Episode 6 of The Acolyte, “Teach/Corrupt”, may not have been the most action-packed of the series and it really didn’t do much to further the plot of the series. That doesn’t mean the latest installment of Lucasfilm’s newest Star Wars series didn’t have something to offer to the overall mythology of the galaxy far, far away.
With both Master Sol and The Stranger seeing through the Parent Trap swap fairly quickly, the episode slowed down considerably compared to the previous installment which was as action-packed as Star Wars has ever been. “Teach/Corrupt” split time with the Aniseya twins and their swapped masters and while Mae and Sol still have some things to work out, The Stranger’s time with Osha was indeed revelatory. Together on an “unknown planet”, The Stranger begins his seduction of Osha, intending to have her replace her sister as his acolyte. As the two spend time in his bad-guy lair, The Stranger works to repair his helmet which Jecki damaged in the last episode. For the first time in Star Wars canon, the metal used to build the helmet, cortosis, is named and its properties are explained as it becomes apparent that the “unknown planet” is rich with the valuable metal. And as interesting as The Stranger’s tale of his time as a Jedi is, the island has been at the center of much of post-episode discussion and it turns out it may not truly be unknown.
While some fans believed the island planet may have been Ahch-To, showrunner Leslye Headland dismissed the idea while keeping the name of the planet a secret. However, some fans have come to believe that the planet has already appeared in Star Wars canon in the novel Darth Plagueis. Published in 2012, the canonical novel by author James Luceno tells the story of Sleepy Sheev Palpatine’s Sith Master, Hego Damask, aka Darth Plagueis. In that novel, Plagueis killed his own Master, Darth Tenebrous, on an ocean planet rich with cortosis ore. That planet, Bal’demnic, clearly has a whole lot in common with The Stranger’s “unknown planet” and given that The Acolyte is set about 65 years before Plagueis killed Tenebrous on Bal’demnic, it’s entirely possible that the first season of the series is setting the stage for that part of the Sith’s history to ultimately be told should the series be renewed.
Recent set photos revealed Edi Gathegi‘s Mister Terrific sporting a Lordtech logo on his chest, driving speculation that he, Guy Gardner, Hawkgirl and Metamorpho would be members of a superhero team funded by Maxwell Lord. In that scenario, that team would likely be Justice League International and while confirmation of that hasn’t come from anyone at DC Studios just yet, new set photos do confirm other characters will be wearing gear with a Lordtech logo.
Fresh from Cleveland come new set photos that provide the first look at Nathan Fillion as everyone’s least favorite Green Lantern, Guy Gardner, and Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl.
First look at Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl and Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner on the set of ‘SUPERMAN’!
Though there’s no good look at Merced’s costume, Fillion’s Gardner is definitely sporting the same Lordtech logo on his chest as was seen on Mister Terrific’s. Given how similar Hawkgirl’s costume looks to the others, it seems a safe bet the same logo can be found in her costume as well. It’s also possible that Metamorpho is taking place in the scene given the presence of an actor in a blue VFX suit.
Marvel Studios is headed back to San Diego this July and if they’re showing up, you can count on them to make a splash. Big Cheese Kevin Feige has said the studio wouldn’t roll into town unless they could over-deliver and given the multiple shifts release dates across the studio’s theatrical and streaming slates, there should be plenty of news to share.
One project that fans would love to hear more about–and that Feige himself is admittedly excited about–at SDCC is The Fantastic Four which is set to begin filming the day after the con wraps. Despite the short turnaround, it’s still possible the cast of the film makes an appearance in San Diego but even if they don’t, it seems as though the 2025 film will indeed be a centerpiece of the studio’s Hall H panel.
With just a few weeks to go until SDCC kicks off, promo banners for The Fantastic Four have been spotted in San Diego.
And I’m extremely excited by it, because I think those characters are mainstays… are legendary pillars of the Marvel Universe that we’ve never got to play with or explore in any significant way – apart from Multiverse Of Madness and a few fun teases – before, in the way that were doing in that film. So I’m extremely for that.
While Marvel has already shared some incredible artwork showing off the First Family, the new promo banners show off some very neato silhouettes of Pedro Pascal‘s Reed Richards, Joseph Quinn‘s Johnny Storm, Vanessa Kirby‘s Sue Storm and Ebon Moss-Bachrach‘s Ben Grimm. Of note is Sue’s classic bob haircut which makes plenty of sense given the film’s ’60s setting.
DC Studios’ co-chair and Superman director James Gunn has been known to drop an Easter egg or dozen in his films. A decade after Guardians of the Galaxy debuted in theaters, Gunn still hasn’t publicly revealed an Easter egg he’s taunted fans with since the film’s release. Photos from the Cleveland set of Superman have indicated that the first DC Studios film will be no different as references to former Supermen, DC Comics creators and characters who may well exist in the DC have all been discovered as fans comb through hundreds of shots. Given what’s known about the film, it’s clear that while it’s the launch of the DCU, Superman takes place in a “lived-in” universe where metahumans are established. As Gunn and crew have tried to create a true-to-the-comics Metropolis, they’ve been sure to add plenty of details to give the City of Tomorrow a rich history as well and now, one that ties to the family of Superman’s archenemy has been spotted.
Via a set photo by Michael Collier, a set prop for Metropolis’ Downtown District which tells the history of the fictional city has been shared online. The very comic-accurate history of Metropolis, including its founding by Dutchman Paul De Vries, includes a reference to the Luthor family.
While it may seem like a reference to John Henry Irons at first glance, the sign indicates that Metropolis’ boom during the Industrial Revolution was due to a company called Steel Works. In the comics, that company was founded by Wallace Luthor, the great-grandfather of Lex Luthor. Lex Luthor will be played in Superman by Nicholas Hoult, who has also recently been spotted on set.
Metropolis would prosper during the Industrial Revolution with the founding of the Steel Works.
Obviously, it remains to be seen what impact, if any, this detail might have on the film; however, it’s incredible to see this level of reverence to the source material and the attention to detail in crafting the DCU’s Metropolis. The sign itself may ultimately not make it into a single frame of Superman but as Gunn and DC co-chair Peter Safran try to craft a massive shared universe, you never know what may or may not matter and there’s no harm in creating a fully fleshed out DCU bible.
James Gunn loves social media. Whether as a tool to debunk rumors or share panels from comics that inspire his latest CBM, the DC Studios’ co-chair takes full advantage of the reach provided by various platforms. Now, eagle-eyed fans have spotted an interesting detail in a set photo that seems to confirm the presence of a DCU super team that Gunn teased months ago.
Recent photos from the Cleveland set of Superman allowed for a closer look at the very comic accurate costume of Edi Gathegi‘s Mister Terrific. While his jacket rightfully caught the bulk of attention from fans when photos first circulated, it’s the logo he’s sporting on his chest that has generated a new level of excitement for Superman.
New images of Edi Gathegi’s MISTER TERRIFIC on the set of ‘SUPERMAN’
Multiple fans across Twitter, Instagram and other social media platforms cleverly connected the dots between the logo on Mister Terrific’s chest and an otherwise insignificant prop from the Metropolis set. And, in doing so, have resuscitatied speculation there Justice League International will appear in Superman.
When Sean Gunn was cast as the DCU’s Maxwell Lord in December 2023, there was plenty of buzz around the idea of the character being the driving force behind the formation of the DCU’s Justice League. Interestingly enough, Gunn took to Instagram to share artwork of the team just a couple of months later in February 2024. But, as is often the case, the buzz died down and the potential was forgotten…until now.
A comparison of the logo on Terrific’s shirt with a storefront set prop clearly shows that the hero is sporting a Lordtech logo on his chest.
Putting all the pieces together, it seems hard to dispute the notion that Lordtech is the corporate sponsor behind the DCU’s JLI or whatever name is given to the iteration of the team seen in Superman. The inclusion of Guy Gardner, Hawkwoman and Metamorpho in the project–all of whom were members of the JLI in the comics–only serves to further strengthen an already solid speculative foundation. Though none of those heroes have been captured in set yet, it seems likely they’ll all be sporting that logo somewhere as well!
Just as Anne Rice‘s 1976 novel of the same name ultimatelydid, AMC’s Interview with the Vampire has become the cornerstone upon which an entire shared universe of stories will be built. Spinning out of the staggering success of the first season of Interview with the Vampire, Anne Rice’s Immortal Universe continues to grow.
2023’s Mayfair Witches explored a different corner of Rice’s supernatural catalog and a second season is already in production. Two additional projects inspired by Rice’s novels–a six-episode series about the Talamasca and six-part digital short series entitled Night Island–are also on the way but given her Vampire Chronicles make up the bulk of her bibliography, Rice’s vampires will almost certainly remain at the center of AMC’s Immortal Universe. And so it’s no surprise, especially given the series’ popularity, that a third season of Interview with the Vampire has been given the go ahead at AMC.
With the Season 2 finale just around the corner, AMC has shared the news that Interview with the Vampire has been renewed for a third season and, in doing so, revealed that it will be based on Rice’s sequel to her first vampire novel.
Via THR, AMC released the lifeline for Season 3 of Interview with the Vampire. As fans of Rice’s novels will immediately recognize, the logline for the next season of the series indicates that it will adapt Rice’s 1985 novel, The Vampire Lestat.
Resentful of the perfunctory portrayal in the trashy best-seller Interview With the Vampire, the Vampire Lestat sets his story straight in a way only the Vampire Lestat can — by starting a band and going on tour. Gabrielle. Nicholas. Magnus. Marius. Those Who Must Be Kept. They join Louis, Armand, Molloy, Sam, Raglan, Fareed and others we can’t tell you about yet on a sexy pilgrimage across space, time and trauma. No Auto-Tuning. No Trigger Warnings. All Feels Amplified
In a statement, president of entertainment and AMC Studios for AMC Networks, Dan McDermott, talked about the renewal and praised showrunner Rolin Jones and Immortal Universe executive producer Mark Johnson.”When you buy the rights to 18 Anne Rice novels that have sold more than 150 million copies, in your wildest dreams you hope there’s a show as good as Interview on the other end,” said McDermott. “What Rolin has done with these stories and characters, working so closely with Mark, as the steward of this universe, has exceeded the loftiest version of our expectations,” he continued. “We can’t wait to see where this creative team takes the series from here and know we are walking alongside an incredibly loyal and passionate base of fans who feel as strongly about this material as we do.“
Ahead of the renewal, Jones had indicated his desire to see the third season draw from Rice’s sequel novel saying, “The next book was the one I wanted to do. So I hope I get a shot at it — The Vampire Lestat.” Now that his wish is granted, fans will see Lestat emerge into modern times to give his version on the stories told by Louis, form a rock band and expand on the history and mythology of the world of vampires.
The Season 2 finale of Interview with the Vampire will air Sunday, June 30th, on AMC+ and AMC.
After skipping San Diego Comic Con in 2023, Marvel Studios will return to Hall H this July. According to Deadline, Kevin Feige and crew will return to with an eye on a big Saturday presentation.
The trade report comes on the heels of what seemed like confirmation of the studio’s return to SDCC on the Official Marvel Podcast. During that interview, Feige stated that “we start shooting the Monday after Comic Con. The day after Comic Con is the first day of filming on Fantastic Four.” Though it’s filming in London, it wouldn’t be surprising to see cast members present in San Diego a d it surely wouldn’t be the first time Marvel Studios’ actors have pulled off such a stunt.
In addition to running out the cast of The Fantastic Four, the studio could also showcase footage from streaming projects such as Agatha All Along, Daredevil: Born Again and Wonder Man, theatrical projects such as Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts* and update the slate of their Multiverse Saga.
Episode 5 of The Acolyte, “Night”, stands among the most violent Star Wars content ever put to film. Picking up right on the heels of the Episode 4 cliffhanger, “Night” brings the Jedi face-to-face with Mae’s mysterious master in the jungles of Khofar where The Stranger proves more than a formidable foe. While taking on multiple members of the Jedi landing party and dispatching Plo Koon wannabe Jedi 1, The Stranger showcases an interesting pair of defensive maneuvers that leave a couple of Jedi defenseless and in shock.
While engaged in lightsaber combat with Jedi 2 and (presumably) Jedi 3, The Stranger first uses a metal gauntlet and then his helmet to deflect and short out the Jedi’s weapons. Though the effect is short-lived and the Jedi’s sabers ultimately do reignite, it’s the first time anything of the sort has been seen in a live-action Star Wars project though it does have its place in Star Wars canon.
The Identity of The Stranger’s Anti-Jedi Defenses
Though “Night” showcased the mysterious metal in live-action for the first time, the substance has been part of Star Wars lore for more than two decades. The Stranger’s gauntlet and mask are composed of a rare metal known as cortosis. First appearing in the now non-canon novel I, Jedi, cortosis made its way into canon in 2014 in the pre-Rebels era novel, A New Dawn. Despite not having been seen onscreen before, the use of cortosis has a long history in the galaxy far, far away and, perhaps unsurprisingly, that history is deeply tied to the Sith.
Who is The Stranger?
After holding his own against Sol, Darth Teeth found himself on his heels when Jecki Lon entered the battle. Though Jecki was able to knock his helmet off, The Stranger quickly dispatched of the Jedi. As her body slumped to the ground, his face and identity were revealed to Sol. Though the revelation that Manny Jacinto‘s Qimir was Mae’s mysterious master wasn’t much of a surprise, his decision to reveal himself as a Sith to Master Sol was. Explaining that he sought the “freedom to wield his power the way I like“, Qimir then shared that he sought “a pupil…an Acolyte,” presumably to follow Darth Bane’s Rule of Two. Finding Mae lacking after her betrayal, Qimir risked discovery by the Jedi in order to kill her. And, as he explained to Sol, now that the Jedi were aware of his existence, they must all die as well.
The Era of the Sith, the Null Blade and The Rule of Two
Interestingly enough, cortosis ties together the past and present of the Sith…and we already know what their future holds. For nearly 4,000 years near the end of the Old Republic era, the Sith were the dominant force in the galaxy. In an effort to end the Era of the Sith, a dark side cult known as the Ascendant crafted a blade of cortosis. Known as the Null Blade, the weapon proved capable of shorting out Sith lightsabers. Though it ultimately proved ineffective in taking out the Sith, itremained part of canonical stories into the years between the events of A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back. Despite the Ascendant’s failure to destroy the Sith, the group’s lust for power began to turn them against each other and allow the Jedi to defeat them. At this point, around 1032 BBY, the Sith Lord Darth Bane instituted the Rule of Two which and began a lineage of Masters and Apprentices that lasted until the end of the Sith in 4 BBY when Vader turned on Palpatine and killed his Master.
Two there should be. No more, no less. One to embody power, the other to crave it.
-Darth Bane’s Rule of Two
Given that The Acolyte is set 100 years before the events of The Phantom Menace, it’s clear that Qimir himself had a Master from Bane’s lineage. Throughout the series–and especially in Episode 5–Qimir has shown himself to be incredibly knowledgeable about the Jedi Order. It should then be no surprise that he’d also be incredibly knowledgable about the history of the Sith and the role of cortosis in it. In addition to taking advantage of the properties of the metal to disrupt the Jedi’s weapons, Qimir also seemingly used the metal to help keep the Jedi from accessing his mind, adding a new canonical property to the substance.
Qimir has proven himself to be quite resourceful throughout the series and while there are plenty of questions coming out of Episode 5 (primarily about the true story of what went down on Brendok), possibly the most intriguing questions are whether or not the identity of Qimir’s Master will be revealed and whether or not they are still among the living.
It’s an all-new, all-different era at Marvel Studios. After years of being obnoxiously secretive, the studio has experimented with different methods of revealing news about upcoming projects. Whether the constant changing of titles of KathrynHahn’s Agatha All Along, the social media reveal of Hugh Jackman‘s return for Deadpool & Wolverine or the surprise Valentine’s Day cast announcement, or the April 4th reveal of concept art featuring the Human Torch which also launched an neat viral campaign for The Fantastic Four, the once taciturn studio has taken a new, more forthcoming approach to connect with fans as they try to rebuild their image.
Another new initiative taken by the studio to reach the fanbase is the launch of The Official Marvel Podcast. Perhaps in an effort to put the podcast on the map, Marvel came out swinging with its first episode by having Marvel Studios One Above All, Kevin Feige, launch the venture. And while the boss had quite a bit to say about the studio’s upcoming slate, he was most effusive about the long-awaited film, The Fantastic Four.
The co-host of the podcast came out swinging by asking Feige which upcoming project excited him most and after giving a typical Big Kev response, the head honcho changed gears and gave some surprising insight into The Fantastic Four.
“Well, you know, the corporate answer is: they’re all our babies and we love them all equally. And I’m very excited for Deadpool & Wolverine, and then Agatha All Along, and Captain America: Brave New World, and Thunderbolts with an asterisk, and the new Daredevil. And that’s true,” started Feige. “But if you want the real answer – if we’re trying to get real on this podcast,” he continued, “the answer is The Fantastic Four.“
Collaborating with Jon on the Spider-Man films has been a true pleasure. We were looking forward to continuing our work with him to bring the Fantastic Four into the MCU but understand and are supportive of his reasons for stepping away. We are optimistic that we will have the opportunity to work together again at some point down the road.
-Kevin Feige on Jon Watts departure from The Fantastic Four, April 2022
“Matt Shakman, our Director who did WandaVision for us, is working on [The Fantastic Four]. He’s already moved to London, and we start filming at the end of July,” revealed Feige. “Funny story: we start shooting the Monday after Comic Con. The day after Comic Con is the first day of filming on Fantastic Four,” he added, perhaps teasing the studio’s presence in San Diego. Feige then expressed his excitement for the 2025 film.
“And I’m extremely excited by it, because I think those characters are mainstays… are legendary pillars of the Marvel Universe that we’ve never got to play with or explore in any significant way – apart from Multiverse Of Madness and a few fun teases – before, in the way that were doing in that film. So I’m extremely for that.”
-Kevin Feige, June 26 , 2024
While that amount of information alone from Feige would have been enough, Marvel’s Big Cheese took things one step further. When pressed by the co-host, Feige addressed fan speculation over the setting of The Fantastic Four, which fans believe will be a period piece–something which Feige directly confirmed before addressing another bit of speculation about the retrofuturistic setting of the film.
“Yes. Yes, very much so. It is a period, and there was another piece of art we released with Johnny Storm flying in the air making a 4 symbol, and there was a cityscape in the corner of that image, and there were a lot of smart people who noticed that cityscape didn’t look exactly like the New York that we know and the New York that existed in the ’60s in our world. And those are smart observations, I’ll say.”
After a long black night, a bright day has finally come for DC’s Green Lanterns. After being announced as an integral part of the new DC Studios’ slate in January 2023, the Max streaming series Lanterns has been ordered straight to an eight-episode series by HBO.
“We’re thrilled to bring this seminal DC title to HBO with Chris, Damon and Tom at the helm,” said DC Studios’ co-chairs James Gunn and Peter Safran.
John Stewart and Hal Jordan are two of DC’s most compelling characters, and Lanterns brings them to life in an original detective story that is a foundational part of the unified DCU we’re launching next summer with Superman.
-James Gunn and Peter Safran on Lanterns
Previously described as a “terrestrial-based investigation story” that “plays a really big role leading us into the main story” in the DCU’s first chapter of stories, Lanterns will revolve around the central characters finding an “ancient horror on Earth.” As of now, there’s no indication of when to expect the series on Max but casting is rumored to be underway for Jordan and Stewart.
We use cookies to improve your experience on our site. By using our site, you consent to cookies.
This website uses cookies
Websites store cookies to enhance functionality and personalise your experience. You can manage your preferences, but blocking some cookies may impact site performance and services.
Essential cookies enable basic functions and are necessary for the proper function of the website.
Name
Description
Duration
Cookie Preferences
This cookie is used to store the user's cookie consent preferences.
30 days
These cookies are needed for adding comments on this website.
Name
Description
Duration
comment_author_email
Used to track the user across multiple sessions.
Session
comment_author_url
Used to track the user across multiple sessions.
Session
comment_author
Used to track the user across multiple sessions.
Session
Statistics cookies collect information anonymously. This information helps us understand how visitors use our website.
Google Analytics is a powerful tool that tracks and analyzes website traffic for informed marketing decisions.
Contains information related to marketing campaigns of the user. These are shared with Google AdWords / Google Ads when the Google Ads and Google Analytics accounts are linked together.
90 days
__utma
ID used to identify users and sessions
2 years after last activity
__utmt
Used to monitor number of Google Analytics server requests
10 minutes
__utmb
Used to distinguish new sessions and visits. This cookie is set when the GA.js javascript library is loaded and there is no existing __utmb cookie. The cookie is updated every time data is sent to the Google Analytics server.
30 minutes after last activity
__utmc
Used only with old Urchin versions of Google Analytics and not with GA.js. Was used to distinguish between new sessions and visits at the end of a session.
End of session (browser)
__utmz
Contains information about the traffic source or campaign that directed user to the website. The cookie is set when the GA.js javascript is loaded and updated when data is sent to the Google Anaytics server
6 months after last activity
__utmv
Contains custom information set by the web developer via the _setCustomVar method in Google Analytics. This cookie is updated every time new data is sent to the Google Analytics server.
2 years after last activity
__utmx
Used to determine whether a user is included in an A / B or Multivariate test.
18 months
_ga
ID used to identify users
2 years
_gali
Used by Google Analytics to determine which links on a page are being clicked
30 seconds
_ga_
ID used to identify users
2 years
_gid
ID used to identify users for 24 hours after last activity
24 hours
_gat
Used to monitor number of Google Analytics server requests when using Google Tag Manager
1 minute
Marketing cookies are used to follow visitors to websites. The intention is to show ads that are relevant and engaging to the individual user.
Pinterest Tag is a web analytics service that tracks and reports website traffic.
