Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 1923

October 25, 2017

DEATHSTROKE Movie Reportedly in the Works from THE RAID Director

After his casting was announced a year or so back, reportedly for a Batman solo film, it now seems Joe Manganiello will be starring in his own film as DC’s most famous assassin/anti-hero Deathstroke. The report comes courtesy of The Wrap, who say that The Raid director Gareth Evans is in early discussions to write and direct the film. Warner Brothers have since confirmed they are in very early talks with Evans. No tentative release date has been given.


Last year, Ben Affleck posted a tweet of Joe Manganiello as Deathstroke walking towards the camera, on what looks to be the set of the Flying Fox from the upcoming Justice League film. Fans wondered if this meant Deathstroke would appear in Justice League (which could still happen), but later it was learned that Affleck had set his sights on having the character appear as the main antagonist in his Batman solo film. However, with Matt Reeves taking over, it seems those plans changed, and his script is starting from scratch, probably meaning no Deathstroke in the Batman movie after all.



https://t.co/0NsNzCtGip


— Ben Affleck (@BenAffleck) August 29, 2016



Regardless, it seems that Warner Brothers and DC Entertainment is keen on Manganiello as Deathstroke enough to give the former True Blood and Magic Mike actor his own potential franchise. Deathstroke originally appeared in New Teen Titans #2 way back in 1980, created by Marv Wolfman and George Perez. He quickly became their primary antagonist, and sometimes ally. He planted the spy Terra in their ranks, and later, his son Jericho joined the team. In the early ’90s he would receive his own ongoing series from creator Marv Wolfman.



Deathstroke is something of a dark take on Marvel’s Captain America — a former US soldier, Slade Wilson volunteers for experiments that making him a living fighting machine. Instead of becoming a patriotic superhero though, he becomes the worlds greatest mercenary. Aside from the Titans, he would come in conflict with almost every major DC hero over the years. He’s appeared in various media over the years, like the Teen Titans animated series, where he went by the name Slade. He has also been a major bad guy on the CW’s Arrow. Of course, Marvel’s “merc with the mouth” Deadpool was originally conceived of as a mash up of Spider-Man and Deathstroke, with Deadpool’s real name Wade Wilson a less than subtle homage to Slade Wilson.


What do you think of a potential Deathstroke film? And what comics storylines would you like to see adapted for the big screen? Let us know down below in the comments.


Images: DC Comics


Keep the nerdy news coming!

Some leaked Avengers 4 photos may point to a new hero!
The Kingpin is back for Daredevil season 3 , but what about Bullseye?
Breaking down the possibilities we’ll see Batman on Arrow !

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Published on October 25, 2017 15:15

Do Leaked AVENGERS 4 Photos Point to a New Hero?

Recently, Marvel Studios’ Kevin Feige indicated that the title of the fourth Avengers film isn’t a spoiler at all and that the press is making too much of a big deal about it. Yet we can’t help but notice that he still hasn’t shared that title with us. What we do know is that Avengers: Infinity War has wrapped, and the officially untitled sequel is well underway. Today’s Nerdist News is looking at some newly leaked pics from Avengers 4 while offering some clues about what they may mean for the MCU.


There are potential spoilers ahead for the next two Avengers movies. You’ve been warned, true believers!



Join host and Clint Barton’s former protégé, Jessica Chobot, as she gives us our first look at Ronin! Within Marvel’s comic book universe, Ronin is an alter-ego that has been used by Echo, Blade, and even Hawkeye to shield their identities. Around a decade ago, Hawkeye was resurrected during the House of M event, and it’s way too convoluted to get into that story here. The short version is that Clint was looking for a fresh start after coming back to life, so he abandoned his Hawkeye persona and adopted the Ronin costume as his own.



Jeremy Renner has been spotted on the set of Avengers 4 while wearing a costume that looks a lot like Ronin’s outfit. We’ve been hearing the “Hawkeye will become Ronin” rumors for a while now, but this appears to be the first visual confirmation of that spoiler. The first thing that we can infer from that is Clint’s survival. There may be a few fatalities in Infinity War, but Hawkeye will clearly not be among them.


In the comics, there were other mitigating factors behind Clint’s decision to become Ronin. Captain America was dead and half of the Avengers were branded as fugitives following the conclusion of the Civil War crossover. That could still play out in the MCU, especially if there’s no reconciliation between the splintered Avengers. But if the Ronin costume is an indication of the MCU’s new direction, then we may be witnessing the post-Cap split between the Mighty Avengers and the New Avengers, which counted Spider-Man, Ronin, Ms. Marvel (now known as Captain Marvel), Iron Fist, Echo, Doctor Strange, Luke Cage, and even Wolverine as members.



Given the ongoing friction between Marvel TV and Marvel Studios, the chances of Luke Cage and Iron Fist joining the New Avengers is about as likely as Fox getting Hugh Jackman to play Wolverine in a MCU film. It’s just not gonna happen! But the rest of that New Avengers lineup is very doable, especially since Echo has yet to be introduced in either the Marvel films or television shows. In the absence of Luke Cage, perhaps Clint will even be the leader of this team.


What are your theories about Clint’s new Ronin costume? Let’s discuss in the comment section below!


Images: Marvel


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Published on October 25, 2017 15:00

Kristen Bell Says a VERONICA MARS Miniseries is Totally Happening

Holy doodle, Marshmallows, this is an exciting development, isn’t it? The saga of everyone’s favorite undercover detective from Neptune, California—Veronica Mars—will apparently get itself a new miniseries if Kristen Bell has her way. The star of the fan-favorite teen mystery series is hellbent on bringing a new iteration of V. Mars to the small screen, even if she has to Murder She Wrote it.


In an interview with IndieWire, Bell discussed the situation after her friend and co-star Ryan Hansen (who was ALSO on Nerdist News Talks Back the same day!) called her in the middle of a Facebook Live discussion to ask the question on everyone’s lips. Thankfully, Bell had exactly the sort of response we like to hear.


“We are willing to put the effort in — I mean, if I have to do it as Murder She Wrote at 80, we’re going to do it. It’s going to happen.” She went on to add that creator Rob Thomas and she “email about it every couple of months or so. And personally, I think, and I think Rob probably agrees, is that a.) we’ll never make the fans pay for it again and b.) the format works better as an episodic [series].”


To be honest, Veronica Mars definitely gives us some Jessica Fletcher, Young Millennial vibes so we’re not opposed to this prospect by ANY stretch, though we do obviously hope it doesn’t take that long for us to get more Veronica Mars.


We actually asked Hansen during Nerdist News Talks Back about the inclusion of references and guest stars from old, fan-favorite series in current projects (like his new YouTube Red series Ryan Hansen Solves Crime on Television*) as a way to gauge interest in reboots and revisits. And, wouldn’t you know, that’s definitely part of the deal.


But don’t just take our word for it, watch Hansen discuss it yourself!


Are you excited for more Veronica Mars? Let us know in the comments below.


Images: Warner Bros.

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Published on October 25, 2017 14:25

Wilson Fisk is Back for DAREDEVIL Season 3, Can Bullseye Be Far Behind?

Although Wilson Fisk was imprisoned at the end of Daredevil‘s first season, the second season hinted that the Kingpin of crime was already planning his revenge on Matt Murdock and Foggy Nelson. Now, those plans may finally come to fruition because Vincent D’Onofrio is officially back for Daredevil season 3!


Deadline broke the story about D’Onofrio’s return as Fisk, while noting that Erik Oleson will take over as the showrunner from Douglas Petrie and Marco Ramirez. The closing moments from The Defenders hinted that Daredevil season 3 may adapt the acclaimed “Born Again” storyline by Frank Miller, and David Mazzucchelli. If so, then it may give us a roadmap about what we can expect to see. There are spoilers ahead if you’ve never read “Born Again!”



As originally told by Miller and Mazzucchelli, “Born Again” began with the systematic destruction of Matt Murdock’s life after Fisk discovered that he was Daredevil. And it was Karen Page who gave up Matt’s secret, because she had fallen into drug abuse and prostitution. The MCU’s Karen isn’t likely to go down that same path, but the show has already laid the groundwork for Fisk to learn the truth.


During the second season, Fisk and Matt briefly had a confrontation behind bars that included a few punches thrown by Matt. While Fisk initially wrote off Matt’s blows as the legacy of his late father (and boxer), Jack Murdock, a later scene suggested that Fisk was suspicious about Matt’s ability to fight. Fisk ordered an investigation into Matt’s background, and that may be the key that sets up the new season’s story.



The Jessica Jones series has already introduced Wil Traval as Will Simpson a.k.a. Nuke, an antihero who Fisk sent after Matt during the closing chapters of “Born Again.” But since the MCU’s Nuke doesn’t quite fit the same mold as his comic book counterpart, this may be the best time for the Daredevil series to introduce Bullseye. Aside from the Kingpin himself, Bullseye is Daredevil’s ultimate adversary from the comics. Not only is he a physical match for Daredevil, he also has the ability to turn any object into a lethal weapon. And he almost never misses his target, hence the codename.


Bullseye was one of the main villains in the Daredevil feature film (which some of us like), but he was strangely absent the first two seasons of the show. We think Bullseye could very easily be introduced at this stage in the series, and there’s still hope that we’ll eventually see a Bullseye and Elektra fight as well. After all, if Matt made it out of The Defenders alive, there’s a very good chance that Elektra is still out there as well.


Are you excited about the Kingpin’s comeback? And do you want to see Bullseye on Daredevil? Let us know in the comment section below!


Images: Netflix/Marvel


More from the realm of nerd news!

We ranked every The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror episode ever!
Examining the complicated continuity of the Halloween movies!
Ben Mendelsohn being eyed to play main villain in upcoming Captain Marvel movie!
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Published on October 25, 2017 13:45

Ryan Hansen Tells Us All About His New Crime Show Comedy

You know Ryan Hansen as the womanizing Dick Casablancas from Veronica Mars, or as wannabe-star Kyle Bradway from Party Down. But in his new YouTube Red comedy Ryan Hansen Solves Crimes on Television* he….well you can probably figure it out from the title. He joined us on today’s Nerdist News Talks Back to tell us all about the show and some of his favorite past performances, but we also asked him about those “explosive” Nintendo Switch videos flooding the internet, and whether we should let Amazon into our house–literally.



Welcoming Ryan was host Jessica Chobot and Nerdist editors Alicia Lutes and Dan Casey, but before they talked about his new show they watched some of the clips making their way online of Nintendo Switch players finding elaborate ways to get enemies to destroy themselves. Does this make us want to keep using the system, or is the shine off the Switch?


They also discussed Amazon’s new Key service, a kit with a security cam and a “smart” lock that will allow their delivery people to get inside your house on their own. Is this creepy-sounding system just asking for trouble, or no different than using Uber of Lyft? Will we sign up for this?



But then it was time to get into Ryan Hansen Solves Crimes on Television*, his new meta-online crime show comedy. Where did the idea for the series come from? How much of his character is based on the real him? What crime show parody was the most fun to do? And since it airs on YouTube Red, did it allow the show up to take more chances? Or were there some lines it wasn’t willing to cross?


As huge fans of Veronica Mars and Party Down, we just had to ask him about those shows too, like which of his past cult classic characters is his personal favorite, and is there a chance either gets a movie in the future? Does he prefer doing comedy? And if he could do a buddy cop film with anyone, who would it be?



Nerdist News Talks Back airs live every weekday at 1:00 p.m. PST on our YouTube and Alpha channels, so make sure you’re watching live and getting in on the conversation every day. And also make sure you vote in today’s Monster Madness poll!



Another day, another #MonsterMadness match-up! Who will win? #FinFangFoom or #Cthulhu


— Nerdist (@nerdist) October 25, 2017



We’re not always joined by Ryan Hansen, but we’re always here, waiting for you to arrive. But, not like the Amazon delivery guy. That…that’s creepy.


We still want to hear your thoughts on today’s show, so talk back to us in the comments below.


Featured Image: YouTube Red

Image: Warner Bros.


More in the world of nerd news!

We found out The Matrix code is actually a sushi recipe !
Ben Mendelsohn eyed to play main villain in Captain Marvel!
We explain the confusing, complicated continuity of the Halloween movies!
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Published on October 25, 2017 13:30

Everything Coming to Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu in November 2017

November is just around the corner, and that means it’s time to look ahead at what’s streaming on Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu. Next month will see the release of two original Marvel series, with The Punisher and Runaways, plus all of the James Bond films that you can handle. There are also plenty of new and classic movies, and even some NFL Thursday Night Football to get everyone through the holidays.


Netflix


For the third time this year, Netflix is debuting a brand new Marvel TV series. This time, The Walking Dead‘s Jon Bernthal is reprising his role as Frank Castle in The Punisher. And if the trailers are any indication, this show is going to be the darkest MCU project to date.


The rest of November is also pretty heavy with Netflix original series, including Steven Soderbergh’s western miniseries, Godless, the new seasons of Lady Dynamite and Frontier, and the premiere of Spike Lee‘s She’s Gotta Have It series. In addition to some new movies and comedy specials, Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond has captured our attention. That new documentary will explore Jim Carrey‘s uncanny transformation into Andy Kaufman for Man on the Moon, and how that affected him.


Available on November 1


42
Casper
Chappie
Charlotte’s Web (2006)

 


Field of Dreams

 


Men in Black

 


Michael Clayton

 


Oculus

 


Scary Movie

 


Silent Hill

 


Stranger : Season 1

 


The Bittersweet

 


The Pursuit of Happyness

 


The Reader

 


The Whole Nine Yards

 


To Rome with Love

 


Where the Day Takes You

 


 


Available on November 3


Alias Grace 

 


Available on November 4


Williams

 


Available on November 5


The Homesman

 


The Veil

 


Available on November 6


The Dinner

 


Available on November 7


Killing Ground

 


Available on November 10


Lady Dynamite : Season 2 

 


Available on November 12


Long Time Running

 


Available on November 13


Chasing Trane: The John Coltrane Documentary

 


 


 


Available on November 16


9

 


Available on November 17


Longmire

 


Marvel’s The Punisher  

 


Mudbound 

 


Available on November 20


Piranha

 


 


Available on November 22


Cherry Pop

 


Godless 

 


The Boss Baby

 

Tracers

 


Available on November 23


Deep

 


Available on November 27


Broadchurch : Season 3

 


Darkness Rising

 


My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic : Season 7 Part 2

 


Available on November 28


The Queen Of Spain

 


 


Available on November 30



The Details
Winning

Hulu


Next month, Hulu is leaping into the Marvel Cinematic Universe with Runaways, which is based upon the comic book series created by Brian K. Vaughan and Adrian Alphona. Much like the comic, the TV incarnation will follow a group of teenagers who discover that their parents are secretly supervillains before going on the run to bring them down. The Hulu original sci-fi comedy series Future Man is on our radar, and viewers will also have a chance to catch up on Tom Hardy’s drama series, Taboo. Additionally, November is a big month for James Bond fans, as over 20 of 007’s best adventures join Hulu’s lineup of movies.


Available on November 1


13 Going On 30
25th Hour
5th Kind
The 13th Warrior
The Air Up There
A View To a Kill
Air Bud : Golden Receiver
Airplane!
Airplane II: The Sequel
Alfie
The Aristocats
Arizona Bushwhackers
Ashby
The Associate
Bad Boys
Bad Santa
Barbarella
Barbershop
Barbershop 2: Back In Business
Beowulf
Blown Away
Bound
Bram Stoker’s Dracula
Brother Bear
Celtic Pride
Christmas Classics: Jingle Bells
Christmas Classics: O’Christmas Tree
Christmas Classics: Santa’s Christmas Crash
Christmas Classics: Santa’s Christmas Snooze
Christmas Classics: We Wish You A Merry Christmas
Christmas With The Cranks
Chuck Jones Collection: A Very Merry Cricket
Corky Romano
Cougars, Inc.
Crocodile Dundee
Crocodile Dundee II
D3: The Mighty Ducks
Dances With Wolves
Dead Hands Dig Deep
Dead Man On Campus
Delta Farce
Diamonds Are Forever
Die Another Day
Dirty Work
Double Take
Doug’s First Movie
Dr. No
Ella Enchanted
Flesh + Blood
For Your Eyes Only
From Russia With Love
Goldeneye
Goldfinger
Grumpy Old Men
Grumpier Old Men
Home For The Holidays
How To Build A Time Machine
The Hunchback Of Notre Dame II
Jacob’s Ladder
Journey To Space
The Joy Luck Club
Jungle To Jungle
Jungle Book – Live Action
K-: The Widowmaker
Kazaam
Kung Fu Hustle
Larger Than Life
Larry The Cable Guy: Health Inspector
Legally Blondes
License To Kill
Little Man
Live And Let Die
The Living Daylights
Maid In Manhattan
Man Of The House
The Man With The Golden Gun
The Marrying Man
Mean Creek
Men In Black
The Mighty Quinn
Moonlight Mile
Moonraker
The Mothman Prophecies
Mr. Holland’s Opus
Never Say Never Again
Nixon
Ocean’s Eleven
Octopussy
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
Open Range
Out Cold
Outside Providence
The Peacemaker
Permanent Midnight
Pinocchio
Proof
Pumpkin
Pumpkinhead II: Blood Wings
The Purple Rose Of Cairo
The Quiet American
The Rescuers
Rabbit-Proof Fence
The Saint
Saved!
Scream
Shaolin Soccer
She’s All That
Shopgirl
Shriek If You Know What I Did Last Friday the 13th
Six Days, Seven Nights
Split Decisions
The Spy Who Loved Me
Summer’s Moon
The Swan Princess: The Mystery of the Enchanted Treasure
The Swan Princess Christmas
The Sweetest Thing
The Sword In The Stone
Teen Wolf
Terminator 2: Judgement Day
Thunderball
Tomorrow Never Dies
Treasure Planet
Unforgettable
Up In The Air
The Usual Suspects
What’s The Worst That Could Happen?
Winnie The Pooh: A Very Merry Pooh Year
Winter’s Bone
The World Is Not Enough
You Only Live Twice

Available on November 4


It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia: Complete Season 12 FX
Man Seeking Woman: Complete Season 3 FXX
Tyler Perry’s Boo! A Madea Halloween

Available on November 5


Life On The Line
Zero Days

Available on November 8


Much Ado About Nothing
Oddball
White Haired Witch

 


Available on November 14


Future Man: Series Premiere Hulu Original

 


Available on November 16


Whose Streets?

Available on November 19


Baskets: Complete Season 2 FX
Man Down

Available on November 21


Blossom – Complete Series ABC
Marvel’s Runaways: Series Premiere Hulu Original

Available on November 22/


The Assassin Next Door
Stander

Available on November 23


Happy Christmas

Available on November 24


Fences
Available November
Monkey Business
Person To Person
Amazon Prime


If you missed Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon‘s excellent romantic comedy, The Big Sick, when it was in theaters then you’re about to get a second chance. Spoiler: we loved it. The Amazon produced film is premiering on Prime next month alongside other original movies including Landline and The Only Living Boy in New York. Amazon is also debuting three new comedy pilots: The Climb, Love You More, and Sea Oak. And in a streaming first, Amazon will stream three NFL games as part of its Thursday Night Football lineup.


Available on November 1


A Knight’s Tale
A View To a Kill
Airplane II: The Sequel
Airplane!
Altar Egos
Bad Boys
Beauty Factory
Bram Stoker’s Dracula
Chasing The Star
Crocodile Dundee
Crocodile Dundee II
Dances With Wolves
Diamonds Are Forever
Die Another Day
Dirty Work
Dr. No
For Your Eyes Only
From Russia With Love
GoldenEye
Goldfinger
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
Legally Blondes
License To Kill
Live And Let Die
Moonraker
Never Say Never Again
Nowhere To Run
No Way To Live
Octopussy
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
Redeemer
Speed Racer
St. Elmo’s Fire
The Beautiful Ones
The Cell
The Departed
The Little Tin Man
The Living Daylights
The Man With The Golden Gun
The Peacemaker
The Pursuit Of Happyness
The Spy Who Loved Me
The World Is Not Enough
Thunderball
Tomorrow Never Dies
Unforgettable
Up In the Air
You Only Live Twice

Available on November 3


The Only Living Boy In New York

Available on November 4


Tyler Perry’s Boo! A Madea Halloween

Available on November 5


Life On The Line
The Lovers

Available on November 6


Among Us
Pearly Gates

Available on November 7


Fifty Shades Of Black

Available on November 9


Armed Response

Available on November 10


Allied
The Climb (Amazon Prime Pilot Episode)
Love You More (Amazon Prime Pilot Episode)
Sea Oak (Amazon Prime Pilot Episode)

Available on November 13


Baby Steps
Broken Mile
Orion
The Patent Scam

Available on November 16


Shot Caller

Available on November 17


Landline

Available on November 19


Man Down

Available on November 20


Before The Sun Explodes
Blood Ransom

Available on November 21


Dark Angel: Season 1

Available on November 24


Fences
The Big Sick

Available on November 27


London’s Finest
Panic
The Incomparable Rose Hartman

 


Available on November 29


The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

: Season 1


The Circle

 



Which streaming shows and movies are you looking forward to watching in November? We want to see your picks in the comment section below!


Images: Hulu/Netflix/Marvel TV/Amazon Studios


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Published on October 25, 2017 13:15

October 24, 2017

Permanent Tattoo Gumball Machine is Made for GAME OF THRONES Sigils

Plunking down a hundred bucks for a completely random tattoo from a gumball machine sounds like the kind of act that takes a big heaping helping of brazen guts. Or maybe just a little too much of that Kraken action and an urge to make memories with some close friends. Either way, there’s really a tattoo shop that has a completely random “Get What You Get” tattoo gumball machine, and people really use it to get completely random — permanent — tattoos. And all we can say is… yes and please do this with Game of Thrones sigils, because that would be awesome and also it could be called the Game of Tattoos machine. Not so catchy, but that’s what this is, right?





Get What You Get now at #elmstreettattoo! Drop by the shop and get tattooed! #dallastattoo #2146531392 #walkinswelcome #americantraditional #walkintattoo #deepellum #deepellumtattoo #deepellumart #heartinhandgallery #tattoospeakeasy #heartinhand #getwhatyouget


A post shared by Elm Street Tattoo (@elmstreettattoo) on Aug 8, 2017 at 3:54pm PDT





Boing Boing reported on the tattoo gumball machine, which is located inside of the Elm Street Tattoo shop in Dallas, TX. It’s not exactly clear what inspired the The Get What You Get tattoo gumball machine, but one of the shop employees named Boogie did tell the Dallas Observer that “it’s called gambling.” Which is interesting because this is one of the few times in life where you literally have skin in the game.





Get What You Get! “You Don’t Have to be smart to get a Good Tattoo” @elmstreettattoo


A post shared by Tyson Arndt (@tysonarndt) on Oct 22, 2017 at 9:02am PDT





In order to play the Game of Tattoos Get What You Get gumball machine, you purchase a token for $100, slot that sucker in, then check your clear plastic egg to find out which random design you’re going to have on your body for the rest of your life. It sounds extreme, but Boogie told the Observer that “They’re all good ones — old-school snakes, devil heads.” So really, you can’t go wrong. You may even luck out and get a devil-headed snake. Plus, these tattoos would usually cost $160-180, so you’re seeing savings on your random 3AM drunken decision right away.


And while it’s hard to imagine trusting permanent tattoo selection to fate, it seems a lot more reasonable to trust it to the Gods. Seriously, look at these sigils.




We’d get any one of these as a tattoo. Could even get two of them facing off on your back — Lannister v. Stark on your shoulder blades, anybody?


What do you think about this tattoo gumball machine? Pop out some thoughts in comments below!


WHAT OTHER ODDITIES LURK ON NERDIST?

There a living ball of snot lurking in a pond near you.
The top 10 scariest monsters in The X-Files.
Mysterious long-fin squid is a Lovecraftian horror.

Images: YouTube / CBSDFW

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Published on October 24, 2017 18:30

Ben Mendelsohn May Play the Main Villain in CAPTAIN MARVEL

Marvel Studios’ Captain Marvel film is starting to come into focus, and Brie Larson‘s solo adventure as Carol Danvers may have just found its main villain. Rogue One star and perennial antagonist Ben Mendelsohn is in negotiations to join Captain Marvel as the lead villain!


Variety broke the story, and noted that Captain Marvel directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck had Mendelsohn in mind for the role when they plotted the film. So far, there’s no word on which character that Mendelsohn will play, but Variety speculates that he will portray the leader of the alien shapeshifters known as the Skrulls. That could be true, but we think that there’s a much more fitting villain for Mendelsohn to portray: Yon-Rogg a.k.a. Magnetron.



Yon-Rogg was a Kree military commander who was stationed on Earth during the earliest adventures of Mar-Vell, a Kree spy who became the first superhero known as Captain Marvel. Yon-Rogg was an enemy to both Mar-Vell and Carol Danvers, and he was inadvertently responsible for the accident that gave Carol her superpowers and transformed her into a human/Kree hybrid. That makes him a key figure in her origin story.


Much like Mendelsohn’s Director Krennic in Rogue One, Yon-Rogg is driven by petty jealousy and a desire for power and recognition. Years after Carol assumed the Captain Marvel identity as a tribute to Mar-Vell, Yon-Rogg resurfaced as Magnetron. He even shared a telepathic link with Carol as he tried to destroy her and her world.



Of course, there’s always the chance that Marvel could throw everyone a curveball by casting Mendelsohn in another role entirely. If he’s not the leader of the Skrulls, then perhaps he could lend his voice and his motion capture performance to the Supreme Intelligence, the artificial intelligence that rules the Kree. Zarek, the Kree Imperial Minister, could also have potential as the lead villain. But we still believe that Yon-Rogg is the most obvious choice for Mendelsohn.


Who do you think that Mendelsohn should play in Captain Marvel? Share your theories below!


Images: Lucasfilm/Marvel Comics


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Published on October 24, 2017 17:44

Google’s New Earbuds Translate Dozens of Languages in Real Time

We know we’ve gotten excited about translating technology in the past and have already made comparisons to the Babel Fish from The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. However, Google’s upcoming Pixel Buds are yet another step in the direction of complete universal understanding AND they don’t require sticking anything living into your ear canals.



Google’s new wireless headphones let you translate up to 40 languages in real time https://t.co/tcceX01sEu via @NBCNewsMACH pic.twitter.com/KMJ5Yn6n3N


— NBC News (@NBCNews) October 23, 2017




Google’s latest cell phone accessory innovation will be able to translate 40 languages with the assistance of the already useful Google Translate software. The advancement this time around is that they’ll be able to do it in real time. Jump to about 1:15 in the video below to see them in action.



A recent Google Blog post explains that the Pixel Buds will be “like you’ve got your own personal translator with you everywhere you go” and although the process isn’t as instantaneous as its Hitchhikers counterpart, it’s pretty damn close. Users need only activate the Pixel Buds and make a request like “Help me speak Italian.” and the phone and earbuds will get to work. As you talk, your Pixel 2’s speaker (you’ll need a Pixel or Pixel 2 for now) will translate your speech to the language of your choice and—as someone responds in the chosen language—the buds will pump audio of the translation back into your dear ol’ monolingual ear holes.


The Pixel Buds are due out November of 2017 and are currently available for pre-order for $159 which isn’t too bad for such a handy piece of tech. Considering you’re likely to spend at least $649 on the new Pixel 2, why not go all out, right? (pretending to have lots of money is fun, isn’t it?)


What do you think about the new Pixel Buds? Are we headed down a road where Babel Fish won’t ever be needed in interstellar travel? What other sort of future tech do you want in your phone? Let’s discuss in the comments below!


Jonesin’ for More Tech News?

Here’s how close we are to the future of Gattaca.
Did you know Japanese cops are getting hoverbikes?!
And finally, here’s everything you need to know about Thomas Edison’s “spirit box.”


Image: Google

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Published on October 24, 2017 17:00

Add a Little Tech to Your Jack-o’-Lantern with Some Moving Eyes

One of our favorite things about the Nerdoween–uhh, pardon us–Halloween season is seeing all the inventive ways people use pumpkins. We love a good pumpkin recipe and revel at the sight of them smashing to bits. Yet, nothing is as seasonally satisfying as when we lay eyes on a particularly awesome jack-o’-lantern. This one just happens to look right back at us.




This copiously cornea’d cucurbita comes to us from a recent post on Laughing Squid and just might be the coolest jack-o’-lantern we’ve seen this year. YouTuber 68percentwater created this multi-eyed beast by combining some party store plastic eyeballs, a few household items, and a programmable Arduino micro-controller kit.


Sections of PVC pipes hold the eyeballs on a pivot and are connected to small servo motors all wired together. The Arduino unit generates random numbers making each eyeball look around. The result is a jack-o’-lantern that looks equal parts menacing and paranoid as its eyes dart around.


The video also serves as a bit of a tutorial on how to build your own. Arduino kits are pretty affordable and they offer support on how to use them should you decide to build your own eyeball kit (weirdest sentence of the week so far). The materials used seem pretty stable so it’s probably something you could re-use for years to come that would make jack-o’-lanterns as easy as cutting its mouth and gouging some eye-holes. (wait, that’s the weirdest sentence.)


Thinking of giving your Halloween decorations an upgrade in tech? Let us know what you’re planning in the comments below!


Image: 68percentwater 


Get ready for Halloween with these spooky stories!

Why Scream 4 is the most underrated movie in the franchise!
Make your very own Hocus Pocus spell book purse !
Ranking all the songs in A Nightmare Before Christmas!

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Published on October 24, 2017 16:00

Chris Hardwick's Blog

Chris Hardwick
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