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Geekville Radio #240: Marvel Phase Four Announced

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Geekville Radio #240: Marvel Phase Four Announced

A little later than expected, but Seth and Train are back to talk the Marvel Phase Four announcements from this year’s San Diego Comic-Con.

We speculated in our last episode on what Marvel might be doing for Phase Four of the Cinematic Universe. After a bunch of reveals at San Diego Comic-Con, we now have the full lineup for the next two years.

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.

4:45 – Black Widow (May 1, 2020)

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

15:45 – The Eternals (November 6th, 2020)

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“.

New Speculation: Nobody will care that Ajak and Makkari have been gender-swapped.

30:45 – Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (February 12, 2021)

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

Confirmed: Mandarin is the villain

Further Speculation: Since the Ten Rings were teased way back in the first Iron Man, this may take place over a period of time. There could be an explanation as to why Ben Kingsley played an imposter Mandarin.

39:50 – Falcon and the Winter Soldier (Fall, 2020)

Speculation: The show will be standalone and not directly tied to the rest of the MCU, and Baron Zemo will be the villain

Confirmed: Will not be standalone, and will be part of Phase Four. Baron Zemo is the villain and will have the mask.

42:00 – WandaVision (Spring 2021)

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.

New Speculation: Will tie in with Dr. Strange 2

45:10 – Loki (Spring 2021)

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.

50:45 – Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (May 7, 2021)

Speculation: Dr. Strange will be one of the focal points of the MCU on par with how Iron Man was for the first three phases.

Confirmed: Scarlet Witch will be in the film, so it may tie in with the WandaVision series.

55:10 – Thor: Love and Thunder (Nov 5th, 2021)

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

1:04:00 – Blade (Phase Five?)

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.

Remembering Rutger Hauer (1944-2019)

Iconic actor Rutger Hauer passed away this week at the age of 75. His 50 year career saw him play a multitude of roles. From hero to villain, action to drama, and just about everything in between.

If you’re looking to watch some of his famous roles, we have assembled a list of them here. While this is by no means an exhaustive list, it is a good lineup of performances in several genres.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4gN0nWL6NI

Nighthawks (1981) – Arguably his breakout performance as the villainous Wulfgar opposite detectives played by Sylvester Stallone and Billy Dee Williams.

Blade Runner (1982) – The role he will likely be remembered most for, Roy Batty was the rebellious replicant hunted by Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford).

Ladyhawke (1985) – This medieval fantasy cult favorite saw Hauer play the heroic Navarre alongside then up and coming actors Matthew Broderick and Michelle Pfeiffer

The Hitcher (1986) – Another signature villain role as John Ryder, the serial killer who terrorizes C. Thomas Howell.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxvzbESnoVM

Wanted Dead Or Alive (1986) – Inspired by the 1950s Western that starred Steve McQueen (yes, that Steve McQueen). Hauer plays a bounty hunter tracking down a terrorist played by Gene Simmons (yes, THAT Gene Simmons).

Escape From Sobibor (1986) – 1986 was a busy year. Not only was he a villain in The Hitcher, and a hero in Wanted Dead or Alive, but his performance as Alexander “Sasha” Pechersky in this WWII drama earned him a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992) – The original Kristy Swanson movie that begat the series had Rutger as the vampire leader, Lothos.

Merlin (1998) – This spin on the classic tale of King Arthur tells the story from Merlin’s point of view. Hauer portrays the tyrannical King Vortigern opposite Sam Neill’s title character.

The 10th Kingdom (2000) – A fairy tale fantasy mini-series that is set years after the time of Snow White. Hauer is the Queen’s Huntsman who follows the heroes through the magic mirror and into New York City.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4e24m-LYl4

Salem’s Lot (2004) – Hauer takes on another vampire role. This time as Kurt Barlow, one of the main antagonists in this remake of the Stephen King classic.

Sin City (2005) – The star-studded ensemble cast saw Hauer in the small but memorable role as Cardinal Rourke.

Batman Begins (2005) – The first in Christopher Nolan’s epic trilogy, Batman Begins had Rutger play Earle, the man who tried to usurp Wayne Enterprises from Christian Bale’s Bruce Wayne.

Hobo With a Shotgun (2011) – Hauer reprises the title role he had in the mock trailer of the same name in Robert Rodriguez & Quentin Tarantino’s Grindhouse.

The Rite (2011) – Hauer plays the father of Colin O’Donoghue’s protagonist in this supernatural thriller that also stars Anthony Hopkins

Dracula 3D (2012) – From vampire to a vampire hunter. Hauer plays Van Helsing in Dario Argento’s take on the legendary vampire story.

In addition, Hauer was a fan-favorite to play Magneto in a then dream X-Men film. Wizard magazine published a fanboy casting in 1992, approximately eight years before an X-Men film became a reality.

To be fair, Wizard did accurately pick Patrick Stewart to play Charles Xavier in the same casting.

He also had the honor of being voted Dutch Actor Of The Century by Dutch citizens.

Fortunately for his fans, Hauer had several parts which he had already filmed for movies and shows that have yet to be released. His IMDB page shows five projects currently still set for release within the coming year.

We at Geekville Radio extend are deepest condolences to Rutger Hauer’s family and friends.

Marvel’s “What If…” Series To Explore The Infinity Saga

Longtime Marvel fans were delighted when Kevin Feige announced the animated What If…? series for the Disney+ streaming service. Not only will the show be produced by Marvel Studios, but it will also feature many of the existing MCU actors reprising their big-screen roles.

However, if you were hoping for stories about Wolverine, Spider-Man, or The Fantastic Four, you may be disappointed. Feige clarified while speaking with Screen Rant that only stories from The Infinity Saga (Phases 1-3) will be explored.

“Right now, we’re focusing on for the first season, everything you know about the 23 movies in the Infinity Saga and adding one twist to them and seeing how everything turns out different.”

Marvel President Kevin Feige to Screen Rant

While that excludes classic issues where Wolverine kills The Hulk, or The Punisher becomes Captain America, the good news is that still means over twenty movies worth of material can be explored. Add in that the known actors will still be providing the voices, and it’s still a pretty ambitious concept.

What If…? will debut in Summer 2021 on Disney+. The series premiere will answer the question “What If Peggy Carter Became Captain America?”.

San Diego Comic-Con Trailers

One of the many fun things with San Diego Comic-Con is the plethora of trailers released. While the days of exclusive trailers are mostly gone, it’s still a big marketing day for the entertainment industry.

Here are several of the trailers that premiered over the weekend.

Netflix’s The Witcher starring Henry Cavill
HBO’s Watchmen, inspired by the classic comic book miniseries
A sizzle reel for Arrow gives a glimpse of Season Eight

The Flash Season 6

Flash Season 6 introduces the new villain Bloodwork
Top Gun: Maverick, the long-rumored sequel to the 1986 classic

Terminator: Dark Fate

Terminator: Dark Fate welcomes back Linda Hamilton as Sarah Connor

Dark Crystal

Dark Crystal: Age Of Resistance still uses puppetry like its predecessor
Jay & Silent Bob Reboot is a sequel to 2003’s Jay & Silen Bob Strike Back
Star Trek: Picard looks to be an absolute treasure to TNG fans

What were your favorite trailers from Sand Diego Comic-Con? Sound off below!

Brandon Routh Returns to Superman For Arrowverse Crossover

Fans have been speculating how the Arrowverse creators will handle Crisis On Infinite Earths since its announcement almost a year ago. At San Diego Comic-Con fans were finally given some answers.

Perhaps the biggest bombshell revealed at the Arrow panel is that Brandon Routh will play two characters. His regular character, Ray Palmer/The Atom, and Superman.

Routh, of course, portrayed The Man Of Steel in 2006’s feature film Superman Returns. Released as a direct sequel to 1980’s Superman II, which is widely considered the best of the Christopher Reeve films, Superman Returns established that Routh’s Superman and Reeve’s Superman were one and the same.

As if that wasn’t enough, Routh came on stage during the panel to reveal his costume.

Brandon Routh reveals a Kingdom Come Superman shirt

Routh will indeed be playing Superman as he appeared in the epic 1996 comics story Kingdom Come, which takes place in the future. In it, Superman is older and more of a grizzled veteran than the current day one.

Superman as he appears in Kingdom Come #1. Art by Alex Ross

This would also seem to imply that this aging badass Superman is that same Reeve/Routh movie version. How he will fit into the Crisis story was not revealed, but it sure whets fans’ appetite for the series when it airs this Fall.

As DC Comics fans know, Crisis On Infinite Earths was an epic universe-wide crossover event that rebooted the DC Universe continuity. All of the “other universes”, or Multi-verse as they might be called now, were streamlined into one congruent universe.

Arrow will be ending its eight-year run this season and will be part of the annual crossover event.

Big Finish’s 20th Anniversary Doctor Who Story: The Legacy Of Time

Big Finish celebrates 20 years of Doctor Who Stories

Big Finish is celebrating 20 years of original Doctor Who stories in the most “Doctor Whoish” way. Not only does The Legacy Of Time feature six (count ’em SIX) incarnations of the famous Time Lord, but it also has companions from both the old and new series. It’s a multi-generational mash-up that can only be done by Big Finish.

Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy, and Paul McGann all reprise their respective Doctors, while Tim Treloar replaces the late great Jon Pertwee. Some of the familar supporting characters include Ace, Leela, Jo Grant, Osgood, Kate Stewart, and of course River Song.

The six CD set (?!?!) is currently available, but is limited to 4,000 copies. An MP3 edition is available for immediate download. Both are available at Big Finish’s site.

Tom Welling as Batman in the Arrowverse?

Robert Pattinson will be playing Batman in future big screen Justice League films, but another fellow teenage heartthrob may be headed to TV for the same role.

Tom Welling recently appeared on Michael Rosenbaum’s podcast Inside Of You. In the interview, he stated that he would be open to playing The Caped Crusader in The CW’s family of Arrowverse shows.

Welling, who is best known for portraying a young Clark Kent/Superman in the long-running show Smallville, had communication with Arrow showrunners earlier this year. He is reportedly appearing in Arrow’s final season in some capacity.

It is worth noting there is no official confirmation on what Welling’s role is as of yet. However, the show has an October start date. Whether the Dark Knight talk was a teaser or just a throwaway statement, will be known soon. If it does happen, it would make Welling the first actor to portray both Batman and Superman in live action productions.

Examining The Doctor #69: Shada

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Geekville Radio Presents Examining The Doctor: Shada

Examining the Doctor is back after two years, and we wanted to come back with a doozy of a show. This episode is devoted to the infamously incomplete story Shada from 1979. This was meant to be the final story for Season 17, but due to strikes and politics, production halted after a few days.

The BBC finally released a complete reconstructed version using animated sequences to fill the missing scenes. The result is a mashup of live action and animation that would only seem to fit in Doctor Who.

Join Mark and Seth as they bring their signature blend of knowledge and humor to arguably the most popular story to never get broadcast. Written by Douglas Adams, Shada stars Tom Baker as The Fourth Doctor, Lalla Ward as Romana, and Christopher Meade as the villainous Skagra

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Examining The Dead #21

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Examining The Dead #21

Coroner’s Report (2:30)

Gruesome Twosome (37:35)

First up, 2011’s The Rite starring Anthony Hopkins and Colin O’Donoghue. It is inspired by a true story involving exorcism.

Also, the 2018 Halloween reboot, now available on home video.

Into The Crystal Ball (1:10:43)

Godzilla: King Of The Monsters is currently in theaters. Train, Greg, and Seth all give their recommended Godzilla movies if you need a prep for the new film. In a previous episode of Geekville Radio, Seth and Greg summarized every Godzilla movie made through Final Wars.

Train’s Picks

  • Gojira (1954)
  • Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II (1993)
  • Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964)

Greg’s Picks

  • King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)
  • Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1973)
  • Ghidorah The Three Headed Monster (1964)

Seth’s Picks

  • Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991)
  • GMK: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (2001)
  • Godzilla Against MechaGodzilla/Tokyo SOS (2003)

Honorable Mentions

  • Godzilla 1985
  • Godzilla vs. Monster Zero (1965)
  • Godzilla vs. Destroyah (1995)
  • Destroy All Monsters (1968)
  • All Monsters Attack (1969)

Ghost Rider Series Headed to Hulu

One thing Agents Of SHIELD fans liked about the show’s fourth season was the introduction of the Robbie Reyes incarnation of Ghost Rider. Affectionately called “Ghost Driver” by some, this version used a black 1969 Dodge Charger rather than the more common motorcycle.

Gabriel Luna portrayed the character through the 2016-2017 season, which also dropped hints at a previous Johnny Blaze or Danny Ketch appearance.

Variety reports that Luna will reprise the role for a spinoff series on Hulu. However, sources say this will be a “new iteration”, without any connection to Agents Of SHIELD. That would seem to imply a different character. Or it could simply mean a reset without a recast, similar to the Ghost Rider: Spirit Of Vengeance feature film.

Also recently announced for Hulu have been series for Howard The Duck, Dazzler, and MODOK. With Disney’s recent acquisition of 20th Century Fox, they now own a stake in Hulu. Disney is also of course starting their own Netflix-like streaming service in Fall 2019.