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  • 10 Characters Worthy of Inclusion in the MCU’s ‘The Fantastic Four’

    10 Characters Worthy of Inclusion in the MCU’s ‘The Fantastic Four’

    When the First Family of Marvel Comics finally joins the MCU in 2025, it will have been a decade since Fant4astic Four was in theaters and TWO DECADES since Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans and Michael Chiklis brought the team into live-action for the first time in 2005’s Fantastic Four. With the 2007 film Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer added in, Fox made three live-action films in 10 years and all fans got out of it were 2 awful Doctor Dooms, one cosmic fart cloud that was supposed to be Galactus and zero idea of just how fantastic the world of the Fantastic Four really is. Marvel Studios has been working on the project since 2019 and if there’s one thing they’ve hopefully kept in mind while doing so, it should be that working with the Fantastic Four means working with some of Marvel Comics most fascinating characters and ideas and enough storytelling capital to redefine the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

    Creating the MCU’s The Fantastic Four isn’t like creating a film in a solo franchise so that the characters in that film can show up in the next installment of The Avengers; creating the MCU’s The Fantastic Four is creating a film with characters, environments and themes so rich that they lead to their own “event films” within the FF’s corner of the MCU. Other characters should be so lucky as to crossover into future FF films rather than the FF being the guests. While the plot of The Fantastic Four is being kept locked away for now, FF mainstays Doctor Doom, Galactus and the Silver Surfer are all rumored to have some role in the (maybe) ’60s set film. That’s all well and good and the FF would not be the FF without those characters; however, for Marvel Studios to really set its adaptation apart from Fox’s (and to convince fans they know how to handle the property better than Fox did), they’ll need to tap into the very deep well of heroes and villains associated with the Fantastic Four and do some significant world-building. Fortunately, that’s something director Matt Shakman has experience with, having worked a bit on HBO’s Game of Thrones and a lot of Apple TV’s Monarch: Legacy of Monsters. With that said, should Marvel Studios and Shakman have the big picture and the long game in mind, here are XXXX characters they should be sure to sow the seeds for in The Fantastic Four.

    Red Ghost

    The artwork which served as the official casting announcement of Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as the Fantastic Four hinted at a potential 1960s setting for The Fantastic Four. Furthermore, the photo of astronaut Ben Grimm in the background could also indicate that the Space Race may play some role in the film. If so, Ivan Kragoff would be an ideal candidate to appear in the film. Kragoff both fits the mold of many Marvel Studios villains in that his origins as a villain are uniquely tied to the heroes and he also has enough ties to other characters and potential storylines that he could be kept around and used again down the road. A brilliant Russian scientist, Kragoff was fascinated with Cosmic Rays and, following the exposure of the Fantastic Four to them built his own spacecraft, loaded it up with primates and intentionally exposed himself to Cosmic Rays as well. He and his simian sidekicks were all mutated by the exposure and took on the Fantastic Four on the Blue Area of the Moon. Everything about the character and his early exploits screams campy ’60s sci-fi and with the film reportedly looking to cast an older, male villain, Red Ghost makes as much sense as anyone!

    Annihilus

    If Marvel Studios fails to introduce the Negative Zone and Annihilus through either The Fantastic Four or a sequel, it will stand as a massive waste of a rich storytelling opportunity and an example of gross negligence on their part. Reed’s discovery of the Negative Zone and subsequent exploration of it taps into one of the core values of the Fantastic Four–they are a family of adventurers! Beyond that, the Bug King is one of Marvel Comics most fascinating villains and, in terms of the threat he poses, could stand on the level of Thanos. Among Marvel Studios unused villains, Annihilus stands alongside Magneto and Doctor Doom as having the most narrative potential. All it would take is for Shakman to make mention of the Negative Zone (he’s already shown a willingness to tease via Easter eggs and references over the course of WandaVision) and establish the potential for the anti-matter universe to matter down the road. As much as I’d like to see post-credit scenes disappear, an Annihilus stinger would get back to what was great about them in the first place.

    Molecule Man

    Jonathan Hickman did with Owen Reece what he does best and made him ten times more interesting through is arc in 2015’s Secret Wars. It’s not to say that the Molecule Man wasn’t already a notable character, however, only that the greater, multiversal purpose given to him by Hickman made him an essential Marvel Comics character. That version of him doesn’t need to exist here (though it sure would be a lot cooler if it did) but his connection to The Beyonder and the Beyonders, who could well end up being the new big bad of the Multiverse Saga, would make him a worthwhile addition to the film.

    Mole Man

    The Fantastic Four’s first villain, Harvey Elder needs to be given his due! In August 1961’s Fantastic Four #1, Elder and his army of monsters attempted to take over the surface world before being defeated by Reed, Sue, Johnny and Ben…and he never forgot it. As Mole Man stewed on his throne on Monster Isle, the rule of Subterranea and his moloids launched plot after plot against the Fantastic Four. Matt Shakman can find a way to work Mole Man into the script without taking too much time away from the main plot and by doing so, bring the kingdom of Subterranea to life for use in a future project.

    The Wizard

    Though he didn’t debut in the pages of a Fantastic Four comic, Bentley Wittman is as fantastic of a Fantastic Four villain as any. Another super genius, Wittman’s obsession with the Fantastic Four–especially with Reed’s intellect–makes him a fine inclusion while his potential for campiness and relative inability to provide a true threat to the team could also provide some comic relief. Including him in the first film might also open the door for the formation of The Frightful Four in a sequel (yeah, the timeline stuff may make that rough) which would be an incredibly fun group to bring into live-action. Ultimately a loser that the audience will learn to love, The Wizard really seems like a must. I wonder if Ben Stiller is busy?

    The House of Agon

    Whatever parts of ABC’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. you might like to hold onto, the presentation of Inhumans and the subsequent disaster of a series that introduced the Inhuman Royal Family can’t truly be among them. Fortunately, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness established that somewhere in the Multiverse there’s an actual Black Bolt and if there’s one, there can be another and yes, The Fantastic Four might just be the best place to introduce whatever version of the Inhumans the MCU eventually wants to use (if they do at all). If The Fantastic Four is set in the 1960s, it actually provides the perfect opportunity to introduce the Inhuman Royal Family who first appeared in the comics in Fantastic Four #45. Like many of the characters on the list, the House of Agon wouldn’t need to take up much screentime in order to bring them into the MCU and allow for further use later. A mention of an encounter with them or a visit to their Great Refuge is all it would take to establish their existence within the MCU. Should the MCU really want to get funky, they could take their cues for the 616 Inhumans from Alex Ross’ Earth X series.

    The Puppet Master

    There’s no doubt that working Phillip Masters into the MCU would take some creative thinking on the part of Shakman and scribe Josh Friedman but if his daughter, Alicia, is going to be part of the plan down the road, then giving the Puppet Master some screen time shouldn’t be too much to ask. A weird dude, to be sure, he could provide a different, serial stalker kind of threat to the team.

    Impossible Man

    Deemed “too unusual and too frivolous” by his own creator, Stan Lee, The Impossible Man is a bit Mr. Mxyzptlk-ish and while he’s no villain, he’s a giant pain in the ass. Disruptive and obnoxious, he’s also served as guide to the heroes in their time of need and as a walking–sometimes floating–talking encyclopedia. If the FF are already established as heroes, as the artwork seems to indicate they are, a cameo by The Impossible Man would be…fanastic.

    The Mad Thinker

    A stereotypical mad scientist, the Mad Thinker could, like Bentley Wittman, provide an ongoing antagonist for the team without ever providing much of a threat. A ’60s setting is perfect for the Mad Thinker, whose obsession with robots and early A.I. could allow for some light-hearted moments, provide an antagonist for another member of the team who showed up in the artwork (H.E.R.B.I.E.) and, of course, lead to the inclusion of his greatest creation: Awesome Andy.

    Blastaar

    If the Negative Zone is going to truly make its way into the fabric of the MCU, than Annihilus can’t be the only would be conqueror to make his way to Earth. Reed’s exploration of the Negative Zone led him into contact with the one time King of Baluur who became a frequent foe of the Fantastic Four over the years. The Living Bomb-Burst also went on to play a major role in Marvel Comics Annihilation event before becoming King of the Negative Zone. He’s a wonderfully designed character who could really help set the Fantastic Four’s corner of the MCU apart from the rest.

  • 12 MCU Characters Who Could Cameo in a 1960s Set ‘The Fantastic Four’

    12 MCU Characters Who Could Cameo in a 1960s Set ‘The Fantastic Four’

    A surprise Valentine’s Day announcement revealed the cast, release date, new logo and a slightly different title for Marvel Studios long-gestating The Fantastic Four. As an added bonus, the artwork that revealed Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Joseph Quinn as the MCU’s First Family hinted at the film being set in the 1960s and that Aunt Petunia’s favorite nephew will be an astronaut giving fans hope that the film will take at least some inspiration from Stan Lee and Jack Kirby‘s original book.

    Should the film–or part of it–ultimately take place in the ’60s (and in MCU’s 616 universe), there would be ample opportunity for Matt Shakman to curate some ties to the MCU by including cameos from existing MCU characters. To that end, here are a dozen characters listed alphabetically that could pop up in 2025’s The Fantastic Four.

    Azzuri

    The grandfather of T’Challa and Shuri, Azzuri would have been the Black Panther of Wakanda in the 1960s in the MCU. T’Challa made his first Marvel Comics appearance in the pages of Fantastic Four #52, so finding a way to include Wakanda and a Black Panther in The Fantastic Four would serve as a nice nod to that comic book history. So far, Azzuri has only been referenced but his sons, T’Chaka and N’Jobu, who were born in the ’50s, have been on screen in the MCU already. Having one of the brightest minds on the planet visit Wakanda would be a great way to add to the in-universe history of Wakanda and, as it was in the comics, provide an opportunity for the team to show their skills.

    Bucky Barnes as The Winter Soldier

    Given that he killed JFK in 1963, Bucky was out of stasis and active for at least some of the decade. Given the magazine cover of Lyndon B. Johnson in the artwork is from December 13th, 1963–just after LBJ took office–it could hint at either an appearance or name drop of The Winter Solider in The Fantastic Four.

    Ulysses Bloodstone

    The great monster hunter was just a crusty corpse when he appeared in Werewolf By Night, but Ulysses Bloodstone’s extra-long life means he was definitely doing his thing in the 1960s. Like many of the characters on this list, Bloodstone does have a shared comic book history with the Fantastic Four and the Fantastic Four have a long list of monsters they’ve squared off with over the years. While there’s certainly a primary antagonist and a primary mission in The Fantastic Four, if Shakman is taking the angle that the team is a known quantity, he could include a fun montage of some of their greatest hits which could include them teaming up with Bloodstone to take down a monster such as Diablo, like they did Tales of Suspense #9.

    Peggy Carter

    If Marvel Studios is going to go the route of including cameos in The Fantastic Four, Haley Atwell‘s Peggy Carter has to be considered the safest bet. S.H.I.E.L.D. was founded in the 1950s and there’s no way someone like Reed Richards would go unnoticed by Carter. Such a cameo could connect to Reed’s father, Nathaniel Richards, a brilliant scientist in his own right who was part of the clandestine Brotherhood of the Shield in the comics; should the MCU wish to go down that road, they could include bits of Jonathan Hickman’s S.H.I.E.L.D., which detailed the secret history of the organization which included Richards and another character included on this list: Howard Stark.

    Cosmo

    Since it’s taken so long for Marvel Studios to be able to roll out The Fantastic Four, Ben Grimm and his buddies won’t be the first space travelers fans of the MCU have met. Though Cosmo didn’t go to space until 1966, the Russians started their space program in 1955 so if the film is set in 1963, Cosmo could make a cameo if part of the story centers on the space race.

    Namor

    Everyone who has even a passing interest in Marvel Comics knows about Namor’s obsession with Sue Storm. The Fantastic Four provides ample opportunity for that obsession to work its way into the MCU, tie into the team’s potential interaction with Wakandans (it’s clear that the lineage of Black Panthers does not come with the promise of full disclosure of anything at all) and add to the story of why the MCU’s El Niño Sin Amor, who was born in 1571, is such a dick.

    Hank Pym and Janet van Dyne

    Hank Pym and Janet van Dyne have already been established to have worked for S.H.I.E.L.D. in 1970 and it wouldn’t take much creativity to have Pym working either with Reed Richards or his father, Nathaniel, in the 1960s. As Marvel Studios looks to reframe things moving forward, giving more screen time to two original Avengers who were shafted by the studio’s legacy issues could hardly be a bad thing!

    Obidiah Stane

    Sure, sure the MCU has a Tony Stark obsession and bringing Jeff Bridges’ Obidiah Stane into The Fantastic Four and the Multiverse Saga would certainly only add to that; however, Obi was working with Howard Stark and Anton Vanko as early as 1963 and with his son set to show up in Ironheart, it would be a fun way to connect the past and present of the MCU.

    Howard Stark

    If Peggy Carter is the safest bet for a cameo, Howard Stark is the clear second choice (and the two may very well be a package deal). Marvel Studios has an opportunity to do something fascinating here (see the Nathaniel Richards bit above), should they choose to do so; they could also apply the K.I.S.S. method and nobody would blame them. Either way, the studio has established Howard Stark as one of the greatest minds of the 20th century so if The Fantastic Four is set in the 616’s ’60s, it’s impossible to imagine Howard and Reed would not have interacted.

    Anton Vanko

    It always felt like Anton Vanko was supposed to matter a bit more than he did and, as it turns out, his defection to the United States occurred in 1963…the same year as the magazine read by Ben Grimm was published (in the real world). While his work with Howard on The Unit Project may have been important to the Infinity Saga, tying him into the Brotherhood of the Shield and The Fantastic Four could keep the character alive into the Multiverse Saga.

    Arnim Zola

    As far as major evil comic book organizations go in the MCU, only A.I.M. has been rendered less relevant than Hydra (unless you count Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.). While a cameo certainly won’t settle that debt, an appearance by Toby Jones‘ Arnim Zola, who was definitely busy with Project Insight and building Hydra into the infrastructure of S.H.I.E.L.D. in the 1960s, would at least salve the wound a bit.

  • Destin Daniel Cretton to Write, Direct ‘Naruto’ Film

    Destin Daniel Cretton to Write, Direct ‘Naruto’ Film

    A live-action Naruto movie is in the works from Shang-Chi director, Destin Daniel Cretton. The news was announced on Friday afternoon by The Hollywood Reporter with the outlet confirming the director officially signed on to the project for Lionsgate. A movie based on Naruto, which is one of the biggest mangas of all time, has been in development since 2015, however, very little movement has been made on the project until now.

    In November of 2023, it was revealed that Red Sonja writer, Tasha Hao, was working on a script for a Naruto movie. Now with Cretton on board, it’s currently unclear whether he will rework Hao’s script or start over completely. Along with writing and directing the feature, Cretton is also set to produce the film alongside Jeyun Munford, Avi Arad, Ari Arad, Emmy Yu and Jeremy Latcham.

    Masashi Kishimoto, who created the manga, celebrate the news of Cretton’s involvement. The creator explained how he felt Cretton was the perfect choice for the project, especially after getting to meet the in-demand director.

    “When I heard of Destin’s attachment, it happened to be right after watching a blockbuster action film of his, and I thought he would be the perfect director for Naruto. After enjoying his other films and understanding that his forte is in creating solid dramas about people, I became convinced that there is no other director for Naturo. In actually meeting Destin, I also found him to be an open-minded director who was willing to embrace my input, and felt strongly that we would be able to cooperate together in the production process.”

    Cretton, who most recently worked on an adaptation of American Born Chinese for Disney+, is still developing a Shang-Chi sequel with Marvel Studios.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • GoT Prequel ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ Set for 2025

    GoT Prequel ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ Set for 2025

    As the Summer release of Season 2 of Max’s House of the Dragon draws nearer and HBO begins to develop another Game of Thrones prequel in Aegon’s Conquest, another series based on the fictional world of George R.R. Martin that’s been in development for some time received an update from Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslov. The Game of Thrones prequel, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight, based on Martin’s Dunk & Egg stories, has been given a “late 2025” release window as revealed in an earnings call.

    In development since 2021, the prequel series is “set in an age when the Targaryen line still holds the Iron Throne and the memory of the last dragon has not yet passed from living memory, great destinies, powerful foes, and dangerous exploits all await these improbable and incomparable friends.” It was ordered to series in April 2023,

    A century before the events of Game of Thrones, two unlikely heroes wandered Westeros… a young, naïve but courageous knight, Ser Duncan the Tall, and his diminutive squire, Egg.

    Logline for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight

    Production on the series is set to get underway this spring with Martin and Ira Parker serving as the head writers.

  • Max Sets Date for ‘Harry Potter’ Streaming Series Debut

    Max Sets Date for ‘Harry Potter’ Streaming Series Debut

    As part of the rollout of their new and improved streaming service, Max, in April 2023, Warner Bros. Discovery confirmed the rumored development of a streaming series based on J.K. Rowling‘s Harry Potter novels. Warner Bros. Discovery is working closely with Rowling on the series which the author said “will allow for a degree of depth and detail only afforded by a long form television series.” Nearly a year has passed since the announcement and other than a recent comment by Channing Dungey, chairperson of Warner Bros Television, revealed that the studio was meeting with writers in their search for a showrunner, not much has surfaced about the new adaptation. Now, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav has provided some info about when the first season of the series can be expected to hit Max.

    During an earnings call, Zaslav indicated that the first season of the news series is currently planned to hit Max in 2026. “We’ve not been shy about our excitement around Harry Potter. We spent some real time with JK and her team,” said Zaslav of a recent meeting in London with the author. “Both sides just thrilled to be reigniting this franchise. Our conversations were great, and we couldn’t be more excited about what’s ahead. We can’t wait to share a decade of new stories with fans around the world on Max.”

    The stories from each of Rowling’s Harry Potter books will become a decade-long series produced with the same epic craft, love and care this global franchise is known for. The series will feature a new cast to lead a new generation of fandom, full of the fantastic detail, much loved characters and dramatic locations that Harry Potter fans have loved for over 25 years. Each season will be authentic to the original books and bring Harry Potter and these incredible adventures to new audiences around the world, while the original, classic and beloved films will remain at the core of the franchise and available to watch globally.

    According to Variety, the current plan is for the new series to span 7 seasons which would, of course, mean each of the 7 books would be adapted into a single season. Once the studio decides on a showrunner, the casting process could become a cultural phenomenon.

    Harry Potter is a cultural phenomenon and it is clear there is such an enduring love and thirst for the Wizarding World. In partnership with Warner Bros. Television and J.K. Rowling, this new Max Original series will dive deep into each of the iconic books that fans have continued to enjoy for all of these years.

    Casey Bloys, Chairman and CEO, HBO & Max Content, on the development of the Harry Potter streaming series for Max

    Source: Variety

  • Disney +’s Streaming Strategy for ‘X-Men ’97’ Revealed

    Disney +’s Streaming Strategy for ‘X-Men ’97’ Revealed

    Marvel Animations revival of the beloved X-Men: The Animated Series, X-Men ’97 will hit Disney Plus beginning March 20th. The new series–which is NOT MCU canon–will pick up where the nostalgic 90s series left off and will see the team try to keep the dream of Charles Xavier alive after he was shuttled off to space by Lilandra Neramani following an attempt on his life. While the release date was officially revealed in mid-February, some questions have remained about HOW it will be released on Disney Plus. Now it seems those have been answered.

    According to an official listing on Disney Plus, it looks as though fans can expect episodes of the series to be released weekly beginning on March 20th rather than the entire series becoming available that day. Barring any two-parters that could be released on the same day, that means the tenth and final episode of Season 1 will hit Disney Plus on May 22nd.

    About X-Men ’97

    Marvel Animation’s X-Men’97 revisits the iconic era of the 1990s as The X-Men, a band of mutants who use their uncanny gifts to protect a world that hates and fears them, are challenged like never before, forced to face a dangerous and unexpected new future.

    X-MEN ’97, exclusively on Disney+. © 2024 MARVEL.

    The all-new series features 10 episodes. The voice cast includes Ray Chase as Cyclops, Jennifer Hale as Jean Grey, Alison Sealy-Smith as Storm, Cal Dodd as Wolverine, JP Karliak as Morph, Lenore Zann as Rogue, George Buza as Beast, AJ LoCascio as Gambit, Holly Chou as Jubilee, Isaac Robinson-Smith as Bishop, Matthew Waterson as Magneto, and Adrian Hough as Nightcrawler. Beau DeMayo serves as head writer; episodes are directed by Jake Castorena, Chase Conley and Emi Yonemura, and the series is executive produced by Brad Winderbaum, Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso and DeMayo. Featuring music by the Newton Brothers, Marvel Animation’s X-Men ’97 begins streaming on Disney+ on March 20, 2024.

    Source: Disney Plus

  • ‘Superman: Legacy’: New House of El Crest Possibly Revealed

    ‘Superman: Legacy’: New House of El Crest Possibly Revealed

    As the cast of James Gunn’s Superman: Legacy assembled in Atlanta for a table read ahead of the start of production, a couple of photos posted by stars who participated in the read may have given fans the first look at the all-new DCU’s crest of the House of El.

    Both Isabela Merced, who will play Hawkgirl in the film, and Sara Sampaio, who will play Eve Teschmacher, posted photos of their nameplates to social media, providing a look at what just might be the new design for the Kryptonian symbol of hope that star David Corenswet will bear on his chest in Superman: Legacy.

    The logo is clearly inspired by the DC Elseworlds tale Kingdom Come, a four-issue limited series by Mark Waid and Alex Ross that was published in 1996. Following the death of Lois Lane and the public’s acceptance of a new hero willing to kill, Superman spends a decade in the Fortress of Solitude before returning to a world that’s become increasingly short on old-fashioned values. Parts of the story were adapted in the CW’s Crisis on Infinite Earths in which Superman Returns star Brandon Routh sported the black and red crest on his chest.

    With our stories, we want to take it away from good guy vs. bad guy. There are really good—almost saintly—people and Superman is among them. There are really terrible villains like Gorilla Grodd or the Joker. And then there’s everybody in between them, so there are all these shades of gray which allow us to tell complex stories.

    James Gunn on Superman

    While it seems unlikely that Gunn will be adapting Kingdom Come for Superman: Legacy (it seems far too dour of a story for the film set to launch the DCU and Gunn’s project seems to have taken a fair bit of inspiration from Richard Donner’s 1978 Superman), the idea of the Kryptonian hero existing “in a world that thinks of kindness as old fashioned,” as explained by Gunn, does reverberate with one of the themes of Kingdom Come. Returning from his self-imposed exile, Kal-El found the world greatly changed and its heroes no longer embracing “goodness” as a core value. It’s possible that theme will carry over into Superman: Legacy with a younger Kal-El serving as an example of all that is good for heroes like Nathan Fillion’s Guy Gardner, a Green Lantern who is often depicted as a prick.

    Production on Superman: Legacy is expected to kick off in March in Hell, Norway before returning to America to film in Cleveland and Atlanta. The film is currently expected to be in theaters on July 11, 2025.

  • Tom Cruise Locks in First Warner Bros. Project with Director Alejandro Inarritu

    Tom Cruise Locks in First Warner Bros. Project with Director Alejandro Inarritu

    It was quite shocking when Tom Cruise suddenly shifted gears and signed a deal with Warner Bros. studios. After it’s been slowly burning bridges wherever it can with David Zaslav at the helm, he still saw some potential of working with the studio. Now, his first project is a lock as director Alejandro Iñárritu is set to make his first English-language film since The Revenant for WB and Legendary Entertainment with him starring in the project.

    There are still no details on what the film will be titled. Still, Iñárritu will be returning to work with Sabina Berman, Alexander Dinelaris, and Nicolas Giacobone, whom he famously worked on Birdman almost a decade ago. It seems they are going out of their way to keep the latest original a big secret and Cruise has been rumored to be looking for a next role that could give him a chance to move away from his usual big action fair.

    Of course, Iñárritu is quite a powerhouse director after winning two straight Oscars with his last projects. It’s also not the first time he worked with some major names as he helped Leonardo DiCaprio finally win his first Oscar with The Revenant. So, it’ll definitely be interesting to see what these two worlds will offer viewers whenever they start rolling the cameras.

    Source: Deadline

  • REVIEW: ‘The Bad Batch’ Becomes Essential Star Wars in Its Season 3 Premiere

    REVIEW: ‘The Bad Batch’ Becomes Essential Star Wars in Its Season 3 Premiere

    The third and final season of The Bad Batch came out of the gates fully armed and operational. The three-part season premiere serves as both a fulfilling follow-up to Season 2’s heavy two-part finale and a massive exposition dump in which the animated series transitions from seemingly superfluous to entirely essential Star Wars. By the time the credits roll on Episode 3, “Shadows of Tantiss”, The Bad Batch’s place in the larger narrative of the Star Wars universe becomes clear and it becomes the loom through which narrative threads from the Fall of the Jedi era stories will be woven together into the existing storytelling fabric of both The New Republic and Rise of the First Order eras.

    Written by head writer Jennifer Corbett (Episode 1, “Confined”, and Bad Batch aficionado Matt Michnovetz (Episode 2, “Paths Unknown”, and Episode 3, “Shadows of Tantiss”) the big Season 3 rollout sheds a significant amount of light on what’s happening inside Tantiss Base on Weyland. Following the destruction of Kamino, Mount Tantiss is now THE home of the Imperial cloning program where Dr. Royce Hemlock, Chief Scientist of the Advanced Science Division, carries out his work by any means necessary. And as expected/predicted, that work is revealed to be on one of the Empire’s most vital undertakings, Project Necromancer. Of course, Tantiss Base is also where two members of The Bad Batch, Omega and Crosshair, are being kept prisoner by the Empire, each for a different reason.

    Doctor Royce Hemlock in a scene from “STAR WARS: THE BAD BATCH”, season 3 exclusively on Disney+. © 2024 Lucasfilm Ltd. & ™. All Rights Reserved.

    First mentioned in Chapter 22 of The Mandalorian, “The Spies”, Project Necromancer fell under the purview of Commandant Brendol Hux as revealed by Captain Gilad Pellaeon during a meeting with the Imperial remnant Deep State known as the Shadow Council. While the full extent of Project Necromancer’s work is still kept secret, Sleepy Sheev Palpatine’s visit to Mount Tantiss and his exuberance for the work (the goal of which is to produce a specimen with an equal or greater M-Count than the original specimen) all but confirms it is the program that produces clones of the Emperor as seen in Star Wars: Episode IX-The Rise of Skywalker. As expected, the importance of Omega’s unaltered genetic code takes on renewed importance as it’s revealed that her blood is the only sample so far capable of supporting a full M-Count transfer. That “revelation” establishes ties between Omega and Grogu and also between The Mandalorian’s Doctor Pershing and The Bad Batch’s Advanced Science Division.

    Omega’s persistence in rehabilitating Crosshair during her unwanted visits ultimately pays off as the series’ new odd couple work together to escape Weyland. On the run and destined for a reunion with Hunter and Wrecker (who spent Episode 2 discovering more of the Empire’s terrible bio-weapons and their disregard for the lives of clones), Omega and Crosshair have enough knowledge of Hemlock’s plan to pose a major threat to Project Necromancer; however, the emergence of Omega as the key to extending Sleepy Sheev’s lifespan affords her a measure of protection that will make it that much harder to bring her in. Ultimately, the three-part premiere flips the script on Hemlock from the two-part Season 2 finale. It’s now Hemlock and the Empire who stand to lose everything while the remaining members of Clone Force 99 are about to come together to try to stop them. Season 3 is off to a fantastic start and even though its headed to a (mostly) known outcome, it’s doing so in style!

  • Anjelica Huston Joins the Star Wars Universe in Season 3 of ‘The Bad Batch’

    Anjelica Huston Joins the Star Wars Universe in Season 3 of ‘The Bad Batch’

    Star Wars animated series such as The Clone Wars and Rebels have habitually brought back characters and returned to locations seen in prior seasons, no matter how big or small of a role they may have played. In this way, characters like Hondo Ohnaka became fan favorites rather than one-offs and stick around long enough to potentially make their way into live-action (fingers crossed, Hondo!). With the third and final season of The Bad Batch underway on Disney Plus, the writers dipped into that playbook in Episode 2, “Paths Unknown”, and brought back a face not seen since Season 1 and with him, one of the galaxy’s more ruthless crime bosses.

    Episode 13 of Season 1, “Infested”, introduced Devaronian gangster Roland Durand into the mix of interesting folks Clone Force 99 have crossed paths with. Roland made his big entrance by assuming control of Cid’s Ord Mantell establishment, a move he said he learned from his mother, Devaronian crime boss Isa. Over the course of the episode, as Roland’s tough-guy tactics put him on the wrong side of business with the Pyke Syndicate, it was revealed that Isa was not to be trifled with and was a ruthless and respected leader with enough juice that the Pykes chose not to escalate matters and allowed Roland and the Batchers to walk away from their confrontation…but not before cutting one of Roland’s horns off. In the second episode of the three-episode Season 3 premiere, as Hunter and Wrecker begin their search for Omega, they pay Roland–and his mom–a visit.

    You take what you want. That’s the Durand way. It’s a tactic my mother has perfected.

    Roland Durand, Season 1-Episode 13
    Issa Durand in a scene from “STAR WARS: THE BAD BATCH”, season 3 exclusively on Disney+. © 2024 Lucasfilm Ltd. & ™. All Rights Reserved.

    “Paths Unknown” not only introduces Isa Durand but also put a major talent and longtime Hollywood favorite behind the crime boss. Anjelica Huston, who played Morticia Adams in 1991 and 1993’s Addams Family films and won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1986’s Prizzi’s Honor, was revealed as a surprise addition to Season 3 as the voice of Isa. Huston, who previously voiced a Sith character in an episode of Star Wars Visions, is now officially apart of the galaxy far, far away!

    The first 3 episodes of the final season of The Bad Batch are now streaming on Disney Plus.