(Photo by Disney/courtesy Everett Collection. THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS.)
The latest: Marvel might just be back on a hot streak with The Fantastic Four: First Steps releasing after Thunderbolts. And DC is back with the first Certified Fresh Superman movie since Returns in 2006!
Friends of the super variety, we’ve collected every Fresh and Certified Fresh superhero movie with at least 20 reviews to assemble our guide to the best superhero movies ever, ranked by Tomatometer!
It’s been a decades-long battle towards the top in pop culture for superhero movies, and we’re featuring here all the goods, the greats, and the masterpieces made along the way. Everything from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (Iron Man, Avengers) to DCEU (Aquaman, Wonder Woman), animated fare (The Incredibles, Megamind) to live-action spoofs (The Toxic Avenger, Mystery Men), comedies (Deadpool) and the super serious (The Dark Knight), and then throwing in some originals made just for the big screen (The Rocketeer, Darkman, Unbreakable).
Recently, we’ve added the meta-crushing Deadpool & Wolverine and the DCU igniter Superman!
Great leaping buggaboos! This introduction is now over! Throw up the cape, slip on that cowl, and hop into the Tomatomobile: We ride for to the best superhero movies of all time!
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It’s been five years since moviegoers were gifted – and utterly befuddled by – a new Charlie Kaufman movie. In September, the mind behind Being John Malkovich, Anomalisa, and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind releases his newest film as director and writer, I’m Thinking of Ending Things, on Netflix. The adaptation of Iain Reed’s celebrated novel stars Jessie Buckley and Jesse Plemons as a young couple driving through a snowstorm to meet Plemons’ character’s parents, and Toni Collette and David Thewlis as the bizarre mom and dad they eventually encounter. As usual, nothing – time, space, memory, even the rooms – is what it seems. Ahead of the movie’s release, Rotten Tomatoes Editor-in-Chief Joel Meares jumped on a Zoom call with Kaufman, Buckley, Plemons, and Collette to talk through the challenge of bringing this dense, smart, and very Kaufman project to the screen.
I’m Thinking of Ending Things premieres on Netflix on September 4.
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After delays following the shutdown of theaters in the wake of COVID-19, Disney’s live-action take on Mulan is finally being released – on the Mouse House’s streaming service, Disney+. Earlier this year, Rotten Tomatoes Editor Jacqueline Coley sat down with director Niki Caro, and stars Yifei Liu, Jet Li, and Donnie Yen, to talk about the importance of the Mulan story in Chinese culture, the task of adapting the beloved Disney cartoon to a live-action format, and how Li and Yen’s daughters played a big part in convincing them to join the film.
Mulan will be available on Disney+ for $29.99 on September 4.
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The long-delayed and still highly anticipated New Mutants may have just won Comic-Con@Home 2020 with some massive reveals – including the first two minutes of the movie! – and the cast and director chased their mic-drop panel with an exclusive and extended chat about the movie with Rotten Tomatoes. Stars Charlie Heaton, Blu Hunt, Alice Braga, Henry Zaga, and director Josh Boone spoke with RT correspondent Karama Horne about the unique superhero movie’s genre-bending influences – A Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors looms large, as does Buffy – as well as their personal connections to their characters, their love of the Marvel comics on which the film is based, and why they had to tell the terrifying Demon Bear saga.
The New Mutants is scheduled for release in theaters August 28, 2020.
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(Photo by FX)
Since its debut three years ago, FX’s Legion has been one of the most compelling, mind-bending, and uniquely heartfelt series to spin out of a comic book. That it focused on a relatively minor character from the X-Men lore is even more remarkable. But by lifting David Haller from the pages of various X-Men titles into a weird and timeless television reality, show creator Noah Hawley was able to examine topics like mental illness, sexual assault, and the end of the world in a unique way.
Often, it chose not to connect the dots, leaving that mutant ability for the viewer to use. In its place, it offered musical numbers, a couple of fantastic dance numbers, and David – as played by Dan Stevens – unraveling at least some of the secrets buried in his head. And it all led to a pivotal figure in X-Men history, Charles Xavier (Harry Lloyd), and a somewhat obscure, but vitally important background character, Amahl Farouk (Navid Negahban).
Considering Charles and Amahl’s fight in the comics led to the formation of the X-Men, it would seem the end of Legion contains a beginning — or maybe it really ended with David destroying the world. Let’s take a look at what the ending has to offer. Negahban was kind enough to talk to Rotten Tomatoes about one of the ways the future could change — well, provided there is a future, of course.
(Photo by Pari Dukovic/FX)
He’s done it before.
There is a certain ambiguity in the show’s final shot — or limitless potential as it is a baby’s smiling face. But David’s role in bringing about an apocalypse is probably the third line on his Official Handbook to the Marvel Universe page after “Professor X’s son” and “Suffers from a mental illness.” Despite being a presence in the comic books for a number of years, Legion’s big moment came in 1995’s “Legion Quest” story line. The character – waking from a long coma – made a key decision: he was going to travel back to the 1960s and kill Magneto before he formed his Brotherhood. If successful, then only his father’s non-violent philosophy would hold sway and prevent much of the strife done by Erik Magnus Lehnsherr and his followers.
Unfortunately, it all went badly and Legion ended up killing Charles Xavier instead of Magneto, unleashing a reality in which the world learned about Mutants decades too soon and Apocalypse, a powerful, ancient, and immortal mutant took control of the planet. Eventually, a team of familiar faces (led by the time-lost mutant Bishop) managed to travel back in time to prevent David’s error.
Curiously enough, Bishop was able to show David the damage he caused. The troubled mutant apologized and apparently died.
The Age of Apocalypse was undone and things went back to normal. Well, mostly, anyway. Blink, a fan favorite from the AoA timeline, eventually found herself crossing the multiverse with a group known as “The Exiles,” while Dark Beast, a mad-scientist version of founding X-Man Hank McCoy, and a few other characters found their way to the familiar Earth-616.
(Photo by Suzanne Tenner/FX)
Legion eventually reappeared (as no one stays dead in comics), but his most famous misadventure was always in Hawley’s mind, and a version of “Legion Quest” was the direction of the series from the first moment David flashed his wicked smile into camera.
As Stevens put it when we talked to him on the set back in March, the show is not “directly adapting frame by frame any particular Legion story line. But I hope what we’re retaining is the playfulness.”
Changing reality, if not destroying it, is always an aspect of the playfulness.
In a manner of speaking, yes. As his addition to Lessons in Time Travel indicated, the traveler is annihilated in the attempt to change his or her past. The David, Syd (Rachel Keller), Cary and Kerry Loudermilk (Bill Irwin and Amber Midthunder), and Amahl Farouk of the program’s “present” timeline all ceased to exist, as did anyone left there while the Time Eaters munched away. From their perspectives, David ended the world by traveling 33 years into the past — à la “Legion Quest.”
Now, had a fourth season occurred, it is entirely possible we would’ve seen new versions of these characters grappling with echoes from the world before. Much like the way the omnipresent baseline at David’s cult compound invaded the minds of his parents, an image or song (likely from The Who) might have offered Syd or David some clue to the old timeline – much as Bishop survived in the Age of Apocalypse to form his own strike team. Maybe this is why the mainframe version of Ptonomy (Jeremie Harris) remained in stasis back in the present.
But with Chapter 27 serving as the conclusion, we’re left with a blank slate. It is easy to consider what it might look like. We will even be charitable and assume the timeline we witnessed on Legion was a darker world where mutants mostly ran scared and had no unifying groups to help them with their powers.
Almost certainly. Upon his return from Morocco, Charles tells Gabrielle (Stephanie Corneliussen) that he always wanted to be a teacher. The implication is clear. Even their home has a certain X-Mansion flare to it. And that change is key in appreciating the series’ end-state. In the personal sense, Charles and Stephanie will be there to raise David — and help him cope with the mental health issues he inherited from Gabrielle. But in the larger sense, Charles came away from his journey with a new perspective. As Lloyd noted when we talked to him in March, “[Charles] is actually quite lost” when he arrives at the Shadow King’s palace. But having returned from a trip that saw him disappear entirely in the old timeline, he is now free to fulfill a destiny he never knew he had.
Back in the comics, Professor X’s battle with the Shadow King led him to found the X-Men as a safe-guard against mutants who use their abilities for evil. But in Legion‘s history, the battle seemingly left Charles dead or utterly incapacitated. Altering this outcome may be more significant than David could imagine. Besides giving Charles the opportunity to be part of the a family unit with Gabrielle and David, he will also be able to teach others how to harness their gifts — no doubt after training David — leading to a very different world.
(Photo by Suzanne Tenner/FX)
We’re also going to note the total absence of Magneto from Legion’s structure as it means TV show David achieved what comic book Legion sought to accomplish: a world in which Charles made things better.
Sure, Division 3 will likely observe the Xavier school, perhaps even come into conflict with a group of X-Men, just as they hunted people at Summerland. Nonetheless, Charles will offer something better than the Birds sought to create. Although, if you’ve read an X-Men comic or seen one of the movies, you know the tension between mutant and humans will always lead to fighting and giant robots. But at least Charles’s attempts with the school and the X-Men offer people like Syd and the Loudermilks something they may not have otherwise: family from an early age.
When we spoke with Negahban recently, his thoughts turned toward the key moment in the finale: a handshake between David and the Shadow King. It evolved on set, but reflected the overall tone of the final moments. That is to say, a non-violent resolution after all the pain and trauma.
“[Noah] was addressing how people are struggling to see each other, to understand each other, to find themselves,” Negahban explained, adding that some of Amahl’s apparent villainy in Chapter 26 may have been an expression of an extreme loneliness. “Even in his most evil moments, he is feeling very lonely being the most evil person.”
But as Negahban saw it, the Shadow King’s future self gave him something key — an external awareness of his actions.
“The way that I looked at it is that we can change the future by paying attention to our present or paying attention to what we are doing, how we are responding to other people,” the actor said.
(Photo by Matthias Clamer/FX)
For Amahl, that change came courtesy of the future Shadow King’s stylish glasses and the history they contained: “When [he] hands the glasses to Amahl — just by seeing what kind of impact we have on our future, we might change our behavior today.”
Negahban imagines the Amahl who emerges in the new reality will be less lonely and offer his powers to a life of service.
“Sometimes we are becoming so full of ourselves, we are becoming so arrogant that we think that we are controlling everything, that we are controlling the situation,” he said of Amahl up until the events of Chapter 27. “I think Amahl sees the effect that he’s going to have on the future. And at the end when he is thanking [David, Charles, and his future self] for allowing him to see the outcome of his actions, he is getting a second chance to change.”
That apology echoes David’s back in “Age of Apocalypse.” And while it is easy to imagine a kinder Amahl Farouk finding peace in a new future, did David also earn a second chance?
When we visited the set, we asked the cast if David deserved redemption. Midthunder, on the eve of shooting the final episode, still felt conflicted about David.
“Everybody has a story and everybody has a side,” she said. “Everybody has reasons for doing what they do, but then everybody has the way that it affects them.”
Meanwhile, she thought Kerry had a clearer point of view on the matter: he deserved to pay for his actions.
Irwin, on the other hand, thought “that his service to the world — keeping the world going — is something we can all be grateful to him for” even if his actions left him as a dubious sort of hero.
Lauren Tsai, whose character, Switch, allowed David the opportunity to change his past, thought the overall story of season 3 created enough ambiguity for viewers to question his redemption long after the finale.
“I think that throughout the story you can believe that David is redeemable,” she said. “David deserves love and a normal life. But at the same time you can also feel like, Well, he did these horrible things.”
(Photo by Pari Dukovic/FX)
In Switch’s case, David’s exploitation of her powers led to a beneficial transformation. But David’s violation of Syd may be the greatest reason to deny him redemption. Even before he erased her memories of his darkest actions, he was causing her psychic damage.
“So much of her life since she’s met this man has been in service to him,” Keller said during our set visit. “So many young women go through taking on egotistical and stupid and sick men, trying to right their wrongs or fix them.”
This seemed to be an involuntary course of action for Syd up until the end. In March, Keller expressed a hope that Syd would be able to leave him in peace. But it seems time travel allowed her something better: the chance to protect a David brimming with potential. The David she knew deserved only oblivion, even if he did fix the world. That baby, though, definitely deserved better.
And, hopefully, the end of the world (as Legion viewers knew it) will give him that chance.
Dark Phoenix is finally out in theaters and, well, it isn’t the greatest X-Men movie ever released. It’s currently Rotten at 23% on the Tomatometer — although audiences seemed to appreciate it more than the critics – and a strange epitaph to 20th Century Fox’s 20-year relationship with Marvel’s Merry Mutants.
But considering the film is Fox’s second attempt to adapt the landmark Dark Phoenix Saga, we can’t help but wonder if the story is just too big to be contained in one film. As with X-Men: The Last Stand, it feels like vital pieces were lost and, while the casts of X-Men films are always sprawling, this one was missing a number of key characters. Does the story require a trilogy of its own? The Marvel Cinematic Universe proves audiences will wait a long time for payoffs, but building these ideas and characters in a way that resonates like the comic book series may be asking too much of the X-Men movies. Perhaps television is the best place to tell this story — we previously got versions of it on two different X-Men animated series — and considering the way HBO and streaming services have pushed TV into feature quality, here are five reasons why Dark Phoenix is better suited for that format.
(Photo by @ Twentieth Century Fox)
Despite marketing the film as the end of the series, Dark Phoenix can’t help but feel like connective tissue to another chapter. Of course, the same could be said for just about any X-Men project. It’s baked into the concept, thanks to writer Chris Claremont, who made Uncanny X-Men the most important Marvel title in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Planning to stay on the book for a very long time, he seeded ideas he wouldn’t pay off for years. One could call it soap opera plotting, as he provided enough hooks and payoffs to keep readers engaged while telling the ongoing tales of the X-Men as a whole.
But in the case of the overall Phoenix Saga – a story comprising Jean Grey’s death, resurrection, and transformation into the Dark Phoenix – Claremont had an ending in mind. It was ultimately changed for reasons we will discuss later, but in its finished form, it offered a clear endpoint for a story told across nearly four years of comics.
Tentpole filmmaking used to be comfortable with definitive endings. The first Matrix, for example, ends at a place that would have served as a satisfying conclusion had the film proven to be unsuccessful at the box office. And though we were promised a Star Wars Sequel Trilogy since 1980, Return of the Jedi is certainly an ending to the story begun in 1976. Nowadays, big movies more closely resemble the Claremont style than ever before, with endings teasing a subsequent hook for another story.
In the case of Dark Phoenix, a prestige series would have the time to properly seed ideas like Xavier’s apparent mistake with Jean, the X-Men as celebrities — a concept criminally underutilized in the film — and one key idea not in the movie we’ll discuss in a moment. With room to breathe, these concepts would have greater weight and emotional resonance than a single two-hour film affords them. And as Claremont proved in the comics, the pace is essential.
(Photo by © Marvel / © Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation)
Despite Jean Grey appearing in films since 2000, what do we know about her? She was Xavier’s star pupil, she has extraordinary telekinetic abilities (with telepathy added at some point), and she has the hots for Wolverine despite dating Cyclops. It’s thin characterization when an entire movie rests on her shoulders. And while Sophie Turner does a lot with that rough sketch, it’s no accident Dark Phoenix re-frames her story in the context of Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) apparently making a mistake. He is, after all, the character all the films have invested in since X-Men: First Class. That’s not a bad thing, as someone has to anchor these films besides Wolverine. But once you come back to the Dark Phoenix Saga, you need more of an emotional investment in Jean (and Cyclops, for that matter) than X-Men: Apocalypse and Dark Phoenix afforded her (or Scott).
A prestige X-Men series focusing on the Dark Phoenix Saga can actually frame the story around Jean and who she is besides Xavier’s greatest student and Cyclops’ girlfriend. Her struggle with the Phoenix Force would mean something, as viewers would know what would be lost if she let the Phoenix have complete control. In the film, these ideas are there, but rushed or inferred for the most part.
And since we’re talking characters, a series also means we get to know Cyclops – a character the films have always shortchanged because he’s not as romantic as Wolverine – Storm, and Nightcrawler beyond their powers. As a result, deaths would also carry more weight, because the characters would genuinely matter to viewers.
Kevin Bacon and January Jones as Sebastian Shaw and Emma Frost in X-Men: First Class (2011) (Photo by Murray Close/20th Century Fox)
One set of characters criminally absent from both cinematic versions of the Dark Phoenix story is the Hellfire Club. Created by Claremont and artist John Byrne – though apparently inspired by a 1966 episode of the British spy series The Avengers – they debuted as a social club whose inner circle was made of mutants attempting to control the course of world events. Characters like Sebastian Shaw and Emma Frost (played by Kevin Bacon and January Jones, respectively, in First Class) first appeared as members of the inner circle, who try to take control of a Phoenix-addled Jean Grey.
Jean’s flirtation with domination and control is a key element of the story and something definitely missing from Dark Phoenix. Jessica Chastain’s Vuk tries to fill the role of the Hellfire Club, but the change lacks the power it should have because Vuk is more of a cipher than an actual character. Consider the satisfying biblical allusions when Jean is presented with classic, decadent temptations in the Hellfire Club. And while we’re at it, Emma Frost could offer Cyclops a temptation of his own, considering their eventual relationship during one of Jean’s many dormant periods in the comics.
Incorporating the Hellfire Club also offers the story a true, seductive evil compared to the poorly realized, grubby D’Bari of Dark Phoenix. It would also give Jean, as a character, the moment to revel in her power that she never really gets in the film, and that key pivot in Jean and the Phoenix’s time together is crucial to setting up the story’s conclusion.
(Photo by Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp. / ©Marvel / Everett Collection)
Because Marvel Comics featured alien species from nearly the beginning of its superhero universe, the Phoenix Force’s origin as an alien entity needed very little scaffolding. And when she left Earth following her time with the Hellfire Club, her feasting on the D’Bari star also needed little set-up; the alien race was established years earlier in an issue of The Avengers. But because neither of the Fox film cycles set up aliens, the culmination of the Dark Phoenix storyline could not be used.
In the comics, the Dark Phoenix returns to Earth after destroying the D’Bari home world, and a council made up of the Kree, the Skrulls, and the Shi’ar Empire determine the Phoenix is too dangerous. The Shi’ar arrive on Earth and pronounce a death sentence on Jean, but Xavier convinces the Shi’ar Empress to allow the X-Men to duel her Imperial Guard in an attempt to save Jean, whom Xavier has de-powered back to her original abilities. When Jean and Cyclops prove to be the last X-Men standing, she uses a Kree device to disintegrate her body and, seemingly, disperse the Phoenix Force.
It’s a big ending. But without the time to establish the Shi’ar, both Dark Phoenix and The Last Stand eschew that development in favor of smaller ideas. A television show, on the other hand, would have that time. In fact, the scenario becomes more intense if the X-Men are confronted with the reality of what Jean could do as the Phoenix and try to find an ethical outcome with the Shi’ar. It’s a moral dilemma completely absent from Dark Phoenix, as the D’Bari survivors led by Vuk never seem too broken up about the billions of dead brethren they left behind on the smoldering wreck of their world.
(Photo by Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp. / ©Marvel / Everett Collection)
And, really, that moral dilemma is part of what makes the Dark Phoenix Saga so compelling. Its ending was changed when Marvel’s then Editor-in-Chief Jim Shooter learned Jean and the Phoenix would face no real punishment for the D’Bari genocide. The Phoenix Force – meant to be a recurring X-Men villain in the story’s aftermath – was shelved for a time, and Jean was barred from returning until a writer could give Shooter a satisfactory way to absolve her of the crime. It eventually happened, as no one stays dead in the comics, but the implications gave the story a lasting importance across decades of subsequent X-Men comic book storylines.
This is the weight Dark Phoenix should have. But without the careful planning of a Marvel Cinematic Universe or the build-up of a television series, the impact will always be lost. At this point, we would favor a television show, as it could give these ideas the chance to grow and give us a live-action X-Men team we genuinely care about as they face their greatest ethical conflict. Until that happens, if it ever should, we still have the comics, which offer the story in its grandest scale.
Dark Phoenix is in theaters now.
Dark Phoenix brings the current X-Men saga to a close, but according to critics, the film ends the franchise with more of a whimper than a bang. Despite its stellar cast, the involvement of longtime franchise writer/producer Simon Kinberg (who makes his directorial debut here), and an iconic storyline taken straight from the comics, the would-be blockbuster only managed a 23% on the Tomatometer and failed to win its opening weekend at the box office, falling second to the animated sequel The Secret Life of Pets 2 by almost $14 million.
But what did average moviegoers think of the movie? Dark Phoenix currently sports an Audience Score of 64% — that’s more than 40 points higher than the Tomatometer score — so we decided to comb through the user reviews to get a sense of why the film resonated more with regular moviegoers than the critics. As we’ve found with other films, it really came down to audiences being more forgiving of some of the film’s flaws. Were there those who outright loved the movie? Absolutely, but there was a wide range of opinions offered, and we’ve collected some of them below. Check out the user reviews of Dark Phoenix and let us know what you thought of the film, and these reviews, in the comments. (Note, some of the reviews have been slightly edited for length and grammar/spelling.)
(Photo by Doane Gregory/20th Century Fox)
Horrible writing… It felt like the writers of this movie knew nothing about the characters besides maybe what had come before from the Fox X-Men universe.
– Nate 4, 0.5 stars
Not as bad as people are making it out to be. It is watchable. It is, however, very cheesy, and there is not really a solid plot/storyline to drive the movie forward. It was kind of sloppily done.
– Bianca F., 2.5 stars
Have always been a huge fan of the X-Men. However, this felt rushed, like trying to tie up ends. The premise was great and the material was there, but the delivery was all over the place.
– Michelle, 3 stars
Liked the effects. Disliked the departure from the original storyline. No character development.
– Al-kareem T., 3 Stars
Not too complicated of a story.
– R, 4 stars
People keep saying this movie is unwatchable and terrible. IDK what those people are watching, but I was glued to the screen the whole time. Yes it has its problems like any movie but I enjoyed it. Sophie did a good job!
– Carlos, 3 stars
It’s just not the same since Wolverine is not in it any more, and I wasn’t really crazy about what happened to Raven. I’m still a big fan of Michael Fassbender, who played Magneto. If it weren’t for him, the X-Men would just completely suck.
– Northside Movie Critic, 3 stars
The movie wasn’t perfect, but it isn’t entirely bad. Sophie Turner, Michael Fassbender, and James McAvoy lift this movie, which suffers from very minimal action sequences.
– Uma M., 3.5 stars
Sophie Turner dazzled as both hero and villain in this powerful finale to the X-men series. This movie had the best character development, and Jessica Chastain was very well played as a mysterious villain.
– Jaylon, 4.5 stars
I have no clue what all the hate is about. I loved this film. The tone, the VFX, and the score were all breathtaking. McAvoy and Turner stoke the show with astounding performances. 10/10 would watch again.
– Rodger C., 5 stars
(Photo by 20th Century Fox)
Somehow Fox managed to make a worse Phoenix movie than X-Men: The Last Stand.
– Nate 4, 0.5 stars
Was hoping this movie would stay more true to the comic. Well, sort of?
– Charles, 2 stars
I just don’t think anyone has figured out how to tell the Dark Phoenix story adequately yet.
– Adam E., 3.5 stars
It’s not ANYWHERE NEAR as bad as I was afraid it would be or the critic reviews are saying it is. That doesn’t mean it’s amazing, though. It does have its problems if it’s trying to be THE Dark Phoenix Movie, but it never could have been with the underdeveloped characters they were working with. At least I didn’t walk out saying, “I can’t believe The Last Stand was the GOOD Phoenix movie.” It’s missing some very crucial aspects of the Phoenix Saga that made it great — that significantly disappoints, particularly in the third act. Very sad it’s not the Phoenix movie I’ve desperately wanted since I was a kid.
– Darknight Crawler, 4.5 stars
The makeup work on mystique looked even worse than in Apocalypse. The CGI looked like something that would have impressed if this came out in the early 2000s.
– Nate 4, 0.5 stars
Loved the fight scenes. It needed more refinement and lacked the finesse of The Avengers. Loved the traditional power hand gestures. Very indicative of mutant powers.
– Xavier, 2.5 stars
Casual moviegoers or those with extra cash will enjoy this. A very decent film with great visuals and special effects.
– Rohit S., 3 stars
How can you have an X-Men movie and not put the mind-blowing mutant powers on display? That was my only concern. Thanks to the extensive re-shoots, the train sequence has become the best battle in the entire X-Men film series.
– Uma M., 3.5 stars
(Photo by 20th Century Fox)
X-Men: Apocalypse wasn’t very good. This one was worse. So many deviations, it was ridiculous.
– James R., 2 stars
It’s better than The Last Stand and Apocalypse.
– Carlos, 3 stars
Not a bad film, but not a good one either. If you were expecting it to be like Avengers, Venom, or like even previous X-Men films, it’s not the same. But it’s not a bad X-Men film, and if you really wanted to see it, or you’re a big X-Men fan, I think you’ll like it.
– Rohit S., 3 stars
It’s not the best X-Men movie, but I think it’s a step up from the previous one, and it was enjoyable, even though it felt a bit rushed towards the end.
– Daniel M., 4 stars
Best of X-Men series in a while. Great story and action.
– Phoenix Rises, 4 stars
The reviews are totally wrong about this one. This was a massive improvement compared to The Last Stand.
– Jaylon, 4.5 stars
Sad ending to this franchise. Maybe Disney will do better.
– Charles, 2 stars
Fox had an opportunity to let us say goodbye to these characters before the Disney/Fox merger. Instead of a Logan-type ending, we were left with nothing really changing in this world, just like a typical superhero movie.
– Ryan K., 2.5 stars
Not the worst X-Men movie, but not the best way to end the first true superhero movie franchise.
– Erick, 3.5 stars
I do recommend seeing this in theaters, if only because it’s a decent enough goodbye to the X-Men franchise we’ve known for 19 years and a glimpse of what Marvel will be doing again in, say, 12 years? See you then…
– Darknight Crawler, 4.5 stars
Check out all of the user reviews for Dark Phoenix so far.
Going on nearly 20 years, the X-Men movie franchise has had many ups and downs. Now, with the release of Dark Phoenix, critics are declaring it the lowest of the low, and the Tomatometer score certainly affirms the dishonor. While some reviews claim it’s not really the worst X-Men sequel yet, even the most positive takes are far from excited. If this is the conclusion of what began back in 2000, it’s possibly a more disappointing series finale than anything on TV. Still, there’s reportedly some decent action, if that’s enough for you to finish out its run.
Here’s what critics are saying about Dark Phoenix:
The worst chapter of its long-running main series.
– Eric Eisenberg, CinemaBlend
It may very well be the worst X-Men movie ever made.
– Jordan Ruimy, World of Reel
It’s more focused and less bloated than Apocalypse.
– Ian Sandwell, Digital Spy
A tiny bit better than the worst X-Men films!
– Todd Gilchrist, Birth.Movies.Death.
Dark Phoenix IS GOOD!… It’s more distinguishable and bares the identity of an X-Men movie that plays like a long episode of the animated series.
– Rendy Jones, Rendy Reviews
(Photo by 20th Century Fox)
The film is marginally better than the previous telling of the Phoenix saga.
–Jim Vejvoda, IGN
[Kinberg] makes up for the single worst X-Men film… Chris Claremont and John Byrne would be proud.
– Danielle Solzman, Solzy at the Movies
[Simon Kinberg] is a more sensual and intuitive filmmaker than Brett Ratner.
– Owen Gleiberman, Variety
While Dark Phoenix may have fewer embarrassing missteps than Ratner’s 2006 disaster, it replaces that embarrassment with something that feels devoid of personality.
– Kambole Campbell, Little White Lies
Maybe X-Men: The Last Stand wasn’t an accurate adaptation of the Dark Phoenix comics, but at least it was a fun celebration of an ensemble of characters.
– Fred Topel, We Live Entertainment
Dark Phoenix is not the movie for fans of the comic book series. It’s arguable if Dark Phoenix is the film for hardcore fans of the franchise that’s existed in one form or another since 2000.
– Jeffrey Lyles, Lyles’ Movie Files
It’s as though the audience is expected to be grateful that they are seeing most of the classic line-up of characters, without exploring what makes them interesting.
– Kambole Campbell, Little White Lies
This final Fox X-Men film also has a number of Easter eggs for comic fans… there’s also a cameo by writer Chris Claremont.
– Scott Chitwood, ComingSoon.net
(Photo by 20th Century Fox)
Compared with the conclusions of other major franchises — the most recent being Avengers: Endgame — this one seems distinctly minor league.
– Todd McCarthy, Hollywood Reporter
This X-Men outing feels more like an afterthought than a climax.
– Larushka Ivan-Zadeh, Metro
With this final installment, the franchise goes out with a resounding thud.
– Katie Walsh, Tribune News Service
Dark Phoenix makes for a satisfying conclusion to the X-Men series.
– Danielle Solzman, Solzy at the Movies
Ultimately a movie that understands its status as a farewell to characters who have thrilled audiences for two decades… It’s a fitting final chapter.
– Tom Beasley, Flickering Myth
For Game of Thrones fans, it is tempting to imagine Turner as the all-powerful being she deserves to be…Dark Phoenix just doesn’t do [her] justice.
– Katie Walsh, Tribune News Service
If she deserved better than Game of Thrones finally gave her, she deserves even better here.
– Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times
Turner puts in the work, but the writing and sloppy direction does little to underpin the performance.
– Radheyan Simonpillai, NOW Toronto
The pleasure of Dark Phoenix is watching her emerge from the wreckage.
– Owen Gleiberman, Variety
(Photo by 20th Century Fox)
It’s the women in this one who do most of the heavy lifting, and the film rises to another level because of it.
– Lisa Johnson Mandell, AtHomeInHollywood.com
Dark Phoenix takes blockbuster gender politics a step further… to forge an allegory of the rise of women that’s sharply compelling in its renegade/victim edge.
– Owen Gleiberman, Variety
If Dark Phoenix was intended as a feminist statement, it plays out more like a male fear at women seizing power and wreaking havoc.
– Larushka Ivan-Zadeh, Metro
The excellent acting… is better than the Disney-run Marvel Cinematic Universe.
– Johnny Oleksinski, New York Post
James McAvoy is probably the standout… Jennifer Lawrence and Michael Fassbender, meanwhile, are practically checking their watches.
– Eric Eisenberg, CinemaBlend
Perhaps the most affecting work is by Hoult as Hank, who etches a journey from loss to rage as the effects of Jean’s unravelling hit hard.
– Ian Freer, Empire Magazine
It’s a character so immensely boring that it doesn’t really deserve mention in the basic plot description of the film.
– Eric Eisenberg, CinemaBlend
Chastain is excellent as always, but her character is so underwritten that you’d be hard-pressed to remember its name.
– David Ehrlich, IndieWire
Chastain puts on an icy performance as the baddie… but the movie doesn’t seem to know what to do with her.
– Radheyan Simonpillai, NOW Toronto
One of the film’s biggest missed opportunities is its handling of the villains… with Chastain delivering a flat performance as a one-dimensional super-powered baddie.
– Jim Vejvoda, IGN
(Photo by 20th Century Fox)
Kinberg actually puts together some very well done fight scenes. The film’s signature sequence on a train showcases the X-Men’s powers in a way we haven’t seen on the big screen in a long time.
– Jeffrey Lyles, Lyles’ Movie Files
One diverting action sequence, set aboard a fast-moving train and goosed by an enjoyably bombastic Hans Zimmer score.
– Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times
[It has] what may very well be the best on-screen train fight since Captain America: The First Avenger.
– Danielle Solzman, Solzy at the Movies
There aren’t many action scenes in Dark Phoenix, but the few that there are end up being somewhat entertaining.
– Scott Chitwood, ComingSoon.net
The light-show effects have a mid-’90s fanciful cheesiness, and I dug them for that reason.
– Owen Gleiberman, Variety
There’s a refreshing simplicity to Dark Phoenix at a time when superhero movies are becoming increasingly complex.
– Tom Beasley, Flickering Myth
Now the legacy of the X-Men will pass into a new set of hands, and hopefully it will rise, like a certain mythological bird, again.
– Don Kaye, Den of Geek
As Disney and Marvel Studios take the reins, I hope they embrace the stakes, humanity and scrappiness of these special characters.
– Johnny Oleksinski, New York Post
While the MCU may prove better… the property itself deservedly needs a good long rest before the X-Men return to the screen.
– Jim Vejvoda, IGN
Dark Phoenix opens in theaters June 7, 2019.
22%
(Photo by © Marvel / © Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures /Courtesy Everett Collection)
After the nearly two years of corporate courtship, a rival suitor in the form of Comcast, and a long stroll through regulatory scrutiny, The Walt Disney Company’s acquisition of nearly all of 21st Century Fox’s media holdings closed at 12:02am EDT Wednesday night. The roughly $70 billion deal changes the landscape of media in several drastic ways. For starters, there are now only five major movie studios, with analysts predicting there will be five to seven fewer major releases in a given year from now on. Additionally, Disney now own tons more popular intellectual property, including Star Wars, Alien, The X-Files, Avatar, and, of course, the Marvel Comics characters.
Until Wednesday, that last asset existed in a split state. Two of Marvel’s high-profile properties — the X-Men and the Fantastic Four — have been under Fox’s control since the mid-1990s. According to the terms of the deal Marvel Comics made during a particularly bad financial time, Fox would control the media destinies of both properties in perpetuity as long as it continued to make and develop films based on the characters. From the moment Disney’s acquisition of Fox was announced, fans assumed those properties would end up part of Marvel Studios’ wide range of characters, which appears to be the correct assumption; Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige confirmed that the company will now have access to the characters previously held by Fox.
Now that Disney’s Marvel and Fox’s Marvel are one entity, what will that joined vision of the Marvel Cinematic Universe look like and how soon will it happen? Here are six answers to questions you may be asking about Marvel’s role in Disney’s Fox acquisition.
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(Photo by 20th Century Fox)
Throughout 2018, people including Feige insisted Marvel could not even begin to cook up ideas for the X-Men or Fantastic Four until the deal for the merger officially closed. There was also some talk about keeping the Fox-controlled Marvel assets separate, but that notion was later dismissed by Disney CEO Bob Iger.
“There shouldn’t be two Marvels,” he said back in September.
Since we previously assumed a lingering Fox contingent might delay Marvel Studios’ control of the characters, we counted out an X-Men stinger in Avengers: Endgame. Instead, we predicted Logan’s adamantium claws might appear in a 2021 mid-credits stinger scene. Now, we think it is possible — though still highly unlikely — the characters might be referenced in a singular image or a word. (It would have to be something easily shot in the next week or two as the studio could not use any of the characters or iconography until now.)
But even if Marvel manages to add a Fantastic Four or X-Men tease to Endgame, that stinger moment is all we will see of the characters for some time. Marvel Studios’ 2020 output inches closer to production even if the company declines to reveal their schedule until after Endgame’s release. At this point, we know The Eternals, Black Widow, Shang-Chi, and sequels for Doctor Strange and Black Panther are in the pipeline. Presumably, three of those projects will fill the 2020 release dates. Of course, the studio has altered its plan before, bumping Black Panther, Captain Marvel, and a proposed Inhumans film to secure a place for Spider-Man: Homecoming. With that in mind, it is possible the first Marvel Studios X-Men or Fantastic Four film could happen in 2021, particularly if Feige ever gets back to Legion’s Noah Hawley about his Doctor Doom script.
While Dark Phoenix will hit theaters this June, the fate of New Mutants is more tenuous. Though still slated for an August 2 release, the film’s planned 2018 reshoots (that would change more than 50 percent of the film and introduce a new character to the story) reportedly never took place and are no longer scheduled to occur.
Until the deal closed, Fox had to abide by its original agreement with Marvel Entertainment and release X-Men films at regular intervals. It also had to plan for a future in which it and Disney remained separate entities just in case the deal fell through or was delayed beyond the summer. Around this time last year, both films were pushed back to accommodate reshoots. But considering New Mutants’ additional photography never took place, it is fair to wonder if Fox delayed both films to save on development costs for other X-Men projects Marvel may eventually cancel. There is plenty to suggest this was the case and it may lead to New Mutants losing its theatrical release.
(Photo by Mary Evans/Twentieth Century Fox / Marvel Comics/Ronald Grant/Everett Collection)
Under the spirit of “business as usual” in the event the deal fell through, Fox planned to expand its output of Marvel-based films to three projects per year. The plan included more X-Men sequels while branching out with lesser known characters.
One project centering on fan-favorite mutant Kitty Pryde was announced and would see Deadpool director Tim Miller returning to the X-fold. Said to be based on Uncanny X-Men #143, the film would focus on Kitty’s struggle against a N’Garai demon while spending a lonely Christmas night in the X-Mansion. Comic-book writer Brian Michael Bendis was said to be adapting the issue into a feature script for Miller. Neither has commented on the project’s prospects.
Though little has been said since word first broke about the project, James Franco was set to star in a film focusing on X-Factor favorite Jamie Madrox, a.k.a. The Multiple Man. Franco’s real-life troubles may have sent this one to the back-burner, but considering X-Men characters must now compete with Shang-Chi and The Eternals for one of Marvel Studios’ coveted release dates, expect any solo X-Men outings to be a late 2020s development. Channing Tatum’s long-delayed Gambit film is also more than likely kaput.
As we mentioned above, Noah Hawley signed on to develop a feature film for the greatest of Marvel villains, Doctor Doom. Recently, the Legion FX series executive producer revealed Feige asked about the draft he completed some time ago. Unfortunately, Hawley has not heard from the Marvel Studios boss since. But since we all want Doom to face off against the heroes, we hope this one works out.
Finally, X-Force, the Deadpool 2 spin-off, was expected to begin shooting in late 2018 under the direction of Bad Times at the El Royale’s Drew Goddard. With cast members like Josh Brolin, Zazie Beetz, and Ryan Reynolds reprising their Deadpool 2 roles, it seemed set to become the last Fox-produced X-Men film. Sadly, Goddard refused to comment on the project following news of the acquisition’s imminent closure. And with X-Force co-creator Rob Liefeld openly discussing the film’s demise on Twitter, we’re going to assume this one is also toast.
https://twitter.com/VancityReynolds/status/1108002378064822272
As Reynolds once joked, they may skip the third film entirely and go straight to Deadpool 4 or 5. The actor, who co-wrote the sequel with Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, also said the narrative weight of taking everything away from the character in order to build him up again will only lead to diminishing returns. In light of that, he offered the possibility of playing Deadpool as a supporting character in films like X-Force. Reese and Wernick, meanwhile, have said they’d love to team Deadpool up with Spider-Man — a pairing so popular it had its own comic book.
It is possible Reynolds was just cushioning himself should Marvel Studios choose not to continue with his vision of Deadpool — it is a PG-13 production house, after all — but it may also be a savvy ploy to negotiate with the company for a sweet multi-picture contract in which Deadpool shows up, does something wacky, and disappears again. It is certainly possible to tone down some of Wade Wilson’s antics for the MCU, which is what the Christmas release of a PG-13 Deadpool 2 called Once Upon a Deadpool proved.
Meanwhile, Iger once told investors it is possible to carve out an R-rated niche for Marvel to allow for more Deadpool movies. On Tuesday, Reynolds posted a photo of Deadpool wearing Mickey ears and riding a school bus to celebrate the acquisition. What it means for the future is anyone’s guess.
(Photo by Marvel)
After Thanos presumably gets his comeuppance in Avengers: Endgame, will Marvel Studios sow the seeds of another intergalactic Big Bad? If they attempt such a thing, Fantastic Four antagonist Galactus would be of a size and shape worthy to follow Thanos — even his headgear is more thrilling! But that is assuming Phase 4 will have a Big Bad. And come to think of it, the term “Phase 4” rarely comes up in Feige’s comments these days.
It took three phases and 22 films — now known as The Infinity Saga — to get to Thanos, even if he was introduced in the first Avengers film. So Phase 4, if we’re still using that term, may just see the regrouping of the heroes who survive Endgame and the introduction of the Eternals and Shang-Chi. If that is the case, the new big bad would be introduced in a potential fifth Avengers film in, say, 2022 or wherever Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 ends up on the schedule. It would also provide ample time for Feige to plan the integration of the X-Men and the Fantastic Four into the MCU. And what better way to introduce Marvel’s first family than by the Avengers searching for them ahead of Galactus’s arrival? (We’re maybe getting carried away here, but we’re damn excited.)
Of course, we are assuming the next few years of MCU storytelling will use the same momentum as Phases 1-3. But considering Marvel Comics has been using the same narrative conventions in its event crossover comics for the last few decades — to say nothing of the financial rewards the studio established by using the technique — it seems a safe bet that Captain Marvel, Ant-Man, Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, Black Panther, the Guardians, the X-Men, and the Fantastic Four will unite to face some universe-shattering threat 22 films from now, if not sooner.
(Photo by Sarah Shatz/Netflix)
Turning our attention to television, the Fox acquisition comes at an odd time for Marvel’s live-action initiatives. On ABC, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. was renewed for a seventh season well ahead of its season 6 debut this summer. Cloak & Dagger returns to Freeform in a few weeks, and reports indicate Runaways’ second season was successful enough at Hulu for a third year to be all but a certainty. But over on Netflix, all of the Marvel shows were quickly cancelled following the debuts of their most recent seasons (except for Jessica Jones, which was cancelled ahead of its still-unscheduled season 3 debut). And from the way Netflix structures its deals, it will be some time before any of those characters can resurface on Disney platforms like Hulu (which the company now has a 60 percent stake in) or Disney+.
Meanwhile, the new Disney streaming platform indicates Iger’s desire for a single Marvel may not be in the cards just yet. Disney+’s Marvel television series will be produced by Marvel Studios, while all the television efforts to date are works of Marvel Entertainment. Yes, there is a difference, as the former is a division of The Walt Disney Studio, while the latter is a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. In short: Disney operates two Marvel companies and, sometimes, their interests do not align. This is ultimately why the Defenders did not make cameos in Avengers: Infinity War and why the final seasons of their shows saw no one turning to dust.
From the Fox standpoint, the acquisition offered an incentive to end Legion after three seasons on FX. While Hawley recently said he always saw the program as a three-year story, the changing nature of Marvel TV no doubt helped the executives OK the idea of ending it now. Meanwhile, The Gifted’s future on the Fox broadcast network remains up in the air. The network — which was retained by newly minted Fox Corp. — plans to hold onto several popular series now owned by Disney (which acquired Fox’s TV studio branch as well), including The Simpsons. But The Gifted is not exactly popular. Also, there is no telling how it may interfere with Marvel Entertainment’s plans going forward or Marvel Studios’ long-term goals.
Fox later answered the media attention around the completion of the acquistion with a trailer:
In the meantime, Hulu and Marvel Entertainment announced an initiative to create four animated series for the platform, potentially leading to a stronger relationship between the two branches of the Disney empire. As it happens, Disney wants Marvel content to stay in house, so Disney brands like ABC, Disney+, Freeform, and Hulu are the places you will see future Marvel TV shows. Additionally, the newly acquired FX networks may prove a good outlet as well for projects more in the vein of Legion. Maybe the long-lost New Warriors will find a home on one of those channels.
(Photo by DC Universe)
The Comic-Con International: San Diego programming schedule is a mammoth list of competing ideas and events for fans of movies, television, animation, games, cosplay, and, yes, comic books. It is also an exciting look at the sort of experiences con-goers will find themselves lining up for next week. For those at home, it also offers a glimpse at some of the videos they might be watching on Twitter and YouTube soon after. And as the convention becomes more and more focused on television – and TV based on comic books – learning about all of those events could be a troublesome task. But we’ve sifted through the schedule to give you this round-up of the panels, presentations, and Q&As about your favorite comic book shows taking place across the week.
(Photo by Marvel)
The upcoming series of animated shorts brings together Quake (voiced by Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s Chloe Bennet), Squirrel Girl (Milana Vayntrub), Ms. Marvel (Kathreen Khavari), and Patriot (Kamil McFadden) to form a new supergroup for a new generation. The session will feature the voice cast and Marvel’s Cort Lane, Marsha Griffin, and Sana Amanat as they offer a sneak peek at the series and, quite possibly, make a special announcement.
Time & Location: 3:15 p.m. in Room 6DE
For Those At Home: If the sneak peek includes one of the first Marvel Rising shorts, it may end up online shortly after the panel.
(Photo by Netflix)
Jeph Loeb, head of Marvel’s TV division, and “surprise guests” will offer the first inside look at the second season of Iron Fist. Considering the thoroughly rebooted Danny Rand (Finn Jones) seen in the second season of Luke Cage, it will be interesting to see if the new year – and new showrunner Raven Metzner – will follow through on that promise as both he and Colleen Wing (Jessica Henwick) take to defending downtown.
Time & Location: 6 p.m. in Ballroom 20
For Those At Home: A trailer almost seems like a given, as well as a release date announcement.
(Photo by AMC)
It is now a Comic-Con tradition for the two shows to do back-to-back panels and 2018 will be no exception. During Fear’s hour, members of the cast like Alycia Debnam-Carey, Colman Domingo, Lennie James, and Danay Garcia – alongside FX wizard Greg Nicotero, showrunners Andrew Chambliss, and Ian Goldberg and executive producers Scott M. Gimple, Robert Kirkman, Gale Anne Hurd, and Dave Alpert – will discuss the road so far and what to expect when the show returns in August. In the second hour, Walking Dead showrunner Angela Kang and stars Andrew Lincoln, Norman Reedus, Danai Gurira, Melissa McBride, and Jeffrey Dean Morgan will offer their insights into the upcoming ninth season of the long-running zombie series. Both sessions will include fan Q&As in which cast and crew will deftly avoid spoilers.
Time & Location: 11:15 a.m. in Hall H
For Those At Home: Another Walking Dead tradition is the intense season previews, which generally appear on AMC’s YouTube page before the panel ends.
(Photo by Warner Bros. Animation)
My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic’s Lauren Faust brings the DC Super Hero Girls brand to Cartoon Network in a new animated series focused on teenage versions of Wonder Woman, Supergirl, and Batgirl. Faust and other members of the creative team will offer a first look at the new show.
Time & Location: 12:20 p.m. in Room 6DE
For Those At Home: It would be quite surprising if a clip from the show did not surface after the presentation.
(Photo by Michelle Faye/Wynonna Earp Season 2, Inc./Syfy)
As the series’ third season debuts on the same day, the stars of Wynonna Earp, showrunner Emily Andras and creator Beau Smith will present a special screening of the premiere, “Blood Red and Going Down.”
Time & Location: 5 p.m. at the Horton Grand Theater
For Those At Home: Sadly, this one sounds like a genuine Comic-Con exclusive. But as the episode airs the same night – and, in fact, also airs during a special preview on Monday, July 16 – Earpers will be in the know and ready to discuss the episode on Twitter.
(Photo by Freeform/Alfonso Bresciani)
Stars Olivia Holt, Aubrey Joseph, Emma Lahana, Ally Maki, and showrunner Joe Pokaski will present “never-before-seen footage” and take audience questions. Since it is the show’s first convention panel following its debut in June, you can bet fans of the show will be ready to ask about the changes to the traditional Cloak & Dagger.
Time & Location: 5:45 p.m. in Ballroom 20
For Those At Home: That never-before-seen footage may make its way to Freeform’s YouTube channel, but it will be surprising if it is anything different from the episode preview seen during the show’s regular timeslot.
(Photo by Frank Ockenfels 3/AMC/Sony Pictures Television)
Stars Dominic Cooper, Ruth Negga, and Joseph Gilgun join executive producers Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, and showrunner Sam Catlin for a talk about the current state of play going into season 3’s halfway point. Expect to hear about the Tombs, the Allfather, and maybe even some of God’s plan for Jesse. Or maybe the cast will talk about what they had for dinner.
Time & Location: 7:30 p.m. in Hall H
For Those At Home: Since the season will be at the midway point, you might expect some sort of extended trailer for the latter half. Or an extended “next week on Preacher” promo.
(Photo by The CW)
The series makes its Comic-Con return for an “electrifying look” at the upcoming second season. Stars like Cress Williams, China Anne McClain, Nafessa Williams, and Christine Adams are scheduled to appear alongside showrunner Salim Akil.
Time & Location: 11 a.m. in Ballroom 20
For Those At Home: As these panels often occur before production resumes on the show, it is possible the video presentation will not be available online later. But if they have begun shooting, you may find a season 2 sizzle reel online before too long. Meanwhile, more than few people are hoping an Arrowverse crossover announcement will emerge from the Q&A.
(Photo by Steffan Hill/Syfy)
Cast members Cameron Cuffe, Ann Ogbomo, Wallis Day, and Shaun Sipos alongside showrunner Cameron Welsh and DC Entertainment’s Dan Evans will take a look back at the surprising first season and tease what is to come in the program’s second year.
Time & Location: 12 p.m. in the Indigo Ballroom at the Hilton Bayfront Hotel
For Those At Home: Like Black Lightning, the chances of a trailer depend entirely on whether or not they resumed production in time. But there is a good chance a season 2 casting announcement may be made.
The cast and crew of the new Big Hero 6 television series will discuss bringing the movie’s characters to television and offer some never-before-seen clips from the series. With Scott Adsit reprising his role as Baymax, you can expect a lot of his responses to have a certain gentle, robotic tone to them.
Time & Location: 12:30 p.m. in Room 6A.
For Those At Home: That never-before-seen footage might be available online at some point.
(Photo by Miller Mobley/FOX)
Executive producers Matt Nix and Jeph Loeb, and stars Stephen Moyer, Sean Teale, Jamie Chung, Emma Dumont, Blair Redford, Natalie Alyn Lind, and Skyler Samuels intend to offer an extended first look at the upcoming second season and, most likely, answer fan questions about certain characters’ choices in the season 1 finale.
Time & Location: 2:30 p.m. in Ballroom 20
For Those At Home: You can be sure that first-look video will be uploaded to YouTube before too long.
(Photo by Robert Voets/Warner Bros)
Another Comic-Con tradition is the Arrowverse’s absolute takeover of Ballroom 20 on Saturday afternoon. All four shows offer fans ample opportunities for questions and special sneak peeks of their upcoming seasons. Cast and producers will be on hand to tease future events and maybe even reveal more information on Batwoman, who will make her Arrowverse debut in this year’s crossover event.
Time & Location: 3:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. in Ballroom 20
For Those At Home: The CW is pretty good at getting their sizzle reels onto its YouTube page fairly quickly, but it remains to be seen how much new footage each show will have to share.
The upcoming SYFY series based on the comic book by Remender and Wes Craig will make its Comic-Con debut. Both will be on hand with castmembers like Benjamin Wadsworth and Benedict Wong and showrunners Miles Orion Feldsott and Mick Betancourt to offer a sneak peek of the series, due out in 2019.
Time & Location: 6 p.m. in the Indigo Ballroom at the Hilton Bayfront Hotel
For Those At Home: Unless the sneak peek ends up being the full pilot episode, expect to see the video sooner rather than later.
(Photo by Syfy)
Stars Melanie Scrofano, Shamier Anderson, Tim Rozon, Dominique Provost-Chalkley, Katherine Barrell, Varun Saranga, Chantel Riley, showrunner Emily Andras, and comic book creator Beau Smith return to Comic-Con for the third lovefest dedicated to everyone’s favorite Revenant hunter. While there is the promise of exclusive material, the panel usually becomes an opportunity for fans to offer their heartfelt praise to the cast and crew.
Time & Location: 6:45 p.m. in Room 6DE.
For Those At Home: Traditionally, the cast and crew have announced the show’s renewal at the Comic-Con panel. Fans are hoping it will be three-for-three and what better news can you give the Earpers at home?
Riverdale takes over Hall H for the first time as cast and crew convene to discuss the implications of Archie’s (KJ Apa) arrest at the end of the second season. The hour also promises to include a special video presentation and a fan Q&A in which some fans will attempt to learn star Cole Sprouse’s relationship status.
Time & Location: 11:45 a.m. in Hall H
For Those At Home: Should that video presentation offer a very early look at season 2, that footage will be repurposed and uploaded for all to see in the fullness of time.
Time & Location: 1:30 p.m. in Room 6A
Marvel Senior Vice President for Animation and Family Entertainment Cort Lane will offer a preview of the upcoming seasons of Marvel’s Avengers: Black Panther’s Quest and Marvel’s Spider-Man. Sneak peeks and surprises are also promised.
For Those At Home: Marvel tends to be pretty good about getting clips and trailers up quickly.
(Photo by Suzanne Tenner/FX)
Series creator Noah Hawley, executive producers John Cameron, Marvel Televison’s Jeph Loeb, and members of the cast will discuss season 2’s shocking revelations and tease things to come in season 3.
Time & Location: 2:15 p.m. in Hall H
For Those At Home: Considering Legion is in between production blocks, it seems unlikely any new footage will be available during the event or afterward.
And outside the convention center, DC Universe will offer a larger-than-life installation to fans centered on the shows and other content the upcoming streaming service will offer later this fall. Guests of the DC Universe Experience will visit Dick Grayson’s loft from Titans, peruse the lab of Doom Patrol’s Dr. Niles Caulder, avoid the deadly virus of Swamp Thing, create some chaos with Harley Quinn, and examine some rare DC Comics artwork and memorabilia not usually available to the public. The experience will be open throughout the convention from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. (9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, July 22). Fans attending the con can pre-register at dcuniverse.com.
Location: Hilton San Diego Gaslamp Quarter, 401 K Street, San Diego, CA 92101
For Those At Home: This one is a genuine Comic-Con exclusive.
Be sure to check out Rotten Tomatoes’ own live event during Comic-Con, Your Opinion Sucks! It’s the ultimate fans vs. critics face off, and you can watch it live in San Diego or on video at Rotten Tomatoes.
(Photo by Warner Bros. Pictures)
Just as Jonathan Kent’s surrogate fathering of Clark made Superman much of the man he is in the comics — or the more conflicted hero he becomes in Man of Steel (pictured) and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice – TV dads in the comic book realm have a special importance. While Jonathan Kent traditionally dies sometime before Clark becomes Superman, the 1990s series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman envisioned him very much alive and very much a part of his adopted son’s life. The show took its cues from the comics at the time, which also kept him around as an active, living character, and illustrated the importance of a father in a hero’s life. That notion continued into Smallville and many of the comic book–based television shows on the air today. But which of them best exemplify the gifts Jonathan offered to Clark? And which are notable for the absence of the qualities which make Jonathan Kent so exemplar? Let’s take a look at five of the best (and two of the worst) comic book fathers on television.
(Photo by Bettina Strauss/The CW)
Though mostly an invention of The Flash’s writers’ room, Joe West is possibly the best of the comic book fathers – well, once you excuse his enthusiasm for Barry (Grant Gustin) and Iris (Candice Patton) getting together. Joe is all empathy and leads with his heart in all matters where his kids (including Barry) are concerned.
In Barry’s case, this is particularly true as Joe not only escorted the boy away from the most terrifying moment of his life, but offered him long-term sanctuary and a structure which no doubt led Barry toward a career in law enforcement as much as his desire to solve his mother’s murder. And the show often illustrates that their bond is an important element of Barry’s continued effectiveness as a hero.
Since Barry is the central character, their bond appears to be the most important among Joe’s three (now four) children, but Joe’s support of Iris during her long road to finding herself (though some would claim she still hasn’t) and the effort he made to forge a bond with Wally (Keiynan Lonsdale), despite not meeting him until he was 18, illustrates how much he cares about his natural born children. In fact, it could be said Joe, as a character, cares more about Iris and Wally than the show does.
(Photo by Diyah Pera/The CW)
If there’s one aspect of Fred which mirrors Jonathan Kent, it is dedication. Soft-spoken, but diligent, Fred works hard to support Archie (KJ Apa), even if his son cannot always see that and seeks out more exciting father figures.
Sure, it could be argued that Fred’s dedication to his job and his semi-regular financial difficulties leave Archie vulnerable to the manipulations of the Lodge patriarch, but Archie’s hard road this year finally put him in the direction of home and supporting Fred’s bid for mayor. Even Veronica (Camila Mendes) could see Fred’s quiet determination is a key quality passed down to Archie (even if his teen angst leads him to questionable choices) and something worth supporting.
And Archie’s going to need that support as he faces trial for murder in the upcoming season. No doubt Fred will be ready to sell his contracting business and the house to help with the legal fees.
(Photo by Annette Brown/The CW)
As we’ve discussed before, Jefferson Pierce is a pretty rad dad. Like Jonathan Kent taking in an alien orphan without question, Jefferson abandoned what he thought life would be for his kids. Sure, it took some prompting, a near death experience and an absolute assurance that his nemesis was dead, but Jefferson became a very different person for Anissa (Nafessa Williams) and Jennifer (China Anne McClain).
That level of self-sacrifice continues even as both of his daughters exhibit superpowers. Becoming Black Lightning once more was motivated by securing their safety. Staying in the role was as much about securing a better world for them as it was stopping Green Light, Tobias Whale (Marvin “Krondon” Jones III) and the ASA. That Anissa and Jennifer are willing and able to be part of creating that security made him all the more eager to share his knowledge and build a team. Well, after some initial reservations because a father is still going to be protective of his kids.
(Photo by Frank Ockenfels/FOX)
That desire to protect his children is also something Reed has in common with Jefferson and Jonathan Kent. Both found themselves suddenly raising children with remarkable abilities. And both attempted to keep their lives in some state of normalcy until, quite suddenly, the issues could no longer be ignored. Jonathan — at least in the versions of Superman in which he is alive — quickly embraces Clark’s powers as part of his truth. Reed took a little bit longer to embrace his mutant children (if only by a few hours). But considering his status as a prosecutor engaged in putting mutant agitators behind bars, the relative slowness to embrace his children’s new situation sort of makes sense.
Of course, once he made peace with the fact his world was irrevocably altered, he wasted no time trying to get his kids to safety or getting involved with the Mutant Underground’s struggle. Sure, there were a few times he tried to get back the Struckers’ old way of life; but it always came from his desire to protect Lauren (Natalie Alyn Lind) and Andy (Percy Hynes White).
Although, it remains to be seen how that attempt to protect his kids will play out with Andy joining the Hellfire Club. Maybe he will need to trade in his protective zeal for a willingness to listen in order to pull Andy back from the brink.
(Photo by Bettina Strauss/The CW)
In the comics of the 1990s, Lois & Clark, and Superman: The Animated Series, Jonathan was one of Clark’s most important sounding boards. Always connected via corded telephone, he was seemingly always ready to listen to his son’s latest problem: be they minor or Crisis-level events. And though expressly not their father, J’onn fills this role for Alex (Chyler Leigh) and Kara (Melissa Benoist) as the family on Supergirl becomes a mishmash of displaced people often sitting in a bar full of aliens.
Nonetheless, J’onn is the person both Danvers sisters go to because they know he will listen. Granted, he did not start as the listening type — maintaining a cover identity as gruff DEO director Hank Henshaw — but once he revealed himself as a Green Martian who saw his only family imprisoned and killed during a war of attrition, the familial bond began to form with the Danverses. He listened as Kara told him about her conflicted feelings about confronting her aunt Astra (Laura Benanti) and as Alex worked up her courage to come out to everyone around her. In recent episodes, his ability to listen has been tested by an unlikely person: his own father M’yrrn (Carl Lumbly), whose desire to pass on his knowledge before his eventual death was seemingly unheard by J’onn.
Which, of course, only makes sense as fathers – be they human, mutant or Martian – are still fallible creatures trying to find their own way. And maybe the ability to see that in themselves sets them apart from the worst of comic book TV fathers.
(Photo by Jack Rowand/The CW)
While Malcolm Merlyn saw himself as protective, approachable and dedicated, those qualities were always filtered through what was best for Malcolm Merlyn and his plans to control the Undertaking and, later, the League of Assassins itself. In his vision of himself, he was only ever doing the best for Tommy (Colin Donnell) and later Thea (Willa Holland) when she asked him to train her. Yet, all that really mattered was that is children acknowledged how well he built his legacy.
But to dismiss him as a one-note bad guy — like his Legion of Doom compatriot Damien Darhk (Neal McDonough) — is to miss the occasional selflessness he was capable of exhibiting. Granted, those seemingly selfless acts often had an angle which would ultimately serve his own goals. An example: his apparent choice to die in order to save Thea came off as a final selfless act until she discovered he had set her up as an heir apparent to his own ersatz League and hid the location of the remaining Lazarus Pits behind a lock requiring her blood. His hope: she would be ready to lead the new organization in his name and bolster his legacy. Even in death, Malcolm Merlyn found a way to be a terrible father and make it all about himself.
(Photo by Bettina Strauss /The CW)
But no TV father could be further from the Jonathan Kent ideal than Riverdale’s resident land baron and crime lord Hiram Lodge. Throughout the first season, both Veronica and her mother Hermione (Marisol Nichols) considered him a threat from behind bars. Their feelings changed following his release, but Veronica never completely trusted him again. She could see that his self-interest was the only thing that mattered and that he would sell her and her mother out if it proved advantageous. Unlike Malcolm Merlyn, who genuinely believed he was creating a legacy for his children, Hiram’s stated belief in family is just a lot of buzzwords he uses to justify his manipulations of those supposedly closest to him.
And, as it happens, Veronica has declared war on him. Without his unique form of protection, it will be interesting to see how the two relate to one another in the program’s third season. Will he be able to reel her back in? Offer Archie’s freedom as a carrot to get her back under his control? That these are the questions one asks about Hiram really illustrates what a cruel, vain, and selfish father he is; whether you compare him to Jonathan Kent or not.
(Photo by Jessica Miglio/FOX)
Of course, your own list of the best comic book TV dads can vary based on the qualities you find most important. The Flash’s Henry Allen (John Wesley Shipp) could be considered one of the greats for his self-sacrifice and ever-caring appreciation of his son. Or for as strained as their relationship can get, Alfred Pennyworth (Sean Pertwee, pictured) on Gotham may prove to be a better father than Thomas Wayne ever could have been. Like Jonathan Kent, they are inspirational in ways both obvious and sublime. And like all the best fathers, they point to way for the next generation to be exceptional people.
Who is your favorite comic book dad? Is he on TV? Tell us in the comments.
To go by his words and deeds, Avengers: Infinity War’s Thanos (Josh Brolin) may be the most consummate and powerful foe the Marvel Cinematic Universe has yet unleashed. To hear him tell it, his attempt to give the universe balance by obtaining the Infinity Stones is a merciful and humane action. Perhaps more than any other Marvel villain, he is a hero in his own mind with goals he perceives as altruistic.
But will his Infinity War appearance make him one of the great film supervillains of all time? And what makes for greatness when it comes to villainy? Is it a grand plan executed with aplomb? An iconic look or an immediately quotable motto? Or is it a knack for banter with the hero? As more and more people see Infinity War, Thanos’s merits as one of the great villains will be debated, but let’s take a look at 20 of the big screen’s greatest superhero foes he will have to contend with to get that honor.
(Photo by 20th Century Fox)
The big screen’s first Joker was also television’s original Crown Prince of Crime. Romero memorably gave the character his psychotic laugh and off-kilter sense of humor. In the film, he also succeeds at being a cabin boy to a senile admiral. Armed with his repertoire and a “dehydration” gun, the Joker — along with the Penguin (Burgess Meredith), Catwoman (Lee Meriwether) and the Riddler (Frank Gorshin) — creates plenty of trouble for the Dynamic Duo.
Film Appearances: Batman: The Movie (1966), though he previously appeared in the Batman TV series.
Tomatometer: 80%
North American Box Office: $1.7 million
Destruction Factor: Turns the “United World” Security Council to a fine powder.
Memorable Line: “I’m afraid they’ll find our humor very, very dry!”
Powers: Puns and gag weapons.
Cosplay Cred: Few are ever willing to grow a Romero mustache for the perfect Joker ’66 look.
(Photo by Walt Disney Studios)
As a deep-cover spy, Neville Sinclair was the toast of Hollywood with the ability to bed any woman and earn the trust of any man. But his attempt to secure Howard Hughes’s (Terry O’Quinn) experimental rocket pack fills him with a particular mania that serves to be his undoing. Also: his sophisticated movie star image is the perfect counterpoint to the unkempt style of the Rocketeer (Billy Campbell).
Film Appearances: The Rocketeer (1991)
Tomatometer: 62%
US Box Office: $46.7 million
Destruction Factor: Assists in the destruction of a dirigible, the rocket pack itself, and a portion of the “Hollywoodland” sign.
Memorable Line: “It wasn’t lies, Jenny. It vas acting.”
Powers: A strong resemblance to Errol Flynn and Timothy Dalton.
Cosplay Cred: Sadly, none.
(Photo by Warner Bros.)
The Phantasm is one of the most personal villains the animated Batman (Kevin Conroy) ever faced. In costume, the Phantasm speaks with the voice of Stacy Keach and strikes terror into Gotham’s organized crime families. But in reality, she is Andrea Beaumont (Dana Delany), the only woman who could ever pull Bruce Wayne away from his life as a vigilante. Sadly, the dissolution of their relationship leads them both to don masks and face the City’s worst criminals.
Film Appearances: Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993)
Tomatometer: 82%
US Box Office: $5.6 million
Destruction Factor: Batman’s heart.
Memorable Line: “Your Angel of Death awaits.”
Powers: Combat training and smoke bombs.
Cosplay Cred: Rare, but it’s memorable when you spot a Phantasm cosplay in the wild.
Though he seems to be a mentor, Elijah Price is really the architect of all of David Dunn’s (Bruce Willis) problems. (Sorry: Spoiler.) Though he is the only person to recognize the presence of superpowers in the world, years of abuse and neglect — to say nothing of his brittle bones — lead him to one conclusion: be the supervillain the world needs to find the hero it requires.
Film Appearances: Unbreakable (2000), thought M. Night Shyamalan is currently working on a follow-up for 2019 called, appropriately, Glass.
Tomatometer: 68%
Worldwide Box Office: $248.1 million
Destruction Factor: Derails a train to prove David is indestructible, among other acts of terrorism.
Memorable Line: “They called me Mr. Glass!”
Powers: A terrifying intellect.
Cosplay Cred: A surprisingly rare occurrence at comic cons.
(Photo by 20th Century Fox)
As both spy and confidant to Magneto (Ian McKellen), Mystique relies on her top martial arts skills and mutant ability to blend into any environment. But she is also the most visible example of Magneto’s crusade. Though she can choose to appear as anyone she wishes, Mystique’s natural blue serpentine appearance inspires fear in the world. The character was so memorable in the initial X-Men film series that the current cycle revolves around her, now played by Jennifer Lawrence.
Film Appearances: The X-Men franchise.
Tomatometer: X-Men: 81% (Certified Fresh), X2: X-Men United: 85% (Certified Fresh), X-Men: The Last Stand: 58%
Worldwide Box Office: X-Men: $296.3 million, X2: X-Men United: $407.7 million, X-Men: The Last Stand: $459.3 million
Destruction Factor: Though she has been known to blow stuff up now and again, that isn’t really her style. Instead she sows confusion and wreaks havoc by manipulating her foes.
Memorable Line: “You know, people like you are the reason I was afraid to go to school as a child.”
Powers: Shape-shifting.
Cosplay Cred: An extremely tough look to pull off at comic cons.
(Photo by Warner Bros.)
When Superman is overcome by the toxic effects of Gus Gorman’s (Richard Pryor) counterfeit Kryptonite, he turns into a self-centered jerk who would rather make time with a pretty lady than save a bunch of bus passengers on a disintegrating bridge. Reeve’s attempt to channel an all-id Superman does feel more “bad” than evil, but it provides a fun opportunity for Reeve to play against himself and presents the first on-screen exploration of an idea — “What if Superman were evil?” — that would become a major theme driving the narrative behind movies like Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad.
Film Appearances: Superman III (1983)
Tomatometer: 26%
US Box Office: $60 million
Destruction Factor: Straightening the Leaning Tower of Pisa ruined the Italian economy.
Memorable Line: “You always wanted to fly, Kent!”
Powers: All the powers of a Superman, but he’d rather drink Johnny Walker Red.
Cosplay Cred: Not nearly as common as it should be.
The merger of Nicholson’s persona with the Joker is one of Batman’s great strengths, but the performance is more nuanced than many gave it credit for at the time. Once he falls into the Axis Chemicals acid and adopts his clown persona, Nicholson loses some of his iconic cool to dig into the louder, broader aspects of Gotham’s #1 villain (e.g. the Smilex commercial). A consummate foe for the Batman of the late 1980s.
Film Appearances: Batman (1989)
Tomatometer: 72%
Worldwide Box Office: $411.3 million
Destruction Factor: Kills his boss, fries a business rival, and poisons Gotham City.
Memorable Line: “Ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight?”
Powers: Knowledge of chemistry and a flair for the theatrical.
Cosplay Cred: A fairly rare sight as other takes on the Joker became more popular.
(Photo by Walt Disney Studios)
The ultimate sycophant, Syndrome (née Buddy Pine) was a precursor of the sort of fan culture that eats itself for some perceived lack of purity. His jealousy of the supers leads to a lot of strife for the Parr Family and an America burnt out on superheroes. Nonetheless, his actions also lead to a possible return of heroes, despite an attempt to even the playing field.
Film Appearances: The Incredibles (2004)
Tomatometer: 97% (Certified Fresh)
Worldwide Box Office: $633 million
Destruction Factor: His robots leave a path of destruction through the metro area the Parrs call home.
Memorable Line: “And when everyone’s super, no one will be.”
Powers: Zero point energy manipulation via technology.
Cosplay Cred: Virtually nonexistent, though memorably spotted on occasion.
(Photo by Marvel Studios)
As the personification of Tony Stark’s (Robert Downey Jr.) id, Ultron’s attempts to secure the planet make clear Tony’s greatest failing: he cannot see the human cost in any of his endeavors. Powered by the Mind Stone, Ultron makes a final, ugly calculation in regards to humanity and sets out to destroy it. Also, since he’s based on Tony’s brain patterns, he quips. A lot.
Film Appearances: Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
Tomatometer: 75% (Certified Fresh)
Worldwide Box Office: $1.41 billion
Destruction Factor: Raises – and razes – the entire nation of Sokovia; the ramifications of which are still being felt throughout the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Memorable Line: “When the dust settles, the only thing living in this world will be metal.”
Powers: All the powers of an Iron Man, multiplied by the ability to self-replicate infinitely.
Cosplay Cred: Extremely rare, though a few Ultrons appeared at cons after the film’s release.
(Photo by Warner Bros.)
While DC Comics’ favorite cat burglar skirts the line between villain and ne’er-do-well, Catwoman’s initial involvement in a plot to disgrace Batman (Michael Keaton) earns her a spot on the list. Pfeiffer’s performance defined the character for a long time – even if she was partly inspired by the TV Catwomen of the 1960s – as she fought Batman and her own turmoil. In the end, her Catwoman chose her own way and never appeared in a film again. Not that anyone has ever been able to forget her.
Film Appearances: Batman Returns (1992)
Tomatometer: 81% (Certified Fresh)
Worldwide Box Office: $266.8 million
Destruction Factor: She blows up Schreck’s Department Store in an early show of strength.
Memorable Line: “Meow.”
Powers: Nine lives and a filing system that is unstoppable.
Cosplay Cred: Though the film is over 25 years old, this Catwoman costume is still popular.
(Photo by Zade Rosenthal/Walt Disney Studios)
Yes, yes, he isn’t a villain by choice, as he’s very much a weapon of Hydra in the film, but Bucky Barnes is very effective at playing the part. His Soviet brainwashing is so effective that, when activated, almost no emotional appeal will work on him. Well, at least until his old friend Steve Rogers, a.k.a. Captain America (Chris Evans), finally breaks through. And, really, Bucky’s relationship with Steve is part of what makes him so compelling.
Film Appearances: Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) and Captain America: Civil War (2016), though Sebastian Stan first played Bucky Barnes in Captain America: The First Avenger (2011).
Tomatometer: Captain America: The Winter Soldier: 89% (Certified Fresh), Captain America: Civil War: 91% (Certified Fresh)
Worldwide Box Office: Captain America: The Winter Soldier: $714.3 million, Captain America: Civil War: $1.15 billion
Destruction Factor: Assists in bringing down S.H.I.E.L.D. and its helicarrier fleet.
Memorable Line: “Who the hell is Bucky?”
Powers: Heightened strength and agility, a cybernetic vibranium arm.
Cosplay Cred: A beloved fixture of con-going cosplayers.
(Photo by Sony Pictures)
Despite a strong work ethic and good management skills, Adrian Toomes turned to crime when Tony Stark and government officials bulldozed over his contract to clean up Manhattan following the Battle of New York. Granted, the swiftness with which he became a black market weapons manufacturer suggests all he ever needed was a gentle shove to embrace villainy. But the opening scene of Spider-Man: Homecoming made him immediately understandable and compelling as a villain; and even sympathetic once his relationship to Spider-Man’s (Tom Holland) world is revealed.
Film Appearances: Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Tomatometer: 92% (Certified Fresh)
Worldwide Box Office: $880.1 million
Destruction Factor: Rips a ferry in half, crashes a Stark Industries jet, and blasts Logan Marshall-Green out of the MCU.
Memorable Line: “The rich, the powerful, like Stark, they don’t care about us! The world’s changed boys. Time we change too!”
Powers: A flying rig based on crashed Chitauri tech.
Cosplay Cred: Surprisingly rare costume in spite of a great adaptation of the comic book Vulture’s look.
Excusing some of the camp value to Hackman’s Luthor – particularly in the sequel – he exudes the key quality of Superman’s archfoe: egotism. Luthor, a real estate swindler in these films, only decides to fight Superman because his ego dictates it. Consequently, Superman cannot really appeal to his emotions; none are present as he plans to remake the West Coast in his image.
Film Appearances: Superman (1978), Superman II (1981)
Tomatometer: Superman: 93%, Superman II: 87%
Worldwide Box Office: Superman: $300 million, Superman II: $156.9 million
Destruction Factor: Nearly sank California into the Pacific.
Memorable Line: “There’s a strong streak of good in you, Superman. But then, nobody’s perfect… almost nobody.”
Powers: He is the greatest criminal mind of his time. He also owns a hefty Kryptonite necklace that he uses to weaken Superman.
Cosplay Cred: Between Hackman’s refusal to go bald and the appalling 1970s fashions, he is a truly rare cosplay sight.
(Photo by Marvel Studios)
Currently, the Avengers’ greatest foe is not a flamboyant god or a maniacal robot, but a sad, quiet man with a detailed plan and working knowledge of governmental procedures. Zemo destabilizes the world for a very personal and, ultimately, small goal: hurt the Avengers the way they hurt him. He also succeeds, leaving Captain America a fugitive and Tony Stark so isolated that he has to pal around with a spider-themed teenager hero.
Film Appearances: Captain America: Civil War (2016)
Tomatometer: 91% (Certified Fresh)
Worldwide Box Office: $1.15 billion
Destruction Factor: With some smoke, a few explosions, and a very inconvenient truth, he brings down the Avengers. He also murders a few people along the way.
Memorable Line: “An empire toppled by its enemies can rise again, but one which crumbles from within? That’s dead… forever.”
Powers: Determination.
Cosplay Cred: Despite his comic book counterpart’s incredible fashion sense, the Marvel Cinematic Universe version inspires few to dress up.
(Photo by Columbia Pictures courtesy Everett Collection)
One of the most sympathetic villains on the list, Molina’s Doc Ock was as much a victim of his passions as he was a willing accomplice in a plan to destroy Spider-Man. The cruelty that emerges in him came from his cybernetic implants; a crucial detail that becomes clear when he finally reasserts control and realizes he was trying to kill his friend Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire). Also, the warmth with which he welcomes Peter — a guy in desperate need of a positive male role model — makes his turn all the more tragic.
Film Appearances: Spider-Man 2 (2004)
Tomatometer: 93% (Certified Fresh)
Worldwide Box Office: $783.8 million
Destruction Factor: His lab is completely destroyed during an experiment. He also leaves his mark on New York skyscrapers and the subway lines.
Memorable Line: “I will not die a monster.”
Powers: Super-tough robotic appendages.
Cosplay Cred: Popular in the wake of the film’s release, but has since faded.
(Photo by Warner Bros.)
Thanks to Stamp, Zod is as much a staple in Superman’s rogues gallery as Lex Luthor. Seemingly reserved, Zod can lash out without hesitation. Despite the air of refinement Stamp gives the character, he is just another petty dictator — a point underscored when he takes control of the White House (and, by implication, the world) only to suffer from conqueror’s boredom. Superman’s return late in the film comes as a relief to Zod, as debasing the son of Jor-El gives him something to do.
Film Appearances: Superman (1978), Superman II (1981)
Tomatometer: 87%
Worldwide Box Office: Superman: $300 million, Superman II: $156.9 million
Destruction Factor: He and his cohorts reshape Mount Rushmore and pummel the West Wing. They also make insurance premiums rise in Metropolis again.
Memorable Line: “Come to me, son of Jor-El! Kneel before Zod!”
Powers: All the powers of a Superman plus advanced military training.
Cosplay Cred: Zod’s look is just a little too disco for most cosplayers.
(Photo by © Marvel and © Walt Disney Pictures)
The secret shame of Wakanda, Erik “Killmonger” Stevens (Michael B. Jordan) presents a legitimate concern to King T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) and his subjects, even if his methods are woefully misguided: Should Wakanda reveal itself to the outside world and help those who live with the legacy of the African slave trade? The character’s heady subtext is backed by Jordan’s gifted abilities as a performer.
Film Appearances: Black Panther (2018)
Tomatometer: 96% (Certified Fresh)
Worldwide Box Office (To Date): $1.34 billion
Destruction Factor: Destroys all but one of the heart-shaped herbs, which is far more devastating than any property damage he caused in the film.
Memorable Line: “Nah, just bury me in the ocean with my ancestors that jumped from ships. ‘Cause they knew death was better than bondage.”
Powers: Thanks to the heart-shaped herb, all the powers of Black Panther; Navy SEAL training.
Cosplay Cred: Few could wait for a comic convention to dress in Killmonger’s now-iconic London look. Cosplayers dressed in his subsequent battle suit, which looks suspiciously like Vegeta’s from Dragonball Z, shortly after.
(Photo by 20th Century Fox Film Corp.)
Erik Magnus Lehnsherr is one of the most compelling antagonists in comics and film for one simple reason: he’s pretty much right. His methods may be unquestionably cruel to conventional humans, but he recognizes two sapient species cannot share the planet. Violence, subjugation, and pain are inevitable. And when his point of view is given McKellen’s voice, it becomes incredibly persuasive. The more optimistic philosophy of the X-Men looks naïve and childish in comparison.
Film Appearances: The X-Men Franchise
Tomatometer: X-Men: 81% (Certified Fresh), X2: X-Men United: 85% (Certified Fresh), X-Men: The Last Stand: 58%, X-Men: Days of Future Past: 90%
Worldwide Box Office: X-Men: $296.3 million, X2: X-Men United: $407.7 million, X-Men: The Last Stand: $459.4 million, X-Men: Days of Future Past: $747.9 million
Destruction Factor: He moves the Golden Gate Bridge to Alcatraz, turns Senator Kelly (Bruce Davison) into a water creature, and renders a sick burn unto Rogue (Anna Paquin) about the white stripe in her hair.
Memorable Line: “Let’s just say God works too slowly.”
Powers: The ability to manipulate all metal.
Cosplay Cred: His initial low-key look is rarely imitated these days.
(Photo by Zade Rosenthal/Walt Disney Studios)
The power of persuasion is also a major weapon in the arsenal of the God of Lies. Loki is charismatic, witty, exciting, and a sharp dresser. He’s that bad boy who looks redeemable even as he opens a wormhole to let the Chitauri invade Earth. But then he has a good explanation for his bad choices: he was raised by the god who kidnapped him from his real family. And he means to do good, so shouldn’t that be enough? It’s no wonder Loki returns to the MCU time and again; his brand of villainy looks like it can be reasoned with. Even if he betrays Thor again, again, and again.
Film Appearances: Thor (2011), The Avengers (2012), Thor: The Dark World (2013), and Thor: Ragnarok (2017), though he’s less a villain than a trickster — and even a bit of a hero — in the latter two.
Tomatometer: Thor: 77%, The Avengers: 92%, Thor: The Dark World: 66%, Thor: Ragnarok: 92%
Worldwide Box Office: Thor: $449.3 million, The Avengers: 1.52 million, Thor: The Dark World: $644.6 million, Thor: Ragnarok: $853.5 million
Destruction Factor: He seizes the throne of Asgard and almost murders Thor, then later precipitates the Battle of New York, which alerts the world to the presence of superpowered beings.
Memorable Line: “You were made to be ruled. In the end, you will always kneel.”
Powers: God-level abilities and a snake-oil salesman’s tongue.
Cosplay Cred: A perennial favorite, though his formal tux from Avengers was more popular in the wake of the film’s release.
(Photo by )
In an age when origins are required, Ledger’s Joker arrived on the scene without a name, place of birth, or a particular ambition. As Alfred (Michael Caine) put it, he just wants to see the world burn, and he even tells Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) as much late in the film. His complete lack of backstory and motivation makes him the most unpredictable, dangerous supervillain on this list, and the purity of his cruelty makes him the most fascinating.
Film Appearances: The Dark Knight (2008)
Tomatometer: 94%
Worldwide Box Office: $1 billion
Destruction Factor: Took out most of Gotham’s entrenched mafia, destroyed Harvey Dent, and made the Batman Gotham’s Number One criminal.
Memorable Line: “Why so serious?”
Powers: None
Cosplay Cred: Thanks to the alterations to the classic Joker look, Ledger’s Joker costume remains popular at cons and at Halloween.
Viewers new to Legion aren’t at much of a disadvantage to fans who obsessed over the entire first season. Noah Hawley’s X-Men series is so trippy, often ambiguous, and focused on tone that you might still be unlocking its secrets after multiple viewings.
Legion is a sort of origin story of David Haller (Dan Stevens), who, in comic books, becomes a mutant with big hair named Legion. In season 1 of the show, David is in a psychiatric institution after a childhood of powers-related trauma. If one felt possessed by other consciousnesses, institutionalization would be the real-world treatment, but this is the world of Legion— absorbing consciousnesses is one of David’s mutant powers.
Just when things started to make sense — relative to Legion — David got sucked into an orb in the post-credits scene of the season finale. Season 2 finds David one year later in Division III custody, so David is back to piecing together his missing past again, at least for the last 362 days. The good news is, Hawley agrees this is the perfect time to jump into Legion.
“If you look at that first season, what actually happened, it’s not a lot of plot on a lot of levels,” Hawley said. “David was worried he was mentally ill and then it turned out he had this other consciousness inside of him. They got it out for him and now it’s out there on the loose, and they’ve got to go get it. You could know that and you would be just as oriented as someone who’s watched the first season.”
That demonic parasite was Amahl Farouk, the Shadow King. In season 1 Farouk appeared as the devil with the yellow eyes in David’s visions. In season 2, Navid Negahban plays Farouk’s true form.
“That’s not to say there aren’t masks from time to time, but now it’s time to invest in him as a character,” Hawley said. “No one should just be a villain. You have to be able to understand the world from his point of view as someone who was basically kicked out of his body, kicked out of his home by David’s dad and went into David’s body. From his point of view, he’s the good guy and that’s always more interesting.”
Legion could be a different show from week to week, so drastic changes between seasons aren’t totally out of character. Division III were villanous agents in season 1, trying to capture David for his powers. Now David’s friends — Syd (Rachel Keller), Melanie (Jean Smart), Cary (Bill Irwin), Kerry (Amber Midthunder) and Ptonomy (Jeremie Harris) — have teamed up with Division III to stop Farouk.
“I always feel like a new season of a show is an opportunity to reinvent the show on some level, which doesn’t work for every show,” Hawley said. “I think it works for this one. I don’t think you would want to watch Game of Thrones and have Game of Thrones be a different show. You want it to be what you want it to be. Breaking Bad’s hallmark [was] it’s in real time, and you’re going to pick up the moment you left off for the most part. This isn’t that show.”
Even upon reinvention, most of the things you loved about Legion are still there, and sometimes even more of them. Everyone loved the Bollywood dance number, so there’s more dancing in season 2. David was still tracking Oliver (Jemaine Clement) and Lenny (Aubrey Plaza) at the end of season 1, so when he finally finds them, it’s all expressed on the dance floor with no words. Episode two has a song Oliver and Lenny sing.
“I want to expand the definition of what an action scene is,” Hawley said. “Can an action scene be dialogue? Can an action scene be musical? That idea that David is confronting Oliver and Lenny for the first time, there is some fighting to it and some posturing to it and some courtship to it on some level. It’s really hard to do that with violence. It’s a lot easier to do that with dance which is an expressive medium. That’s just fun too, I think.”
In the X-Men movies, action is usually Wolverine going berserk or Magneto flying bridges or stadiums. That’s not how Legion will do action.
“On those moments where the characters crash against each other, and he crashes against his own inner demons, that feels like action to me,” Hawley said. “I feel like the season is building towards these moments where plot and character come together because the plot is basically which path is David going to take? Is he going to be a hero? Is he going to be a villain? Has the damage he suffered doomed him? Can he overcome those things?”
So can dialogue be action? When your main character is a mutant with multiple consciousnesses, yes.
“David can be in a dialogue scene with himself,” Hawley said. “Now suddenly that inner monologue becomes an outside conversation.”
The visual manifestations of David’s mind gave Legion some trippy visuals like a giant volume knob and entire episodes taking place within the span of a single gunshot. Tune in to season 2 for frozen people with chattering teeth, something you can never unsee or unhear.
“It’s a way to try to make stillness into something dynamic,” Hawley said. “Certainly a bunch of people standing around like statues can be scary if executed the right way, but the teeth adds a visceral and sonic quality to it. It’s unnerving because it’s not behavior that people are supposed to do. We know innately what’s natural and what’s unnatural. There’s something so unnatural about it that I think it has a visceral impact on the audience.”
Other visuals are more pleasant, like boats carrying waffles in a restaurant. David wakes up asking for waffles, so you gotta get the man some waffles.
“When you’re thinking about sets, all right, Division III, they need a place where they can have a conversation,” Hawley said. “I start thinking about those Japanese sushi restaurants you’ll see with the boats. I thought that’s interesting because it has movement to it now. It’s dynamic and it was a great set that Michael Wylie built, really fun to film in.”
Legion asks philosophical questions, like is a man dreaming he’s a butterfly or is the butterfly dreaming it’s a man? Melanie suggests that the saddest words in the English language are “vacant lot.” Some would say “if only” are the saddest words, but Hawley makes the case for “vacant lot.”
“Sometimes you write the first half of a sentence and you gotta finish it,” Hawley said. “Those words, ‘vacant,’ which means empty, and ‘lot,’ which is often used to mean the opposite: to have a lot of something. I don’t know, ‘You have a whole lot of nothing.’ Her delivery was so great it made me feel smarter.”
Between Fargo and Legion, Hawley has been working nonstop. He hasn’t ruled out a fourth season of Fargo, but with shows like these he can only focus on one at a time.
“I feel like I have an idea, but it’s something I’m seeing mostly out of the corner of my eye at this moment,” Hawley said of Fargo. “I haven’t started to open it up and figure it out.”
Hawley is also embarking on a film career. He is set to direct Pale Blue Dot starring Natalie Portman and Jon Hamm.
“It’s a movie sort of based on a true story of a female astronaut who comes back to Earth and she melts down a bit,” Hawley said. “For me, it’s a great tableau to explore a lot of ideas about her character and that experience of going out into space. We don’t send poets into space. We send left-brain engineer types, and they have these celestial experiences that they don’t know how to articulate a lot of the time. You just learn that no matter how complicated the universe is, it’s still simpler than life on Earth.”
Legion returns Tuesday, April 3 at 10 p.m. on FX.
Some of 2017’s best new series are finally returning for round two this month, and we can’t wait to see what’s next. Catch up on those — plus a handful of favorite long-running offerings — below with our monthly roundup of what to binge.
What it is: Diane Lockhart (Christine Baranski) gets the leading lady treatment with CBS All Access’ hit spin-off of The Good Wife. Set one year after the events of that acclaimed series’ finale (and picking up on the morning of President Donald Trump’s storied inauguration), The Good Fight follows Lockhart after she’s forced out of her own firm with Maia Rindell (Game of Thrones’ Rose Leslie) and joins up with Lucca Quinn (Cush Jumbo).
Why you should watch it: Sure, if you loved The Good Wife, you’ll love The Good Fight — but believe it or not, Baranski is better than ever here and finds exciting new shades to our beloved Lockhart. Season 2 premieres March 4.
Where to watch it: Amazon, CBS All Access, FandangoNow, Google Play, Microsoft, Vudu
Commitment: Approx. 8.5 hours
What it is: If you’re up to no good, Jessica Jones is the last person you’d want to bump into in a dark alleyway. The super-strong P.I. has thrown in her towel as a superhero and instead taken to bringing justice to New York City’s most nefarious by more traditional means — until a super-villain from her past named Kilgrave comes back into her life, that is.
Why you should watch it: Even if you’ve already seen Season 1 of Jessica Jones, and even if you got a much-needed fix from Marvel’s The Defenders last year, Krysten Ritter alone is worthy of repeat viewing for a quick catch-up before season 2 on March 8. Daring, crass, and ball-busting, she and her Jones take on a whole new significance in the era of Times Up and #MeToo. But most importantly, she’s addictively watchable, now more than ever.
Where to watch it: Amazon, FandangoNow, Google Play, Microsoft, Netflix, Vudu
Commitment: Approx. 12 hours
What it is: This half-hour comedy from Judd Apatow and Lesley Arfin charts the unlikely relationship of goofy everyman Gus (Paul Rust) and the beautiful-but-flawed Mickey (Gillian Jacobs), both of whom live and work in Hollywood.
Why you should watch it: They say don’t judge a book by its cover, and particularly with Love, it’s best to not judge a series by its title, either. More a darkly comic look at 20-30something aimlessness, addiction, and the things we do to make a connection in the modern world, Love likely won’t leave you feeling all warm and fuzzy. What is worth loving, though, are stop-you-in-your-tracks performances from Community vet Jacobs and Rust. Season 3 premieres March 9.
Where to watch it: FandangoNow, Google Play, Netflix
Commitment: Approx. 11 hours
What it is: Longtime character actor and standout supporter Giovanni Ribisi gets top-billing as “titular” conman Marius who, once out of prison, takes on the identity of his cellmate, Pete. On the run from a coldblooded mobster, Marius holes up with Pete’s unsuspecting small-town family.
Why you should watch it: This Amazon original series from creators David Shore and Bryan Cranston (who also co-stars as mobster Vince) will sneak up and floor you — and we don’t say that simply as a play on words. Each ensemble member (but especially Ribisi and series breakout Marin Ireland) delivers lived-in and moving dramatic turns with fast-paced scripts that don’t skimp on nuance of character. Sneaky Pete doesn’t have to con its way onto your must-watch list; it deserves to be there. Season 2 premieres March 9.
Where to watch it: Amazon, FandangoNow, Google Play, Microsoft, Vudu
Commitment: Approx. 7.5 hours
What it is: This time-hopping, sci-fi adventure series from creators Shawn Ryan and Eric Kripke stars Abigail Spencer, Malcolm Barrett, and Matt Lanter as a history professor, a scientist, and a soldier, respectively, who travel through time to stop another more sinister time traveler from altering the course of history.
Why you should watch it: Oftentimes, high-concept big swings from the networks take a little while to find their footing, but Timeless on NBC stormed out of the gate in fall 2016 as an admirably audacious drama with tricks up its sleeve to spare. Season 2 premieres March 11.
Where to watch it: Amazon, FandangoNow, Google Play, Hulu, Microsoft, Vudu
Commitment: Approx. 12 hours
What it is: Showtime’s Billions dramatizes the high-stakes world of Wall Street when Chuck Rhoades, a U.S. attorney, sets his sights on bringing down hedge fund manager Bobby Axelrod for insider trading and other illegal proclivities.
Why you should watch it: Paul Giamatti has built a career on playing the everyman, and here, he’s fighting for him. Giamatti’s turn as the hard-hitting U.S. attorney Rhoades would be reason alone to watch (scenes of unexpected BDSM and all), but Billions also boasts a timely, engrossing premise and firecracker performances from Damian Lewis and Maggie Siff that meet Giamatti mark for mark. Season 3 premieres March 25.
Where to watch it: Amazon, FandangoNow, Google Play, Hulu, Vudu
Commitment: Approx. 24 hours
What it is: This decorated HBO comedy from creators John Altschuler, Mike Judge, and Dave Krinsky is the story of wunderkind coder Richard Hendricks (Thomas Middleditch) as he and partner Erlich Bachman (T.J. Miller) struggle to to get their startup off the ground during Northern California’s tech boom.
Why you should watch it: Few shows pack as many laughs-per-episode as Silicon Valley. Through its hilarious portrayal of a company on the rise, it also taps into the real-world “brotopia” of the West Coast’s tech industry in more than just name with an assortment of memorable (and in the case of Middleditch, Emmy-nominated) performances across the board.
Where to watch it: Amazon, FandangoNow, Google Play, HBO Now, Microsoft, Vudu
Commitment: Approx. 19 hours
What it is: Now entering its sixth and final season, this slow-burning espionage series stars real-life couple Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys as married KGB spies infiltrating the nation’s capital at the height of the Cold War.
Why you should watch it: We know, we know: You’ve heard enough about Russia in today’s headlines, so why should you want to watch a show about KGB spies infiltrating the States? Trust us: The Americans isn’t just any show. In Russell and Rhys, the FX critical darling boasts two of television’s finest performers matched with airtight scripts and sublime direction and cinematography well deserving of its slew of Emmy and Golden Globe nominations over its five-year run. Season 6 premieres March 28.
Where to watch it: Amazon, FandangoNow, Google Play, Microsoft, Vudu
Commitment: Approx. 48 hours
What it is: Those poor, poor Baudelaire orphans — always getting caught up in events that are, well, unfortunate. Netflix’s whimsically dark series follows Violet, Klaus, and Sunny who, after they’re parents’ death, are put in the care of an evil distant cousin, Count Olaf, who’s set on getting his hands on their sizable inheritance.
Why you should watch it: Here, Neil Patrick Harris is doing more than just stealing the show here, as he did on for nine seasons on How I Met Your Mother. He is the show, making each master-of-disguise get-up as the menacing Olaf more beguiling than the one before it. It’s just an added bonus that the sets, music, and just about everything else about this series is technically dazzling.
Where to watch it: Netflix
Commitment: Approx. 6 hours
What it is: While Legion is among the most original — and, as a result, undefinable — series on TV today, in the simplest of terms, it’s the story of psych-ward patient David Haller (Dan Stevens) and his sidekick-turned-nemesis Lenny (Aubrey Plaza) as David more fully becomes what he’s always known himself to be: a mutant.
Why you should watch it: To anyone who says they’re tiring of the superhero genre overtaking film and TV, we say, “Have you seen Legion?” Noah Hawley’s absolutely singular X-Men–based vision is a mind-bending and engrossing head-scratcher that’s well worth committing to. And committing is exactly what Stevens and Plaza do with their no-holds-barred, fearless performances. Season 2 premieres April 3.
Where to watch it: Amazon, FandangoNow, Google Play, Hulu, Microsoft, Vudu
Commitment: Approx. 6 hours
When artist Rob Liefeld first brought his concept of a futuristic super-solider to Marvel in 1989, he always suspected his character, The Man Called Cable, would find his way to the big screen. But he also imagined it would take more and less time than it ultimately did. As seen in today’s trailer for May’s Deadpool 2, Cable has taken the form of actor Josh Brolin, bringing a surprising amount of Liefeld’s character to the screen a good 20 years before the artist’s worst-case scenario.
“I remember we went to see Spider-Man in 2002,” Liefeld told Rotten Tomatoes. “Stan Lee was 79 [at the time]. I told my wife that Cable would be in a movie by the time we were in our seventies.”
After seeing the trailer this morning, his wife reminded him of his prediction.
“She said, ‘You beat it before you hit 50!'” he said.
But he also admitted he had always hoped Cable would be in the pictures by his 30s.
The character, whose real name is Nathan Summers, first appeared as Cable in the March 1990 issue of Marvel Comics’ X-Men spin-off New Mutants. The title, like other X-Men offshoots at the time, could not hope to match the sales juggernaut of the mothership, the best-selling comic book on the market for most of the 1980s.
“They offered me X-Factor,” Liefeld recalled.
That book reunited the original X-Men under a new team name, but Liefeld was reluctant to take the reins after the creative team of Louise Simonson and Walter Simonson, who had introduced key characters like Apocalypse during their tenure.
“I would not have made the same impact,” he said.
Marvel’s other long-running X-Men spinoff, New Mutants, was lagging behind and ready for a creative shake-up. Liefeld had an idea to transform the title. His pitch was for a new team leader: a pragmatic man of action who mixed the extreme ends of mutant freedom represented by Professor Xavier and Magneto, both of whom had previously shepherded the team. But remembering his own fascination with Wolverine in the early ’80s, Liefeld also cloaked the character in a lot of mystery and a ton of cool design features.
“He is a solider from the future, and when you look at him, you say, ‘Yeah, he looks like he’s from the future.’ He has scar over one eye, a glowing eye, and a cybernetic arm,” the artist said of the design, which quickly inspired fans and a subsequent generation of artists. “I was following the path of Wolverine before me, which was the mystery… and [Cable] has multiple layers of mystery.”
In his first appearance, he inserted himself into a prison to take on a team of mutant terrorists. To Liefeld, they key feature on display was “relentlessness,” a feature he also saw in the new trailer, which establishes the dynamic between the cinematic Cable and Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds).
Taking control of the New Mutants, Cable quickly led them away from the school trappings of earlier X-Men days to the combat zones he was more accustomed to. By 1991, New Mutants was replaced by a new title to reflect the change in the team dynamics. X-Force became a hit with its mixture of cool characters like Cable, pranksters like Deadpool, and a dedication to trickling out details of their histories at a measured pace. Cable, was “immediately in toys and in cartoons” and has been “part of the firmament of Marvel” ever since.
And Liefeld expects those elements of Cable that thrilled comic readers in the early 1990s will thrill audiences when Deadpool 2 debuts in May.
“The dynamite is about to go boom!” he said with glee. “The audience for the film is being introduced to him the way the audience in the comics was, and it’ll be great to see how they go for that ride.
“He’s walking into the world of Deadpool, who is openly mocking him,” he explained. “Their chemistry has always been great. In the comics, Deadpool was the wiseass to offset the straight-man Cable was. And now, Cable’s the straight-man [in the film] to offset the wiseass. I love it.”
Visually, Liefeld said Brolin’s look is “dead on,” right down to the inclusion of dark strands in his white hair, a design element that debuted in New Mutants #87, but which Liefeld pulled back on to indicate the character’s aging process.
“They told me they did it so there’s room to go more silver in the next movie,” he said, thanking make-up designer Bill Corso and his team for making that extra effort to honor the character’s original look. Liefeld did admit, though, that Brolin’s Cable has a “cooler hairstyle” than the character’s original late ’80s do.
“Look at that jaw! Look at that grimace!” he added. He also praised Brolin for getting the “gym-rat, muscle-bound” physique of the character right. “He met the task. He became Cable.”
“I had a pretty good instinct that it would hit the spot,” Liefeld said of today’s trailer. “And the beautiful thing about social media is the instant feedback. It’s nice to know the instincts are still good.”
“And it wouldn’t be a Deadpool trailer if it didn’t have a skit in the middle!” he added. “Playing with action figures — that’s our language!”
But he also pointed out that between the two trailers — and their skits — the film has only revealed 50 seconds of its running time.
“You have a minute, tops, of a two-hour film, which means the confidence they have in the film is tremendous,” he said. “The Man Called Cable could not have been more fully realized and sold to the audience [than he was] today. And there’s so much more to come.”
Deadpool 2 arrives in theaters on May 18.
With the introduction of Black Lightning (Cress Williams) on Tuesday, a prominent hero of color finally leads a big network TV series. Yes, Netflix streaming series Luke Cage debuted first, but the potential reach of Black Lightning on The CW far exceeds it.
Representation matters, as has been proven time and again by films with black lead characters, like Marvel record-breaker Black Panther (out February 16), and by the appeal of TV characters of various races and ethnicities, like Cisco Ramon (Carlos Valdes) on The Flash, Melinda May (Ming-Na Wen) on Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and Mehcad Brooks as James Olsen on Supergirl.
It would be great if even more heroes of color got their shot in the Comics on TV realm. Here are just a few examples of characters who should be leading their own television shows right now.
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(Photo by DC Comics) |
First Appearance: Batman #475
While Renee Montoya has appeared on television, both in Batman: The Animated Series — the series for which she was created, thought her first comic book appearance beat her TV debut to release — and later in the form of Victoria Cartagena during Gotham‘s first season, she is a lead character waiting to happen. Born to Dominican immigrants in a tough part of Gotham City, Montoya eventually joined the police force, where she found herself working closely with the Batman. She eventually made detective and was assigned to the GCPD’s major case squad where she worked for Captain Maggie Sawyer (a character who made a big impression on Supergirl) and was partnered with Crispus Allen, a character who may also deserve his own show. Then, one day, it all fell apart as Allen lay dying and Montoya quit the force. She went into a spiral of depression and drinking until the original Question, Vic Sage, selected her to replace him.
As a lead character on a television show, imagine a gay Latina Jessica Jones with martial arts skills, a dash of Angel-style guilt complex and a startlingly costumed look. The Question’s blank face inspires terror in those she interrogates. But as a character in recovery, her choice to be a superhero puts her at the risk of succumbing to internal demons, no matter how well Sage — full of his own demons — trained her.
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(Photo by DC Comics) |
Created By: Denny O’Neil and Neal Adams
First Appearance: Green Lantern (Vol.2) #87
John Stewart has been one of the stalwart Green Lanterns for over 40 years. Depicted as black man because “it just made sense” to artist Neal Adams, Stewart is considered the first African-American DC superhero, beating Black Lightning to publication by six years. First introduced as a back-up GL for Hal Jordan, Stewart grew a sizable following of his own, taking over as the main Green Lantern from 1984 to 1988 and as the prominent GL in the animated Justice League TV series. A former marine and architect turned interstellar protector, he lives with the guilt that he allowed a planet to be destroyed while serving in the Lanterns — the cosmic version of Die Hard’s Al Powell shooting a kid holding a cap gun. Nonetheless, John is a good man who grew from that tragedy and briefly ascended to the power of a Guardian — the immortal aliens who oversee the Green Lantern Corps.
Considering the similarities, many assumed Arrow’s John Diggle (David Ramsey) would eventually be revealed as John Stewart. This never came to be as all of the Lantern characters are held in reserve for an eventual Green Lantern Corps feature film (now “on a slow burn,” according to producer and writer David Goyer). But the notion of the Corps would serve as great fodder for a super-powered cop show, with Stewart anchoring as a good cop recently cleared of wrongdoing by internal affairs. Nonetheless, his post-traumatic stress could lead to a difficult re-entry onto the intergalactic beat.
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(Photo by Marvel Comics) |
Created By: Sana Amanat, Stephen Wacker, G. Willow Wilson, and Adrian Alphona
First Appearance: (cameo) Captain Marvel #14, (full) Ms. Marvel (Vol. 3) #1
Notable for being the first Muslim and Middle-Eastern Marvel hero in its pantheon to headline a Marvel Comics series, Kamala also hearkens back to the days when the Marvel heroes were outsiders trying to understand mainstream culture from a distance. Devoted to school and family, Kamala is a Desi girl from Jersey City who has one hero outside her community: Captain Marvel. Wearing a sweater inspired by the powerful Avenger, Kamala found herself transformed when a Terrigen bomb was detonated over the New York tri-state area. When she emerged from the Terrigen cocoon, she had the abilities to change her shape and her mass — giving her great strength when necessary. And like many great Marvel heroes, she must learn to deal with her powers while navigating the maelstrom that is high school.
As a television show, the premise would be obvious. Kamala would face equal amounts of drama at school, in her home, and from any villain not already claimed by Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. She is also an Inhuman and might serve as a better anchor for the concept than the royal family of Marvel’s Inhumans. But within those avenues for story is also the room to explore how one of the most recent cultures to come to the United States deals with one of its most unique ideas: the superhero itself.
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(Photo by Marvel Comics) |
Created by: Brandon Montclare, Amy Reeder, and Natacha Bustos
First Appearance: Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur #1
Another recent Marvel Comic creation, Lunella is also an Inhuman like Kamala. But as she is also the smartest person on the planet, she anticipated her own Terrigenesis and actively sought to prevent it happening in her first story line. Also, she’s 9 years old. That alone sets her apart from just about every kid on television – even if every kid on television thinks they’re the smartest person ever to live. But Lunella’s next-level intelligence also gets her into trouble, as she can be incredibly inconsiderate to her classmates, teachers, parents, and even Devil Dinosaur; the time-lost T-Rex who shares a symbiotic bond with Lunella. Thanks to her Terrigenesis, she can switch bodies with Devil Dinosaur when angry or extremely hungry, which presents a whole new set of troubles for Moon Girl.
Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur might make for the most lighthearted of the series listed here, particularly as the T-Rex effects would make Devil Dinosaur an occasional guest character and force the show to lean into its comedic aspects. But within Lunella’s Yancy Street walk from school to home and vice-versa is a world to explore thanks to rock-solid premise: a preternaturally smart little girl trying to skip the ugly process of growing up.
Created By: Felipe Smith and Tradd Moore
First Appearance: All-New Ghost Rider #1
To be fair, Robbie Reyes has already appeared on television thanks to Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. But his guest appearances (in the form of actor Gabriel Luna) only underscore how cool a Ghost Rider TV series could be. Caught up in the collateral damage of gang warfare and his uncle Eli’s devious deeds, the television version of Robbie Reyes was saved by the original Ghost Rider only to become the Rider himself. Trading in the bike for a classic Dodge Charger – which is still in lock-up at the old S.H.I.E.L.D base – Robbie and the Rider prowled the streets of Los Angeles in search of souls to collect and sins to be paid. At least until he took the Darkhold into another dimension for safe keeping.
While the premise would suggest a Netflix-style show, there is still room for the character on broadcast. He has a gentler side taking care of his little brother Gabe and has a strong sense of community when his head isn’t on fire. Returning Robbie to East L.A. would also offer Marvel television a unique setting from which to tell new kinds of stories. Would Ghost Rider be able to clean up the streets or find the task as difficult as Black Lightning’s Jefferson Pierce? Would Robbie try to rebuild the neighborhood or set it all ablaze?
Of course, these are only a handful of the amazing minority heroes at the major publishers. There are others, like Amadeus Cho: The Totally Awesome Hulk and Green Lantern Simon Baz, who may be great lead characters as well. And in the case of these particular characters, their backgrounds and ethnicities offer a new and exciting way to look at classic comic book ideas. Comics, and Comic on TV, should always strive for this sort of interesting reinvention.
If you thought there was more comic book–inspired television than you could watch in a given week, 2018 will provide even more new series and a number of returning shows to completely cover your TV viewing hours with superpowers, super-angst, and even a few new concepts. There is even a mystery to be uncovered as New Warriors was expected to debut on Freeform this year, but the series will no longer air on that channel if it airs at all.
Nonetheless, there are still plenty of 2018 shows to be excited about. Here are the ones we are looking forward to.
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(Photo by Colin Bentley/The CW) |
Returning: January 15, 8 p.m., The CW
Why We’re Looking Forward To It: The winter finale left Kara (Melissa Benoist) at her most vulnerable after Reign (Odette Annable) beat the living daylights out of her. When the series returns, Supergirl will be in a coma while Mon-El (Chris Wood) awakens Brainiac 5 (Jesse Rath) from his hypersleep chamber to help Kara. And once Kara recovers, the fireworks will come fast as she tries to stop Reign and gets to know Brainy, a favorite of Legion of Superheroes fans and Kara’s comic book counterpart.
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(Photo by Cate Cameron/The CW) |
Returning: January 16, 8 p.m., The CW
Why We’re Looking Forward To It: In the first part of the fourth season, Clifford DeVoe (Neil Sandilands) turned out to be a formidable foe for Barry Allen (Grant Gustin). When the series returns, The Thinker’s next scheme — putting Barry on trial for DeVoe’s supposed murderer — will force The Flash to consider revealing his true identity, putting the rest of the team in jeopardy. And if that’s not bad enough, hobbling Barry is only a tiny part of DeVoe’s overarching scheme.
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(Photo by J Squared Photography/The CW) |
Premiere Date: January 16, 9 p.m., The CW
Why We’re Looking Forward To It: Unlike the other CW superhero series, Black Lighting will begin with the title character (Cress Williams) retired from the heroing business. And unlike Barry or Arrow‘s Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell), Jefferson Pierce will be a mature man who knows what he’s doing when circumstances force him to adopt the Black Lightning identity once more. Williams looks to be a strong lead amongst a predominately African-American cast, which also includes China Anne McClain and Nafessa Williams as his daughters Jennifer and Anissa, and Marvin “Krondon” Jones III as Tobias Whale, Black Lightning’s principle enemy. Also, his lightning powers look pretty cool.
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(Photo by Marc Hom/The CW) |
Returning: January 17, 8 p.m., The CW
Why We’re Looking Forward To It: Though we’re still unsure if the Black Hood’s identity was another dodge in larger mystery or just a really lackluster conclusion, the closing of Southside High and the return of Jughead (Cole Sprouse) to his old high school will surely ignite plenty of sparks as he runs afoul of Mr. Weatherbee (Peter Bryant). Meanwhile the Lodges’ (Marisol Nichols and Mark Consuelos) plans for the Southside will heat up with daughter Veronica (Camila Mendes) playing along. Or is she? Also, her friendship with Betty (Lili Reinhart) will hit the skids, potentially leading to the show dramatizing one of the oldest rivalries in comics. Newcomer KJ Apa completes the fabulous teen foursome as Archie in the Archie Comics–based series.
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(Photo by David Giesbrecht/Netflix) |
Returning: March 8, Netflix
Why We’re Looking Forward To It: Krysten Ritter proved to be the best of the leads in, arguably, the best of Marvel and Netflix’s collaborations. Seeing her in the role of bitter private eye Jessica Jones made Marvel’s The Defenders a lot more enjoyable, and it’ll be good to have her back starring in her own series again as Jessica learns more about her mysterious past and powers. We also can’t wait to see what trouble Trish Walker (Rachael Taylor) gets into, especially if it leads to her adopting a certain heroic identity of her own.
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(Photo by Steffan Hill/Syfy) |
Premiere Date: March 21, Syfy
Why We’re Looking Forward To It: While a Superman prequel series may seem like one the least likely concepts to make it to air, Krypton has a few things going for it. For one: the setting — two generations prior to Kal-El’s escape from the doomed world — is largely uncharted territory. As it begins, Superman’s grandfather Seg-El (Cameron Cuffe) attempts to restore the House of El to its former glory while heeding the warnings of timelost Earthling Adam Strange (Shaun Sipos), who has no problem telling Seg about Krypton’s impending destruction. Add a Brainiac (Blake Ritson) into the mix, and you have the beginnings of an interesting tale. And as Legion taught us last year, quality drama can emerge from mere scraps of comic book lore.
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(Photo by FX) |
Returning: Early spring 2018, FX
Why We’re Looking Forward To It: After a stellar, mind-bending first season, we were left with more questions than answers. Not that we expect Legion to answer a single one as the Summerland group search for the abducted David Haller (Dan Stevens) and rediscover the trail of Oliver Bird (Jermaine Clement) and Lenny/Amahl Farouk (Aubrey Plaza and a number of other people). And if the show can create more amazing moments like Lenny’s dance — one of our favorite moments in 2017 — and the “Bolero” sequence, it can definitely continue to avoid answering any of its mysteries.
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(Photo by Netflix) |
Returning: 2018, Netflix
Why We’re Looking Forward To It: The second season of Luke Cage will feature something fans have wanted since he left Jessica Jones’ corner of New York for Harlem: Heroes for Hire. Well, it may not be a fully formed version of Luke’s (Mike Colter) most important comic book superhero team, but part of the season will see Luke and Danny Rand (Finn Jones) working together and becoming better friends. And, really, Luke is the best person to bring the Iron Fist down a peg with some goodhearted trash talk and his ability to (mostly) endure what Danny can dish out. Also, Misty Knight (Simone Missick) gets a robot arm, which will no doubt take the fairly grounded Cage into interesting new directions.
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(Photo by Netflix) |
Returning: 2018, Netflix
Why We’re Looking Forward To It: Vincent D’Onofrio has not be shy in revealing his return as Matt Murdoch’s (Charlie Cox) primary opponent Wilson Fisk. We’re pretty much in agreement with his enthusiasm. Reportedly, the third season will take its cues from the “Born Again” comic book story line by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli, which sees Matt’s life systematically destroyed by the Kingpin, who has learned Daredevil’s public identity. Matt is also reunited with his mother Maggie in that story, but the end of The Defenders suggests their television reunion will happen sooner rather than later.
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(Photo by Michelle Faye/Syfy) |
Returning: 2018, Syfy
Why We’re Looking Forward To It: Wynonna (Melanie Scrofano) will also be reunited with her mother in the upcoming third season; though the final moments of the second season finale suggest they have been in contact for some time as events in Purgatory lead to the demon Bulshar’s escape from his century of imprisonment. Meanwhile, Dolls (Shamier Anderson) and Haught (Katherine Barrell) have a secret of their own, as the curse of the Ghost River Triangle continues to keep human and Revenant alike in eternal torment.
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(Photo by Freeform) |
Premiere Date: 2018, Freeform
Why We’re Looking Forward To It: While Marvel’s Runaways proved there is plenty of ground to cover with superhero teen angst, Cloak & Dagger promises to be the first conscious attempt at a superhero love story. Olivia Holt and Aubrey Joseph star as Tandy Bowen and Tyrone Johnson, a pair of teenagers whose tentative first steps toward becoming a couple get interrupted when they discover they have mutant powers that work better in tandem with one another; although, it is unclear if the characters will be mutants in the series — their comic book counterparts were initially unaware they had the x-gene. It also remains to be seen how the pull to help people and fight superpowered adversaries will effect their emerging love affair. If nothing else, the show may prove you can tell superhero stories without relying on the team dynamics of The CW shows or the grittiness of the Netflix Marvel programs.
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(Photo by Netflix) |
Premiere Date: 2018, Netflix
Why We’re Looking Forward To It: Gerard Way and Gabriel Ba’s Umbrella Academy was a surprise when it debuted on comic book shelves in 2007. The atmosphere might remind you of Hellboy or Grant Morrison’s The Invisibles, but the tale of a dysfunctional superhero family — who range in concept and powers from Gerry Anderson–style space explorers to dark vigilantes — was loving rendered by Ba. Netflix’s adaptation of the series will be headlined by Ellen Page as Vanya Hargreeves, the one member of the family without superpowers. Black Sails’ Tom Hopper and The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones‘ Robert Sheehan will also star as members of the Hargreeves family — one with the body of a Martian Gorilla and one with the ability to speak to the dead, respectively.
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(Photo by 2017 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.) |
Premiere Date: Late 2018, DC Streaming Service
Why We’re Looking Forward To It: The Teen Titans are a perennial favorite supergroup whose popularity even rivaled the X-Men in the early 1980s. Their animated adventures thrilled a generation and even the current Teen Titans Go! continues to create fans of Dick Grayson, Raven, Starfire, Cyborg, and Beast Boy. Their first live-action outing is being developed by Greg Berlanti and Sarah Schechter of the various CW superhero dramas — so you have some idea of how the show will feel when it launches with the DC Entertainment streaming service later this year. If the early costume photos of actors Brenton Thwaites (Blue Lagoon: The Awakening, Gods of Egypt) as Robin and Alan Richtson and Minka Kelly (Friday Night Lights, The Path) as the superhero duo Hawk and Dove are any indication, it may be one of the most faithful comic book television adaptations yet.
The prospect of Disney owning 20th Century Fox’s film studio and Fox television properties is exciting for X-Men fans, who called for the franchise’s films to join with the Marvel Cinematic Universe of The Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Doctor Strange when the deal was announced.
Lauren Shuler Donner, who produced all the X-Men movies, is executive producer on TV shows The Gifted and Legion, and will surely have some say in the franchise’s next steps, offered fans a ray of hope.
“Sure, why not?” she said in an interview with Rotten Tomatoes on Thursday at a Fox event during the Television Critics Association winter press tour. She also addressed what Hollywood’s #MeToo movement means to certain properties in the X-Men universe.
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The deal was only approved in December, and both Disney and Fox give a timetable of up to 18 months to complete the sale. Shuler Donner already knows Disney CEO Bob Iger, Marvel Chief Kevin Feige, and Walt Disney Studios chairman Alan Horn. She is optimistic about the films they can produce together.
“Look, it’s 18 months [away], so who knows,” Shuler Donner said. “For me, I think Bob Iger is one of the smartest men in the country. Alan Horn’s an old friend. Kevin Feige was my intern and assistant and then my associate producer on the first X-Men. Kevin and I started the X-Men together, so for me if we work with Kevin, I’m happy.”
Other Marvel projects are still in development at Fox. In fact, Legion creator Noah Hawley is writing a script for Doctor Doom, a solo film about the Fantastic Four villain.
Hawley told Rotten Tomatoes that the film is still on track, so that’s another Marvel film that could happen before or after the Disney merger.
“I haven’t had a phone call, and I’m just operating under the assumption that it’s business as usual,” Hawley said. “Obviously, the merger, should it go through, will take a year at least. Certainly no one’s reached out to me from Marvel or Fox to say, ‘Well, you know, maybe we should take a beat or maybe we should rush.’ I’m working on the script, and we’ll see what the landscape is when I deliver it.”
Doctor Doom will be Hawley’s priority after season 2 of Legion, so there’s a chance it could be ready to go into production before the merger.
“It’s coming,” Hawley promised. “I’m almost done with the last Legion script, and then it’s my first responsibility.”
Legion begins its second season in April. Hawley is wonderfully unpredictable, so if fans were expecting the further adventures of David Haller (Dan Stevens) discovering his mutant powers, sorry. That was season 1.
“I think it was exciting for him to come up with a brand new take, a brand new story using our characters,” Shuler Donner said. “I think it’ll be fun for the audience too, so I’m down with it.”
Fox just announced it was renewing The Gifted for a second season. The X-Men series centers on the Mutant Underground, on the run from Sentinel Services. Season 1 has been a lot of running and fighting. Season 2 is going to have time to see if the Mutant Underground can get along with each other.
“Hopefully season 2 will let us explore a little bit more their own conflicts and the interdynamics, where they’re going,” Shuler Donner said. “You’ll see what happens in the final episode.”
Don’t get too excited about all the Trask Industries logos around the sets of The Gifted, though. Comic book readers recognize the company, but Trask Industries namesake Bolivar Trask already appeared in an X-Men movie, played by Peter Dinklage in Days of Future Past. The character will not appear on The Gifted.
“Basically we don’t want what you see in the movies to come into the TV show,” Shuler Donner said. “We want our own world. Yes, it’s Trask Industries, but no, he’s not going to show up.”
The next X-Men movie in theaters will be the Deadpool sequel. Atomic Blonde director David Leitch directs the sequel, and Shuler Donner said fans can expect each Deadpool movie to shake things up.
“Just in theory, we like to change it up every single time so you guys are never bored,” Shuler Donner said. “But it’s Deadpool. It’s got to come out of character.”
Shuler Donner is also a vocal supporter of women in the entertainment industry, so when X-Men film franchise star Ellen Page, who played Kitty Pryde in the 2006 film The Last Stand and 2014’s Days of Future Past, came forward with her own #MeToo story from the earlier production about director Brett Ratner, Shuler Donner stood with her.
In the movement, women have shared stories of sexual harassment, assault, and rape, in hopes that predators will be removed from all industries and companies will adopt zero-tolerance policies on predatory behavior.
Page described an incident prior to filming in which Ratner told another actress to have sex with the then 18-year-old “to make her realize she’s gay.” Page said she was still discovering her sexual orientation at the time and felt violated by the comment. She also described other demeaning comments Ratner directed at other women.
The Last Stand co-star Anna Paquin corroborated Page’s account, posting on Twitter, “I was there when that comment was made. I stand with you.”
https://twitter.com/AnnaPaquin/status/929057776650698752
Shuler Donner said she spoke with Page after her post and also that she had experienced Ratner’s behavior herself.
“I back her up 100 percent,” Shuler Donner said. “Absolutely. He’s horrible. I’m aware he’s very demeaning to women, extremely demeaning to women, myself included. Yes, I was aware. Anybody that’s female, he’s demeaning.”
With the allegations against him and the cancellation of some of his deals, including a Hugh Hefner biography he was set to direct, Ratner may be facing exile from the movie business.
“I hope so,” she said.
Shuler Donner has another abuse and harassment controversy to contend with on the Deadpool sequel. T.J. Miller, who plays “Weasel” in the film, has been accused of sexual assault, abuse, and, in a separate case, harassment of a trans film critic.
Some fans have said they want Miller replaced before the film is released, in the same way director-producer Ridley Scott replaced Kevin Spacey with Christopher Plummer in All the Money in the World following allegations against Spacey.
https://twitter.com/joewhite3d/status/943272511000793088
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The Deadpool sequel is not out until June 1, and while Scott made the swap and did his reshoots in less time, Shuler Donner does not expect it would be possible to replace Miller at this point.
“We’re in the final editing,” she said. “I don’t think so.”
As for Miller’s future in the Deadpool franchise, she deferred to the studio to make such calls. After the Disney-Fox deal closes, Disney will decide if Miller has a future in their franchise.
“That’s a whole studio thing,” Shuler Donner said. “I don’t know.”
Another colleague of Shuler Donner’s, Bryan Singer, has also had recent issues, though not on one of her films. Singer directed The Gifted pilot and four X-Men movies for Shuler Donner, but he was replaced on Bohemian Rhapsody for reportedly not showing up for work on the set. The biography of Queen singer Freddie Mercury starring Rami Malek will be finished by Dexter Fletcher.
“Listen, I love Bryan, but Bryan has a lot of demons,” Shuler Donner said. “Bryan has some problems, and Bryan needs to take care of his personal problems. That’s all I can say.”
Variety later reported that Singer has been dropped as executive producer on Legion because of sexual misconduct allegations against him. His EP status on The Gifted is also in jeopardy, according to the report.
The Gifted airs Mondays at 9/8C on Fox; Legion returns in April on FX.
(Photo by AMC; The CW; NBC; CBS All Access; ABC)
We surveyed TV fans and asked which midseason returning and premiering series they were most looking forward to in the first quarter of 2018. The top series, according to 623 Rotten Tomatoes users (out of 1,359 total survey respondents), include The Walking Dead (returning from its midseason break), The X-Files (returning for its 11th season), The Alienist (a new TNT miniseries), and, in the reality category, American Idol (getting reboot treatment).
Click through to find out which other series made the top 10 in each category.
MIDSEASON RETURNS | NEW SEASON PREMIERES | NEW SERIES & TV MOVIES | REALITY
These series, chosen by Rotten Tomatoes users, debuted their current seasons in the fall and are returning early in the new year to continue their runs.
Top 10 out of 40 titles:
65%
54%
92%
86%
100%
90%
82%
48%
100%
94%
80%
50%
63%
87%
Top 10 based on 1,359 overall survey responses:
1. The Walking Dead – 10%
2. This Is Us – 9%
3. Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. – 5%
4. The Good Doctor – 4%
5. Star Trek: Discovery – 4%
6. NCIS – 4%
7. The Big Bang Theory – 4%
8. The Good Place – 4%
9. How to Get Away With Murder – 3%
10. Supernatural – 3%
MIDSEASON RETURNS | NEW SEASON PREMIERES | NEW SERIES & TV MOVIES | REALITY
(Photo by 20th Century Fox; Walt Disney Pictures)
Updated on 12/14/17.
After months of secret talks and at least six weeks of speculation, the Walt Disney Company announced it will buy most of 21st Century Fox’s media holdings. According to reports, Disney will acquire the 20th Century Fox, National Geographic, and FX cable networks, as well as various international holdings, while 21st Century Fox will spin off Fox Broadcasting network and stations, Fox News, Fox Business, FS1, FS2 and Big Ten Network to its shareholders.
While Disney’s acquisition of the complete distribution rights to the original Star Wars, National Geographic programming, and other properties had Wall Street buzzing, the merger means one important thing for fans of comic book movies and television shows: The return of the X-Men and, presumably, Fantastic Four characters to Marvel Studios.
In the late 1990s, when Marvel was an independent company nearing bankruptcy, Fox bought the film rights to both properties in perpetuity: As long as they made X-Men or Fantastic Four movies every few years, they retained control of those titles and associated characters forever.
But now that Disney is buying the studio, it will mean some of Marvel Comics’ most popular characters can finally appear alongside the stars of the Marvel Cinematic Universe — and the potential for character crossovers and story line adaptations is staggering. Below are just a few ways fans win if the deal goes through.
Despite Marvel Studio’s attempts to position the Inhumans as their answer to the X-Men, fans desperately want the Merry Mutants to fight alongside (or against) the MCU’s roster of Iron Men, Asgardians, sorcerers, and talking raccoons. In fact, pitting the two groups against each other might be a thrilling way to introduce the X-Men to the MCU. Such a battle took place in 2012’s Avengers vs. X-Men. The story line saw the Phoenix Force return to Earth while the Avengers and the X-Men fought over how best to protect the person destined to bond with the cosmic entity.
There are some pitfalls to adapting the story, as it relies on a lot of shared history between the two groups. Wolverine, for example, is a longtime member of both the Avengers and the X-Men. But without his presence in the MCU, those connections would have to be built anew. Going into the fifth phase of Marvel’s feature film story line, the X-Men would be a completely new element (a possibility with its own set of advantages) unless there was a way to retroactively insert them into MCU history.
The 2015 event series Secret Wars saw Marvel’s mainline universe (referred to as Earth-616) merging with a number of other alternate realities published by Marvel over the years. The story is epic and insanely intricate with Doctor Doom as the supreme ruler of a feudal universe. The end result saw Ultimate Spider-Man Miles Morales join the main Marvel Universe and the company’s first family (Reed Richards, Sue Storm, and their children) removed entirely.
It is easy to imagine, say, Legion’s David Haller (Dan Stevens) imitating his comic book counterpart – who once ripped apart the Marvel Universe with his awesome power – to create a new MCU where mutants are an established fact.
The pitfall, of course, is the X-Men film series’ own convoluted timeline and half-hearted reboots. Which films would be considered canon? Do you retroactively call X-Men: Days of Future Past an opening shot of the Secret War? Maybe it would be better to have Deadpool laugh it off and just accept that the characters are part of the MCU now. But fans would want some sort of acknowledgement of this monumental change to Marvel’s film universe even as X-Men films suffer from a sense of reboot fatigue.
Perhaps it would be easier for Marvel to start with the comic book concept that never generated a winning film for 20th Century Fox:
As watchers of the comic book industry know, the disappearance of the Richards clan in Secret Wars was more than just a story point; it was an allegedly cynical move in an ongoing battle between Fox and Marvel Entertainment CEO Isaac Perlmutter. Knowing the studio was prepping a new Fantastic Four film – the infamous 2015 reboot directed by Josh Trank – he reportedly ordered the publishing division to cease publication of the title. According to the rumor, Perlmutter allegedly considered a Fantastic Four comic book to be free advertising for a Fantastic Four film Marvel would see little revenue from.
And so, longtime Fantastic Four scribe and Secret Wars writer Jonathan Hickman wrote the family out of the prime universe.
But with all media rights to the Fantastic Four were once again under one roof, Marvel Comics is free to publish the comic once more — and potentially giving fans something they crave: a Marvel Studios–produced Fantastic Four movie.
Imagine, as many fans do, a film set in the 1960s with Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Johnny Storm, and Ben Grimm experiencing their original comic book origin. It could be something hip and poppy, in the vein of A Hard Day’s Night, with a Doctor Doom who looks and sounds the part. It would be easy to explain away their absence in the MCU as a plot of Doom’s to obscure the cursed Richards and his family. It could even make light of all the silly studio politics.
That said, there is one major problem plaguing the Fantastic Four as a film property: It’s already failed twice. Or three times, if you count the infamous and unreleased Fantastic Four produced by Roger Corman. The underlying premise of a science hero family does not sit well with the action-oriented screenwriting tropes of Hollywood studios. Even Marvel itself might have a problem adapting the concept. Perhaps it, and certainly other Marvel properties formerly controlled by Fox, would work better in the realm of television. Additionally, the rights to the Fantastic Four may not be as clear-cut as originally thought.
While the Fantastic Four may make a better television program, one of their supporting characters practically screams for a TV adaptation. The recently concluded run of Silver Surfer by Dan Slott and Mike Allred stars a human character named Dawn Greenwood who is whisked away by the Surfer on a psychedelic trip across the universe. As the two journey among the stars and help people out of jams, Dawn shows the often aloof and spacey Surfer – real name Norrin Radd – the value of consideration and compassion. They also fall in love, but their relationship is challenged when she learns how Norrin became the Silver Surfer.
Like Doctor Who infused with the love story between Downton Abbey’s Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) and Matthew Crawley (Stevens), this winning TV premise is unlike anything Marvel or Fox has produced with comic book properties so far.
Of course, having most of Marvel in one place could also clear up the way shows like Legion and The Gifted dance around their feature film cousins. Currently, the layers of bureaucracy between Marvel and the web of Fox film and TV production and distribution companies make it difficulty for either show to relate to the established X-Men film series or each other. With Marvel’s television division as the only authority, Professor X could be revealed as David Haller’s father, while Polaris could announce to her friends in the Underground that she is Magneto’s daughter. Imagine if both of these shows suddenly took to heart Marvel’s edict that “it’s all connected.”
But before we consider the potential for character crossovers, let’s go back to the Silver Surfer for a second and his possible place in the MCU. Whether he received his own series or popped up in an Avengers movie, his debut in a Marvel film or television project could herald the MCU’s next big bad.
Since the first Avengers film, Thanos the Mad Titan has been teased as the group’s ultimate cosmic antagonist. But once his defeat comes in the fourth Avengers, who will pose any major threat to them in the MCU’s fifth phase?
How about someone who eats planets for breakfast?
Though the ancient and eternal devourer of worlds known as Galactus appeared in Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, the film re-imagined him as an amorphous alien death cloud. The character, with his thrilling Jack Kirby–designed head gear, living spaceship, and next-level intelligence, could be the sort of opponent even the combined strengths of Tony Stark, Thor, the Guardians, Captain Marvel, and Ant-Man would find overwhelming.
Alternatively, the Fantastic Four property comes with one villain who may be worth more to Marvel Studios than anyone else in the Fox-controlled library. Imagine the sudden appearance of Latveria on the MCU scene and the arrival of its absolute dictator, Dr. Victor Von Doom. Facing just about every character from Luke Cage to Reed Richards to Squirrel Girl (and in one instance, even Superman), Doctor Doom is very much the ultimate antagonist. Everyone has a bone to pick with him, and every Marvel fan laments his absence in the MCU.
Either would make worthy adversaries of the combined Marvel Studios and Fox libraries. In fact, Doom’s ubiquity as a Marvel Comics villain underscores the most thrilling aspect of the potential Fox sale: the character interactions.
Hulk and Wolverine’s first meeting has never be realized in live action or even cheekily referenced in any film. In Avengers: Age of Ultron, Scarlett Witch and Quicksilver’s real parentage is never discussed because Magneto is a 20th Century Fox property. And then there’s a story line like World War Hulk, which requires the presence of Professor X and Reed Richards to complete a counsel of power characters like Doctor Strange, Tony Stark, and Black Bolt.
Because Marvel Comics has always enjoyed crossing characters over into its various titles, the MCU has always been just a little poorer for lacking the X-Men and the Fantastic Four. A perfect example is Scarlet Witch, who first appeared in early X-Men stories before spending decades in the Avengers ranks. But that emotional tie is blunted in her MCU form. Imagine an Avengers film in which the veil is lifted and she remembers who her father is. Imagine a Secret Wars–style mashup in which she meets her father (in the form of Michael Fassbender or Ian McKellan) and the Evan Peters version of her brother. Imagine the drama and the confusion for a character who has had little to do in the MCU so far.
And that’s only one example. Consider the potential for laughs, should Deadpool and Ryan Reynolds find their way into the MCU. Relish the possibility of Chris Evans and a new Johnny Storm making a wink-and-nod reference to his own Fantastic Four past — Evans even recently joked about playing both characters in a buddy picture. Imagine the connections between Legion, The Gifted, and the upcoming Cloak & Dagger (coming in 2018 to the Disney–ABC Television Group’s Freeform). Then there are Wolverine’s constant guest appearances in every Marvel title clearing the way for him once he’s recast — Hugh Jackman has said about the likelihood of his return to the role, “the ship has sailed” — to venture far and wide to Avengers films and Hulu’s Runaways.
Provided, of course, the merger overcomes any regulatory hurdles. And though it will be sad to see one of Hollywood’s oldest studios disappear under the Disney banner, the return of significant Marvel properties to Marvel is just too exciting for fans of the characters. And now that the merger is on its way, the imaginations of fans can run wild.
(Photo by Miller Mobley/FOX)
The Gifted’s solid debut means the X-Men finally have a strong foothold on broadcast television. And while its premise emphatically states that it takes place in a world without the X-Men, there are more than enough nods, winks, and outright lifts from the comic book series’ past that it is worthy to explore their origins back in the pages of Uncanny X-Men and its numerous spin-offs.
(Photo by Ryan Green/FOX)
Early in the pilot, Andy (Percy Hynes White) refers to mutants as “muties.” Based on Lauren’s (Natalie Alyn Lind) reaction, we know that word is not a term of affection. In use by November 1965’s X-Men #14 by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee – though Robert Heinlein was using the term in stories as early as the 1940s — “Mutie” quickly became the slur of choice for bigots when confronted by a mutant. It was never more popular amongst anti-mutant groups than in 1982’s X-Men graphic novel God Loves, Man Kills by Chris Claremont and Brent Anderson. In the story, William Stryker uses it to foment anti-mutant leanings at his church revivals and to bait Professor Xavier into debating him on television; leaving him open to a kidnapping. Curiously, The Gifted is the first X-Men live action project to make a very pointed connection to the term and other bigoted slurs. Expect it to recur whenever the Mutant Underground ventures into the wide world.
(Photo by Marvel; Eliza Morse/FOX)
In getting ready for the dance, Lauren asks her date which outfit looks better: blue or gold. The color schemes of her options are a quick visual reference to the standard X-Men uniform. Though some might argue the blue was intended to read as black due to printing issues in most comics of the time, the blue-and-gold uniforms debuted in 1963’s X-Men #1. The team eventually switched to more individualized costumes in issue #39 – designed by Jean Grey no less! – but the blue-and-gold motif would return whenever the changing creative teams wanted to recall those early days. During Grant Morrison’s New X-Men series, he and artist Frank Quitely redesigned the uniforms with a more stylish, fashion-forward feel. Sadly, Marvel never made New X-Men wear available, and the color scheme continued to be the butt of jokes in X-Men films. The blue-and-gold uniforms finally made their debut in X-Men: First Class, proving they can look good in live action. Will the mutants of The Gifted ever adopt costumes or uniforms? They’d have to become a team first.
(Photo by Ryan GreenFOX)
Once Andy’s powers cause an incident, a federal agency called Sentinel Services knocks on the Struckers’ door. The name immediately recalls the robotic Sentinels first seen in Uncanny X-Men #14. Despite their visual similarity to Magneto, they were primarily the weapon of non-mutant antagonists like Bolivar Trask and Project Wideawake. A few Mutants, like Cassandra Nova, would also adapt some of the technology to their own ends. But beyond the Sentinel connection, Sentinel Services also resembles any number of Marvel governmental agencies and mutant research groups like Department H and the Mutant Response Division. It will be interesting to see how much time The Gifted will devote to developing the agency and filling its ranks with recognizable anti-mutant foes.
(Photo by Eliza Morse/FOX)
If Lorna Dane’s (Emma Dumont) powers and plastic-cell imprisonment remind you of Magneto, that’s no accident. First introduced in X-Men #49, Lorna was eventually revealed to be the daughter of Mutant Brotherhood founder Erik Magnus Leshner (Magento) 35 years later – although the issue was brought up many times in the intervening years. In fact, in her first adventure with the X-Men, an android of Magneto claimed to be her father. At the time, the whole thing was dismissed as a ruse by the villain Mastermind to control her powers, but it seems the android knew better.
Magneto, for his part, got around, also fathering Wanda and Pietro Maximoff, better known as Avengers’ Scarlett Witch and Quicksilver (the latter of which also appears in X-Men: Days of Future Past played by a different actor than the Avengers films). It is currently unclear if The Gifted will make use of Lorna’s parentage. Just like the paternity issue on Legion, Marvel and Fox’s ability to reference the X-Men film characters must go through many approvals at a number of corporate entities. Nevertheless, it is interesting to note that Marco says she founded the Atlanta chapter of the Mutant Underground, as her comic book counterpart would eventually go on to be the uncomfortable leader of X-Factor.
(Photo by Eliza Morse/FOX)
While the X-Men and the Brotherhood are the best known mutant groups, there are other organizations. For some mutants, the struggle between Xavier and Magneto’s goals is too much to take and others just want to hide away from the world. On The Gifted, these other groups may emerge as members of the Mutant Underground or as rival factions rising up as the central leadership the X-Men and Brotherhood offered disappears.
One such group is the Morlocks, introduced in Uncanny X-Men #169. As most are too deformed by their mutations to live in mainstream society, they literally dwell underground in tunnels around the New York area. Led by Callisto, the group consciously chose their name from H.G. Wells’ The Time Machine to reflect their exile status. Under the leadership of Storm, the group waxed and waned over the years, but eventually re-established their underground society and welcomed humans into their ranks following a number of upheavals above ground. The mostly benevolent group closely resembles The Gifted’s Mutant Underground, but may yet appear as a faction of their own at some point. In fact, it would be interesting to see stranger looking mutants appear on the show; even if the makeup effects mean those appearances would have to be brief.
(Photo by Ryan Green/FOX)
No matter how you slice it, “Reed Strucker” (Stephen Moyer) is an interesting name. It is composed of two very important names from elsewhere in the Marvel Universe: Reed Richards and Baron Wolfgang Von Strucker. Reed, of course, was there at the dawn of the Marvel Age of Comics in issue #1 of Fantastic Four. And like the Reed of The Gifted, he’s dedicated to his causes and often forgetful about his family until menace lands on their doorstep.
Strucker, meanwhile, was a leading HYDRA figure who debuted in Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos #5 (another work of Kirby and Lee). But he also has a surprising tie to the X-Men line of titles via his genetically altered children Andrea and Andreas Von Strucker. Introduced in Uncanny X-Men #194 by writer Chris Claremont and artist John Romita Jr., the twins were in charge of a white supremacist organization known as Fenris; challenging Storm and Magneto at different times. The pair eventually became involved in a number of villainous organizations like The Upstarts. Sometime later, Andrea died when she discovered Baron Zemo lurking in the body of Citizen V. Andreas would become The Swordsman, eventually dying himself at the hands of Spider-Man foe Norman Osborn. As this is Marvel Comics, both siblings eventually returned to the land of the living and opened Club Fenris, a hotspot for supervillains. Oh, they also love each other very much – in the Targaryen sense.
Of course, it is hard to tell what this means for The Gifted. But it is notable that Reed’s children are named Andrea and Andrew. The show also makes an early wink to their comic-book counterparts as Andy draws a wolf in the opening moments. But is it just a wink? Perhaps someone in the Strucker line altered their genetic makeup. The possibilities are almost as thrilling as the pilot episode’s climatic chase scene.
While not a comic book connection, Marco’s ringtone is clearly the theme song from the 1990s X-Men cartoon: the only truly memorable X-Men musical theme ever composed.
(Photo by Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation)
Vague references to the Incident, the missing X-Men, the anti-mutants laws and “the Wall” all suggest that The Gifted may be taking place some years before the events of Logan. It is a good X-Men timeline to work from as it closely resembles our own world, yet takes for granted knowledge of things like mutation and the X-Men. It also quickly sweeps away established characters unavailable to the show while giving characters like Polaris and Blink an opportunity to take the spotlight. Though the connection to Logan is unconfirmed, tying The Gifted to that film’s history also makes the various metaphors of mutation that much stronger. If Logan is part of The Gifted’s future, we know the mutants will lose.
At the same time, that definite outcome may be the strongest reason for The Gifted to stand on its own while finding great characters and ideas in the source material. Despite 10 X-Men feature films, a cable network drama and countless episodes of animated X-Men shows, The Gifted still has enough unexplored comic book lore to mine that it could very well start its own television universe.
The Gifted airs Mondays at 9 p.m. on Fox.
The X-Men universe drops another new series this October, The Gifted on Fox. About proper care and rearing of mutant kids, the series stars Stephen Moyer and is chock full of juicy storytelling elements that the former True Blood vampire can sink his teeth into. For one, X-Men comics have always used the persecution of mutants as a metaphor for real-world intolerance, and The Gifted falls in line.
Moyer stars as Reed Strucker, who works for an agency that hunts and arrests people who use mutant powers in a world that has seen the destructive force of X-Men battling in cities. On the drive home from work one day, Reed gets a call from his wife Kate (Amy Acker) that their kids, Lauren (Natalie Alyn Lind) and Andy (Percy Hynes White) have the mutant gene. Lauren has been hiding it for three years, but Andy just discovered it.
Moyer spoke with Rotten Tomatoes recently about the series and the complex issues that inform his performance.
Fred Topel for Rotten Tomatoes: There’s no one else in the scene where Reed finds out his kids have the mutant gene. You’re on the phone, but obviously the camera is on you and the audience is watching. How did you approach performing that private moment?
Stephen Moyer: We’d shot a lot of it by then. We used to find out that piece of information — in a previous iteration of the script — in a different place that we never ended up shooting. We never got him getting that information, so they decided to put it in. I was really pleased because it was sort of like the missing piece of a jigsaw in a funny way. So it’s really interesting that you should bring that up, because I’d already gotten to play some of the moments prior to that.
The kind of filmmaking that I love is when somebody gets a piece of information in the room when no one else can see them receive that information apart from the audience.
Sometimes, in what we used to call kitchen-sink drama in the U.K. — say you’re at the sink and you’re washing up, behind you is your family over there, you’re doing the washing up, then the camera comes over to this side when that piece of information comes across. It’s a really interesting moment for the audience.
When I read that scene I was really pleased because I suddenly thought: Here’s a moment of a man who we’ve gotten to see he’s a prosecutor. He’s been doing this for the last 25 years of his life, trained to do this. Everything he believes in, everything that he’s been doing for the good of society in his own eyes is now collapsing before him. It’s a really resonant little beat to mine.
RT: If the phone scene was a new addition, was anything from the original pilot lost from the show entirely?
Moyer: Yes. I think on paper, Reed was slightly more obviously out for himself and slightly less interested in his kids, slightly less interested in the marriage. I think on paper, what I was attracted to actually was here’s this interesting dark character who has to make this massive, monumental 180 shift. But when [creator] Matt [Nix] and I started talking about it, it was not a very likable character. We want the audience to empathize with his plight at the beginning. So we made his journey less idiomatic, less opinionated to leave it slightly more ambiguous this way.
RT: The X-Men movies had some moments with parents, including the coming out scene in X2. When you’re the main characters of a weekly show, do you get to do more of a deep dive into how parents react to having mutant children?
Moyer: Yeah. As a parent myself, there are times when your kids come to you with things that are really hard to hear, because in some way your kid’s unhappy. Something’s happening within a scenario at school that is awful and it’s your job not to collapse into tears in front of them because they’re being bullied or whatever, but to show a brave face and be on their side and be supportive, try and get them through it. So I was really interested in that aspect of it and how my character has this kind of fundamental shift to make. So how one ends up portraying it, you mine a little bit of your own stuff.
This must be true for parents who go through that in life, whether it’s LGBTQ or other element of difficulty the child is going through, there’s almost like an Oh my God, this is going to be so hard for you. Not I judge you or I feel anything other than love for you, but This is going to be so hard for you. You’re going to go through so much pain until you find yourself. I think that’s the fascinating idea, isn’t it?
Especially because he knows what the Mutant Detention Centers mean. He knows that anyone who goes into those Mutant Detention Centers does not come out. Even though he’s managed to morally get to a place where he feels that he’s doing the right thing, he has to turn his back on all that; therefore, when he ends up on the run, he’s having to trust these people who, up until this point, he would never have spoken to other than to try and get them put away. It’s a big moral shift for him.
RT: How does Reed answer for his job to Lauren and Andy?
Moyer: The mutants are protecting themselves. They’re defending themselves. They’re not doing anything physically dangerous to other people, until of course Polaris (Emma Dumont) starts physically hurting that policeman and smashing the cars up and doing all that stuff. They are defending themselves and just trying to live.
So the very first few people that we meet are heroic in that way, in that they’re standing up for what they believe. There will be people within this universe who aren’t like that. There will be people within the universe who are using their powers destructively, like Magneto in the X-Men world. But I think it’s interesting the audience don’t see that to begin with. We get to empathize with the mutant plight before we start seeing another aspect of it.
They know that there are people within the universe who do bad things. They are the people that Reed is putting away. So in Andy’s eyes, how is Andy able to believe that his dad does a good job? Because his dad puts away bad people.
RT: Is that a rationalization on his part, that he’s only going after the bad mutants?
Moyer: Yes. Exactly.
RT: Does he have a change of heart?
Moyer: I think that’s his journey, isn’t it? We don’t know what happens at the beginning of episode 2. I think what’s going to happen is, when he’s separated from his family, what is he concerned about? Getting back to his family. Spoiler alert: He may do what he needs to to get back to his family. What’s he going to do in terms of getting back to his family? There may be mistakes made along the way, and it’s going to be about his moral, ethical education, quite literally the opening up of his eyes to the world that he exists in.
RT: Is Reed a great resource to the Mutant Underground?
Moyer: I think his mutant power is ultimately he knows the machinations of the judicial system, of the governmental system. He has knowledge on the inside of how that works. So what’s he going to be able to do? He’s going to be able to hopefully help that side. That’s what his resource is for the Mutant Underground.
RT: Is helping the Underground redemption for Reed?
Moyer: Yeah, I think, if he feels that he’s been doing the wrong thing. If, and I don’t know that yet because we’re only on episode 3.
RT: Is there conflict between Kate and Reed because of his job?
Moyer: Again, this is conjecture because I don’t know. I think it would be really interesting to see her start questioning just how much Reed knew.
The Gifted premieres Monday, October 2 at 9 p.m. on Fox.
San Diego Comic-Con 2017 may be over, but it delivered some fine trailers, teasers, and sneak peeks for us to chew on. Here are some of the delectable things we saw during the annual convention, which ran from July 20-23.
MOVIES | TV
Check out all of the TV TRAILERS on the next page!
(Photo by Netflix; J Squared Photography/The CW; Skip Bolen/AMC)
There’s never been a better time to be a fan of both comic books and television, as the two have slowly intertwined with more and more TV hours dedicated to adapting well-known and obscure comic titles. Well-established DC series Arrow, Supergirl, The Flash, and Gotham will return in October from their summer slumber, as will newcomer Riverdale from Archie Comics, and Marvel properties Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. on ABC, Legion on FX, and Netflix series Daredevil and Luke Cage are expected in 2018.
Meanwhile, let’s take a look some other new and returning series born of comic books that could be your next TV obsession.
Premiering in spring of 2016, the show quickly earned a rabid cult following, the Earpers, who regularly fill Comic-Con panel rooms. After a serious pilot, the show quickly found a quippy tone that at once undercuts and supports the threats Wynonna and her friends face. For those looking to catch up, the first season is available on Netflix.
For Fans Of: Supernatural
Suggested Reading: Wynonna Earp: Strange Inheritance from IDW
Premiere Date: Friday, June 9 (Syfy)
The first season moved much slower than fans expected. But now with Jesse and his band aware of God’s abdication, the second season is free to adapt some of the wilder — and equally profane — ideas from the comic book series by Garth Ennis and the late Steve Dillon. The first season is available on Hulu.
For Fans Of: Again, Supernatural
Suggested Reading: Preacher: Gone to Texas from DC/Vertigo
Premiere Date: Monday, June 19 (AMC)
The upcoming Amazon series represents Edlund’s third television version of the character following a beloved 1990s Fox animated series and a short-lived live action primetime series on the same network. Now in the form of Peter Serafinowicz, the Tick may just be the figment of Arthur’s imagination or the start of something great. Griffin Newman takes on the role of an unwilling and medicated Arthur, while Jackie Earle Haley appears as the Terror. As seen in the pilot, the City is a grittier place, but the Tick’s corny — and sometimes indecipherable — maxims and sense of justice remain as true to the character as the first time he uttered his catchphrase, “Spoon!”
For Fans Of: Guardians of the Galaxy; 1978’s Superman — no, really!
Suggested Reading: New England Comics’ The Tick: The Complete Edlund, which will hopefully be back in print soon.
Premiere Date: Friday, August 25 (Amazon)
Supporting characters from the various shows will also appear as will Sigourney Weaver as the principal antagonist. And, of course, it wouldn’t be a Marvel-Netflix show without Rosario Dawson as Claire Temple.
Unlike the previous series, Defenders will be a tighter eight-episode story, perhaps pointing the way toward future Marvel-Netflix collaborations.
For Fans Of: All those Marvel-Netflix series
Suggested Reading: Power Man and Iron Fist Volume 1 by various writers and artists
Premiere Date: Friday, August 18 (Netflix)
The Inhumans were expected to appear in their own 2018 Marvel Studios film just as the word “Inhuman” began to appear on Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Five years after the feature announcement, they find themselves on ABC as the power struggle between Black Bolt and Maximus begins anew. The program is not considered a spin-off of S.H.I.E.L.D. or a replacement for the film, but does exist in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Like Defenders, it will run eight episodes. Anson Mount stars as Black Bolt, while Serinda Swan plays Medusa, and Game of Thrones vet Iwan Rheon returns to familiar thematic ground as the would-be usurper Maximus. According to showrunner Matt Buck (Iron Fist), the series will be a “family drama” with superpowers.
For Fans Of: Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Suggested Reading: Inhumans by Paul Jenkins and Jae Lee; Fantastic Four #45, 46, 47 by Lee and Kirby
Premiere Date: In IMAX theaters on September 1; September 22 (ABC)
Centering on the Strucker family — with Stephen Moyer and Amy Acker as the parents — as they attempt to save their mutant children from a world that fears and hates them, the program will also feature classic X-Men characters like Blink (Jamie Chung) and Polaris (Emma Dumont). It also plays on the very same fears and concerns which inspired X-Men creators Kirby and Lee and subsequent teams like Chris Claremont and John Byrne. But for showrunner Matt Nix (Burn Notice), the series offers the opportunity to take a seemingly ordinary family and push them into the world of the X-Men.
For Fans Of: The X-Men in any form or format
Suggested Reading: X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills by Chris Claremont and Brent Anderson
Premiere Date: Fall 2017 (Fox)
The Punisher will run for 13 episodes; just enough time for Frank to kill all the bad guys in New York.
For Fans Of: Death Wish (but not its sequels)
Suggested Reading: The Punisher: Welcome Back, Frank by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon
Premiere Date: Late 2017 (Netflix)
Now presented as a retired hero, Jefferson Pierce (Cress Williams) lives a quiet life as a high school principal looking out for his two daughters (China Anne McClain and Nafessa Williams). But when a local gang’s activities become too much to bear, one of his daughters encourages him to take on the mask and use his electricity powers again.
Unlike Berlanti’s other CW superhero shows, it is expressly not telling an origin story, which a bold choice. It also stands apart from the Berlantiverse shows in another way: It takes place on its own separate Earth and will not be part of any upcoming crossovers. Of course, such notions mean so little to Barry Allen, but one hope the series will have time to establish itself before Earth-1 invades.
For fans of: Arrow, Luke Cage
Suggested Reading: Black Lightning Volume 1 by Isabella and Trevor Von Eeden
Premiere Date: Early 2018 (The CW)
As developed for Disney’s Freeform channel, Tandy and Tyrone (Olivia Holt and Aubrey Joseph) are a pair of teens beginning a romantic relationship when they receive their powers. Discovering that their gifts work better when they are together further complicates their uncertain relationship. They also appear to have more stable family lives than their comic book counterparts as parents for both characters have been cast. According to Marvel Television chief Jeph Loeb, the series will be a “love story” that fits the demographic of Freeform’s audience. Like the Netflix series Inhumans and S.H.I.E.L.D., it will also be set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
For fans of: Shadowhunters
Suggested Reading: Cloak & Dagger: Shadows and Light
Premiere Date: 2018 (Freeform)
(Photo by Freeform)
Not content with a teen drama, Freeform will also convert Marvel Comics’ New Warriors into a half-hour comedy series in 2018. As a semi-constant presence in the main Marvel Comics universe, the New Warriors are a team of young heroes usually led or guided by the Batman-esque Night Thrasher. He will appear in the TV series, but the headline here is the inclusion of Squirrel Girl to the roster. Never a member of the New Warriors in the comics — though it was planned at one point — she is an Avenger with the proportional strength of a squirrel and the ability to communicate with the little critters. It sounds absurd, but the character stars in Marvel’s most successful current comedy title, The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, where writer Ryan North and artist Erica Henderson manage to make her powers and optimism hilarious and fun.
According to a USA Today interview with executive producer Kevin Beigel, the character’s wit, optimism, and intelligence are key reasons to bring her into the team. The series will also re-imagine Night Thrasher as a YouTuber and fellow longtime New Warrior character Speedball as an immature lad with noble aspirations. Based on the other character descriptions in the interview, it is easy to see the series as having a single-camera workplace-comedy vibe. Provided that is something the cable channel is interested in.
For fans of: Parks and Recreation (if they’re going for that tone)
Suggested Reading: New Warriors Classic Vol. 1; The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Vol. 1: Squirrel Power
Premiere Date: 2018 (Freeform)
(Photo by Hulu)
Marvel’s Runaways has such a great premise that Marvel Studios developed a feature around it with Peter Sollett slated to direct. Instead, it will come to Hulu and tell the tale of a group of superpowered teens who learn that all of their parents are part of a villainous cabal known as the Pride. Absconding from their homes with powers and gear taken from their folks, the group vows to end the Pride and atone for their crimes.
The Hulu series, executive produced by Gossip Girl co-creators Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, will star Rhenzy Feliz, Lyrica Okano, Virginia Gardner, Ariela Barer, Gregg Sulkin, and Allegra Acosta as the young runaways — just don’t expect them to ever refer to themselves as such. In defiance of just about every Marvel team trope, they never adopt codenames, costumes, or a group identity, but with backgrounds in magic, time travel, and mad science, the kids will no doubt learn a great deal about Marvel’s other fantastical conventions.
For Fans Of: X-Men: Apocalypse
Suggested Reading: Runaways Volume 1 by Brian K. Vaughn and Adrian Alphona
Premiere Date: 2018 (Hulu)
(Photo by Netflix)
After a successful first season, writing on the second season of Jessica Jones began in last summer and filming commenced last month. Ritter, Rachael Taylor, and Carrie-Anne Moss are set to return with Damages’ Janet McTeer joining the cast as someone who, according to Entertainment Weekly, has “an enormous impact on Jessica’s life.” Hopefully, it is someone Jessica can trust outside of Trish Walker (Taylor). Maybe she is a therapist? But knowing how much Jessica keeps to herself, a genuinely concerned mental health provider could look very much like an antagonist.
Elements of the second season will be set up during The Defenders; showrunner Melissa Rosenberg discussed her plans with Defenders executive producers Doug Petrie and Marco Ramirez. Rosenberg also plans to expand the focus to the show’s supporting cast. Whether or not this means Trish will become Hellcat is anyone’s guess. But as fans of Patsy Walker, AKA Hellcat! will tell you, it cannot happen fast enough.
For Fans Of: Jessica Jones; Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Suggested Reading: Patsy Walker, AKA Hellcat! Vol. 1: Hooked on a Feline by Kate Leth and Brittney Williams
Premiere Date: 2018 (Netflix)
(Photo by Aleksander Letic/SYFY)
And while it seems Marvel has cornered 2018 with its new television offerings, DC Comics will fuel one more new series next year: Krypton. Finally emerging from a long development process, the Syfy program will tell the tale of Superman’s grandfather Seg-El (Cameron Cuffe) as he attempts to return his house to prominence within Kryptonian society. He will also be in a forbidden love affair with Lyta Zod (Georgina Campbell), a new character with an infamous family name.
For a time, it was suggested that Krypton would be a prequel to Man of Steel, with that film’s scriptwriter David S. Goyer serving as an executive producer. As development continued, it became more uncertain. Also uncertain is the appeal of a Superman series without Superman. Granted, Gotham and Smallville proved you can build an audience around elements of a popular DC Comics character without the character actually appearing fully formed.
For Fans Of: Man of Steel
Suggested Reading: Superman: The Man of Steel Vol.1
Premiere Date: 2018 (Syfy)
(Photo by Peter Kramer/SYFY)
Outside of the superheroes, Grant Morrison and Darick Robertson’s Happy! also makes its way to Syfy in the next year. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit’s Christopher Meloni enters the strange and reality-warping world of Morrison as Nick Sax, a carousing hit-man whose life gets a shot of positivity from an imaginary winged horse named Happy (SNL’s Bobby Moynihan). It sounds like one of Morrison’s more straightforward tales.
In the past, he pit supergods against tyrant suns and turned his drug-induced out-of-body experience into an epic treatise on the nature of reality. He also gave Santa Clause a comic book origin and wrote a defining Batman story in which the Dark Knight created a separate and submerged personality — the Batman of Zur-En-Arrh — in the event of a successful psychological attack. He followed this up by sending Batman into the distant past and sinking the universe down a gravity well. Morrison stories tend to be complex and bizarrely emotional.
Crank’s Brian Taylor will be along for the ride as an executive producer with Morrison and director of the pilot. If nothing else, it will burn brightly as Morrison finally brings some of his big ideas to TV.
For Fans Of: Twin Peaks, The X-Files
Suggested Reading: Happy! Vol. 1 from Image Comics
Premiere Date: 2018 (Syfy)
The gang was all here for the season 1 finale episode of Legion. The series, which stars Dan Stevens, Rachel Keller, Aubrey Plaza, and Jean Smart, wrapped its mind-blowing debut season with an episode that left many fans wanting more — in a good way.
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But that just means everyone loved it, right? “Chapter 8” brought with it satisfying answers to a few burning questions, pulse-pounding action sequences, and a cliffhanger that has us chomping at the bit for the already-ordered season 2.
Did you tune in? Catch some of the best fan reactions below.
Believe it or not, Legion mastermind Noah Hawley managed to warm us a little bit to the Interrogator. Played by Hamish Linklater, the mysterious man started as the season’s villain before it became clear that there were more pressing dangers afoot (see: the Shadow King). But after seeing him with his partner and adopted son in the hospital, some audience members started feeling bad for him — until he proclaimed war on David, that is.
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But some still just saw him as the villain.
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Too bad it looked like he and David were going to have to join forces by episode’s end.
With the Shadow King under control (for now), David was beginning to realize the magnitude of his powers. “I’m so sick of myself,” he told Syd. “This only works if it’s not about me.”
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Of course, Syd was in love with David and couldn’t let him think that he came second to anyone else. Back in the astral plane, she had a run-in with the Shadow King as Lenny, who was slowly learning how to override his system. (Was that soup metaphor not the perfect descriptor of just how deep she’s ingrained within him?) Syd learned that the only way the Shadow King can leave David without killing him is to enter another vessel—another person. Could it be her?
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Fans took a moment to revel in Plaza’s fantastic performance throughout the season.
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No one else but Syd knew that David risked dying if they separated him as host to the Shadow King, so Cary and Oliver hooked him up to a cerebral machine and prepped David for removal…only to learn that the Shadow King had created roots within David to dangerous effect.
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Watching David slowly die while strapped to a medical exam table was not on Syd’s agenda. Instead, she went into the room and gave him a kiss, effectively absorbing the Shadow King into herself.
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Kerry stepped out from monitoring the Interrogator to see what all the hubbub was about. What she found was a yellow-eyed Syd ready to attack. With one touch, the monster transferred from Syd (who promptly passed out) over to Kerry, who then rendered the rest of her team unconscious.
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Next thing we knew, David was back up and running and clear-headed, ready to take Kerry (and the Shadow King) head on.
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Upon their collision, Kerry and David were both thrown back and knocked each other out. The Shadow King, meanwhile, found the one conscious body in the place: Oliver. Perhaps most heartbreaking is that Oliver had just remembered who Melanie was before losing himself to the yellow-eyed demon. He walked out the door, got into his car, and, upon Lenny’s insistence, set his sights on somewhere warm, leaving the rest of the team in their dust.
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Some were optimistic for the pairing of Plaza and actor Jemaine Clement as next season’s villainous duo. Can you say mixed feelings?
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Oliver and the Shadow King driving off while David, Syd, Melanie, and the rest regrouped would have been a satisfying ending. But did you stay for that post-credits scene? David. Was. Captured. A flying, spherical droid simply flew up to him, scanned his identity, and sucked him up into its orb before flying off. We were left speechless, so all we can say is thank goodness that season 2 will provide some answers (eventually).
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The episode was a fantastic ending to one of the hottest freshman series of the season, and still had many fans grappling with their emotions.
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