Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 354

The STREET SHARKS Return in New Line of 30th Anniversary Collector’s Figures

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles weren’t the only grouping of anthropomorphic young animal heroes in ’90s media. Nope, there was Adolescent Radioactive Black Belt Hamsters and Biker Mice from Mars. And of course, there was also Street Sharks, a series that ran for three seasons from 1994-1997. Of course, back then, where there were cartoons, there were action figures. Celebrating the brand’s 30th anniversary this year, Street Sharks return in a new line of toys from Mattel. The first wave focuses on two hero characters—Ripster and Jab—and a villain, Slash.

Mattel

The new Street Sharks line will be collector-focused but kid-friendly. They feature real-feel skin, modern articulation, chomping jaws, and modular shark cage accessories. Ones that can fit together to form larger cages. These 6 to 6.5-inch tall toys are sure to appeal to collectors who grew up watching the crime-fighting superheroes with their bowl of cereal on Saturday mornings. You can check out the first images of these new Street Sharks figures, as well as read the new line’s official announcement, right here:

Click To View Gallery Mattel Mattel Mattel Mattel Mattel Mattel Mattel Mattel Mattel Mattel Mattel Mattel

After thirty years, Street Sharks is swimming back onto shelves as Mattel reignites the iconic brand. Since the brand’s debut in the 90s, fans’ hunger for new products and content has remained strong, and we are thrilled to announce the Street Sharks revival. In addition to new toys, Mattel is amplifying this moment by releasing exclusive Street Sharks apparel available at MattelCreations, and throughout the year, Mattel will be partnering with industry leaders on fashion collabs, comic books, collectibles and more. Street Sharks fandom encapsulates the resurgence of 90’s nostalgia, and we believe now is the time to inspire the next generation of fans.

Street Sharks’ Ripster, Jab, and Slash will be available for pre-sale at Walmart on March 15th as well as Amazon, Big Bad Toy Store, Entertainment Earth, and Diamond Collectibles.

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Listen to Bill Murray Play the Human Torch in a FANTASTIC FOUR Radio Show from 1975

Iconic actor Bill Murray is part of the MCU now, thanks to his small role in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. But what if we told you he actually played a very famous Marvel hero role back in the seventies? Thanks to an Instagram post by Marvel writer Dan Slott, (via Laughing Squid), we’ve learned about a short-lived Fantastic Four radio show that aired 13 episodes in 1975. A young, pre-SNL Bill Murray played none other than Johnny Storm, the Human Torch, in that Fantastic Four show. Long before Joseph Quinn, Michael B. Jordan, or Chris Evans, it was Murray who was saying Johnny’s iconic catchphrase “Flame on!” You can listen to the episodes of the Fantastic Four‘s 1975 radio show, uploaded by Youtuber Overlord Radio, below:

The Fantastic Four‘s own co-creator, Stan Lee, narrated the radio show’s 13 episodes. These brief episodes adapted early issues from Lee and Jack Kirby. The classic, early Fantastic Four staples are all there, including the team’s outer-space origin story. Not to mention the Fanastic Four’s face-offs against the Mole Man, Doctor Doom, Namor the Sub-Mariner, the Hate-Monger, and other villains are recounted in the radio show.

This show only lasted one season. It came in between the 1967 Hanna-Barbera cartoon and 1978’s New Fantastic Four, which replaced Johnny Storm with H.E.R.B.I.E. the robot. The Fantastic Four radio show is a rare piece of non-comics Marvel media from an era when the Marvel Comics branding wasn’t yet ubiquitous.

Marvel Studios/Marvel Comics

While most people have no idea that Bill Murray was ever a Marvel superhero these days, one superfan did. They knew that in his pre-SNL days, Murray played the Human Torch on this Fantastic Four radio show. And that fan was Jimmy Kimmel, who once asked Murray about playing the resident hothead of Marvel’s First Family when he was a guest on his show.

All Murray remembered about it was saying “Flame on!” Hey, it was almost fifty years ago. We can hardly blame him for barely recollecting it. Now, we sort of wish Murray made a cameo in the upcoming Fantastic Four film instead of Quantumania. If only to honor his true Marvel roots.

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The New DCU’s Confusing Timeline Explained

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James Gunn’s new DC Universe is almost here, but how exactly do some of the old DCEU heroes and villains fit into it? Kyle Anderson leaps into the multiverse to break down the confusing canon and latest updates from the DCU!

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UNO Fandom Decks Celebrate Disney Villains, AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER, STAR TREK, and More

The card game UNO has been the staple of many a late night party since 1971. Over the decades, they’ve spun off into various special editions, video games, and soon, even movies. Now in 2024, they’re about to get a little bit nerdy, with a new series of premium collectible decks designed to celebrate all fandoms. We’re talking fandoms from across the spectrum, including TV and film, sports, and pop culture in general. Among the first batch of UNO Fandom releases are decks featuring Disney Villains, Star Trek, Masters of the Universe, Harry Potter, Avatar: The Last Airbender, the NFL, and more.

Mattel Creations/Disney

Each UNO Fandom deck includes a special rule specific to that deck theme and one collectible foil card. The plan is for UNO Fandom to continue to expand with new decks that celebrate everyone’s favorite pop culture icons. So if your favorite fandom isn’t included in this first batch, they just might show up for round two. Here are some highlights from the first wave of releases.

UNO Fandom Disney Villains DeckMattel Creations/Disney

This Disney Villains UNO fandom deck is inspired by Disney’s most fabulous Villains and scenes, including Ursula, Cruella de Vil, Maleficent, and more. The deck includes a special “Maleficent’s Gift” rule letting any player give 4 extra cards to a player or players of their choice and a collectible foil version of the Wild “Maleficent’s Gift” card.

UNO Fandom Monster High DeckMattel Creations

This UNO Fandom deck celebrates the characters from the spooky (yet fashionable) franchise. It includes a collectible card and a special “Frankie’s Hand” rule. This enables a player to look at another player’s hand, take the card of their choice, and replace it with one of their own.

UNO Fandom Star Trek DeckMattel Creations

You can help the fandom live long and prosper with this Star Trek UNO deck. It includes the special “Mirror, Mirror” rule. This is a nod to Star Trek’s twisted Mirror Universe. This rule forces a chosen player to draw cards until they have as many in their hand as the player with the most cards. The Star Wars UNO Fandom deck is definitely one we can’t wait to get our hands on.

UNO Fandom Avatar: The Last Airbender DeckMattel Creations

This Avatar: The Last Airbender UNO deck shows off all four nations’ bending abilities and includes a premium foil card and the “Avatar State” rule. This rule allows a player to take a turn anytime they want, provided they have all four colors in their hand.

UNO Fandom Masters of the Universe DeckMattel Creations

“By the Power of Grayskull!” This UNO Fandom deck showcases artwork from the classic fantasy toy franchise, Masters of the Universe. It has a special “Armory of the Grayskull” rule that lets a player take Action cards from other players to build up their arsenal.

When Can You Buy the UNO Fandom Decks?

UNO Fandom decks have an SRP of $12.00, and will be available exclusively available on the MattelCreations.com website starting Thursday, March 21st at 4 pm ET.

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Everything We Know About SCREAM 7

Despite a slew of controversy over the past two years, the Scream franchise is moving forward with its seventh installment. The previous film left the Core Four and Gale Weathers (we assume, considering she didn’t die) in a relatively good place, with Sam finally moving towards healing and peace after killing Richie’s remaining family. (It’s wild but true.) Scream VI was the first film to not include Sidney Prescott due to actress Neve Campbell rightfully bowing out due to a salary dispute. Fans thought Sidney would finally get a happy ending but Ghostface just won’t leave our good sis alone. That’s right, Sidney is back and the next film will be interesting, to say the least. Who will don that infamous mask next? Here’s what we know about Scream 7. 

Paramount PicturesTitle

For now, we will call this film Scream 7. It’s likely this will be the title, which could be stylized as Scream VII. As seen on this script from Campbell’s Instagram post, the film does not have an official title yet. 

Scream 7’s Plot 

As stated above, Sam and Tara’s story came to a neat conclusion in Scream VI. And Sidney is living a happy life with her husband Mark and her daughters. It seems like there was no one else hiding in the shadows who would want to kill Sidney. Her story was complete and she found peace. So, the plot of Scream 7 is really up in the air. Maybe Sidney will swoop in to help some other unfortunate soul battle against a new Ghostface. There’s no confirmation she’s the definite lead for this film yet. Or, depending on this film’s release, someone from 30 years ago could decide to celebrate the events of Scream (1996) in a sinister way. We shall see. 

Behind-the-Scenes

Kevin Williamson, the writer of Scream (1996), will direct Scream 7. He is replacing Christopher Landon, who left the film after Melissa Barerra’s controversial (and very upsetting) firing and Jenna Ortega’s exit. Guy Busick and James Vanderbilt, who wrote the last two installments, will pen this sequel. The Radio Silence team will step back from directing duties to executive produce Scream 7. 

Scream 7’s Cast 

Right now, the only person we absolutely know will be in Scream 7 is Neve Campbell. It remains to be seen if the Meeks-Martin twins, played by Jasmin Savoy Brown and Mason Gooding, will be in this film. We’d love to see more of them.

However, their return isn’t likely considering their characters’ stories being so closely intertwined with the Carpenter sisters. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Savoy Brown hasn’t received a call from the studio Spyglass Media Group as of January 2024. Even more recently, Gooding affirmed he knew no solid details about the seventh Scream film. Sadness.

We assume Courteney Cox and Roger L. Jackson will return as Gale Weathers and the voice of Ghostface, respectively. Maybe we will see Patrick Dempsey reprise his role as Mark Kincaid, too. 

Scream 7 Release Date 

There is no release date for Scream 7 at this time. The script is at least partially in place, so perhaps we will see this film in late 2025 or maybe 2026 to celebrate Scream’s 30th anniversary.

Originally published on March 13, 2024.

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Nicolas Cage Says NATIONAL TREASURE 3 Is Not Happening

Sometimes, the most exciting news is the kind dropped the most casually. Back in 2022 during a conversation with ComicBook.com about Top Gun Maverick, iconic producer Jerry Bruckheimer seemingly revealed a piece of information many fans have been eager for, for a long time. He said that National Treasure 3 movie was in the works with Nicolas Cage’s possible involvement. It sounded like they were in the early stages of the script and movie. We were hype about actually getting National Treasure 3 with Cage involved, but now that doesn’t seem to be the case.

UPDATE: In a 2024 interview with ScreenRant, Nicolas Cage said that there is no National Treasure 3 after all. His statement on this apparently nonexistent sequel is very direct, indeed. “Here we go!,” said Cage. “See, you’re the one that brings these things up and they go out and they eclipse everything else. No, there is no National Treasure 3. If you want to find treasure, don’t look at Disney, okay? It’s not there.”

Welp! Whatever script Bruckheimer had floating out there is either scrapped or will not involve Cage in any way.

PREVIOUSLY: Jerry Bruckheimer notes that he’s “working on another National Treasure” as one of three big things on his plate right now. When asked if Nicolas Cage would return for National Treasure 3, he offers, “Let’s hope. We’re working on a script right now, hopefully, he likes it. But I think it’s really good, so hopefully, we’ll get it to him shortly.”

Disney

Meanwhile, Justin Bartha, who plays Riley Poole in the franchise, offered:

There is a script. That’s all I’ll say. There have been a few different scripts, actually, but the one thing that has to happen is for all the stars to align. I had seen something awhile ago, and it was solid, but the unsung hero of these movies that doesn’t get mentioned as much is Jon Turtletaub. Those movies really are an extension of his being. He is very smart and funny, and has a buoyancy to him that mirrors the tone of the movies. I think he has to feel really comfortable and feel like he can see the movie before it happens — and it is getting closer to that.

There’s been a lot of conversation around Nicolas Cage and National Treasure recently. Nicolas Cage, of course, starred in movies such as Pig and The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent. During the press tours for these movies, he talked a lot about his career. And, in all honesty, Cage’s interviews did not make it seem like National Treasure 3 was on the table. He even said that there would “probably not” be another movie.

Disney+

The National Treasure franchise, meanwhile, has yielded a Disney+ TV series. National Treasure: Edge of History released in December 2022, and it saw two actors from the original franchise return to the world. Harvey Keitel returned as Peter Sadusky, and the aforementioned Justin Bartha returned as Riley Poole. While the creators of this National Treasure series have indicated they would love for Nicolas Cage to come on board, he does not seem involved.

All this to say, people have hoped for a National Treasure 3 movie starring Nicolas Cage since National Treasure 2 aired. And while it seems like the movie has had many false starts before, maybe it is finally on its way. We hope Nicolas Cage likes what he sees when reads the National Treasure 3 script.

Originally published on August 19, 2022.

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Michael Douglas Goes on America’s Greatest Diplomatic Mission in FRANKLIN Trailer

The United States wouldn’t have won the Revolutionary War without the aid of the far more powerful France. The 13 colonies wouldn’t have had France’s help at all, though, if not for Benjamin Franklin. The founding father’s legendary, secret diplomatic mission secured the support his country desperately needed to win its independence. Now, Apple TV+ and Michael Douglas are bringing the story of Benjamin Franklin’s crowning achievement to the screen. And Franklin‘s first trailer shows success was far from a guarantee. As was Benjamin Franklin’s own safety.

You can take a look at Douglas in the Franklin trailer below.

The single most important diplomatic mission in the history of the United States will come to life in Franklin, with Academy Award-winner Michael Douglas stepping into the role of the famous historical figure. The eight-episode mini-series will follow Benjamin Franklin’s efforts to secure the assistance of France’s monarchy to ally with America during the burgeoning democracy’s earliest days. It was the mission of a lifetime for Franklin, as victory over Great Britain seemed doomed without help. Only, it almost cost him his own life. Here’s the show’s official synopsis from the streaming site:

At age 70, without any diplomatic training, Franklin convinced an absolute monarchy to underwrite America’s experiment in democracy. By virtue of his fame, charisma and ingenuity, Franklin outmaneuvered British spies, French informers and hostile colleagues to engineer the Franco-American alliance of 1778 and the peace treaty with Great Britain in 1783.

Apple TV+

The show is based on Stacy Schiff’s book A Great Improvisation: Franklin, France, and the Birth of America. The series also stars Noah Jupe, Thibault de Montalembert, Daniel Mays, Ludivine Sagnier, Eddie Marsan, Assaad Bouab, Jeanne Balibar, and Theodore Pellerin.

Franklin arrives on its own television mission at Apple TV+ on Friday, April 12. It will debut with its first three episodes. A new installment will follow every Friday through May 17. That is unless we can find someone to convince Apple to release the show earlier. Which in this case would only be fitting.

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STAR WARS VILLAINOUS Expandalone Game Offers Revenge to Darth Maul and Phasma

Our favorite wickedly good games are expanding in 2024. Ravensburger announced two new games will join its Villainous line in 2024. These new 2024 releases will include a Disney Villainous expandalone game and a Star Wars Villainous expandalone game. The franchise will also evolve its expandalone format this year across its various arms. These, of course, include the Disney Villainous, Star Wars Villainous, and Marvel Villainous games. Expandalone sets will now feature “two characters at a more affordable price point” helping to welcome new players into the fold. But long-time fans can rest easy because these expandalone games have a few surprises in store for everyone. Let’s take a look at the new Disney and Star Wars Villainous games coming our way in 2024.

New Star War Villainous: Revenge at Last ​Expandalone Game Coming in Summer 2024Lucasfilm/Ravensburger

We’re heading back into the dark side of Star Wars for continued exploration of the galactic villain-verse. Ravensburger has released that the new Star Wars Villainous expandalone game, Star Wars ​Villainous: Revenge at Last, will feature two fan-favorite villains. Yes, the iconic Darth Maul and Captain Phasma are heading to Star Wars Villainous this year. That gives us absolute chills, in a good way. This will be the first first two-player expandalone game in the Star Wars​ ​Villainous​​ universe, but we’re sure more new sets will follow.

Of course, Darth Maul and Captain Phasma are more than enough. Two of our all time favorite Star Wars villains.

A release shares, “In the Star Wars ​Villainous: Revenge at Last game​, players will race to fulfill the dark destinies never achieved by either Darth Maul or Captain Phasma, two iconic villains from the ​Star Wars​ galaxy, each villain offers a “Villain Deck” of cards with a unique and immersive gameplay style inspired by that character’s motivations and stories throughout ​Star Wars ​media. Players must channel their villain’s “Ambition,” strategic thinking and luck to be the first to achieve their sinister objective. The Star Wars ​Villainous​ game also includes game mechanics unique to the ​Star Wars ​galaxy, such as a currency for Force wielders and rules for iconic ships and transports. Additional gameplay details will be revealed in June alongside the game’s pre-order.”

Darth Maul and Captain Phasma Will Make Star Wars Villainous: Revenge at Last the Most Cutthroat Game YetLucasfilm

We can’t wait to see what new secrets this Star Wars Villainous expandalone game holds. But know this one will be cutthroat.  Lysa Penrose, Head of New Games Marketing at Ravensburger shares, “The ​Star Wars​ galaxy is filled with rich, nuanced, dark, tragic, wonderful stories, especially when it comes to ​fan-favorite ​villains​ like​ ​​​​Darth Maul. When it comes to celebrating the ​​​d​ark ​s​ide of the Force, we knew we had to tell the story of Darth Maul through Villainous’ immersive gameplay. How does one capture that in a deck of cards? Fans should look forward to our team’s custom art of iconic moments and an Objective more ruthless than ever before.” Dun, dun, dun. Of course, we know Captain Phasma, played by Gwendoline Christie in the live-action Star Wars movies, does not pull any punches either.

When Will Star Wars Villainous: Revenge at Last Release?Lucasfilm

But when will we be able to get our hands on this new Star Wars Villainous expandalone game? Star Wars ​Villainous: Revenge at Last will be available for pre-order on June 24, 2024, and the new game will go on sale ​​​​​​at Target beginning July 21, 2024. It will sell for the reduced Villainous expandalone price of $19.99 USD/$29.99 CAD.

Sounds like it will be a chilling time. We’d better as we wait for battle.

Disney Villainous: Sugar and Spite Ravensburger

Sugar and spite and everything sneaky, that’s what Disney villains are made of. The Disney Villainous: Sugar and Spite expandalone game will focus on two iconic foes, King Candy and Shere Khan. A release shares about the game:

Disney Villainous: Sugar and Spite, featuring King Candy from Disney’s “Wreck-It Ralph” and Shere Khan from Disney’s “The Jungle Book,” will become the franchise’s newest expandalone when it debuts in June. A special edition of the game, featuring a candy bar-themed packaging sleeve and exclusive finish on King Candy’s mover, will be available exclusively at Target.

Ravensburger

Who doesn’t love a good candy bar theme? We bet even tigers love chocolate. Don’t they? In any case, we can expect this duo to bring delightful menace to this Villainous game. They form a bit of an odd couple, but that feels like part of the fun. There’s no specific release date yet for Disney Villainous: Sugar and Spite, but we know it will arrive in 2024. This seems like a good release for Valentine’s Day, but it could also fit right in at Halloween.

Once available, this expandalone game will also cost the new, cheaper price of $19.99 USD/$29.99 CAD.

Other Villainous Game ReleasesRavensburger

In addition to the new Villainous expandalone games arriving in 2024, Ravensburger is also planning a wide release for its Disney Villainous: Introduction to Evil game. This game is meant to help new players understand the world of the game and get started playing.

Ravensburger

Ravensburger had this to say about the re-release of Introduction to Evil:

First released in 2023 as a limited Disney100 offering, the game will be available nationwide in August at mass retailers and hobby stores. Introduction to Evil has been refreshed with video resources and streamlined gameplay designed to be welcoming for beginners. It includes a lower price point ($29.99 USD/$39.99 CAD) and a refreshed box, and it reintroduces some of the franchise’s first Disney Villains – Maleficent, Captain Hook, Ursula, and Prince John. The changes incorporate fan feedback and the Ravensburger team’s learnings from developing the game for over five years.

So, if you’ve been waiting to play, 2024 is your time to jump right in. We can’t wait to see what other surprises these games have in store for us this year. Who doesn’t like to dabble in villainy, after all?

Originally published on January 4, 2024.

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Jennifer Lopez Pilots a Robot in ATLAS Trailer

There was a time, not that long ago, when people feared artificial intelligence would take over the world. But the days of worrying about the Matrix enslaving humanity are long gone. Now when it comes to AI, we’re mostly just worried some plagiarism software will steal our jobs. But there’s one place where artificial intelligence will always have an important role to play: science fiction. The idea of intelligent robots, whether good or evil, has always been way more fun in fiction than reality. And the first trailer for Netflix’s Atlas starring Jennifer Lopez shows why. She plays an astronaut who must rely on the very technology she hates if she has any chance of surviving a disastrous space mission.

We’re not saying a single fictional story nor the Atlas trailer alone can change the way we feel about artificial intelligence. We’re just saying if that AI robot doesn’t save Jennifer Lopez, we’re declaring war on the machines immediately. But what is a a government analyst doing on a distant world in the first place? She’s on “a quest to defeat her oldest enemy.” Here’s the film’s official synopsis from Netflix:

Atlas Shepherd, a brilliant but misanthropic data analyst with a deep distrust of artificial intelligence, joins a mission to capture a renegade robot with whom she shares a mysterious past. But when plans go awry, her only hope of saving the future of humanity from AI is to trust it.

Netflix

Atlas comes from director Brad Peyton (San Andreas, Rampage) with a script from Leo Sardarian and Aron Eli Coleite. It also stars Simu Liu (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings), Sterling K. Brown (American Fiction), Gregory J. Cohan (Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty), Abraham Popoola (Andor), Lana Parrilla (The Lincoln Lawyer,) and Mark Strong (Kingsman: The Secret Service). 

What Is the Release Date for Jennifer Lopez’s Netflix Movie Atlas?

The film crash lands at Netflix on May 24. At least that’s what the humans at Netflix have told us.

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Who is the X-MEN ’97 Villain, the X-Cutioner?

While X-Men ’97 on Disney+ is bringing back many well-known and beloved characters from back in the day, they are also incorporating one X-Men character from the ’90s many have forgotten about. This character has not appeared in a significant capacity in a Marvel comic in years. He did not even show up on the ’90s cartoon. That character is the mysterious villain the X-Cutioner, whom Marvel Animation has confirmed will play a big role in the Disney+ series, and already has an action figure in the new Hasbro X-Men ’97 line. Here’s the lowdown on this often-forgotten villain.

The 1993 First Appearance of the X-Cutioner Marvel Comics

Created by writer Scott Lobdell and artist Jason Pearson, the X-Cutioner first appeared in Uncanny X-Men Annual #17 in 1993. In the story “The Gift Goodbye,” the mysterious figure in the executioner’s hood first appeared. He’s a human slaying mutants, but only “mutants who have killed first.” He gets on the X-Men’s radar in a bad way, and they discover he’s using a collection of advanced weapons from various villains they’ve faced. Some included Sentinel tech, but most others include alien races like the Shi’ar and the Z’noxx. After that first encounter, X-Cutioner fakes his death, but Storm suspects he teleported away instead. She was correct.

The X-Cutioner Fights Cyclops, Cable, Rogue, and X-ManMarvel Comics

The X-Cutioner next appeared later that same year in Uncanny X-Men #301, also written by Scott Lobdell. He attacks the X-Mansion and tries to murder the comatose Emma Frost. Supposedly this was a judgement for her crimes as White Queen of the Hellfire Club. Cyclops and Cable find a way to stop him. However, the mystery of who he really is under that mask remains. It’s not until 1995’s X-Man #11 that we learn the truth about this hooded figure, and why he targets mutants. It’s a secret that ties into the X-Men’s earliest days under Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.

The X-Cutioner’s Origin Revealed in X-ManMarvel Comics

In the early X-Men comics, Professor Xavier had a contact in the FBI named Fred Duncan. He was sympathetic to the mutant cause, and he helped Xavier on many occasions. He faded into obscurity over time. Decades later, when Marvel revealed the X-Cutioner’s origin, we learned that a mutant murdered Duncan, and his FBI partner Carl Denti vowed revenge. Duncan confiscated alien materials from the X-Men’s adventures which Denti now had access to. He donned the guise of the X-Cutioner and used the alien gadgets to kill mutants he saw as dangerous. Denti believed himself to not be a bigot, saying he didn’t hate mutants, only those that caused harm to others. He attacked Rogue, Nate Grey, and Gambit. After assisting the Punisher on a case, he disappeared for years. The X-Cutioner returned after nearly two decades, in the X-Men’s Krakoan era, when he attacked the Marauders.

The Powers and Weapons of the X-Cutioner Marvel Comics

The X-Cutioner has highly advanced technological weaponry, mostly of an extraterrestrial origin. These weapons came from the government storehouses of his old FBI partner Fred Duncan, who once worked with Charles Xavier. The armor he wears is possibly the same armor used by Shi’ar operative Eric the Red, who once fought the X-Men. The armor gives Denti enhanced strength and durability. It can also analyze DNA, distinguishing mutant from human, possibly extracted from Sentinel tech. The X-Cutioner wields a staff that has some sort of powerful plasma discharge. He also has a teleportation device, almost certainly also of alien origin.

The X-Cutioner in X-Men ’97Hasbro

It remains a mystery just what kind of role the X-Cutioner will play in X-Men ’97. The fact that he has an action figure suggests he will be much more than a cameo. It’s quite possible this X-Cutioner is not Carl Denti at all, but someone already hinted at in the original X-Men: The Animated Series. He’s a relatively obscure and minor villain, so the man behind the mask might be someone else entirely on the show. Fred Duncan was never in the classic show, so it makes little sense for him to get a reference in the new series. We’ll find out what role the X-Cutioner plays in X-Men ’97 when the show rolls out this spring.

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