Spider-Man #1 by JJ and Henry Abrams & Sarah Pichelli
Marvel announced back in June that famed Hollywood writer/director JJ Abrams will be writing his own Spider-Man comic this fall. This week, they released a trailer for the project. Not only does it feature interviews with JJ and his son Henry, but it also has input from Marvel Editor Nick Lowe.
As hinted for the last month, the series will introduce a new villain for the web-headed hero in the form of Cadaverous. While the full nature of his powers is not yet revealed, it does seem like he is a techno-organic mishmash that really cranks up the Creep Factor.
Spider-Man #1 drops on September 18th. It is written by JJ and Henry Abrams with art by Sarah Pichelli.
The final film in Marvel Phase Three was not Avengers: Endgame, but Spider-Man: Far From Home. It firmly established, in case there were any doubts, that people affected by The Snap did get a five year age difference. Plus, it featured the big screen debut of Mysterio, one of Spider-Man’s longest-tenured villains.
SPOILERS BELOW!
One thing I noticed when reading preview pages was the number of sites that didn’t seem to know the background on Mysterio. I’m not going to say names because I don’t want to hurt any feelings, but I would see websites speculate “Could this Mysterio be a hero?”. Anybody familiar with Mysterio in the comics knows that masquerading as a hero is what he does. Jake Gyllenhaal takes on a rare villain role but does play the “man out of place” facade very well.
As for the rest of the cast, all the major characters return. A few are recast due to the age differences caused by Thanos’s Snap, now called “The Blip” for the masses. The setting is eight months later, with Peter adjusting to life without Tony Stark.
A major plot point involved Peter being given special glasses worn by Tony in Endgame which had the latest JARVIS/FRIDAY type AI, EDITH (Even In Death I’m The Hero). This leads to a comedy segment where Peter accidentally sends death drones after a classmate.
Naturally, Peter, still unsure of his abilities, is hesitant to step up as a go-to guy for the Avengers. He willingly hands over EDITH, and thus all of Stark Technologies, to Quentin Beck, aka Mysterio, who uses them to wreak havoc in Italy. Why Tony Stark of all people wouldn’t have a failsafe on such a dangerous piece of technology is not explained. But that’s low on the list of questions in a world where half the population has to deal with losing five years of their lives.
Perhaps the biggest news coming out of the latest MCU offering wasn’t even in the movie itself but in the now signature post-credits scene. In it, we find that Nick Fury and Maria Hill are actually being impersonated by Jonas, the skrulls from Captain Marvel. Meanwhile, the real Fury is on board a skrull spaceship somewhere else in the cosmos.
TRAILER COMPARISONS
We speculated in our analysis of the final trailer that Mysterio not only was up to his usual trick of passing off as a hero but that he may be lying about coming from another world. Both turned out to be the case, as Gyllenhaal’s Quentin Beck harbored a deep hatred of Tony Stark for taking his tech, as depicted in Captain America: Civil War. Another one of his henchmen was the guy yelled at by Obadiah Stane for not being as good as Stark in the original Iron Man. Like Vulture in Homecoming, Beck’s team resented Stark and SHIELD for kicking them to the curb.
That brings us to one of the more puzzling elements of the last trailer. In it, Fury states that “The Snap” opened portals to other worlds. This line was not spoken during the film. The only mention of another Earth was during Beck’s introduction in the first act.
So why was this line cut? Was it simply for plot simplicity? Or was it a red herring to throw the audience off? After all, even if Beck was a fraud, a link to another universe would be a heckuva plot point to leave open. Especially since the epilogue showed that neither Fury nor Hill trusted Beck in the first place, even if it was their skrull doppelgangers.
Another piece of news concerning cut footage is the lack of Michael Keaton’s Adrian Toomes/Vulture. While he did not appear in the trailers, he was credited on the film’s IMDB page. Ditto for Michael Mando’s Mac Gargan/Scorpion. The presence of these villains wasn’t crucial, but it would have been nice to catch a glimpse of them. After all, the natural progression would be to have some form of The Sinister Six in an upcoming movie. The villainous group would be half accounted for, assuming Beck’s death was a ruse. They even have a common cause: Hatred of Stark Industries, SHIELD, and Spider-Man.
THE FINAL VERDICT
Overall, Far From Home delivered on every major expectation. We got a faithful depiction of Mysterio as a villain who masquerades as a hero. We got further development in Peter’s relationship with MJ. We even got J Jonah Jameson, the biggest thorn in Spider-Man’s side, reprised by JK Simmons to boot!
The only thing that could be seen as a disappointment was in the soundtrack. Not the music by Michael Giacchino, that was top notch as usual. But we’ve now had our second Spider-Man movie with a Ramones song in it, and not the Ramones cover of the Spider-Man theme from the 90s.
2020 will see the dawn on Marvel’s Phase Four, and there are plenty of possibilities where things will go. Our next episode of Geekville Radio will dive into what we know and don’t know about Phase Four.
With the Disney/Fox merger complete, fans have been wondering how Fox-owned properties will be incorporated into The MCU. Especially now, in the wake of a Post-Snap Phase Four.
Of course, one of the hottest properties is the Merc With A Mouth, Deadpool.
It has been reported that Ryan Reynolds will keep his job portraying Deadpool/Wade Wilson. Given that Disney would almost assuredly alienate a fanbase if they recast the role, that news is most welcome.
According to MCU Cosmic, Disney is already exploring ways to bring the R-Rated cash cow into continuity. There are three main options:
Deadpool 3
A Series a la Disney+ or Hulu
A co-starring role in Spider-Man 3
Let’s look at these options one at a time
Deadpool 3 – This would seem to be the most likely option. Deadpool already has two wildly successful movies under his belt. Why would they deviate from that platform? Disney owns 20th Century Fox, so can continue to distribute under that name if they choose. Failing that, it could simply be released under the Marvel banner.
Series – There are already several exciting titles that will be debuting on Disney+ when it rolls out in the Fall. At least two Star Wars titles, two Marvel series, and every episode of The Simpsons from their near 30 year run. A Deadpool mini-series certainly could fit in with that company.
Disney has already stated that the Disney+ service will be family friendly, so the chances of “Hard R” content, such as the Deadpool movies, are pretty slim.
The possible solution to this is simple. Disney now also controls Hulu, the second biggest streaming platform in the world. Several of Hulu’s original series (Catch-22, The Act, The Handmaid’s Tail, etc…) all sport a TV-MA rating. They even have an original movie called I’mJust F*cking With You. Deadpool would fit right in with that company.
Spider-Man 3 – This might be the most entertaining option, even if the content is toned down for PG-13 content. While some fans question putting a mature audience in a PG-13 movie, there is precedent in the comics for this. Spider-Man and Deadpool already have an ongoing series.
There is one more option though, albeit not nearly as probable as the previous three. Disney is considering doing a X-Force movie. In the comics, Deadpool is part of that group.
No matter what unfolds, it seems likely that we will be seeing Deadpool in the MCU sooner rather than later.
Geekville Radio #233: Spider-Man: Far From Home Trailer
Sony released a second trailer for Spider-Man: Far From Home, which gives a little more of the story. That means it’s time to examine every frame of it so we can lay out what everything means and then get mad if it turns out to be something different.
So queue up the Spider-Man: Far From Home trailer and follow along!
From Bubble Boy to Supervillain. Jake Gyllenhaal as MysterioIs this a rib on Holland given his alleged history of leaking spoilers?A very sad looking PeterA tribute to Iron Man, presumably in the same sceneLooks like Happy Hogan is now Peter’s father figureI’m not crying, you’re cryingSpidey busting some well armed criminalsThe Iron Spider costume makes another appearanceSpidey evading gunfireIs that… IMPACT WEBBING?The classic costume is back!“You don’t ghost Nick Fury!” Plus, an added Absorbing Man referenceSo did MJ get snapped?Ned can’t catch a break sometimes. By the way, in the comics Ned Leeds is HobgoblinNick Fury returnsSpidey en route to a secret lairFury and Hill already know MysterioEarth Elemental? Or Absorbing Man?Will Maria Hill be around more often?Water Elemental? Or Hydro Man?Stealth Suit Spider-Man?Since he can’t use F-Bombs, will “Bitch, please!” be Fury’s catchphrase?Fire Elemental? Or Molten Man?Mysterio flying and fightingLooks like Mysterio is packing a huge punch, assuming it’s not a trick.Peter and Mysterio having a serious talkSooo, if it’s obvious that Peter is Spider-Man, why is MJ the only one that figured it out?Perhaps the Elementals are combining?At last, THE FISHBOWL Helmet!Look! Up in the sky! …Oops! Wrong franchise…Paging Captain Planet!Somebody’s bound to make a “London Bridge” jokePerhaps foreshadowing Mysterio’s villainous ways?Where’s the fishbowl?Tony’s Nanotech Glasses?A city decimatedIs this before, after or during the destruction in the previous pic?More Stark Tech for Spidey?Fury giving a stern talking to the “Black Ops” SpideyIron Man MemorialFire Elemental? Or Holocaust?Combat Suit Spidey swinging to safetyIt’s just not a Marvel film without some well placed comedy
Did we miss anything? Any other ideas? What did you think of this trailer?
At long last, the first trailer for Spider-Man: Far From Home has hit the interwebs. Check it out below, and check out our analysis of the trailer by clicking on the podcast link above.
Is this before or after Infinity War? There are a few clues within. Let us know what you think!
This episode of Geekville Radio is dedicated to the memory of Gary Kurtz. Who, with the exception of George Lucas himself, may be the man most responsible for Star Wars getting made.
RIP Gary Kurtz
He will obviously best known for Star Wars and Empire Strikes Back, but he did have other titles to his credit. He also produced George’s first big hit, 1973’s American Graffiti, along with 1989’s Slipstream starring Mark Hamill and the late great Bill Paxton.
RIP Scott Wilson
Scott Wilson is probably best known to the current generation as Hershel in The Walking Dead. He was a regular series cast member in the first couple seasons. He also voiced Hershel for video game releases, and Robot Chicken. Hs career dates back to the mid 1960’s, and his first credited role according to IMDB is the original In The Heat Of The Night
Both Iron Fist and Luke Cage have been canceled by Netlfix
While it may not be surprising just for Iron Fist, fans were a little shocked at the cancellation of both Iron Fist and Luke Cage by Netflix. Both shows were well received, with Iron Fist almost universally praised as being a huge improvement over the first season. Especially when it comes to Finn Jones and fight choreography.
The big question is “Why both shows?”. Seth and Train can really only speculate, but there are a few possible reasons. Could this mean a Heroes For Hire show? Or even a Daughters Of The Dragon? And if so would it be for Netflix or Disney? Is it in either Netflix’s or Disney’s best interests to keep shows on Netflix, and not move them to Disney’s streaming service? And if they are Disney bound, than theoretically they could cross over with Agents Of SHIELD, another show that is rumored to move to Disney either next year or the year after.
On a side note, Seth and Train point out how Luke Cage can be considered the ‘White Meat Babyface” of the Netflix Marvel programming.
Kathleen Kennedy’s contract with LucasFilm has been renewed
The only Star Wars movie currently in production is Episode IX. It will be the final “Episode”, and it will be marketed as such. There will be the aforementioned films by Game Of Thrones creators. Plus the Rian Johnson trilogy is still in development. So there will be no shortage of Star Wars on the big screen, despite the reported dialing back on films
One title that is absent from this list is the rumored Obi-Wan Kenobi film. We had reported a few months back that the film was set to begin filming in Ireland after Episode IX had wrapped. Just because that movie wasn’t mentioned, doesn’t necessarily mean that it is dead in the water.
When you look at the past films under her watch, several films did have some bumps along the way.
Rogue One went through a direction change, with Tony Gilroy taking over to adjust what Gareth Edwards had done. However Edwards maintained Director credit.
Directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller were outright fired from Solo and Ron Howard was hired to almost completely re-shoot the film. When you factor that in, it’s amazing it still made its release deadline.
Colin Trevorrow left Episode IX and got replaced by JJ
It seems the only movies that DIDN’T have troubles were with Abrams and Johnson.
Jon Favreau’s Series
In other Star Wars news, Jon Favreau’s series The Mandalorianhas begun filming. It of course will be one of the flagship shows on Disney’s upcoming streaming service, now called Disney Play.
While no cast or characters have been announced, the premise will be a few years after Return of The Jedi, but well before The Force Awakens. There will be no First Order as of yet.
On the subject of Disney, Hollywood Reporter has also stated Kevin Feige will be overseeing future X-Men movies with the Disney purchase of Fox. Disney’s Bob Iger gave some key answers to questions about Fox-owned properties in the MCU
I think it only makes sense,” Iger said. “I want to be careful here because of what’s been communicated to the Fox folks, but I think they know. It only makes sense for Marvel to be supervised by one entity. There shouldn’t be two Marvels.
When asked about talent
Very good question. We’re going to take the best people from both companies and that’s who’s gonna basically be on the playing field for us. Meaning, talent will prevail. Fox Searchlight is a great example. You look at FX, NatGeo. Yeah, you’re buying libraries and brands, but you’re also buying the people. I’m not gonna talk about specific people right now except to say that I’ve met with virtually the entire senior management team at Fox and I’m not only fully engaged with them on what the possibilities for them might be but I’m excited about the prospects.
It would stand to reason that many of the characters may get re-cast. As much as fans may want it, they probably shouldn’t hold their breath for an onscreen meeting between Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine and Ryan Reynolds’s Deadpool.
The Next Spider-Man villain will be Mysterio
Jake Gyllenhaall was officially announced in the cast for Spider-Man Far From Home. He will be portraying Quentin Black, aka Mysterio. This will be the live-action film debut for the longtime Spider-Man villain. It’s also confirmed that Michael Keaton will be reprising the role of Adrian Toombs/Vulture. A leaked set photo shows Gyllenhaal in costume. Sadly, no “Fish Bowl Look”. At least not yet.
WB Crossover will be Elseworlds.
The annual CW “Flarrowverse” crossover will be titled Elseworlds. Entertainment Weekly reports that it will be a three part crossover, not the previous four part.
The Flash will kick it off on Sunday, which will be followed up by Arrow on Monday, and wrapped up with Supergirl on Tuesday. This breaks the previous pattern of Supergirl having the first part in the last two years.
While there will be no regular involvement with the Legends Of Tomorrow cast, it has been revealed that Superman will join in, and Lois Lane will make her debut.
In an unexpected turn, an official internet poster showed Stephen Amell in the Flash costume, and Grant Gustin in the Green Arrow threads.
Also notable is the name Nora Fries in the cast of characters. Nora is of course the ill-fated wife of Victor Fries, aka Mr. Freeze. When you factor that this will also serve as the introduction to Batwoman, it may be an indicator to the premise of the Batwoman series.
Supergirl made a regular habit of taking lesser known villains from Superman lore, and adapting classic Superman stories to fit The Girl Of Steel. Could this mean we’ll see some Batman villains on the small screen for Batwoman? Time will tell.
Finally, Train talks the major news surrounding the release of the long anticipated Read Dead Redemption 2. IGN gave the game a perfect 10 score. An act that is incredibly rare.
Are you in the Halloween spirit yet? If you need anything to scratch your Halloween itch, check out the latest episode of Examining The Dead. Train reviews the movie Train To Busan, and talk the outcome of the Friday The 13th lawsuit. And of course, Dan Wilson talks his new horror themed production company One Good Scare.
Geekville Radio is back after a one week hiatus. Join Seth and special guest Clint from The GeekDig Podcast as they discuss several topics in the world of geekery.
The producers of Supergirl have recast one of their main recurring characters in Alura, the birth mother of Kara/Supergirl. Erica Durance, another legacy superhero actress, is taking over the role from Laura Benanti. This continues the tradition of brining legacy superhero actors into the Flarrowverse fold.
Unfortunately Laura, who Greg [Berlanti] and I have worked with for years going back to Eli Stone, was unable to continue in the role due to work commitments in New York,” executive producer Andrew Kreisberg said in a statement. “But we are so blessed that Erica has come aboard to offer her own interpretation of Kara’s mother. We had tremendous success with a former Lois Lane last season with Teri Hatcher. We know Erica will continue the proud tradition of legacy actors joining our shows and creating new and exciting takes on classic DC characters.
In Marvel news, Squirrel Girl is making her way t TV as part of the New Warriors TV show. The Hollywood Reporter notes that the show will be a comedy that will air on Disney’s Freeform channel.
The duo lead the ensemble cast in the 10-episode series about six young people learning to cope with their abilities in a world where bad guys can be as terrifying as bad dates. Joining Vayntrub and Theler are Jeremy Tardy as Night Thrasher, Calum Worthy as Speedball, Matthew Moy as Microbe and Kate Comer as Debrii.
Seth and Clint also briefly talk the late George Romero, whose passing was announced a few hours before recording.
The latter half of the show is dedicated to a belated review of Spider-Man Homecoming. Naturally this means major spoilers. However, if you’re still basking in the glow of such an awesome movie, hear the duo discuss the movie, and how you can never go wrong with Evil Michael Keaton.
All this and more in another fun-filled Geekville Radio!
And finally, early reviews are overwhelmingly positive for Spider-Man Homecoming. Hear what some critics are tweeting about Tom Holland and Michael Keaton’s performances.
All this and more in another fun-filled Geekville Radio!
