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  • New Live-Action ‘One Piece’ Set Photos Offer Best Look Yet at Going Merry and Shank’s Ship

    New Live-Action ‘One Piece’ Set Photos Offer Best Look Yet at Going Merry and Shank’s Ship

    One Piece is the series that keeps on giving. More set photos have found their way online of Netflix’s live-action adaptation, but going by the massive size of the ships involved it would be hard-pressed they could somehow find a way to hide them. Another batch of One Piece set photos offers an even better look at not only the Going Merry but also the fully-formed Red Force. Just recently, we got a shot from behind that offered a look at the ship and Windmill Village. Well, if you’ve wondered just how massive these ships are, the latest batch photos might offer a clearer picture.

    Once again, @OP_Netflix_News has shared the latest set of photos, and it’s quite impressive to see just how detailed they went with their designs. Red Force, Shank’s iconic ship from Luffy’s childhood, is truly massive, and you can see a lot of detail put into the Viking-inspired design. Have to say, the Red Force’s figurehead is a massive improvement from the original storyline. The fact they built the ship does also highlight we’ll get a few scenes on board, such as the famous moment when Luffy stabbed into his eye to show how ready he is to venture out into the seas.

    We also get a new look at Going Merry. While there is an ongoing joke that the ship is constantly screaming. Well, it turns out the Going Merry is actually merry, as this new set photo reveals that the new detailed figurehead is actually trying to make her smile. So, we already see some nice touches by the One Piece team trying to add a special touch to their designs while also staying faithful to the original manga.

  • Exploring Jake Lockley’s Potential Suit in ‘Moon Knight’

    Exploring Jake Lockley’s Potential Suit in ‘Moon Knight’

    As with any MCU adaptation, Moon Knight has not been a perfect match with the comics. This is, of course, not automatically a bad thing. When bringing the complicated subject matter to life, it’s often necessary to simplify a few elements for the sake of flow and time. One such example of this would be Moon Knight’s many alters. Typically, the character has at least three personalities living in his body at any given moment. Marc Spector and Steven Grant, who is currently learning to co-exist in the series, are usually accompanied by a third alter named Jake Lockley.

    Though he hasn’t made his debut on Disney+ just yet, there have been plenty of hints that he could be on the way. If, or when, Lockley finally pops up on the screen, there will be quite a few lingering questions for him to answer. Viewers will likely wonder where he’s been all this time, what sort of life he leads, and whether or not he’s the one who mysteriously killed all those guys in Egypt. Most importantly, however, is a quandary that many may not even think to ponder. Assuming Lockley is able to summon the power of Khonshu in the same vein as Grant and Spector, what might his version of the iconic suit look like?

    Moon Knight surprised longtime fans of the comics when its early marketing revealed that Mr. Knight would play a role in the show. The character is a newer alter in the books, having made his first appearance in 2014 as a variation of the Moon Knight identity who is a little less brutish and a little more sociable. Marvel Studios’ take on the character differs from this, instead of presenting the ‘Mr. Knight” appearance is a version of Khonshu’s Moon Knight armor tailored to fit Steven Grant’s personality. The white, three-piece suit has most of the same abilities as the classic outfit worn by Marc Spector, albeit with different weapons, and its presence is simply used to signify when Steven is the one in control.

    So, the standard being set is that each one of the alters would ostensibly have its own Moon Knight design. Marc wears the classic, hooded vigilante suit and Steven dons the formal “Mr. Knight” attire. The outfits match their personalities, which might actually help in deducing what Jake’s official anti-hero look could be when the time comes. Moon Knight has been featured wearing a shockingly diverse set of threads over the course of his existence, so there are quite a bit of pre-existing designs the show has the ability to pull from. Yet, the first of the options presented in this article has never actually been drawn in the comics at all. Let’s dig in.

    Jacke Lockley, Private Eye

    It’s possible Jake Lockley has been under our noses the whole time. Early in the advertising process for Moon Knight, Marvel fans were shown three character posters featuring star Oscar Isaac. At first glance, they appeared to give the first glimpse of Marc Spector and his two superhero suits all in one place. However, now that audiences know Mr. Knight is actually Steven Grant and Moon Knight is Spector, the trio of images takes on a whole new meaning. What if Marvel actually gave the world its first look at all three avatars of Khonshu, and everyone simply failed to notice?

    Jake Lockley has always been portrayed as the “man on the street” in the dynamic between alters. Where Spector is the skilled fighter and mercenary, while Grant is the intelligent one, Lockley is the private eye with his nose to the ground and street smarts up the wazoo. The series seems to be embracing the idea that Lockley is a violent, no-nonsense alter, emerging primarily when his specific skill set is needed and nothing much more. A flashy suit wouldn’t exactly help in extracting information with a low profile, so it tracks that Lockley’s preferred outfit would be something a little more unassuming and “street-level”, like the white hoodie and jacket in the poster above. Recent episodes of Moon Knight have had Marc and Steven wearing a remarkably similar outfits. So, this theory could already be shot. Though maybe the clothes were something picked by Jake off-screen, and he’s somewhere inside that psyche ready to pop the hood and get to work.

    The Fist of Khonshu

    This next theory is essentially the exact opposite of the last one. If Jake does in fact choose to wear some actual armor, there is one other iconic Moon Knight look that still needs to be covered in live-action. The character is famous for wearing all-white, but many of his suits throughout history have actually been predominantly black with white highlights. Even Moon Knight’s first-ever appearance had him wearing a darker color scheme than fans are accustomed to seeing, and it’s a look that’s made several notable comebacks in the decades since he was introduced. If the costumes worn by the alters in the show are meant to reflect their personalities, then what better way to display the darker nature of Jake Lockley than a suit that’s more black than white?

    A version of the black suit was also used heavily in Jeff Lemire and Greg Smallwood‘s famous run on the character, which the show draws from heavily. It would be fairly cool to see all three looks from that stretch of the character’s history used in the same adaptation. Also, if Lockley plans on utilizing Khonshu’s armor when brutalizing his foes, his more “down-to-Earth” persona might come up with a suit that’s more tech-based in design than the supernatural wrappings of Marc Spector or the pretentious leisure-wear of Steven Grant.

    Earth X

    Now that The Punisher is on Disney+, maybe Marvel will stun us all and turn Jake Lockley’s Moon Knight into their next most efficient killer. A good way to do this would be to use a variation of the Earth X universe attire, which already resembles the MCU’s base suit for the character. The main thing separating this design from the original Marc Spector persona is a pair of semi-automatic Uzi pistols that this universe’s Moon Knight prefers to use over traditional Egyptian weaponry. Outfitting Lockley’s Khonshu avatar with heavy firepower may potentially feel out of place, but it would be in line with the alters trademark violence and do wonders to set him apart from Spector and Grant.

    Ultimate

    This one might be a long shot, but it’s still fun speculation. The Ultimate Moon Knight design has a little bit of everything, including the aforementioned concept of mixing black with white. It sort of comes off as a fun cross between Marc’s Moon Knight and Steven’s Mr. Knight, although it may be a bit too extravagant for the Jake Lockley alter to double down on. It’s mostly included here for two reasons: Marvel Studios has a long history of using the Ultimate comics as inspiration, and the Ultimate version of Moon Knight has an alarmingly aggressive personality that feels right at home with everything analyzed thus far. For example, he once threatened to cut Spider-Man’s throat out and really meant it. Yikes.

    In the end, it’s important to remember this is all just fun speculation. Though his arrival feels imminent, Jake Lockley has yet to be confirmed by anyone involved with Moon Knight and may not end up being part of the project at all. Fortunately, that doesn’t mean fans can’t have a little fun playing guessing games with the future. If he does indeed make the cut, one can only hope he looks as good as his two bodily brothers.

  • Kang Easter Egg Confirmed in Latest ‘Moon Knight’ Episode

    Kang Easter Egg Confirmed in Latest ‘Moon Knight’ Episode

    Kang the Conqueror is ever-present, and Moon Knight is apparently no exception. So far, the show has been notable for its lack of Easter eggs and references to the greater MCU. Where many Marvel projects have been stuffed with verbal and visual nods to other Marvel projects, Moon Knight has gotten away with a simple Madripoor namedrop and nothing more. At least, that’s what fans thought until a new video from YouTuber Erik Voss seemingly confirmed another major Marvel tease was carefully hidden within the runtime of the series’ latest episode.

    During the opening sequence of “The Friendly Type”, mercenary Marc Spector is chasing down a group of thugs with allegiance to the villainous Arthur Harrow. He eventually catches up to them, engages in combat, and attempts to question the young survivor of the scuffle. It doesn’t go as planned, but just before his target meets his end, fans can catch a brief glimpse of an image painted on the back of his jean jacket. The art displays a faceless pharaoh with a familiar headdress, highlighted by an equally familiar teal and purple color scheme.

    As explained by Voss, this is a reference to Kang the Conquerer’s time as the pharaoh Rama-Tut. While it may appear to be a coincidence, the Easter egg has supposedly been confirmed as intentional by Moon Knight crew members. This is incredibly interesting, and raises the question as to whether or not Rama-Tut actually existed as a pharaoh in MCU canon. Was the now-deceased young man just having a little fun with his fashion, or was he a fan of Marvel’s most powerful Egyptian ruler? We’ll have to wait to find out.

    Source: New Rockstars

  • NBA Playoff Preview: the Eastern Conference

    NBA Playoff Preview: the Eastern Conference

    The 21/22 season has been an interesting one as 10 teams ended their season with a positive record. This should make for multiple compelling series as a lot of these teams are closer than people may realize.

    2) Boston Celtics Vs. 7) Brooklyn Nets

    Tale of the Tape: The Nets were able to defeat Darius Garland and the Cavs to secure the 7th seed, but the victory did reveal issues that they will need to work on if they plan on winning their series against the Celtics. The Nets best defender is Kevin Durant, who also happens to be their best offensive player. Durant is an amazing weak side defender, meeting his opponents at the rim after they blow by the Nets perimeter defenders (which happens fairly often). In order for the Nets to stand a chance in this series, they’ll have to rely on more than just Durant and Bruce Brown to make defensive reads.

    Another issue for the Nets will be how they manage Durant and Irving’s minutes throughout this series. The Nets 2nd unit is awful and is typically the culprit whenever the Nets blow large leads. Nash has tried staggering Durant and Irving so that Irving is the primary decision maker whenever the 2nd unit comes in, but that has had a negative impact as the Nets are better with Irving and Durant consistently together. I can see a scenario in which the Nets pull a Tom Thibodeau and play Durant and Irving 45+ minutes in order to stay in contention throughout the series.

    Key Matchup: Kevin Durant Vs. Boston Celtics Defense

    The Celtics, who ended the season with the top defensive rating in the league, are no slouch of an opponent for Kevin Durant. The Celtics are loaded with guards who fight over screens and pressure the ball handler (Marcus Smart), as well as bigs who can read pick and roll plays as well as rotate over to contest shots (Al Horford and Robert Williams). The Celtics game plan is to pressure Kevin Durant and make every shot as difficult as possible. They’re not going to stop him, but the plan should be to get the ball out of his hands as much as possible. The Celtics will settle for open threes from secondary role players if that means Kevin is out of rhythm. Throughout the season, that has proven to be the most successful strategy against the Nets as outside of Durant and Irving, as there’s a a deficit of shot creators on the team.

    Prediction: The Celtics defense is extremely impressive, with veteran players who knows how to set the tone in a playoff series from a defensive standpoint. The Nets can’t withstand the pressure that the Celtics will apply. Celtics in 6.

    3) Milwaukee Bucks Vs. Chicago Bulls

    Tale of the Tape: This is a tough series to get as the Bulls have two stats that tells very different stories. The Bulls have the worst record against winning teams. They ended March 0 and 16 against the top three teams from each conference. This should tell us that they bully bad teams and fold against good ones, which means that they’re in line for a very early exit from the Playoffs. As I dug deeper, it occurred to me that DeMar Derozan is 4th in clutch scoring and holds a 122.2 offensive rating in clutch situations. This makes it hard to bet against a team who seems equipped to handle the intensity of a playoff series when it feels like every possession is a clutch situation.

    Key Matchup: Zach LaVine Vs. Giannis Antetokounmpo

    This is a very important series for Zach LaVine, given that he’s a free agent in the off-season and that this will be his first time playing in the post season. He has a lot to prove if he plans on getting offered a max contract. LaVine has gotten better as a defender over the years, but this will be his true test as he’ll share defending duties on Antetokounmpo with second year player Patrick Williams. Giannis is obviously unstoppable, but all eyes will be on how LaVine handles guarding the reining finals MVP. The Bulls will throw a lot of schemes on Giannis to try to low him down but my eyes will be on how “relaxed” or “pressured” Giannis looks against these Bulls.

    Prediction: The success of the Bulls season was a welcomed surprise and it honestly put a smile on my face to see all of the recognition that Derozan got this year but Bulls are out of their element here. Bucks in 5.

    4) Philadelphia 76ers Vs. 5) Toronto Raptors

    Tale of the Tape: It’s been widely speculated that the 76ers have been trying to stay away from the top two seeds as they wanted to avoid playing the Nets in a series. They should have been trying to avoid the Raptors as they’re best equipped to upset Philadelphia. It doesn’t help that it feels as though James Harden is on the down swing. The explosiveness is not there anymore, neither is his ability to beat anyone off of the dribble. He’s settling for three pointers, which has been his bread and butter but he’s not able to get the same separation from his jab steps due to his lack of quickness.

    Key Matchup: James Harden Vs. Toronto’s Length

    Joel Embiid will be dominant and will get his numbers, but I will be very curious to see how Harden handles the length of the Raptors. Toronto’s President of Basketball Operations, Masai Ujiri, built a roster filled with forwards with long wingspans in a gamble that long, tall, and athletic wings make for winning rosters. Harden is generally bothered by lengthy forwards as they limit his ability to get to the rim and draw calls.

    Prediction: I’m expecting this to be a close series and I continue to go back and forth on who I believe will ultimately win here. The length and athleticism of the Raptors will be too much for Philly, with the Raptors winning in 7.

    1) Miami Heat Vs. 8) Atlanta Hawks

    Take of the Tape: The Hawks are bad defensively, like really, REALLY bad defensively. Blown rotations, guards dying on screens, and no one being able to defend the point of attack is normal for the Hawks. They live and die by wether or not Trae Young is hitting his shots and is able to find open teammates. Effort from the defensive end will tell the story on if Atlanta can make this a series.

    Key Matchup: Trae Young Vs. Tyler Herro

    Atlanta isn’t winning this series but I look forward to watching these two young and confident guards break down defenders and hit open threes. Miami moves at a slow pace and with their defense I don’t expect Atlanta to light it up as they usually do. My hope is that Young and Herro is emboldened to lead and jack up shots so that this is a semi-fun series .

    Prediction: Atlanta doesn’t have a chance here. I’m giving them one game here due to Young’s ability to will his team victory’s. Atlanta’s defense is just terrible. Miami in 5.

  • REVIEW: ‘Roar’ on Apple TV+

    REVIEW: ‘Roar’ on Apple TV+

    Every now and then, there comes a series that leaves you dumbfounded. Perhaps the acting is too over the top. Or maybe the writing is subpar. It’s even possible the concept is a disaster, that seems to be hanging together by a tattered string. Roar is one of those shows that should work. It has a stellar cast, it’s an anthology series, allowing for numerous stories to be told and it is based on a book of short stories by Cecelia Ahern. Unfortunately, Roar is a series that’ll leave many scratching their hand and wondering if it needed to be made.

    Each episode of Roar is around a half-hour and features modern dramas with magical elements. The first episode, “The Girl Who Disappeared,” stars Issa Rae and features a concept that is, unfortunately, something many can relate to in this day and age. The “magical” aspect of it works because it is something people experience in daily life. The problem is, though, that the episode gets good just as it cuts off. This is an issue that continues with each new story. Yes, the stories are based on short stories, however, Roar would have been better had it expanded upon the stories instead of trying to squish them into half-hour episodes.

    It’s frustrating, honestly. There’s top-tier talent here – Nicole Kidman! Rae! Alison Brie! – and Kidman is even on board as a producer. And yet, this feels like a half-baked anthology series. What is most frustrating about this series is that the magical elements are not handled all too well. While “The Girl Who Disappeared” handles the magical element decently, the Kidman episode “The Woman Who Ate Photographs,” is just a disaster. The problem is, while the idea of Rae being invisible to the white men is relatable, and therefore, works, Kidman’s character eating photographs and reliving moments briefly just… does not. It takes the viewer out of the shower. And then it continues to be uneven throughout the remainder of the season.

    There’s no denying Roar tackles important topics. Racism, the idea of a trophy wife, women and their biological clocks, doctors not taking women patients seriously, etc. Each topic is something that viewers can relate to on some level, which is wonderful. Everything is just underdeveloped. Even worse, despite being billed as a feminist series, Roar never truly hits the right notes to become the series it thinks itself to be, which is unfortunate.

    In the end, I found myself wondering if this was a series that even needed to be made. Yes, it’s great that it has a heck of a lot of female talent involved. That’s absolutely wonderful, and I’m excited to see it. Sadly, though, it just seems as though the premise could have been handled a lot better. Magical realism is an exciting genre – if done right. Roar does not handle it properly, and the stories ultimately suffer because of this.

    Roar is now available to stream on Apple TV+.

  • Hall of Murphy: Episode 17 – ‘Zack Snyder’s Justice League’ and the Snyderverse

    Hall of Murphy: Episode 17 – ‘Zack Snyder’s Justice League’ and the Snyderverse

    John and Joe sit down to discuss Zack Snyder’s Justice League after it just recently celebrated its one-year anniversary, while also sharing their thoughts on the Snyderverse.

  • ‘Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore’ Underperforms at Box Office

    ‘Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore’ Underperforms at Box Office

    The Secrets of Dumbledore don’t appear to be all that fantastic.

    The third Fantastic Beasts film, The Secrets of Dumbledore, finally opened stateside this weekend. Unfortunately, for fans eager to see the franchise continue beyond the third film, hope may soon be dwindling. As it stands, the film is looking to open between $40-$45 million at the domestic box office following a $20 million Friday opening. A rather dismal number for such a huge blockbuster. It’s not performing much better overseas, either, having earned a bit more than $60 million internationally to date.

    The film, which cost $200 million, is on track to open well below the first two installments. For comparison’s sake, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them opened to $76 million in 2016, while the second film, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, opened to $62 million in 2018. With the numbers continuing to decline, Warner Bros. seems hesitant to move forward with the previously announced fourth and fifth films in the franchise.

    Making matters worse, there’s plenty of behind-the-scenes drama surrounding these films. In recent years, franchise stars Johnny Depp and Ezra Miller have become just as famous for their actions outside of set. Depp, of course, is currently embroiled in a nasty legal battle with ex-wife Amber Heard following domestic abuse allegations. He left the franchise after the second installment and the studio brought in the fantastic Mads Mikkelsen to replace him. While Miller has been in the tabloids for his physical actions against various people in public. There’s also the matter of J.K. Rowling and her anti-trans views. Needless to say, the Fantastic Beasts franchise will be lucky to regain any of the magic it once held for Harry Potter fans.

    Source: THR.

  • First Look at Bruce Wayne’s Funeral in New ‘Gotham Knights’ Set Photos

    First Look at Bruce Wayne’s Funeral in New ‘Gotham Knights’ Set Photos

    Filming in Toronto seems like the perfect location to film superhero shows and ensure that set photos find their way online. Just recently, the upcoming CW series Gotham Knights has started production, and we got a few set photos of Gotham City Policy driving through town. Now, it seems a new batch of set photos have found their way online that reveal they are currently busy filming the funeral of Bruce Wayne. Twitter user @greg_tedesco has shared a closer look at the headstone which even teases his perchance of moving in the shadows.

    https://twitter.com/greg_tedesco/status/1514959349051015180

    That wasn’t all, as @wmacphail also shared a photo from the set where we can see them filming the funeral of Bruce Wayne. The actors are too far away to see who exactly is attending, but it does reveal we’ll actually get to spend some time with Bruce, or at least that the opening of the series could be his funeral before hell is unleashed on Gotham.

    https://twitter.com/wmacphail/status/1515022230014631938

    Some time ago, we learned that Oscar Morgan would play an original character that pretty much has the same backstory as Dick Grayson. After the death of Bruce Wayne, whose trailer has been potted, and will also physically appear in the series, his character named Turner Hayes has to unite with the children of Batman’s worst enemies to fill the void that happened after he passed away. As the series just recently started production, we still have some time until we find out how the series adapts this storyline.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’s Celestial Eson Gets an ‘Eternal’ Redesign for ‘Cosmic Rewind’ Ride

    ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’s Celestial Eson Gets an ‘Eternal’ Redesign for ‘Cosmic Rewind’ Ride

    Disney Parks have been quite busy promoting the upcoming Cosmic Rewind ride, which will let people join the Guardians of the Galaxy on a new quest at Walt Disney World Resort’s EPCOT. Marvel took to its official website to announce that they will be facing off against a Celestial in the storyline. It’s not just anyone, as it’ll be Eson the one that was first showcased by the Collector in the first Guardians of the Galaxy film. He’s gone through quite the redesign which is more in line with what we saw in Eternals, as he towers over our planet in the first look at his new design.

    eson guardians of the galaxy: cosmic rewind

    Eson has been watching Earth for eons and is planning “to right a wrong in a big way,” which leads to Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax, Rocket, and Groot having to save the day. They are naturally not going to give away any details, but it’ll be interesting to see what that might be when the ride officially opens to the public on May 27th.

    Perhaps they also reveal how the Celestial went through quite the change and maybe even tease why he was wielding the Power Stone during that brief cutscene in the film. We’ll see if this design might also potentially make an appearance in the MCU at some point, as these rides aren’t canon to the usual story like the Damage Control VR event some years ago. Still, it’s great to see them use the wider MCU and add a special flair to these rides, especially for those that want to have an immersive experience.

    Source: Marvel

  • First Story Details for HBO Max’s ‘Constantine’ Reboot

    First Story Details for HBO Max’s ‘Constantine’ Reboot

    J.J. Abrams‘ Bad Robot made quite the deal with HBO as the production company was able to make an exclusive deal for three projects, which includes a Stephen King-inspired story called Overlook and Duster. Yet, the biggest surprise was that they are also adopting an iconic Justice League Dark member. It wasn’t until February of this year that we uncovered it was going to be about Constantine with UK writer Guy Bolton attached to write the series. Now, the first details have found their way online.

    The 8-episode series is set to combine elements of body horror, supernatural and urban action in the streets of London. They are currently casting a character by the name of “Akara” who is a young 10-year-old Cambodian and will be the heart of the story. She’ll be cast alongside her grandfather “Pich.” A sudden encounter with the girl will throw the life of John Constantine upside down, as he falls down a rabbit hole of dangerous encounters and the occult. As these characters are cast under fake names, Akara could end up being Astra Logue from the Hellblazer comics.

    The project is currently being cast under the working title “Blood Work” and, as mentioned by Illuminerdi, will start production later this year in the Fall. They shared that the production would work under the title “Chimney” as a cute callback to the character’s smoking habits. It’ll run until February of 2023, as it aims to shoot in London and Morocco. There’s still no word yet on who will take on the role of John Constantine, as Bad Robot has been actively looking to fill the role and is open to diverse casting.

    It isn’t the first adaptation of the popular Hellblazer comics, as 2014 saw a one-season adaptation by NBC with Matt Ryan in the titular role. The series was simply titled Constantine but didn’t manage to land a second season renewal. Yet, Ryan’s portrayal was met with a lot of fanfare, which led to him joining CW’s Arrowverse, where he became a member of the Legends of Tomorrow series. It’s unclear if this new adaptation for HBO Max will become part of the bigger DC Extended Universe, or remain a self-contained story.

    Source: KnightEdgeMedia