House of R - The Fall Hype Top 10 Road Map

Episode Date: October 15, 2021

Mal and Joanna are here to break down all the things in the world of fandom they are most looking forward to this fall with a top-10 hype road map (07:12). They discuss the Sandman, Cowboy Bebop, DC F...anDome, and much more to whet the appetite of the Ringer-Verse. Hosts: Mallory Rubin and Joanna Robinson Producers: Steve Ahlman Social: Jomi Adeniran Additional Production: TD St. Matthew-Daniel and Arjuna Ramgopal Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Starting point is 00:02:08 The truth is the world is ruled by corruption. Now are you supposed to be? I'm vengeance. Should we be worried? No, no, it's nothing. I'll be able for Christmas. This is going to be fun. And welcome into the Ringerverse here on the Ringer Podcast Network.
Starting point is 00:02:45 I'm Mallory Rubin. It is my absolute pleasure on the heels of that astounding Steve Allman, engineered intro custom for this episode to invite you not only back to New York for this podcast and this holiday season, but to join us on the Ringers Nexus podcast feed for all things fandom. Joining me today. Joining me always for the rest of time. Now that she's finished securing her opening night tickets to Rogers the musical, it's Ringer senior staff writer Joanna Robinson. I have never had such incredible walk-on music as what Steve just crafted for us there. I'm thrilled. Beyond thrills. Got me, this is a hype episode and I am now appropriately
Starting point is 00:03:39 hype for what we're going to talk about. Yes. We got a hype track for the hype episode. This is incredible. Great work, Steve. Thank you, Steve. Oh, my heart is pounding. Can't tell if it's from that or all of the caffeine. We have so much to get to today. A few programming reminders and notes quickly before we, before we dive in. The schedule for the ringer verse will be a touch different the next two weeks. The Midnight Boys, Dana Charles, will be back with you on Monday next week with a DC fandom reaction podcast. And then they will be with you next Friday for their Dune Instant Reaction Pod.
Starting point is 00:04:21 So no Wednesday Midnight Boys show next week and no house. of our working title. We'll get back to you on the TK. On the official title soon. TK. For the Friday show, but double house of our working title, TK. The following week, because we will be with you on Monday, October 25th, for a dune deep dive. And we're talking like all caps for the deep dive
Starting point is 00:04:44 on that one, for about a few hours for us. We're going to a raucas. I have packed my still suit, which means I can just go all day. No water break. The commitment is admirable and disturbing all at once. I cannot wait. And then we will be back to our regular Wednesday, Friday schedule from there.
Starting point is 00:05:10 How can you follow all of that? You might be wondering, we're so glad you asked. Because you can follow it by following the ringerverse on Spotify, wherever you get your podcast. You can follow all of that activity on our various social feeds, the ringerverse. is on Twitter. The Ringerverse is on Instagram. The Ringerverse has a Facebook group. Check it all out. Okay. Spoiler warning. Friendly neighborhood spoiler warning for today's podcast. It's a little bit
Starting point is 00:05:41 difficult to specify because it would apply to literally dozens of properties today. Honestly, maybe even more. This is more of maybe a speculation warning because this is a preview episode. This is a look ahead episode. But in the process of looking ahead, of course, we'll be talking about stories that have come before. So just general friendly neighborhood spoiler slash speculation warning here. Proceed with caution. We will say the thing that we're about to talk about
Starting point is 00:06:06 right before we talk about it. We'll do our best throughout. And we're not here to spoil the thing. No leaks or anything about the thing to come. No, no, no. But if we're talking about an MCU movie or show, we will, of course, mention things from MCU pass. So consider the spoiler warning of that fashion for today.
Starting point is 00:06:22 Or something based on a very long-running comic that we've, you know. maybe read all of something like that, you know. Indeed. Okay. Here's what we're doing today. What are we doing, Mal? We are leaning in to the hype because there is so much coming, Joanna.
Starting point is 00:06:40 There are so much coming the rest of this calendar year that we have decided on the eve of Dune, on the eve of Hawkeye, on the eve of so many other films and shows that we are anticipating so fully. We're going to break out the hype meter here, here at the Ring ofverse. We are doing a fall roadmap and fall we're putting in quotation marks, okay, because we're going in a little bit beyond fall. The whole calendar year is eligible. Rest of the year. Yes.
Starting point is 00:07:09 Hight meter roadmap. We're going to count down our respective top tens. We've got a lot of overlap, but some different positionings. And then we each have a few items on our list that the other person did not have. We're making our way toward number one. And there's just so much excitement, so many things to look forward to. I'm hyped. Are you hyped? I'm beyond hyped. And putting together the nose for today got me even more excited.
Starting point is 00:07:40 I get so excited, especially for how many things are coming that are based on a book or a comic or something where we can go all the way into the lore. It's lore time for geeks. And I'm really, I'm really thrilled to be here to get this opportunity. to talk to you about what we're excited about. I'm excited for our overlaps, but I'm also really excited and curious about the ways in which we differ. So we'll be talking about it. And we won't be here for three hours, right, Mal?
Starting point is 00:08:10 Right? We're going to try to keep our runtime a little bit below that today and then get back, I think, around that two hour mark for some subsequent movie pods. But truly, though, one of the things that's exciting
Starting point is 00:08:22 about this chat today is that everything we're talking about today we're going to revisit eventually. So this is really just the beginning. beginning. This is like the teaser. An amuse boosh? Ooh. My boosh is so amused to talk to you about all of this. I'm ready. Oh boy. Okay. Before we start with number 10, yeah, just want to say this. There's a lot of stuff that didn't make the top 10. And that doesn't mean we're not excited about it. There's so much afoot. We have a few honorable mentions. And
Starting point is 00:08:57 there's more even beyond just this handful of honorable mentions. Like, for example, I'm very, I'm very interested in the impending foundation finale. Speaking of Apple TV, curious about invasion. I personally am extraordinarily behind on the expanse, but the expanse is a final season coming up, which is obviously a source of great anticipation and joy for a lot of people. There's a new flash season coming up. We've got a Doctor Who season coming up. Guardians of the Galaxy video game on and on the list goes. So if a specific thing didn't make the top 10. That doesn't mean we're not hyped about it. We look forward to talking about it, possibly in some capacity in the future. There's just so much. No, it's true. And like,
Starting point is 00:09:35 we want to be able to go fathoms deep on what we cover. So that may mean we don't cover every single thing. We want, we want to be here for you covering as much as we can. There's just so much, as you know, as you know at home trying to consume all of this. There's a lot. There's a lot going on. So, yeah. Okay. Let's kick things off with number 10 on. our respective list. What do you get? All right. So my number 10 is like a number 10 with a question mark, but I really wanted to put it on here. And this is Netflix's live action adaptation of the classic iconic anime series Cowboy Bebop. And this has been a long, long, long, long, long time coming and in gestation. And this is
Starting point is 00:10:22 written by Christopher Yost, who's a writer that I'm really interested in. He's done some Marvel stuff. He did a great Mandalorian episode. Like, he's a writer I'm really interested in. That's got me really excited. But obviously, what's got me most excited is John Cho in the lead here as Spiegel. And this is about a group of, it's such a, Calais B.Bop is such an interesting vibe. It's so hard to capture exactly what is going on here with like, but, you know, if you, if you love Firefly, like, there's a few, you know, Western in space sort of outlaws. etc.
Starting point is 00:10:58 All that sort of stuff is in the mix. I think there's been a lot of questions around this adaptation in terms of like, can you even do a live action adaptation of any anime given how like stylistic, like gloriously stylistic anime is? So can you do something like that? I don't know.
Starting point is 00:11:18 But I know that this like, Cowboy Bebop was such a huge moment for anime reaching Western American audiences. and so it holds this really special places like so many people's first foray into anime. And so expectations are sky high. We haven't seen any of it. We've seen the opening credits that they did
Starting point is 00:11:38 in a few promo photos, but it's coming out really soon and we haven't seen like a trailer. The production was a little troubled. There was an injury that's at them back about eight months. There's the COVID of it all. There's all these questions. But like, there's just a part of me
Starting point is 00:11:53 that hopes this is extraordinary. so that's why Cowboy Vubop is here for me. Is this on your... I know it's not on your list. Is it on your radar at all now? It is on my radar. This is a very exciting pick. So a couple weeks ago after Star Wars Visions,
Starting point is 00:12:06 which I absolutely adored and thought it was just like sublime, I chatted with the sound only guys, Charity and Micah, about their anime recommendations, what they would recommend to people like me who watched Visions, loved it and were interested in exploring. more anime. And, you know, this is one of the many things coming out of that conversation that is on my list to catch up on and get ready for. So I, uh, I expect by mid-November to be right there with you. I can't wait. Please, please let me know when you plan on binging all of cowboy B-Bop. I'm excited. I'm excited for this for you. I will keep you posted. How about you?
Starting point is 00:12:49 What's in your 10 position? Number 10 for me is on the immediate Horizon. We are recording this on Friday morning, October 15th. And I'm about to mention something that's coming on Saturday morning, October 16th. The hype is close. DC fandom is tomorrow, is October 16th. If you're interested in hearing more of a DC fandom preview, check out the Midnight Boys episode for this week. There is a lot about this streaming event that I'm really eager to see. It starts at 10 a.m. Pacific. goes for a few hours. I will be watching.
Starting point is 00:13:29 I'm really eager for updates and sneak peeks of various DC projects, film, TV, animated, comic, gaming, etc. Like, we're going to get a ton and ton, of DC updates here. The Flash, Black Adam, Aquaman, Shazam, Harley Quinn, Backgirl, Peacemaker, Black Canary, Blue Beetle, Arrowverse updates.
Starting point is 00:13:51 I know Jomey's excited for the Young Justice update, etc. So there's a ton coming. DC fandom moment that I am anticipating the most fully, and I am absolutely certain I am not alone here, is the new trailer for Matt Reeves' The Batman. I love trailers, as you know. I do. I love Batman movies, and I cannot wait for this movie.
Starting point is 00:14:19 I actually did a Best of Batman, like Batman Hall of Fame episode with Sean Fennacy, a few months ago, just because like a new picture of the bat suit came out and it's just like, any excuse. Any excuse. Let's just rewatch every Batman movie and talk about everything in Batman because of that. I've done a couple of Batman rankings in the last two years. So I'm curious, like, what's your number one Batman? Who's your number one Batman and what's your number one Batman like thing? Well, so we went like category by category. We did it all. We did like best Batman, best Batman movie, best Batmobile, like on and on and on. Best Bateman suit.
Starting point is 00:14:56 There were some bat nipple talk. Great. I'll not shock you to hear it was the two-hour pod. Here's what I'll say. Let's carve out some time to revisit this together in the future because I have so many thoughts. Like, I mean, Dark Night is my favorite Batman movie. I'm actually really partial to Pan-Aflex from Bruce Wayne. And that comment requires a lot of context that I shared on that past podcast.
Starting point is 00:15:26 and we'll share again in the future. But I actually, like, independent, actually, of my thoughts on the Snyderverse. I like his version of the character. But in general, I'm so hyped for the Patinson version. This is going to be based on everything we understand, a year two Batman story and heavily anchored in that detective noir, Batman energy, which I'm really excited about.
Starting point is 00:15:55 Reeves gave an interview to the Hollywood reporters Leslie Goldberg back in 2019. And this quote was really exhilarating in terms of what to anticipate from the movie. Quote, it's very much a point of view-driven noir Batman tale. It's told very squarely on his shoulders. And I hope it's going to be a story that will be thrilling, but also emotional. It's more Batman in his detective mode than we've seen in the films. The comics have a history of that as well. He's supposed to be the world's greatest detective. And that's not necessarily been a part of what the movies have been. So I'm really eager for that energy. I'm excited to see this new trailer and to see what sort of noir vibes are present in this trailer. We're getting an incredible cast in this movie. Obviously, Patinson, Zoe
Starting point is 00:16:37 Cravitz as Selena Kyle, Paul Dano as the Ridler, Colin Farrell, as Penguin, Jeffrey Wright, as Commissioner Gordon, Andy Circus, as Alfred. Even the teasers for the trailer have me excited. Like we got a little six or seven or eight second teaser from the Batman Twitter account this week in which we saw, you know, the red and black bat signal, the color palette for this particular film and heard Pattinson saying it's not just a signal. It's a warning. And then Reeves shared a still shot of his Batman looking out over his Gotham. on Twitter and like there's just so much hype for a trailer which is meant to build hype. Layers of hype here. I really cannot wait. Okay. So I'll say this.
Starting point is 00:17:34 This is not your only like sort of like fan hype event that you have on your list. And I sort of cheated because I knew you were going to put them on the list that I left them off my list. But overall I would say I like hype events. But I do get like a little wary of like overhyping myself or something. Do you mean that's something that I get a little nervous about with like a DC fandom or something like that? I am very excited for this movie. I think it's going to be great. The Batman.
Starting point is 00:18:02 I'm really excited. I will say that so my favorite Batman. Are you a Keatonhead? Well, I was going to say my favorite Batman movie is Batman Returns, actually. I love that. I'm a big Michelle Pfeiffer Catwoman fan. But it's hard to argue with Christian Big. as well.
Starting point is 00:18:22 So that's sort of like all in the mix. But also Batman the anime. I think my thing with Christian Bail is I think he's the best Bruce Wayne. Yes. Yes. I think it's really important to distinguish who's the best Bruce Wayne versus who's the best Batman. Yeah, exactly. Clunes is at the bottom of all the lists, but that's okay.
Starting point is 00:18:38 Wasn't his fault. Wasn't his fault. The Batman the Animated series, though, is like really, really near and dear to my heart. And when they released the first, I think it was the first photo of Pattinson and the Cowell. And like something that I never, you don't necessarily. notice about Pattinson when his like luxurious hair is out and not covered by a cowl is like the diamond cut angle of his jaw, which is so bad. You have to have it.
Starting point is 00:19:01 You have to have it. Yeah, it's Batman the enemy's jaw on the chin. Yeah. So he's got it. He's got the jaw in a way that I didn't really realize until they sort of encased him in rubber. So, yeah, I'm really excited for this stuff. Me too. And of course we should say like this movie, this Batman movie has been decouple.
Starting point is 00:19:21 from the DCEU. This is like the DC Multiverse, right? This is set on Earth 2, not Earth 1. So I'm just interested in that as well and how the DC film universe is continuing to evolve and expand right now. I love how you kind of cheated and put a March 2020 thing on your list by putting it under the fandom umbrella.
Starting point is 00:19:43 Yes, the movie comes out next year. That is true. Very tricksy. But I have never once allowed myself to be bound by the rules of the exercise on a podcast. And damn it, I won't begin today. I love a rule breaker. Should you go to number nine?
Starting point is 00:19:57 Let's do it. What's number nine for you? Okay, for me, it is The Witcher season two, which drops December 17th on Netflix. I don't know what your journey through the Witcher season one was. But like, here's what happened. The Witcher comes out at the end of 2019,
Starting point is 00:20:14 the first season. When I am still running on fumes from the end of Thrones, and it's a show that came out with already a lot of books and video games and like a deep edge of fandom and a lot of lore. And I was like, I was pre-exhausted. I was like, I can't go back again. It's too soon for me to like read all these books and get all the way in and stuff like that. And I wasn't even going to watch it.
Starting point is 00:20:39 And then everyone loved it so much. It was such a thing. And I was like, well, it would be silly of me to not even watch this. So I watched it. And without, broke my own. rule, like without reading the book or whatever. I just watched it. And I had so much fun.
Starting point is 00:20:56 The Witcher, the first season was such an interesting mix because at times it felt like the show was trying to take itself very seriously. And at times it felt like it leaned into the camp. And I think people really responded to it most when it was like in that camp space. And when it was in there, and especially like how much Henry Cavill, who is like the world's number one most handsome as dork, like got so excited. to be in the Witcher. And I talked to him about it
Starting point is 00:21:24 sort of a little bit after I saw it. And he was like, I don't know if you've heard these stories about how intense he was about this. Like, there's the Witcher voice. You know, speaking of Patton's Batman voice, there's the Witcher voice he did. But also, like, he has to wear these contacts. And he wanted to have them in all the time.
Starting point is 00:21:40 And they were like, these are damaging. Like, he got grit behind them. He damaged his eyeballs wearing these, like, girls to, like, contacts, but he was like so, he, they had to like force him to take them out because he was like, no, I need them in for the character, this whole thing. So there's something about me that just admires how like balls to the wall he is about this project. There's this dumb, fun element of it. I love the character of Yenifer and her whole thing. It's very exciting. So leading into, going into season two, the question is, like Netflix is all in on this. Witcher was huge for them.
Starting point is 00:22:14 They're expanding the universe. They're doing prequels. They're doing anime movies. They're doing a live action series starring Michelle Y'all. Like, they're doing this whole thing. But it feels like, we haven't seen a ton about season two, but it feels like they're leaning into that camp vibe that people responded to. The big clip that they showed at their like, Tadam Netflix preview event involved our guy, Christopher Haview, Torman Giant Spain himself, as this like pig person. I don't know how to describe exactly, but he's like in full prosthetics.
Starting point is 00:22:46 It's like this whole thing. And I'm just like, this is, this lighter tone, this is what I want for the whole thing, personally. So I'm really excited. Where's your hype for The Witcher Season 2? Here's the thing. You didn't watch season one. Haven't seen a second of it or read a word of it. So this is all new for me.
Starting point is 00:23:06 But seeing your joy and your enthusiasm. Infectious, infectious. The hype, it's just porting over through Zoom. Now I know that I need to check it out so that I can share in this with you and all of the other people who are excited. I'll add it to the list to the ever-growing list right after. No, put it in front of Cowboy Bebop and then like we'll talk about it. But it's so interesting because like are you aware, though, about Henry Cavill and his
Starting point is 00:23:36 extreme dorcitude that this man like generally, yes, I had not heard the contact lens story, which is alarming and distressing. It is bizarre. But like this is a man who like builds his own. gaming computers and stuff like that. Like that's who Henry Cavill is. It's ridiculous. Anyway, how about you?
Starting point is 00:23:53 What's your number nine on the list? So as you, as you teased, as you indicated, this is another hype event that I'm picking, which is really just a way yet again to cheat inside of the exercise and talk about a dozen, maybe two dozen other things that I'm excited for that are not actually necessarily coming out within the time frame of the parameters. the parameters of this exercise allow for. Disney Plus Day, November 12th. Last year's Disney Investor Day, December 2020,
Starting point is 00:24:30 it was just this like treasure trove of insight and previews and look-aheads and show reveal and movie reveal information. Now, this is different. This is the inaugural Disney Plus Day. But I'm expecting a similar bounty of insight, and sneak peeks. So we know.
Starting point is 00:24:50 Can I ask you really quickly? Have you ever been to a D23, like a Disney? I haven't been to D23. It's such a wild experience. Sorry, to interject. It's just like, this I imagine is going to be much closer to that than the investor call. I don't know if you were on the investor day the whole time last year as I was, where I was like on vacation but still on my laptop.
Starting point is 00:25:11 And a friend at one point brought me a sandwich because it went on way longer than we expected it to. Yeah. But it was like, it was such a interesting combination of like investor business talk. And then here's a teaser. Yes. That this will be much closer to D23. But it'll be really interesting to see D23 over the internet because so much of D23 is like the hype of the room.
Starting point is 00:25:33 But anyway, sorry, go ahead. What would we expect? That's an interesting point because obviously the feeling inside of a like convention hall is is not a thing that can really replicate outside of that. but like the fact that more people can tune into this is, you know, the other side of it. And I think that that's like exciting to be able to share the hype with so many other Marvel and Star Wars and Pixar and, you know, just Disney fans in general. Like we know definitively from the press release that we're getting a special celebrating the origins and legacy of Star Wars legendary bounty hunter Boba Fett. That's on the press release.
Starting point is 00:26:15 Okay, we know that. And then we know we're getting a special celebrating the Marvel Cinematic Universe on Disney Plus with an exciting look toward the future. Now, those don't really tell us anything, right? But what will be contained inside of that? And then what else is coming? Because, you know, the breaking news first look, teaser, clip element was also teased. I'm basically excited for every impending Star Wars and Marvel project. We will not talk about all of them because we will not talk about all of them because we're.
Starting point is 00:26:45 we don't have time to do so today. But the promise of some sort of trailer clip update on not only Boba, which, you know, given that that's coming out this year is a given, but Andor, the Obi-1 Canobi show, Asoko, which is probably like, I mean, it's really tough for me to decide whether Asoka or Canobie is top of my list. I just can't wait for this. The Ackleite, Lando, Rangers of the New Republic. Will we get any Mando season three updates?
Starting point is 00:27:14 It's like it even a glimpse of my darling Grogu. A Rogue Squadron update? I'm not going to do the whole when we get an X-Men announcement thing here. But will we get some sort of X-Men? We might. We could. It's possible.
Starting point is 00:27:32 Reasonable to assume that we'll get some sort of fantastic four update. And then obviously, you know, everything else on the phase four slate. I mean, Spider-Man, No Way Home, which we're going to talk about. Spoiler in today's episode is coming out this December. I think we'll... we're going to talk about Spider-Man, pretty much non-stop between now and then.
Starting point is 00:27:48 What will we see for Hawkeye update? It's Marvel update. Moon Night, She-Hawks, Secret Invasion, Ironheart Armoursport, the Wakanda series, Loki Season 2. There's just so much. On the Pixar front, Lightyear, there's just so much coming. I want updates and all of it. All of it. I don't know how I'm going to survive November 12th.
Starting point is 00:28:07 I love this for you. I would love you for you to tell the listeners who's on your shirt today. I'm wearing a boba shirt I got a boba fett shirt on boba's on the shirt pretty hyped about boba another spoiler for the rest of my list here
Starting point is 00:28:23 I'm excited we're going to talk about this but it's that's another case of like enthusiasm sort of bleeding through because like boba book of boba fat is on my list is higher on my list because of you but we'll get to that yeah it's true it's true
Starting point is 00:28:38 this episode is brought to you by weather tech everyone knows winter is the MVP make it a mess. You don't need weather tech floor liners in the summer unless you hit the beach or go camping. Then you'd want a cargo liner or a road trip goes sideways, ketchup goes rogue, ice cream drips. Yeah, you'd be pretty happy about those weather tech seat protectors. So just to be clear as the mud, you're inevitably going to step into the summer. You don't need weather tech unless you plan on doing summer. Visit weathertech.com today. My number eight is something we're not even Speaking of cheating, we're not even sure this is coming out this year.
Starting point is 00:29:21 I was talking to Apollo My English for Netflix, and I asked her, I was like, would we look dumb if we put the Sandman on our rest of 2021 list, crickets, no response? So they wouldn't even like open the kimono on that front. So we don't, I really kind of doubt it's coming in 2021. We're going to talk about it a little later on the list. Spoiler alert. But I'm just going to flag that Sandman's my number eight. We'll get to more on that front.
Starting point is 00:29:52 Yes. The way we're doing this is if one of us has a certain entry higher, we'll talk about it together at the higher ranking slot. And I have that just a touch higher. So we will circle back in a moment. Yeah. How about you? What's your number eight, Mel?
Starting point is 00:30:05 My number eight, the wheel of time. Here's why I'm excited about the wheel of time, which is coming to Amazon Prime on November 19th. Season one is supposed to be eight episodes, the now standard Amazon release strategy of the initial binge drop of three episodes and then weekly from there. Personally, not a fan of that model
Starting point is 00:30:28 because then I watch three in a row and want the whole season. I can't do this hybrid approach. I need it weekly or I need it as a binge. Anyway, I have not read the Wheel of Time books. The Robert Jordan books, the Brandon Sanderson continuation of the books.
Starting point is 00:30:48 I have not read any of them. And I consider this like a pretty big in the interest of full disclosure and candor here today. I consider this a pretty big hole in my personal fantasy literary education. Though I also believe that that education is ongoing and that's part of the fun of it, right?
Starting point is 00:31:05 So I'm excited to see what this is all about because I know people who love these books, who adore this story. who consider it their favorite of all time. And I actually always really enjoy when an impending release, be it a show or a film, gives me that nudge
Starting point is 00:31:30 to check something out at last. Now, am I going to be able to read 14 novels plus a prequel novel in the next month while watching Witcher season one and Cowboy Vipop? unlikely, I think. But it's like that little extra nudge to finally start, finally dip in. I'm really eager to check out the world.
Starting point is 00:31:54 And, you know, the show, which I have not seen yet, I have not seen screeners of, just watch the trailer. I found the trailer to be intense, but quite intriguing. Rosamond Pike in the lead. Our guy Bruce Bolton making a train. trailer appearance. A little, just a fun little
Starting point is 00:32:16 pop culture nugget here. Former survivor contestant, Rafe Judkins is the showrunner for this. Wild.
Starting point is 00:32:25 Wild. Wow. Unbelievable. Unbelievable. Maybe that'll spark a Ringer podcast network crossover event with the Ringerverse
Starting point is 00:32:33 and the pod has spoken at some point. But, you know, this is part of, obviously, Amazon's, like, larger foray and continued push
Starting point is 00:32:40 into fantasy. Obviously, the impending Lord of the Rings show is top of the list there, but The Boys, Invincible, The Expans, Good Omas, etc., etc., etc. I'm just really eager to watch the show and see how it is, but more broadly, to fall into the world of the Wheel of Time at last. I am so curious to see how this lands,
Starting point is 00:33:01 because I know that the readership is so passionate. They've been waiting for this for so long. I know a lot of them were really excited about some of the early looks that have come out, images, the trailer, etc. I've seen a little bit more than you have that has thrown some cold water in my enthusiasm, but I don't want to let that throw cold water in other people's enthusiasm. And I want to see, like you, I'm not a book reader on this one. And I don't know if that has put me in a position where I'm not, I don't know if that put
Starting point is 00:33:34 me on the back foot in terms of what I've seen of this series. And I'll be very curious to see if the folks who love love the books, feel like this is a solid, the solid adaptation that they've been looking for. It was a thrill to see Michael McClinton, Ruse Bolton himself, show up in a very, very different role, very, very different father figure that he's playing in this show. And there are some, like, really fantastic. Any leeches? Any word on whether they're open leech? Neri a leech. Neri a leech for House Bolton. But, uh, and not a of a. vampire either, just in case you had those theories. You know that, like, that's one of my favorite
Starting point is 00:34:15 fan theories of all time. Bruce Bolton is a vampire. I love it. It's right behind Varus is a merman. It's a merman, yeah. Yeah. So the younger folks that they've cast for like sort of the main clutch of heroes in this show, I'm interested, particularly in one of them, very interested. And it's the kind of thing where like, it's the kind of thing that could launch these young actors who haven't done a ton before this into, you know, the stratosphere. So that'll be interesting to watch. But yeah, I'm just very curious to see what book readers think and maybe what context I might be missing in my early reception of the show. That makes sense. So it does indeed.
Starting point is 00:34:59 Hype time. Hype time. All right. Number seven. Right on time for when we said we were going to get to. I'm honestly floored right now. So proud of us. Let's try to be at number seven at the 30 minute mark.
Starting point is 00:35:12 And you just said number seven in tandem with Steve saying 30 minutes. It's never happened before. It'll never happen again. But we did it today, damn it. You know, I mean, I believed in us the whole time. All right. So my number seven here is what you'll see, a pattern of me is that when something has a troubled production, that's not enough to let me, like, to dampen my enthusiasm.
Starting point is 00:35:35 I get very contrary maybe. You're more intrigued. I get very protective of this and I really want to give it a chance. So coming out after a long delay on December 22nd is the Kingsman, the third installment in the Kingsman franchise. This is a prequel movie. So my beloved Taryn Aterton and Colin Firth will probably not be showing up unless they're here in like cameo bookends or something like that.
Starting point is 00:36:04 this takes place earlier in the history is about sort of the foundation of this secret society. I am a massive Kingsman fan. Where are you on the Kingsman love train? Okay. Wonderful. This is an absolutely outstanding inclusion on the list. I'm so glad you put this on here. This is a great one.
Starting point is 00:36:23 I mean, the incredible suits alone, the tremendous action, I just, I love this series. much. We've got an all-star cast in my, in my heart, all-stars in my heart line up for this film. We've got Ray Fines and M himself here. Gemma Arterton, who is like, Gemma is such an interesting actress who like almost was so many different times. And she's someone who I always enjoy when she shows up. Reese Fons is playing Rasputin, which is just like, yes. Matthew Good, Daniel Grohl, Zimo himself, Jamon Honsu, to Charles Dance, not the last time we'll talk about Charles Dance on this podcast.
Starting point is 00:37:10 And Stanley Tucci at Touch of the Tuch. Stanley Tucci is one of those actors who you're like, how is he not already in this franchise? The premise is, as a collection of history, worst tyrants and criminal masterminds, gather to plot a war to wipe out millions, one man, and its protege must race against time to stop them. it's this let's be clear this this premiere date has been moved long before COVID was on the scene.
Starting point is 00:37:41 It was already getting moved around. And so it's always my hope when one of those things gets delayed. And it's rarely the case. There's always my hope where I'm like, maybe they'll fix it. Maybe they'll fix whatever. It's making them nervous. And this will just be tremendous. So that is my hope, my hype hope for the Kingsman December 22nd.
Starting point is 00:38:00 I love it. Let me just say this. Yeah. The franchise overall. Yeah. Across the films. Two of my, I think, all-time top five, Colin Firth and Ray Fines. I mean, same.
Starting point is 00:38:13 Hard same. No surprise. Yeah. Not shocked at all. And this was like, Kingsman was such a lovely moment because, like, I feel like Colin Firth is one of those actors who has had like so many, like, renaissance, despite never going away. You know what I mean?
Starting point is 00:38:32 And it's sort of like he showed up in Bridget Jones and people are like, oh, Colin Firth again. And you're like, Colin Firth didn't go away. And he shows up in a single man and people are like, oh, Colin Firth again. Then he gets the Oscar. But still, like, people get surprised. And then he shows up in the first Kingswood movie
Starting point is 00:38:46 and does, there's that incredible, traumatic church gunfight scene that is like one of my top film moments of all time. So, yeah, I'm a big fan of this franchise. Thank you for coming with me on this very stylish, very violent journey as we go into the Kingsman. I can't wait to continue this journey with you. I'm not sure I'll have the fashion for it, but the passion, I can promise. I'll take fashion over fashion any day in the week.
Starting point is 00:39:21 My number seven is, I believe, your number six. And so we can't actually chat about this together here now. Let's do it. Matrix Resurrections. Oh, I'm so excited. Tell me, tell me why it is here for you, number seven. This is coming out in December, December 22nd. This will be a theatrical release and an HBO Max.
Starting point is 00:39:44 Same day as Kingsman. Double feature. That's what I say. There is so much coming out in December. Yeah. We're going to need to, I don't know. I feel a lot of certainty that we'll have many spreadsheets. color-coded ones in our future.
Starting point is 00:40:01 Currently embarking on a Matrix rewatch. My husband and I began our rewatch a couple weeks ago. Actually, when the trailer came out, yes, which was in September. Trailer was exhilarating. First of all, I love a trailer with a cat, as you know. Great to get a little cat cameo right away. Sure. That Neo Trinity moment in the trailer, I just got to chill, like a full body spine tingling chill.
Starting point is 00:40:33 The white rabbit needle drop, all of it. The cast for the movie is sensational. The process of beginning the rewatch where I'm only, we're only one movie in so far. I think actually maybe we'll watch the second one this weekend, though I have some, some Dune viewing to spend time on this weekend. another upcoming item on the list. Spoiler! But it's just really fun. Honestly, it's just really fun to dive back into the Matrix canon
Starting point is 00:41:01 and to think about what still feels so revelatory and all of the other stories that sprung from the Matrix archetype, how many different things the Matrix has informed since. And then it's also really interesting to think about what, I don't want to say doesn't feel as fresh or revelatory, but just what feels, and again, it's connected actually to how many things the Matrix has influenced, like totally inextricable from what so much of modern day pop culture and storytelling is and is interested in examining. And I'm always just really fascinated by that.
Starting point is 00:41:42 The idea of rebooting the franchise now, when so many things are releasing all the time, that the Matrix in some way informed is a really cool chance to think about the past and the present and the future of sci-fi and fantasy. I'm so hyped. I think it's really interesting. I think the timing is so good for
Starting point is 00:42:05 whatever however anyone felt about reloaded in revolutions, the second and third film. You know, revolutions came out in 2003. It's been a minute. And speaking of sort of renaissance in their career, the way we think about Keanu is so different
Starting point is 00:42:23 than the way we thought about Keanu back there. Yes. You know what I mean? This is John Wick Keanu now. Long hair and all. Opposed John Wick Keanu. So the big thing for me for the Matrix. I mean, I was excited for the Matrix.
Starting point is 00:42:34 They were filming here in the Bay Area. So like I have seen some matrixy stuff happen around the town. They're also doing the world premiere here in San Francisco. Do you want to come up here and go to the world premiere of Matrix in in San Francisco with me? Think about it. That honestly sounds great.
Starting point is 00:42:50 Think about it. But the trailer dropped right when I was finishing up, as you know, this long lost rewatch that I was doing. And if folks have revisited the final season of lost at any point, you will know that this trailer is the most final season of lost thing you could possibly see. For me, that's a positive. I put that on Twitter. Some people were like, that's a negative for me.
Starting point is 00:43:16 But I just think they haven't rewatch Lost in a while. the final season of loss is so good, but it's this like alternate universe sort of soulmate finding, reconnecting with your love, all this sort of stuff, which White Rabbit, huge part of loss, like all like mirror universe, all this sort of stuff is exactly what's in the stew. And of course,
Starting point is 00:43:39 loss itself was inspired in part by the Matrix. Like it's all this feedback loop, as you were alluding to. But it's all connected. I mean, there's so many people I know who watch that, trailer, we're like, am I, is this another episode of Lost? What am I watching?
Starting point is 00:43:52 And that excites me. Let me tell you what I would love. Another episode of Lost. Same. Big Same. The fact that Carriam Moss is back makes me so excited because there is that like more perturbing trend. I'm looking at you like Top Gun, even though I'm really excited for Top Gun.
Starting point is 00:44:08 But like that trend of like, let's bring back the same guy. But like obviously we have to get a new woman because like, you know, time is past. And, you know, but like Carrie Moss is here. And that just makes it feel. feel like we know these people. We've been here with these people. We want to spend more time with them. We care. We're invested in the Neo and Trinity of it all. So all of that's great. Jonathan Groff is here. I'm never mad about that. I shouted, Groff. He popped up at the end of the trailer. Love, love Graff. Literally shouted aloud. There's a, there's a mystery
Starting point is 00:44:44 theorizing element to all of this. It's been really fun and exciting as we try to figure out what this is even about where are we, what's happening? Because maybe you should go rewatch the trilogy if you don't know why we're confused that maybe Neo and Trinity are here, you know, except, et cetera. And we should say this is, this is not a Wachowski sibling joint. This is just Lana making this film on her own. So like, what was it about the story? That Lana was like, not only am I compelled to tell this story, but like, I'm going to even do it without my sister, my creative partner that has been with me through all of this. Like that has to be an extra strong pull. And so I'm very curious to see this creative who has worked in tandem for
Starting point is 00:45:29 career on her own and what this is that she wanted to explore. So yeah, I am really excited for The Matrix. I'm really glad you mentioned the theorizing because that is definitely one of the things that has me most hyped, just speculating with other fans and trying to figure out what might be a foot here. And like, some of it is even like already unfolding with Yaya Abdulmatine is playing Morpheus, but it's like, well, okay, what exactly is going on with this Morpheus? And even just like, I'm already like parsing every interview and every quote to try to, lean clues. So, like, he, there's a recent E.W. Nick Romano piece in which, yeah, I said, quote, I think what the script provided was a new narrative and some new opportunities that did make room
Starting point is 00:46:28 within the Matrix universe for a new Morpheus. What does that mean? I'm so excited. I don't know. What's real? We don't know. We don't know what's real. What are we looking at? Is Trinity real? Is Neo-reel? Like, what's happening? So, uh, was all of it? We don't know. We don't know. We don't know. We don't know what. Is there like an extra layer of artifice to everything we've ever seen before? I was this informed the movies we thought we already understood, like all that sort of stuff. So yeah, maybe we can find time in our very clear and unbusy schedule to like go down the rabbit hole of theorizing about the Matrix before we finally, you know, before we see it and we know what it's about. That is fun to like pour over every detail for me. Yeah, once again, I feel like you're presenting me right now with a blue pill and a red pill.
Starting point is 00:47:13 Yes. Come with me down the rabbit hole. What is your number six now? The sandban. The sandban. Talk about it. Sandman hype. All right. So there's a couple of reasons why it's a little lower on the list for me. One is we don't actually know if this is coming out this year. Right. Okay. So let me say on that front, you're completely right. And it's very possible that misusing a space here because this will not be fall or even 2021. Here's why I'm. allowing myself to believe it might be. The coming soon, the coming soon label in the teaser trailer that recently came out, I'm just like,
Starting point is 00:47:53 why not say in 2022, like in the Stranger Things trailer, if it's going to be 2012? Now, that's not a really strong reason to think that it's actually going to be this year, but I don't know, coming soon. At what point is 2020, not soon?
Starting point is 00:48:12 Yeah, I don't know. How am I not myself? It's a good question. It's a good question. But let's talk about Sandman in general. And let me talk about some of my other reservations, right? So Sandman is comic as written by Neil Gaiman, as created by Neil Keele and Sam Keith and Mike Dangenberg is iconic, iconic comic book, legendary, etc. It is the comic book that got me, finally got me into comic.
Starting point is 00:48:43 books. This and actually another one that we're going to talk about because I was resistant to the media for a really long time, the medium for a really long time. I just had a hard time getting into the story and I just wasn't used to, I didn't read them as kids, so I wasn't used to like the way in which you absorb the story. And everyone in my life who loved comics with books was just pressing a Sandman on me because they're like, you love Neil Gaiman. You already love Neil Gaiman. You love mythology and lore. You're gonna love this comic. Then we'll finally get you. And then you'll read all this other stuff. And I was like, okay. And then I finally like really sat down and read it. And then I just got sucked in. And I can physically like remember where I was when I got sucked into the Sandman. I can just remember just like sitting there. And I read and I actually read them digitally, which is not usually my preferred way to absorb anything. But there's something about the digital platform. for comics that actually works really well for me. And I just like, and because I enjoy the guided view, the Zoom game guided view.
Starting point is 00:49:47 Yeah. Also, the Sandman collections are, which I have down in the lower, in the corner. Yeah. Gigantic. Gigantic. You need a lot of like wrist strength. It's true. And so like I had them all there on this like tiny device and I just like chew through the
Starting point is 00:50:00 whole thing. And it's so complex. It's just got that really fun game and thing that he does where he just makes even like mythology you've heard elsewhere before feel. like new and special to him. It's something that I love and everything that he does. So that has me all excited. I'm so excited for it, in fact, that I've started listening to this other podcast called
Starting point is 00:50:21 The Endless Podcast, host by Lenny Diane Rich, Lisa Quitney. And it is a, they're doing like an issue by issue read of the comic. Elisa worked on the Sandman comics. So she has all this insider knowledge. Lonnie Diane Rich is like a storyteller, an analyzer that I love. love great stuff. Neil Gaiman approved this podcast. It's like, it's got it all. So they're only on like, I think issue number 14 if you want to hop in and listen to folks listening at home to prepare yourself for this read along. However, as much as I love Neil Gaiman, I feel like there have
Starting point is 00:50:59 been consistent difficulties in bringing what he does so well on the page to the screen. This is how I felt about American Gods. This is even how I felt about Good Omens is my favorite book of all time. Oh my God, I didn't know that. A Neil Gamen Terry Pratchett combo. I'm a huge Terry Pratchett fan. So, like, the two of them together, I think it's the perfect marriage of, like, Neil's gothic shit and Terry Pratch's life, like, goofy, like thing. And it all works together in a way it shouldn't.
Starting point is 00:51:26 I was so excited for Good Omen. I thought the casting of, you know, Michael Sheen and David Tannen was amazing. And then it just felt, like, mixed to me. And I loved the stuff with them. But everything else around it felt a little mixed to me. So even my favorite thing with Neil Gaiman actively involved and ideal casting for our two leads and it still didn't land as well as I wanted it to. So that has me like, fool me once, full me twice, full me thrice. I'm going to be a little bit nervous about the Sandman.
Starting point is 00:52:01 That being said, incredible cast. I'm not wholly sold on Tom Sturge, even though he looks like Morpheus. I haven't really found him to be like tremendously compelling as an actor he looks incredible but elsewhere Gwendoly Christie Charles Dance
Starting point is 00:52:18 So many of our Thrones face You know all sorts of favorites So that's sort of where I like that's my That's my very mixed feelings about Sandman Tell me how you're feeling That's all completely reasonable
Starting point is 00:52:30 I'm really excited Because it is such a rich world and story to explore and I, like you, love Neil Gaiman, and I'm always interested when there's a new adaptation afoot. I was really excited when that first look dropped a few weeks ago and every character poster, like every little kernel, every little reveal.
Starting point is 00:52:57 I'm just having kind of like a reflexive, excited response. I'm really eager to see how this comes to life. And, you know, we're kind of in like a broader, Sandman moment that I find exciting. You know, obviously this live action show and adaptation, but there's also the audible adaptation of the story unfolding. And then, you know, we're only a couple years removed from the Sandman universe launch at DC 30 years after the initial release with new stories, new Sandman IP. So it's just a fun moment for people who are already, invested in or interested in Sandman, and then for more people to, you know, maybe you've read
Starting point is 00:53:42 Good Omens or American Gods or Star Dust or other gaming and you want to try more. Maybe you haven't and think, okay, this is, this is going to be my first dip, my first foray, so many different entry points here. And I just can't wait. So I'm hoping that coming soon is in fact soon. But hey, you know what? There's a lot this calendar year. So if it's 2022, that's also completely fine.
Starting point is 00:54:06 I thought I would join you in showing your Neil Gaiman bona fides to show you that I just like literally have a Neil Gaiman smoke and mirrors sitting right in front of me for some reason. I guess I was just like reading a story the other day. But I was like, oh, there's a Neil Gaiman right in front of me. But I completely agree. And I'm glad you mentioned Stardust. StarDust is actually a big exception for me. But Stardis is also so different from the book. Like it is a massively changed adaptation.
Starting point is 00:54:32 But that movie works really well. I love that movie. Coraline's a great adaptation, but that's a much slimmer piece of fiction that they're adapting there. So I don't know, it's this ongoing frustration I have because I want every single Neil Gaiman adaptation
Starting point is 00:54:50 to be incredible. And so nothing would throw me more than if Sandman were everything. I dream it might be. This episode is brought to you by Spectrum Business, Fast, reliable internet means everything for your business. And even this podcast, that's why I trust Spectrum Business. They keep companies of all sizes connected with internet, advanced Wi-Fi, phone, TV, mobile services, plus 24-7 U.S.-based support.
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Starting point is 00:55:49 capture sun-kissed bliss with limonada gelada where zesty Brazilian lemonade accord meets coconut milk and golden brown sugar. Don't miss Sol de Janeiro's limited edition perfume miscollection only at Sephora. All right. Time to do number five. Yes, this is a shared item. A shared item here. Eternal. Yes. Eternals.
Starting point is 00:56:08 Eternals. It's funny because it's funny that we have it this far down because Marvel itself is so hyped for this movie. Why is this not number one on your list? Maybe that's a negative framing of it. No, no, no. It's a fair question. I think part of it is just because it's such a loaded field. You know, like there are three of my top five items are.
Starting point is 00:56:35 Marvel are our MCU stories. So, and four of the five are Disney stories. So I think that's part of it, right? It's just like there's a lot coming out in phase four and I'm excited about all of it. I will, when we get to the other items that are MCU, phase four installments that I have ahead of it, I'll explain why I think some of it has to do with, listen, it's not a spoiler at this point in the podcast to say Spider-Man is one of those things. some of it has to do with just the fact that that feels like not only a movie but an event, right? So that's just like a different caliber of hype at this point. And then I don't know how much of this is 2021 TV versus movie like pull and appeal for me because I'm still like not, you know, going out that often or like to the movie theater that often. And part of
Starting point is 00:57:35 of also just like launching the ringerverse and talking about a weekly show together, you know, week after week is a really like thrilling part of my professional and personal life right now that I look forward to a lot. So I think that gives the television shows a little bit of an edge. Though, of course, that doesn't mean I'm not excited about the movies. I mean, I'm very hyped for Eternals. I think for this one, you know, and again, I'll just say top five. That's a good slot. Oh, it's really? I can't wait. I can't wait for Eternals. Very high on the hype list. it is coming on November 5th
Starting point is 00:58:07 that at one point felt like a long time in the future and now it's just mere weeks away we're on the eve of Eternals I really was torn on the 4-5 order with Eternals and Hawkeye. That was probably the single toughest order of the list for me to lock in and set. This will be a theatrical release only, right?
Starting point is 00:58:26 Not streaming. Incredible cast that I think we'll talk about together here as we go. But before we do, dive into the cast, the directing, the scoring, and all of those elements which are exhilarating, in a more like macro sense, I am excited for Eternals, because I'm excited to meet all of these new characters, all of these new heroes, new villains, learn more about this lore inside of the MCU, but even more broadly, I am fascinated to see how the Eternals canon exists inside of and
Starting point is 00:59:01 relates to the rest of the MCU phase four. I was really interested in this heading into Shang Chi as well, because on the one hand, so much of phase four to this point has been this bridge storytelling where we're simultaneously looking back at the end of the Infinity saga, the characters we spent so much time with so that we can then move ahead with new characters. But we're also getting origin stories, right? Shang Chi and Eternal's are origin stories where we're meeting new characters and learning about new magic and new power sets. There's obviously, as is always the case, tons of comics canon that anybody can dive into
Starting point is 00:59:41 to learn more about, celestial, the eternals, the deviant. I'm curious for your thoughts on this particular thing. I was really interested in, and it's very possible I'm reading too much into this, the distinction in approach in the first and second an Eternal's trailer because the first trailer was like gorgeous and stunning. And then you go on Twitter and there's a lot of like, wait, where were these people during everything that happened with Thanos? And then the second trailer was like, here's an answer to that question.
Starting point is 01:00:10 But you have to do your kid impression, kid asking the question. Oh, my God. Where were you with Thanos? And everything else. And the answer is we were instructed not to interfere in any human conflicts unless deviance are involved. We also have a moment in the second trailer that tells us that the sudden return
Starting point is 01:00:34 of the population provided the necessary energy for the emergence to begin. So there will be clear, overt connections to Thanos, to the snap, to, I'm still saying snap. Team snap over here. Team snap forever.
Starting point is 01:00:49 F's the blip, man. Yeah. But there's going to be so much to establish right away. How much room is there even for that connective tissue? So I'm just, I'm really interested Will there be multiversal elements now that we're in the multiversal phase of the MCU?
Starting point is 01:01:06 I have so many questions. There's so much I'm excited to see. Can I tell you my favorite theory? So there's some things that I know about the Eternals, and I will not be talking about any of those things. Except to say, I want to say, I think this is a really fun thing. And we can cut it out if you think it's not fun. But here's what I'll say. Based on what I know about the Eternals that other people don't know, I think the song choice in the first trailer is
Starting point is 01:01:30 super interesting. So I would suggest like, I think when people watch them, they're going to go back to that trailer and they're going to be like Ah! Anyway. Oh, interesting. Okay. I love when the music is a clue. That's fun. I think it is. I think it is. I'll be revisiting that right after we finish
Starting point is 01:01:46 recording. How intriguing. But, I mean, it's on the hype meter. You know, they've been talking for a long time about like having an Oscar winning director of Chloe Ja, direct this, and like, how her style is so incredible and all this. or like that. She's amazing. But also,
Starting point is 01:02:02 Fikey has been saying dropping gems like this. The impact that the Eternals will have on the MCU will be nothing less than redefining the cinematic universe.
Starting point is 01:02:10 And there's like a couple, there's a couple questions around that. Number one is to your point about the fact that they've been here since the beginning of civilization. 7,000 years, you know?
Starting point is 01:02:21 It has a real agatha all along vibe of like the Eternals look here in the background of everything this whole time. So that's a way to redefine.
Starting point is 01:02:30 every like re-skew it through this what does it mean that these extremely hot very powerful people were here in the background this whole time but um here's a theory i like and this is not based on anything i know this is just based on like a fun theory that i've seen floating around which is like some people are hoping and this is the eternal eternal hope that this will be the launch of the x-gene of mutations in the universe that somehow whatever the celestials do or have been doing or whatever, or whatever the Eternals might have doing, will activate perhaps the dormant X gene
Starting point is 01:03:07 and this will be the start of mutants in the MCU. And that's what Fygi's hinting at. So when you were like, maybe we'll get an XTs at Disney Day, I'm like, I mean, maybe. You know what I mean? Like if this comes, you know, maybe. So I like that.
Starting point is 01:03:26 And speaking of like source material, and we were just talking about Neil Gaiman, The Neil Gaiman Eternals run from 2006 is sort of is my real hook into this universe and something that I think is really compelling. And so if I were to recommend one thing for people to read if they've never read an Eternals comic, I might suggest the Game and Run. How about you? I think the Game and Run and, of course, some Jack Kirby Eternals, classic, pretty good prep work right there for the film. You know, we have, we've mentioned a couple times today, some Thrones actors returning to our screens. Obviously, Kit and Richard Madden are in this part of an incredible ensemble cast.
Starting point is 01:04:13 And not only that, but we have another Thrones connection here, don't we, Joanna? The score. Rameen Javadi! I can't fucking wait. I love Rameen. I love Rameen so much. And I'm so excited when I saw that he was scoring this. really excited. We both did. Yeah, it's wild that Kit and Richard, John Snow, and Rob Stark are both here. Like, what a wild casting decision on Marvel's part to put them both here and sort of
Starting point is 01:04:41 in an interesting position to each other. But yeah, and Richard, I mean, I love Richard Madden. He's, top-tier Thrones alum for me. And I've been really excited to see him in the last few years get like his own momentum going. Like it felt like it was a little, it was a little quiet for a while. Jomi has chimed in the chat to make sure that we also mentioned that there's a character named Circe. That's played by Jem Chann.
Starting point is 01:05:07 Spelled differently, but same. Sounds the same. Sounds the same. Love it. Yeah. And I mean, like, yeah, an incredible cast. Brian, Tyree Henry, Selma Hayek's here. Camille Nunjani's here. I'm excited. But I don't know, I will say,
Starting point is 01:05:21 to your point about the trailers. Well, here's what I think is true. based on what I know. Once again, I don't think I'm spoiling anything to say this. Based on what I know, I think there is a lot that they are keeping hidden from the trailer. And that makes it really hard for us to know what the tone of the movie is. I think there, I think the plot. I'm good with that, though.
Starting point is 01:05:43 I want to be surprised, you know, showcase the visual aesthetic and the vibe and then let me discover it all the day itself. I think the vibe has been a little hard to nail down for people, if that makes sense. You know what I mean? I don't think they know. There are some quips in the trailer, but it's not like zippy, quippy, like some of Marvel stuff is before. And it's not exactly like slow and languid the way that a lot of Chloe Jha's stuff has been. So it's some hybrid that I am sure will be great.
Starting point is 01:06:11 But anyway, I can't stop talking about this movie before I mentioned, like, one of my number one heroes, Barry Keown is in this movie. And I'm so excited. I don't know how big of a role he played, but I will just say I was at the D23 when they brought the Eternal cast down on stage. And everyone was just like, hello, I'm in Julia. I'm here. You know, Barry Keone is like, like, looked like he wandered in from, like, Planet Mars. I love that guy. He's got such a weird energy and I'm really excited. He's here. Again, the cast is just tremendous. And I'm really eager to see what the balance is and how, like, the time spent unfolds because it is so many new characters to establish.
Starting point is 01:06:51 But I also, it's always one of my favorite things in a Marvel movie to see how that balance unfolds because like in something like Infinity War, which is obviously completely different because we know those characters so well at that point, but you get those pairings and the balance, like you're fully invested when you are with Thor and the Guardians say that you're not thinking about who you're not with. And then as soon as you're with those other characters, then it feels right and you're all in on them and fully like laser focused on whoever you're with at a moment in time. It's a lot to have to establish like an Avengers sized cast in an origin. origin story. That's usually what you build toward. So I'm fascinated, but I really, I really can't wait.
Starting point is 01:07:32 All right. Our number four entry is kind of funny because we can't talk about either of them really in depth right now because they will pull higher for both of us. So for me, number four is the Boba Fett. We will obviously be talking about that more. What is, what is your number four? For me, number four is Hawkeye. But I have Boba higher on my list and you have Hawkeye higher on your list. Here we go. Number three for me is Hawkeye. Let's talk about it. Where do you stand? I mean, I kind of know this, but I'm just going to ask you anyway.
Starting point is 01:08:05 Like, where do you stand with the Hawkeye character in general in the MCU? In the MCU? Yeah. Not on the page. As played by one Jeremy Renner. Yeah. I think that Hawkeye serves a crucial role inside of the Avengers and inside of the MCU. and it's important to have the, you know, in essence, regular person
Starting point is 01:08:27 surrounded by these gods and superpowered beings. I think that, you know, one of the things I really enjoy talking with Andy Greenwald about when we broke down the Hawkeye trailer on Ringervorce a few weeks ago was like the distinctions between the Hawkeye from the page, particularly from the fraction aha run that I think we are both incredibly, fond of and connected to, right? That's not really the same character, but it looks like, based on what we've seen
Starting point is 01:08:58 from the show so far, in the trailers that we've seen, and what we understand about the focus of the show and the influence that that comic arc has on it, we will be getting more of that comic arc energy and emphasis ported over onto the screen.
Starting point is 01:09:14 And I'm very excited about that. Yes. Okay. So, I'm not as, like, down on Clint, old Clint and Hawkeye as some people are in the MCU. I like him a lot in like The Avengers and some of the things.
Starting point is 01:09:29 There's of course the whole snarled, naughty what happened in Age of Ultron where it was like Joss wanted to do the farm of the family. The studio didn't necessarily want to do that. It was a whole big fight. You can read all about that if you want to, but perhaps in a book I'm writing
Starting point is 01:09:45 but that being said it puts them in a sticky position to do this story because they want to do the fraction, uh-huh run of Hawkeye, which is an incredible, like, I mentioned there was another, like, this is another comic book that, this got me into Marvel is this comic book run. And like, it's an incredible, incredible, incredible, incredible, fun, funny, emotional. Like, it's just never, and it's, and it's very filmic. It's very cinematic.
Starting point is 01:10:15 It's very, like, it feels like a TV show reading that comic. I think I've described it as like an FX TV show. what it felt like to me, like a maid-a-a-t's, like, FX show. But Clint, being a family man, put them in a top position because Clint is very much like the single guy in the city, sort of vibe here. So they have wringled a plot that divorces, not divorced, literally, but separates Clint from his fam. For a thoughts on divorce, check out the prestige TV podcast episode on scenes from a marriage. Seeds from a podcast. But they have separated Clint from his fam. He's in, he's, He's lost in New York.
Starting point is 01:10:53 No, he's in New York City. It's Christmas. And this is where he meets Kate Bishop characters, played by a Haley Stinfeld. And we can see fans of the comics based on like set photos, but even just the trailer, we'll see so many indications. There are frames of the show that are frames from this comic. More than any other Marvel Disney Plus show that they've done, this is a one-to-one with a specific comic run. And for that, I am thrilled.
Starting point is 01:11:25 I'm thrilled because we're going to get to do an entire run, month plus run of podcasts in which we say, bro, like 9,000 times. And track suit mafios here. And talk about Pizza Dog. Yes, my darling, lucky. I can't wait to, it was such a thrill to see Lucky in the trailer. I can't wait to see Lucky in the show. If anyone is on the fence, you're like, oh, these comics, I know people love them.
Starting point is 01:11:51 I'm interested, but I can't, I can't decide should I, should I dive in? There's an entire issue told from the perspective of lucky the pizza dog. Cannot recommend it highly enough. It is actually brilliant. Yeah. Incredibly inventive and just genius. The logline for the comics is literally this quote. This is what he does when he's not being an Avenger.
Starting point is 01:12:16 And that street-level regular person vibe you know, we see the ice packs and the bandages in the trailer. Like, man, there's a lot of, this is this hard work. He's just a guy. He's just a hot guy. I love all of that. Obviously, the Clint Barton, Kate Bishop Bond at the center of the comic arc is just wonderful. And I'm really, really excited to see that in the show.
Starting point is 01:12:45 I already mentioned the tracksuit mafia, the clown, the swordsman, echo, the kingpin, possibilities. This is obviously like a ripe area for fan speculation and intrigue. There's just so much in that arc and that slice of the comics canon to port over. And what I think we could just assume we'll be incredibly satisfying and fulfilling television fashion. Obviously, the Christmas energy is very appealing. Can't wait to see all the glimpses of Rogers the musical. I love when we get a show within a show, you know, feel like I'm back with Aria and Bravo. I just can't wait for that. And again, if we kind of like pan out beyond even just how fun it will be, hopefully,
Starting point is 01:13:27 to watch this every week. And, you know, the two episodes are dropping in week one, so two right away. I am interested again in that like past future phase four MCU bridge element because is this about saying goodbye to Clint? I think almost whatever the answer to that question is, it could be yes, no, somewhere in between. We can safely assume that, I mean, we know, obviously, this is bringing Kate Bishop into the MCU, but this is, I have to assume, a key, key, key component of the ongoing building installment after installment. We get character after character, young Avengers on ramp, right,
Starting point is 01:14:06 which I'm very excited about. It's one of the things that Jomi and I have spent the most time talking about since Ringerverse launch, cannot wait for Young Avengers around here. How big of a role will Yelena play? You know, we know Yelena is part of Hawkeye. What exactly will that look like? There's actually so much that we know and can expect based on the comics and casting information, et cetera, and then so much that remains untold. I can't wait to share this together. Yeah, and that bridge aspect that you mentioned, like, we talked about, we talked about
Starting point is 01:14:39 Black Widow, I think. We were talking about how so much of this phase of the MCU is about, like, mourning what was lost or the ramifications. And like, so Eternals, as we already mentioned, is like inspired, like kicked off by the snap and the energy of everyone returning to Earth. That's, that's a, this is a fallout from that. And this, you know, in its own way is going to be a celebration of Nat. I don't know how much it will be, but the fact that Yelena and the character that is
Starting point is 01:15:14 most closely identified with Nat Clint, who was there when she died. And that's a, you know, that is still a big controversial sticking point for people. What happened on War Mir, you know, et cetera. So, so that is really going to be interesting to watch. And like the fact that, and we see in the trailer, so it's not a spoiler to say, like, Clint has hearing aids in. And this is, we assume, part of the fallout of bomb that exploded. Like the Avengers HQ exploding around him.
Starting point is 01:15:43 This is a physical ramification of war, of PTSD, of all this sort of stuff. So that's all stuff that we're going to be dealing in around this really fun story. Like, it's all in the mix. Great cast, launching to the Echo Spinoff series that they're going to do, all this sort of stuff. So I'm just, I'm so excited. But it's really funny. I got a text from someone like literally last night that reads this. I can't figure out of Hawkeye is going to be delightful or pure garbage.
Starting point is 01:16:12 And like, I'm so firmly in the delightful category. But like, I get people's reservations. People who don't like Hawkeye don't really want to spend six episodes with him. And I get that. But I have to think that this is all part of like that big, foggy fixing things. Like if Hawkeye didn't work for you before, he's going to aggressively make sure Hawkeye works for you now. That's how I feel about Hawkeye. Yeah.
Starting point is 01:16:36 It's a great point. And I think I'm just, I'm so firmly in the delighted camp, not only because of, you know, my affection for the Hawkeye Comic Run, but because I've just so enjoyed the Disney Plus MCU shows and the opportunity they afford us to talk about the story week after week. I don't know, I just love that.
Starting point is 01:16:57 So I'm really really looking forward to that. And, you know, there are a couple movies come in here in my top three. But that week to week shared show experience where we're not only like breaking down what we just watched together, but then theorizing and speculating and looking ahead for an entire week, building toward that hopefully very satisfying, shared experience of watching an excellent finale together.
Starting point is 01:17:24 You know, let's keep the Loki finale vibes going. Obviously, that had like the level of steak that will be tough to replicate. But I'm all in. I'm hyped. My number three is Dune. That's my number two.
Starting point is 01:17:37 So let's talk about it. Dune. Dune. Dune. I don't even know where to begin here, really. I considered putting Dune number one on my list. I guess I'll begin there. Because, and I, you know what?
Starting point is 01:17:53 I actually, like, I want to keep this pretty brief because this is going to be the next pod that we do together when we talk about the actual movie. And I think in the process of doing that, we will share a lot about what Dune means to us. But I will just say, as a teaser, that Dune, But Dune is, for me, as I think it is for many people, like a seminal science fiction story and text. It is a huge, huge, formative part of my own fandom. And like a very important book in my life, a story that my dad gave me and encouraged me to read. And it's just really meaningful to me.
Starting point is 01:18:30 And I cannot wait to see this movie coming out, technically October 22nd, but we learned this week that it's going to be available a few hours earlier. on October 21st on HBO Max, obviously out in the theaters. It's not hard to find some headlines about how the people who made Dune would like you to see Dune in theaters, but you do have the option to watch it at home.
Starting point is 01:18:52 Yeah. I love the source text. I love Villeneuve's films. And I love this cast. And I just can't wait to go to the Desert Planet together. I can't wait. I'm so excited. Yeah, I agree with you that we should
Starting point is 01:19:09 reserve like the majority of our discussion of this for the actual mega tune podcast that we're going to do. Sam Herm Size podcast coming your way. I have seen this already. I saw it two days ago. I loved it. It actually bumped it higher on the list after I saw it, though it's like kind of illegal to put it on a hype list when I've already seen it.
Starting point is 01:19:33 But listen, Mallory's breaking rules. I'm breaking rules. So here it is on the list. I'm a big Dune fan myself. and I was nervous. There's been some mixed reviews. And like, everyone at my old gig, like, except for one person, everyone at my old gig had seen it before I left and they all had negative things to say.
Starting point is 01:19:51 That just helps me understand with much love to them that I am like more firmly at home here. But like, a lot of the responses I got were like, this was boring. And it's like, so I'll just say this. Denisville is a very slow unfurling of a story kind of director. This is only the first... I love his movies. I do too.
Starting point is 01:20:12 Like a door. Big arrival fan. Love his Blade Runner. Me too. Cario. Yeah. Let's just channel our inner Chris Ryan for a second. So I love enemy.
Starting point is 01:20:24 Are you an enemy fan? I am an enemy fan. Yeah, exactly. So like, so love to beul-Nive. He loves this book. Like I, so at the screening that I went to, he was there and he was just talking about, like, how much he loved this book, how this is like his lifelong, like, dream to finally see, not just him to do it, but he was like, I just wanted someone to do it.
Starting point is 01:20:48 And he said really nice things about David Lynch, who is an incredible director, but Lynch's dune was sort of wrestled away from him in a way that like Lynch himself doesn't really own that final thing. There's Jodorowski's Dune, all this sort of stuff. It's been a really tough road. But Denis Ville Nive only did the first half of the book. So here's what I'll say. If you're racing to read the book, you only have to read the first half, technically, if you want to, first of all.
Starting point is 01:21:14 Secondly, in terms of in theaters, I really do want people to only do what's safe for them. But I do want to take this last opportunity before our Doom Pond. We won't be on air again to say this. If you feel safe, I really do encourage you see this in the theaters because I think because of the way that not only are the visuals dazzling, not only does Dini Villeneuve and his team have like endless ideas about what spaceships might look like. The most inventive spaceships you've ever seen you will see in Dini Villeneuve's film.
Starting point is 01:21:46 I mean, I think that's true also a Blade Runner and of arrival, right? And so like all of that stuff is just incredibly dazzling. But I think that's slow burn style that he has, it's so much better if you feel safe to go to a theater where you won't be distracted and you can really just like sit down and lose yourself in this world. So again, I'm not advocating for people to do things that they don't feel safe doing.
Starting point is 01:22:11 I'm very, very, very pro people feeling safe. But if you can feel safe, this is a thing to do. All right, Mal, what is your number two? Let your shirt speak for you, Mallory Rubin. It's number two on your list. Number two on my list is the book of Boba Fett coming to Disney Plus
Starting point is 01:22:35 December 29th, but already since the moment that we saw that stinger at the end of Mando's season two embedded firmly in my heart. I'm so excited. Can I just say this? The Book of Boba Fett,
Starting point is 01:22:50 I don't have it as high as you do. I have it down at number four. But I will say it is higher than it would have been. Were it not for you because your boundless enthusiasm for the Book of BoaFetka Fet. And for Boba himself, has, like, moved up the list for me because I'm like, I'm so excited how
Starting point is 01:23:08 excited you are for this. And it's not that I, like, am not excited. I just, they have been, the lid is so tight on this project. We don't even know who's in this. No. Besides two actors. You know what I mean? It's unbelievable. I went scouring around the like dirtiest corners of Reddit last night to try to get more information. Nothing's out there, man. They got it on lock. So, you know, they've hinted at some fun surprises, but like, it is wild how little we know about this show. And so, like, for me, that's rare. That's why I don't haven't, like, allowed myself to get super hype because you haven't told me, like, Timothy Olifun's definitely going to be in this or whatever. And you know that if you were, I would be hyper.
Starting point is 01:23:53 But I'm so excited that you're excited. So tell me why you're so excited. I don't even really honestly know where to begin. than I love Star Wars, which do you? It's probably not a new insight at this point. But I do love Star Wars? And the last few years, you know, I've always loved Star Wars from the moment before the prequels came out when my dad took me to the theater to see the re-release of the original films. Like, I've always loved Star Wars. But in the last few years, It's been a weird experience where I've had,
Starting point is 01:24:33 and we don't need to talk about Rass of Skywalker now. We really don't. But where in tandem with like the disappointment around that, I was also just falling so deeply because of Bingement's Star Wars so, so deeply
Starting point is 01:24:50 into my own Star Wars fandom. And I've just like, I think of all the things that I've loved watching and rewatching over the last few years, you know, Mando and every moment I've spent with Deer Grogo, it's certainly top of the list, but Clone Wars, Rebels,
Starting point is 01:25:09 also pretty firmly embedded atop my personal power rankings. Like Asoka has really become one of the most important characters across stories to me in the last few years. And so in general, the Philoniverse is one of my favorite things in fiction right now. Anything that is central to it, anything that is tangentially connected to it. This is a Favs, Faloni, Robert Rodriguez joint, and this and the impending Asoka show are set in the Mando timeline.
Starting point is 01:25:47 You mentioned that we know quite literally nothing about the cast outside from, of course, what we were introduced to in the reveal, in the singer. with boba and fenick, this tattooing underworld setting. I've always been a boba head. I'm more invested in the Fenwick part of this on the heels of the bad batch, because I was blown away by what we got from Fenwick, which is set much earlier in the timeline, but blown away.
Starting point is 01:26:23 Like at Cad Bain, I actually believe is the number one bounty hunter in terms of just ability ahead of Boba. I once in Jason and I once debated this. And to see Thinnick absolutely dominate Cadbane. I was just like, holy shit, this is amazing. So I'm really excited about all that. I've been, you know, I'm obviously like rereading doing right now and doing a lot of rereading and rewatching.
Starting point is 01:26:50 But one of the things that I've been chipping away at is a Clone Wars rewatch, which has been a joy. I love Clone Wars. I'm everything that we get in Clone Wars for, for, for, young Boba and Young Boba's arc. I'm just like looking at more closely, knowing that this show is coming. And, you know, beyond even just this specific story, I'm interested in the Disney Plus programming element,
Starting point is 01:27:12 Star Wars moving to Wednesdays. Obviously, Visions came out on Wednesdays, but we know that Boba's going to be a Wednesday show too. You know, I thought for a while we were going to have like the Marvel Wednesday, Star Wars Friday kind of flow of the week. But no, this is just a, you know, Tuesday, midnight world for us now. And, you know, I'm sad that we're not getting Mando season three this year, but I am really quite overjoyed that we are getting Boba
Starting point is 01:27:38 and just to be back with live action Star Wars TV and really just Star Wars TV because I love all the animated shows so much too. I just love Star Wars TV. It's like my favorite thing in Star Wars right now. I can't wait. It'll be really interesting to see. Like, I also love Star Wars. I am not, I'm excited to do this with you because I think,
Starting point is 01:27:58 your enthusiasm will pull me through some of my more skeptical moments. And I will just say that, like, I'm curious to see what this all looks like outside of Mando because Mando was such a, like, smash all a hit for people, but also, like, so much of that had to do with Grogue. Like, the, the, the, the memeification of Grogue, how that got so many people into this, they're like the way in which, like, a puppet, a great puppet just really like, sold an entire TV audience on a story. Thank you for bringing Grogu. Got my little guys here. I have a Boba Lego helmet that I built, but it's in another room. So Grogo and Mini Boba here we'll have to do. Carry on. So freaking cute. Anyway, I'm curiously, you know, in a non-Grogu setting, how much will people, Mal? You're so cute. How much will people like, you know, love all this? I have a lot of,
Starting point is 01:28:59 I have a lot of questions. I can't, I can't do, I can't do this. What if I just record every pod this way from now on with Grogu in my arms? I will be speechless. It's just the most, you just are holding him so lovingly. I adore him. A gentle stroke with a head. There are some questions like, will we see Grogu in this?
Starting point is 01:29:23 Will we see Luke Skywalker again? Will we see Theron who like, obviously we have to. to get eventually, right? Like all these... My prediction is we'll get Thron in Asoka. I mean, Thron definitely... Absolutely in Assoca. Not until one is my guess.
Starting point is 01:29:39 But who knows? But maybe a little Throne tease. Maybe just like a blue hand. That's all we see. Who knows? A right eye. We'll see. And then we're headed into like a real, as you mentioned before, a real like
Starting point is 01:29:51 glut of Star Wars Disney Plus stuff, all of which might have something to do with why we may not. get a lot of Marvel TV shows in 2022 question. Is Disney Plus still a place where they feel like they can only do one billboard show at a time? You know what I mean? So that's like the old HBO model. HBO Sundays and nothing else. It's like Disney Plus Wednesdays.
Starting point is 01:30:17 And like, yeah, they have some other programming, but like not the main programming. So I don't know. We'll see. Anyway, Boba, I'm excited to just dine out on your excitement for that. for this. And I'm a huge Fennick Chan. I mean,
Starting point is 01:30:32 Mignan is incredible. So I'm a huge Fennick Shan fan as well. So there we go. That brings us to number one. Number one. We have the same number one, pal. Hopefully folks have guessed what it is
Starting point is 01:30:45 since we haven't talked to it yet. What if we just left Spider-Man, No Way Home off the list? What if it was not number one but just wasn't on the list? No, of course it's Spider-Man, No-Way-Home. How could it not be? Spider-Who? Spider-Ware?
Starting point is 01:30:57 Spider-W-W-W? Spider-W. Spiderling? Here we go. Our goop slinging, web-slinging guy, spider boy himself, Tom Holland, and perhaps some other spider people. We don't know. That's right.
Starting point is 01:31:14 That's right. Coming out December 17th, there was an interesting interview with, I mean, we'll get to many of the reasons why you're excited for No Way Home, and you've got some great thoughts here. But, like, really interesting, intriguingly this week, Tom Holland gave an interview, I think, to Devin Coggin and Entertainment Weekly, where he was talking about how they were kind of treating this as the end of the franchise. And I believe Holland's contract is up after this.
Starting point is 01:31:38 And so, like, if him saying, like... And the Sony Disney Agreement. Right. Which only extends through this film, though. Who knows how much stock to ever put in that? I mean, that the threat of divorce that we already got was quite traumatic. But if you decided not to get stressed about that, and just ride the wave of it.
Starting point is 01:32:00 You got the outcome you wanted anyway. So here we are. Better to Commerbatch, you know, all of Spider-Man's films, all of Tom Holland's Spider-Man films are about, like, daddy issues to one extent or another. And it was like, whether it's Tony Stark or Jake Gillen Hall or bedded a cover match, Dr. Stephen Strange himself. But yeah, I mean, like the idea, the fact that like Zendaya, Jacob Adelon,
Starting point is 01:32:22 and Tom Holland were all crying when they finish rapping tells me that like they're probably all out and don't want to do this anymore. And I don't really blame them for that. And I don't know that I would want to see more of Tom Holland's character without his guy in the chair and his MJ. You know what I mean? Like that's how I feel. So never say never, but this could be the end. So what might we expect from the beginning of the end of Tom Holland's Spider-Man. For anyone interested in hearing more ringer-verse thoughts on this, got a two-plus hour breakdown of, literally of a trailer.
Starting point is 01:33:05 Daniel Chin and I went frame by frame and talked about the trailer for literally hours. And let me tell you something. It was a blast. I would do it again. I think that, you know, I love Tom Holland's Peter Parker. I love this Spider-Man. inside of the MCU. I've loved both
Starting point is 01:33:27 of the solo Spider-Man movies inside of the MCU so far. I've loved seeing Spider-Man in the ensemble films. I've just really loved every minute of it. So I don't want it to end.
Starting point is 01:33:38 But I'm prepared, certainly for that possibility. I have found the, in general, like, IP character writes shares across the life and before the life of the MCU, as we know it today.
Starting point is 01:33:52 You know, often like impenetrable. And my approach to it is typically, I'll see how it shakes out and then I'll roll with it, right? And that's what I'm trying to do here. Let me just issue like a more specific spoiler warning right here for like the next minute or so. For anyone who was not seen Venom, the new Venom film,
Starting point is 01:34:10 maybe just hit the 15 second forward button a few times here. The Stinger and seeing Tom Hollins, Peter Parker, in the Venom Stinger, was obviously a huge moment. I mean, I gasped aloud. I shouted. We broke this down on a house of midnight pod a couple weeks ago. What does it mean?
Starting point is 01:34:30 Groff? Like, my hope is that you just scream grove whenever something surprises you. Whenever something excites me now, I'm just going to shout Groff. But, you know, there's obviously just so much to parse there in terms of what it means for the multiverse unfolding. But also, if you want to look at the studio aspect of it, is it more about Sony moving into the MCU, or is it about taking what's been in the MCU out and moving it back towards Sony? Because Sony is building out, it's Spider-Verse. Obviously, literally with the Spider-Verse movies, Venom,
Starting point is 01:35:08 we've got a Craven movie coming, like on and on the list goes, right? So if you watch the No Way Home trailer, it's basically, I think, impossible when you see, you know, Docok and here the Green Goblin's signature cackle and get those little glimpses of, oh, Electro here, is it. Say, a man there. To not say, okay, the Sinister Six is going to be, you know, or a version of the Sinister six is going to be in this movie at some point, but also like, Sony wants to make Sinister Six movie. So how is all of that going to work?
Starting point is 01:35:36 I'm really interested in continuing to think about that to talk about that, but I will say, and I mean this sincerely, this will sound like bullshit. It's not. I'm not going to be thinking about that at all when I sit down to watch that movie. I'm going to be thinking about how excited I am to see. this movie, which feels like the movie event, not only of the year, but like one of the biggest movie events of the last few years, you know, since Endgame, I mean, it has, because of the multiverse, because of all the speculation already just based on one trailer of, okay,
Starting point is 01:36:08 is that our Stephen Strange? Would our Dr. Strange make that choice? Would he botched that spell? Would he do things that way? Is it a variant? Is it strange Supreme from what if? Like, there's so much to theorize about, okay, we're seeing Alfred Molina's doc, doc, from the Toby McGuire Spider-Man era of movies. Like all of these things coming together into this ensemble event is exhilarating. Exilerating. This is the Super Bowl for comic book movies.
Starting point is 01:36:35 I couldn't be more excited, sincerely. Allow me to be a cheer for a little rain cloud and all this and ask you this question, even though it's number one on my list, and even though I'm very excited, even though I loved all of the Tom Holland Spider stuff, big, big, big fan. do you have any concerns about overcrowding in this movie?
Starting point is 01:36:55 No. But I understand why people do. Jomi feels this way, I know. And we've been talking about it a little bit. And I think that it's certainly a reasonable and frankly even compelling argument. I think the reason I'm not worried about it is because, and this is just like, you know, mileage may vary on this. just how I'm going in. If Andrew Garfield and Toby McGuire are in fact in the movie, right? If they're Peter Parkers are in the movie, which no number of interviews saying that they're not
Starting point is 01:37:29 will convince me of, right? Of course. I just, just not. Hard saying. I love, I do love the press tour denials. It's great. I'm not expecting those characters to be the focal point or to have a lot of screen time. Like I'm expecting a series of cameos and just more broadly, I think I, one of the things I'm always most impressed by inside of MCU movies, whether it's, you know, Infinity War is always the one I cite, but just more broadly, like, ease the ability to balance out the screen time so that it all feels like carefully and deliberately calibrated. So I'm, I trust in that, I think, and that has diminished my concern. But I see why, I see why it would be a worry. Are you worried about it? I'm not that worried about it. I'm less, I'm less worried
Starting point is 01:38:12 about the Spider-boys because they might show up as just like the merest glimpses of cameos or just like swing in to like help with a fight or something like that. Who knows? And I don't actually imagine that them all suited up fighting together is going to be a large stretch of the movie because I think that would be really, you know, yes, there are differences in their suits, but I think they would be largely very confusing for people given that their differences are not that different. And folks who don't know the details of a suit will just be like, there's the other red and blue guy. I don't know what I'm watching sort of thing. So I don't think that they're going to lean too hard on that.
Starting point is 01:38:47 But there's still a lot of like still a ton of villains. Like is, is Jamie Fox a cameo or is it a bigger thing? You know, how much is Alfred Molina in this movie, you know? So I'm not letting it like get me down or whatever. I just, I have question marks. And I also have question marks about like, you know, this theory that you floated that like maybe the Stephen Strange we're seeing is the version from what if. how much are they going to rely on people having seen what if in order for them to understand
Starting point is 01:39:17 what they're seeing in this film? You know, like, that is the constant juggling act of these like billboard films that they put out that they want to have appeal to even casual viewers. Like my sister, love my sister, but she's not really deeply into any of this. And like she wanted to watch Spider-Man Homecoming because she liked Spider-Man. and she was mad because Spider-Man had already shown up in Civil War and she hadn't seen Civil War. So she was mad.
Starting point is 01:39:43 You know, and it's just sort of like this film I'm excited for, but it also needs to be able to stand on its own two feet as part of this trilogy. Yes, the two films previous in the trilogy can inform it, but will it stand on its own as part of that trilogy for people who just want to see Tom Holland in a Spider-Mov movie? Maybe yes, maybe no. It doesn't ding it on my hype list. It's still number one on my hype list.
Starting point is 01:40:08 I just have like, you know, some questions, comments, concerns floating around it. I'm intrigued to see what we see here. I think it's a really good and important point, and it obviously applies beyond this film to just the MCU en masse right now, because, and particularly in the Disney Plus TV show era, where there's just so much happening all the time and so much more time spent with characters and in corners and nooks and crannies of the universe, is that purely additive? I mean, no, all of this stuff is going to connect and inform what comes next because that's the entwined nature of the MCU tapestry.
Starting point is 01:40:49 So, like, for me, that's thrilling because I spend so much of my time watching this stuff, but I can certainly see how for people who are maybe not current on everything, it's overwhelming. And then, you know, again, that's like, we're talking about all of the. characters from past installments, whether it's MCU installments or Sony installments, who might surface here. One of the things that I'm really excited about is who might be introduced into live action. Are we going to meet live action Miles Morales here? I'd love it. That would be so incredible. I'd love it. You know what I mean? But like, yeah, and I'm with you. Like, I'm obviously like in the trenches here with you sort of like
Starting point is 01:41:28 devouring all the lore. I love to feel like rewarded for the time. And I'm, and I'm with you. I'm that I've spent with these characters and all that. But I also get delighted when something like Wanda Vision comes along. Wanda Vision, I think, did a really good job of not relying too heavily on previous understanding. And so it was very friendly to people in a way that I think Falcon and Winter Soldier and Loki weren't. And that's okay.
Starting point is 01:41:48 But I think Wanda Vision, because of its like bonkers premise, et cetera, and it didn't require you to know, because frankly, the films hadn't done a lot to let us know about Wanda. It introduced, I got really excited to see all these. people who never watched Marvel stuff get really invested in this. And I'm like, welcome, welcome to the party, pals. Can I show you 10 to 12 movies? Like, you know, what can we do? Like, hang out with us. So, yeah, I'm excited for us to talk about it more. Of course, we will. But I share your hype. I just have a lot of questions, too, about what we'll see.
Starting point is 01:42:24 We need to do, you know, I mentioned that best of Batman pod from a few months ago. We need to do our our Spider-Man version of that, our Spider-Man movie Hall of Fame around No Way Home. I have some controversial opinions, actually. Oh. As they pertain to the Toby McGuire, Sam Ramey films. I don't think they hold up as well as some people might hope that they would. But we can talk about that in the future. But I've tried revisiting them, and I have some questions, comments, concerns.
Starting point is 01:42:57 But none of those pertain to Alfa Melinas. who I'm so thrilled to see back in the mix. So let's go. Peter Parker. Let's do it. I love it. So much voice work to look forward to. So many films and shows to look forward to.
Starting point is 01:43:16 So it's just a taste of what's to come. Joanna and I are off now to find some spice. So it is time to wrap today's episode. Before we do, thank you to our eternity. Thank you, Steve Allman for producing this episode. Arjuna Ramgapal and TD St. Matthew Daniel for additional production work on this episode, and Jomea Denneron for his work on the social for this episode. Remember?
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