PODCAST: Doctor Strange in The Multiverse of Madness – REVIEW!

Hey Everyone,

Paul here…

Join us, as we take a thrilling dive into Doctor Strange in The Multiverse of Madness on this episode of The World’s Best Podcast! Beware of FULL SPOILERS as we discuss the latest film in The MCU! We also cover the Season (or Series?) Finale of the Disney+ series, Moon Knight! Don’t miss this epic entry in our excellent podcast!

Listen here: https://www.spreaker.com/episode/49739312 Or…

iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-worlds-best-podcast/id1246038441?i=1000560264683

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4utsQJfUOY7JHk7Qc8Ds2n?si=rEVSynDpTXOE0lsK1i9hcA

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

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UPDATED! 2022 PREVIEW! Most Anticipated Movies, TV Shows, Comics & More Of 2022!

Hey Everyone,

Paul here…

There’s some fantastic and exciting pop culture content coming out in 2022! Movies, graphic novels, TV/Streaming, and more! Shows like Peacemaker and movies like The Batman got us off to a great start, but there’s an embarrassment of riches still coming our way this year. Below are my picks for the Movies, TV/Streaming projects, Comic Books/Graphic Novels, Books, and Video Games that you don’t want to miss in 2022!

MOVIES

Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets Of Dumbledore

Release Date: Apr 15, 2022

Warner Bros. just released this fascinating Behind-The-Scenes video about the new film. Definitely worth giving a watch:

While the Fantastic Beasts series hasn’t been the universally praised films that the original Harry Potter films, I’ve loved these movies, especially the last one. This is such a fun world to visit and I love this rich time period in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, showing us fascinating stories and characters we haven’t seen before. Also, c’mon, Jude Law is a PERFECT young Albus Dumbledore and I can’t wait to see more of him in this next film. Check out the trailer here:


Doctor Strange in The Multiverse of Madness

Release Date: May 6, 2022

With possible exception of The Batman, no film in 2022 has me more excited than Doctor Strange in The Multiverse of Madness. Doctor Strange is one of my favorite comic book characters as well as one of my favorite MCU characters. I thought his solo film in 2016 was a very fun, dynamic, visually interesting, and all-around solid introduction to a character with an incredibly rich history. We really just saw the tip of the iceberg in that film. he’s also my favorite hero in infinity war, his one on one duel with Thanos wielding the infinity gauntlet is one of the most iconic and just fucking cool scenes in the MCU. With this new film the character and his world has been established, giving the filmmakers the opportunity to really dive into some crazy shit. Man, after seeing the teaser trailer that aired during the Super Bowl and the full trailer that was simultaneously released online, we really got a chance to see how absolutely fucking bananas this movie is going to be. Marvel does a great job with their trailers of not spoiling the movie while still getting you incredibly excited for the project. And the Doctor Strange trailers have done that pitch perfectly. Considering the stuff that they showed us in the trailer like the illuminati call Ma fucking Patrick Stewart has Charles Xavier! Ultron drones! Wanda appearing appearing to go full villain! Incredible stuff. Marvel has always also described this film as the closest they’ve ever done to making a horror movie, which is really interesting because we haven’t seen anything like that from the MCU yet.

So you combine all of that with the fact that Sam Raimi, the legendary Director of the original Spider-Man trilogy, the Evil Deads films, Drag Me To Hell, The Giftt, and a lot of other great movies is helming this film, I think we’re gonna get something really special. Sam Raimi directed what is arguably one of the best superhero films ever made with Spider-Man 2 and we also know that he excels at weird, fucked up, offbeat, crazy, horror with the Evil Dead films and Drag Me To Hell . Rami has also been a very outspoken fan of Doctor Strange throughout his career. My expectations are so fucking high for this one I think it’s going to be a home run, but I’ve been burned many times before so let’s keep our fingers crossed. On the other hand marvel has never burned me, so far I’ve always been able to trust them to somehow zinc bigger than even their fans to deliver a fantastic project. This is my pick for The Must See Movie of 2022.


Thor: Love and Thunder

Release Date: July 8, 2022

Unlike Doctor Strange 2, we haven’t had a trailer yet to knock our socks off, but there’s a lot to be excited about in this film. Interesting, Thor is the only founding Avenger and the only MCU hero to get a 4th entry in his series. Taika Watitti has returned to direct Love and Thunder after directing not only the best Thor movie with Thor: Ragnarok, but also one of Marvel’s most beloved film in recent years. It’s a real fan favorite. The biggest draw for me is the debut of Christian Bale as Gorr The God Butcher.

Gorr is one of the coolest and most terrifying Marvel villains to debut in the comics in the last decade, so it’ll be very interesting to see how they plan to portray such a dark and blood thirsty character. Thor won’t have to face Gorr on his own because everyone’s favorite band galactic heroes/outlaws, The Guardians of The Galaxy, will feature heavily in the film.


NOPE

Release Date: July 22, 2022

The next horror film from Jordan Peele about UFO’s? HELL. YES! I cant wait for this one.


TV & STREAMING

The Boys Season 3 (Amazon Prime) 6/3/2022

*For a more detailed look at The Boys Season 3, check out my recent article covering everything you need to know about the new season: https://best-media-world.com/2022/03/19/first-look-the-boys-season-3-trailer-more/

The long awaited return of one of, hands down, one of the best shows on television is finally here! And there’s a hell of a lot to be excited about! Showrunner Eric Kripke has said Season 3 will feature their take on the “HEROGASM!” story line from the comics (And to answer your question: Yes, the story is just as depraved and horrifying as the title would suggest). The season will also see a new addition to the cast, with Jensen Ackles joining the show as, the Captain America-esque, Soldier Boy. This marks a reunion for Eric Kripke and Jensen Akcles, who previously worked together on the hit series, Supernatural. Kripke created the now iconic series, where Ackles played Dean Winchester, one of the show’s two lead characters. The beloved show recently wrapped up it’s incredible, record breaking 15 Season run. Check out the trailer here:


Obi-Wan Kenobi Series (Disney+) 5/27

With the possible exception of The Mandalorian Season 3, there isn’t an upcoming Star Wars project more anticipated the Obi-Wan Kenobi series coming to Disney+. Ewan McGregor is finally making his return to the fan favorite character, but he’s not the only returning character viewers should expect to see. Hayden Christensen is also returning to reprise his role as Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader. Which pretty much guarantees that we’re going to see a rematch between the two, after their epic lightsaber duel on Mustafar in Episode III. In exciting news, it was just announced that the first two episodes will premiere together on May 27th.

Fans had been clamoring for a Kenobi solo project for years, with many people hoping a film focusing on the character would be made under the, “A Star Wars Story“ banner. However, I would argue (and I think most fans would agree) that with all of the incredible storytelling we’ve seen on the Star Wars TV shows, a Disney+ series sounds much more appealing than a 2 hour film. Check out the trailer right here:


The Sandman (Netflix) (TBD)

Like The Lord of The Rings, which was considered to be “un-filmable” for decades, an adaptation of The Sandman would’ve been impossible 15 years ago. Again, like Lord of The Rings, the first obstacle was a technical one. So much of The Sandman is set in places that just simply didn’t exist in the real world. Visual effects would be heavily needed for everything from environment creations, characters, MoCap, augmenting practical effects, and the list goes on and on. We’re finally a point where you can expect to see film quality visual effects and storytelling on a prestige drama on cable or a streaming service. You can see the passion that was put into this project in this Behind-The-Scenes video…

Audiences needed to be ready for this story as well, it’s not something you can watch casually. I think over the last 10 years audiences have been trained by The MCU, Star Wars, Game of Thrones, and other stories that became hits beyond the core audience, to be able to except and buy into a such a sprawling, imaginative fantasy. It’s a truly unique story and I can’t wait to see what they’re doing with it. There hasn’t been official release date announced yet. However we can expect to see the show premiere sometime in Summer 2022. Trust me keep an eye out for this one it’s gonna be something special. Take a look at the first teaser trailer:


The Lord of The Rings: Rings of Power (Amazon Prime) 9/2/22

Amazon Prime’s new take on the classic work ofJ.R.R. Tolkien, taking place during the period surrounding the forging of the original rings of power and Sauron’s eventual rise to The Dark Lord of The Rings. The 8 episode first season cost over $58 Million per episode, making it the most expensive show in TV history. Blowing past the previous titled holder, Marvel’s Disney+ shows, at $25 Million per episode. Here’s the trailer:


Moon Knight (Disney+) 3/30

Well, we don’t have to wait too long for this one, but I felt it was still important to include. Moon Knight is the next Marvel Cinematic Universe series to hit Disney+. The series stars Oscar Isaac as the title character and the always fantastic Ethan Hawke, playing a mysterious new character. Someone at Marvel Studios described the series as “Indiana Jones meets Fight Club”, which is as damn good of a description as I can think of. Moon Knight has some cool supernatural element to it, as well as dealing with a main character who has severe mental health issues. It’s lot to get into, but I think this is going toi be a special one. For once, I wish Marvel would drop alll 6 episodes at when the show premieres. my favorite part about streaming service shows is that the entire season drops when the show premieres. I understand why Disney+ and Marvel don’t adopt that model but every once in a while they could throw us a bone and give us a little treat. Anyway check out the trailer, for a little bit of insight into the series:


The Umbrella Academy (Netflix) 6/22

There isn’t much new info about the umbrella academy season three except for the release date and some cool posters which I have you can see below. If it wasn’t for shows like the boys or invincible, I would say that the umbrella Academy would probably be my favorite superhero show on TV right now I love how offbeat and unique it is and I can’t wait to see the new season.

This season sees The Hargeeve Siblings having to contend with the mysterious Sparrow Academy, who were teased at the end of Season 2.

Ms Marvel (Disney+) 6/6

This poster is cool homage to the comic book.

If Spider-Man were created today, it’d probably look a lot like this. Based on the comic of the same name, Ms. Marvel focuses on New Hersey, high school student Kamala Khan. Kamal is a super hero mega-fan, shocked to find herself incredible new powers. Look for her to be a big player in The Marvels, the upcoming sequel to Captain Marvel.


COMIC BOOKS/GRAPHIC NOVELS

Batman: Beyond The White Knight (DC COMICS)

Following the success of Batman: White Knight and Batman: Curse of The White Knight, writer/artist Sean Murphy is bringing the Batman Beyond mythology into his popular series of Batman graphic novels, with Batman: Beyond The White Knight. As massive fan of all things Batman Beyond this is a MUST READ for me. *Now Available, digitally and at your local comic book store!


Flashpoint Beyond (DC Comics) April 2022


Judgment Day (Marvel Comics) 5/7

The Avengers, X-Men, and Eternals face Judgment Day! The MarvelComics event is coming this summer. The year’s biggest stories begin in Marvel’s ‘Free Comic Book Day: Avengers/X-Men’ #1! Which you can pick up at your local comic book store or digitally on May 7.


DARK CRISIS (DC COMICS) 5/7 & 6/7

Dark Crisis is THE comic book blockbuster event of the summer! Here’s what DC has to say, below are some preview images and their synopsis of the prelude to Dark Crisis, ”The Death of The Justice League”

The Last Stand of The Justice League…

Witness the rise and fall of the Justice League! The event years in the making is here with Dark Crisis. The Justice League is comics’ greatest super-team—made up of DC Comics’ legendary Super Heroes, they have saved the world countless times. No crisis was too much for them to handle…until now! The Justice League has been defeated by the Great Darkness and its army of DC’s most dangerous villains—now a new generation of heroes must rise to protect not only the Multiverse…but also the legacy of the DC Universe!

Now for the main event, Dark Crisis #1! Read the synopsis below:

Crisis on Infinite Earths. Infinite Crisis. Final Crisis. And now…Dark Crisis !

The epic event years in the making is finally here! Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and the rest of the Justice League are dead. The remaining heroes are left to protect the world from an onslaught of violent attacks by DC’s greatest villains! Can the legacy heroes step out of the shadows of the classic heroes to form a new Justice League? And will that be enough to stop a darkness greater than anything they’ve ever faced from destroying everything? Don’t miss out on the first issue of the blockbuster event of the summer!  

Dark Crisis #0 FCBD Special Edition will be available on May 7. Justice League: Road to DarkCrisis #1 hits on May 31. Dark Crisis #1 will follow June 7. Check out the teaser below:


Avengers: 1,000,000 B.C. (MARVEL) 7/13/22

Writer – Jason Aaron Artist – Kev Walker

  One of the most fascinating aspects of Jason Aaron’s current Avengers run, has been the introduction of The Avengers of 1,000,000 B.C. A primordial team of heroes, who came together to protect a vulnerable Earth from all manner of threats, at the dawn of Mankind. The team consisted of Odin (in his youthful, adventurous, Thor-like days), Lady Phoenix (The Phoenix Force possessing one of Earth’s first mutants), Agamotto (as in “The Eye of Agamotto”, Earth’s original Sorcerer Supreme), Black Panther (One of earliest incarnations of Wakanda’s defenders), The Ghost Rider (On a Wooly mammoth), Iron Fist (The first to face Shoa-Lao The Undying and claim the power of The Iron Fist for herself), and The Starbrand (A caveman wielding the power of The Starbrand, Earth’s natural self-defense system. Kind of like the team’s Hulk). 

These characters have been an important part of the story since the beginning of Aaron’s run. This one-shot looks to finally shed some light on the larger role they’ll be playing in the major conflict to come, currently being set up in the Avengers books. Though nothing official has been announced yet, there is definitely a big ol’, mega-blockbuster comic book event in the works, involving Earth’s Mightiest Heroes and I suspect this may be the book where we see things start to kick off. 

  Here’s Marvel’s official synopsis: “They are the defenders of the dawn of time. Marvel’s first and mightiest legacy heroes. But their greatest secrets have never been revealed. Until now. Witness the dark events that shatter their ranks. See how their lives come to shape the entire future of the Marvel Universe. And be there for the monumental event that reunites them one last time: the true story of Thor’s birth.”

From his work on Wolverine to his already classic Thor run, Jason Aaron has been the mastermind behind some of Marvel’s best books. His current Avengers run has been a total blast from the first issue. Like all of his stories, Aaron often introduces concepts, characters, and story arcs, early on in his books that pay off big time later in the story. It feels like something big is right on the horizon, so now would be a great time to dive right in, or even better, get caught up on the story from the beginning with the collected editions that you can pick up anywhere. That may seem like a lot of graphic novels for some of you, however they aren’t dense breeds and they are incredibly fun and exciting, which will make you breeze through these collected additions faster than you probably think. Below is the list of trade paperbacks, starting with Jason Aaron’s 1st Avengers arc ending with the most recent story. From there you’d be pretty much all caught up:

  • Avengers Vol.1 The Final Host
  • Avengers Vol.2 World Tour
  • Avengers Vol.3 War of The Vampires
  • Avengers Vol.4 War of The Realms
  • Avengers Vol.5 Challenge of The Ghost Riders
  • Avengers Vol.6 Starbrand Reborn
  • Avengers Vol.7 The Age of Khonshu
  • Avengers Vol.8 Enter The Phoenix
  • Avengers Vol.9 World War She-Hulk
  • Avengers Vol.10 The Death Hunters (Available in July)

That may seem like a lot of graphic novels to some of you, but they aren’t dense reads, the art is beautifully dynamic, and each story arc is incredibly fun and exciting. Which will make you breeze through these collected editions faster than you probably think. If you’re a MCU fan looking to dive into comics, then this series is a MUST READ!


BOOKS

The Maze: A John Corey Novel (Nelson DeMille) 10/11

This thriller is latest installment in the excellent John Corey series of novels. Previous installments include Plum Island, The Lion’s Game, Nightfall, Wild Fire, The Lion, The Panther, Radiant Angel, and the short story, The Book Case

VIDEO GAMES

Gotham Knights (PS4) 10/25/22

The next installment in the popular Arkham series of video games, Gotham Knights this story focuses on Bruce Wayne’s protégés Nightwing, Robin, Batgirl, and Red Hood. The inclusion of the group of villains known as The Court of Owls definitely makes the game a lot more exciting to me. This one will be a lot of fun when it comes out. Check out the awesome trailer below:

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!

-Paul

Disney+ Day Announcements: Moon Knight! Obi-Wan Kenobi! She-Hulk, X-Men 97, Loki Season 2! & Much More!

Hey Everyone,

Paul here…

Disney recently celebrated it’s first Disney+ Day. This was a chance for the streaming service to show its existing and potential new subscribers, the best currently available content on the platform. Perhaps importantly, this was an opportunity to showcase the thrilling new projects expected to debut over the next year. Unsurprisingly, a particular emphasis was put upon their plans for The Marvel Cinematic Universe and Star Wars. Including first looks at the upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi series, new MCU shows like Moon Knight and She-Hulk, as well as some cool surprises, like the revival of the beloved 90’s show, X-Men: The Animated Series. Below we have some teasers, behind the scenes video, concept art, and more, to help you get the lowdown on the most interesting stuff coming to streaming service over the next year. A huge amount of material was released and revealed during Disney+ Day, so I decided to pick a few of my favorites and give you everything you need to know about these new shows/projects. Take a look, enjoy…

The Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase 4 Continues

Moon Knight

When Moon Knight was first announced, I remember it was described by one of the producers, as “Indiana Jones meets Batman“. Well, that is one hell of a high bar to set, but from what I know about the character, I think I know what he was getting at. “Indiana Jones meets Batman“ is an appropriate way to describe the tone of some Moon Knight stories. Moon Knight is the story of Marc Spector, a mercenary and adventurer who becomes a brutal vigilante as the avatar of the Egyptian moon god, Khonshu. His adventures often involve various ancient and mystical forces. The Marvel presentation for Disney+ Day presentation only gave us the briefest of glimpses at how Moon Knight is being approached by Marvel’s show-runners. Its not a full trailer, but the video is long enough to be get some sense of where they’re going with the show and this fascinating character.

Official Synopsis:

Moon Knight is a new globetrotting action-adventure series featuring a complex vigilante who suffers from dissociative identity disorder. The multiple identities who live inside him find themselves thrust into a deadly war of the gods against the backdrop of modern and ancient Egypt. Moon Knight is directed by Mohamed Diab and is coming to Disney+ in 2022.

Speaking of ancient, mystical forces Ethan Hawke is playing the shows antagonist, which is extremely exciting. Hawke is still in the middle of filming Moon Knight, so during a recent interview on Late Night with Seth Meyers, he still looked like his mysterious character from Moon Knight. Myers, who’s a big lover, supporter, and advocate of Comic Books and Graphic Novels, casually mentioned that Ethan Hawke was sporting “a real David Koresh vibe.” David Koresh was the cult leader at the center of the infamous Waco siege in 1993. Hawke was astonished and shocked because, as he told Myers, he did, actually, base his character on Koresh. Hawke went on to say, with great admiration for Myer’s correct guess, “I guess it’s working. You’re good, Seth. Or maybe I’m not out of character yet…I will say that he is the source of great character inspiration.”. Many have speculated that Hawke is playing Dracula in the series, which would be fucking awesome.


She-Hulk

She-Hulk, a new comedy series coming to Disney+, stars Tatiana Maslany as She-Hulk/Jennifer Walters, a lawyer who specializes in superhuman-oriented legal cases. She-Hulk will welcome a host of Marvel characters to the series, including the Hulk, played by Mark Ruffalo, and the Abomination, played by Tim Roth. The series is directed by Kat Coiro and Anu Valia; Jessica Gao is head writer.

One of the things I was most curious about with this series, was how they would handle the look of the character. She-Hulk isn’t an inhumanly large powerhouse like her cousin Bruce Banner, but she’s not exactly a petite young woman either. She’s usually portrayed as being almost like an Amazon. Slightly larger and more muscular than a normal human. Even though she inherited her cousin‘s green skin with her transformation, what she lacks in raw physical power like the classic Hulk, she makes up for by having complete control over her mental faculties at all times. Meaning there is no split between Jennifer Walters and She-Hulk. We don’t see a lot of Jennifer Walters in her She-Hulk form, but I thought what little we saw looked great. Tatiana Maslany is a spectacular actress whose going to absolutely crush it in the role. Plus, it’ll be cool to have another Hulk running around The MCU, and any opportunity for an appearance of Prof. Hulk is a win! Check out the quick teaser here:


Marvel Animation Drops A Bomb!

X-Men: The Animated Series ‘97

Now this was a pleasant surprise! With the exception of Batman: The Animated Series, there is no superhero animated show of that era, more beloved, than X-Men: The Animated Series. The show’s ability to tackle mature content, not typically seen in “children’s programming“ at the time, as well as the extremely faithful adaptations of classic X-Men stories, made the show a hit, fan favorite.

Courtesy of Marvel.com, the producers of the new series have said that it will have the “DNA of the original show,” and follow a roster of X-Men similar to the original 90’s series. A major “impactful event” will be the jumping of point for this new series, setting the story in motion, and acting as a call to action for the X-Men. Many of the series original cast members will be returning for the new series, including Cal Dodd (Logan/Wolverine), Lenore Zann (Rogue), George Buza (Beast), Alison Sealy-Smith (Storm), Chris Potter (Gambit), Catherine Disher (Jean Grey/Phoenix), Adrian Hough (Kurt Wagner/Nightcrawler), and Christopher Britton (Nathaniel Essex/Mr. Sinister). Unfortunately, some members of the voice cast have since passed a way. It also seems as if the show intends to grow along with it’s original audience, at least to some degree. Most diehard fans of the series are adults now and it sounds like this new iteration is evolving along with it audience. According to the show’s producers at Marvel; “As an animated show, the original X-Men was the forerunner to some amazing action series. Everyone that is making X-Men ’97, top-down, is a fan. On this project, instinctually, we knew exactly what this is. To bring this series forward and pick up that baton, and not just keep running at the same pace, but to really elevate. That’s the responsibility.”Unfortunately we have quite a wait until the show premieres in 2023. Despite the wait, I am really interested and intrigued by this new project.


Star Wars (Or Lack Thereof …

Obi-Wan Kenobi

Official Synopsis:

The story begins 10 years after the dramatic events of ‘Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith’ where Kenobi faced his greatest defeat: the downfall and corruption of his best friend and Jedi apprentice, Anakin Skywalker, turned evil Sith Lord Darth Vader.”

After huge presentations from both Marvel and Pixar, many found it extremely odd that this teaser trailer for Obi-Wan was literally the only new Star Wars project showcased or discussed for this event. Nothing was announced about The Book of Boba Fett, or The Mandalorian Season 3. Let’s hope there aren’t any behind the scenes problems at Lucasfilm. I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before we start to hear gossip one way or another.

Anyway, people has been clamoring for on Obi-Wan Kenobi film for years. Despite the reputation of the prequel‘s, they’ve aged surprisingly well. An entire generation grew up with the prequel trilogy as “their Star Wars”. With Ewan McGregor being particularly beloved in his portrayal of the Jedi Master also known as Ben Kenobi. With the Obi-Wan Kenobi series debuting in 2022, I would argue that a mini series on Disney+ is a much better option as a fan, than one movie. Considering how fantastic the Star Wars shows on Disney+ have been, I think we can expect to get what is a miniseries that’s essentially an 8 to 10 episode Obi-Wan Kenobi movie. One of the most exciting piece of information confirmed during this presentation is the return of Hayden Christiansen as Anakin Skywalker. I love the idea of another confrontation between Vader and his old master, taking place sometime between their duel in Revenge of The Sith and when they meet again in A New Hope.

It’s sort of tracks that there would’ve been another confrontation or fight between the two of them, before their final reckoning in A New Hope. Because, when you think about it, Vader is pretty calm when he runs into Obi-Wan on The Death Star in Episode IV. I would think that if someone cut off my arms and legs, left me to burn alive, forcing me to live in agony inside a cybernetic suit that keeps me from dying, I’d be fucking PIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIISED! It will be interesting to see if and how they rehash the past upon their meeting. Will Vader blame Obi-Wan for Padme’? Will Ashoka be discussed? As much as I love the idea of Hayden Christiansen returning to play Anakin Skywalker again, I wonder exactly how they’re going to use him. For example, when he becomes Vader in Revenge of the Sith, that’s Hayden Christiansen in the Vader costume, but it’s still James Earl Jones‘s voice. I would think if they’re going to go to the trouble of using Hayden Christiansen, they would want the audiences to at least see him. I think flashbacks are probably very likely, we may even see some thing like his helmet get partially damaged, just enough damage to keep him going, but also just enough to see Hayden Christensen’s face inside. Allowing him to show us his portrayal of Anakin whose utterly and completely given himself to The Dark Side. I’ve always wondered what it would’ve looked like if Anakin wasn’t mutilated in his fight on Mustafar. Even if Anakin didn’t necessarily beat mObi-Wan in the fight, what would’ve happened if he had gotten away more or less in one piece? Without his horrific injuries, the robotic suit, and a near constant state of agony, what would Anakin have become? Based on his track record and what we know about The Force. Anakin most likely would’ve killed The Emperor after a relatively short amounts time and seized control of The Empire himself. I can say with confidence that he probably would’ve ended up as the most powerful and horrifically dangerous threat, the galaxy had seen in thousands of years.

The show boasts and impressive cast of new and returning characters like Luke’s aunt and uncle, Owen and Beru Lars. You can take a look at the full cast below.

Obi-Wan Kenobi is by far one of my most anticipated projects of 2022!


As of Disney+ Day, Disney upgraded multiple MCU films to IMAX level quality. You’ll notice a bit of a crisper, cleaner, more realistic look. All of the upgraded titles are listed below:

  • Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings
  • Iron Man
  • Guardians of the Galaxy
  • Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
  • Captain America: Civil War
  • Doctor Strange
  • Thor: Ragnarok
  • Black Panther
  • Avengers: Infinity War
  • Ant-Man and The Wasp
  • Captain Marvel
  • Avengers: Endgame
  • Black Widow

Thanks for reading! Follow us on Twitter @PJWrightWBM, on 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

X-Men: The Complete Animated Series Now On Disney+!

Hey Everyone,

Paul here…

X-Men: The Animated Series Now Streaming on Disney+! Watch the trailer below!

A picture of X-Men Cyclops, Beast, and Wolverine looking at something while Jubilee points at it. The X-Men logo and Disney+ logos covering the bottom half of the image.

As a child of the 90s, there were really only three superhero cartoons that defined the era for most kids. The best, was of course, the absolute classic Batman: The Animated Series, Spider-Man, and X-Men: The Animated Series. Batman: The Animated Series aired on Kid’s WB, while Spider-Man, and X-Men: The Animated Series were both on Fox Kids or Fox (Though there may have been some overlap at some point). I was a Batman and Spider-Man kid all the way, I loved both of the shows. Those shows were the reason I started reading comic books. When I went to my local comic book store, while I was in middle school, I asked the owner to set me up with the Spider-Man and Batman comic books.

Spider-Man crouching on a building ledge looking down, from the Spider-Man animated series.

While Spider-Man has its charms, it doesn’t hold a candle to Batman: The Animated Series, which still holds up as one of the best television shows of all time. It may surprise you to hear that, despite my love for superhero comics and my love of the X-Men in general, for some reason I never got into X-Men: The Animated Series. It was a big deal for all the kids I went to school with, but something about just turned me off and I never got into it. As time went on and I started to get into actual comic books and I became a huge X-Men comic book fan I would check out random episodes here and there, but I hadn’t seen very much of the show. At that point X-Men: Evolution had begun to coincide with the X-Men live action films that were being released. However, to many people who grew up in that era, X-Men: The Animated Series is the definitive take on the characters. I knew a lot of people who based their expectations of the X-Men films on what was done on the animated series. Like I said, I haven’t seen more than a few episodes, but from what I understand they took on classic stories like The Dark Phoenix Saga, Days of Future Past, and Age of Apocalypse. 

A collage of the X-Men team, showing Jean Grey (alongside both her light and dark Phoenix personas), Cable, Storm, Cyclops, Beast, Rogue, Mystique, Gambit, Wolverine and Jubilee.

  The one problem I will really always have with an X-Men cartoon that’s aimed at kids, is that I think the subject matter just doesn’t translate well to a heavily censored audience. One of the biggest issues I‘ll always have is the fact that everyone’s favorite character from that series is Wolverine. I’ve viewed Wolverine as a perfect example of main stream popular culture’s fundamental misunderstanding of comic book superheroes. Let me see right away, this is something that has hugely improved over the last few years. I think that as a culture, we have become more understanding that superhero stories run the gamut from something that’s appropriate for young children to stories that are only appropriate for adults. The example I love give is, when Batman Returns came out, McDonald’s had toys for that film in their happy meals as part of a promotional deal. Yet that is one of the most fucked up, dark, superhero movies that exists. The Penguin bites a guy’s nose off at one point. Which brings me back to X-Men: The Animated Series and the man called Logan. When Wolverine, one of the main protagonists of an animated show aimed at children, whose defining ability are the razor sharp adamantium claws that shoot out from his hands, there’s a disconnect between content and audience. I mean, there’s only so many times someone can throw a chair at him and he cuts it in half with his claws, with the pieces knocking the assailant out. Or Wolverine cuts a door or weapon. Come on, those things were created for one thing and one thing only and that is to take chunks out of people and stab them until they’re dead. But obviously you can’t do that on a kids show. I always felt like there was extra silliness to the character because it was so obvious that he was being toned down just by the very nature of his powers. His powers revolve around his excellence at murdering people, it’s just right there. Anyway that’s my nitpick.

Wolverine out of his X-Men uniform, with his claws extended, and some kind of energy circling the tips of them.

The point is that, up untill now, X-Men: The Complete Animated Series was never available easily on any streaming service or even some of the major digital purchasers. And there’s never been a DVD or Blu-ray release for The Complete Animated Series or even season by season. Well, that has all changed with Disney+, for the first time X-Men: The Animated Series is available in it’s entirety on Disney+. I think they know that they have an asset with this series, not only will all the original fans go out of their way to watch and enjoy the show, but many of those original fans will share the series with their own children. So Disney+ has putout a special trailer to commemorate the X-Men: The Complete Animated Series becoming fully available on their streaming service. It’s actually pretty cool. Check it out here:

Unfortunately they missed the opportunity to include the iconic X-Men opening theme song. If they put out this trailer, with the X-Men theme song playing at some point in the background, people would be running to their tablets and computers to sign up for Disney+. Even though it isn’t in this pretty cool trailer, the theme song is so goddamn catchy I wanted to make sure I included here for your viewing and listening pleasure…

It’s always worth noting that Disney+ may be promoting the show to gauge audience interest in producing a new season. That’s just conjecture, but it’s worth asking the question. Disney+ actually has a fantastic back catalogue of TV shows, especially when it comes to great cartoons from the 90s and early 2000s. You can find Spiderman: The Complete Animated Series, the aforementioned X-Men: Evolution, and a lot more to discover and explore. My personal favorite is the classic 90s Disney Afternoon series, Gargoyles, which is available in its entirety streaming on Disney+. This show is ridiculously fucking good. It is amazing the shit they got away with for a late 90s cartoon on Disney Afternoon. It is extremely dark, there are on screen murders, they even swear a few times, which is crazy for any animated series that is directed at children. The show is so fucking cool, deep, with characters that are compelling and fascinating, along with a rich and complex mythology that sucks you in. I will definitely write a much longer article about why you need to go out of your way to watch Gargoyles, because it’s fucking awesome. In fact, rumor has it for a while now that Jordan Peele actually wants to make a live action Gargoyles movie, which would be fucking amazing. I really hope that one comes through. Anyway I thought you guys might be interested in these trailers and the info about what is available over on Disney+. Enjoy your binge watching and bring your kids if you have them, I guess. Or screw your kids, go enjoy yourself, pawn your kid off on your spouse or just let them walk around in the yard or some thing. Lock yourself in a room for a few hours and kick back to a time when you were the kid instead of worrying about your goddamn kid. That’s pretty good advice right? All you need is a leash attached to one of those runners that goes across the yard, so kid can just run back and forth and tire itself out. Set out a bowl of water, watch your cartoons, and you’re good to go.

Three panel images, the first of Gambit sitting, the middle of Wolverine punching Cyclops in the stomach, and the third of Jean Grey looking worried or sad.

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-Paul