Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 356

GODZILLA: MINUS ONE Shoes May Soon Be Available for You to Buy

Get ready to stomp on buildings like Godzilla himself because the epic Godzilla: Minus One shoes you saw on the Oscars red carpet may soon be available for purchase. In case you missed it, let’s catch you up. The entire Godzilla: Minus One team came to the Oscars with the best fashion statement of all: shoes inspired by Godzilla: Minus One, which feature our favorite monster decorating the heel. And honestly, they are some of the best bits of nerdy fashion I’ve seen in a minute. Let’s roar into more details on the shoe and, more importantly, how you can own it.

More About the Godzilla: Minus One Shoes

Here are the Godzilla: Minus One shoes in action. As you can see, the shoe works for both men and women by simply swapping out a normal heel with a Godzilla claw. Why didn’t we think of that?

Red carpet ready ✨#Oscars #GodzillaMinusOne pic.twitter.com/iLqjRah27n

— GODZILLA.OFFICIAL (@Godzilla_Toho) March 10, 2024

These shoes are obviously god-tier—some might say Kaiju-tier. Not only do they look intensely epic, but they are also very sensible heels. Godzilla salutes this fashion and function decision. And we salute this truly iconic nerdery. Godzilla: Minus One deserved to win its Oscar, the first for the Godzilla franchise, for many reasons. But if nothing else, we would have voted for its victory simply for these shoes.

Can You Buy the Godzilla: Minus One Shoes?

Of course, the next natural question is, are these amazing Godzilla: Minus One shoes for sale? And the answer is probably yes, AND. The designer responsible for the shoes stepped forward to reveal themselves after it was clear there was much love for the Godzilla heel. Matsui Ryosuke was the designer who created the Godzilla: Minus One footwear. It seems that Matsui Ryosuke actually has actually designed many shoes with unique heels including hands for heels and vampire teeth for heels. But by the looks of things, Matsui Ryosuke created a Godzilla shoe and a Godzilla boot.

Click To View Gallery Matsui Ryosuke Matsui Ryosuke Matsui Ryosuke Matsui Ryosuke

The designer shared on Twitter, “Thank you very much for paying attention to the shoes we made. We created these shoes in collaboration with “Godzilla Minus One.” There is a possibility that we may be able to sell the stock in a little while, so if you are interested, please wait for information from us.”

We will definitely be waiting for that as we daydream about getting to stomp around in these shoes.

The post GODZILLA: MINUS ONE Shoes May Soon Be Available for You to Buy appeared first on Nerdist.

THIS IS SPINAL TAP Sequel Is Currently Filming with the Original Cast and Director

Exactly forty years after becoming an iconic cult hit and creating the mockumentary genre, the boys of Spinal Tap are finally returning for a sequel. Via Deadline, we’ve learned that Castle Rock has begun production of the sequel to This Is Spinal Tap in New Orleans. Original director Rob Reiner is once again returning, as are original stars Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer. Reiner will also return as the documentarian Martin “Marty” DiBergi. The film will feature plenty of music industry cameos like Elton John, Paul McCartney, Questlove, Garth Brooks. and Trisha Yearwood.

Embassy Pictures

Christopher Guest, McKean, Rob Reiner, and Harry Shearer came up with the concept for the sequel. The storyline will focus on the British heavy metal band reuniting for one last concert after a 15-year hiatus. We imagine that like most real-world rock bands, there was some kind of interpersonal drama in the interceding years. Reiner famously went on to a very prolific directing career after This Is Spinal Tap. Yet it was Christopher Guest who really took the baton this film handed to him. He went on to direct several similar mockumentaries, including Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, and A Mighty Wind.

Speaking for his character, director Rob Reiner said “I recently spoke to Marty DiBergi who said that he was more than happy to take a sabbatical from his position as a visiting Professor’s Assistant at the Ed Wood School of Cinematic Arts to once again document Spinal Tap to ensure their place in the pantheon of Rock and Roll.” Honestly, we want to know more about this Ed Wood School of Cinematic Arts. Without naming names, we know some modern-day directors who are probably graduates. The plan is for the Spinal Tap sequel to premiere sometime in 2024, the original film’s 40th anniversary.

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Prime Video’s FALLOUT Will Be ‘Like FALLOUT 5’ But Won’t Replace the Game

Video game fans have been safely enjoying the excitement/terror of a post-nuclear wasteland since 1997. That’s when Fallout and its ’50s-era Cold War aesthetic first came to stores. Since then countless sequels and spinoffs have turned the game into one of genre’s most successful franchises. Now Fallout is ready to conquer another medium entirely. It’s getting its very own show from Amazon. What kind of story can gamers expect from the Prime Video Fallout adaptation? Who’s behind it, and who will star in it? And when will we get a chance to see it?

Recently, executive producer Jonathan Nolan shared with Total Film that the Prime Video series would be almost like Fallout 5. He revealed, “Our series sits in relation to the games as the games sit in relation to each other. It’s almost like we’re Fallout 5… I don’t want to sound presumptuous, but it’s just a non-interactive version of it, right?” But that caused fans to wonder whether that meant the series would somehow replace Fallout 5. But, happily, that’s not the case.

Prime Video

Nolan explained his meaning further to Den of Geek. He shared, “I think it would be very presumptuous for someone to assume that we’d reach the caliber of the games,” But noted that the Fallout series “[has] all of the benefit of beautiful storytelling that Todd [Howard, director of Fallout 3 and 4 and executive producer on the series] and [Bethesda Game Studio] has contributed to, but we also get to tell an original story within that world. As writers and filmmakers, it’s just a dream come true.”

Howard himself noted, “Well, there were some things where I said, ‘Don’t do this because we are going to do that in Fallout 5,’” But further underlined the point that the series is like another game of Fallout. “It wasn’t the translation of an existing story. It was, what would the next thing be? It just happens to be a TV show.”

Here’s everything we know about Prime Video’s Fallout series so far.

TitleBethesda

Prime Video’s adaptation will share the same name as the original game, Fallout.

Fallout‘s Plot

We officially have our first full look at the Fallout series. Prime Video released the first trailer for the show and it teases a dangerous wasteland of a world. But it’s clear the show understands its dark humor as well.

Prime Video has shared an official Fallout series synopsis, setting us up for what’s to come. It reveals, “Based on one of the greatest video game series of all time, Fallout is the story of haves and have-nots in a world in which there’s almost nothing left to have. 200 years after the apocalypse, the gentle denizens of luxury fallout shelters are forced to return to the irradiated hellscape their ancestors left behind — and are shocked to discover an incredibly complex, gleefully weird, and highly violent universe waiting for them.“

📍 Vault 33
Location: Los Angeles

Fallout, an original series, coming to Prime Video in 2024 pic.twitter.com/tlHh2WutF4

— Prime Video (@PrimeVideo) August 23, 2023

Additionally, we know that the series is “set in the future post-apocalyptic Los Angeles.” It will also tell an “original story based on Fallout that will be part of the canon of the games.” 

Prime Video

The first image from the show featured a glimpse at the franchise’s all-new Vault 33. And more recent looks have revealed Fallout‘s main characters including Walton Goggins’ The Ghoul, Ella Purnell’s Lucy, Aaron Moten’s Maximus, and Kyle MacLachlan’s Overseer Hank.

Click To View Gallery Prime Video Prime Video Prime Video Prime Video Prime Video Prime Video JoJo Whilden

There will also be an adorable animal involved. In the Fallout games, a dog called Dogmeat exists as an NPC companion character that accompanies players on their adventures. According to a blog post from Amazon, the live-action Fallout series’ cute canine isn’t called Dogmeat, but instead is named CX404. But this pup, too, will serve “as a companion navigating the post-apocalyptic world.”

pic.twitter.com/k0WzPezPiN

— FALLOUT⚡️ (@falloutonprime) December 2, 2023

Behind the Scenes

Fallout comes from Bethesda Game Studios, Bethesda Softworks, and Kilter Films. The latter is the production company of executive producers Lisa Joy and Jonathan Nolan, creators of HBO’s Westworld.

Writers Geneva Robertson-Dworet and Graham Wagner will also serve Fallout co-showrunners and executive producers. Nolan directs the first three episodes.

Fallout‘s Cast

The show stars: Ella Purnell (Yellowjackets), Walton Goggins (The Hateful Eight), Aaron Moten (Emancipation), Moisés Arias (The King of Staten Island), Kyle MacLachlan (Twin Peaks), Sarita Choudhury (Homeland), Michael Emerson (Person of Interest), Leslie Uggams (Deadpool), Frances Turner (The Boys), Dave Register (Heightened), Zach Cherry (Severance), Johnny Pemberton (Ant-Man), Rodrigo Luzzi (Dead Ringers), Annabel O’Hagan (Law & Order: SVU), and Xelia Mendes-Jones (The Wheel of Time). 

Fallout‘s Release Date

But the Fallout show will begins its post-apocalyptic adventure on April 11, 2024. All episodes of Fallout will release at once.

That’s a lot closer than it sounds, which means we should start getting trailers and more information soon, too. When we do you’ll find everything you need to know about Prime Video’s Fallout right here.

Originally published on October 23, 2023.

The post Prime Video’s FALLOUT Will Be ‘Like FALLOUT 5’ But Won’t Replace the Game appeared first on Nerdist.

See a Restored Never-Before-Seen Lost Deleted Scene From David Lynch’s DUNE

Long before Denis Villeneuve’s epic films came to theaters, many other talented directors tried—and failed—to bring Frank Herbert’s seminal 1965 novel to the screen. One of them finally did in 1984, but David Lynch’s Dune is remembered as a fascinating disaster rather than a great movie. Over the years, though, as the film’s status as a cult classic grew, countless fans have tried to figure out what went wrong with a movie that had so much promise. One even put together their own exhaustive “SpiceDivercut” cut to try and fix the film’s problems. But no version, official or otherwise, has ever included something author Max Evry discovered while working on his book A Masterpiece In Disarray (David Lynch’s Dune – An Oral History). Actress Molly Wryn sent him a never-before-seen deleted scene featuring her Fremen character Harah with Lady Jessica and Alia Atreides.

Now Evry is ready to share this lost moment, and Nerdist has your exclusive first-look at the fully restored moment. And we also have a video showing how our very own editor and Dune expert Matt Caron spiced up the footage to make it worthy of Muad’Dib.

Evry’s comprehensive oral history features interviews with the cast and crew of Lynch’s Dune. That includes insight from Molly Wryn, whose role as Harah was all but cut from the original film. But she did more than just talk about her experiences working on the movie. Wryn sent Evry one of her never-before-seen deleted sequences. It features her, Francesca Annis’s Lady Jessica, and the young Alicia Witt as Alia. It’s a moment adapted from Herbert’s novel. It’s when Harah explains to Jessica why the highly-advanced toddler scares the Fremen.

Wryn even provided an introduction to the scene where discussed her time on the movie. Despite all her work her part ultimately became one of just a background character. You can see her here behind the Fremen’s new Reverend Mother from the theatrical cut.

Universal Pictures

In addition to enhancing the scene’s quality, our talented editor and lifelong Dune diehard fan Matt Caron also put together a video showing the process used to restore the scene. He took a low-quality VHS recording of the original workprint and enhanced it to high-definition quality. He also got an important coloring assist from his friend Anthony Tocchio. That made it possible to give the scene the signature blue eyes sported by those who live among the spice melange on Arrakis. The end result is a clip that looks like it arrived in theaters in 1984.

This restored scene will also appear in ViaVision’s upcoming Blu-ray of Lynch’s Dune. That special release will include a commentary track by Evry himself on the “Alan Smithee” cut of the movie. That extended TV version is the one Lynch refused to have his name on.

Would he have felt differently if it included this long-lost scene with Harah? We don’t know about Lynch. But we’re positive fans who have always wondered what his Dune could have been will be glad to finally see this clip.

The post See a Restored Never-Before-Seen Lost Deleted Scene From David Lynch’s DUNE appeared first on Nerdist.

A New SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE Is Coming in 2026

The Super Mario Bros. Movie pulled in a whole lot of gold coins at the box office. The animated film starring Chris Pratt, Charlie Day, Jack Black, and Anya Taylor-Joy powered up to more than $1.36 billion worldwide. With that kind of haul a sequel—and likely many more—was always inevitable. Now we know exactly when we’re going to get one. Nintendo has announced a new film in the franchise will arrive in theaters on April 3, 2026. But we have no idea what it’s about.

Nintendo celebrated MAR10 Day 2024 with some big (screen) news. Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto said the company is partnering with Illumination studio once again for an animated film set in the world of Super Mario Bros. Illumination CEO Chris Meledandri also appeared in the announcement video to say work has already begun on the movie and actual animation will start “soon.”

Neither offered up any details about the film’s plot, location, or even which characters it will focus on. It might ultimately be a direct sequel to the smash hit 2023 film, but Miyamoto’s video and accompanying social media post indicates it could expand the world introduced in the first film by going in a very different direction.

We'll let you know the details once we're ready to share more. This time too, the staff at Illumination and Nintendo are working together. We're thinking about broadening Mario's world further, and it'll have a bright and fun story. We hope you'll look forward to it! [2/2]

— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) March 10, 2024

The untitled film is “based on the world of Super Mario Bros.” That doesn’t preclude it from focusing on Mario and Luigi again, but even if it does the sibling plumbers will likely find themselves in an entirely new location. Nintendo said it’s “thinking about broadening Mario’s world further” with a “bright and fun story.”

Universal Pictures/Illumination

Could this mean we’re getting the Donkey Kong spinoff starring Seth Rogen previously reported? A hybrid sequel/spinoff that adapts a specific Super Mario Bros. game? A payoff to the first film’s Yoshi tease? Or is this idea something no one can predict? Nintendo and Illumination says they’ll share more information when they’re ready. At least we know the absolute maximum amount of time we’ll have to wait to find out.

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PEACEMAKER Season 2 Takes Place After SUPERMAN, Season 1 Not DCU Canon

There has been a flurry of recent activity in the world of DC. First, James Gunn and Peter Safran took over the cinematic DC Universe and announced an ambitious slate of projects. Next, work on Superman: Legacy began right away, with the movie now filming. But ardent fans of James Gunn’s hit show Peacemaker have been eagerly anticipating news of the project’s second season. Of course, Peacemaker was mentioned briefly in the announcement of DC’s slate. But it did not receive a coherent update about the status of its second season. Happily, James Gunn recently shared more about the status of the series on the Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum podcast. Here’s what Gunn had to say about Peacemaker season two and when fans could expect forward motion on the show, plus his latest updates on the status and contents of the season.

Peacemaker Season 2 Is a Priority for James Gunn

Rosenbaum asks Gunn about Peacemaker season two at the 1:16:20 mark. He questions, “Is Peacemaker really coming back, or is there just no time for it?” To which Gunn replied straight away, “No, Peacemaker‘s coming back right after Superman. That’s my next thing.” Gunn adds, “I’ll go straight from Superman to Peacemaker.”

Of course, there are no present dates on the timeline, at least no public ones. We know Superman: Legacy is currently slated to release on July 11, 2025. We’d bet that would put the second season of Peacemaker into 2026, with a smidge of hope it could release in 2025. Still, there’s an urgency in which Gunn suggests he’ll head from Superman to Peacemaker that makes it feel like the series is definitely a priority on Gunn’s full dance card.

Gunn additionally noted on Threads, “Yes, we’ll be shooting Superman & Peacemaker simultaneously; yes, I’ve written all the episodes; but, no, in the interest of getting the show out there I won’t be able to direct them all (only some); & yes, Waller’s still happening & Jeremy & Christal are hard at work writing great stuff, but the schedule was impacted by the strikes so it’ll come after Peacemaker.”

The Latest Updates on Peacemaker Season 2Max

Most recently, Gunn teased more about the season. He shared on Threads that fan-favorite character Eagly would definitely return. Gunn even shared and that he was currently being written into episodes. Additionally, Gunn noted that Peacemaker would not be coming back as a brand new show “because it’s my favorite thing to do, it’s the biggest original Max show ever, and I have a way in. It won’t be confusing.” But whether shifting the show into the DCU continuity will entail small shifts or big changes, fans will have to wait and see.

One thing we do know, though, is that Peacemaker season two will take place after Superman on the DC timeline and the events of Superman will impact the plot and happenings of the season. Gunn noted on Threads, “Answering this again to be clear: Peacemaker Season 2 will take place after the events in Superman.” And then replied a firm “Yes.” when asked, “Is that important? Meaning events in Superman will have an impact on Peacemaker S2?” Gunn additionally noted that “Season one isn’t canon” but that season two is “full DCU”

Recently, Gunn was working on episode eight of the series’ second season. Season one, of course, had eight episodes total, so this might just be the finale. We now know Gunn has finished writing the season. But we’re still not sure how many episodes season two of Peacemaker will last.

Of course, everything Superman will have to come first. But hopefully, we’ll start to hear more about Peacemaker season two sooner rather than later. It really is hard to believe that Peacemaker has only had one season to date. With any luck, though, we’ll see a second season and many more.

Originally published on June 14, 2023.

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Jadis Is the Real Villain of THE WALKING DEAD: THE ONES WHO LIVE and We All Hate Her

The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live’s second episode ended with the not-so-shocking return of Jadis. I cannot think of a single (sane) fan of this universe who likes her in any kind of way. She was drinking the Civic Republic Kool-Aid long before we knew anything about this community and the CRM, its deadly military. Jadis is the reason why Rick is stuck in Philadelphia and cannot return home to his family. While Major General Beale is certainly not a good guy as the leader of the CRM, Jadis is actually the villain in The Ones Who Live.

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We get a flashback to when Rick was still a consignee. While on leave in the city one day, Jadis calls out to him. He’s fuming at the sight of her face while she’s happily eating fries in a Civic Republic courtyard. She gives a quick recap to Rick about how she designated him a B and therefore saved his life, but he doesn’t care. He’s rightfully upset that she took him to a place where he cannot leave. At this point, Jadis is new to the CRM and wholeheartedly believes in “secrecy and security above all.”

AMC

In present times, she pops up on Rick in his quarters and tells him that she knows about Michonne being there. A tearful Rick begs her to just let them leave. However, Jadis says their knowledge of this place and its protocols makes that impossible. She tells Rick that if he kills her, CRM soldiers will find a file among her things telling them everything about Rick, Michonne, and Alexandria. If Rick tries to leave without killing her, Jadis is willing to go to Virginia and kill everyone he knows. Why is Jadis being such a villain and pain in the ass? The answer is 1) she believes in the CRM code and 2) she always wanted Rick romantically.

Who can forget Jadis’ stomach-churning sexual harassment of Rick in The Walking Dead? Or how she betrayed Rick to side with Negan, a move that nearly got Michonne killed in season 7? Even still, they let her into their group and tried to embrace her versus killing her in cold blood. She did help keep Rick alive but Jadis is actively contributing to taking his life away. He lost years with his family while experiencing extreme emotional and mental duress.

Jadis could help Rick and Michonne escape and go back home. The two of them aren’t a threat to the Civic Republic in any way. They just want to be happy and live their lives in peace. Jadis is heavily indoctrinated but she also knows Rick very well… and harbors jealousy over his relationship with Michonne. Jadis even invited Rick to her room, to which he recoils in disgust. (Rick also tells her about her stupid haircut in this episode. I love it.) 

AMC

She knows that Michonne will ignite a new resolve in Rick to escape and she enjoys wielding power over him too much to let that happen. Her threats cause Rick to blow up at Michonne and tell her that he’s forcing her to go home. At the end of the episode, Michonne grabs Rick and tosses them both out of a freaking helicopter in a storm. It is a chaotic move but they have to take this chance, right?

How Will Jadis and the CRM React to Rick and Michonne’s Disappearance in The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live?

Of course, a few people will be suspicious. One of them is Rick’s CRM pal Pearl Thorne. At best, Pearl is a painfully annoying thorn (ha) in Rick’s side with her devotion to the CRM. She doesn’t trust Michonne—and rightfully so, from her perspective—but she does view Rick as her family. Pearl will certainly want to look into their mysterious disappearance but she’s not necessarily a villain at this point. Major Beale, who wants Rick to move up the ranks, keeps a close and suspicious eye on Rick. He may or may not truly believe that Rick and this random consignee is dead. But Beale and Pearl don’t know the full truth about his past nor his family.

Jadis is the real villain who can hurt him the most. She knows far too much and her blabbering about it can threaten Alexandria, Hilltop, and possibly the Commonwealth at large. Richonne better find a way to get that information from Jadis and kill her before she convinces a CRM reclamation team to take out their beloved home.

The post Jadis Is the Real Villain of THE WALKING DEAD: THE ONES WHO LIVE and We All Hate Her appeared first on Nerdist.

X-MEN YouTooz Figures Showcase Wolverine, Cyclops, and Jean Grey in ’90s Costumes

With the upcoming premiere of X-Men ’97 on Disney+, there’s an all-time high appreciation for the Marvel mutants in their ’90s heyday. As much as we may love (some) of the live-action films, no media outside of comics has captured what people love about the students of Charles Xavier’s School more than X-Men: The Animated Series. Now, you can display your love for the ’90s era X-Men’s ultimate love triangle heroes, Wolverine, Cyclops, and Jean Grey, with a new series of figures from the folks at YouTooz. You can check out images and details for each one right here:

Cyclops (X-Men #1) YouTooz

The first figure is of Scott Summers, a.k.a. Cyclops. The X-Men’s field leader, whose deadly optic blast can shatter a mountain. This figure captures Cyke in his Jim Lee-designed costume, featured prominently on the cover of 1991’s X-Men #1. Of course, it became world famous when X-Men: The Animated Series used it. This Limited Edition X-Men #1 Cyclops will set you back $39.99.

Jean Grey (Uncanny X-Men #281)YouTooz

Where there is a Scott Summers, so too must there be a Jean Grey. The mutant with psychic abilities arrives wearing her signature ’90s look, as it appeared on the cover of Uncanny X-Men #281. This was the era when Jean joined the X-Men’s Gold Team, and Sentinels killed her (Don’t worry, she got better quickly again). No longer Marvel Girl or Phoenix, the Jean Grey of this era was the team’s most powerful member. This Limited Edition Jean Grey figure is also priced at $39.99.

Wolverine (Wolverine Omnibus Vol. 4) YouTooz

Finally, it’s just not the X-Men without their most popular member, is it? This Wolverine figure is based on the cover of Wolverine Omnibus Volume 4. It shows Logan tearing through an alley with his adamantium claws. Like Cyclops and Jean Grey, he wears his signature ’90s costume. Also just like his teammates, the Wolverine YouTooz figure is $39.99.

YouTooz

To order these amazing X-Men YouTooz figures for yourself, head on over to their official site.

The post X-MEN YouTooz Figures Showcase Wolverine, Cyclops, and Jean Grey in ’90s Costumes appeared first on Nerdist.

Who Is X-MEN ’97s Main Villain, Mister Sinister?

He’s one of the X-Men’s most notable foes, and he’s about to make a big comeback in the Disney+ animated series X-Men ’97. Few villains have been as much of a thorn in the side of Charles Xavier’s students as the mysterious Mister Sinister. Here is the century-long history of one of the chief architects of the Marvel Comics mutant’s misery.

Mister Sinister’s First Marvel Comics AppearanceMarvel Comics

Two of the X-Men’s greatest foes made their debuts in the 1980s. One was the immortal mutant Apocalypse, and the other, the mad geneticist called Mister Sinister. This pale-faced, red-eyed, and razor-toothed villain made his first official appearance in 1987’s Uncanny X-Men #221, kicking off the seminal “Fall of the Mutants” Storyline. However, from behind the scenes, his first major move against the X-Men happened a year earlier, when they revealed him by name as the mastermind behind the infamous Mutant Massacre, in 1986’s Uncanny X-Men #211.

Mister Sinister and the Mutant Massacre Saga in X-MenMarvel Comics

The “Mutant Massacre” storyline was where the X-Men first felt Sinister’s evil, though we would not formally meet him for another year. In this story, a band of vicious mutants called the Marauders slaughtered the mutants who lived under New York City in its sewer tunnels called the Morlocks. These Morlocks were created by stolen science of Sinister’s, and he considered them an abomination to be eliminated. The Marauders were organized by future X-Man Remy LaBeau, a.k.a. Gambit, who felt tremendous guilt about his role in the massacre for the rest of his life. Following the event, Sinister stepped out of the shadows and became one of the X-Men’s most mortal foes, fighting them for years. But he had been in the wings since long before Xavier formed the X-Men.

The Origin of Mister SinisterMarvel Comics

The original Mr. Sinister was born in Victorian England, as Dr. Nathaniel Essex. When his first child passed away due to several birth defects, the brilliant biologist wanted to discover the source of human mutations. In fact, it became his singular obsession. He identified the random element in the human genetic code that caused mutations, which he called “the Essex factor,” later shortened to “the X factor.” But the scientific community of the time ridiculed him, eventually making Essex an outcast. But it didn’t deter his work, and he paid a London street gang called the Marauders to kidnap disfigured people and bring them to him for experimentation.

Marvel Comics

At one point, the Marauders encounter the ancient mutant En Sabah Nur, a.k.a. Apocalypse, who had just awakened from his centuries-long slumber. He was so impressed by Essex’s work with mutations he offered him immortality, and the gift of incredible powers, if Essex used his knowledge in Apocalypse’s service. At first, Essex said no, but eventually the death of his wife Rebecca and his second child cemented his descent into amorality. Learning of his twisted experiments, his wife’s final words to him called him “sinister,” which he then took as his name after Apocalypse enhanced him.

What Are Mr. Sinister’s Marvel Powers and Abilities? Is Sinister a Mutant?Marvel Comics

Altered at a cellular level by Apocalypse, and his access to Celestial technology, Sinister now had enhanced durability and an extended lifespan. Over time, he absorbed the powers of other mutants via sampling their genetic material. Among these powers are telepathy, telekinesis, superhuman strength, energy projection, and control of his body at the molecular level, giving him shapeshifting powers. He also rapidly heals from most injuries. His own innate scientific genius allows him to be a master at cloning, which he put to horrible use in the following decades.

Mister Sinister vs. ApocalypseMarvel Comics

Apocalypse gave Essex incredible powers, but the latter quickly realized that En Sabah Nur was too dangerous and would likely destroy the world. He knew he had to engineer a mutant powerful enough to take him down. He believed that mixing specific bloodlines could produce a mutant powerful enough to destroy him. Sinister spent much of the 20th century attempting to bioengineer that very being. In Russia, he encouraged Gregori Rasputin to have as many children as possible, ultimately resulting in Colossus and Magik. Neither was strong enough to defeat Apocalypse.

Nathaniel Essex joined Hitler’s Third Reich in the ‘30s, and at Auschwitz, he experimented on children, including a young Magneto, possibly expanding his powers to what they ultimately became. After World War II, he embedded himself in the United States government’s Project: Black Womb under a new alias. There, he inserted his genetic material into the children of his fellow scientists. These children included Sebastian Shaw and Charles Xavier. He would later teach a young Xavier at Oxford. However, his biggest “science project” had to do with future X-Men Scott Summers and Jean Grey.

Why Is Mister Sinister Obsessed with the X-Men Leader Cyclops?Marvel Comics

Sinister’s obsession with Scott Summers goes back to the 19th century. In his early years, he encountered a time-traveling Scott and Jean and marveled at their mutant powers. He discovered their surnames were Summers and Grey, and became obsessed with tracking their bloodlines. In the early 20th century, he opened the Nebraska State Home for Foundlings, an orphanage where he housed discarded children with genetic potential. Two of those children were orphans Scott and Alex Summers. Using the alias Dr. Nathan Milbury, Essex decided that Alex had less potential, and separated him from his brother.

While running the orphanage, Sinister masqueraded as another child named Nate, who was Scott’s only friend. He thought this way was easier to manipulate him. He even gave young Scott his first Ruby Quartz glasses to control his mutant optic blasts. When Scott Summers was almost adopted, Essex arranged for the death of his prospective parents. But Scott later escaped the orphanage, eventually going to Xavier’s School. Fortunately for Sinister, Scott met another Omega-level mutant there named Jean Grey, and they fell in love. Sinister hoped that their eventual union would produce the mutant to defeat Apocalypse once and for all. But Jean’s transformation into the Phoenix and eventual death temporarily halted that scheme. But as always, Essex had a backup plan.

Mister Sinister, Madelyne Pryor, Cable, Apocalypse, and Miss SinisterMarvel Comics

Sinister created a clone of Jean Grey who he named Madelyne Pryor, and with false memories inserted her into the life of Scott Summers after Jean’s death. They married and had a child, the ultimate goal of Sinister’s centuries-long plan. That mutant child, whom Scott named Nathan Christopher Charles Summers, was named for the fake “best friend” he had at the orphanage, aka Sinister in disguise. The baby Nathan was an Omega-level mutant, so Apocalypse infected the child with a techno-organic virus. He would either survive and become more powerful, or the virus would kill him.

Marvel Comics

After being sent to the future, that child grew up to become the warrior Cable. As Cable, he came back in time on a mission to defeat Apocalypse, which he did, fulfilling Sinister’s decades-long plans. Apocalypse eventually returned, however. Despite seemingly dying several times himself, Sinister kept returning as well. He kept transferring his consciousness into new clone bodies of himself, including a female one, Miss Sinister. The assumption was always that the Sinister the X-Men had fought for years was the original. That, it turns out, was not the full truth.

Mister Sinister and the Mutant Nation of KrakoaMarvel Comics

Despite years of enmity towards each other, Charles Xavier and Magneto asked Sinister to join them in establishing the mutant nation of Krakoa. Sinister had genetic material on almost every mutant on Earth, something they needed for the Krakoan Resurrection Protocols to give mutants immortality. They even gave Sinister a seat on the Krakoan Quiet Council, which ruled mutantkind. It was during this Krakoan era that Sinister’s biggest secret came to light. The Mister Sinister the X-Men fought for years wasn’t the original Nathaniel Essex, but his clone. Actually, one of four clones made in the late 19th century of the original Nathaniel Essex.

The Truth About Sinister, and His Many ClonesMarvel Comics

We learned during the Krakoan era that the real Essex died in 1895. He made three clones of himself, each believing themselves to be the real Essex, and sharing his memories. The one we know today as Mr. Sinister was a mutant born with an X-gene, one whose powers Apocalypse augmented. A human clone, who believed in homo sapiens’ superiority, became the hateful Mr. Stasis. Another clone, Orbis Stellaris, left Earth to learn about alien technologies. The fourth clone was actually of Essex’s dead wife Rebecca, called Mother Righteous, who wielded magic. Each had a different playing card designation on their forehead, with Sinister’s being a red diamond. The human supremacist clone Mr. Stasis has very nearly destroyed the mutant race with his Orchis initiative. Thus proving that in one form or another, Nathaniel Essex might be mutantkind’s greatest foe.

Live-Action Mr. Sinister Teased in 20th Century Fox Films like X-Men: Apocalypse, Deadpool 2, and New MutantsTwentieth Century Films

Although most of the X-Men’s main foes appeared in live-action in the Fox X-Men films, Mister Sinister wasn’t one of them. They teased the character at the end of X-Men: Apocalypse, when we saw agents of “Essex Corps” cleaning up blood samples after Wolverine’s bloody rampage. Another tease happened in Deadpool 2, with the young mutant Russell living in the Essex House for Mutant Rehabilitation. In New Mutants’ Dr. Reyes worked for Essex Corporation too. Yet despite all this buildup, we never saw Sinister. This allows for the MCU to actually make Sinister their main villain for their eventual X-Men films without repeating what Fox did.

Mister Sinister in X-Men ’97Marvel Studios

Before any MCU appearances happen though, Sinister will be the main villain of X-Men ’97 on Disney+, with actor Christopher Britton returning from X-Men: The Animated Series to voice him. We suspect that the storyline about Sinister’s obsession with Cyclops and Jean Grey and their eventual child will play a part in the proceedings. So look out, Magneto and Dark Phoenix. Thanks to upcoming animation and live-action films, it feels like Mister Sinister might soon claim the throne of the X-Men franchise’s most prominent and feared villain.

The post Who Is X-MEN ’97s Main Villain, Mister Sinister? appeared first on Nerdist.

PUMA X ONE PIECE Collection, A Meeting of Lex Luthors and More News Odds & Ends

From an incredible line of One Piece sneakers from PUMA to a NASA TTRPG to a real-life Pokémon motorbike, here are some of our favorite pieces of recent entertainment news.

PUMA/Compass International Pictures/DC Comics Get Ready for a One Piece x PUMA Collection Worthy of a Captain Halloween TV Series Will Be a Total Creative Reboot My Adventures With Superman Gets Comic Series to Bridge Seasons Toyota Is Creating a Real-Life Miraidon Motorbike The Unknown: A Horror Movie Based on Viral “Willy Wonka Experience” Is in the Works NASA Reveals Its Very Own Tabletop Role-Playing Game Adventure, The Lost Universe Get Ready for a One Piece x PUMA Collection Worthy of a CaptainPUMA

If you love One Piece, prepare for an incredibly cool new shoe collection to sail into town. Puma and One Piece have collaborated on a line of fabulously themed sneakers that are “inspired by the fan-favorite characters Monkey D. Luffy (Gear 5), Shanks, Buggy, and Blackbeard.” Additionally, a release reveals that “each Suede sneaker brings its own unique color combination and playful graphic elements. Every pair comes in a specially designed box featuring a full-wrap sea map graphic.” The collection releases on March 23, 2024, in select PUMA stores and online worldwide. If you’re a One Piece fan, no adventure will be complete without these sneakers, so set a heading for your nearest PUMA store and don’t miss out.

Click To View Gallery PUMA PUMA PUMA PUMA PUMA

Here’s how to watch One Piece without filler episodes:

How to Watch ONE PIECE Faster Without Filler Episodes

Halloween TV Series Will Be a Total Creative RebootCompass International Pictures

Miramax Television is planning to create a series in the Halloween universe. Deadline shares that the show “is envisioned to potentially launch a cinematic universe spanning film and television.” Miramax’s Head Of Worldwide Television Marc Helwig shares the series will go back the franchise’s beginnings. He notes “The foundation of it is the original film, the John Carpenter movie, the characters of that film, and perhaps a group of characters that we haven’t really focused on that much in recent film versions or even in a number of them,” Helwig said. “It’s a creative reset completely and going back to the original film, as opposed to spinning out of any of the more recent film adaptations.”

Here’s are review of Halloween Ends

HALLOWEEN ENDS Is an Ambitious and Enjoyable Trilogy Topper

My Adventures With Superman Gets Comic Series to Bridge SeasonsDC Comics

Fans of My Adventures With Superman can rejoice. DC is creating a comic series that will detail Clark Kent, Lois Lane, and Jimmy Olsen’s adventures between seasons one and two. A release shares, “Clark Kent is a bit down and out, spending Christmas alone in Metropolis. But when he gets a tip about a monster in the sewers, Superman, Lois Lane, and Jimmy Olsen spring into action to investigate this mystery. What is this monster that can absorb anything it touches, and why is it here in Metropolis?” The series is written by series producer Josie Campbell and drawn by artist Pablo M. Collar.

DC Comics

Campbell shares, “This story is one we actually talked about in the writers room, but we didn’t have space for it in season one. So get ready for romance, comedy, super-powers, Jimmy Olsen talking a lot about how he’s super-rich now, and all the goodness of the show bundled into this action-packed miniseries.”

If you haven’t watched yet, here’s the trailer for My Adventures with Superman:

MY ADVENTURES WITH SUPERMAN Trailer Lets Jack Quaid’s Man of Steel Take Flight

Toyota Is Creating a Real-Life Miraidon Motorbike

トヨタ技術会の挑戦

アイディアはこの1枚#トヨタミライドンプロジェクト始動 pic.twitter.com/HzPj6JpYye

— トヨタ自動車株式会社 (@TOYOTA_PR) March 5, 2024

Get ready for a Poké-immersion. Toyota is working on bringing Pokémon Scarlet and Violet‘s Miradion to life in motorbike form. Not many details are available yet about the project, but a possible prototype was teased in 2023. We first saw this news on IGN.

Toyota is producing a Miraidon Motorbike! pic.twitter.com/JBuT8hA13h

— Eclipse『ズルム』 (@3clipse_tt) March 7, 2024

Learn more about Miradion, here:

Meet POKÉMON SCARLET and VIOLET’s New Pokémon and Regional Forms

Nicholas Hoult Names Michael Rosenbaum and All-Star Superman As Lex Luthor Inspirations for SupermanJames Gunn/CW

Nicholas Hoult and Michael Rosenbaum recently had a Lex Luthor meeting of the minds on Rosenbaum’s Inside of You podcast. During the chat, Hoult revealed, “I grew up. I think the first ever Lex I saw was you… Yeah, I grew up when Smallville was on, I can’t remember if it was Channel 4 or Channel 5 in the UK, but like growing up. I was like 11, 12, I guess. And so that was like the show that I would watch and see my first iterations of Superman and Lex and all those stories. Since I’ve seen Richard Donner’s movies and all the other ones and kind of seen some of the other performances, but you’re like the one. I love [your portrayal], it’s the best.”

Additionally, the actor noted, “I have been working out. No, you know what, there’s that bit in All-Star Superman where he talks about his muscles being real and like hard work and all that. I kind of took that as a little bit of like fuel for the fire.”

Here’s what we know so far about the DCU’s Superman:

Sean Gunn Confirms He Will Play Maxwell Lord in the DCU

The Unknown: A Horror Movie Based on Viral “Willy Wonka Experience” Is in the Works

A “Willy Wonka Experience” in Scotland went viral for being an absolute disaster, so, of course, a movie adaptation of the mayhem is on the way. Bloody Disgusting reveals a synopsis of The Unknown from Kaledonia Pictures. It shares, “The film, gearing up for production and a late 2024 release, follows a renowned illustrator and his wife who are haunted by the tragic death of their son, Charlie. Desperate to escape their grief, the couple leave the world behind for the remote Scottish Highlands – where an unknowable evil awaits them.”

credit where it’s due to the glasgow wonka experience—the unknown is absolutely the kind of monster roald dahl would’ve come up with to frighten kids pic.twitter.com/AJVO2tYt0H

— campbell g (@rodeoman) February 29, 2024

Here’s our review of the other Willy Wonka movie, Wonka:

WONKA Isn’t Good, But It’s Not Bad Enough to Be Interesting Either

NASA Reveals Its Very Own Tabletop Role-Playing Game Adventure, The Lost Universe NASA

Incredibly, NASA has released its very own tabletop role-playing game system called The Lost Universe. Now you can take your party into the cosmos. And, of course, the Hubble Space Telescope is naturally involved. A release shares:

A dark mystery has settled over the city of Aldastron on the rogue planet of Exlaris. Researchers dedicated to studying the cosmos have disappeared, and the Hubble Space Telescope has vanished from Earth’s timeline. Only an ambitious crew of adventurers can uncover what was lost. Are you up to the challenge?

This adventure is designed for a party of 4-7 level 7-10 characters and is easily adaptable for your preferred tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG) system.

NASA’s first TTRPG adventure invites you to take on a classic villain (while also using and learning science skills!) as you overcome challenges and embark on an exciting quest to unlock more knowledge about our universe. Download your game documents below and get ready to explore Exlaris!

Here are some tips to make your tabletop games run more smoothly:

5 DUNGEONS & DRAGONS Tips To Make Your New Dungeon Master’s Life Easier

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