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Our Biggest Questions About Maggie’s Community The Bricks in THE WALKING DEAD: DEAD CITY

The Walking Dead: Dead City introduced us to a new area of the United States in this infested universe. Of course, the majority of the show’s first season took place in Manhattan as Maggie tracked down Negan and fought to save her son Herschel. But we also got to see some glimpses of the Bricks, the new community where Maggie and Herschel reside. The community appears once again in the season two premiere; however, there are still so many things we don’t know about this community. Here’s all the questions (and some answers!) we have about the Bricks in The Walking Dead: Dead City? 

When and Why did Maggie Create the Bricks Community in Dead City? AMC

At the end of The Walking Dead, Maggie told Negan that she was going to take the remaining folks from Hilltop and reform the community. She even told him that he’d earned his place to stay there but he went off with his wife instead. However, thanks to the massive fire that he helped cause, their efforts to rebuild in the original location in Virginia did not work.

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After about a year, in 2023, the group left the area to create their own small community. This makes sense considering, 1) there’s limited space at Alexandria, and 2) not everyone wants to live in the large Commonwealth community in Ohio. The Hilltoppers are tight knit and very loyal to Maggie as their leaders. So, that explains when and partially why Maggie created the community. 

Where Is the Bricks Located in The Walking Dead: Dead City? 

However, we don’t fully understand why the community is so far away from its original location. So far, we still don’t know exactly where the Bricks is located. However, we do see Maggie at a bar in New Jersey just outside of NYC. And, the trips they make to get towards the island don’t take very long by car. So it is assumed that the Bricks is in the Tri-State (NY-NJ-CT) area, most likely New Jersey, which is closest to the VA/DC area. Perhaps the group wanted to have a fresh start and establish some new trading partners. Or, they were having trouble finding a location to build and had to keep branching out to find this one. 

AMC

Generally speaking, The Walking Dead universe does a great job at mapping out its world. From Herschel’s farm just outside of Atlanta to Alexandria, we’ve always had a good sense of where all of its communities are. So it is odd not to have a more specific sense of where the Bricks is in Dead City. 

What Happened to the Hilltop People Who Survived the Walking Dead? 

Maggie says repeatedly that this community was founded by Hilltoppers. So, where the hell are they?! In Dead City, there’s no sight nor mention of people like Lydia, Elijah, and Adam. Sure, they could be off exploring and going on runs, but we don’t hear a single mention about them at all. 

Who Has Jurisdiction over the Bricks? 

This location supposedly puts them under the jurisdiction of the New Babylon Federation, who suck almost as bad as the former Civic Republic Military. But, this community is supposed to be a part of the Coalition, the multi-community group formed at the end of The Walking Dead. Maggie is undoubtedly its leader but it is not clear who is above her and actually calling the shots.

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If they are under the Coalition, then how can the New Babylon Federation stroll in and voluntell people to be a part of their burgeoning army? Surely there would be a conflict between the two powers, right? We may not get the answers to those questions with all of the conflict rising in Manhattan. Still, we really wanna know what’s up. 

The post Our Biggest Questions About Maggie’s Community The Bricks in THE WALKING DEAD: DEAD CITY appeared first on Nerdist.

THE WALKING DEAD: DEAD CITY Reveals Why Maggie Returns to Manhattan

The Walking Dead: Dead City is back in the New York groove with its second season. The premiere takes us to a little over one year after the events of the first season. Negan is still under the thumb of the Croat and the Dama, who want to force him to revive his old persona to get the city’s bands of gangs together to fight and protect methane resources. And they want to do that for good reason, considering the New Babylon Federation wants to invade Manhattan and control this valuable resource. The latter is how Maggie Rhee ends up back in NYC in Dead City’s second season. 

In this episode, she’s back at the Bricks, her community located somewhere in the Tri-State area, presumably New Jersey. Maggie is working on building a bond with her son Herschel and Ginny, both of whom are insufferable post-apocalypse teens. (The worst kind of teenagers, tbh.) She notices that moths are gathering on trees, which clues her into something bad happening.

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And that’s exactly what happens when the New Babylon Federation rolls up at the Bricks. They have jurisdiction over the community and want to “voluntell” several residents to be a part of an “exploratory” mission in Manhattan. Basically, they are willing to use residents as guinea pigs to gather intel for their ultimate takeover mission.

They position it as their mission to bring life and the old world back to Manhattan, which Maggie and Herschel know is impossible. Not surprisingly, Perlie Armstrong lied to his superiors about Negan, saying he killed him. It earned him a promotion, which somewhat amused Maggie.

She corners Pearlie and says knows that the increase in moths mean they are running out of methane and that’s the real reason they want to go to a literal death island. She says she will volunteer for the mission but only if they don’t force anyone to go from the Bricks. Maggie aims to protect Herschel, Ginny, and the other residents who are not prepared to survive in NYC. However, Ginny and a few others insist on volunteering to go. Herschel stays behind, but he will probably wander off and do something stupid. You gotta love hardheaded youngins. 

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This will put her in direct opposition with Negan, who reluctantly agrees to unite the gangs after the Dama informs him that she’s found his family. The Croat’s spies outside of the island know that the New Babylon Federation is coming soon. And, even if they didn’t, it is obvious that they would eventually come to the island.

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THE WALKING DEAD: DEAD CITY Reveals What Happened to Negan’s Wife Annie and Their Child

They believe themselves to be the purveyors of justice and civilization and Pearlie admitted to being a part of the collective before escaping. So, the city of Manhattan’s rogue survivors are preparing to fight the New Babylon Federation. However, Negan doesn’t seem too happy to have his leather jacket and an upgraded Lucille back again.

Will he work with Maggie to take down New Babylon? Which side is the “right” side? We will see what happens as Maggie and Negan’s journeys continue in The Walking Dead: Dead City.

The post THE WALKING DEAD: DEAD CITY Reveals Why Maggie Returns to Manhattan appeared first on Nerdist.

THE LAST OF US Season 2, Episode 4 Recap: New Revelations and Questions

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Ellie and Dina are in Seattle now and a whole host of new threats and enemies are all around them. Still, it isn’t all gloom and doom on The Last of Us season two, episode four. There are a few more bright spots emerging than we’ve seen so far in the series. But can they last? Probably not, but we’ll enjoy them while we can. Here are all the new revelations and questions from The Last of Us season two, episode four.

New Revelations From The Last of Us Season 2, Episode 4Ex-FEDRA Isaac Leads the W.L.F. in SeattleHBO

In The Last of Us season two, episode four, we meet the leader of the W.L.F., Isaac. Isaac has been mentioned to us before in passing—Abby’s friends knew he ran a small outfit of Fireflies in Seattle. We see Isaac defect from FEDRA in a flashback during the episode, but are left wondering if he’s any better than that organization. Abby claimed that Isaac refuses to attack defenseless people, but that only feels sort of true… He seems keen on torturing a captured Seraphite with a Mauviel pan. Of course, he claims the Seraphite brought it on himself… We don’t know too much more about Isaac at this time, but he sure seems to run a bloodthirsty crew.

Dina finds out Ellie Is ImmuneHBO

Ellie and Dina get themselves into trouble investigating a W.L.F. building. To escape the wolves, they run into Seattle’s abandoned Metro system station. But inside, of course, lurks a nest of Infected. While trying to escape the threat, Ellie saves Dina’s life by putting her arm between Dina and an Infected’s mouth. They escape, but Dina believes Ellie has been infected and needs to die.

Ellie finally confesses to another person that she is immune, telling Dina the truth. Dina is dubious but agrees to wait out the night with Ellie. When Ellie indeed proves to be immune, the relationship between them finally evolves.

We Learn Dina Is PregnantHBO

After Ellie confesses her secret and it proves true, Dina confesses one of her own…

Surprise! Dina isn’t just throwing up at the sight of every dead body she comes across. She’s actually pregnant. She tells Ellie the vomiting was definitely a clue, and she was also very late on her period. As the cherry on top, Dina took MANY pregnancy tests to be sure.

The father of the baby is Jesse, but Ellie also feels paternal. Everyone seems very excited just now. We guess we’ll just have to wait and see if the good feelings last…

Ellie and Dina Finally Get Together HBO

After so many confessions, it’s time for kisses! Ellie and Dina finally break the distance between them and collide full force, admitting their feelings. Dina reveals that when she thought Ellie would have to die, she felt like she’d lost a future she’d been imagining with Ellie and their child. She explains that she likes girls and boys, but felt forced to pretend she only wanted what was “normal.” And that’s why it took her so long to reveal her romantic feelings, even though she knew Ellie wanted her.

Ellie, of course, confirms she wants to be in a relationship with Dina, too. We’re happy to see Ellie and Dina finally making it work. Fingers crossed they can be together for the long term.

The Scars and the W.L.F. Seem Equally Bad

It seemed like the Scars/Seraphites were pretty innocent in the face of the militant W.L.F. But now we know that no one is really as pure as they appear. In The Last of Us season two, episode four, we see the Scars also attack the W.L.F. pretty intensely, ceremonially hanging and gutting members of the militia so their guts pour out of them. Yikes!

Dina and Ellie Find Abby’s Friend Nora at the End of The Last of Us Season 2, Episode 4HBO

Dina and Ellie are celebrating their new relationship when a walkie goes off. On it, they hear the location of one of Abby’s team of Fireflies, Nora. She’s at Lake Hill, and Ellie and Dina think that she can help them find Abby. The only problem is that Lake Hill is across a literal war zone.

New Questions From The Last of Us Season 2, Episode 4Why Are the W.L.F. and the Seraphites Even Fighting?HBO

The W.L.F. and the Seraphites are locked into a major war. But what are they even fighting about? It seems like no one knows. In the scene with Isaac, there’s an allusion to a broken truce and then a cycle of violence. But in truth, it seems like at this point, everyone is fighting just to fight. If there is a reason the W.L.F. and Seraphites are fighting. We’d like to know it.

Will Abby Be at the Location of Her Friend Nora?HBO

Abby’s friend Nora is in Seattle. But we still haven’t heard anything about Abby directly. Is it worth crossing a war zone to find Abby’s teammate? We bet Ellie thinks so. But will she find Abby there, or only more trouble?

The Last of Us airs Sundays at 9pm on Max and HBO.

Previous recaps: Episode One, Episode Two, Episode Three

The post THE LAST OF US Season 2, Episode 4 Recap: New Revelations and Questions appeared first on Nerdist.

Millie Gibson on Ruby’s Traumatic DOCTOR WHO Return and Working with Jonah Hauer-King

Doctor Who season two is in full swing as the Fifteenth Doctor continues his mission to get Belinda Chandra home. However, in episode four, we take a short recess from this ongoing story to weave Ruby Sunday back into the mix. In the episode, she’s trying to process everything she experienced while traveling with the Doctor while also missing her alien best friend. Ruby thinks she’s found love in Conrad, a podcaster who coincidentally met the Doctor years prior. But things predictably go awry when he turns out to be a no-good, very bad dude. We caught up with Millie Gibson to talk about Ruby’s trauma, working with Jonah Hauer-King, and more. 

Nerdist: “Lucky Day” takes Ruby through the wringer, and it’s so sad! She’s already in a vulnerable emotional space. She thinks she found companionship and love with Conrad only for him to be a vile conspiracy theorist with a grudge against UNIT. How do you think that experience will change her and how does she try to heal from it? 

Millie Gibson: If I was her, I’d look in the mirror and just sob, but she’s stronger than me! However, in the end, she does say to Kate, “I think I just need time by myself alone to figure some things out.” and that’s what she needs. I picture it being some kind of Gallifreyan therapy or something that Kate’s given her or a contact to get with all the past companions for therapy meetings… I can say that she comes back in episodes seven and eight, so that gives you a little bit of insight so that she’s ready for more. They haven’t broken her completely yet. 

Lara Cornell/BBC Studios/Disney/Bad Wolf

That’s great news! This ending definitely did not feel like a farewell for Ruby. When her story does come to an end, what do you think would be a nice sendoff for her? 

Gibson: Oh, that is such a good question! I picture her rocking it out with her band. I don’t think she’s going to go near men anytime soon [laughs]… I personally wouldn’t. And probably just nipping with Belinda every now and again. I think she just needs a simple life. She’s got her two mothers, she’s got her friends, even though they think she’s mental. We need to ask Russell [T Davies], but I hope it’s a happy one, not a sad one because she’s had many of them.

I’d love to see her living life as a musician. In this episode, we see Ruby and Kate at odds about how to handle Conrad. Kate really pushes the limit and allows the Shreek to come out and nearly kill him, while Ruby asks to protect him and even saves him. Why do you think Ruby held so much compassion for him at that moment despite his betrayal? 

Gibson: Ruby is just made up of love. She has a lot of love to give, and even though that love for Conrad got taken advantage of, I think death would’ve eaten her up too much versus him serving time for his wrongs. And if he did die, UNIT would have been in a whole lot more trouble than they were in the first place. So she was using her Doctor brain, but also her Ruby brain. 

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You’re absolutely right about that. It would’ve made them look more like the villain in that situation. Saving him showed that UNIT would reveal the truth but their job is to save him just like it is to save all of humanity on Earth, even those who don’t deserve it. 

Gibson: Exactly… I should have said that in so many more interviews! [laughs] 

Well, maybe we will see Ruby and Conrad together again. Through it all, you and Jonah Hauer-King had such great chemistry. Was it your first time working with him? And what was it like to collaborate with Jonah on set? 

Gibson: Yeah, it was my first time working with him, but hopefully not my last, because he’s an incredible actor. I remember reading the script and not knowing who [was playing] Conrad. So I was messaging Russell like, “Come on, tell me!”. And he was like, “Oh, has no one told you? It’s Jonah Hauer-King.” And I was buzzing, to say the least. He’s really gifted and he’s such a giving actor, and he has such a beautiful, calm nature about him on set that I really need. He is nothing like Conrad, obviously. 

James Pardon/BBC Studios/Disney/Bad Wolf

There’s that almost Amy and Rory situation when they’re looking for the Shreek and he’s like, “It’s you and me. I can be the Doctor.” And it was almost that comedy romcom element of finding the monster like Scooby-Doo. We could never do that again because, like you said, he’s vile. I will miss that. But Jonah is so good. Those two versions of Conrad, I didn’t see it coming, even though I knew what was happening. He really went from this goofy, lovable nerd to this absolute monster. I also love that the real monster in both of the standalone episodes I’ve done, “73 Yards” and “Lucky Day,” is that the monster is the human, not the actual monster. 

Ahhh humanity. We are always our worst enemy. Considering everything that Ruby’s experienced, do you think meeting and traveling with the Doctor did more harm or good in her life? 

Gibson: Well, she never would’ve found her mom, so that’s definitely helped her as a person. I think in anyone’s daily life, you have to go through challenges to find yourself, and you’ve got to go through the bad to get through to the good. I just don’t think she’s at the really good part yet. But I do think if she didn’t meet the doctor, she wouldn’t be the person that she is today. It’s taught her a lot. It’s broken her a lot, but it’s also made her so much stronger, so much wiser and so much more brilliant. I feel like she’s going to be like Kate when she’s older, and she wouldn’t be like that if she hadn’t met the Doctor. 

The post Millie Gibson on Ruby’s Traumatic DOCTOR WHO Return and Working with Jonah Hauer-King appeared first on Nerdist.

DOCTOR WHO Begins to Set the Stage for UNIT Spinoff Series in ‘Lucky Day’

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Doctor Who’s latest episode once again puts Ruby Sunday in the driver’s seat for a Doctor-lite adventure. “Lucky Day” goes back in the very near past to show what Ruby’s life is like after choosing to leave the TARDIS. The episode pushes everyone to the brink, especially UNIT leader Kate Stewart, who makes a calculated decision that seemingly ushers her into a darker and more ruthless era. Kate’s choice in “Lucky Day” begins to lay the foundation for what we can likely expect from her in the upcoming Doctor Who UNIT spinoff The War Between Land and Sea. 

In the episode, Ruby is in a fragile mental and emotional space. She’s reeling from the bad things she saw in the TARDIS yet missing the Doctor’s companionship. Unfortunately, things get much worse for her by the end of it. She meets Conrad, a podcaster who has a deep interest in the Doctor and the TARDIS after meeting Fifteen and Belinda back in 2007. Ruby opens up to him and eventually falls for him. 

James Pardon/BBC Studios/Disney/Bad Wolf

However, during a weekend getaway, Conrad reveals his real intentions and disgusting cruelty. Ruby believes that the Shreek, a deadly creature, is after Conrad and calls in UNIT to help protect him. But it is Conrad’s pals/supporters in disguise. He’s actually the leader of a vile conspiracy theorist group and, thanks to this stunt, he manages to turn the media and general public against UNIT. Conrad doxxes the UNIT staff and Ruby and spreads sensationalist propaganda suggesting that alien threats are all a lie to grift the public. Kate soon discovers that Conrad interviewed for a UNIT position years prior but she didn’t hire him because he felt untrustworthy.

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This all comes to a head when Conrad infiltrates UNIT headquarters. He threatens to kill people if Kate and her crew don’t admit to their lies while he’s livestreaming. Conrad continues to insult Ruby and really pushes Kate’s hot button by calling her father, the beloved Brigadier, a coward. Kate decides to release the Shreek and allow it to stalk Conrad so the world can see the truth. The creature nearly kills him before Ruby steps in with a taser to subdue it. Throughout this tense scene, Ruby pleads with Kate to help Conrad and the UNIT staff look terrified.

But Kate is reeling and taunting Conrad, which is frankly what he deserves. He sucks! It’s a very “dark Doctor” moment for her, indeed. Even after Ruby saves him, Conrad says it is “special effects” until the Shreek bites part of his arm off. Conrad ends up surviving and in prison… well, until Mrs. Flood releases him. This ordeal sets UNIT right in the public eye, but a few people are giving Kate a major side eye. In fact, her right hand man (and possible lover) Colonel Ibrahim says that she took things too far. Kate brushes off his concern and walks away. Is there a power struggle on the horizon? Maybe. No one else speaks out about her choice further, but that doesn’t mean that they aren’t on the Colonel’s side.

BBC/Disney+

We know that both characters will play a role in the UNIT spinoff, with Kate presumably keeping her leadership position. Kate came quite close to letting Conrad die, something that goes against her usual ethos. Is she on the road to a darker path in The War Between Land and Sea? It is very possible. Kate will likely not trust anyone new to come into the UNIT circle. She could be paranoid about those who are still there, considering Jordan’s betrayal. This ship nearly sunk and Kate will do whatever it takes to hold it together, even if others don’t agree. A fractured UNIT with a terrifying threat coming from the seas is an intriguing foundation for a miniseries.

This new series is all about solving conflicts when the Doctor isn’t around to save the day. It is plausible that we could see Kate do the unthinkable and kill an enemy (or more than one) when she should take a more pacifist route. It is not looking too good for the Sea Devils. A decision like that could be a death blow to her career. Considering she’s a second generation UNIT employee, that would be a sad way to end her family’s legacy.

UNIT could appear again in Doctor Who season two, perhaps using the finale as a backdoor pilot for this series. And if Kate continues to push those moral limits, this new series could take the Torchwood route and give us a darker look into the Whoniverse.

The post DOCTOR WHO Begins to Set the Stage for UNIT Spinoff Series in ‘Lucky Day’ appeared first on Nerdist.

JOKER: FOLIE A DEUX Was 2024’s Biggest Box Office Flop

2024 had a lot of hit movies making a metric ton of money at the box office, but there were also some sizable flops. Deadline recently crunched the numbers, and determined which films from last year were the biggest box office turkeys. And quite a few of those are some nerd-friendly titles that, for one reason or another, just didn’t land with audiences. And the biggest flop off that list? Well, it was none other than Joker: Folie a Deux, which lost over $144 million for Warner Bros. Despite the original film making over a billion dollars in 2019, the moviegoing public rejected this second movie entirely.

Warner Bros.

The first Joker cost a modest (by comic book movie standards) $65 million to produce. It not only made a billion dollars at the global box office, but it also garnered an Oscar win for Joaquin Phoenix as the titular character. At first, a sequel didn’t really seem to be in order from a storytelling perspective. But when your movie makes that much money, you make a part two. So where did everything go so wrong for director Todd Phillips’s second Joker film? Especially when it had the added bonus of pop star Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn?

For starters, the budget for the sequel went from $65 million to $200 million. And it’s not like the second part took the Joker and Harley into space. Phillips confined everything to courtrooms and prison cells. In fact, a good chunk of this sequel is courtroom proceedings litigating the events of the previous film. Even if it hit, it would have been tough to make money. Add to that, the musical aspect of the film was instantly offputting to the “bro” demographic, a key part of the first film’s success. Then, the final cherry on top. The movie ends with the reveal that Arthur Fleck isn’t the “real” Joker at all, and he is killed by another inmate. All of these things combined led to a notorious flop.

The film earned a D CinemaScore, and critics largely dismissed it as well. This isn’t the first time something like this has happened. The original The Exorcist was a global box office phenomenon, garnering several Oscar nominations too. But its sequel four years later, The Heretic, was a massive flop. Sometimes a megahit movie is lightning in a bottle, and just can’t be replicated. Such was the case for the second Joker installment. Eventually, a new Crown Prince of Crime will emerge on the big screen. But Warner Bros will likely want to wait a bit longer, at least until the stink of this most recent version dissipates.

The rest of the top five biggest bombs of 2025 include three other geek-friendly movies (one of which was quite good) and one self-funded vanity project from a film legend. Furiosa lost a reported $119.6 million; Borderlands lost $80 million; Megalopolis lost Francis Ford Coppola $75.5 million (ouch); and Kraven lost a reported $71 million.

The post JOKER: FOLIE A DEUX Was 2024’s Biggest Box Office Flop appeared first on Nerdist.

Who Is Marvel Comics’ Sentry? (A.K.A THUNDERBOLTS*’ Bob)

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Thunderbolts* from Marvel Studios introduced one of the most powerful characters Marvel Comics has ever produced, the Sentry. Essentially, he’s Marvel’s Superman, but with a dark secret. He’s portrayed by actor Lewis Pullman, and is one of the highlights of the film. But who is Sentry, a (relatively recent) Marvel character, and what is his strange origin story, both on and off the page?

The Bizarre Backstory of Marvel Comics’ SentryMarvel Comics

The Sentry began his comic book existence as an elaborate trolling by Marvel Comics editorial. Back in the ’90s, the Marvel Knights line of comics helped save the company after bankruptcy. Edgy titles like Kevin Smith’s Daredevil got critical acclaim and big sales. In 2000, creators Paul Jenkins and Rick Veitch came up with the Sentry series for Marvel Knights, about a superhero in a more classic DC Comics mode than a Marvel one. His costume suggested Superman’s, or Shazam’s. Although he’s not the only analog for Superman at Marvel (Hyperion predates him) he is the most powerful. He may even be stronger than Superman himself.

Sentry, The “Lost” Stan Lee Marvel HeroMarvel Comics

When the Sentry mini-series was announced, Marvel touted the series as a discovery of a “lost” concept by Stan Lee and a forgotten artist named Artie Rosen from the early ’60s that never made it to print. When Rosen “died” in 1999, writer Paul Jenkins discovered his original creation with Lee, a classic hero named the Sentry. He decided it was time to give the hero a proper Marvel debut in his own mini-series. Marvel EIC Joe Quesada even used the octogenarian Stan Lee himself as part of the promotion, giving interviews to comic book media about how even he had forgotten he co-created this hero. Of course, all of this was complete nonsense. Sentry was a pure creation of Jenkins. The whole backstory was a marketing gimmick.

Sentry Is Marvel’s Superman, with a Dark SideMarvel Comics

In Marvel Comics’ Sentry original limited series, we meet Robert Reynolds. He’s an out-of-shape, middle-aged man living a bleak existence. Reynolds starts remembering a superhero career in his younger days, when he was the Sentry. Having taken “the Golden Sentry Serum,’ an advanced version of Captain America’s Super Soldier Serum, he now had “the power of a million exploding suns.” His arch nemesis was a dark presence called “The Void.” He was a contemporary of early Marvel heroes like the Avengers, Spider-Man, and the Fantastic Four. In fact, he was very close friends with Reed Richards, the Fantastic Four’s genius leader. As Sentry encountered each Marvel hero in the present, they all slowly began to remember him. But why did they forget him in the first place?

After a deadly attack by the Void that resulted in high casualties during his heroic heyday, Sentry disappeared from the Marvel Universe when his mind was wiped, along with the memories of everyone on Earth, to make everyone forget that he ever existed. This was because of Reed Richards and Doctor Strange realizing that the Void was not just Sentry’s arch-foe, he was also a part of him. The only way to get rid of the Void was to make everyone forget that both Sentry and Void existed, including Bob Reynolds himself. So for years, he lived a life of anonymity, forgetting his heroic past entirely.

Sentry Becomes the Mightiest Avenger in Marvel ComicsMarvel Comics

In the New Avengers series in 2005, writer Brian Michael Bendis brings Sentry back to the Marvel Universe. We see Reynolds in a cell inside the supervillain prison the Raft, where he has voluntarily imprisoned himself for murdering his wife, Lindy Lee. When a huge jailbreak occurs, the Avengers catch several of the escaping villains. During this time, Daredevil finds the Sentry, and the powerful hero saves several others from Carnage, whom he flies into space and rips in half. Later, the Avengers discovered that X-Men villain Mastermind, who was at fault for Jean Grey’s descent into Dark Phoenix, was responsible for what happened to Sentry. He implanted a psychic virus in Robert Reynolds’ mind that created the delusion of the Void, but it was all really an aspect of his own repressed personality, unleashed by the serum.

Readers learn that the psychic virus does not allow Reynolds to remember his life as he lived it. Instead, he subconsciously implants his memories into the mind of comic book writer Paul Jenkins, a meta-commentary on the real-life Marvel creator of the same name who invented Sentry. Eventually, the Avengers show Reynolds that his wife, whom he confessed to murdering, is still alive. Sentry runs away, going to a house in the suburbs he shares with his wife Lindy. The Marvel heroes find him there, and attempt to reason with him. But he insists the Void is coming, and will destroy the world. Ultimately, X-Men telepath Emma Frost frees Reynolds from the psychic virus and restores his memories, and the Sentry joins Marvel’s Avengers. The rest of the world does not regain their memories of Sentry. To them, he’s a brand new hero and new addition to the Avengers.

The Many Powers and Abilities of Sentry in the Marvel UniverseMarvel Comics

The Sentry is one of the most powerful superheroes in the Marvel universe, even more powerful than his DC counterpart Superman. His powers supposedly came from a more advanced version of Captain America’s super soldier serum. Later, it is revealed that an alien intelligence actually infused itself with the serum, making Reynolds its host body. Whatever the true origins are of his Marvel powers, Sentry has super strength, enough to subdue the Hulk at his most powerful. He can fly, has super speed, has telepathy, and can even shapeshift. He can also project light and project energy blasts. Sentry can also pass on a portion of his power, as he did to his kid sidekick, Billy Turner, a.k.a. Scout. He even passed on powers to his Welsh Corgi, Watchdog, a riff on DC’s Krypto the Superdog. Sentry is the definition of the phrase “OP.”

Sentry’s Death and Rebirth in Marvel

Sentry remained an Avenger for many years in Marvel Comics, although he constantly battled the emergence of the Void, a symptom of his own mental illness. Eventually, he joined former Green Goblin Norman Osborn’s Dark Avengers as Osborn’s secret weapon. Thanks to Norman’s mental manipulations, he is able to break down the barriers that keep Robert Reynolds’ darker Void persona at bay. In the Siege storyline, Osborn and the Dark Avengers, together with Loki, attack Asgard itself. Osborn uses the powers of the Sentry to destroy Asgard, which was hovering above Oklahoma at the time.

Marvel Comics

The Dark Avenger Ares, the actual Greek god of war, attacks Sentry for his loss of control. Then, Sentry literally rips the god in half. (It’s a pretty gross panel too). Sentry then murders Loki, although he is eventually reborn as Kid Loki. Realizing what he’s done, upon reverting to his Bob Reynolds persona, Sentry asks the Avengers to kill him. Thor obliges and carries his body to the sun to be cremated. But Sentry is effectively immortal and can’t truly die. He eventually merges his Sentry half with his Void half, now seemingly more in control, but also elevated to godhood. In the comics, it seems it is the destiny of the Sentry to effectively never die.

Sentry in the MCU’s Thunderbolts* MovieMarvel Studios

The version of Sentry we meet in Thunderbolts* is actually not terribly different from the one in Marvel Comics. But there are some key differences. In the film, Bob Reynolds is a childhood trauma survivor and drug addict who volunteers for something called “Project Sentry, a program run by a shady tech company called O.X.E. designed to create the ultimate superhero. Besides Bob, all the other test subjects died. Bob was believed dead himself, and his body was put in storage in O.X.E.’s desert vault. We later learn that Valentina Allegra de Fontaine is the power behind O.X.E.

Marvel Studios

Bob was later freed during a battle between Yelena Belova, U.S. Agent, and Ghost, and he had to join up with them to escape the Vault alive. It wasn’t long before Bob’s immense power emerged, which included super strength, invulnerability, and flight. There were also certain undefined mental powers. Unlike the comics, Sentry never had a secret past as a world-famous superhero, nor did he have a wife. At least, not one that we know of.

Valentina saw that Bob presented an opportunity, and gave him a costume and named him the Sentry. She felt he could singlehandedly replace the Avengers, and she’d have a powerful hero under her thumb. Under de Fontaine’s influence, he easily defeated the Thunderbolts. Then, his dark side, submerged from years of trauma, erupted. He started to spread his inner darkness across New York, absorbing people into this consciousnesses he called the Void. The Thunderbolts are able to free him, and thus, all the New Yorkers. But he knows he can never use his powers again, or the Void could take over. But with Avengers: Doomsday looming, can Bob keep that promise to himself? We’ll soon find out.

Originally published on February 2, 2024.

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JAWS 50th Anniversary 4K Steelbook Headed Our Way

It’s a provable scientific fact (that you don’t need to check) that no one feared sharks before 1974. Not one person. But after Peter Benchley’s novel, Jaws, and especially a year later after Steven Spielberg’s film of the same name, people began to avoid coastal waters like Mayor Vaughn swerves tasteful clothing. That means for half a century, we’ve collectively found Great White Sharks terrifying and fascinating. Shark Week seventeen times a year, anyone? If the movie hadn’t been a major hit, and also one of the best movies ever made, this likely wouldn’t have happened. Now to celebrate the 50th anniversary, Jaws is getting a fancy new 4K steelbook release.

Universal

In addition to the movie in 4K UHD (also in a non-steelbook version), the release will have a bevy of extras. Jaws is maybe one of the most documentary’d movies in Hollywood history. I remember the 20th, 25th, and 30th anniversaries all came with a new documentary. The 50th is no exception. With this release, in addition to the earlier ones, we get Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story. The film is a brand-new look at the making and legacy of the film. The doc comes from director Laurent Bouzereau and from National Geographic, in partnership with Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Documentaries, Nedland Media, and Wendy Benchley.

BONUS FEATURES ON 4K UHD, BLU-RAY™ AND DIGITAL INCLUDE:Deleted Scenes and Outtakes – Over 13 minutes of contentThe Making of JAWS – An insider look into the making of this classic film, this original full-length documentary is filled with exhaustive cast and crew interviews, archival footage, outtakes, and much more! JAWS : The Restoration – An in-depth look at the intricate process of restoring the movie.The Shark is Still Working: The Impact and Legacy of JAWS – A fan-made documentary that focuses on the many ways JAWS has helped shape elements of pop culture and influence a generation of filmmakers. JAWS  ArchivesStoryboardsProduction PhotosMarketing JAWSJAWS PhenomenonFrom the Set – Available on Disc onlyTheatrical Trailer

Both the steelbook and the regular edition of the Jaws 50th anniversary edition will go on sale June 17 but is available for preorder now on the likes of Amazon and Walmart. And yes, Jaws has had roughly a hundred million physical media releases over the years. It’s only one of the best movies ever made. Don’t tell us you won’t buy it again.

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 Letterboxd.

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A Collection of Classic Hitchcock Films Is Coming to Netflix in June

There are some film directors who are truly iconic. In fact, they are such a staple in entertainment history and culture that their last names alone are instantly recognizable. Scorsese. Nolan. Kubrick. Included in that great director pantheon is Alfred Hitchcock, whose filmmaking sensibilities and style are their own subgenre. To celebrate his greatness, Netflix is bringing a collection of Hitchcock films to its streaming platform on June 1. 

According to a press release, the films will include Vertigo, Rear Window, Frenzy, The Man Who Knew Too Much, Family Plot, The Birds and more.

Universal Pictures

And, if you want to get started on your Hitchcock film watch, you can actually check out Psycho on Netflix right now. The Netflix Hitchcock collection will also include films like Us and Barbarian, both of which have the director’s influence within their narratives. 

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New REAR WINDOW Board Game Brings the Hitchcock Suspense

If you are heading to the Paris Theater in NYC later this month, you’ll be able to check out “HITCH! The Original Cinema Influencer” from May 16 through June 29. This special presentation by the New York Film Critics Circle and Netflix will celebrate the former’s 90th anniversary. Over six weeks, the screening series will feature over 50 films. Thirty-six of them will be by Hitchcock while the others are films that take clear inspiration from his works. You can buy tickets here. 

The Hitchcock Netflix collection is a great way to explore films that you’ve heard about but perhaps haven’t seen yet. Or, you can experience them again in the comfort of your own home. Either way, the master of horror is making his way to streaming and we love it.

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The Incredible Evolution of MINECRAFT’s Chicken Jockey

With two simple words, Jack Black changed the pop culture landscape: “Chicken Jockey!”

Those words from A Minecraft Movie have become a rallying cry, summoning hordes of superfans to flock to screenings of Warner Bros. and Legendary’s big-screen adaptation of the mega-popular video game. The film, directed by Jared Hess (Napoleon Dynamite, Nacho Libre), is closing in on $1 billion at the box office and has generated nearly as many memeable moments. But despite choruses of “I am Steve!” and “Water bucket, release!”, nothing has made quite as seismic an impact as the Chicken Jockey.

The Chicken Jockey in question is straight out of the game, an ultra-rare monster that players can encounter if the conditions are just right. In the movie, the Chicken Jockey is an initially unassuming but ultimately fearsome foe, an adorable baby zombie riding a chicken like a warhorse. The Chicken Jockey’s arrival, ominously heralded by Jack Black’s Steve, has become one A Minecraft Movie’s most quoted moments and whipped audiences into a popcorn-fueled frenzy.

But what is it about the Chicken Jockey scene that resonates so deeply with people? To find out, Nerdist sat down with director Jared Hess to break down the scene in detail, using some exclusive behind-the-scenes materials like concept art and an early animatic of the scene. From deep-cut Minecraft references to deleted scenes that didn’t make the cut, here’s everything you always wanted to know about the Chicken Jockey scene but were too afraid to ask.

Warner Bros./Legendary

A Minecraft Movie is in theaters now, but there’s something special in the works. Beginning on May 2, fans can experience A Minecraft Movie: Block Party Edition, a special sing-and-meme-along experience for everyone out there who yearns for the mines and the crafts in equal measure. So grab some popcorn and prepare to join your fellow Steve superfans in celebrating the moment that everyone’s favorite undead equestrian engages in fowl play at this Blocky Horror Picture Show.

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

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