Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 2370

Give This LEGO Machine Five Bucks and It Sells You a Pizza

When you hear pizza places talk about their brick ovens, you probably don’t assume the bricks in question are LEGO.

Well, okay, technically this li’l Pizza Hut from Astonishing Studios doesn’t function as an oven, as there’s no heating element. But that’s not a knock, since what it actually does is so cool. Put in five dollar bills, and out comes not just a personal pan pizza, but 71 cents in change as well, to match the establishment’s set pie price of $4.29. The device even holds two pizzas, so you can do it twice. Walk around a college dorm with a few of these, and you’ll make bank.

Or maybe not. Sooner or later, somebody who doesn’t appreciate the intricacies of a sweet homemade device will realize that (unless Astonishing Studios opt to unleash the Kragle) it’s easier to just disassemble the Lego than put five dollars in. Such people are barbarians, but they’re out there. Maybe a LEGO keg that dispenses free beer would be a good defense. Or one that gives out waffles. You know, so you can LEGO your Eggo.

Needless to say, this is not an official Pizza Hut creation, though its creator has submitted an M&Ms candy dispenser prototype to LEGO Ideas for consideration to become a legit set. Apparently, snacky food tastes better when it emerges from a LEGO construction. I mean, that does improve just about anything. Hell, even the phone bill could bring a smile to my face if a LEGO contraption printed it out. I’m not saying how long that smile would last, but it would at least cross my face.

What would you want a LEGO build to produce for you? Brick it down for us in comments.

Featured Image: Astonishing Studios

Learn How To Make Your Own GREEN LANTERN Power Battery

The key to any good Green Lantern cosplay isn’t the emerald power ring—anyone came make or buy or one of those. And nope, it’s not the white opera gloves that Hal Jordan wears, either. Or the domino mask. It’s the Oan power battery, which any member of the Green Lantern Corps needs to say their “In Brightest Day/In Blackest Night” oath as they charge up their ring.

Now, there are official Green Lantern power batteries available for sale out there, but frankly, they’re not all that cool, and many are made kind of cheaply. On top of that, they’re pricey as well. If you want a proper power battery lantern, you’ll probably have to make one yourself.

Luckily, the folks at the DIY Prop Shop YouTube channel—the same guys that showed fans how to make their own Batman utility belt and Harley Quinn hammer—have got you covered when it comes to making a kick-ass Green Lantern battery. Their latest video, which you can view above, shows you exactly how to produce one for yourself. You might not have been able to debut it at Comic-Con in San Diego, but Halloween is just around the corner here.

It should be noted that the power battery design they’re going with in this video is the one from the pages of the classic DC Comics, not the 2011 Ryan Reynolds movie. Not sure why anyone would want to reflect that particular movie, but hey, I’ve seen Joel Schumacher-era Batman and Robin cosplay before, complete with nipples, so you just never know in this crazy world.

What do you think of this latest video? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Featured Image: DC Comics

POKÉMON GO Promised Trading and Other Updates at SDCC

As San Diego Comic-Con serves as the veritable mecca of geek culture, it’s only natural that this year’s fest should close out with a panel devoted to what is perhaps the biggest thing to hit the nerding world in 2016: Pokémon GO. The exhibit packed Hall H with aspiring PokéMasters aching to glean a few tips from Niantic Labs’ head John Hanke, who did not disappoint. Well, with the exception of one sizeable letdown. But rest assured, useful pointers and exciting news alike were to be heard.

Chatting with our own Chris Hardwick, Hanke confirmed what many of us already knew: different types of Pokémon inhabit different parts of our real world, and—to some degree—correlate logically with their surroundings’ natural environment. The most obvious example of this is the prevalence of water-type Pokémon in close range to actual bodies of water. (I can confirm, living right on the bank of New York City’s East River, that we’ve got a boatload of Krabbys roaming about.)

Hanke did drop a few more surprising pearls of wisdom, however, as he insisted that several Easter eggs lurk about the world Pokémon GO that no active players have yet to find. (You’d think ONE of the millions of us would have nabbed these by now, right? Come on, guys.) Especially notable among these hidden gems is one involving Eevee, pertinent to the secret behind controlling the direction of its evolution into either Flareon, Jolteon, or Vaporeon. According to Hanke, nobody has mastered this hack just yet, though we’ve certainly heard tell of a few theories on how to master this task.

Eventually, Hanke found his way to the good news yet to grace the game. In addition to toiling over fixing the three-step glitch—the very same that has been afflicting my gameplay, so I’ll thank them to hurry up on this!—Niantic is working on adding a few additional functions to Pokémon GO.

First off, the customization of PokéStops for operation among friends and teammates. Secondly, the addition of new, rare types of Pokémon that have thus far been absent from the game—something we’ve all been looking forward to for sure. Additionally, the customizing PokéStops thing will give you the ability to mod PokéStops.

Next, Team Leaders—captains of Teams Valor, Mystic, and Instinct, who may operate a bit like the gym leaders we knew in the traditional Pokémon games. Valor will be led by a character named Candela, Mystic by Blanche, and Instinct by Spark.

Finally, and perhaps most exciting of all: The option to trade Pokémon will soon be implemented into Pokémon GO. No longer will you have to scrape together airfare to snag those rare species exclusive to Myanmar; just make a Burmese friend via the good graces of Reddit, and you’ll have your hands on your desired type in no time!

The one big disappointment came with the revelation that no legendary Pokémon would be set loose in Hall H. Still, enough good news was shared to keep us gaming and looking forward to updates.

Featured Image: The Pokémon Company

Images: Michelle Buchman

The LEGO BATMAN Movie Trailer Is Utter Perfection

The best part of The LEGO Movie was, obviously, Batman. Will Arnett gave us the version of the Dark Knight we never knew we needed, but oh man did we need him. Angry, brooding, and wonderfully self-involved, Arnett’s Batman was quite possibly the greatest cinematic version of the character ever. He had a charm about him that few Batmen have ever captured. Also, he was a total dick.

It makes sense then that the Warner Bros. would give us a full length LEGO Batman movie. So far, our hopes have been high, as the teasers that have been released so far have been pretty good. Well, hold on to your butts, because the wonders of Comic-Con have given us a full length trailer that is a work of pure magic.

It’d be easy to miss this one, what with Warner Bros. unleashing a Justice League trailer AND a Wonder Woman trailer yesterday. Oh, and there we trailers for Kong: Skull Island and King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, too, plus some pretty big Marvel announcements. It was big day at Comic-Con, in other words, but The LEGO Batman Movie definitely deserves some attention, because it looks absolutely hilarious and all kinds of amazing.

This trailer gives us a better idea of what the movie will be about, namely Batman taking on his young ward and training the kid to become Robin. There’s jokes about how Robin’s costume comes to be, and lots of amazing Batman and Alfred interactions. The best bit comes when comes Robin points out that the Batcave is hidden below Wayne Manor. Batman, with frustration replies, “No, Bruce Wayne lives in Batman’s attic.” Good stuff, people.

The LEGO Movie really was beyond anything we had expected from a film about a bunch of toys. Charming, heartfelt, and exciting, The LEGO Movie really turned out to be something special. The question is, can The LEGO Batman Movie capture that same energy and audience? Can Arnett’s Batman be as funny when he’s delivered to you nonstop instead of same, comedic doses? Warner Bros is hoping so, and judging from the trailer, it looks like they might have nailed it. We know we’ll be checking this one out.

Featured Image: Warner Bros

The DESCENDENTS Are Back On Top with Hypercaffium Spazzinate

To say the Descendents changed everything would be a gross understatement. These pioneers basically invented pop punk as we know it, and you can draw a straight line from their records to modern punk acts today. They took a genre that was about spikes, rebellion, chaos, and anarchy, and brought it to earth. It was about girls, growing up, and food. They didn’t wear costumes or have stages names. They were just regular dudes singing about the stuff that mattered to them in their normal, suburban lives. It was this style that quickly lead to their popularity in the punk rock scene, that still drives their popularity today. Well, that and the fact that they are total rippers. While other popular punk acts could barely play their instruments, let alone sing, the Descendents were skilled musicians and could harmonize with the best pop acts of the day.

Hypercaffium Spazzinate is the first Descendents album in 12 years, but sporadic releases are nothing new for fans of the band. These guys release albums when they are good and ready, and more than likely when they have something to say. This new record has more in common with some of the bands early releases than it does the more recent records like Everything Sucks and Cool to Be You. Sure, the guys are now writing as adults–in the loosest sense of the term–but there’s a renewed sense of punk rock energy here. It’s faster, more reckless, and more intense than those other albums.

Most of the tracks on Hypercaffium Spazzinate don’t even reach the two minute mark and the ones that do hardly climb above it. This record rarely slows down and never gives you a chance to catch your breath. Half the time singer Milo Aukerman sounds like he’s sending his vocal cords through a shredder, pushing himself to the limit. It’s not that he was holding back on the last two albums, but Stephen Egerton’s guitar and Karl Alvarez’s bass definitely took the front seat. That’s not the case on Hypercaffium Spazzinate, this is an album about singing along at the top of your lungs.

Bill Stevenson’s drumming is as on-point as his production. Milo may be the mascot, but Bill is the heart of the Descendents and that is apparent on Hypercaffium Spazzinate. From his perfectly balanced production to his hard-hitting drum work to his topnotch song writing (some of the best tracks are credited to him), Stevenson is doing some of his best work here. It’s his drumming and his production that make the sound we know as the Descendents. They have a sound that is instantly recognizable, that is one hundred percent one of a kind. When you hear it, you know it.

While most of the tracks sound like pitch perfect Descendents’ songs, there are some hints at a slightly different direction. “Shameless Halo” sounds like nothing the band has ever done, from the gang-style vocals to the aggressive melody, it’s a new sound, but still a Descendents sound. “Comeback Kid” and “Full Circle” have an old school feel, like something from the Enjoy! era (without the fart sounds). As a whole, Hypercaffium Spazzinate is another awesome record from one of the best bands to ever play punk rock music.

Image: Epitaph Records

I Took the Physical Challenge and Destroyed the Double Dare Course at SDCC

This year is the 30th anniversary of Nickelodeon‘s longest running and most slime-filled game show: Double Dare. If you’re like me, you watched the show, mostly yelling at your screen. You just knew that if you had the opportunity to take the physical challenge, you would destroy that 1-ton hamster wheel. Well, at San Diego Comic-Con this year, I was fortunate enough to take that challenge.

In the video above, witness my glorious and perhaps disturbing performance. It was, for all intents and purposes, an episode of the old show, complete with Marc Summers. Joining me on the blue team were fellow journalists and Kel Mitchell. We faced off against the red team, also lousy with journalists, whose team leader was Lori Beth Denberg. The game started with trivia after I plunged my head into literally pounds of whipped cream to bob for pacifiers while dressed as a baby.

The red team took a lead in the trivia portion of the game, but they screwed up hardcore when they let us go first in the final physical challenge. I was the anchor. I had to sprint on the famous “1-Ton Hamster Wheel” at the end of the relay to bring the DD trophy home. Watch the video above — my shoulder still hurts at the time of this writing.

What do you think? Have you been dying to try the Double Dare course since first watching Danny Tamberelli get slimed after saying the secret word? Let us know in the comments below.

Weekend Earworms: The Magnificent Music Of Modern Marvel Movies

An estimated 92% of us experience earworms. Despite the annoying times we can’t get a chorus or a hook of an overplayed pop song out of our heads, getting a really good earworm stuck can be one of the best things, ever. We here at Nerdist are dead set on bringing you those types of songs—even if only for the weekend. So shove this into your grey matter!

Happy Comic Con to one and all! I’m writing this on the Tuesday before but I imagine that, by now, anyone who was at SDCC is feeling a fair mixture of delight, accomplishment, and exhaustion having made it through the week. Considering when this column usually publishes on the site, I’d wager I’m airborne right about now and taking a much needed nap in the sky on my way back to Chicago. I’m likely sunburned too despite this warning I’m giving myself right now. Blake. Wear sunscreen you dolt!

Anyways, I figured this week it’d be silly not to share something SDCC-related in some way so I’ve settled upon notable music within the more recent Marvel movies. I suppose this would be a “Music of MCU Phase 3” column but there are a few movies that, for the purposes of this column, just don’t cut the mustard. The movies I left out were Iron Man 3, Thor: The Dark World and Avengers: Age of Ultron because all three are a bit more score-oriented when it comes to musical selections. Try as I might, there’s rarely good earwormy songs on composition heavy soundtracks.

Now it is true that Iron Man 3 had some earworms but I’d prefer not to subject readers to the likes of “Blue (Da Ba Dee)” or “Mambo No. 5”. Also, I had hoped for a good “No Strings On Me” remix but just doesn’t seem to be any. However, I have to give it up to the Age of Ultron folks for their play on words in their score with “Seoul Searching.” So with three pictures out of the running, that leaves us with…

Marvin Gaye – “Trouble Man”

Some may remember the mention of this song/album from Captain America: The Winter Soldier when Sam “Falcon” Wilson recommends it to Steve Rogers for his “to-do” list.  I love it when films do things like this and mention something in the real-world. You get a sense of the character Sam can interact with things outside of the film. Anyone who has since sought out the album will tell you that it’s probably the best recommendation Cap had on his list. And that’s including Thai food! The Trouble Man soundtrack is perfect for any fan of Marvin Gaye (which should be everyone on the planet) and it’s somewhat fitting that Sam would recommend an album from a film where the protagonist is caught up in events where he doesn’t know who to trust on either side.

Elvin Bishop – “Fooled Around and Fell in Love”

Why didn’t I post Redbone’s “Come and Get Your Love”? Well, a few reasons. Redbone is such an obvious choice that it’s something I’ve actually done before, the Guardians of the Galaxy soundtrack is far too full of amazing music to continue to pick that one, and Elvin Bishop’s “Fooled Around and Fell in Love” just seemed to fit in better with the previous tune. There’s no question that Awesome Mix Vol. 1 will go down as one of the best soundtracks in film history not only for content, but for how well it was worked into the film itself.

Camilo Azuquita – Borombon

Other than Guardians, there may not be a better comic book movie soundtrack in recent years than the one for Ant-Man. Introducing Rudd’s Scott Lang and Michael Peña’s Luis moments after playing “Borombon” on the opening Marvel logo tells us this is an entirely different film than others in the MCU. The entire soundtrack is peppered with tracks that express the diversity in the cast and the characters. If you strip away the supernatural/powered elements of the movie, it’s still an smart and action packed heist film that is only heightened by the musical choices. It speaks volumes to the minds behind a soundtrack when you use songs like “Borombon” to intro the main characters and The Commodores’ “I’m Ready” in a montage instead of a predictable epic sounding superhero film score. The entire feel of this movie (much like our experience with Starlord in Guardians) had an “every-man” aspect to it that was punctuated beautifully by its soundtrack.

Have high hopes for the music of Guardians 2? Did I miss anything from Thor: The Dark World? I’m sure I must have. Let’s discuss in the comments below!

Image: Marvel/Disney

Blake Rodgers writes for Nerdist from Chicago, IL where he lives happily with his Guinness World Record for High Fives. You can be his pal by following him on Twitter (@TheBlakeRodgers)

Original NOVA Returns to Marvel, Plus More SDCC Comics News

We are three days into San Diego Comic-Con, and all the major publishers have had their share of big announcements coming from the convention. So without further ado, let’s get started with today’s special All-SDCC Editon of Comics Relief, with great news for fans of Marvel’s original Nova….

Original Nova Richard Rider Returns in New Marvel NOW! Series

After much fan demand, the original Nova is coming back to the pages of Marvel Comics — the publisher has confirmed that Richard Rider, who was the original starting Nova way back in the ’70s, will be returning in the relaunched Nova series as part of the Marvel NOW! initiative. This news was confirmed at Friday’s private Retailer Presentation at SDCC. Richard Rider will star in the book alongside the latest character to bear the name Nova, Sam Alexander, who has been the solo star of the most recent previous Nova series. Sam Alexander will also be seen in the upcoming Champions series. Nova is scheduled to launch later this year. [Newsarama]

Optimus Prime Receives His Own Ongoing Series at IDW

He’s arguably the icon of the entire Transformers toy and cartoon line-up, and now he’s finally getting a comic book all his own. Announced at SDCC, leader of the Autobots Optimus Prime is getting an ongoing comic book series from publisher IDW, written by John Barber with art by Kei Zama.  It seems as if the new series  will be set on Earth, as it’s described with the following synopsis — “Optimus Prime has declared Earth to be under his protection—and this November, he’ll have to face the consequences.” You can see preliminary art for the new Optimus Prime series above. [Bleeding Cool]

Wonder Woman Gets Commemorative Stamps for her 75th Anniversary

It’s all about the Amazing Amazon at this year’s Comic-Con, as DC Comics is celebrating 75 years of Wonder Woman. As part of the big celebration, DC has teamed up with the US Postal Service to honor the character with a new set of Forever Stamps. Diana’s diamond anniversary is celebrated on the stamps with a trip through her history, starting with her golden anniversary to today.

The new stamps will come in a sheet of 20, depicting Wonder Woman during four eras of comic book history: Golden Age (1941–55), Silver Age (1956–72), Bronze Age (1973–86) and Modern Age (1987–present). This will be Wonder Woman’s second time on a postage stamp, as back in 2006, she appeared with other DC Comics icons on a series of stamps honoring the publisher. [DC Comics]

IDW Continues Crossovers With DC Comics in 2017

The successful relationship in recent years of publishers DC Comics and IDW will continue into 2017, as both companies plan to make sequels to their recent well received collaborations. Announced at SDCC, a follow up to Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is on its way, along with another Green Lanetern/Star Trek crossover. IDW’s Greg Goldstein said in a statement, “We’re very happy to extend our ongoing relationship with DC with these iconic characters in new storylines. Fans who enjoyed the previous series will enjoy the fun, new adventures we have in store for these upcoming titles.”

The creative team of Mike Johnson and Angel Hernandez will reteam for a second Green Lantern/Star Trek crossover, while writer Matthew K. Manning (Beware the Batman) and artist Jon Sommariva (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Amazing Adventures) will bring the animated versions of the Dark Knight and the Turtles together. For our full scoop on this, read our story on the subject right here: [Nerdist]

Joss Whedon to co-write a comic about Buffy’s ex-Watcher, Giles

Creator Joss Whedon has a special panel all to himself on Friday at SDCC, where he mostly talked about different aspects of his long and prolific career. But he did drop one major tidibt at the panel, while talking about plans for Dark Horse’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel comics — Whedon will be co-writing a mini-series about the adventures of the recently de-aged Rupert Giles, now an old man trapped in a 13 year old boy’s body.

The new comic would focus on Buffy’s former Watcher attempting to go back to school with “other kids his own age,” and all the hilarity that would come with that. Joss Whedon will co-write with an as-yet unnamed writer. “In a fit of class, I’m not calling it ’21 Vamp Street'” he said. Which is too bad, because I kind of like that title.  [CBR]

Blizzard’s Overwatch Coming to Dark Horse Comics

It was really only a matter of time before the popular first person shooter video game Overwatch came to comics, and now the official announcement has finally arrived. Overwatch is coming to comic books as part of a broader publishing partnership between Blizzard Entertainment and publisher Dark Horse Comics.

Blizzard’s previously released Overwatch digital comics are being re-published on Dark Horse Digital, with plans for even more digital comics on the way very soon, as well as a graphic novel, and an art book as well. The Overwatch OGN is scheduled to be released in April on next year, and will feature characters they are calling an “original strike team.” No creative team for the OGN has been announced just yet. [Newsarama]

Jack Kirby/Fantastic Four Artist’s Edition Officially on Its Way

Legendary artist Jack Kirby’s 101 issue run of Fantastic Four in the ’60s was seen as the greatest work of his long career, and now his detailed work will be able to be fully appreciated, in an all its glory. Coming in January 2017 IDW, in cooperation with Marvel, will release of Jack Kirby’s Fantastic Four Artist’s Edition, collecting multiple complete stories, all captured directly from Jack immensely popular and influential Kirby’s original art. This will be the second Artist’s Edition of Kirby’s work after Jack Kirby’s The Mighty Thor Artist’s Edition.

In a statement, Comics historian and Kirby uber fan Mark Evanier said “These issues of Fantastic Four represent Jack Kirby operating at the top of his game, which is about as high a compliment as I can pay a comic book. As a reader, I felt like the fifth member of the Fantastic Four—and that was in the small format with the bad printing. When I get the IDW book, I will probably want to move into it and live there.”  [CBR]

Images: Marvel Comics / DC Comics / Dark Horse Comics / IDW Entertainment / Blizzard Entertainment

 

MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000 Reboot Coming to Netflix, with Dan Harmon!

The way we digest cinema has changed quite a bit over the years. But no matter if you’re watching a film in a crowded movie house, on the living room television set, or on your personal laptop, the joys of mocking a bad flick stand the test of time. Such will be proved beyond a shadow of a doubt soon enough when Mystery Science Theater 3000 reboots with all new original episodes exclusively on Netflix.

While the promise of new MST3K episodes broke earlier this year, this new official announcement at San Diego Comic-Con (reported by A.V. Club) confirmed what we’ve been praying for for years. The news continues that the entire original cast will be back for the new string of eps, now armed with a souped up writer’s room. In addition to Bill Corbett and Mary Jo Pehl, members of the original MST3K writing team, as well as the previously announced head writer Elliott Kalan, Community creator Dan Harmon and his starring player Joel McHale will also be getting into the mix.

Following the announcement, Netflix themselves tweeted the following:

In the not-too-distant future. @MST3K pic.twitter.com/L9IpZW2Cmb

— Netflix US (@netflix) July 24, 2016

No word yet on exactly when MST3K will hit Netflix, though we’re terribly eager to see Joel Hodgson, Tom Servo, and Crow T. Robot tear into a new batch of delightfully terrible old horror, science fiction, and fantasy features. No matter how America’s relationship with the big screen changes over time, there’ll always be a place for sarcastic quips quickly thrust between lines of hokey dialogue. Always.

Featured Image: Comedy Central

MARVEL SDCC Panel Reveals GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY Ride, DOCTOR STRANGE Footage

Following a Marvel Cinematic Universe highlight reel that ran from Iron Man to Ant-Man and Spider-Man (though notably avoided Edward Norton’s Hulk) and adds “Studios” to the Marvel logo at the head of their movies from here on out, Chris Hardwick came out to shower appropriate praise on programmer Eddie Ibrahim, a cult figure for all those of us who’ve been in Hall H for years. (Seriously, an Eddie action figure should have happened by now.)

Kevin Feige then emerged, to say, “We only wanna come when we have a lot of stuff to show you.” Black Panther is the first topic of conversation—it doesn’t start filming until January, but director Ryan Coogler came out now! Yet another director who recalls his time sitting way in the back of Hall H, he said he’s still working on the script, and is working hard to make something we’ll all enjoy. With that, he introduced Chadwick Boseman, who called the glimpse into Wakanda so far “a beautiful, beautiful thing.” He thanked the fans all for their input and saying what they want to see. It’s his first time at Comic-Con, and he said, “I can literally feel it vibrating inside my core.”

Lupita Nyong’o came out next, followed by Michael B. Jordan, and Danai Gurira. Jordan expressed extreme excitement, but said Ryan has been keeping it under wraps and he doesn’t know what to talk about yet. Nyong’o, also experiencing her first time at Comic-Con, said she’s, “looking forward to kicking some ass.” Gurira is a Hall H vet, but still said she was “pinching herself” to still be here, for this. She hugged Chris, who warned everyone he had Comic-Con sweat and hugging might be a bad idea.

And with that and the knowledge that there was nothing yet to show from that project, Feige moved on to talk about how it was the first five days of Thor: Ragnarok filming on the other side of the planet. Taika Waititi had always bugged him, he said, during the making of Civil War, as to what Thor and Hulk were doing. Since Feige basically told him that was the story Thor 3 would tell, Waititi made a movie about it to show us now…

On cheesy, degraded VHS, we get to see a documentary about Thor, now living in Australia with roommate Daryl, who is teaching him email: “Dear Tony Stark a.k.a. Iron Man: Remember when you created a robot that nearly destroyed the world? That was funny.” He talks to kids in school, surprised they recognize his terrible drawing of a purple man as Vision. He leaves chicken out for days to go rotten before eating it. He tucks Mjolnir in a little baby bed inside a drawer. He has coffee with Banner, who takes a call from Tony to say he doesn’t want to join in their pointless feud, and offers to hand the phone to Thor. Tony hangs up. Thor insists that he and Daryl will just have to be Team Thor.

This was too good to not show up on a Blu-ray eventually. As it ended, we got some behind-the-scenes footage from Ragnarok: Jack Kirbyish shapes and spots in production design, and some CG pre-vis of Gladiator Hulk, with Thor leaping into the air to find him. Ends in a shot of Hela, dressed in all black but with fully comic-accurate headdress shape.

Puffs of smoke then filled Hall H as the side screens opened up and 3-D symbols, lights and sounds surrounded us. Benedict Cumberbatch materialized on stage through the smoke, as Scott Derrickson came out and joined him, introducing Tilda Swinton, Rachel McAdams, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Mads Mikkelsen and Benedict Wong.

McAdams, as Christine, said of Stephen Strange: “We were friendly at one time in history, and now we’re colleagues…we have kind of a fun dance we do.”

Ejiofor said Mordo becomes a real mentor, and that Strange surprises everybody. Swinton, who got huge applause and major props from Hardwick, said, “Any of us could be the Ancient One. The Ancient One is a title.” She teases things out of people, but some people are better than others. “Super-hippie fabulous,” she calls it.

Mikkelsen adds, “My character believes in a better world, a better universe. I just think there’s a better path. He’s not a villain; he’s a believer.” Wong had expressed that he wasn’t really comfortable with Wong as a manservant/tea-maker, so now he’s a master of the mystic arts and a drill sergeant.

Then, a clip was shown, depicting Strange meeting the Ancient One. He’s wandering through ancient temples, where Mordo finds him and takes him to meet the Ancient One, telling him, “Forget everything you think you know.” Strange asks what the Ancient One’s name is, and Mordo is silent. Strange says, “Right, forget what you think you know.” (Willow Ufgood could have taught him that.)

A more stereotypical older Asian man is seated at a desk and Strange assumes that’s the Anicent One; instead, the bald Tilda Swinton serving him tea is, and she dismisses Mordo and the other master (the Asian man). Strange asks if she really cured a man named Pangborn, and she equivocates, saying it depends, and implying she retrained his body to heal. Strange wants to know if she’s talking about cellular reprogramming, and she says it’s about the mind. He gets angry, thinks it’s ridiculous, then lays a finger on her in reproach…

…and she knocks him out of his body, into the Astral Plane. At first he just hovers as a spirit, but then is knocked into outer space, where he sees a bright blue dragonfly, grabs it, and goes on a fast-motion, CG-enhanced version of 2001‘s Stargate sequence, finally to come back to reality and exclaim: “Teach me.” It’s a crazy trippy sequence.

Following the trailer that you now have seen online, an orchestral version of the ’70s Spider-Man theme filled the hall, as a montage of Spidey scenes from Civil War ran.

Tom Holland and director Jon Watts came out. They’ve just started filming—Feige praised Sonby’s Amy Pascal for knowing what, putting everything aside, was best for the character. Watts called Homecoming “a straight-up high school movie…the ground level of the Marvel universe.” They shot some of the high school stuff already, and brought it to show.

What appears to be a fully-cut trailer begins with a montage of high school yearbook shots of other MCU actors, including Natasha’s in Russian. We then get quick scenes of Peter in math class, watching YouTubes of Spider-Man vs. Giant-man, and being totally distracted yet answering questions perfectly when called on. We see Peter secretly making web fluid (onscreen titles joke that this is “web design” class), and Zendaya seeming to bust him for sneaking off, but then says she’s just kidding and doesn’t care. It concludes with a silhouette of the villain, which looks like a Green Goblin with glider-shaped wings, unless he’s just striking a really contorted pose.

Finally, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 brought out James Gunn yelling, “I love you!” to the crowd. He gave special props to people waiting in line, said he respected them so much.

The Ravagers—11 of them—came dancing in from the back of Hall H, headed to the stage. Onstage, they started mocking Yondu. “I’m Yondu, and I’m a feces!” “Y’all are stupid!” “I’m Groot, and uh…”

Gunn eventually dismissed them, but it was cool that he gave the second tier cast their moment. They stood to the side and booed as the leads came up: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Karen Gillan (“Oh my God, that’s Amy Pond!” says a Ravager), Dave Bautista (“Suck it, Oddjob!), Pom Klementieff (Mantis), Elizabeth DeBicki (Aisha), and finally Kurt Russell! For him, the Ravagers cheered.

Gunn said he had to discipline the Ravagers, to which they said, “What are you gonna do, make a sequel to Movie 43?” Gunn protested he only did two minutes of that. Instead, he says, the clip he’s about to show will punish them.

Rocket and Yondu are captured, in a cell, taunted by Ravagers who threaten them with imminent demise. But Groot? He’s Baby Groot still, and “too adorable to kill.” Baby Groot is being really damn cute in his widdle bitty red spacesuit. Watch him sell A TON of toys.

Rocket and Yondu try to get Groot to steal a “super fin”–he gets it wrong, and keeps bringing them different items: a large desk, an eyeball, a severed toe. Finally he gets it. Yes, Yondu has a big head fin in this one rather than the basic mohawk, though it’s not organic. However, it enhances his whistle dart, which runs at super-speed leaving red lines and taking out everyone in his way: first in a small hallway, then writ large on a multiple level space, as red lines go everywhere through the air and bodies fall. Baby Groot gets mad and charges a guy, tossing him off a catwalk. Then, in a role reversal, Groot now rides on Rockets shoulder.

Rooker came out in costume as Yondu. Feige said it’s much better to make a sequel knowing people no longer think he’s Pluto Nash. In GOTG 2, Star-Lord is famous now for the events of the first film, trying to stay out of trouble but not doing the best job.

Saldana said it took four hours each day to do the green makeup, starting at 2:45 each day. Calls the characters “Super f***ing crazy,” they fight all the time and Gamora is like the old woman who tells them to stop it.

Gillan described her bald look as looking like “a really long baby.” She’s happy to have hair and look like a woman again, though they didn’t make her shave the full head this time.

Mantis is an alien with empathic powers who has spent her life with Kurt Russell’s character before meeting the Guardians. Drax, per Bautista is “just more confused.” He tries to pretend like he understands metaphors but he really doesn’t.

Aisha is the leader of the Sovereign people. She enlists the help of the Guardians but things turn “quite sour.”

Russell noted how beautiful the actresses now look out of makeup. He hopes this character will be memorable, but can’t say much. Rooker thinks Yondu is now much more forgiving in this one. Hardwick recalled a time at James Gunn’s house that Rooker brought blue Yondu cookies, and was trying to bribe or bully Gunn into giving Yondu more time.

Feige confirmed that Disney’s California Adventure will indeed be replacing the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror ride with “Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout.” Gunn directed the live-action footage, and Benicio del Toro will return as the Collector. In a post-panel press release, the ride was described thusly:

The setting is a kind of fortress that’s owned by the mysterious Collector and it’s packed with creatures and his latest acquisitions from across the universe. Now he has imprisoned the Guardians of the Galaxy and they’re hanging in display cases over a giant abyss. The captor doesn’t know it but Rocket Raccoon has escaped and is enlisting our aid—all the guests—to help the Guardians in a breakout scheme. And the rest is comical chaos; a very funny, very irreverent story and a really wonderful addition to Disney California Adventure…

Guests board a gantry lift which launches them into a daring adventure as they join Rocket in an attempt to set free his fellow Guardians. The new attraction will anchor a broader universe of Super Heroes that will grow over time in Disney California Adventure Park. Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT! will transform the structure currently housing The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror into an epic new adventure, enhancing the breathtaking free fall sensation with new visual and audio effects to create a variety of ride experiences. Guests will experience multiple, random and unique ride profiles in which the rise and fall of the gantry lift rocks to the beat of music inspired by the film’s popular soundtrack.

Want a little concept art? Yes you do.

New trailer time! It opens with the Guardians on a shiny golden platform, as some tentacled, Cthulhu-ish thing emerges in the sky.

Gamora has a big gun instead of a sword. Star-Lord wonders why? She says she’s not going up against that with a sword. He gives her grief for being inconsistent.

There’s a race of gold people whom Star-Lord says not to offend. Rocket promptly tells them he heard they were conceited douchebags, but they’re not. Then he winks big.

Rocket is insulted by the word “raccoon” so Star-Lord apologizes, and calls him trash pig. Nobody knows if that’s worse, but Star-Lord laughs and whispers to Drax that it’s much, much worse.

As the Guardians are named off in a series of quick cuts (and may I say the quick glimpse of Sylvester Stallone looks just like his unhelmeted appearance in Judge Dredd?) we end with Kurt Russell as…Ego.

Yes, Star Lord’s dad is Ego, the living planet. Though he has somehow found human form as Kurt Russell.

Confused? Us too, sort of.

So how is the planet a man? He says he set out to create human life down to the tiniest detail, which prompts Drax to ask if that means he has a penis. Star Lord is grossed out. Drax explains he just didn’t understand how he could be Star Lord’s father otherwise. Ego confirms that yes, indeed, he has a penis. Drax is delighted.

As the trailer concluded, and everyone came out for a Marvel group photo, Feige announced one more: Brie Larson as Captain Marvel! Also, free hats for everyone!

Images: Marvel/Disney