The first day of Disney’s D23 Expo has come to an end. A lot of programming for Disney+ was revealed. While many were expected, there were a few surprises.
Disney did reveal the first official trailer for the highly anticipated series The Mandalorian, which will depict a bounty hunter guild shortly after Return Of The Jedi.
The Obi-Wan Kenobi series was officially announced Friday
Untitled Obi-Wan Kenobi series – As we talked about before, an Obi-Wan Kenobi spin-off has been rumored for quite some time. Disney finally made their first official public reveal of the show on Friday. As expected, Ewan McGregor will reprise the role. Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy and Ewan himself were present at the reveal.
The premise has generally been expected to be about Obi-Wan’s time on Tatooine guarding Luke. While that was not specifically confirmed, the show will take place a few years before A New Hope, which means it will be in approximately the same time frame as Rebels.
Ms. Marvel – Another rumored series to be confirmed was that of Ms. Marvel. Specifically, this will involve the current incarnation, Kamala Khan. No casting was announced, nor was there a release date given. With several Marvel series on tap for 2020, it’s unlikely that we will see this before 2021.
Moon Knight – One of the surprise announcements is Moon Knight. He has been one of the characters rumored going back to the Netflix days to get a series. Moon Knight may not be one of the first Marvel characters fans might think of, but that’s what makes a streaming service a perfect platform.
She-Hulk – Perhaps the biggest surprise announcement is She-Hulk. Again, no casting or premiere date announced. It will be interesting to see how Jennifer Walters will be handled in live-action form. Could we see a Rbuce Banner cameo?
It’s a pretty safe bet that more content will be announced over the next two days. Even if there isn’t, that still leaves at least 30-40 episodes worth of material to come in 2021.
That said, like with so many other remakes and rebrandings, the original lore is still there. It won’t get erased from existence if a retelling of Snake-Eyes happens.
Airdates will be Supergirl 12/8, Batwoman 12/9, Flash 12/10. Then Arrow and Legends Of Tomorrow on 1/14. So that’s five episodes in two parts, meaning it will also double as the mid-season cliffhanger.
Batman and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Two franchises that have been around for decades and seen countless variations reach amazing levels of mainstream success. A meeting of the two seems like a natural step doesn’t it?
That’s just what happened in late 2015 when IDW joined forces with DC Comics to present the first official pairing. Two more crossovers followed, as well as an animated movie adaption.
I’ll still give a mild spoiler warning. I won’t give away massive plot points, but if you want to be completely spoiler-free read the comic and watch the video first.
Limited Series/Hardcover Adaption
Hardcover collection of the first series
Originally published as a six-issue crossover, Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles saw the Turtles brought into the DC Comics world. Ever since DC vs. Marvel, it seems every crossover has to be done with the premise of one side coming from a different world.
Veteran Batman writer James Tyrion IV handles the story, with Freddie Williams II doing the artwork. The pairing absolutely works. Batman looks just as he always has, while the Turtles still manage to have the classic Mirage Studios look without feeling out of place next to The Dark Knight.
The premise is simple. Krang sent The Turtles, along with Shredder and his Foot Clan minions, to another world so he could be evil without their interference. See, in this incarnation, Shredder and Krang aren’t besties so they’re prone to sabotaging each other’s plans.
The rest of the story, for the most part, can easily be figured out. The two groups of heroes do not initially trust each other but learn to respect one another when push comes to shove. The interaction between Batman and Raphael is particularly good, given Raph is the hothead of his family and Bats has a history of dealing with hotheaded teenagers.
The Blu-ray adapts the first mini-series. However, the subplot of alternate worlds is left out, probably for simplicity’s sake. There are also characters in the comic that do not appear in the comic and vice versa. Plus the ending is completely different as it takes place at an Ace Chemical factory instead of Arkham Asylum like the comic.
The animation almost seems like a hybrid of Cartoon Network’s The Brave And The Bold crossed with the TMNT style of the early 2000s syndicated series. If you were hoping for a return to the 90s DCAU look, you might be a little disappointed*.
As far as the voice acting, none of the past TMNT voice actors reprise any roles. Fortunately, the actors who do appear perform the roles admirably and the voicing is top-notch as always.
That said, it really would have been that extra topping on the pizza to have the known voices like Rob Paulsen, Cam Clarke, or Kevin Michael Richardson in the mix. It’s very possible there are production reasons why it didn’t happen, but it still would have been cool.
Perhaps the biggest surprise is Troy Baker taking a shot as Batman. I have said before that I literally hear Kevin Conroy’s voice in my head when I read Batman comics. Baker has previously filled in for Mark Hamill as The Joker and pulled it off so well even Hamill himself was impressed. He manages the same feat here with uncanny accuracy to Conroy’s Batman.
While there is nothing shown explicitly, there is a good deal of violence in the movie. An example of this is when Shredder and Ra’s Al-Ghul infiltrate Arkham Asylum. A security guard is shown trying to stop them and you see a flash of a blade. Moments later, the guard’s severed hand is used to open the security door that leads to The Joker’s cell. Another is when Shredder kills by throwing a shuriken into the back of a head.
There is no word yet, as of this writing, whether there will be additional movies. Based on this first outing we certainly hope there will be. Each franchise still has villains that haven’t been used yet, and with two more comics stories, there are easily two more movies worth of material.
Now, how about that long overdue TMNT/Daredevil crossover?
It is worth noting that only films slated for 2020 and 2021 were announced. There were no definite indications of theatrical releases for 2022. The possibilities of Black Panther 2, Captain Marvel 2, and Avengers 5 are still very strong.
For each of the announced movies or series, we’ll give our main speculation points and pair them up with what was confirmed during the Hall H presentation.
Speculation: Florence Pugh will play Yelena Belova/Crimson Widow. David Harbour will be Taskmaster. This may introduce a cloned Natasha like in the comics
Confirmed: Pugh will be Yelena Belova, David Harbour will be Alexi Shostakov aka Red Guardian, the Russian equivalent of Captain America.
New Speculation: Yelena Belova may be Taskmaster instead of Crimson Widow
Speculation: Millie Bobby Brown and Angelina Jolie would be the same character. Thanos and Adam Warlock would be involved in some capacity.
Confirmed: Several roles were announced, none of which were Thanos or Warlock. It will take place on Earth, and Kevin Feige described it as “full-on Jack Kirby“.
Speculation:Shang-Chi will fill the void Danny Rand/Iron Fist fills in the comics as the martial-arts expert. If this is an attempt to get a Bruce Lee vibe, it will fail to do so
Speculation: Will take place before Vision’s death in Infinity War.
Confirmed: Takes place in current time, so maybe Captain America was able to revive Vision in his post-Endgame quest. Monica Rambeau is in the show, perhaps to become a new Captain Marvel or Miss Marvel.
Speculation: Possible origin story or another story from the past. Loki’s escape during Endgame could play a factor.
Confirmed: Takes place after Loki’s escape in Avengers: Endgame. This will be the classic evil Loki and not the sympathetic character he became in Phase Three.
Speculation: Could be directly related to Guardians of the Galaxy 3 given the styles of directors James Gunn and Taiki Watiti. Plus Thor left with the Guardians to close out Endgame.
Confirmed:Natalie Portman will be reprising Jane Foster and will become Thor.
Current Speculation: Thor himself will be a supporting role, and it could still tie into Guardians 3
1:01:05 – Hawkeye (Fall 2021)
Speculation: Clint is back to adventuring now that his family is safe. We may see Kate Bishop.
Confirmed: Kate Bishop will be major part of the show
Maharshala Ali was a surprise announcement as the MCU Blade. It was not stated whether this will be a feature film or a Disney+ mini-series.
1:13:00 – X-Men and Deadpool (Phase Five?)
Marvel did not outright say any immediate future of the X-Men franchise, including Deadpool. But it seems like X-Men may wait a few years and get rebranded for Phase Five.
Geekville Radio #232: Star Wars Day, Free Comic Book Day, RIP Peter Mayhew
May The Fourth Be With You
It’s May 4th, aka May The Fourth: Star Wars Day. For anybody new to the concept, that means it’s the Unofficial Star Wars Day. Unless you’re in California, where it became a recognized Star Wars Day.
RIP Peter Mayhew (1922-2019)
We can’t mention Star Wars Day without mentioning the sad news of Peter Mayhew’s passing. He of course portrayed Chewbacca in five Star Wars films, and in numerous TV appearances.
According to his IMDB page, he has almost a dozen credits as Chewbacca. If there was Chewbacca appearing in any sort of Star Wars event, chances are it was really Peter in the costume. If not, Peter would often be consulted on how Chewie should be portrayed.
He worked with the fan community up to the very end. He was originally set to appear this weekend at the Dallas Fan Expo. His booth had already been built. Rather than take the booth down, it was changed into a memorial where fans could sign a guest book to give their condolences. One of those “Faith in Humanity Restored” stories.
Lastly, here is the simple but entertaining story of Peter meeting George Lucas for the first time about Star Wars.
Peter Mayhew talks about meeting George Lucas for the first time
#Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy talked to us about the future of #StarWars – including a Knights of the Old Republic movie and female filmmakers taking the helm, as well as Palpatine’s surprise return in the trailer for @StarWars#EpisodeIXpic.twitter.com/HCjEhdlRv7
Kathleen Kennedy apparently confirming development on a KOTR feature film
Very little is known about what a Knights Of The Old Republic film would be about, or who is involved. Kennedy herself said she didn’t know what’s in store. Rian Johnson has publicly stated that he is not doing a KOTOR trilogy. It is well known that Game of Thrones creators David Benoiff and D.B. Weiss are developing their own trilogy as well. The presumably mystical setting for a KOTOR film (or trilogy) would seem to be a good fit.
I can only review two releases, since I could only get two of the titles I was hoping for.
Star Wars Adventures: Droid Hunters – Written by Cavan Scott with art by Derek Charm, Droid Hunters stars Han Solo and Chewbacca and a quest for treasure. The story definitely has that “Saturday Morning Cartoon” vibe to it, and I mean that as a compliment. It’s clearly geared for kids. Nobody dies, and nobody is terribly ruthless. Sure, there’s a double-cross that is fairly obvious, but it’s still enjoyable.
Spider-Man – This one had two stories. The first is by the Venom team of Donny Cates and Ryan Stegman. Eddie Brock is now Carnage, not Venom. Cletus Kasady is not only back, but he has the original Knull symbiote.
The other story is more of a standalone comedy by Saladin Ahmed and Tom Taylor, with art by Corey Smith and Jay Lester. Peter and Miles compare pizza and then take down Shocker… who also has opinions on pizza.
War Of The Realms
Finally, here is the update on War Of The Realms. A SPOILER ALERT has been pressed
The heroes are organizing Strike Force teams to retaliate against Malekith and his armies. There are currently at least two Strike Force.
Captain America, Spider-Man, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and Wolverine travel to Jotunheim, where they find a LOT of dead Frost Giants, and a certain one-armed Thunder God. It’s worth mentioning that Spidey, Cage, and Danny are all apparently worthy of wielding Asgard weaponry.
Another team, led by Freya herself, consists of Punisher, Ghost Rider, She-Hulk, and Blade. One of these things just doesn’t belong here. But they will be going to Svartalfheim, the home of the dark elves.
Note: When getting these comics, I didn’t see the upcoming War Avengers Strike Force team of Captain Marvel, Black Widow, Captain Britain, Weapon H, Winter Soldier, Venom, and Sif. So I didn’t touch on them during recording.
That’s it for War Of The Realms news. Is there anything I missed?
We are thrilled to announce the latest channel in the Geekville Radio spectrum, The Lesser Known Geek Hall Of Fame!
What is this “Lesser Known” Hall Of Fame? Isn’t “Lesser Known” and “Hall Of Fame” an oxymoron?
First off, google that word “oxymoron” if you don’t know what it means
Secondly, yes it may seem that way at first. But we here at Geekville Radio have started this new podcast to pay tribute to some of the lesser known characters with whom the history of Good vs. Evil might not be complete without.
Simply put, we won’t be talking much in the way of A-Listers such as Wonder Woman, Spider-Man, Darth Vader, or the like. We will talk characters who were trailblazers in their genre, and who may have influenced the creation of A-List characters like the ones mentioned above.
Don’t know who The Shadow is? Or maybe The Phantom? Or maybe you have and would like to know more? Well, that’s where The Lesser Known Geek Hall Of Fame comes in. The inspirational heroes (and yes, villains too) who could be mentioned in the same breath as some of the household names.
Coming Soon, the first episode of TLKGHOF which will focus on the character and creation of one of the earliest, if not THE earliest, pulp magazine heroes: The Shadow!
There’s a ton of news to talk about on this episode of Geekville Radio! Seth, Crazy Train, and special guest Lead Base cover the news and the fallout of Free Comic Book Day. Timestamps are included if you want to skip to certain parts.
1:45 – First up, Rockstar Games has released the latest trailer for Red Dead Redemption 2. Check it out below
11:51 – In Marvel MCU news, Black Panther will be available in digital format on May 8th. It will drop on Blu-Ray and DVD a week later. This is interesting news becuase Black Panther is still being shown in theaters. What behind the scenes content could be included as extras? Cut footage? How the language was created? A look at the music?
31:45 – Also in movie news, Entertainment Weekly noted in a recent article that advance ticket sales for Solo: A Star Wars Story have surpassed Black Panther. Could this be a mega-hit despite the controversy? Will it see the success that the Star Trek recasting has?
39:45 – As a compendium to our previous episode, Train and Lead Base speculate on what the previews in Free Comic Book Day releases will affect the Marvel and DC Universe titles.
42:20 – Amazing Spider-Man #1: Peter Parker’s rommate is set to be Boomerang
46:10 – Justice League: Batman and Catwoman are getting married, and all the main Justice League power hitters are off planet. What could the approaching giant beings mean for Earth? Will this change the DCU (again)?
1:06:45 – Avengers: Loki had harnassed the power of a Celestial, making him a terribly powerful foe. On top of that, Odin himself has given Black Panther the tast of killing The God Of Mischief. With Loki’s future in the MCU now seemingly known, could this be the same in the comic world as well?
1:09:51 – Guardians Of The Galaxy: The Infinity Stones are back! Clever writing? Or marketing ploy? The panel discusses the possibilities.
1:25:15 – The final segment of the show is devoted to Lead Base’s experience with the other end of Free Comic Book Day. Hear what it’s like to be a comic book artist on one of the biggest days of the year for comic fans. If you’re an aspiring comic artist, you’ll get plenty of good advice on how to start out. Including how washing dishes can help your drawing ability.
All this and a lot of fun tangents in the latest fun-filled episode of Geekville Radio! You can contact Lead Base Studios at https://www.facebook.com/LeadBaseStudios/
