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First Look at Daredevil From DAREDEVIL: BORN AGAIN (The MCU’s Most Brutal Show)

When the Netflix Marvel shows moved to Disney+, fans hoped they might see some familiar faces incorporated into the MCU’s world. Although there were many good iterations of Marvel characters in the Netflix shows, one hero that fans particularly hoped would return for a solo show or movie was Charlie Cox’s Daredevil. Happily, Marvel Studios didn’t make us wait very long. At San Diego Comic-Con 2022, the studio announced that Daredevil would receive a new MCU series on Disney+, Daredevil: Born Again. Since that announcement, the series had some ups and downs, including an overhaul of its creative team.

Marvel Studios

For now, a new video celebrating Marvel’s 85th anniversary gives us our first look at Daredevil from Daredevil: Born Again. Check it out above. Additionally, Brad Winderbaum, the head of streaming, television, and animation at Marvel Studios teases us about the brutal action in store.

He offers, “I’ll tell you, some of the most brutal action we’ve ever brought to the screen is coming in Daredevil: Born Again, which isn’t a horror show, but really it packs a lot of power and there’s a lot of visceral action, to say the least.”

Marvel Studios

Here’s everything we know about Daredevil: Born Again.

Title

The title of the MCU Daredevil series will be Daredevil: Born Again. This is also the title of one of Daredevil‘s famous comic arcs.

Daredevil: Born Again‘s PlotMarvel Comics

We don’t yet know much about the exact plot of Daredevil: Born Again. But in the comics, Born Again is a very dark tale for Daredevil. In it, the man without fear faces down Kingpin, who manipulates Matt Murdock’s feelings for a struggling Karen Page in his attempts to destroy the hero. Whether this storyline will find its way into the MCU, we can’t say for sure. What we do know is that Daredevil: Born Again will have eighteen episodes, leaving a lot of room to explore the MCU version of the hero.

According to a report by Variety, Marvel is planning to overhaul the direction of Daredevil: Born Again. The publication shares that “Marvel Studios has recently parted ways with head writers Chris Ord and Matt Corman and is currently seeking new writers to revamp the show. Ord and Corman will still be credited as executive producers.” Additionally, Marvel has released the directors for the series episodes that have not yet already been filmed. Variety reveals that less than half of Daredevil‘s 18 episodes were filmed before the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. And that “Some elements of the already shot material will be used going forward, but Marvel is looking to take the show in a new creative direction.”

Behind the ScenesNetflix/Marvel Studios

Originally Daredevil: Born Again was written and executive produced by Matt Corman and Chris Ord. According to Deadline, Clark Johnson was meant to direct two episodes. However, Variety recently reported that Corman and Ord were released from the show and Marvel is seeking new writers and directors for the series.

The Hollywood Reporter shared the superhero crime series has added Dario Scardapane as its showrunner. Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead will direct the rest of the episodes for the first season. Scardapane has experience with The Punisher, while Benson and Moorhead directed episodes of Loki season two.

While Marvel will apparently retain some episodes and other material that was already filmed, Scardapane will add new episodes and new scenes. It’s unknown how many episodes season one will have.

Daredevil: Born Again‘s CastMarvel Studios

So far, Charlie Cox, who, of course, returns as Daredevil, and Vincent D’Onofrio, who will play Kingpin, have signed onto the new series. In addition, Jon Bernthal will reprise his role as Punisher in the MCU series, and Deadline shares that Wilson Bethel’s Bullseye will also make the leap. Additionally, Deborah Ann Woll and Elden Henson will return as Karen Page and Foggy Nelson.

Also joining the Daredevil show are Nikki M. James, Michael Gandolfini, Margarita Levieva, Sandrine Holt, and  Lou Taylor Pucci. Their roles remain unknown. In addition, Deadline recently cited Carnival Row‘s Arty Froushan as part of the cast. And Genneya Walton will reportedly play “a young journalist with connections to a character from the original series.” Clark Johnson, in addition to directing, reportedly has a recurring role in the series.

Marvel Comics

At D23, we learned a male White Tiger is coming onto the scene in Daredevil: Born Again. We glimpsed White Tiger in a sneak peek from the series, but no casting information was yet revealed. This White Tiger is likely Hector Ayala who uses ancient amulets to transform into White Tiger, a “master of martial arts.” Perhaps we will see Daredevil defend him this season, as White Tiger is often mistaken for a criminal and gets into tight spots.

Daredevil: Born Again‘s Release Date

Daredevil: Born Again will release in March of 2025.

Originally published January 5, 2023.

The post First Look at Daredevil From DAREDEVIL: BORN AGAIN (The MCU’s Most Brutal Show) appeared first on Nerdist.

SAGAS OF SUNDRY: GOBLIN MODE’s Trailer Reveals an Adventure for Weird Little Monsters

The time for the underdog to step into the spotlight is overdue. Overdue, we say! We’re changing the narrative with Sagas of Sundry: Goblin Mode, an immersive actual play podcast and video series. This story is about the characters that are usually the bad guys, not the heroes. The cast plays skeletons and a goblin. Meet everyone in the first trailer for Goblin Mode and see just how delightful weird little monsters can be.

We sense hijinks and chaos ahead.

Game Master Amy Vorpahl (Dimension 20, Critical Role) leads the intrepid cast and special guest stars through an exciting, and often hilarious, adventure. Danielle Radford (Dimension 20, Honest Trailers), Dan Casey (Nerdist, Geek & Sundry), and Jason Nguyen (Westbrook Media, Legendary) star in the series. They all bring their storytelling and improv skills to the table.

From critical failures to successes, we can’t wait to see what this crew does. The adventure is set in the original world of Sundaros, a land once ruled by godlike beings and now plunged into chaos following their disappearance. Goblin Mode tells the story of a group of genuine underdogs. Not traditional fantasy heroes, but undead skeletons and toothy goblins serving a foul necromancer in a dank dungeon. But with the evil overlord they once served now vanquished, their destiny is in their own hands for the very first time. What will they do next?

Geek & Sundry

Sagas of Sundry: Goblin Mode will release 60-90 minute episodes every Monday across Realm (listen to it wherever you listen to podcasts!) and Geek & Sundry‘s YouTube channel. The series premieres on September 9.

Sign up for the Geek & Sundry newsletter to get the latest about Goblin Mode and more!

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JOKER: FOLIE à DEUX Teaser Reveals Harvey Dent First Look

The unexpected comic book movie blockbuster of 2019 was Todd Phillips’ Joker, starring Joaquin Phoenix in the title role of Batman’s #1 nemesis. The movie earned a billion dollars at the box office and won Phoenix an Academy Award for his role as Arthur Fleck. No one saw all that coming for the relatively smaller budget and very adult-skewing R-rated film. But when you make that much money, a sequel is inevitable. Enter Joker: Folie à Deux.

In a recent teaser for Joker: Folie à Deux, we got our first look at Joker: Folie à Deux‘s Harvey Dent, played by Harry Lawtey. You can take a look at this new take on Dent below.

Put on a happy face. Joker: Folie à Deux – only in theaters and @imax, October 4. #JokerMovie #FilmedForIMAX pic.twitter.com/CqDld31gVg

— Joker Movie (@jokermovie) September 3, 2024

We also have our latest look at the stars of Joker: Folie à Deux, thanks to some new character posters. Here’s our newest look at Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck/Joker and Lady Gaga as Harleen “Lee” Quinzel. Phillips promised we’d see a more grounded and toned down Harley Quinn and this poster sure seems to indicate that is the case. Jury is out on how fans will feel about this rendition.

Warner Bros.Warner Bros.

Here’s everything we know about the Joker sequel.

Warner Bros.Title

Isn’t it beautiful?

Todd Phillips reminding us to rewatch Joker and get ready for #JokerFolieADeux pic.twitter.com/loJjviyiLI

— DC (@DCOfficial) October 3, 2023

The official title for Todd Phillips’ sequel to his 2019 blockbuster hit is officially Joker: Folie à Deux. Which means, in French, “Joker: Shared Madness.”

Joker: Folie à Deux‘s PlotWarner Bros.

The first thing we learned about Joker: Folie à Deux is that it will feature the Joker and Harley Quinn together. Considering how loosely the first film played with DC Comics’ mythos, don’t expect this one to be any different. DC explored the origin of the Joker/Harley relationship in the classic Batman: The Animated Series episode “Mad Love,” and then translated (more or less faithfully) in the first Suicide Squad movie. We expect something a little more out of the box this time for Joker and Harley, and we get it in the film’s trailer.

Recently, we learned that Joker: Folie à Deux takes place two years after the first movie. After shooting a talk show host on live television and inciting a major riot in the process, Arthur Fleck is sent to a psych ward and faces the death penalty. In the psych ward, he meets another patient, Harleen “Lee” Quinzel who becomes obsessed with him, or at least, his alter-ego, Joker. Arthur stops taking his medication and he and Lee enter a musical fantasy world, which, according to Variety, “often plays like the MGM musicals of yesteryear on acid.”

The answer is a full-on musical, which uses a genre associated with Judy Garland and Fred Astaire to examine a frayed mind growing even more dangerously untethered as the Joker stands trial for five murders.

Warner Bros.

For those concerned, Peter Safran and James Gunn have assured fans the movie will remain in the DC Universe, though it will carry an Elseworlds project tag. That means it will live on, but it won’t work into the main timeline of the DC Universe.

Joker: Folie à Deux‘s CastWarner Bros.

Aside from the returning Joaquin Phoenix as Joker/Arthur Fleck, and Lady Gaga as Lee/Harley Quinn, only a handful of other actors have been confirmed thus far. Gaga shares “My version of Harley Quinn is ‘Lee,'” Gaga said. “In a lot of ways, I think this is going to be a very different Lee for people, and I’m excited for them to see the story we wanted to tell.”

Brendan Gleeson has also joined the cast, as has Catherine Keener in a “major” but still unknown role. Jacob Lofland has also joined up, as someone associated with Arkham Asylum. Also officially joining the cast is Industry‘s Harry Lawtey.

Behind the ScenesWarner Bros.

Director Todd Phillips is reuniting with his original Joker co-writer Scott Silver for this new continuation.

Joker: Folie à Deux‘s Release Date

The Joker sequel is set to premiere on October 4, 2024.

Originally published on December 12, 2022.

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ALIEN: EARTH’s First Teaser Trailer Hints at an Ominous Future

With Alien: Romulus currently cleaning up at the box office, we now turn our attention to the next chapter of the iconic sci-fi saga, Alien: Earth. This new FX series, from Fargo creator Noah Hawley, went into production last year. And now, we finally have our first look at this show. Some lucky fans got to see this teaser playing before select screenings of Romulus. The brief, 16-second teaser shows our vulnerable blue planet from space. And then, the unmistakable head of a Xenomorph, ready for the kill. You can check out the teaser trailer for Alien: Earth right here:

Here’s the official synopsis for Alien: Earth:

When a mysterious space vessel crash-lands on Earth, a young woman (Sydney Chandler) and a ragtag group of tactical soldiers make a fateful discovery that puts them face-to-face with the planet’s greatest threat.

If this series is in continuity with the films, we can assume that the Xenomorphs don’t take actually over the Earth and turn it into a breeding ground. Also, we can assume that Weyland-Yutani keeps their existence a secret from the masses. The series takes place in the year 2092, so about 30 years before Ellen Ripley and the crew of the Nostromo answer a distress call from the planet LV-426. We’re eager to see how it all fits together in the larger tapestry of the Alien saga.

FX Networks

They’ve been teasing Xenomorphs on Earth since the first teaser trailer for Alien 3 in 1991. After they released that teaser, however, the studio went in another direction for the film. Now, we’ll see them on terra firma at last. Alien: Earth stars Syndney Chandler, Alex Lawther, Timothy Olyphant, Essie Davis, Samuel Blenkin, Babou Ceesay, David Rysdahl, Adrian Edmondson, Adarsh Gourav, Jonathan Ajayi, Erana James, Lily Newmark, Diem Camille and Moe Bar-El. Right now, the show is scheduled to premiere sometime in 2025 on FX.

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THE WALKING DEAD: DARYL DIXON Season Three Adds New Cast Members

The Walking Dead is over but, as we know, the end of the flagship series that’s been in fans’ hearts for over a decade doesn’t mean this world is done. The show already has six spinoff series: Fear the Walking Dead, Tales of the Walking Dead, The Walking Dead: World Beyond, The Walking Dead: Dead City, The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live, and The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon. Most of them are completed; however, there’s a couple that are continuing this franchise with more seasons.

While The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live gave Rick and Michonne Grimes a happy reunion with their kids, other major characters’ new adventures are just beginning. Daryl Dixon is coming back for a second and third season of his spinoff series. And Maggie and Negan will come back in 2025 for more NYC chaos.

The second season of Daryl’s show is nearly here but there’s already news about the next season. We know that production will take place in Madrid, which means our crossbow carrying hero and his brave bestie Carol are heading to Spain. Production is underway and there are several new cast members joining The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon in season three in 2025. Eduardo Noriega, Óscar Jaenada, and Alexandra Masangkay will join the cast as series regulars. Candela Saitta and Hugo Arbués will appear in recurring roles.

Additionally, the synopsis reveals that Carol and Daryl will indeed find each other in season two.

Season three follows Daryl Dixon and Carol Peletier as they continue their journey to somehow return home and to the ones they love.  As they struggle to find their way back, the path takes them farther astray, leading them through distant lands with ever-changing and unfamiliar conditions as they witness the various effects of the Walker apocalypse.

Jump To: The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon – The Book of Carol // The Walking Dead: Dead City S2 // TWD Crossover Event

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon Season Two – “The Book of Carol” Is Coming in September

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon is gearing up for season two and confirmed season three. But it seems the series might get a fourth round, according to Norman Reedus during a RadioTimes interview. “We’re about to start seasons 3 and possibly 4 in Spain,” he said. “I think I’m allowed to say that. I don’t know. I just said it. But I think we’re going to Spain, to Madrid, for that.”

Season two will release on September 29 with the first of six episodes. It is time to see what Carol will do and we get a taste of it in the official trailer:

Here are some images to get you ready for Caryl action:

AMC AMC

You can check out The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon‘s season two teaser below.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, showrunner David Zabel gave fans more insight into season two. He reveals that the Nest is a prominent location in season two and Carol’s previous comment about some mystery person coming back will come into play. “There’s also another clue… this moment in the radio call in episode 5 where she talks about something or someone having come back,” said Zabel. “And the impression we get, and Daryl also gets, is that something’s a little off for her, something’s wrong. And so that’s going to also function into the story for Carol in season 2.”

The Walking Dead: Dead City Season Two Will Arrive in 2025

While this universe is trucking along with Daryl’s adventures, things are slower for Dead City. We’ve known that a second season was coming for a while but didn’t know the release window until now. We will get season two in 2025. Season 1 ended with Maggie trading Negan to get her son Herschel back. Now, Negan is working for The Dama, a dangerous leader in NYC. This next chapter will presumably focus on her organization and Negan’s attempts to escape… if he even wants to do that. Negan no longer has his family and really has no friends either, so he might as well crank up the evil again, right? Well that’s exactly what seems to be the case in the above Dead City season two trailer.

These first-look season two photos bring us right back into the grittiness of this series:

Click To View Gallery AMC AMC AMC AMC

Here’s a synopsis for Dead City‘s second season:

In season two, in the growing war for control of Manhattan, Maggie and Negan find themselves trapped on opposite sides. As their paths intertwine, they come to see that the way out for both is more complicated and harrowing than they ever imagined.

Anywho, season two will bring new faces into the mix. Deadline reports that Sons of Anarchy alum Kim Coates will join Dead City‘s cast as Bruegel, the leader of a fierce NYC gang.There are also a few other new cast members joining The Walking Dead: Dead City in season two. I particularly love Dascha Polanco.

Keir Gilchrist (Atypical, It Follows), in the role of “Benjamin Pierce”Dascha Polanco (Orange Is the New Black, Poker Face), in the role of “Major Lucia Narvaez”Jake Weary (Oh, Canada, How to Blow Up a Pipeline), in the role of “Christos”Pooya Mohseni (Law & Order: SVU, See You Then), in the role of “Roksana”

Welcome to the Concrete Jungle! Meet the newest cast members of #DeadCity. pic.twitter.com/gmPK92xIV2

— The Walking Dead (@WalkingDead_AMC) July 26, 2024

The Walking Dead‘s Potential Spinoff Crossover Event and The Ones Who Live‘s Future

As fans know, Rick Grimes was supposed to get three movies, but now it is the limited series alongside Michonne. The Ones Who Live is meant to wrap up their storylines; however, Gimple says there might be more story to tell. “Anything is possible…,” he said to Deadline. “We’re focused on this one right now. But this one came together in a really amazing way, where there were all sorts of plans. And then the world changed and we altered those plans.”

AMC Networks

We obviously know now (and honestly always knew) that Rick did not die in his spinoff. He got to reunite with Judith and meet Rick, Jr., but there are so many reunions that need to happen. Morgan is out there looking for Rick, Daryl will eventually return to the US, and there’s the rest of his found family back home. All signs seem to be pointing to a crossover event, which Gimple wants to happen.

“I do have dreams of merging this all together, and I have laid little breadcrumbs toward that, but you never know exactly when and how [it will come together], because of a variety of reasons,” he told TVLine. As long as The Walking Dead franchise is getting money and attention from fans, it will surely keep making more spinoff content. That’s fine with us but please, please don’t follow the comics and kill Rick Grimes if you bring him back in the future.

With Norman Reedus wanting to play Daryl Dixon for several more years, it wouldn’t be shocking if he crossed into some future spinoff series. I wouldn’t mind a Daryl and Connie miniseries. Perhaps he will somehow come across Maggie and/or Negan in their show. Or, maybe he will be the gateway to introduce us to a new character to follow. A crossover event would likely put him front and center as one of this universe’s leading men.

A lot is happening in The Walking Dead universe and there will surely be more details about other spinoffs if they happen. There’s plenty left to explore in the land of the dead, so let’s keep walking right towards these spinoffs.

Jump To: The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon – The Book of Carol // The Walking Dead: Dead City S2 // TWD Crossover Event

Originally published on April 7, 2022.

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THE FRONT ROOM’s Brandy Norwood and Kathryn Hunter on the Horror Film’s Hellish Themes

A24’s The Front Room is a marriage of fairytale tropes like the evil stepmother with the horror fare of religious zealotry that can turn bloody. The Front Room follows Belinda—played by Brandy Norwood in her first return to horror since I Still Know What You Did Last Summer—who is expecting a baby with her spouse Norman (Andrew Burlap). Things aren’t quite what Belinda wants them to be in terms of work and getting their house ready for their bundle of joy. And it gets much, much worse when Norman’s estranged (and racist) stepmom Solange (Kathryn Hunter) moves in and begins to cause a ton of trouble. We spoke to Brandy Norwood and Kathryn Hunter about The Front Room‘s themes, character building, and more. 

A24

Nerdist: This question is for both of you. When you first got the script for The Front Room, what aspects of the film made you want to be a part of it? 

Brandy Norwood: I thought the script was amazing and I loved my character. I felt like it was a role that could really push me and expand my acting, and I wanted to see if I could pull something like that off. And I haven’t been into the horror genre in a long time, so I thought that it was a perfect way to get back into it. 

Kathryn Hunter: When my agent said “It’s a horror movie,” I went, “Oh, no.” Then I read it and it kind of escaped all the clichés of horror. It’s a story about family, about social, political, and racial issues. The horror is vested in those things rather than slashing off noses and fingers. This is an adaptation of the original Susan Hill story, which is itself wonderful, but what [directors/writers] Max and Sam [Eggers] have achieved in the adaptation is really brilliant… I think their work is absolutely astonishing. The characters are so detailed… I mean, Solange just leapt off the page. 

The characters are absolutely engaging. Brandy, you mentioned that The Front Room is your first time returning to horror in a really long time. What was this experience like, especially playing someone who is so starkly different from Karla Wilson in I Still Know What You Did Last Summer? 

Norwood: I did a lot of work on my role. I worked with [an acting] coach and I was surrounded by an amazing cast. I feel like Kathryn Hunter brought out the best in me! I never knew what she was going to do in any particular part of the scenes, so I had to stay on my toes and react and stay very present. And Sam and Max [Eggers] made the environment and the atmosphere a place where I can feel free to try to do different things. 

Absolutely. I find Solange to be so chilling, Kathryn. I know you build a character from what’s on the script page, but where else did you draw from when creating her persona? 

Hunter: Max and Sam shared that their grandfather came to stay with them when they were in their teens. And so a lot was based on that relationship with this person who was suffering from getting old, who was magnificent in some ways, and completely terrifying in other ways. So it was listening to those stories. Throughout my life, I’ve had quite close relationships with older people, too. The whole kind of religious and racist thing was something I had to explore and that was very challenging… It seems, unfortunately, extremely relevant now. 

That is a sad truth. There are a lot of relevant themes in this movie, like motherhood and wild religious beliefs. But this film also explores the unequal labor that gets forced upon and expected of women in the household. Can you all talk more about how The Front Room tackles this in a compelling way? 

A24

Norwood: Belinda automatically feels as though she has to accommodate Solange and to take care of her, to provide a space for her to feel comfortable. And you find her being manipulated and used, and it is a battle and a fight. In every scene, she’s like “I’m fighting for my life, for my integrity, for my dignity.” She’s trying to not disrespect Solange and make her feel like she is a part of the family. 

Hunter: The role of caretaker is taken by Belinda because that’s how she is as a person, but also perhaps because it’s a default position with women. So eventually when Belinda comes to free herself of that and says, “I am a mother, but my vocation is in teaching,” we absolutely salute that and it’s a huge catharsis. Did you feel that liberation?

Yes, absolutely. And that’s not the only catharsis that happens in this film. We get a twist that many won’t necessarily expect. What revelations do you hope fans come away with after seeing that moment and this film? 

Norwood: I hope they feel liberated. I hope they enjoy the film and find the horror and comedy in it. I want them to see a strong woman fighting for her life, fighting for her freedom, and fighting for her family and just knowing that she can do anything, but she’s not going to put up with everything. 

A24

Indeed. What does The Front Room bring to this very varied and exciting current horror landscape? 

Hunter: I think it’s absolutely extraordinary and brilliant the way Max and Sam have calibrated the tone. You get scared and then you’re disarmed because it has resonances with all sorts of family situations that we’ve all been in… I think it is absolutely unique and genius. 

When it comes to horror, the Eggers Brothers create those tonal shifts, but it doesn’t feel chaotic or uneven. They just kind of ebb and flow right into each other really well! One more fun question for you, Brandy. Would Karla or Belinda win in a fight? 

Norwood: I think Belinda would win! Karla was facing hooks and chains, but Belinda was facing the possession of the Holy Spirit. That’s different.

See if Brandy can proudly proclaim that “The house is mine!” when The Front Room hits theaters on September 6.

The post THE FRONT ROOM’s Brandy Norwood and Kathryn Hunter on the Horror Film’s Hellish Themes appeared first on Nerdist.

The 10 Greatest TEEN TITANS Comic Book Runs, Ranked

Since the 1960s, the Teen Titans, often just referred to these days as the Titans, have been a staple of DC Comics. In fact, they were once DC’s best-selling monthly title, even outselling Batman and Justice League. They’ve gone on to star in three animated series, a live-action show, and soon, a movie in James Gunn’s DCU. But with 17 different series featuring these iconic young heroes, which ones are the best of the best? We’ve narrowed down their greatest and most influential comic book series over the past six decades.

DC Comics10. Teen Titans by Bob Rozakiswith Irv Novick, Don Heck, José DelboDC Comics

The original Teen Titans series, which began in the ‘60s, ran out of steam and ended up cancelled in 1973;’s issue #43. But DC decided to try again in 1976, with a relaunched title by writer Bob Rozakis, picking up at issue #44. Now, these comics are definitely of their time. It had the Titans running a disco called “Gabriel’s Horn,” and Speedy in a rock band called The Great Frog. They also fought ridiculous villains like the Rocket Rollers, that cashed-in on popular trends at the time like skateboarding. But to writer Bob Rozakis’ credit, this run on Teen Titans elevated the female heroes more than the previous run did. That counts for something.

Also on the plus side, this run introduced new characters like the Joker’s Daughter and Bumblebee, DC’s first African-American superheroine. Both characters are still around in new and improved forms today. The concept of a Titans West spin-off team was born in this run too, years before Marvel did their own West Coast Avengers. Yes, the dialogue is kind of cringe throughout this run, and the artwork is not always that great. But this very brief era of Teen Titans is fun and charming regardless. For the Teen Titans, however, it was the third time that proved to be the charm. But we’ll get to that.

9. New Titans by Marv Wolfmanwith George Pérez, Tom GrummettDC Comics

In many ways, this is an extension of Marv Wolfman’s earlier New Teen Titans run. But since the series got a title change, we’re counting it as its own distinct era. In 1988, New Teen Titans needed a bit of a kick in the pants. So DC decided to let the now-adult heroes drop the “Teen” from their name, and rebranded as The New Titans. After an absence of several years, New Teen Titans co-creator George Pérez returned, to reimagine the origin of Wonder Girl for a post-Crisis era. They followed that epic up with a Batman crossover which introduced the third Robin, Tim Drake, into the DC mythos, called “A Lonely Place of Dying.”

When Pérez left after a year, Wolfman teamed up with an up-and-coming artist named Tom Grummett. Their year-long saga “Titans Hunt” saw all of the team captured by the Wildebeest Society. Only Nightwing manages to escape. So Dick Grayson has to put together a new group of misfits to find his missing comrades. This run is very soapy, with twists and shocks and character deaths in each issue. And it was fun as hell to read month-to-month. After “Titans Hunt,” things got very sloppy, leading to New Titans‘ eventual cancellation in 1995. But from ’88-’92, Marv Wolfman proved that after a decade on Titans, he could still do some darn good, meant n’ potatoes comic book yarn spinning.

Issues in Marv Wolfman’s New Titans Run:

New Titans #50-130 (1988-1995)

8. Titans by Tom Taylorwith Nicola Scott, Lucas MeyerDC Comics

It’s hard to know what the final ranking for this series is, if only because it’s still running. But we’re pretty confident in placing writer Tom Taylor’s current Titans run in this spot, even though it’s not finished yet. After the events of Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths, the Justice League disbanded. As a result, Superman left the Earth in charge of the Titans for protection, believing it was finally their time to shine. Tom Taylor first proved he understood Dick Grayson as a character in his Nightwing run. Now, he proves he understands his best friends as well with this current series.

Among the great stories so far in this run include Beast World. Last year’s crossover event saw Beast Boy weaponized against the Earth, and the resulting public turn against the Titans. Also, Raven’s current turn to the dark side is providing for some fun reading. (Even if this storyline has kind of been done to death already). The initial art by Nicola Scott is gorgeous, as are the pencils from follow-up regular artist Lucas Meyer. With Taylor wrapping up his writing duties on Titans this fall, it’s ultimately a far too brief run. But one worth mentioning.

Issues in Tom Taylor’s Titans Run:

Titans (vol. 4) #1-15 (2023-2024)

7. The Titans by Devin Grayson, James M. Faerber, Tom Peyerwith Mark Buckingham, Paul Pelletier, Barry Kitson, Adam DeKraker, Peter GrauDC Comics

After a chilly reception to a rebooted Teen Titans series by Dan Jurgens in 1996 with all new characters, DC decided to go back to basics. After Grant Morrison’s massively successful JLA relaunch, the company reunited the original five Titans, now all adults with new codenames. Writer Devin Grayson took the original five members and brought back Starfire and Cyborg from New Teen Titans, Jesse Quick from Mark Waid’s Flash comics, the teen hero Damage, and Argent, from Dan Jurgens’ previous and little-loved Teen Titans run. Somehow, this hodgepodge team mostly worked.

Devin Grayson got the family dynamic right off the bat, writing the core five heroes as people who literally grew up together. They also integrated well with the newer generation of heroes, even if stalwarts like Raven and Beast Boy were very missed. Some of the villains introduced in this series, like the group Tartarus, should still be around (others, like the Marilyn Manson lookalike named Goth, can stay in 1999). The artwork from pencilers like Mark Buckingham were not often flashy, but always solid. After Grayson left, writers Jay Faerber and Tom Peyer continued her storylines. Overall, this was a fun run that really cemented the Titans as adult heroes in their own right, something that continues to this day.

Issues in Devin Grayson, Jay Faerber, and Tom Peyer’s The Titans Run:

JLA/Titans: The Technic Imperative #1-3 (1998) The Titans #1-50 (1999-2003)

6. Teen Titans by Benjamin Percywith Jonboy Meyers, Khoi Pham, Scott EatonDC Comics

The New 52 era rebooted the Teen Titans as kind of extreme, ‘90s-style versions of the characters, making them almost unrecognizable to fans. When the classic DC continuity returned in 2016’s DC Rebirth era, DC relaunched the team yet again, only with a Robin who had never been a Titan before—-Batman’s son, Damian Wayne. Robin recruits a team that, at least superficially, resembled that animated Teen Titans TV series roster. Only difference, Kid Flash Wallace West replaced Cyborg, who was in the Justice League.

Damian Wayne needed a new Titans roster to fight his grandfather, Ra’s al Ghul, and his lethal League of Assassins. Benjamin Percy writes an appropriately cocky Damian, who despite being much younger than his teammates, always thinks he knows better than they do. His learning to truly appreciate working and relying on others is a highlight of this version of the Titans. The artwork from pencilers Jonboy Meyers, and later, Khoi Pham and Scott Eaton, was modern and dynamic. The book eventually ran out of steam, but it’s one of the better modern Teen Titans series.

Issues in Benjamin Percy’s Teen Titans Run:

Teen Titans: Rebirth #1, Teen Titans (vol. 5) #1-19 (2016-2018)

5. Teen Titans Academy by Tim Sheridan with Rafa Sandoval, Steve Lieber, and Tom DerenickDC Comics

This was a very brief and fairly recent run, one that went under the radar, written by Alan Scott: Green Lantern writer Tim Sheridan. And it certainly wasn’t celebrated nearly enough. In Teen Titans Academy, the now-adult ’80s Titans members decided to train the next generation of younger heroes, and turn Titan’s Tower into a school, the Roy Harper Academy, named for the then-dead founding Titan Arsenal. (He’s much better now). Yes, it’s very X-Men as a concept. But at the time, the school aspect of X-Men had been dropped, so this filled a niche. The book focused on teen heroes with names like Megabrat and Gorilla Greg, with the adult faculty taking more of a backseat.

The ongoing mystery of the series, just what was the true identity of the mysterious student Red X, never really sticks the landing. Still, it was so fun to see these younger student characters refer to their teachers as “Mr. Nightwing” and “Ms. Starfire,” etc. The series ended prematurely with the school burned to the ground, and all of the students leaving. But someone needs to revisit this concept at some point. (It’s also odd the adult Titans have seemingly forgotten they ever tried to run a school in their new series). We hope more fans discover this hidden gem of a Titans series in the future.

Issues in Tim Sheridan’s Teen Titans Academy Run:

Teen Titans Academy #1-15, Teen Titans Academy 2012 Yearbook (2021-2022)

4. Young Justice by Peter Davidwith Todd NauckDC Comics

Ok, this is technically not a Teen Titans book. But only technically. In the late ’90s, Incredible Hulk writer Peter David and artist Todd Nauck were tasked with giving the new generation of teen sidekicks like Robin (Tim Drake), Superboy (Conner Kent), Impulse (Bart Allen), and Wonder Girl (Cassie Sandsmark) their own series. DC considered the name “Teen Titans” toxic at the time, thanks to the previous few years of failed attempts at launching a new series, so they received a new name—Young Justice. But different name or not this was essentially the Teen Titans in everything but name. The core four eventually added new members, like The Secret, and Arrowette.

Young Justice operated out of the Justice League’s old mountain base. There, they found a mentor in the android JLA member, the Red Tornado. This series had the traditional mix of humor, soapy drama, and adventure that Peter David was known for in series like X-Factor for Marvel. Todd Nauck’s art was wonderfully whimsical, and actually made the kids look like, well, kids. And fans ate it up. The series ran a respectable 53 issues with this creative team, and it remains beloved to this day. Another reason we feel comfortable regarding this as a Teen Titans series? All the members went on to become the core of the Teen Titans in the 2003 revival just a few years later.

Issues in Peter David’s Young Justice Run:

Young Justice #1-53 (1998-2003)

3. Teen Titans by Bob Haneywith Nick Cardy, Sheldon Moldoff, Irv Novick, George Tuska, Neal AdamsDC Comics

One of comics’ longest-running teams started off as not much more than a gimmick. “What if the Justice League’s kid sidekicks formed their own group?” DC teamed up Robin, Kid Flash. and Aqualad for an adventure in a 1964’s The Brave and the Bold #54, and its sales justified a spin-off team. In 1965, Teen Titans launched, written by their creator Bob Haney. The three boys teamed up with Wonder Girl, and eventually, Green Arrow’s partner Speedy, as DC’s “Fab Five.” This was smack in the middle of the Batman ’66 era, and Teen Titans piggybacked off that success. They even got a short-lived cartoon a mere few years after their first issue hit stands.

The original Teen Titans stories are very silly, generally revolving around the Titans just hanging out in their HQ, hassling each other in a typical teenage way, and having one-off adventures. The middle-aged writers trying to write the youth lingo of the era comes across as painful, probably even at the time. There are a lot of “Daddy-O’s” and such. They were so ’60s, they even fought a villain called “Mad Mod.” The artwork, usually by Nick Cardy, pales in comparison to what Marvel was doing at the time. But it gets the job done. The Titans never called each other by their real names, had any real problems, and “character development” was non-existent. But it had a fun energy to it that was undeniable, and its light tone later informed the very successful Teen Titans animated series.

Issues in Bob Haney’s Teen Titans Run:

Teen Titans (vol. 1) #1-43 (1965-1973)

2. Teen Titans by Geoff Johnswith Mike McKone, Tony Daniel, Tom GrummettDC Comics

After their triumphant ‘80s run, the Titans as a concept fell on hard times. A 1996 reboot didn’t find any traction, and the adult 1999 The Titans series run didn’t exactly set sales records either. But with an animated series on the horizon in 2003, DC decided to reboot the concept for comics with writer Geoff Johns and artist Mike McKone. In what would become a Geoff Johns trademark as a writer, especially on Green Lantern, he celebrated DC’s rich history and forged a new future for the franchise at the same time. Teen Titans vol. 3 was a very big success, reviving the franchise in a big way.

The members of Young Justice graduated at last to Teen Titans status. Meanwhile, several members of Wolfman and Pérez’s team were now the older mentors. This fusing of two eras worked like gangbusters. Johns added new layers to characters like Superboy Conner Kent, and he grew up the immature speedster Impulse into Kid Flash. He also re-established Deathstroke as the Titans’ greatest enemy, and created a link between the Titan’s nemesis Brother Blood and team member Raven. While the first couple of years remain the book’s peak, when penciler Mike McKone was mostly drawing it, Johns’ entire fifty-issue run gets what makes the Teen Titans tick more than almost any other.

Issues in Geoff Johns’ Teen Titans Run:

Teen Titans (vol. 3) #1-50, (2003-2007)

1. The New Teen Titans by Marv Wolfmanwith George Pérez, Eduardo Baretto, José Luis García-López, Chuck PattonDC Comics

The New Teen Titans by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez, not only rescued the franchise, it helped rescue DC Comics overall. After a middling attempt at a revival in the late ‘70s, DC hired Marvel creators Marv Wolfman and George Pérez to relaunch the title a third time. They took the X-Men approach to this reboot—keep a few key characters from the previous run (Robin, Wonder Girl, and Kid Flash) and introduce vibrant new heroes like Raven, Cyborg, and Starfire. They even took a forgotten hero named Beast Boy and made him the comic relief of the team as Changeling. Thanks to more serious storytelling, real pathos for the characters, and stunning art for Pérez, The series was a runaway hit, infusing DC with a Marvel-esque storytelling that outsold every other comic at DC at the time, five-to-one.

During this era, Wolfman and Pérez introduced iconic villains Deathstroke, and Trigon, and they transformed Robin from a joke “kid sidekick in peril” character into Nightwing, an adult hero in his own right, not just Batman’s junior partner. Their two-year storyline “The Judas Contract” saw the introduction of Terra, a young female hero who ultimately betrayed the team and broke their hearts. It remains one of superhero storytelling’s fines arcs. Perez’s art was detailed and incredible, doing career-best work here, elevating the artform. Because of this success, DC launched a second monthly book, Tales of the Teen Titans. DC eventually gave Wolfman and Pérez allowed them to reboot the DC universe in Crisis on Infinite Earths. And the rest, as they say, is history. But it wouldn’t have happened without the success of The New Teen Titans. Still, and probably always, the gold standard of Teen Titans series.

Issues in Marv Wolfman’s New Teen Titans Run:

New Teen Titans (vol. 1) #1-40, Tales of the Teen Titans #41-59, Tales of the New Teen Titans #1-4, New Teen Titans (vol. 2) #1-49 (1980-1988) New Teen Titans: Games OGN (2005)

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THE RINGS OF POWER’s Benjamin Walker On High King Gil-galad’s Response to Coming War in Season 2

Darkness has its Lord in Sauron, but the elves have a High King of their own. He will lead them in the fight for Middle-earth’s soul. How will Gil-galad do that in season two on The Rings of Power after barely averting disaster in season one? Nerdist spoke to star Benjamin Walker ahead of the show’s second season at Prime Video about just that. We also asked about his wide-ranging career, how it prepared him to play one of J.R.R. Tolkien’s most famous leaders, the High King’s reaction to peace giving way to war, and more. 

Prime Video

Nerdist: Before we get to The Rings of Power season two, I want to go back because I have been fascinated by your career for a long time. It’s not even that you’ve worked with some really famous and talented actors and directors. It’s that you’ve played an incredibly wide range of parts across very different genres. Do you actively seek out such different parts? Or is that just sort of how things have fallen for you?

Benjamin Walker: There’s an element to every actor’s career that’s just dumb luck. But I am pretty picky. I kind of live by…I like to collect directors, just in my mind. I want to know how they do what they do and have the opportunity to. Because every time you work with a different director, it’s like a different vocabulary. It’s a different workflow. I really like jumping in between different ways of working. I kind of live by, “What am I going to learn? Is this going to make me better?”

For example, I just did a show in the West End with the director Ivo van Hove. He’s this Dutch avant-garde theater director where you make a film of play you’re doing. While you do the play that video is live projected behind you. And the narrative is often disjointed and confusing on purpose, but it illuminates something unique about the story you’re trying to tell because the audience kind of has to play catch up the entire time. That to me, doing something different every time, is important. It keeps the job fresh. It keeps your tools sharp. And it’s one of the biggest joys I find doing the job, being a collaborator with people you haven’t collaborated with.

The things I’m about to bring up, I bring up specifically because I like them and I especially like you in them. Just want you to know-

Walker: :laughs: Disclaimer, alert.

Well I just want to make sure, because I imagine a lot of people first remember you from Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.

Walker: Sure.

But then you followed that up with an HBO movie about the Supreme Court (Muhammad Ali’s Greatest Fight) and a Ron Howard film about a famous shipwreck (In the Heart of the Sea). Now you’re a famous Elf King on a Lord of the Ring series. How does playing Gil-galad compare to the many other types of roles you’ve had?

Walker: Oooh. I mean, certainly in terms of the scale, you talk about collaboration, the army of artists and craftspeople that are there to work with you and also support you, that’s been profound on this. That the size and scale of the show, by necessity, if you’re going to do Tolkien, that’s kind of the bare minimum of what it takes.

But, in some ways, now that I’m saying it, it feels a bit…for example, in the Ron Howard film, there were a few days where you’re exhausted, emaciated, and you’re just kind of stuck in a dinghy out in the ocean while (cinematographer) Anthony Dod Mantle has this handheld camera. And it’s like you’re doing almost a Guerrilla independent college film. Or it’s just some guys that have gotten together and they’re going to try and make this little story on this. That was an epic film, but in those moments, it feels very Guerrilla in that way.

We still have those moments on The Rings of Power. You walk into this massive sound stage where they’ve built the forest of Lindon, and you’ve got your ears glued on and you’re wearing a crown, and every leaf has been painted gold. But then you find yourself standing under a tree going, “Alright, but how do we milk every bit of magic out of this scene?” So in some ways the scale is different, the level of production is different, but if it’s good at its core, that’s what you try and do.

Prime Video

In addition to being wise and noble, the elves of Middle-earth are also smug. (Walker agrees) I believe that description definitely applies to Gil-galad. What’s the key to finding the balance between likable yet arrogant with the High King?

Walker: Oh that’s a great question. I think it comes from experience. His perceived smugness, especially in the second season, you’re going to start to see unravel a little bit because it’s one thing to have the experience to know the right move to make because you’ve done it before. But then inversely, when you have had that much experience, what’s the thing that makes you go, “I’ve never seen this before?”

So it’s important to lay in the foundation of the King that he has his hands on the wheel of peace time. But what does he become when peace time starts to slip away? In some ways, the first season is just laying the foundation for where we’re going throughout the course of the remaining seasons.

It’s like you anticipated my next question because in season one, he’s problem solving a desperate situation. But in season two, he’s confronted with the possibility that the cure could be worse than the disease. How does he deal with that and what’s the real driving factor behind his response to Sauron’s potential manipulation?

Walker: For the elves, it’s about the relationships among themselves and among the peoples and species of Middle-earth. You talk about smugness unraveling, with Elrond, for example, they have this great relationship, this kind of mentorship they have fostered. But you look at his relationship with Elrond and what does it mean for him to know that the person you’re mentoring is going to make a mistake. Is going to defy you. It’s almost like a parent-child relationship. A loving parent has to, at some point, let their child make a mistake. “Alright, you climbed up that tree. Now how are you going to get down?”

If every time they need to get out of the tree, you go pull ’em out, they don’t know how to climb trees. You’ve deprived them of that. And I think that’s something that Gil-galad does well, actually, but is also frustrating and costly.

Prime Video

I was going to ask you about your relationship with the other Elf leaders. There’s also Galadriel, Celebrimbor, Círdan. All of them look up to the High King, but they also answer to him. You talked about Elrond, but how would you define your relationship with the rest of them?

Walker: Galadriel and I have a fraught relationship to be sure. On paper, other than the hierarchy that the elves really respect, on paper we are equals. And for those that really know the book, technically she’s older than I am. So that is a recipe for disaster. But they also admire each other in that she often pushes the King and he often needs to pull her back. They need each other in order to be a successful people.

And Celebrimbor, he does something that no other creature has ever done, which is to harness the power of his smithing artistry. He, in some ways, is the pivotal character in all of Tolkien. If he were terrible at making rings, you wouldn’t have much of a story. And there’s a level of respect there that they share, but also they’re playing with technology that nobody fully understands. It’s a bit “Oppenheimer” of Tolkien. That moment of, “I think we can do this. Should we?” And they don’t fully understand what they’re doing.

What’s great about all the High Elves is that they’re in, some ways, the most capable characters in Middle-earth, but also the most fallible. That’s a testament to Tolkien, and, I hope, to what we’re doing with the show.

Prime Video

We know the High King’s fate in this story. Does any part of you keep that in mind so you can sort of reverse engineer how he gets to that point? Or do you simply try to stay centered on exactly where he is at this in the story right now,

Walker: It’s helpful for you as the actor to know. A production of Macbeth where Macbeth knows he’s going to die is not a good production. He has to have hope. But that’s also unique about the Elves in general. How do they live this long? Survive such death and destruction and boredom and misery, but still have hope? That’s unique and part of the fun to know the end of the story and then forget it. And in the pursuit of that hope you help the audience forget it.

What have you learned about Gil-galad after two seasons that has surprised you?

Walker: About how him losing his cool manifests itself. The elves don’t really lose their cool, but if there’s ever a time to lose your cool, it’s when evil has resurfaced and you’ve told all of your lieutenants the right thing to do and they didn’t do it. Part of the fun of Gil-galad is, like we said earlier, this kind of smug peace time consigliere. But what does it look like when he casts off his robes and goes, “Okay, all you guys to your rooms, I’m pulling this car over.” That’s part of the fun. What happens when they’re ready to kick some ass.

Prime Video

What are you most excited for fans to see this season?

Walker: If you know the books, you know it’s about to get really messy.

Also…how do I word this without getting in trouble…

In the books, the elves and music have such a deep relationship. About every two seconds they’re staring into a pool of water and singing to the Valar. It is nice that our show is accepting that and using that. And that we have such great musical team like Bear (McCreary).

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New AGATHA ALL ALONG Teaser May Have Revealed Who Joe Locke’s Character Really Is

The latest trailer for Agatha All Along shows Kathryn Hahn’s titular witch breaking free of the spell Wanda Maximoff put her under in the finale of WandaVision. And judging from the newest teaser, it seems Heartstopper star Joe Locke’s mysterious character, only confirmed as “Teen” in official materials, is the one who breaks the Scarlet Witch’s. But his doing so has led to further speculation as to who he’s actually playing. Watch the new trailer for Agatha All Along down below, and then we’ll unpack that big clue.

As we can see in the trailer, Joe Locke’s character is something of a fanboy of witches. Also, a novice magic user himself. He discovers who Agatha Harkness really is, and breaks her from Wanda’s spell. When Agatha asks what this boy’s name is, a stylized squiggly pattern appears over his mouth. A pattern that looks to be the letters “W” and “V.” Yes, as in WandaVision. It also might be a very stylish “M,” as in “Maximoff.” This adds juice to the speculation that his character is none other than Billy Kaplan, a.k.a. Wiccan of the Young Avengers. A character who just so happens to be one of the twin sons of Wanda Maximoff and the Vision.

Marvel Studios/Marvel Comics

So how can this teenage boy be Wanda’s son Billy? Wasn’t he only a little kid the last time we saw him a couple of years ago? And wasn’t he a kid who never really existed in the first place? Well, let’s put on our tin foil caps. Wanda created her children Billy and Tommy within the Hex and they seemingly dissipated when it came down. But that doesn’t mean their souls were destroyed. We believe that somehow, the soul of Billy Maximoff found a new home, in the body of teenager Billy Kaplan. Perhaps Kaplan died and Billy Maximoff’s soul “moved in,” so to speak, and doesn’t even know who he really is. He would still retain Billy Kaplan’s memories. This is just speculation, but this is the easiest explanation for how Joe Locke can be the future Young Avenger.

Agatha All Along drops its first two episodes on Disney+ on September 18.

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THE RINGS OF POWER’s Maxim Baldry on Isildur’s Journey in Season 2 and Beyond

Few men of Middle-earth have ever left a more complicated legacy behind than Isildur. Fans of The Lord of the Rings know why. As does The Rings of Powers‘ Maxim Baldry, who plays a younger version of the character on the show. What’s it like playing such an important figure from J.R.R. Tolkien’s legendary story? How will things change for Isildur in season two of the show? And what’s it like building a meaningful human/elf relationship? We asked Baldry about all of that and more when we spoke to him ahead of the show’s return on Prime Video.

Prime Video

Nerdist: I’ve done so many of these interviews over the last two days I am now in my head with how to properly say the names of every character. It’s so intimidating because obviously all of you know how to say them perfectly.

Maxim Baldry: Well we’ve lived with them for a while now. I was speaking with someone today about this. We got the job five years ago, and it’s insane to think how quickly time moves. We were talking about what kind of characters we would love to be, and I think I said an elf, just to be able to see time pass in a way that stresses me out. Whereas, for (elves), they’d be able to be slightly more detached from it and see it things come and go. It’d be quite a beautiful experience.

The season opens with you believed dead and abandoned in Middle-earth, which is a pretty big change from where you were last year when you’re mostly in Númenor . What was it like playing the character under such drastically different circumstances this time?

Baldry: I loved it. Isildur lends himself to being thrown around in the mud. He’s a physical character. It’s important to have all of that, to influence and maybe make light of why he chooses to not throw the ring into the fire. That’s what all of these early seasons are about. For him, it’s very exploratory, it’s world-building, it’s understanding who he really is rather than what he does.

And fighting Shelob is just an extension of this whole season for him. It’s a story of survival. Not only is he abandoned by Númenor and left to fend for himself, he also has to survive. He’s thrown into the world of adulthood when he’s out there. He kind of entered as a boy into Middle-earth and is now learning pretty fast that he has to grow up, he has to fend for himself, he has to learn to survive.

So that is Shelob you fight in episode three?

Baldry: In episode three, it’s Shelob. It’s baby Shelob.

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You touched on my next question a little bit, because every Lord of the Rings fan, whether they are book readers or moviegoers, know Isildor’s ultimate fate. With each season and episode bringing you closer and closer to that moment, does the knowledge of where he is going to end up influence your choices as a performer at all? Do you try to reverse engineer versus focusing solely on where he is in his life right now?

Baldry: My instinctive reaction was to reverse engineer and (showrunners) Patrick and J.D. sat me down and were like, “We know the end point, but let’s just play here and let’s really create who he is as a person.” I think we did a really good job with season one, because you’re thrown into this family dynamic of a broken one. They’re missing the mother. They’re all grieving in their own respective ways. And Isildur’s fractured relationship with his father never really resolves up until the last scene in episode seven where they have this touching moment and understand their mother’s influence on each other.

Thinking to the end is almost the wrong way of looking at it. Which is what I wanted to do. I’ve always been like, okay, “But he ends there, so how…?” But it’s actually about, “Let’s create this character. We know that he comes from a broken family. We know that he wants more. He’s driven and he’s ambitious.”

What’s more interesting is the ambition that he has in him. On one hand, it can make him resilient on one hand, can propel him to these new extremes of being able to survive, being able to fend off evil. But then it could be a double-edged sword later on. That ambition could also be used in ways that….and I’m just throwing things out here and speculating…but it could be when he takes the ring, it could be, “I’ve lost so much that I will do good with this. I am so ambitious and driven that I know I’ll be able to withstand this evil.”

Obviously it ends up corrupting him. But there are so many ways to play him and  all of the experiences that he has in season 1, 2, 3 will shed light on who he is as a person and will actually inform the later decision that he makes.

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I asked you about your choices as a performer, but personally…and maybe this is a loaded word…are you ever intimidated by who you are playing?

Baldry: Hell yeah. When was first told, Patrick and J.D. sat me down on a Zoom call before I went to New Zealand. And they were like, “We just want to let you know who you’re playing. You’re playing Isildur. And they took off a ring. My instinctive response was, “Holy sh….”

There’s a weight of expectation because a lot of fans have an idea of who he is to them and what he represents to them. I did a lot of reading and I did a lot of digging as to who he really is, but we don’t really know that much. We know what he does, but you don’t really know who this character is, what motivates him, what is his relationship look like with Elendil.

This was all world-building that Patrick and J.D. crafted. And I’m very grateful to them because they’re very collaborative in their approach to creating these characters. They like our input. And I’ve lived with the character a lot longer than they’ve actually lived with Isildur now. So they do value my opinion. I think that’s so wonderful, to wake up at 3:00 AM when you’re in the makeup trailer and you are pinning your eyes open and yet you know that your opinion and your voice is heard.

It’s a wonderful place to work at, because I think great things happen because of collaboration. We all put so much time and effort into it. And we truly have a love for Tolkien. So it’s a fantastic place to work and I think we do it justice. I really truly think so, because our intentions are firstly to respect the works of Tolkien that we all grew up loving. And secondly, to create a compelling story that inspires a new generation of Tolkien lovers.

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Speaking of your story this season, there’s a brewing partnership between Isildur and Arondir.  What can you tell us about their relationship in season two?

Baldry: They’re unexpected. They meet in unexpected circumstance, ad they have a real profound respect for one another. Elves have always infatuated Isildur. There’s a kinship to his Elvin history as a Númenorian audience. So when he meets Arondir in such close proximity, they just instantly gravitate towards each other. Isildur learns so much about resilience from Arondir, who has withstood so much. (Arondir) has grown and he’s kept himself together, he’s shown up for everyone in the southlands. To Theo with his grief with Bronwyn. And Isuldur, with Arondir, he’s taking notes. He’s like, “Oh, I see how to do this.”

That’s a nice relationship for Isildur to have because he doesn’t really have anyone like that back home. He’s sort of been alone. And he’s learning that bond and community is very important. That’s what drives him to really reevaluate his relationship with his home.

Did you look at other human/elf partnerships in Tolkien stories to help understand how you might feel and interact with him?

Baldry: I thought of Aragon and Legolas in a weird way, because obviously Isildur and Aragon are connected. That’s quite a nice relationship, in a way, that they sort of have a respect for each other. They’re both kind of similar in the way that they’re both physical, but in very different ways. But that’s kind of the extent of my thinking of elves and human partnerships.

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What did you take from that, if that’s the one that stands out to you? In what ways does it influence what we’ll see with Isildur and Arondir this year?

Baldry: What we also developed was a sort of look that we wanted to give each other, in the way that Legolas has a very strong gaze. Aragorn was a little bit more malleable, but we wanted to have a moment of stillness between all this chaos. So we’d do this thing where, whenever a situation would happen, we’d look at each other and it would just be a gentle nod. It was just a wonderful moment of appreciating one another for what they’ve done, but also reserving each other with our emotions and actually without having to speak a lot.It’s all done in looks. That’s what a lovely relationship is like between an elf and a human. It’s all done in the look rather than with actual words and dialogue.

What did you learn about Isildur this season that you didn’t know or maybe fully appreciate before you filmed it?

Baldry: His resilience. That’s what I also connected with the most. It’s the fact that he shows up, continues. He pushes forward, and it’s the undercurrent of drive and ambition that I was talking about before. That resilience is also linked with that drive and ambition, which I think is a double-edged sword to him, but one that I’m very keen to explore further on down the line because I think personally he’s hardened by season two. He is blunter and more fanatical. It won’t surprise me if he becomes more of a mercenary. More of a warrior.

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This season introduces a new character, Astrid. Her motives and allegiances are not clear. Did the events of season one make Isildur do more discerning and wary about strangers? Or is he still just as trusting as before?

Baldry: Astrid is an enigmatic one because she has also lost a lot of things. She’s lost her whole family. And when she opens up to Isildur about this. Something in that response allows him to connect with her over a shared loss that they both feel. So it’s almost trauma bonding, in a way. But obviously it’s deeper and profound.

What I love about that is that it’s not superfluous love at first sight. It’s deep. It’s a Tolkienian connection in the way that Aragon falls in love with Arwen. I’ts not just a facade. There’s something deeper. It’s rooted in something in the cosmos. Isildur is one of those people. He feels a kinship towards her and their relationship sort of blossoms from a shared loss. And what she will present to him is another case of him having to decide whether or not his love for her is stronger than his love for Númenor. So season two poses him this dilemma. Does he choose his heart or does he choose his home? Or are they inextricably linked? Should she be his wife?

There are a lot of questions. Those are the sort of questions that make Tolkien so fascinating to so many people. Because they connect with those feelings of being human. Even though you’re in a fantasy world, even though you’re escaping into this Middle-earth, they still resonate. They still pull on your heartstrings. That’s what I love about it.

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It’s clear you have a reverence for Tolkien. What part of his lore are you most excited for fans to see during season two?

Baldry: It’s obviously the Akallabêth. It’s the Civil War of Númenor, it’s unrest, it’s bloodshed.

I love politics and I love when a city becomes split down the middle and there’s two factions. There’s the King’s men, and then there’s the New World, the New Republic. And I love when those things happen. I love the repercussions of those two things. Especially because as my character I’m so connected to it . I’m excited to see the Civil War, the Civil Unrest in Númenor.

The post THE RINGS OF POWER’s Maxim Baldry on Isildur’s Journey in Season 2 and Beyond appeared first on Nerdist.