Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 1811

The Best Internet Reactions to AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR Trailer

It’s been almost ten years since the MCU exploded onto the blockbuster scene with Iron Man. Since then it’s become one of the biggest franchises of all time, and the previous 18 movies have all been leading up to this. Yes, Thanos has his gauntlet and he’s ready to collect those Infinity Gem Stones. In just six weeks, we’ll all be witnessing the battle to end all battles. Today, Marvel dropped another trailer for the long awaited Avengers: Infinity War, and right on time the internet went wild! There were all kinds of scolding hot takes, hilarious memes, and rambunctious rumblings online, so of course we’ve collected them all here for you just like the proverbial Thanos collecting his shiny, shiny stones…

Thanos

Avengers: Infinity War’s dream daddy Thanos is at it again in this trailer, looking chunky and causing chaos for the ever-loving Avengers. Of course, the internet was 100% here for it.

*sunday sermon*

BUT the DEVIL tested Steve, HA! BUT THE SOUL STONE, HA! Sometimes the Lord will let you get tested and the HOLY SPIRIT will rise up! HA! No Thanos shall prosper. NO THAAANNNOSSSS WILL PROSPEEERRRR! pic.twitter.com/pDDthNN6fP

— Bank Black With Your Vibranium (@Steph_I_Will) March 16, 2018

Fans were enjoying the Mad Titan’s confused AF face as he stared down Steve Rogers.

Thanos looks so confused and offended that Captain America would even try to fight him

BLACK PANTHER’s Dora Milaje Get Spinoff Comic

For the last twenty years, the Dora Milaje have primarily been supporting characters in Black Panther‘s ongoing adventures. But thanks to the blockbuster success of the Black Panther film, Marvel is testing the waters for the Dora Milaje’s most popular members to headline their own comics.

Via Vogue, Marvel has revealed that Okoye, Ayo, Aneka, and the rest of the Dora Milaje will star in three Wakanda Forever one-shots alongside several of Marvel’s biggest heroes: Spider-Man, the X-Men, and the Avengers. Nnedi Okorafor will write all three of the one-shots, which will both stand alone and contribute to a larger story. Alberto Alburquerque will illustrate the Amazing Spider-Man: Wakanda Forever one-shot in June, while the artists for X-Men: Wakanda Forever and Avengers: Wakanda Forever have not yet been announced. Terry and Rachel Dodson will provide the covers, and you can see the first one below.

The story details have yet to be released, but Okorafor told Vogue that the Dora Milaje will be acting independently of T’Challa. Ayo and Aneka were previously featured in the World of Wakanda spinoff series, which established them as lovers and renegade members of the Dora Milaje. They have since made their peace with Black Panther and the throne.

Fans probably won’t see Nakia in these issues, at least as a heroic character. Although the film presented Lupita Nyong’o‘s Nakia as a heroine, her comic book counterpart turned against T’Challa and the Dora Milaje several years ago. Nakia could reappear as a villain, but we wouldn’t be surprised if she eventually gets redeemed as well.

Are you excited about the Wakanda Forever one-shots? Let us know in the comment section below!

Images: Marvel Comics

Dark Secrets Will Be Revealed In ARCHIE #29 (Exclusive)

Riverdale’s red haired rapscallion has long been one of the stalwarts of comic shops and newsstands alike, and since 2015 has been reaching an entirely new audience with a rebooted main title story launched by Fiona Staples and Mark Waid! The comic is currently its fifth arc with Waid still at the helm, the radical Audrey Mok on art, and Kelly Fitzpatrick on colors. In this newest issue, they’re also joined by a new co-writer in Sonic the Hedgehog and Mega Man scribe Ian Flynn, who gave us an insight into what he’s doing in his second issue. “These types of ‘calm before the storm’ stories are fun because you can see things coming together, but the characters never do. One of my favorite moments is when the mystery revolving around Archie’s guitar is almost solved and Moose gets involved. And the ending sequence is perhaps the most intense build-up Archie fans have ever seen!” Flynn revealed to us.

Our exclusive pages don’t spoil the secret which is going to upset the lives of Jason and Cheryl, but they do feature Archie breaking the fourth wall and once again failing at romance on multiple levels! Classic Archie. Mock and Fitzpatrick’s art jumps with life as we follow the hopeless romantic as he searches for his guitar and gets ready to perform at Riverdale High’s Spring Dance.

The official solicit for the book teases that “The Blossom family secret has erupted, taking all of Riverdale by surprise–and that includes Cheryl and Jason! What’s the truth about their long-lost father?” Though we don’t get any hints in there, it’s clear it’ll be a reveal that shakes up the town in the lead up to the Spring Dance.

Flynn told us of the upcoming story: “These types of ‘calm before the storm’ stories are fun because you can see things coming together, but the characters never do. One of my favorite moments is when the mystery revolving around Archie’s guitar is almost solved and Moose gets involved. And the ending sequence is perhaps the most intense build-up Archie fans have ever seen!”

You can check out the rest of our pages and all the covers for Archie #29 in the gallery below! Are you excited to get to know more about Cheryl and Jason? Can’t wait to see Archie reunited with his precious guitar? Just love any chance to get closer to the characters you’ve fallen in love with on Riverdale? Let us know in the comments!

Images: Archie Comics

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BATTLEFRONT IV Concept Art Imagines a Bizarro STAR WARS with Dark Side Luke, Leia, and Obi-Wan

One of the most infamous lost video games from the galaxy far, far away was the abandoned Star Wars Battlefront III game from Free Radical Design, which was canceled nearly a decade ago by Lucasfilm despite being almost finished. But if you’ve always lamented not getting a chance to play it, you’re going to be even more disappointed after seeing the early concept art they were already developing for Battlefront IV. As we can see, the game imagined a universe where everything about Star Wars was flipped upside down.

These images, which we first saw at /Film, were shared by Imgur user LukeLandwalker, who has previously posted video footage from the unreleased Battlefront III game on YouTube. What the studio had planned for a followup, however, would have been absolutely insane, because it would have created an alternate bizarro timeline where most of the Jedi we know and love had turned to the Dark Side, and some of the most famous Sith Lords were the keepers of peace in the galaxy.

Star Wars Battlefront IV Concept Art (FRD

“Star Wars Battlefront IV was supposed to take the Star Wars storyline into a different direction, with a perfect “what-if” scenario where the tides were turned. This means the characters you see in 1-6 were flipped, such as Kenobi becoming a sith lord, or Anakin not losing his limbs on Mustafar. Some parts of the story went as far as Anakin killing Yoda in a duel at Naboo. Along with that, Battlefront IV featured larger battles than any other Battlefront before. This meant a large portion of the planet was playable on, and boosting its player count into tremendous amounts during matches. This was truly going to be the largest Star Wars game ever made.”

There are so many amazing images here, our minds are pod-racing off in a million different directions. How incredible it would have been if Emperor Vader had been the one to turn back to the Light Side in time to kill his evil son Luke? And as much as we’ve always wanted to see Leia as a Jedi Master, “Sith Lord Leia” would have been the most badass person in the entire universe.

That said, it’s hard for us to imagine Dark Side Obi-Wan, either as a young or old man. But the good version of Christopher Lee’s Count Dooku looks like he would have made for a great replacement.

Just because this game never got made doesn’t mean it wasn’t a tremendous idea, which is why Lucasfilm should put this concept into development immediately. Not only would it be a genius way to explore original stories, what better way to fight Star Wars burnout then by giving us an entirely different version of what could have been?

Which concept here has you most excited? Tell us what bizarro Star Wars character you’d most want to meet in our comments below.

Featured Image: Lucasfilm

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THE NEW GODS: A Primer On DC Comics’ Cosmic Mythology

It’s just been announced that The New Gods are on their way to the big screen, via A Wrinkle In Time director Ava DuVernay. If you are wondering “who the heck are the New Gods??” we are here to help. Created by comics legend Jack Kirby, The New Gods was a vast, cosmic space opera mixing sci-fi with mythology, and was sometimes also referred to as “The Fourth World.” It was Kirby’s first work for DC Comics after leaving Marvel Comics after a massively successful decade collaborating with Stan Lee, and basically creating the Marvel Universe as we know it. Over time, the New Gods mythology became a cornerstone of the entire DCU.

The New Gods and its related titles dealt with the battle between good and evil as represented by the alien worlds of New Genesis and Apokolips. Darkseid was the evil lord of Apokolips, whose goal in life was to seek out the Anti-Life Equation which would allow him to exert his will over every sentient being. Opposing him is Orion, his son raised by Highfather, leader of the planet New Genesis. Other titles in the extended New Gods mythology included The Forever People and Mister Miracle, about the son of Highfather who was born on New Genesis but raised on Apokolips, and who overcame a hellish childhood to become the Earth’s greatest escape artist.

The original run of Jack Kirby comics was not only relatively short lived– lasting from only 1970 to 1972–it was also mostly self contained, involving only Superman from the main DC Universe. Then, starting in the early ’80s, DC realized what a treasure trove of characters and concepts Jack Kirby had really left them, and began incorporating them into the DCU. The first example of this was a 1980 Justice League of America storyline, which found the JLA teaming up with the Justice Society to stop Darkseid from replacing Earth-Two (home of the JSA) with his homeworld of Apokolips.

A couple of years later, 1982, DC’s long-running Legion of Super-Heroes title, then one of the publisher’s most best selling titles, did what remains to this day their most popular storyline, “The Great Darkness Saga,” which saw the teens from the 30th Century facing off against a resurrected Darkseid and his minions. The same year, DC decided to cross over their biggest selling title, The New Teen Titans, with Marvel’s X-Men. And the villains for this epic crossover were Dark Phoenix, and Darkseid, once again showing how DC was now positioning him as their biggest bad.

In 1984, DC partnered with Kenner Toys to create a toyline based around their characters called Super Powers. The toys featured the Justice League as the heroes, naturally, and the villains were mainly composed of Darkseid and his minions — chiefly,  DeSaad, his son Kalibak, and his army of Parademons. On the good guy side, Orion and Mister Miracle were included as part of the line-up, despite their limited exposure in the mainstream. The long-running Super Friends animated series introduced Darkseid and his lackeys from Apokolips as the primary antagonists, exposing the Kirby mythology to millions of kids.

After Crisis on Infinite Earths, DC’s second big company-wide crossover was published in 1986. Called Legends, which had Darkseid as the primary antagonist, sending his minion Glorious Godfrey to Earth to pose as a TV talk show host, where he would use his powers to turn the will of the common people against the heroes of Earth. All of these things continued to cement the New Gods mythology into the DC Universe in a big way.

The next major New Gods appearance in the DCU was the 1988 mini-series Cosmic Odyssey, which was illustrated by a young, pre-Hellboy Mike Mignola, and prominently featured the Jack Kirby Fourth World mythology, and Highfather, Orion, Lightray and Darkseid were main characters alongside the Justice League. By the late ’80s and early 90s, The New Gods would receive their own title again, as would Mister Miracle.

Darkseid would set himself up as one of Wonder Woman’s main antagonists in the mid ’90s, when he invaded her homeland of Themyscira, attempting to beat the Amazons into submission, and force them to tell him how to gain access to Mount Olympus and the Greek Gods. He killed almost half the Amazon nation, forever marking him as one of Wonder Woman’s primary villains. By the late ’90s, a Jack Kirby’s Fourth World series was launched. Grant Morrison’s seminal run on JLA featured Darkseid and many allusions to the Kirby mythos, and he even added Orion and Mr. Miracle’s wife Big Barda to the League during their most popular run.

The New Gods mythos would once again be introduced to a much wider audience, when they would appear as fixtures of the DC Animated Universe, starting in the late ’90s with Superman: The Animated Series, and continuing on to Justice League and Justice League Unlimited. Darkseid’s voice on those shows was character actor Michael Ironside, and he is who a generation of fans hear in their heads whenever Darkseid appears in a comic book, thanks to his iconic portrayal.

In the late 2000s, DC decided to kill off the New Gods, in the appropriately titled Death of the New Gods mini-series. They were quickly resurrected in human form on Earth, and Darkseid was the main villain if DC’s epic Final Crisis. They would all be reborn again in DC’s New 52 initiative, when the entire DC Universe would be rebooted, and Darkseid and his Parademon army were the first villains to square off against the newly formed Justice League.

So, as you can see, the New Gods are central to the DCU, and the last forty five years of publishing from DC Comics simply wouldn’t have been the same without them. How they will fit into DC’s movie universe remains to be seen, but you can’t ever say that Jack “the King” Kirby didn’t leave Hollywood with a wonderful sandbox full of toys.

What do you want to see out of a New Gods big screen adaptation? Let us know down below in the comments.

Images: DC Comics

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This DIY Shuri Barbie Is Absolute Perfection

Everyone loved Marvel’s latest, Black Panther. And while there was a lot to love in that movie, one of the best characters in that film was absolutely T’Challa’s younger sister, Shuri. At only 16 years old, Shuri is one of the most intelligent people in the entire world and a total STEM icon. The amazing tech that she has created in her lab in Wakanda is absolutely breathtaking, she’s funny, kind, and super stylish. Basically, she’s totally the girl you want to have on your team when you’re going up against bad guys.

And since Marvel is a part of Disney, as princess of Wakanda, Shuri is technically a Disney Princess. So it’s a bit ridiculous there isn’t a solid Shuri Barbie on the market, right? Well, one clever crafter over at the YouTube Channel My Froggy Stuff decided to fix that and released a DIY tutorial to make your very own Shuri doll. The doll mashes up a few of Shuri’s iconic looks and added a bit of a twist on her gorgeous white dress. However, the doll is absolutely stunning, and would absolutely make Shuri proud.

One of the most amazing things about this video is the expert craftsmanship that went into creating this doll. The patience and skill that went into changing the doll’s hair alone–not even styling it, just switching the type of hair used on the doll–is just amazing. This doll looks like it was professionally made, and paired with the DIY lab she creates to go along with the Shuri doll, this is a true collectible.

It’s not surprising, as this isn’t the first amazing craft/DIY video that My Froggy Stuff has made. From other dolls to accessories and more, this woman has the skill and imagination to create some truly amazing projects. We love the creativity she’s exhibited in creating this gorgeous doll, and it’s even cooler to see her make toys that celebrate women that young girls can look up to.

What do you think of My Froggy Stuff’s Shuri doll? Have you ever tried to customize a Barbie? Tell us about it in the comments!

Feature Image: My Froggy Stuff

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Did the Internet Just Solve THE OFFICE’s Scranton Strangler Mystery?

It’s been half a decade since the American incarnation of The Office wrapped up its incredible nine season run, and yet it’s once again making news. Long time fans may recall the saga of the Scranton Strangler, which played out in the background of Dunder Mifflin’s incredibly toxic workplace. The truly hardcore among us may even remember the Strangler was unmasked as an unassuming man named George Howard Scub. Or was he? Could the real killer have secretly been in the office all along? Today’s Nerdist News is taking a look at the evidence pointing to a very familiar face.

Join guest host Amy “That’s What She Said!” Vorpahl, as she goes over the clues compiled by internet sleuth, Spencer McClure, who laid out a pretty convincing argument which placed the blame on Toby Wyatt Flenderson.

Conspiracy Theory

For my fans of The Office… Toby Flenderson is the Scranton Strangler. And I’ll tell you why… pic.twitter.com/DYuUb1q3NY

— Spencer McClure (@spencermcclure_) March 11, 2018

McClure isn’t the first fan to suspect Toby, but he may have made the most compelling case against him by putting together a psychological profile to establish motive and opportunity. Poor put-upon Toby had an unrequited crush on Pam, and it may have not been a coincidence when the Strangler struck again while she was giving birth to her child.

Toby was also conspicuously absent when the characters watched the Strangler attempt to escape the police on live TV, while driving a car just like Toby’s vehicle. And was it a coincidence when Toby found himself named to the jury for the Strangler’s trial? Or when Toby visited Scrub in prison because he was convinced of his innocence? Scrub allegedly attacked Toby during the visit, but we never saw it happen. Did Toby confess his sins to an innocent man, who went on to attack him? Or did Toby fake the attack to further strengthen his frame-up? We may never know for sure, but it sure doesn’t look good for Toby at the moment.

Do you believe Toby was the Scranton Strangler? Let us know in the comment section below!

Images: NBCUniversal

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Ava DuVernay to Direct DC Comics’ NEW GODS

Disney’s adaptation of A Wrinkle in Time has barely been out a week, but director Ava DuVernay has already lined up her next gig–and it’s even more cosmic than her last film. Warner Bros. has enlisted DuVernay to bring DC Comics’ New Gods to life in their very first live-action adaptation.

Deadline broke the story about DuVernay’s pending deal to direct New Gods, which will be another $100 million-plus epic in the DC Extended Universe. Warner Bros. is currently looking for a screenwriter who will collaborate with DuVernay on the film’s story. The director might have dropped a hint about this film late last year when she referred to the New Gods’ Big Barda as her favorite superheroine.

Gosh, that’s hard. Big Barda. Many reasons. #askava https://t.co/3qxGDq7mHe

— Ava DuVernay (@ava) December 27, 2017

Who are the New Gods? They are the creation of legendary writer and artist Jack Kirby, who unveiled his Fourth World epic across multiple titles when he joined DC Comics in the ’70s. The primary story revolves around the god-like inhabitants of twin planets: the paradise known as New Genesis and the dead world called Apokolips.

The New Gods were hinted at in Justice League, when Steppenwolf and his parademons paved the way for Darkseid, the evil ruler of Apokolips. Kirby’s concept for the New Gods was so broad that it left room for multiple protagonists, including the previously mentioned Big Barda and her companion, Scott Free a.k.a. Mister Miracle. Darkseid’s son, Orion, may also be one of the film’s main characters. In the comics, Scott and Orion were exchanged as children in the name of a short-lived peace between New Genesis and Apokolips. In the present, both Scott and Orion are aligned with New Genesis.

Several comic book creators have tried to update the New Gods, but only a few (including Tom King and Mitch Gerads’ recent Mister Miracle miniseries) have been able to humanize the characters. We can only assume that DuVernay won over Warner Bros. with her take on the characters, and we can’t wait to see what she has in store for us.

Are you excited about DuVernay’s upcoming superhero epic? Let us know in the comment section below!

Images: DC Comics

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Will WESTWORLD Season 2 Troll Us With Fake Rumors?

Westworld‘s creators are hoping to stop viewers from figuring out the show’s big twists in season two, so does that mean they’re going to start trolling us with fake rumors? We discussed what they might be up to on today’s Nerdist News Talks Back, along with what we expect from the upcoming new Infinity War trailer, and who might be Spider-Man‘s next villain.

Stepping into the host chair today was Amy Vorpahl, and she was joined by managing editor Alicia Lutes, Nerdist News writer Joey Clift, and producer Ben McShane. They kicked things off with Marvel’s uh….we guess technically it’s a teaser, for tomorrow’s new Infinity War trailer. What do we expect to see in it? Which pairs are we most excited to see team up against Thanos? Have there been more or less spoilers than we expected by now? And do we think those rumored Captain Marvel scenes will be entirely cut from the movie?

They also broke down the comments from Westworld co-creator Jonah Nolan at SXSW that they “love to fuck with Reddit,” and they will announce a controversial plan to help stop the internet from figuring out all of their big plot twists again. What do we think this plan of theirs could be? Does this mean they’re going to troll us by planting false rumors? Do we like this idea, or do fan theories make watching a show more fun? And does this justify why some trailers intentionally mislead us, or would it be better if they just showed less instead of lying?

Finally, a reported casting call for Spider-Man 2 is looking for men and women between the ages of 30 and 45 with no ethnicity specified. Could this be for the villain(s) Peter Parker will do battle with? Could this mean it will be Mysterio? Chameleon? The end of the first movie hinted at Scorpion putting a team together; could this casting call be looking for its Sinister Six? And since it will come out only two months after Avengers 4, how do we think it might reset the MCU?

Nerdist News Talks Back airs live on our YouTube and Alpha channels Monday through Thursday at 1 p.m. PT, but remember to tune in tomorrow to Nerdist News What the Fridays, our hour long recap of the pop culture week that airs at 1 p.m. PT exclusively at Alpha. When you tune in live you can join the conversation with us, and we promise we’re telling the truth. We would never troll you.

We still want to hear from you now though, so tell us what you thought about today’s show in the comments below.

Images: HBO, Marvel

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BATMAN: THE ENEMY WITHIN’s Final Trailer Teases The Joker’s Redemption

Could the Joker ever truly be saved from himself? Through almost every incarnation of the Batman mythos, the Clown Prince of crime has become an irredeemable monster. Now, however, Telltale Games‘ Batman: The Enemy Within gives fans a unique opportunity to mold the Joker’s destiny. The first few installments have depicted Joker as John Doe, a somewhat friendly and malleable inmate at Arkham Asylum. But in the fifth and final episode, fans will either see the birth of the Joker or the emergence of a new vigilante who will fight side-by-side with Batman!

According to Telltale Games, the players’ choices through the first four episodes have already determined Bruce Wayne’s relationship with the man who may be his greatest enemy. If players decided to befriend John Doe, then the classic Joker may never exist in this timeline. But a radical change like that won’t come without a price. If Batman can win the Joker to his side, he may end up alienating all of his other allies.

As a further complication, John Doe knows Bruce Wayne so intimately that even his secret identity isn’t safe. Can you imagine how much damage the Joker could cause if he knew who Batman was? You may soon find out. Telltale has promised gamers that episode 5 will feature its largest branching storylines to date, with two completely different destinies for the man who laughs.

Batman: The Enemy Within‘s final episode will be available on Tuesday, March 27 for Xbox One, Playstation 4, PC, Mac, and mobile.

Are you intrigued by a potentially more heroic Joker? Light up the Bat-signal and share your thoughts below!

Images: Telltale Games