Rumored to be in development ahead of Star Wars Celebration 2023, a Dave Filoni-directed New Republic-era event film was announced on April 7, 2023 as one of three brand new Star Wars films.
The untitled film will tell the story of “the escalating war between the Imperial Remnant and the fledgling New Republic” and “bring together many of the threads” of the New Republic era series such as The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, Ahsoka and Skeleton Crew.
Cast
During Star Wars Celebration Europe in April 2023, Lucasfilm revealed that The Bad Batch had been renewed for a third and final season. Though no specific release window was given, the animated series will stream on Disney Plus in 2024.
In January 2024, it was revealed that the final season of The Bad Batch was set to debut with a 3-episode premiere on February 21st. The 15-episode season will wrap up on May 1, 2024.
Lucasfilm rolled out a brand new timeline at Star Wars Celebration 2023 and within it were not only two new eras set to be explored in upcoming films but also an old fan favorite that has so far been absent from Lucasfilm’s live-action projects. What does it all mean?
Following their exciting presentation at Star Wars Celebration 2023, Lucasfilm shared a new look at the timeline via a press release. Nine different eras are now open for canonical stories to be told through animated and live-action projects. Let’s take a look at each era…
One of the new eras introduced during Star Wars Celebration 2023, the Dawn of the Jedi era stretches back some 25,000 years before the “present day” events of The Mandalorian and the New Republic. As of now, the only project known to be set during the Dawn of the Jedi is the James Mangold film that will tell “the tale of the first Jedi to wield the Force and harness it as a liberating power in an era of chaos and oppression.” It could tell the tale of the Prime Jedi who created the first Jedi temple on Ahch-To seen in The Last Jedi.
The addition of the Old Republic era to the official timeline should be thrilling news for long time fans of the expanded Star Wars universe. The founding of the Republic, the Sith Wars and the tales of Knights of the Old Republic all take place over a 7,000 year span in the non-canon Legends content. Characters like Tenebrae, Revan, Satele Shan and Darth Malgus are beloved by fans and could be folded into Star Wars canon via projects told in this era.
An era that so far has only been explored through novels and comic books, the High Republic explores the glory days of the Republic and its expansion into the Outer Rim. The Acolyte, which streams in 2024, is the first live-action project set during this era. Lucasfilm gave an updated synopsis of The Acoltye which “will take viewers into a galaxy of shadowy secrets and emerging dark-side powers in the final days of the High Republic era. A former Padawan reunites with her Jedi Master to investigate a series of crimes but discovers the forces they confront are more sinister than they ever anticipated.”
As revealed in Star Wars comics, the Fall of the Jedi era is essentially the “prequel era.” The events of The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, The Clone Wars and Revenge of the Sith all take place during this era.
An era that has only recently begun to be explored more thoroughly, the Reign of the Empire is a relatively short period of time between the beginning of Palpatine’s reign and the formation of the rebellion. The animated series The Bad Batch, Solo: A Star Wars Story and the Disney Plus streaming series Obi-Wan Kenobi all take place during the Reign of the Empire.
The original “era”, Age of Rebellion has also been further explored with some of the best Star Wars content created since Disney bought Lucasfilm. The animated series Rebels, Disney Plus’s streaming series Andor, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi fill up the Age of Rebellion.
The present-day of Star Wars content, the New Republic is, essentially, Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni’s Mando-verse. So far, what we know about the New Republic has come from three seasons of The Mandalorian and one season of The Book of Boba Fett. While it seems that Ahsoka won’t be told linearly, it is believed that at least part of the series will be set during the New Republic era. Additionally, Dave Filoni is directing a film that Lucasfilm explains “will orchestrate the escalating war between the Imperial Remnant and the fledgling New Republic. Alongside producer Jon Favreau, they will bring together many of the threads of the “Star Wars” original series in a cinematic event.“
The sequel era. Rise of the First Order has been, so far, told through the animated series Resistance, and the sequel trilogy of The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker. There are currently no known plans to further explore this era.
The second brand new era added to the Star Wars timeline, the New Jedi Order era will be defined, at first, by Rey’s efforts to create, well, a new Jedi Order 15 years after the event of The Rise of Skywalker. The era’s storytelling will be broken in by director Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy, whose film “will tell the story of rebuilding the New Jedi Order and the powers that rise to tear it down.”
The next installment in Marvel Studios Multiverse Saga, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, hits theaters on May 5, 2023. The Guardians’ story started in 2014 and unexpectedly captured the hearts of audiences across the globe. Those same hearts are set to break as James Gunn closes out the Guardians trilogy with an emotional finale that is sure to see at least one member of the team meet their ultimate fate.
More than just an emotional roller coaster, Vol. 3 looks to be jam-packed and will be the longest film of the trilogy. The threequel will make good on one of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2‘s stingers by introducing Will Poulter‘s Adam Warlock as a weapon pointed directly at the team. As if Warlock won’t be enough to handle, the team will ultimately make their way to Counter-Earth where they’ll meet the man responsible for the pain and suffering that has defined Rocket: the High Evolutionary, played by Chukwudi Iwuji. And they’ll be doing all that while their leader, Chris Pratt‘s Peter Quill, continues to deal with the loss of the love of his life, Gamora, while a Variant version of her ends up working with the team out of their brand-new base in the severed head of a Celestial known as Knowhere. Vol. 3 has a lot in store for audiences but to appreciate what’s happening and where things are going in that film, there’s plenty of homework to be done which is why you’re here for the latest installment of…The Ultimate List of Things to Watch Before!
These projects are non-negotiable. If you want to know what’s going on right when Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 kicks off, you’ll have to find time to get these in before hitting the theater.
It all started with 2014’s surprise summer hit and any rewatch or first watch should start with the original Guardians of the Galaxy. The core team has grown quite a bit since they first came together in the space prison known as the Kyln in the first film but their origin story is one of the most rewatchable films in the Marvel Studios catalog, even if it does have one of the MCU’s worst villains. Rocket’s tragic origin, which is set to be explored in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, is hinted at here making it worth the watch for that alone. It’s also the start of the romantic relationship between Peter and Gamora which ultimately results in the emotional state Peter is in when Vol. 3 begins.
While James Gunn will undoubtedly include something with the Sovereign in Vol. 3 to help newbies catch up, if you didn’t watch Vol. 2 you might not fully understand why Will Poulter‘s golden godman, Adam Warlock, is after the Guardians…but that’s hardly the only reason to check out Vol. 2. The 2017 sequel is all about relationships, some of which will be key to how you feel walking into and out of Vol. 3. Peter and Gamora’s romance grows; Drax and Mantis begin forming their wonderful friendship; Gamora and Nebula begin the process of repairing their sisterly bond. The core team also expands its roster during the film, adding Mantis and Kraglin. It’s certainly worth a watch to see how hard the next projects hit.
Outside of Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers: Infinity War is arguably the most important project to take in ahead of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Not only does the team play a key role in attempting to stop Thanos’ efforts to cut the population of the universe in half but it’s also the final appearance of “Prime” Gamora. Her death, at the hands of her father, changed Peter forever, something that’s center stage in Vol. 3.
If you can’t get to the Tier Two projects before you head to the theaters for Vol. 3, you’ll probably be caught up on the important events in them early on in the threequel. It’s not to say that they aren’t important because to have a complete understanding of each of the characters, every second of time they spend on screen is ultimately important. However, these two projects don’t add to the overall story as much as the others.
Gamora is back! Except it’s not really Gamora. Nebula’s redemption is complete. The Guardians take off with Thor on some new adventures.
While the Holiday Special is incredibly entertaining, for a project whose entire focus is on the Guardians, it’s hardly essential viewing. It established that the team has made Knowhere its base of operations and reintroduced and more fully developed Cosmo. It feels more like a Drax and Mantis comedy project and while the pair offer some great laughs, their relationship with each other doesn’t really change much. The Holiday Special’s effort to treat the audience to a shocking reveal falls pretty flat as most everyone who watched Vol. 2 already figured out that Mantis and Peter were siblings. It would seem that everything important about this project could be summed up in 3-5 seconds of screen time in Vol. 3.
Other than showing that Nebula has officially joined the team, the Guaridans’ time in Thor: Love and Thunder was entirely uneventful and, other than for continuity reasons, entirely unnecessary. Of course, the same might be able to be said about Thor: Love and Thunder itself, so it’s hardly the Guardians’ fault. However, if the film is entertaining at all, it is during the scenes on Indigarr when Thor and the Guardians help King Yakan take on the Booskan army led by Habooska the Horrible. Don’t go out of your way to watch it, but if you’re a completist, fast forward to this battle and then turn the TV off immediately.
While it’s not as extensive as other Ultimate Lists have been in the past, it’s still enough to keep you busy in the coming weeks as you prepare for the release of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 on May 5th!
The first full trailer for the upcoming Marvel Studios streaming series, Secret Invasion, debuted recently and gave fans a little better idea of what to expect from the show when it debuts on Disney Plus on June 21st. Though it won’t be a superhero cameo fest like its comic book counterpart, Marvel Studios Secret Invasion will have quite a bit in common with the 2008 crossover event by writer Brian Michael Bendis. Most notably, the central plot revolves around a faction of Skrulls who, after years (maybe decades?) of preparation, are prepared to take over Earth. The new trailer–just like the first teaser–certainly gives off all the vibes of a paranoia-laden spy-thriller but it also gives a little better glimpse into the plans of Kingsley Ben-Adir‘s Gravik which look to give the show a heavy dose of science fiction as well.
Taking over Earth, even when they’ve infiltrated positions of power around the globe, won’t be easy for the Skrulls. They’ll need an army and while they may have the numbers necessary to put a sizeable one together, what’s known of them from Captain Marvel would hardly make the likes of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes shudder and so, they’ll need something more. Though it’s been the subject of rumors for some time now, it’s made clear in the new trailer that Gravik isn’t your average, ordinary shapeshifting Skrull but rather something a little more…super.
Super-Skrulls have been part of Marvel Comics since 1963’s Fantastic Four #18 and while it’s not been confirmed just yet, it seems as though Gravik is the MCU’s beta Super-Skrull. Super-Skrulls are exactly what you probably think they are: Skrulls sporting super abilities beyond that of the average Skrull. In the comics, they come in two flavors: enhanced or cloned. Whether enhanced or cloned, Super-Skrulls in the comics have been either technologically or genetically altered to enable them to express super abilities taken from other beings. And in Secret Invasion, it seems that’s exactly what Gravik is up to.
Seen first in the teaser for the series and then again in the new trailer, in his base in a decommissioned nuclear power site in Russia, Gravik has a secret room containing dozens–maybe hundreds–of bodies, each of whom has a very interesting looking device attached to their bodies. Is this essentially a farm where cloned Super-Skrulls are waiting to be awakened and sent into action? If so, what’s stopping Gravik from sending them out to take over Earth? The answer to that seems to be tied a machine that he’s shown to be building in the teaser and the trailer. Should he complete that, he’d have an army of Super-Skrulls ready to take on Earth’s heroes when they answer the call.
The trailer also provides some insight into where Gravik is collecting the specimens he intends to use to power up these Super-Skrulls. After first appearing in the MCU in Spider-Man: Homecoming, The United States Department of Damage Control conveniently popped up in Ms. Marvel and She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. Following the Chitauri invasion of Earth, Damage Control was given oversight over any and all alien artifacts from the Battle of New York. It would stand to reason that they’ve also followed the Avengers around the United States clearing up their messes following their major skirmishes. During Phase 4, it was also established that they have a supermax prison where Emil Blonsky and the Ms. Marvel villains known as the Clandestines were held. The infiltration of Damage Control could be a potential disaster…and that’s exactly what the Secret Invasion trailer indicates has happened.
While a trailer often presents things taken out of context, it sure looks like Gravik’s Skrulls have been busy getting their hands on all kinds of things they can use to power up their army of Super-Skrulls. The screenshot above may indicate that they were able obtain the hand of Cull Obsidian, a member of Thanos’ Black Order who aided him in acquiring the Infinity Stones on Earth. Cull Obsidian possessed incredible strength, speed, stamina and durability while also demonstrating the ability to heal quickly from injuries–standard, run-of-the-mill superpowers. It seems very likely that Gravik would use the DNA from the sample to provide his army of Super-Skrulls with those powers as their baseline before adding who knows what else to the mix. With the resources of Damage Control, it’s terrifying to think what Gravik could be cooking up and if he’s successful in creating an entire army of Super-Skrulls, Earth’s Mightiest Heroes might not be enough to stop them.
With Nick Fury refusing to call his “super friends” for help in Secret Invasion, it’ll be interesting to see what the old spy pulls out of his bag of tricks to stop Gravik’s plans to take over the Earth!
Disney and Pixar groundbreaking work in animation will once again be on display in Elemental. Beginning with 1995’s Toy Story, the animators at Pixar have been innovators and problem solvers as they continue to create visually stunning films. Their 27th film, Elemental, is no different as the creators laid out a huge challenge for the animators: bring fire and water to life to create the film’s two main characters, Ember and Wade. The animators were asked to keep in mind that while they were working with something recognizable, they were also creating something that had never been seen before: “Ember is fire, she is not on fire. Wade is water. He’s not something that’s wet.”
Director Peter Sohn envisioned the characters and dreamt up the world they’d inhabit. At the global press junket for the upcoming film, Sohn explained some of the challenges the artists faced while trying to create characters who looked, behaved and reacted to situations in ways that are consistent with how fire and water would.
The main challenge of fire honestly was, could we get something balanced that could be appealing and still exploit the element? That was the main challenge. We had tried fire that was really realistic, I know you guys saw a part of the presentation. That was just a tip of the
Peter Sohn
iceberg of the reference, meaning we tried real, like realistic eyes. We tried, you know, we tried all sorts of things and they looked terrifying. I wish you could see more of it. We could make a good horror movie from that footage, honestly. But then there were 2D versions of Ember that were much more flatter.
As you might imagine, a task of this magnitude, even for some of the world’s greatest animators, wasn’t done in a day. As Sohn explained, it took time for the artists to find the right “balance” for the character of Ember.
And every time we saw the movements, you didn’t feel like it could touch anything or burn anything or it didn’t feel hot, you know, like where it was emanating, you know, the heat. But some of our artists found this balance between the two that I’m very proud of what they had
Peter Sohn
accomplished to get to that, absolutely. That was a really hard challenge and I thought they found a great balance.
As tough as Ember was, it turns out Wade was even tougher. “He was just so unmanageable and he looked so weird all the time,” explained Sohn. “I just kept pushing the water, and I went over the line just ’cause I couldn’t see, but the way he moved played into that. He so easily could turn into Jell-O just by slowing some of the ripples down a little bit, or how fast he could turn into a ‘Soul’ character if the ripples didn’t appear. There were just so many avenues that he could shift into very quickly and that would surprise all of us.”
Ultimately, as production designer Don Shank–whose work with Pixar dates back to 2004’s Incredibles–explained, the animators’ “design ideas inspired new technology, which inspired new design” creating one of Pixar’s most beautiful films to date. You can check out the fantastic work done by the artists at Pixar when Elemental hits theaters June 16th.
It wasn’t too long ago that fans questioned whether or not The Incredible Hulk was considered MCU canon but now, over the course of several projects, multiple characters from the film have returned. While the prominence of those roles has certainly varied, the sudden influx of Hulk-related characters at a time when a popular rumor that a World War Hulk/Hulks project is in the works continues to swirl is certainly a pleasant coincidence…if you subscribe to that sort of thing. With the return of Liv Tyler‘s Betty Ross to the MCU in Captain America: New World Order, the revival of 2008’s The Incredible Hulk is nearly complete. But after all these years, what would finally bring Betty Ross out of the shadows?
In early 2023, Marvel Studios One Above All Kevin Feige made it known that Betty’s father, General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, will be the President of the United States in Captain America: New World Order. The easiest assumption is that Betty could return in a cameo to celebrate her father’s election. However, that would likely call for a very, very brief appearance by Tyler, one that would be very easy to keep secret, and given that she was spotted on set yesterday it seems that it’s unlikely that would be the ONLY reason she might return.
Thunderbolt Ross’s Presidency isn’t the only major change expected in the film, however, and it’s likely the other big development for the character, now played by Harrison Ford, may be more likely to lead to his daughter’s return. It’s roundly assumed that Thunderbolt Ross will, as he does in the comics, become Red Hulk in Captain America: New World Order. Though it’s unclear what role, if any, he’ll play in Ross’s transformation, it’s also widely believed that Tim Blake Nelson‘s Samuel Sterns will have some part in it just as he did in the comics. Marvel Studios isn’t much for one-to-one adaptations of arcs from Marvel Comics but this seems like one time when things line up pretty well for them to pull heavily from the source material. Once Ross becomes Red Hulk, however, things will have to diverge from that source material a bit.
For a significant amount of time in the comics, Ross went to great lengths to prevent the public from learning he was Red Hulk. A series of convenient stories were concocted, Life Model Decoys were deployed–general subterfuge to keep his secret. Captain America: New World Order co-writers Malcolm Spellman and Dalan Musson will undoubtedly have to work some of this into the film as having a rampaging Red Hulk as the President of the United States just won’t do. Life Model Decoys are certainly an option to explore, though it’s one that the MCU hasn’t really embraced in the past. Part of whatever story the do choose to pursue might be tied to exactly how Red Hulk’s powers are defined in the MCU.
As She-Hulk proved, not all Hulks are created equal and whatever method Sterns chooses to transform Ross into Red Hulk, it’ll probably result in him having similar powers to his comic book counterpart. Those include but are not limited to, a constant emission of gamma rays that make him a walking thermonuclear bomb and the ability to absorb all sorts of energy from his surroundings. Whether or not Ross is a willing participant in Sterns’s experiments that turn him into Red Hulk (smart money is that he totally is), he may not be thrilled with the results and may seek some help. Given that Betty is something of a scientist herself and one with a background in gamma radiation and Super Soldiers, it could be that her father will swallow his pride and seek out her expertise.
Of course, there’s one more option that may be a bit of a natural consequence of all the above that these recent set photos might strongly support: Thaddeus Ross is dead. Or perhaps he is “dead.” While being “dead” is more preferable to being dead, it’ll have to be Schrödinger’s Ross for now but being “dead” also provides much more flexibility for future stories…including that rumored World War Hulk/Hulks story. Tyler’s presence at a cemetery all but cements the death of the President in the film but what if, in a very comic book twist, Ross’s death–as far as the public knows–comes at the hands of a Hulk. This allows both for Ross’s identity as the Red Hulk to be kept secret and for the character to survive for another project where he can face off against Bruce Banner’s Hulk as Jeph Loeb intended.
After all, Hulks can’t really die and it would be an abject tragedy for Red Hulk to finally be introduced into the MCU only to die in his first appearance and never get to square off with his big, green nemesis. Could Betty be complicit in hiding her father following his “death”? That’s certainly an interesting possibility based on an already interesting albeit uncertain situation. If so, and given Red Hulk’s near-constant emission of gamma rays, could Captain America: New World Order be the beginning of Betty’s path to Hulk-hood? Fans likely won’t find confirmation of this or any theory easy to come by until the film hits theaters May 3, 2024.
Atlus has made quite a splash internationally with Persona 5. The latest entry in the Shin Megami Tensei spinoff managed to bring a somewhat niche JRPG franchise into one of the biggest offerings with spinoffs, a remake, multi-platform releases, and who knows what else might be in the works. What makes this franchise special is that each new entry tells a story that is unique with a brand-new cast of characters. Some familiar elements return with each new entry, but it’s still a unique story not shackled by having to be a direct continuation.
There are enough recurring themes and elements that truly tie this franchise together, may it be the iconic Velvet Room, the carry-over demons and gods from SMT, the high-school setting, and many more. Still, each entry is even freer to explore a story that makes it stand out. Persona 2 Innocent Sin explores the concept of rumors coming to life. The fourth entry explored a murder mystery plot in the small town of Inaba, while the fifth entry just had our main characters turn into literal thieves of hearts.
There’s something unique about what Persona has to offer and the wait for each new entry seemingly gets longer every time. Who knows how many scrapped ideas and concepts were left on the cutting room floor? Plus, the games have a strong focus on the Japanese market, which fits with its constant taking inspiration from real Japanese locations. Persona 5 almost took a very different direction but stuck to its roots after how Japan held together following the Great East Japan Earthquake.
So, who knows where Persona 6 might take the franchise, as it may simply build upon what we saw in Persona 5 Royal or even take a completely new direction. Generally, there’s also a good chance that Atlus looks beyond the gaming market to expand its brand; we’re already seeing it with SEGA busy in hoping to bring Yakuza to live-action. So, who knows how long the wait will be until Persona or generally the Shin Megami Tensei franchise gets a similar treatment.
And there is a lot of potential with a franchise like Persona. It’s made for the anthology series format similar to True Detective, which can explore a similar concept with multiple new cast members. Plus, it would allow some of the scrapped ideas to potentially make it back into the franchise by having them as jumping-off points for the new live-action adaptation. Each season represents a new group of characters that face off against unique takes of the shadows that manifest from the hum consciousness.
They could start familiar with the first season by playing closer to home with something that was already established. Persona 4 seems like the perfect template for a starter season given its more somber tone and a murder mystery always makes for good television. They could give it a different twist and simply use the basic template to build a Western variation to ease viewers into the concept. Once hooked, each season can explore other parts of the world also affected by the Shadows and Personas.
Though, the biggest challenge is to also bring the flair of the visuals many connect with the franchise to a new format. It’s not impossible as with smart cuts and visual additions, they could still keep those elements alive. Different variations on the iconic music with strong inspirations from whatever culture and location the latest season explores open up many avenues to add something fresh to familiar elements of this iconic JRPG franchise.
Of course, they could always go down a cinematic route but there’s something bout the build-up across 80+ hours in the gaming franchise that just feels more natural in a long-form format like television. It may just be a dream for now, but if they ever do decide to bring the franchise to live-action, it would be a damn shame if they don’t make use of this concept to explore new avenues across the world.
Source: Persona Central
So close, yet so far! That’s how Star Wars fans are feeling after the Season 3 debut of The Mandalorian which tantalized fans before letting them down. Chapter 17 of the series brought a new kind of trouble into Din Djarin’s path in the form of pirates. For longtime fans of Star Wars, especially those of the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels, the appearance of the pirates most likely brought to mind the premiere pirate in the galaxy, Hondo Ohnaka. You’d be forgiven for thinking that, at any point during the tense standoff between Greef Karga, Mando and the band of thirsty pirates, Hondo was going to walk around the corner and help cooler heads prevail. Alas, the old Weequay outlaw was nowhere to be found, but that certainly doesn’t mean he won’t make an appearance sooner or later.
Theories about a potential live-action debut for Hondo aren’t anything new. In fact, they date back well over two years when it was revealed that Season 3 of The Mandalorian was filming under the working title “Buccaneer.” The Mandalorian co-creator Dave Filoni created Hondo for Star Wars: The Clone Wars and has never been shy about his love for the pirate; as he and Jon Favreau continue to find ways to bring fan (and creator) favorite characters into their expanding live-action universe it would be shocking if Hondo didn’t eventually make the jump and the events of the episode of The Mandalorian, The Apostate, seem to hint at that possibility becoming very real very soon.
Though it jumped around a bit, The Apostate was primarily set on the Outer Rim planet of Nevarro. The Outer Rim Territories have always been a wild place full of pirates, slavers and outlaws of all sorts, so it’s unsurprising that the gang of pirates, run by newcomer to the franchise Gorian Shard, found their way into the episode. Though Din Djarin made short work of Vane and the rest of Shard’s nameless gang, he certainly left a score to settle with the pirate king when he escaped after briefly squaring off. Past seasons of The Mandalorian have given enough reason to presume that Shard will come back into play at some point in Season 3, most likely at a very inopportune time for Din Djarin and Grogu, and when he does it might just open the door for another chapter in the legend of Hondo to be written.
Presumably, no pirate roams the Outer Rim Territories without having a shared history with its most famous–at least in his own mind–outlaw. Hondo is known to be alive and well during this New Republic era and while he turned in his pirate hat to help the Rebellion during the rise of the Empire, it’s possible he’s found his way back to his favorite past time. Hondo’s appearances in Filoni’s stories have almost always served the same purpose: to bail the good guys out of a jam and with Shard on the hunt for Mando, an appearance by Hondo to help out a new hero seems all but a sure thing. Oh, the stories he could tell…so many of them true!
As Black History Month comes to a close, we take a look back at the supers that inspire our dress, artistry, and lives. The superhero genre of film, television, and media, in general, wouldn’t be what it is without them. We love and appreciate everyone, but this isn’t an all-inclusive list.
We’d be amiss if we didn’t start the retrospective with Shaq Diesel, the man with the S on his bicep. Shaq portrayed a loose version of John Henry Irons, aka Steel, in the 90s. The film is one of many films that took chances studios don’t risk anymore. We can’t knock what Shaq has done for the community though.
Halle Berry worked with the material she was given in both of her superhero appearances, which is a shame because she really does bring nuance to her characters when written well. For multiple generations, she is Storm, so fans are curious about who will bring Ororo to the screen next, but until then, Halle Berry is the epitome.
When Black Panther first appeared in Captain America: Civil War, many fans weren’t ready or aware of the greatness they would soon experience. Chadwick is the embodiment of all the Black superheroes that came before him.
The series led by Cress Williams was able to take advantage of a different lane than most on this list, debuting on The CW and eventually tieing into the Arrowverse. Black Lightning carved a space to discuss religion, race, and society in ways other series never developed.
Javicia Leslie filled the role of Batwoman and new character Ryan Wilder after the role was vacant. This was an amazing opportunity for the actress, as she also joined the Arrowverse for two years and participated in what some consider the most successful live-action universe for DC.
Saturday morning cartoons were rather stale in the 90s before Milestone’s Static Shock appeared on FOX Kids. There’s a current resurgence of the comic, in part thanks to DC’s acquisition of the Milestone brand. We’re hoping rumors of a live-action debut are true. We also know that Green Lantern Corps is on the horizon and with every new iteration of Green Lantern, comes the same question: which version are they going to use? Justice League’s Jon Stewart debuted in 2000 and set the bar so high that he’s appeared in multiple spin-offs of the show. Thanks to LaMarr’s voice acting, Jon Stewart is the quintessential version.
The Rock was often fan-cast in roles on the regular, but his dream role finally made it to fruition in 2022 with Black Adam. Though the film took a decade and never really escaped controversy, his passion for the project continually resuscitated the dream regardless of where the production found itself. His work for the character is still commendable.
Though Ray Fisher only appeared in a few DCEU films and his character’s backstory was slightly muddled, the actor found a new lane as an advocate for the treatment of actors on set. The role wasn’t quite the breakout for him, but he’s still finding work slowly and we expect good things from him.
There wouldn’t be an MCU without the risk taken in 2009 with Jon Favreau and RDJ, but the real accolades go to Wesley Snipes and team for the Blade trilogy. This was before risk was even a word. Vampires. R-rated. Martial arts emphasis. Greatness.
Spawn often finds itself overlooked because of the graphic novel and the animated version, but the 1997 live-action release is another reason the superhero genre is what it is today. At one point, superhero movies really fell into two categories: great or flop. Spawn was the former.
It’s always fun to see a sitcom dad take a turn into another fan-favorite genre( i.e. James Avery as the voice of Shredder), so we’d be amiss to not include Robert Townsend as Meteor Man. There’s a bit of a theme here, but 90s superhero films definitely took risks in order to entertain.
Before joining the Suicide Squad, Will Smith took on the moniker of Hancock, a small indie style superhero that came from a different planet. This was another example of a hero film taking a risk (though it’s only really seen as a risk these days) with R-rated and grounded content.
When the live-action X-Men series moved into the interesting realm of a future with no mutants, there was only one man that could lead them to survival: Lucas Bishop. Omar Sy brought everyone’s favorite future savior to life and we deserved more time him.
Netflix produced some of the quintessential work for Marvel Studios over the last 5 or 6 years and one of the cornerstones of the work is Mike Colter‘s Luke Cage. Even with only a few seasons, Luke Cage carved a space for dialogue that other shows couldn’t scratch the surface.
Anthony Mackie is slowly moving through all the possible avenues for his character. He’s appeared in solo movies, team-ups, the Captain America trilogy, and led his own Disney+ series. Though his series garnered fair reviews, he might just be in the most anticipated MCU film, officially titled Captain America: New World Order.
Don Cheadle is the other side of the Col. James Rhodes meme, but he’s also fully taken on the role and embodied it. And similar to Mackie with Captain America, Cheadle will soon step into the solo space in Armor Wars, which is now being developed as a film after originally being announced as a streaming series. Cheadle deserves the space to shine.
Audiences have clammored for Miles Morales in live-action for years, but now that we’re on the verge of Moore’s second animated outing, his is the iteration to beat. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse received acclaim from fandoms all over and anticipation for the sequel grows daily.
Similar to Jackson belo, Djimon Hounsou can do it all. He’s played roles in so many iconic films that it’s difficult to keep track of them all. But when you hear his raspy bass voice, you know he’s going to give his all to the character.
With almost 200 productions to date, Jackson can flesh out any role, but some of his top-tier characters are centerpieces in The Incredibles, MCU, and Shyamalan’s Unbreakable universe. With only a few scenes, he can steal the presence of any film.
The newest baddie on the MCU block, Jonathan Majors, is an unstoppable force so far. There’s no telling where his characterization will be or where he’ll physically be on the timeline the next time we see him on screen, but Majors is a force.
Before there was Thanos or the aforementioned Majors stealing the show, we had Killmonger. Michael B. Jordan‘s portrayal was one of the earliest iterations of an MCU villain grabbing audiences’ empathy and consequently, the energy of the film. We were blessed to have him return in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and hope to visit him a few more times when future BP iterations visit the astral plane.
Terrence Howard may be more popular as a meme, but we’ll still acknowledge that he played James “Rhodey” Rhodes first and helped kick off the MCU opposite RDJ. Howard retired a few times in the past few years, but hopefully, he’ll find peace soon.
This one’s special because we’ve only been graced by Teyonah in WandaVision, but the anticipation for The Marvels is growing daily. Photon could be the first Black woman to officially join an Avengers team. We know she’ll kill it in the Captain Marvel sequel regardless.
Ridloff brought us our second official speedster in the MCU as well as our first deaf character. Eternals was a significant change in pace and style for the universe and although it received mixed results, audiences all fell in love with the characterization of Makkari.
Debuting in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Thorne brought Riri Williams to life well before her series, also under the production of Ryan Coogler, debuts on Disney+. The actress auditioned for honorable mention Shuri, but the role went to Letitia Wright instead. Thorne still brings her confidence and bravado to the character, so we look forward to seeing her again.
Idris portrayed Heimdall across multiple movies and brought the perfect amount of gravitas to the character. Love & Thunder saw the introduction of his son Axl, so we’re not sure if we’ll see Idris on the screen again, but we were fortunate to have him while we did even though the character didn’t always get much screen time.
Zoe, the first actress to appear in 4 $2 billion grossing films, is another star to portray a character over multiple years, both in minor appearances and mainstays. We’re very curious about her portrayal of Gamora in the next Guardians film since her character is from a different universe than the rest of the team.
Hodge is the newcomer to the genre as Black Adam recently debuted in 2022. We’re not sure if his character will carry over into James Gunn’s DCU, and it most likely won’t, but Hodge was definitely one of the bright spots of the potential revamp The Rock started. Hopefully, he gets another shot with another character.
This list could have gone on for another month, but we’ll wrap at 28! Let us know who you’d like to see next round and hopefully, we’ll continue to run out of space.
