subjugated citizens of New York against Osborn’s V.E.N.O.M. troops. While Peter Parker and Miles Morales had a strict anti-killing code, Spider-Punk was understandably a bit harder-edged. Although he, too, had a soft spot for his universe’s Gwen Stacy, “until she croaked,” he often said. Spider-Punk killed the Norman Osborn of his Earth during a riot by repeatedly bashing him with his guitar. (Dang, Spidey). Once Osborn died, this world’s Spider-Man unmasked himself to the rioting crowd, who now viewed Spider-Punk as a revolutionary icon.

Joining His Fellow Web Warriors

During the Marvel Spider-Verse comic book event, Spider-Punk was recruited by Superior Spider-Man, who was Doc Ock in Peter Parker’s body, to join an army of arachnid heroes. Hobie became a part of the so-called Web Warriors in big spider-hero-centric events like Spider-Verse and, later, in Spider-Geddon. And he quickly rose to the pack of most prominent Spider-Man variants among the group. Not an easy task, when we’re talking about dozens, if not hundreds, of webslingers. Spider-Punk even fought notorious Marvel villains like Red Skull and even Kang and lived to tell the tale.

Spider-Punk in His Own Series at Last

Finally, in 2022, Spider-Punk got his own mini-series, Spider-Punk: Battled of the Banned, from writer Cody Ziglar and artist Justin Mason. In the recent Ultimate Spider-Man cartoon series, Spider-Punk made his first non-comic book Marvel appearance. They gave him a cockney accent, despite the fact that the comic character was from New York City. That new character detail stuck, and the Daniel Kaluuya version of Spider-Punk we meet in Across the Spider-Verse is a Brit as well. Despite the odds, the original conception of the character as a citizen of the U.K. won out in the end.

Spider-Punk in Across the Spider-Verse

In Across the Spider-Verse, Hobie was one of the spider heroes that befriends Gwen Stacy, and forms a bond with her. She even stays with him sometimes on Earth-138B. Although technically a part of the Spider-Society, Hobie, being a bit of an anarchist, plays by his own rules. So when Miguel O’Hara declares that Miles Morales must be contained before saving his father, possibly disrupting reality, Hobie eventually sides with Miles. At the end of the film, we see him as part of the team recruited to help Miles escape from Earth-42. With Hobie no doubt getting even more exposure in Beyond the Spider-Verse, we expect Spider-Punk to become as prominent as the other Marvel Spider-People in the mainstream very soon.

Originally published June 1, 2023

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Spider-Man has one of the best rogues’ galleries in comics—formidable and iconic villains like Green Goblin, Venom, and Doctor Octopus. Heck, only Batman has a better set of bad guys. But Spider-Man has got some real D-list baddies too. (The Hypno-Hustler, anyone?) But one of those second-string bad guys, known as the Spot, has a pretty big role in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. And he’s actually quite powerful. Whether he realizes it or not. But who is this forgotten Spider-Man villain, now movie star? And is the Spot secretly…kind of cool? Here’s the Marvel Comics history of the Spot, one of the most unlikely Spider-Man villains ever to get the cinematic treatment.

The Origin of the Spot, Spider-Man’s Goofiest-Looking Villain

The villain known as the Spot first appeared in Marvel Comics as an unnamed scientist at MIT; he arrived in 1984’s Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #97. Writer Al Milgrom and artist Herb Trimpe created him. In the very next issue, they revealed the Spot as Jonathan Ohnn, who worked for Wilson Fisk, a.k.a. the villainous Kingpin. Working for Fisk, they tasked the soon-to-be Spot with trying to replicate the powers of the Marvel hero called Cloak, of the duo Cloak and Dagger. Cloak could create portals out of his own being, and the Kingpin wanted that power for himself. Working late one evening, he thought he cracked the code to Cloak’s dimension. But Ohnn actually wound up in a different dimension, one-half dark and one-half light.

This dimension was filled with various small black portals that opened up into other realities. Ohnn found a way back to Earth eventually by going through one, but many of the small black portals had already attached themselves to his body. He discovered he could use these black holes by throwing them and opening portals. Once returning to Earth, he confronted the Kingpin’s nemesis Spider-Man, declaring himself “the Spot.” Spider-Man laughed right in his face at the dumb name that made him sound like a pet. Spidey soundly defeated the Spot, leaving him humiliated. After all, being able to throw interdimensional portals? WAY cooler than having octopus tentacles or rhino skin. Having Spider-Man beat you, regardless of how powerful you were, must have been downright embarrassing for the Spot.

The Spot’s Marvel Comics Fate

After a few defeats at the hands of Spider-Man, Marvel relegated the Spot to permanent loser status. The character was conceived of as a joke villain, but the fact that they gave him such incredible powers makes it a kind of depressing joke. Since his first Marvel Comics appearance, the Spot continually popped up here and there, usually fighting Spider-Man, sometimes in battle with another hero like Daredevil. Often, the Spot was part of a larger Marvel criminal team, like the Sinister Sixteen, MODOK’s 11, or the Legion of Losers. The fact that he was part of a team with a name like that shows you everything you need to know about how the Spot saw himself.

The Spot’s Powers in the Spider-Man Comics

Despite the dumb name, Marvel’s the Spot was pretty formidable power-wise. With his trademark space warp spots, the Spot could transport himself or any part of his body from one area to another, all over what seemed like an unlimited distance. The Spot is able to do all these things thanks to the dimension that gave him these powers. A dimension he unimaginatively named “Spotworld.” These spots could be small, large, and even suspended in the air. The Spider-Man villain could also change their size at will.

The Spot could even control which portal could lead to Spotworld, and which could open up somewhere else in this dimension. Because of his connection to Spotworld, the Spot learned that he was effectively immortal. This power set technically made him one of Spider-Man’s most formidable Marvel Comics foes. Or at least, it should have. But he’s inflicted less damage on Spider-Man than some weak villains with names like the Looter and The Answer.

The Spot’s Role in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Until now, the Spot’s most prominent role outside the pages of Marvel Comics had been in the 1990s Spider-Man: The Animated Series. He appeared in that show in season three’s “The Spot,” and then again in the recent 2017 Spider-Man cartoon. Now, Jason Schwartzman portrayed this loser villain in Across the Spider-Verse. And he’s even Across the Spider-Verse‘s “Big Bad.” The Spot was always the Spider-Man villain with the most potential when it comes to his powers and abilities, and yet he was barely ever used as anything but a punchline.

In Across the Spider-Verse, we learned that this Jonathan Ohnn was a scientist working at Earth-1610’s Alchemax. He transported the radioactive spider from Earth-42 to his dimension, causing the chain of events leading Miles Morales to become Spider-Man. When Kingpin’s Super-Collider was destroyed, Johnathan became corrupted by dark matter, transforming him into the Spot, a villain who can create dimensional portals across space and parallel worlds.

Blaming his current situation on Miles Morales, and fighting him in a rather hilarious sequence early in the film, the Spot became hellbent on revenge for Miles making him something both more (and also less) than human. We’ll find out in Beyond the Spider-Verse if he can succeed when it comes to exacting vengeance on poor Miles, or if he’s truly a joke “villain of the week” or not. Who ever thought that this reject of a bad guy could potentially destroy all reality? The Spot proves even the goofiest bad guy has potential.

Originally published June 1, 2023.

The post Who Is the Spot? The SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE Villain’s Comic History, Explained appeared first on Nerdist.

Count Chocula. Franken Berry. Boo Berry. The names of the General Mills Monster Cereal mascots are iconic and have been for over 50 years now. But it’s been over 35 years since they added a new ghoul to the line-up. (And for the record, that ghoul was the often underappreciated Yummy Mummy). Now, at long last, a new Cereal Monster will arrive this spooky season. Foolish mortals, Carmella Creeper has entered the chat. She’s a zombie, and a working DJ to boot. And she’s got her own cereal coming this fall. She’ll also take part in this year’s Monster Mash Remix cereal.

Carmella Creeper is actually the long-lost cousin of Franken Berry. General Mills describes her as “a zombie DJ with an edgy sound who is always the life of the party.” She has a fierce attitude and the looks to match, and Carmella is ready to shake things up at the Monsters’ haunted mansion. Her new limited-edition cereal features caramel-apple-flavored pieces with colored monster marshmallows. They will also include Carmella in Monster Mash Remix Cereal. Similar to the 50th anniversary Monster Cereal mash-up released in 2021, this one is a mix of all six Monsters Cereals flavors (Carmella Creeper, Frute Brute, Count Chocula, Boo Berry, Franken Berry, and Yummy Mummy).

We think it’s high time they added a new Monster Cereal to the mix. And seeing as how popular zombies are in pop culture these past two decades or so, it was high time one of them got their turn on the box. But Carmella shouldn’t be the only lady in the group. How about a Watermelon Witch? A Marshmallow Medusa? We’re just throwing it out there. Alongside Carmella and the Monster Mash Remix, General Mills is also releasing the stalwart Count Chocula, Franken Berry, and Boo Berry. Hopefully Frute Brute and Yummy Mummy get their turn again next year. They might not be as popular, but we still love them.

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Nic Cage has become very comfortable in playing a version of himself on screen. He did it last year for the movie The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, and now he’s doing something similar for a video game. Nicolas Cage will play himself once again in Behaviour’s popular multiplayer horror game Dead by Daylight, officially joining the game on July 5. Behaviour Interactive gave fans preview of what the Dead by Daylight Nic Cage game model looks and sounds. You can check it out right here:

For those out there unfamiliar with this game, here’s the basic premise. Dead by Daylight is about four survivors who attempt to escape from a sadistic killer. They are forced to repeat the cycle again and again, regardless of whether they lived or get murdered. It all unfolds in a hidden, dark reality where a power simply called the Entity rules.

Cage took to the stage at 2023’s Summer Game Fest to talk about joining the game. He mentions, in his indelible Nicolas Cagey way, that the reason he wanted to be in Dead by Daylight was because Sadako from Ringu is in it. I mean, whatever works, Mr. Cage.

Other famous horror icons one can find in the game are Freddy Krueger, Cenobites from the Hellraiser series, Michael Myers, and characters from Resident Evil and Silent Hill. But Nicolas Cage is the first celebrity to play himself in Dead by Daylight. Somehow, it seems fitting the guy that has played a vampire twice would get the honor.

Originally published May 17, 2023.

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When you run at Mach 6 on a regular basis, you need really good footwear that doesn’t turn to ribbons after the first mile. Luckily, the Flash has such footwear, and it even matches his costume and logo design. Now, the folks at PUMA are releasing a version of Barry Allen’s running shoes for us regular, non-super-powered people. Say hello to The new PUMA x The Flash RS-X, featuring a design by the streetwear super heroes at BAIT. Inspired of course by “The Fastest Man Alive” and his upcoming feature film. Yes, they’re not designed for running at the speed of sound, but they still look pretty darn cool.

The must-have shoe is part of an expansive merchandise collection from Warner Bros./Discovery to celebrate the epic story of The Flash, hitting theaters everywhere on June 16. The new Flash-inspired shoes will retail for $120 a pair. You can check out images of the new PUMA x The Flash RS-X shoes right here.

Click To View Gallery

In the pages of DC Comics, the Flash actually had custom-made shoes that looked very similar to these. Designed of course by the scientists at S.T.A.R. Labs. After all, his yellow boots aren’t really suitable for a morning jog around the planet. They were a 20th birthday gift to the Wally West version of the Flash by his friends the Teen Titans. This took place way back in 1987’s Flash #1. But we’re pretty sure that Wally’s uncle, Flash Barry Allen, has a similar pair of high-endurance shoes just like these. As cool as the shoes from the comics were, these real-life ones are that much cooler. Just don’t try to beat the Flash’s speed records while running in them.

The new The Flash-inspired footwear will be available on June 14  at Foot Locker, Champs Sports, PUMA.com, and the PUMA NYC Flagship store.

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The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have had many animated incarnations over the years. Despite all the different iterations,  the late ’80s/early ’90s cartoon will be the default versions for most fans. Therefore, this was also the peak era of TMNT video games. Many of us have fond memories of playing Turtles in Time and The Manhattan Project, among others.

As a tribute to those four player, side-scrolling games of yesteryear, we learned that the folks at Dotemu and Tribute Games joined forces to create a retro-style game for PCs and consoles, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge. This retro Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle game is available now. It even comes in a mobile version released by Netflix, and, excitingly enough, it will officially receive its first DLC, Dimension Shellshock.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge – Dimension Shellshock New DLC

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge is getting its first DLC, which means exciting new adventures and new playable characters.

A description of the DLC shares:

Chaos! The Neutrinos crash the Turtles’ latest pizza party! The teenagers from Dimension X are in dire need of help: Shredder is seeking to conquer the multiverse itself!

Our heroes need to jump between dimensions and stop Shredder once and for all!

And additionally:

In addition to a new game mode and character colors, Dimension Shellshock brings new playable fighters, including the razor-sharp Usagi Yojimbo. The steely rabbit samurai is ready to hop across dimensions to fight evil and witness a new style of otherworldly battles awaiting the Turtles!

The game promises “new playable fighters,” in the plural, but only names one. Still, Usagi Yojimbo is a fan-favorite character, and it will be fun to watch this samurai rabbit and the Turtles travel through dimensions together. It looks like Usagi Yojimbo will join the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in their world and the Turtles will join Usagi in the Edo era of ancient Japan.

Players will also be able to use new character colors, helping to make the game look even more nostalgic and retro. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge – Dimension Shellshock DLC will release later in 2023.

TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge on Netflix Games

For those looking to play the game yet another way, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge can also be found on Netflix Games.

This streamlined version of the game lets you play Shredder’s Revenge anywhere, even if you don’t have a gaming console. Luckily, the old-school nature of this TMNT outing makes it perfect to convert n this way.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge Comes to Consoles

If you don’t know much about Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge itself, you can check out the game’s old school style reveal trailer, which will give you all the nostalgic feels, right here:

Here’s the game’s official description:

With Bebop and Rocksteady amassing gizmos to support Krang and Shredder’s latest scheme, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge finds the turtles battling through a breathless tour of iconic TMNT locations to thwart their nemeses’ most diabolical plan yet. Armed with shell-shocking new abilities built on a foundation of classic brawling mechanics, the gang are in for an exhilarating, Foot Clan-stomping romp leading them through the sewers and bustling boroughs of New York City all the way to Dimension X.

If that didn’t take you right back to the early ’90s, we’re not sure what can. All of this looks very classic Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, which we’re sure will delight many fans. Oh, and that version of the classic TMNT theme song? Vocals come courtesy of Mike Patton, frontman for bands like Faith No More and Mr. Bungle.

So pick your favorite platform and enjoy Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo, and Donatello in their full, old-school glory.

Originally published March 10, 2021.

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Even though he’s not the first hero with the name the Flash at DC Comics—that honor belongs to the Justice Society’s Jay Garrick—many consider Barry Allen as the “prime” Scarlet Speedster of the DCU. Although Jay Garrick was popular enough to headline two comics of his own in 1940s, Barry Allen’s Flash began an Atomic Age renaissance at DC Comics, starting the Silver Age, and ushering in concepts that would lead to the Justice League, the Multiverse, and even the Marvel Comics boom of the ‘60s.

And for Flash’s three live-action media incarnations, the 1990 and 2014 TV series, and the current film The Flash, the man behind the mask has always been Barry Allen. These media incarnations have solidified him as the “Prime Flash.” But often, he’s almost just Barry Allen in name only. The faster-than-light hero with the biggest influence on all modern media versions of the Flash has been Barry Allen’s much younger protégé and successor, Wally West. In the comics, he was the only hero to wear the mantle of the Flash from 1985-2006. So why does Barry always hog the spotlight? For that, we go back to the beginning.

Barry Allen: The Baby Boomer Flash

Writer Julius Schwartz and artist Carmine Infantino introduced Barry Allen as a straight-laced, upstanding guy in 1956’s Showcase #4. He worked as a police scientist, which is old-timey speak for a CSI. When a lightning bolt struck him at the same time as various chemicals splashed all over his body, he gained super speed. For no other reason than to just do the right thing, Barry took on the superhero identity of the Flash. In terms of personality, however, Barry was as vanilla as they come. He was an unremarkable, even-tempered ordinary guy, who just so happened to be able to run really fast. His only personality “quirk” was that he was always late.

The Death of Barry Allen, the Rise of Wally West

In the early ‘80s, DC tried to inject the usually boring Barry with some drama and pathos, when his wife Iris West Allen was murdered by his nemesis, the Reverse Flash. In subsequent stories, Barry broke the superhero code and killed his enemy, forcing him to stand trial for murder. None of these storylines boosted Barry’s profile enough for DC to continue with the character, though. Instead, they chose the option of having Barry sacrifice his life to save the universe in Crisis on Infinite Earths #8 in 1985. He became DC’s patron saint. But that wasn’t the end of The Flash as a property. Far from it.

Like most big superheroes at DC, Barry Allen had a teen sidekick. When his nephew Wally West gained powers identical to his, the 13-year-old boy from Blue Valley Nebraska became Kid Flash. He and his Uncle Barry had many adventures together. However, he gained much more nuanced characterization as an older teen in the pages of The New Teen Titans. DC chose the 20-year-old Wally West to take over the Flash mantle when Barry died in Crisis. This was a milestone moment for DC, having a kid sidekick grow up and take over for their mentor. Wally finally fulfilled the promise of having a sidekick in the first place.

Wally West: The Gen-X Flash

When Wally received his own series with 1987’s The New Flash #1. The costume and powers might have been the same as his uncle’s, but everything else was different. Wally was a college dropout, a bit of a hothead, and more than a little bit selfish and immature. This Flash was barely out of his teens, and at first, actually charged for his services. He loved to openly flirt with the ladies, and dated an older divorced scientist named Tina McGee. Which was quite scandalous for comics at the time. Unlike Barry, Wally had to consume mass quantities of food due to his supercharged metabolism. The fact that he received his powers at puberty made him fundamentally different.

Wally, particularly under the guidance of writer Mark Waid, grew up fast. He embraced maturity when he met reporter Linda Park, his future wife, and discovered the Speed Force, the source of all speedster power. He was the Gen-X Flash, and Gen-X readers literally grew up with him. When producers of the animated Justice League series needed a Flash, they chose Wally. Even if his obnoxious, immature personality on the series was only based on very early Wally as Flash stories, nevertheless, it certainly wasn’t like any Barry we’d ever come to know in the comics. Despite this, Wally West wouldn’t be the main focus of any Flash live-action project. His long-dead predecessor Barry Allen kept getting that Hollywood call. And the first call came in 1990.

TV’s First Flash: Barry Allen (with Some Wally Influence)

When Flash got his own CBS TV series in 1990 starring John Wesley Ship, the network decided to go with Barry Allen and not Wally West as the protagonist, despite Barry having died in the comics five years prior. There are understandable reasons for this of course. Barry had a less cluttered origin story, and a job on the police force that easily lead to TV plots. Wally’s Flash was defined by Barry’s sacrifice and his time as his protégé. It was much easier to just keep things simple for TV. So they went with Barry.

But even that first TV version of Barry Allen was influenced by Wally West Flash comics of the time. His co-star and romantic interest in the series was Dr. Tina McGee, whom Wally dated in the comics. Barry’s classic love interest Iris West was a minor part of the pilot episode, and was then subsequently written out of the show. And TV Barry’s costume looked a lot more like Wally’s comic book outfit. However, most of Barry’s more straight-laced personality from the original comics was intact for the 1990-1991 series. But the influences of Wally were already felt.

CW and DCEU Flash: Barry Allen Spliced with Wally West

By the time the 2014 Flash TV series hit the CW, Barry Allen had been back from the grave for about five years. Nevertheless, outside of his origins as a CSI and his romance with Iris West, much of CW Barry’s personality and storylines came from Wally West’s time as the Flash. For starters, this was a much younger Barry Allen than we ever saw portrayed in the comics or the ’90s show. A large part of the Flash mythology on the show centered around the Speed Force, something that was discovered by Wally West and played a large part in his stories. There was never a hint of the Speed Force in the original Barry Allen comics. And certainly, Grant Gustin’s Barry is more lighthearted and humorous like Wally, far more than his often stiff comics counterpart.

But no version of Barry Allen is more Wally West in disguise than the DCEU version currently played by Ezra Miller. Yes, his Flash has the same origin story as comic book Barry, and works as a CSI too. But from his fast-talking and jokey attitude to his need to eat food constantly because of his hyper metabolism, to his slacker youth, this Barry is more like Wally than any other. More than any other live-action Barry Allen, he bears the least resemblance to his comic book counterpart.

There is only one aspect of Barry Allen’s modern TV and film persona that we can attribute to only Barry without Wally influence. That’s Barry’s mother’s tragic murder when he was a child, a tragedy he goes back in time to prevent. They added that wrinkle to Barry’s past when DC resurrected the character in 2009, to make him less boring and give him a more modern edge. Regardless of that change, modern media Barry Allen owes his nephew Wally West a great big thank you. Because he just wouldn’t be the same guy without him.

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Have you seen Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse yet? Judging from its incredible box office take over opening weekend, it seems many of you have. Those of you who haven’t? Really, you need to get on that, because it’s freakin’ amazing. But whether you’re seeing it for the first time or the fifth, one complaint keeps popping up from moviegoers. And that’s the Across the Spider-Verse sound mix. Many moviegoers have reported the volume is too muted at the start of the film and that the opening narration from Gwen Stacy is hard to hear. While we love the film, we agree.

Well, Across the Spider-Verse writer/producer Phil Lord has a suggestion for everyone. He took to Twitter and reminded the audience that all they had to do was politely make an inquiry to a movie theater employee. Simply ask someone who works at the theater to turn up the volume to a reference 7, or even a slightly louder 7.5. Lord even made some stickers for the projectionists who make the movie look and sound its best.

As you can tell from the replies to Lord’s post, a lot of people are having issues with the Across the Spider-Verse sound mix. Given that the movie is one of the most stunning animated films ever, muddled sound shouldn’t detract from it. Regardless, we actually would like one of those little custom Miles Morales stickers. It’s a cooler Spider-Verse memento than one of those popcorn buckets you never know where to display.

Hopefully, when Beyond the Spider-Verse hit theaters next year, we won’t have the same audio issues. As of right now, Beyond the Spider-Verse is of the most anticipated cinematic “third chapters in the trilogy” since Avengers: Endgame. Dare we suggest it’s maybe even on the same level as Return of the Jedi? It would be a shame if we got anything less than a perfect theatrical experience. Miles and the Spider-Society deserve the best.

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It’s been 31 years since Michael Keaton last wore the cape and cowl of the Dark Knight in Batman Returns. But after all this time, he’s back as Bruce Wayne in The Flash. As a way of celebrating his long-awaited return, Keaton was part of a special screening hosted by Empire Magazine of his 1989 Batman debut and the upcoming The Flash. At the Q&A, Keaton answered several questions about filming the original Tim Burton film, and how a certain iconic line was totally improvised on set. He explained the origin of “You wanna get nuts?? Let’s get nuts!” to the crowd.

“I don’t think ‘Let’s get nuts’ was in the script, that was me. That scene was never really that good as written, to be honest with you. That was one of the days when we went round and round. I think Kim [Basinger] is in it, me and Jack [Nicholson], nobody could ever find it. I thought, ‘Okay, pressure’s on, man. Pressure. Is. On.’ I thought he’d probably said, ‘Okay, I’m kind of cornered, I only have one way to go and I’d better let this character know that we’re gonna throw down.’

One of the other more famous things Michael Keaton invented for the big screen Batman is the idea that Bruce Wayne had a deeper, gravely voice when in costume. This was definitely not something Adam West did, and almost every other cinematic Batman has followed in Keaton’s footsteps here. Particularly Christian Bale in the three Christopher Nolan films. So what inspired the infamous Bat-voice? According to Keaton, it was really just logic.

“I actually bother people because I fall back to logic. And I remember standing there going, ‘Okay, how are we gonna do this?’ The scene was somebody standing right next to me and I said, this guy’s going to look at me and say, ‘Hey, it’s Bruce Wayne!’ It’s as practical as ‘How does the audience really believe that people don’t go, “clearly this is Bruce Wayne dressed up on a rubber suit…’ “

We are beyond excited to see Michael Keaton as the Caped Crusader again The Flash. We can only hope it’s not the last time we see him in the black rubber suit. It’s an infinite multiverse, after all. And who wouldn’t want to see Keaton as “Old Man Bruce” in a live-action Batman Beyond project? To read more details on Keaton’s time making Batman, be sure to head on over to Empire Magazine for more.

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For decades now, we’ve heard rumors about a sequel to Beetlejuice, Tim Burton’s 1988 hit which cemented his signature style. The story of a young goth girl (Winona Ryder) who tries to help two ghosts in her haunted home scare her parents away. The ghost they hire is a “Bio-exorcist” named Beetlejuice to do the deed. A cult classic to this day, plans for a sequel have always been rumored. During the ’90s, they even floated “Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian” to Kevin Smith.

But now, some 35 years after the original hit theaters, a sequel to the adventures of the “Bio Exorcist” is finally on the way. Original star Michael Keaton, director Tim Burton, and Scream and Wednesday star Jenna Ortega have all signed on.

Recently Keaton opened up about returning for the sequel after so long in development limbo. He told Empire, “Beetlejuice is the most f–kin’ fun you can have working. It’s so fun, it’s so great. And you know what it is? We’re doing it exactly like we did the first movie… There’s a woman in the great waiting room for the afterlife literally with a fishing line – I want people to know this because I love it – tugging on the tail of a cat to make it move.”

That does sound like a lot of fun. Keaton adds, “[Burton] and I were talking about it years and years ago, never telling anybody. I said, ‘if it happens, first of all, we’ve both said we’re doing it many times. We both agreed, if it happens, it has to be done as close to the way we made it the first time. Making stuff up, making stuff happen, improvising and riffing, but literally handmade stuff like people creating things with their hands and building something. F–kin’ great. It’s the most fun I’ve had working on a movie in I can’t tell you how long.”

So bust out that Handbook for the Recently Deceased; here is everything we know about the upcoming Beetlejuice sequel.

Title

We have no idea what the Beetlejuice sequel will be titled. At least not yet. It might just be a very basic Beetlejuice 2. But we’re hoping for Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice! That way, if they ever make it a trilogy, they can call the third one Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice! and Michael Keaton will magically appear when summoned, just by saying the title.

Beetlejuice Sequel Plot

We don’t know much about the plot either, aside from it centering on the daughter of Lydia Deetz from the first film. And somehow, the previously unknown wife of Beetlejuice will play a part as well. We think it’s safe to say that both ghosts and the afterlife will play a rather large role.

The Beetlejuice Sequel Cast

The cast for the Beetlejuice sequel is shaping up to have a combination of stars from the original, and other actors that Tim Burton has recently worked with. Michael Keaton will return as the titular character, joined by Jenna Ortega, who recently worked with Burton on Wednesday, as the daughter of Winona Ryder’s Lydia Deetz character from the first film. Winona Ryder is returning as well, as so is Catherine O’Hara as her stepmother. Other original cast members, like Geena Davis and Alec Baldwin, are likely not returning.

New to the cast is Willem Dafoe, who is playing a law enforcement officer in the afterlife. Another new face is Justin Theroux, in an as-yet undisclosed role. Could Lydia have married, and he’s now the father of Jenna Ortega’s character? Of course, that assumes Lydia has a significant other. It’s all a mystery still. Also new to the world of the afterlife is Monica Bellucci, who will play the previously unknown wife of Beetlejuice. This will be the first time working on a Tim Burton project for all three actors.

Behind the Scenes

Returning behind the camera is original filmmaker Tim Burton. Al Gough and Miles Millar, the creators of the hit Netflix Burton/Ortega collaboration Wednesday, wrote the screenplay for the sequel. And Tim Burton’s longtime friend and collaborator Danny Elfman is returning to compose the score. It just wouldn’t feel like Beetlejuice without an Elfman score, would it?

Beetlejuice Sequel Release Date.

The long-awaited sequel to the Tim Burton horror/comedy classic Beetlejuice hits theaters on September 6, 2024.

Originally published on May 15, 2023.

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Unlike many of her heroic Marvel counterparts, Jessica Drew, the original Spider-Woman, doesn’t have the kind of origin story one can summarize in just a few sentences. Her backstory is, to put it mildly, somewhat complicated. She plays a big part in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, so as we celebrate Jessica Drew’s animated cinematic debut, and wait for her to make her grand cinematic live-action entrance, let’s take a deep dive into her bizarre backstory. For Jessica, it began with 1977’s Marvel Spotlight #32, which gave us Spider-Woman’s complicated origin story. Or, at least, the first version of her origin story.

Contradicting Marvel Comics Origin Stories for Spider-Woman

Jessica Drew is actually way older than any Marvel hero not named Steve Rogers. She was born in 1924 to scientist Jonathan Drew and his wife Miriam. As a very young child, Jessica Drew traveled with her parents to Mount Wundagore, in the small Balkan nation of Transia. This locale was also central to the comic book origins of Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver. Her father conducted genetics research at Mount Wundagore with Dr. Herbert Wyndham, who would later become the villainous High Evolutionary.

Marvel Comics

At the age of seven, Jessica contracted a deadly case of uranium poisoning after exposure to her father’s experiments. In an effort to save her life, her father and Dr. Wyndham injected her with an experimental spider-derived serum, one which would only work with years of hibernation in a genetic accelerator. After spending decades in a slow-growing form of hibernation, the soon-to-be Spider-Woman received subliminal education through specially designed recordings. She finally woke up decades later, fully cured, but now physically a teenager. She also had superpowers, thanks to the spider-serum and the effects of her stasis.

However, that might not be the origin of Spider-Woman’s powers. Later Marvel comics from the 2000s, like Brian Michael Bendis’ Spider-Woman: Origin reveal that Jessica received her powers differently. In the Bendis retcon, Jessica gained her powers when a laser beam hits her pregnant mother Miriam in the torso. This beam contained the DNA traits of several different species of spiders, thus altering the fetus’ DNA. It’s unclear which version of the origin of Spider-Woman’s powers is officially the current Marvel canon.

A Different Set of Powers than Peter Parker

Regardless of how she got her powers, Spider-Woman’s power set has remained consistent over the years. Jessica has super strength, superhuman speed, stamina, agility, and reflexes. She doesn’t have a healing factor like her good friend Wolverine per se, but she does heal more rapidly than a normal human. Spider-Woman also emits bio-electrical “venom blasts” and releases pheromones that can both attract and repel people. Like her male counterpart, Spider-Man, she can attach herself to surfaces and climb on walls. So they have that in common, at least.

Spider-Woman’s Life as a Hydra and S.H.I.E.L.D. Double Agent

With no family and now living in a strange time, Jessica Drew left Wundagore and tried to have a normal life. But after accidentally killing her boyfriend with her new powers, she fell under the sway of Count Otto Vermis, a high-ranking member of Hydra. Vermis brainwashed Jessica into believing she wasn’t human, but a spider evolved into a human form. He trained her to be Hydra’s most skilled assassin and gave her the name Arachne. Spider-Woman trained in hand-to-hand combat by none other than the Taskmaster.

One of her first missions was to kill S.H.I.E.L.D. director Nick Fury. While attempting to kill him, the super-spy informed Jessica Drew of the truth: Hydra was a terrorist organization, and they had brainwashed her in a vulnerable state to become their tool of destruction. They even lied to her about accidentally killing a man. Devastated upon learning the truth, Jessica Drew abandoned Hydra and joined Fury as an agent of S.H.I.E.LD. Eventually, Spider-Woman decided to leave the life of being a secret agent behind to become a full-time superhero.

Spider-Woman, Marvel’s Globetrotting Heroine 

Spider-Woman then moved around the globe for years. First, she worked out of London, where she partnered with a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent and Scotland Yard detective named Jerry Hunt. When that romantic and working partnership dissolved, she moved to Los Angeles. There, Spider-Woman became a super-powered bounty hunter in the Marvel universe. Later, she moved to San Francisco, where she worked as a private investigator. After a battle with the ancient witch Morgan le Fay, Jessica Drew lost her Spider-Woman powers. She continued to lead the life of a P.I., only this time in the dangerous island nation of Madripoor.

Things start to somehow get more complicated for Jessica Drew at this point. She is approached by Hydra agents who offer her a chance to restore her powers. But only if she rejoins them and infiltrates S.H.I.E.L.D. as a double agent. She goes to Nick Fury, informing him that she is taking the offer but will secretly be loyal to him. Unbeknownst to either of them, these Hydra agents are actually Skrulls. The alien shapeshifters then place Spider-Woman in stasis, and the Skrull Queen Veranke replaces Jessica Drew to the world at large. She joins the Avengers and infiltrates the superhero community from within.

Juggling Avengering and Motherhood

After the events of Secret Invasion, the Skrulls are defeated, and the real Jessica Drew returns. Feeling she has nowhere left to go, Spider-Woman joins the Avengers for real. She has adventures with several different iterations of the Avengers, establishing herself as a stalwart member of the team. Spider-Woman also gets pulled into several Marvel adventures with Spider-Man and other arachnid-powered heroes, forging a bond with them as well. More recently, Jessica Drew became a single mom, giving birth to a son named Gerry. Little Gerry Drew inherited all of his mother’s powers, and now Spider-Woman has to contend with a toddler who can crawl on walls and has super strength.

Spider-Woman in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

In Across the Spider-Verse, Jessica Drew (Issa Rae) goes by “Jess Drew.” She’s one of the many Spider-People who work out of the interdimensional hub known as the Spider-Society. Like her later incarnations in the comics, Spider-Woman still fights the good fight while pregnant in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. She mentions a dad, but we never learn who her partner is. Maybe in Beyond the Spider-Verse, we’ll find out more about Spider-Woman and her family.

Spider-Woman also rides a cool motorcycle to boot. Her costume is all-new for the Spider-Verse movie, but it has some recognizable elements to it from Marvel’s comics. Her powers seem more in line with Spider-Man’s than 616 Jessica Drew. But it’s possible Sony is waiting for the third film to unleash her venom blasts. In Across the Spider-Verse, Spider-Woman is one of the Spider-folk who Miguel O’Hara sends after Miles Morales.

Meanwhile, if the Olivia Wilde-directed Spider-Woman film is set in the MCU, as rumors suggest, then maybe we will see the ties between Hydra and Nick Fury explored more. When it comes to Spider-Woman, her different connections to the Marvel Universe are all primed to provide cinematic fodder for years. And her animated incarnation hopefully has a bright future as well.

Originally published on June 9, 2021

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Few Marvel characters exemplify the ‘90s more than Ben Reilly, the Scarlet Spider. He was, in many ways, the epitome of comic book trends of the era. First, the Scarlet Spider was popularized in a major “status quo-shaking” Marvel Comics event. Second, he was an edgier version of an iconic hero. These were key ’90s comics ingredients. Now, Scarlet Spider has made his big screen debut in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, voiced by Andy Samberg. But who is Ben Reilly, the infamous alternate Spidey? And why were folks so excited to see him return? Here’s the lowdown on Peter Parker’s broody clone, the Scarlet Spider.

The Scarlet Spider’s Groovy ’70s Marvel Comics Origins

The roots of the Scarlet Spider didn’t actually begin in the ‘90s. They went back even further, to 1975. In that year’s Amazing Spider-Man #149, Peter Parker’s college professor Dr. Miles Warren, also known as the Jackal, created a fully grown version of Parker to destroy Spider-Man. Why did he hate Spidey so much? Well, it turned out Dr. Warren was a super creep. He was obsessed with his much younger student Gwen Stacy, whose death he blamed solely on Spider-Man. And he was a brilliant scientist who studied under none other than the High Evolutionary. That association always leads to trouble.

When Gwen died at the hands of the Green Goblin, a death Spider-Man could not prevent, Warren snapped. He developed an alternate persona to deal with his feelings of guilt—the Jackal. As the furry costumed Jackal, he cloned Gwen and Spider-Man, thus learning that the wallcrawler was his other student, Peter Parker. This clone had all of Peter’s memories and was designed to fight and kill his doppelgänger. However, he seemingly died in the very issue they introduced him in. And that would be the last we’d hear of this Spider-Man clone for nearly two decades. It was all meant by writer Gerry Conway as a one-off story, but it ended up creating Marvel Comics’ Scarlet Spider.

Scarlet Spider Returns in the ’90s, Following Comics Trends of Darker Doppelgängers

In the early ‘90s, one of the biggest comic trends was replacing iconic heroes with darker, edgier versions of themselves. In 1992 Superman died, and one of his replacements was the evil Cyborg Superman. Batman’s back was broken, and then the ultra-violent Azrael wore the batsuit. At Marvel, someone remembered the clone from 1975 and had an idea. What if maybe the Spider-Clone didn’t die and had been living in secret for years? Even more tantalizing for Marvel, they teased readers with the notion that this character was actually the Peter Parker we’d been reading about for years, while the newly emerged “clone” was the real thing.

When Marvel brought back the Spider-Clone, they revealed that after his apparent death, he realized he was a mere copy of Peter Parker and not the original. He decided to leave New York and became a drifter wandering America. He bleached his hair blonde and took the name Ben Reilly. Ben after his deceased uncle Ben, and Reilly since it was his Aunt May’s maiden name. He continued his scientific studies, this time under Dr. Seward Trainer (yet another acolyte of the High Evolutionary). He suffered many tragedies during his exile, making him a darker and more bitter version of his (now happily married) genetic twin. But when he learned that his Aunt May was near death, he went back to New York, and revealed his existence to Peter.

Ben Reilly and Peter Parker first resented each other and had an uneasy relationship. There was a good deal of spider-on-spider violence. Eventually, Dr. Trainer performed blood tests on both heroes, only to determine that the Peter Parker fans had been reading about for 20 years at Marvel was the clone, and Ben Reilly was actually the first Peter Parker. Ben then decided to stay in New York City and fight crime under a new name—the Scarlet Spider. Sales soared for the Spider-Man titles during this time, and it seemingly encouraged Marvel editorial to keep the newly coined Clone Saga and Scarlet Spider going for as long as possible. And they did.

Scarlet Spider Becomes Spider-Man and Ben’s Untimely Demise

In late 1995, Marvel decided that Peter Parker and MJ would retire to married life and start a family, and Scarlet Spider would take over as Spider-Man. He was “the real deal” after all. Scarlet Spider became the new friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, taking over all five Spider-Man ongoing books and getting a new costume. Although some fans felt betrayed that the Spidey they’d been following for years was a copy, Ben Reilly persisted. In fact, in the epic Marvel vs. DC crossover event that year, it was actually the Ben Reilly Spidey that fought DC’s heroes, not Peter.

Eventually, after more than two years, sales of the Spider-Man books (and comics overall) began to plummet. Marvel decided it was time to end The Clone Saga and get back to basics. It was revealed that a returned Norman Osborn/Green Goblin—who had at that point been dead for almost 25 years—had been behind everything. He planted fake evidence that Scarlet Spider was the real Peter Parker, as a way of tormenting Peter Parker himself. Ben Reilly died in battle with the Goblin and literally liquified. Thus proving he was the actual clone all along. At the time, people were mostly glad the story was finally over. It seemed no one would miss old Ben.

The Scarlet Spider’s Modern-Day Resurrection

But as we know, nostalgia makes even the worst stories look better. Kids who grew up with The Clone Saga and the Scarlet Spider actually loved that event looking back. By the 2010s, these kids were now adults, and begged Marvel to bring back the Scarlet Spider. In 2015, Marvel finally did. In The Clone Conspiracy, Marvel revealed that the Jackal had collected the DNA of Ben Reilly from his death site and attempted to bring him back, memories and all, 26 times.

The 27th clone was stable and lived, but held traumatic memories of each painful death. Ben freed himself from the Jackal, and resumed a heroic career. At first, he took the name Anubis, after the Egyptian God of Death. Eventually, he took on the name and mantle of the Scarlet Spider once more. And thus, the Scarlet Spider returned to Marvel Comics. ‘90s nostalgia was in full swing. He was the hero of Las Vegas for a time before returning to New York City. Scarlet Spider’s last major storyline was Marvel Comics’ Dark Web, where he became entangled with Marvel’s other most famous clone, Madelyne Pryor, herself a disregarded genetic copy of the X-Man Jean Grey.

The Scarlet Spider Becomes a Movie Star in Across the Spider-Verse

With his appearance in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Ben Reilly’s Scarlet Spider finally made it to the big screen. He appeared in the ‘90s Spider-Man: The Animated Series a couple of times, right around the time of his comics heyday. But aside from showing up in the recent Ultimate Spider-Man cartoon series, there were not many appearances by Scarlet Spider outside the comics. With Across the Spider-Verse, that’s finally changed.

In Across the Spider-Verse, Ben Reilly is used as a kind of comedic meta-commentary on the overly angsty Marvel comics of the ’90s. Ben is part of Spider-Man 2099’s squad sent to go after “fugitive spider” Miles Morales. He spends most of his screen time brooding and constantly commenting on his situation, giving voice to an old-school comics thought balloon. His look was very much like the art style of his co-creator, the late Tom Lyle. Will Scarlet-Spider switch sides in Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, and choose to help Miles instead of hunting him? We’ll find out when the third chapter hits theaters in 2024.

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Lucasfilm is mainly famous for three franchises; Star Wars, Willow, and of course, Indiana Jones. But for various licensing reasons, the four existing Indiana Jones films starring Harrison Ford have not been part of the Disney+ library. Until now, that is. In anticipation of the release of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, Disney+ has brought all four Indy films—Raiders of the Lost Ark, Temple of Doom, Last Crusade, and Kingdom of the Crystal Skull—along with the entire The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones television series, to the service. And they are now available to watch. Disney+ even cut a special trailer for the release, which you can watch right here:

Well, that brief trailer sure makes us want to marathon the whole series for the millionth time. For those wondering why it took so long for this iconic Lucasfilm property to make it onto Disney+, the films were distributed by Paramount Pictures. Which meant they had the release rights to the films, whether Lucasfilm produced them or not. And so, they’ve been on Paramount+ for the last several years. But now, they’ve come home, so to speak. Hopefully, they stay there, as many non-MCU Marvel films come and go from the service without warning.

In celebration of the Indiana Jones movies and series launching on the service, Disney+ subscribers in the US will receive special access to must-have Indiana Jones merchandise on shopDisney. This promotion goes from May 31, 2023 – June 8, 2023. For a limited time, US Disney+ subscribers can purchase highly anticipated items from the franchise before the general public. During this special window, eligible subscribers can visit shopDisney to check them out.

Originally published on May 16, 2023.

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Some truly legendary items from fan-favorite films will soon have the ability to be a part of your private collection. If you can shake out a few million quarters from under the couch cushions that is. The folks at the Propstore are about to start their next big auction, and it might actually outdo some of their earlier ones by a country mile. For this latest auction of iconic movie memorabilia, they’ve got items from Star Wars, the MCU, Nolan’s Batman films, and even Titanic. Here are some items that will soon be up for sale.

The Star Wars item for this auction was actually worn by Hollywood royalty, a princess on and off camera, Carrie Fisher. They also have Princess Leia’s final awards ceremony gown, from the finale of A New Hope.

For MCU fans, the Propstore has Peter Quill’s helmet from Guardians of the Galaxy. Not to mention the reforged hammer Mjolnir from Thor: Love and Thunder, wielded by Jane Foster.

From the DC side of things, this auction will make the Batpod from The Dark Knight available. Imagine having this baby parked in your garage for all to see. (Better get a good Bat-tarp).

This auction’s offerings also will not disappoint horror fans. Not only do we get the infamous “spider-head” from John Carpenter’s The Thing, but also an original puppet from Gremlins. Perhaps most iconic is Jason Voorhees’ actual hockey mask from Friday the 13th Part VII, and the toy clown from Poltergeist that gave an entire generation a lifelong fear of clowns.

Interested fans can head on over to the Propstore’s official site for more information. This Propstore auction will start the live online bidding on June 28-30. The full catalog should be available in the first week of June, but you can check out the premiere pieces for this action already.  

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Robert Englund is truly a national treasure, a fantastically versatile actor who is so much more than just Freddy Krueger. In the ’70s he was a character actor, appearing in smaller roles in dozens of famous films, like A Star is Born. And then, in the ’80s, he became a household name with the hit sci-fi series V, and of course, A Nightmare on Elm Street. His incredible life and career has now been chronicled in a new documentary, Hollywood Dreams and Nightmares: The Robert Englund Story. And we got the chance to chat with the iconic actor ahead of its release.

Nerdist: So a few years back you wrote a memoir called Hollywood Monster. Was that book the impetus for the documentary? Or was that book even being the subject of a documentary something you never considered when you wrote it?

Robert Englund: No, the book was my kind of summing up my life until 2010. I had been really busy till then, almost nonstop. And I was approached by Simon & Schuster and we did that and it was really hard. My wife and I worked with a co-writer to kind of find that voice. So that sort of summed up my life. But 2010, that’s almost 15 years ago. Since then, I’d been approached by a lot of people, but everybody wanted to do a real Freddy-centric kind of documentary with me. And I just felt there’s been so much by journalists and academics and by critics and genre magazines written about Freddy. I just didn’t think we could improve on that. It wouldn’t be something that could be done quickly, certainly.

And when the gentleman from Cult Screenings UK approached me, I was a little apprehensive because, with a name like Cult, I thought, “Oh, they want to do just Freddy.” And within a day, I realized hanging out with [co-directors] Chris Griffin and Gary Smart is like walking around with your own IMDB on your headphones. That’s when I said, “Look it, let’s not make this about talent, and let’s not make this about Freddy. It’s about an actor, a character actor. I’m a character actor, I’m a utility actor. Let’s make it about a guy who survived for 50 years in Hollywood and who’s still working.” I think that’s more interesting. Ups and downs, hills and valleys. Happy accidents.

Who knew that I would get to sit in the captain’s chair of this franchise for 20 years? I mean, no one sets out to be a burned serial killer as a career move, but it’s probably the smartest thing I ever did. It made me international, and I’ve done over a dozen movies in Europe now, and it’s just this great happy accident of a career. And now I’m on the other side of that and still doing genre work, but doing other stuff as well. Lots and lots of voice work. And I don’t think I’d be here if I hadn’t let them glue me up back in 1984.

Right before Elm Street, just one year prior, the big real breakout for you was the epic sci-fi mini-series V. Now V just turned 40. If you weren’t around for it back then, that was a huge show. Massive ratings. Looking back, how do you feel about the fact that it was so prescient, with its allegory about fascism?

Englund: Well, [V creator] Ken Johnson, I think originally wanted to do a serious thing about the occupation of Europe in World War II. But maybe he wanted to make it contemporary. But then they said, “Well, can you make it science fiction?” Because that’s his bailiwick. And Ken did. But the metaphor in V, of course, is the occupation of Europe by the Nazis. And yeah, I was really proud to be on board. That also was the project that made that first made me international. But because almost immediately thereafter in my hiatus between the miniseries and the series, I did the first Nightmare on Elm Street for Wes Craven. So I had this just fortunate one-two punch of an international science fiction hit and an international horror picture.

Suddenly, I went from being a face that people knew, but not a name. Overnight, people recognize me and I was an international actor. They don’t share this with you in acting class. A lot of agents don’t know this because not everybody translates internationally, especially comedians. Romcoms, things like that, they aren’t as effective internationally as opposed to fantasy, science fiction, action, and especially horror. Those movies seem to cross the Atlantic and the Pacific a little better. I’ve been on board for two huge projects, one sci-fi, and one horror, that traveled very well. And I was able to travel with them.

In the documentary, A Nightmare on Elm Street 4 star Tuesday Knight tells a story about you filming a scene at the peak of Freddy mania. You were in your trailer, and she said dozens of fans were shaking it, trying to get you to come out and interact with them. Do you remember anything about that day?

Englund: Well, there’s a dreadful reservoir out in the San Fernando Valley that once upon a time was quite bucolic and wonderful, but a lot of it’s been paved over now with a parking lot. And we were out there trying to sell it as a location as the beach for a nightmare sequence, where we did a takeoff on Jaws with the Freddy claws. And of course, I had never been outside in the Freddy makeup in my life. I’d only worn it on a soundstage, which is mostly side lighting, not direct overhead sun, and certainly not summer sun in LA.

So they were hiding me a lot in the air-conditioned trailer. And we got the shots, and it was just too hot for me to sign any autographs. And the crowd outside had been building all day. The word had got out. So I went in, and it takes an hour to take off the makeup. And I went in the trailer and took off my shirt and sat down and began to take off my makeup, and the whole makeup trailer began to rock back and forth. And the crowd had grown and grown and grown. They were mad because someone had told them that I would be signing autographs or something. Then I think I signed a little bit outside to calm them down.

I mean, I had foam latex boogers still glued to various parts of my body and torso. And we finished taking the makeup off and then I just ran for my car. Because instead of the crowd diminishing, it had kept growing. And I said, “Thank you for all coming,” or something. So then I booked it and I had just bought a new fully bored-out Ford Mustang convertible. And I jumped in it like the Dukes of Hazzard and I tore off. And I think that day, one autograph I signed was on a girl’s cleavage.

And now it’s like 20 minutes later and I’m heading for my off-ramp off the freeway to go home. I look, and these cars pull up next to me and it’s people from the crowd. And I recognize on the back of a motorcycle, there’s the girl whose cleavage I signed, and I’m going, “Whoa.” So I shot past my own off-ramp on the freeway and went to the next one and went up to Mulholland Drive, and kind of worked my way back to my house. Because I didn’t want all the fans following me home. That was a real eye-opener. So that was making Nightmare 4. The beast has been unleashed.

Next year is the 40th Anniversary of Wes Craven’s original A Nightmare on Elm Street. Can you give the fans a tease about any special events celebrating Nightmare hitting such a big milestone?

Englund: Well, I’m going to be out on the road with the cast because I think that’s a big anniversary and we’re proud of the movie and it’s a chance for all of us to get together again. But it’s also a real opportunity for the serious fans of the franchise to get a picture taken with all of us, or me and Heather Langenkamp, or me “strangling” Heather. They can watch and laugh or something. And the fans love that. It’s wonderful when we have the whole cast because we can all spur our own memories of incidents that happened on the set, which the fans love to hear. And so I’ll be on the road probably doing a couple of Comic-Cons for Freddy’s fortieth.

Hollywood Dreams and Nightmares: The Robert Englund Story will be arriving exclusively to SCREAMBOX and Digital on June 6.

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He’s one of the X-Men’s deadliest enemies, portrayed on screen by pro wrestlers (Tyler Mane) and prestige actors (Liev Schreiber) alike. But to most people, when they think of Sabretooth, they think of the one from the classic ’90s X-Men: The Animated Series. Now, the folks at Mondo are releasing a deluxe X-Men: The Animated Series Sabretooth 1/6 scale action figure, so you can have the best version of Victor Creed on your shelf. This figure is based on a concept design and sculpt by Alex Brewer, with paint by Mark Bristow. You can check out images of the feral mutant villain in action figure form, including fighting his least favorite mutant Wolverine, in our gallery down below.

Click To View Gallery

X-Men: The Animated Series Sabretooth 1/6 Scale Figure Timed Edition

The Timed Edition includes the Sabretooth figure, a smiling portrait, an angry portrait, a maskless portrait, a blaster, a muzzle, a detonator, an explosive, a Talos head, 4 Pairs of hands/fists, a C-Grip, a trigger, and a dramatic figure stand.

X-Men: The Animated Series Sabretooth 1/6 Scale Figure Regular Edition

The Regular Edition includes the Sabretooth figure, a smiling portrait, an angry portrait, a detonator, an explosive, a Talos head, 3 pairs of hands/fists, a C-Grip, and a dramatic figure stand.

Sabretooth joins other recent X-Men: The Animated Series 1/6 scale figures from Mondo like Wolverine, Jubilee, and their enemy Magneto. Hopefully, we’ll see other mutants from Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters and the Brotherhood of Mutants join them in the near future. The Timed Edition is priced at $240, with the Regular Edition priced at $225. They’re limited to two per customer, and estimated to ship in September, 2023. The pre-order for both the deluxe Timed Edition and Regular Edition will be up on The Drop at MondoShop.com on Tuesday, May 30. The Sabretooth Timed Edition will be available until Tuesday, June 6 at 11:59 AM CT.

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One of director Quentin Tarantino’s most beloved films is finally making it to 4K UHD in 2023. And just in time for its 20th anniversary. Via Variety, we’ve learned that Kill Bill Volume 1 and Kill Bill: Volume 2 will release in a newly remastered version later this year. Lionsgate has gained the release rights to the film, along with another Tarantino classic, Jackie Brown. This news means that Lionsgate has the largest collection of Tarantino films under its umbrella. They also own the rights to Reservoir Dogs, Death Proof, Inglourious Basterds, Django Unchained, and The Hateful Eight.

There is no word yet on extras for the upcoming Kill Bill release. But we can tell you one thing fans of Uma Thurman’s Beatrix Kiddo definitely want to see. Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair. Originally, Tarantino meant for Kill Bill to be one long film. Indeed, he shot it that way. But when the running time hit nearly four hours, the studio convinced Tarantino to split the film in half. But Tarantino had a print with the longer version, which screened once at the Cannes Film Festival in 2004, and again at his own LA theater the New Beverly in 2011 and 2015.

This edited-together version had some minor changes, such as a full-color action sequence in the House of the Blue Leaves. That was changed for the U.S. market to receive an R-rating. At one point in the 2000s, they displayed box art for a home video release of Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair at Comic-Con in San Diego. But they never released it, and that company no longer has the rights. Tarantino had always planned to add a new animated sequence to the film, but never got around to it. Maybe it’s finally happening? Even if it’s not, it will be great to finally have this iconic movie in a properly remastered format.

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An entire generation will always think of Michael Keaton as their Batman. And now, after over 30 years, he’ll be wearing the cape and cowl again for The Flash. His costume, although slightly altered for modern times, still has the familiar silhouette from Tim Burton’s classic films. Hot Toys is bringing the old/new Batman to life in a deluxe 1/6 scale collector’s figure. Is it just us, or can you already hear that classic Danny Elfman Batman theme? You can check out images of this new figure below in our gallery.

Click To View Gallery

The Michael Keaton Batman modern suit 1/6 Scale Figure features two brand-new, hand-painted portraits. Both of these are equipped with Hot Toys’ rolling eyeballs feature, allowing collectors to adjust the figure’s gaze. Owners of this figure can swap out the meticulously sculpted and ultra-realistic Bruce Wayne/Michael Keaton head sculpt for a cowled head, which includes interchangeable lower face plates to alter Batman’s expression. (He does have more than one, you know). This Batman figure stands at approximately 30 cm tall.

They’ve dressed the highly articulated 1/6 scale body in a detailed Batsuit, with two interchangeable fabric capes. These replicate the texture and detail of the updated Batman suit we’ll soon see in The Flash. The Dark Knight’s many accessories include his signature Bat-gadgets of course. These include a line launcher, a Batarang, a remote, a bomb timer, and more. The specially designed LED-illuminated display stand is perhaps the coolest addition. This deluxe collectible figure will set you back $305.00, and you can pre-order it now from Sideshow Collectibles. They expect the Batman modern suit figure to ship in July, 2024.

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Sony’s PlayStation Showcase this year came with some big announcements. Most prominently, a new streaming device and PlayStation’s first official wireless earbuds. Project Q will be a dedicated device launching later in the year. It will allow you to play any compatible game installed on your PS5 console using Remote Play over Wi-Fi2. The device will deliver crisp visuals and smooth gameplay streamed from your PS5 when you’re away from your TV. All the buttons and features of the DualSense wireless controller, including adaptive triggers and haptic feedback, are featured on the device3.

They also revealed PlayStation’s first-ever official wireless earbuds. Launching later this year, the earbuds will feature new wireless technology developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment and will deliver lossless audio with low latency for a high-quality audio experience. These will bring next-generation audio immersion to PS5 along with PC, and feature connectivity to smartphones via Bluetooth. Sony will reveal more details over the next few months. You can see the first images above. And below is an official statement from SIE president Jim Ryan about these new reveals:

“Our fans expect and deserve a steady cadence of amazing content. Today’s presentation demonstrates our unwavering commitment to offering them the best and most varied catalog of games possible. It also highlights the tremendous popularity and power of the PS5 as the global development community rallies to push its advanced capabilities to the limit. We’re investing heavily in the future with innovative best-in-class hardware like PlayStation VR2 and the newly revealed Project Q, and our expansion into PC, Mobile, and Live Service gaming is transforming how and where our content can be enjoyed.”

We expect Sony Interactive Entertainment to reveal much more in the coming months.

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When Din Djarin never removed his helmet even once in the third season of The Mandalorian, fans wondered out loud if Pedro Pascal performed on set as the titular character at all. After all, wouldn’t he have been filming The Last of Us at the same time? Well, Pedro Pascal just confirmed what we all pretty much knew already. At this point, the part of Din Djarin is largely just a voice-over role for Pascal. The actor noted this in a roundtable interview with several other actors for The Hollywood Reporter (via Slash Film). When Succession’s Kieran Culkin asked if Pascal just provided the voice of The Mandalorian‘s Din Djarin, he responded with, “For a lot of it, yeah.” Here’s what else he had to say:

“There was an extended amount of experimentation, being in the suit for a lot of it, and frankly, my body wasn’t up for the task as far as, like, the four months of it. But I was in it. I was in it a significant amount, an elastic amount [he pretends to tug at his neck, where the suit would chafe]. But now we’ve figured it out, which is super cool, and amazingly, it gave me the opportunity to be able to go and do something else.”

Unlike Anthony Daniels, who insists on performing C-3PO in the suit and not just as a voice-over performance, it seems Pascal is more than ready to take the James Earl Jones route. In other words, Pascal allows his contributions to the character to come primarily from a recording booth. We imagine that should the story require Din Djarin to remove his helmet once more, though, Pascal would be happy to play him on set again. But don’t be surprised if it is some time before The Mandalorian has the titular character removing his helmet. Actors Brendan Wayne and Lateef Crowder have embodying Din Djarin on The Mandalorian since season one. We imagine that will continue. On the set of The Mandalorian, this is the way.

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Fans of Indiana Jones were shocked to read the news that Steven Spielberg bowed out of directing the fifth Indy movie. Instead, Logan’s James Mangold is helming the film. That means for the first time, both of Henry Jones Jr.’s creators won’t be at the helm. As of now, the only remaining member of the original Raiders of the Lost Ark creative team is Harrison Ford himself. We wish nothing but the best for Harrison in his sure-to-be final outing as the adventuring archaeologist. However, after this movie hits theaters, I think it’s high time for a new approach to Indiana Jones. Well, a new/old approach I should say. Because I believe it’s time for Indiana Jones to return to television, specifically with a series on Disney+.

Happily, Variety reports that may be in development. Sources told the outlet Disney “is actively looking to develop an Indiana Jones TV show for Disney+.” And although the fate of the show remains unclear at this time, recently Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy echoed the sentiment. She noted to Entertainment Weekly‘s Dagobah Dispatch that after Harrison Ford’s final Indiana Jones outing in Dial of Destiny, “if we were to do anything [related to Indiana Jones], it might be in series television down the road.” Here’s why it’s an excellent idea.

Lucasfilm

Why Now Is the Time for a Disney+ Indy

From a studio standpoint, I could see why Disney and Lucasfilm be skittish about casting another actor to replace Harrison Ford. He’s one of the most iconic movie stars in Hollywood history, and Indiana Jones is arguably his most iconic role. Many people resisted seeing Solo in theaters, simply because having another actor as the big screen version of Han Solo seemed like sacrilege. I could see where the suits would be terrified of that same reaction happening again.

Lucasfilm

But what if a recast, younger Indy wasn’t for theatrical release? Because there’s already been another Indiana Jones before, in the 1992 TV series The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles. That show wasn’t exactly a high adventure series, and was more about Indy’s journey meeting various famous historical figures in the early 20^th century. But having seen a younger Indy on the small screen before, it at least set the precedent. People might be more accepting of a different Dr. Jones if the medium is an all together different one. If it works, it breathes new life into the franchise. If it doesn’t, then the whole thing doesn’t tarnish the movie series. It’s a scenario in which you can’t really lose.

One Season, One MacGuffin

Lucasfilm

Imagine a big budget Indiana Jones steaming series, with the same care and big name creative involved as The Mandalorian recently had. It could feature a young Indy, only recently having become a professor. So perhaps late 1920s/early ‘30s. Everything before Raiders, but long after his teenage adventures in the ‘90s TV series. Each season, which would presumably be the standard 8-10 episodes, would feature one specific quest, for one specific Macguffin.

Season one of the series could be Indiana Jones and the Spear of Destiny, or Indiana Jones and the Lost City of Atlantis, and so on ans of forth. There is a metric ton of novels and comics which could serve as inspiration for these. And like the old serials  which inspired Lucas and Spielberg, each episode could also end on a spectacular cliffhanger.

Lucasfilm

These potential seasons don’t have to tie explicitly into any of the pre-existing movies, but it would be fun to address certain things if they wanted to. How exactly did Indy’s relationship with Marion Ravenwood and her father go sour? How did Indy meet (and later adopt) Short Round? In Temple of Doom, the character of Wu Han says he “followed Indy on many adventures”. We get hints about those backstories in the movies, but a show could flesh out the details. Even if the show never addresses those things, we know there are still dozens of untold adventures that Indy had over the years. We haven’t even scratched the surface.

Why It’s Time for Harrison to Hang Up the Whip

Lucasfilm

While I wish for nothing but good things for the latest Indiana Jones adventure on the big screen, truth be told, the entire project as-is sounds destined to disappoint. When this film reaches theaters in 2021, Harrison Ford will be 78 years old. Not that I’m against the idea of an “Old Man Jones” as it were. I thought Ford was brilliant as an elderly Han Solo in The Force Awakens. But the part of Han Solo mainly has him flying spaceships and shooting blasters. Indiana Jones calls for fist fights, swinging on vines, and jumping on moving vehicles. That’s a wee bit harder to do when you’re pushing 80.

There’s also the time frame issue. The movies have so far moved along in real time. Last Crusade took place in 1938, and Kingdom of the Crystal Skull took place in 1957, exactly 19 years since the previous film. Which means that whatever the fifth film is, it will take place in or about the early ‘70s. Now, I love ‘70s period films to death, especially as a child of that time. But the era of high adventure pulp novels and Republic serials was roughly the ‘20s through the ‘40s. This is just Indy’s milieu. I’m not sure he fits in as a concept in the time of hippies and The Brady Bunch.

Lucasfilm

No one can ever take away Harrison Ford’s status as “the original Indy.” But just as James Bond eventually moved on from Sean Connery, it’s time for Indiana Jones to move beyond Ford. George Lucas and Steven Spielberg envisioned Indy as “the American 007” after all. This would be the most Bond-like thing to do for the character.

All of this would keep the franchise viable long term. Believe me, Disney and Lucasfilm don’t want to make the property seem like one of Indy’s old relics – they want it to stay current. And by having it in a different medium with a new actor, it would be far less likely to ruffle the feathers of those who claim there can only ever be on big screen version of Indiana Jones. A younger Indiana Jones on Disney+ is the best “you can have your cake and eat it too” option for everyone.

Originally published on February 27, 2020.

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Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3 has arrived, introducing MCU fans to Peacemaker’s Chukwudi Iwuji as the film’s main villain, the High Evolutionary. But just who is Marvel’s maddest scientist? What are the High Evolutionary’s powers? Get ready to get cosmic, as we’re here to answer all your burning High Evolutionary questions, from Marvel Comics to MCU. 

Who Is the High Evolutionary in Marvel Comics? 

1966’s Thor #133 marks the first reference to the High Evolutionary in Marvel Comics. He would make his debut on the page in the very next issue, which also included a cameo of the mutant twins who would become such a key part of the High Evolutionary’s comic book lore. With Galactus planning deep space destruction as always, Thor is looking for Jane Foster. It’s on his search that he comes across Mount Wundagore, the High Evolutionary, and his New Men. Marvel’s Pietro and Wanda are going to Mount Wundagore to seek answers about their waning mutant powers.

It wouldn’t be until years later that readers learned who the High Evolutionary truly was, thanks to backup stories in The Evolutionary War event. In the Marvel universe, the High Evolutionary’s human name was Herbert Edgar Wyndham, and he had once been a successful academic scientist. As a child, Herbert became obsessed with genetics and the possibility of “evolving” creatures. But it wasn’t until an encounter with a strange man—later revealed to be a rogue Inhuman—who enlightened him on how to “crack the genetic code” that Herbert made his dreams a reality. His experiments made him an outcast in the scientific field, and he moved to Mount Wundagore with his research partner, Jonathan Drew, father of Spider-Woman, Jessica Drew. There he built his futuristic home. The High Evolutionary began to evolve animals, creating a series of humanoid beasts known as the New Men.

The High Evolutionary’s Powers and Abilities

The High Evolutionary’s powers are always in a state of flux. When he exposed himself to his Evolutionary Accelerator machine and its unstable Isotope E, it caused him to switch from evolved super being to someone with caveman intelligence levels. But usually, the High Evolutionary has a certain baseline of abilities. These include an artificially evolved human brain, making him one of the smartest beings on Earth. The High Evolutionary also has the powers of superhuman strength, durability, and a healing factor similar to Wolverine’s. Additionally, he can communicate telepathically and shield his mind from other psychics.

Some other powers the High Evolutionary has demonstrated over the years include the ability to levitate, although not outright fly. Body mass manipulation allows him to change his physical size and density at will. Wyndham also has the ability to create force fields, and shoot deadly concussive blasts from his body. He can even evolve or devolve other beings through a form of forced artificial evolution. And thanks to all his evolutionary tampering, the High Evolutionary has effectively achieved immortality, perhaps his greatest power of all.

How Is the High Evolutionary Connected to the Scarlet Witch? 

Herbert’s first appearance alluded to a connection to the Maximoffs. A flashback in 1974’s Giant-Size Avengers #1 teased a vital Mount Wundagore backstory around the twins’ birth. Finally, in 1979’s Avengers #185-187, Herbert’s full impact on the twins’ lives came to light. It was during this iconic arc that readers learned their “true history.” Their mother sought refuge on Mount Wundagore after their father gained powers and went mad, “raving with a desire to rule the world.” The High Evolutionary’s cow creature known as Bova delivered the twins, and soon their mother left the children with the bovine midwife. While Bova tried to give the twins to the hero known as the Whizzer, he chose to run away. Eventually, the Maximoffs came and adopted the twins.

What does all this have to do with Wanda’s powers? Chthon “marked” her at her birth. We learn this as Chthon possesses Wanda. Speaking through Wanda, Chthon tells the Avengers that Mount Wundagore was created to imprison him and the Darkhold. Inevitably, someone used the Darkhold, and Chthon was freed when this knowledge fell into the hands of the wrong person. Eventually, the demon is defeated. But at that moment, Chthon decides to imbue baby Wanda, who was just born thanks to the High Evolutionary’s creation, with his magic, thus arguably creating the most famous origin of the Scarlet Witch. Whether the MCU’s High Evolutionary and Scarlet Witch have any ties at all in the MCU, we must wait to find out.

How Is the High Evolutionary Connected to Adam Warlock? 

In the comics, Adam Warlock and the High Evolutionary are deeply connected. Remember how we first met Adam Warlock in the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 stinger? Adam was in a giant cocoon, looked after by the High Priestess of the Sovereign, Ayesha. Ayesha calls her creation “Him” (as in Adam’s first appearance in the Fantastic Four) before deciding to name him Adam.

1972’s Marvel Premiere #1 brought the story of Adam Warlock to life, and the issue dug deep into his past. Created by scientists on Earth, the High Evolutionary later found Adam’s body floating in a cocoon in space. In the comics, Herbert adopts Adam, names him Warlock, and places an emerald upon his forehead. The comics would later reveal the emerald as the Soul Gem. In the MCU, Adam’s creators, the Sovereign, are creations of the High Evolutionary. It’s more of an indirect line, but still a line.

The MCU High Evolutionary in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

In Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, the MCU’s High Evolutionary does not seem to originate from Earth. He was only referred to ever as the High Evolutionary. The MCU made no reference to the High Evolutionary’s Marvel Comics human name of Herbert Wyndham. On Counter-Earth, he mentioned that he visited Earth once and admired it. The High Evolutionary based his new MCU world on his memories, further suggesting his origins are alien. Of course, he might have taken the name Herbert Wyndham while living on Earth, but it’s not mentioned in the film at all.

Additionally, Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3 portrays the High Evolutionary as one of the most sadistic villains the MCU has ever seen, torturing animals to further his own experiments in perfection. And he’s worshipped as a god among many alien species, suggesting Guardians of the Galaxy‘s High Evolutionary is far older than his Marvel Comics counterpart.

Although the High Evolutionary appeared to die at the end of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, he actually lived. James Gunn confirmed as much on Twitter. Not only did Rocket save the High Evolutionary’s life at the climax of the film, he’s now actually imprisoned in Knowhere.

So yes, it’s very possible we may see the High Evolutionary return again in the MCU and its multiverse. Now that Ms. Marvel established the mutant gene in the MCU, it feels very intentional to introduce a famed geneticist. As to whether the High Evolutionary ever visits Mount Wundagore or creates Bova… well, we can dream.

Originally published on July 27, 2022.

Original reporting by Rosie Knight. Additional reporting by Eric Diaz.

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When it comes to spacecraft in the Star Wars galaxy, one ship in particular shines like a glittering diamond above them all. She might be a “hunk of junk” in the eyes of many. However, to the fans, the Millennium Falcon is as close to a feeling of “home” as Star Wars has. As a way of celebrating this iconic spaceship, Swarovski Crystal has created a pair of bedazzled Millennium Falcon collectibles. You can check out images and read the official descriptions for these limited editions right here:

The first one comes embellished with over 25,000 hand-set crystals, taking each one over 160 hours to create. The black metal base features a fully reflective mirror effect, enhancing the brilliant sparkle of this unique collector’s piece. These are limited to 100 numbered pieces worldwide and sold out almost instantly. We guess a lot of people out there wanted to see what a Millennium Falcon float for the Disney Electrical Parade might look like. This gives us a pretty good idea. This one would have set you back a whopping $18K.

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But if you missed out on that one, you can still get this amazing (and more affordable) Millennium Falcon created out of cut crystal. It’s kind of like what the Falcon would look like if Wonder Woman was her pilot. They created this version of Han Solo’s Corellian ship out of 715 expertly cut clear, gray, and blue crystal facets. It also has a polished metal stand and base.

This crystal Falcon measures at a height: 3 3/4 inches, a width of 1 1/8 inches, and a length of 5 7/8 inches. This version of the Falcon carries a price tag of $600. And you can order it right here. As Han would say, “punch it Chewie!.” Just don’t ever drop it Chewie.

The post This $18,000 STAR WARS Swarovski Millennium Falcon Is a Glittering Galactic Treasure appeared first on Nerdist.

Both the Barry Allen version of the Flash and the Kara Zor-El version of Supergirl helped usher in DC Comics’ Silver Age. An argument can be made that no two heroes exemplify the Atomic Age vibes of DC in the late ’50s/early ’60s more than this pair, except for maybe Green Lantern. But the Flash and Supergirl’s debuts, separated by only 2.5 years, did not result in the two heroes becoming friends or partners. Yet elements outside the story in the comic book pages have always tied them together long before they became allies on TV, or co-stars in films like The Flash.

The circumstances that led to these two characters happened at the same time. The mid-’50s was a tough time for comics. Congressional hearings were held on the dangers of comic books, several publishers folded, and those that survived, like DC Comics, held on by the skin of their teeth. When the dust cleared, DC knew it had to rethink things to survive. So even though the most popular comics of the day were horror and crime related, they leaned into superheroes once again. It paid off and the Flash and Supergirl were the headliners of this new DC era.

The Flash and Supergirl Usher in DC’s Silver Age

In Showcase #4 in 1956, DC decided to revive an old popular hero from the Golden Age, the speedster called the Flash. It had been four years since DC published a Flash story, and editor Julius Schwartz believed the character needed a reboot, long before that term was coined. He ditched the old costume, the old origin story, and even the old secret identity of Jay Garrick. Now, the Flash was police scientist Barry Allen, who gained his powers when lightning struck his chemical lab. Wearing a sleek red costume, he became the new Flash and the comic became an instant hit. Thanks to the Flash, superheroes were officially popular again.

In 1959, as sales of The Flash soared, DC pulled the same trick with Green Lantern, another World War II-era hero who got a total modern-age revamp. That same year, DC introduced a new addition to the Superman family in the form of Supergirl. She was Superman’s cousin Kara Zor-El, rocketed to Earth from Krypton just as her cousin was. Arriving on Earth, Superman set her up in an orphanage under the name Linda Lee. She became his secret helper for years. Eventually, Superman reveals her to the world with much fanfare. Supergirl became one of DC’s most popular characters overnight.

Running Super Fast, But Always Missing Each Other

The Flash and Supergirl were arguably DC Comics’ biggest new hits of the Silver Age, with arguably Green Lantern as third. There were other reboots of old characters, like Hawkman and the Atom. Not to mention entirely new ones like the Doom Patrol. However, the Flash and Supergirl were the ones fans seemed to take to the most. In fact, the Flash became an anchor for the new Justice League of America series, while Supergirl became a prominent member of the Legion of Super-Heroes in Adventure Comics.

And yet, during the entire Silver Age and much of the Bronze Age (1970-1984), the two heroes barely interacted. The two shared a panel together in Superman in 1967, in a scenario where Superman seemingly died. Then later that year, Supergirl was among the crowd when Superman and the Flash ran their famous race. Did anyone introduce them? We don’t know. But the Flash and Supergirl would not have a proper team-up until 1977’s Super Team Family #11. Nearly two full decades after their debuts. Ultimately, the thing that would ultimately bond these two together in a meaningful way would be their deaths.

Crisis on Infinite Earths Kills Both Supergirl and the Flash

In 1985, DC decided to clean house. Totally dominated by rival Marvel Comics in sales, they felt that comics readers viewed them as old-fashioned and stuck in a particular era. So with the maxi-series Crisis on Infinite Earths, DC destroyed the old Multiverse to start fresh with modern takes on beloved characters. But the two characters who most symbolized the DC of old had to go. And those were the Flash and Supergirl. Kara heroically sacrificed her life to save the Multiverse in Crisis #7 and the Flash did the same in the following issue. The two iconic heroes who helped usher in one age of DC also ushered it out. And for decades, these deaths actually stuck.

21st Century Resurrections of Supergirl and the Flash

Although there would be new heroes named the Flash and Supergirl almost as soon as the old ones died, Barry and Kara remained dead for decades. But in 2004, DC decided it was time to reintroduce a new version of Kara to comics. Four years later, DC did the same with Barry Allen. These resurrections were a big deal, as Barry and Kara were considered some of the few sacred deaths left in comics. But their returns resulted in big sales and the long-dead characters were suddenly popular again. So would these two finally become friends after having such similar journeys? Well, aside from a brief flashback showing how the Flash showed Kara some super speed trick, not really.

In 2011, DC rebooted its universe once again, thanks to the series Flashpoint. That event comic is largely what inspired the story behind The Flash movie. This new universe and publishing initiative was referred to as “The New 52.” And finally, in 2013, Barry and Kara met and had an adventure, in Supergirl #16. It took one death and one resurrection, but the Flash and Supergirl met properly for the first time in decades. Were they friends this time? Actually, they spent much of this first meeting beating the crap out of each other. It would take another medium to make these two friends at last.

TV Finally Makes the Flash and Supergirl a Dynamic Duo

What really cemented these two heroes in the minds of fans as a duo like Superman and Batman was television. With the success of Arrow and The Flash, producer Greg Berlanti kept expanding his stable of DC series, now called the Arrowverse. While most of them were on the CW, one series landed on CBS. That show was Supergirl. Which, although produced by Berlanti, took place on a separate Earth from the one on Arrow and The Flash. After all, Supergirl’s existence required there to be a Superman. And both Green Arrow and the Flash lived in a world where there was no Man of Steel. Besides, they were on separate networks. That alone was a hurdle.

But Greg Berlanti overcame those hurdles and one of the first big multiverse crossovers of modern superhero TV happened when the Flash appeared on Supergirl in 2016. In the episode, the Flash (Grant Gustin) ran so fast that he vibrated into a parallel universe, where he met Kara Zor-El (Melissa Benoist). The two became fast friends, no pun intended. Their fun, playful banter was in stark contrast to how Superman and Batman interacted on the big screen at the same time. When Supergirl moved to the CW in season two, the crossovers came with frequency. Barry and Kara become best buds, and even shared a musical crossover episode together.

Barry and Kara Share the Silver Screen

Now, the Flash is getting a movie all his own at last. Although “all his own” is a bit of a stretch, since he’ll be sharing the screen with two Batmans. Not to mention the first big screens Supergirl since 1984. Once again, in public perception, the characters of Barry Allen and Kara Zor-El will be inextricably linked in the eyes of the public. In the end, it’s only fitting. Barry and Kara were “born” around the same time in comics, and “died” at just the same time too. And their resurrections were also concurrent. Oh, and they both can run really, really fast. It feels like these two should have always been friends. It just took until the modern era for the folks that write their stories to realize it.

The post The Strange Shared History of the Flash and Supergirl appeared first on Nerdist.

Superman has had, more or less, one costume his whole career. There have been some minor tweaks since the early days. But he’s essentially worn the same getup since about 1945. But his cousin Kara, a.k.a. Supergirl? She adds to her Kryptonian closet with some regularity. Here’s the history of Supergirl’s costume, from the 1959 “girl next door from space” look, to the badass Sasha Calle costume we will soon see in The Flash.

Note: Since the character has appeared in many costume iterations, we’re sticking to outfits worn by the main DCU comics character, not any alternate Earth or Elseworlds versions. So no Power Girl, who is almost an entirely different hero, and no Injustice Kara. And no one-offs, used for a single story then forgotten just as fast. We are including the movie and Arrowverse versions, as well as the animated ones, because they made a big impact and, in turn, the comics started to reflect them.

The Prototype Supergirl Costume

Less than a year before Kara debuted in the pages of Action Comics, DC tried out a Supergirl character to see if readers would respond in 1958’s Superman #123. DC had flirted with a female counterpart to Superman before, like in the ’40s when Lois Lane got powers. They created this Girl of Steel when Jimmy Olsen wished for a Supergirl to help Superman out by wishing on a magic totem. She died the very same issue they introduced her in. But readers liked her enough that DC introduced a real Supergirl one year later. She’d be just a footnote, if not for one thing. The costume she wore, which had a red skirt, would become Kara’s most recognizable costume. But Kara herself wouldn’t wear it until 26 years later in the Supergirl feature film.

Kara Zor-El’s Original Costume

The Supergirl most people know, Kara-Zor-El, first debuted in 1959’s Action Comics #252. When she arrived on Earth from Krypton to greet her cousin she wore this outfit, which remains one of her most iconic. She wore this particular costume for over a decade. It’s basically just her cousin Superman’s costume, but with a skirt and no pants. In many ways, this remains the most iconic Supergirl costume of all, except these days, most people think of it with a red skirt instead of blue. We’ll get to why in a bit. Oddly enough, Kara didn’t wear any version of her costume with a red skirt until 1983, nearly 25 years after her debut.

The Fan-Made Supergirl Costume Fashion

We know, we said no “one off” costumes. But this Supergirl costume phase was too important not to mention. In 1970, Supergirl fans started feeling like her costume was dated. The look she arrived in was a relic of the Leave it to Beaver era, and it was now a post-Woodstock world. So DC asked fans to send in their best costume designs. And the fans complied. They sent in dozens, and DC actually used a few of them. Since this was the early ‘70s, the aesthetics were, shall we say, very groovy. Most of these costumes were just worn once or twice. But one of them was the first time a Supergirl costume included pants. Something her prime-universe comics counterpart wouldn’t ever really wear until very recently.

The Cocktail Waitress of Steel

In 1972, Supergirl finally got her own comic book series instead of merely being a feature in the anthology title Adventure Comics. To celebrate, she got a new costume once again. Only this one stuck for the better part of a decade. It’s another costume very much of its time with a choker, low-cut blouse, and hot pants. Fans have often referred to this one as “the cocktail waitress costume.” As the decade rolled on, the hot pants became regular shorts and the pixie shoes became red boots like she had before. But the basic look remained for a decade. And this costume made it into much of the Supergirl merchandising of the time.

Kara Gets Physical in a Costume to Die For

In 1983, with production about to begin on a live-action Supergirl movie, DC decided to update Kara’s look for the MTV era. To reflect the workout craze, they have the Girl of Steel a perm and a headband. It was all very “Jane Fonda Workout” tape. Actress Helen Slater wore a version of this costume for screen tests, but the producers ultimately ditched the headband and the cape attached to the “S” symbol for the final film. However, they kept the red skirt, which people associate with Supergirl to this day. This costume only lasted a couple of years, but it was the outfit Kara famously died in saving the universe in Crisis on Infinite Earths in 1985.

The Hollywood Costume

Supergirl finally made it into live-action in 1984, in a big-budget feature starring newcomer Helen Slater. A spin-off of the Christopher Reeve Superman films, it sadly totally tanked at the box office and was a critical disaster. However, more people still saw that movie versus reading any one Supergirl comic, especially once it went to home video and cable TV. So this costume instantly became Supergirl’s most well-known. Ironically, it was a costume first worn by the version of the character that was just the prototype, and not the Kara version everyone knows.

The Replacement Supergirl Keeps it Classic

Kara Zor-El was dead and buried in DC continuity from 1985-2004. But in the interim, DC introduced a different Supergirl to the Superman family. And her origin was a tad complicated. But here’s the short version. This version of Supergirl was a protoplasmic lifeform called Matrix that could mimic human appearance. She came from an alternate Earth, where that world’s Kal-El died, and Lex Luthor created her to replace him. She eventually “fused” with a human woman named Linda Danvers, becoming an angel on Earth. Yeah, “Superman’s cousin” makes more sense to us as an origin, too. In any event, the costume worn by this Supergirl from 1988 to 1998 or so is almost exactly the same one we saw in the movie.

The ’90s Supergirl Cartoon Costume

Speaking of the ‘90s, Superman: The Animated Series eventually introduced their version of Supergirl, in the 1998 episode “Little Girl Lost.” This version was Kara, but not Superman’s direct cousin. Instead of Krypton, she was a survivor of the neighboring world of Argo. Her costume was very of its time. Belly T-shirt, Doc Marten boots, a super mini skirt, and a headband that looked like Alicia Silverstone’s in Clueless. In a change of pace for Kara, her shirt was white and not blue. She also had white gloves, a first for her. The comics version of Supergirl, who was not Kara at the time but Linda Danvers, eventually adopted the costume herself. Another example of outside media influencing the comics.

Supergirl’s Costume in the 21st Century

In the early 2000s, DC decided it was time to reintroduce Kara Zor-El. They didn’t resurrect the original Kara, but reintroduced a younger version as a brand-new character just arriving on Earth. This Kara 2.0, designed by the late artist Michael Turner, essentially had the same outfit as her original counterpart did in 1959. Except she now had a bare midriff, much like Britney Spears would have in that era. The costume has more yellow highlights as well. If not for the ridiculously over-exposed mid-section and wildly short skirt, we’d consider this one an all-timer.

The New 52 Costume

In 2011, DC rebooted its entire universe thanks to the event called Flashpoint. The result was “the New 52,” a new timeline with a new Supergirl. She was still Kara, but now more Kryptonian, more aggressive, and with a very weird costume. It definitely evoked the Jim Lee era of early ’90s comics the New 52 was mimicking. Her cape made a statement with a very dramatic collar. But the boots that leave the knees exposed? The weird red diamond shape over the crotch? All that extra piping in the costume itself? This was an overdone look and we weren’t sad to see it go.

The Supergirl Television Show Costume

When Supergirl got her own live-action TV series on CBS (later the CW) she appeared in a costume that reflected what most people thought of when they thought “Supergirl.” So basically, actress Melissa Benoist wore a more muted version of the 1984 movie costume for the Arrowverse. Actually, it’s a cross between the classic version and the then-current DCEU Superman costume worn by Henry Cavill. So, bright colors were not “in” at this time. But everything else about this costume was fantastic, and worked well on screen for four seasons of television.

The Rebirth Uniform

In 2016, DC Comics undid the New 52, and go back to something more classic. This era was called “Rebirth,” and it was a rebirth for Supergirl as well. The militaristic look of the new 52 was out the window. With the success of the TV series, DC decided to give Kara a look that reflected her live-action counterpart. Except the colors were brighter, and more dare-we-say, comic booky. And this might be the best Supergirl costume yet. It’s also the one worn by the Girl of Steel in Tom King’s excellent Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow series. Which will soon be a major motion picture.

The TV Costume, Take Two. Pants at Last!

In the final two seasons of the CW’s Supergirl, Melissa Benoist got something she’d been asking for since season one: pants. Yes, Kara got a new costume this season, which covered up her legs at last. Although Supergirl was barely ever allowed to wear pants in the comics, this outfit changed the game. It definitely drew inspiration from a short-lived costume from the early ‘70s, only it improved on it. The latest comics costume for Kara took a cue from Melissa Benoist and finally added pants. But in a shocking twist, she has no cape, and has a jacket instead! We’re not sure how we feel about that.

The Flash’s Supergirl Costume

Sasha Calle will play Supergirl in The Flash, and this Kara Zor-El is different from anyone we’ve seen before. Just from the trailers, we can see she’s definitely harder-edged, and her costume looks more than a bit like Henry Cavill’s version. Although she is Kara, her costume was inspired by a non-Kara version of the Girl of Steel. It’s strikingly similar to Injustice’s Lara Kent, the daughter of Superman and Lois Lane. If Sasha Calle’s Supergirl returns, we expect yet another costume. After all, as you can see, the Maid of Might changing uniforms is as normal for her as flying.

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He’s been Han Solo, Jack Ryan, Deckard in Blade Runner, and of course, he’s Indiana Jones. In short, there have been very few movie stars in the history of Hollywood bigger than Harrison Ford. And although he might not have an Oscar to his name, he now has an honorary Palme d’Or award from this year’s Cannes Film Festival. Ford received a standing ovation from the crowd, who were gathered there for the world premiere of his final outing as Dr. Jones in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. You can watch the iconic movie star get emotional at receiving this prestigious honor in the video below:

The usually stoic Ford fought back tears as he accepted the award. The festival preceded this honor with a reel of the actor’s greatest hits from 50 years of movies on screen. He jokingly said, “They say when you’re about to die, you see your life flash before your eyes. And I just saw my life flash before my eyes.” But Harrison Ford didn’t overstay his welcome on stage, reminding the audience that they had a movie to see. And afterward, the crowd watched the very first screening of Indiana Jones’ final on-screen adventure.

Harrison Ford wasn’t there alone in that auditorium for his big moment. His co-stars Mads Mikkelsen and Phoebe Waller-Bridge were right there with him, along with his wife Calista Flockhart and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny director James Mangold. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny hits theaters everywhere on June 30, 2023.

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“Swimsuit Specials” were all the rage in comics back in the ’90s. Back then, publishers tried to cash in on the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issues by doing a version with their characters in skimpy swimwear. Of course, back then, the “models” were exclusively women. Things are a little more equal opportunity today. Case in point, DC Comics’ brand new G’nort’s Illustrated Swimsuit Edition, hitting your local comic shop this summer. If you’re wondering who the heck G’nort is, he’s an anthropomorphic dog-like alien who is the universe’s most incompetent Green Lantern. Fortunately, his name also rhymes with the word “sports.”

G’nort will be our guide through a 48-page collection of some of DC’s sexiest swimsuit covers over the years, all collected in one issue. We’re talking artists like Amanda Conner, Paul Pelletier, Nicola Scott, Mikel Janín, Jeff Dékal, Daniel Sampere, Gleb Melnikov, Derrick Chew, Stanley “Artgerm” Lau, Emanuela Lupacchino, Joëlle Jones, Megan Huang, Terry Dodson, Babs Tarr, Pete Woods, Joe Quinones, Hélène Lenoble, Otto Schmidt, Michael Allred, Sweeney Boo, David Talaski, Jenny Frison, and more. You can see examples of their heroes in beachwear in the gallery below:

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Additionally, this one-shot will include Steve Orlando and Paul Pelletier’s Midnighter and Apollo story, “Out There.” This was originally published in DC Cybernetic Summer. Most surprisingly, there’s a new 8-page story featuring The Penguin. Julie Benson and Shawna Benson will clothe Oswald in the tightest bathing trunks you can imagine, in a story with art by Meghan Hetrick. And of course, as with any good Swimsuit Special, there will be a centerfold. There will be three potential centerfolds with each copy, but who they will feature will remain a mystery for now. There will be a main cover by Vasco Georgiev, along with cardstock variant covers by J. Scott Campbell and Adam Hughes, and a 1:25 variant cover by Pablo Villalobos. The G’nort Illustrated Swimsuit Edition goes on sale on August 29.

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With Michael Keaton returning as the Dark Knight in The Flash, we’re feeling nostalgic for the Tim Burton Batman films he starred in. We know most people’s favorite is the original 1989 Batman, but we have a soft spot for Burton’s weird and dark follow-up, Batman Returns. Now, LEGO has something amazing for all of our fellow Batman Returns fans, with a brand new Batman Returns Batcave Shadow Box set. The new set arrives on June 8, right before The Flash hits theaters. You can see several images of the LEGO Batcave set below:

Click To View Gallery

This super-detailed set showcases the full Batcave inside a display box with a cutout in the shape of the world-famous Batman emblem. At the heart of the set is the Caped Crusader’s Batmobile. And it’s sporting the same design as in Tim Burton’s 1992 blockbuster; it’s still one of the best Batmobile designs ever. This LEGO Batcave set features many clever functions and gadgets, including the ability to move furniture and change images on the big screen. You can also open a vault and open a door. There’s even a light brick.

To complete the tribute to the movie, the LEGO Batcave comes with several brand-new minifigures. These include Catwoman, the Penguin, as well as Bruce Wayne, Alfred Pennyworth, and Christopher Walken’s character of Max Shreck. Alfred looks like he’s making tea for Bruce; we’d like to think he has some vichyssoise soup as well, just as in the movie. The Batman Returns Batcave Shadow Box set has 3,981 pieces. That’s massive! Its measurements are L: cm/in 51,2/20,16,​ W: cm/in 14,8/5,86, and D: cm/in 29,1/11,46. The new Shadow Box set will be available for LEGO VIPs from June 5 at LEGO.com/Batman. It will also arrive via LEGO Stores. It becomes available for all from June 8, priced at $399.99 / £344.99/  € 399.99.

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Who needs Magic when you’ve got the Force? The galaxy far, far away is expanding into a yet another themed trading card game with Fantasy Flight Games’ Star Wars: Unlimited. According to the company, the new Star Wars TCG will feature the most iconic heroes, villains, ships, and settings from the franchise. These would cover movies, TV series, comics, video games, and everything in between. Each card will feature newly commissioned art, too.

Star Wars: Unlimited First Look at Trading Cards, Artwork, and Gameplay

More recently, Star Wars: Unlimited also revealed a first look at some of the cards. We love our glimpse of these new Star Wars trading cards. The artwork in Star Wars: Unlimited is absolutely amazing.

But how do we actually play this game? The official gameplay description for Star Wars: Unlimited reads, “In this game, you build a deck using cards you acquire from randomized booster packs, and each of those cards has different strengths, weaknesses, and abilities. The game is called “Unlimited” for a reason; with over 200 cards in the first set—Spark of Rebellion—alone, there are countless strategies and combinations just waiting to be discovered. Choose your leader, build your deck, expand your collection, and launch yourself into a galaxy of unlimited potential!”

The game’s goal? To destroy your opponent’s base before they destroy yours. But how you do it is totally up to you. For now, “all you need to know is that your deck consists of cards that you draw and play, your leader, and your base.” And “Each round consists of you and your opponent alternating back and forth, performing a single action each turn.” Basically, anything you do in the game is considered an action, and that includes “playing a card, attacking with a unit, activating an ability, etc.” Knowing which action to use when is a huge part of your strategy. And, of course, you never know what your opponents will do.

You’ll also play on two separate fronts in Star Wars: Unlimited: the ground arena and the space arena. Different cards have different impacts on these spaces. Some of your most powerful cards are your leader cards. No surprise, Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader are two such cards.

That’s what we know for now, but more gameplay details for Star Wars: Unlimited will release soon.

Star Wars: Unlimited Synopsis

Fantasy Flight Games states:

Star Wars: Unlimited is a fast-paced, dynamic game that is both easy to learn and strategically deep. The robust development of the game has been underway for the past three years, and fans can look forward to a regular release schedule of three sets per year. Fully integrated into the entire experience, Organized Play has been designed alongside the game from the beginning and will be ready on day one. From weekly store-level community experiences to worldwide large-scale events, there will be something for gamers of all levels

Wizards of the Coast released a Star Wars trading card game back in the early 2000s—a game many fans have fond memories of playing. That game lasted until about 2005, with the theatrical release of Revenge of the Sith. Fantasy Flight Games launched Star Wars: Destiny back in 2016. That one ultimately—and unfortunately—had a very short run. And there were others. Hopefully, Star Wars: Unlimited fires on all thrusters, and delivers the Star Wars TCG that fans have been waiting for. Star Wars: Unlimited will go into hyperspace and launch globally in 2024. Its first set will be called  Spark of Rebellion. But since that’s a bit in the future, we’ll have to make do with Disney Lorcana.

Originally published on May 10, 2023.

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With over thirty movies and several TV series, the MCU has been stacked with incredible actors playing iconic comic book characters. But more than a few have played more than one role in the same universe. Or should we say multiverse now? And some of these multitasking performers are pretty well-known names. We’ve come up with ten actors who played more than one MCU role. Although, we are limiting this list to crucial speaking roles. Many folks have played multiple bit parts and non-speaking background players in the MCU, and we’ve chosen not to count them. Also not counted are folks like Chris Evans and Idris Elba and Oscar Isaac, who played Marvel characters in non-MCU movies.

Linda Cardellini (Avengers: Age of Ultron/Endgame, Hawkeye, Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 3)

Linda Cardellini of Freaks and Geeks and Dead to Me played Laura Barton (who may or may not be S.H.I.E.L.D. operative Mockingbird) from Avengers: Age of Ultron to Hawkeye. But more recently, she broke our hearts as the anthropomorphic otter Lylla in Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3. We’re still a bit traumatized to talk too much about Lylla, but Linda Cardellini is a national treasure.

Michelle Yeoh (Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 2, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings)

We first saw Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh in the MCU in a brief cameo as Alita Ogord, one of the Ravagers from the end of Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 2 (and a future 31st-century Guardian from the comics). She had a much bigger role as Ying Nan, the kick-ass aunt of Shang-Chi from Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. We could see this screen icon returning to either role in the future. She’s Michelle Yeoh, we say let her play whatever she wants, whenever she wants.

Alfre Woodard (Captain America: Civil War, Luke Cage)

Oscar-nominated actress Alfre Woodard had a fairly prominent role in Luke Cage as Mariah Dillard, the cousin of Mahershala Ali’s Cottonmouth. However, she first appeared in a small role, as the grieving mother of a son who died in Sokovia, who confronts Tony Stark in Captain America: Civil War. Now, some folks don’t think the (former) Netflix Marvel shows count as MCU proper, but as long as it’s still an open question, we’re choosing to count them.

Clancy Brown (Daredevil, The Punisher, Thor: Ragnarok)

The great Clancy Brown, who famously voiced Lex Luthor for Marvel’s “Distinguished Competition” in the ‘90s Superman animated series, voiced the fire giant Surtur in Thor: Ragnarok. But he also played Colonel Ray Schoonover, a.k.a. the Blacksmith, in both the Netflix Daredevil and The Punisher series. He’s just really good at playing an unrelentingly slimy guy. And he has a fantastic speaking voice. We’re down for him having a third role in fact. We just want to hear him say evil things with that distinctive voice.

Gemma Chan (Captain Marvel, Eternals)

Gemma Chan first popped up in the MCU as Minn-Erva in Captain Marvel, the blue-skinned alien soldier who was part of the Kree Starforce. But just a few years later, Gemma Chan would keep her natural, Earth-born hue and play Sersi in Eternals. The latter character is more likely to appear again than the former.

Kenneth Choi (Captain America: The First Avenger, Spider-Man: Homecoming)

Kenneth Choi first made an appearance in 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger as Private Jim Morita, one of Cap’s Howling Commandos during World War II. Six years later, he appeared in Spider-Man: Homecoming, as the principal of Peter Parker’s high school. The production tied these characters together, by making Principal Morita into Private Morita’s grandson. There are even photos of himself as his own grandfather in his office.

Patton Oswalt (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, Eternals)

Patton Oswalt is a huge comics nerd in real life, so it’s no wonder he’s played a few MCU roles. He portrayed multiple characters referred to as ‘the Koenigs,” who were all identical to one another, on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Then, he showed up in a post-credits cameo as Pip the Troll in Eternals, alongside Harry Styles’ Starfox. We just hope the CGI on Pip is a little more convincing next time.

Tsai Chi (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings)

Actress Tsai Chi first appeared in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. playing Agent Melinda May’s mother, Lian May. She was a retired agent herself, who had a bit of a complicated relationship with her daughter. She played an entirely different kind of matriarch recently, in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. In that film, she played the grandmother of Katy (Awkwafina), who didn’t look like she could hurt a fly.

Benedict Cumberbatch (Doctor Strange)

Benedict Cumberbatch is our Sorcerer Supreme (or he was, until Wong took over after Infinity War). But in his first Doctor Strange movie, he also played the dread Lord Dormammu of the Dark Dimension, so he faced off against himself in the film’s climax. Does that mean Strange and Dormammu are somehow related? Ok, probably not. It was more likely that Cumberbatch wanted to be both hero and villain in the climactic confrontation. But it’s a fun fact most viewers never noticed.

Laura Haddock (Captain America: The First Avenger, Guardians of the Galaxy, Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 2)

Actress Laura Haddock had a brief cameo as a love-struck autograph seeker in Captain America: The First Avenger. She cornered Cap in the USO show, and the two made googly eyes at each other. In 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy, she played Star-Lord’s dying mother. Later, she reprised the role in a flashback in Vol.2. Although her first appearance was barely a cameo, we’re including her because it lends credence to the fan theory that autograph lady was actually Star-Lord’s grandmother, and his grandpa might have been Steve Rogers! It would surely explain how Peter Quill was the only child of Ego’s to survive. A bit of good old super solder genes might have helped.

Now, should Avengers: The Kang Dynasty or Secret Wars officially canonize the pre-MCU Marvel films? Then this whole list will be much longer. We’ll just have to wait and see how big the Marvel multiverse expands to by the end of Phase 6.

The post These Actors Have Played Multiple MCU Roles appeared first on Nerdist.

Back in the ’80s, 1-900 numbers were a way to get kids to spend their parent’s money. And to make them lose their minds when the phone bill arrived. To advertise The Empire Strikes Back this way, Lucasfilm employed the cast to record special hotline promos. Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, Anthony Daniels, and James Earl Jones all took part. Now, recently resurfaced outtakes of those 1979 recording sessions from YouTube channel WishItWas1984 have popped up online (via Laughing Squid) and they’re quite hilarious. You can listen to Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, and James Earl Jones’ outtakes down below.

Mark Hamill is extremely earnest in his “I just blew up the Death Star” Luke Skywalker phase, still sounding like the farm boy he was before learning of his complicated parentage. It’s pretty funny to hear Hamill go from excited and eager Luke mode to frustrated Mark saying “aw shit” when he flubbed a line.

And Carrie Fisher is in peak Carrie Fisher mode, and just seems over having to do the whole thing. You can hear in her voice how cheesy she thinks it all is. But Fisher was always committed to portraying our rebel princess from Alderaan, even when the material was beneath her. Just watch the Star Wars Holiday Special for another example.

And Luke and Leia’s daddy Darth? No matter how crassly commercial it was, James Earl Jones could not help but sound cool when voicing Lord Vader. We could hear him repeat “the power of the Death Star!” in Sith mode forever. Even for a 1-800 number promotion.

Anthony Daniels and Harrison Ford also participated, but their outtakes seem lost to time. But you can hear all the actual Empire Strikes Back hotline messages in a compilation below, including those from C-3PO and Han Solo.

You know who we wish did have hotline messages? R2-D2 and Chewbacca. Can you imagine being a kid and spending your folks’ money and just hearing beeps and growls? Actually, we probably would have called for those two specifically. They would have been worth the money.

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Now we know the nerds have truly inherited the Earth. Announced via Variety, Hasbro’s Entertainment One, or eOne, is launching a free 24-hour streaming channel dedicated solely to Dungeons & Dragons. That’s right, in addition to the current feature film Honor Among Thieves and an upcoming live-action series, the iconic RPG will now stake a claim to its very own network. The Dungeons & Dragons Adventures FAST channel (Free Ad Supported TV) has no distribution partner just yet, but a summer launch is in the cards.

So what can Dungeons & Dragons super fans expect from this new channel? For starters, it will include several original celebrity-focused unscripted series. These include programs like Encounter Party, based on the podcast, and the comedy improv Faster, Purple Worm! Kill! Kill!, of which series co-creator Matthew Lillard will retain involvement. There’s also the talk show/cooking competition Heroes’ Feast.

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

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With The Goonies, director Richard Donner made a movie that stood the test of time. Having said that, directing a gaggle of young kids would wear any adult down. Toward the end of production, Donner took a much-needed break and flew to Hawaii. But producer Steven Spielberg thought it would be hilarious to surprise Donner by flying most of the Goonies kids (and many of the Goonies adults) to him while he was still on his island vacay. Writer Todd Spence uncovered the footage of said prank (via Collider).

Watch Richard Donner and the bewildered look on his face as the Goonies cast gave him the surprise of his life:

The least shocking thing about this video is that Goonies producer Steven Spielberg was the mastermind behind this prank. Donner took the whole thing in stride. He genuinely seemed happy to see his cast again—at least while they were recording him. After all, he’d just spent a whole year with them on set. He probably just wanted to relax by the beach with a cocktail without a kid actor in sight.

The Goonies remains one of the greatest “kids on an adventure” movies ever made, and it helped launch the careers of everyone from Lord of the Rings‘ Sean Astin to Thanos himself, Josh Brolin. It was also a rather huge influence on everything from Stranger Things to the upcoming Star Wars series, Skeleton Crew. Seeing this prank sure made us want to revisit the Goon Docks in Oregon and search for lost pirate treasure. Even if it is for the 100th time.

The post Watch Steven Spielberg Prank THE GOONIES Director Richard Donner in 1985 appeared first on Nerdist.

As much as we may love Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon, we’re perfectly content to leave most things from the mind of George R. R. Martin safely in the world of fiction. It’s not exactly a fun world to live in. But man, it would be cool if there were dragons in real life. Although, you’d probably never want to meet one, especially if someone says “Dracarys” around it. Well, there are no real dragons sadly. But thanks to YouTube channel Coolest Thing, via Geeks Are Sexy, we’ve discovered one man who made the next best thing. An actual life-size steel version of Drogon. And yes, it really does breathe fire. You can see the video chronicling its creation right here:

Canadian metal sculptor Kevin Stone of Chilliwack B.C. has created some incredible sculptures out of stainless steel in his day, including an eagle for none other than Dolly Parton. But recreating a dragon from the world of Westeros proved to be his most daunting challenge so far. It took him two full years to complete the project and weld Drogon together. The final sculpture ended up being 12 feet tall, and 44 fee[‘t wide with his wings folded. If his wings were able to spread out, they’d be approaching 100 feet in wingspan! And this bad boy weighs a whopping 15,000 pounds.

On Kevin Stone’s own YouTube channel, he goes into more detail about the creation of his Drogon sculpture. And you can also see lots of his other work, including one of a massive T-Rex. In Stone’s own words, it’s his goal to make something that will last for generations, and stand the test of time. We think some of these steel beasts are going to be around a whole lot longer than any of us. To see more, go to the Metal Sculptor Kevin Stone YouTube channel.

The post This Metal GAME OF THRONES Fire-Breathing Dragon Is Ready for Battle appeared first on Nerdist.

Before there was the classic animated series The Clone Wars, there was just simply Clone Wars. These days, everyone knows the seven-season, 133-episode series was peak Star Wars, introducing us to iconic characters like Ahsoka Tano. But five years earlier, in 2003, Lucasfilm had another animated show about the prequel-era conflict, animated by Samurai Jack creator Genndy Tartakovsky. Although very short, about three minutes per episode, fans loved the over-the-top kinetic action. As the classic Clone Wars series approaches its 20th anniversary, its creator Genndy Tartakovsky took questions about the series from fans.

Taking questions from Twitter for Wired, Tartakovsky answered the most commonly asked question about Clone Wars. Just why were the episodes so darn short? Well, in the video below, he says George Lucas originally wanted them even shorter, just a minute long. Lucas had been burned letting others handle his baby on TV before. Does anyone remember the Star Wars Holiday Special? But Tartakovsky convinced him to go for a longer runtime. And we’re so glad he did.

In another question, a fan asked how Clone Wars pulled off the 3D animation. Now, Tartakovsky animated his series traditionally, 2D style. But there were some early CGI elements to it, like the ships. Other 2D Cartoon Network shows at the time like Justice League Unlimited also experimented with CGI vehicles. You can hear Tartokovsky talk about the challenges of pioneering 3D animation in Star Wars long before Ahsoka ever picked up a lightsaber down below:

We’d love for Genndy Tartakovsky to tackle another 2D Star Wars cartoon again. Can you imagine a Tartakovsky-style series featuring the original trilogy characters or The Mandalorian? Maybe for a future Star Wars: Visions it could happen. We can dream, right? In the meantime, the entire Clone Wars micro-series is on Disney+. Do yourself a favor and check them out. They may not be canon, but they’re incredible.

The post Original CLONE WARS Cartoon Director Explains Why It Was So Short appeared first on Nerdist.

The MCU often reinvents Marvel Comics’ main characters. Hawkeye was a very different character from his comics counterpart, and they removed Scarlet Witch’s mutant past completely. Similarly, Adam Warlock, who finally made his movie debut in Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3, is very different from what Marvel Comics fans remember. Or was he? Actually, James Gunn reinvented him by going back to his earliest comic origins. And when we say he “reinvented him,” we literally mean “Him.” As “Him” was Adam Warlock’s original name.

Most Marvel Comics readers know Adam Warlock as the powerful being who owns the Soul Gem, and who often went toe-to-toe with Thanos. Not only did he have the standard super strength, invulnerability, flight, and energy projection powers, but he also had “Quantum Magic.” He was a central figure in the Infinity Gauntlet and Infinity War ’90s crossover events, and spun out of those with his own title, Warlock and the Infinity Watch. So the version we saw in Guardians was a far cry from the ones modern comics readers knew. How was Will Poulter’s overgrown golden baby anything like his comic inspiration? Actually, he was. Just not a version most modern readers were familiar with.

Before Adam Warlock, There Was Marvel Comics “Him”

Adam Warlock wasn’t always called Adam Warlock. Stan Lee and Jack Kirby created him as the antagonist in Fantastic Four #67 in 1967. A cult of nefarious scientists called the Enclave used all their scientific skills to create the perfect artificial being. Out of their cocoon chamber emerged a male-presenting being of perfect proportions with golden skin and hair. By nature, he had telepathy, incredible strength, and energy manipulation powers. He didn’t have a name, he was simply referred to as “Him.”

This perfect specimen of a man was essentially a newborn baby, with the accumulated knowledge of humanity dumped into his brain. But he had no actual experience with the world at large and acted much like an overgrown child. When he read the minds of his creators and saw they were actually evil, he turned on them and flew away into space. For years, readers had no idea what became of him, as Stan Lee and Jack Kirby left it open-ended. His story became something for future writers to pick up on. It took several years, but eventually someone did.

Marvel Comics Him Became an Outer Space Doctor Strange

In the early ‘70s, writer Roy Thomas and artist Gil Kane remembered that Him was still out there in the cosmos. So they gave him a name, a costume (he was all but naked before), and made him a superhero. Writer Jim Starlin added even more story elements to Warlock in the following years. From the start, those early adventures saw him receive a glow-up, as he inherited the Soul Gem, an Infinity Gem which he embedded in his forehead. He became a wise mage character, like a cosmic Dr. Strange with magic added to his already formidable power set. When you needed a powerful sage voice in a billowy red cape to tell you what’s what with an impending cosmic threat, Adam Warlock became the go-to character.

MCU Adam Warlock Goes Back to the Him Basics

But for the MCU, James Gunn went back to square one. Will Poulter’s Adam Warlock did have a name from the get-go. It would have been silly to only refer to him as, well, HIM. But the rest of his appearance in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 tracks with his first comics appearance. They birthed him from a cocoon as a fully grown adult, but was innocent and easily manipulated. He only understands serving his creators. In this case, the Sovereign, not the Enclave. But much like the comics, he recognized his creators were not noble, turning on them to help the good guys. Replace the Fantastic Four with the Guardians, and it’s very much the same scenario. Instead of flying off to parts unknown at the end, he finds a new family with the Guardians of the Galaxy.

It remains to be seen how much of Adam Warlock’s more well-established comics personality will remain as the character moves forward in other projects. For several decades, much of the comics version of Adam was informed by owning the Soul Gem. It gave him tremendous extra power and knowledge. Without it, how does MCU “baby Adam” become so wise? Although the MCU Adam has some sort of stone in his forehead, it’s definitely not an Infinity Stone. We know they were all destroyed. So much of the comic book Adam’s history was tied into both the Soul Gem and Thanos. Without those concepts, MCU Adam will likely deviate even more from the version comics fans know.

What Is Adam Warlock’s MCU Future?

As fun as it would be to see Adam Warlock in a future Guardians project, whatever form that may take, we honestly hope to see him in his own thing. Although a stalwart member of the Guardians in the comics, Adam Warlock was more famous as a solo hero first. A Disney+ show expanding on how this adult-sized golden infant became a wise cosmic sage would be fun. Will Poulter was perfect to play the big baby version of Adam, “Him 2.0.” But we’d love to see him evolve into the version most comics fans love, which is Superman meets Doctor Strange, only in space. Let’s see what happens with Adam Warlock a.k.a. Him in the future.

The post How the MCU’s Adam Warlock Honors His Cosmic Genius Comic Origins appeared first on Nerdist.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been an unprecedented success, the kind never before seen in Hollywood. Fifteen years, 32 films, with many critically acclaimed, box office hits. Not to mention the MCU’s several Disney+ series. And yet, if the MCU entries have a flaw, it’s that their villains aren’t always the most memorable. However, there are diamonds in the rough among the Marvel bad guys, and maybe some of these villains have been underappreciated.

So let’s countdown the MCU’s bad guys, from worst to best, and see where they all rank in the halls of villainy.

35. Sonny Burch (Ant-Man and the Wasp)

Ant-Man and the Wasp is a fun little adventure comedy. And it was a great palette cleanser after the heaviness of the Infinity War. Having said that, the character of Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen) is not really a villain. She’s more of a sympathetic antagonist—yes, even more so than sympathetic bad guys like Killmonger or Loki, who still really enjoy getting all murdery. That leaves only smarmy arms dealer Sonny Burch, played by Walton Goggins. There’s is nothing that makes him stand out as special at all, hence coming in at the very bottom.

34. Malekith (Thor: The Dark World)

Thor: The Dark World isn’t the worst Marvel Studios film. It’s near the bottom, but it is fun and entertaining enough that we always stop and watch whenever we catch it flipping through channels. Nevertheless, Malekith the Dark Elf is one of the least memorable and most boring of all the MCU villains. Everything about his performance, make-up, etc., is just totally forgettable.

33. Ronan the Accuser (Guardians of the Galaxy)

Credit where credit is due: actor Lee Pace has such a charming, nice guy face, it’s amazing he was able to come off as evil as the Kree villain Ronan the Accuser in the first Guardians of the Galaxy. Although he is convincingly an evil tyrant,  he’s also pretty much just your standard monologuing alien bad guy, who goes off on rants which end with his killing someone.

32. Dreykov (Black Widow)

Black Widow’s arch-nemesis since Avengers has been the mysterious Russian operative, Dreykov. The manipulative psychopath operated the Red Room and kidnapped girls from all over the world to turn them into trained killers, including Natasha Romanov. When we finally meet Dreykov in Black Widow, Ray Winstone plays him with a questionable accent and with zero depth of character. The concept of the Red Room itself is way more menacing than Dreykov ever was.

31. Aldrich Killian (Iron Man 3)

The memorable villain in Iron Man 3, the Mandarin, is the fake-out villain in the movie. Played by Ben Kingsley, both his villainous persona of the Mandarin, which parodies every “scary voice” movie baddie ever, to the clueless actor who portrays him, Trevor Slattery, are a joy to watch on screen. Sadly, since he’s a decoy to the movie’s real bad guy, he doesn’t make this list.

Iron Man 3’s true villain is actually Guy Pearce as Aldrich Killian, another genius who Tony Stark slighted in his younger hedonistic days. Killian just feels like any bad guy in a ’90s action movie, except he breathes fire. He just never has enough personality to make an impression.

30. Justin Hammer (Iron Man 2)

Watching Sam Rockwell chew the scenery as jealous weapons manufacturer Justin Hammer in Iron Man 2 is somewhat diverting, because it’s among the few times that the movie isn’t super boring. I’ll go on record as saying I think Iron Man 2 is the weakest of all the MCU films, but it at least it sparks to some kind of life whenever Sam Rockwell is on-screen. Here’s hoping he shows up in Armor Wars.

29. Dormammu (Doctor Strange)

The dread lord Dormammu was really just a giant floating head in Doctor Strange, bent on dominating the universe. In that sense, he’s more or less just like Sauron in The Lord of the Rings films. However, the effects and designs that went into creating him were really cool and memorable. And his menacing voice came from none other than Benedict Cumberbatch, blended with the voice of another actor.

28. Ivan Vanko (Iron Man 2)

It’s hard to decide which of Iron Man 2’s villains was worse: Justin Hammer or Ivan Vanko, a weird combination of old-school Iron Man bad guys Whiplash and the Crimson Dynamo. While Sam Rockwell chews the scenery in a fun way, Mickey Rourke does so in a grating way. But, he edges out Rockwell’s Justin Hammer only because he got a cool action scene in an otherwise boring movie.

27. Emil Blonsky/The Abomination (The Incredible Hulk)

The Incredible Hulk is the red-headed stepchild of the MCU. Personally, I think it’s a perfectly decent comic book movie with some nifty action scenes, and Tim Roth gives a pretty good performance as an over-the-hill military operative who just wants to be able to keep kicking ass. No, he’s not the most nuanced villain, but we understood him, and he was fun to watch on screen. And although no longer a villain really, he was super fun to watch on She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.

26. Kaecilius (Doctor Strange)

We don’t have anything really bad to say about Mads Mikkelsen’s turn as rogue sorcerer Kaecilius from Doctor Strange. I mean, this guy can do sophisticated Euro-evil in his sleep. And whenever he appeared, he was actually threatening. We realize this movie didn’t dive deeply into his backstory and motivations, but it was just enough for us to be satisfied with the final product. Plus he had cool glittery eye makeup; that helped.

25. Darren Cross/Yellowjacket/M.O.D.O.K (Ant-Man, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania)

Ant-Man ended up being a delightful surprise. One thing that the movie didn’t nail, however, was the villain, Darren Cross. Played by Corey Stoll, this bad guy is really just a rip-off of Obidiah Stane from the first Iron Man. Basically, he’s another jealous corporate CEO type who feels that a paternal scientific genius figure should have paid more attention to him and not his actual children. However, as far as we’re concerned, Darren Cross got a big glow-up when he became M.O.D.O.K in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. He leaned into the silliness of the character, and although never menacing, he was at least memorable. And hilarious.

24. Arthur Harrow (Moon Knight)

Ethan Hawke gave an appropriately slimy performance as cult leader Arthur Harrow, who worshipped the Egyptian goddess Amit, and tried to bring forth her wrath upon the world. Harrow was both a cult leader and a cultist, which is a fun combination to play, and Hawke did it well. But, there just wasn’t enough of him to really make him more memorable than some other MCU baddies, as the show was, understandably, far more focused on Moon Knight.

23. Ultron (Avengers: Age of Ultron)

In some circles, the Avengers’ second big villain Ultron gets a lot of hate. Is it because he’s an all-CGI character? Is he just too classic Whedon “Jokey-jokey” for some? While I understand the complaints, I get Ultron as a character and his motivations, and I enjoy James Spader’s slimy delivery of every line he utters. If Tony Stark is Ultron’s “father,” then he sure inherited Daddy’s tendency towards snarky delivery. We probably won’t, but we wouldn’t mind seeing Ultron again down the line sometime. He’s the MCU’s Frankenstein monster, and destroyed a whole country. You have our respect, Ultron.

22. Baron Helmut Zemo (Captain America: Civil War, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier)

The best villains have simple motivations that are easy to understand, and Helmut Zemo, played by German actor Daniel Brühl, is absolutely one of those. Having lost his family due to the events of Age of Ultron, he blames the Avengers, and it’s hard not to see where he’s coming from. His complicated plot to make the Avengers fight against one another holds up on multiple viewings, which is more than can be said for most of these villains. He’s not on-screen a lot in Civil War, but when he is, he makes good use of his screen time. Plus, he’s went on to become one of the best parts of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. 

21. Obadiah Stane (Iron Man)

Obadiah Stane was the very first villain of the MCU, going back to 2008’s Iron Man. The whole “I was your right-hand man but I really hate you” thing has played out in a million movies before this one, and probably done better, but Jeff Bridges brings so much smarmy glee to the role, you kind of can’t help but enjoy him every second he’s on-screen. He gets points just for the way he yells “Tony Stark built one of these in a Cave! With a bunch of scraps!!!” Truly an iconic moment.

20. Alexander Pierce (Captain America: The Winter Soldier)

It was something of a stroke of genius to get Robert Redford, the star of so many paranoid conspiracy thrillers back in the ’70s, to play the man behind the giant conspiracy in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. But it’s not just stunt casting here; not only is Pierce’s evil HYDRA plan scary in almost a real-world way, Redford sells you on the fact that he’s a true believer in this kind of authoritarian rule. Also, watching an Oscar winner and acting royalty like Robert Redford say lines like “Hail HYDRA” meant comic book movies were no longer marginalized, second-rate entertainment.

19. Yon-Rogg (Captain Marvel)

A few years ago, we would have all thought Ben Mendelsohn as Talos would be high on this list. But, SURPRISE! His Skrull character wasn’t actually a villain in Captain Marvel. The true villain of the film was Jude Law’s Kree Commander, Yon-Rogg. Although for most of the film he was portrayed as a strict yet paternal mentor to Vers, a.k.a. Carol Danvers, he later turned out to be anything but a good guy. And yet he’s great because we still get the sense he really genuinely cared about Carol, despite all his horrible actions.

18. The Red Skull (Captain America: The First Avenger)

While most of the MCU villains try not to go for over-the-top comic book-style theatrics for their live-action incarnations, the same can’t be said for Hugo Weaving as the Red Skull—and that’s a good thing. Maybe it’s because the first Cap movie is a 1940s period piece, but we forgive a lot of the heavily accented mustache-twirling that Red Skull does here. It’s so era-appropriate, and Weaving seems to be having so much fun here. And really, how does one play a guy with a red skeleton face in a subtle way? You don’t. I’m glad Weaving just went for the jugular.

17. Arishem the Judge (Eternals)

Eternals is not the most beloved MCU entry, and truth be told, it’s kind of hard to pinpoint who the “villain” even was. Was it the Deviants? Ikaris? In the end, they were all puppets of the cosmic gods known as the Celestials. And the Celestial who pulled all the strings in Eternals was Arishem the Judge. And it might have zero personality, but in terms of evil plans? How about creating Earth and humanity to give life to another Celestial and thereby casually destroying everyone on the planet? That is cold. But it showed commitment to playing the long game. It makes Thanos’ evil plan tame in comparison. If Arishem had an ounce of charisma, it would rank much higher. But, it’s just a giant scary red thing.

16. The Vulture (Spider-Man: Homecoming)

The best Marvel villains have motivations that make sense, and among those is Adrian Toomes, a.k.a the Vulture, in Spider-Man: Homecoming. Played with the perfect balance of empathetic working-class everyman mixed with terrifying criminal (that scene with Peter Parker going to the prom!), Michael Keaton just nails it, and makes you genuinely care about his character and hope he doesn’t get killed off by the end.

15. Ego, the Living Planet (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2)

In many ways the polar opposite of Michael Keaton’s Vulture (one’s a god, the other lives in New Jersey), they both fall under the category of villains that you can’t help but kind of like. In the scenes where Ego’s just hanging out with his son Peter Quill, you get the sense that he cares about him in his own weird and twisted way. Of course, a lot of the reason Ego works at all is due to the fact that he’s played by Kurt Russell, who can’t help his rugged charm. Impeccable casting is always Marvel Studios’ strength.

14. Mysterio (Spider-Man: Far From Home)  

The former contender to play Spider-Man wound up as the MCU Spidey’s best villain. So what makes Mysterio so great? First, he convincingly pulls off the charade of “I’m a fellow superhero too” to gain Peter Parker’s trust—not only to Peter, but to the audience. Even longtime comics fans who were well aware that Mysterio is a classic Spider-Man villain were wondering if the MCU version was maybe a good guy somehow. That’s how charming Jake Gyllenhaal was in the role. And his motivations for hating Tony Stark were more valid than Aldrich Killian’s in Iron Man 3. On top of all that, he gets the ultimate upper hand on Spider-Man by revealing the hero’s secret identity to the world. Not bad for a one-movie villain!

13. Kingpin (Hawkeye)

It was sort of unclear who the true villain of the Hawkeye series was until the very end. Was it the Tracksuit Mafia? Echo? In some ways, Kate Bishop’s mother could be considered a villain (misguided is probably a better word for her). No, the final episode of Hawkeye revealed the true “big bad” of the series, and it was none other than Vincent D’Onofrio as Wilson Fisk, the Kingpin.

The Kingpin was not only pure rage combined with physical strength in the show’s finale, he had some of the best bad guy line deliveries in the MCU. Of course, fans already loved his version of Fisk from the Daredevil series, but since we only have this one episode of Hawkeye to go by, Wilson will have to settle for this spot. 

12. Gorr the God Butcher (Thor: Love and Thunder)

In just a decade, Gorr the God Butcher became one of Thor’s best villains in the comics. And thanks to Thor: Love and Thunder, Christian Bale has made Gorr one of the most compelling villains in the MCU as well. Although Love and Thunder is mostly goofy and lighthearted, Gorr remains terrifying as he wields his Necrosword. He’s sympathetic as well.

When you meet him in the opening moments of the film, you feel for him. His motivations for wanting to end all gods tracked, as he witnessed firsthand how callous and indifferent they were to mortal suffering. Not only does Bale give a legit scary performance as Gorr (helped by great makeup), there’s a part of you that’s actually rooting for him. This is what helps Gorr transcend the likes of Malekith and other lesser MCU villains into the upper tier.

11. Kang the Conqueror/He Who Remains (Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Loki)

So far, Jonathan Majors has played two versions of the same character in the MCU. First, he appeared as “He Who Remains,’ the main baddie pulling the strings at the end of Loki season one. He barely appeared up in that episode, dying by the end of it. However, one of his variants, who actually went by the name Kang the Conqueror in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, stole the show in that film. This Kang, exiled to the Quantum Realm, oozed menace. And he had no problem wiping out entire timelines if it suited his needs. Like any good villain, he could deliver an evil monologue for the ages.

10. Green Goblin (Spider-Man: No Way Home)

Technically, Willem Dafoe’s version of Norman Osborn from 2002 is the very first MCU villain, ever since Spider-Man: No Way Home retconned him into the larger Marvel Multiverse. In the original Sam Raimi Spider-Man, Osborn did a lot of damage to Peter Parker’s life, but was just shy of actually killing anyone he loved. But in No Way Home, he returned with a vengeance, ultimately murdering Peter’s Aunt May.

Yes, other classic villains returned for No Way Home, but none were truly that bad. Dafoe never missed a beat in his performance. He still made you feel compassion for his tortured soul, consumed by an alternate personality. Because of the permanent emotional damage he did to Peter Parker, the Green Goblin proved in No Way Home he will always be the most dangerous Spider-Man villain of all.

9. Hela (Thor: Ragnarok)

Does Thor: Ragnarok’s Hela have a great deal of complex motivation beyond the obvious? Well, no….but man, does Oscar-winner Cate Blanchett tear up the screen every second she’s in this movie. Vamping it up like a modern-day version of Eartha Kitt’s ’60s Catwoman, Blanchett is having so much fun it’s infectious. That’s a costume that could wear her, it’s so over-the-top, but make no mistake, she wears it. The role is thin on paper, but when you’re acting at 110%, it doesn’t really matter. Some roles are so memorable because they’re fun to watch, and Hela fits into this category.

8. Namor (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever)

We struggled on whether or not to include Namor the Sub-Mariner on this list, because he’s so charming and likable, thus teetering into anti-hero territory. However, in Tenoch Huerta’s one and only appearance so far in the MCU in Wakanda Forever, he floods the African nation and kills Queen Ramonda. So, sorry, that puts him in the villain category for us. But like Magneto from X-Men, he has a reason for his despicable acts. It’s all to protect his Talokan people from the evils of the outside world. Unfortunately, the man worshipped as the Mayan god K’uk’ulkan did a lot of damage in the second Black Panther film, so he is ranked as a villain for now. That may change with subsequent MCU appearances.

7. Agatha “Agnes” Harkness (WandaVision)

Wanda Maximoff herself might technically be the villain of WandaVision. But the one truly stirring the evil pot is none other than the “nosy neighbor” with a secret, Agnes. Or should we say, Agatha Harkness. The witch from olden times was drawn to the hex power Wanda exhibited in Westview, and wanted all the magical mojo for herself. So she played along with Wanda’s sitcom reality in hilarious ways, before proving that she was there to suck that magic dry. Not only is Kathryn Hahn perfect as both the annoying neighbor and as a deliciously powerful witch, she has the best theme song of any MCU character ever.

6. The Scarlet Witch (Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness)

The Scarlet Witch is the best kind of villain because she’s the kind you root for. If you’ve been on Wanda’s journey through all the MCU films and WandaVision, you understand the terrible losses that led her down the path of the dark side. In fact, the Scarlet Witch’s journey from hero to villain is better than her cinematic Marvel counterparts like Dark Phoenix, and dare we say, even better than Anakin Skywalker’s in Star Wars. And Elizabeth Olsen performs the hell out of the part in Multiverse of Madness, giving us pure driven rage coupled with heartbreaking vulnerability. Some may question her ever becoming a villain, but almost no one can question how good she is at being one. 

5. The High Evolutionary (Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3)

Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3’s High Evolutionary might not be the most nuanced villain on this list, but for our money, he’s the most unrepentantly evil. Played by actor Chukwudi Iwuji to the hilt, the Evolutionary hits two of the necessary requirements for being completely unredeemable. First, he tortures cute little animals. Right there, that makes him someone we want to see get his comeuppance right away. Second, he’s a eugenicist, making him akin to Nazis on Earth. And third, he commits genocide on entire worlds he’s deemed as “genetic failures.” Yeah, this guy is hateable and then some. And actually legit threatening. Even though, as Peter Quill said, he had a Robocop-looking head.

4. Erik Killmonger (Black Panther)

Michael B. Jordan as Erik Killmonger in Black Panther is the best kind of villain, because though he might be misguided, he wasn’t entirely wrong. In this instance, his points about why T’Challa and his father before him have let their people down for centuries as they hid Wakanda away from the outside world are hard to debate against. But like Magneto, his methodology is twisted, and his moral compass is skewed by his own horrible life experience, which is what ultimately makes him a villain. In a movie that is filled with memorable characters, Killmonger shining so brightly is no small thing.

3. Wenwu (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings)

Phase 4’s villains were kind of “meh.” But when Shang-Chi came out, we all collectively said “now we’re cooking with fire.” Because that’s what Shang-Chi’s father, Xu Wenwu, is: fire. Teased since the first Iron Man, when the Ten Rings organization kidnapped Tony Stark, Tony Leung’s portrayal did not disappoint. As an ancient immortal, he was a ruthless criminal warlord, a tender-loving husband, and a delusional grieving widower—oh, and a terrible father (most of the time). Tony Leung gives layers to this villain, making him not only the best of all the Phase 4 baddies, but one of the best MCU antagonists, period.

2. Loki (Thor, Thor: The Dark World, Thor: Ragnarok, Avengers, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, Loki)

People might not love all the Thor movies, but there is just no question that they gave us one of the very best villains in not only the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but just one of the best villains in movie history. Tom Hiddleston brings a metric ton of Shakespearean-level weight to the role of the adopted son of the King of Asgard, and yet manages to make him endearingly witty as well. As we’ve said for many of the previous entries on this list, the key to a great villain is that you kind of have to like them on some level and root for them, and Loki is the epitome of that. Whether he’s destroying New York or brooding in a jail cell, we all can’t help but love the god of mischief. We’re so glad he’s finally earned his own spotlight.

1. Thanos (Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame)

Ever since the post-credits tag at the end of Avengers, Marvel teased the imminent arrival of the character who was supposed to be their biggest bad, the “Mad Titan” known as Thanos. Almost since the beginning, Kevin Feige and the folks at Marvel said Thanos would be the Marvel Universe’s Darth Vader (no pressure or anything). After all that build-up, he had to be great.

After all those years, Thanos, as played by Josh Brolin finally made his real presence known in Avengers: Infinity War and he did not disappoint. He was instantly one of Marvel’s most complex and nuanced villains. Before the credits even rolled, he mopped the floor with the Hulk. Then he killed Loki, almost as if to say “you know that guy who was Marvel’s best baddie? Yeah, I just killed him. Who’s the best villain now?”

Usually, the villains who are the most dangerous are the ones who think they’re the hero, something Thanos absolutely does believe. Plus, unlike all the other villains on this list, Thanos isn’t all talk; he actually won at the end. Most CGI villains are forgettable, but Brolin’s acting and personality always came through the purple pixels, truly making the Mad Titan one of the great movie villains, and easily the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s best villain yet. He was completely okay with dying once he completed his life’s work in Endgame. He didn’t care if he died in the process. Just as long as the “work was done.”

Originally published on February 21, 2018.

The post Every MCU Villain Ranked from Worst to Best appeared first on Nerdist.

Doctor Strange may have the word “strange” as part of his name, but almost no superhero in the Marvel Universe is truly as strange as Adam Warlock. But who is Adam Warlock, really? He’s an immensely powerful cosmic being and a longtime enemy of Thanos. Adam Warlock has even wielded all the Infinity Stones at once (called Infinity Gems in the comics). So he’s a major player. And on top of this, Marvel’s Adam Warlock finally made his MCU debut in a big, bad way in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. But now that he has emerged from his alien cocoon, here are the most important things to know about Marvel’s cosmic messianic hero. Who is Adam Warlock? Let’s find out.

Adam Warlock’s Origin Story: Simply “Him”

Few Marvel Comics heroes have a stranger origin or a stranger series of adventures than Adam Warlock. Stan Lee and Jack Kirby created him in the pages of Fantastic Four back in 1967. He had no name at first, only referred to as “Him.” Adam Warlock’s first stage of Marvel existence came when a villainous group of scientists bent on world domination, known as the Enclave, used all their scientific know-how to create the perfect artificial being.

The Enclave succeeded, making a perfectly built humanoid man with golden skin. The soon-to-be Adam Warlock emerged from his birthing pod with incredible strength, telepathy, and energy manipulation powers. But because of his telepathy, he could sense that his creators had nefarious plans for the world. Disgusted with them, he destroyed their laboratory and departed for the stars.

Becoming Adam Warlock in Marvel Comics

After a brief tussle with Thor, “Him” encased himself into a healing cocoon. He emerged from this state when he met the being known as the High Evolutionary. During this time, the High Evolutionary had created a duplicate of Earth 616, which revolved around the sun in the opposite direction. This “Counter-Earth” didn’t have superhero protectors of its own, so the High Evolutionary entrusted “Him” with the Soul Gem. And thus, a new superhero was born.

Possession of the gem allowed him to capture the souls of living beings. The High Evolutionary gave him the name “Warlock,” and a group of kids gave him the first name “Adam.” And together, the High Evolutionary and the latter unexpected source birthed Adam Warlock. This huge revamp of the character was because of the creative team of Roy Thomas and Gil Kane, who took the blank slate of “Him” and gave him his own comic series. And in interviews over the years, Thomas has admitted that inspiration for Marvel Comics’ Adam Warlock came from the (at the time) new musical, Jesus Christ Superstar. 

Adam Warlock vs. Thanos: Round One 

Eventually leaving Counter-Earth and the High Evolutionary behind, Adam Warlock travels into Marvel Comics’ cosmos. There, he crosses paths with the Universal Church of Truth, an intergalactic cult led by a madman called Magus. To stop Magus, Adam Warlock forges an alliance with the Mad Titan Thanos and his daughter Gamora. (You’ve probably heard of them). But then Adam Warlock learns the ugly truth. He himself is Magus but from the future—a version of himself driven mad by overuse of the Soul Gem. Adam Warlock beats Magus but then turns against Thanos when he discovers the other five Infinity Gems.

Adam Warlock defeats Thanos by turning him to stone. This does seem to indicate that Marvel’s Adam Warlock is stronger than Thanos in some ways… At least in Marvel Comics. After Warlock bests Thanos, his consciousness finds a new home in the Soulworld, which exists in the Soul Stone.

Adam Warlock’s History with Infinity Gauntlets, Infinity Wars, and the Infinity Watch

Thanos eventually finds a path toward resurrection and gathers all the Infinity Gems together. He plans to erase half of life in the universe. Sound familiar? That’s because The Infinity Gauntlet event series was the basis for the MCU’s “Infinity Saga.” (The “Infinity Saga” are the first 23 films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.) Although Adam Warlock was not present in the MCU version of events.

In the comics, Adam Warlock leaves the Soulworld along with Gamora, who was also trapped there, essentially resurrecting themselves. With Earth’s heroes in tow, they defeat Thanos, just like in the MCU. Instead of the gems being destroyed like in the MCU, however, Adam Warlock splits them up in the Marvel Comics’ version of the story. Adam Warlock gives one gem out to several different individuals while keeping the Soul Gem for himself. This group became known as The Infinity Watch.

To best host the Soul Gem, Adam Warlock purges himself of all emotion, becoming a creature of pure logic. He comes like Spock from Star Trek, only with gold skin like Data from The Next Generation. Additionally, like Spock and Data, Adam Warlock is also a logic-based character who falls on the side of good in Marvel Comics. So, unless, James Gunn throws a curveball our way, or Adam Warlock appears first as Magus, it seems unlikely he will join the MCU as a villain.

It is interesting to note that Warlock’s “good” and “bad” emotions go on to form their own beings, which Warlock later has to fight. Perhaps we may see these inter-Adam Warlock battles appear somewhere in the MCU.

Terrible Cosmic Abilities, Itty Bitty Living Space: Adam Warlock’s Powers

Despite living for years within the world contained in the tiny Soul Gem, Adam Warlock retained all of his powers. And his powers are formidable, to say the least. Adam Warlock has superhuman strength, speed, and stamina, not to mention he can also manipulate cosmic power for energy projection. In addition, he can fly, and he can regenerate himself by encasing himself in cocoons similar to the one which birthed him.

Essentially immortal, with each Marvel Comics resurrection, Adam Warlock only gets stronger. But the perks don’t end there. He also has accessed “quantum magic,” which is good since his name is “Warlock,” after all. He can create force fields, travel faster than light, and even create wormholes in space. And not only does Adam Warlock have the power to resurrect himself, but he’s resurrected others in the past. Adam Warlock isn’t omnipotent on the level of the Celestials, but he’s in their ballpark.

Adam Warlock and Thanos: Brothers?

Adam Warlock, due to his connection to the Soul Gem, is Marvel’s Avatar of Life. Meanwhile, Thanos is the Avatar of Death. So, in a manner of speaking, they are spiritual siblings or different sides of the same coin. This leads fans to speculate about whether they are brothers. But are Adam Warlock and Thanos siblings? No, not exactly. But they have a unique bond. And that causes Adam Warlock and Thanos to be both enemy and ally.

Although they fought against each other many times, together they defeated Annihilus and other cosmic threats. And despite ruining Thanos’ plans with the Infinity Gauntlet, Adam Warlock still trusted him with the Power Gem when he split up the rest of the remaining gems. We look forward to seeing what kind of relationship, if any, Adam Warlock will have with Thanos in the MCU.

So Why Hasn’t Adam Warlock Been in the MCU Until Now?

Adam Warlock has appeared in animated form before, first in the animated film Planet Hulk and then in shows like Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes and Guardians of the Galaxy. But despite these appearances and his comic book history, Adam Warlock hasn’t surfaced in the MCU yet. Given Adam Warlock’s importance to the whole Infinity Gauntlet saga and all its various comic spinoffs, it’s not clear why he didn’t feature in the MCU’s Infinity Saga. The entire concept of the Infinity Stones comes from Adam Warlock comics, after all.

At the end of the day, only Kevin Feige knows for sure why Adam Warlock never appeared in the MCU’s Infinity Saga. It’s possible Marvel wanted the focus solely on the main Avengers team. Marvel teased the character in both Thor: The Dark World and Guardians of the Galaxy, where his cocoon was shown. But it was the post-credits tag to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 that showed that Adam Warlock was finally coming into the MCU. Only this time, Adam Warlock is created by the alien Sovereign, not Earth scientists. Finally, Marvel announced they cast Will Poulter as the MCU’s Adam Warlock. The studio announced that Warlock would finally be join the MCU in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. 

Adam Warlock in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and His MCU Future

The MCU reworked Adam Warlock’s origins, as we learned that the High Evolutionary actually created the Sovereign race, making him an indirect product of his expertise in genetics. In Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Adam Warlock was a newborn being of immense power, tasked with bringing Rocket back to his master. He mowed through the Guardians on Knowhere, showing off his true potential.

The MCU’s Adam Warlock eventually turns on the High Evolutionary and helps the Guardians of the Galaxy, even saving Star-Lord’s life. By the end of the film, he joins Rocket’s new Guardians team, heading towards a path of heroism. All of this is a truncated version of Adam Warlock’s comic book relationship with the High Evolutionary, in which Warlock served the High Evolutionary and ultimately left him behind. Only Adam Warlock’s Marvel Comics connection to the Infinity Stones is totally left out of his MCU counterpart.

One thing is for sure. Whether it’s in a movie or as part of a Disney+ series, without a doubt, Adam Warlock will have a big role in the MCU going forward. As Gunn teases, “I wanted somebody who was youthful, and I wanted the person who had the dramatic chops and the comedic chops, not only for this movie but for what Marvel will use Adam Warlock for in the future… He could become this really important character.”

Originally published on November 8, 2021.

The post Who Is Adam Warlock and How Does the Cosmic Hero Fit Into the MCU? appeared first on Nerdist.