Lucasfilm rolled out a brand new timeline at Star Wars Celebration 2023 and within it were not only two new eras set to be explored in upcoming films but also an old fan favorite that has so far been absent from Lucasfilm’s live-action projects. What does it all mean?
Following their exciting presentation at Star Wars Celebration 2023, Lucasfilm shared a new look at the timeline via a press release. Nine different eras are now open for canonical stories to be told through animated and live-action projects. Let’s take a look at each era…
Dawn of the Jedi (?-25,000 ABY)
One of the new eras introduced during Star Wars Celebration 2023, the Dawn of the Jedi era stretches back some 25,000 years before the “present day” events of The Mandalorian and the New Republic. As of now, the only project known to be set during the Dawn of the Jedi is the James Mangold film that will tell “the tale of the first Jedi to wield the Force and harness it as a liberating power in an era of chaos and oppression.” It could tell the tale of the Prime Jedi who created the first Jedi temple on Ahch-To seen in The Last Jedi.
The Old Republic (Around 25,000 BBY-1000 BBY)
The addition of the Old Republic era to the official timeline should be thrilling news for long time fans of the expanded Star Wars universe. The founding of the Republic, the Sith Wars and the tales of Knights of the Old Republic all take place over a 7,000 year span in the non-canon Legends content. Characters like Tenebrae, Revan, Satele Shan and Darth Malgus are beloved by fans and could be folded into Star Wars canon via projects told in this era.
The High Republic (500 BBY-82 BBY)
An era that so far has only been explored through novels and comic books, the High Republic explores the glory days of the Republic and its expansion into the Outer Rim. The Acolyte, which streams in 2024, is the first live-action project set during this era. Lucasfilm gave an updated synopsis of The Acoltye which “will take viewers into a galaxy of shadowy secrets and emerging dark-side powers in the final days of the High Republic era. A former Padawan reunites with her Jedi Master to investigate a series of crimes but discovers the forces they confront are more sinister than they ever anticipated.”
Fall of the Jedi (32 BBY-19 BBY)
As revealed in Star Wars comics, the Fall of the Jedi era is essentially the “prequel era.” The events of The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, The Clone Wars and Revenge of the Sith all take place during this era.
Reign of the Empire (19 BBY-9 BBY)
An era that has only recently begun to be explored more thoroughly, the Reign of the Empire is a relatively short period of time between the beginning of Palpatine’s reign and the formation of the rebellion. The animated series The Bad Batch, Solo: A Star Wars Story and the Disney Plus streaming series Obi-Wan Kenobi all take place during the Reign of the Empire.
Age of Rebellion (5 BBY-0 BBY)
The original “era”, Age of Rebellion has also been further explored with some of the best Star Wars content created since Disney bought Lucasfilm. The animated series Rebels, Disney Plus’s streaming series Andor, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi fill up the Age of Rebellion.
The New Republic (9 ABY-?)
The present-day of Star Wars content, the New Republic is, essentially, Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni’s Mando-verse. So far, what we know about the New Republic has come from three seasons of The Mandalorian and one season of The Book of Boba Fett. While it seems that Ahsoka won’t be told linearly, it is believed that at least part of the series will be set during the New Republic era. Additionally, Dave Filoni is directing a film that Lucasfilm explains “will orchestrate the escalating war between the Imperial Remnant and the fledgling New Republic. Alongside producer Jon Favreau, they will bring together many of the threads of the “Star Wars” original series in a cinematic event.“
Rise of the First Order (33ish ABY-35 ABY)
The sequel era. Rise of the First Order has been, so far, told through the animated series Resistance, and the sequel trilogy of The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker. There are currently no known plans to further explore this era.
New Jedi Order (50 ABY-?)
The second brand new era added to the Star Wars timeline, the New Jedi Order era will be defined, at first, by Rey’s efforts to create, well, a new Jedi Order 15 years after the event of The Rise of Skywalker. The era’s storytelling will be broken in by director Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy, whose film “will tell the story of rebuilding the New Jedi Order and the powers that rise to tear it down.”
The first full trailer for the upcoming Marvel Studios streaming series, Secret Invasion, debuted recently and gave fans a little better idea of what to expect from the show when it debuts on Disney Plus on June 21st. Though it won’t be a superhero cameo fest like its comic book counterpart, Marvel Studios Secret Invasion will have quite a bit in common with the 2008 crossover event by writer Brian Michael Bendis. Most notably, the central plot revolves around a faction of Skrulls who, after years (maybe decades?) of preparation, are prepared to take over Earth. The new trailer–just like the first teaser–certainly gives off all the vibes of a paranoia-laden spy-thriller but it also gives a little better glimpse into the plans of Kingsley Ben-Adir‘s Gravik which look to give the show a heavy dose of science fiction as well.
Taking over Earth, even when they’ve infiltrated positions of power around the globe, won’t be easy for the Skrulls. They’ll need an army and while they may have the numbers necessary to put a sizeable one together, what’s known of them from Captain Marvel would hardly make the likes of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes shudder and so, they’ll need something more. Though it’s been the subject of rumors for some time now, it’s made clear in the new trailer that Gravik isn’t your average, ordinary shapeshifting Skrull but rather something a little more…super.
Super-Skrulls have been part of Marvel Comics since 1963’s Fantastic Four #18 and while it’s not been confirmed just yet, it seems as though Gravik is the MCU’s beta Super-Skrull. Super-Skrulls are exactly what you probably think they are: Skrulls sporting super abilities beyond that of the average Skrull. In the comics, they come in two flavors: enhanced or cloned. Whether enhanced or cloned, Super-Skrulls in the comics have been either technologically or genetically altered to enable them to express super abilities taken from other beings. And in Secret Invasion, it seems that’s exactly what Gravik is up to.
Seen first in the teaser for the series and then again in the new trailer, in his base in a decommissioned nuclear power site in Russia, Gravik has a secret room containing dozens–maybe hundreds–of bodies, each of whom has a very interesting looking device attached to their bodies. Is this essentially a farm where cloned Super-Skrulls are waiting to be awakened and sent into action? If so, what’s stopping Gravik from sending them out to take over Earth? The answer to that seems to be tied a machine that he’s shown to be building in the teaser and the trailer. Should he complete that, he’d have an army of Super-Skrulls ready to take on Earth’s heroes when they answer the call.
The trailer also provides some insight into where Gravik is collecting the specimens he intends to use to power up these Super-Skrulls. After first appearing in the MCU in Spider-Man: Homecoming, The United States Department of Damage Control conveniently popped up in Ms. Marvel and She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. Following the Chitauri invasion of Earth, Damage Control was given oversight over any and all alien artifacts from the Battle of New York. It would stand to reason that they’ve also followed the Avengers around the United States clearing up their messes following their major skirmishes. During Phase 4, it was also established that they have a supermax prison where Emil Blonsky and the Ms. Marvel villains known as the Clandestines were held. The infiltration of Damage Control could be a potential disaster…and that’s exactly what the Secret Invasion trailer indicates has happened.
While a trailer often presents things taken out of context, it sure looks like Gravik’s Skrulls have been busy getting their hands on all kinds of things they can use to power up their army of Super-Skrulls. The screenshot above may indicate that they were able obtain the hand of Cull Obsidian, a member of Thanos’ Black Order who aided him in acquiring the Infinity Stones on Earth. Cull Obsidian possessed incredible strength, speed, stamina and durability while also demonstrating the ability to heal quickly from injuries–standard, run-of-the-mill superpowers. It seems very likely that Gravik would use the DNA from the sample to provide his army of Super-Skrulls with those powers as their baseline before adding who knows what else to the mix. With the resources of Damage Control, it’s terrifying to think what Gravik could be cooking up and if he’s successful in creating an entire army of Super-Skrulls, Earth’s Mightiest Heroes might not be enough to stop them.
With Nick Fury refusing to call his “super friends” for help in Secret Invasion, it’ll be interesting to see what the old spy pulls out of his bag of tricks to stop Gravik’s plans to take over the Earth!
Atlus has made quite a splash internationally with Persona 5. The latest entry in the Shin Megami Tensei spinoff managed to bring a somewhat niche JRPG franchise into one of the biggest offerings with spinoffs, a remake, multi-platform releases, and who knows what else might be in the works. What makes this franchise special is that each new entry tells a story that is unique with a brand-new cast of characters. Some familiar elements return with each new entry, but it’s still a unique story not shackled by having to be a direct continuation.
There are enough recurring themes and elements that truly tie this franchise together, may it be the iconic Velvet Room, the carry-over demons and gods from SMT, the high-school setting, and many more. Still, each entry is even freer to explore a story that makes it stand out. Persona 2 Innocent Sin explores the concept of rumors coming to life. The fourth entry explored a murder mystery plot in the small town of Inaba, while the fifth entry just had our main characters turn into literal thieves of hearts.
There’s something unique about what Persona has to offer and the wait for each new entry seemingly gets longer every time. Who knows how many scrapped ideas and concepts were left on the cutting room floor? Plus, the games have a strong focus on the Japanese market, which fits with its constant taking inspiration from real Japanese locations. Persona 5 almost took a very different direction but stuck to its roots after how Japan held together following the Great East Japan Earthquake.
So, who knows where Persona 6 might take the franchise, as it may simply build upon what we saw in Persona 5 Royal or even take a completely new direction. Generally, there’s also a good chance that Atlus looks beyond the gaming market to expand its brand; we’re already seeing it with SEGA busy in hoping to bring Yakuza to live-action. So, who knows how long the wait will be until Persona or generally the Shin Megami Tensei franchise gets a similar treatment.
And there is a lot of potential with a franchise like Persona. It’s made for the anthology series format similar to True Detective, which can explore a similar concept with multiple new cast members. Plus, it would allow some of the scrapped ideas to potentially make it back into the franchise by having them as jumping-off points for the new live-action adaptation. Each season represents a new group of characters that face off against unique takes of the shadows that manifest from the hum consciousness.
They could start familiar with the first season by playing closer to home with something that was already established. Persona 4 seems like the perfect template for a starter season given its more somber tone and a murder mystery always makes for good television. They could give it a different twist and simply use the basic template to build a Western variation to ease viewers into the concept. Once hooked, each season can explore other parts of the world also affected by the Shadows and Personas.
Though, the biggest challenge is to also bring the flair of the visuals many connect with the franchise to a new format. It’s not impossible as with smart cuts and visual additions, they could still keep those elements alive. Different variations on the iconic music with strong inspirations from whatever culture and location the latest season explores open up many avenues to add something fresh to familiar elements of this iconic JRPG franchise.
Of course, they could always go down a cinematic route but there’s something bout the build-up across 80+ hours in the gaming franchise that just feels more natural in a long-form format like television. It may just be a dream for now, but if they ever do decide to bring the franchise to live-action, it would be a damn shame if they don’t make use of this concept to explore new avenues across the world.
So close, yet so far! That’s how Star Wars fans are feeling after the Season 3 debut of The Mandalorian which tantalized fans before letting them down. Chapter 17 of the series brought a new kind of trouble into Din Djarin’s path in the form of pirates. For longtime fans of Star Wars, especially those of the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels, the appearance of the pirates most likely brought to mind the premiere pirate in the galaxy, Hondo Ohnaka. You’d be forgiven for thinking that, at any point during the tense standoff between Greef Karga, Mando and the band of thirsty pirates, Hondo was going to walk around the corner and help cooler heads prevail. Alas, the old Weequay outlaw was nowhere to be found, but that certainly doesn’t mean he won’t make an appearance sooner or later.
Theories about a potential live-action debut for Hondo aren’t anything new. In fact, they date back well over two years when it was revealed that Season 3 of The Mandalorian was filming under the working title “Buccaneer.” The Mandalorian co-creator Dave Filoni created Hondo for Star Wars: The Clone Wars and has never been shy about his love for the pirate; as he and Jon Favreau continue to find ways to bring fan (and creator) favorite characters into their expanding live-action universe it would be shocking if Hondo didn’t eventually make the jump and the events of the episode of The Mandalorian, The Apostate, seem to hint at that possibility becoming very real very soon.
Though it jumped around a bit, The Apostate was primarily set on the Outer Rim planet of Nevarro. The Outer Rim Territories have always been a wild place full of pirates, slavers and outlaws of all sorts, so it’s unsurprising that the gang of pirates, run by newcomer to the franchise Gorian Shard, found their way into the episode. Though Din Djarin made short work of Vane and the rest of Shard’s nameless gang, he certainly left a score to settle with the pirate king when he escaped after briefly squaring off. Past seasons of The Mandalorian have given enough reason to presume that Shard will come back into play at some point in Season 3, most likely at a very inopportune time for Din Djarin and Grogu, and when he does it might just open the door for another chapter in the legend of Hondo to be written.
Presumably, no pirate roams the Outer Rim Territories without having a shared history with its most famous–at least in his own mind–outlaw. Hondo is known to be alive and well during this New Republic era and while he turned in his pirate hat to help the Rebellion during the rise of the Empire, it’s possible he’s found his way back to his favorite past time. Hondo’s appearances in Filoni’s stories have almost always served the same purpose: to bail the good guys out of a jam and with Shard on the hunt for Mando, an appearance by Hondo to help out a new hero seems all but a sure thing. Oh, the stories he could tell…so many of them true!
As Black History Month comes to a close, we take a look back at the supers that inspire our dress, artistry, and lives. The superhero genre of film, television, and media, in general, wouldn’t be what it is without them. We love and appreciate everyone, but this isn’t an all-inclusive list.
Shaq as Steel
We’d be amiss if we didn’t start the retrospective with Shaq Diesel, the man with the S on his bicep. Shaq portrayed a loose version of John Henry Irons, aka Steel, in the 90s. The film is one of many films that took chances studios don’t risk anymore. We can’t knock what Shaq has done for the community though.
Halle Berry as Catwoman and Storm
Halle Berry worked with the material she was given in both of her superhero appearances, which is a shame because she really does bring nuance to her characters when written well. For multiple generations, she is Storm, so fans are curious about who will bring Ororo to the screen next, but until then, Halle Berry is the epitome.
Chadwick Boseman as Black Panther
When Black Panther first appeared in Captain America: Civil War, many fans weren’t ready or aware of the greatness they would soon experience. Chadwick is the embodiment of all the Black superheroes that came before him.
Cress Williams as Black Lightning
The series led by Cress Williams was able to take advantage of a different lane than most on this list, debuting on The CW and eventually tieing into the Arrowverse. Black Lightning carved a space to discuss religion, race, and society in ways other series never developed.
Javicia Leslie as Batwoman/Ryan Wilder
Javicia Leslie filled the role of Batwoman and new character Ryan Wilder after the role was vacant. This was an amazing opportunity for the actress, as she also joined the Arrowverse for two years and participated in what some consider the most successful live-action universe for DC.
Phil LaMarr as Static Shock and Jon Stewart / Green Lantern
Saturday morning cartoons were rather stale in the 90s before Milestone’s Static Shock appeared on FOX Kids. There’s a current resurgence of the comic, in part thanks to DC’s acquisition of the Milestone brand. We’re hoping rumors of a live-action debut are true. We also know that Green Lantern Corps is on the horizon and with every new iteration of Green Lantern, comes the same question: which version are they going to use? Justice League’s Jon Stewart debuted in 2000 and set the bar so high that he’s appeared in multiple spin-offs of the show. Thanks to LaMarr’s voice acting, Jon Stewart is the quintessential version.
Dwayne Johnson as Black Adam
The Rock was often fan-cast in roles on the regular, but his dream role finally made it to fruition in 2022 with Black Adam. Though the film took a decade and never really escaped controversy, his passion for the project continually resuscitated the dream regardless of where the production found itself. His work for the character is still commendable.
Ray Fisher as Cyborg
Though Ray Fisher only appeared in a few DCEU films and his character’s backstory was slightly muddled, the actor found a new lane as an advocate for the treatment of actors on set. The role wasn’t quite the breakout for him, but he’s still finding work slowly and we expect good things from him.
Wesley Snipes as Blade
There wouldn’t be an MCU without the risk taken in 2009 with Jon Favreau and RDJ, but the real accolades go to Wesley Snipes and team for the Blade trilogy. This was before risk was even a word. Vampires. R-rated. Martial arts emphasis. Greatness.
Michael Jai White as Spawn
Spawn often finds itself overlooked because of the graphic novel and the animated version, but the 1997 live-action release is another reason the superhero genre is what it is today. At one point, superhero movies really fell into two categories: great or flop. Spawn was the former.
Robert Townsend as Meteor Man
It’s always fun to see a sitcom dad take a turn into another fan-favorite genre( i.e. James Avery as the voice of Shredder), so we’d be amiss to not include Robert Townsend as Meteor Man. There’s a bit of a theme here, but 90s superhero films definitely took risks in order to entertain.
Will Smith as Hancock
Before joining the Suicide Squad, Will Smith took on the moniker of Hancock, a small indie style superhero that came from a different planet. This was another example of a hero film taking a risk (though it’s only really seen as a risk these days) with R-rated and grounded content.
Omar Sy as Bishop
When the live-action X-Men series moved into the interesting realm of a future with no mutants, there was only one man that could lead them to survival: Lucas Bishop. Omar Sy brought everyone’s favorite future savior to life and we deserved more time him.
Mike Colter as Luke Cage
Netflix produced some of the quintessential work for Marvel Studios over the last 5 or 6 years and one of the cornerstones of the work is Mike Colter‘s Luke Cage. Even with only a few seasons, Luke Cage carved a space for dialogue that other shows couldn’t scratch the surface.
Anthony Mackie as Falcon & Captain America
Anthony Mackie is slowly moving through all the possible avenues for his character. He’s appeared in solo movies, team-ups, the Captain America trilogy, and led his own Disney+ series. Though his series garnered fair reviews, he might just be in the most anticipated MCU film, officially titledCaptain America: New World Order.
Don Cheadle as War Machine/Col. James Rhodes
Don Cheadle is the other side of the Col. James Rhodes meme, but he’s also fully taken on the role and embodied it. And similar to Mackie with Captain America, Cheadle will soon step into the solo space in Armor Wars, which is now being developed as a film after originally being announced as a streaming series. Cheadle deserves the space to shine.
Shameik Moore as Miles Morales/Spiderman
Audiences have clammored for Miles Morales in live-action for years, but now that we’re on the verge of Moore’s second animated outing, his is the iteration to beat. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse received acclaim from fandoms all over and anticipation for the sequel grows daily.
Djimon Hounsou as Korath, Wizard, and Midnite
Similar to Jackson belo, Djimon Hounsou can do it all. He’s played roles in so many iconic films that it’s difficult to keep track of them all. But when you hear his raspy bass voice, you know he’s going to give his all to the character.
Samuel L. Jackson as Frozone, Nick Fury, and Mr. Glass
With almost 200 productions to date, Jackson can flesh out any role, but some of his top-tier characters are centerpieces in The Incredibles, MCU, and Shyamalan’s Unbreakable universe. With only a few scenes, he can steal the presence of any film.
Jonathan Majors as Kang The Conqueror
The newest baddie on the MCU block, Jonathan Majors, is an unstoppable force so far. There’s no telling where his characterization will be or where he’ll physically be on the timeline the next time we see him on screen, but Majors is a force.
Michael B. Jordan as Killmonger
Before there was Thanos or the aforementioned Majors stealing the show, we had Killmonger. Michael B. Jordan‘s portrayal was one of the earliest iterations of an MCU villain grabbing audiences’ empathy and consequently, the energy of the film. We were blessed to have him return inBlack Panther: Wakanda Foreverand hope to visit him a few more times when future BP iterations visit the astral plane.
Terrence Howard as James Rhodes
Terrence Howard may be more popular as a meme, but we’ll still acknowledge that he played James “Rhodey” Rhodes first and helped kick off the MCU opposite RDJ. Howard retired a few times in the past few years, but hopefully, he’ll find peace soon.
Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau/Photon
This one’s special because we’ve only been graced by Teyonah in WandaVision, but the anticipation for The Marvels is growing daily. Photon could be the first Black woman to officially join an Avengers team. We know she’ll kill it in the Captain Marvel sequel regardless.
Lauren Ridloff as Makkari
Ridloff brought us our second official speedster in the MCU as well as our first deaf character. Eternals was a significant change in pace and style for the universe and although it received mixed results, audiences all fell in love with the characterization of Makkari.
Dominique Thorne as Riri/Iron Heart
Debuting in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Thornebrought Riri Williams to life well before her series, also under the production of Ryan Coogler, debuts on Disney+. The actress auditioned for honorable mention Shuri, but the role went to Letitia Wright instead. Thorne still brings her confidence and bravado to the character, so we look forward to seeing her again.
Idris Elba as Heimdall
Idris portrayed Heimdall across multiple movies and brought the perfect amount of gravitas to the character. Love & Thundersaw the introduction of his son Axl, so we’re not sure if we’ll see Idris on the screen again, but we were fortunate to have him while we did even though the character didn’t always get much screen time.
Zoe Saldaña as Gamora and Neytiri
Zoe, the first actress to appear in 4 $2 billion grossing films, is another star to portray a character over multiple years, both in minor appearances and mainstays. We’re very curious about her portrayal of Gamora in the next Guardians film since her character is from a different universe than the rest of the team.
Aldis Hodge as Hawkman
Hodge is the newcomer to the genre as Black Adamrecently debuted in 2022. We’re not sure if his character will carry over into James Gunn’s DCU, and it most likely won’t, but Hodge was definitely one of the bright spots of the potential revamp The Rock started. Hopefully, he gets another shot with another character.
This list could have gone on for another month, but we’ll wrap at 28! Let us know who you’d like to see next round and hopefully, we’ll continue to run out of space.
A new rumor has hit the web, hinting that Netflix’s upcoming live-action adaptation of One Piece may not release until August 31st. The news dropped just a week after we got our first official look at the adaptation, which gave us a simple tease of the main cast from behind; a perfect way to hint at what’s to come. The biggest confirmation from the first look was also the fact that we’ll be getting the series at some point in 2023. Now, with a new rumor hinting at when it might release, maybe some old releases may help point to when we can expect more news throughout the years.
Our first actual footage of the show arrived on October 19th with the “Lost Session” teaser. In retrospect, it was a great little teaser that was closer to what Cowboy Bebop feels like than the actual show itself, which had a much slower pace in comparison. Ironically, we still wouldn’t get an actual trailer of the show until October 27th; only 21 days before the actual release.
Given we got the first poster before even a cast image, it seems like One Piece is getting more attention than the previous Tomorrow Studio collaboration. Given it was only truly promoted for less than three full months, it almost seems like Netflix was desperately trying to hide the show and it never got a chance ahead of its cancelation on December 9th.
The Sandman’s Drag-Out
So, there’s another major release and adaptation that may offer a hint at how we can expect the release window for the future. Taking a glance at The Sandman, however, it seems like some marketing ploys can even drag out a bit longer than one might expect. We got our first look at the adaptation back in 2021; September 25th to be exact with a variety of character posters and first footage as part of Geeked Week of that year.
Yet, we wouldn’t really get anything else out of the series until a new key art poster was released on June 6th that confirmed a release on August 5th. We also got a few new character posters. So, we got the exact release date around two months ahead of its premiere with the trailer following on July 24th. So, Netflix once again held onto that full look at the series until the last possible second even as we already got footage the year before.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83ClbRPRDXU
Netflix really likes to keep a more intense promotional window for a series shortly before its release. There are some similarities with One Piece given that we got some behind-the-scenes footage for the new series during Geeked Week on June 6th, 2022. So, the early showcase isn’t too different but this time we had to wait half a year before we got any key art for the adaptation.
Wednesday’s Balance
The Sandman isn’t the only major 2022 release, as we also have the massive success of The Addam’s Family remake focusing on Wednesday Addams. Ironically, Wednesday has the perfect balance between the two with a shorter promotional window but adding quite a few smaller snippets to promote the adaptation before we get our first actual teaser or trailer.
Back in May of this year, we got a poster for the series hinting at a Fall 2022 release that gave us a tease of what to expect with a caricature of Wednesday Addams. That was swiftly followed by a teaser on June 1st giving us our first look at Thing before Jenna Ortega was unveiled just five days later. It was our first look at the series and was given quite the highlight during Geeked Week with a still image and small teaser video. We would have to wait until August 17th before we got a teaser trailer.
The fact that we had a trailer without a specific release window is quite curious as we wouldn’t find out its release date was November 23rd with the second poster that was released on September 23rd. So, the two-month window is still there for the release date but this time we saw footage around three months before. This time around we didn’t get any character posters until November 2nd though, as the focus was mainly on Wednesday; it’s titled after her.
It’s no surprise that the series would go on to break viewership records, as the series had the most stretched-out advertising campaign with a steady build-up towards its release and giving viewers a bit more time to build up interest in its release. It’s curious how that release date confirmation is always around two months ahead of its release and something that Cowboy Bebop surprisingly unveiled the earliest out of all projects with the shortest marketing campaign.
One Piece’s Potential
So, we have very distinct pieces of a puzzle to potentially connect when we may expect a release for One Piece. As it stands now, we only know that the series will “set sail in 2023” and we got not one but two key visuals for the live-action adaptation. There is one similarity with The Sandman stretch-out as we got a first tease all the way back in 2022 just as they were filming the project, but it wasn’t as extensive.
Of course, any of this is just speculation based on behavior partners on how Netflix promotes its series. There’s a lot of optimism if a series is given time to breathe ahead of its release, as rushing it out and not giving anyone time to really take it all in like with Cowboy Bebop just dooms a project from the get-go. It’s why many movie trailers drop six months in advance and we don’t hear anything until we’re actually closing in on the release date.
The best comparison is likely Wednesday with the teaser poster releasing early and no confirmed release date. While it would’ve been nice to get a “Summer 2023” inclusion, it does seem that Netflix wants to keep some flexibility on when exactly it’ll drop but with the rumored release date, we may have some potential wiggle room on when we could expect something.
There is one major anchor that gives us some orientation on when we can expect a major drop for the series and that is Geeked Week. It has taken place at the beginning of June 2021 and 2022. So, it may be safe to assume it’ll once again take place around that same time window and Netflix will definitely want to promote one of its biggest releases during that event.
Wednesday had the benefit of having its first poster drop around the time Geeked Week took place, so for that time window we’d have to consider the time window is a bit longer but not as out-there as The Sandman was. Still, it makes it challenging to figure out just how much they’ll plan around that event and try to keep everything for the “big reveal” during Geeked Week or not.
Potential Marketing Roadmap
So, after all that deduction: here’s a potential timeline based on previous projects on when we might expect teases to promote the One Piece series:
January – Teaser Poster & Key Art
April/May – New Poster, First Full Look at Cast
June – First Trailer and Release Date (Geeked Week 2023)
July – Second Trailer, Character Posters
August – Release on Netflix
It’s a very rough estimate but it’s hard to say if we’ll see anything before May, even if it would be great to drip-feed at least something. Still, an optimistic look would be to see a photo of the cast in their outfits around April, as they start promoting the series through a variety of interviews with showrunners, and the cast. Perhaps we’ll even have a statement from Eiichiro Oda; whose support may push this series into the spotlight it needs. The time window would also match the two-month wait between Geeked week and the first trailer. Still, it doesn’t seem likely we’ll get any real information for a few months given there’s no time window included with the posters.
Where the optimism comes in is the expectation to really see the ball rolling as of May with something new hitting every month if they truly are going for that 31st August release date. A series based on pirates is perfect for a summer release and with their two-month rule, we’ll likely see a trailer around June. What is in June? Geeked Week, of course, if they remain consistent with the last few years. So, we may get a poster either shortly before to promote its appearance or worst case alongside the trailer.
If we get any tease for One Piece in June, we can safely bet on an August release. Netflix really likes building around that event and it would seem fitting if they get their own segment and plenty of promotion. Wednesday‘s success may also play a factor in their hopes to replicate that same momentum to break more records with a series that is based on the most popular manga.
Of course, this isn’t something one should take as a definite time window, as anything related to the project could shift any of these predictions. They are mainly based on what has come in the past and how Netflix seemingly operates with its biggest releases. One thing is certain: this isn’t another rushed drop like with Cowboy Bebop and Netflix may be wanting to make this as big as they can to ensure its success to establish the next Stranger Things level series.
It’s nothing new that any live-action adaptation of anything has drama surrounding it, but there’s something “special” about the discourse of a manga or anime being brought to the West. We’ve long lived in an era where adaptations have been a pipedream as in the early days of Hollywood they’d simply adapt something for the sake of its popularity, such was the case with Avatar: The Last Airbender or Dragonball Evolution. Those involved seem to have a surface-level understanding of the property and simply rushed out a product that doesn’t reflect the thing most of us grew up with.
Netflix hasn’t been that innocent either with their very Americanized Death Note and the recent Cowboy Bebop adaptation, which tried to take an existing property to create something a little more streamlined. Even the anime’s creator, Shinichiro Watanabe, openly spoke out about it was “clearly not Cowboy Bebop” due to a lack of involvement with the project. Even with the existence of actual good adaptations like Alita: Battle Angel, the Rurouni Kenshin movies, Blade of the Immortal, Speed Racer, and others, we still tend to hold on to that Dragonball Evolution comparison even to this day.
The sad thing is that this focus kind of develops this overall negativity surrounding any discourse. Projects are “dead on arrival” long before we’ve seen anything that actually gives us a good feeling of what exactly we can expect from an adaptation. The same has now happened with the One Piece series with the first look at the Straw Hat crew. We’ve seen a variety of reactions as while there’s a good positive surrounding it, there are also quite a few reactions focusing on some curious details.
The biggest may be the fact that Monkey D. Luffy, played by Inaki Godoy, does not wear his usual sandals but rather has shoes. Surprisingly no one has pointed out that Nami isn’t wearing her usual high-heels but the debate is if the sandals are a “must” for the character’s carefree attitude. Nami actress Emily Rudd even had to publicly point out that sandals aren’t safe for bringing the stunts to life, especially as they tried to do their own stunts throughout production.
It’s understandable that people are protective of projects they love, especially something that has been running for 25 years. Yet, the main focus has been on the entire project falling apart and being terrible due to Luffy not wearing sandals. This “Sandalgate” sadly generally reflects a discourse on how the Internet generally handles any live-action adaptations nowadays. In the era of The Last of Us, Marvel films, and so much more, we have gotten quite spoiled by what is and isn’t possible.
Yet, we see a lot of discourse of the most minute details as a “make or break” for any project. Moon Knight was highly discussed because it wasn’t “comic-accurate” enough but may be one of Marvel’s most diverse characters with a long history behind it. Even Thunderbolts are currently being scrutinized based on who is part of the team and we haven’t seen any footage of it so far. In the digital era, we have access to so much information that it also becomes a challenge to be part of the discourse.
It’s also a showcase of how often certain groups reflect the same talking points. The Last of Us is praised for recreating specific shots but also dragged down for an episode that takes a character in a new direction, even going as far as having it review-bombed to make a point. Even with the creator’s strong involvement, it’s not something people focus on as we work with what we get. We create content and reactions to be part of the discourse, which subsequently leads to repetition.
Luffy wearing shoes instead of sandals is sadly a strong reflection of that very discourse. In the end, it has no bearing on the quality of this series and serves a practical purpose. We know that live-action adaptations have to make changes due to the fact of it having real people involved, a different structure, and a media format to work with. To some degree, it feels like people want to be mad about something and don’t have a lot to go off from.
At this point, it sometimes feels like people want to be upset. To some degree, it’s understandable, as most experiences people have had with live-action adaptations of anime and manga haven’t been the greatest. It also involving Netflix adds to that very concern. So, no matter the quality of the show, the online discourse is very likely going to be a nightmare; something Marvel fans might be familiar with given how each project ends up being discussed. We don’t know if it’s going to be good, especially not going off of a poster alone.
It becomes even more depressing once you enter the discussion points surrounding Nami, who proclaim that she doesn’t “match Eiichiro Oda‘s original vision” given she doesn’t share the same body type as Who Framed Roger Rabbit‘s Jessica Rabbit. Not only is it an impossible standard to set but given Oda‘s heavy involvement, it creates a similar discourse like how people co-opt Stan Lee to reflect how they personally feel about whatever Marvel Studios is doing they don’t like.
We’re sadly not learning our lessons but continuing to fall down a deeper rabbit hole. Based on a poster, we have no idea how One Piece will turn out. Some will be more optimistic than others, but there’s a certain level where the discourse becomes absurd. Is it a shame that Luffy doesn’t have his sandals? Yes, but we don’t know if there are scenes where he might still have them on but don’t involve any action.
Even Netflix’s Cowboy Bebop fell victim to it due to the oversaturated reactions regarding Eden Perkins‘ performance as Edward or even just Daniella Pineda‘s take on Faye Valentine not being “revealing” enough like in the anime. The show had its faults but that is more in how it simply struggled to revive that unique spark that the anime offered us in our childhood back in 1998. It was less episodic and embraced the Bebop we know and love, but it wasn’t the cast.
John Cho was a great cast Spike Spiegel, even if an older take on the character. Mustafa Shakir gave us an iconic Jet Black on top of it all. Pineda had her moments to shine even if her character was a bit of a departure from the original. Cho gave a heartfelt statement on losing out on the show given he was heavily injured shooting the series and was forced to take a year off. In our discourse, we tend to forget real people are working on these projects.
Yet at the end of the day, we’ll always tend to jump the gun as fast as possible to be that trendsetter. Instant gratification can feel good and we get swept up by it all. Sadly, we don’t give chances like we used to, which creates a higher barrier of entry for any new project trying to establish itself. One Piece has a chance to do what The Last Of Us, Arcane, The Cuphead Show, and many more did for video game adaptations. But if we draw the line at sandals, we may have never deserved the projects we got.
James Gunn and Peter Safran have revealed the first half of the first chapter of the new DCU. In total, 10 projects are expected to be rolled out by the end of 2027, with 5 films and 5 streaming series adding to the interconnected Gods and Monsters story of the DCU. With so much to take in, it can be a bit overwhelming. To make it easier, here’s the skinny on Waller.
A streaming series that was green-lit well before Gunn and Safran took the big jobs,Waller will see the return on Viola Davis to the titular role that she first filled in 2016’s Suicide Squad. Waller was featured in 2022’s Peacemaker and, according to Safran, Waller will be set between Seasons 1 and 2 of that series and feature some of its cast.
The series is already in the early stages with Christal Henry (Watchmen) and Jeremy Carver (Supernatural, Doom Patrol) putting together the story which Gunn said “is really fantastic and HBO loves it.” The series, which will stream on HBO Max, has no release date as of yet.
New information from insider Daniel RPK seems to have indicated that a Variant of Kang known as Victor Timely is set to make his debut in the MCU in 2023. Via his Patreon, Daniel RPK shared that Loki Season 2 will feature another new Variant of Jonathan Majors‘ Kang who is “an inventor from the past wanting to buy stuff from people to affect the future.” Though RPK added he could not confirm that this Variant will be Victor Timely, speculation about the character has revolved around that identity. This isn’t the first time the character’s name has come up, either, given that the insider teased a mention or appearance of Timely in Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania. Who is Victor Timely and why are so many fans sure this is him? Fascinating questions to which there are probably multiple great answers, to be sure, and while we can’t provide the correct answer we can theorize!
Who is Victor Timely?
Interior art from Avengers Annual #21(1992)
Kang is a complex villain and the convoluted and continuous retconning of the character in the pages of Marvel Comics over the years has made a true understanding of him daunting. In one respect, that’s actually worked in the favor of those penning whatever the latest adventures of the character are because they can be as mysterious and crazy as they want given pretty much nobody knows exactly what went on with Kang to begin with and when time travel is involved, anything is possible…and that is the essence of Victor Timely.
Victor Timely’s origins come from a retcon to Kang’s story first published in 1992’s Avengers Annual #21. The issue tells the story of what happened following Kang’s first defeat at the hands of the Avengers. Kang retreated to the past, where under the alias of Victor Timely he founded a city and rose to fame as an inventor and industrialist. His work as Timely quietly shaped the century while he built a fantastical and quasi-temporal base of operations, Chronopolis, from where he could access timelines that other versions of himself had conquered. On Earth, Timely worked from a location–complete with a door that transported him to Chronopolis–and his advancements in technology ultimately put his products into every robot, cyborg and computer, allowing him full access to nearly every piece of technology on the Earth.
Why Does Victor Timely Make Sense for the MCU at This Point in Time?
The short answer is time. One of the reasons fans debated whether or not Kang would make for an appropriate villain in the MCU is the convoluted nature of the character’s comic book past. Marvel Studios seems to have addressed that fairly well in Season 1 of Loki by indicating that He Who Remains was the victor of a Multiversal War among Kangs who has since spent his time pruning timelines and making sure that the Multiverse doesn’t come back into existence and bring Kang Variants back with it. When Sylvie killed He Who Remains, it set loose a chain reaction of events (the repercussions of which will be explored in Season 2 of Loki) including the emergence of an infinite number of Kangs. It’s all pretty confusing, but by the time Loki Season 2 comes around, the Kang Variant that we are theorizing to be Victor Timely will have already lived a life full of experiences and opportunities we are unlikely to see in full on screen.
By following the rules of time travel and the Multiverse as they are currently understood, should a Kang Variant travel back in time (as Timely did in the comics), it would create a Nexus Event and a new timeline. The new future for the Variant, which takes place in the past, can’t change what happened on his old timeline, but it certainly can be conquered in the new timeline. So the Avengers may have beaten that Kang, but can they beat this Kang? And what is this Kang up to? The comics–and an Easter egg from Season 1 of Loki–could give some hints.
While the Variant of Kang set to appear in Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania, Kang the Conqueror, is stuck in the Quantum Realm, he also seems to have lived quite a life already and is well aware of his multiple pasts. It’s possible that this Variant is an older version of Victor Timely. In the comics, Timely traveled time to get a head start on the Avengers by cornering the market on technology while also secretly constructing Chronopolis from where he could access all timelines. The fantastical city within the Quantum Realm that’s been seen in promotional material for Quantumania is almost certainly Chronopolis and Kang almost certainly used it for its intended purposes for a long, long time before being trapped there. It’s possible that the Victor Timely Variant of Kang set to appear in Loki Season 2 is there, in part, to explain to audiences how Chronopolis came to be and to fill in the gaps about who the Conqueror that fans meet in Quantumania is.
If that half of Timely’s story could be adapted from the comics, the other half could be adapted just as easily. RPK’s information suggests that Timely is an inventor in the past and in a very Back to the Future twist (that’s Kevin Feige‘s favorite movie, by the way) is looking to impact the future. That future, a future in which Timely’s technology, not Tony Stark’s, is what drives the world may have already been glimpsed in the Void in Season 1 of Loki. The fifth episode of Season 1, entitled “Journey into Mystery”, revealed an alternate version of Stark Tower, Qeng Tower, had been cast into the Void following the reset of one timeline. That timeline would have been reset at the behest of He Who Remains, whose main purpose was to keep other Variants of himself from taking control. In the comics, Timely continued on by feigning death and “handing down” the company from Victor Timely to Jr. to III. It wouldn’t take much imagination to change it up in the MCU and have him “sell” the company to a new owner who might rename it Qeng.
So why is Victor Timely right for the MCU right now? Telling his story in Season 2 of Loki after meeting him in Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania not only tells the past of the Conqueror trapped in Chronopolis but also why he’ll be a threat to the Avengers in the future as the man behind Qeng Enterprises.
What is Qenq Enterprises?
Qeng Enterprises appeared in just a couple of comics during Mark Waid‘s 2015 Avengers: Ultron Forever but could be set to play a much larger role in the MCU. In the comics, Qeng Enterprises was the Earth-bound base from which Kang planned to launch his New Qeng Dynasty. In the MCU, it could be the equivalent of the point from which he accessed Chronopolis in the comics and the temporal location that the Avengers choose to target him as he wages his Multiversal War. In Loki, the tower has clearly taken heavy damage and given the crazy time-traveling shenanigans in play now, fans may already have seen the outcome of the Avengers’ war on the Kang Dynasty in a blink-and-you-miss-it Easter egg.
Why is Kang Stuck in Chronopolis?
How does a man like Kang, who has conquered so many timelines become trapped in a city of his own design? in the comics, the ability to move discretely between timelines was powered by an object of unfathomable chronal power: the Forever Crystal. More than one theory has discussed the possibility that the Forever Crystal has already been seen in the promotional footage for Quantumania and that it is the McGuffin of that film. If Scott Lang retrieves the Forever Crystal for Kang, he could put into motion the events of The Kang Dynasty.
Summary
The Kang Variant known as Victor Timely sets up shop on Earth, shapes a century or two through his own technology while building and then using Chronopolis to conquer other timelines. At some point in his journey, he becomes trapped in the Quantum Realm. Once he escapes, hehas enough power and/or weapons at his disposal to take on the Avengers, who had previously defeated him, he launces his attack from Qenq Tower. Looping in a previous theory, the Avengers have acquired powerful weapons (potentially created by other Kang Variants) and defeat Kang. What impact could an assault on Qeng Tower and or Chronopolis have on the Multiverse? That’s a theory for another day.
We are back with another edition of #GameToScreen, where we review the key differences between a video game and its adaptation. We continue with Episode 2 of The Last Of Us, Infected. You can read our veteran’s review here and our newbie’s review here, and you can yell at Charles if need be. Let’s dive right in!
The Connection Between The Infected
We alluded to this in Episode 1’s Game to Screen, but Episode 2 confirms the impact that the subtle change in how people are infected can have on this world. Since people are infected via the vines of other infected, then this means they are all theoretically connected. Now, this is obviously a drastic change from the games in that there is almost a symbiotic relationship between each of the infected. It, also, really gives us more questions than answers. Are they learning from each other? Is there an Infected Prime somewhere who is essentially Patient Zero?
Tess’s Death
We, also, alluded to this in last week’s Game to Screen, but changing Tess from Joel’s business partner to his business partner slash lover meant that things that were headed our way would have much different meaning. Tess dies off-camera in the games, choosing to sacrifice herself to ensure that Joel and Ellie live, though she makes sure to take everyone and everything she can with her in a flurry of gunfire. The show keeps the sacrifice, decides to remove the humans she encounters before dying, and instead sends in a mass wave of Clickers. Tess chooses to go down in a literal blaze of glory as she sets fire to herself and all the Clickers that surround her. We are, also, treated to what can only be described as a French kiss between a Clicker and Tess, which makes things very awkward. All jokes aside, having Tess die differently, albeit slightly earlier, really brings up so many questions about the fate of a lot of the characters we are going to meet. What changes to our characters await us down the road?
Ellie’s Infection
In the game, Ellie’s valuable in that she is immune from this airborne and by-the-bite virus. That’s right: she cannot become infected no matter how many times she’s bitten or, you know, breathes. In the show, they have already established that the way you are infected is different in the show. However, it is in Tess’s conversation with Ellie where something comes into focus: Ellie is actually infected. Tess tells Ellie, in fact, that even stepping on a vine draws the attention of multiple infected, which is fascinating considering that Ellie is very much infected in the show given that she has been struck with the vines before. Is Ellie not just the key to a cure, but also the key to finding the presumptive leader of the Infected?
The First Clicker Encounter
Ellie, Joel, and Tess first encounter the Clicker in the museum in Boston, during a dark night in Beantown. The show sets this encounter a little bit earlier, removes FEDRA’s presence from the encounter, and lets it play out in broad daylight. Considering this is one of the most tense situations in the game, setting it in the daytime would remove all tension, you would think, but not even a little bit: it is still very much unnerving to see Clickers for the first time, and to see them in the location you did not expect. One of the really great things about the Resident Evil remakes being released now is that they circumvent our expectations, and The Last of Us has found a way to do that in nice ways through two episodes. What other subtle changes are in store for us that change our expectations?
Tess’s Dying Wish
Tess, gearing up to sacrifice herself, tells Joel to take Ellie to Bill and Frank, and urges him to have them take her to the Fireflies: in the game, this just does not play out like that at all, and Frank is actually dead. Joel finds a corpse in the train station after Tess sacrifices herself, and you later discover that that was Frank who was dead. In the show, Frank is very much alive, and that introduces a new dynamic for the next episode. Tess’s instructions are for them to take Ellie to the Fireflies, while Joel can continue looking for the Ghost Rider Gabriel Luna. We will not get into Bill’s future given how spoilery it would be, but Frank’s future being re-written really has us excited.
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