Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 1763

What Makes Thanos a Great Villain in AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR

Spoiler Warning: This post contains spoilers for Avengers: Infinity War

With Thanos Marvel has created a complex and compelling villain worthy of his enormous role in the latest Avengers film. This is no small feat considering the MCU has long struggled to accomplish that with their bad guys in much more intimate films. So what made the Mad Titan such an interesting and nuanced character that has resonated so strongly with audiences? Thanos has something in common with the MCU’s other best baddies: he’s so close to being a hero.

Search Google for “what makes a great villain” and you’ll find thousands of essays and videos saying the key is making sure they have the proper motivation. Sure, give your evil person a real reason for what they are doing, preferably with some backstory so we know why they feel this way, and you’ll have a compelling antagonist and a better story. But that advice applies for any important character, good or evil. It’s like saying the key to a great house is a strong foundation. Yeah, you definitely, absolutely need that, but it doesn’t guarantee your home will be the best on the block. Christopher Eccleston’s Malekith from Thor: The Dark World is the worst bad guy in the entire MCU, and his motivation was clear: return the universe to the darkness his people once ruled. That doesn’t save Malekith from being totally lame.

Just because a villain has backstory or motivation doesn’t automatically constitute a substantive character. There’s no grand plan for building a great villain, no template or checklist to use as a guide. They all work for their own reasons–consider Heath Ledger’s Joker and that all we know about his “why” is that he wants to watch the world burn. So what is it specifically about Thanos that makes him connect with audiences on a deeper level? It’s the same thing he has in common with the MCU’s other best bad guys.

Thanos cares about something bigger than himself. He doesn’t want power for power’s sake, or to achieve something that will lead to him being honored and revered; he wants to fix a real and horrible problem in the universe. Thanos saw firsthand on his own planet what happens when civilization recklessly exceeds its own limits. He saw it coming and was powerless to stop it, which is why he’s convinced he must help stop it from happening again. That should be the backstory of a hero, the kind who bravely stands against the evil forces who would rather let people die than do the right thing. His motivations are clear, understandable, and theoretically noble. Most beings would rule the galaxy if they got all six Infinity Stones, but Thanos wants to use them to fix its woes, even in his own horribly misguided way. And as we saw when he sacrificed Gamora, he does feel pain, but he will shoulder the personal cost of doing the right thing because he’s not as important as everyone else.

All of that makes him empathetic, which is why we connect with him. We see his point of view and understand that something must be done.

But Thanos is certainly not a good guy, he’s a villain. Not because of the “why” but because of the “what.” His noble cause leads him to monstrous, indefensible acts. He invades planets who haven’t asked for help and murders its people, insisting he knows better than they do. He tears families and communities apart, leaving the “survivors” behind to live in a world of pain and loss. The cost of his noble plans doesn’t matter, only the results. Machiavelli would be proud–that is if he survived the snap of Thanos’ finger.

We’re so close to rooting for Thanos, if he could just see the error of his ways. “Snap your fingers and create more food! Make more planets! Make people less selfish! Do anything else!” But his ego and his personal experiences blind him.

Bu it’s the knowledge he’s not really all that different from the people we root for that makes us more emotionally invested in his story, even while we root against him. This is the same thing he has in common with the two great MCU villains before him, Loki and Killmonger. If only Loki used his brain and ambition for good, he would have been a great man his whole life. And Killmonger’s righteous desire to free his oppressed people made it so we’re still not sure if him or T’Challa were correct, that is until he elected to wage war across the planet which would have led to even more death and suffering.

If it were easy to create a great villain every MCU movie would have one. If it were as simple as casting great actors money would always be the answer. If there were some grand formula, every film would follow it. But there’s not one. The answer to why Thanos–and every other memorable villain–is unique to him. And with the Mad Titan it comes down to the fact we can see he’s so close to being a great hero. And we hate him for not realizing that.

What do you think? Why is Thanos a great villain? Tell us why in the comments below.

Images: Marvel

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2CELLOS Go Toe-to-Toe With ROCKY III’s “Eye of the Tiger”

Do you know how Apollo Creed got Rocky Balboa ready for his rematch with Clubber Lang? It wasn’t because he made him faster, or leaner, or meaner. It was because he helped the Italian Stallion rekindle his burning desire to win at any cost, a killer instinct immortalized by Survivor in one of the most iconic tracks in movie history, Rocky III’s “Eye of the Tiger.” And that anthem, one of the true creams of the movie musical crop, is the latest song to get a high-octane cover from 2CELLOS.

Our favorite string duo, Croatia’s Luka Šulić and Stjepan Hauser, enter the musical ring in their newest video to go face-to-face as they shred through the song that forever associated tiger baby blues with rising up to the challenge of our rivals. And even though we are used to being blown away by how much they truly rock, it’s still crazy how cellos can get our adrenaline skyrocketing like they do right from the opening of this song.



I don’t know if I want to go 12 rounds in the middle of the ring right now, or if I want to destroy my hotel room like a cliche rock ‘n’ roller. But what I do know is this is what Apollo Creed was talking about.

If you want to download or listen to the song you can find it here.

What other iconic movie song would you love to hear them record next? Let us know in our comments below which one would hit the right note with you.

Featured Image: 2CELLOS

More music, nerd-style:

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The Real Villain of AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR is Star-Lord

The real villain of Avengers: Infinity War isn’t Thanos or Proxima Midnight or any of the Children of Thanos…

…it’s Star-Lord

via GIPHY

Peter Quill? C’mon, you know who I’m talking about.

Editor’s note: this post and video contain spoilers for Avengers: Infinity War

It is undeniable that Thanos has blood–and superhero dust–on his hands in Avengers: Infinity War. Even if you’re egalitarian about it, genocide is still genocide. With a single snap of his fingers, Thanos wipes out half of all existence, including beloved characters like Black Panther, Spider-Man, Scarlet Witch, and Bucky Barnes. Despite their multi-movie contracts and already announced sequels, many of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes are dead as a doornail. However, all of those needless deaths could have been avoided were it not for Star-Lord going full a-hole and punching Thanos in the face while Mantis, Drax, Doctor Strange, Iron Man, and Spider-Man nearly wrested control of the Infinity Gauntlet from him.

Peter Quill has a rough time in Avengers: Infinity War. He has Thor-induced body dysmorphia; he inadvertently hand-delivers the love of his life, Gamora, to her evil stepfather; he finds out that she was thrown off a cliff to her death by said stepfather; he is obliterated by cosmic powers beyond his reckoning; and he learns that Footloose never was the greatest movie of all time.

via LADBible

But just because you had a terrible-horrible-no-good-very-bad day doesn’t wipe the blood–or dust, in this case–off your hands, Star-Lord. In spite of claiming that Tony Stark’s plan sucked and taking credit for the plan that ultimately incapacitated Thanos long enough for Iron Man and Spider-Man to nearly remove the Infinity Gauntlet from Thanos’ hand, Quill was unable to control his emotions and the results were catastrophic.

When Quill learned that Thanos had killed Gamora, he was understandably devastated. As we’ve seen time and time again, Quill has never been particularly adept at dealing with his emotions in a healthy manner. It’s part of a pattern of ego-driven toxic masculinity that the Marvel Cinematic Universe puts on display in many of its prominent heroes. And in that moment, Peter Quill made a choice. He made a choice not to be a hero, but to be selfish. To make himself feel better by unleashing his unbridled rage. And in doing so, he didn’t bring Gamora back. But he did kill Drax. And Mantis. And Groot. And countless others. Peter Quill didn’t pull the trigger, but he may as well have. And he’s going to have to come to terms with that if and when he shuffles back on to this mortal coil.

But what do you think? Do you agree that Star-Lord is the true villain here? Was Star-Lord’s hot-headed response part of Doctor Strange’s plan all along? Let us know in the comments below.

Images: Marvel

Dan Casey is the senior editor of Nerdist and the author of books about Star Wars and the Avengers. Buy his new book here! Follow him on Twitter (@DanCasey).

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It’s Batman’s Gotham Knights Vs. The OMAC Army in DETECTIVE COMICS #980 (Exclusive Preview)

When DC Rebirth began for Detective Comics back in 2016, the Batman gathered some of his best sidekicks and proteges together to form something of a small army operating out of a new headquarters in Gotham City called “the Belfry.” Together with Red Robin, Batwoman, Spoiler, Orphan and reformed ex-villain Clayface, Batman was as close to achieving his dream of a Gotham free from crime as he’d ever been.

But now, in writer James Tynion IV’s swan song to Detective Comics, that family has fractured, and the so-called Gotham Knights are facing a crisis like one they’ve never face before in the form of the OMACs – the One Man Army Corps, in this context – in the storyline “Batmen Eternal.” In chapter five, GCPD officers Renee Montoya and Harvey Bullock need to be rescued from the OMACs as they set in  on Gotham Central.  Can Batwoman and the others save the day? Read our exclusive preview and find out!

You can check out the first five pages from Detective Comics #980, along with the regular cover, down below in our gallery. The variant cover by Rafael Albuquerque  can be seen above. 

Publisher: DC Comics

Writer: James Tynion IV

Artists:  Raúl Fernández, Alvaro Martinez

Cover Artists: Raúl Fernández, Alvaro Martinez, Rafael Albuquerque (variant)

Here’s the official synopsis for issue #980:

“Batmen Eternal” part five! The worst possible future for Gotham City has been locked into place, and there’s nothing Batman can do to stop it…until Stephanie Brown and Cassandra Cain catch a glimpse of something they never would have thought possible!”                                                                                                                                                               ”

Detective Comics #980  is due to hit stores on Wednesday, May 9th

Are you as excited as we are to see the Gotham Knights take on the OMAC army? Let us know your thoughts down below in the comments.

Images: DC Comics

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On SNL, Donald Glover Finally Gave 32 Year-Old Music Video ‘The Rain’ a Deserving Spoof

“I…saw…you (and him!) walking in the raaaain…You were holding hands and I…will never be the same.”

Chances are you’ve heard those lyrics at some point in your life, even if you weren’t aware of what or when their origin was. Maybe you thought it was an artist you’re otherwise familiar with, or that the tune was just a sweet number about heartbreak. But amazingly, as a Jedi might say, every word of that is wrong. “The Rain,” a one-hit wonder by Oran “Juice” Jones, is a 1986 single with a video that initially feels retro-kitschy, but gets a little creepy when you realize it’s maybe kinda being sung by a stalker, and then downright weird when, at the three-minute mark, it segues into a spoken-word tirade that kills the song in its tracks:

Thirty-two years later, Donald Glover–who looks more like Jones than he does Billy Dee Williams–has taken his Saturday Night Live hosting opportunity to very specifically parody that particular music video.  And while picking on a guy who had such a short career might seem like punching down, Jones will probably get more views on his Vevo channel tonight than in the past 20 years, just so people can appreciate how obsessed Glover and the SNL writers must have been to create a spoof this thorough. Also, the original deserves it, with Glover’s version taking the gross machismo to levels of completely self-destructive insanity as singer “Raz P. Berry,” deconstructing the spoken-word part in particular.



It’s always a risk doing an impersonation that’s this targeted at something most viewers may well not remember. But for those who do, it’s a treat.

Was this the Oran “Juice” Jones callback you’d always hoped for? Tell us what you think in comments.

Image: NBC

We are a bunch of Glover-lovers:

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RAMBO Sequel Talk Now Says It’s Stallone Versus Drug Cartels

Rambo sequel rumors seem to change very year. For a while, it was going to be Rambo versus a genetically altered monster. Two Octobers ago, it was going to be a complete reboot with a younger actor. Three Decembers ago, it was going to be a TV show. All of which is to say that any Rambo sequel talk probably shouldn’t be considered confirmed until something is actually filming. But according to Deadline, Millennium Films, which own the rights to the character, is currently launching sales at Cannes to secure pre-financing for a part 5 that would see Sylvester Stallone return (possibly as director as well) to take on Mexican drug cartels and cross-border kidnapping.

This would mark an interesting turn of events for the character: while the original First Blood was serious drama about PTSD, the next two sequels were generally considered to be rah-rah patriotic action movies, and cited affirmatively by president Reagan. The fourth film in the series, however, was dark and over-the-top violent, suggesting that Rambo had becoming something of a monster himself, albeit one with noble intentions. A drug cartel plotline seems like it might be calculated to appeal to the current White House occupant, who has recently spoken positively about Stallone.

A lot depends on how well advance international sales go. If buyers at Cannes don’t want to opt in, we’ll probably hear about a different premise in a year or so. Regardless, given how well Stallone has managed to safeguard Rocky from becoming stale in the most recent installments, any Rambo with him in control is probably a better bet in terms of complexity than one without.

Are you interested in more Rambo? Tell us what version of him you’d like to see in comments.

Images: Lionsgate.

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An Engineer Created a Drone to Save a Doggo Stuck in a Drain

There’s nothing better than hearing a story of humans coming together to save animals that have found themselves trapped in precarious situations. But what happens when that animal has found their way into a spot that would be too dangerous or precarious for a human to wander into? One engineer faced just such a situation and answered by creating some pretty impressive tech.

Milind Raj, a 27-year-old engineer living in a northern India city named Lucknow, was walking when he heard the cries of a puppy coming from a drain. When Raj investigated, he saw the poor pupper trapped in the miry depths below, and could tell that the dog had been trapped down there for some time. Raj wasn’t sure he could safely find his way in and out of the drain, but that didn’t stop him from his dog rescue mission.

Instead, he headed back to his lab and crafted a state-of-the-art drone with a mechanical arm to grab the puppy and carry it to safety. The rescue was captured by a woman passing by, and the video is absolutely awesome.

As an article on NDTV explains, this wasn’t a basic mechanical grabber that was attached to a drone. Instead,  he used an AI-controlled arm that came complete with a heart rate sensor. The reason for this was to ensure that when the puppy was grabbed, it didn’t crush the pup to death as it grabbed it and carried it to safety.

With the help of his newly-crafted drone, Raj was able to get the puppy to safety. Even better, Raj has since adopted the lucky doggo and given him the perfect name, Lifted. The two are living happily together, and while Raj is making sure Lifted keeps clear of drains and ditches, at least he’s got the tech to rescue his pupper should the adventurous little guy find himself in any more dangerous situations. We love seeing engineering used in such a cool and creative way to save an animal, and we’re happy that Lifted has found a happy, healthy new home.

What are some of the coolest animal rescues you’ve seen? Tell us about it in the comments!

Feature Image: Milind Raj

More drones in action:

The amazing flying bathtub drone!
A drone that is a bartender!
Drones play real-life Fruit Ninja!

Homemade Hydraulic Hulkbuster Suit Shoots Fire and Can Lift a Man

We didn’t think there was anything professional madman Colin Furze could do that would surprise us. Not after he made a 5,000 firework Death Star, built a giant AT-ACT from Star Wars, and designed a Mad Max: Fury Road flame-throwing guitar. And yet we are in total awe of his latest massive creation, because he built a ten-foot, hydraulic Hulkbuster suit entirely from parts he purchased on eBay. And not only is it strong enough to hold a full-grown man on its own (guess which lunatic volunteered for that), it has a power fist punch and shoots fire from its giant hand.

Using three hydraulics to operate it–two in the legs, one in the back–this suit might as well have been delivered from space by “Veronica” herself. But even if it wasn’t remote operated, could fit someone inside, and have the ability to win the world’s greatest Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em match ever, it would just be an incredible statue.



His neighbors either think he’s the greatest person in the world to live next to, or they hate everything about him. But either way we bet they’ll be very happy to have him nearby if the Incredible Hulk ever snaps and attacks their neighborhood.

Furze said the build took two months, and he documented the insane amount of work that went into making it.

You have to be nuts to even conceive of making something like this, but to follow through on it takes a certain type of crazy. Fortunately for us Colin Furze is way more insane than that.

What other giant piece of movie tech would you like to see him build? Give us your best idea in the comments below.

Featured Image: Colin Furze

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A Security Robot Found Beaten Up and Covered in BBQ Sauce Had it Coming

Under normal circumstances we would never encourage or endorse slathering someone in BBQ sauce, beating them up, and leaving them lying on the side of the road, and that goes for both humans and robots. But we’re not exactly short-circuiting with anger over this one mechanical security guard who had that exact thing happen to it, because it’s tasked with harassing homeless people.

In a story we first came across at New York Magazine, a Knightscope security bot used by a non-profit organization in San Francisco in part to discourage homeless people from congregating, was found lying on its side wrapped up in a tarp and marinating in some barbecue sauce. (No word on what flavor or brand.) The five-foot tall, 300-pound machine that fittingly looks like it was inspired by Doctor Who‘s Daleks, is designed to alert the local authorities of any untoward behavior, but apparently it wasn’t able to get help for itself in time.

We doubt there will be any great outcry or anguish for this bullied Knightscope from the community, though, because while these robots have been used for other, less upsetting reasons, they haven’t been very popular with residents or the local government.

If you were looking for a great backstory for your dystopian novel, robot security guards that scare your dog and harass the homeless while roaming one of the richest cities in the world is a pretty fantastic foundation. Whether you keep the BBQ sauce or go with another condiment is up to you.

Would you be bothered by one of these roaming your neighborhood? Tell us why in the comments below.

Featured Image: TechCrunch

Prepare for the robot invasion:

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It’s Time to Get Your Writing Started With This KERMIT Inspired Font

Downloading cool fonts into your word processing program can be both a good or bad thing. If you are planning for a kid’s Spider-Man birthday party, then the PlayStation/Spidey font is perfect for invitations. If you are trying to polish your resume, you might want to choose something else.

Gizmodo is reporting that the designers and MCKL and Collins have created a new font that, while it may not be the best for landing that dream job, is definitely for dreamers. Named “Kernit,” this new font is inspired by the leader of the Muppets himself, Kermit the Frog, and the name is taken from both “Kermie” and the term “kerning” which is how designers adjust the spacing in between letters. According to the designers, it is “meant to capture the same imagination, fun and whimsy which we came to love in Henson’s vivid work.” The font can be downloaded here and comes in two styles, bold and outline. You’d think that with Kermit being its inspiration, “apprehensive” would be one of the choices.

Where do you think this could lead? A Miss Piggy font? Wouldn’t that just be the words “Hi-ya!!” across the screen no matter what you tried to type? Or if you were writing a cover letter, it would turn into a love poem for Kermit. No matter what this results in, we can at least all agree that Comic Sans should never be used for anything.

So what do you think? Will you be adding Kernit to your font collection? What would a Gonzo font look like? Show us your ideas on Facebook or in the comments below.

Images: JustKernit.com

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