Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 1793

Does the Fantastic Four’s Return Confirm Our Phase 4 Theory?

Marvel recently announced the return of the Fantastic Four after the first family of superheroes spent years without their own series. At the time, Marvel cited low sales as the reason for canceling the title that launched the Marvel Universe itself. However, former Fantastic Four writer Jonathan Hickman said, “I think it’s pretty common knowledge at this point that Marvel isn’t publishing Fantastic Four because of their disagreement with Fox” while speaking to Newsarama in 2017. With the FF back in the Marvel fold, does this mean our “Fantastic Phase Four” theory is confirmed? Today’s Nerdist News is going cosmic to find the answers!

Join host and third alternate Human Torch, Jessica Chobot, as she takes us for a ride in the Fantasticar to bring everyone up to speed. But first, we’re revisiting some of the steps Marvel took to bury the FF and the X-Men during their extended feud with Fox. Fortunately, there’s nothing quite like a multi-billion dollar merger deal to settle old scores. The Disney and Fox merger may not be finalized, but there’s very little standing in their way.

Even before rumors about Disney’s acquisition of Fox were common knowledge, it seemed like placing the FF in the Marvel Cinematic Universe was the natural next step after audiences rejected the previous live-action Fantastic Four movie. Sony and Marvel’s deal did a lot to revitalize Spider-Man, and the FF could surely use the help as well.

Marvel’s Kevin Feige has said several times that the next batch of films are going “cosmic.” Having the Fantastic Four back means the entire Marvel cosmos is fair game, from the Silver Surfer, Galactus, Annihilus, and more. There’s so much story potential to mine from the FF that the X-Men could conceivably skip Phase 4 altogether before becoming the focus of Phase 5 a few years later. Aside from Deadpool, the X-Men could probably use a rest before getting a MCU reboot.

What do you think about the Fantastic Four’s possible role in the MCU’s Phase 4? Let’s discuss in the comment section below!

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The 11 Silliest Character Names in STAR WARS

This is a safe space. We all love Star Wars here, warts and all. That’s part A. Part B is that just about every character name in the entire franchise is beyond stupid. There’s no two ways about it. As much as we love him, Luke Skywalker has a pretty dumb name. But just making up spacey sounding character names is fine, and even expected nowadays; it’s part of the old-timey Flash Gordon-esque nature of the saga. What we take issue with is when the names are just lazy embellishments of the character’s physical attributes or personality.

Since there are so many characters on screen, and each has a name, species, and planet of origin–shortcuts need to be taken. At least that’s George Lucas’s logic. The squid-looking aliens are called Mon Calamari. I mean, guys. Han Solo is a loner. All the Darths are some kind of modification of a bad thing. General goshdarn Grievous! So that’s where we’re starting with this list, the silliest and needlessly literal names in Star Wars. These 11 are in no particular order, but to start, we have the most recent.

Therm Scissorpunch – Solo: A Star Wars Story

This character that is the reason this list exists. A recent commercial for a Denny’s promotion for Solo revealed a character who is a giant alien lobster named Therm Scissorpunch. Therm, as in short for “thermidor” as in “lobster thermidor.” Yeah, they really did this. And his hands are massive claws. That scissor. And if he punched you he’d be punching with sci– you know what, you get it.

Greedo – Star Wars: A New Hope

Even one of the more subtle obvious names in the canon is egregious if you stop to think about it. The Rodian bounty hunter whom Han Solo fries in Mos Eisley cantina is a former associate of Solo’s who happens to be a super greedy individual. Maybe words don’t have the same meaning in Rodian as they do in Basic, but this is like trying to tell me the “S” on Superman’s cape means “hope” in Kryptonian. HOW CONVENIENT.

Savage Opress – Star Wars: The Clone Wars

The Clone Wars series started out kinda slow in my opinion, and a little too childish, but they found their stride and created some truly exciting moments in the lives of General Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker’s time in the war. Hell, the show gave us Ahsoka Tano, and for that we’ll be eternally grateful. We also got a great number of new villains and old. Bringing back Darth Maul was a stroke of genius, and giving him a brother was great too…unfortunately that brother’s name (his given name?!?!) is Savage Opress, meaning he’s both savage and oppressive. Cool, Lucasfilm. We get it. Only Siths deal in absolutes.

Elan Sleazebaganno – Star Wars: Attack of the Clones

And while we’re on the topic of the prequel era, let’s talk about this guy. I mean, his name may as well have been Th’is Guuuy. He was the death stick dealer used in that hilarious scene in Attack of the Clones where a wormy little guy is trying to sell intergalactic cigarettes (which are drugs now) to Obi-Wan Kenobi and he gets mind-tricked into going home and rethinking his life. He’s a drug dealer, which is sort of a sleazebag thing to do…hey wait!

Notluwiski Papanoida – Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith

After making six movies in some fashion, and probably assuming Revenge of the Sith would be his last, George Lucas decided to give himself a Hitchcockian cameo. He played a blue-skinned dignitary going to the weird floaty snake opera where Palpatine and Anakin have their “Darth Plagueis the Wise” discussion. This could have just been an Easter egg, but he had to have a name. And they went with a double bluff… Noooo, that’s not George Lucas… it’s Notluwiski Papanoida. As in, he’s the Papa/Father of the universe. They later brought this character into The Clone Wars show, where he fittingly was not voiced by George Lucas.

Mercurial Swift – Star Wars: The Aftermath

This one is so on the nose I just had to include it. A bounty hunter and minor antagonist in the Chuck Wendig novels that bridge Return of the Jedi with The Force Awakens, he’s a very fast and spry young fella. Does the Roman god Mercury exist in the Star Wars universe? If he doesn’t, then why does the word Mercurial exist? Is it just a coincidence? I’m asking for real.

Biggs Darklighter – Star Wars: A New Hope

Though most of his part was sadly cut out of the original release of Star Wars, and only a scene late in the movie was restored for one of the many reissues, Biggs Darklighter was one of Luke’s best friends, and the impetus for him wanting to leave Tatooine and join the Rebellion. Luke says “Biggs is right, I’m never gonna get out of here.” Luke clearly looks up to him…like a “Big” brother. And Luke later says of Tatooine “if there’s a bright center to the universe, you’re on the planet that is farthest from.” So Biggs is a Big Man on Campus, and aims to “lighten” the “dark.” Ha.

Jek Porkins – Star Wars: A New Hope

I don’t think people realize how silly the names in the very first movie are. Although most people know this one, so I won’t belabor it. He was a larger guy. His name was “Porkins.” I just feel bad for him more than anything.

Salacious B. Crumb – Star Wars: Return of the Jedi

This one gets talked about a lot, and rightfully so, but I can’t emphasize this enough: Salacious B. Crumb is the dumbest name on the planet Tatooine. He’s a lascivious little critter who loves watching dancing girls get eaten. That’s pretty…salacious of him. And he’s an annoying little booger, so he’s a crumb. Honestly, the most upsetting part of his name is the middle initial. He’s Jabba the Hutt’s pet and he’s got a name like a lawyer. I didn’t realize Jabba treated Salacious the way Will Ferrell and Molly Shannon did in the “Dog Show” sketch.

URoRRuR’R’R – Star Wars: A New Hope

Oh, I didn’t know individual Tusken Raider’s had names. The one that attacked Luke is a brave warrior for his people, eh? Cool! And his name’s… Are you even trying anymore, Lucasfilm?

Ima-Gun Di – Star Wars: The Clone Wars

Any time they introduced a new Jedi in The Clone Wars cartoon, it was a cool thing, because they were usually pretty dope. But don’t get too attached to this one, because he dies in the one episode he appears in. It’s not like we didn’t realize it. “Ima-Gun Di.” He told us up front. “I’mma gon’ die.” Lucasfilm, may I just request you eat your own heads?

These are obviously the mere tip of the galactic icebergs when it comes to silly Star Wars names. What are your favorites? Let us know in the comments below!

Images: Lucasfilm

Kyle Anderson is the Associate Editor for Nerdist. He is the writer of 200 reviews of weird or obscure films in Schlock & Awe. Follow him on Twitter!

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The AVENGERS Are Lookin’ Fly in New INFINITY WAR Posters

It’s been ten years in the making, but we are finally a few scant weeks away from the biggest superhero battle in the history of cinema, when the Avengers prepare to protect Earth—and half the universe—from its greatest threat, Thanos, in Marvel’s Infinity War. But even though we wouldn’t miss it for the world (and we are so close to seeing it we can smell those infinity stones), Marvel is still promoting the film. Their latest promotions push offers new posters that show the characters looking ready to fight while looking very stylish. But do they contain any secrets? Including in who is missing?

Some of the movie’s stars tweeted out their new character posters (different from the last set) on Twitter Wednesday morning, and they like modern, neon-colored homages to Michelangelo’s David, featuring our heroes deep in thought as the fight begins. Here we see Captain America with his new, Wakanda-built shield.

It’s all been leading to this….@Avengers #InfinityWar pic.twitter.com/QNs0d8uVYQ

— Chris Evans (@ChrisEvans) April 4, 2018

Speaking of Wakanda, its greatest warriors are prepared to face the army of Thanos when they invade their home.

.@Avengers: #InfinityWar #Okoye pic.twitter.com/mBuUamAXgj

— Danai Gurira (@DanaiGurira) April 4, 2018

Shuri’s ready as always! #Shuri #InfinityWar @Avengers pic.twitter.com/rJd0c5QZrY

— Letitia Wright (@letitiawright) April 4, 2018

Black Widow also looks prepared, while Thanos’ “daughter” Gamora is already more than ready to wage war, as is Scarlet Witch.

New official #BlackWidow character poster | @Avengers #InfinityWar pic.twitter.com/0kGznxDFAp

— Scarlett Johansson Source (@ScarlettJSource) April 4, 2018

New Gamora Poster! @Avengers #InfinityWar #Gamora pic.twitter.com/zxeKSaTzuQ

— Zoe Saldana (@zoesaldana) April 4, 2018

SHE IS PERFECT #ScarletWitch @Avengers #InfinityWar pic.twitter.com/Q4fof0s5vF

— Jaswanth (@JaswanthTweets) April 4, 2018

Hopefully she doesn’t end up having to mourn this guy.

It’s all been leading to this…@Avengers #InfinityWar #TheVision pic.twitter.com/9zOgpAYaIm

— Paul Bettany (@Paul_Bettany) April 4, 2018

Strangely Don Cheadle looks angry at us. Don’t worry Don! We’re going to see the movie.

It’s all been leading to this…@Avengers #InfinityWar #WarMachine pic.twitter.com/48RKkeV0BA

— Don Cheadle (@DonCheadle) April 4, 2018

These posters are just as much about the film’s stars as it is their characters though, because they are all free of their masks so we can see their faces.

i can’t. he’s too perfect. #SpiderMan #InfinityWar pic.twitter.com/JMUg4XK0Ns

— Emily Regina (@emilliondreams) April 4, 2018

New Iron Man Character Poster for #InfinityWar! https://t.co/646kSNPeoM pic.twitter.com/gJfzjtrYVh

— MCU Cosmic (@MCUCosmic) April 4, 2018

While these might be most about getting us hyped to see the team, we can’t help but read way (way) too much into the fact Doctor Strange has an orange glow in his hand. It’s probably/definitely NOT related to the soul stone. BUT WHAT IF IT IS?

It’s all been leading to this. @Avengers #InfinityWar #DoctorStrange pic.twitter.com/L9FpWLh4xa

— Doctor Strange (@DrStrange) April 4, 2018

But our favorite is Hawkeye’s poster!

No, we’re just kidding. No Hawkeye. But it’s not as weird this time, because (as of now at least) Black Panther, Quill, and Bucky don’t have their own postes either, and neither do Loki, Rocket, and Groot. Could that mean anything? Maybe not. BUT WHAT IF IT DOES?

Do you think we can learn anything new from these posters? Tell us what in the comments below.

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What the Spinning Chair at Space Camp is Actually For

If you’re of a certain age, you probably know know Huntsville, Alabama’s Space Camp best as a prize for winning a ridiculous competition show. And if you ever obsessed over going on that cosmic retreat, you probably wanted to get on that weird spinning chair they always showed in the clips. It’s a serious looking device at a serious facility–what the heck is it for?

I was recently lucky enough to make a childhood dream come true and zipped up my flight suit for a shot at Space Camp. There, as I explain in the video above, I learned that the spinning chair has a more formal name: the Multi Axis Trainer, or MAT. It’s used to give riders a feeling of what it’s like to uncontrollably tumble through space.

Though only for demonstrative purposes today, the MAT is patterned after a real training device, the MASTIF ( Multiple-Axis Spin/Space Test Inertia Facility). MASTIF was used during the Mercury missions to test a pilot’s ability to get a dangerously tumbling spacecraft under control. In space, there is no atmosphere, no friction. A pilot can’t rely on air to help slow down a spin, and so the MASTIF gave trainees simulated control over thrusters, which would allow them to tame the tumble. Cages inside a larger cage allow the MASTIF and the MAT to spin occupants in three dimensions, all while keeping their stomach in the same position to minimize nausea.

So while the MAT looks like pure fun for Double Dare winners, it’s actually the less intense cousin of a very real and very important test device. Oh, and try it before lunch if you ever head down to Huntsville.

Featured Image: C. Baker via Charles Atkeison

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J.J. Abrams Originally Had Different Plans for Rey’s Parentage

Director Rian Johnson’s startlingly different vision of the galaxy far, far away has drawn much critique and conversation since the release of The Last Jedi. Among the loudest of the controversies involved Johnson’s radical decision to reveal that Rey’s parents weren’t famous lineage characters, as many had suspected (theories had ranged from Obi-Wan, to Palpatine all the way through Han and Leia), but were actually just alcoholic scrappers who sold her for booze money on Jakku.

But in a recent interview with the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Star Wars background player and sci-fi maven Simon Pegg confirmed what many fans had already guessed: that The Force Awakens director J.J. Abrams had originally planned for Rey’s parents to have what Pegg called “a relevant lineage.”

During the chat, Pegg claimed that Abrams had a plan that was mildly thwarted by The Last Jedi. “I know what J.J. kind of intended or at least was being chucked around,” Pegg said on air. “I think that’s kind of been undone slightly by the last one.”

This is a complicated reveal, given how well the reveal fit with the overall message of The Last Jedi: That the flawed elitism of the Jedi in the OG Star Wars trilogy was over, and that the Force is truly for everyone, no matter where you come from, who trains you, or more importantly who doesn’t. This aside could further feed the fan divide over the controversial choice, but it’ll definitely keep fan speculation going until next December when Episode IX, also directed by Abrams, arrives.

Seeing as the news of Rey’s parentage was delivered properly by one Kylo Ren, it wouldn’t be unfathomable for Abrams to retcon the reveal in Episode IX. But for now, we still have the story that The Last Jedi told us: that Rey is still a powerful Force user who looks to be the start of an entirely new generation of Jedi/Force-sensitive kids! #Broomboy

How do you feel about Pegg’s comments? Are you happy Rey is a “nobody”? Just wish she was Obi-Wan’s grandkid? Got some other wacky theory? Let us know below!

Images: Disney, Lucasfilm

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LEGION Season Two Isn’t Realistic At All, That’s What Makes It Great

Editor’s Note: this post contain spoilers for “Chapter 9” of LEGION—proceed at your own risk!

Almost nothing in FX’s Legion is realistic. The dialogue often sounds stagey, like intertwining theatrical monologues rather than exchanges between actual humans. The visuals are set piece after set piece. Then, of course, there are the random dance numbers. Barely a trace of realism in the whole show. But that’s what makes it so great.

Unlike grittier TV properties adapted from comic books, Legion revels in its unreality, because why pretend to be something you’re not? Superhero comics are by nature rooted in the impossible. The show’s philosophy seems to be: if you’re going to make a TV series based on a superhero comic, especially one like X-Men, you’d better be prepared to get weird.

Feel free to imagine that line in his voice.

Season two of Legion leans into this hard with non-linear storytelling that makes the most of its televisual medium and will have you asking “Wait, what?!” at least five times per episode. Also, there is an inexplicable dance-off between three major characters in a club, one of whom is played by a retro-styled Jemaine Clement. (It’s amazing, is what I am saying.)

When last we saw main character David Haller (Dan Stevens), he’d gotten himself trapped in a small electronic orb, which then flew away to who knows where. Meanwhile, the Shadow King (appearing in the form of Aubrey Plaza‘s Lenny), found its latest host in suave scientist Oliver Bird (Jemaine Clement), who at the end of season one was driving off in a sweet ride to an undisclosed destination. Now David’s back, albeit with some worrying gaps in his memory, and ready to help his fellow mutants track down the escaped Shadow King. That’s the end of Plot Talk Hour, because really, the plot isn’t what makes this show so freaking good.

What makes Legion so freaking good is its willingness to experiment, to push the boundaries of its medium. Its visual forays into the bizarre, such as a recurring character in season two who always wears a bucket over his head and speaks through a team of auto-tuned, mustached female androids, are signs that we are no longer in the realm of anything that would pass for real. The Shadow King’s physicality grows more impossible and disturbingly cartoonish; in one scene, for instance, you see Plaza extending her arm what looks like several times the length of a human body to pick up a faraway object, like a Tex Avery character.



The show’s sound work taps right into your lizard brain to keep you unsettled on a profound level. The mustache robots’ auto-tuned voices bypass the Uncanny Valley and head straight into Oh God What Even Is The Line Between Humanity And The Machines Anymore Canyon. PSA-esque background announcements concerning the nature of what is real play periodically over loudspeakers, telling characters to be wary of “attack[s] on reality” and reminding them, “If you feel something, say something.” There’s a particular chattering teeth/skittering insect legs sound effect that I would be happy to never ever hear again for the rest of my days.

However, the serious weirdness is conveyed through layered non-linear narrative techniques, asking us to consider how we construct meaning and extrapolate events into stories. The continually blurry boundaries between external “reality”—whatever that is—characters’ inner thoughts, false memories, and straight-up imaginary scenarios (technically the whole thing is imaginary, but you know what I mean) remind us that our minds are fickle things. When that chattering/skittering sound is laid over footage of a jaw moving rapidly up and down, we hear it as teeth; with footage of bugs crawling all over someone’s face, we hear insects. We hear what we think we should be hearing.

When David flashes back to spotting Oliver and Shadow King Lenny in a crowded club, is it a memory of an actual experience, or some sort of funky psychic battle? When the main narrative in one episode is interrupted by what appears to be some sort of Psych 101 audio lecture on delusion, narrated by Jon Hamm, laid over footage of a grotesque bird-skeleton monster covered in black sludge—who is speaking, and who are they talking to? Is this scene in itself meant to be a delusion in a character’s mind? We don’t know, and in that not knowing lies so much to explore.

In the first episode of season two, “Chapter 9,” there’s a moment where the screen goes black and voiceover narration kicks in, with some bonus insect/teeth SFX for good measure. Fine and dandy (except for the teeth noises, because no thank you), but the darkness doesn’t let up until the narration stops about half a minute later. While thirty seconds of talking in the dark may not sound like a lot, it’s enough time to start feeling…off. TV isn’t supposed to do this. I kept checking my screen and internet connection during the scene to make sure that it wasn’t some sort of technical snafu; that’s how sure I was that something was wrong, or rather that Legion had failed to adhere to the rules of its medium.

Of course, it hadn’t failed. The rules of how TV is supposed to work are based on our expectations and biases: the last hundred shows we watched did a thing, so subsequent shows should also do that same thing. But there’s no actual rule requiring all TV production to do the thing. In reality, whatever that may be, you’re allowed to have audio without visuals or vice versa on TV. You’re allowed to ask questions and keep viewers wanting to ask questions. You’re allowed to get really, really weird, and thankfully, Legion season two is ready to see how far that goes.

Are you looking forward to more Legion? Let us know in the comments!

Want Legion to Further Infiltrate Your Mind?

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Images: FX

Why is Hawkeye Missing From the AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR Trailers?

Warning: There are potential spoilers ahead for Avengers: Infinity War !

The new billboards and posters for Avengers: Infinity War have gone up, and the film is less than a month away. While Marvel has relentlessly teased an epic team-up between the Avengers, the Guardians of the Galaxy, Doctor Strange, and Spider-Man, there’s one main character who is still MIA: Hawkeye. As far as we can tell, the team’s resident archer hasn’t even been seen in any of the Infinity War trailers or TV ads. What the Hell, Marvel? Today’s Nerdist News is attempting to unravel the Hawkeye enigma and predict why he’s been marginalized in this PR campaign.



Join guest host Amy “the Other” Vorpahl as she runs through our quiver of Hawkeye theories. Make no mistake, Hawkeye’s absence is a very deliberate choice. By holding Hawkeye back, Marvel is clearly hiding something. Could it be that Hawkeye isn’t even in this film? It would run counter to everything we’ve heard from the Russo brothers about Hawkeye being on his own journey. On the other hand, it just might leave him the last hero standing if Thanos emerges triumphant. It would be a pretty big cliffhanger for Avengers 4 if the task of saving the universe came down to the guy who doesn’t have any powers at all.

After a few leaked photos from the fourth Avengers movie, there’s also a strong possibility Marvel is giving Hawkeye his Ronin costume and persona. During the New Avengers era, Hawkeye assumed the role of Ronin after he came back from the dead. It lasted a few years, and gave him a bigger profile when he eventually went back to his old costume.

Speaking of death, that could also be in the cards for Hawkeye. Infinity War needs to establish Thanos as the ultimate threat, and taking out Hawkeye early would give Marvel a good reason to downplay his presence in this film. Or at least, we may be invited to believe Hawkeye is dead. One way or another, he’ll definitely be showing up for the fourth Avengers movie.

Why do you think Hawkeye has been missing from the Avengers: Infinity War campaign? Let us know in the comment section below!

Images: Marvel Studios

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LEGO’s Newest STAR WARS Ultimate Collector’s Series Set is the Y-Wing

This latest LEGO product should be a little easier on your budget and time than the massive ultimate Millennium Falcon, but not by much. But cut the chatter, Red Two—you signed on for missions that go against the odds, after all. So when it comes to elaborate LEGO sets, why wing it? Er…Y-Wing it.

Two feet long, almost a foot wide, and nine inches tall when mounted on its flight stand, the second-most-familiar Star Wars fighter to have its wings shaped after a letter is ready to put your building skills to the test.

That’s an impressive balancing act right there. And the detail’s not just confined to the outside: the cockpit inside has a targeting scanner.

That’s Gold Leader in the cockpit, and R2-BHD fits around back, lest any of this elaborate spaceship gets damaged in battle.

Why such an elaborate design? Well, it incorporates retractable landing gear and wheel-activated rotating ion cannons. In other words, this may be made for collectors, but you can play with it, too…if you’re careful.

Release date for this set is–of course!–Star Wars Day, May the 4th. So you have a month to squirrel away the $199.99 you’ll need in order to obtain it. Or since this is the Star Wars universe, maybe we should say “Porg it away.” Let’s make that a thing. Fictional animals cannot be defamed by language.

Are you up for buying and building this supercool set? Y, or Y-not? Make your choice in comments.

More from the galaxy far, far away…

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Images: LEGO

Could John Krasinski and Emily Blunt Join the FANTASTIC FOUR?

John Krasinski says he’d love if he and his better half Emily Blunt got to join the Fantastic Four. On today’s Nerdist News Talks Back we discussed if they could be the ones to finally get the characters right on the big screen, along with Russo Brothers plea to fans about spoilers, and our reactions to Ready Player One.

Today’s guest host Amy Vorpahl was joined by senior editor Dan Casey, Nerdist News writer Aliza Pearl, and producer Erin Vail, and they began with John Krasinski’s comments to Screen Rant. While doing press for The Quiet Place, he said he’d love to join the MCU as Mr. Fantastic, with his wife Emily Blunt playing the Invisible Woman. It would work. Would we like to see that happen?



Speaking of the MCU, Infinity War directors the Russo brothers are asking Avengers fans not to spoil the movie before other people get to see it. But we’ve all met social media, and it’s hard to imagine people will respect their wishes. So, we had to discuss whether  spoilers actually ruin a movie.

#ThanosDemandsYourSilence pic.twitter.com/dvyc26ju04

— Russo Brothers (@Russo_Brothers) April 3, 2018

Finally, reactions to Ready Player One seem split after its opening weekend. What did we think of it, and how did it compare to the book? Which scenes were better, the ones in the OASIS or the live-action sequences?

Remember Nerdist News Talks Back airs live on our YouTube and Alpha channels Monday through Thursday at 1 p.m. PT, and Nerdist News What the Fridays, our new hour long recap of the biggest trending pop culture stories, ends the week at 1 p.m. PT exclusively at Alpha. It’s fantastic when you tune in with us to be a part of the conversation, so don’t be invisible during the show.

What did you think of today’s show? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below.

Featured Image: NBC

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Can Marvel’s EXTERMINATION Streamline the X-MEN Universe?

Although the X-Men titles are constantly evolving (see what I did there?), Marvel Comics has just announced their biggest evolution in years is on its way. Well, their biggest evolution since the mutant gene was decimated leaving most mutants de-powered, or the biggest change since mutants came back. Or maybe the biggest change since the X-Men moved to Central Park? What did I say about the X-Men books constantly changing? Who can keep up?

Marvel just announced Extermination, a new event series debuting in August, from the creative team of writer Ed Brisson and artist Pepe Larraz, with covers by Mark Brooks. Brooks’ artwork shows the classic X-Men: Blue line-up apparently merging with their current adult counterparts, in a series that is probably looking to streamline the mutant universe. Since 2012, the long running X-Men characters have been sharing space with the original five X-Men, plucked from the past by the Beast. The O5, as they have been nicknamed, have been stranded in the future for some six years now. At first, this was a fun experiment, seeing how the younger X-Men would react to seeing their future selves, who are so wildly different. It was a breath of fresh air for the X-titles to be sure.

“It meant none of those deaths really mattered, even in the short term.”

But it has since become something of a chore, having two versions of each of the original five X-Men running around. It allowed Marvel to have their cake and eat it too — they could kill the adult Cyclops, who had become an insufferable ass, and still have a version of the character appearing in several books in the Marvel Universe. And it was one who just happened to be a teenager, and therefore had not yet made all the horrible life choices that made fandom turn on Scott Summers. Most importantly, it allowed Jean Grey to return to the pages of the comics, without undoing her previous death back in 2004. Again, Marvel was having its cake and eating it too. Similarly, Marvel could also “kill” Wolverine in a big event comic, and still have Old Man Logan from an alternate timeline as a member of the team. It basically meant none of those deaths really mattered, not even in the short term.

But now, the adult Jean Grey is back. The older Iceman has also come out as gay (his younger counterpart did it first). Sure, the elder Cyclops is currently still dead, but that can be undone in the snap of a finger. Having two sets of the same characters around was fun for awhile, but it’s ultimately confusing to those ever elusive new fans which comics are always going for. It’s in Marvel’s best interest to remove multiple versions of the same characters from its pages. What should have been a year-long story arc just went on for way, way too long. It’s maybe time to end X-Men: Blue (which features the O5 X-Men) and X-Men: Gold (which features an updated version of the 1980s line-up) and just bring back the book that started it all – The Uncanny X-Men.

Marvel’s flagship X-book ended about two years ago, ultimately giving way to X-Men:Blue and X-Men: Gold. But with Marvel going back to basics with their upcoming “Fresh Start” initiative — which they seem to do on a yearly basis — it is definitely time to bring back Uncanny X-Men as the flagship X-book. Professor X has recently come back from the dead in the pages of Astonishing X-Men (another X-title that is maybe one too many), so how about having old Chuck re-assemble a version of the team that everyone loves, with NO doppelgangers? Let’s have a team consisting of Cyclops, Jean Grey, Beast, Iceman, Archangel, Wolverine, Colossus, Storm, Nightcrawler, Rogue, Kitty Pryde, Psylocke, Jubilee, and Gambit. Other members can come and go, but for people who either grew up with the ’80s comics, or the ’90s animated series, those characters will always be the foundation of the team, and a hard line-up to resist.

Of course, Marvel shouldn’t throw out the baby with the bathwater and go completely retro. The X-Mansion in Central Park? Leave it. It doesn’t make sense to go back to Westchester anymore, beyond nostalgic reasons. The world at large knows who the X-Men are now and rely on them, and having them near the Avengers and other big time Marvel heroes makes sense. Having an adult Kitty Pryde as a team leader, as she has been in the pages of X-Men:Gold, also makes a ton of sense. But let’s end this era of multiple versions of the original members and Wolverine. X-Men continuity has been confusing enough without having this one aspect adding an extra layer of headache to the proceedings.

What do you think of a more streamlined, less duplicate heavy X-Men universe? Let us know your thoughts down below in the comments.

Images: Marvel Comics / Saban Entertainment

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