Murphy's Multiverse

Category: Features

  • ‘The Bad Batch’ Season 2 Could Revive Abandoned ‘Clone Wars’ Arc

    ‘The Bad Batch’ Season 2 Could Revive Abandoned ‘Clone Wars’ Arc

    This year’s Star Wars Celebration in Anaheim was full of exciting surprises. Among them was the first trailer for the upcoming second season of Star Wars: The Bad Batch, which gave fans another glimpse into the future of Lucasfilm animation. The footage revealed quite a bit of new information regarding what’s next for the titular team of misfits, who will be sporting a new set of armor when they make their big return. Hunter and his daring cohorts will come across a variety of new species and familiar faces, which will apparently include Obi-Wan Kenobi’s former partner Commander Cody, the sinister Emperor Palpatine, and even the greatest Jedi to ever live – Gungi, the Wookie Padawan.

    While most of these marquee cameos are sure to make for grand new adventures, one of them may actually signal the restoration of a rather old one. The inclusion of Gungi, and even more so the brief flash of another Wookie warrior, would indicate that a trip to Kashyyyk may play a part in the Bad Batch’s next set of missions. If this is true, it could mean that Brad Rau and the folks behind the show are planning on bringing back a previously unproduced arc from Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Specifically, one devised by current Bad Batch story editor and longtime animation writer Matt Michnovetz.

    The Clone Wars was canceled by Cartoon Network in 2013 after its fifth season had completed airing, as a result of Disney’s acquisition of Lucasfilm. Before this, however, Dave Filoni and his team had planned on making at least eight seasons of the animated series. As a result, all three of the remaining episode batches had been mapped out and were already in some form of production at the time of the series’ abrupt end. Some of these stories found new life in other media, like the novel Dark Disciple or the limited comic Darth Maul: Son of Dathomir, and some were eventually completed and included in the show’s two revivals, like The Lost Missions and The Siege of Mandalore. In fact, The Bad Batch itself was originally an incomplete animatic released to the public at Celebration in 2015, later finished for inclusion in The Clone Wars‘ final outing on Disney+ and eventually getting its own spin-off.

    Unfortunately, a handful of these planned Clone Wars stories were far too early in their development process to get the same type of release treatment and remain untold to this day. One such plot was a four-episode arc that was set to take place on the aforementioned Wookie planet of Kashyyyk, and would have explained Yoda’s remark in Episode III – Revenge of the Sith about having “good relations with the Wookies.” The story would have featured the second appearance of the Bad Batch, teaming with Yoda and his squadron of clones to help the Wookies fend off an attack by the Separatist droid army and a number of Trandoshans led by the fearsome Babwa Venomor. A major sub-plot concerned the clones and Wookies coming to understand each other, with sequences involving Wookies riding giant ape lizards, the Bad Batch fighting arachnid creatures, and even General Tarfful communing with the trees of Kashyyyk before burning them down to create a tactical advantage. Chewbacca and a new Wookie character named Major Clausito were also said to have played a major role in the story.

    Multiple elements from this untitled arc have found their way into later projects. The Wookie’s Force-like connection to their home planet and its flora was explored in the video game Jedi: Fallen Order, while Echo’s commitment to becoming a member of the Bad Batch, which was originally intended to occur here, was instead worked into The Bad Batch‘s first season. Major Clausito even received a canonical name drop in last year’s official reference book, Star Wars: Battles that Changed the Galaxy. Lucasfilm also has a long track record of reusing once-abandoned concepts in later projects. This has become something of a staple for other Star Wars shows like Rebels and The Mandalorian, which persistently use old concept art for new proposals and plot lines.

    The point being made is that it wouldn’t be unlike Lucasfilm to bring back and canonize something that was formerly thought to be a dead idea. The Bad Batch itself only exists because of a willingness to pull from a closed sandbox, and it would only make sense if the team developing everything used the opportunity to reanimate some of the best of their unmade treatments. Of course, the Kashyyyk story could no longer exist in the same way it might have nearly a decade ago, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be told with a few adjustments. Maybe Gungi takes the place of Yoda, now that the latter is in hiding on Dagobah. Perhaps the Bad Batch find themselves helping what’s left of the Wookie resistance fight off the Empire, as opposed to fending off Separatist advances as initially planned. If the history of Star Wars has been consistent with anything, it’s the Imperial assault on Kashyyyk and its inhabitants. After all, the second season trailer does have Echo mention “others out there” who need their help, and few are more qualified to give assistance to Wookies than the Bad Batch.

  • ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ Part III’s Jedi Name Drop Explained

    ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ Part III’s Jedi Name Drop Explained

    Part III of Obi-Wan Kenobi continued to expand the galaxy far, far away, introducing us to new characters and locations and painting a pretty terrifying picture of what the Empire has done in just over a decade. However, it isn’t all doom and gloom as it also introduces Obi-Wan to some new allies and an understanding that not everyone is all bad.

    Shortly after arriving on the mining planet of Mapuzo, Obi-Wan and Leia find themselves in quite the pickle. Fortunately, they are rescued by Imperial Officer Tala Durith, who manages to get them to a safehouse where she educates them on The Path, an underground movement that provides safe passage for enemies of the Empire. She wastes no time in telling Obi-Wan that he’s not the first Jedi who has passed through her safehouse and it isn’t long before Kenobi finds evidence of one that he knows well: Quinlan Vos.

    Jedi Master Quinlan Vos first appeared in 1998’s Dark Horse Comics’ Star Wars #17. A year later, he was spotted on Tatooine in The Phantom Menace and, from there, his presence has grown tremendously. While a great deal of his story has taken place on the page and not the screen, Vos and Kenobi did share one memorable mission that was seen in the third season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

    The episode, “Hunt for Ziro”, saw Kenobi tasked with the retrieval of the Hutt crime lord Ziro. In order to help locate him, the Jedi Council assigned Quinlan Vos, a fan-favorite who at the time had a large presence in what’s become non-canon Legends media. Kenobi and Vos worked as quite the odd couple, but Vos’ unique skills as a tracker came in handy. Though he truly frustrated Kenobi, the two parted on good terms.

    Following his appearance in Clone Wars, the character next appeared in Christie Golden’s canonical novel, Dark Disciple. Dark Disciple saw Vos team up one-time Sith acolyte Asajj Ventress on a mission to assassinate Count Dooku. The two became close during their time together and, eventually, fell in love. For a time, Vos was lost to the dark side and actually became Dooku’s apprentice. Vos returned to the light side after Dooku killed Ventress. From there, Vos became a general in the Clone Wars and survived Order 66 and became a top target of the Inquisitorius.

    Part III of Obi-Wan Kenobi reveals that, presumably, Vos has up to this point eluded the pursuit of the Inquistors and is helping Tala provide safe passage for Force-sensitive younglings via The Path. Learning that Vos, who was certainly a pain in Kenobi’s ass in their time together, had survived the Jedi Purge, seemed to put a bit of pep back in Kenobi’s step. Given the proclivity of the Disney Plus streaming shows to bring characters from other medium into live-action, it wouldn’t be too surprising if Vos showed up on screen at some point in the next 3 episodes and lent a hand to his one-time partner.

  • ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ Part III: Rebuilding a Broken Master

    ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ Part III: Rebuilding a Broken Master

    Obi-Wan Kenobi’s always been a perspective guy. As we follow him through the six-part streaming series, the emotional resonance the audience feels comes from seeing Kenobi experience a series of revelations. While they’re not revelations to the audience, they are revelations from a certain point of view: Kenobi’s. It’ll be all but impossible to top Part II’s reveal, where Kenobi learned that Vader survived their dual on Mustafar; however, Part III countered that with a reveal that caught the old Jedi Master by surprise.

    For the bulk of the show’s first 2 episodes, Ewan McGregor has masterfully portrayed a Kenobi who has been defeated. As he says in the show’s first episode: “The fight is done. We lost.” He’s biding his time on Tatooine, waiting for Luke to come of age to be trained. This Kenobi is not only a shadow of his former self but also a far cry from the character as he is portrayed in Star Wars Rebels, much less the spunky old wizard played by Alec Guinness in A New Hope. Hope is the operative word and, finally, in Part III, Kenobi finally finds some.

    The first half of Part III seems to justify Obi-Wan’s worldview. As he and Leia land on Mapuzo and make their way toward the coordinates given to him by Kumail Nanjiani’s Haja Estree, nobody is there to meet them. Kenobi already distrusted Estree and expected to be let down. Things go from bad to worse for the pair when the friendly mole man who promised them a ride to the nearest port, hands them over to some Stormtroopers. And just when it seems that Kenobi’s belief that he’s essentially alone in the galaxy will be proven correct, Talia Durith enters the chat.

    Durith’s character not only plays an integral role in Part III, but it’s also clear that she will play an even bigger role in evolving Kenobi’s view of the galaxy. As Tala shows Kenobi her hidden back room and explains The Path, we see a light in the Jedi’s eyes for the first time in the series. It’s not just the revelation that Jedi Master Quinlan Vos has survived Order 66; it’s the revelation that there are still people in the galaxy out to do good, and there are a lot more than he could have ever thought. It’s no stretch to say that Durith’s Path is part of the early stages of the Rebellion and probably serves as one of several key points in Leia’s life that set her on the path to becoming one of the Rebel leaders. Kenobi’s meeting with Tala gives him hope.

    Of course, that hope is quickly tempered by the terrifying arrival of Vader on Mapuzo, his subsequent, but short, dual with Kenobi and his torture of his old master. Yet, here again, Kenobi experiences something he thought lost in the galaxy as Durith puts herself at risk to save him from Vader. Yes, Part III ends with Kenobi a mess, and Leia about to be in the hands of Reva, but that can’t undo what’s been done. We all know how this series has to end because we already know what comes after it, making character development of the utmost importance. And Part III provides arguably the most important developments in Obi-Wan’s character since he moved from Padawan to Master: it’s begun to rebuild the broken Jedi.

  • ‘Stranger Things’ “Dear Billy” Confirms Shawn Levy is the Perfect Choice for ‘Deadpool 3’

    ‘Stranger Things’ “Dear Billy” Confirms Shawn Levy is the Perfect Choice for ‘Deadpool 3’

    There were many reactions when it was announced that Shawn Levy was going to tackle the third entry of Ryan Reynolds‘ Deadpool series. In a way, it wasn’t too much of a surprise after the director and actor tackled Free Guy and The Adam Project back-to-back. He already proved his ability to tackle pop culture references and Reynold‘s usual brand of humor. Yet, there was one key ingredient that he just proved with his work on the Stranger Things Season 4 episode “Dear Billy.” He knows how to direct powerful emotional moments.

    It may sound strange, but while Deadpool#s quips and fourth-wall-breaking humor were generally his trademarks, the once 20th Century Fox franchise added one element that many overlook from his comic roots. Wade Wilson is a very tragic character that masks everything that has happened to him with the insanity that destroyed his view of his entire existence. The first two Deadpool films highlighted just how important that “human” element was when they explored his relationship with Morean Baccarin‘s Vanessa.

    The romance in the first film had its high points, but it was in the final moments where it truly came together in 2018’s Deadpool 2. The sequence when he finally gets to meet her again after her tragic death earlier in the film with an acoustic rendition of a-ha’s Take on Me hits like a dump truck of emotions. Even as he throws outlines, there’s something sincere and sweet that you wouldn’t expect from a comedy like this.

    With Levy taking on the third entry, there was some worry that the focus would mainly remain on the comedy aspects. Yet, his work on “Dear Billy” confirmed, at least for me, that the director is definitely one that can bring that emotional punch. The emotional arc of Sadie Sink‘s May Mayfield having to struggle with what may be her untimely death at the hands of Vecna was one of the season’s strongest.

    The emotional arc is rounded out by Max’s escape from the hands of Vecna through her favorite song, Kate Bush‘s Running Up That Hill which punctuated the sequence at its emotional arc. Besides the bonus side effect of the episode leading to the song once again hitting the Billboard Hot 100, it highlights that he is just as capable of tackling the humor, action, and heart that makes any Deadpool story stand out as more than just a fourth-wall-breaking comedy.

    Reynolds has proven he can pull off both, and it would be a shame not to continue his arc built around his connection with Vanessa. If they stick with her still being dead, there is an iconic story element that could be explored. The ending has implied he went back in time to save her life, and there’s a chance that this may have led to some shenanigans far beyond his own control; at least that he’d care to consider it. No matter how much the merc with a mouth throws out, as long as that emotional throughline remains, we’re in for what could become Marvel Studios’ funniest and most emotional entry yet.

    Source: USA Today

  • Connecting Imaginary Dots: ‘Glow’ Actress Shakira Barrera and ‘Ironheart’

    Connecting Imaginary Dots: ‘Glow’ Actress Shakira Barrera and ‘Ironheart’

    As the calendar rolls over into Summer, production on another round of Marvel Studios projects will shortly be underway. Among those projects is the Disney Plus streaming series Ironheart, which was first announced by Marvel Studios One-Above-All, Kevin Feige, during 2020’s Disney Investor Day presentation. Dominique Thorne will lead the project as Riri Williams, a genius inventor who will make her MCU debut this November in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

    Aside from Thorne, however, little news about the cast of Ironheart has made its way outside of Marvel Studios despite production set to kick off in June. In the Heights star Anthony Ramos has joined the series in an unannounced role, as have Harper Anthony and Lyric Ross. Rumors have circulated that Ramos might by portraying the villain of the project, Parker Robbins, better known in the comics as the Hood, and it’s known that Marvel Studios was looking to cast the son or daughter of Jeff Bridges‘ Obidiah Stane, the villain of 2008’s Iron Man. But as is almost always the case, Marvel Studios has stayed mum on any official announcements about the cast.

    And while fans debate if Ramos is the Hood and wonder who will be cast as “Ezekiel Stane” (while Obidiah had a son in the comics, the studio is open to casting a woman in the comedic role), there is certainty around the creatives behind the project. Marvel Studios brought in Sam Bailey and Angela Barnes to helm the project as co-directors, with Chinaka Hodge, Sev Ohanian, Zoie Nagelhout and Zinzi Coogler working as the team of executive producers. As it turns out, one actress who recently revealed she is prepping for a secret role happens to follow nearly the entire creative team on Instagram.

    GLOW and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. actress Shakira Barrera has recently connected with Bailey, Barnes, Hodge, Nagelhout and Ohanian (we were unable to find Zinzi Coogler on IG) and, just 6 days ago, posted the video seen below to her IG story.

    https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cd67M2NpVX5/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

    In the video, she thanks her fitness coach for helping her prepare for an “amazing role” that the actress can’t share, but promises will be “worth it.” Given the mounting evidence, it’s reasonable to suggest that Barrera could have joined Ironheart in yet another unannounced role. And while it might not be announced, the comics might provide a reasonable suggestion as to whom she might be playing, should we begin by entertaining that Ramos is playing Parker Robbins.

    Part of what makes Robbins such a fascinating and despicable villain in the comics is that his descent into villainy and dark magic cost him his family: his wife, Sara, and their daughter, Breanne. Robbins was always a poor husband, cheating on Sara whenever he could, but when he began trifling with magic, Robbins began to see Dormammu in everyone, including his daughter. After finding Parker shaking their daughter, Sara left Parker behind.

    Should Ramos be playing Robbins, casting Sara alongside him would go a long way for making fans of the MCU develop the same dislike for this version as they have for the character from the comics. The logistics work out, with Barrera currently prepping for a secret role (and no roles are more secretive than Marvel’s) and she and Ramos are very close in age (he’s 30 and she’s 32).

    Should you take this one to the bank? Absolutely not. While it seems pretty safe to conclude that Barrera has been cast in Ironheart, who she’s playing can only be taken as purely speculative, given that it’s based on a connections to a character who is only rumored to appear in the series in the first place. So while her casting might be confirmed sooner rather than later, it might be a year or so before we find out who she’s portraying in the series. As always, we’ll check back in then.

  • ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ Character Posters May Hint At Future Plot Twist 

    ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ Character Posters May Hint At Future Plot Twist 

    When Obi-Wan Kenobi debuted on Friday, it introduced the world to one of the franchise’s most ruthless villains yet. Moses Ingram’s Reva Sevander, better known to the Empire and Inquisitorious as the Third Sister, was shown to be unabashedly vile in her hunt for hidden Jedi. The character managed to remove an appendage, threaten a family, and impale her own boss in just two episodes of shared screen time. Frankly, it was a pretty impressive introductory showing for Reva, in what is potentially just the tip of a rather violent iceberg. Based on the premiere, it would seem the Third Sister is set to play a major role for the remainder of Obi-Wan Kenobi’s run. Despite this, her future in Star Wars as a whole is still very much in question.

    The latest Disney+ series takes place a full decade after the events of Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, planting it firmly in the middle of the galaxy’s “Dark Times” era, exploring the relationship between runaway Jedi and their Imperial hunters. It’s an incredibly intriguing basis for a story, but it’s not the first Star Wars show to tackle the topic. Star Wars Rebels, an animated series that ran for four seasons on Disney XD, was the first project to shed some light on the Inquisitors and their lust for democratic demise. The cult-favorite series takes place years after the events of Kenobi, and several members of the Inquisitorious make appearances over the course of its story. Familiar scowling faces like the Grand Inquisitor and Fifth Brother pop up repeatedly, but Reva is never anywhere to be seen.

    Of course, there are plenty of viable reasons for her absence. Maybe the Third Sister is simply on a different mission than her companions at the time of the Ghost crew’s rise to prominence, or perhaps her actions against the Grand Inquisitor don’t go over well with the higher powers of the fearsome Empire. At first glance, it would seem fans don’t have any real clues as to Reva’s long-term future. Yet, with a little further inspection,a reasonable explanation may have already been presented…but nobody caught it.

    On the same day that Kenobi premiered, a series of character posters were released to help promote Ewan McGregor’s big return. Each installment in the poster series features one of the show’s major players looking intently at the viewer, with their left eye replaced by a Tatooine sun and one of two characters – Obi-Wan, or his former apprentice, Darth Vader. Examining the group of posters as a whole reveals that the protagonists, or “good guys”, have Vader in their eyes, while the villains are shown to be focused on Kenobi. It gives the impression that the characters are looking toward their respective enemies. Curiously, Reva is the only character who doesn’t fit this pattern. Although she has thus far appeared pretty villainous, her character poster has her eyeing down Vader in the same manner as Obi-Wan and Kumail Nanjiani’s surprisingly warm-hearted con man.

    It’s made clear in the series that Reva has a desire to prove herself to the Emperor’s right-hand man, so it’s possible the poster is just an indicator that Vader is the real apple of her eye. However, it’s also entirely plausible that Reva won’t stay on the Dark Side of the Force for all six of Kenobi’s episodes. Redemptive arcs are fundamental to the fabric of Star Wars, and tend to happen more often than one might think. The franchise has seen worse villains, including the aforementioned Vader, come back to the side of the Light before. There’s still plenty that’s not known about Reva’s backstory, which was teased as being somewhat tragic, and it wouldn’t be all that shocking to learn she was once a happier individual than she is now. If that’s true, then the long history of Star Wars would imply that good may still be inside of her.

    Kenobi began with a sequence in which a group of younglings attempted to escape the Jedi Temple during Order 66. Maybe Reva was there, a Jedi herself, and has doubled down on the pain of the Dark Side to escape the pain of her own past. If her attack against the Grand Inquisitor were to get her booted from the Inquisitorious or put on notice by Vader himself, she could potentially be forced to ally with Obi-Wan in another attempt to survive. From there, who knows what interacting with a former Jedi Master could lead her to remember about herself. Either way, the placement of Vader on Reva’s poster is an interesting choice and one that feels awfully deliberate in comparison to everything else.

  • ‘Letterkenny’ and ‘Shoresy’ are Proof Jared Keeso is a Huge Talent on the Small Screen

    ‘Letterkenny’ and ‘Shoresy’ are Proof Jared Keeso is a Huge Talent on the Small Screen

    When it comes to the small screen, it is very hard to stand out. This is partly because there’s so much to watch on television thanks to primetime channels as well as the streaming channels that continue to try to build their own lineup of originals. Due to an overwhelming amount of shows, it isn’t entirely surprising that some shows struggle to gain the viewership necessary to keep them on air. They seem to die off just as quickly as they appear. This, however, was not the case with Letterkenny.

    A series that, honestly, could have easily got lost in the mix somehow struck gold and became a huge hit – so much so that Hulu picked up the streaming rights to it in 2019. Since then, the series has continually seen its popularity grow, quickly becoming one of Hulu’s most popular titles. Which is why it isn’t entirely surprising that both Crave TV and Hulu moved ahead with the spinoff series, Shoresy.

    The success of Letterkenny – which has 10 seasons available for your enjoyment – almost felt like an overnight success, even though it wasn’t. It’s rare for a series to take off like Letterkenny did, and it is something most shows would kill for in this day and age. So, what exactly makes Letterkenny – and Shoresy – so great? There’s one man who deserves a hell of a lot of the credit and that’s leading man Jared Keeso.

    In 2013, Keeso did a YouTube short with his friend Nathan Dales, aka Daryl, and K. Trevor Wilson, aka Squirrely Dan. The short was titled Letterkenny Problems and was co-written by Keeso and Jordan Beirnes. It wasn’t until 2015 that Letterkenny Problems would become a television series, though, with a name change after Crave commissioned the series. After it debuted in 2016, the series quickly became a hit and cemented its place as one of the internet’s favorite shows.

    Prior to Letterkenny and Shoresy, Keeso mainly made his career as a background actor with small roles in shows like Supernatural, Smallville, and Caprica. On the film side, he’d had small roles in films such as I Love You, Beth Cooper and Elysium. Letterkenny, though, proved that Keeso is capable of being a leading man. More importantly, though, it showed off more than his acting capabilities – it proved he was able to write well-crafted stories. This is something that is even more notable with Shoresy. Keeso wonderfully crafts a spinoff series that somehow feels unique and original, despite having originated from another show.

    While Littlekenny was a bit of a misfire, both Letterkenny and Shoresy prove that Keeso is able to deliver entertaining content that captivates audiences. The comedy aspects are great, but it’s more than that; under all of the humor, both Letterkenny and Shoresy also do a great job at character development — something we perhaps best see with the Skids and the hockey players. If Keeso can successfully deliver stories about these characters, it’s hard not to think about what other types of stories he’d be able to successfully tell if given the chance.

    At a time when television seems to have too much to offer, with very little of it being of merit, it’s important to note shows and creators that are providing quality content. Keeso is not just a leading man, but also a quality writer who has successfully launched two well-received series. “Pitter patter, let’s get at ‘er.”

  • A Look Back at ‘Speed Racer’, a Misunderstood Masterpiece

    A Look Back at ‘Speed Racer’, a Misunderstood Masterpiece

    With the recent news that Apple is working on a live-action Speed Racer series, set to be produced by J.J. Abrams, now is as good a time as any to take a look back at the Wachowski’s 2008 film adaptation of the iconic anime. Not only was the film critically panned, but it also bombed at the box office; however, Speed Racer is better than you remember. In fact, it’s much better than you remember.

    All that’s wonderful about Speed Racer can be explained by a look at the film’s best scene: the interaction between Speed and the film’s villain, E.P. Royalton. Royalton is the business magnate in charge of ‘Royalton Industry’, a company that manufactures cars and does lots of other things. Royalton is essentially Jeff Bezos, except with way more style. Bezos wishes he could rock a cravat like Royalton. At first, Royalton charms the Racer family, but after Speed thinks about Royalton’s deal, he declines, leading to one of the greatest villain monologues in history. But why is this interaction so amazing?

    As an animated franchise, Speed Racer is well-known for its transitions: heads, action lines, and cars, all present in this movie. However, there’s a pretty specific difference in the energy of these edits depending on what emotion the audience is expected to feel. In the middle of a tense race: quick transitions, blurs and lines that simulate speed. But when the scene has low-energy, the audience gets calm transitions, fades and a slow pan. The conversation between Speed and Royalton featured mostly the latter.

    Part of what is so brilliant about this interaction is that the conversation is a framing device for the race that follows. Royalton reveals that he is in complete control of the World Racing League and tells Speed that the Grand Prix is fixed and has been forever. Then he offers Speed a choice: sign or lose. Speed refuses, and then Royalton tells one last story.

    When Royalton tells Speed about the Fuji race, the camera shifts and Royalton materializes a transition that we have only seen before in races, the races controlled by Royalton. It’s his world, and the Wachowski’s use the editing technique to demonstrate that. The screen becomes a blur that ends with Speed in the cockpit of the Mach 5, concerned and uncomfortable. Royalton is able to put Speed in a difficult position because of how much control Royalton has over the race.

    Royalton’s speech to Speed about Carl Potts, the racer he’d never heard of who was actually part of a complicated business maneuver can be jarring. After all, this would be tough to follow in The Wolf of Wall Street, and at least in that movie, every so often we’d recognize a ‘Lehman Brothers’ or ‘Macy’s’. The specifics of the sales mergers associated with Carl Potts and the ’43 Prix are borderline nonsense. We don’t know what ‘Iodyne fuel cells’ are or why they are valuable. But Royalton does, and that’s the point. If Royalton is going to win, it is because he understands this world in a way that we and Speed fundamentally don’t. And no matter how well Speed races, the business behind it all will always keep him from winning. We see this issue come up earlier when Rex was killed during the Casa Cristo Rally race by mobsters that were fixing the sport. And then later, Taejo Togokahn will betray Speed so that his company could drive up the price for their own merger. This world is just too complicated for Speed, and Royalton’s tone while explaining these business dealings spells that out for us.

    Every good villain serves as a dark reflection of the hero. The ‘how’ is super vague, but they usually share some trait or value. Spider-Man and Vulture are both working men. Spider-Man and Doc-Ock are both scientists. Spider-Man and Lizard are both experiments/urban legends. At first blush, it seems like Speed and Royalton have pretty much nothing in common. Sure, they both have ties to the racing industry, but what’s so interesting about Royalton is that he’s actually way more like Speed than almost any other character in the movie. Royalton wants one thing at the end of the day: to win. Not just the race, although that’s part of it, but Royalton views the collection of money as a competition. Royalton talks about being in the gains record book; “the only record book that matters.” And he describes the specifics of the company buyouts that led Iodyne Industries to corner the market on air travel the same way the Racer family talks about building a car. Racing is Speed’s life, his religion. And for Royalton, racing is a part of his life, a tool for his religion. After all, the race isn’t really anything more than an advertising opportunity for Royalton. Interestingly, Royalton doesn’t have anything specific he wants to do with it or have any rivals he wants to destroy with the money he wins. He’s been taught by a lifetime of keeping up with the sport and the business world that the real game is capitalism. He views the financial and legal forces that control Speed and his family as part of his own gain.

    Speed and Royalton are both fierce competitors who are playing different games, but with the same intensity. We never find out what Royalton’s values are that brought him to this point, or what family tragedy or father figure set him on this path, because we understand that sponsors and owners control sports in the real world. And in the end, it might not be that complicated. Speed wants to drive to win the race because he loves the race, and Royalton is Royalton for the love of the game, and his game is capitalism.

  • Potential Guest Appearances in ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’

    Potential Guest Appearances in ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’

    Star Wars fans have been looking forward to Lucasfilm’s latest Star Wars streaming series, Obi-Wan Kenobi. The series takes place in the years that exist after the Prequels are complete, but before the Original Trilogy begins. This is ground that really hasn’t been deeply explored by other Star Wars properties.

    The Star Wars content that has premiered on Disney+ has been lauded for taking the material in new directions while also tying into the existing canon, and some of the biggest moments in these shows have been cameos and Easter eggs. The inclusion of characters from animated series getting their live-action debuts, such as Bo-Katan and Cad Bane, has particularly driven fan interest.

    Obviously, the return of Hayden Christensen as Vader was confirmed before the series and fans got their first glimpse of the character at the end of Part II, so we’re going to speculate about who else we can expect to see interact with Old Ben under the twin suns of Tatooine over the next four episodes.

    Snips

    One of the most anticipated cameos is the return of Rosario Dawson in the role of Ahsoka Tano. These characters are deeply connected in the Clone Wars animated series, and her introduction in The Mandalorian was so popular that Ahsoka got her own spin-off, which started production recently. The series will be set approximately 10 years after the conclusion of Revenge of the Sith, and according to her time in Star Wars Rebels she was establishing pockets of resistance as the agent codenamed Fulcrum.

    Fans who only know her from live-action might not know that Tano never actually became a Jedi because she left the order. There are still gaps to fill in on her journey from padawan to resistance leader to Luke’s assistant in this year’s The Book of Boba Fett. She is very likely to appear in Kenobi.

    Lothal Rebels

    Obi-Wan Kenobi will take place before the animated Rebels series in the official chronology, so for any characters that make an appearance, it would technically be a prequel to those adventures.

    Kanan Jarrus: spent most of this period hiding his force powers from the Empire, so very unlikely to appear here.

    Ezra Bridger: he was just a child in Rebels, and lived on Lothal before that show ran, so also unlikely.

    Garazeb Orrelios: Zeb was reeling from the loss of his people, the Lasat. His story doesn’t have many connections to the themes that surround Obi-Wan, so also unlikely.

    Hera Syndulla: Hera’s family was involved in resisting the Empire on Ryloth when they suffered tremendous personal loss. She was the leader of the Spectre cell of the resistance and was one who had contact with Ahsoka/Fulcrum, so this Twi’lek is a strong candidate for an appearance. Hopefully, she brings along C1-10P/Chopper.

    Sabine Wren: Sabine is an intriguing candidate given the popularity of Mandalorians in the live-action series. Sabine is an explosives expert and artist and spent her time before Rebels as a bounty hunter with her friend Ketsu Onyo. They alluded to a darker time in her past, and it would be fun to see her with a little bit of a sharper edge. It would also open the door to her return for the Ahsoka series, as they teamed up in Rebels.

    Clones

    Part II gave us a brief glimpse of one clone, but the return of others from the Clone Wars series is a possibility. It could complicate things because Temuera Morrison would likely be required to play them, and it might confuse casual viewers to see him back in action in a role other than Boba Fett, but the clone he played in Part II was barely recognizable as Morrison, other than the distinct voice. Captain Rex is a great candidate for a return, as he is seen in Rebels with Wolffe and Gregor as defectors.

    Scum and Villainy

    Odds are good we will get another banger from the Max Rebo band in a cantina scene. The cantinas are the heart of Tatooine, and often host cameos in the background. Favorite bounty hunters Greedo and Boba Fett, or more obscure ones like Cad Bane and Dengar would be appropriate for brief interactions. Perhaps we will get a glimpse of Jabba on a litter. Scoring Donald Glover for Lando would be a coup but seems unlikely.

    A fun option here would be Hondo Ohnaka, a pirate who knows Obi-Wan from the Clone Wars days and goes on to play a role in Rebels. He is an unpredictable mix of soft-hearted and cutthroat and could serve as an ally Kenobi can never quite trust.

    The Dark Side

    There are some fun candidates amongst those who wield the Dark Side of the Force and could serve as a lead-up to Obi-Wan’s reunion with Anakin. Kenobi has a past with Sith Assassin Asajj Ventress, and though he did not meet her end on-screen, she has a pretty conclusive ending in a 2015 novel. It would be interesting to see if the current leadership feels bound by their other media.

    Rebels established that there were Sith devotees who were tasked with hunting the Jedi who evaded the infamous Order 66. These Inquisitors, such as Fifth Brother and Seventh Sister, had some tremendous action scenes and would bring pressure on Obi-Wan to keep his location secret.

    The most intriguing option is Darth Maul. He is established in the Clone Wars as being alive at this time, and although we know he has to survive to appear in Rebels, given the way they parted at the end of The Phantom Menace their reaction would surely be explosive.

  • How the Road to ‘Secret Wars’ Might Go Through Earth- 838

    How the Road to ‘Secret Wars’ Might Go Through Earth- 838

    Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness is looking like another box office win for Marvel Studios, what it accomplishes as the 5th film in Phase 4 is to continue planting the seeds for the potential next major crossover. Already eleven projects in, the path to Marvel Cinematic Universe’s take on the classic Secret Wars storyline seems like it’s being built, even if some feel we’re not ready quite yet.

    That’s right, it’s beginning to look like the MCU is eleven projects into what might become known as the Secret Wars saga. The Falcon and The Winter Soldier gave us a new Captain America, a reformed Bucky, and introduced us to the US Agent. Black Widow gave us a new Black Widow and a still effective Red Guardian. WandaVision gave us White Vision and Photon, while simultaneously introducing us to witches, including the Scarlet Witch. What If…? showed us different Earths, with different Variants of the heroes and villains we’ve seen on Earth-616, including worlds where Thanos does not become a villain and where Captain Carter is the first Avenger. And then there’s Loki, which presented us with the rules of the multiverse, how the TVA had been pruning Variants across different universes, while introducing the maestro behind it all, He Who Remains.

    He Who Remains, aka Nathaniel Richards, had spent considerable time and energy figuring out a way to defeat and/or trap multiversal Variants of himself, essentially wiping out their worlds. When Sylvie stabbed He Who Remains in the season final of Loki, she unleashed the multiverse. Indeed, we find out in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness that a Variant remaining in another universe for too long causes an Incursion. Knowing that, it is clear that Nathaniel Richards did save lives, even if the methods of his TVA were not the right ones. The restoration of the multiverse, the knowledge that Incursions destroy other universes and the revelation that at least one universe in the multiverse has a TVA that openly works for a version of Kang can be seen as evidence that Marvel is building towards Secret Wars.

    With Incursions playing such a viral role in Jonathan Hickman’s Secret Wars run, and Marvel leaning a lot on Hickman’s work when they adapt these stories for the MCU, the mention of them by Earth-838’s Reed Richards is no coincidence. We now have one world (Earth-616) where a Variant (Gamora) is on the loose and no TVA to return her to her timeline. We know that, coming out of Avengers: Endgame, there were at least 5 different timelines. What If…? gave us the timelines mentioned above, which Kevin Feige confirmed are the consequences of Sylvie’s stabbing. In one of those universes, a Captain Carter exists. Could she be the same Captain Carter seen in Multiverse of Madness?

    In her world, we see that it’s a world where the X-Men, Fantastic Four, and Inhumans all exist. The Charles Xavier who arrives late to Strange’s trial greatly resembles the Professor X from the X-Men animated series. If we accept that the animated series is canon to Earth-838, then this means that on this Earth there are the remaining members of the Fantastic 4 and X-Men, Inhumans who have just had their King brutally murdered, and ateam of Avengers who also just had their leader murdered. Also of note, only Mordo survived to tell their Wanda was possessed by another Wanda: as such, they’re going to want consequences.

    Hovering over all of this is every version of Kang. With Incursions caused by Variant sremaining in another universe for too long, and no TVA there to prune said Variant, then it is possible that Earth-838’s Kang (Immortus) will use the Baxter Foundation to further his desire to control the other universes. With a catalyst like Earth-616’s Doctor Strange off in the Dark Dimension, and the death of his own Variant, he may feel that Earth-616 is vulnerable and thus can be attacked. He’s got his army and all that’s left is war.