Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 2066

STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI’s Mystery Man Revealed? Here’s What We Know!

You may have noticed that Benicio del Toro did not reprise his role as the Collector in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, but that doesn’t mean that you won’t see del Toro in the stars this year. Del Toro reportedly has a big part in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and we’ve finally seen a picture of his mysterious character from the film. Today’s Nerdist News is scanning the First Order’s memory banks for all of the available intel on The Last Jedi‘s mystery man!

There are potential spoilers ahead for The Last Jedi! Remember, it’s all rumor and speculation…until it isn’t.

Join host and the Resistance’s best codebreaker, Jessica Chobot, as she walks us through the details contained in Vanity Fair‘s new Star Wars shoot, including the eye-catching photos by Annie Liebowitz. While the magazine calls del Toro’s character DJ, it also makes it clear that DJ is not his name…and he may not even have a name in the film itself. The only concrete information about DJ’s identity was that he is “a shady character of unclear allegiances.”

That description makes us think of Lando Calrissian, although we suspect that DJ’s loyalties may be even more dubious. His outfit also seems to evoke a gunslinger, and he does have a holster on his leg; which suggests that he’s no stranger to shootouts.

Director Rian Johnson has hinted that fans will see that there is a reason behind the “DJ” nickname that will be revealed in the film. Is it possible that DJ stands for Dark Jedi? Perhaps DJ is one of the Force wielders who isn’t beholden to the Jedi or the Sith. He could be a formidable ally for either side, or even a dangerous foe. But we’re still a few months away from knowing the truth!

What role do you think DJ will play in The Last Jedi? Share your theories in the comment section below!

Sia’s Song for WONDER WOMAN is a Big Anthem about Humanity

If you think about it, Sia actually has a lot in common with superheroes: Few people really know what they look like, they have elaborate costumes, and the world knows their names due to their extraordinary powers. Sia may not be an otherworldly force like, say, Wonder Woman, but she’s not letting that keep her out of the upcoming Wonder Woman movie. Sia is certainly a wonderful woman with a voice of gold. so she wrote an original song for the film called “To Be Human,” and she shared the tune, which also features U.K. artist Labrinth, today.

The synthy, beat-driven, anthemic ballad seems a perfect fit for  a particularly dramatic moment in the film, whether that be the apex of a developing love interest or a down-on-her-luck moment when Wonder Woman realizes that, gosh darn it, she can do it. The chorus also has a memorable hook with lyrics that any human can relate to: “To be human is to love / Even when it gets too much / I’m not ready to give up.”

As Consequence of Sound notes, this is far from Sia’s first foray into film soundtracks, since she’s also appeared on the musical lineups of movies like 50 Shades Darker and the Twilight series. What do you think of the track? Or rather, what sort of moment do you think a song like this would be best for? Let us know what you think in the comments below, or hit us up on Twitter.

Featured image: Warner Bros. Pictures

Which Humans Should GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3 Bring on Next?

Since Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 hit theaters, writer/director James Gunn has been talking recently about the potential third chapter in his cosmic saga. Although he once said that Peter Quill would be the only Earth human to hold a position on the team, Gunn now seems to be softening that stance. We’ve learned (via Comic Book) that on a recent Facebook Q&A, one of his followers asked Gunn if Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 might break this no-other-humans rule, and he had this to say:

“Human characters are no longer out of consideration.”

Well, that quite possibly changes everything, doesn’t it? After all, there are several Earth-based Marvel Comics heroes that are just cosmic enough to qualify as potential future members of the Guardians. We’ve come up with a few heroes that could make the cut, (although, sadly, no characters who are too closely associated with the Fantastic Four or the X-Men, because of dumb contracts that don’t let us fans get everything we want). And starting off our list is a hero who actually started out as a member of the Guardians, way back when…

Justice

This one is tricky, because technically he’s a mutant, and almost all of the Marvel Mutants fall under the 20th Century Fox banner. However, there are loopholes for mutant characters who are not traditionally members of the X-Men, like Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver, allowing them a better chance at finding a home in Marvel Studios movies. These rules may very well apply to Vance Astovik, who eventually becomes the superhero Justice.

He was originally introduced the telekinetic Marvel Boy before changing his name to Justice once he got older. Interestingly, as Justice, he has been a member of the New Warriors and the Avengers, and the future version of him joins the Guardians of the Galaxy. In the future, he simply goes by the name Vance Astro.

Quasar

Wendell Vaughn (yes, there is a superhero named Wendell) was the cosmically powered Quasar, and starred in his own monthly ongoing series that ran for sixty issues beginning in the early ’90s, and was also a member of the Avengers for a good while. A SHIELD Academy graduate, Vaughn comes across the cosmic weapons known as the Quantum Bands, which he uses to create solid light constructs.

He goes by the name Marvel Man for a bit, before ditching the name and becoming Quasar. He died in one of Marvel’s many crossovers, but has been brought back since. Since the Avengers movies are unlikely to use him at any point soon, why not have him join the Guardians out in space?

Nova

The Nova Corps proper, Marvel’s interstellar police force, was introduced in the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie. But the Nova I’m referring to here is Richard Rider, who inherited the title and cosmic powers from a dying member of the Corps. The character has had a comeback in the last few years, mostly due to Marvel Comics doubling down on their cosmic heroes with events like Annihilation. A new teenager named Sam Alexander recently took on the mantle of Nova, but either he or Richard Rider would make for ideal candidates for a third Guardians movie.

Moondragon

 

Heather Douglass is the complete package when it comes to superheroes. She’s a powerful telepath, a master martial artist, telekinetic, and a highly skilled geneticist to boot. When Heather was a child, her parents were killed after accidentally running afoul of Thanos one day when he was landing his ship in the desert. Surviving the attack, She was found by Thanos’ father, who took her to his home world, Titan, to be raised by the monks of Shao-Lom.

It was here that she developed her abilities, and later joined the Avengers, the Defenders, and eventually the Guardians. Her shaved head makes for a striking look, and her no-nonsense attitude would also make her an ideal character to give poor Rocket constant side-eye. She’s also an LGBT character, which would make her the first gay hero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Wonder Man

As we recently found out, Nathan Fillion almost brought Wonder Man to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, in the form of a series of movie posters featuring the actor-turned-superhero. Sadly, all references to Wonder Man got cut in the final film. In the comics, Simon Williams was given “ionic” powers including strength, flight, and energy blasts, things which gave him a career not only as a superhero, but also a Hollywood movie star and stunt man.

His ionic powers allow him to function in space, making him perfect for the Guardians. It’s doubtful the Avengers will get to him anytime soon, so why not let him make the trek out into space and join the Guardians? And of course, Wonder Man should still be played by Nathan Fillion. This was a part Fillion was born to play.

Spectrum

Monica Rambeau was a prominent Marvel hero in the mid ’80s, before Marvel shoved her aside for a long time. She was originally a Captain in the New Orleans harbor patrol, until she was then exposed to extra-dimensional rays and, as a result, she was able to convert her own body to cosmic energy. She became a superhero, joined the Avengers, and even became team leader for a while under the name Captain Marvel. (This is right after the original Captain Mar-Vell died).

She lost her powers for a longtime, and when she got them back she kept changing her superhero name–first Photon, then Pulsar, and finally Spectrum. Considering her power is comic in nature, she is perfect recruitment material for the Guardians. It’s doubtful the Avengers movies have plans for her anytime soon, so I say to James Gunn: Go ahead and steal Spectrum from the Avengers and give a cool character her due.

Captain Universe

I’m cheating a bit on this one, as Captain Universe is actually a cosmic force and not a person. It’s actually an ancient energy called the Uni-Power, a manifestation of the Universe and a sentient energy field that seeks out people in great peril and bonds with them. However, this cosmic force has a tendency to bond with normal, average humans.

The first was a dude from Florida named Ray Coffin, and then bonded with many heroes over time, even Spider-Man for awhile. The most recent host was a young African American woman named Tamara Devoux, who eventually became an Avenger. And that’s the Captain Universe I’d go with in a future Guardians movie, because she’s the coolest by far.

Which Marvel hero would you like to see potentially join the Guardians of the Galaxy for chapter 3? Be sure to let us know down below in the comments.

Images: Marvel Comics

What’s in store for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 ?

Talking STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI, Episode IX, Standalone Films, and More!

Forty years ago today, the pre-Nerdist world was gifted what would become one of the most  successful, influential, and beloved science fiction (or space fantasy, if you wanna get technical) properties in pop culture history: Star Wars. Considering all that George Lucas’ 1977 creation has given to us, the least we could do in return is devote an entire episode of Nerdist News Talks Back to that galaxy far, far away. And as is always the case with Star Wars, there’s plenty to talk about.

First up, host Jessica Chobot, Because Science-tist Kyle Hill, Nerdist producer Andrew Bowser, and Nerdist’s social media editor Michelle Buchman tackle the big question looming over The Last Jedi: Is Rey a Skywalker? Though some hold fast that the resilient young orphan can’t possibly share a family tree with her new mentor Luke, the implications of her carrying the family’s blue light saber—per the film’s marketing—does raise some interesting questions. Then again, maybe Rey’s connections to this most sophisticated weapon run deeper than blood…

via GIPHY

We’re still a few months out from Episode VIII, but of course we’ve got questions about Episode IX. Chief among them is how the film will change in light of the death of series star Carrie Fisher, who would have shouldered a sizable role in the film. So what are the Star Wars team’s plans for the yet-unnamed picture at present?

Stepping outside of the central saga, let’s home in on producer Kathleen Kennedy’s remarks about further developing standalone projects. We don’t know who or what these movies will center on, but we’ve got plenty of theories (and hopes!). Could we finally be getting that Boba Fett movie we’ve always wanted?

via GIPHY

Finally, the best thing about being a Star Wars fan is that we’re not just stuck with the movies. There are books, comics, animated series, toys, games, Christmas specials, and a whole lot more, including—courtesy of Michelle, who just so happens to share a birthday with Star Wars—a particularly special Return of the Jedi trailer.

And just as there’s plenty of Star Wars for us to enjoy, there’s likewise plenty to debate about. Namely, the original versions of the Original Trilogy vs. the Special Edition updates. Weigh in with your own preferences!

Okay, just in case you’re all Star Wars-ed out, we’ve got a little bit of a diversion for you: our own contribution to the world of Wonder Woman, which mashes up the many Dianas of yore with real life heroines of the popular music scene. Check out the video and listen to how it came about!

Any thoughts on Rey’s heritage, the standalone ventures, or anything else remotely Star Wars-related? Let us know!

PANDORA: THE WORLD OF AVATAR’S Fantastically Weird Food and Merch

I heard and said the word “wow” on Wednesday more times than I could count. The reason for awe and excitement was a preview of Disney Park’s Pandora: The World of Avatar. Nestled into Animal Kingdom, the new area themed to James Cameron‘s Avatar takes visitors to the floating mountains in the Valley of Mo’ara. With intensive amounts of detail and two attractions–the E ticket Flight of Passage and the Na’vi River Journey–the 12 acre land breathes life into the world introduced in the 2009 film.

Cameron was on hand for the preview and told Nerdist exploring the new land and riding Flight of Passage was quite the experience. “Halfway through [Flight of Passage], I was thinking, ‘This is a dream. I’m dreaming with my eyes open. I’m fully conscious and I’m in a dream.'”

He worked with Imagineering on the land and attractions, but he complimented how they took his ideas and made them real. He said, “You’re walking through a work of art. The thing that I like to remind people is that it’s a work of art that reminds us and triggers our sense of beauty and wonder. And where did all that originate? With the beauty and wonder in our own world.”

Since the theme park area does go beyond the world we encountered in Avatar, it has hints for future films. For example, Flight of Passage features the ocean and water creatures. Cameron said, “The oceans play a big part in the future film. You saw one that would give people a glimpse.”

And side note, though a prequel to Avatar was at one point going to be part of the upcoming film slate, it’s tabled for now. “A prequel is in the distant future works. If I live long enough, we’ll jump back and we’ll start with the first expedition to Pandora, the first landing the first contact,” Cameron said, “Because to me the first contact story is a potentially amazing story. But the four sequels that are written and that we’re doing now actually carry forward from the events of the movie but are in the past of the land.”

Even though the story of Pandora: The World of Avatar is set far into the future, it’s still inspiring the actors. Sigourney Weaver is set to appear in the sequels and told us, “For the character I am playing, being here in Pandora, and especially that ride which gives me such an intimate experience with all the nature and all the creatures and everything–it’s incredibly valuable for me because of what I need to do.”

She also had nothing but praise for the scripts for the Avatar sequels. “I think the scripts are each so extraordinary. I mean, I was an English major so I’m very tough on scripts. I was just floored, each script floored me about as much as that ride did. It was so meaningful, moving, funny, scary, it’s extraordinary storytelling,” she said.

Now, let’s look at seven especially cool and/or weird food and merchandise you can get inside Pandora: World of Avatar.

Night Blossom

Want to make a beverage look like it’s from another planet? Add boba balls. They’re part of a few items on the food and drinks menu because they add a different shape and texture. The frozen Night Blossom beverage has limeade, apple, and desert pear flavors. It’s not too sweet, it’s very refreshing, and it’s made for photos.

Na’vi Baby

Disney Parks and Stores sell a plethora of baby versions of their characters wrapped in blankets. I have a baby Baymax that’s to die for. In Pandora, you can get a baby Na’vi of your very own to cuddle.

Vein Pod Krispy

The candy inside the gift shop, Windtraders, is themed to plant and animal specimens inside Pandora. One such snack is the Vein Pod Krispy, modeled on the vein pods you’ll see around the area. They’re an important plant that helps detoxify the air so humans can breathe without help from masks.

Get a Banshee

If you want a banshee of your very own, you can get matched with one through a special process. The wand chooses its wizard, and the banshee chooses its human. For $49.99, you can acquire a pal to sit on your shoulder and control with a few puppet movements.

Hawkes’ Grog Ale

Green. Beer. Yep.

Na’vi Tails

If you want to dress like an Avatar or a Na’vi, you can purchase a tail to wear–and also ears and accessories. I don’t know how to feel about that.

Ber’ri

If you find yourself with a sweet tooth while in Pandora, go to the Satu’li Canteen and get the blueberry cream cheese mousse. The design aspects are lovely, and the dessert is light and just right for a hot day (which seem to be most days in Florida).

Don’t forget to soar on down to the gallery below for additional food and merchandise photos from Pandora–including Na’vi onesies and so much more.

And finally, if you’re into this sort of thing, I saw two hidden Mickeys in Pandora. Hidden Mickeys are the three circles of Mickey Mouse heads tucked into kind of subtle places around the parks. I spotted this one on the ground by a mossy wall directly in front of Windtraders:

Hidden Mickey in Pandora. #VisitPandora pic.twitter.com/b7F9UIx82x

— Amy Ratcliffe (@amy_geek) May 24, 2017

A friend noticed this Mickey hanging from the tree in the exit of Flight of Passage. As you head into Windtraders (because of course the attraction leads to a gift shop), look up and into the tree on the left.

One more Hidden Mickey in Pandora spotted by @NextGenGirl! #VisitPandora pic.twitter.com/t0ObfSEZWF

— Eric Goldman (@TheEricGoldman) May 24, 2017

I saw what I think is a hidden Mickey in Flight of Passage, too, but you have to be pretty centered in your flight to view it. The Mickey shows up in the cave on the floor when all the pink circles glow. If you’re in the center, the hidden Mickey is to the left.

Will you be visiting Pandora after it opens on Saturday, May 27? Tell me in the comments.

Images: Amy Ratcliffe, Aaron Fairbanks

Bryan Fuller Talks HANNIBAL Season 4 Plans

Steely Dan might be reeling in the years, but most of us Fannibals are still reeling from the sting of having lost our favorite show about a cannibal and his best friend, a super troubled profiler. It’s strange to think that it’s been close to two full years since Hannibal last aired, after being cancelled by NBC. And now that creator Bryan Fuller is off running American Gods, it’s not as though he’ll have time to revive our favorite strain of Lecter/Graham fraternal flirtation someplace else, right? Well, not necessarily. A recent interview with Fuller keeps hope alive yet again.

Fuller was a guest on the excellent podcast Post Mortem with Mick Garris, where the writer, director, and producer talks to the biggest luminaries in horror and genre cinema (you can read my interview with Mr. Garris right here). It was a great conversation, and there’s quite a lot about Fuller’s history with Star Trek and of course American Gods, but it was the discussion about Hannibal that proved most intriguing…because a fourth season isn’t as dead as we might have thought.

“I have conversations with Martha DeLaurentiis,” Fuller revealed, “I have conversations with Mads [Mikkelsen] and Hugh [Dancy]; we’re all excited about the prospect of returning to the story. There’re some hurdles to get through. The rights revert back to Martha in September, I believe, and then it’s a matter of: do we do it with Gaumont? Which would be the only way to do it if we wanted to use those characters.”

Earlier in the interview, Fuller had mentioned how DeLaurentiis owned the rights to the Thomas Harris book Red Dragon, as well as the later books Hannibal and Hannibal Rising, but MGM owned the rights to The Silence of the Lambs–hence why the show was unable to use characters like Clarice and Buffalo Bill. I get the sense from the above quote that the French studio that co-produced the series are essential to getting Silence of the Lambs brought in to the TV fold.

Fuller did bring up a storyline that he wants to use in a possible season four that would solidify his stance on meat, be it human or animal. “There’s a whole storyline that I want to do with Katharine Isabelle’s character, Margot Verger, who now is the mother of the Verger heir and in control of the Verger meatpacking industry.” Fuller says he wants Verger to be like a Joan Crawford at Pepsi, take-no-crap type of spokesperson. I wanted her to… humanize all the Verger meatpacking plants and turn them over to PETA-approved [authority]. That would definitely be marbled through the season, Margot Verger taking down the meat industry as a hot, powerful lesbian.”

Come on, powers that be, just make Hannibal season four happen! Everybody wants it.

What do you think about Fuller’s statements? Let us know in the comments below!

Images: NBC

Kyle Anderson is the Associate Editor for Nerdist. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Twitter!

For HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY Towel Day, a Definitive Ranking of Towels

All smart intergalactic travelers know two things: 1) don’t panic and 2) at all times carry a towel. That’s why every year on this date, May 25th, fans of Douglas Adams‘s Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy novels carry one with them everywhere they go, to pay tribute on what is affectionately known as Towel Day.

Well since we here at Nerdist are absolute devotees of the late Adams’ work, we have decided to pay homage to Hitchhiker’s Guide today with a definitive ranking of–what else?–towels. Sure, such a list may seem random and pointless, but it just might come in handy one day if your world is about to be destryed by Vogons and you have to quickly decide on which variety of cloth to grab before beaming off the planet.

11. Foot Towel

Image: Webstaurant Store

These are the stupid things they give you in hotels to step on after you get out of the shower. They’re always way too tiny and instantly become drenched when a single drop of water hits them, rendering them somehow worse than useless. These towels are never stolen because they are dumb.

10. Gym/Pool Towels

Image: Warner Bros. Pictures

Public use towels range from awful to fantastic in terms of drying you off and comfort, but feel inherently filthy because of the fact that you just know at some point they cleaned some gross guy’s armpit…or worse. All of great Neptune’s ocean couldn’t get those things truly clean. (Sorry, but your gym towel was not previously used by Ryan Gosling.)

9. Towelie  from South Park

Image: Comedy Central

Look, there aren’t as many types of towels as you think, and Towelie is without question the most famous talking towel in pop culture, so he makes the list. He’s a great option if you like to get high, but a pain in the ass for anyone else. You can’t even use him to dry off. Not without violating the laws of gods and men.

8. Sports Waving Towels

Image: NFL

These are the cheap, flimsy ones they give you at sporting events, where you and thousands of other sheep wave them around when the big screen commands you to. They’re great in the moment for wiping sweat off your neck during playoff games (and how!), but are essentially useless anywhere else. We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention Pittsburgh’s famous and aptly named Terrible Towel, the worst version of this stupid thing. –signed, a Patriots fan

7. Bar Towel

Image: Columbia Pictures

“Hey, can we get a towel specifically designed only to wipe up spilled liquor on a disgusting bar?”

“Uh, won’t literally any small towel do?”

“No.”

“Okay fine.”

Hey bartenders, at least you get to throw that filthy, disease-ridden piece of cloth over your shoulder all night while some drunk jerk screams for another Bud Light. Wait, that makes it worse.

6. Dish Towel

Image: Target/Room Essentials

Long, thin, and often adorned in a hideous pattern or dyed an unnatural color, a dish towel is fine for drying off plates or quickly wiping down your counter, but not much else. Also, they usually look like they’re 50 years old after one use.

5. Wash Cloth

Image: Lasting Color/Bed Bath and Beyond

Like a thicker, smaller dish towel, but for your face… which sounds weird because it is. Get a cheap one and it feels like sandpaper, get a nice one and it’s basically a mini hand towel–which you’d rather use instead. A wash cloth gets the job done in a pinch, but has a short lifespan.

4. Paper Towels

Image: Bounty/Walmart

They might be single-use and wasteful, but man paper towels are great at what they do. Absorbent, versatile, and (once they realized they should put the tear-away line in the middle of them) way more efficient. Not great for intergalactic travel, but ideal for the home.

3. Hand Towel

Image: Matouk/Neiman Marcus

A miniature bath towel, but for your hands. And maybe your face. And honestly, if you use them for any other body parts, that’s your business thank you very much. Hand towels are great, but lose points for how many of them are relegated to decoration of your aunt’s bathroom.

2. Beach Towel

Image: KINGLY

Have you ever gone to the beach without a beach towel? If so, you are a sociopath. The rest of us love having an oversized, colorful towel that protects us from the hot beach while also keeping our personal items sand-free. But a beach towel does so much more, like drying us off after a dip in the ocean or pool. The only negative is they tend to be a little thin, so they aren’t the best options for drying off inside where the sun can’t help. But you wouldn’t want to be either place without one.

1. Bath Towel

Image: Universal Pictures

The clear number one thanks to its size, comfort, warmth, versatility, and effectiveness at drying us off. A good bath towel is like a hug, and it’s also the best option when we spill something and react like we accidentally launched nukes. Their size and strength also makes them perfect for zipping around the galaxy, as they are the most adaptable towel of them all.

Honorable Mention

Bathrobe: A towel-turned-coat–worn indoors by sane people and outdoors by lunatics–and number one in my heart.

Bath Mat: A warm towel for the bottom of your feet, but a bastion for germs.

So that’s our definitive ranking, though we bet whatever towels they use at The Restaurant at the End of the Universe are simply divine. Which kind of towel is your favorite? What did we get right and what did we get wrong in our rankings? Travel to our comments below to let us know.

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy Images: Buena Vista Pictures

7 Important Details in the GAME OF THRONES Season 7 Trailer

By the light of the Seven, a new trailer for Game of Thrones season 7 has finally arrived. That’s fitting, because the Mother of Dragons is finally in Westeros to claim the Iron Throne and the remaining players are in place. Now, we’re far beyond the events of the novels as Game of Thrones heads towards its penultimate season. Today’s Nerdist News is breaking down the trailer’s most important moments. This we swear by the old gods and the new!

There are spoilers ahead for Game of Thrones season 7. You’ve been warned!

Join host, and Queen of the Andals, Jessica Chobot, as she lays out the important hints from the trailer. Note that Queen Cersei is all too aware of the return of  Daenerys, who still has Tyrion by her side. The castle walls of King’s Landing may keep Cersei safe for now, but the Lannister armies are not as lucky.

As for Daenerys, she’s making a very symbolic return to Dragonstone, the former home of her infamous family. And it looks like her dragons have gotten significantly bigger during the time between seasons 6 and 7. It also looks like Ellaria Sand and Yara Greyjoy are working on their own union, in addition to their alliance with Daenerys.

Let’s not forget the King in the North, Jon Snow, because he certainly hasn’t forgotten the role that Littlefinger played in the death of Ned Stark. However, Jon’s got his hands full keeping his forces together, and it looks like he and a few trusted allies may be on a deadly quest to find an object beyond the Wall. That may put them directly in the path of the White Walkers.

Finally, we’ve got a theory about the “creepy hand” shot in the trailer, and if we’re right, it means that an old friend is coming back to the show…and he’s not so looking so good!

Are you excited by the early glimpse of Game of Thrones season 7? Let’s discuss in the comment section below!

Sigourney Weaver Calls DEFENDERS Character a “Renaissance Woman”

A new foe is coming into the picture in Marvel’s The Defenders. Sigourney Weaver is playing Alexandra, a character showrunner Marco Ramirez says is “sophisticated, intellectual, and dangerous.” All of those can be fierce and intimidating traits for a villain, but Weaver wouldn’t explicitly put that label on her character. Nerdist spoke with Weaver about Alexandra at an event for the opening of Pandora: The World of Avatar at Animal Kingdom on Thursday and she said, “I know I play sometimes, like the warden in Holes is a villain, but I don’t do it very often and I never really think of them like that. To them, it always comes out of something. They can’t see things the way the normal person sees them, they’re still trying to complete something for themselves.”

Weaver couldn’t go into detail about how Alexandra plays into the Marvel universe. In fact, information about her character is under a tight wrap for now. However, she shared a little insight into Alexandra’s tastes. “I do think she’s a renaissance woman,” Weaver said, “I think yes, she has to do these things but she really… she loves life, she loves culture. It’s one of the most interesting women characters I’ve ever read.”

I know she’ll be her own, different character—my guess is she’s a business woman somehow associated with the Hand—but if she’s into culture and maybe art, it makes me think of Fisk. Maybe a connection to him or Vanessa is how she comes into the story?

Do you have any theories about how Alexandra will fit into the picture? Share them with us in the comments.

Images: Marvel/Netflix

For more details on The Defenders, watch this episode of Nerdist News:

Geoffrey Rush’s Favorite Part of PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN Was Working with Monkeys

Geoffrey Rush is a man whose presence in a major motion picture immediately conjures up respect and elevates the project to a certain level of respectability attendant to his myriad achievements. The Oscar, Emmy, and Tony Award-winning actor has been a staple of the massively popular Pirates of the Caribbean series since The Black Pearl first set sail back in 2003. As Captain Hector Barbossa, he has struck fear into the hearts of men and delighted audiences all over the world, but what was Rush’s favorite part of playing the iconic villain?  Our intrepid reporter Hector Navarro charted a course for a recent press day in Los Angeles where he asked the Pirates of the Caribbean star in person. Apparently, it seems Rush’s favorite part was working with the two monkeys Pablo and Chiquita, who played Jack the Monkey in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, and would exhale their cute, little “hot peanut breath” on Rush all day long.

Apart from on-set monkey business, we discussed exactly what audiences can expect from the fifth installment in Pirates of the Caribbean with stars Kaya Scodelario (“Carina Smyth”) and Javier Bardem (“Captain Salazar”). With Bardem, we learned about the intense makeup process the actor underwent to transform into the undead pirate hunter Captain Salazar, while Scodelario told us about what she admired most about the woman of science she portrays in the film.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales opens on May 26, 2017. Read our review right here!

Image: Disney

Dan Casey is the senior editor of Nerdist and the author of books about Star Wars and the Avengers. Follow him on Twitter (@Osteoferocious).