Just last month, actor Taz Skylar teased his kicking techniques for the role of Sanji in Netflix’s One Piece series. As the cast slowly arrived in South Africa, it opened the question of when they might start production. Future Zoro actor Mackenyu was the only one missing, as the others started preparing for their respective roles. Well, it looks like he may have arrived finally and work has started on bringing these characters and their unique fighting styles to life. Zoro is famous for this three-sword style – also knowns as Santōryū – and a new leaked image from stunt training offers our first look at it in action.
While it’s a bit hard to make out if this is a stunt double or Mackenyu himself, but we can definitely recognize that they are wielding the third sword during this training. If you are not familiar with the series, Zoro wields a blade in each hand with a third in his mouth, which the person is doing in this new photo which was provided by @OP_Netflix_Fan. It’s also a great confirmation that the team behind Netflix’s live-action adaptation is not going to shy away from the iconic elements of these characters.
As stated, it’s uncertain if this is actually the actor Mackenyu or a stunt double. We don’t know how long they’ll be investing in pre-production but it seems unlikely they might start production before Christmas, but we might get an announcement similar to the live-action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender. So, we might get a set photo with the cast as they enter production, but we’re still waiting for any other casting announcements for the supporting cast.
My favorite comic book property this year had to be Netflix’s Sweet Tooth. Jeff Lemire’s original comic is one of my very favorites and was such an interesting read. The series mostly stays true to it’s source material but isn’t afraid to make creative changes that let it stand apart from the comic. It’s a sweet and wholesome story that sees a young hybrid boy and a grizzled survivor of the plague travel what’s left of the world to find the answers to what came first: the plague or the hybrids?
Anthony Canton III
There’s something to be said for a show that continues to get better over each of its three seasons. Doom Patrol does that in spades. There’s a level of self awareness, humor, and introspection that makes it the best live-action comic book adaptation I’ve seen. The casts performances particularly this season have been extraordinary. Nuanced, tragic, and some even angry. Brendan Fraser in particular has been a standout in bringing such a broken character like Robotman to the screen. We’ve had a lot of good to great entries in comic book tv and film this year, but no property quite understands it’s assignment like Doom Patrol.
Nathan Miller
My favorite comic book project of the year is Eternals. I loved how the film made me feel. Through the performances, direction and soundtrack, I felt the weight of human history, the joy of friendships and found family, the terrifying vastness of space, and the drive of needing to pull together to tackle environmental problems. Intellectually I think the film points toward the future of storytelling, in leaving behind The Hero’s Journey and embodying a more collective journey beyond binary perspectives. It’s a shame more people didn’t initially appreciate the film’s complexity, but hopefully that will change over the next few years, as the Marvel Cinematic Universe enriches its appreciation retrospectively. I’m looking forward to Chloe Zhao’s sequel and the Eternals themselves eventually appearing alongside other established MCU characters.
João Pinto
This wasn’t my first choice, but someone with impeccable taste got to that one first (thank you to my friend, JJ!). But in a sense, this show deserves to take the top spot. WandaVision was a pop culture phenomenon. Due to many production delays that affected several projects, it ended up becoming the first Marvel Studios project to be released after the breakout of the COVID-19 pandemic and to say audiences were hungry for content is an obvious understatement. The weeks the show was on were some of the best ever to be a comic book fan. The theories ran wild as the show lent itself to the sort of online discourse that drove everyone insane by the sheer magnitude of some of the hot takes. Covering it was a blast as well. I must say that the Murphy’s Multiverse team covered that show as well as any other site, big or small, did. It showed us how much fun we could have while doing something that hopefully everyone enjoyed, and in a way, it became the stepping stone for the work we’ve been doing covering every show ever since. By the enjoyment I got from covering it to following it as a fan it deserves its spot on my favorite comic book adaptations of 2021 list.
Joseph Aberl
I think my favorite comic book adaptation of the year must be Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. I have no prior knowledge or history with the character. So, I went in pretty open about the adaptation. I was hoping for at least some fun kung-fu actions inspired by classics from the genre. Yet, the film went above and beyond as I ended up with an incredibly heartfelt story that also manages to open up the MCU in a creative way. I cannot wait to see Simu Liu’s future with the character and what a sequel might offer.
Charles Murphy
This will probably come as a shock to absolutely everyone, most of all JJ, but my favorite comic book-based project of 2021 was not a Marvel property. James Gunn’sThe SuicideSquad takes the top spot for me and it’s not a particularly close race. While I certainly loved Shang-Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings, The Suicide Squad feels like the most complete story. While the casts of WandaVision, Loki and Black Widow were lights out, the cast of The Suicide Squad was all but perfect. And finally, while Marvel Studios did a great job bringing some less-than-popular characters this past year, Idris Elba’s Bloodsport stands as not only the best reinvention of a little known comic book character in the past year, but also arguably of all time. After a year in which the comic book-based entertainment we all love was painfully absent, we had plenty in 2021 but none of them quite matched the quality of The Suicide Squad.
Hunter Radesi
I’m as surprised as anyone to be writing this, but I think the quirky magic of Loki was my favorite experience with a comic adaptation this year. I was firmly against the idea of this project from the start, and you can probably find old tweets of mine stating the show would be a waste of resources on a character whose story I felt was already over. I couldn’t have been proven more wrong. Michael Waldron and Kate Herron managed to craft a fresh, unique spin on the genre that left me wanting more every week. Absolutely charming performances from every member of the cast, genuinely joyous twists and turns throughout, and constantly beautiful set pieces that begged you to keep your eyes on the screen. I think I finally understand why my friends love Dr. Who so much. Can’t wait for the next season.
After reviving the Evil Dead franchise with a refreshing new take, Fede Álvarez is also tackling the Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise. Alongside his writing partner Rodo Sayagues, they are attempting to reboot the entire franchise with a sequel to the original 1974 classic by Tobe Hooper. He offered some insight into their approach to the film, as well as teased with a first look at the returning Leatherface.
Me and Rodo really wanted to make sure we don’t disappoint the fans, and we are [among them]. So it’s pretty hardcore. But at the same time it has the simplicity of that first film. We wanted to come up with a very simple premise [with] a powerful domino effect. Everything is set up in the right place — all you have to do is push the first domino and everything will happen effortlessly.
He goes on to highlight that this is indeed the same character we met in the original and offers a taste of how they integrate the character into the story.
It’s basically the same character, who is still alive. Our take on it was this guy probably disappeared after everything he’s done. You know, how do you catch a guy who has a mask? Once he removes the mask and runs away, it’s very easy for him to hide somewhere. This story will pick it up many, many years after the original story. He’s been in hiding for a long, long time, trying to be a good person. These people arriving in this town are going to awaken the giant.
Fede Álvarez
David Blue Garcia takes over directing duties based on a script by Chris Thomas Devlin, the upcoming sequel “takes place a long time after the original Texas Chainsaw” according to one of its stars Elsie Fisher. She’ll be joined by Sarah Yarkin, Nell Hudson, and Jacob Latimore who end up playing the group that ends up in this horror sequel. It’ll be interesting to see if the film will manage to achieve what it sets out once it releases on February 18th.
After taking a backseat in the last episode, Faye Valentine takes the leading role in the seventh episode “Galileo Hustle.” Yet, most of the episode does have our crew interacting (always a plus) and we get some tension between Jet and Spike, as we get a set-up for an eventual betrayal later down the line. Can Netflix’s take on Cowboy Bebop pull off one of the calmer moments from the original series and can it continue the momentum built from the previous episode?
We finally get a pay-off from a few episodes ago on the arrival of Whitney. Early on, we find out how this gender-bent version of the character played into Faye’s origin. Right after she got out of cryo-sleep, this version of the character pretended to be her mother and conned her out of her Identikit. I like this take a tad more than the original. These two characters build a relationship throughout the episode that is a twisted take that kind of works.
Jet gets some great moments, as we also build upon some character development between him and Chalmers, which was sweet to see. It’s a bit fast considering where they started this season, but I like that we see episodes that seemed a bit out of nowhere continue to build into the next. The same goes for Spike still recovering from the events of “Binary Two-Step” adding a nice layer of continuity that also lets you know that this takes place directly after the previous one.
The episode does have an important set-up surrounding Jet’s emotional reaction to being betrayed. While he does forgive her for lying about her not-mother being a con artist, it sets up a bigger betrayal later down the line. It’s a great way to build up the point made in the previous episode when the fake Julia confronted Spieka bout lying to his long-time partner. Heartbreak is on the horizon at this rate, which won’t go over so easily this time around.
As much as I enjoy this take on Whitney, I do think the episode wraps up the cassette mystery way too fast. It seems convenient that their ship happens to have the player they need. Yes, it was a distraction in the original but that was fun seeing Jet and Spike going out of their way to solve the mystery surrounding it. It seems that their focus is more on setting up Faye’s actual mother at the end of that episode. We know little about how old this version of Faye actually is and if she even has the debt from the original. We’ll see what the future has in store for our protagonist.
Overall, a strong episode once again that continues to build up from previous storylines. It’s good that after the halfway mark we finally see some payoffs. I’ll say that Daniella Pineda is a highlight in this episode, especially in the emotional moment in the end. It probably was one of the highlights and was the show at its most restrained. Oh yeah, Vicious and Julia continue their plans to take over the syndicate. Overall, was a very good episode that isn’t quite on the same level as the previous one but it’s a close one.
Now that is what I call a step in the right direction. The sixth episode titled “Binary Two-Step” is quite the highlight of the season. Mostly due to the plot actually primarily focusing on our main trio. Yes, they are still refusing to stick together, but the dynamic feels less forced this time around. While it doesn’t fully capitalize on every aspect that is presented, the concept of Spike getting lost in a virtual space and facing his past actually pay off the side story that’s been dragging it down through most of the season.
We get the Dr. Londes, who goes by Cy-Baba now, set up very early in the episode alongside the first mentioning of Radical Ed. They don’t appear in the episode but we get our first confirmation of their existence within this adaptation. Still, the focus of this episode is an adaptation of one of the later releases “Brain Scratch.” While it’s less of a cult this time around, the biggest departure is that Faye isn’t directly involved with this storyline. While she has her own little adventure involving a mechanic and a rail gun, Spike is the one to get sucked into Londes’ offerings.
Once he enters the machine, he is stuck in a loop where he tries to save Julia from Vicious. Londes, once again a machine rather than an actual person, wants to force him into a scenario where he gives up on life to make way for the AI to take over. Jet is briefly taken out of the picture as he tries to repair the Bebop while fighting the already teased mechanic. It’s a decent setup to force him into this solo scenario but does once again highlight how this team just cannot stick together.
The VR nightmare is quite an interesting concept that is even realized quite well. As the AI keeps fighting Spike’s mental fortitude, the world around it starts falling apart with an interesting visual effect. Taking a closer look at how it changes over time, especially as he recalculates to break Spike’s love for Julia adds a nice bit of character development. Especially, when the moment we think he “gave up” turns out to be quite different after a last-second save.
I did like Jet a lot in this episode. The moment he realizes what is happening to Spike and the desperation of getting to Earth at all cost was a great moment. We do get the tease of what it would mean if he found out about his friend’s time as “Fearless” but you really get the feeling these two would go through hell for each other. Here’s hoping we get a similar scenario from the other’s perspective as well.
The funniest bit is (sadly) probably Alex Hassel’s face when he is getting ready to shoot Spike in his last flashback from that virtual world. It just once again cements this is a very different take on the character but also highlights the way Spike sees him as well. Most of this episode is here to give our characters some character development with Faye on her own journey of self-discovery adding a nice step into the next episode where she takes centerstage again.
The heartwarming story of Hilda offered a beautiful adaptation of Luke Pearson’s graphic novel series. We visit a world where humanity lives alongside mythical creatures. After a long life in the middle of nowhere, she and her mother moved to the walled-in Trolberg. That didn’t keep her from getting in quite a bit of trouble and various adventures. The latest at the end of the second season ended up with her switching with a mountain troll and becoming one.
After a long wait, the film is finally on its way that’ll adapt the story Hilda and the Mountain King, which will follow up where the previous season left off. The official Twitter account released a new piece of the upcoming entry. It also seems to be teasing something, which means we’ll very likely get a trailer soon.
The animation for this series has always been a highlight, especially with how mellow and welcoming it is. It’s a very approachable story and is a great show to forget the world. The Netflix series is sadly coming to an end as a final third season is planned as a follow-up to The Mountain King. It’ll be interesting to see if it can keep up the pacing as it comes to an end.
Ethan Hawke has been quite busy as of late. Comic fans are excited to find out what his mysterious role might turn out to be in the upcoming Disney+ series Moon Knight. But that isn’t all he is working on, as he was also spotted on the set of Knives Out 2. It’s unclear what exactly his role is going to be, but there were many theories on what role he might potentially have. Turns out, he’s not really in the film that much according to his latest interview with ScreenRant. In it, he stated that:
Knives Out 2, I just have a cameo in that movie. Don’t expect much from me
So, it does open a curious question of what exactly a cameo would entail in a murder mystery. In a way, he may be the sequel’s victim that brings Daniel Craig’s, Detective Benoit Blanc, to join the unlikely party to uncover what exactly happened. Christopher Plummer took on the role of victim in the first film, where he had a minor role outside of the opening and a few flashbacks. So, he might have a similar role in the film.
Yet, there’s also the chance that he really has nothing more than a brief cameo before he disappears. Perhaps his character might set up a third entry that is already in development as part of Netflix’s multi-million deal. It’s uncertain if director Rian Johnson wants to take a “cinematic universe” approach with the project, or will keep individual projects as a separate storyline with only Blanc acting as the connective tissue. Only the film’s release will give us a clear indication of where this new franchise is heading.
Guillermo del Toro‘s next major project, the anthology Cabinet of Curiosities has found an additional actor for its series. It’s not just anyone, but Ronald Weasley himself, Rupert Grint, will join the already stacked cast. The project includes Essie Davis, Andrew Lincoln, F. Murray Abraham, Ben Barnes, Tim Blake Nelson, Luke Roberts, David Hewlett, and many more. It’s quite an impressive cast of many different talents that’ll explore different types of horror stories in the series. Del Toro is co-showrunner and executive producer on the project with Panos Cosmatos, Jennifer Kent, and Vincenzo Natali writing as well as directing episodes.
Not much is known about the project outside of it exploring eight sinister tales, as Deadline puts it, that’ll showcase the different corners of horror. Del Toro has personally selected the writers and directors for the project to bring the vision to life. It seems Grint was on his radar for quite some time since his work on Apple’s Servant. So, he might have high hopes for the actor in bringing his role to life in the series. He is set to appear in the upcoming 20th Anniversary special for Harry Potter on HBO Max. We’ll see if anyone else is still in the pipeline to join the project before it enters production.
Just as the news drops that Money Heist is getting a spinoff series, it seems the upcoming Korean adaptation wanted to bank on the current trend. Deadline has just reported that Squid Game‘s Park Hae-soo has joined the remake as the character of Berlin, who is the character that just got his own spinoff series. He’s the first to join the production ever since its announcement back in November 2020. Of course, the timing is perfect as it’s released just after his success on the hit Korean series and ahead of the Spanish’ final episodes releasing.
It’ll be interesting to see how they tackle the project. A Korean adaptation might mainly focus on the core characters of Tokyo, Berlin, the Professor, and more. Given the series simple concept, they might even add their own twist but simply stick to the namings for the core mission. Here’s hoping they add an interesting twist that also reflects their cultural aspects to make it stand out from the original in some way.
Netflix has seen the potential of utilizing its international shows to garner worldwide acclaim. This project feels like the perfect blend of exactly that, as it combines two of their most popular shows from across the world. We’ll see if some other familiar faces might make it into the project once more castings are revealed in the coming weeks.
Casa De Papel, which translates to House of Paper is better known as Money Heist in the West. It is coming to an end this month after five parts chronicling the journey of The Professor and his makeshift family he trained to be modern-day Robin Hoods across Europe. Many fans were sad that the series was coming to an end, but luckily Netflix has other plans. It seems that the series is getting a spinoff focused on the character of Pedro Alonso‘s Berlin.
The series is eyeing a 2023 release as it continues the story of Andrés de Fonollosa, who became a fan favorite in his short stint throughout the story. He died in a sea of bullets during the Royal Mint of Spain heist, which made it into the cultural phenomenon it is today. The timing is also perfect, as we are just days away from the final five episodes streaming on Netflix. It does make you wonder if they have some interesting teases planned when the final season ends.
The Spanish series took many on an exciting journey as an unlikely group of people attempted the heist of a century. What originally felt like it was going to end after the initial heist during the first two seasons, we got a surprise renewal as the story continued with a few more parts expanding the heist-filled universe. We’ll see if Berlin is just the first of many spinoffs planned for the series.
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