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Our First Look at Hulu and Marvel’s RUNAWAYS is Very Promising

Ever since it was announced that Hulu and Marvel Television would be adapting Brian K. Vaughan and Adrian Alphona’s beloved cult comic Runaways, we’ve been waiting with baited breath to see just how they’ll bring the wonderful world of Alex, Gert, Nico, Molly, Karolina, and Chase to life. If you haven’t read the comic—What are you doing? Read it now!—it tells the story of a group kids who discover their seemingly normal parents are actually super villains.

Earlier this year we  found out who would be playing our pivotal protagonists with Rhenzy Feliz as Alex, Lyrica Okano as Nico, Virginia Gardner as Karolina, Ariela Barer as Gert, Gregg Sulkin as Chase, and Allegra Acosta as Molly. Mostly unknowns, the young cast seemed fantastically suited to their characters and we couldn’t wait to see more. Today we’re finally getting our first look at the kids and their parents in full Runaways mode!

Rhenzy Feliz’s Alex looks ripped from the pages of BKV and Alphona’s beloved book with his iconic 1 shirt and signature specs. The Runaways unofficial leader is the heart of the group and a child prodigy.

Ariela Barer’s Gert is serving some seriously great looks as the groups resident sarcastic badass / telekinetic dinosaur whisperer.

Lyrica Okano, here playing fan favorite Nico Minoru, is clearly just as into witchy biz as her comic book counterpart, and for those eagle-eared MCU fans her surname might be familiar…

Molly Hernandez is the baby of the group, who also happens to be a super powered mutant! In this version it’ll be unlikely we hear the M word, but we’re sure she’ll be showcasing her super strength.

Check out more photos including Karolina, Chase, and the parents in our gallery below!

With show runners Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage—the pair behind The O.C. and Gossip Girl—and Jessica Jones‘ Jim Chory, Runaways has some serious heavy hitters behind the scenes as well as on screen. It premieres November 21st, exclusively on Hulu!

Will you be watching the new Marvel show when it hits Hulu? Are you a big fan of BKV’s comic? Just can’t wait to have a new superhero show on your screens? Let us know in the comments!

Need More Runaways Content?

Here are 6 things we learned about the show.
Want to know more about the cast? Click here!
And finally, here’s everything you need to know!

Images: Hulu

Has RICK AND MORTY’s Third Season Lived up to the First Two?

Rick and Morty‘s third season ends this Sunday, and Dan Harmon is once again talking about doing 14 episodes next time. You know what that means? A special, miniature All Ricks Considered on today’s Nerdist News Talks Back! But we also broke down the new trailer for Red Dead Redemption 2, Disney’s upcoming Hocus Pocus remake, and we celebrated the 30th anniversary of Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Aww jeez today host Jessica Chobot was joined by Nerdist editors Kyle Hill, Kyle Anderson, and Alicia Lutes. With Rick and Morty‘s season finale nearly upon us, they started by discussing if Dan Harmon will actually follow through next year with his desire for a 14-episode season, and his comments about the fans/knobs who have been harassing the show’s female writers. They also shared their thoughts on season three and how it compares to the first two.

From there they fired off their thoughts on the new Red Dead Redemption 2 trailer. Does it have us excited to play it, or are we a little gun shy? What parts of the original do we hope to see included in the sequel? And which video game sequels managed to out-shine their predecessors? (Editor’s Note: a boo on all these gun puns.)

We also learned today that Disney will be re-imagining Hocus Pocus as a TV series, but without any of the original cast involved. People have wanted some kind of followup to the movie for years, but is this the way to go, or do we sense trouble bubbling? At the very least it was a great excuse for us to talk about the movies that scarred us for life as kids.

Finally, today marks the 30th anniversary of the debut of Star Trek: The Next Generation (I am so old), so where does it rank all-time in the franchise? Which characters and episodes are among our favorites? And the eternal question: which captain is our captain?

Don’t forget Nerdist News Talks Back airs live every weekday at 1:00 p.m. PST on our YouTube and Alpha channels, so tune in with us so you can be part of the conversation.

There’s way less burping than on Rick and Morty, though science editor Kyle Hill did turn himself into a pickle once. (You really should have been watching live that day.)

We still want to hear what you thought of today’s topics, so talk back to us about them in the comments below.

Want More Talks Back?

Is Stranger Things more like a movie than a TV show?
Which Chris is the best Chris? We decide.
And finally, our crazy theory that Tarantino already directed a Star Trek film.

Featured Image: Adult Swim

Star Trek: The Next Generation Image: CBS

DRAGON BALL SUPER’s Funko Pop!s Get a Thumbs Up from Goku

Well it looks like someone came up with the best wish ever for Shenron, because Funko is giving fans of Dragon Ball Super the vinyl Pops! of their anime dreams. The series of Pops will feature characters from the series including the angelic Whis, complete with his scepter, Supreme Kai apprentice Zamasu with his all-too-punk rock white mohawk, and the well-mannered “Future” Trunks.

But no Dragon Ball collection can be complete without a few dastardly villain types so joining Zamasu is the deadly assassin of Universe 6, Hit.

Thankfully, Funko knows we can’t have Dragon Ball collectibles without a few powered-up individuals so they’re giving us Trunks in his Super Saiyan form and bad-ass hero pose.

As well as master of The Fusion Dance—going through a phase of expressing himself through different hair color—Gotenks.

According to a recent post on Funko’s blog, each of these new Dragon Ball Super Pops will be available this winter with some, as always, being store-specific exclusives to hunt down like many a Dragon Ball. And we would be remiss not to blindly shout some requests into the internet wind like we so often do with needing two supplement Pops for Gotenks. We are, of course, talking about the failed attempts at fusion resulting in the skinny and the oh-so-awesome and roly-poly, Fat Gotenks.

Take a look at the gallery below for more pictures of the Dragon Ball Super line and let us know which one is your favorite in the comments. Also, think we should start a petition to have Funko give us Fat Gotenks? Or should we just repaint an extra Majin Buu?

Need More Funko?

Look at these Kingdom Hearts cuties!
The Sailor Moon ones are so kawaii it hurts.
And how about Yuri!!! on Ice, eh?

Images: Funko

Watch the First 6 Minutes of THE GIFTED Right Now

The X-Men may be gone, but The Gifted remain! Fox’s upcoming Marvel drama takes place in a world where both the X-Men and the Brotherhood have seemingly disappeared. However, there are still a few familiar faces.

Fox has released the first six minutes of The Gifted, which introduces fans to Clarice Fong (Jamie Chung), but comic book fans know her better as Blink. This is a much younger version of the same character who appeared in X-Men: Days of Future Past, so her powers aren’t fully under control in this preview. Fortunately for Blink, she has a few new friends who are willing to help her out. But not all of them will make it home…

Two other X-Men characters made appearances in that clip. The first was John Proudstar a.k.a. Thunderbird (Blair Redford), a tracker and the leader of the underground mutant resistance. Joining him was Emma Dumont as Lorna Dane, a young woman who goes by the codename Polaris. Within the Marvel Universe, Lorna is Magneto’s daughter, and she also has his powers of magnetism.

The new character in this group is Marcos Diaz a.k.a. Eclipse (Sean Teale), a mutant who is apparently in a relationship with Polaris. Eclipse has the power to absorb and manipulate light. But given the way that his body glowed when he was shot, there may be more to Eclipse’s abilities than we’ve been told. It also appears that Lorna has retained some of her comic book counterpart’s instability, as she lost control of her emotions when Eclipse was hurt. And things really didn’t look good for Polaris as she was taken into custody.

The Gifted will debut on Fox this Monday, October 2.

What did you think about about this preview? Let us know in the comment section below!

Images: 20th Century Fox TV/Marvel

Tom Hanks’ David S. Pumpkins Will Return in an Animated Halloween Special

Last year, Saturday Night Live introduced Tom Hanks as David S. Pumpkins, and he was quickly embraced by fans as an iconic character. We loved David S. Pumpkins so much that we actually predicted a Halloween special in his future. Today, that prophetic vision has come true, and we won’t have to wait long to see it!

Via Deadline, NBC has announced The David S. Pumpkins Halloween Special is coming on Saturday, October 28 at 11:30 pm. It’s going to be an animated story, with Hanks reprising his role on camera for a live-action introduction, in addition to providing his voice. Mikey Day and Bobby Moynihan are also reprising their roles as Pumpkins’ skeleton dancers, and they also co-wrote the special with Streeter Seidell.

Here’s what we know about a story: it’s set in a small town on Halloween, as David S. Pumpkins and his skeleton dancers “show a young boy and his sister the true meaning of Halloween, answering none of their questions along the way.”

And how could this special get any better? By adding Game of Thrones star Peter Dinklage, of course! Dinklage’s character hasn’t been revealed yet, but we’re looking forward to seeing and hearing him in action. Could his role possibly be more over-the-top than David S. Pumpkins himself? We’re eager to find out! If we’re lucky, this could be a new holiday tradition!

Are you excited to see the return of David S. Pumpkins this Halloween? Unleash your thoughts in the comment section below!

Images: NBC Universal

The internet’s weird, and we love it!

Hunger Games and John Wick rides are coming to Times Square !
You need to see Dave Grohl’s Walken impersonation , because it’s perfect!
A Hocus Pocus reimagining is coming to TV soon!

KINGDOM HEARTS Mystery Minis Can Stop the Heartless with Cuteness

Kingdom Hearts is a game rich with worlds, characters, and different outfits, which makes it an ideal property for toys. Funko‘s dipped its vinyl toes into the Disney and Final Fantasy game with a wave of Pop! figures in early 2017, and now they’re back to fight more Heartless with Mystery Minis and a second series of Pop! toys. They’re going beyond the Disney characters this time and including the likes of Sora, Riku, Roxas, Axel, and more—to which I say, yay!

This is one occasion when you can’t go wrong with any selection from a Mystery Mini blind box. You can get Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy, and Sora in their standard hero attire, and you’ll find some Organization XIII cloaked characters mixed in.

And it’s Funko, so of course there are exclusives. Toys “R” Us has Goofy, Donald, and Sora in their Tron world attire.

Those are rad, but but my personal favorite exclusive Mystery Minis are Halloween Goofy, Donald, and Sora. These are the outfits they get when they visit The Nightmare Before Christmas world. They’re available at Hot Topic.

I need everyone to take note of how cute they are. They could only top the Halloween looks with Sora, Goofy, and Donald’s Atlantica outfits from The Little Mermaid world.

Board your Gummi Ship and fly to the gallery below to see the second series of Kingdom Hearts Pop! figures and the Pete and Heartless Mystery Mini exclusives. Which of these Pop! figures and Mystery Minis will you be flying through space to track down? Let us know in the comments.

Images: Funko

Amy Ratcliffe is an Associate Editor for Nerdist. Follow her on Twitter and keep up with her Disney food adventures on Instagram.

Summon more Kingdom Hearts!

See Donald and Goofy in Kingdom Hearts costumes at the parks.
Watch game play from Toy Story world in Kingdom Hearts 3.

Don Kingdom Hearts apparel and accessories.

GameStop exclusive

Photo of Yoda with a Saudi Arabian King Ended Up in History Textbook

:Yoda voice:

Nothing new, textbook controversies are. Remember one as strange as this, we cannot.

That’s because the under-secretary for curricula in Saudi Arabia has been fired after a new social studies book was released featuring a photo of King Faisal at a 1945 ceremony at the United Nations sitting next to Star Wars‘ Yoda.

In Saudi Arabia school textbooks have a picture of Yoda at the United Nations next to King Faisal pic.twitter.com/yXDsq8kdsJ

— Collin-PieLord (@PieLordLBP) September 26, 2017

We first came across this surreal story at Ars Technica, and while we don’t like the part about someone losing their job over a harmless mistake, we love everything else about it. The image was created in 2013 by Abdullah Al Shehri, a Saudi artist who goes by the name Shaweesh. It was part of a series he did where he inserted American pop culture icons into historic photos. Shaweesh told the BBC the picture was not meant to be disrespectful, and that he chose Yoda because he is “wise, strong, and always calm” like King Faisal. He also pointed out he had nothing to do with it ending up in the textbook.

A school text book released by the Saudi Ministry of Education has a photoshopped picture of the former prince with Yoda. pic.twitter.com/VZIav9ldWz

— Sarah Elzeini (@SarahElzeini) September 21, 2017

No one seems to know how such an oversight happened, but if no one wants to take the blame for it can I take the credit? That’s the greatest textbook page ever made.

Of course we know the photo is not real for a few reasons. As a Jedi Master Yoda always tried to stay out of politics. Also, we know he never appeared at the United Nations (formed in 1945), since he died on Dagobah a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.

Unless he showed up as a force ghost…

Hmm, we better check the Jedi archives just in case.

What historical event do you wish Yoda was present for? Give your best suggestions you will in the comments below.

Featured Image: Lucasfilm

More Star Wars!

This new series explains the science of Star Wars
The Last Jedi prequel comic sends Luke and Leia to Crait
Jon Hamm will play Boba Fett, and more casting news for A Certain Point of View

THE HUNGER GAMES “Flying Simulator Attraction” and a JOHN WICK Ride Are Coming to Times Square

Last month, Lionsgate revealed its ambitious plans to create a theme park in South Korea with attractions based on The Hunger Games, Twilight, Now You See Me, and the upcoming Robin Hood remake. But now, fans who don’t want to go overseas to visit the Lionsgate Movie World will have a stateside option in just two years.

Deadline is reporting that Lionsgate is joining forces with Parques Reunidos to create an indoor entertainment center at New York City’s Times Square. It’s not quite a theme park, but the early plans include attractions based on The Hunger Games, John Wick, and even a Mad Men-inspired restaurant where you can get your Don Draper on.

John Wick: Chapter 2 is the inspiration behind a shooting ride that pits guests against assassins and other enemies from that world. The Hunger Games is getting “a flying simulator attraction,” while the Divergent franchise will be represented by an obstacle course. The Mad Men restaurant is being described as a “dining and lounge experience,” but we’re far more amused by The Hunger Games-inspired Peeta’s Bakery and The Capitol Confectionery.

Additionally, there are plans for a 4D film and live theater, as well as VR attractions. It was also reported that Lionsgate intends to create more of these entertainment centers around the country and in Europe. The New York location at Times Square is set to open in 2019.

What do you think about Lionsgate’s theme park-like plans for NYC? Take aim in the comment section below!

Images: Lionsgate/Summit

More news in theme parks!

A Thor: Ragnarok monster showed up in the Guardians of the Galaxy ride
Everything we know about Disney’s Star Wars Land
The ultimate fairytale wedding took place at Disneyland

Love, Alexi #84: Penelope Gazin & Kate Dwyer

Penelope Gazin & Kate Dwyer, founders of Witchsy, stop by to talk creating a fake male identity to bypass blatant misogyny while building their business… and MORE!

Follow @alexiwasser on instagram & twitter, send emails for Alexi to read on air: DearLoveAlexi@gmail.com!

Is It STRANGER THINGS Season 2 Or Simply STRANGER THINGS 2?

Stranger Things‘ season two will be more like an amped up movie sequel instead of a normal year of TV, so does that mean it will suffer the usual movie sequel curse, or will the show flip that upside down? We went searching for answers on today’s Nerdist News Talks Back, along with the first reactions to the SNES Classic, and what we thought of the trailer for Annihilation.

Host Jessica Chobot was joined today by a very special guest, musician, and video game high school star Jimmy Wong, along with Geek and Sundry‘s Amy Vorpahl, and Nerdist producer Jason Nguyen. They started with everything we learned from EW’s spread about the upcoming sophomore season of Netflix‘s smash hit Stranger Things. Can the big bad “Shadow Monster” out do the Demogorgon in the scare department? How long will the Byers family be able to keep Sean Astin’s character in the dark about the supernatural happenings in Hawkins? Also, since the Duffer Brothers wrote this season as a sequel, is that a bad sign the show won’t live up to its great first year? And which all-time great sequels give us hope it could be even better?

The panel then returned from the Upside Down to discuss initial reactions to the SNES Classic. Jimmy knows a thing or two (million) about video games, so what does he think? Which games are we looking forward to playing? Or is everyone hesitant to invest in an SNES Classic after Nintendo’s announcement they’ll be doing a Netflix-style service for the Switch? If they do, which N64 games need to be included?

Finally they broke down the first trailer for the new sci-fi film Annihilation, the followup from Ex Machina director Alex Garland, which stars Natalie Portman and Oscar Isaac. Find out what everyone thought of this first sneak peek, the rest of Garland’s impressive resume, and what we would be willing to do to rescue Oscar Isaac.

As always Nerdist News Talks Back was live at 1:00 p.m. PST on our YouTube and Alpha channels, just like it is every weekday. Tune in during the show so you can get in on the conversation.

It’s just like Stranger Things season 2: every day is a bigger, more exciting sequel to the last show, and Jessica frightens us more and more. (Just kidding. The show is usually around the same length.)

But you can still talk back to us about today’s topics by sharing your thoughts with us in the comments below.

Even Stranger, um, Stranger Things…

Stranger Things clips explain why Steve didn’t die.
Guess the ’80s references in these Stranger Things posters.
Season two script pages introduce a new character.

Images: Netflix