Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 2164

Donald Glover and James Earl Jones Cast in LION KING Reboot

Donald Glover may have taken off some time from the big screen to focus on his music and brilliant new television series, but with upcoming roles in Spider-Man: Homecoming and the Han Solo prequel, the actor once known for his adorable turn on Community is certainly making up for lost time! And thank goodness for that.

Hot off his Golden Globe wins for Atlanta, Glover is making the jump from playing young Lando Calrissian in a galaxy far far away to a lost lion cub in Disney’s live-action Lion King reboot. The film’s director, Jon Favreau, announced the news Friday via Twitter, sharing:

I just can’t wait to be king. #Simba pic.twitter.com/wUYKixMBJI

— Jon Favreau (@Jon_Favreau) February 18, 2017

But that’s not all. A few minutes after that announcement, Favreau added that James Earl Jones, the legendary actor who voiced Simba’s father Mufasa in the original Lion King, will be back to reprise his role in the reboot as well.

Looking forward to working with this legend. #Mufasa pic.twitter.com/1LszbWrcYT

— Jon Favreau (@Jon_Favreau) February 18, 2017

When the news about Glover’s casting first broke, we thought to ourselves, “But who will play Mufasa? James Earl Jones’ portrayal is so iconic.” Apparently Favreau feels the same, and we couldn’t be more excited to see who else joins the cast. And though we don’t know much about this new version of The Lion King, we can assume that it will at least bear some resemblance to Favreau’s groundbreaking take on The Jungle Book. The “live-action” reboot used motion-capture and state of the art visual effects to reimagine one of Disney’s greatest animated stories (complete with the original music) to great critical and audience acclaim, and was a box office bonanza to boot.

While we are understandably (but not aggressively) wary for any reboot of a beloved childhood film, The Jungle Book was inventive, heartfelt, and a visual masterpiece. Time will only tell if all of Disney’s live-action remakes are worth the effort (fingers crossed, Beauty and the Beast fans!) but we are hopeful that Favreau will do The Lion King justice as well.

What do you think about this casting news? Who else would you like to see join the reboot? Who will voice Scar?? Let us know in the comments!

Image: Disney

FUNKO Reveals WONDER WOMAN, SPIDER-MAN, WESTWORLD, More at 2017 Toy Fair

It’s Toy Fair time again, and it just wouldn’t be the same without Funko bringing out their best for 2017. From movies to television to video games, Funko has something that any fan of anyTHING can enjoy. Here’s a rundown of what we can expect from them within the coming year which they released on their blog—and trust us: between the Alien, Westworld, Wonder Woman, and Spider-Man Funkos, you’re gonna want to start saving now.

And don’t miss out on the gallery of everything they’re bringing to the fair below!

Wonder Woman

The highly anticipated film that could be the saving grace of the DCEU, the Wonder Woman line includes Pops! of Wonder Woman, Steve Trevor, and Queen Hippolyta. Also included will be a Rock Candy figure and Pop! key chain of Princess Diana.

Trollhunters

The popular Netflix cartoon from Guillermo Del Toro is getting a big release this year. They’re getting a series of 3 3/4 action figures, Pops!, and plushies. Fans young and old with have something to choose from.

Alien

Whether it’s dodgeball or fighting off Xenomorphs, Ripley is always the person I’m going to pick first—she gets her own Rock Candy figure this year.

Despicable Me 3

Gru, his family, and his Minions are back. You’ll be able to get them as Pint-Size Heroes, as well as Pops! of Groo, Dave, Jerry, Kyle, and Fluffy. Trust, Fluffy is just as cute in Pop! form. Quick: someone go buy these for Malik Forte immediately.

Westworld

Ten years ago, if you told me they were going to make cute toys based on an HBO series, I would have laughed in your face. But, here we are. The Westworld line will include Pops! of Dr. Robert Ford, Delores, the Man in Black, Bernard, Maeve, Young Ford, and Teddy.

Spider-Man: Homecoming

The most adorable superhero in the MCU that’s not a sapling or woodland creature is definitely our web-headed hero. Funko has added to that with their Spider-Man: Homecoming line. It includes Pint-Sized heroes of Spidey, Iron Man, Peter Parker, and a “mystery collectible.” There will also be a Spidey plushy, Pop! key chain, and Dorbz. Rounding out the line will be Pops! of Spidey, Peter, the Vulture, and Spidey in his homemade suit we caught a glimpse of in Civil War.

You can check out ALL of the Toy Fair announcements in the gallery below, which also includes concept art from South Park, Justice League, and Gravity Falls among many others!

So what do you think? Which of Funko’s 2017 releases are you excited for the most? What were you hoping to see? Let me know on Twitter or sound off in the comments below.

Images: Funko

MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000 Comes to Comics in the Not Too Distant Future

MST3K fans from around the world are eagerly awaiting the premiere of the reboot series on Netflix later this year. But that’s not the only good news on the horizon. Mystery Science Theater 3000 is set to make its comic book debut courtesy of Dark Horse Comics.

Dark Horse has announced that a Mystery Science Theater 3000 comic book series is in the works, in addition to special MST3K collectibles that will be produced and released by Dark Horse. But how can MST3K become a comic? Dark Horse has a lot of experience translating licensed properties into comics. For this title, we can probably look at Dark Horse’s Doctor Horrible and The Guild comics as a template for MST3K. Rather than attempting to fully translate the experience of either web series, the comics took the time to expand upon the characters and the worlds that they inhabited.

Although it plays for laughs on the show, the Satellite of Love is basically a prison for the host and his robot sidekicks. They may have a lot of wacky misadventures, but there’s definitely the potential to see other sides of life on the station without losing the series’ signature sense of humor. But if Dark Horse really wants to replicate the MST3K vibe, then perhaps the host and the bots should mock other comic books within their own comic book series.

It’s also unclear which of the three hosts would be featured in the Dark Horse series. The Nerdist Podcast‘s Jonah Ray is staring in the upcoming MST3K reboot series, but Joel Hodgson and Mike Nelson‘s characters are still quite popular with the fans. Perhaps the comic will find a way to incorporate all three hosts, or even introduce a new host for a new medium.

What do you want to see in the Mystery Science Theater 3000 comics? Let us know in the comment section below!

Image: Shout! Factory

Jar Jar Binks’ Post-STAR WARS Fate: Revealed!

Jar Jar Binks: a name sure to elicit an opinion from any Star Wars fan you talk to, though often unfavorable. The clumsy Gungan introduced in The Phantom Menace was bullied, cast out of his society, and though Qui-Gon Jinn gave him a chance, Jar Jar has been made fun of by other characters in the universe—and by fans—since 1999. If you’ve been wondering what happened to him in the years since we last saw him in Revenge of the Sith, a new Star Wars novel gives the answer: he became a clown. A literal clown.

As Mashable and Slashfilm point out, the final book in the Aftermath trilogy by Chuck Wendig, Empire’s End, reveals Jar Jar’s fate. Set in the years after Return of the Jedi, the Aftermath trilogy has shown the state of the New Republic and the Empire in its main arc and in interludes that take place throughout the galaxy. One of the interludes in Empire’s End goes to Naboo.

On the streets of Naboo, a kid encounters a clown. That clown identifies himself as Jar Jar: “Meesa Jar Jar,” he tells an orphan. He talks about not being wanted either and references that “Jar Jar makin some uh-oh mistakens.”

That mistake? During the prequels, Jar Jar proposed the motion to grant Palpatine emergency powers so he could create an army to fight the Separatists. We all know how that turned out. A misstep? Absolutely. But Palpatine manipulated practically everyone, including Yoda. So I don’t blame Jar Jar for the decision he made: He was tricked like so many others. To see him in a state of regret decades later is sad and hurts my heart.

At the same time, he’s still doing what he can to bring joy to others. Maybe it’s just a way for him to eke out a meager living, but because it’s Jar Jar, I think there’s more to it. So, while his role has an element of being tragic, it’s kind of touching too. I want to give Jar Jar a hug more than ever.

And as Mashable points out, Jar Jar entertaining kids on Naboo could be interpreted as commentary on the nature of the character. A lot of children enjoyed the character in the prequels, after all. But for more on that, let’s let Jessica Chobot do the talking on today’s Nerdist News, shall we?

Do you think Empire’s End, on shelves on February 21, gives a satisfying end to the Gungan’s story? Share your opinion in the comments.

Images/GIFs: Lucasfilm

Angela Lansbury Joins MARY POPPINS RETURNS

Although she won’t be return to voice Mrs. Potts in the live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast, entertainment legend and five time Tony Award winner Angela Lansbury is still an active part of the Disney family, and has just been cast in Mary Poppins Returns as the Balloon Lady, a beloved character from P.L. Travers’ series of Mary Poppins novels. Aside from Mrs. Potts, Lansbury has starred in the classic Bedknobs and Broomsticks for the studio. At the age of 91, Lansbury seems to show no signs of slowing down, and the actress has been appearing in several Broadway shows over the past several years.

Mary Poppins Returns is being directed and produced by Rob Marshall (Into the Woods, Chicago), and stars Emily Blunt (The Girl on the Train, Into the Woods), Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton, Moana), Ben Whishaw (Spectre), Emily Mortimer (Hugo) and Julie Walters (Harry Potter) with Colin Firth (Kingsman) and the legendary Meryl Streep. The film will introduce three new Banks children, played by Pixie Davies (Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children), Nathanael Saleh (Game of Thrones) and newcomer Joel Dawson, also features original Mary Poppins cast member Dick Van Dyke.

Mary Poppins Returns is set in 1930s depression-era London (the time period of the original novels) and is drawn from material in P.L. Travers’ additional seven books in the series. In this new film, Michael (Ben Whishaw) and Jane (Emily Mortimer) are now grown up, with Michael, his three children and their housekeeper, Ellen (Julie Walters), living on Cherry Tree Lane. After Michael suffers a personal loss, the enigmatic nanny Mary Poppins (Emily Blunt) re-enters the lives of the Banks family, and, along with the optimistic street lamplighter Jack (Lin-Manuel Miranda), uses her unique magical skills to help the family rediscover the joy and wonder missing in their lives. Mary Poppins also introduces the children to a new assortment of colorful and whimsical characters, including her eccentric cousin, Topsy (Meryl Streep).

Mary Poppins Returns hits theaters on Christmas Day, 2018.

Are you excited for the legendary Mrs. Lansbury to join the Mary Poppins sequel? Let us know your thoughts down below in the comments.

Image: Walt Disney Studios

TRANSFORMERS Trypticon Towers Over the Competition at Toy Fair 2017

Bookmark this page, folks: it’s Toy Fair weekend, which is simultaneously the most wonderful and frustrating weekend of the year for collectors. Wonderful, because you get to see all the great figures, playsets and gadgets headed your way for at least the first half of the year; frustrating because for the most part, you won’t be able to buy any of them. Now is the time to start saving and bracing your bank accounts for that glorious hit, and when it comes to our first BIG entry on this year’s highlights list, you’re looking at $150 or more (we’ll explain the “more” in a moment).

Trypticon is the latest of Hasbro’s massive “Titans Return” figures in the Transformers line, recreating the impossibly big playset-figures we craved in the ’80s. Defying all conventional wisdom that would hold true in many other lines, they’ve managed to make three so far: Metroplex, Devastator, and Fortress Maximus. Trypticon, billed as the largest Decepticon ever made, was the result of a fan vote, and is a triple changer, with a city mode, spaceship mode, and robot dinosaur mode, because robot dinosaurs can nearly always be counted on to rule.

The official description, however, says it best:

When the figure is in city mode, it connects to Titans Return Leader Class figures (each sold separately) to form the giant Nemesis Command. When the figure is in T-Rex mode, it can ‘eat’ Titan Master figures: Trypticon can chomp them down, then you can open his stomach to get them out. Comes with a Deluxe Class Full-Tilt figure and a Titan Master Decepticon Necro figure. Additional Titan Master figures are each sold separately, but with so many to collect, the Titans Return battlefield is a veritable all-you-can-eat bot buffet for Trypticon. Full-Tilt figure attaches to the Trypticon figure’s chest. Titan Master figure becomes the head for the Full-Tilt figure and works with all Titans Return Deluxe, Voyager, and Leader Class figures (each sold separately). Also features a storage compartment in the figure’s tail.

So he’s not just a space city robot dinosaur Transformer, but a cannibal space city robot dinosaur Transformer. Awesome.

Another detail about the Titan-class figures is that there has so far always been a Comic-Con exclusive version, usually with metallic paint and extra accessories. We look forward to seeing how this particular heavy hitter can be enhanced even further.

Stay tuned for more reveals all weekend, and keep your comments coming below!

Images: Hasbro

The Amazons Search For Princess Diana in WONDER WOMAN #17 (Exclusive Preview)

One of the highlights of the DC Rebirth era has been the triumphant return of writer Greg Rucka to the pages of the monthly Wonder Woman title. Since Rebirth began at DC Comics, Rucka has told the definitive version on Princess Diana’s origin story and arrival in Man’s World together with artist Nicola Scott. He’s also been telling a compelling, modern day Wonder Woman tale with “The Lies,” in which Diana is confronted with the truth about her origins, and it turns out they’re definitely not what she thought they were.

Together with artist Liam Sharp, Rucka is following up “The Lies” with a new storyline called “The Truth” (naturally). In the first part of this story, Wonder Woman has checked herself into a mental health facility because with the different versions of her homeland Themyscira floating around in her head, she’s not sure she can even trust her own senses. Meanwhile, back in her homeland, Diana’s mother Queen Hippolyta hopes to find a way to contact her long missing daughter. And how does the Cheetah fit into all this?

You can check out our exclusive preview of the first five pages of Wonder Woman#17 in our gallery below!

Publisher: DC Comics

Writer: Greg Rucka

Artist: Liam Sharp

Cover Artists: Liam Sharp, Jenny Frison (Variant)

Here’s the official synopsis:

“THE TRUTH” part two! As Wonder Woman picks up the pieces of her shattered psyche, Barbara Ann Minerva walks into the devil’s lair to defend her…or is she being led into Godwatch’s trap?

Wonder Woman #17  is due to hit stores on Wednesday, February 22

Are you excited about this latest developments in the life of Princess Diana of the Amazons? Let us know what you think down below in the comments.

Images: DC Comics

Everything We Know About ALIEN: COVENANT

Five years ago, director Ridley Scott revisited the Alien universe with the prequel movie Prometheus. Over the half decade since, the film that would have been Prometheus 2 has morphed into another full-fledged prequel called Alien: Covenant. Whereas the previous movie saved the Xenomorph reveal for the final seconds of the story, it’s a pretty safe assumption that we’ll be getting a lot more of the Aliens this time around. With the release of Alien: Covenant coming up fast on May 19, we’ve put together a comprehensive look at everything we know about it. We’ll also be updating this post when new info comes in, so keep checking back for the latest revelations.

The Players

Since this is a sequel to Prometheus, of course Michael Fassbender is back as David, the hyperintelligent (and dickish) android who caused most of the problems in the first film. Most of the Prometheus’ crew probably would have survived if David hadn’t infected Elizabeth Shaw’s lover Charlie Holloway with a liquid that eventually spawned the very first facehugger. So in a way, David is the father of every Xenomorph that came later. (Fassbender is also playing Walter, a new and considerably more advanced android who is stationed on the Covenant, the titular ship in the movie. We don’t know much about Walter’s personality yet, but hopefully he’ll be more of a Bishop than an Ash.)

Katherine Waterston is also stepping into the lead as Daniels, a terraforming expert who is stationed on the Covenant, and the early indications are that she’ll be the hero of the movie. James Franco also has a role as Branson, Daniels’ husband and the original captain of the Covenant. However, it’s been implied that Branson will only have a small part in the story, which could mean that he met his end before the events of the movie.

Billy Crudup is playing the new captain of the Covenant, with Danny McBride as the ship’s pilot and Amy Seimetz as a character named Faris. Demián Bichir, Carmen Ejogo, Jussie Smollett, Callie Hernandez, Nathaniel Dean, Alexander England, Benjamin Rigby, Uli Latukefu, Tess Haubrich, and Goran D. Kleut all co-star in the film in currently unrevealed roles.

Guy Pearce is also returning from Prometheus as Peter Weyland, the founder of the Weyland Corporation. But considering that Weyland was killed in the previous film, Pearce’s contributions will likely be in flashbacks or recorded messages.

The Story

Alien: Covenant is reportedly picking up 10 years after the events of Prometheus. The Covenant is a colony ship that will arrive at a planet on the far side of the galaxy that is seemingly a paradise. In fact, one of the original titles for this film was Alien: Paradise Lost. Obviously, the planet won’t be the idyllic destination that it initially appears. Instead, there will be plenty of Aliens awaiting the crew of the Covenant. But the most deadly inhabitant on the planet may David, as the android has apparently been rebuilt in the years between the two films.

Unanswered Questions

There are so many unanswered questions after Prometheus that it’s hard to know where to begin with this one. The most surprising thing about Alien: Covenant is the initial absence of Dr. Elizabeth Shaw, the character portrayed by Noomi Rapace in Prometheus. She was last seen getting on the Engineer’s ship with David’s severed head as they looked for the home world of the Engineers to discover why they attempted to wipe out mankind. The obvious implication is that the paradise world of Alien: Covenant belongs to the Engineers. But it’s not clear what happened to Shaw in the intervening decade, or if the Engineers are still on the planet. That said, Rapace is confirmed to return for Alien: Covenant, but not in a leading role. She reportedly filmed a week’s worth of scenes, so she’ll be there for more than just a cameo.

The biggest elephant in the room is how the Xenomorph went from a single creature to a planetary infestation in under a decade. Remember, the first Xenomorph from Prometheus was essentially a fluke. The Alien’s reproductive cycle means that the first creature could have been a queen, which would explain how it could produce the eggs and the facehuggers. But someone would still have to transport the Aliens from LV-223. Considering that Shaw and David left LV-223 before the first Xenomorph emerged, it couldn’t have been either one of them. And that leaves the Engineers as the most likely suspects. In theory, the Engineers could have captured the first Xenomorph and performed experiments that refined its form into the classic Alien design.

Timeline

Prometheus took place in 2093, while Alien: Covenant will take place in approximately 2103. According to the Alien ancillary info, 2092 was the year that Ellen Ripley was born, and Ripley’s first encounter with the Xenomorphs occurred in 2122. So that means there is almost a 20 year gap between Alien: Covenant and the first Alien movie. That also leaves a lot of room for additional stories to be told, if the Alien prequel films continue.

Returning Creatures

During an interview with The Wrap, Scott said that all of the major forms of the Xenomorph would be present in Alien: Covenant. That includes the “egg, face-hugger, chest-burster, then the big boy.” He also confirmed that the Covenant will find “the planet where the engineers came from, and come across the evolving creature that they had made.”

The NeoMorphs

While appearing on BBC Two Radio, Michael Fassbender suggested that the new creatures in Alien: Covenant might be called the NeoMorphs. This is a never before seen version of the classic Xenomorphs, which the studio has yet to fully reveal… if it exists at all, and was not simply a slip of the tongue from the actor. However, Scott has previously dropped a few hints about them, telling Bloody Disgusting, “What I’m trying to do is reintroduce a fresher form of alien in the third act.” He added that it would be a “very different” design than the first Xenomorph that emerged at the end of Prometheus.

Sequels

If Scott has his way, then Alien: Covenant will be the first of a new prequel trilogy that will lead up to the original Alien. He’s got a lot of ground to cover, particularly with the dead Space Jockey/Engineer that appeared in Alien. It may be several years before we have all of the answers from the proposed Alien prequels, but we’re eager to see what Scott and his team come up with.

Are you excited about Alien: Covenant? Let us know in the comment section below!

Images: 20th Century Fox

Ridley Scott on the female heroes of the Alien franchise

BATMAN Reanimated – ‘Holiday Knights’

*YAWN* *STRETCH* It feels like I haven’t done one of these in slightly over two years. Back in 2014, I spent just about the entire year doing weekly essays about episodes of the 1992-1994 series, Batman: The Animated Series (you can find all 51 of those filed under Batman: Reanimated), but as most of you know, that wasn’t the end of Bruce Timm, Paul Dini, et al’s forays into Gotham City.

After Batman: TAS ended its run of 85 episodes on Fox, the same crew began a new show, Superman: The Animated Series over on the brand new Kids’ WB. That series took a similar approach to Batman and his weekly adventures fighting enemies, but the animation was much less intricate and looked a lot less like paintings. After the success of Superman, and the three-part crossover “The World’s Finest,” Batman and his Bat Family returned to screens in 1997 with The New Batman Adventures, alternately referred to as Batman: Gotham Knights. The first episode of this series aired in September 1997 and was the decidedly winter-themed “Holiday Knights.”

This episode is a good beginning episode for the new-but-old show, and is atypical for the storytelling method. It was split into three segments and a denouement, the first two taking place on Christmas Eve and the final two taking place on New Years Eve, and featured all the main characters and some of the villains who’d be recurring in the series. 24 episodes in total were produced, and the animation style was changed to match that of the Superman series, something which was a lot easier and less time consuming to animate due to simpler designs. All of the characters got partially redesigned, and some were drastically changed.

I’ll talk about the particulars of the characters’ redesign as they become important, but overall this series just looks like Kids WB to me. All of their super shows had a similar vibe and frankly don’t have the visual complexity or beauty of the earlier Batman show. That said, Timm and Dini have spoken at length about how much more creative freedom they had at the WB versus at Fox, and the storylines in this series do tend to be more in keeping with comics lore. So, at least the series kept its emotional and intellectual integrity while losing its visual superiority.

Okay, so let’s get to the episode. It actually takes place later than a lot of the episodes that would come after, in terms of the show’s continuity. We know this for a number of reasons, but the main one is Tim Drake’s version of Robin is fully established, and the very next episode to air, “Sins of the Father,” is Tim’s introductory episode. Oh well! It sort of offers the show in media res and doesn’t require too much foreknowledge.

The first segment has everyone’s favorite pair of villainesses, Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy, lamenting having no family for Christmas, and deciding to go on a shopping spree, using someone else’s money. They intercept Bruce Wayne at a fundraising party and, unbeknownst to him, Ivy kisses him with her toxin-laced lipstick under the mistletoe. He loses all ability to resist and the two use his cash to buyout most of the department stores in town, in a really fun montage. Eventually it wears off and as Harley tries to reapply, Mr. Wayne “falls” down an open elevator shaft. “Oh well…, they were going to kill him anyway.” But, of course, Batman shows up and acts as a real Grinch.

The second segment, also on Christmas Eve, finds Barbara Gordon shopping for a tie at a department store. Detective Harvey Bullock and Officer Renee Montoya are undercover as the store Santa and elf, respectively, because there’s been a string of shoplifters. Barbara spies a little kid pickpocketing and as she and the cops give chase, it’s discovered that the kid is really just a piece of Clayface. Barbara springs into action as Batgirl and lures Clayface out onto the ice rink where she and the cops have to stop the malleable menace.

Segment three skips to New Years Eve where the Joker has promised to do some damage and kill a ton of people. Batman, Robin, and Commissioner Gordon figure out that he’s going to wreak havoc on Gotham’s countdown celebration. The new Dynamic Duo show up to see everyone wearing Joker masks, and the real Joker about to detonate a bomb. Though Batman is shot in the arm, he and Robin manage to drop a huge bell on the Clown Prince of Crime.

And the final round-up sees Gordon, at about 1:30am, go into a diner to meet someone for coffee. As expected, that someone is Batman, and we learn this is their year tradition, to have a quiet cup of coffee to celebrate a New Year, even if Batman always leaves and pays without Jim being able to do anything.

This is a fun episode that gives a nice glimpse of what this new version of Gotham City will be like. The sky is constantly red and menacing, but the tone of the story is decidedly brighter than most of the earlier Fox episodes. This series really brought Batgirl to the forefront, and she appeared in 12 of the 24 episodes, more than either Robin or the as-yet-unseen Nightwing. Batman’s redesign kept the basic shape, but removed all traces of blue or yellow from the costume, focusing on black and grey entirely. Robin and Batgirl’s costumes also lose most of their color, with Robin being just red, yellow, and black (no green), and Batgirl being just black with yellow highlights (no blue).

While this series also makes Jim Gordon look a little thinner and less sturdy, and Bruce Wayne quite different in terms of hair and eyes, the big changes for the update come in the form of the villains. Harley is almost unchanged, as is Clayface who simple gets a little boxier than before. Ivy’s head and body shape changes a bit and her skin becomes pale. The big change, however, is Joker, how now looks much more cartoonish, and his face and hair lose all color other than chalk white for his face and black for his hair. He even loses the fiendish yellow in his eyes, as they too become just black. If I’m totally honest, I really dislike the Joker’s redesign, to a degree I hadn’t fully accepted when I was a kid.

Those redesigns aside, “Holiday Knights” is a fun and spry episode that immediately reminds people what the animated Batman universe has to offer. It’s also very clear right away that while most of the Fox series depicted the Dark Knight on his own, this one is all about his new family, his surrogate children, surrogate father and brother figures, and the series would go on to put those relationships in peril quite often.

Next time, we’ll discuss Tim Drake’s origin story, and how it pertains to Batman’s penchant for taking in strays. “Sins of the Father” is next week! Until then, share your thoughts on “Holiday Knights,” and the character redesigns, in the comments below!

Images: WB Animation

Kyle Anderson is the Associate Editor for Nerdist. He’s written the animation retrospectives Batman: Reanimated, X-Men: Reanimated, Cowboy Rebop, and Samurai reJacked. Follow him on Twitter!

Marvel Teases GENERATIONS, but What Exactly is This New Series?

We know that Marvel Comics already have a big “event” booked to follow up Civil War II this year, with the Captain America- centric Secret Empire. But on February 16, Marvel teased something potentially even bigger, something they are calling Generations. Marvel tweeted out the image announcing this new series, with art by the legendary Alex Ross:

GENERATIONS – coming Summer 2017. pic.twitter.com/YdLf37UL8G

— Marvel Entertainment (@Marvel) February 16, 2017

We still don’t know what Generations is yet outside this one image. Is it an upcoming event mini-series, or is it the next overarching storyline to cross over all the various Marvel titles? What we do know is that the art by Ross features the original and modern versions of Jean Grey (the Phoenix and the time tossed teenage Jean, who are technically the same person), Wolverine (Logan and X23), Thor (Odinson and Jane Foster), Captain America (Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson), Nova (Richard Rider and Sam Alexander), Captain Marvel (Mar-Vell and Carol Danvers), Ms. Marvel (Carol Danvers and Kamala Khan), Hawkeye (Clint Barton and Kate Bishop), Iron Man (Tony Stark and Riri Williams), Spider-Man (Peter Parker and Miles Morales) and the Hulk (Bruce Banner and Amadeus Cho).

Recently, its been suggested that after the somewhat disappointing buzz for Marvel’s Civil War II, and an overall dwindling of Marvel’s usually dominant market share in 2016, the publisher was going to a “back to basics” approach with their characters, meaning the well known, original versions of many of these beloved icons will return. So, Wolverine will come back from the dead and possibly take his name back from X-23, Bruce Banner will return, and, almost certainly, Tony Stark will come back as Iron Man.

But Marvel faces a dilemma in doing so. After all, all those beloved, classic characters, or at least most of them, are white dudes. And their replacements have been people of color and women, a true sign of Marvel being forward thinking. But the original versions are what appear in movies, and are what are plastered all over merchandise of every kind. If they bring back the originals, does that negate all the progress they’ve made?

Of course, you can have your cake and eat it too with some of these characters; for example there are two Captain America books at the moment, one for Steve Rogers and one for Sam Wilson, and two Thor titles, one for the Odinson and the other for Jane Foster. But can that rule be applied to all of these characters? Can the market support two version of each of the iconic heroes?

Although there are only two X-Men characters in this image, my belief is that this Generations comic — whether it’s a mini-series or an overarching publishing initiative–will focus on the original time-lost X-Men. The original five, or “O5” as they are now called, have been in the modern Marvel universe for almost five years now, brought forward in time by the X-Men’s Beast. And with the group getting their own titles soon, X-Men: Blue, it’s obvious that Marvel has no plans to send them back to their own time anytime soon.

The apparent anomaly of the original X-Men co-existing with their future counterparts has been put on the back burner for a long time now, but that storyline needs to be addressed once and for all, and I think Generations might be doing that. And in doing so, I think will bring other Marvel characters from the early days to the current Marvel Universe. It’s no coincidence that in Alex Ross’ image, the “classic” versions of Hulk, Captain America, Thor and Hawkeye are all wearing their early ’60s costumes — which happens to be the same era of the original five X-Men.

DC Comics had great success last year bringing their more iconic versions of their heroes back with DC Rebirth; could Generations be Marvel’s version of the same thing? I imagine we will find out soon as more details emerge.

What do you think Generations could be? Share your thoughts with us on Marvel’s latest with us down below.

Image: Marvel Comics