COUNT DOWN #35: Stark Learns The Truth

By Brandon T. McClure (@btmcclure @fakenerdpodcast)

The MCU, specifically the Infinity Saga (2008-2019) has meant a great deal to me, as I am sure it has for many people. What first started as a book pitch is now a series of essays of mine that will be (hopefully) published every week. The goal is to pick a specific moment within The Infinity Saga and share with you why I believe it’s a defining moment. To revisit previous posts, visit our site HERE.

Enjoy the ride as we count down from 50 of the most defining moments and share your thoughts in the comments. 

• Stark Learns The Truth•

MOMENT# 35

MOVIE: Captain America: Civil War

DIRECTORS: Joe and Anthony Russo

WRITERS: Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely

Howard Stark (John Slattery) and The Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan) in Captain America: Civil War.

The relationship between Captain America and Iron Man is a rather complicated one. While the two of them grew a friendship, it was always on a rocky foundation. Steve trusted that Stark would take a bullet for him and vice versa but it would only take a push to break their partnership. This push came in the form of a coordinated attack by Helmut Zemo in Captain America: Civil War. This attack would send ripples through the MCU and pave the way for Thanos’ victory in Avengers: Infinity War.

Ever since Captain America: The Winter Soldier, audiences had been privy to the information that Bucky Barnes, as the Winter Soldier, was responsible for the death of Howard and Maria Stark. The third Captain America film takes this quick expository moment and makes it the crux of the plot. All throughout the movie, Zemo is trying to get his hands on information that happened on December 16, 1991. A reason that isn’t made clear until later. While this is happening, the government is trying to have the Avengers sign the Sokovia Accords, which would put the heroes under government control. This is the first time that Steve and Stark would come to blows.

Captain America (Chris Evans) and Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr. ) in Captain America: Civil War.

The major fight scene of the movie happens towards the end of the second act as Bucky and Steve are trying to get to Siberia to stop Zemo from awakening sleeping super soldiers. All the while Iron Man is trying to stop them because Bucky was framed for the murder of King T’Chaka. There are a lot of moving parts in Captain America: Civil War, but they culminate with Iron Man, Captain America, and Bucky in an abandoned Hydra base in Siberia looking for Zemo. Only to find that the real plan was to reveal to Stark that Bucky was the one who murdered his parents, and worse, Steve knew. 

This throws Stark into a blind rage as he tries to avenge the death of his parents. In his mind, Bucky robbed him of ever reconciling with his parents. From the beginning of the movie, it’s made clear that Stark regrets how his last interaction went with them and now he has someone to blame. What’s almost worse is that Steve and Howard were friends, so how could Howard's idol betray him like that? Steve, of course, tries to reason with his friend by explaining that Bucky was brainwashed but all Stark can see is the murderer, exclaiming “he killed my mom”.

Captain America (Chris Evans) and Bucky Barnes aka The Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan) in Captain America: Civil War.

It’s likely that Stark and Steve would have come to blows over something sooner or later, but this was irreparable damage in Stark’s mind. Not only did Steve betray him but Howard as well. Zemo’s actions successfully tore the very fabric of the Avengers apart. United they could stop any foe, but divided was another story. If Thanos had come to Earth to face a united Avengers, they may have very well been able to fend off the Mad Titan, but thanks to Zemo, Thanos met very little resistance.

COUNT DOWN #36: The Cameo

By Brandon T. McClure (@btmcclure @fakenerdpodcast)

The MCU, specifically the Infinity Saga (2008-2019) has meant a great deal to me, as I am sure it has for many people. What first started as a book pitch is now a series of essays of mine that will be (hopefully) published every week. The goal is to pick a specific moment within The Infinity Saga and share with you why I believe it’s a defining moment. To revisit previous posts, visit our site HERE.

Enjoy the ride as we count down from 50 of the most defining moments and share your thoughts in the comments. 

• The Cameo•

MOMENT# 36

MOVIE: Iron Man thru Avengers: Endgame

DIRECTORS: various

WRITERS: various

Captain Marvel’s opening title card in tribute to Stan Lee

Probably one of the most enjoyable parts of seeing a Marvel Cinematic Universe film was seeing what kind of Stan Lee cameo would show up. From Iron Man to Avengers: Endgame, Lee was a consistent figure in the lives of MCU fans. However, in November of 2018, Stan Lee passed away at the age of 95. With his legacy cemented in the halls of history, there was nothing more the great man could bestow on the world, and in March of 2019, Captain Marvel surprised audiences with a touching tribute.

The Marvel Studios logo has changed a lot over the years. Different composers from Brian Tyler to Michael Giacchino would even compose new fanfare whenever it changed. Captain Marvel opens with the same title card, but this time it packed a bigger emotional punch. Normally clips of previous MCU films would play as the words revealed the Marvel Studios logo, but this time it was every single Stan Lee cameo

Stan Lee in Captain America: Civl War

Since Marvel Studios knew how important the cameos had become, they were almost a signature moment in each film. They would often bend over backward to make sure he didn’t miss one. One time, around the filming of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, director James Gun was hired to film multiple cameos to be inserted into upcoming films. The reason was simply that the rapid filming of the Marvel movies would surely become too difficult to keep up with for the aging celebrity. The cameos were too important to miss.

Marvel fans love to make a mountain out of a molehill (which isn’t a bad thing) and because of that, a popular fan theory began spreading like wildfire. As the MCU expanded into the cosmic realm, fans began to wonder if Stan Lee was meant to be Uatu, the Watcher. Since the Watcher only observed important moments, it seemed to make a certain amount of sense for long-time fans. The theory became so popular that Marvel Studios decided to make a version of it canon. For Lee’s cameo in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, he’s seen talking to various Watchers in a space suit and is credited as “Watcher informant”. That was one of the many times Marvel would go out of their way to make a fan theory canon. Uatu would be introduced in Phase 4 played by Jeffrey Wright.

Stan Lee as the “Watcher Informant” in Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2

With such a long legacy and a beloved figure, Marvel’s tribute to him in Captain Marvel hit all the right marks. It was exactly the kind of thing audiences needed to see after his passing. Now anyone who goes to watch Captain Marvel on physical media or Disney+ will always be reminded of the most famous cameo in cinema history. Lee’s cameos exist in the bubble of The Infinity Saga and are some of the most charming and humorous moments of each film. From Iron Man to Avengers: Endgame, there’s just no denying how crucial his face was in defining the Infinity Saga.

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COUNT DOWN # 37: Ant-Thony: A Loyal Steed

By Brandon T. McClure (@btmcclure @fakenerdpodcast)

The MCU, specifically the Infinity Saga (2008-2019) has meant a great deal to me, as I am sure it has for many people. What first started as a book pitch is now a series of essays of mine that will be (hopefully) published every week. The goal is to pick a specific moment within The Infinity Saga and share with you why I believe it’s a defining moment. To revisit previous posts, visit our site HERE.

Enjoy the ride as we count down from 50 of the most defining moments and share your thoughts in the comments. 

• Ant-thony: A Loyal Steed•

MOMENT# 37

MOVIE: Ant-Man

DIRECTORS: Peyton Reed

WRITERS: Edgar Wright, Joe Cornish, Adam McKay, & Paul Rudd

For most films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it’s pretty smooth sailing. A film is announced, it’s filmed, and then released. Before Marvel Studios was the juggernaut it is now, Kevin Feige appeared with Jon Favreau and Edgar Wright in a small room at San Diego Comic-Con to talk about the future of Marvel on film. That future consisted of Iron Man, directed by Jon Favreau, and Ant-Man, directed by Edgar Wright. After many false starts, Edgar Wright's departure and many added movies, Ant-Man was finally ready, now with Peyton Reed at the helm. Phase two of the MCU ended with 2015’s Ant-Man, and with it, a surprising star was born.

The Peyton Reed-directed film took a Batman Beyond style approach to the character of Ant-Man. Instead of starting with the original Ant-Man, Hank Pym (played by Michael Douglas), the movie introduced the second version, Scott Lang (played by Paul Rudd). Hank Pym was a successful scientist, who was secretly a superhero in the 70s, but now he needs Scott's help to prevent Darren Cross (played by Corey Stoll) from developing the Yellowjacket suit. Cross had discovered the secret to Pyms shrinking abilities and now looked to sell it as a weapon. As Scott learns of the abilities of the Ant-Man, he makes a friend in the form of a carpenter ant named Ant-thony.

Scott Lang grows very close to Ant-thony and so does the audience. As most people probably know, when you assign a name to something, you instinctively grow an attachment to it. Unfortunately, Scotts new friends was not long for the world. Ant-thony is shot out of the sky by Cross just before the climactic battle and she’s killed. It’s a sad scene as Scott yells for his fallen comrade and a single wing falls to the ground. The loss of Ant-thony made for a surprisingly emotional moment for the film. Audiences would often talk about how surprised they were that they felt such emotion from an ant’s death. It may have been a cheap move, but it worked.

The creatives behind the MCU often like to “get in on the jokes” and much of that began with Ant-thony. Scott's loyal steed was a huge hit with people, so much so that the MCU wiki makes her out to be a far more crucial part of the movie than she was. The creatives behind the MCU like to give off the feeling that they’re the audience's friend which likely contributed to such a loyal fanbase. They aren’t a studio out to make money, they’re a friend that you go to visit a few times a year. When something like Ant-thony begins to create a social media presence, they’ll lean into it in a way that feels like you’re talking to your friends. A recent example is when they released an hour-long video of Baron Zemo’s dance from The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. 

Social media engagement is a big deal in today's world, and often companies will try to give off the impression that they’re “just one of the guys”. If Ant-Man had been released during phase 4, Ant-thony would likely have gotten a character poster in the vein of Alligator Loki or Pizza Dog. A lot of this kind of buddy behavior from the MCU started with Ant-thony. The female carpenter ant with a male name proved to be an influential internet sensation that not only allowed the MCU to feel like a friend, but also served as a precursor for many of the anthropomorphized MCU animal sidekicks we see today.

Indominous Rex: The Perfect Jurassic Antagonist

By Brandon T. McClure

One of the opening scenes of Jurassic Park III has Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neil) giving a lecture to a group of people about the new discoveries that fossilized remains have revealed about raptors. He takes a question about the point of paleontology since there are two islands that hold real living dinosaurs. Grant responds to this young man by saying “what John Hammond and InGen did at Jurassic Park is create genetically engineered theme park monsters. Nothing more and nothing less.” This line would prove to be the entire thesis on which Jurassic World would be based. A thesis perfectly encapsulated by one dinosaur: Indominous Rex.

Since scientists are constantly discovering new things about the animals that lived 65 million years ago, the science that the Jurassic franchise is based on is wildly out of date. Jurassic Park is a technical marvel that continues to age like a fine wine every year, but paleo communities are constantly pointing out the various inaccuracies and it’s only gotten worse as the franchise continued well into the 21st century. By the time Jurassic World was developed, the many scientific theories about the creatures had become irrefutable, so then why don’t the dinosaurs of Jurassic World reflect the new scientific evidence? Why didn’t the Jurassic franchise update with the times? The reasons for this are at the very heart of what the Indominous Rex represents. 

Indominous Rex in Jurassic World

John Hammond's vision of what Jurassic Park could be was a wonderful place filled with majestic creatures that haven’t been seen in millions of years. That park failed, but you can’t put the genie back in the bottle. Now that Jurassic World was open for ten years, visiting a dinosaur had become like visiting an elephant at the local zoo. In order to keep visitors interested, Simon Masrani (Irrfan Khan), the owner of the park, requested a new dinosaur be built from scratch. A completely unnatural scientific creation that would be bigger and scarier than anything the natural prehistoric world could reveal. The Indominous Rex was designed by splicing together a Tyrannosaurus Rex, a Velociraptor, multiple other dinosaurs, and various modern animals that gave it unpredictable genetic traits, such as the ability to camouflage. Indominous Rex is not a dinosaur, she’s a “theme park monster”. She’s the bastardization of John Hammond's vision and the very idea of Jurassic Park taken to its most extreme.

 Jurassic World reminds the audience that it’s a thematic feature of the franchise that the dinosaurs don’t look “scientifically accurate.” Dr. Henry Wu (BD Wong) spells it out in a heated exchange with Masrani by simply saying “nothing in Jurassic World is natural”. Thanks to the gaps in the genetic codes that needed to be filled, the animals would never look the exact way they did 65 million years ago. A concept that was also explored in the TellTale point and click adventure game, Jurassic Park: The Game. In a way, every dinosaur on the island is some kind of hybrid, it’s just far less pronounced. For example, Blue is revealed to be genetically defective in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, which is why she’s more responsive than other raptors.

Dr. Ian Malcom (Jeff Goldblum), Alan Grant (Sam Neill) and Dr. Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern) in Jurassic World: Dominion

As Dr. Ian Malcom (Jeff Goldblum) says in Jurassic Park, “your scientists were so preoccupied with whether they could, they didn't stop to think if they should.” At the time Dr. Malcom was talking about reviving dangerous super predators that haven’t been alive for millions of years, but now that line could apply to the scientists of Jurassic World. The new park could plan for any eventuality, they had multiple contingency plans in case the known dinosaurs got loose. The Indominous Rex was an unknown dinosaur, capable of abilities that were unpredictable. A genetically cloned dinosaur has millions of years of genetic coding that allows them to inherently know how to act and live. The Indominous, however, had none of that and had to discover it on her own. She had no genetic evolution encoded in her DNA and therefore had no concept of her place in the world.

The confusion in the Indominous Rex’s genetic code makes her far more dangerous than other dinosaurs. She doesn’t kill to hunt like a normal predator, she kills “for sport”. Everyone who ran and designed Jurassic World was so high on their own success that they felt they could handle anything. They knew they could design a dinosaur from scratch but, once again, they failed to ask if they should. Creation is a dangerous power that is incredibly unpredictable. They abused that power, and it fought back. In one single night, everything that was so carefully controlled and built was destroyed and returned to nature. Life will always find a way.

The Indominous Rex is the natural final step to the underlying theme laid out in Jurassic Park. She’s an unholy creature. Everything about her is trying to make the audience's skin crawl. Her skin is unnaturally white and her roar is strategically designed to make the audience uncomfortable. Her head is reminiscent of a skull and her jaw can open unnaturally wide. The Indominous may have been built from the genetic structure of real animals, but nothing about her is right. She is the antithesis of nature and the very thing the Jurassic franchise warns against. In another world, the Indominous Rex would have been a concept saved for Jurassic World: Dominion. Now that the hybrid dinosaur concept has been exploited three times (counting Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous), audiences are rather disinterested in the idea. The Jurassic franchise has always needed a “villain” dinosaur and they developed the perfect one far too soon. She truly was a “theme park monster.”

COUNT DOWN #38: A BATTLE IN REVERSE

By Brandon T. McClure (@btmcclure @fakenerdpodcast)

The MCU, specifically the Infinity Saga (2008-2019) has meant a great deal to me, as I am sure it has for many people. What first started as a book pitch is now a series of essays of mine that will be (hopefully) published every week. The goal is to pick a specific moment within The Infinity Saga and share with you why I believe it’s a defining moment. To revisit previous posts, visit our site HERE.

Enjoy the ride as we count down from 50 of the most defining moments and share your thoughts in the comments. 

• A BATTLE IN REVERSE•

MOMENT# 38

MOVIE: Doctor Strange

DIRECTORS: Scott Derrickson

WRITERS: Jon Spaihts, Scott Derrickson & C. Robert Cargill

Ancient One (Tilda Swinton) & Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) in Doctor Strange

With a franchise as vast as the Marvel Cinematic Universe there will always be critics. “The Marvel Formula” is something that gets thrown around a lot when people critique the franchise, but it tends to mean different things to different people. It could mean that they don’t like “MCU humor” or that they don’t like how the films are structured. In this case, the third act of a Marvel film is criticized for sharing the same beats as any other film. Perhaps you’ve heard this one before: A hero with a certain ability squares off with the villain of the same specific ability in a dreary location with a lot of CG to bring the overly choreographed fight to life. That might be true for a number of their origin films, but not all of them. A few have strayed from this “formula” throughout the years, in this case, Doctor Strange.

Doctor Strange was the second film in Phase Three. The origin story for the future Sorcerer Supreme saw the brilliant, but arrogant surgeon, Dr. Stephen Strange get into a horrific car crash (which honestly should deserve a moment on its own) that cost him the use of his hands. He goes on to spend his entire fortune trying to find a way to heal his hands again, but nothing worked. Finally, he found his way to Kamar-Taj, where he was taken in to learn the mystic arts. There he meets Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor), Wong (Benedict Wong), and the Ancient One (Tilda Swinton). Turns out, he had a natural gift for it, even learning to wield the legendary Eye of Agamotto. When a former Master of the Mystic Arts, Kaecellius (Mads Mikkelsen), becomes a zealot of Dormomu of the Dark Dimension, he begins a plan to bring the Dark Dimension to Earth. When Strange and Mordo catch up with him, it’s already too late.

Kaecilius (Mads Mikkelsen) and Doctor Strange in Doctor Strange

In an almost complete disregard for the “formula”, the final act of Doctor Strange begins after Kaecellius has already won the day. Earth is lost. The only way to fix it is to reverse it, so Strange activates the Eye of Agamotto (which is actually the Time Stone) and leads into one of the most unique third acts in Marvel’s history. While Strange, Mordo, and a resurrected Wong are fighting, the city is repairing itself while cars and people fly past them in reverse. The fight between the sorcerers is moving forward in time and they’re able to use the “anti-destruction” to their advantage, sometimes trapping someone in a new fixed wall or climbing up a scaffold that’s reassembling. It would have been easy for something like this to devolve into unintelligible noise, but every step of the fight was so expertly choreographed that the audience never gets lost. Instead, they’re allowed to marvel at the expert visuals on display. Doctor Strange doesn’t even end with a fight scene, it ends with the main character dying hundreds of times. While in the Dark Dimension, Strange traps him and Dormammu in a time loop that can’t be broken. This wears Dormammu out and the lord of the Dark Dimension just gives up his conquest of Earth. 

Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) with the Eye of Agamotto in Doctor Strange

Doctor Strange is a movie filled with an inventive visual flair that helps it stand out from the rest of the films in the franchise. The filmmakers seemed to want to make a deliberate effort in making the film feel as unique as possible. It felt like Marvel Studios had begun to take some of the discourse around the franchise to heart and wanted to be better. Marvel cultivated a loyal audience and in order to keep them interested, they had to stray from the “formula” and Doctor Strange was an important first step.

COUNT DOWN #39: HE WENT FOR THE HEAD

By Brandon T. McClure (@btmcclure @fakenerdpodcast)

The MCU, specifically the Infinity Saga (2008-2019) has meant a great deal to me, as I am sure it has for many people. What first started as a book pitch is now a series of essays of mine that will be (hopefully) published every week. The goal is to pick a specific moment within The Infinity Saga and share with you why I believe it’s a defining moment. To revisit previous posts, visit our site HERE.

Enjoy the ride as we count down from 50 of the most defining moments and share your thoughts in the comments. 

• HE WENT FOR THE HEAD•

MOMENT# 39

MOVIE: Avengers: End Game

DIRECTORS: Joe and Anthony Russo

WRITERS: Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely

Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Thanos (Josh Brolin) in Avengers: Infinity War

Throughout the events of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor has suffered a great deal of loss. Thor lost his parents, his brother, his hammer, and his planet before Avengers: Infinity War. When Thanos arrived, he lost half his people, his brother (again), and half of all life in the universe. In Thor’s quest for revenge on the Mad Titan, he got close to ending Thanos before he could use the stones, but crucially, he did not go for the head. Thor wanted Thanos to suffer and it cost the lives of trillions of species. 

The events of Avengers: Infinity War was difficult for many heroes. There was so much lost to them by the end of the film. When Avengers: Endgame begins, Thor and the remaining heroes travel to New Titan with the plan to get the Infinity Stones from Thanos and return the population that was lost. Thanos, now living peacefully on a farm, has been weakened from using the stones, so it was unlikely he would be able to put up much of a fight. When they arrive, the heroes successfully subdue the villain, only to find the stone are no longer in the gauntlet. In his moment of triumph, Thanos used the power of the Infinity Stones to destroy the stones themselves, making it impossible for anyone to undo what had been done. In his rage, Thor swung Stormbreaker and removed Thanos’ head from his body. He went for the head.

Thanos (Josh Brolin) in Avengers: Endgame

Even before they left the Earth, it was clear that Thor had blamed himself for the loss of life that Thanos had caused. The line “you should have gone for the head” has surely rung in his ears ever since that fateful day on the Wakandan battlefield. This was a mistake he made sure he would never repeat, but the damage had already been done. Without the Infinity Stones, it would be impossible to bring back the friends and loved ones that were lost. Everything was hopeless. As Thor left Thanos’ little farm, Thor could only blame himself. In Thor's mind, trillions of lives were on his hands.

Up until Avengers: Endgame, Thor had been bouncing back from his losses. There was always another battle and there was always a path to victory. But now that path was closed to him. Taking that path away from the character, allowed the character to go in an unpredictable direction. Audiences expected to see Thor as he had always been but were shocked to see the shell that had taken its place. In his loss, Thor fell into a deep depression and for five years, indulged in temporary serotonin hits that excess food and drink provided. But nothing could ever fill the hole of loss that he felt.

Thor (Chris Hemsworth) in Avengers: Endgame

Dubbed “Bro Thor” by many, he’s actually a deep, introspective look at how depression can consume a person. Thor was vulnerable, unable to rule his people, unable to leave his home, and prone to fits of tears. It was a major departure for the character, but something that helped to normalize the type of extreme depression that many watching surely face. Allowing such a boastful character as Thor to show this type of vulnerability created an opportunity to represent mental health in a way that hadn’t been done in blockbuster filmmaking. All because he didn’t go for the head.

BOOK REVIEW + INTERVIEW / Kagen the Damned by Jonathan Maberry

Matt and Jenny were joined by author Jonathan Maberry to discuss his May 10th, 2022 release of his fantasy Kagen the Damned. Watch our youtube interview to get an inside look at the story, characters and future of the series. Join the conversation in the comments and on social media.

For audio, please check out the 2 Broke Geeks Podcast to listen in.

Kagen The Damned by Jonathan Maberry

Release Date: 05/10/2022

Published by St.Martin’s Press/ Macmillan

By Jenny Robinson

The definition of a fantasy story Is “imaginative fiction dependent for effects on strangeness of setting (such as other worlds or times) and of characters (such as supernatural or unnatural beings). 

In Jonathan Maberry’s Kagen the Damned, all of those boxes have been checked. In his first venture in this genre, Maberry refuses to hold back and brings his dark style of storytelling to a strange magically violent world. 

Kagen the Damned is set some fifty thousand years into the future. The world we know today is no longer and is forgotten. The landscape has changed assumably by natural catastrophes and the people seem more primitive. Our cars have been long replaced back to horses. Instead of guns, they wield swords and daggers. This world does not appear to even have ghosts of our time, or at least anything they can recognize as a period of lost experiences. This erasing of history is a very poignant and repetitive theme in this tale and relates much to the epic fantasy world Kagen belongs to.

It takes no time to jump right into the mayhem when the Silver Empire falls to the Witch King within the first chapter. Kagen Vale is introduced to the horrors of the overthrown empire at the same time as the reader, stumbling to make sense of the wickedness around him. He is an oath-sworn captain of this fallen empire who has to come to terms that his oath had been broken, he has failed. He is damned. 

What I appreciate in Maberry’s writing style is that he doesn’t shy away from having his lead characters embracing tremendous flaws. They are our heroes page-by-page, yet you’ll find some of their actions can be disappointing and not expected for such an idol. Kagen proves that even the damned can entwine themselves in their shame but strive for vengeance and redemption. Kagen’s development from a drunken mess to an aspiring hero felt truly honest as I followed along beside him. There is a real life honesty in many of Maberry’s characters as we are introduced to them. An example I enjoyed was in the side adventure of Miri and Ryssa which created visually beautiful environments and a relatable innocence to the women. We are gifted with humor as well as an unexpected humility in Kagen’s friend Tuke as he teaches Kagen the world of thieves. Adding in Filia’s knack for stubbornness and loyalty, they all feel well rounded and with purpose.  

The big story arch is the reintroduction of the long banished use of magic. For many in this world, magic and monster were things from fairytales. Following the story as the characters have their world views turned upside down and the realization that monsters are real, was an absolute treat. There are mysteries from chapter to chapter. We keep track of who are friends or foe. We fall in love with Kagen’s companions, his allies and loves. We develop mistrust and understanding for some of the villains, the monsters and the main antagonist - The Witch King. 

Saying that I am super excited for this to now be a series would be an understatement. I am very anxious to find out what happens next. Will the characters that I now cherish be able to handle a world with Gods, vampires, werewolves, sorcerers, thieves, assassins and more? A world where magic can burn everything down, or make it beautifully grow?

Kagen The Damned will continue with the second book Son of the Poison Rose that is schedule to be released January 10th, 2023 and I can’t wait!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

JONATHAN MABERRY is a New York Times best-seller, five-time Bram Stoker Award-winner, anthology editor, comic book writer, executive producer, magazine feature writer, playwright, and writing teacher/lecturer. He is the editor of Weird Tales Magazine and president of the International Association of Media Tie-in Writers. He is the recipient of the Inkpot Award, three Scribe Awards, and was named one of the Today’s Top Ten Horror Writers. His books have been sold to more than thirty countries. He writes in several genres including thriller, horror, science fiction, epic fantasy, and mystery; and he writes for adults, middle grade, and young adult.

INTERLUDE #1: The Defenders Saga: A Loving Tribute

By Brandon T. McClure (@btmcclure @fakenerdpodcast)

The Defenders Saga could generate a list of 50 defining moments all on its own, but this series isn’t about that. However, it felt like a disservice to not mention them at all since they’re so beloved. So while you wait for entry 39, here’s an interlude about one of the most exciting television endeavors in Marvel’s history. To revisit previous posts, visit our site HERE. 

Enjoy the ride as we count down from 50 of the most defining moments and share your thoughts in the comments. 

• The Defenders Saga: A Loving Tribute •

INTERLUDE # 1

SHOWS: Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, Luke Cage, The Defenders, The Punisher

Show Runners: Steven S. DeKnight, Doug Petrie, Marco Ramirez, Erik Oleson, Melissa Rosenberg, Scott Reynolds, Cheo Hodari Coker, Scott Buck, M. Raven Metzner & Steve Lightfoot

Luke Cage (Mike Colter), Daredevil (Charlie Cox), Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter) and Iron Fist (Finn Jones) in The Defenders.

Disney+ wasn’t Marvel’s first attempt to bring their sprawling cinematic universe to the small screen. In 2013, Marvel Television announced that they had made a deal with Netflix to produce new shows set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The plan was simple; mirror what Marvel Studios had done to build up to The Avengers, only this time with four, thirteen-episode seasons that would attempt to build the same momentum as the films but for a new team of heroes known as the Defenders. For the most part, it worked.

Fans of the franchise had been hoping that Marvel would tackle more mature subject matter for a while. So when it was announced that four shows would premier on Netflix and build up to a mini-series called The Defenders, the fans couldn’t wait. These shows were Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, and Luke Cage. These characters were strategically picked to be ones that Feige and company over at Marvel Studios didn’t have current plans to use and wouldn’t necessarily affect the larger story. Not only that, but they were street-level heroes looking to tell the same types of stories that the old Marvel Knights comic imprint did in its height. These shows were planned to be darker and would attempt to tackle deeper subject matter, which would offer audiences a new side of the MCU.

In 2015, Netflix and Marvel Television kicked it off by introducing the world to their new Matt Murdock/Daredevil with the release of Daredevil Season One. After the rights to the character had reverted to Marvel Entertainment, executives were eager to get a new adaptation of the character off the ground. Something that would ideally be far removed from the 2003 film starring Ben Affleck. It was an instant hit, with Charlie Cox being immediately accepted as the perfect Matt Murdock. Many would argue that Charlie Cox embodied the role of Matt Murdock in the same way that Robert Downey Jr. or Christopher Reeve embodied Iron Man or Superman respectively. To this day, Daredevil continues to be the most fondly remembered of the Defenders shows due to its strong writing, stylish directing, and engaging characters. The success of Daredevil led to a slight change in the plan, and a second season was fast-tracked to air after the first season of Jessica Jones. Unfortunately, due in part to Steven S. DeKnight being replaced as showrunner, the reception to the second season was more lukewarm than the first. Luckily the third season fared much better.

Matt Murdock aka Daredevil played by Charlie Cox in Daredevil

Unlike the other shows that would air on Netflix, Jessica Jones was originally developed for ABC. The series started its long road to air in 2010 as AKA Jessica Jones. Melissa Rosenberg had developed the show for ABC and continued with it on Netflix from 2015 to its cancellation in 2019. Back then, she had seemingly developed a more faithful adaptation of the comic series Alias than the one that made it to Netflix. Much like the Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Gaydos comic, the ABC version of the show would have Luke Cage play a large role as well as Carol Danvers’ Ms. Marvel (her promotion to Captain Marvel wouldn’t happen for two years), who would be Jessica’s best friend. Rosenberg also had long plans for the show and mentioned that Luke and Jessica’s daughter, Danielle, would show up down the line. When ABC passed on the show, Marvel Television decided to include the long-gestating series in a pitch that included Iron Fist, Luke Cage, and Daredevil to streaming services. When Netflix picked it up, the show went through heavy rewrites, most notably to remove Carol Danvers and replace her with Patsy Walker, who is known as Hellcat in the comics. This change was most likely due in part because Marvel Studios had become interested in a movie centered around Carol Danvers after she became Captain Marvel in the comics.

Krysten Ritter as Jessica Jones

One of Old Spice’s most popular spokesmen, Isaiah Mustafa, began campaigning for Luke Cage due to his love of the character (there’s a proof of concept trailer online). Sadly, that campaign didn’t come to fruition and Mike Colter was cast as the title character. Colter would make his debut in Jessica Jones before headlining his own series. With three of the title characters cast, it just left Danny Rand, the Iron Fist. Eventually, the role went to Game of Thrones alum Finn Jones, but unfortunately for him, this is where the cracks began to form. Saddled with a poor showrunner and his disinterest in learning any martial arts, Iron Fist debuted with less than stellar reviews and it is currently the only Defenders series to be rated “Rotten” on Rotten Tomatoes. By the time Iron Fist rolled around, the momentum was beginning to falter. While outside of Iron Fist, the shows received generally favorable reviews, a common complaint about the pacing and length of the shows began to form. Many felt the plots of the shows could be stronger with shorter seasons and lamented how they were stretching the shows to fill thirteen episodes. Iron Fist would be the last show to air before The Defenders, with the season plot line directly leading into the upcoming mini-series.

Danny Rand/Iron Fist (Finn Rand) and Luke Cage (Mike Colter) in The Defenders.

Much like Sarah Finn, the Casting Director for Marvel Studios since Iron Man, The Defenders Casting Director, Julie Schubert was able to find the perfect actor for each of these new heroes. A major reason why the MCU was so successful is due to its casting and the Defenders Saga had to live up to that. Thankfully, Schubert was more than up for the task and successfully helped bring some fantastic new heroes, and a few of the best villains, the MCU has ever seen. Actors like Kristen Ritter as the hard-as-nails superhero/private eye Jessica Jones, Mike Coulter as the powerful Luke Cage, Jessica Henwick as Colleen Wing in Iron Fist and John Bernthal as The Punisher (Sorry Finn Jones…). A lot of the time, these shows were only as strong as their villains and Schubert was also able to cast some true powerhouse talent such as Mahershala Ali (who will soon be seen as Blade) as Cottonmouth, Vincent D’Onofrio as Wilson Fisk/Kingpin, and David Tennant as Killgrave (known as The Purple Man in the comics). To this day, Kingpin and Killgrave are considered to be some of the best villains in the MCU, able to stand shoulder to shoulder with the likes of Loki and Thanos.

Wilson Fisk/Kingpin (Vincent D’Onofrio) in Daredevil

The stage was set and much like The Avengers before it, The Defenders united these new fan-favorite heroes. Even though Iron Fist was not the ideal launching point for this crossover event, The Defenders was still a success. Fans had enjoyed seeing this side of the MCU and were eager to see where the journey took them… that is until they weren’t. The second “phase” of the Defenders Saga didn’t fare too well, with many having jumped off by the time The Punisher spin-off series launched in 2017 and began to steadily decline from there. While The Punisher’s viewing numbers were still good, since Frank Castle was a well-liked character, the writing was on the wall by that point. At the time, it seemed unlikely that Netflix would cancel the shows since they hadn’t yet gained the reputation they currently have. By February 2019, seemingly without any warning to the writer's teams, Netflix pull the plug. Most of the teams had prepared pitches for upcoming seasons and enough of them had earned back some goodwill with the likes of Daredevil season three and, surprisingly, Iron Fist season two, that it seemed like a sure thing they would receive a renewal order.

There are several reasons why these cancellations could have happened and it’s unlikely any true version of the story will be told anytime soon. Viewing numbers is a big deal for Netflix and they never release accurate numbers to the public, so perhaps Netflix felt it wasn’t worth the money due to the declining audience. Another potential reason is that the decision could have been a retaliation to Disney’s planned streaming service Disney+, which they were planning on producing MCU shows for. More likely, however, is that it came down to a deal. Disney was probably not interested in producing shows for an independent platform anymore and chose not to renew the contract they had already signed with Netflix. This deal could also be the reason why Netflix no longer has the shows on its platform. Why would Disney want to direct traffic away from Disney+ after all? Following the cancelation, Disney would dissolve Marvel Television and move its responsibilities to Marvel Studios, which now produces every Marvel-related TV series, including multiple high-budget MCU shows a year.

There’s been a lot of talk over the years, even while the shows were on, if these would be considered canon to the films. Outside of a few passing references to “The Incident” (The Battle of New York) and The Raft, there wasn’t much reference made to the larger MCU. Many were beginning to wonder if these characters would ever get to interact with the likes of Captain America or Iron Man. Jeph Loeb, the producer in charge of Marvel Television, certainly felt it was an inevitability that the two worlds would eventually interact but Kevin Feige was always a little deflective about the canonicity of the shows. Early interviews had Feige talking about how the characters in the show were part of the MCU “toolbox” and there were apparently discussions of including the Defenders in Avengers: Endgame, but there was never any hard stance on it. Feige probably had enough on his plate rather than to worry about what was happening with projects he wasn’t producing. Trying to weave together the evolving plot lines of these shows with the films was most likely more trouble than it was worth. But he knew that these shows and especially these characters (maybe not Danny Rand) had a great number of fans, and Kevin Feige always respects the fans. So, when the opportunity presented itself, he got to make good on his promise and included Matt Murdock and Wilson Fisk in Spider-Man: No Way Home and Hawkeye respectively. Finally putting an end to the debate once and for all by making it clear that if these characters show up, and they will, it’ll be these actors.

For the first time in Netflix’s long history, shows they produced are no longer available on their service. Luckily they were immediately moved to Disney+ so new fans can follow Kingpin from Hawkeye back to Daredevil without moving to another streaming service (something that was certainly strategic). Disney+ has a curated Marvel section that has many subheadings. Each phase has its section, for example, as well as a Marvel Legacy category for things like the Fox-produced Marvel films, and a Timeline order for anyone interested in going from Captain America: The First Avenger to Captain Marvel by way of the Agent Carter short film. Many couldn’t wait to see how the Defenders shows would fit into the timeline, only to find out that they wouldn’t be included. Instead, they have their own sub-category called The Defenders Saga. Because of the ambiguous nature of the show's place in MCU canon and the amount of time they cover, placing them anywhere in the timeline would be a difficult task to undertake. But giving them their saga, something like The Infinity Saga, makes it clear that they’re just as important, and validates their status in the canon. They weren’t produced by Marvel Studios, and it would be difficult for them to be easily incorporated into past MCU canon, but their saga definition allows audiences to put the canon debate to rest and acknowledge them as something unique and important all on their own. After all, it’s 2025 in the MCU, so it’s not like it matters anymore.

Phase Four is an exciting time for Marvel fans, including fans of the Defenders Saga. Rumors of Jessica Jones being in She-Hulk and Daredevil in Echo are all over the internet. Thanks to this, a whole new audience can find these shows and these beloved characters, because make no mistake, these characters are just as beloved as Iron Man or Captain America (well…again, maybe not Danny Rand) and fans have always wanted them to interact with the larger MCU. When Kevin Feige said, during the press tour for Spider-Man: No Way Home, that should Daredevil show up again, it would be Charlie Cox. That gave fans hope again. From Daredevil season one to Jessica Jones season three, and everything in between, the moment in time when Netflix had multiple MCU TV shows that introduced beloved heroes and villains was truly special. It’s exciting that this moment and these characters will no doubt continue to be validated as we continue this journey through Phase Four.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Casts The First Captain Of The Enterprise

By Brandon T. McClure

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is upon us! The fifth Star Trek series to air in this era will reintroduce fans to the characters of Captain Christopher Pike, Number One, and Spock, as well as a number of new and old characters alike. Now that the show is close, Paramount+ has announced another captain of the Enterprise will be appearing in the show. Robert April has been revealed to be making his live-action debut in the upcoming series and Adrian Holmes has been cast as the character.

For long-time fans, this name is familiar, but might not be familiar to new ones. Robert April first debuted in the Star Trek: The Animated Series episode The Counter-Clock Incident where it was revealed that he commanded the Enterprise on her first five-year mission, which began in 2245. The events of The Counter-Clock Incident see the Enterprise escorting Commodore Robert April to the planet Babel where Federation ambassadors await. The purpose of the mission is to forcefully retire April, who’s grown to retirement age. When the Enterprise enters a negative universe, everyone on board begins to get younger. Since April is much older than the rest of the crew, he’s able to take command and save the ship and her crew. Since this one appearance, the character of April has only appeared a number of times, most notably in books and comics. 

Star Trek: The Animated Series exists in a strange place in the canon of Star Trek. In the 1980s, Gene Roddenberry himself disowned the series and didn’t consider it to be a canonical part of his franchise. It’s not too clear why he did this, though. Some sources have stated that he was just never happy with the finished product. But his request to strike the series from the official canon coincided with him losing control of Star Trek: The Next Generation, so it could have been in retaliation to that. Over the years, however, elements from the series would be considered canon, even if the show itself wasn’t. Things like the Caitian alien species, Kirk’s middle name being Tiberius, the aforementioned Robert April, and a few other things have been incorporated into canon over the years.

This is a very deep-cut character for anyone who isn’t familiar with the in-universe history of the Enterprise. April was a highly decorated captain before his promotion. After the completion of his five-year mission, he received the said promotion, and his first officer, Christopher Pike, took command of the Enterprise. Pike would go on to command the famous ship in three five-year missions before his own promotion sometime before 2265. It was at this point that command of the ship was given to Captain Kirk, where he would go on his own five-year mission (the events of Star Trek: The Original Series) before accepting a promotion of his own. 

Robert April (Adrian Holmes) in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

The casting of Robert April has proven to be a hot topic around the internet. Adrian Holmes, a black actor, is playing a character who first appeared to be white. But it’s important to note that since Star Trek: The Animated Series is not considered to be canon, the only thing that audiences have ever been told about Robert April is his name, and that’s it. If canon is so important to those who are outraged about this, then let the record be put straight right now.

Adrian Holmes has been wowing critics with his turn as Uncle Phil in Bel-Air and it’s truly exciting to see him as Robert April in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Now all three Enterprise captains can share the screen together for the first time ever. It’s doubtful April will have a significant role in the series, but surely with the casting of Paul Wesley as James T. Kirk, the destined captain of the Enterprise, it would seem a missed opportunity to not get them all together.

Jurassic World's Joker?

By Brandon T. McClure

The ending of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom promised a very different sequel. In the final moments of the 5th film in the long-running franchise that started with Jurassic Park, Maisie triumphantly decided that these animals deserved to live and freed them to roam the world. Jurassic World: Dominion picks up that thread and returns to a world now changed by these new dinosaurs roaming free. There are a number of new dinosaurs being introduced to the franchise with this film, including one of the largest carnivores that ever walked the Earth: the Giganotosaurus.

Giganotosaurus in Jurassic World Dominion

Fans who saw the IMAX screening of F9: The Fast Saga will probably remember the Jurassic World: Prologue that was available to see for a limited time. It introduced audiences to the prehistoric version of the Giganotosaurus (It’s the one that killed poor Rexy in her past life). Recently director Colin Trevorrow expanded more on what the Giganotosaurus’ role in Jurassic World: Dominion will be by explaining that the enormous dinosaur just “wants to watch the world burn”. With this quote, Trevorrow is channeling Michael Cain’s Alfred Pennyworth from The Dark Knight. He explained that he wanted something that felt like the Joker. But that’s certainly an odd way to describe something that is essentially an animal.

Interestingly, this goes back to a struggle that the Jurassic World films have been facing since the first reboot in 2015. An issue that might have even started in Jurassic World III. Villain dinosaurs have always been important for the franchise. In order to go through any sort of challenges, characters like Alan Grant (Sam Neill) and Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) have to go up against some of the most dangerous predators this world has ever seen. The first two films, Jurassic Park and The Lost World: Jurassic Park relied on the Velociraptors with a healthy dose of Tyrannosaurus Rex action. Not wanting to go back to that well for a third time, director Joe Johnston and writers Peter Buchman, Alexander Payne, and Jim Taylor, used the Spinosaurus and had him kill the Tyrannosaurus Rex to show how dangerous this new dinosaur could be.

Talk of a 4th Jurassic Park film started almost immediately after Jurassic Park III was released. From the beginning, talk of hybrid dinosaurs had dominated the discussions around the film. Initially, concept art pointed to the idea that there would be human/dinosaur hybrids that would be used in some sort of war scenario. Eventually, Colin Trevorrow came on board the project, and that idea evolved into the Indominus Rex. Not wanting to repeat the mistakes fans felt Jurassic Park III made by killing the Tyrannosaurus Rex and a plotline that relied heavily on hero Velociraptors, the Indominous Rex was created to fill the role of the “villain” dinosaur. The Indominous Rex was a large predator that was exploring its place in the world and was created because Masrani, the company that took over InGen, wanted to create something that would scare the visitors who they felt were beginning to get bored with the standard dinosaurs. It was an idea that was handled to the best of their abilities.

Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard) in Jurassic World Dominion

In total, the franchise has created three hybrid dinosaurs. One being the Scorpious Rex from the Netflix animated spin-off Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous. Another included the Indo-Raptor from Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom which was portrayed as a truly evil and unhinged monster. Quite honestly, Indo-Raptor was not unlike the Joker. It’s refreshing that the creative team for Jurassic World: Dominion didn’t want to go back to the hybrid dinosaur route and going bigger makes a certain amount of sense, so it can go up against Rexy. But giving it the kind of motivation that villains in superhero films have seems like an odd choice for something that has something more in common with a crocodile than a person.

These carnivorous dinosaurs see humans and other animals as food. They’re essentially predators at the top of the food chain. Describing one of the newer dinosaurs like the “Joker” of the Jurassic World franchise creates the idea that it’s an intensely smart and calculating creature that assigns preemptive thought to everything that it does. But, it’s not like the Giganotosaurus has some sort of endgame plan. The franchise isn’t a superhero story and it’s not one with supervillains. The Raptors from the first two films wanted to eat the main characters, the Spinosaurus wanted to eat the main characters, the Indominous Rex and the Indo-Raptor wanted to kill the main characters, and so on. So why is the Giganotosaurus the one that is assigned something more than what has come before? What make’s this animal so special?

Jurassic World Dominion hits theaters on June 10th, 2022.

What The Baby-Sitters Club’s Cancellation Can Tell Us About Netflix

By Brandon T. McClure

Back in March of this year (2022), Netflix surprisingly canceled one of its most well-received series, The Baby-Sitters Club. The Netflix original series about a group of young girls who form a Baby-Sitters Club in their hometown exceeded Netflix's expectations and even won a few awards. So why was it canceled? Rachel Shukert, the creator of the Netflix adaptation, may have the answer to this and other mysterious cancellations. In an interview with Vulture.com, she speculated that “For whatever reason, the right people didn’t watch it at the right time for Netflix right now.”

The Baby-Sitters Club was an adaptation of the long-running Ann M. Martin book series of the same name. Both seasons currently sit at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes and some reports claim it was a hit with the internal viewing numbers. Once upon a time, Netflix used to let shows last 5-6 seasons but then it was 3 and now a show is lucky to get to 2 seasons. While Shukert doesn’t know the exact reason for the changes in Netflix’s model, she speculates that viewers only have one weekend to secure a show's future. “Completion rates are a big deal,” she begins to say “and our show takes longer to complete because it’s for a younger audience. Parents don’t necessarily let kids sit and watch six hours of television at a time — probably rightly!” A show like The Baby-Sitters Club doesn’t reach the kind of audience that is able or willing to binge an entire season in a weekend. It appeals more to a younger audience than something like The Witcher or Locke & Key. “They want people to watch it a certain way, and they want shows that people will watch that way — not shows that people want to watch in their own way,” she continues, noting a stark change from their “wait and see approach” from years past. 

This is a problem unique to Netflix as well. Most of the major streaming services have found huge success with the weekly release model. Take Peacemaker or WandaVision for example. The weekly releases of these shows created appointment TV that allowed the shows to grow and build an audience. Perhaps it’s not in the cards for Netflix to adopt that type of model right now, but a case could be made that it’s doing more harm than good at this point. “I think we had the bad luck to come out at about the same time as Squid Game, which showed them how crazy numbers could get. Numbers that were totally respectable and successful last year were suddenly seen in a different way,” she said, while also adding that The Baby-Sitters Club had better numbers than a show like Succession on HBO.

Another issue that Shukert cites is how Netflix does things internationally. “The truth is that when your show does very well in North America, as ours does, as far as Netflix is concerned, pretty much everybody who’s going to have Netflix [in North America] has it. They’re looking to drive subscriber growth in other parts of the world where this IP doesn’t have much recognition,” she continues. Basically confirming what most have theorized at this point, which is that Netflix isn’t getting new subscribers in North America and are looking for opportunities to grow in other parts of the world.

It’s really a shame that Netflix did this to The Baby-Sitters Club since it fills a specific role in entertainment that rarely gets touched on. When she was asked about whether or not it’s easier to dismiss shows about young girls, specifically citing the discussions around Pixar’s Turning Red, Shukert responded by saying “Girls are expected to go straight from Doc McStuffins to Euphoria.” She went on to note that “People are extremely uncomfortable with this period in girls’ lives,” specifically referring to the time when they aren’t a child but also not an adult. “The Baby-Sitters Club speaks to so many girls because it meets them where they are. It’s not about adults telling them who they are. It’s not really about boys, although they have crushes, which is a realistic part of life at that age.” She went on to say “There’s something about stories geared to this age that always felt like hindsight from adults, as opposed to what it actually feels like to be that age. What we could do with The Baby-Sitters Club was make the girls as smart and interesting and mature as girls are without making it all about how other people see them. It’s about how they see themselves.”

From an outside perspective, Netflix’s practices seem erratic. Where once stood a place for creatives to make the projects they want with the idea that Netflix will let the audience find them, now stands a slaughterhouse where two-season critical darlings go to die. Due to some weird numbers in the algorithm, many didn’t even know a second season of the series was released. Having worked on a number of Netflix projects, Rachel Shukert can only speculate what practice Netflix is using now. But with Netflix looking to lose two million subscribers and other streaming services finding great success with their original programming, perhaps it's time for Netflix to overhaul its model.

COUNT DOWN #40: “AVENGERS…” NOT YET

By Brandon T. McClure (@btmcclure @fakenerdpodcast)

The MCU, specifically the Infinity Saga (2008-2019) has meant a great deal to me, as I am sure it has for many people. What first started as a book pitch is now a series of essays of mine that will be (hopefully) published every week. The goal is to pick a specific moment within The Infinity Saga and share with you why I believe it’s a defining moment. To revisit previous posts, visit our site HERE.

Enjoy the ride as we count down from 50 of the most defining moments and share your thoughts in the comments. 

• “AVENGERS…” NOT YET•

MOMENT# 40

MOVIE: Avengers: Age of Ultron

DIRECTORS: Joss Whedon

WRITERS: Joss Whedon

The Avengers used to change up their roster pretty frequently in the comics, so in the second Avengers movie, Avengers: Age of Ultron, the creatives behind the Marvel Cinematic Universe decided to shake-up the team from the one originally introduced in 2012's The Avengers. As Captain America looked out onto his new team of heroes, which now consisted of Black Widow, The Vision, Wanda Maximoff, The Falcon and War Machine, he proudly called for them with the iconic line “Avengers…” and the film cut to credits.

The end of Avengers: Age of Ultron was buzzing with hints to the new status quo of the MCU’s premier team. Thor and Iron Man have seemingly left the group, Hawkeye apparently retired to be with his family, and Captain America with Black Widow were left with a brand new team. The Avengers had moved out of the tower in the heart of New York and relocated into the Avengers Compound. The compound was buzzing with characters like Maria Hill and Eric Selvig, implying a vast organization to replace S.H.I.E.L.D. As always, fans couldn’t help but speculate and dream for what the next Avengers story would be. Then the MCU revealed them.

The new Avengers were an exciting group of characters to lead into the next story. Sam Wilson/The Falcon was a fan favorite coming out of Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Rhodey/War Machine deserved a seat at that table since Iron Man 2. Wanda and Vision were newly introduced to the franchise with Avengers: Age of Ultron, but the promise of furthering their development was enough at the time. As the film was coming to end, there was only one way to call upon this new team, or so audiences thought.

But then the credits rolled.

The Avengers: Age of Ultron - Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olson), Quicksilver(Aaron Taylor-Johnson), Thor (Chis Hemsworth), Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Captain America (Chris Evans), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner)

Marvel certainly enjoyed playing with the audience expectations for the iconic line. It truly felt like Captain America was finally going to say it. There were surely many rolled eyes and disappointed groans from the audience. After all, it had been two movies and the line had never been said. The closest audiences had was Iron Man saying “Avengers, time to work for a living”, which isn’t as catchy.

This playful tease wasn’t just a moment, it was a promise. They had to hold the line from audiences so that when it was said, it would matter. The next phase of the MCU (Phase 3) wouldn’t be announced for another couple of months, so the journey that these new Avengers could go on was nothing but speculation and expectations. Only the creatives behind the scenes knew when the next Avengers movie would be released. So the questio was how long would audiences need to wait before they heard Captain America exclaim his famous line? Expectations have always been the thing that kept the MCU train moving from one movie to the next, but eventually the expectation had to pay off. Eventually Captain America would have to say “Avengers…

Book Review / Micky 7 By Edward Ashton

Mickey7 by Edward Ashton

Release Date: 02/15/22

Published by St.Martin’s Press/ Macmillan

By Jenny Robinson

When a book starts with “This is gonna be my stupidest death ever”, you know you’re in for a ride. When you add in the fact that Bong Joon Ho (director of Oscar-winning Parasite) has signed on for the big screen adaptation with Robert Pattinson in talks to star, it’s an easy decision for a must-read. Page-by-page, I felt as if this was written exactly for that purpose. I normally gravitate towards stories that dive deep into the emotional thoughts of a character, but this felt as if we were to be simply a spectator as Mickey fumbles through the plot. For a story written in first-person perspective, I developed a very unique companionship with Micky 7.

I’ll admit, the protagonist in this book felt oddly real in his average “nothing special” human way. Normally, main characters are written to be abundantly awesome, but not Mickey. We follow Micky 7, who is the seventh iteration of himself. You see, Micky took a job where he’s suppose to die, more than once. He’s not dumb, but also not overly skilled in anything useful. He probably should have spent more time weighing the pros and cons of current troubles versus that of a job where you are expected to die. As we learn more about Micky, it seems he has a habit of replacing one problem with another. On the new struggling colony on the planet Niflheim, Mickey’s job is to be an Expendable. He is to go into dangerous situations or medical experiment and wait to see what happens, which is usually death. Each time he dies, they regrow, reboot and start all over, hence the number after his name. If he remembers to log his conscience, then the next “him” has most of his memories.

This is the part of the story I enjoyed the most due to the may variables that could happen. If he backs his brain up before the mission but dies after, how does he remember not to make the same mistake again? What happens if everyone thinks you’re dead, abandons you and just makes another Mickey? Of course, this is the strong plot point where he must secretly coexist with himself. We continue to follow him, learning about how he ended up in this mess, why people dislike him and the relationships a simple man makes along the way. He’s so average, except for his Expendable role, that it’s easy to take him for granted, but nice to be surprised when he does something interesting.

Taking the back seat in the plot, the native alien creatures known as the “Critters” have awesome possibilities of being both allies and villains. I have high hopes that they will have a larger and more interesting role in future books. I am assuming this is the start of a growing series. Ashton tickles your interest with these aliens early on. Dialogue revolving around these creatures allow you to start building a curiosity. The coolest part is how they are written in a way that explains them pretty well yet still leaves you with a ton of questions. I appreciate the restraint of not allowing the reader all the information but also giving just enough to formulate ideas as we read along.

With that said, this ends on a note that there may be more to come. At first, I was a bit bummed as I wasn’t prepared to commit myself to a new series. In hindsight, I think the book is written perfectly for a quick continuous read, sparking a desire to continue and accompany the characters through this new world. With a 304 page count, it flows fast but leaves a lot left to be discovered in the story. I am extremely intrigued on how this will play out in both future potential books and in movie format. I am preparing my popcorn now to be ready.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Edward Ashton (Photo Credit: JustTeeJay (JustTeeJay.com)

Edward Ashton (he/him) is the author of the novels Three Days in April, The End of Ordinary, and Mickey7, as well as of short stories which have appeared in venues ranging from the newsletter of an Italian sausage company to Escape Pod, Analog, and Fireside Fiction. He lives in upstate New York in a cabin in the woods (not that cabin in the woods) with his wife, a variable number of daughters, and an adorably mopey dog named Max. In his free time, he enjoys cancer research, teaching quantum physics to sullen graduate students, and whittling.

COUNT DOWN #41: OBADIAH STANE’S TURN

By Brandon T. McClure (@btmcclure @fakenerdpodcast)

The MCU, specifically the Infinity Saga (2008-2019) has meant a great deal to me, as I am sure it has for many people. What first started as a book pitch is now a series of essays of mine that will be (hopefully) published every week. The goal is to pick a specific moment within The Infinity Saga and share with you why I believe it’s a defining moment. To revisit previous posts, visit our site HERE.

Enjoy the ride as we count down from 50 of the most defining moments and share your thoughts in the comments. 

• OBADIAH STANE’S TURN•

MOMENT# 41

MOVIE: Iron Man

DIRECTORS: Jon Favreau

WRITERS: Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby, Art Marcum, John August & Matt Holloway

Obadiah Stane (Jeff Bridges) in Iron Man.

There’s a trope in storytelling called “The Rival” and it’s one that the MCU has been utilizing pretty much since the beginning. There are many different ways the trope can be used but it’s primarily the reason why so many MCU villains share similar powers with the heroes. Oftentimes the rival will start the story as a friend or mentor of the protagonist and will have a heel-face turn in the middle of the movie to present himself as the antagonist of the story. This is the role that Obadiah Stane takes in 2008’s Iron Man. 

In Iron Man, Jeff Bridges plays Obadiah Stane. He is Tony Stark's mentor and surrogate father figure after Tony’s parents had died. When Howard Stark (Tony’s father) was killed, Stane took over Stark Industries until Tony was of age to take control of the business himself. When Tony Stark returns after being captured at the beginning of the film, Stane is blindsided by Tony's decision to move Stark Industries away from weapons development. Stane appears pretty interested in the miniature arc reactor that Tony built while in the cave of his captives, but deceptively plays the role of the loyal friend up until Pepper discovers the truth.

Obadiah Stane (Jeff Bridges) with Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) in Iron Man.

Stane assumes his role as the villain of the story by stealing the arc reactor from Tony’s chest and placing it in a new suit of armor Stane built from the MKI suit recovered in the desert. His ultimate goal is to reverse engineer the technology but Tony ultimately is able to don his Iron Man suit and confront his rival. Eventually, Tony and Pepper are able to defeat Obadiah Stane and then S.H.I.E.L.D. takes him, never to be seen again.

“We’re ironmongers Tony '' Obadiah proudly proclaims. In the comics, IronMonger is Obadiah Stane’s supervillain's name. He can’t comprehend why Tony would want to be a hero and save lives. In his mind, he and Tony were the same. The two make and sell weapons. Obadiah Stane represents what Tony Stark could have become if he was never captured by the Ten Rings. Tony fears that if he never saw what was happening with his weapons, he would have turn out just like Obadiah Stane. By being the dark mirror of Tony Stark, Stane helps Tony complete his journey to becoming Iron Man.

Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) and Obadiah Stane (Jeff Bridges) in Iron Man.

Stane was the beginning of a long line of villains that would be mirrors for the heroes in the MCU. Everyone from Whiplash to Kaecilius and even Loki would fill the role of “The Rival” as the MCU began to expand. The writers of the franchise would begin to lean on it a bit too much as the franchise grew and after a few movies, a common criticism was that the MCU relied too heavily on villains who had the same powers as the heroes. IronMonger continues to be a high point for these villains.

CON LIFE / Wondercon 2022

WONDERCON 2022

By Jenny Robinson-Nagy

It feels good to finally (hopefully) see the light at the end of this pandemic’s tunnel. After two years of cancelations due to Covid, on April 1st (no fools joke here) Wondercon returned to the Anaheim Convention Center. 

It was nice to see some safety protocols still in place with a vaccine card (or negative test) check-point and masks still required inside despite the mandate being lifted. Everyone was super cooperative and in high spirits. Cosplayers gravitated to the outdoor entrance while the floor was packed with commerce. It’s great to have Wondercon back!

Although it felt slightly smaller than 2019, there was still a good chunk of entertainment coverage, great panels and awesome vendors.  Highlights included panels for Woke, Undone, and The Bob’s Burgers Movie. It had astounding shopping opportunities at Funko’s Freddy’s Beach Batch, SuperEmoFriends and Jo3bot, just to name a few. It was hard for me to keep my wallet in my bag. I walked out of there scoring a couple awesome @maggielove.washere prints and an absolutely adorable Ren & Stimpy skirt (that HAS POCKETS!!!) from @brittneebraun.

It was such an inviting experience and so refreshing to see people so happy. It’s hard to predict how these upcoming conventions will land as we become more comfortable back out in the world, but Wondercon did a thumbs-up job in being a good transition con. Now, BRING ON SDCC - I am ready!

COUNT DOWN #42: WHERE IS NICK FURY?

By Brandon T. McClure (@btmcclure @fakenerdpodcast)

The MCU, specifically the Infinity Saga (2008-2019) has meant a great deal to me, as I am sure it has for many people. What first started as a book pitch is now a series of essays of mine that will be (hopefully) published every week. The goal is to pick a specific moment within The Infinity Saga and share with you why I believe it’s a defining moment. To revisit previous posts, visit our site HERE.

Enjoy the ride as we count down from 50 of the most defining moments and share your thoughts in the comments. 

• WHERE IS NICK FURY?•

MOMENT# 42

MOVIE: Spider-Man: Far From Hom

DIRECTORS: Jon Watts

WRITERS: Chris McKenna & Erik Sommers

Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), Special Agent Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders) and Peter Parker (Tom Holland) in Spider-Man: Far From Home.

The final post-credits scene of The Infinity Saga was unlike any other. Spider-Man: Far From Home sees Peter Parker team up with Nick Fury, Maria Hill, and Mysterio, but it would turn out that all three of these characters were not what they seemed. Nick Fury has been a staple in the MCU since the beginning, he was the glue that held Phase One together. So after more than 10 films, audiences had become very aware of how Samuel L. Jackson played the character, and something seemed off about him this time.

In Spider-Man: Far From Home, Peter comes into possession of Tony’s glasses, which came equipped with E.D.I.T.H. since he was expected to be the next Iron Man. Nick Fury had recruited Peter so that he could help a new hero, Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal), defeat an extra-dimensional threat from his universe. Turns out, Mysterio was just a former Stark employee who was interested in stealing the glasses for himself so he could become the next “Iron Man” instead. Mysterio had everyone fooled, including Fury, which seemed rather unlikely. Fury was normally one step ahead of the game. It was clear that something was off about Fury. He was short-tempered, easily fooled, and surrounded himself with people that appeared sketchy at best.

Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau) in Spider-Man: Far From Home.

Spider-Man: Far From Home had two post-credits scenes, one that changed the future of Spider-Man, and another that reframed the entire movie. After the events of this film, Fury and Hill are seen driving silently together. As the scene goes on, they begin to shape-shift into Talos and Soren (the Skrulls from Captain Marvel). Sharon Blynn and Ben Mendelsohn reprise their roles as the main Skrulls for a quick cameo that changed how audiences would look back at the movie they just watched. What’s more, at the very end of the scene, it’s revealed that Fury has been on some sort of spaceship, probably since the events of Avengers: Endgame.

Soren (Sharon Blynn) and Talos (Ben Mendelsohn) in Spider-Man: Far From Home.

This was a unique moment, even for the MCU. The movie was over, the story done. Then a major revelation made the audience have to rethink the entire movie and how they engaged with it. Upon a rewatch, audiences would be able to pick up on the things that Samuel L. Jackson does to make the performance of Fury feel different, such as his remark towards Captain Marvel. Not only did this decontextualize the entire movie up to this point, but it also left audiences with a huge question…What the hell is Fury doing? With plans for Phase 4 not quite known at the time, fans were left to wildly speculate on what big plan Fury could be setting up.

Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) on a virtual beach in the Spider-Man: Far From Home post-credits.

After being introduced to the Skrulls in Captain Marvel that same year, no one expected the characters to return so soon. Especially since within the MCU, it had been 29 years since the events of Captain Marvel. Setting up the future had become an old hat for the MCU at this point, but recontextualizing a film you just watched was a very surprising moment. Samuel L. Jackson and Colbie Smulders were able to play their characters differently enough for audiences to be suspicious. Even though Spider-Man: Far From Home was saying goodbye to The Infinity Saga, the storytellers at Marvel still found one final way to keep audiences on their toes.

COUNT DOWN #43: THE SECRET AVENGERS

By Brandon T. McClure (@btmcclure @fakenerdpodcast)

The MCU, specifically the Infinity Saga (2008-2019) has meant a great deal to me, as I am sure it has for many people. What first started as a book pitch is now a series of essays of mine that will be (hopefully) published every week. The goal is to pick a specific moment within The Infinity Saga and share with you why I believe it’s a defining moment. To revisit previous posts, visit our site HERE.

Enjoy the ride as we count down from 50 of the most defining moments and share your thoughts in the comments. 

• THE SECRET AVENGERS •

MOMENT# 43

MOVIE: Avengers: Infinity War

DIRECTORS: Joe & Anthony Russo

WRITERS: Christopher Marcus & Stephen McFeely

Surprise entrance by Captain America (Chis Evans) in Avengers: Infinity War.

Some defining moments are insightful and speak to the metatextual way the Marvel Cinematic Universe has informed the audience's relationship with it. Others are just plain cool. At the end of Captain America: Civil War, a rift formed between the Avengers. The heroes who fought with Captain America were labeled fugitives from the law, and while some took a deal to be with their families, others did not. Going into Avengers: Infinity War, the MCU was in a very different place, one that made audiences eager to see how they’ll come together to face the greatest threat they’ve ever known. 

During one of Vision and Wanda’s secret rendezvous, they were attacked by Proxima Midnight and Corvus Glaive, with the goal of retrieving the Mind Stone in Vision’s head. Normally, Vision and Wanda are two of the most powerful Avengers, but this attack put them on the back foot and they found it difficult to recover. When it looked like all was lost, a figure emerged from the shadows to help turn the battle. A now bearded Steve Rogers, with the help of Sam Wilson and Natasha Romanoff, was able to fight the invaders back. The Secret Avengers had turned the tide. In fairness they’re not called that in the film, but it’s fairly clear they’re meant to be a loose adaptation of the group from the comics. 

Vision (played by Paul Bettany) and Wanda Maximoff (played by Elizabeth Olson) in Avengers: Infinity War.

One thing that became difficult to discern over the years was whether or not these characters had done anything between the events of the films. Very often it felt like the characters of the MCU were stuck in stasis until their next appearance and rarely did it feel like they had lives or adventures between them. Seeing Captain America, The Falcon and Black Widow work so well as a team of three, helped audiences feel like they had been going around the world, being the heroes we knew they had to be. After all, Steve Rogers isn’t the kind of man who would let the government stop him from doing the right thing. 

Black Widow/Natasha Romanoff (played by Scarlett Johansson), The Falcon/Sam Wilson (played by Anthony Mackie) and Captain America/Steve Rogers (played by Chris Evans) in Avengers: Infinity War.

There’s another reason that makes this moment important: It’s really cool! Avengers: Infinity War had audiences cheering many times over the course of its runtime, but seeing Captain America come out of the shadows with that gorgeous beard and Alan Silvestri’s Avengers theme playing in the background was just one of those special moments people would be talking about for years to come. Even though audiences often gravitated towards the MCU because of their characters, oftentimes we get rewarded with some epic comic book action. Something that makes the MCU very special is how it doesn’t shy away from comic book elements. They always looked for ways to make what seemed impossible to translate from the page, possible. 

Sometimes moments are important, not because of what they imply for a character or a story, but because of how they make you feel. Watching Captain (bearded) America walk out of those shadows certainly was a feeling. More than that, by the time Avengers: Infinity War rolled into theaters, the Marvel Cinematic Universe had begun to feel like a living world. So surely, there had to be adventures in between the major events, right? Luckily everything about the Secret Avengers’ appearance in the film hints at further escapades, from how they fight together, to their clothes and that glorious beard. After this moment, we finally got a sense that they had lives outside the events of the films.

NEWS / Captain Kirk is Coming to Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

By Brandon T. McClure

Leaked photos of Paul Wesley on the set of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2 are now out there. The internet was interested in who this new character could be. Trek Culture even speculated that this could be Matt Decker, the character made famous by the late William Windom in the original Star Trek season 2 episode The Doomsday Machine. But Paramount+ has now gone ahead and exclusively revealed that Vampire Diaries’ Paul Wesley is playing none other than Captain James T. Kirk. 

Wesley is the third actor to play Captain Kirk after William Shatner’s iconic character and Chris Pine in the later rebooted franchise. Curiously, his uniform suggests that he’s already been promoted to Captain. There’s been no canonical reference to when Kirk was promoted, but it’s been assumed for some time that it was when he took command of the Enterprise. Since it’s unlikely he’s taking over the Enterprise from Captain Pike this early, could they be introducing him as the captain of the USS Farragut? The set images show him with a different badge than the ones worn by the Enterprise crew. This could indicate they’re returning to a scrapped Star Trek: The Original Series idea where each ship had its own special badge.

At any rate, it's unlikely Paramount+ would have announced this role so early, before season 1 has even aired, if the photos hadn’t been leaked. Surely Captain Kirk was so far from everyone's minds, that they could have kept this a secret a little longer. It’s not like many people were going to Star Trek: Strange New Worlds in the hopes of seeing Captain Kirk. The benefits of a show like Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is that there has been so little in canon about Captain Pike, and this was the chance for audiences to see what adventures he went on before his accident.

In Star Trek, few characters are as famous as Captain James T. Kirk. Between William Shatner and Chris Pine, the character has starred in two TV shows (Star Trek: The Original Series and Star Trek: The Animated Series) and ten movies (Star Trek: The Motion Picture to Star Trek: Generations and the three reboot movies). So for a new Star Trek series to return to the Captain Kirk character, even briefly, on the surface feels unnecessary. After all, are fans really that hungry for the early adventures of James T. Kirk?

Captain Kirk is such a powerful figure in Star Trek, that his presence could overshadow Pike and his crew, in the same way that Anson Mount overshadowed the cast of Star Trek: Discovery. Questions still remain, though, since Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is said to be more episodic than the other current Star Trek shows, how much of a role will Paul Wesley play in the series? It’s unclear how long the show-runners envision the show lasting, but if this is them introducing Kirk to replace Pike, then it would be a shame.

COUNT DOWN #44: A SUPRISE CAMEO

By Brandon T. McClure (@btmcclure @fakenerdpodcast)

The MCU, specifically the Infinity Saga (2008-2019) has meant a great deal to me, as I am sure it has for many people. What first started as a book pitch is now a series of essays of mine that will be (hopefully) published every week. The goal is to pick a specific moment within The Infinity Saga and share with you why I believe it’s a defining moment. To revisit previous posts, visit our site HERE.

Enjoy the ride as we count down from 50 of the most defining moments and share your thoughts in the comments. 

• A SUPRISE CAMEO •

MOMENT# 44

MOVIE: The Incredible Hulk

DIRECTORS: Louis Leterrier

WRITERS: Zak Penn

Often considered the MCU’s forgotten stepchild, The Incredible Hulk came out just a few weeks after Iron Man. Back then, The Incredible Hulk was considered the safe bet, so putting the two films so close together was to ensure that if Iron Man failed, the investors would still get some of their money back. After the post-credits tease at the end of the MCU’s first film, the second film released by Marvel Studios had some eyes on it. Was this film going to reference any events from Iron Man? No one was really sure what to make of this film, especially with the 2003 film still fresh in people's minds. That all changed with one cameo (not that one).

The Incredible Hulk acts as a loose reboot for the Hulk. Since The Hulk, directed by Ang Lee, was still relatively new, Marvel Studios decided not to retell the origin of the titular character. Instead, we meet Bruce Banner (this time played by Edward Norton) already having been exposed to the gamma radiation that caused him to hulk out. He’s trying to live a quiet life while learning to suppress his anger and hopefully find a cure. General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross (William Hurt) manages to track him down and, with the help of Emil Blonsky (Tim Roth), flushes him out of hiding. You know how the rest goes, Hulk and Abomination have a big brawl in Harlem and they set up Samuel Sterns to become the Leader (which still hasn’t paid off).

Since this was before the post-credit scene precedent was set, the end of The Incredible Hulk sees General Ross drinking his sorrows away at a bar when, unexpectedly, Robert Downey Jr. walks into the movie reprising his role as Tony Stark. Even with some of the references to Stark Industries and S.H.I.E.L.D., this cameo came as a surprise. For years, audiences would hope for crossovers but understood that it was unlikely to happen. Spider-Man would never meet the X-Men and Christian Bale’s Batman wouldn’t meet Brandon Routh’s Superman. That just wasn’t how the game was played back then. Sure, Marvel had promised that wouldn’t be the case anymore just six weeks early, but what form that would take, was another question altogether

General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross (played by William Hurt) in The Incredible Hulk post-credit scene.

It was electrifying walking out of that theater. The possibilities really did feel endless. Even though it wasn’t expected, it was entirely possible that you could be watching Thor or Captain America: The First Avenger and any Marvel hero could walk into the movie. This cameo showed audiences that Marvel was confident that this could work, and it began to fill their growing audience with trust.

General Ross (William Hurt) and Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) in the post-credit scene of The Incredible Hulk.

Nowadays, seeing these kinds of characters interact is practically any-given Tuesday in the MCU, the discussion around Phase 4 has been dominated by what cameos are going to appear next. This cameo was unlike anything audiences had ever seen. This was a clear message to audiences, the Avengers were coming. Not only were you going to see your favorite heroes on the big screen, but Marvel was determined to fulfill your dreams of seeing them interact with each other.

Why Pixar?

By Brandon T. McClure (@btmcclure @fakenerdpodcast)

On January 7, 2022, Disney announced that the latest film from Pixar Animation, Turning Red, was going to skip its theatrical release, and instead be released exclusively on Disney+ at no extra cost. This move follows similar decisions for the likes of Pixar’s 2020’s Soul and 2021’s Luca. It’s no secret that Disney is putting a lot of effort into building the Disney+ library, but this isn’t happening as frequently as other studios under Disney’s umbrella. Marvel and Disney Animation, for example, are guaranteed to receive exclusive theatrical windows, so why isn’t Pixar getting the same treatment?

When the announcement came for Soul, it was a surprise, but Disney framed it as a “Christmas gift” to the fans who have been waiting patiently for the film's release. Since 2020 was the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, people were stuck inside as everything was closed, including movie theaters. Even though Disney had successfully rolled out Mulan with a $29.99 one-time payment, Disney seemed unsure if they were going to continue that financial approach for their future releases. Soul ended up being a big streaming hit for Disney+ and that seemed to be the end of it. That was until March of 2021, when Luca was announced to be heading straight to Disney+ at no extra cost.

Disney Pixar 2021 Luca animated film.

Luca was a major surprise, while theaters were struggling, they were at least open. At the time, the move was criticized because other movies had been released as a hybrid model. Cruella, Raya and the Last Dragon, and Black Widow all had theater releases as well as same day streaming on Disney+ at an added cost of $29.99. If Disney truly felt that Luca’s box office performance would be negatively impacted by the pandemic, then why didn’t they decide on a hybrid model or at the very least, a premier release?

Insiders at Pixar have already spoken about these perplexed decisions. Many felt confused and hurt after they poured so much love into the creation of an anticipated hit, that they were baffled it wouldn’t get to be seen in the format that it was made for. Pixar was being treated as a Disney+ content generator and not the major box office draw it had been countless times since Toy Story. Of course, there were some saying that it’s nice that kids could safely see the film, and that is true, but then why wasn’t the same concession made to Raya and the Last Dragon, which had a hybrid release, or Encanto which was released exclusively in theaters?

Meilin “Mei” Lee from Disney Pixar’s Turning Red.

After Luca, Disney stopped the hybrid model and released all of their major tentpoles, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Eternals, and Encanto exclusively in theaters. So then, why not Turning Red? Pixar’s latest film about a young girl who begins to turn into a giant red panda was all set for its March theater release date, before Disney once again pulled the rug out from under Pixar. To the many animators at Pixar, this seemed to have come without a warning, and certainly to the audiences who were excited to see a new Pixar film on the big screen. No real explanation has been given to why this is, and it’s unlikely any explanation would be believed.

While many studios these days rely on recognizable IP (intellectual property) to get audiences into theaters, Pixar only ever had to rely on their name. A Pixar film was a guaranteed box office hit, and if something like The Good Dinosaur wasn’t a hit, then a film like Inside Out would be. Their focus on original animated films that the whole family could love has put them at the top of the animation industry for decades now. They are more than a content generator for Disney to shuffle onto Disney+. They are a staple in the homes of peoples of all generations. They are the metric by which other animation studios are compared to. With Lightyear’s June release date fast approaching, many are left wondering if the rug will be pulled out once again and Lightyear will be the fourth Pixar film to release exclusively on Disney+ at no extra cost. Unfortunately, the decision to move Turning Red has created a precedent that could potentially change Pixar’s entire future.

Disney Pixar’s Turning Red.