Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 1789

Hot Toys’ AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR Black Widow Packs a Solid Arsenal

In just a few weeks, Avengers: Infinity War will be unleashed in theaters, but fans are going to have to wait a while to bring home some of the cool figures from the film. We’ve already seen Hot Toys‘ amazing take on Thanos, Rocket and Teen Groot, and even a life-sized Infinity Gauntlet. Now, Hot Toys is offering a first look at its new 1/6 scale Black Widow figure, which is inspired by Scarlett Johansson‘s appearance in Infinity War.

This Black Widow figure features a new head sculpt with Johansson’s likeness and her latest MCU hairstyle. Her new outfit is also more utilitarian than her previous costumes, as it seems to function as body armor and it offers more protection. It also comes with two batons, which can be stored in the accompanying backpack or used to place the figure in some dynamic poses.

The Black Widow figure features multiple points of articulation as well as alternate hands, which can be used to prepare Natasha for armed and unarmed combat. For her alternate weapons, Black Widow has a pair of disk shooters and a single long baton, which is meant to let her strike from a distance.

The Black Widow deluxe figure is expected to ship in the third or fourth quarter of this year, but an exact release date has not yet been announced. You can see more pictures below.

What do you think about the Black Widow Infinity War figure? Let us know in the comment section below!

Images: Hot Toys

More Infinity War news!

What Easter eggs are in the poster, if any?
Exactly where the heck is Hawkeye?
How’s Thanos going to be a compelling villain?

A Fan of Costco Beer Brewed Up Some Hilarious Homemade Commercials

This year a 30-second Super Bowl commercial cost a reported five million dollars. Question: do you remember the 60-second ad Budweiser ran during the game? The game that only took place a few months ago? I know I didn’t, and I tracked every commercial that night. But I’m positive I will never forget the no-budget, ridiculous backyard commercials one very enthusiastic–possibly inebriated–fan of Costco’s Kirkland Light beer has made. Because money isn’t everything, but enthusiasm for your favorite beer is.

Randy Colpek and friends made a series of homemade “commercials” for Costco brand light brew (that we first saw at The A.V. Club), and they answer the question of what would happen if you promoted beer by combining the aesthetic of the Kool-Aid Man with the ethos of the Trailer Park Boys. Only these are somehow even better than that description. Not only because they are genuinely funny (and sometimes downright clever, even worthy of a big time Madison Avenue slogan), it’s impossible to tell if Randy is actually drunk or just fantastic at pulling it off. That’s part of the charm.



What’s the point of advertising? To get you to buy a product. Well this was so wonderful and memorable I now feel like buying a 48-pack of some bulk box store light beer. Don Draper couldn’t have done that.

And forget not paying five million dollars for 30 seconds; this didn’t cost Costco a thing. All it required was providing one very passionate fan with a camera a cheap affordable beer. Because money can’t buy you everything, but the more beer you can buy the better.

What do these “ads” remind you of? Tell us in the comments below.

Featured Image: Randy Colpek

Brew yourself up some more good reads:

We’ve got beer made especially for shower-drinking.
Here’s a beer inspired by Cersei Lannister.
Jean-Luc Picard is a wine guy, but there’s beer in his honor anyway.

Disney World Teases Pandora Utility Suit From THE WORLD OF AVATAR

Last year, Walt Disney World‘s Animal Kingdom invited visitors into Pandora: The World of Avatar, a stunning recreation of the alien landscape from James Cameron‘s Avatar. The one-year anniversary is coming up next month, but the theme park’s creative team isn’t resting on its laurels. For the last few days, Disney has teased a new addition to its Avatar attraction. Now, there’s a behind-the-scenes look at said addition: the Pandora Utility Suit, which will soon become a regular feature at The World of Avatar.



Via the Disney Parks Blog, the Pandora Utility Suit will be worn by performers at the The World of Avatar. Its in-world function is to allow explorers to withstand the more dangerous parts of Pandora’s terrain while collecting plant samples and studying the wildlife. The performers or cast members wearing the suits will be able to talk to guests about their activities as experts on Pandora, and add another layer of reality to this fantasy realm.

Unlike the film, the Pandora Utility Suit isn’t dependent upon CGI to create the illusion of a real working mech. It was the collaboration of Cameron’s Lightstorm Entertainment, Disney Parks Live Entertainment, Michael Curry Studios, and Walt Disney Imagineering. The suit also appears to maximize comfort for the performers by keeping them in a sitting position. In case you’re curious what it will be like to see these suits in action before their official debut on April 22, Disney Parks posted a second teaser video.



What do you think about the Pandora Utility Suit? Would you want to take the suit for a test run? Let us know what you’re thinking in the comment section below!

Image: Disney Parks

Theme parks are fun:

Are you ready for Pixar Pier?
When’s Marvel Land coming to Disney parks?
Can we please have a Final Fantasy ride not just in Japan?

This Cardboard Spider Is Totally Not Creepy, and You Can Make Your Own

Later this month, Nintendo is placing a big bet on cardboard with its Labo DIY accessories for the Switch. And while we expect to see a lot of custom Labo builds in the months ahead, you don’t need Nintendo to make your own cardboard robots. This cardboard spider should give you plenty of practice, and the instructions are already available online.



Via Wired, this is cardboard spider design was by Raz85 at Instructables, with detailed directions which can help dedicated builders recreate it. According to Raz85, the decision to shun a 3D printed build in favor of using corrugated cardboard for the body and legs was an easy choice to make. “Corrugated cardboard is a stiff, strong, and light-weight material made up of three layers of brown Kraft paper and most of the packing boxes are made from it. So it is very easy to find some.”

However, building a quadruped wasn’t quite as easy as they initially thought. “Since this is my first project of this type I didn’t knew exactly what to expect so I thought 4 legs will be easier then 6 but as I found out later this is not always true.” (Yes, we know real-life spiders have eight appendages. This is a spider in spirit.)

YouTube user Earth2Cami posted three videos of the cardboard spider build, including the video above as well as this video which briefly captures the project during the testing phase.

The final video catches up with the cardboard spider during its first official test run, as the movements of its legs were perfected.



What do you think about the cardboard spider? Will you build your own or let it haunt your dreams with its tiny footsteps? Let us know in the comment section below!

Image: Earth2Cami

Spiders here, spiders there, spider-tales from us everywhere:

A robotic rolling spider!
How robot spiders will rule us all.
Spiders eat twice as many animals a year as humans.

French SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY Car Commercial Teases Train Heist

Over the past four decades, Han Solo has been called many things: thief, scoundrel, rebel, and even nerf herder. But he’s never been a train robber until now! The French automobile company Renault has released a new Solo: A Star Wars Story tie-in commercial which features Chewbacca on top of a train as he attempts to pull off his part in a heist. Unfortunately for Chewie, his actions have been detected and he’s about to have company.

Because this is a car ad, an inordinate amount of time is given to the woman driving the Renault and her son as they randomly encounter the train and witness Chewbacca’s actions. We never actually see Han Solo himself, but he’s presumably flying the Millennium Falcon when it makes a timely arrival and helps take the heat off of Chewie.



A train sequence will be a part of Solo‘s story, and its inclusion makes sense. The original Star Wars movie only hinted at Han and Chewie’s criminal past, and this origin movie would be the ideal time to see the duo pull off a few improbable robberies. In our minds, the only real question here is whether Han and Chewie are acting alone, or if they’re getting aid from Lando, Qi’ra, or perhaps another ally we have yet to meet. We’ll find out very soon, since Solo: A Star Wars Story is heading to theaters on Friday, May 25. And stay tuned later tonight for a new official trailer for the movie itself, sans Renaults.

What did you think about the Solo train heist ad? Let us know in the comment section below!

Image: Renault

More celebrity commercial crack-ups:

Guillermo Del Toro once starred in an Alka-Seltzer ad as a werewolf.
Hodor once shilled for KFC.
Also, Kobe Bryant was a Ghostbuster.

Chadwick Boseman’s Black Panther Gets in Some Jeopardy on Saturday Night Live

It was pretty much a given that Chadwick Boseman would reference Black Panther when the actor hosted Saturday Night Live last night. But how? And when? Killmonger’s dad Sterling K. Brown already beat him to the punch with a Black Panther-meets-the-ancestors skit, but surely the actual T’Challa actor would not be upstaged. And indeed he was not.

In the first Panther-themed bit of the night, Boseman appeared as T’Challa on Black Jeopardy, demonstrating that while it might take a moment or two for a technologically advanced African king to fully get into the African-American experience, his keen grasp of logic would quickly get acclimated and help him realize just how bad a neighbor’s potato salad could potentially be. Also, he showed Chris Redd just how you actually play Black Panther.



In the second Wakandan-themed skit of the night, Boseman plays a possibly unhinged fellow who helps us figure out exactly when it’s okay for non-black audience members to give the Wakanda salute. Hey, it is something you might have worried about, or maybe should have.



If you’re wondering why Black Panther might not be up to speed on all things completely white, just remember that he hasn’t actually met Thor yet. Though at least the Norse god of abs thunder wouldn’t likely mispronounce things as hideously as Pete Davidson and Beck Bennettt do.

Did Boseman do his on-camera royal blood proud? Does the heart-shaped herb confer superior recipe skills upon its consumer? Leave your thoughts below in Th’Comments.

Image: NBC

Black Panther is still prowling.

Why Black Panther‘s representation matters.
The Black Panther cast answers the Internet’s most-searched questions.
Black Panther and biracial identity.

Win Your PPV Pool With Our WRESTLEMANIA Predictions for WWE Noobs

For a wrestling fan, Wrestlemania weekend is their version of Comic-Con (yes, we know there are wrestlers at Comic-Con too. Don’t ruin this analogy). While it is WWE’s premier event, organizations from around the world converge at its location (this year is in New Orleans) to showcase exactly what the art of professional wrestling is all about. Some of you might even be invited to a Wrestlemania viewing party, which a lot of the times include pools as to who will win each match. If you’ve never watched wrestling before but get invited to a party, let us help you out and amaze your friends by using our predictions to win some cold hard cash (or whatever prizes are available, like a Target gift card).

Wrestlemania Women’s Battle Royal (Winner: Becky Lynch)

The WWE Women’s Division has gone through a renaissance the last few years. What was once seen as a novelty act has become not only a main part of the show, but the main reason fans tune in. In another year of Women’s Division firsts, they will have a Wrestlemania Battle Royal. For this match, we choose the Irish Lass Kicker, Becky Lynch. It’s time that a superstar from Smackdown got some love, as it feels like RAW has been dominating everything as of late.

Noobs: Tell them you choose the “Steampunk Superhero” as your winner.

Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal (Winner: Dolph Ziggler)

On the men’s side, they have the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal. If you are not in a match on the main card, the Battle Royal still gives you a chance to participate in Wrestlemania. Even though everyone has an even shot this year, we feel that Dolph Ziggler will pull out the win here.

Noobs: Go with “The guy that looks like he’s in Van Halen.”

WWE Cruiserweight Championship: Cedric Alexander vs. Mustafa Ali (Winner: Cedric Alexander)

This match is the finals of the WWE Cruiserweight tournament that has been going on since January. Both Cedric and Mustafa are great in the ring, but we have to give the edge to Cedric Alexander. Don’t be surprised if this is just the first in a series of matches trading this title back and forth. This has the makings of a great long-term feud.

Noobs: You can’t really say “The guy that does all the flips.” It will NOT narrow it down. For this one, just say you think Cedric will win.

RAW Women’s Championship: Alexa Bliss vs. Nia Jax (Winner: Nia Jax)

This is a great example of the WWE’s long-term storytelling. For years Nia and Alexa were friends until it was revealed that Alexa was merely using Nia to get ahead in her career. It’s a simple “betrayal turns to revenge” storyline, but sometimes the most simple of premises can return the best results. We’re going with Nia for this one, as it is time for Alexa to get her comeuppance.

Noobs: Tell everyone you “Don’t want Harley Quinn to win,” or use another way that doesn’t rhyme.

RAW Tag-Team Championship: The Bar vs. Braun Strowman and ??? (Winners: Braun and ???)

After winning a tag-team battle royal by himself, Braun Strowman now has the opportunity to win the tag-team titles against Sheamus and Cesaro, a.k.a. The Bar. He gets to pick his tag-team partner, which we think will be the drifter himself, Elias. We’re not sure about the set-up for this one, as it somewhat puts a negative light on the tag-team titles. All championships should be taken seriously, and while sometimes gimmick matches are okay there has to be a line (or bar, in this case). Regardless, Braun and his partner will become the new tag champs.

Noobs: The Hulk is going to win. For bonus points, when Sheamus comes out (the guy with the mohawk) ask, “Hey, is that Bebop?”

United States Championship: Randy Orton vs. Bobby Roode vs. Jinder Mahal vs. Rusev (Winner: Rusev)

Four of the biggest (literally) stars on Smackdown will be vying for the United States Championship. Yes, we understand that only one of the men in the match is actually FROM the United States, but trust us, if you Google “United States Championship” you’ll see that it’s definitely NOT a prerequisite. We are going to go with the namesake for “Rusev Day” here. Over the last few months, his character has gone through what’s known as “The Rock” syndrome. He is supposed to be a heel (bad guy), but because he’s just so darn entertaining, there’s no choice but to cheer for him. A win here could push him over to the side of good.

Noobs: Ask your friends “What’s Rusev Day?” 30 minutes later when they are done trying to explain it, say “Okay, I’ll choose him.”

Intercontinental Championship: The Miz vs. Finn Balor vs. Seth Rollins (Winner: The Miz)

For the Intercontinental Title (which literally means “between continents, so what’s the difference between this and a world title?), this will be the upset win of the evening. The Miz has not only become one of the strongest characters in the WWE as of late, but his run with the championship has made it arguably the most important title in the promotion. With the build-up to this match between the three characters, Miz retaining the title would make its importance that much stronger.

Noobs: You want “The Real World dude” to win, although “the guy that looks like Venom/Carnage seems cool, too.”

Smackdown Tag Team Championship: Bludgeon Brothers vs. The Usos vs. The New Day (Winners: The New Day)

In all of professional wrestling, no tag team division is better than Smackdown’s. The New Day and the Usos have been putting on wrestling clinics against each other for the last two years. If you add in the Bludgeon Brothers, you have the makings of the dark horse match of the night. While all three teams have an equal shot, the New Day is going to take this one, with Xavier Woods getting the pin (in my personal opinion, Xavier is the most underrated wrestler in the WWE).

Noobs: “I’ll take the cartoon characters. They look sweet.” As of this writing, we are not sure what video game or TV show the New Day will be basing their outfits on, but rest assured it will be awesome.

Smackdown Women’s Championship: Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka (Winner: Asuka)

Out of all the title matches going on during Wrestlemania, this is probably the most anticipated. The Empress Asuka puts her 2 1/2 year undefeated streak on the line as she goes up against the standard bearer of the entire WWE’s women’s division, Charlotte Flair. This one was tough because either victory would make sense. Either Asuka maintains her streak, or Charlotte cements her place at the top of the food chain. By a nose, we’re going with Asuka to carry the torch for a while.

Noobs: “That masked lady looks INSANE. I choose her.”

Daniel Bryan & Shane McMahon vs. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn (Winners: Owens and Zayn)

If Kevin and Sami win, they get their jobs back after having been recently fired from Smackdown for attacking both Shane and Daniel. It only makes sense that they would win. What makes this match intriguing is whether or not either Shane or Daniel betrays the other. If we had to choose, we’ll go with Shane. A McMahon being a good guy for this long HAS to have a breaking point. This match is also important because it will be Daniel Bryan’s first match back in two years after getting medically cleared to wrestle. Expect the YES! chants to echo throughout all of NOLA.

Noobs: “Those two look like complete jerks. I see them somehow winning.” “Which two? They all look kind of snarky.” “The one with the silly hat.”

Kurt Angle and Ronda Rousey vs. Triple H and Stephanie McMahon (Winners: Kurt and Ronda)

If you are going to bring in someone as big as Ronda Rousey to the WWE and have her debut on the “grandest stage of them all,” you have to have her establish how good she really is in her first match. After some hardcore cheating from Stephanie and HHH, Kurt and Ronda will get the victory in what should be an entertaining match.

Noobs: “Ah. HER I know. I’ll go with Ronda.”

John Cena vs. The Undertaker (?) (Winner: The Undertaker) (?)

Why all the question marks? Because we still don’t know who if this match is going to happen. We probably WON’T know until Cena is standing in the ring to see if the Undertaker shows. SHOULD he, we’re giving him the victory. After losing to Roman last year and “retiring,” to come back just to lose again doesn’t make sense or give the Undertaker justice.

Noobs: “Oooh! I saw Blockers this weekend! I choose Cena.” “No, you don’t. Choose the Undertaker.” “But..” “CHOOSE THE UNDERTAKER.” “Okay! Geez…”

WWE Championship: AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura (Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura)

These two gentlemen wrestled in Japan a few years ago in an amazing match. They get to go at it again, this time on the biggest platform in all of wrestling, and for it’s biggest prize, the WWE Championship. Shinsuke won their last encounter, so an argument can be made it’s AJ’s time. After a lot of thinking, we still see Shinsuke going 2-0, and taking the WWE Championship. While we said that the Smackdown tag title match will be a dark horse match of the night, THIS match is the odds-on favorite.

Noobs: “Is that a violinist? Is that an orchestra? What is going on here? What’s with his hair? I choose that guy.”

Universal Championship: Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns (Winner: Roman Reigns)

In the WWE’s latest attempt to put Roman Reigns in the top spot, he is going up against the most dominant champion the company has had over the last few years, the Beast Brock Lesnar. This year is a little different, as the storyline they created to hype this match made Reigns a character we can actually get behind, and not someone who feels forced down our throats. Now, maybe we would have rather seen Finn Balor fight for the title, but this is what we are getting, so we choose the Big Dog to finally dethrone Lesnar.

Noobs: “Is that…no. Is that…AQUAMAN?!?! Oh, you KNOW I’m going with Khal Drogo all the way.”

Wrestlemania only comes once a year, and WWE certainly makes a spectacle of it. What do you think? Are our picks right? Who do you have in your pools? Let me know on Twitter @donnielederer or sound off in the comments below.

Images: WWE

A rasslin’ round-up…

WWE stars who would make great horror villains.
WWE’s web series spoofing ’80s regional wrestling.
Xavier Woods demonstrates how to do Boogeyman make-up.

A QUIET PLACE Nearly Became a CLOVERFIELD Sequel

A Quiet Place is currently scaring up a very impressive performance at the box office. It’s become one of the rare original horror films to open at number 1, but an early version of the script almost found a home within the Cloverfield franchise.

While speaking with Slash Film, A Quiet Place screenwriters Scott Beck and Bryan Woods admitted that they considered tying their latest script to the Cloverfield films. Since Beck and Woods previously collaborated on 10 Cloverfield Lane, it wouldn’t have been a big stretch for them to add another chapter to the overall story. “We were actually talking to an executive [at Paramount] about this film, and it felt from pitch form that there might be crossover,” said Beck. “But when we finally took the final script in to Paramount, they saw it as a totally different movie.”

According to Woods, he and Beck were afraid A Quiet Place could have become lost if it was re-envisioned to fit into the existing franchise.

“We love the Cloverfield movies,” said Woods. “They’re excellent. It’s just that as filmgoers, we crave new and original ideas, and we feel like so much of what’s out there is IP. It’s comic books, it’s remakes, it’s sequels. We show up to all of them, we enjoy those movies too, but our dream was always to drop something different into the marketplace, so we feel grateful that Paramount embraced the movie as its own thing.”

Do you think A Quiet Place would have been a good fit for the Cloverfield franchise? Let us know in the comment section below!

Images: Paramount

Skim some more Clover…



What are your favorite Cloverfield theories?
Is there already a fifth Cloverfield movie?




Our review of The Cloverfield Paradox.

New AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR Preview Reminds Fans It’s (Kind of) a BLACK PANTHER Sequel

At the end of Black Panther, T’Challa and the citizens of Wakanda probably thought the world would come to them as part of their new international outreach. But they couldn’t have predicted a battle for the fate of the universe! In the latest ad for Avengers: Infinity War, Okoye shares her dashed expectations with T’Challa before he gets his forces and the Avengers ready for a showdown with Thanos. But first, we’ll see the hair stand up on Spider-Man‘s arms. In the comic book realm, that’s what we call Spider-Sense.



Beyond the glimpse of the final confrontation in Wakanda, the biggest item of interest here is the reunion between Bucky “The White Wolf” Barnes and Captain America for the first time since the mid-credit scene of Civil War. Obviously, the circumstances could be better. Because in the other shots within this trailer, it seems pretty clear that Thanos has gotten his hands on the majority of the Infinity Stones.

There’s also a much better glimpse of the Outrider ship, which will also play a key part in setting up the final battle with Thanos. It’s long been rumored that Wakanda is the resting place of the Soul Stone, the only Infinity Stone which is not currently accounted for in the MCU. If Thanos gets all six Infinity Stones, then it’s game over for the heroes, because he will essentially become a god with the power to destroy the universe at will.

Avengers: Infinity War will arrive on Friday, April 27.

What do you think about the latest Infinity War trailer? Let us know in the comment section below!

Images: Marvel Studios

More Black Panther news you can use:

How does the Black Panther animated series hold up?
How Black Panther influenced Infinity War.
SNL reveals Black Panther’s goofy uncle.

An Animator’s Watercolors Bring STAR WARS, GAME OF THRONES and Other Characters to Exquisite Life

Watercolors are calming works of art, where simple brush strokes can tell a poignant story. The small but striking details can take you to another world. It’s the perfect medium for artist Alina Chau, whose whimsical paintings combine the beauty of watercolors with the entertainment of pop culture.

As she has worked in the animation industry for years—including a stint on Star Wars: The Clone Wars—it’s no wonder many of Chau’s subjects are Star Wars themed. Female heroines figure prominently, from a bold Ahsoka Tano, to a stoic Queen Amidala. Her tributes to Leia lovingly capture the consummate image of the self-rescuing princess.

You can tell Chau is a pop culture fan herself in the way that she honors Game of Thrones’ Daenerys by surrounding her with swiftly sweeping dragons, or pays homage to classics like The Last Unicorn and colorful stories like The Little Mermaid. The latter both happen to include surreal water scenes that align perfectly with her watercolor work to create stunning underwater visuals.

As if the watercolors didn’t pull you in by themselves, Chau has thought of a way to make them even more memorable by adding the art of papercutting to her works. By chopping up her beautiful artwork she adds layers and distinction to the composition, to where it seems to jump off the page. A simple He-Man piece suddenly gains depth and motion with the added function of papercutting.

Chau’s magnificent designs take pop culture to a new level, making them frameable pieces of art worthy of a museum.

See more of Chau’s watercolors in the gallery below and get a print for yourself on her website alinachau.com.

Which of your favorite characters would you like to see in watercolor form? Let us know in the comments!

Images: Alina Chau
The art of arting:

Star Wars IX‘s art director is…
Hogwarts carved from ice.
The blackest paint makes a starry sky.