I love going to the movies. It’s more than just wanting to see new movies, and wanting to see them as soon as possible, but I genuinely love going into a theater getting snacks and a drink and sitting there. I love the trailers, and the feature. I love it all.
I miss going to the movies, it is the one ‘activity’ that’s not super social that I miss. Before the pandemic, my son was almost four and he had finally learned how to behave at a movie theater, and in the first three months of 2020, we saw six movies together. It was amazing, and I foolishly thought it would continue that way until he went off to college.
I’ve heard a lot of people speculating that the movie theaters are going to die off in this pandemic, and I can’t help but hope that everyone is wrong. So, I have come up with a plan, something that I think will help theaters to remain in business through the pandemic.
Bond-style Gift Cards
You’re about to learn how little I know about bonds, and I realize that this is really only the most surface level similarity, but I think gift cards that grow in value is the fix that could save at least the big chains.
So here’s my exact proposal, and obviously the theaters can adjust these numbers as they see fit. Theater’s like AMC, should sell gift cards, we’ll use $20 as an example to show how it will work. You go to AMC (or whatever chain is your favorite) and buy a $20 gift card, but it cannot be used for a year, at which point it will have a value of $25, or you buy a 2 year gift card, and when you finally use it, it’s worth $30.
The average person who might go “oh you know what, the new Fast and Furious is out tomorrow, let’s go see it” might not buy into these kinds of cards, but movie goers who were seeing 6+ movies a year, might—I know I would, and if I were a gambling man, I know at least half a dozen friends who would too.
Would It Work?
I am not deluded enough to think that this would solve the problem outright. Theaters would still hurt, there’s a good chance that depending on the markets they’re in, some will still close, but it might be a life-support measure that could keep them from going under completely.
If there are less theaters, I think that this helps as well. Say you’re in a rural town, and there’s an AMC theater 10 minutes from your house, and you buy a $20 gift card, and then that theater closes and you’re driving 20-30 minutes to a more populated area with an AMC that stays open, you’re getting $25 (or $30) to offset that drive difference.
Please Don’t Let Movie Theaters Die!
I get that for so many people this isn’t a priority, and that when actual people are dying, it probably seems like a problem that doesn’t need to be addressed, but I really think this is the kind of problem that if movie theater owners, and execs work to solve, doesn’t in anyway take away from the humanitarian, and medical solutions, and relief that are so badly needed.
For me, the movie theater is just such a special experience, when other people have been complaining that they haven’t been able to go to a sports game, or do their thing that they enjoy doing, my thing has been the movies. My entire adult life, I’ve been aware of the fact speculation and pressure that are making movie theaters more and more obsolete, and while the theaters have never really fixed the problem, they’ve at least consistently come up with ways to push it back further, and further. Please do that through this crisis too.
TRAILERS OF THE WEEK is back! My favorite trailers this week are two projects that could not be more different, but they both look cool as hell! We have an awesome trailer for an upcoming movie and and great trailer for a new TV series. Let’s dive in!
Continuing The Monsterverse Series: Godzilla Vs Kong
First up, we have Godzilla Vs Kong! I think the “Monster-Verse”, which includes Godzilla (2014), Kong: Skull Island, Godzilla: King of The Monsters, and the upcoming Godzilla Vs. Kong, is one of the only attempts at a cinematic universe, outside of The MCU that actually works. After the massive success of the MCU, every movie studio in Hollywood wanted to get their own connected universe of films up and running, with very few achieving any kind of success. In 2017, Universal attempted to get a series of interconnected movies off the ground with Tom Cruise headlining their reboot of The Mummy, which even featured Russell Crowe as Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde. The Mummy would have been the first in a series of films referred to as the Dark Universe, focusing on Universal’s line up of Classic Monster, including the Creature From The Black Lagoon, Frankenstein, The Invisible Man, and Dracula among others. Stars like Javier Bardem, Angelina Jolie, and Johnny Depp had all signed on to take up roles as the various monsters. After 2017’s The Mummy was a critical and commercial failure, Universal scrapped plans their plans for the Dark Universe. Even Marvel’s main competition, DC/Warner Bros, has struggled with their DCEU or The Worlds of DC (or whatever the hell else they’re calling it). While I‘ve personally enjoyed most of their films, with Justice League being there only out right terrible movie in my opinion, the studio’s only true home run has been the first Wonder Woman. I love Man of Steel and BvS, and quite liked WW84 film, but DC/Warner Bros have yet to recapture the magic of Patty Jenkin’s 2017 Wonder Woman. They do have some pride in some promising projects coming down the pipe, so I guess we’ll have to wait and see. Anyway, this is all just a really long winded way of saying that these monster verse films yes Have quietly slipped under the radar developing a fan base and a catalog of solid movies. Another bonus as far as I’m concerned, is that the movie has been bumped up to March and will simultaneously be available to watch in the theaters and on HBO Max. Along with the trailer, a new poster for Godzilla Vs. Kong, which I have posted above was dropped looks pretty damn cool. Check out the new trailer right here:
New Series From The Arrowverse: Superman & Lois
The second trailer that I wanted to highlight this week is our best look yet at the upcoming Superman and Lois series on The CW. The latest in TV series to join The CW‘s Arrowverse, the show seems to be telling a Superman story that’s very different from what we’ve seen before. I’ve been a huge fan of Tyler Hoechlin as Clark Kent/Superman since he first debuted in the Season 2 premiere of Supergirl. It’s been great to see how they’ve chosen to include his character more and more in crossovers and frequent guest appearances. Elizabeth Tulloch has been equally strong as Lois Lane. It’s unlikely the series will significantly include Jon Cryer’s PHENOMENAL Lex Luthor because he’s already been used so much on Supergirl. Which is a shame because we’ve never seen a great Superman going up against a great Lex Luthor in any live action project. Surprisingly Jon Cryer has made for a fucking incredible Lex Luthor when he debuted in Season 4 of Supergirl (the best season of the series due in no small part to Cryer). His character worked so well that he went on to be a major player in the biggest and most ambitious Arrowverse crossover, Crisis On Infinite Earths. By far the best and most comic book accurate, live-action version of the character. Regardless I am really looking forward to this new show. I really love the idea of Clark and Lois at a point in their life where they’re having to juggle being a world famous reporters, parents to two teenage boys, and all the insanity that comes with being a superhero family. This new trailer in particular, is much more cinematic and stylish than I expected from this series. I hope this isn’t one of those situations where the show put all their money into the pilot episode, just so it would look cool enough to garner a larger audience, only to have the quality of the special effects and production value drop in subsequent episodes. On the other hand, as both Arrow and The Flash showed us, if there’s one thing The Arrowverse does well, it’s incredible action sequences and impressive CGI on a television budget.
Unfortunately, as long time fan, it seems like The Arrowverse’s best days are behind it and with Arrow gone the remaining shows just aren’t what they used to be. At one point The Arrowverse was one of my favorite things in the world. It would almost got me excited as Game of Thrones or The MCU! (I’m not comparing The Arrowverse to The MCU or GoT in quality at all, I’m talking about the amount of fun and sheer joy that The Arrowverse used to bring me) The Arrowverse is definitely at a crossroads. Now that Arrow has come to an end, The Flash is the flagship show of it’s universe. Sadly, after 3 seasons of what was once the most thrilling, live-action superhero project in any medium, The Flash has been in a downward spiral that it never recovered from. The series is now a shadow of its former self. With the exception of Arrow, the only other Arrowverse show that has consistently continued to be a blast, has been Legends of Tomorrow. Maybe as long as Legends continues to do it’s thing and this exciting new Superman & Lois series delivers, perhaps The Arrowverse will get its second wind. The two hour series premiere will air on The CW on the February. Check out the new trailer for Superman & Lois right here:
Thanks for reading (and watching)! Follow me on Twitter @PJWrightWBM or type Worlds Best Media into the search bar, you can also like and follow us on our Facebook page; World’s Best Media. We’re on Instagram @worldsbestmedia2017. Those likes and follows, as well as iTunes reviews, 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!
As crazy as it must sound, it’s been just over a year and half since Spider-Man: Far From Home hit theaters. The film served as an epilogue of sorts to The Infinity Saga and our last piece of new content from The Marvel Cinematic Universe. When WandaVision premiered on January 15th, it ended what almost became the longest gap in new content since the studio’s inception. Second only to the 1 year 11 month gap between The Incredible Hulk and Iron Man 2. Fortunately, it looks like we have an insane amount of new MCU content coming our way this year, with WandaVision as the first out of the gate..
If going to talk about WandaVision, if you’ve seen the trailers, which I’m sure most of you have, you know the deal. But just in case, I’m posting a trailer right here to refresh your memory. Take one last look if you need a brief reminder:
I’m not gonna waste time going over the set up. Instead, I’m going to dive right in to what worked, and what didn’t, in The MCU’s first and highly anticipated new Disney+ shows. So, what did I think of the first 3 episodes of WandaVision? Does it live up to the hype? Was this the right project It kick off Phase 4 for Marvel Studios? Honestly, I don’t know yet.
The Big Problem: Weekly Episode Release Vs. Binge Format
My biggest take away from WandaVision was that streaming services desperately need to go back to the format that made them so intriguing and unique in the first place: Release all episodes of their original programming on the premiere date! It was so exciting things when a new season of Daredevil or Stranger Things, would premiere on Netflix and I could watch the entire story at my leisure! It was like getting to watch a trilogy of your favorite movie series over one weekend!
I understand that when Disney+ launched, the service needed to build up its library of original content and it’s subscriber base. The concern being, that people would just sign up, watch the first season of The Mandalorian over the weekend, and then cancel the subscription. Disney+ is successful enough now that it can move beyond that way of thinking and remember what drew people to streaming services in the first place.
For a series like WandaVision, the weekly format actually hurts the show. In fact, it’s WandaVision’s biggest weakness. Each episode of the show is formatted to replicate and pay homage to a classic sitcom era. Episode 1 feels very much like The Dick Van Dyke Show, while Episode 2 feels more like Bewitched, with Episode 3 turning into something like The Brady Bunch or Happy Days. While this is certainly extremely unique and innovative for a superhero story, it’s too earnest for its own good. Let’s be real, we don’t really give a shit about the sitcom format, we’re all here to watch this series because we know this is The MCU and something extremely strange afoot. We care about the mystery of WHY Wanda and Vision are stuck in this weird TV sitcom reality. The series takes the sitcom gimmick that they’re replicating each week, way too seriously. It seems like the creators didn’t just use the aesthetic and style of a 1960s sitcom, they also seem to be following the rules of storytelling that you’d see in a sitcom in the 60’s, which isn’t all that interesting. Like I mentioned before, innovations like this need to continue for superhero films to survive and thrive. But WandaVision would’ve been much better served leaning into the creepy and unsettling aspects of the whole TV sitcom format, more like something out of The Twilight Zone. As it stands we get a pretty earnest and straightforward series that’s basically a sitcom staring Wanda and Vision, with hints of something darker and mysterious in the background. How did the characters find themselves in this strange TV world? Who or what is doing this? Is it Wanda herself? The answers to those mysteries are what we’re here to see.
Know Your Audience & Why They’re Watching
They don’t have to show their hand right away, but we want more than just a silly sitcom with hints of something more interesting down the line. It couldn’t help but make me think of the film, Natural Born Killers, where Juliette Lewis’ abusive upbringing is shown in flashback form as a 60’s style TV sitcom, complete with a laugh track, while keeping the dark and twisted nature of her family life in tact. Seeing a horrible childhood juxtaposed with the wholesome sitcoms of yesteryear is what made that sequence so disquieting. Even Supernatural once did a crossover episode with Scooby-Doo, without ever compromising the tone or identity of either series.
WandaVision would’ve been much better served to up the creepy factor by 100%. The sitcom format would work so much better if we were more frequently reminded of the unsettling truth that something sinister is causing this. As it stands it’s basically just a sitcom that occasionally reminds us that there’s something unusual and dangerous at the heart of these events. There are more creepy and disturbing moments, as well as more overt clues about what’s actually be going on, in Episodes 2 & 3. Which is why I think the 2nd and 3rd installment are so much stronger than the 1st. Now it feels like we’re going to have to sit through weeks of a sitcom that we’re not really interested in watching, to get to the part of the story that really matters, which will probably be around the last three episodes. I’m old enough to have watched many of these old shows when they aired in the “Nick-At-Night” days. A large part of the audience won’t even know what show’s WandaVision is drawing inspiration from.
If the whole season dropped at once, the first 3 episodes would seem so much more charming and intriguing because we wouldn’t have to wait weeks to find out where this is going. We could dive right in and finish it out over a weekend. After all, it’s only six hours of content. Having said all that, I definitely like the show. Despite some of the creative choices that I disagree with, WandaVision is as fun as something like this could possibly be. Mainly because Wanda and Vision are such great characters and Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany are excellent actors who really give it their all. They’re a fun duo to watch and they have great chemistry as a couple.
The bottom line is I encourage any superhero or MCU fan to check out WandaVision, just know what you’re getting into first. This is not an action adventure series. It’s very deliberate and with it’s own methodical and sometimes slow pacing. Which can be frustrating at times, but the potential of the underlying mystery as well as the performances by the excellent cast, will keep me coming back for more each week.
Like any good Marvel fan, or fanatic in my case, I kept my eyes peeled for Easter Eggs and believe me there are a ton of them! Wanda and Vision both have such storied history‘s as characters that there is a lot of storytelling there for the show to pull from. There are a lot of cool callbacks, Easter Eggs, and clues to previous MCU projects, comic book characters and storylines, as well as upcoming shows and films, in The MCU.
Easter Eggs, Clues, & References
First of all, Wanda seems to have undergone a massive power upgrade. She can seemingly create and manipulate matter at will. Conjuring up objects from thin and altering existing ones. There’s a neat end credits sequence at the end of each episode with a musical score that’s creepy as hell and works as a unsettling contrast to the bright and bubbly nature of everything that comes before. It reminded me quite a bit of how Wanda’s powers would manifest in miniseries House of M with these sort of blocks. When she creates or destroys, something it comes apart or is put back together again small squares much like what we see in the end credits.
All 3 episodes drop huge clues that the people monitoring Wanda and Vision are S.W.O.R.D., we see their symbol in the van monitoring thing at the end of Episode 1 and it appears again in on a red and yellow toy helicopter that Wanda finds in Episode 2.
From Episode 1, the SWORD insignia appears on the notebook in front of the monitor, as well as on the computer screen on the left, in the bottom right corner of the screen
The inclusion of SWORD is extremely interesting because they’re basically SHIELD for space. They monitor extraterrestrials threats to Earth and other dangers to the planet from outer space. This would imply that something extraterrestrial is at play in WandaVision, which opens up all sorts of fun possibilities. In one of the Spider-Man: Far From Home post-credits scenes Nick Fury is seen on an alien ship or space station, which led many to theorize that he was setting up S.W.O.R.D.
ABOVE: 2 examples of S.WO.R.D.’s various incarnations; BELOW: The Peak, SWORD’s orbital space station & headquarters
Wanda makes a new friend in Episode 2, a young African-American woman who introduces herself as Geraldine. They meet while attending a planning event on a sunny afternoon, under gazebo filled with other women from the community.
They’re all there to discuss the upcoming talent show fundraiser that the town is putting on. Right off the bat, there’s some really weird shit going down at this gathering of happy homemakers. Within her first few seconds of interacting with Wanda, Geraldine looks almost frightened and appears confused as to why she’s even at this meeting in the first place. As if she just woke up from an upsetting and disorienting dream. In Episode 3, we see that she’s wearing a necklace bearing the insignia of SWORD . She may introduce herself as Geraldine, but we know better. She is in fact Monica Rambeau a.k.a. Spectrum. We’ve actually encountered Monica in The MCU already, we met her as a child, in Captain Marvel. Monica is the daughter of Carol Danvers’ best friend. Monica is clearly following in the footsteps of the woman she look up to since she was a little girl. The next time we see her in The MCU outside of WandaVision will be as a full fledged superhero in Captain Marvel 2 which will likely involve SWORD in someway.
Someone, presumably SWORD, are tattempting to contact Wanda through the radio. You very clearly hear them asking her “Who is doing this to you, Wanda?”The voice on the radio is Agent Woo who we first met in Ant-Man and The Wasp.
Wanda and Vision perform a magic act in the town’s talent show school fundraiser. One of the props they use in their act, “The Cabinet of Mysteries”, has a symbol on it that looks a lot like The Mind Stone. An artifact key to the origins of both Wanda and Vision.
The commercial in Episodes 2 is for a watch made by Baron Strucker, who gave Wanda and her brother their powers. The watch also has the HYDRA symbol and says HYDRA on its face. Episode 3 has a commercial for a bath product made by HYDRA
In Episode 2, Wanda goes from normal to what looks to be about six months pregnant in a matter of moments. In episode three she gives birth to twin boys named Billy and Tommy. Shortly after their birth Wanda tells Geraldine (AKA Monica) that she was a twin and she had a brother named Pietro. This causes Geraldine to snap out of it for a moment and mention how Pietro was killed by Ultron.
At which point Wanda makes note of Geraldine’s SWORD necklace and hurls her out of town, back into the real world. She’s intercepted by what looks to be a massive government operation that seems to be monitoring the strange dome that has encased this town. Which reminded me a lot of the facility SHIELD constructs around Thor’s hammer, Mijonir, when it falls to Earth in the first Thor film.
It was also really cool just to hear Ultron referenced in Episode 3. He was an underrated villain who I’ve always wanted to see return. I had a theory that Ultron could somehow be involved in the events of WandaVision. I’ll just hold out hope that he’ll possibly make an appearance by the end of the season, who knows?
In the comics, Wanda and Vision have twin children (Billy and Tommy), who are later revealed to be constructs created by Wanda’s powers. The knowledge that her children were never “real” eventually leads to her mental break with reality that results in the deaths of Hawkeye, Scott Lang, and Vision. The fallout causes The Avengers to briefly disband. Which would seem to suggest that these children will likely be a very important part of the series going forward.
Left: Billy AKA Wiccan; Right: Tommy AKA Speed
In the comics, It’s later revealed that the children were in fact real and survived. Eventually becoming the Young Avengers known as Speed (Tommy) and Wiccan (Billy), whose powers mirror those of Wanda and her brother Pietro AKA Quicksilver. Other members of Young Avengers include Scott Lang’s daughter, Cassie, who will develop size changing powers in Ant-Man 3. As well as, Hawkeye’s protege Kate Bishop, who will be making her debut in the upcoming Hawkeye Disney+ series with Hailee Steinfeld in the role.
Expect us to continue covering WandaVision as the series continues!
Thanks for reading! Follow me on Twitter @PJWrightWBM or type Worlds Best Media into the search bar, you can also like and follow us on our Facebook page; World’s Best Media. We’re on Instagram @worldsbestmedia2017. Those likes and follows, as well as iTunes reviews, 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!
WandaVision has finally premiered on Disney+, officially kicking off Phase 4 of The Marvel Cinematic Universe. Marvel Entertainment has posted this very cool video to mark the occasion. The video shows how the Phase 3 films, which begins with Captain America: Civil War and ends with Spider-Man: Far From home. The video shows how some the Phase 3 films perfectly re-create iconic images and moments from the comic books source material and put them on the big screen. Take a look:
Follow me on Twitter @PJWrightWBM or type Worlds Best Media into the search bar, you can also like and follow us on our Facebook page; World’s Best Media. We’re on Instagram @worldsbestmedia2017. Those likes and followsgo 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!
On this episode of The World’s Best Podcast, we’re going over The Best & Worst Movies of 2020! Normally, choosing the best and worst movies at the end of the year, is one of my favorite movie rituals. Unfortunately, this year didn’t have quite as many opportunities to see new films in theaters, due to the obvious mitigating circumstances. I still manage to see quite a few movies nonetheless. It just meant watching a lot more steaming content and movies On Demand. So GODDAMMIT!, I was gonna do my best and worst movies of 2020 list, so help me God! Because if I don’t the virus wins! So here it is! It’s nothing to write home about, but hey they can’t all the gems! Please let me know in the comments what movies you loved, or hated, 2020!
Listen here: https://www.spreaker.com/episode/42893825 Or subscribe/listen on Spotify, Stitcher, Spreaker, iHeartRadio, Deezer, Podchaser, Castbox, Podcast Addict, Google Podcasts, & Apple Podcasts/ITunes…
We are also going to be posting either an article or a podcast about our favorite TV shows of 2020, as well as the projects we’re p most looking forward to in 2021! Those will be up in the very near future, so keep an eye out…
Thanks for listening! Follow me on Twitter @PJWrightWBM or type Worlds Best Media into the search bar, you can also like and follow us on our Facebook page; World’s Best Media. We’re on Instagram @worldsbestmedia2017. Those likes and follows, as well as iTunes reviews, 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!
After 2020’s thrillling 2nd Season of The Mandalorian and the phenomenal Final Season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars both streaming on Disney+, fans are excited about what’s next for our favorite corner of a galaxy far, far, away. In Episode 4 of The Mandalorian’s 2nd Season, titled “The Jedi”, not only were we introduced to Rosario Dawson’s live-action iteration of Ahsoka Tano, but a MAJOR name from Star Wars mythology was dropped as well. A name that has potentially massive implications for the future of the franchise. In this episode, Ahsoka revealed that she is hunting Grand Admiral Thrawn himself. While many viewers likely didn’t understand the weight that his name carries, Thrawn is one of the most fascinating and dangerous villains in the Star Wars Universe. With more seasons of The Mandalorian and the recently announced upcoming shows like Ahsoka, Rangers of The New Republic, and The Book of Boba Fett, all coming down the pipe line, Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni plan to keep these shows closely interconnected much like The MCU. The plan being that at some point, there will be some big crossover miniseries or movie on Disney+ that will bring all the characters from the various shows together to combat some larger threat.
Grand Admiral Thrawn would be the perfect antagonist to embody that larger threat in a team up project like this. Not only would he poses an existential threat to the galaxy, but he’s also a fantastic character. Thrawn was first introduced in a trilogy of novels written by Timothy Zahn.
The novels told the story of how The Emperor sent Thrawn on a special mission to investigate a strange new threat that took him far beyond the outer rim, for years. He was so far away in fact, that communication between himself and the heart of The Empire was impossible. Thrawn finally returns with a small fleet to find The Rebellion victorious and The Emperor killed after the events of Return of The Jedi. He rallies what’s left of The Empire and with his brilliance and lethal cunning comes damn near close to destroying The New Republic.
From The MCU’S Greatest Hero to The Most Cunning Villain In Star Wars?
This image was created by a fantastic digital artist. I don’t have the artist’s name right now, but as soon as I do I will post it on this article with a link to see more of their work.
Rumor has it, that none other than Robert Downey Jr, old pal of Jon Favreau, is in talks with Disney and Lucasfilm to sign on as the character in upcoming Star Wars projects for Disney+. While it hasn’t been 100% confirmed that Thrawn is the character Downey is meeting with Disney/Lucasfilm and Favreau to discuss, reports have been very clear that the role is not a cameo, it’s a significant part, it would require Downey to wear some sort of prosthetic make up and it would be a departure from the heroic characters he’s been playing over the last 15 years or so.
I think this is fantastic news. Like I mentioned before, Downey is good friends with Jon Favreau, it’s a fantastic role for any actor, and after the unmitigated disaster that was Dolittle, I’m certain Downey is probably looking for a sure thing for his next major project. As an added benefit, I often describe Thrawn as an evil Sherlock Holmes. Considering that Robert Downey Jr. played a pretty damn good Sherlock Holmes in the past, that’s just one more check in the plus column. I really hope this rumor becomes reality. It’s interesting that so many elements from The Star Wars Expanded Universe are being brought into play lately because when Disney bought Lucasfilm they tossed out all of the Star Wars EU stories and filed them under the umbrella of Star Wars “Legends”. Meaning the stories were no longer considered canon. I understand why Disney/Lucasfilm would want to do that at the time, a lot of the EU stories took place after Return of The Jedi. The company wanted to keep the “Post-RoTJ” time period wide open, so they didn’t have any pre-existing stories or characters that would interfere or contradict the direction that they wanted to go in. Which didn’t work out quite as well as we all would’ve hoped, however, I must admit that I absolutely love The Force Awakens.
Thrawn was reintroduced to Star Wars continuity as the main villain facing the fledgling Rebellion in the final 2 seasons of Star Wars: Rebels. An argument could be made that Lars Mikkelsen, who played Thrawn in Rebels, wouldn’t be a bad choice to play the live-action version of the character. So I really like the actor, he played the villain Charles Augustus Magnuson in Benedict Cumberbatch’s Sherlock Season 3, he also played the wizard Geralt meets in the first season of The Witcher. Personally I think his brother, Mads Mikkelsen (Hannibal, Casino Royale, Doctor Strange), would be much better suited to play Thrawn. Unfortunately, he already played a pretty major character in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story as Galen Erso, the man who was forced to design and build The Death Star. BUT he also put the fatal flaw in the space station’s design that allowed Luke to destroy The Death Star during The Battle of Yavin. We’ve even seen Thrawn appearance in some excellent comics recently. Disney also owns MarvelComics, so there of been some fantastic Star Wars graphic novels published, with one miniseries specifically focusing on Thrawn.
With Thrawn already having made his appearance on Star Wars Rebels and now possibly in live action for the first time, as well as Boba Fett officially surviving his trip into The Sarlak Pit (which is also an Expanded Universe concept), it seems that Lucasfilm is getting more comfortable about using EU characters and stories. They seem to be keeping the essence of exactly who these characters are, while changing minor details like when they appear in the mythology. Thrawn debuted on Star Wars Rebels at the height of The Empire’s power, right before the start of The Rebellion. In the EU, he comes into play after Return of The Jedi and the fall of The Empire. So people like Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni seem to be interested in using EU characters, they might just move around where they pop up in the Star Wars timeline and how they fit into mythology, while still respecting the essence of the character. Which begs the question what other EU characters might we see pop-up next? Dash Rendar? Prince Xizor, or a fan favorite character like Mara Jade? My money would be on the latter. Time will tell. Despite the lack luster ending of The Skywalker Saga, it seems like it’s still a pretty good time to be a Star Wars fan!
Thanks for reading! Follow me on Twitter @PJWrightWBM or type Worlds Best Media into the search bar, you can also like and follow us on our Facebook page; World’s Best Media. We’re on Instagram @worldsbestmedia2017. Those likes and follows, as well as iTunes reviews, 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!
Superman and Lois is one of my most highly anticipated new shows of 2021. The latest series in The CW’s ever expanding Arrowverse. While Supergirl hasn’t always been one of my favorite Arrowverse shows, the series has had it’s moments of greatness. It’s done an excellent job at adapting some classic pieces of the Superman mythology, including this iteration of Superman and Lois Lane. Ever since he made his debut in the Season 2 premiere of Supergirl, I’ve been a big fan of Tyler Hoechlin’s Clark Kent. I’d have to say it’s a toss up between Hoechlin and Cavill, as my favorite live action versions of Superman.
Over the last several years, the main Superman comics have really focused on his life as a hero and family man. With Clark and Lois juggling superheroics, their careers as world renowned journalists at The Daily Planet, and raising their young son Jon Kent AKA Superboy, DC’s power couple always have their hands full. The biggest change this series seems to be making, is that Clark and Lois have 2 sons, instead of the one son they have in the comics.
Despite frequent trips to Metropolis, Clark and Lois wanted to raise their family in as much of a normal, healthy environment that they could reasonably find, under their unique circumstances. It seems as if Clark has decided to move his family back to The Kent Farm in Smallville. As the concept art below shows, the wholesome small town of Clark’s childhood is one of the major settings of the new series.
Their are an abundance of Superman villains and stories that haven’t even been touched yet in The Arrowverse, so there’s a great deal of potential for some exciting stuff in this new series. As the show moves closer to its release date, DC & The CW dropped some great images that I’ve posted throughout the article. as well as a brief trailer have been released, which you can watch below, but it’s really not much more than a teaser. You can take a look for yourself right here…
If there’s one thing we can count on, whenever a new TV show or movie comes out based on a classic superhero property, we’re going to get a new version of the suit. You can take a look a Superman’s new uniform yourself below, but I think they knocked it out of the park. It is absolutely beautiful. It was made by the same team behind the costumes for the hit Amazon Prime series The Boys, so it should come as no surprise that they did such an amazing job on this latest version of the classic Superman uniform. To be honest if I had one critique, it would be that I’d like to see the symbol a little bit larger on his chest. It’s a little too small for my liking but it looks fucking awesome nonetheless.
Like it’s predecessors, Superman and Lois will be just as interconnected to the other shows that make up The Arrowverse. In fact, it looks like we won’t have to wait long to see a crossover. While the series that started it all, Arrow, may have ended its 7 season run in Spring 2020, the rest of The Arrowverse is still very much alive and interconnected. Which leaves the door wide open for characters from the flagship series, to pop up in other Arrowverse shows. So I was very happy to hear the recent announcement that Arrowverse mainstay, David Ramsey, will be returning the DC TV Universe as John Diggle for a 5 -episodes arc focusing on his character beginning on Superman and Lois. Diggle will also be appearing in several other Arrowverse shows as part of the 5-episode arc. David Ramsey will even be directing a few episodes.
This is exciting news for couple of reasons. For 7 seasons on Arrow and dozens of appearances on other Arrowverse shows, Ramsey played John “Digg” Diggle, Oliver Queen’s closest friend and confidant. His special forces training, bravery, and contacts in the espionage community, made him one of Team Arrow’s most valuable assets. He joined Oliver’s mission to save their city, eventually suiting up as the vigilante, Spartan. With the exception of Oliver Queen and Sarah Lance, Diggle is one of the most skilled and dangerous hand-to-hand combatants in The Arrowverse. He even took up the mantle of The Green Arrow on several occasions. Out of all of the Arrow characters that could possibly continue on in other DC shows on The CW, I think his character has the most potential for some interesting stories.
(On the left is a piece of art done by the amazing BossLogic, showing Diggle as a Green Lantern. Top right is John Stewart from Justice League: The Animated Series, Below is Ernie Hudson as Diggle’s Father.)
The details of his return have deliberately been kept under wraps for now, which in my opinion can only mean one thing: We’re finally going to see Diggle become a Green Lantern! The idea of Diggle joining The Green Lantern Corps, has been teased for years and references to the existence The Green Lantern Corps go as far back as Season 1 of The Flash. The last time we saw Diggle in the Arrow Series Finale, something small and strange plummets out of space, landing directly in front of Diggle, blowing him off his feet into the side of his van. Almost as if it was sent directly to him, Digg picks the object up out of the small crater it created on impact, and opens it to find a glowing Green Lantern ring! It was pretty awesome. If I’m right, after years of teases and hints, I think this 5-episode story will be about Diggle making his debut as the first Green Lantern in The Arrowverse. Digg becoming a Green Lanter was a popular fan theory for long time, that the creators gave more legitimacy to as time went on. For example, we find out that Diggle’s father (played by Ernie Hudson) is a high-ranking military officer whose last name is in fact, Stewart, making Diggle’s real, legal name: John Stewart.
John Stewart is one of the classic, fan favorite, Green Lanterns from DC Comics. The character is an African-American former soldier (just like Diggle) and for an entire generation of fans who grew up watching John Stewart as Green Lantern in the classic Justice League Animated Series and Justice League Unlimited, John Stewart IS THEIR Green Lantern. One of the running jokes in The Arrowverse was that Digg was always the most uncomfortable with the crazy, bizarre shit involving super powers and meta-humans that the characters would frequently encounter. So it makes a lot of sense that he might go to someone like Clark Kent/Superman, if he’s freaked out about the situation he suddenly finds himself in. Green Lanterns, power rings, and alien species can all be pretty stressful things for a relatively grounded guy deal with. So Superman and Lois seems like the perfect place to debut Diggle as John Stewart, Green Lantern of Space Sector-2817. I’m extremely excited to see what they do with this! Becoming a Green Lantern isn’t exactly easy, which is why I imagine he’ll be making appearances over multiple Arrowverse shows. Perhaps he’ll be learning some thing about his new powers and abilities from each of the heroes he guest stars with? These are all just more great reasons for me to be excited about this new series.
Superman and Lois premieres this January on The CW.
Thanks for reading! Follow me on Twitter @PJWrightWBM or type Worlds Best Media into the search bar, you can also like and follow us on our Facebook page; World’s Best Media. We’re on Instagram @worldsbestmedia2017. Those likes and follows, as well as iTunes reviews, 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!
To all of our readers, listeners, and supporters, I want to say thank you and extend a heartfelt and sincere Happy Holidays from all of us here at World’s Best Media! We appreciate each and every time you click on one of out article or listen to one of our podcasts. We couldn’t do any of this without you and we’re so grateful for all of your support! We hope you’re all having a safe and Happy Holiday season! As the year comes to an end, keep an eye out for our Best & Worst of 2020, where pick the highs and lows in movies, TV, and comics, over the last year. We should have out Best/Worst Lists posted before New Years Day. We also have big, big plans for 2021, so stay tuned…
Despite how happy we are that World’s Best Media continues to grow, we know that 2020 has been a brutal year for way too many people. With all of the suffering and hardship so many have endured this year, I’ve been reminded to appreciate the little things in life. I know from experience, that sometimes the simplest of things, can mean the world when times are at their darkest. Which is one of several reasons I was so thrilled that Wonder Woman 1984 was finally available to watch, Christmas Day on HBOMax.
When times get tough, going to the movies has always been my favorite way to escape for a little while (Well, my favorite escape that doesn’t involve drugs or alcohol anyway. But there’s no reason you can’t enjoy all 3 at once, right? Go ahead, you’ve earned it!). I think a lot of people out there miss the simple joy of going to their local movie theater to see a feel good, blockbuster and let their troubles slip away from a few hours. I know it’s not much, but folks had the opportunity to watch a great big, superhero, comic book movie, without having to worry about the dangers of going to a movie theater.
However, these aren’t the only reasons that the release WW84 is special, this also marks an important milestone for The World’s Best Podcast. Tim Cuff and I reviewed 2017’s Wonder Woman for the very first episode of The World’s Best Podcast! Longtime listeners of the podcast will recognize Tim Cuff and Ryan McDonald as two of my most frequent co-hosts on the show (Tim even helped me co-create the podcast in the first place). In case you don’t know, Ryan and Tim co-host their own podcast, Cuff’s Basement. In the spirit of the superhero comic books that feature characters like Wonder Woman, to review and discuss WW84 we needed a crossover! So get ready for The SUPER-MEGA-AWESOME WORLD’S BEST PODCAST/CUFF’S BASEMENT CROSSOVER EVENT!
Since The DCEU (or The World’s of DC or whatever the hell they’re calling it now) launched with 2013’s Man of Steel, Wonder Woman has proven to be the studio’s only true critical and commercial hit. Sure, many of these other DC movies made a lot of money, but they were critically trashed and divisive at best among the Fanbase. Does Wonder Woman 1984 live up to the promise of the original movie? Listen below to find out! Enjoy!
Listen here: https://www.spreaker.com/episode/42685229 Or subscribe/listen on Spotify, Stitcher, Spreaker, iHeartRadio, Deezer, Podchaser, Castbox, Podcast Addict, Google Podcasts, & Apple Podcasts/ITunes…
I’m always looking for an opportunity to get more people interested in comics. None of these incredible films and beautiful stories would be possible, without the amazing comic book source material. So if you enjoyed Wonder Woman 1984 and want to learn more about the character, takes a look at some of the books I’ve posted below. They’re great places to star for anyone new to comics, if you’ve seen either Wonder Woman movie, you’re good to go! All of these books are available at your local Comic Book Store, I recommend Googling the closest comic book retailer in your area. The Hall of Comics in Southborough, MA is my local spot for comics and graphic novels and I’ve had nothing, but great experiences with them over the years! If you don’t want to leave the comfort of your own home, you can alway read these stories on your tablet with the ComiXology app. Finally, you can always order any of these graphic novels online through Amazon. I posted links below for you to order any of my recommendations. I hope you give them a chance!
Wonder Woman: Year One (writer- Greg Rucka/Art- Nicola Scott)
Wonder Woman by Greg Rucka Vol.1
Wonder Woman: Earth One Vol.1 (W. Grant Morrison/A. Yanick Paquette)
Wonder Woman: Blood (A. Brian Azzarello/A. Cliff Chiang
Thanks for listening! Follow me on Twitter @PJWrightWBM or type Worlds Best Media into the search bar, you can also like and follow us on our Facebook page; World’s Best Media. We’re on Instagram @worldsbestmedia2017. Those likes and follows, as well as iTunes reviews, 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!
For five decades and running, Star Wars has become our greatest modern myth. In the distant future (assuming of course humanity hasn’t already wiped itself off the face of the planet), people will look back on Star Wars like we look back at epic poems like The Iliad and Beowulf. Stories like Star Wars and Beowulf endure because they’re primal, archetypal stories that speak to timeless themes of family, freedom, and hope.
Part of what makes Star Wars so special, is how it’s stories have touched multiple generations in very different ways. There were the folks who saw the original film at their local movie theater in 1977, unaware of the earth shattering, mind blowing, movie going experience they were about to have. Up to that point, nothing like Star Wars had ever been seen in the history of cinema. Looking back, it’s easier to see some of the stories and archetypes that influenced George Lucas and inspired him to create Star Wars. Then there are the kids like me, who saw the original trilogy when it was re-released in theaters for the Special Editions. It was indescribably cool to see these movies for the first time on the big screen. When The Star Wars Trilogy Special Editions were released, some were very frustrated with some of the changes George Lucas made to the classic trilogy. None of that mattered to me, I was a kid experiencing these classic films for the first time. Which is probably why I don’t find the changes to the movies so jarring. I feel extremely lucky that I got to experience every single Star Wars film, the entire Skywalker Saga for the first time on the big screen. Another group of fans are the kids who’s “original trilogy” is the prequel trilogy, that was the Star Wars they fell in love with. It’s one of the reasons the prequel‘s are looked back on more fondly than people may suspect.
So anyone, no matter the age, has their own very specific Star Wars experience. If you ask 10 different people to rank their favorite Star Wars films, you’re likely to get 10 completely different answers. If had to rank the films, my top three favorite Star Wars movies are The Empire Strike Back, Revenge of The Sith, and The Force Awakens. One movie from each trilogy. Beyond that, there are all of the books, comics, and video games that make up TheExpanded Universe, which also affect a person’s feelings about Star Wars. I suppose technically The Mandalorian would fall under the umbrella of an Expanded Universe story. It’s not technically a part of The Skywalker Saga, yet it has already become an indelible part of Star Wars. So much so that The Mandalorian will be looked back upon as being a vital piece of Star Wars just as much as something like Return of The Jedi.
Anyway, I was very excited to talk about the Season 2 finale of The Mandalorian on this week’s show. In less than 24 hours, the final episode of the season sent shockwaves through the fan community. A rapturous, collective pop-culture event, the likes of which I don’t think has been seen, since Thanos infamously snapped half of the universe out of existence. It was one of those rare times when the term, “broke the Internet“ felt actually appropriate. So, on this episode of The World’s Best Podcast, we discuss the Season 2 Finale of The Mandalorian, and what we thought of the season overall.
Listen here: https://www.spreaker.com/episode/42564351 Or subscribe/listen on Spotify, Stitcher, Spreaker, iHeartRadio, Deezer, Podchaser, Castbox, Podcast Addict, Google Podcasts, & Apple Podcasts/ITunes…
Before you go, I wanted to share a cool video. With the exception of Dave Chapelle, who has become a full-blown legend, Bill Burr is probably the best working comedian in the business right now. His character from Season 1, Mayfield, returned to The Mandalorian in Episode 7, where he showed off some impressive acting chops. Bill Burr’s scene with Mando and Mayfield‘s former commander from his days as a soldier for The Empire, was easily one of the best scenes of the season. The scene felt like it was pulled right out of a Quentin Tarantino movie, and I mean that in the best way. Despite the incredible dramatic acting talent he put on display this season, Bill is still first and foremost an ridiculously funny comedian. Which is why, when I came across this very funny video, I thought you guys might really enjoy it. You can watch the video below, take a look:
Thanks for listening! Follow me on Twitter @PJWrightWBM or type Worlds Best Media into the search bar, you can also like and follow us on our Facebook page; World’s Best Media. We’re on Instagram@worldsbestmedia2017. Those likes and follows, as well as iTunes reviews, 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
BEWARE OF SPOILERS BELOW!!!
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If “you know who”can make an appearance on The Mandalorian, why not this? If done well, it could be really cool…
World’s Best Media 