DC COMICS: ABSOLUTE DC UNIVERSE!

Published on September 24, 2024October 2, 2024 by theworldsbestblogwithpaulwrightLeave a comment

Hey everyone,

Paul here…

*DC ALL IN: A new initiative at DC Comics. A huge part of DC ALL IN is the launch of The Absolute DC Universe*

Beginning in October, DC Comics will be launching an ambitious new, two pronged, publishing initiative called DC ALL IN. There are two major components of the DC ALL IN Initiative. The first part is all about reinvigorating the main DCU, encouraging their artists to “take big creative swings”. However, this isn’t a universe wide reboot, like The New 52 Era. The main, classic, Earth-1 DC Universe will continue, with some of the industry’s best creators, and a new publishing mandate to take chances, try new ideas, and as said before, “take big creative swings”. The goal is to create jumping on points for fans, new and old, while also getting people excited about comic books again. Across both parts of DC ALL IN, there seems to be something tailored to every kind of fan.

For example, some of DC’s flagship books will be debuting exciting new creative teams, writer Tom Taylor and artist Mikel Janín jumping onboard Detective Comics. Fantastic comics like Wonder Woman written by Tom King with art by Daniel Sampere, will continue on with the same creative teams, while launching major new story arcs. We can also expect to see few brand new titles, like Justice League Unlimited by Mark Waid and Dan Mora, and The New Gods by Ram V and Evan Cagle.

DC ALL IN is spearheaded by writers Joshua Williamson and Scott Snyder. If I had to choose, I’d say Scott Snyder is probably my favorite working comic book writer, so his involvement here is a huge plus for me. This quote from Snyder puts it well…

“The creation of the Absolute Universe is how I always imagined coming back to DC, and DC All In will be a great jumping-on point for new readers as well as lapsed fans to discover new stories to love and the chance to explore the new directions in store for DC’s core series lineup,”

DC put out the video below, featuring Williamson and Snyder officially revealing the details of the DC ALL IN and Absolute DC. It’s extremely interesting and they explain everything I’m discussing in this article much better than I could, so I highly recommend giving this a watch;

However, it’s the second part of this initiative has been really excited: ABSOLUTE DC. Basically, this is the DC version of Marvel’s Ultimate Universe, but I don’t mean that like it’s a bad thing. In this new Absolute Universe, all of the typical, iconic, external elements associated with these characters are gone, but the fundamental essence of who they are remains. Complete, top to bottom reimaginings of DC’s most iconic characters, starting with Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman. This is a Bruce Wayne without the fortune, the mansion, the butler, and high tech arsenal. Superman doesn’t have The Kents or Lois Lane. The only thing we know for sure is that Krypton exploded. Wonder Woman isn’t from Themyscira. These are some pretty drastic departures from your average stories about DC’s Holy Trinity of Heroes. The Absolute line is keeping the core of who these characters are, but anything else is fair game. These are some really wild changes that I’m sure some people hate and some people will love. Anyway, I’ll get into a little bit more of the details about each of these book, along with some of the cool art that’s been released.

ABSOLUTE DC

Absolute Batman

Writer: Scott Snyder

Artist: Nick Dragotta

Release Date: 10/9/24

The first Absolute DC book to debut, Absolute Batman, alongside artist Nick Dragotta, this series Scott Snyder’s return to The Dark Knight and his world. As I’ve already mentioned, I’m a huge Scott Snyder fan. Snyder came onto the mainstream comic book scene with his incredible series, American Vampire and crafted one the greatest Batman noir, mystery tales with Batman: The Black Mirror. In fact his New 52 Batman title that he wrote alongside artist Greg Capullo is my favorite Batman run in the character’s history. Not to mention his excellent work on Dark Nights: Metal and Dark Knights: Death Metal. Bottom line: this guys knows how to write the hell out of Batman. So his return to the character, with a fresh take, is definitely something to be excited about. Snyder talks more about what we can expect from Absolute Batman in the video below:

A few details we know about the new series, is that Bruce is a city engineer, Alfred is an old guard MI6 spy/assassin, and the first villain is Black Mask. Below are some character designs from Nick Dragotta as well as some preview art from Absolute Batman #1…

Concept Art:

Preview for Absolute Batman #1:

Variant Covers:

Absolute Wonder Woman

Writer: Kelly Thompson

Artist: Hayden Sherman

Release Date: 10/23/24

Thompson has described this Wonder Woman as “lava under rocks”, which is a pretty hardcore description. Absolute Wonder Woman is the last Amazon and literally raised in Hell. She’s also the first publicly recognized “superhero” of the Absolute Universe. Oh, and she’s a witch. Beyond what I’ve already covered, there isn’t much else that we know about Absolute Wonder Woman. I guess we’ll just have to wait for Issue #1 to find out more, but I’m really intrigued about this one! Below is some concept art from artist Hayden Sherman, some art from Issue #1 and the cover for issue #2…

CONCEPT ART:

ABSOLUTE WONDER WOMAN #1 Interiors:

*Preview for Absolute Wonder Woman #1 from AIPTcomics.com*

VARIANT COVERS:

ABSOLUTE WONDER WOMAN #2 Cover:

Absolute Superman

Writer: Jason Aaron

Artist: Rafa Sandoval

Release Date: 11/6/24

Jason Aaron was behind the definitive modern Thor run, as well as working on books like Avengers and Doctor Strange. His original creator owned work like Southern Bastards, is phenomenal as well. I think he’s perfect for this kind of book. He recently had this to say about the series…

He recently gave an interview, which you can check out below, where he reveals some intriguing new details about this upcoming series. He still managed to dance around anything too specific to preserve the surprise and avoid spoilers, but there were still definitely some cool details that he revealed here. I recommend giving it a watch if you really looking forward to Absolute Superman:

Concept Art:

Variant Covers & More Promo Art:

ABSOLUTE SUPERMAN #2 Cover

Looking ahead, Absolute Green Lantern and Absolute Flash have also been announced, but all we really know about them are the creative teams, some promotional artwork, and few interesting little details.

COMING SOON

Absolute Green Lantern

Writer: Al Ewing

Artist: Unknown

Release Date: TBA

Ewing is another exciting writer, with his killer work on books like Immortal Hulk and various X-Men titles. I’m not 100% certain who the artist is on this book. DC hasn’t revealed a lot about Absolute Green Lantern beyond the creative team, some teaser art, and that it’s a “complete reimagining” of the property. However, DC has also described it as first-contact style in story, that will feature classic Green Lantern characters like Hal Jordan, John Stewart, and relatively new characters like Jo Mullein, who made her first appearance a few years back in the miniseries “Far Sector”.

Absolute Flash

Writer: Jeff Lemire

Artist: Nick Robles

Release Date: TBA

The fourth ongoing series in DC’s Absolute Universe, Absolute Flash by Jeff Lemire and Nick Robles. Like Absolute Green Lantern, very little is known about the new series except for the creative team and some teaser art. Right off the bat, just from the promo art, we can tell Absolute Flash’s powers work very differently from what we traditionally see. You can see what appear to be faces in the energy coming off of Wally, in agony, as if they’re trying to escape. However, it’s been confirmed that this is Wally West in the teaser image and he’ll be The Flash in this new iteration. On a sidenote, even though DC made the decision to bring back Barry Allen over a decade ago and focus on him in the comics and all other DC media, it doesn’t change the fact that the best, the fastest, the one true Flash IS Wally West. More specifically, in this series, it will be a teenage Wally West according to writer Jeff Lemire.

It’s been reported that 7 or 8 Absolute titles in total, have been planned by DC. Which means they have at least 2 more Absolute books coming that we don’t know anything about. As one of the main voices guiding the DC All In/Absolute DC initiative, Snyder has been clear that we shouldn’t expect any big crossovers anytime soon. Unlike DC’s Earth One, a series of graphic novels that tried to reinvent DC heroes, all of the Absolute DC titles exist in the same universe. Aside from some easter eggs and references, according to Snyder it will be at least 13 issues before we can expect to see any major overlap among the Absolute DC books. It may even be longer, Snyder only referenced 13 issues because that’s how many issues of Absolute Batman he has written and in the can, at the time of this article. So by Absolute Batman #13, the heroes still haven’t had any significant crossovers. Which makes a lot of sense because what they’re trying to establish is a very stripped down version of these characters. They don’t have the support systems around them that we typically associate with these heroes. They’re isolated and alone, in a more dangerous world. So Batman and Wonder Woman popping up in each other’s books in issue 3, would undercut the central themes and ideas in this Absolute line. However, that doesn’t mean we’re never going to see team-ups among the Absolute DC characters. As one the main creative architects, Snyder confirmed that these heroes and villains will definitely crossover, just anytime in the near future.

Absolute DC is all about showing us radical and very different takes on Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman (and more to come) with some of the best writers and artists in the business. Personally, I love this kind of stuff and was very excited when it was announced. The art immediately captured my imagination and I’m really looking forward finding more when the comics hit the shelves. So, as a huge comic book advocate, this was something that I really wanted to draw peoples attention on. Because if you like superhero movies or TV shows, and thought about picking up a comic book at some point, this will be the perfect time to do it. You’ll find these comics at your local comic book stores, you can read them online through apps like Kindle and Comixology. Even Target of all places will be carrying some of these books.

DC’s new era officially kicks off with DC All In Special #1 on October 2nd!

Thanks for reading! Follow us on Twitter @PJWrightWBM, Instagram @worldsbestmedia2017, and our Facebook Page, Worlds Best Media. Those likes and follows, as well as iTunes reviews for the podcast, go a long way to supporting World’s Best Media. We really appreciate the loyalty and support shown to us by our fans, so thanks again! Stay healthy and stay safe!

Robert Downey Jr. Officially Returns To The MCU… As DOCTOR DOOM!!!

Published on August 16, 2024August 16, 2024 by theworldsbestblogwithpaulwrightLeave a comment

Hey Everyone,

Paul here…

*Robert Downey Jr. returning to The MCU as Doctor Doom: Brilliant or Desperate? Time will tell…*

In the minds of many fans, the eventual return of Robert Downey Jr. to The Marvel Cinematic Universe, as Tony Stark, seemed inevitable. The question wasn’t if, but when? But I don’t think anyone could have predicted that he would be return to play a completely different character, let alone as the iconic villain, Dr. Victor Von Doom. Not only is Doom arguably Marvel’s greatest villain, but one of the greatest villains in the history of the medium. Marvel Studios also announced that the previously untitled Avengers 5, is now officially Avengers: Doomsday hitting theaters in May 2026, followed by Avengers: Secret Wars in May 2027. I suspect that much like how Infinity War was very much Thanos’ film, before the big showdown in Endgame. I think Doomsday will be our grand introduction to Victor Von Doom, where we get to know this legendary villain before the epic Secret Wars film the following year.

Reactions to this announcement seem to be decidedly mixed (myself included). With some viewing this as a desperate attempt to reinvigorate The MCU with stunt casting. I tend to have more faith in Marvel Studios than that. Especially with directors Joseph and Anthony Russo, returning to helm the next two Avengers films, Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. These are the guys who gave us The Winter Soldier, Civil War, Infinity War, and Endgame, which are all counted among the very best MCU movies. That’s an insane track record, and the brothers have been vocal about how, if they were ever to return to The MCU, it would be for a Secret Wars film.

*Marvel veterans Joe and Anthony Russo return to The MCU to direct Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars*

Right off the bat, I think it’s very clear that there’s no way Robert Downey Jr. will be appearing as Tony Stark/Iron Man in any of these films, as certain rumors before this announcement have suggested. Marvel Studios also officially confirmed at SDCC, that the new Fantastic Four, will be appearing in both Doomsday and Secret Wars as well. So let’s dive in to this casting news! Is it a brilliant idea or an act of desperation? How exactly is this going to work on screen? I’ll also offer up some important background and context, regarding the characters and stories, that these films will be exploring.

First off, for those of you who aren’t familiar with Doctor Doom (shown above), especially because his live-action/big screen portrayals so far, have had about as much in common with his comic book counterpart as Big Bird from Sesame Street. Here’s a summary of the man, the myth, the legend… Victor Von Doom, courtesy of the Marvel Database:

Dr. Victor von Doom,Ph.D a.k.a. Doctor Doom is a Latverian politician who serves as the Monarch and Supreme Leader for The Kingdom of Latverian. He was scarred from an accident and wears an iron mask and armor to hide his true face. He is considered one of the most brilliant minds and scientists on the planet Earth. He is also a sorcerer with skills in magic matching the most powerful beings in the Universe, making him a potential candidate for Sorcerer Supreme. He hopes to bring order and betterment to humanity through world conquest. Unequalled in ability, ego, and will power, he has come into conflict with both superhumans and cosmic beings. He is best known as the rival of Reed Richards and archenemy of the Fantastic Four.

*Our official look at Marvel’s First Family, The Fantastic Four*

*L. Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm/ The Human Torch by artist Boss Logic*

*R. Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards, wielding The Infinity Gauntlet and The Ultimate Nullifier (I wish I knew the name of this artist, because this great stuff)*

In another confirmation that the movies will be adapting the 2015 version of Secret Wars, Marvel recently revealed that Battleworld will be a major part of the film. For those of you unfamiliar with Battleworld and the source material, in the Secret Wars comic book, the multiverse is rapidly collapsing due to “Incursions”. There’s more to the story, but it’s too complicated to get into here. With help of Stephen Strange, Doom confronts the beings who set these events in motion: The Beyonders. Nearly omnipotent cosmic beings of untold power. Doom destroys The Beyonders and takes their god-like power for himself.

With most of the multiverse having been destroyed at this point in the story. Doom, using his new powers, saves what little pieces of the multiverse that are left and combines those fragments to create a new reality called Battleworld. As its creator, Victor declares dominion over this new world as God Emperor Doom.

When Victor became God Emperor Doom and created Battleworld, he stole the family of his lifelong rival, Reed Richards. In this reality Sue Storm is Doom’s wife, and Franklin and Valeria are their children, with no knowledge of Reed or their lives before Battleworld.

As was explained, Doom’s archenemies may be Reed Richards and The Fantastic Four, but he’s also a major Avengers antagonist, and the premiere villain of The Marvel Universe. Adding another interesting wrinkle to all of this, is the complicated nature of Victor and Tony’s relationship. As Victor would put it, of all the so-called “heroes” in The Marvel Universe, Doom always harbored a quiet respect for Iron Man. In fact, when Tony was badly injured and left in a coma that he may not have woken up from, Doom turned over a new leaf and became a full blown superhero. Leaving villainy behind and taking up Tony’s mantle as The INFAMOUS Iron Man (one of my personal favorite Victor Von Doom stories). Victor played this role in the comics for a few years as he attempted to make up for his sins. Doom often straddle the line between hero and villain, which is one of the many reasons why he’s so interesting.

*Victor Von Doom: The Infamous Iron Man*

Another concern is that Doom is a character that I want to see stick around The MCU for awhile. A post-credits scene in Fantastic Four, as well as starring as The Big Bad in Doomsday and Secret Wars isn’t enough for this iconic character. For example, imagine if Magneto’s only appearances in The X-Men franchise were in X-Men and X2. Think about how much great stuff we would have missed. The X-Men movies run the gamut in quality from classic to fucking terrible, but no matter the film, whether it’s McKellen or Fassbender, Magneto was always fucking awesome.

This is why DOOM is Marvel’s greatest villain.

Doom should be a major presence in The MCU, even after Secret Wars, like Magneto was in Fox’s X-Men franchise. Is Downey going to want to stick around for who-knows-how-many years playing Doom, after a decade in The MCU playing Tony Stark? Maybe he will. However, a recent rumor may have put this concern to rest. Unconfirmed sources have suggested that Marvel will be casting a different actor as Doctor Doom after Secret Wars. Suggesting that the film is some sort of soft reboot of The MCU, which makes a lot of sense. This rumor also gives credence to the idea that this Doom is a Tony Stark variant, but who really knows? It could be another bullshit internet rumor.

*This awesome fan art of RDJ as Doom was posted on instagram by artist spdrmnkyxxii. Check out his other excellent work on instagram.*

So the question becomes: How exactly is this going to work? They could go a few different ways. The most obvious one I’ve seen being banded about, is that this Doom will be a variant of Tony Stark. A lot of attention is being given, to how weird and shocking it will be for the other MCU heroes to encounter someone like Doom, only to be shocked to discover he looks just like Tony Stark! Yet any resemblance or connection between Doom and Tony could be handled multiple ways:

It could be shown up front (the least interesting possibility, in my opinion)
It could be hidden from the characters as a story twist/reveal
The movies could ignore that Doom and Tony are being played by the same actor all together.

In the comics, Victor Von Doom’s face becomes horrifically scared and disfigured, the result a college science experiment, gone wrong when he was a young man. An accident that Victor blames on his old classmate, Reed Richards, and is the source of their lifelong rivalry. Outside of moments in private, Doom is always shown clad in his mask and battle armor. Even when he’s alone and outside of his armor, he still wears a mask in private because of his shame and vanity.

*Doom is almost never shown without his mask.*

The few times we’ve seen Doom’s face, it still bares the scars from that fateful accident years ago. He’s also the ruler of his Eastern European homeland, Latveria. Which means he has an Eastern European accent.

Taking all of that into account, RDJ could play Doctor Doom as a totally new character, without the story or the other characters referencing any connection to Tony Stark. Personally, this is the way I’d like to see Doom handled in The MCU. Regardless, Doctor Doom deserves, no, NEEDS, a top-tier actor, and Downey certainly fits the bill.

So what do I think about all of this? At the end of the day I need more information. Let’s just say I’m cautiously optimistic about the whole thing. As I’ve said, this is certainly intriguing and interesting, but I can’t make a judgment on the wisdom of this casting until I know more about how they’re going to portray the character.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps will hit theaters on July 25, 2025. Avengers: Doomsday hits heaters May 1, 2026. With Secret Wars following about a year later, on May 7, 2027.

BEST of SDCC 2023: Invincible! The Marvels! Loki! Marvel Comics! & More!

Published on July 25, 2023August 2, 2023 by theworldsbestblogwithpaulwrightLeave a comment

Hey Everyone,

Paul here…

Another year, another San Diego COMIC-CON. SDCC is where all the major movie studios, TV networks, publishers debut their most impressive and high profile projects coming down the pipe line. Marvel Studios, Warner Bros., DC Comics, DC Studios, Disney and many more make the sojourn to SDCC to peddle their wares. While the Con has undoubtedly become part of the corporate machine, fan favorite creators, their best in their respective industries, have a huge presence at SDCC as well.

This year was a more modest Con, with less of the trailer debuts, major announcements (like casting news, project debuts, sneak peeks, etc.) that we’ve come to expect at COMIC-CON. This isn’t that surprising because comicon was living in the shadow of the current, Hollywood Writers and Actors Guild strikes. The strikes have been the top story in entertainment news. A lot of the talent we’d normally expect to see at SDCC are picketing with their fellow writers and actors. Also when the Writer’s Guild went on strike, there was a specific deadline when they were supposed to drop everything and completely stop writing for any of the projects they were working on. So maybe some of the studios and creators couldn’t put something together in time to show audiences.

So it may not have been as massive and bombastic, as it has in years past, but COMIC-CON still debuted some very cool stuff to the fans. I’m going to breakdown my favorite stuff to come out of SDCC 2023! Let’s get started!

MOVIES

The Marvels

TV & STREAMING:

INVINCIBLE (Season 2)

Loki (Season 2)

The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live

Gen V (The Boys Spin-Off)

REDBAND Trailer

Official Teaser

COMIC BOOKS & GRAPHIC NOVELS:

Batman: Gargoyle of Gotham

Godzilla vs Kong vs Justice League

G.O.D.S. (Written by Jonathan Hickman/Art by Valerio Schiti)

Jonathan Hickman is one of my favorite comic book writers of all time. He’s the man behind legendary, character redefining runs on The Fantastic Four, Avengers, and X-Men. Each series is a must read, modern Marvel classic. Set to debut this Fall, G.O.D.S. sounds like the kind of storytelling Hickman does best. Here’s the official word from Marvel on this mysterious new series: “ G.O.D.S. will see two of the industry’s greatest modern visionaries dramatically redefine Marvel’s pantheon of cosmic beings and masterfully deconstruct the forces behind reality. The breathtaking new saga will introduce a host of new characters—all players in a secret conflict at the crossroads of science and magic!”

Though the series will bounce around the entire Marvel Universe, the main cast consists of new characters (Via Marvel):

Wyn, a powerful magic expert who’s operated in secret for thousands of years and is now forced to come out of the shadows.
Aiko Maki, a high-ranking agent brutally loyal to the ways of science and willing to do anything to keep the building blocks of creation in balance.
Dmitri the Science Boy, Wyn’s reckless partner who has a secret mission of his own to discover the dark truth of his past.
Mia the Magic Girl, a young sorcerer struggling to achieve her full potential.
Cubisk Core, a mysterious being of pure corruption seeking to shatter the existing systems.

Take a look at this preview from G.O.D.S. #1…

G.O.D.S. debuts Fall 2023

Captain America by J. Michael Strakzynski

-Paul

PODCAST: COMIC-CON 2020, Black Panther, Life Philosophy, & More

Published on August 11, 2022August 11, 2022 by theworldsbestblogwithpaulwrightLeave a comment

Hey Everyone,

Paul here…

On this episode, Mike Cole returns to The World’s Best Podcast as we discuss the biggest news to come out of COMIC-CON 2022! Among the many topics touched upon in this episode, Mike and I pick out our favorite trailers and chat about some of the other major announcements made at COMIC-CON. Along the way, we have an in depth discussion about Black Panther and the legacy of Chadwick Boseman. We offer up several different view points and give our conclusions regarding the question: Should Marvel have re-cast the role of T’Challa after Boseman’s tragic death? Plus, we ponder some the greatest and most profound of life’s philosophical questions! All this and so much more on The World’s Best Podcast!

We also want to recommend Mike Cole’s new podcast, Talking About The Big Stuff with Michael Cole! Available on all of the apps where you listen to your podcasts including iTunes and Spotify, to name a few. I’ll be making a a guest appearance on the show in the coming weeks, sos start tuned! Thanks for listening and enjoy!

Listen here: https://www.spreaker.com/episode/50754612 Or…

iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-worlds-best-podcast/id1246038441?i=1000571645076

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3n9xCzxTHoew6cHMK6ZPS1?si=1bST5eM-SqetphcZBQj9Ng

Stitcher: https://listen.stitcher.com/yvap/?c=sharelink&af_dp=stitcher://episode/205316335&af_web_dp=https://www.stitcher.com/episode/205316335&deep_link_value=stitcher://episode/205316335

We’d love to hear your feedback about anything discussed on the show! What had you most excited from this year’s COMIC-CON? Do you think Marvel should have re-cast Black Panther or not? Let us know in the comments below!

Thanks for listening! Follow us on Twitter @PJWrightWBM, Instagram @worldsbestmedia2017, and our Facebook Page, Worlds Best Media. Those likes and follows, as well as iTunes reviews for the podcast, go a long way to supporting World’s Best Media. We really appreciate the loyalty and support shown to us by our fans, so thanks again! Stay healthy and stay safe!

-Paul

COMIC-CON 2022!!! Marvel Studios! DC! The Sandman! & Much More!

Published on July 26, 2022July 26, 2022 by theworldsbestblogwithpaulwright1 Comment

Hey Everyone,

Paul here…

*EDITOR’S NOTE: A lot of interesting content was revealed at this year’s COMIC-CON, so I’ll be updating this page with new content over the next several days.

Its that time of year and Comic-Con is upon us once again! This the venue where audiences get a sneak peek at some of the most exciting and anticipated projects in the superhero, sci-fi, and fantasy genres. There were quite a few notable announcements, trailers, and first looks, so let’s dive right in!

MARVEL STUDIOS

After The Infinity Saga came to a close, fans have been eager to see where The MCU would go next. The head of Marvel Studios, Kevin Fiege, did not disappoint. As we’re heading towards the end of Phase 4, Marvel debuted the films and Disney+ shows that would make up not only Phase 5, but Phase 6 as well!

As you’ll notice, not all of the films and TV shows that make up Phase 6 have been revealed. Some of these projects could hidden beceause even their title would spoil certain surprises that Marvel has in store. I also wouldn’t be surprised to see some of those spots taken up by sequels for characters like Shang-Chi and Doctor Strange or even an X-Men related project. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a film about the main Marvel Universe version of The Illuminati or even a Doctor Doom solo movie. We’ll have to wait and see. Like The Infinity Saga before it, Phases 4, 5, and 6 will collectively make up…

Culminating in not one, but TWO Avengers films, with monumentally exciting titles…

Exciting stuff, but there’s more MCU where that came from…

She-Hulk: Attorney At Law

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantumania

The 3rd installment in the Ant-Man franchise marks the beginning of Marvel’s Phase 5. The big news in this movie is Jonathan Majors appearing as Kang The Conqueror. When we met He Who Remains, a much nicer variant of Kang, in Loki Season 1, we were warned that his variant’s are dangerous to put it mildly. When it comes to The Avengers’ the greatest foes, three names top the list: Thanos, Ultron, and Kang. Considering that the next Avengers movie is called Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, you get the idea that Kang is as bad and as dangerous as they come. Jonathan Majors did a fantastic job of playing a variant of Kang in Loki Season One so I’m very excited to see what he does with a much more malevolent version of the character in this film. Below Marvel revealed an exciting poster for the upcoming movie, where you get a good look at not only Ant-Man and The Wasp, but Kang The Conqueror in his traditional comic book attire, along with Scott Lang’s daughter Cassie as her superhero alter ego, Stature.

Guardians of The Galaxy Vol.3

While some of the Guardians of The Galaxy panel is available to watch on YouTube, the brief teaser James Gunn cut together for the audience in Hall H , hasn’t made it’s way online yet. However, there were some cool reveals, it was officially confirmed that the film’s villain will be The High Evolutionary. The character will be played by Chukwudi Iwuji. Earlier this year, Iwuji played Clemson Murn in the spectacular “Peacemaker” series. He made a hell of the entrance by taking a page out of Tom Hiddleston’s playbook and showing up for the panel in character and costume.

Chukwudi Iwuji on stage in Hall H as The High Evolutionary.

The High Evolutionary is Doctor Herbert Wyndham, a geneticist who specializes in creating human/animal hybrids. Rocket has been frequently referred to as the central character in Vol.3., so going on some sort of journey of self discovery to find his ”creator” or ”father”, makes a lot of sense. Many fans have speculated that The High Evolutionary would be revealed to be Rocket’s creator. This reveal seems to have confirmed this running fan theory.

Daredevil: Born Again

Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio return as Matt Murdock and Wilson Fisk in the first 18 Episode Disney+ series. Notably, Fiege referred to this as the show’s “First Season”, implying that this isn’t a one off, like WandaVision, for example. Born Again refers to one of Daredevil’s most iconic stories, however Season 3 of the Netflix Daredevil series was largely an adaptation of this classic Born Again storyline. Even if the Netflix shows aren’t completely considered canon in The MCU, I doubt Marvel would rehash a story that we’ve, mostly, already seen, canon or not. Especially with Cox and D’Onofrio returning. If i had to guess, I’d say this is probably a Civil War or Age of Ultron situation, adaptations in name only and vastly different from the source material. I think that’s the most likely situation with Daredevil: Born Again. Out of all the projects revealed at COMIC CON this year, this is the one I’m most excited about.

In this video, IGN does a great job of explaining what Daredevil’s future in The MCU looks like. Check it out:

DC ENTERTAINMENT

The Sandman

Neil Gaiman, the celebrated author and creator of The Sandman comic series that the new show’s based on, breaks down the trailer in the video below.

SHAZAM: Fury of The Gods

Black Adam

-Paul

New The Matrix Resurrections Trailer

Published on December 10, 2021December 12, 2021 by theworldsbestblogwithpaulwrightLeave a comment

Hey Everyone,

Paul here…

Warner Bros. just released a new trailer for The Matrix Resurrections. I’m cautiously optimistic. The trailers have been intriguing, but we’ve been burned so many times before by shitty movies with great trailers. The Matrix is a classic and I’m a big advocate for The Matrix Reloaded. I’d even goi as far to say that I love The Matrix Reloaded. Not to mention The Animatrix which is pretty fucking metal. There’s potential here, that’s for sure. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the filmmakers can tap into the power of The One and pull another sci-fi masterpiece out of their ass. Crazier things have happened…

-Paul

PODCAST: Marvel Cinematic Universe Phase 4! & More From SDCC ‘19!

Published on July 27, 2019November 30, 2020 by theworldsbestblogwithpaulwrightLeave a comment

Hi Everyone,

Paul here…

On this week’s episode of The World’s Best Podcast, after this year’s EPIC San Diego Comic-Con, co-host Paul Sr. and I break down all of the coolest announcements, including the huge presentation from Marvel Studios revealing the movies and TV series that will be apart of MCU PHASE 4! The Eternals, Shang-Chi and The Legend Of The Ten Rings, Doctor Strange and The Multiverse Of Madness, Thor: Love & Thunder, & more! We also discuss this year’s massive Arrowverse crossover, Crisis On Infinite Earths! Finally, we review the new series from Amazon Prime, The Boys!

We also have some cool news we didn’t get a chance to cover in the podcast that we have posted below for you to check out.

Listen to the episode here or subscribe on Stitcher, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio, and iTunes/Apple Podcasts: https://www.spreaker.com/episode/18653413

iTunes/Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-worlds-best-podcast/id1246038441#episodeGuid=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.spreaker.com%2Fepisode%2F18653413

MORE NEWS FROM SDCC 2019…

The ARROWVERSE & Crisis On Infinite Earths –

DC’s Arrowverse panels had a lot of cool details and trailers from the upcoming seasons of each show. Perhaps more excitingly, we got some more info on their EPIC crossover: Crisis On Infinite Earths…

Considering this crossover will be dealing with The Multiverse and Parallel Realities, it comes as no surprise that we will be seeing different versions of characters we already know, but in different roles. In addition to hearing that Burt Ward will be making a cameo as Robin from another reality, we also learned that Brandon Routh who plays Ray Palmer on Legends Of Tomorrow will be taking on an exciting new role in the crossover. Routh famously played Superman in Bryan Singer’s 2006 Superman Returns, in the crossover he’ll also be playing Superman once again for Crisis On Infinite Earths, but not just any Superman, Kingdom Come Superman! It hasn’t been confirmed if Ray AKA The Atom and this version of Superman will actually meet face to face, but that would be pretty damn cool.

Routh is wearing a T-Shirt with the Kingdom Come Superman symbol

Kingdom Come is a classic Justice League story written by Mark Waid with art by Alex Ross, about the twilight of the classic DC heroes and the new, violent generation of meta-humans who are trying to replace them. Featuring this older, world weary version of Superman into the crossover is very exciting. It’s also been confirmed that Tyler Hoechlin will be returning as Clark Kent/Superman and Jon Cryer will be returning as Lex Luthor.

We also got what may be our first look at THE BIG BAD of Crisis On Infinite Earths, The Anti-Monitor with this concept art that popped up during Comic-Con…

We also got these pictures of new looks for Diggle and Laurel on Arrow.

Finally, here’s a better look at Supergirl’s cool new uniform from her upcoming season…

THE MCU: PHASE 4 (Pictures and Concept Art)

Below we have some cool pieces of concept art and behind the scene pictures from Marvel’s Phase 4 projects. Take a look…

Black Widow (Black Widow Vs. Taskmaster)

The Falcon and The Winter Soldier (Baron Zemo)

The Eternals (The Celestials)

Thanks for listening and reading!

-Paul

SDCC 2019!!! Continuing Coverage….

Published on July 21, 2019November 30, 2020 by theworldsbestblogwithpaulwrightLeave a comment

Hey Everyone,

Paul here…

As this year’s San Diego Comic-Con continues, breaking news, trailers, announcements, and other cool reveals keep on blowing minds of fans everywhere! But it can be a pain in the ass trying to find all the SDCC news. So keep it HERE at World’s Best Media, where you can find all of the up to the minuet info, you want the most! We’ll be updating this page all weekend with the breaking news and content that can’t be missed from SDCC 2019!

WOW. We got some killer stuff today! At the Marvel Studios panel, Kevin Feige did not disappoint. He rolled out the next 2 years of Marvel’s PHASE 4 slate, which will consist of 10 projects. They include both theatrical releases and projects to be released on Disney +. Plus, Feige offers up some tantalizing hints on MCU projects coming after the slate of shows and films. It’s all pretty exciting, so I’m going to break it down for you right here…

MARVEL STUDIOS PHASE 4 (The Next 2 Years)

The Eternals – Release date 11/6/20

Dir. – Chloe Zhao

Staring – Angelina Jolie as Thena , Richard Madden as Ikaris. The cast also includes Selma Hayek.

The story of the film, broadly speaking, follows The Eternals, a race of aliens imbued with power and immortality by The Celestials (some of the most powerful beings in the existence of The Marvel Universe). The Eternals are charged with protecting Earth and humanity from The Deviants, an evil, monstrous mirror race of The Eternals. To use a poor analogy. Think of The Eternals and Angels and The Deviants as Demons.

The Flacon and The Winter Soldier Release Date – Fall 2020 on Disney +

Starring – Anthony Makie as The Falcon/Captain America, Sebastian Stan as The Winter Soldier, and Daniel Bruhl returning as Baron Helmut Zemo ( This time he WILL be getting the classic Baron Zemo mask!)

As expected, this series will see Anthony Mackie don his really cool Captain America uniform which is a combination of The Falcon in Captain America’s classic look. So it seems like this series will be about Sam Wilson adjusting to this great weight on his shoulders and Bucky Barnes being with him along the way, like he was with Steve Rogers. All the while having to deal with Baron Zemo not much more than that is known at this time. But I can’t wait for this one, I think it’s going to be really cool.

Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings – Release Date 2/12/2021

Dir. Denton Daniel Cretton

Starring – Simu Liu as Shang-Chi, Tony Leung as The REAL Mandarin

Not much is know about the story at this time. Shang-Chi is the greatest martial artist in the world. He’s a hero and adventurer. In the comics his father was the criminal mastermind Fu Manchu. I can see for racial reasons why Marvel wouldn’t want to use that character. So I strongly suspect that The Mandarin will be Shang-Chi’s father in this movie. A lot of the character drama from Shang-Chi’s story comes from the pain he feels being a hero who wants to do the right thing, when his father is one of the greatest villains in the world. Despite the fact that The Mandarin was smoke and mirrors in Iron Man 3, it’s been strongly suggested that a “real” Mandarin is out there. For several years, Marvel would release fun short films as an extra feature on the Blu-Rays for their movies. The last one Marvel produced was on the Blu-Ray for Thor: The Dark World and called “All Hail The King”. In that short film, it’s revealed that Aldrich Killian co-opted much of his bullshit Mandarin story from some real sources and it turns out that The Mandarin is a very real, very dangerous guy, who is very pissed that his name had been dragged through the mud in Iron Man 3. The film ends with one of The TRUE Mandarin’s disciples, breaking Trevor Slattery (played by Ben Kingsley) out of prison, the actor who played the fake Mandarin for Aldrich Killian, so he can face justice at the hands of the real Mandarin. So, we’ve known for a while that the real Mandarin was out there and it was only a matter of time before we see him somewhere in The MCU. This is the perfect project to use him in. It’s also worth pointing out that the terrorist group who originally kidnapped Tony Stark in the very first Iron Man movie was called The Ten Rings.

Shang-Chi
The Mandarin

WandaVision – Release Date Spring 2021 on Disney +

Starring – Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff, Paul Bettany as The Vision, Teyonah Paris as adult Monica Rambeau (the daughter of Carol’s best friend in Captain Marvel)

For some reason people seem to be down on this project, but I think it has the potential to be something special. Kevin Feige he himself has said that this series is very strange. One of the more interesting things about Wanda maxim off is her exponentially growing power and her increased mental stability. Panel confirmed that this series takes place after endgame. Which makes me wonder, have a wonders abilities progressed to the point where she can resurrect vision, as she eventually has the power to do in the comics at great cost.

LOKI – Release Date Spring 2021 Disney +

Starring – Tom Hiddleston as Loki

As we saw in endgame, low-key managed to get away with the space stone. Apparently this show will be a trip through history and Loki is very long life. I’ve heard it described is almost something like quantum leap. It appears that it will involve low-key mixing it up at important historical events with famous historical figures. Which sounds like a whole Lotta fucking fun. I am in.

Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness – Release Date 5/7/2021

Dir. Scott Derrickson

Starring – Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange and Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff

OK, this is the movie I’ve been fucking waiting for. According to director Scott Derrickson, this will be Marvel’s first “scary movie“. Which is about as close as you can get to saying you’re going to do a horror movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. If you don’t think that’s awesome, there’s something fucking wrong with you. Doctor Strange was a great origin movie and in Infinity War and Endgame, we got to see a lot of cool shit from Doctor Strange and what he’s capable of. I can’t wait to see how his powers have progressed. It’s important to note that this director knows how to do a really creepy, disquieting, fucked up movie. Hopefully Marvel will let him embrace that. It’s also really interesting to see Scarlet Witch in this movie, though not completely surprising, because in the comics it’s been suggested multiple times that her powers are magic-based. Maybe she will turn to Doctor Strange after something that happened in WandaVision? Who knows. But I can’t wait for this one! The more Doctor Strange the better!

Hawkeye– Release Date Fall 2021 on Disney +

Starring – Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye

This looks like it may be more of a limited series than some of the other shows on Disney +, but it will apparently focus on Clint Barton training a new protégé, a girl named Kate Bishop, making her first MCU appearance. In the comic books, after years of training with Clint Barton and other superheroes, Kate is viewed more as a hero in her own right, rather than simply being Clint’s sidekick. In fact, both Cling and Kate both go by. I know it can be confusing, but hey that’s those crazy comics for, ya! The series will also explore Clint’s time as Ronin in the wake of Thanos’ decimation. This show looks like it’s heavily borrowing from the fantastic Hawkeye comic book run by writer Matt Fraction and Artist David Aja.

Thor: Love and Thunder – Release Date 11/5/2021

Dir. Taika Waititi

Starrring – Chris Hemsworth as Thor/Odinson, Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie, Natalie Portman as Jane Foster/Thor

So I love the direction they’re going in with this new movie. First of all, I was thrilled another Thor film was being made, and they were bringing back the same director: Taika Waititi, who gave us the fantastic Thor: Ragnarok. But it also seems like the story will be largely taking it’s cues from the recent and ongoing Thor comic book run by writer Jason Aaron. Which is a good thing, because it’s probably one of the best Thor stories that I’ve ever read.

In that story, due to a complicated series of events, Thor is no longer worthy of wielding his mighty hammer; Mijonir. Meanwhile, Jane Foster has been fighting her own battles, against the cancer that has ravaged her body. In this story, a Parliament of World’s is formed. Like a U.N. for The Ten Realms, set up to keep the peace throughout the realms and it’s people. Jane is the representative from Midgard, so even though she and Thor are no longer dating, she spends quite a bit of time in new Asgard and has made some wonderful new friends in the process. The Parliament meets on New Asgard (a shadow of Asgard’s glory days) which resides on Earth’s Moon. As a sidenote, at this point Asgard has taken up residence on an area near what they called the “Blue Area” of the moon. It’s the only place on the moon that perfectly simulates Earth’s pressure, gravity, temperature , and most importantly, you can breathe there.

So, while on a walk through the blue area of the moon, contemplating her depressing situation, Jane Foster comes across Mijonir and attempts to lift Thor’s legendary hammer (after Thor has spent months attempting to lift it unsuccessfully) and as the inscription says, “whosoever holds this hammer, should they be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor“ At which point Jane’s shocked to see herself turned into a beautiful, god-like, female version of Thor. She is unrecognizable as Jane Foster. Now I can already hear some of the assholes on the Internet complaining that a woman will be, in a way, playing Thor. First of all, in the comics, this is one of the best Thor stories they have done in years. A great story is simply a great story. Also, this isn’t just a story about Jane Foster. It’s also is a very profound story about Asgard and Thor himself.

So for you idiots thinking Thor is going to get kicked to the wayside because of some bullshit liberal agenda…relax. The movies going to be great. I am really thrilled to see Marvel is taking some interesting chances with their with their projects. I have a few guesses, but I can’t wait to see who the villain will be in this movie. Gorr The God Butcher, perhaps? We can only hope!

Black Widow – Release Date 5/1/2020

Dir. Cate Shortland

Starring – Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow, Rachel Weiss and David Harbour appearing in unknown rolls

This movie will be a prequel taking place before Captain America: Civil War. It will feature such classic Marvel bad guys as Taskmaster, who I’m very excited to see. Natasha also faces off against the “evil Black Widow”, Yelena, another product of The Red Room Program. This woman is Natasha if Hawkeye never showed her a better way to live and became here friend. Yelena is a vicious, manipulative killer, a mirror image of what Natasha could have become. This will be the next Marvel movie we have to look forward to. I think this is a long time coming. Black Widow is more than capable of carrying her own film. It will be really cool to see how they incorporate this into some other events in a MCU history.

Before things wrapped up, Kevin Feige had one more surprise for the crowd. After listing all of these projects, he brought out, the fantastic actor, Mahershala Ali, and announced Ali will be playing Blade in an upcoming movie, introduce The Day Walker to the MCU. No release date has been announced . That is pretty fucking cool nonetheless. Ali is a fantastic actor. He’s perfect for this role. There have been rumblings of Blade in the MCU for a few years now ( even some suggesting Wesley Snipes would return ) so it’s going to be really exciting to see what they do with the character.

Feige wrapped things up by explaining this is what they have in production that will be hitting theatres and screens over the next 2 years. Two years is a lot shorter than any of the previous phases of the MCU, which makes me think that this is just the first half of Phase 4 and more announcements will be made along the way. However, he closed things out by saying Guardians Vol.3, Black Panther 2, Captain Marvel 2, and (FUCK YES) The Fantastic Four!!! will be coming soon after these projects. He had to drive the crowd wild by mentioning one more thing coming soon, one word:“Mutants.” So that was the Marvel Studios presentation this year. It certainly did not disappoint.

New Trailers For Movies & TV Series

Watchmen:

https://youtu.be/1yKq1PRvPJQ

Westworld-Season 3:

https://youtu.be/64CYajemh6E

Arrow – The Final Season

https://youtu.be/_hz6Y0sjlhM

Supergirl – Season 5

https://youtu.be/M_FBPbfkcrk

The Witcher (Netflix)

The Flash Season 6

Star Trek: Picard

Supernatural: The Final Season (Chevy Impala Tribute)

OTHER NEWS

DC Universe announced that their series Young Justice will officially be back for a fourth season.

More to comes as it becomes available…

Thanks for reading!

-Paul

PODCAST: SDCC 2019 Preview!

Published on July 19, 2019November 30, 2020 by theworldsbestblogwithpaulwrightLeave a comment

Hey Everyone,

Paul here…

It’s that time of year again! SDCC 2019! The San Diego Comic Con begins this weekend! This is where we get our first look at some of the coolest upcoming movies, TV shows, and comics from Marvel, DC, Netflix, HBO, The CW, Warner Bros. and a lot more. All the biggest names in geek and genre entertainment will be there to show off their upcoming projects. In this episode of The World’s Best Podcast, I’m here give you the low down on all of the best stuff to keep your eye on at this year’s convention. Including some material that has already been released like the trailer’s for IT: Chapter 2 and The King’s Man, the 20th Anniversary of Batman Beyond, and the launch of the brand new X-Men comic book from Marvel, House of X #1 hitting shelves on July 24th! Listen here or subscribe on Stitcher, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio, and iTunes: https://www.spreaker.com/episode/18587209

iTunes/Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-worlds-best-podcast/id1246038441#episodeGuid=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.spreaker.com%2Fepisode%2F18587209

Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/s?eid=62667311&autoplay=1

You can check out the latest clips and trailers from SDCC posted below.

IT:Chapter 2 Trailer:

Batman Beyond- Remastered Side By Side Comparison:

Here are some cool images from the epic new X-Men story Marvel is publishing, written by Jonathan Hickman, House of X and Powers of X.

Thanks for reading and listening!

-Paul

NYCC 2018! Trailers Galore!

Published on October 8, 2018November 24, 2020 by theworldsbestblogwithpaulwrightLeave a comment

Hey Everyone,

Paul here…

This weekend was the New York Comic-Con. Probably the second largest Comic-Con in the world after the San Diego Comic-Con. Much like SDCC, this Con premiered some very cool trailers. Though there were a few interesting movie trailers, most of the big trailers for NYCC were for shows on TV or streaming services. Below I’ve rounded up all of my favorites so you don’t have to go looking yourself! It’s your best stop for all the coolest trailers! Enjoy!

Good Omens (Amazon Prime)

This one caught me by surprise and is probably my favorite trailer of the Con. Good Omens was a fantasy/comedy novel written by Neil Gaiman (American Gods, The Sandman) and Terry Pratchett and published in 1990. For years people have tried turning the novel into a movie, most notably director Terry Gilliam. Television being what it is now, where it’s able to bring big screen production values, casting, and talent to long form story telling, Amazon Prime seems perfect for Good Omens. With a cast that includes Michael Sheen, David Tennant, and Jon Hamm, Good Omens has just become one of my most anticipated television projects in 2019.

https://youtu.be/2ZSXlNRRoGU

American Gods Season 2 (Starz)

Speaking of Neil Gaiman, we also got our first look at Season 2 of American Gods. Season 1 was pretty damn great, but by no means perfect. I’m a little concerned about some behind the scenes issues the show has had. They changed Showrunners between seasons, for example. However, a lot of shows go through growing pains and this trailer looks like they’ve kicked things up a notch for Season 2. I definitely recommend checking out Season 1 if you haven’t already.

https://youtu.be/JjMKmB3TcJA

Daredevil Season 3 (Netflix)

Now we’re talking! We have two trailers here. There have already been a few trailers for Daredevil Season 3, but this is the first real story trailer we’ve seen for this season. It looks to be largely borrowing from the graphic novels “Born Again” and “Guardian Devil”. However, the Showrunner has said that the season is its own unique tale while still borrowing elements from those classic stories.

This is a quick character trailer focusing on Bullseye! I’ve been waiting since Season 1 for them to introduce this villain. Bullseye is probably Matt Murdock’s greatest rival besides Wilson Fisk. I can’t wait to see The Devil of Hell’s Kitchen face off against the Assassin Who Never Misses. October 19th can’t come soon enough.

The Boys (Amazon Prime)

The Boys is based on a comic book by writer Garth Ennis (the creator of Preacher) and artist Darick Robertson. It’s an extremely fucked up, but fantastic story about a group of CIA black ops psychos who “deal” with out of control superheroes. And when is say “deal” I mean brutally fucking kill. The cast is certainly good and it looks like Amazon Prime is really upping their game.

https://youtu.be/nWtgtSwBVng

Aquaman

Finally, we have an extended look at Aquaman. I think this looks fantastic and I hope they knock it out of the park. I LOVE Black Manta’s costume and Aquaman’s more classic look that we see in the comics. James Wan is a spectacular and versatile director. This definitely has the potential to be something truly unique in the genre. Aquaman opens on 12/21.

Thanks for reading and watching!

-Paul