Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 421

Dave Filoni Promoted to Chief Creative Officer at Lucasfilm, Growing His STAR WARS Role

It’s hard to believe Ahsoka wrapped its first season well over a month ago. The Star Wars series centered on Ahsoka Tano took fans to a distant galaxy and left behind many questions. With the then-ongoing WGA and SAG strikes, the creators and actors couldn’t discuss the series while it aired, but now both strikes are over. Vanity Fair spoke with Dave Filoni about Ahsoka and more. Filoni served as showrunner on Ahsoka and has worked on all the live-action Star Wars series so far. And now, he has an even larger role to play in the galaxy far, far away. Dave Filoni is Lucasfilm’s chief creative officer.

Lucasfilm

Filoni shared the new title with Vanity Fair, explaining he’ll be part of the development process for upcoming Star Wars stories sooner. He said, “In the past, in a lot of projects I would be brought into it, I would see it after it had already developed a good ways.” Filoni also added the following about his Lucasfilm promotion, “In this new role, it’s opened up to basically everything that’s going on. When we’re planning the future of what we’re doing now, I’m involved at the inception phase.”

Filoni will work closely with Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy and head of development Carrie Beck. He worked with Beck for years on animated series. He started his time at Lucasfilm working with George Lucas on Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Filoni then went on to tell stories in Star Wars Rebels, Star Wars Resistance, The Bad Batch, and Tales of the Jedi. His involvement in Star Wars animation decreased as he worked more on live-action Star Wars with Jon Favreau, which began with The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett.

Lucasfilm

Filoni has told hours and hours of Star Wars stories. He said to Vanity Fair about his new role, “I’m not telling people what to do. But I do feel I’m trying to help them tell the best story that they want to tell. I need to be a help across the galaxy here, like a part of a Jedi Council almost.”

This new Lucasfilm role comes in addition to Filoni’s upcoming Star Wars feature film and a possible second season of Ahsoka.

The post Dave Filoni Promoted to Chief Creative Officer at Lucasfilm, Growing His STAR WARS Role appeared first on Nerdist.

Dave Filoni Promoted to Chief Creative Officer at Lucasfilm

It’s hard to believe Ahsoka wrapped its first season well over a month ago. The Star Wars series centered on Ahsoka Tano took fans to a distant galaxy and left behind many questions. With the then-ongoing WGA and SAG strikes, the creators and actors couldn’t discuss the series while it aired, but now both strikes are over. Vanity Fair spoke with Dave Filoni about Ahsoka and more. Filoni served as showrunner on Ahsoka and has worked on all the live-action Star Wars series so far. And now, he has an even larger role to play in the galaxy far, far away. Dave Filoni is Lucasfilm’s chief creative officer.

Lucasfilm

Filoni shared the new title with Vanity Fair, explaining he’ll be part of the development process for upcoming Star Wars stories sooner. He said, “In the past, in a lot of projects I would be brought into it, I would see it after it had already developed a good ways.” Filoni also added the following about his Lucasfilm promotion, “In this new role, it’s opened up to basically everything that’s going on. When we’re planning the future of what we’re doing now, I’m involved at the inception phase.”

Filoni will work closely with Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy and head of development Carrie Beck. He worked with Beck for years on animated series. He started his time at Lucasfilm working with George Lucas on Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Filoni then went on to tell stories in Star Wars Rebels, Star Wars Resistance, The Bad Batch, and Tales of the Jedi. His involvement in Star Wars animation decreased as he worked more on live-action Star Wars with Jon Favreau, which began with The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett.

Lucasfilm

Filoni has told hours and hours of Star Wars stories. He said to Vanity Fair about his new role, “I’m not telling people what to do. But I do feel I’m trying to help them tell the best story that they want to tell. I need to be a help across the galaxy here, like a part of a Jedi Council almost.”

This new Lucasfilm role comes in addition to Filoni’s upcoming Star Wars feature film and a possible second season of Ahsoka.

The post Dave Filoni Promoted to Chief Creative Officer at Lucasfilm appeared first on Nerdist.

New KARATE KID Movie Will Star Ralph Macchio and Jackie Chan

Cobra Kai is coming to an end, but Daniel LaRusso’s story is not. Ralph Macchio is returning to the big screen for an all-new The Karate Kid movie. Only this installment will combine generations of big-screen entries. Jackie Chan, who joined the series in a 2010 reboot as the Kung Fu master and mentor Mr. Han, will join him in the Karate Kid film. All that’s left is for them to find a new student to teach. Macchio and Chan announced a global search to find the next Karate Kid in the movie’s announcement video.

Sony Pictures has decided to wax on another movie in The Karate Kid franchise. While the studio is not yet releasing plot details for the film, in a press release, Sony said it will bring Macchio and Chan “together to continue the mythology of the original franchise.”

Jonathan Entwistle will direct with a screenplay from Rob Lieber. Surprisingly, the film will come to theaters on December 13, 2024. We’re surprised by that date because the movie doesn’t have its proverbial Karate Kid, yet. Macchio and Chan’s video also announced a worldwide hunt for a young star. The parameters for the open call reveal some more information about the film and its production.

Sony Pictures

According to KarateKidCasting.com, Sony is looking for a 15-17 year old to play Li Fong in the new Karate Kid movie. The studio describes Li Fong is as “smart, scrappy, and a skilled martial artist.” Any actor interested must speak English, with conversational Mandarin “a strong plus.” Also considered a strong plus is “any sort of martial arts, movement, gymnastics, and/or dance experience.”

The part does not require previous acting experience, but anyone cast must be available to film from March to June of 2024. If you or someone you know sounds right for the starring role in this latest Karate Kid movie, email KarateKidCasting@sony.com. It’s free to apply.

Although, you might ultimately have to pay in the form of an evil dojo who wants to destroy you. Being the new Karate Kid sounds great, but it also comes with enemies.

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THE WITCHER’s New Book Will Arrive Worldwide in 2025, Sets 2024 Release for Poland

Author Andrzej Sapkowski published the last book in The Witcher world 2013 with Season of Storms. That book was a standalone prequel of sorts set between The Witcher short stories and The Last Wish and told the story of one of Geralt’s monster-hunting contracts that went wrong. To be fair, most of his contracts seem to go wrong in one way or another. Anyway, it turns out Season of Storms is not the end of Sapkowski’s writings in the Continent. Sapkowski said in a livestream with Fantastic Talks that he’s been working on a new Witcher book “quite diligently.” He said that finishing the book should take him around a year, but no longer. And now, Sapkowski has shared the release date window for when we might expect this new entry into The Witcher‘s world.

Netflix

We first saw the news of a new Witcher book on Polygon (with translation from Redanian Intelligence). Sapkowski has said more than once the main Witcher series ended with The Lady of the Lake (published in 1999). He won’t write additional books about those events after the series’ conclusion. Then Season of Storms came in 2013. We heard in 2020 that the author had plans for a new Witcher, but this has been the most concrete update since.

Given what Sapkowski has said about the main Witcher series being done, we don’t expect a continuation of that story. The Lady of the Lake wraps Ciri’s story, with the character jumping to the world of Camelot. Yes, that Camelot. Given that, Sapkowski likely will leave the series as is. Perhaps we’ll get another short story collection or another standalone tale about one of Geralt’s many adventures.

Most recently, IGN reported on when we might expect the novel to arrive. According to the publication, Sapkowski shared at Comic-Con Vienna that the new Witcher book would debut in Poland in late 2024 and would then release worldwide in early 2025. That’s not too long to wait. It’s kind of fitting to have this new Witcher novel on the horizon as Netflix is on the precipice of a major change in its adaptation. Season three of the series recently ended, and season four will see Liam Hemsworth take the place of Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia.

Originally published on August 7, 2023.

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$20,000 POKÉMON x Tiffany Jewelry Collab Reveals Very Shiny Pokémon

Tiffany & Co.’s new collaboration with Pokémon gives a whole new meaning to the idea of “shiny Pokémon.” Sure, we all love a shiny version of our favorite Pokémon. Maybe they’re pink and not blue this time, or maybe they have a cool new look. But Tiffany’s shiny Pikachu (and friends) take things to a much different level, a diamond, silver, and gold level. And we’re not just talking about the game versions here. We’re talking about Tiffany Pokémon necklaces that collectively cost nearly $20,000 and individually are a pretty penny as well. In case you have a little bit of spare cash lying around to catch ’em all, Tiffany’s Pokémon collection is now open. But like the best rare catches and events, it will only be here for a short time and its timer is already ticking down. Let’s take a closer look at these wild Pokémon jewelry creations.

The Tiffany & Arsham Studio & Pokémon Capsule CollectionTiffany & Co.

The full name of this collection is actually The Tiffany & Arsham Studio & Pokémon Capsule Collection. The Pokéjewels come courtesy of contemporary artist, Daniel Arsham. They actually have a pretty cool vision behind them. A release shares that the Tiffany x Pokémon collection is “designed in Arsham’s ‘Future Relics’ aesthetic, where he reimagines everyday objects as archaeological discoveries from an imagined future. The collection is inspired by Arsham’s exhibition in Japan, A Ripple in Time, which features a variety of Pokémon works of art meant to evoke the passage of time.” That’s quite a story for these jewels to tell.

What Is Available to Buy in This Collection?Tiffany & Co.

The jewelry collection highlights six Pokémon: Pikachu, Charmander, Squirtle, Jigglypuff, Cubone, and Mew. We feel this makes for an interesting array of choices—Cubone especially doesn’t always feature as a series mascot. But he sure looks nice in silver and diamond. Mew, hands down, would be my choice to feature if I got to wear expensive Pokémon jewelry from Tiffany & Co.

In all, the Tiffany & Arsham Studio & Pokémon Capsule Collection features three styles of jewelry. A release notes, “There are pendants with one Pokémon each and a station necklace with six Pokémon, all crafted in oxidized sterling silver with diamond accents. Additionally, a Pikachu pendant in 18k yellow gold with diamonds is offered in a small size.” Excitingly, if you venture to get the 18k Yellow Gold with Diamonds Pikachu pendant (the most expensive available item), then you will also receive a Poké Ball in Tiffany Blue.

What Does The Tiffany Pikachu Pendant and Other Pokémon Jewelry Cost? Click To View Gallery Tiffany u0026 Co. Tiffany u0026 Co. Tiffany u0026 Co. Tiffany u0026 Co. Tiffany u0026 Co. Tiffany u0026 Co. Tiffany u0026 Co. Tiffany u0026 Co. Tiffany u0026 Co. Tiffany u0026 Co.

Honestly, Tiffany should just sell their Poké Balls individually. If there’s one thing we know, it’s that folks love a collectible Poké Ball. And that way, there might actually be an affordable item in the line-up. As it stands, here’s what everything costs in this Tiffany x Pokémon collaboration. The Pikachu pendant in gold costs $9,190. The individual silver and diamond pendants cost $1,290 each. And the necklace with the full set of Tiffany Pokémon pendants cost $7,190.

Hopefully, being a Pokémon Master pays… Otherwise, we’ll just stick to the normal kinds of shiny Pokémon for now. This Pokémon jewelry collection is now on sale at Tiffany & Co.’s website. We don’t know if these rare catches will return a second time.

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SUPERMAN: LEGACY May Have Found Its Lex Luthor

Soon the world will meet a new Clark Kent in Superman: Legacy. DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran are rebooting the most famous superhero in the world as they transition the franchise from the DCEU to the DCU. Who will play the Man of Steel on the big screen this time around? What kind of story will we see him in? And who will bring it to life? We’re keeping track of all these answers and more. The latest news: Nicholas Hoult, who was a possibility to play Superman, is in talks to play Lex Luthor. Here’s everything we know about Superman: Legacy.

DC Comics/Frank Quitely

Title

The DCU’s first official movie (though not its first official release) is titled Superman: Legacy. That will kick off the film side of what James Gunn has called the franchise’s first chapter, “Gods and Monsters.” He has also called Superman: Legacy “the true beginning” of the DCU.

Superman: Legacy‘s Plot

While the film still has no official synopsis, Warner Bros. did provide a description of what we can expect from the story, which James Gunn says is not an origin tale.

Superman: Legacy tells the story of Superman’s journey to reconcile his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing as Clark Kent of Smallville, Kansas. He is the embodiment of truth, justice and the American way, guided by human kindness in a world that sees kindness as old-fashioned.

Gunn announced the film with art from the cover of All-Star Superman by writer Grant Morrison and artist Frank Quitely. Whether or not that means the story is influenced, inspired by, or adapted from the 12-issue comic series in any way is unclear. What Gunn has said is the movie will focus on “an earlier part of Superman’s life,” where he is still old enough to already be working for the Daily Planet.

Superman: Legacy‘s Cast

Accurate! (They are not only both incredible actors, but also wonderful people). https://t.co/1FtwYIDeYj

— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) June 27, 2023

David Corenswet will play Superman, while Rachel Brosnahan will play Lois Lane.

In addition, four more actors have joined the cast of Superman: Legacy. Isabela Merced will play Hawkgirl, Edi Gathegi will play Mister Terrific, Nathan Fillion will play Green Lantern Guy Gardner, and Anthony Carrigan will play Metamorpho. María Gabriela de Faría will play the villain The Engineer in the movie. Also known as Angela Spica, the character has nanotechnology built into her body.

The Hollywood Reporter states Nicholas Hoult is in talks to play Lex Luthor.

Behind the Scenes 

James Gunn wrote the (definitely completed) script and is directing.

Superman: Legacy‘s Release Date

Thanks to the efforts of our talented crew, who never lost faith during the longest strikes in Hollywood history, and who never let their foot off the pedal, continuing to barrel forward, creating the most amazing character and set designs I’ve seen in my entire career,… pic.twitter.com/ntnEbA2fC0

— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) November 11, 2023

Superman: Legacy will soar into theaters faster than a speeding bullet on July 11, 2025.

Originally published on April 11, 2023.

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How MONARCH: LEGACY OF MONSTERS Brought New Titans to Life

The Monsterverse has given us a plethora of enormous creatures of all stripes since it began in 2014. Not only Godzilla, Kong, and Mothra, but brand new and memorable ones, like the MUTOs and Skullcrawlers. The Apple TV+ series Monarch: Legacy of Monsters not only expands the lore of the Monsterverse with mysteries behind the organization’s creation, but has also shown us a number of awesome new Titans in only a few episodes.

We spoke to Sean Konrad, the show’s visual effects supervisor, about some of these new creatures, and revisiting the Golden Gate Bridge scene from ’14’s Godzilla.

Legendary Television

“That sequence,” Konrad explained, “the way that Gareth [Edwards] had shot it was very much meant to be from the human point of view. That was one of the really cool things he did. You’re able to get a sense of movement and build the scale of Godzilla by moving through the environment from that point of view of the bus. We definitely wanted to stay true to that when we approached the scene [for Monarch].

The scene in the show, which depicts Cate Randa (Anna Sawai) looking up at the enormous visage of Godzilla while her bus of school children rests precariously next to her, is an iconic moment in the first episode. It was also an iconic moment in the movie, which Konrad explains was almost going to just be what we saw. “There was early talks,” he said, “like, should we just reuse some of the footage from the movie? And ultimately, we came down on the side of that would feel really cheap, and we wanted to do something that really allowed Cate to have an emotional moment.”

But simply showing Godzilla, or the Titans, is not going to ensure they work on-screen. Konrad told us, “It’s a lot of the same problems that existed in the feature films where you have to build up scale. The way you do that is you take atmospherics—rain—and that helps us give some sense of reference to the size of a thing. Explosions then sort of dot in and give you that scale.”

Legendary Television

But that’s only part of it. Konrad explained so much of the believability of the monsters comes down to practical filming. “You’re not going to put kids on a bus rig that will tilt back,” he said. “So we had a kid physically in a bus and he was okay to fall backwards onto a mat. But we couldn’t actually have him tip and go over the edge, so we had to digitally take over the bus in a lot of shots in order to make it do that, and then to keep it rocking and rolling on the edge as it’s precariously perched there. Fortunately, we had a lot of stuff in the scene, like rain and smoke that could help us hide details when we were concerned about showing too much of the interior of the bus and making that not work with the exterior.”

Konrad also let us in on a major trick for these Titans that seems obvious in retrospect. It’s all about location. Where is the creature? What would the environment have to say about how the creatures look, move, and behave? “The crab [a.k.a. Mantleclaw] you see in the first scene in episode one, we were standing on this wonderful peninsula made of lava rock and we’re like, ‘Well, this is a cool material. Let’s make a crab made of this!’ So it’s looking at your environment and trying to make them feel like they seamlessly fit in.”

Legendary Television

For the Ion Dragon, the creature we meet at the end of episode two, Konrad and team had to go a different direction. “With this one, we wanted it to be incongruent. We want it to be like, why the heck is that thing here? So we took the mouth of an angler fish—which belongs in the bottom of the ocean, where it should stay—and you put that into the middle of the jungle and then we give it wings. Then you’re like, ‘Why the hell does this fish have wings?'”

This explains the rest of its distinctive physique. “[We gave] it this almost gargoyle-ish body with this big, spiny tail,” Konrad said. “Really what you’re trying to do is do the same philosophical ideas of, okay, we’re going to use the natural world as inspiration for our creatures for the initial concept. We want to tie it to these concepts. But ultimately, what we want to do is make it really weird and crazy and tie into mythological creatures and the forms and silhouettes that they have.”

“We wanted a dragon,” he continued, “and so we’re kind of going into that direction. But we didn’t want to make it a dragon that has already been seen on TV a million times. And so finding that unique carve-out is hugely challenging, because you don’t want to step on the features’ toes or the comics’ toes or any of those kinds of things. So you find something that feels unique to your universe.”

Legendary Television

Another such critter made its first appearance in episode three. The “Frost-Vark” is a giant mole-like creature that lives underground in Alaska. It can emit freezing energy. This is very unlike anything in our world. That proved quite difficult to for the teams of designers. “That was a creature where we had a design that we loved and we put it into the shots and we were like, this is just fundamentally not working,” Konrad explained. “We went back to the drawing board, literally, and our concept artists at Wētā re-concepted. And then the Framestore team kind of picked up on that and added more detail. And even as we were finishing it, we were like, ‘There’s still things missing.'”

“One of our Apple executives had made a couple of suggestions of, ‘Okay. Well, let’s add a little bit more like snow and blood on it and make it look like it’s just been through a little bit more.’ And that sort of ended up being the sweetening thing that made it feel a lot more realistic.” It paid off for Konrad, who cites the Frost-Vark as his favorite on the show.

“I really love the ice mole creature that we’ve got in there,” he said. “We really get to linger on the ice creature a little bit more. He’s in two episodes back to back, and you get a whole Jaws-like chase scene with it. And that’s kind of the fun of it. I really love being able to explore it and get that personality.”

Monarch: Legacy of Monsters drops episode three Wednesday, November 22, on Apple TV+.

Editor’s Note: Nerdist is a subsidiary of Legendary Digital Networks.

Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. He hosts the weekly pop culture deep-dive podcast Laser Focus. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Instagram and Letterboxd.

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The 10 Greatest Daredevil Comic Book Runs of All Time, Ranked

Daredevil is one of the most prestigious titles in Marvel Comics. However, when you look back at the Man Without Fear’s earliest issues, you wouldn’t expect a character in a gaudy red and yellow costume to someday hold this title. In fact, Daredevil has never been a pop culture superstar quite like his Marvel contemporaries like the Hulk, Spider-Man, or Thor. Even so, what’s unique about Daredevil is that his series presents a chronicle of contemporary social issues. That’s because Daredevil can’t ignore social inequality—it’s a part of everyday life as a blind lawyer Matt Murdock from working-class Hell’s Kitchen. With this in mind, let’s look at the 10 best Daredevil stories ever published. 

10. Ed Brubaker and Michael LarkMarvel Comics/Marko Djurdjevic

Crime is a key ingredient of Daredevil stories from the last couple decades. Writer Ed Brubaker has excelled in this genre across his career. Brubaker and Michael Lark’s Daredevil had the difficult task of continuing on from a bombshell moment at the end of Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev’s run, where Daredevil was imprisoned. While in jail, Matt Murdock was tormented by the Kingpin himself, Wilson Fisk. The audacious opening to Brubaker and Lark’s run put Matt up against his fiercest foes without any of his usual advantages. If you loved the pulse-pounding prison escape scene in season three of the Netflix Daredevil show, then Brubaker and Lark are a perfect match for your sensibilities. 

Ed Brubaker’s run spans Daredevil (1998) #82-119, plus Daredevil #500.

9. Charles SouleMarvel Comics/Phil Noto

Writer Charles Soule also works as an attorney. Part of his run on Daredevil highlights the ins and outs of being a lawyer. But beyond Soule’s legal training, he and artist Phil Noto pulled off one of the funniest gags in Daredevil’s history: bringing Matt Murdock’s fake twin brother, Mike, to life. In the earliest issues of Daredevil in the 1960s, Matt created the persona of “Mike Murdock” to fool Karen Page and Foggy Nelson into thinking Daredevil was actually his identical twin brother, Mike. But after a mishap with an Inhuman called the Reader, Mike Murdock accidentally came to life as his own person. Bringing Mike to life had lasting consequences for Daredevil (see: the Devil’s Reign event), and Soule and Noto’s arc merged both the comedic and dramatic sides of Daredevil’s publication history in one story. 

Charles Soule’s Daredevil run spans Daredevil (2015) #1-28, Daredevil #595-612.

8. Frank MillerMarvel Comics/David Mazzucchelli

Frank Miller is often credited with reinventing Daredevil as a gritty crime story. Miller introduced longstanding characters in Daredevil such as the assassin Elektra Natchios, the ninja organization known as The Hand, and Daredevil’s former mentor, Stick. Together with artist David Mazzucchelli, Miller’s finest work on Daredevil was the “Born Again” storyline, which still remains influential today. Perhaps Frank Miller’s greatest legacy for Daredevil is that he paved the way for future creators to explore the Man Without Fear in a variety of modes. For some, that meant a heavy crime approach, and for others, a more humanistic perspective. When evaluated within the whole of Daredevil’s publication history, Frank Miller’s run may not be the character’s finest, but it is a watershed moment in superhero comics. 

Frank Miller’s run on Daredevil begins as the penciler on Daredevil #158-167, then as writer on Daredevil #168-191, #219, #226-233. Miller wrote Daredevil: The Man Without Fear #1-5 with art by John Romita Jr. 

7. Denny O’NeilMarvel Comics/Klaus Janson

Dennis “Denny” O’Neil doesn’t get enough credit for his role in shaping Daredevil into one of Marvel’s finest characters. O’Neil ushered in a more mature era for superhero comics at large with his and Neal Adams’ sociopolitically-minded run on Green Lantern in the early 1970s. Later, O’Neil was Frank Miller’s editor on Daredevil. After Miller’s run concluded, O’Neil filled in as writer until Ann Nocenti took over the title. O’Neil’s Daredevil reflects his seasoned mastery of the comic book form, telling thoughtful, self-contained stories. Through his writing, O’Neil imbued Hell’s Kitchen with a certain journalistic texture of humanity, making his run deeply refreshing to read. While Frank Miller is often attributed with writing Daredevil with a “mature” outlook, the same should also be said for O’Neil’s run.

Dennis O’Neil’s run as writer on Daredevil spans Daredevil #18, #194-202, #204-#207, #210-218, #220-223, #225-226. 

6. David Lapham and Lee WeeksMarvel Comics/Lee Weeks

Daredevil: Dark Nights by David Lapham and Lee Weeks is the rare story where Matt Murdock’s antagonist isn’t a corrupt human, but Mother Nature herself. This arc takes place during a blizzard that’s left New York City at a standstill. A little girl waits for a heart transplant at a hospital. But the helicopter transporting the heart goes down due to the weather. Matt suits up to trudge across New York City in the snow to retrieve the heart from the site of the crash.

Anyone who’s ever lived in New York City knows that this city is no stranger to horrific weather events. Lee Weeks’ gorgeous art captures the epic scale of this battle of man versus nature, and the limits of the human body. Daredevil’s passionate disregard for his own wellbeing in Dark Nights is incredibly moving. If you’ve ever needed three issues to remind you why Daredevil is so heroic, then Daredevil: Dark Nights #1-3 is a must read. 

David Lapham and Lee Weeks’ story spans Daredevil: Dark Nights #1-3.

5. Kevin Smith, Joe Quesada, and Jimmy PalmiottiMarvel Comics/Joe Quesada

The 1990s were a rough time for Daredevil. It wasn’t until Kevin Smith, Joe Quesada, and Jimmy Palmiotti assembled in 1998 that the Man Without Fear hit his stride again. Under the new Marvel Knights imprint, Daredevil began anew. With Smith’s lyrical narration and Quesada and Palmiotti’s lush art, Daredevil came out swinging and never let up. Smith, Quesada, and Palmiotti kicked off a new era of Daredevil marked by creative experimentation that continued through the early 2000s. In just eight issues, Smith, Quesada, and Palmiotti reminded comics fans why Daredevil is a top-tier Marvel character. And yes, this is the same Kevin Smith who made Clerks! 

Daredevil (1998) #1-8

4. Mark Waid, Paolo Rivera, and Chris SamneeMarvel Comics/Chris Samnee

Mark Waid, Paolo Rivera, and Chris Samnee’s Daredevil departed from the dark and crime-heavy tone that the character had become synonymous with. Instead, Waid’s Daredevil had no private identity. He lived publicly as Matt Murdock, vigilante and lawyer, in San Francisco. Waid and Rivera introduced a fan-favorite girlfriend of Matt Murdock’s, Kirsten McDuffie, a fellow lawyer. Rivera and Samnee’s playful artwork combined with Waid’s adventurous tone reestablished Daredevil as a character who made you smile as much as he made you think. In this sense, this run was a better version of Daredevil’s earliest comics by Bill Everett, Stan Lee, Wallace Wood, John Romita Sr., and Gene Colan. Waid, Rivera, and Samnee proved just how versatile Daredevil is as a character.

Daredevil (2011) #1-36, Daredevil (2014) #0.1, #1-18

3. Chip Zdarsky and Marco ChecchettoMarvel Comics/Julian Totino Tedesco

If Waid, Rivera, and Samnee’s Daredevil was the Beach Boys’ Surfer Girl album, Chip Zdarsky and Marco Checchetto’s Daredevil was Rage Against the Machine’s debut. Zdarsky wrote Daredevil with righteous fury and emotional complexity, brought to life by Marco Checchetto’s art. Matt Murdock became more and more disillusioned with the justice system as well as his Catholic beliefs. This culminated in him going to prison after killing a man early on in the run. The focus on Daredevil’s rage brought out a terrifying but relatable dimension to his character. With Zdarsky’s attention to both the failings of the justice system and Catholic schools of thought, Daredevil never felt more salient to today’s world. If you’ve ever experienced even a smidge of Catholic guilt, you’ll find yourself at home in Zdarsky and Checchetto’s Daredevil. 

Daredevil (2019) #1-36, Daredevil (2019) Annual #1, Daredevil (2022) #1-14

2. Ann Nocenti and John Romita Jr.Marvel Comics/John Romita Jr

Ann Nocenti and John Romita Jr.’s Daredevil is criminally overlooked. Romita Jr.’s art and Nocenti’s emphasis on Daredevil’s place in his community captured late 1980s Hell’s Kitchen like a photograph—no sensationalism necessary. Thanks to Ann Nocenti’s whip-smart critical eye, Daredevil tackled social issues like misogyny (through the iconic villain Typhoid Mary), environmental racism, corrupt landlords, ableism, and more. Furthermore, Nocenti and Romita Jr. unpacked violence in the superhero genre and its effects on ordinary people. Daredevil and the Punisher’s fight in Daredevil #257 is a testament to this. Nocenti and Romita Jr. skirt the typical preachiness of the two characters in favor of narrating the scene from the perspective of the criminal whose fate hangs in the balance. From scenes like this, it’s clear that both creators loved Daredevil, but they weren’t afraid to give him tough love. In addition, his fight with Mephisto is not to be missed. 

Ann Nocenti’s run is Daredevil #236, #238-245, #247-#257, #259-291.

Romita Jr was artist on Daredevil #250-#257, #259-263, #265-276, #278-282.

1. Brian Michael Bendis, David Mack, and Alex MaleevMarvel Comics/David Mack

Daredevil by Brian Michael Bendis, David Mack, and Alex Maleev is a rare book that fearlessly rewrites what a superhero story can do. The run begins with a story about a child obsessed with Daredevil. David Mack’s gorgeous watercolors defy conventional page layouts. It elevated existing Daredevil characters like journalist Ben Urich in a wholly original way. Bendis brought a sense of soulfulness to Daredevil’s familiar crime dramas, bringing readers into the dizzying sights, smells, and sounds of New York City. Daredevil has a tendency to wall himself off when he feels vulnerable, but Bendis brought us into his headspace like never before. Likewise, Alex Maleev’s vision of New York City is arguably the blueprint for the city moving forward, bringing a palpable sense of grit to the page. Bendis, Mack, and Maleev made a whole new generation of comics readers fall in love with Daredevil.

Daredevil (1998) #16-19, Daredevil (1998) #26-50, Daredevil (1998) #56-81

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We Named EVERY Doctor Who Episode Title (From Memory?!)

Nerdist’s resident Doctor Who expert and superfan Kyle Anderson is putting his fandom to the test in the ultimate challenge to name every single episode title from the show’s 60 year run– from memory.

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AQUAMAN AND THE LOST KINGDOM’s Latest Trailer Gives Us More Aquababy

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, the final chapter in the DCEU that we’ve known it for the past decade, is a mere month away. And now, we have our final (or close to final) trailer for director James Wan’s newest adventure for the Sovereign of Atlantis. Jason Momoa is back as our titular King of the Seven Seas, and so is Patrick Wilson as his brother Orm, Nicole Kidman as their mother Atlanna, and Yahya Abdul-Mateen as Black Manta. Plus, there’s a new addition to the cast of characters, the adorable Aquababy. You can watch the full trailer for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom right here:

So this Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom trailer is definitely on the spoilery side of things. We know that Black Manta is on a mission of revenge against Arthur Curry for his defeat in the previous film, vowing to destroy everything in his life. Judging from what we see here, he destroys Aquaman’s childhood home, the lighthouse of Thomas Curry, Aquaman’s human father. And probably Thomas Curry himself. He also kidnaps Arthur Jr., from the look of things. Now, in the comics, Black Manta famously murdered Aquaman’s son. Will this blockbuster movie go that dark? We doubt it, but the trailer is definitely playing with the comic book fan’s expectations.

Warner Bros.

We also see that Black Manta is seeking to eradicate the entire bloodline of the Royal Family of Atlantis in the Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom trailer. This forces King Arthur to team up with his half-brother Orm. Will these two siblings reconcile? We were hoping that perhaps we would see one of the Aqualads in this movie, either Garth or Jackson Hyde. The latter of the two is the son of Black Manta in the comics. But, we’ll probably have to wait for James Gunn’s new DCU before we see those additions to the Aquaman family on the big screen. At least we get to see Aquaman ride a giant seahorse this time. Who doesn’t want to see that?

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom hits theaters on December 22.

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