Category: Features

‘Hawkeye’ Gives the MCU Its Own Stormtroopers in the Loveable, Laughable Tracksuit Mafia

In Star Wars, George Lucas introduced audiences to the Stormtroopers. Faceless, uniformed goons who accept their (literal) marching orders from their unseen overlord without question. When we first see them board the Tantive IV, they’re presented in overwhelming numbers and, since they’re accompanied by Vader, seem pretty terrifying. Over time, however, they’ve become so well-known in pop culture for their ineptitude (especially when it comes to shooting) that they were the butt of a meta joke in an episode of The Mandalorian. Whatever Lucas’s original plans, Stormtroopers have become weak-minded canon fodder for the heroes of the Star Wars universe, falling for every trick in the book and only mildly threatening because there seems to be no end to how many of them can be marched out.

Whether intentionally or by happy accident, Marvel Studios newest Disney Plus streaming series, Hawkeye, has introduced a group of similarly buffoonish foot soldiers to the MCU in the Tracksuit Mafia and, over the first two episodes, the delivers HEAVY Stormtrooper vibes. The parallels are astounding. Similar to the Stormtroopers, they explode onto the scene in a terrifying fashion as they rob the basement black market auction…and they do so as faceless, uniformed goons. Even in large numbers, the Tracksuits can’t handle Kate Bishop and are only successful in their quest for the enigmatic watch by accident-and that doesn’t even go well for them. Their next attempt to catch Kate ends with them taking another ass-beating at the hands of both Bishop and Barton but it’s not until their Molotov assault on Kate’s loft that we see their ineptitude on full display and it only gets worse from there. Clint’s conversation with the Bros following his “capture” reveals that much like the Stormtroopers, they’re none to bright, much to the frustration of Hawkeye.

Through two episodes, the Tracksuits have accomplished absolutely nothing of note…other than to become absolutely loveable for their stupidity. Hats off to the group of actors, led by Aleks Paunovic, Piotr Adamczyk and Carlos Navarro, for bringing the Tracksuits to the screen straight from the pages of Matt Fraction and David Aja’s epic run. Their interactions with the Hawkeyes and each other, both during the fire bombing and “interrogation” scenes, deliver an ignorance-is-bliss type of humor that will continue to be low-hanging fruit for the remainder of the series. As they botch their jobs and argue among themselves in their matchy-matchy tracksuits, the lack of indistinct personalities, which Barton mentions himself as he’s begging to talk to their boss, only strengthens them as Stormtrooper analogues: it doesn’t matter who is who, bro, they are all equally as useless as the next one.

Thankfully, it seems we’ve only seen the tip of the iceberg with these loveable idiots. Trailers and TV spots have show that a future episode will bring the iconic car chase from the comic run to life, meaning we’ll get to see Kate unleash all manner of trick arrows on the Tracksuits and we’ll never know which ones are getting flipped off a bridge or crashing into concrete. And at no point in time will anyone ever believe Clint and Kate are in any real danger. One after another, the legion of Tracksuits will serve as cannon fodder for the Hawkeyes, only to be replaced by another Bro as they follow the marching orders of their unseen overlord. And let’s be honest, that’s who we’re really hoping to see anyway. Until then, here’s to the Tracksuits, Bro, the Stormtroopers of the MCU, Bro.

November 24, 2021
‘Hawkeye’: Rogers the Musical Brings Magical Meta to the MCU

The MCU has become self-aware. The opening episode of Hawkeye brings the Avenging Archer and his children to the Big Apple for what we can assume is maybe opening week of Rogers the Musical, a stage show dedicated to the life of Clint’s friend and fellow Avengers, Steve Rogers. The musical itself isn’t important to the plot of the show other than being the plot device that brings Clint to New York and getting him involved with Kate Bishop and the Tracksuit Mafia. It is, however, important in that it represents a fabulously funny step forward for the MCU: it’s learned to laugh at itself.

In a wonderful bit of meta humor, the musical reenacts the Battle of New York (in song form!) and puts, at its center, one of the real internets most memed MCU moment: Captain America’s “I can do this all day.” The musical gives each of the Avengers their moment to shine, even putting Ant-Man who, as Clint points out was NOT there, a moment in the spotlight, but its shining moment is when the actors who plays Cap belts out the character’s signature line. Hulk’s smash moment comes in a close second, but for the creators of Hawkeye to put one of Rogers core traits at the center of the musical and use it for a laugh shows that they are deeply connected with their fandom.

To be fair, this isn’t the first time the line has been used for a laugh. Avengers: Endgame saw one Steve say the line to the other which led to a light moment. This feels different, however, as it’s not a moment between Caps. It’s a great meta moment because once you’re done laughing at it, you immediately think, “Wait a minute! He never said that at the Battle of New York. And how’d they know he said that anyway?” and that, folks, is the joke. Turning the Battle of New York, the moment the Avengers came together as Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, into the plot of a musical that gives an historically inaccurate representation while one of those Avengers sits in the audience is the kind of laugh that can’t be built in a day. It’s the kind of laugh that only long-time fans of the MCU are going to truly get; it’s so layered and nuanced that the fan who is watching Hawkeye because they like Hailee Steinfeld would need a 20-minute long lecture from a friend to explain why it was funny in the first place; it’s the kind of laugh that lands hardest because it’s the world’s most successful franchise laughing at itself.

The MCU has become self-aware and if this is the type occasional meta humor fans can expect to see, then Feige has transitioned from MCU overlord to MCU memelord, cementing himself as The One-Above-All.

November 24, 2021
How Kingpin is the Perfect Antagonist for ‘Spider-Man: Freshman Year’

There are a lot of questions to be asked regarding where Spider-Man will go after the December release of No Way Home. While it’s unknown what the next chapter in Spidey’s cinematic book will be, we do have an answer about where we’ll see him next. According to the recent Disney+ Day event, the future of Spider-Man will be found in his past. Marvel Studios is producing an animated series with the subtitle Freshman Year. It’ll explore the character’s origins in the MCU. The problem is, aside from the likelihood we’ll see yet another iteration of Ben Parker get gunned down in the streets, we know almost nothing about the story’s details. It also opens up the question: who will Spidey face in this prequel series?

The parameters set by the cartoon’s place in the Marvel timeline prevent it from showing Peter Parker going head-to-head with any of his major rogues. Spider-Man: Homecoming was fairly clear in its assertion that Michael Keaton‘s Vulture is the most intimidating villain Parker has faced by that point in his career. Plus, context clues would indicate the web-head hadn’t done anything extravagant enough to be more than a YouTube star before Tony Stark discovers him in Civil War. This would mean that, for the show to have a genuine bad guy looming over our freshly made hero, they would have to be a threat that both exists outside of the public eye and appears low on Peter’s danger scale. As such, it’s the perfect time to introduce Wilson Fisk as his main threat.

The Kingpin has made a profession out of appearing moral. There is arguably no character who has mastered the art of discreet villainy like Fisk, who simultaneously runs New York with an iron fist and an entrepreneurial spirit. Fans are, obviously, no strangers to the character, who reached peak popularity in the last decade with a recurring role on Netflix’s acclaimed Daredevil series. It feels like a return to the screen, big or small, is imminent, with live-action MCU shows like Hawkeye and Echo bringing the criminal underworld back to the forefront of Marvel’s storytelling. If the Kingpin of Crime were to be slipped into either, or both, of these projects, placing him and his infamous gangster land into a story that is set nearly a decade earlier would be a wonderful way to retroactively tie that part of the MCU together.

It would be far less than a stretch if whoever takes out Ben is portrayed as being in the employ of Fisk, whose on-the-low activity happened to cross paths with a newly-powered Peter and his altruistic uncle. From there, a misguided, vengeful, and inexperienced Spider-Man may want to hunt down whoever was responsible for the death of his father figure, much like the first act of 2012’s The Amazing Spider-Man. However, in this story, Parker’s search would lead him directly into the path of “Mr. Big” and his Enforcers, a group of men with wildly individual and specific skill sets like having quick feet and being large (yes, those Enforcers).

There are enough goons, like the Enforcers who worked for Tombstone in The Spectacular Spider-Man cartoon, that could provide an appropriately difficult combat challenge for an untrained Spidey. They might also be small enough not to garner any headlines for the wallcrawler. Skirmishes with Spider-Man may be chalked up to one of the aforementioned YouTube videos. That way, they could be the prominent threat of Freshman Year before it is inevitably revealed who they work for. This plot point would line up with the original Amazing Spider-Man comics, while still leaving room for creative interpretation.

It should be acknowledged that a member of the Enforcers did appear in Homecoming, played by Logan Marshall-Green as a member of Adrian Toomes’ team and the first person to wield the Shocker gauntlets. However, this version of Jackson Brice has almost nothing in common with his comic namesake Montana. Freshman Year could easily separate those names into two characters. Brice could also be left out of the Enforcers altogether, with another rotating member of their squad taking his place.

Using Kingpin and the Enforcers as antagonists allows for a story that features plenty of Spidey action without ever dipping into “Avengers-level” notoriety. Peter would be able to dig into the mystery of his new opponents and come to terms with a full emotional arc, learning about great power and great responsibility, as well as plant seeds for a connection with the MCU’s underworld without ever actually taking down Kingpin or his empire. The end of the show would fit perfectly into the MCU if it saw the wall-crawler taking down the Enforcers, embracing his newfound heroism, and placing himself on Wilson Fisk’s list of threats for a possible future showdown. All without contradicting anything we’ve seen from the film trilogy so far.

November 23, 2021
‘Hawkeye’ Episodes 1 and 2 Primer

Fans should be excited to see these first two episodes of Hawkeye because we haven’t seen Clint since Avengers: Endgame. The show is placed two years after the end of Endgame. Infinity War and Endgame were very hard on Clint. First, he lost his family due to the Snap. Then, he lost his mind and started killing criminals while taking on the identity of Ronin. Finally, in Endgame he lost his best friend. It would be nice for him to have a relaxing holiday with his family, but we all know that’s not going to happen.

The series will introduce Kate Bishop, a member of the Young Avengers in the comics and Clint’s partner in the Matt Fraction and David Aja Hawkeye run. Kate, played by Hailee Steinfeld, has the potential to be a big part of the future of the MCU. The show will also introduce The Tracksuit Mafia, who you may know as the “Bros” in the comics (they just go around saying “Bro” all of the time, Bro). It is also introducing Echo to MCU, played by Alaqua Cox. Echo is a great character and, in the comics, is the adopted daughter of a character who is rumored to show up, but we’ll save that for later.

Arlyn’s Assumptions

If you remember, Yelena Belova from Black Widow is also going to enter into the mix. She was told that Hawkeye killed Natasha and she is coming after him. Even though she was given some bad info and that she and Clint will get off to a rough start, I think they’ll eventually become friends once Clint explains to her what Nat really did. If you did not know Jacque Duquesne, Clint’s mentor in the comics, is also in the show. Maybe he will still have some loose ends with Clint that could explain those fancy sword skills Clint showed off in Endgame. And rumor has it that Wilson Fisk, the Kingpin, is lurking in the shadows as the big boss behind the organized crime in New York, like the Tracksuits. As I hinted above, Fisk has a big role in Echo’s life and obviously would hint at other characters showing up soon as well. There’s really a lot going on here and a lot to sort out. Let’s get started!

November 23, 2021
Things We’d Like to See in an ‘Eternals’ Sequel

Marvel Studios Eternals is just over one-third of the way through its 45-day theatrical run and as divisive as the film has proven to be with critics and audiences, it introduced some massive ideas and left the door open to a potential sequel. Should Marvel Studios chose to further explore these characters through an direct sequel, there are plenty of intriguing, comic-based possibilities for Eternals 2.

Eternals: The Fourth Host

The ending of Eternals saw Arishem return to Earth and scoop up its remaining Eternals (Sersi, Kingo and Phastos) in order to use their memories to judge whether or not the lives of the humans they protected were worth the life of Tiamut. This was, of course, a debate even among the Eternals themselves, with some taking the side of the Celestial. The idea of Arishem judging the fitness and survival of the inhabitants of Earth is actually part of the grand Celestial plan in the comics and seems a certainty to be explored in the sequel. In the comics, after the Celestials have finished genetically engineering the species of a planet, they return over time for a series of four tests, called Hosts. The Fourth Host is the final test and is followed by a judgement. A direct sequel could deal with the aftermath of the decisions of Sersi’s factions of Eternals and see the heroes and gods that protect Earth gear up for war against the massive Celestials. It would be a spectacle, no doubt, but one that’s perhaps best saved for another larger-than-a-planet sized threat.

Eternals: Casus Belli

Key to the plot of Eternals is that the Eternals have been on countless missions before and had their memories wiped by their creators, the Celestials. When we see the World Forge, we get the idea that there are legions of other Eternals we don’t meet in this film. We also discover that the Eternals were designed to replace the Deviants after the latter evolved beyond the control of the Celestials. What we don’t know, however, is how many attempts the Celestials needed to create the current model of Eternals and what could have gone wrong in the meantime. We already know that Arishem isn’t a reliable narrator, so there’s no reason to believe he’s told us everything. There ARE other Eternals out there and, as Starfox indicated, they might not all be the type of characters our heroes want to find.

Ironically enough, one such Eternal, Uranos, is making his return to the pages of Kieron Gillen’s current run on Eternals. Uranos (now called Uranos the Undying) wanted to defy the orders of his Celestial makers and use his power to rule over the humans rather than protect them. As an antagonist in the sequel, he would make for not only a worthy foe for the Eternals of the present day, but also allow Chloe Zhao to continue to tell expand what fans know about the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. His wish to defy his orders put him at odds with his “brother”, Kronos, and set off an Eternal Civil War that lead to Eternals colonizing other areas of the galaxy. Uranos’ story could serve as a perfect bridge between what we already know (including how Eternals came to inhabit Titan) and what else we need to know.

Eternals: Schism

Speaking of Titan, introducing Eros, a son of Titan in the film’s mid-credit scene could be the first step in us heading back to there in a sequel. Of course, Titan is in pretty rough shape so much like the original film or like the pitch above, part of this film would have to take place in the past. However, heading back to Titan could resolve one of the problems people had with the first film: the Eternals being artificial beings.

During what was known as the Second Age of the Eternals, a great rift formed between the “sons” of one of the oldest and most powerful Eternals, Kronos. Those sons, Zuras and A’lars, both became leaders of factions of their society with very different beliefs. Zuras and his followers held fast to their beliefs that they would do the jobs given to them by the Celestials and that, despite their power and ability to do so, no new Eternals should ever be created. A’lars and his followers believed that simply because they had the ability to do so, they should continue to create new Eternals, both biologically and artificially. This schism caused another great war which A’lars lost; however, A’lars was allowed by his brother to relocate and continue his experiments. A’lars chose Titan, where he met another Eternals, Sui-San. The two successfully reproduced two children: Eros and Thanos. And the rest is history.

A sequel following this plot could tell the story of Titan through flashbacks while also introducing the sentient supercomputer I.S.A.A.C. and the artificial Titans he created at A’lars will: Elysius, Stellarax, Dionysys and Lord Gaea. These character could serve as primary antagonists for the modern day Eternals while also revealing more about A’lars progeny, including the Mad Titan.

November 23, 2021
Meister Rolling Out a Limited Marvel Studios Watch Collection This Week
Through an officially licensed collaboration with Marvel Studios, Meister Watches is releasing an exclusive line of watches this week ahead of Black Friday. The 7 watches, inspired by Black Widow, Guardians of the Galaxy, WandaVision and The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, are each limited to 50-100 watches and will be available for order online at Meister’s Marvel shop.

Releasing Tuesday, the Falcon Ambassador MK4 and the Winter Soldier Ambassador MK4.
Soar high with our new Falcon Ambassador MK4. The new Falcon MK4 is equipped with a stealthy black case and matching black leather with contrasting red stitching. The black dial is accented with custom white arrows on the index, Falcon’s logo, and the functional chronographs with a red ring. Finish the mission with this limited MK4 now. Limited to only 100 pieces, each timepiece is individually numbered on the back case.
Never forget whose side you’re on with our new Winter Soldier Ambassador MK4. Deep blue steel case with black bezel set off Bucky’s best accessory. The black outer ring in the face of the watch has a grey middle and the black and blue chronograph rings with silver stars serve as hour markers. Bucky’s blue star logo completes the one-of-a-kind watch. Limited to only 100 pieces, each timepiece is individually numbered on the back case.

Releasing Wednesday, the Wanda Ambassador Ultra Slim and the Vision Ambassador MK4.
Enhance your WandaVision with our newest Ambassador Ultra Slim. Equipped with a black case constructed of 316 NASA grade stainless steel, the genuine red leather band matches the red sunray dial face. The dial features a custom white luminescent index with the Avengers logo in silver. Only 100 of these timepieces have been produced and each is individually numbered on the back case.
Synchronize your synthezoid with our new Vision Ambassador MK4. The blue steel case and matching band and face are contrasted with gold hexagon bolts, crown and pushers, and maroon index. Gold hands on the functional chronographs, Vision’s V logo and the Soul stone are details that tie-in the Avengers outfit. Limited to only 100 pieces, each timepiece is individually numbered on the back case.

Now releasing Thursday, the Black Widow Ambassador Ultra Slim.
Go deep undercover with our newest Black Widow Ambassador Ultra Slim timepiece, featuring a stealthy all-black case with matching interchangeable steel band or black leather band. The custom hour index with red and white lining, red functional chronograph, and Black Widow symbol all pay homage to the female Avenger. Limited to only 50 pieces, each timepiece is individually numbered on the back case.

Releasing Thursday, the Star-Lord Ambassador MK4 and the Gamora Ambassador Ultra Slim (not pictured).
Defend the galaxy in style with our newest Star-Lord Ambassador MK4. Matching Star-Lord’s fit, the case is Gunmetal with a burgundy leather band. The two-tone face, burgundy outer layer with gold center carry on the theme as does the red index with Star-Lord’s logo. Limited to only 100 pieces, each timepiece is individually numbered on the back case.

Stand your ground like a true warrior with our newest Gamora Ambassador Ultra Slim. constructed of 316 NASA grade black stainless steel. Multi-layer green sunray dial face complemented by glowing luminescent index. Gamora logo completes the warriors ultra slim. Limited to only 100 pieces.

The 7 new watches join Meister’s already impressive collection of Marvel products, including their line of Eternals timepieces which are now on sale.

Meister’s Black Friday releases kick off tomorrow. With each watch being limited, make sure you make your way to the site early to ensure you get the one on your list!
November 21, 2021
‘Binary-Two Step’ is Cowboy Bebop at it’s Best

The 23rd episode of Cowboy Bebop, “Brain Scratch,” is one of the anime’s best episodes. The episode follows SCRATCH, the migrate to electronics movement, as they seek to spread their word to their fellow beings. The mysterious Dr. Londes leads the group, who uses the video game Brain Dream to analyze his follower’s brain waves and copy their consciousness into a digital form. What Londes’ followers don’t realize, however, is that they no longer exist once their consciousness has been uploaded.

It’s a strong episode that delves into our inability to accept an end – to accept death. This is why the idea of the live-action adaption attempting to cover it was reason to worry. Surprisingly, though, “Binary-Two Step,” its take on “Brain Scratch,” proves to be one of its strongest efforts.

With the ship grounded due to repairs, Jet asks Spike to make use of the downtime by seeking Dr. Londes out. This leads Spike to go in search of the doctor, while Jet takes care of searching for parts. This leaves Faye to watch the mechanic in his absence. Spike doesn’t appear to know what’s he’s initially walking into after going in search of the doctor. His ignorance will be his downfall, though, as he soon finds himself in a heap of trouble after walking into the A.I.-controlled building.

While Edward, aka Radical Ed, was a part of the team by this point in the anime, Ed was not around yet in the live-action take. We hear references to the fan-favorite hacker, however, Ed is not physically present to help the team tackle Dr. Londes and his cult. She does manage to still send help, though, after sending out a ping. A man comes in to help Jet as he tries to figure out a way to break Spike free of this take on the brain wave.

What works so well in this take is that it is a realistic approach to a strong episode. Dr. Londes does not have a physical form in the series, nor do we see a visualization of what he could look like. What we do see is a computer system that sorts through all of its subject’s consciousness.

As Spike undergoes the brain wave process, we get a deep look inside of his head. Under the machine, he’s forced to face the same nightmare repeatedly – losing Julia all over again. In his nightmare, Spike watches Julia die at the hands of Vicious repeatedly. Worse, though, is that she tries to make him let her go. It’s a hellscape he’s forced to endure until Jet and Faye are finally able to destroy the Londes program. While all fake, it’s clear Spike’s time in the brain wave has left an impact on him. As the episode closes, we soon learn he’s not ready to say goodbye to Julia. The episode is a deep dive into its characters, while still paying homage to its source material.

It’s an episode that truly unites the trio of bounty hunters for the first time. It feels like a true episode of Cowboy Bebop, capturing the tone and feel of its predecessor, while still presenting its own spin on the overall story.

November 21, 2021
How Netflix’s ‘Cowboy Bebop’ Handles the Challenge of Adaptation

Tomorrow Studios and Netflix probably underestimated the weight of what it means to adapt Cowboy Bebop. The series that ran back in 1998 became one of the most beloved animes over the years. The story of Spike Spiegel, Jet Black, Faye Valentine, Ein, and, of course, can’t forget Edward Wong Hau Pepelu Tivursky IV. There was already an outcry the moment they changed Faye’s outfit and we haven’t had any footage yet. Anime adaptations have faced quite the uphill battle. For every Rurouni Kenshin, there’s a Dragon Ball Evolution to balance it out. Yet, the fact there’s a scale of comparison makes the task set by Netflix even more daunting.

The thing about adaptation is the challenge in how do you approach it in the first place. Sometimes it’s a straightforward story that can easily be replicated while others have such a unique visual style that it becomes even more daunting. While Attack on Titan features humans as its main protagonists, the world invested by monstrous and purposely crudely drawn monsters forces creatives to make a choice. They can either try to replicate it in a way that stays true to the original or take a few steps to make it feel more authentic within a realistic setting.

In the case of Cowboy Bebop, they take a very curious approach. In a way, it does feel like the anime is brought to life in many ways. Some of the action is purposefully over-the-top with some John Woo influences mixed in. It envokes the way the characters moved in the original. The environments are purposefully unique to make this feel like a living and breathing world. It took the original design and added to it to make it recognizable for Western audiences. There’s a lot more cyberpunk aesthetic added into the mix while still staying true to the original.

As our very own Nicole Sobon pointed out in her review, it doesn’t quite live up to the original. Yet, in a way, it never could and to some degree, it seems the showrunners are aware of that fact. They do have elements evoking that of the anime, especially with the return of musician Yoko Kanno to create the soundtrack. Every element is here that would make this feel like it invokes the series but there’s one Westernized aspect that leaves a sizeable dent of comparison as an adaptation.

Cowboy Bebop plays switcheroo with most of the original villains to fit neatly into a cohesive package. The original series was more a bounty-of-the-week style story. Spike’s past didn’t play a role at most times and was more of a sudden appearance. Netflix and André Nemec took those elements and created an ongoing narrative that takes precedent. So, we spend a lot more time with Julia and Vicious. As a result, these very specific character archetypes were flipped on their head to fit into long-format storytelling. Alex Hassel‘s version of Spike’s nemesis works more as a deconstruction rather than an adaptation.

It’s not an easy task to adapt something popular like Cowboy Bebop. It’s even more riské if you start making specific changes to fit a different narrative type. This series does lack aspects of the original that are noticeable. For example, some of the iconic bounties don’t get as much attention in service for the new Syndicate overarching plot. We frequently see characters suddenly get tied to others from the original. There’s a good chance that the fans of the original won’t like this. They changed elements to make them their own while still trying to stay true to the original. Utilizing iconic visual cues and story elements that muddles the unique aspect. It opens up the question: Why change this but keep the rest the same?

Some adaptations dip their toes more into the original’s iconic visuals to bank on the contextual nostalgia. The initial trailer for Uncharted evoked quite a few elements from across the four games to do exactly that. In a way, Cowboy Bebop is a bit more restrained in that regard. It does take iconic characters from the anime but tries to add to their story. They either get an expanded backstory or visual elements that were simply taken for granted and now are given more weight. It doesn’t always hit the mark, but it is a showcase of good faith that they aren’t purely relying on nostalgia.

In a way, they didn’t fully buckle under the weight of this series’ reputation but still were too cautious. They took a risk and made changes, not for the sake of change but rather to expand the lore. Vicious isn’t as “vicious” as we remember, but he’s far more complex as a character. He’s flawed to also give Julia an arc by taking away their initial allure as characters. Instead of a distant dream, she is an active participant in these events. Yes, it does take away from her allure in the original but gives her something substantial in this story. We’re allowed to see her evolve throughout the show and it even opens up new avenues to make it stand out from its contemporary. Moving forward, the show may have released the shackles that held it back and can grow beyond just being an adaptation even if not every single shot hit its mark in its premiere season.

November 21, 2021
The Pulse: Collecting the Biggest News of the Week of November 14th-20th

Doctor Strange 2 Adding More Cast in Reshoots

After people got very upset at the prospect of a Marvel Studios film undergoing reshoots, some folks with their ears to the ground came through with some info that made a lot of sense. As it turns out, the reshoots aren’t because the film is “a mess”, but rather to get some more cast, who were unavailable during principal photography, into the film.

A New Daredevil Project is In Development

According to a grid leaked by Daniek RPK, Marvel Studios in now developing a solo Daredevil project. There was no indication if the project is meant for theaters or Disney Plus and we still don’t know if Charlie Cox is continuing his portrayal of the Netflix character or starting from scratch. This one looks like it’ll be a ways off yet, but we can all see Cox pretty soon in No Way Home.

Denis Villeneuve is Cancelling Sting

Uber-visionary mega-auteur Denis Villeneuve has finally gone too far. Rather than de-age the nearly ageless Sting, or simply insert his scenes into Dune Part 2, Villeneuve has plans to bring a new actor in for the role of Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen. This is an instance of the director absurdly believing the character is more important than the actor. Surely this will backfire.

Black Panther 2 Taking an Extended Holiday Break

As Letitia Wright continues to recover from injuries she sustained while filming in August, the production on Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has wrapped…for the year. A note was delivered to the cast and crew this week that indicated they would all be home for the holidays...all of the holidays…and production would get geared up again in January. The delay is not expected to shift the film’s release date, so stop the drama!

Avatar is Underway

The Netflix live-action adaptation of Avatar has begun production and the cast continues to fill in nicely. Fans are eagerly scouring the internet for any kernel of info about the new series and so are we! Keep checking back for more.

ScarJo is Back At Marvel For Something

After suing Disney over the contractual issues surrounding the home release of Black Widow, Scarlett Johansson is, according to Kevin Feige, back to work for Marvel Studios. While the master of dissembling didn’t say what she was working on, he did say what she wasn’t: it won’t be a Black Widow project. He also didn’t mention if she was starring in the project or directing/producing, so really who the hell knows?

Jamie Dornan Has Talked to Marvel Studios about a Clothed Role

50 Shades stud Jamie Dornan has started to break out of the pigeon-sized hole his role in those films put him in and now he’s revealed that he has spoken to Marvel Studios One-Above-All, Kevin Feige, about a potential hero role in a Marvel Studios production. It’ll be interesting to see the Irish actor transition from S&M to CBM, but if anyone can do it, it’s Henry Cavill lite.

‘Ahsoka’ Series Has Found a Sabine Wren

Since it was revealed that the general premise of the Ahsoka series would be the search for Ezra, fans have been waiting to find out who would be cast as Sabine Wren. Natasha Liu Bordizzo is the big winner as it was revealed this week she’d be filling the armor and and teaming up with Rosario Dawson in the series.

Marvel Studios ‘Blade’ is Sharpening Up

It’s been nearly radio silent on the MCU’s Blade reboot since Kevin Feige announced it at SDCC ’19. That’s all changing now as the casting process has begun in earnest ahead of a late-Summer of 2022 start of production. Delroy Lindo, simply one of the coolest men on the face of the planet, has been cast in an undisclosed role alongside star Mahershala Ali. Murphy’s money is on Lindo playing Jamal Afari, Blade’s father figure and mentor in the ways of staking vampires.

November 20, 2021
‘Cowboy Bebop’ Proves John Cho is an Action Star

John Cho is an actor with many credits to his name. Some are comedy based (Harold & Kumar), while others are smaller roles in popular franchises, ala Star Trek. However, in recent years, the actor has shown he’s capable of more than Hollywood has allowed him to prove thus far.

In 2016, fans created the #StarringJohnCho hashtag as a means to voice their frustrations with Hollywood, while also throwing their support behind the actor. Two years later, in 2018, Cho finally got to become a leading man thanks to Searching. It was a low-budget film about a father trying to find his daughter, yet it went on to earn $75.5 million at the box office. The highly-buzzed about feature earned Cho a nomination for Best Male Lead from the Independent Spirit Awards in 2019, as well as plenty of Oscar buzz among critics. Yet, despite all of this, it still feels as though Cho has not been given his due in Hollywood.

Enter Cowboy Bebop. Although flawed in its storytelling, Netflix’s live-action take on the beloved anime does something right. Casting a character like Spike Spiegel isn’t easy. The person portraying the character has to have a certain charisma to them. They have to be charming, yet appear deadly. Cho manages to capture Spiegel’s wit and personality perfectly. More importantly, though, his performance seems almost effortless.

He feels threatening during the flashbacks to his time in the syndicate. He feels vulnerable as he recalls his time with Julia. More importantly, however, Cho showcases the humanity of a character who so often hides behind his sarcasm. He’s able to slip into the character so easily, you forget you’re watching a performance because of how well he encompasses the character.

Cho moves between the roles as Fearless and Spike with no hesitation. As Fearless, a member of the Red Dragon Crime Syndicate, he has no qualms about killing anyone. He’s rash, callous and deadly. Whereas, as Spike, there’s a moral center to the character. Cho’s actions soften as we move to present-day Spike, yet he’s just as imposing in action scenes for both.

In an industry where white men named Chris seem to get all of the roles, it’s about time Hollywood sees Cho as more than a supporting character. His turn as Spike Spiegel shows he is ready for a franchise of his own.

November 20, 2021