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Wednesday, September 30, 2020

THE SANDMAN Casts Tom Sturridge as Dream/Morpheus

Tom Sturridge may be ready to show you terror in a handful of dust.

Collider has revealed that the upcoming Netflix series The Sandman, based on the classic DC Comics/VERTIGO series by Neil Gaiman and various artists, is in talks with actor Tom Sturridge to star as lead character The Sandman/Dream/Morpheus.

According to the article, Collider's sources say "Sturridge tested for the title role earlier this year along with Tom York (Poldark) and Colin Morgan (Merlin) before emerging victorious."

First announced back in July 2019, The Sandman drama series received an 11-episode order from Netflix, with Gaiman serving as executive producer with David S. Goyer and writer/showrunner Allan Heinberg.  Production was delayed due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, but Gaiman recently revealed that shooting will begin in three weeks.

Sturridge, 34, is an English actor probably best known as Lord Byron in the film Mary Shelley and as Henry VI in the TV film series The Hollow Crown.  His other films include Velvet Buzzsaw, Journey's End, Song to Song, Effie Gray, Junkhearts, Waiting for Forever, The Boat That Rocked, and Being Julia.  He also played Tom Gulliver in the 1996 TV miniseries Gulliver's Travels.

Created in 1988 by Neil Gaiman, Sam Kieth and Mike Dringenberg, Dream first appeared in The Sandman (vol.2) #1 as one of the Endless, personifications of ideas and concepts that were tied to life, and were fated to fulfill their functions until the universe ended and all life disappeared from the cosmos.  On the night of June 10th, 1916, British occultist Roderick Burgess and his Order of Ancient Mysteries accidentally summoned Dream while trying to summon and imprison Dream's older sister Death. Drained from a recent odyssey, Dream was no match for Burgess, who stole his ruby, helm and pouch and held him captive in a crystal prison in the basement of his house in Wych Cross.  Burgess hoped Dream could be coerced into setting up a trap for his sister, but Dream refused to speak to him.  Dream's imprisonment led to worldwide problems.  Some people slept all day, while others couldn't sleep or experienced waking dreams.  Among those affected was Wesley Dodds whose nightmares only stopped when he became the mystery-man Sandman and fought crime.

Roderick died in 1947 and Alex Burgess took over as Dream's captor.  Over the next 40 years, he too attempted to negotiate with Dream, to no avail, while the Order fell apart.  On September 14th, 1988, after another failed attempt to get Dream to talk to him, Alex, now confined to a wheelchair, was taken back to his room, but not before one of the wheels on his chair scuffed the binding circle, breaking the enchantment that prevented Dream from entering the minds of mortals. One of his guards fell asleep on duty, allowing him to tap into the power of dreams and make his escape from his crystal prison.  He confronted Alex Burgess in dreams and demanded his helm, pouch and ruby back. Alex told him they were stolen long ago and begged for mercy, but Dream cursed him with a never-ending nightmare.

Dream returned to the Dreaming, but escaping his prison took a lot out of him, and he collapsed on the way to his castle.  He was taken to the House of Mystery and cared for by Cain and Abel.  Once he was strong enough, he went to his castle, and found it in shambles.  Lucien, his only servant loyal enough to have stayed at the castle during Dream's imprisonment told him the Dreaming had suffered because of his absence.  He summoned the Three Witches, and they gave him clues as to where he could find his helm, pouch and ruby.

Later, after reclaiming these objects and rebuilding the Dreaming, Dream was confronted by the Kindly Ones, forces of vengeance who merged with Lyta Hall, who believed Dream had murdered her young son Daniel after Dream told her that Daniel belonged to him because he had gestated in the Dreaming.  Dream refused to fight the Kindly Ones, allowing them to destroy him in order to save the Dreaming, and Death took Dream. Dream's role in the Endless was assumed by Daniel.


Saturday, September 26, 2020

BLACK ADAM Casts Aldis Hodge as Hawkman

Black Adam has its Winged Warrior.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, actor Aldis Hodge is in final negotiations to play Hawkman/Carter Hall in the upcoming DC Extended Universe film Black Adam, based on the DC Comics antihero.

Hodge will join Dwayne Johnson as Black Adam and Noah Centineo as Atom Smasher, with other Justice Society of America members Doctor Fate and Cyclone yet to be cast.  Jaume Collet-Serra will direct the film, based on a script by Rory Haines and Sohrab Noshirvani.

Hodge, 34, is probably best known as Alec Hardison on the TNT series Leverage, MC Ren in the 2015 biopic Straight Outta Compton, and Levi Jackson in the 2016 film Hidden Figures.  His other films include The Invisible Man (2020), What Men Want, Jack Reacher: Never Go Back, Die Hard with a Vengeance, A Good Day to Die Hard, Happy Feet, and Big Momma's House.  He recently appeared as Craft in the Star Trek: Short Treks mini-episode "Calypso", and has appeared in episodes of City on a Hill, Black Mirror, The Blacklist, The Walking Dead, Castle, Friday Night Lights, Charmed (2002), Boston Public, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Created in 1940 by Gardner Fox as Dennis Neville, Hawkman first appeared in Flash Comics #1 as Carter Hall, a reincarnation of the ancient Egyptian prince Khufu.  In the days of ancient Egypt, Khufu was engaged in a feud with his rival, the Egyptian priest Hath-Set.  The priest eventually captured both Khufu and his consort Chay-Ara, and killed them using a cursed dagger of Nth metal.  Millennia later, in 1940, Khufu was reincarnated as American archaeologist Carter Hall, Chay-Ara as Shiera Saunders, and Hath-Set as scientist Anton Hastor.  After touching the same Nth Metal dagger used to kill Khufu, Carter regained the memories of his former life and realized Hastor was the reincarnation of his ancient foe.  When Hastor kidnapped Shiera, using a magic spell to draw her to his lair, Hall used his newly-refound memories to craft a gravity-defying belt using Nth metal and a winged costume to become Hawkman.  Carter successfully rescued Shiera and Anton was killed by electrocution.  Hawkman was a charter member of the Justice Society of America, and became the JSA's chairman.  Shiera later became the crimefighter Hawkgirl.  

Due to a series of reinventions of the character, some writers have attempted to integrate Carter Hall and Katar Hol, another version of Hawkman created in the 1960s, who was a police officer from the planet Thanagar and joined the Justice League of America.  They linked the Thanagarian aliens to the Egyptian curse that causes Hawkman to reincarnate periodically throughout human history, or used Carter Hall as Katar Hol's alias, or depicted the merger of Carter and Katar into one being.

In his most recent reinvention, Carter Hall has discovered that in addition to reincarnating over time on Earth, he has also lived multiple lives on alien worlds, and on at least one occasion, two or more of his reincarnations have existed simultaneously.  The other lives revealed were Katar Hol of Thanagar, Catar-Ol of Krypton, Golden Hawk (a legendary hero of an unnamed planet destroyed by Deathbringers), Avion (an ancient hero of the Microverse), The Dragon of Barabatos, Airwing of New Genesis, Katarthul of Rann, Red Harrier, and Sky Tyrant of Earth-3.  His other lives throughout Earth's history include Prince Khufu, Silent Knight (a medieval hero), Birdman of the Easter Islands, Nighthawk (a gunslinging western hero), and Carter Hall, the Golden-Age version from World War II who was a member of the Justice Society of America.

Hodge will be the fourth actor to portray Hawkman in live action, after Bill Nuckols in the Legends of the Superheroes TV specials, Michael Shanks on the TV series Smallville, and Falk Hentschel on the TV series The Flash, Arrow and Legends of Tomorrow.  In addition, the character has appeared in various animated projects, including The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure (voiced by Vic Perrin), the various Super Friends shows (voiced by Jack Angel), Justice League Unlimited (voiced by James Remar), The Batman (voiced by Robert Patrick), Batman: The Brave and the Bold (voiced by William Katt), Justice League Action (voiced by Troy Baker), and Superman/Batman: Public Enemies (voiced by Michael Gough).

Black Adam is due to begin production in spring of 2021.

GHOSTWOOD 084: "Humbug" Is Up!

"You took one quick look at me, and decided that you could deduce my entire life.  Never would it have occurred to you that a person of my height could have possibly obtained a degree in hotel management."
"I’m sorry. I meant no offense."
"Well then, why should I take offense?  Just because it’s human nature to make instant judgments of others based solely on their physical appearances?  Why, I have done the same thing to you, for example.  I have taken in your all-American features, your dour demeanor, your unimaginative necktie design and concluded that you work for the government.  An FBI agent.  But do you see the tragedy here?  I have mistakenly reduced you to a stereotype, a caricature, instead of regarding you as a specific, unique individual."
"But I am an FBI agent."
-- Mr. Nutt and Fox Mulder, The X-Files: "Humbug"

It is happening again...My co-host with the most Xan Sprouse and I are back with a new episode of Ghostwood: The Twin Peaks Podcast!  In this episode, we continue our retrospective of Twin Peaks actors appearing on The X-Files by discussing "Humbug", the twentieth episode of The X-Files Season Two from 1995, featuring David Duchovny as Fox Mulder, Gillian Anderson as Dana Scully, Michael J. Anderson as Mr. Nutt, and Vincent Schiavelli as Lanny!

LET'S ROCK!

In this episode, Xan and I discuss things like our parents not knowing how to hook up their streaming TV and internet, Columbus TV weatherman Mike Davis getting busted for child porn, writer Darin Morgan's offbeat X-Files scripts, profilic X-Files director Kim Manners, Maximum Overdrive and bad Stephen King movies, Vincent Schiavelli in Tomorrow Never Dies and Fast Times at Ridgemont High, The X-Files casting real-life sideshow performers Jim Rose and The Enigma as Dr. Blockhead and The Conundrum, Darin Morgan playing the Flukeman in "The Host" and Eddie Van Blundht in "Small Potatoes", Gillian Anderson chewing an insect, the Tod Browning film Freaks, "The Elephant Man" Joseph Merrick's diagnosis of Proteus Syndrome, needing to be vigilant of genetic manipulation, Lobster Boy being boiled and dipped in butter, the Alligator Man's heated backyard swimming pool, Mulder being the annoying know-it-all sideshow tourist, Scully's sleight-of-hand skills, P.T. Barnum's "This Way to the Egress" con, Mr. Nutt calling out Mulder for judging him based solely on his physical appearance, Mulder assuming Mr. Nutt is creeping on Scully in her trailer, Darin Morgan embracing the comedic potential of The X-Files, Lanny's conjoined twin Leonard, the Conundrum eating Leonard, Xan seeing Jim Rose and The Enigma at Lollapalooza, Dr. Blockhead calling out Mulder's for his good looks, Ghostwood Mail from Holly Mac, Jesse Jackson and DJ Nik, Windom Earle on The X-Files, and more!

If you'd like to check out our latest episode, you can find us on...

iTunes/Apple Podcasts -- RIGHT HERE
Spotify -- RIGHT HERE
Stitcher -- RIGHT HERE
Direct MP3 downloads/Libsyn -- RIGHT HERE
YouTube -- RIGHT HERE
Ghostwood's Facebook page
Ghostwood's Twitter account

Be sure to come back in two weeks for Episode 085, as Xan and I discuss "Revelations", the twentieth episode of The X-Files Season Two, featuring Twin Peaks actor Kenneth Welsh as Simon Gates, Kevin Zegers as Kevin Kryder, and R. Lee Ermey as Reverend Patrick Findley!

Thursday, September 24, 2020

NEXT STOP EVERYWHERE 201: "The Space Museum" Is Up!

"Doctor, why do you always show the greatest interest in the least important things?"
"The least important things, sometimes, my dear boy, lead to the greatest discoveries."
-- Ian Chesterton and the First Doctor, Doctor Who: "The Space Museum"

Hello again, everyone!  My partner in time Jesse Jackson and I are back with another new episode of Next Stop Everywhere: The Doctor Who Podcast!  This time, we discuss "The Space Museum", the seventh serial from Doctor Who Season Two in 1965, featuring William Hartnell as the First Doctor, William Russell as Ian Chesteron, Jacqueline Hill as Barbara Wright, and Maureen O'Brien as Vicki!

In this episode, Jesse and I discuss things like Jesse celebrating Bruce Springsteen's 71st birthday, "The Space Museum" being the first timey-wimey story on Doctor Who, Jeremy Bulloch as Boba Fett, Michael Craze's brother Peter Craze, the Tusken Raider who attacks Luke Skywalker in Star Wars, Yoda ripping off William Hartnell, Jesse finally realizing the greatness of the First Doctor, the Doctor hiding out in a Dalek casing, Ian getting a fight sequence, Vicki fanning the flames of revolution and crushing on Tor, how the Doctor and his companions avoided their destiny of ending up as museum exhibits, the Hartnell Era establishing the important foundations of the Doctor Who mythos, Lobos lamenting the lost glories of the Morok Empire, the Xerons and the Moroks being symbols for young people revolting against the older establishment, the Doctor getting the Time-Space Visualizer, our favorite quotes of the episode, my Reverse the Reverse the Polarity segment, new feedback from Holly Mac and Dave Proctor, and more!

If you'd like to check out our latest episode, you can find us on...

Google Play Music -- RIGHT HERE
iTunes/Apple Podcasts -- RIGHT HERE
Direct MP3 downloads/Libsyn -- RIGHT HERE
Spotify -- RIGHT HERE
Stitcher -- RIGHT HERE
Next Stop Everywhere's Facebook page
Next Stop Everywhere's Twitter account
Next Stop Everywhere's Instagram account

We now have a NEW Next Stop Everywhere t-shirt with our current logo, which you can find on TeePublic right HEREThis spiffy new shirt looks great when you're listening to your favorite Doctor Who podcast and travelling through time and space!  Or your could order all sorts of cool Next Stop Everywhere merch there as well!

And hey, if you'd like to pick up our classic logo Next Stop Everywhere t-shirt, you can also find it on TeePublic right HERE!  Help support the show and feel free to post pictures on our Facebook page of you or some other cool person you know wearing the shirt!

Be sure to come back next week, as Jesse and I are joined by special guest companion John Takacs to discuss "The Invasion", the third serial from Doctor Who Season Six in 1968, featuring Patrick Troughton as the Second Doctor, Frazer Hines as Jamie McCrimmon, Wendy Padbury as Zoe Heriot, and the first appearances of UNIT and John Levene as Corporal John Benton!

Wednesday, September 23, 2020

HBO Max Gives Series Order to THE SUICIDE SQUAD TV Spinoff PEACEMAKER

John Cena loves peace so much, he's willing to kill again for it.

According to DC Comics, HBO Max has given a straight-to-series order for Peacemaker, an action-adventure/comedy TV series spinning off from James Gunn's upcoming DC Extended Universe film The Suicide Squad.

The press release states that John Cena will reprise his character Peacemaker/Christopher Smith in an eight-episode first season, with Gunn writing all eight episodes and directing the first and others as well.  Gunn and The Suicide Squad producer Peter Safran, who also produces the Aquaman and Shazam! films, will serve as Peacemaker’s executive producers with Cena as co-executive producer.  Peacemaker is scheduled to begin production in early 2021, before Gunn begins working on the next Guardians of the Galaxy movie.

There are no details at the moment if the upcoming TV series is set before or after the events of The Suicide Squad, but "the series will explore the origins of the Peacemaker character, a man who believes in maintaining peace at all costs—no matter how many people he needs to kill to do it."

"Peacemaker is an opportunity to delve into current world issues through the lens of this superhero/supervillain/and world’s biggest douchebag," Gunn remarked.  "I’m excited to expand The Suicide Squad and bring this character from the DC film universe to the full breadth of a series.  And of course, to be able to work again with John, Peter, and my friends at Warner Bros. is the icing on the cake."

Cena added, "I have said before that it has been a tremendous honor and an incredible opportunity to be part of The Suicide Squad and to work with James on what is going to be a fantastic movie.  I am unbelievably excited to have the chance to team up with him again for Peacemaker.  We can’t wait for fans to see this."

Created in 1966 by Joe Gill and Pat Boyette, Peacemaker first appeared in Fightin' 5 #40 as Christopher Smith, a pacifist diplomat so committed to peace that he was willing to use force as a superhero to advance the cause.  He used an array of special non-lethal weapons, and also founded the Pax Institute. 

Fighting an assortment of dictators and warlords, Smith later learned that his peace-through-violence efforts were the result of a serious mental illness brought on by the shame of having a Nazi death camp commandant for a father.  He believed his father's spirit haunted him continually and criticized his every move, even as he tried to live down his past.

Becoming a particularly deadly vigilante who would kill at the slightest notice, he started to believe that the ghosts of the people he killed, or who were killed in his vicinity, were collected inside his helmet and could offer him advice and commentary.

For a time, Peacemaker served as a U.S. government agent under Checkmate, a special-forces unit, hunting down terrorists until his own behavior became too extreme.  He eventually crashed a helicopter to destroy tanks controlled by the supervillain Eclipso and was reported dead.

Peacemaker is scheduled to begin production in early 2021.

Monday, September 21, 2020

First WANDAVISION Trailer Debuts During 2020 Emmy Awards

The Vision and the Scarlet Witch are an unusual couple, you know.

During last night's 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards special, Disney+ debuted the first trailer for WandaVision, the streaming service's first original drama series set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).  Set after the events of the MCU film Avengers: Endgame, Avengers members the Scarlet Witch/Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) and the Vision (Paul Bettany) begin to suspect things are not as they seem as the two live their ideal suburban life.

The one-minute, 20-second trailer opens with the classic 1958 song "Twilight Time" by the Platters, as we enter a surreal, 1950s black-and-white TV sitcom world starring Wanda and the Vision.

"Wanda and Vision," remarks the Vision as kisses the head of his housewife Wanda, "aren't we a fine pair?"

"This is our home now.  I want us to fit in," states Wanda as she gestures for Vision to alter his face to appear human as he walks in the front door.

We're quickly introduced to Agnes (Kathryn Hahn), the couple's nosy neighbor, who answers the door saying, "Oh, this is going to be a gas!"

We see Wanda using her telekinetic abilities to pour wine and set her dinner table in a very Bewitched style for a Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Heart (Fred Melamed and Debra Jo Rupp).  "Where did you two move from, how long have you been married, and why don't you have children yet?" asks Mrs. Heart.

"Our story..." Wanda begins to reply, obviously struggling for a response.

The Vision interjects.  "I think what my wife means to say is that we moved from..."

As the Vision struggles as well, Arthur asks, "Moved from where?  Married when?"  He grows intense, slamming his hand hard on the table, saying "Dammit, why?!"

"Oh, Arthur, stop it," says Mrs. Heart.  As he keeps slamming his hand hard on the table, Mrs. Heart keeps repeating "Stop it, stop it, stop it..." while a canned studio audience laugh track plays on.

Suddenly, things cut to color, as the sitcom setting shifts to a 1960s period.  As the Vision, now wearing a green and red sweater, studies his hand, Wanda asks, "Is this really happening?"

We get fleeting glimpses of the two in 1970s Brady Bunch-esque attire, followed by a shift to a 1990s Roseanne setting, with the two now holding baby twins. Agnes is shown wearing a 1980s Jazzercise outfit, followed by Wanda wearing a homemade version of her 1970s/1980s Scarlet Witch costume from Marvel Comics, presumably for Halloween.

As the neighborhood kids canvas the area for Trick or Treat in a modern setting, the Vision flies above the city and then lands by Agnes, who is seated motionless in the driver's seat wearing a witch's costume.  The Vision touches the side of her face, causing her to suddenly gasp.  "Am I dead?" she asks.

"No!" replies the Vision.  "Why would you think that?"

"Because you are," Agnes remarks, suddenly cackling in laughter.

We then see the Vision walking around his neighborhood during Trick or Treat while wearing a homemade version of his iconic 1970s/1980s costume, followed by Wanda using her magical abilities to change the time period of her living room furniture.

Things get stranger as Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris), the grown-up daughter of Maria Rambeau from the Captain Marvel film, is shown being hurled through the air from the sunny '70s neighborhood, and landing at night in the modern world, where she is found by several military types.

Back in the colorless '50s sitcom, Wanda tells the Vision, "We are an unusual couple, you know?"

"Oh, I don't think that was ever in question," replies the Vision as we see the two together smiling broadly (and creepily) at the camera.

If you'd like to check out the new trailer, you can view it below thanks to the official Marvel Entertainment account on YouTube...


WandaVision is expected to debut on Disney+ sometime in December 2020.

Thursday, September 17, 2020

NEXT STOP EVERYWHERE 200: "The Pandorica Opens" Is Up!

 


"Hello, Stonehenge!  Who takes the Pandorica, takes the universe!  But bad news, everyone, 'cause guess who!  Ha!  Listen, you lot! You're all whizzing about, it's really very distracting. Could you all just stay still a minute, because I! AM! TALKING!  Now, the question of the hour is, who's got the Pandorica?  Answer: I do.  Next question: Who's coming to take it from me?  Come on!  Look at me!  No plan, no back-up, no weapons worth a damn!  Oh, and something else, I don't have anything to lose!  So, if you're sitting up there in your silly little spaceship with all your silly little guns, and you've got any plans on taking the Pandorica tonight, just remember who's standing in your way!  Remember every black day I ever stopped you, and then, and then, do the smart thing: Let somebody else try first."
-- The Eleventh Doctor, Doctor Who: "The Pandorica Opens"

Hello again, everyone!  My partner in time Jesse Jackson and I are back with another new episode of Next Stop Everywhere: The Doctor Who Podcast!  This time, we're celebrating our 200th episode as special guest companions Xan Sprouse, DJ Nik, John Takacs, and Christine Peruski help us discuss "The Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang", the 12th & 13th episodes from Doctor Who Series Five in 2010, featuring Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor, Karen Gillan as Amy Pond, Arthur Darvill as Rory Williams, and Alex Kingston as River Song!

In this episode, Jesse, Xan, Nik, John, Christine and I discuss things like bringing the band back together, This Is Spinal Tap, John hitting on Sophie Aldred back in the day, Sophie Okenedo as Alison Cheney in Doctor Who: Scream of the Shalka, director Toby Haynes playing Raiders of the Lost Ark during the filming of the Pandorica scenes, the perfect amount of nostalgia, cameos from various Series Five characters, the language River Song wrote her message for the Doctor on the cliffs, Xan's love of the Autons, Rory having the most narrative arc in Series Five, Amy disrespecting Rory while constantly hitting on the Doctor, the alliance of Doctor Who alien villains, wondering why the alliance needed so many races to build the Pandorica trap for the Doctor, modern Whovians latching onto the Eleventh Doctor's fez like classic fans latching onto Tom Baker's long scarf, wondering why no one noticed Amelia Pond hiding out in the National Museum until after closing, Steven Moffat embracing the brain-melting aspect of time travel and swiping from Bill and Ted, Amy finally getting a mom and dad, the modern era trope of having the companions fall in love with the Doctor, our favorite quotes of the episode, my Reverse the Polarity segment, new feedback from Paul from Australia, Holly Mac and Hannah Skorapa, and more!

If you'd like to check out our latest episode, you can find us on...

Google Play Music -- RIGHT HERE
iTunes/Apple Podcasts -- RIGHT HERE
Direct MP3 downloads/Libsyn -- RIGHT HERE
Spotify -- RIGHT HERE
Stitcher -- RIGHT HERE
Next Stop Everywhere's Facebook page
Next Stop Everywhere's Twitter account
Next Stop Everywhere's Instagram account

We now have a NEW Next Stop Everywhere t-shirt with our current logo, which you can find on TeePublic right HEREThis spiffy new shirt looks great when you're listening to your favorite Doctor Who podcast and travelling through time and space!  Or your could order all sorts of cool Next Stop Everywhere merch there as well!

And hey, if you'd like to pick up our classic logo Next Stop Everywhere t-shirt, you can also find it on TeePublic right HERE!  Help support the show and feel free to post pictures on our Facebook page of you or some other cool person you know wearing the shirt!

Be sure to come back next week, as Jesse and I discuss "The Space Museum", the seventh serial from Doctor Who Season Two in 1965, featuring William Hartnell as the First Doctor, William Russell as Ian Chesteron, Jacqueline Hill as Barbara Wright, and Maureen O'Brien as Vicki!

SHE-HULK Casts Tatiana Maslany as Jennifer Walters


Don't make Tatiana angry.  You wouldn't like her when she's angry.

Deadline has revealed that the upcoming Disney+/Marvel Cinematic Universe TV series She-Hulk has cast Tatiana Maslany as Jennifer Walters, the woman who becomes the sensational She-Hulk!

The news follows word that Kat Coiro will direct several episodes of She-Hulk, including the pilot, and Rick and Morty writer Jessica Gao will lead the show's writers room.

Maslany, 34, is a Canadian actress best known for playing multiple lead characters on the BBC America series Orphan Black and recently appeared on the HBO series Perry Mason as Sister Alice.  Her films include The Vow, Eastern Promises, and Ginger Snaps 2: Unleashed, while her other TV appearances include episodes of Parks and Recreation, Alphas, Drunk History, Robot Chicken, and BoJack Horseman.

Created in 1980 by Stan Lee and John Buscema, Jennifer Walters first appeared in The Savage She-Hulk #1 as a criminal defense lawyer who is the cousin of Bruce Banner, the Hulk, and the daughter of Los Angeles County Sheriff William Morris Walters and Elaine (née Banner) Walters, who died in a car crash when Jennifer was seventeen.  

Operatives of Nicholas Trask, a crime boss who had crossed paths with her father, shot and seriously wounded her on the day that Banner visited her to tell her about his transformation into the Hulk.  Since no other donors with her blood type were available, Banner provided his own blood for a transfusion because they already shared the same blood type and DNA.  His gamma-irradiated blood, combined with Jennifer's anger, transformed her into the green-skinned She-Hulk when the mobsters tried to finish her off at the hospital.  She then used her new powers to take down Trask, who was killed when the earth-boring device he rode malfunctioned, taking him to the center of the Earth.

As She-Hulk, Jennifer possessed powers similar to those of her cousin, though at a reduced level, and possessed a less monstrous, more Amazonian appearance.  Eventually, Jennifer decided to retain her She-Hulk form permanently—preferring the freedom, confidence, and assertiveness that it gave her compared to her more timorous and fragile "normal" form.  After her brief solo career, she joined the Avengers for a time before temporarily replacing the Thing as a member of the Fantastic Four.

During the Civil War II storyline, She-Hulk was mortally wounded by a direct attack from Thanos and forced into a coma.  She eventually recovered, but due to the stress following the fight with Thanos, Jennifer started turning uncontrollably into her version of the monstrous Grey Hulk at different intervals.  Recently, She-Hulk became a member of the Avengers once again, but currently functions as brutish, green-skinned incarnation.

Maslany will be the first actress to portray Jennifer Walters in live-action, although the character has appeared in various animated projects, including The Incredible Hulk (1982) (voiced by Victoria Carroll), The Incredible Hulk (1996) (voiced by Lisa Zane and Cree Summer), Fantastic Four: World's Greatest Heroes (voiced by Rebecca Shoichet), The Super Hero Squad Show (voiced by Katee Sackhoff), Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H. and Ultimate Spider-Man (voiced by Eliza Dushku), and Marvel Knights: Ultimate Wolverine vs. Hulk (voiced by Nicole Oliver).

She-Hulk is currently expected to debut on Disney+ sometime in 2022.

Monday, September 14, 2020

ANT-MAN 3 Casts Jonathan Majors as Kang the Conqueror

 

Kang is coming to conquer the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Deadline has revealed that the untitled third Ant-Man film starring Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly has cast Jonathan Majors as the film's supervillain, Kang the Conqueror.

According to the article, Peyton Reed, director of Ant-Man and Ant-Man and the Wasp, is returning to helm the third installment, with Jeff Loveness writing the script.  Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige will serve as producer.

Majors, 31, is currently known as Atticus "Tic" Freeman on the HBO series Lovecraft Country.  His other films include The Last Black Man in San Francisco, Da 5 Bloods, Jungleland, Captive State, White Boy Rick, and Hostiles.  In addition, he's appeared in the TV docudrama When We Rise.

Created in 1963 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, Kang the Conqureror first appeared in Fantastic Four (vol.1) #19 as Nathaniel Richards, a 31st-century scholar and possible descendant of Mr. Fantastic/Reed Richards, who became fascinated with history and discovered the time travel technology created by Doctor Doom.  Richards traveled back in time to ancient Egypt aboard a Sphinx-shaped timeship and became the Pharaoh Rama-Tut.  Rama-Tut's rule was cut short when he was defeated by the time-displaced Fantastic Four.

Embittered, Richards traveled forward to the 20th century, where he met Doctor Doom, whom he believed might be his ancestor.  He later designed armor based on Doom's and, calling himself the Scarlet Centurion, pit the Avengers team against their alternate-reality counterparts.  He planned to dispose of all of them, but the Avengers managed to force him from the timeline.  Richards then tried to return to the 31st century, but overshot it by a thousand years, discovering a war-torn Earth that used advanced weapons they no longer understood.  He found it simple to conquer the planet, expanding his dominion throughout the galaxy, and reinvented himself as Kang the Conqueror in The Avengers (vol.1) #8.

During Richards' first trip into the 20th century under the Kang identity, he met and battled the Avengers, capturing everyone but the Wasp and Rick Jones, and informed the world that they had 24 hours to surrender to him.  Jones and some friends pretended they wanted to help Kang, but double-crossed him once they gained access to his ship and freed the Avengers.  In an attempt to stop them, Kang released radiation that only beings from his time were immune to, but Thor used his hammer to absorb the rays and send them back at the warlord so that even he couldn't withstand them, and Kang was forced to escape.

Ant-Man 3 is currently planned to arrive in theaters sometime in 2022.

Friday, September 11, 2020

GHOSTWOOD 083: "Shapes" Is Up!



"You even have an Indian name, 'Fox.'  You should be Running Fox.  Or Stinky Fox."
"Just as long as it’s not Spooky Fox."
-- Ish and Fox Mulder, The X-Files: "Shapes"

It is happening again...My co-host with the most Xan Sprouse and I are back with a new episode of Ghostwood: The Twin Peaks Podcast!  In this episode, we continue our retrospective of Twin Peaks actors appearing on The X-Files by discussing "Shapes", the nineteenth episode of The X-Files Season One from 1994, featuring David Duchovny as Fox Mulder, Gillian Anderson as Dana Scully, Michael Horse as Sheriff Charles Tskany, and Donnelly Rhodes as Jim Parker!

LET'S ROCK!

In this episode, Xan and I discuss things like Xan and I trying to be the responsible ones during the Coronavirus pandemic, waiting for Lex Luthor to strike the San Andreas Fault with a nuclear missile in 2020, Michael Horse as Tonto in The Legend of the Lone Ranger, Donnelly Rhodes as Dutch Leitner on Soap, the very first X-File case being initiated by J. Edgar Hoover in 1946, episode writer Marilyn Osborn taking creative liberties with the Manitou legend, the portrayal of Native Americans on '90s television shows, Xan's husband Chris hating the movie Titanic, Michael Horse looking an awful lot like his Twin Peaks character Deputy Hawk as Sheriff Charles Tskany, The X-Files attempting to appeal to Twin Peaks fans, Xan's Alan Ruck impression, Xan and I having to learn about the Tulsa Massacre by watching Watchmen, how Sheriff Charles Tskany and Deputy Hawk could be the same fictional character, the transformation homage to An American Werewolf in London, the current debate of whether actors should be allowed to play certain characters, Donnelly Rhodes as Doc Cottle on Battlestar Galactica, Ghostwood Mail from Holly Mac, DJ Nik and Jesse Jackson, Marty Feldman as Igor in Young Frankenstein, Xan returning to Next Stop Everywhere for our 200th episode, the first trailer for Denis Villeneuve's film adaptation of Dune looking a lot like David Lynch's Dune from 1984, and more!

If you'd like to check out our latest episode, you can find us on...

iTunes/Apple Podcasts -- RIGHT HERE
Spotify -- RIGHT HERE
Stitcher -- RIGHT HERE
Direct MP3 downloads/Libsyn -- RIGHT HERE
YouTube -- RIGHT HERE
Ghostwood's Facebook page
Ghostwood's Twitter account

Be sure to come back in two weeks for Episode 084, as Xan and I discuss "Humbug", the twentieth episode of The X-Files Season Two, featuring Twin Peaks actor Michael J. Anderson as Mr. Nutt, Jim Rose as Dr. Blockhead, and Vincent Schiavelli as Lanny!

NEXT STOP EVERYWHERE 199: "Destination: Nerva" Is Up!

 


"Oh, this is really, really…disgusting!"
"It’s at times like this when I always regret never having taken up the cello."
-- Dr. Alison Foster and the Fourth Doctor, Doctor Who: "Destination: Nerva"

Hello again, everyone!  My partner in time Jesse Jackson and I are back with another new episode of Next Stop Everywhere: The Doctor Who Podcast!  This time, we're joined by executive producer Rob Southgate from the Southgate Media Group to discuss "Destination: Nerva", the first release from Big Finish Productions' Doctor Who: The Fourth Doctor Adventures range in 2012, featuring the return of Tom Baker as the Fourth Doctor, Louise Jameson as Leela, Raquel Cassidy as Dr. Alison Foster, and Tim Treloar as Lord Jack Corrigan!

In this episode, Jesse, Rob and I discuss things like Tom Baker finally agreeing to record Fourth Doctor audios for Big Finish, the first Big Finish Doctor Who audio "The Sirens of Time", why Rob wanted to discuss a Big Finish audio, the fate of the Coo Coo for Who podcast, how Rob became a Doctor Who fan, Marvel Comics' Doctor Who series, how Rob found out that Doctor Who returned in the modern era, how Rob's daughter Molly and wife Martha became Doctor Who fans, Molly adapting Joe Hill's Locke & Key comic book series into a live stage reading, Rob listening to Tom Baker's voice in "Destination: Nerva", the Fourth Doctor being a bit of a jerk at times, "Destination: Nerva" embracing the body horror from Tom Baker's TV era, Leela being the sci-fi version of Eliza Doolittle, the unexpected twist that people transformed into Epiderms were restored to normal, Lord Jack's ambition to grow the British Empire in space, the brutish-sounding Drellerans being pacifists, why Big Finish should start sponsoring our podcast, our favorite quotes of the episode, my Reverse the Reverse the Polarity segment, new feedback from Dave Proctor, details on the 200th episode of Next Stop Everywhere, and more!

If you'd like to check out our latest episode, you can find us on...

Google Play Music -- RIGHT HERE
iTunes/Apple Podcasts -- RIGHT HERE
Direct MP3 downloads/Libsyn -- RIGHT HERE
Spotify -- RIGHT HERE
Stitcher -- RIGHT HERE
Next Stop Everywhere's Facebook page
Next Stop Everywhere's Twitter account
Next Stop Everywhere's Instagram account

We now have a NEW Next Stop Everywhere t-shirt with our current logo, which you can find on TeePublic right HEREThis spiffy new shirt looks great when you're listening to your favorite Doctor Who podcast and travelling through time and space!  Or your could order all sorts of cool Next Stop Everywhere merch there as well!

And hey, if you'd like to pick up our classic logo Next Stop Everywhere t-shirt, you can also find it on TeePublic right HERE!  Help support the show and feel free to post pictures on our Facebook page of you or some other cool person you know wearing the shirt!

Be sure to come back next week, as Jesse and I celebrate the 200th episode of Next Stop Everywhere with special guest companions Xan Sprouse, DJ Nik, John Takacs, and Christine Peruski!  Together, we discuss "The Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang", the twelfth and thirteenth episodes from Doctor Who Series Five in 2010, featuring Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor, Karen Gillan as Amy Pond, Arthur Darvill as Rory Williams, and Alex Kingston as River Song!

Monday, September 7, 2020

THE FANDOM ZONE 190: "The Umbrella Academy Season One Review" Is Up!


"We didn't choose this life, we're just living it."
-- Number Five, The Umbrella Academy: "The Day That Was"

Hello again, everyone!  My co-host Jesse Jackson and I are back with another new episode of The Fandom Zone Podcast!  This time, we review Season One of the Netflix superhero drama The Umbrella Academy from 2019, featuring a discussion of the TV show's main characters, the great musical soundtrack, the original Dark Horse Comics series by Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá, and more!

In this episode, Jesse and I talk about things like Jesse's wife finally getting him to start watching The Umbrella Academy, how I got into the Dark Horse Comics series The Umbrella Academy, our mutual love of Moon Knight, Luther's upper body looking like an ape, Diego being a Batman Wannabe, Allison and Luther's attraction toward one another despite being adopted siblings, Klaus self-medicating because he sees dead people, Number Five being timey-wimey, Ben as Klaus' Jiminy Cricket, Vanya being revealed as the most powerful member of the family, Sir Reginald Hargreeves being the Worst Father Ever, Pogo as the team's Alfred Pennyworth, Hazel and Cha-cha as a Quantum Leap version of the Men in Black, Leonard Peabody as the Mastermind to Vanya's Dark Phoenix, the Umbrella Academy causing the world-ending apocalypse, some of Season One's greatest song choices, my tease of The Umbrella Academy Season 2, and more!

You can now check out episodes of The Fandom Zone using...

Google Play Music -- HERE 

iTunes/Apple Podcasts -- HERE
Direct Download MP3s/Libsyn -- HERE
Spotify -- HERE
Stitcher -- HERE
The Fandom Zone on Facebook -- HERE
The Fandom Zone on Twitter -- @FandomZoneCast
The Fandom Zone on Instagram -- HERE

And if that isn't enough for you, you can also check us out on YouTube, Soundcloud, and the official Southgate Media Group website!  Oh, and if you're interested in an officially official Fandom Zone Podcast t-shirt that all the cool kids are wearing, you can get those on TeePublic HERE as well!  Feel free to post a picture on our Facebook page of you or some other cool person you know wearing the shirt!

Be sure to come back soon as Jesse and I discuss more comic book TV shows, right here on The Fandom Zone Podcast!