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  • ‘THE MANDALORIAN’ CHAPTER 12: An Ode to Fan Inclusion

    ‘THE MANDALORIAN’ CHAPTER 12: An Ode to Fan Inclusion

    For over forty years, Star Wars has managed to capture the imagination of various generations and different types of fans. A few of us grew up with the Original Trilogy, while others with the prequels or the sequels. Some are just into the movies, while others are into their cartoons, novels, or comics. The result is that, since everybody seems to be looking for something different to get out of the franchise, there are very few facets of it, besides John William‘s scores, that are unanimously well-received by everybody.

     

     

    But ever since The Mandalorian premiered a little over a year ago, it seems to be succeeding in tapping into a bit of everyone’s favorite type of “Star Wars” while making it all seamlessly fit into the story it’s trying to tell. Besides the obvious callbacks to the movies and cartoons (and even to the 1978 Star Wars Holiday Special with Din’s phase-pulse blaster), it has introduced relevant story elements and characters from many corners of the Star Wars universe, components integral to moving the plot forward. And so, every side of the fandom seems to have been able to find something in the show that makes them smile as if it was personally directed at them.

    Season 2 has been prolific in this regard. After Cobb Vanth (a character from the novels) and Boba Fett (from the OT), we got Bo-Katan, and an Ahsoka name-drop (both from The Clone Wars and Rebels), as well as the beginnings of what is sure to become the sequel trilogy’s First Order in Moff Giddeon’s army/fleet. And Chapter 12 is a sort of microcosm of all of this, as in less than forty minutes, it manages to bring together several periods of Star Wars history.

     

     

    We get Return of the Jedi with the Scout Troopers on their speeder bikes. We see The Last Jedi‘s DJ with the reference to “slicing” when at the Imperial research base (or is there an even bigger reference to the Sequel Trilogy and that’s an early version of Snoke in the tanks?). And then we get something that is sure to take the show to new heights as it references the Phantom Menace when Doctor Pershing mentions “M-count” which is an obvious reference to… Midi-chlorians. It builds on Chapter 3 when Din Djarin rescues Baby Yoda (who we knew to be force-sensitive) from a laboratory. This small mention is a confirmation that the show is bringing back one of the most controversial aspects of the Prequel Trilogy in what can only be described as one of the most monumental choices made in the shows’ entire run. Nonetheless, it’s a choice that validates that specific Prequel Trilogy side of the fandom, making everyone feel embraced. The Mandalorian has evolved into a show that welcomes new fans by being a great starting point into the Star Wars Universe but also pays tribute to what came before. It delivers on the magic and quirkiness of the original movies, it made everyone fall in love with Baby Yoda and even managed to unite three generations of fans under a single banner: their love of Star Wars.

  • Tentative ‘THE MANDALORIAN’ Chapter 13 Title Hints at Ahsoka’s Appearance

    Tentative ‘THE MANDALORIAN’ Chapter 13 Title Hints at Ahsoka’s Appearance

    Ever since it became known that Dave Filoni would be directing Chapter 13 of The Mandalorian, the idea that this would mark Ahsoka Tano’s live-action introduction established itself as an almost certainty. We’ve all been anxiously waiting for her appearance on the show. Bo-Katan’s mention of her just made the wait even more difficult, as we never got an official announcement when we can expect her. Disney’s approach to marketing this weekly release has been surprisingly subtle with the episodes carrying the weight of what may be to come. Today, after the release of Chapter 12, the TV listings over at OSN.com gave us yet another hint that this should really be the case, as Chapter 13 seems to be titled “The Jedi”.

     

     

    One week from today we’ll all know for sure, but everything from the director to the storyline seems to be in place for the debut of everyone’s favorite Togruta on November 27. Ahsoka has become a staple of the Star Wars franchise ever since her debut on The Clone Wars. The last time we saw her was in Rebels, which took place before the original trilogy. It will be interesting to see her reaction to the Child. Din Djarin, our titular Mandalorian, also seems to have no knowledge of the Jedi Council that existed long before the Empire ruled the galaxy. Her addition could also hint at many more iconic characters from the extended franchise making an appearance, such as Rebels Ezra Bridger and Sabine Wren. Hopefully, we only have to wait one more week until she finally makes her The Mandalorian debut and, just maybe, find out more about the Child’s origin.

    Source: OSN

  • Disney May Premiere Future Tentpole Films on Disney+

    Disney May Premiere Future Tentpole Films on Disney+

    The pandemic has hit the film industry in many ways. Film productions had to close down prematurely once the first lockdown hit. Cinemas across the world got shut down. Many production firms were considering moving their theatrical releases to streaming services. Universal was the first to test it only to get banned by AMC. They have reconciled since, but that was only the beginning. Now, as many countries entered their second lockdown, even Warner Bros has decided to move their last tentpole film of the year, Wonder Woman 1984, to their streaming service HBO Max alongside its theatrical release. Now, this move opened up the question if other studios would follow, especially Disney, who tested out a premium service with Mulan a few months ago.

    It looks like Disney has at least been considering putting the option on their table. According to Deadline, the mouse-led company is considering launching a variety of their tentpole films on their service. These films consist of Craig Gillespie’s Cruella, Robert Zemeckis‘ Pinocchio, and David Lowery‘s Peter Pan and Wendy. They haven’t decided yet if they will go down the route with Soul, which will release for free, or take the Premium Access route once again.

    Disney+ has seen a massive increase in subscribers over its first year. The addition of high-profile films could get people’s attention and increase that number. Yet, there is an important franchise missing from that list. It seems that they are hellbent, for now, to see the Marvel Cinematic Universe remain in cinemas. They might still be testing the profitability of such ventures before risking losing Box Office numbers off of their cash cow franchise. The upcoming release of WandaVision could also be a test to see how many subscribers join with the addition of MCU content to the platform. Whatever Disney ends up deciding, the cinema landscape will not be the same as it used to be.

    Source: IndieWire, The Atlantic, Deadline

  • Matt Lintz Cast as Bruno Carrelli in ‘Ms. Marvel’

    Matt Lintz Cast as Bruno Carrelli in ‘Ms. Marvel’

    Today we were graced with our first look at Ms.Marvel, one of many Marvel Studios shows coming to Disney Plus. Ms.Marvel will follow Kamala Khan, played by newcomer Iman Vellani, as she comes into her own as a hero, inspired by the heroic feats of Captain Marvel. After acquiring fantastic abilities of elasticity, Kamala begins her journey to becoming one of the newest heroes of the MCU in a post-Endgame world.

    Today’s photos not only gave us our first look at Vellani as Kamala but also of actor Matt Lintz (The Walking Dead, The Alienist). Given the familiarity of these two in the photos, Lintz is quite obviously playing the role of Bruno Carrelli, friend and trusted confidant of Kamala Kahn. Carrelli, a humble employee of Circle Q, is one of the only people to know the secret of Kamala’s alter ego as well as possessing a genius-level IQ of 170, serving as an asset to Kamala while she’s out fighting crime.

    Ms.Marvel currently has no release date but is set to stream exclusively on the Disney Plus streaming service with episodes directed by Adil El Arbi, Bilall Fallah, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, and Meera Menon.

  • ‘MS. MARVEL’: Shedding Some Light on Today’s Set Pictures.

    ‘MS. MARVEL’: Shedding Some Light on Today’s Set Pictures.

    We finally got our first look at Iman Vellani in character as Kamala Khan through some set pictures that seem to cover different scenes from the upcoming Ms. Marvel Disney+ show.

    In these pictures, we get to see Kamala riding a bike, her go-to mode of transportation, while displaying her Carol Danvers love by wearing a Captain Marvel helmet. But the more interesting set is the one where we see her at night, with a friend (most likely Bruno Carrelli, that ended up being the only of Kamala’s friends that knew of her Ms. Marvel secret identity), on what should be her parent’s house doorstep.

    The first thing we notice is that both are wearing costumes. Kamala a Captain Marvel one, while Bruno looks an awful lot like Bruce Banner. The helmet he is seen wearing seems a bit out of character, but since Kamala also has her’s attached to her backpack, the explanation should be a simple one: They both were out with their bikes. And why would two highschool kids be out at night? The costumes seem to indicate that this scene should be set during Halloween which makes them being out understandable – and could we be looking at a Halloween 2021 release date? – and it also takes us to a cool reference from Ms. Marvel #1 from 2014.

    The Halloween perspective is interesting. It helps to immediately set up Kamala’s personality, how she loves Carol, and also makes her connection to Bruno an easy one to understand – they both love the Avengers -. It also gives Kamala a reason to stay up late, breaking the curfew her strict parents usually impose on her.

    And that’s what we see Bruno helping her with on the following set pictures. She’s trying to get to her room through her window so as not to compromise herself by using the front door. Could this be the night where she gets her powers? In the comics the night she gets exposed to the Terrigen Mist, which gives her polymorphic powers, she was alone. She had left Bruno behind and got home looking like Captain Marvel as she was still getting used to her powers. So, unless her powers now only surface overnight, like in 2002’s Spider-Man, these shots should be from an earlier night, that might set up the night she gains her powers. Kamala always tried to respect what her parents asked of her, but once she broke curfew there was little stopping her from doing it again. So maybe an honest mistake on Halloween is what made her stay out late later or, as she began her journey as Ms. Marvel.

  • ‘Ms. Marvel’: First Look at the Circle Q

    ‘Ms. Marvel’: First Look at the Circle Q

    Today has been quite the day for fans of Kamala Khan. We’ve gotten our first look at Iman Vellani as the polymorphic Inhuman and gotten a great look at what appears to be a Halloween costume paying tribute to her idol, Carol Danvers. Now, we have our first look at her unofficial headquarters: the Circle Q!

    The Circle Q is a Jersey City convenience store where Kamala’s best friend, Bruno Carrelli, works and where she spends a great deal of time. Of particular interest to the beginning of production on Ms. Marvel, it is also the scene of one of Kamala’s first heroic acts after she receives her powers following the widespread release of the Terrigen Mist.

    Of note and as first reported here, Circle Q is also the name of the production company created for the project, which is operating under the working title “Jersey.”

     

  • ‘Ms. Marvel’ BTS Set Photos Reveal Kamala Khan’s Inner Fangirl

    ‘Ms. Marvel’ BTS Set Photos Reveal Kamala Khan’s Inner Fangirl

    Just today, we got our first look at Iman Vellani as the young hero Kamala Khan. Marvel Studios just recently started shooting the brand new Disney+ series, so finally, we got a look at the show. Well, it looks like that is not all. It seems that the sequence was earlier in the day for a Halloween-themed episode. Some more set pictures got released that show young Kamala fully decked out in probably the best Captain Marvel costume I’ve ever seen. She comes fully equipped with a light-up Mohawk so you know for sure who she is a fan of the iconic character.

    Check out the photos at Just Jared.

    Remember the pictures of people covering costumes in the last article? Well, it looks like those might’ve been them preparing for this specific stunt. She is climbing on the exact same rooftop that we saw earlier. She also has her bicycle helmet on her backpack, so we know this might be the same day. Her friend, who looks like it could be Mitchell Hope, is also in costume as Bruce Banner. He is still wearing his bicycle helmet from earlier yet the lights seem to be a new addition.

    There is also the question of why she seems to be breaking into someone’s house. She might be visiting her friend Nakia, who didn’t join them on Halloween, or she just really wants to prank someone for not sharing candy with them. Of course, it could also be a rebellious Kamala trying to go out for Halloween against her families’ wishes. No matter what, this costume is genius as it is a nice tribute to the comics when Kamala accidentally turned into Carol Danvers after her powers activated. Plus, it just reconfirms that she is a huge fan of the character even in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I really hope we get some more showcases of these shows in the near future as we wait for WandaVision to finally kick-off the MCU’s fourth phase.

    Source: Just Jared

  • ‘THE MANDALORIAN’ Chapter 12 Primer

    ‘THE MANDALORIAN’ Chapter 12 Primer

    In The Mandalorian Chapter 11, “The Heiress”, the frog lady found her husband and hatched an egg, so that is one less The Child has to snack on and one job done for the Mando. After the frog family reunion, the Mando took The Child to a diner where he hoped to find someone who could take him to another Mandalorian, and in a way he did. When he attempted to kill Din Djarin, other Mandalorians came to save him. Eventually, we find out that the lead Mandalorian was actually Bo-Katan!  Bo-Katan told Din Djarin that she will help him find a Jedi to help find more of The Child’s kind. But this comes with a price. He has to help her with hijacking an Imperial ship. She sends him to the planet Corvus to find Ashoka Tano. Yup that’s right, Din Djarin is going to meet Ahsoka!

    Ahsoka Tano—A Star Wars Oral History | Vanity Fair

    Ashoka is a former Jedi Padawan who was Anakin Skywalker’s apprentice. If the Mando wants to make it to Ahsoka, he will definitely have to get his ship repaired because it is in very bad condition. Even though he paid a Mon Calamari to fix it last episode. If we pay attention to the Season 2 trailer, it seems to be that he will be headed back to Nevarro to meet up with his old allies, Cara Dune and Greef Karga, again. We can assume that is what will happen in the next episode, though we don’t know exactly. Hopefully, they can help him restore his ship and he can resume his journey.

    Arlyn’s Assumptions

    Seeing that at the end of the last season he left the planet Nevarro during a huge battle it is definitely going to be weird returning there. Karga said that Nevarro was going to become a bounty hunter haven, so maybe bounty hunters from all over will be there. The bounty hunter that I think could be there is Bossk, who first appeared in The Empire Strikes Back. We’ve seen the series bring in characters from all over the place so far and another classic bounty hunter would fit right in. If Mando does find Ahsoka in this episode, it probably won’t be until the end.

  • ‘Hitman’ IO Interactive Working on an Untitled ‘007’ Game

    ‘Hitman’ IO Interactive Working on an Untitled ‘007’ Game

    In case you missed it, the minds behind the latest Hitman trilogy have announced their latest project. It seems like they are going to tackle one of cinema’s most iconic characters, James Bond. The spy extraordinaire’s origin story will take center stage in their upcoming project. The announcement also came alongside a short teaser that shows a transition from their logo into the iconic opening shot we know and love from the franchise.

    https://twitter.com/IOInteractive/status/1329426703186325504

    The project has no name as of now. It currently holds the Project 007 working title. Their website does highlight that the story will be completely original, which will see how James earned his 00 status. It looks like they are also recruiting people to join their team. This project might be very early in development, so do not expect it anytime soon. Something is interesting when you check out their applications, as they have various projects highlighted with who they are looking for. It seems IO is also looking for a Multiplayer Network Programmer, who will be attached to an unannounced project. They could be hiding the fact that this game will include multiplayer, or there is another major project to be announced soon that will be heavily focused on multiplayer.

    IO has built up quite the reputation with their quality releases from the Hitman franchise. The Danish company once was owned by Square Enix before they were able to perform a management buyout to become an independent production company. They were also the ones that created Kane & Lynch during a hiatus from the franchise that put them on the map. IO’s work on that project will certainly come in handy during the development of this brand new game. It is great to see the European company get their hands on such a massive IP, so cannot wait to see what they will be able to do with it.

    Source: Twitter, 007, Career IO

  • First Look at Kamala Khan on ‘Ms. Marvel’ Set

    First Look at Kamala Khan on ‘Ms. Marvel’ Set

    Marvel Studios is finally starting the production on their various Disney+ projects. WandaVision will get released in January and start the next phase. We are still waiting on any news regarding Falcon and the Winter Soldier‘s release, but to tie us over until then, we finally got our first look at Iman Vellani on the set of Ms. Marvel that just recently entered production. It isn’t an action sequence, but we do get some interesting tidbits from her outfit. You can check out the images by clicking here to see them on Just Jared.

    The biggest reveal is that Ms. Marvel will continue to be a massive Captain Marvel fan even in her live-action adaptation. Carol hasn’t been a well-known hero for long in the MCU, as she was off in space. Yet, we did get a tease that she may have been around on earth after the events of Avengers: Infinity War. Danvers may have supported the Avengers after the snap to ensure that those that were left behind remained safe. It looks like she has become a well-known hero to have her merchandise. If you take a closer look at Kamala’s helmet and jacket you can recognize some familiar visuals. It is also a cute addition that she has her initials on the helmet.

    The pictures also include two people hiding what they are wearing. It is rather interesting, as this is commonly used to hide costumes from the comics. Perhaps she is being visited by Kree that realized her potential to become an Inhuman. Even better would be if they were part of Attilan that are viewing people that have the potential to join them. It could be building up to the MCU’s version of the Terrigen Bomb that would change New Jersey.

    Source: Just Jared