After a long two year hiatus, Examining The Doctor is returning to the Geekville Radio airwaves. Join Mark and Seth as they hop back into their TARDISes to talk about every incarnation of everybody’s favorite Time Lord, The Doctor. Listen along as they give episode commendatry to all time favorite, and not so favorite, Doctor Who stories.
From William Hartnell to Jodie Whittaker, Examining The Doctor is there for Classic and Current Doctor Who fans alike.
To kick off Season Two, Examining The Doctor looks at the long lost, but recently released, Tom Baker story Shada from 1979.
The next story to be discussed on Examining The Doctor, 1979’s “Shada”
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?
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?
It has finally arrived. The climax of the entire MCU over the last 11 years and 20-something movies is here. Avengers Endgame broke the expected numbers, and unseated The Force Awakens as the #1 opening night of all time.
If you don’t want spoilers, STOP NOW! Go watch Avengers Endgame, and come back. Don’t worry, we can wait.
Still here? Or welcome back, depending on your course of action. Join Seth “Zandrax” Zillmann and “Crazy Train” Jonathan Bolick as the size up what predictions were right, and which weren’t.
What is the state of The MCU? Where do they go from here? Can characters killed off still return? And how does this stack up to the original story from the comics?
All these questions and more are answered in another fun-filled Geekville Radio!
After much anticipation, Marvel’s epic universe-wide story has finally arrived. The gist of War Of The Realms is the ongoing war throughout all the Asgardian realms finally comes to Midgard, aka Earth. I would be surprised if this doesn’t get made into a film within the next decade or so, as the concept is just too cool to not do on a blockbuster big screen.
Here are six noteworthy things concerning War Of The Realms. Spoiler alerts of course.
1) Laufey Is Back
Unless you’re an old school Marvel fan, or remember the first Thor movie very well, you may not know the name Laufey. Well, as depicted in said first Thor movie, Odin adopts Loki. Laufey is Loki’s biological father. It’s not mentioned a ton in the MCU, but Loki does have the last name of Laufeyson. After being deader than dead to the point of being a skeleton, Laufey is brought back from the dead by Malekith. Plus, he is a true Frost Giant and stands probably a good 50 feet tall.
2) Loki is Dead… Again
Speaking of The God Of Mischief and Evil, Loki is literally eaten alive by Laufey. Yep, munched down like a potato chip by his own dad. This is probably the 173rd time Loki has died, but who’s counting? We’ve seen him die time and time again, and he always has some plan for coming back. This time will likely be no different. Plus, just like Infinity War, he dies in the opening act of the story. Not a usual trope to kill a character out of the gate, if he’s going to stay dead. Or stay dead by the comics standards of a few months at least.
3) Valkyrie Is Dead
It was Malekith himself that did the deed in the final page of issue #2. Now, some Marvel fans know that Jason Aaron is penning the new Valkyrie title. And now that the “real” Valkyrie is dead (or at least dead by the comics standards of a few months), it explains why Jane Foster is stepping into the role.
4) Thor Wields Dual Hammers
Of course, with Mjolnir’s destruction last year, Thor has been using different hammers. Now, he openly wields two. One has a very similar shape to Mjiolnir, while the other one has a flat end, while the other has a ball end similar to Stormbearker. Perhaps it was inspired by the hammer Thor made during Infinity War.
5) Luke Cage Is (Apparently) Worthy Of Asgard Weapons
In a teaser cover image for the War Of The Realms tie-in Strikeforce (which sadly does not feature Tito Santana or Rick Martel), Luke Cage is carrying a hammer that looks very similar to Mjolnir. It’s possible it may be in cosmetics only, and not a true mystic hammer, but I think most fans would have no problem seeing Luke as being worthy of picking up an Asgardian Enchanted Hammer.
6) Bog Tigers Are Cool
Malekith has been seen on and around a white tiger that has wings similar to a bat or dragon. The proper name of this creature is Svartalfheim Bog Tiger. If War Of The Realms is ever turned into a movie, the bog tiger will be a new hit sensation with fans. Many stuffed animals would be sold. As big as BB-8 or porgs were to Star Wars? Only time will tell.
That’s only 1/4th of the way through the main story, so there is probably more to come. You can pick up War Of The Realms #1 and #2 now, along with the other tie in issues throughout the Marvel brand.
Anything you liked about War Of The Realms? Sound off below!
Geekville Radio is back with a look at The Mandalorian panel from Star Wars Celebration. We are joined by Vengeful Jedi, aka Clint, from GeekDig Podcast.
The Mandalorian Panel from Star Wars Celebration Chicago
Seth and Clint talk the panel, and the news coming out of it. Plus, Clint comments on the sneak peek footage that was only shown to people in attendance.
There was of course a live action Star Wars series in development before Disney bought LucasFilm. The now defunct 1313 game was supposed to be a tie in to it. Like that show, then rumored to be called Star Wars Underworld, The Mandalorian will focus on the grittier side of the Star Wars galaxy where characters are morally ambiguous and of questionable loyalty.
On top of that, Seth and Clint speculate on what The Rise Of Skywalker might mean when it comes to Episode IX.
Pedro Pascal plays the character known at this time as only The MandalorianThe vibe is very much that of a Western in spaceFormer MMA superstar Gina Carano portrays Cara Dune, a former Rebel ShocktrooperCarl Weathers plays Greef, the leader of The Bounty Hunters GuildAs discussed on the podcast, Pre Vizsla was the character voiced by Jon Favreau in The Clone Wars. He carried a black lightsaber called a darksaber.
What do YOU think of The Mandalorian? Sound off below!
At long last, LucasFilm has released the first trailer for Star WarsEpisode IX, which is said to be the final episode of The Skywalker Saga. The title was also revealed to be The Rise Of Skywalker.
Some time ago, there was a heavily circulated rumor that Episode IX would be called Balance of The Force. We commented on that in a previous podcast, and what that might mean. We even used information published in 1997 as proof. And we’re here to do it again with the real title.
So what did we do upon seeing the new trailer? Why we did what every other Star Wars geek would do and over-analyze practically every frame so we can speculate on what we think is to come.
For more in-depth commentary, you can follow along with the accompanying podcast. All the images below are of course copyright LucasFilm/Disney and are presented for informational purposes.
Without further ado, on with the analysis so we can yell at everybody else how wrong they are (just kidding…)
You can watch the trailer, or go by the screencaps belowThe familiar LucasFilm logo appears, with only the sound of heavy breathing accompanying it.We see Rey, the source of the heavy breathing on a desert planet. Tatooine? Jakku?Rey grabs the Skywalker lightsaber. Is danger afoot?Rey stands alone in the desert. Looking at a sky, it does not appear to be TatooineLike something out of the Old West, Rey holds the saber at her sideRey stands her groundAgain, judging by what appears to be a single sun, this does not look to be TatooineGASP! It’s Kylo Ren’s TIE Interceptor! Or is it?Rey ignites the Skywalker saberRey, looking defiant, readies for the attackThose gloves look like Kylo Ren’s, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s him wearing them. More on that laterRey begins to run, but in the same direction as the TIEThe TIE is almost caught upRey leaps into the air, probably with a Force JumpThis is obviously another planet, but which one?Kylo Ren gutting an enemy with his trademark crossguard saber. Stormtroopers are also seenSomeone is repairing Kylo Ren’s maskIs that Rey’s staff? Or did Finn and Poe just stumble onto the set of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade?BB-8 and his new friend D-0, who presumably does not sing “Holy Diver”Billy Dee looking as only he can look. Great to see Lando is finally backFlying stormtroopers in hot pursuit of a speederPoe, Finn, and 3PO on board the speederOne of the medals given at The Battle Of YavinRey and Leia embraceThe band is back together! It’s not often we get to see Rey and Poe in the same shotArguably the most interesting shot of the whole trailer. Why are those waves moving so slowly?
Over Celebration weekend, we saw several images that may give further hints as to what is going on.
Lando Calrissian, sporting a yellow outfit similar to his younger self in SoloPoe possibly gathering local citizensThe Poe/Finn shippers will have a field day with this imageRey reunited with her staff. But what planet is this?Here we definitely see Kylo piloting his TIE Interceptor
Klad! Undoubtedly the breakout star of Episode IX
Is it possible that Poe Dameron is piloting that TIE Silencer?
So let’s review
Rey spends some time on a desert planet that does not appear to be Tatooine
The other heroes either arrive with her, or follow her there
She may or may not have an encounter with Kylo Ren in his sip. It still could be somebody else piloting. Poe?
Lando reunites with Chewie and The Millennium Falcon
Kylo and stormtroopers attack people in a forest that looks like it could be Yavin or Takodana
At some point, Kylo rebuilds his mask from The Force Awakens
Death Star wreckage plays an important part in the film
Not only do we hear his laugh, but Palpatine has been confirmed by JJ himself to be in the film in some capacity.
If “no one is every truly gone” could we see old friends? Old enemies?
We did predict on Episode 225 that this would happen, because it’s common sense. Though it will likely be several years before we get the MCU Proper X-Men film.
The creation of Batman has its roots in the pulp crime magazines of the 30s. Several of the panelists mentioned the characters of The Shadow, The Phantom, and Green Hornet as pre-Batman inspirations.
Well, who are three out of the first four entrants in our Lesser Known Geek Hall Of Fame? The Shadow, The Phantom, and Green Hornet
Is there a favorite incarnation of Batman?
All this and more in another fun-filled edition of Geekville Radio!
Every few years, Marvel does something to refresh the X-Men franchise. This summer brings two new X-Men titles, House Of X, and Powers Of X. Both set to be written by Jonathan Hickman.
As usual, Marvel was tight lipped over what will happen, but the presentation did have an interesting piece of art showing many characters from, as they put it “Past, Present, and Future”.
Official artwork for House Of X and Powers Of X hint characters from the Past, Present, and Future
This time around, Carnage is hunting down everybody who has EVER used a symbiote suit. This means not just Peter Parker, Eddie Brock, or the other usual suspects. Even The Guardians Of The Galaxy, Deadpool, and dinosaurs are potential targets.
Admittedly, I could only think of about 20 off the bat, but there were others who fit the bill of using a symbiote
Peter Parker (obviously)
Eddie Brock
John Jameson (He brought symbiotes to Earth in the first place)
Ben Reilly (Spider-Carnage)
Scorpion
Scream
Flash Thompson (dead, but dead characters always come back in comics)
Norman Osborn
Dr. Octopus
Maniac
Toxin
Scream
Punisher
Deadpool
Captain Marvel/Ms. Marvel
Hybrid
Silver Surfer
Knull
I’m curious how Carnage would last against those last two, wince their cosmic level characters
The others that I forgot were (and this is by no means a complete list)
Wolverine
Rocket Raccoon
Groot
Drax
Gwen Stacy
Thunderbolt Ross
Tony Stark (if artificial symbiotes count)
Not only that, the special variant covers seem to imply other Marvel heroes may bond with symbiotes. Including Captain America, Black Panther, and Thor.
It’s a mega-sized collection of news on this episode of Geekville Radio. Seth “Zandrax” Zillmann and “Crazy Train” Jonathan Bolick return to talk some of the major headlines
Perhaps the biggest news, possibly even bigger than the obvious Star Wars distribution rights, is the Fox owned Marvel properties that can now be incorporated into the MCU.
The most obvious addition would be that of The X-Men. One of fans’ biggest complaints about the MCU is it never incorporated Marvel’s famous mutants. Now, that plethora of of characters can be introduced in Phase Four.
The other Fox owned Marvel property is The Fantastic Four. While the three movies may not have been as successful as most MCU movies, two characters linked to that specific brand could easily become major players as villains in future films. Those are of course Doctor Doom and Galactus.
While many fans are understandably thrilled about this, it is very possible there may be some major changes in store for the franchise.
First off, it is not a given that the existing X-Men actors will carry over into The MCU. And yes, that includes Hugh Jackman as Wolverine. Despite already having five films’ worth of Spider-Man films, Marvel still recast Tom Holland in the role.
There is also the possibility that, by using the same actors, continuity just would be less sensical. After all, if the X-Men movies are considered part of the MCU, why didn’t The Avengers assist with any of those world-threatening situations.
Deadpool may stay according to reports, though as Train points out, the studio change may legally be a recasting of the role to Ryan Reynolds, just under a new company.
Disney/Fox Merger and Star Wars (19:20)
Another fan friendly wish that may become a reality is the re-release of the Original Trilogy, aka “Non-Special Editions”, Star Wars films. As discussed before, Fox owned the distribution rights to Star Wars. Thus, any theater or home video release could only be through Fox, unless some deal was worked out with Disney. That of course is no longer an obstacle.
Disney Rehires James Gunn (32:10)
Disney announced the return of director James Gunn to Guardians Of The Galaxy vol. 3. Was the reaction to past controversial tweets overblown? Did Disney cave? Was it just trolls? Or did they have this planned all along? There is evidence for all of these possibilities.
Gunn will still be writing and directing Suicide Squad 2, so Guardians 3 will have to wait for that project to finish before it starts filming.
Oliver Queen himself revealing that Arrow is coming to an end
We already know that Crisis on Infinite Earthswill be next years crossover. We also know they’ve been teasing Crisis since the pilot episode of Flash.
In the comics, Flash and Supergirl die during Crisis. Does this mean their respective TV shows will end as well?
Speaking of deaths, Oliver Queen did die in the DC Universe, but was brought back by Hal Jordan as Spectre. So it is very possible that Ollie may bite the big one, and be brought back in some capacity later on.
Bill And Ted 3 (52:40)
The last segment off the show is devoted to the long-awaited confirmation that a third Bill An Ted movie, now titled Bill And Ted Face The Music, has begun filming. Could a sequel to a 30 year old cult classic work in mainstream 2019?
As always, we welcome your thoughts on all these stories. Let us know in the comments section or on our social media
