Happy Halloween, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here. We have a special review in honor of Spooky Season and Halloween. All of our Geekly Writers watched Clayface together this past week, and we’ll share our thoughts on the latest entry in the DCU. We’ve only seen the movie once, so this will be more of a reaction than a full review. I’ll kick off this post by sharing my thoughts.
Kyra’s Thoughts
Clayface works well as an introduction to the character. Seriously, we watched the movie with someone who has never seen anything with Batman, and he left wanting to consume more. Clayface dives into the character’s psyche. As if we needed more evidence (beyond Joker and Penguin), Clayface proves that you don’t need Batman to tell a solid story steeped in Gotham City lore. These characters have pathos to spare. Clayface does an excellent job of showing how layered Matt Hagen is with a healthy side of body horror. For those who know the character, the movie goes how you would expect the movie to go. Clayface borrows plenty from Batman: The Animated Series, the Arkham video game series, and the comics. It’s a great watch. And I agree with Season’s sentiment (after leaving the theater), Clayface may have to go on our Halloween movie rotation.
I appreciate Clayface exploring Matt Hagen’s personality. Even before his “accident,” the movie presents Hagen as someone struggling with his identity. The moment he shares celebrating with his deceased mother. The scene with a late night show host asking him to do impressions and when he asks who the real Matt Hagen is, Hagen doesn’t have a good answer. He loses himself in his roles. He searches for himself. And I like how Clayface foreshadows with Hagen sharing with late show host Vic Chissler (great name) that he’s scared of finding his real self. Great foreshadowing.
This also ties into Clayface’s second half: the revenge plotline. I’m skipping over the body horror elements (which dominated Clayface’s first half) for now, so I can focus on Clayface/Matt Hagen as a character. I’ll return to the body horror. Don’t worry. Once Matt Hagen discovers his true self (Clayface), he goes on a killing spree. I want to share a great quote from the movie.
You wanna know how I feel? The people I trusted betrayed me. The justice system failed me. They stole my career, my money, my life! I’m a monster.
Clayface has great quotes to spare. I can see people reciting these for years. As you can tell from the above quote, the movie does a great job of building up Matt Hagen before he becomes Clayface. It puts in the work, so you care about who Hagen is as a person. While he does these horrible things, you can’t help but sympathize with him–to a point. And Clayface’s rampage borrows scenes straight from Batman: The Animated Series. Two of his kills are ripped right from the cartoon series. Ah! Now, I want watch BTAS again. Or at least “Feat of Clay” and “Mudslide.”
But Clayface explores the title character’s power set a little bit, providing a touch of new uses to his existing abilities. Clayface’s body always had the ability to reattach itself after getting flung elsewhere. Hagen uses this to his advantage, specifically his blood in a particularly gruesome death scene near the end. It makes sense for Hagen to cut himself, bleed into someone’s orifices, and wait for his blood to return to his body, ripping the other person apart from the inside. Ugh! So good though. The character who dies this way had it coming, and that’s a good segue to talk about Clayface’s body horror.
Our Geekly writers squirmed in their seats at the beginning of Clayface. It’s uncomfortable. By now, most of us have seen Clayface trailers that featured Matt Hagen’s eyes swelling shut. He runs to an airplane lavatory and uses a pair of scissors to cut open his eyelids. Despite having this scene spoiled (sort of) in the trailers, watching it in real time is something else. This was a tense scene, and there are a number of uncomfortable (in the best ways) scenes, but Clayface does drop the body horror midway through its runtime to focus on Hagen’s revenge story.
I appreciated Clayface’s practical effects, but the movie did use a handful of CGI sequences that looked painfully CGI. The story also tried to science up Clayface’s abilities. Let’s throw in nanobots, goofy futuristic medical jargon, and AI. What would happen if the AI goes rogue? That’s not as quotable as some of the other lines in Clayface. AI felt tacked on. The film doesn’t really explore the AI within Clayface’s body going rogue. This was a lame attempt to make the film feel “modern.” I could’ve done without the addition of AI. If you’re going to include AI, make it count.
I’ve mentioned the writing. A few hiccups aside, it’s solid. The direction and cinematography (outside of a couple of laughable CGI SNAFUs) are great. And the acting is spot on. Tom Rhys Harries nails it as Matt Hagen/Clayface. Naomi Ackie kills it as Dr. Corr. The supporting cast was phenomenal. They made Gotham City feel lived in. Clayface is a fun watch.
Clayface kind of has two endings. I prefer the second. It’s heartbreaking and shows Hagen/Clayface’s mental state. And we see Clayface in all his glory in the closing moments. Clayface made the right choice delaying its main character’s reveal. Clayface can be cartoony. I liked being grounded with the character and watching his descent.
Those are my thoughts on Clayface. Let’s check in with Skye.
Skye’s Thoughts
I’d like to start by saying that I was genuinely excited to see this movie. While Clayface isn’t my all-time favorite Batman villain, he’s one that I’ve been fascinated by for a long time, hasn’t had an official cinematic debut until now, and is a villain that has a lot of big-screen potential. After seeing Clayface in theaters with the rest of the Geekly Crew a few days ago, I’m very satisfied with the results. Clayface did a great job of delivering on the body horror elements built up in the trailers, and I liked the film the most when it made me squirm in my seat. Not only that, but Clayface managed to deliver a story that was both faithful to the character yet still felt fresh.
If I had to nitpick anything about Clayface, I’d say the romance didn’t quite fit with the tone of the rest of the film. While it’s necessary to humanize your characters from a storytelling standpoint, I don’t believe giving the lead a love-interest was the best way to do that in this case. Even if she was the best character in Clayface aside from Matt Hagen himself (Sidenote: the acting is stellar in this movie).
Overall, I had a very good time with Clayface and would enjoy doing a deeper dive on it after its inevitable release on streaming. Clayface is also a great spooky movie for Halloween, so if you’re looking for something creepy that’s hard to watch at times, Clayface might be the perfect fit for you. Happy Halloween!
Those are our writers’ thoughts on Clayface. What did you think of the movie? Let us know in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.
Happy Halloween, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with what should be a fun Top Five List for the holiday. That’s right. We’re celebrating Halloween with a list of the Top 5 Movie Monsters. There are so many to choose from, but we’ll try to keep this list to just five. I’m sure you’ll let us know if we got this list right in the comments. Let’s get to the Top 5 Movie Monsters.
5: King Kong
The Eighth Wonder of the World claims our fifth spot on this list. King Kong had to make this list, and he did, but just barely. In short, King Kong is iconic. He predates popular gigantic monsters (some of which may also make this list) by at least two decades. There’s a reason Kong also has the nickname, the King of Monsters. He dominated all other large monsters on his home, Skull Island. He tapped into viewers’ primal fear and took the movie-going public by storm. And while Kong terrified movie-goers in his 1933 debut, King Kong’s story is just as much about humanity exploiting the planet. And that gives his story weight.
Honestly, I didn’t think a 1930s United States director (Merian C. Cooper) would address an issue like humanity exploiting the planet in a story. To be fair, the original King Kong focused more on human greed and wanting to turn Kong into a “star,” but that still counts as exploitation. Humans kidnapped Kong and put him on a stage. Future directors, like Peter Jackson, leaned more into exploiting natural resources in more recent films. Regardless, King Kong gains more relevance because his story contains a message.
4: Godzilla
Eediga-Ooom! We didn’t need to wait long for another gigantic monster to make this list. Godzilla challenges King Kong for the title of King of the Monsters. Without question, he is the first kaiju. Like Kong before him, Godzilla explores another primal fear: nuclear weapons. That’s right. Godzilla’s origin centers around the aftermath of nuclear weapons. Following World War II, Japan was kind of obsessed with this topic. But the Godzilla films tackled more than the existential crisis of a nuclear war. At various times, Godzilla films challenged social and political views.
Despite frequent hiatuses, the Godzilla film franchise holds the Guinness World Record for the longest continuous movie franchise. After each hiatus, the tone of the movies could drastically change. Sometimes dark and brooding. Other times, over-the-top and silly. No matter the tone, I don’t mind watching the occasional Godzilla film.
3: Bruce the Shark (Jaws)
Da-dum…Da-dum. Da-dum. Da-dum. Da-dum. Da-dum. Da-da-Dum! Be honest, you were singing the Jaws theme just now. We talked about primal fear in past entries. No other movie monster feeds into that more than the great white shark in Jaws. His nickname was Bruce, so we listed him as Bruce on this list. Also, “Bruce the Shark” in Finding Nemo is a nod to Jaws. Fish are friends, not food. Getting back to Jaws, Bruce is a great example of less is more. As you can see from the picture above, Jaws” animatronic shark looks a little fake, so Steven Spielberg opted to show Bruce as little as possible. The rest is movie history.
The movie Jaws is history’s first blockbuster film. It set the rules–or are they guidelines?–for what a summer blockbuster should look like. Jaws was also the highest-grossing film of all time after its release. Who cares if that only lasted two years, until Star Wars was released? Together with Star Wars, Jaws set the Hollywood standard and ushered in a new generation of auteurs. The movie itself holds up remarkably well decades after its original release. That may have a lot to do with Spielberg’s choice of showing the shark as little as possible. At first, I questioned Bruce the Shark’s entry on this list. Does a shark constitute a movie monster? It does if it’s this shark.
2: Xenomorph (Alien)
Stealth. Strength. Weapons. The xenomorph has it all. That deadly combination keeps most protagonists on their toes. Throw in the face-huggers, and the xenomorph may be the most iconic monsters in movie history. Like many other monsters on this list, the xenomorph is the icon of a trailblazing film series. Science fiction horror didn’t exist before Alien. The original Alien charted new territory. At the heart of that new territory lives the xenomorph.
You can’t separate Alien from Xenomorph or Xenomorph from Alien. They’re synonymous. The xenomorph’s design is genius. What would you expect from H. R. Giger? That sleek, sinister, almost sadistic design will strike fear in anyone. I don’t know what I fear the most from the xenomorph: its acid, its ability to strangle me with any one of its appendages, the face-huggers attaching to my face and then the xenomorph bursting from my gut. Whose sick mind thought of this thing? Right. Giger and Ridley Scott. The xenomorph is that movie monster you love to hate.
1: The Thing
The Thing takes the concept of Jaws‘ Bruce the Shark (show as little of the monster as possible) and adds the idea of a shapeshifting entity. In many ways, The Thing is a combination of Jaws and Alien. Why wouldn’t it claim our top spot? Don’t trust your eyes. They’ll deceive you. And when you catch a glimpse of The Thing, do so with the visceral imagery of a xenomorph. Set in Antarctica, The Thing takes the form of the last person it killed.
I can’t imagine watching The Thing take the form of one of my loved ones. This is what makes The Thing so terrifying. It lulls you into a false sense of security. It plays on your emotions. While The Thing may not have shown up in as many films as the other monsters on this list, there’s no doubt it leaves an impression. That’s why The Thing takes the top spot on our list.
But those are my thoughts. Which monsters would you add to this list? Let us know in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.
Happy Monday, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here. It’s time for another Geekly Casting. Today, I’m flying solo with casting Young Justice. While Young Justice has had an on-again, off-again monthly comic book series, I’ll lean heavily on the critically acclaimed animated series of the same name for the characters today. Heck! Most DC Comics fans will know the cartoon before the comic book. Why not lean into it? Robin (Dick Grayson), Aqualad, Kid Flash, Superboy, Miss Martian, and Artemis Crock are on the casting docket today. Alright, let’s get started with Geekly’s Casting for Young Justice.
Aqualad: Jharrel Jerome
While casting this superhero team, I’m trying to stick with actors in their mid-twenties or younger. Jharrel Jerome (28 years old as of writing this post) as Aqualad is one of two exceptions. But an older Aqualad makes sense. He’s the team leader. He has a cool, calm demeanor. And Jharrel Jerome is an amazing actor. He debuted in the Academy Award-winning film Moonlight. Seriously, Jerome’s Hollywood debut was in the best film of the year. And Jerome is the voice of Miles Morales in the Spider-Verse film franchise. That makes Jerome a respected actor who has no problem portraying a superhero. He’d make a perfect Kaldur’ahm.
Robin: Asher Angel
Asher Angel (23) is a reclamation project. He starred as Billy Batson in the DCEU Shazam films. Angel was the strongest actor in both of those films. You know, it might be easy to outdo Zachary Levi as an actor. Regardless, Angel deserves a second chance. He showed enough in the Shazam movies to prove he could grow from Dick Grayson as Robin into Nightwing. If Jason Momoa can transition from Aquaman to Lobo, why not give Angel a different shade of tights?
Kid Flash: Jacob Tremblay
Jacob Tremblay (19) may be one of the youngest members on this list, but he has plenty of range. Tremblay portrayed a five-year-old captive child in the psychological thriller Room and provided the voice of the titular character in Luca. He’s even done voice work as Damien Wayne (Robin) in the Harley Quinn Animated Series. Tremblay possesses the acting and comedic chops to pull off a young Wally West, or even Impulse, if Young Justice chose to go in that direction.
Superboy: Garrett Wareing
Superboy occupies an awkward space within Young Justice. I want to cast him young, but not too young, because he is the love interest for the next character on this list. Garrett Wareing as Superboy is a long shot, but I’m sticking with him. Wareing may not have as long a resume as many of the actors on this list, but his turn as Lucas Russell on Ransom Canyon shows he can pull off a complicated Superboy. Young Justice’s version of Superboy will be a binary clone of Superman and Lex Luthor. We’re talking a Superboy with anger management issues. Wareing may be newer to the acting scene, but he’s proven he can handle dramatic roles. And it doesn’t hurt to lean on his Texas charm. Gig ‘Em!
Miss Martian: Ella Purnell
I knew who I would cast as Miss Martian before any other member of Young Justice: Ella Purnell. Miss Martian begins as a bubbly new recruit, but her bright facade hides a dark secret. Despite her green skin, Miss Martian is a White Martian, the race of Martians who exploited Mars (until it became the uninhabitable planet it is today) and subjugated the Green Martians as slaves. Ashamed of her heritage, M’gann M’orzz chooses to shapeshift into green skin. Miss Martian is a fan favorite because she was the character comic book writers used to explore white guilt. Purnell has a knack for portraying effervescent characters, who may also have dark pasts.
Artemis Crock: Peyton List
Best known for School Spirits and Cobra Kai, Peyton List has plenty of experience in action roles. She was even in Spider-Man 2 as a young child. Yowza! Similar to Miss Martian, Artemis Crock hides her past. Her parents are supervillains (Sportsmaster and Huntress). Despite her family’s past, Artemis proves herself to the point where she’s Aqualad’s lieutenant and has served as Young Justice’s leader. Peyton List is more than up for the challenge.
Vandal Savage: Khary Payton
We have our first–and hopefully only–repeat casting from a previous Casting list: Khary Payton as Vandal Savage. For all the reasons I mentioned in our Justice League Casting, Payton would kill it as Vandal Savage. He’s voiced almost every character in the DC Animated Universe, and Savage often disguises his voice. Yes! Give me an actor so ubiquitous in the DC Animated Universe that he voices himself.
Deathstroke: Joe Manganiello
Joe Manganiello as Deathstroke is a gimmie. He was supposed to have portrayed the character in the DCEU, but it never happened. Manganiello is a decade older than he was when he was first cast as Deathstroke, but that works in his favor. The Deathstroke in Young Justice is an older, grizzled Deathstroke. Perfect!
Granny Goodness: Jamie Lee Curtis
There are so many great options for Granny Goodness. I love that Hollywood has embraced older actors. But I wanted to go against type with Granny Goodness. Her name is a misnomer. Besides Darkseid himself, Granny Goodness is the most feared person on Apokolips. She’s sadistic. She rules her underlings (like Big Barda and Desaad) with an iron fist. So, I went with Jamie Lee Curtis. She’s never come close to portraying a character like Granny Goodness, but I think she could handle it. And she’d be amazing.
Klarion the Witch Boy: Aidan Gallagher
Klarion is chaos personified. Stadistic and cruel, Klarion the Witch Boy can also be hilarious, especially when he takes himself too seriously. Even though Klarion looks to be as old as his Young Justice counterparts, he’s millions of years old. We’ll need a young actor with experience portraying someone much older than themselves. How about The Umbrella Academy’s Aidan Gallagher? Five’s powers in that series come off as magical, and Gallagher gave a layered performance. Seeing those two side-by-side, I can’t see anyone other than Aidan Gallagher portraying Klarion the Witch Boy.
Lady Shiva: Go Ara
As a member of the League of Assassins, Lady Shiva trained under Ra’s Al Ghul. Her voice is as serene as she is ruthless. Korean actor Go Ara hasn’t crossed over into American pop culture. Yet. But Ara is building a nice acting resume. She’s done a little bit of everything from Rom-Coms to Fantasy to straight-up Action. That’ll come in handy. Lady Shiva’s daughter (she was a young mother) grows up to become Orphan, another complex character who could be introduced in a future Young Justice film. Lady Shiva has a long and complicated history that I’m sure Ara would bring to life.
That’s all I have for the Geekly Casting of Young Justice. Who would you cast in which role? Let us know in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.
Happy Monday, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with another list of five. Today’s Top 5 list centers around comic book villains who could be the main character in a television series or movie. The DCU and DCEU have been better showcasing their villains. Penguin, Black Adam, Joker, Clayface, and even Harley Quinn have all had television shows or movies featuring them as the main characters. Marvel has been less prolific. This may be a Marvel-heavy list of five, but I’ll try to sprinkle in some DC Comics characters who haven’t yet seen the limelight. Let’s get started with our list of Comic Book Villains who can be the main character in a movie or television series.
Honorable Mentions
We have multiple characters who could claim an honorable mention spot, so we’ll run through a few here. Darkseid can and should get the Thanos (in Avengers: Infinity War) treatment, and Kingpin could have his own series akin to HBO Max’s Penguin. None of them make this list because this is more of an inevitability. While we won’t shy away from obvious choices (more on that with our top spots), we don’t want to include characters who are all but assured a movie or show. With that said, we’ll give a shout-out to anti-hero and sometimes villain Lobo. I’m writing this post early and haven’t yet watched Supergirl, but if Lobo captures fans’ hearts, he could easily get his own movie or show. Consider this the Penguin effect. Fans loved Colin Farrell’s portrayal of the character and demanded a show.
5: Vermin
Vermin is a strange choice, especially when he’s the only Spider-Man villain who made this list, but his inclusion makes some sense. I’d love to see a Marvel show, film, or special presentation of the Spider-Man story, “The Child Within.” Vermin is the main character in that story. Geekly has mentioned “The Child Within” in the past, but we’ll give you a quick breakdown. Vermin encounters a nine or ten-year-old child in the sewer. The child asks Vermin to help take him home. Vermin reluctantly agrees. He leads the child to a mansion (his home), but the boy is too scared to enter. We learn the child is Vermin’s inner child. This mansion is his family’s home.
“The Child Within” tells Vermin’s backstory. Vermin is one of Marvel’s most tragic villains, so what this show portrays may not be for everyone. But “The Child Within” explores identity and the power of acceptance. Both of these topics have a strong pull in today’s climate. This story is long overdue for a live-action telling. Make it happen, Marvel.
4: Poison Ivy and Bane
My head tells me Bane should take this spot. My heart insists Poison Ivy claims the fourth spot. I went with both. Let’s begin with Bane.
Bane seldom gets a fair shake on the big screen. Ironically, he was little more than Poison Ivy’s mindless pawn in Batman and Robin, and he served as an underboss in The Dark Knight Rises. Neither one of these versions does Bane justice. Heck. Bane often gets sidelined in his own stories. “Knightfall,” the storyline where Bane builds a Gotham empire, breaks Batman’s back, and arguably Bane’s most well-known story, pushes Bane aside to focus on Azrael (the replacement Batman), midway through its arc. Not everyone likes Tom King’s run on Batman, but I thought it did a great job showing Bane at his conniving best. “City of Bane” could showcase this underrated villain like no other big screen project has.
Simply put, Poison Ivy is a fan favorite. She co-stars in the Harley Quinn Animated Series, but has rarely seen the limelight on the big screen. Poison Ivy is more of a sure thing. I could easily see her featured in a future movie or show.
3: Atrocitus
Wonder Woman and Superman villains don’t lend themselves to solo movies too well. I can’t really see Lex Luthor outside the context of a Superman movie. I’d love to see that, but I question if it could work. I also didn’t want to include multiple Batman villains on this list, and Flash hasn’t landed as a big-screen superhero…yet. That leaves Green Lantern villains. Several could’ve made this list. Star Sapphire is more of a hero at this point. Nekron and Black Hand could certainly headline a film, but we may need to wait several years for the DCU to set up those characters. Sinestro is Green Lantern’s longest-running foe, but Atrocitus serves a specific purpose in Green Lantern lore. The Guardians of the Universe (the ones behind the Green Lanterns) make mistakes and can commit atrocities.
Hey! Atrocitus sounds close to atrocities. Coincidence? I think not. The Guardians destroyed Atrocitus’s home world and murdered his people. He gains the red power ring, fueled by rage (part of the emotional spectrum, with green meaning will and yellow fear), and goes on a revenge tour. Atrocitus has a clear goal. Fans could even root for him to succeed. This can make Atrocitus as compelling a villain as Thanos for a solo movie. Sure, Sinestro recruits his army of yellow lanterns, but his goals reek of selfishness. Atrocitus believes in a righteous cause. And I like the idea of the Guardians owning a checkered past.
2: Apocalypse
Ever since his first appearance forty years ago (1986), Apocalypse has been one of the X-Men’s most consistent villains. As the oldest known mutant, Apocalypse’s origin stretches back to Ancient Egypt. He has a simple philosophy: Survival of the Fittest. Apocalypse embodies this philosophy. And it’s this philosophy that makes Apocalypse a great villain with which to focus a movie or show. Funny how having clear goals makes a villain a good candidate as a main character. While I could see several Apocalypse storylines translated to the big screen, “Age of Apocalypse” may be the most fun.
“Age of Apocalypse” asks what would happen if Apocalypse got his way, where only the strong survive. This storyline contains some of the bleakest storylines in X-Men lore. There are too many to count, but believe me, they can tug at one’s heartstrings. And “Age of Apocalypse” hasn’t graced the big screen in earnest. I’d love to see A Pair of Lips, I mean, Apocalypse headline a Marvel movie or show.
1: Doctor Doom and Magneto
Doctor Doom and Magneto had to top this list. They’re the obvious ones. They’re two of the most recognizable villains in comic book history. They have compelling backstories, and I don’t believe Marvel has plans to give either one their own movie or show–at this time. Sure, Avengers: Doomsday includes Doctor Doom’s name in its title, but this team-up movie will include so many characters I can’t imagine Doctor Doom will get significant screen time. We need a Doctor Doom and Magneto story like Avengers: Infinity War had with Thanos. These are two of the most complicated villains in comic books. Both could single-handedly carry a movie.
That’s our list of comic book villains who could be a movie or show’s main character. Which comic book villain would you like see get their own movie or show? Let us know in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.
Happy Monday, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with another Geekly Casting. Today’s subject, the comic strip Dick Tracy, is a special case. First, Hollywood already made a Dick Tracy movie in 1990. Second, Warren Beatty retains the rights, so he or someone from his estate on his behalf would have to sell the rights. Third, 1990’s Dick Tracy film was the third story in a proposed trilogy. I mentioned the True Hearts and Tommy Guns Trilogyin a previous Whatcha Reading. I won’t rehash what I said in that post, but we are looking at potential prequel territory. Shooting Dick Tracy as the trilogy it should have always been made into could involve making the first two films, letting the original stand as the final film in the trilogy. Or Hollywood could reshoot and reimagine the finale. Either way works.
It could only be a matter of time (perhaps within the decade) before Dick Tracy gets a reboot, so we’ll be casting a potential movie. Another issue I found while compiling this list is Dick Tracy’s massive cast. 1990 Dick Tracy features dozens of villains. While our Dick Tracy, beginning with Dick Tracy: Big City Blues, trims a lot of that fat, we’re still left with nineteen characters. Yikes! I may go through our justifications quickly. Let’s kick things off with Geekly’s Casting Call for Dick Tracy.
Dick Tracy: Henry Cavill
Originally, I had cast Jon Hamm as Dick Tracy, but he was a little old for who I had cast as Tracy’s love interest, Tess Trueheart. And then I saw this picture (above) of Henry Cavill. Yep! Cavill may make a more convincing Dick Tracy than he ever did Superman. Give him a clean shave, a haircut, and the proper attire, and Cavill is Dick Tracy.
Tess Trueheart: Deborah Ann Woll
Deborah Ann Woll has done it all as an actor. She brings life to comedic, dramatic, and action roles, and she’ll need to tap into all of that with Tess Trueheart. At times, Tess can be Dick Tracy’s empathetic better half with a razor wit. And at others, she’s unafraid to mix it up with some of Tracy’s rogues.
While Tess is depicted as blond in the comics, Dick Tracy (1990) gave Tess red hair to differentiate her from Breathless Mahoney. This was a good choice, and I wouldn’t mind another redheaded Tess Trueheart.
Emil (Pops) Trueheart: David Schwimmer
To the best of my knowledge, David Schwimmer has never portrayed an older father-figure, and I’d like to see him in a role like that. Pops Trueheart doesn’t show up for too long in the Dick Tracy Trilogy–he famously passes away in the comic strip–but Schwimmer could give a memorable performance as Pops Trueheart before the fateful night.
Lilly (Momma) Trueheart: Connie Britton
Since I went with an actor I’ve never seen as a warm and doting father-figure, I had to cast someone like Connie Britton as Lilly (Momma) Trueheart. Despite Dick Tracy‘s setting of Chicago (gangsters and all that), I always read Momma Trueheart with a Southern drawl. I don’t know why. When I put both of these aspects together, I came up with Connie Britton. Britton pulled off a convincing drawl in Friday Night Lights. Hi, y’all.
Chief Brandon: Idris Elba
Honestly, I saw a picture of the classic Chief Brandon and immediately thought of Idris Elba–sorry, Sir Idris Elba (congrats!). I struggled to cast a diverse group of actors in Dick Tracy and had to go with instincts like this as much as I could. We’re talking Chicago in the Twenties and early Thirties, so diversity can prove difficult. Elba is one heck of an actor, and Dick Tracy will need an accomplished actor to portray Chief Brandon.
Pat Patton: Tom Hiddleston
Does Tom Hiddleston look the part of Pat Patton? Maybe. The two may be close enough in appearance, but Pat occupies an odd space in Dick Tracy lore. He has as much, if not more, experience than Dick Tracy, which is why he eventually takes over as Chief after Brandon leaves the role. So, Patton’s actor should slot somewhere close to Tracy’s age, younger than Chief Brandon, and definitely older than the next character on this list, Sam Catchem. In some media, Patton is portrayed with a slight Irish accent. Hiddleston isn’t Irish, but I’d like to hear him try a slight Irish accent.
Sam Catchem: Jeremy Allen White
Sam Catchem is new to the force. He’s as likely as Tracy to get involved in action sequences, and Jeremy Allen White is just the man for those action sequences. He pulled off some crazy moves as Kerry von Erich in The Iron Claw. White didn’t look too similar to Kerry, but you know who he looks more like? Sam Catchem. And White is one hell of an actor.
Steve the Tramp: Josh Brolin
Because of his look as Marv in Sin City, I first thought of Mickey Rourke to play Steve the Tramp. Rourke could still play the role today, but I don’t know about five to ten years from now. Brolin could also give a stellar portrayal of the small-time crook who uses children to commit crimes. Through most of the Dick Tracy Trilogy, Steve the Tramp is reprehensible. Good thing whoever portrays the character will do so under a mountain of prosthetics.
The Kid (Junior): Unknown
The Kid, the eventual Dick Tracy Junior, is impossible to cast given the parameters I set for myself. The rights to Dick Tracy will, at best, become available in the next five to ten years. Any young actor I could cast as The Kid, would age out of the role by the time Dick Tracy would become a reality. In fact, we’d have to cast an extremely young actor (like under eight years old when the movies begin, so I may have to cast someone who hasn’t even been conceived). Eek!
Patricia “Breathless” Mahoney: Ever Anderson
Ever Anderson (Evelyn Nesbit from The Artist) may seem like she’s on the young side to portray Breathless Mahoney, and you might be right if Dick Tracy began filming tomorrow. But the Patricia Mahoney we’ll see in Dick Tracy: Big City Blues is a Mahoney who’s unsure of herself. She reads very young. Patricia grows into Breathless Mahoney, and Ever Anderson could easily pull off this metamorphosis.
Mahoney also begins the Dick Tracy Trilogy as a brunette. She doesn’t transition into a blonde until after she’s under Texie Garcia’s control.
Ribs Mocca: Adam Driver
Ribs Mocca barely appears in the original Dick Tracy movie. You may think we don’t need an actor of any acclaim for Mocca, but Mocca’s a far bigger deal in the True Hearts and Tommy Guns’ first two storylines. A war rages among Mocca, Lips Manlis, and Pruneface, with Texie Garcia flying under the radar with her own hustles. Adam Driver as Mocca makes sense because Mocca is the most junior of the mob bosses. He obtains incriminating evidence on Manlis and uses it to weasel his way into a higher position. Driver would make an excellent Ribs.
Lips Manlis: Bill Hader
Like so many other Dick Tracy villains in the 1990 movie, Lips Manlis didn’t get nearly enough screen time. Manlis is one of the biggest crime bosses. Heck. Big Boy Caprice begins the Trilogy working for Manlis. That scene in Dick Tracy, where Big Boy puts Manlis in the bath, was cathartic. And Manlis is a devilish bastard you love to hate. With the context of the previous two stories, fans will cheer Big Boy giving Manlis the bath.
With that said, Bill Hader may be an odd choice for Lips Manlis, but Hader has proven he can play this character type. Hader’s star turn as the title character in the dark comedy Barry proves he can play an unhinged character with a ton of depth. And Manlis requires depth and can get unhinged.
Pruneface: Michael Shannon
Michael Shannon as Pruneface may be typecasting, but I don’t care. Pruneface is another one of the major crime bosses. He specializes in sabotage and explosives. Not necessarily in that order. Whoever portrays Pruneface needs to have presence, and Shannon has proven he has that in spades.
Texie Garcia: Shorhreh Aghdashloo
I love Shorhreh Aghdashloo’s iconic husky voice. Texie Garcia is yet another crime boss (albeit one who hides in the shadows) and needs to have an actor with plenty of gravitas. Aghdashloo’s voice oozes cool. She looks the part. She may be on the older side to portray Garcia, but Garcia barely shows up in the Dick Tracy movie (the third story of the Trilogy). Instead, she dominates Mahoney’s origin in the first two stories.
Numbers: Stanley Tucci
“Numbers” Nelson is one of those rare made-for-the-1990 Dick Tracy movie characters. The only comic book you’ll find Numbers in is the True Hearts and Tommy Guns Trilogy. While Numbers eventually works for Big Boy Caprice, who’s more of a minor character in the beginning, he starts as Texie Garcia’s accountant. Brilliant character actor Stanley Tucci could give a great performance as Numbers without breaking a sweat.
Jack “Big” Frost: Sean Bean
At first, I had cast Sean Bean as B-B Eyes and DJ Qualls as Jack “Big” Frost, but I couldn’t pass up a funny and swapped the two actors. Minor Spoiler: Jack “Big” Frost dies at the end of the first movie, Big City Blues. We have to keep Sean Bean’s streak of dying in movies alive.
B-B Eyes: DJ Qualls
Again, I had DJ Qualls as Jack “Big” Frost and swapped him for B-B Eyes. I didn’t care for this side of the swap, but it grew on me. First, Qualls doesn’t usually get too many prominent roles, and B-B Eyes is one of the second story’s focal points. Second, Dick Tracy puts on a B-B Eyes mask and goes undercover as the mobster, and watching Henry Cavill putting on a DJ Qualls mask would be amazing. Finally, I can see Qualls as B-B Eyes. He may be a better choice than my original pick, Sean Bean.
Big Boy Caprice: Paul Giamatti
While Paul Giamatti would never get confused with Al Pacino, he looks more like the comic strip version of Big Boy. Pacino gave a good performance in the original Dick Tracy film. The movie didn’t work in a lot of ways, but none of those ways was because Pacino gave a flat performance. But Big Boy begins the Trilogy as a mouse. Caprice becomes Big Boy over the course of the first two stories. Giamatti would have no problem pulling off this kind of character arc.
Flattop: Keanu Reeves
While researching this post, I saw someone else fan-cast Keanu Reeves as Flattop “Jones.” I can see that. Flattop is Dick Tracy’s most recognizable and beloved foe. He was even the first comic strip character to receive a funeral. People mourned the loss of Flattop like they would the loss of a loved one. Why not cast a beloved actor as Flattop? It also doesn’t hurt that Flattop could’ve been John Wick in another timeline and with a different moral compass.
Mumbles: Jeremy Renner
Mumbles is another character where I saw the picture and immediately thought of an actor: Jeremy Renner. I may have seen a caricature of Renner that looked exactly like Mumbles. And Mumbles is yet another popular Dick Tracy villain. Even though his name is Mumbles, Mumbles doesn’t mumble. He speaks too fast and slurs his words. I could see Renner having fun with the character’s speech patterns, but when push came to shove, and a dramatic moment was warranted, Renner could dig deep for Mumbles’s inner calm.
88 Keyes: Leonardo DiCaprio
88 Keyes (or Keys), named after the 88 keys on a piano, is nothing short of a lady’s man. In the Dick Tracy Trilogy, 88 Keyes may be a little older than he was originally in the comic strip, but he remains a man who gets by on his looks. DiCaprio may have some experience with that. It also doesn’t hurt that 88 has underhanded plans for days. He lets everyone think he only cares about the ladies, but he has real criminal ambitions. DiCaprio knows how to obfuscate his character’s true intentions. He’d make a dapper 88 Keyes.
Those are my picks to portray Dick Tracy characters in a hypothetical Dick Tracy Trilogy. Who would you cast? Let us know in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.
Happy Saturday, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with the first of two reviews/reactions today. Our writers watched Spider-Man: Brand New Day last weekend, and we have some thoughts to share. I’ll kick things off with my thoughts on Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
Kyra’s Take
I enjoyed Spider-Man: Brand New Day. The trailers promised a character-driven Spider-Man story, and Spider-Man: Brand New Day delivers on this promise. Peter’s story continues where Spider-Man: No Way Home concluded. He has yet to reach out to his friends, Ned and MJ, and his journey toward self-acceptance mirrors the storyline of Spider-Man: Brand New Day’s “villain.” Before we go any further, I must give a spoiler warning to anyone who hasn’t seen Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Consider yourself warned.
Jean Grey–yes, The X-Men’s Jean Grey–is Spider-Man: Brand New Day’s villain, sort of. Her mutant powers have awakened, and she’s on the look for her sister, Sarah. Jean’s mother abandoned her and her sister because of who they were; a stark contrast to Spider-Man’s Aunt May embracing her nephew/son after he gained his powers. This is relevant to the story. Trust me. After all, Jean’s a telepath.
During Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Spider-Man’s powers are growing and “mutating.” Again, Jean Grey’s powers awakening and amplifying echo Spider-Man’s changes. Narratively, this is a great choice. Peter Parker followed Tony Stark/Iron Man’s lead. At one point of his career, Peter submitted himself to government monitoring and regulation; this was the whole point of Captain America: Civil War and the Sokovia Accords. Peter continues to work with the government. Jean Grey fights against government regulation and monitoring as most X-Men would do. If the MCU were to include or introduce the X-Men in a Spider-Man film, the way Spider-Man: Brand New Day does it is near flawless. But I’m not a huge fan of a Spider-Man film introducing the X-Men.
There has never been a Spider-Man MCU film where Spider-Man was the only superhero in the film. Repeat: No Spider-Man MCU film has been a solo Spider-Man movie. Spider-Man: Homecoming had Iron Man as Spidey’s father figure (one extra superhero). Spider-Man: Far From Home featured an Iron Man cameo and Nick Fury working behind the scenes (two extra superheroes). Spider-Man: No Way Home had two other versions of Spider-Man and Doctor Strange (three extra superheroes). Spider-Man: Brand New Day has appearances from Jean Grey, The Punisher, The Hulk, and Black Widow (four extra superheroes). What’s next for Spider-Man 5? Five extra superheroes. It may as well be an Avengers film. Kind of like Captain America: Civil War.
Don’t get me wrong, most–if not all–of these guest-staring superheroes had a purpose in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Jean Grey begins as the antagonist, only to be vindicated as a scared young woman makes for a good volta (turn) with Damage Control becoming the “real villain.” This is great. It shatters Peter’s worldview that he’s held since he was introduced into the MCU (ten years ago). The Punisher works as comic relief and at the end, he reminds Peter that extreme measures aren’t always needed. The Punisher is also the man Peter fears he’ll become if he keeps himself closed. Great stuff. The Hulk shows a path Peter’s mutation could take; Peter even calls his continued mutation a “monster” like The Hulk. The Hulk is the monster Spider-Man doesn’t want to become. Bruce gives Peter the idea of inhibiting his mutation and this gives Peter the means to subdue Jean. And Black Widow is just fun. She doesn’t steal a lot of screen time. But that’s four extra superheroes. Four!
We’ll probably never get a Spider-Man solo film in the MCU. That isn’t the worst thing in the world. The MCU is an interconnected universe. Fortunately, viewers didn’t need to do any “homework” before Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Sure, you could watch the recent Punisher Special on Disney+, but it isn’t “required” viewing to understand this movie’s plot. As long as you vaguely know who Yelena (Black Widow) and Bruce (The Hulk) Banner are, you don’t need to watch or rewatch any of their previous movies or shows. All of this is great. The MCU has learned to eliminate–or at least reduce–audience “homework,” and the confluence of superheroes Spider-Man: Brand New Day used worked for the movie’s character-driven story. But I miss the days of the MCU’s solo superhero movies or even the Spider-Man films with fewer guest superheroes.
Off-topic, but I’ve heard some people describe Jean Grey’s actions in this film as “evil.” I don’t believe that is the case, but I may be too quick to forgive Jean’s actions. She does kill people for her family. At least two Damage Control goons passed away during Jean’s assault on the organization’s headquarters. She may have been responsible for more. In the comics, Jean Grey is a more morally gray–or grey–character than most might think. Sink’s performance is great for a young Jean Grey with a mean streak. But I can see why people would call Jean’s actions in Spider-Man: Brand New Day evil. I view her actions as destructive. I also served in the military during three wars. I have a much larger body count than Jean when it comes to killing for my family. So, I’m biased.
My final thought is on Damage Control itself, and Spider-Man: Brand New Day’s use of Bill Metzger. In the comics, William Metzger was an anti-mutant leader. His was an organization similar to the mutant hate-group Friends of Humanity. As soon as I heard the name Metzger, I knew he was a villain, and it all but confirmed Jean Grey, instead of any number of Spider-Man villains with mind control or possession (as Black Widow put it) powers as this film’s antagonist. Going into this film, I thought Mister Negative or Carrion would’ve been better served as the movie’s villain. Heck, Carrion’s abilities closely match what Jean does during the film (a pseudo-possession), and Mister Negative was the main villain in the comic story titled Spider-Man: Brand New Day. So, I guess I’m a little disappointed that we didn’t see another great Spidey villain take centerstage. Spider-Man has one of the greatest rogues galleries in comics.
Heck. Spider-Man has the second best rogues galleries in comics, second only to Batman. So, Spider-Man: Brand New Day plays like a Batman movie with none of Batman’s rogues present. Odd. It worked, but I don’t want this as a steady diet with Spider-Man movies.
Ultimately, Spider-Man: Brand New Day was a great popcorn flick. I’ll probably watch it once or twice after it lands on Disney+. If the MCU had to introduce the X-Men in a Spider-Man film, this is almost perfect. I just wished the MCU didn’t choose to introduce the X-Men in this film. Despite the X-Men’s inclusion, Spider-Man: Brand New Day kept its trailers’ promise of a Spider-Man character-driven film. It’s a fun movie. Those are my thoughts on Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Let’s see what Season thinks.
Season’s Take
I was a bit surprised to see Jean Grey as an anti-hero in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Sadie Sink did an amazing job as Jean Grey. The character was very believable. The plot of Spider-Man: Brand New Day was well-written and can work as a stand alone movie. There were enough flashbacks to the previous Spider-Man movies that the audience could understand what happened without having to watch the other installments. The flashbacks were a bit too overdone; they could have cut down the runtime without some of them.
Before I watched Spider-Man: Brand New Day, I didn’t know who William Metzger was. What made me suspicious of him initially was how he spoke to the Hand. He spoke Japanese (without subtitles), and didn’t use an ounce of polite speech while introducing Spider-Man as an ally of the Hand. He referred to the Hand as “omae (oh-ma-eh)” or “you all.” “Omae” is either a familiar way of speaking to someone, but is considered to be very rude. He also referred to himself as “ore (oh-ray)” or “I.” This is normally an arrogant way to refer to oneself. He also didn’t use “desu” or “masu” at the end of his sentences, which is also either rude or familiar. I’m not sure how many Japanese speakers watched Spider-Man: Brand New Day, but this instance stood out to me.
I wish we could have seen some underused members of Spider-Man’s rogues gallery, so I was a bit disappointed when that didn’t happen. It looks like we’ll be seeing Venom in the future fifth Spider-Man movie. Here’s hoping it’ll blow Spider-Man 3 out of the water.
Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle here again. I left the Metzger Japanese speech to Season; She spent a year and a half in Japan. I remember looking at Season when the scene occurred. I don’t speak Japanese, but I could tell something was off with Metzger’s speech. Anyway, thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.
Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here. A couple of our writers watched the DCU’s second movie entry, Supergirl, this past week. Sure. We’ve only watched the movie once, so this may be more of a reaction than a review. Typically, I like to watch a movie at least twice before dubbing my thoughts a “review.” But I do have some thoughts, and I may be joined by another of our writers for Geekly’s Review/Reaction of Supergirl.
Kyra’s Thoughts
Supergirl is a good movie. I don’t know where all the hate for the movie originates. I’d even say Supergirl is on par with last year’s Superman, with one significant flaw holding it back: “the brides.” The brides represent an even larger issue of Supergirl attempting to cater to a wider audience. We’ll return to the brides and the rest in a minute, but back to Supergirl as a whole. The acting is on point. Eve Ridley gives a great performance as Ruthye. Milly Alcock is perfect as a Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow (the movie’s source material) version of Supergirl. And Jason Momoa was more believable as Lobo in three seconds than he was as Aquaman through three DCEU films.
However, Lobo is also the reason why Supergirl isn’t as good as it could be–Lobo was a ploy to get other demographics interested in the movie, but we’ll talk more about that later, too. Again, I love Momoa in the role, but the character disrupted this movie. Other critics claim that Supergirl’s plot is scattered. Lobo is the main reason the movie’s plot goes off course. The writers shoehorned a character who didn’t exist in the source material: Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow. While a scattered plot may be a fair criticism of Supergirl, last year’s Superman had a far more scattered narrative. I didn’t look at some of these critics’ reviews for Superman, but I venture to guess they didn’t dock Superman nearly as much as Supergirl for the same flaw. And Superman was worse in that regard.
My biggest gripe with Supergirl also stems from Lobo’s presence: the brides. I told you we would return to this topic. In the source material, the main villain, Krem, is a mercenary who really loves killing people. Lobo is also a mercenary who really loves killing people. How do we differentiate between them? Make Krem a sex trafficker. No. Just no. The brides (girls around 13) gave me the ick while I was watching Supergirl. It took me a minute to figure out why the brides made me cringe. I can see why this could be a dealbreaker for some. Supergirl could’ve omitted Momoa’s Lobo (or given him a cameo, seriously, three seconds was all Momoa needed to show he embodied the character) and replaced his scenes with a hopeful scene or two from the source material. This could’ve brightened the movie. Possibly even allowed for more comedic moments, which brings me to my next point.
Supergirl’s darker tone could also be a dealbreaker for others. Supergirl is a very different character from Superman. And that’s a fantastic thing. Corenswet’s Superman never knew Krypton. Alcock’s Supergirl watched her family, her home, and her people die. I love how Supergirl showed the difference between these two characters when they shared screentime. If anything, Supergirl upstaged the DCEU’s Superman. Cavill’s Superman had PTSD for unspecified reasons. Alcock’s Supergirl has PTSD for a very concrete reason: she watched the last of Krypton die. This is the equivalent of Cavill’s Superman as a CIS man trying a menstrual cramp simulator and screaming at the first setting. Alcock’s Supergirl would claim that setting tickles.
I could even see some people disliking Supergirl’s use of trauma to propel the narrative. Sometimes, you just want a dumb, fun movie. Heck, 2025’s Superman could be categorized as a dumb, fun movie, so the DCU conditioned audiences (through one movie) that the new DCU will be bright and fun. Despite its tonal differences, Supergirl fits within the DCU. And I’d argue that Kara overcomes her trauma, and that should be lauded. Supergirl’s trauma makes her interesting. Kara possesses numerous conflicting emotions. At one point, Supergirl was a red (rage) lantern in DC Comics. The fact that she chooses hope makes her a hero. While Supergirl is dark for a PG-13 movie, it’s nowhere near as dark as 2008’s The Dark Knight. So those critics need to stop clutching their pearls or throw that same vitriol at The Dark Knight.
The final negative I’ve seen from most Supergirl critics is the movie’s sepia-toned world. Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow features vibrant colors. The Supergirl movie doesn’t. And this is where I’m bringing back the idea that Supergirl included certain things in the hopes of appeasing different demographics. Supergirl’s sepia-toned worlds resemble the Snyderverse films. News flash, DCU. Snyderverse fans only want the DCEU to return. Nothing you can do can change that, so why not go with more vibrant colors? And we return to Lobo. Yes. Lobo was that problematic of an addition to this story. At first, I thought the DCU wanted another marketable character in the Supergirl cast (sell some toys or a variant popcorn bucket), but the more I thought about it, Lobo’s presence was meant to appeal to testosteroni males. After all, Lobo is the Main Man.
Supergirl works as a worthy follow-up to 2025’s Superman. I’d like to see where the DCU takes the Superman family. Yes, there are more members of the Superman family the DCU could explore. Supergirl suffers from appealing to a lot of different demographics that it had no hope of winning over. Synderverse fans are a lost cause. And despite Lobo’s inclusion, many of the testosteroni boys whom Lobo was meant to win over still dubbed Supergirl “woke” because it’s a movie about a super-powered woman. Supergirl has the bones of a fantastic movie. The performances are phenomenal. Too bad the DCU tried to cater to certain demographics.
Those are my thoughts on Supergirl. Let’s see what Season thinks about the film.
Season’s Thoughts
I also think Supergirl got too much hate from critics. If you isolate Supergirl from Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, it’s an enjoyable movie. It’s fun to watch regardless, but I couldn’t help myself from comparing it to the source material. I’ll get to the source material later.
Supergirl showed Kara overcoming adversity, but that got overshadowed by Lobo and the sex trafficking of young girls. The reason the movie gave for the sex trafficking of young girls was because the Brigands were an all-male race. Okay. I suppose you can argue that reason, but the sex trafficking was so unnecessary and ham-fisted into the plot. It was plain gross for the sake of being gross. Krem also killed one of the girls for sport. If the Brigands really needed these girls to continue their race, why kill one of them instead of capturing them?
Speaking of Krem, an interesting design choice was made for him in Supergirl that doesn’t match with Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow. My guess is it goes back to Lobo’s inclusion. Lobo is already an interesting looking character with extreme expressions and mannerisms. In Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, Krem looks like a red-headed barbarian with crazy eyes. Supergirl made Krem out crazy-fie Lobo with several piercings across his face, leather clothes, and a rat tail turned into a braid. They also gave him red eyes. You know, to match Lobo. Since Krem was the more evil between himself and Lobo in Supergirl, he had to have a more extreme appearance. I see you, Craig Gillespie.
I’m sorry to all the Lobo fans out there, but he was a distraction. Spoiler alert: Lobo stole Comet’s scene in Supergirl. In Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, Comet is the one who saves Supergirl from the onslaught of Brigands, losing his life in the process. This is a very dark and emotional moment in the source material. I cried when I read it. In Supergirl, Lobo rescues Supergirl from the Brigands and turns it into a slapstick comedy moment. Supergirl explained Lobo’s reason for being present was that he was after the bounty of one of the Brigands. That makes sense for Lobo’s character, but Supergirl is only one-hundred and seven minutes. All of Lobo’s screentime is distracting from the main story.
On to the positives. Supergirl was fun to watch. Milly Alcock did an amazing job of capturing Supergirl as a character. Eve Ridley also did a good job of portraying Ruthye. Ruthye’s internal monologue wasn’t included in Supergirl, but I didn’t mind. The movie could have easily been lengthened to over two hours if Ruthye narrated the movie.
I didn’t think Supergirl would include the green sun. I was pleasantly surprised. Not only was it included, but it cut out the extra exposition in Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, which was much appreciated. Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow dragged a bit on the extent of Supergirl’s affliction to the green sun. In Supergirl, Ruthye’s strength was portrayed through her restraint and perseverance. We didn’t need to watch her slay monsters.
That’s my take on Supergirl. Geekly Gang.
Hey, hey, Geekly Gang. Kyra Kyle here again. Did you agree with our takes? What do you think of Supergirl? Let us know in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.
Happy Monday, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here, and today, we have another Geekly Casting. Skye and I will be casting for a hypothetical Overwatch film. I found it difficult to pare the list of Overwatch characters to a manageable number. I forgot the original Overwatch launched with 21 characters. Twenty-One! We’ll cast a full twenty-one characters, so I researched Overwatch’s original cast–the one they used during demos before the game officially released–and found twelve. That’s a much easier number. I added a couple of characters (two) who will show up at the end of my segment. One makes sense for lore reasons, and the other sounded like fun to cast. So, we’ll have fourteen cast members. Yay!
Looks like Skye is sitting out this Geekly Casting. Hopefully, she’ll return soon. I’m flying solo with this Geekly Casting, so let’s get it started. Here is Geekly’s Casting of a hypothetical Overwatch movie.
Bastion: Ben Burtt
I almost didn’t cast anyone to voice Bastion. But someone does just that in the game: Chris Metzen. While Chris Metzen would make a great Bastion for an Overwatch film (because he is Bastion), I opted to go with Ben Burtt, who voiced Wall-E. Let’s be real. Bastion has Wall-E tones. If you’re not going to go with the original, you can’t go wrong with Ben Burtt.
Tracer: Emilia Jones
Tracer is young, British, and full of spunk. I had plenty of choices for this role, but I chose Emilia Jones (Locke & Key and CODA) because she’s already proven her acting chops. She’s received multiple awards and was nominated for a BAFTA. Jones just needs a big break. Tracer could be that big break. And it doesn’t hurt that she’s a dead ringer for Tracer.
Reaper: Tyler Dean Flores
While I could’ve gone with an older, stoic Latino actor like Danny Trejo or Javier Bardem, I wanted to go younger with Reaper. Tyler Dean Flores got his start on The Dark Knight Rises and has steadily built a varied and impressive acting career: When They See Us, I Saw the TV Glow, and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Flores has range and is another actor who could use a big break. Flores could give Reaper depth.
Widowmaker: Megan Northam
Widowmaker is a French ballerina turned sniper. Who better to portray her than jack-of-all-trades Megan Northam? Northam trained for a decade on the cello at the Nantes Conservatory. She’s even a dancer. Great! And Northam is French. Perfect! Northam’s breakout role came in 2021 in the French comedy Robust. She later starred in Netflix’s Notre-Dame and the Amazon Prime series, Greek Salad. I could easily see Northam pull off a convincing Widowmaker.
Pharah: Jamila Awad
Jamila Awad has had a varied career. She’s acted in comedies and dramas alike but hasn’t been in a major project in half a decade. Awad took part in a UNICEF campaign alongside numerous Egyptian and international artists, including Mona Zaki. The objective of this campaign was to enhance awareness of children’s rights on a global scale and within the Arab region. And last year (2025) Awad was the face of Armani Beauty. I could see Awad make a triumphant acting return as Pharah.
Reinhardt: Michael Fassbender
German-Irish actor Michael Fassbender needs little introduction. He’s freaking Magneto. While he may need to be aged up a little bit for the role of Reinhardt, Fassbender can pull off the accent. He has the gravitas that will pull in combatants and viewers as Reinhardt. The only thing that surprises me with this pick is that I haven’t cast Michael Fassbender in anything yet. A good Overwatch film could erase the less-than-stellar Assassin’s Creed movie. Yikes!
Mercy: Isabel Lucas
“Heroes Never Die.” The same can be said of Samantha Cage, Isabel Lucas’s character in MacGyver. Lucas certainly has the look to play Mercy. It also helps that Lucas can speak Swiss-German, so Mercy’s accent should be no problem. Recently, Lucas has returned to Australian film, but I’m sure the role of Mercy could convince her to return to Hollywood.
Torbjörn: Bill Skarsgård
Bill Skarsgård is another actor who needs no introduction. The Pennywise actor may seem like an odd choice for Torbjörn, but Skarsgård is no stranger to mountains of prosthetics. He loses himself in most of his roles. And can’t you see Skarsgård in full Torbjörn makeup and beard extensions? It’d be glorious.
Hanzo: Brian Tee
Chicago Med star Brian Tee is no stranger to action films. He’s been featured in Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, The Wolverine, Jurassic World, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows, where he portrayed none other than Shredder himself. Yeah. Tee has the credentials to pull off a menacing Hanzo.
Winston: Crispin Freeman
I’m keeping it simple with Winston. His voice actor Crispin Freeman retains the role. Why not? Winston will most likely be predominantly CGI. It makes sense to keep Winston’s video game voice actor. Nuff said.
Zenyatta: Feodor Chin
I’m sensing a trend here. I’m going with Zenyatta’s original voice actor Feodor Chin. The role will most likely be achieved through CGI, so why not have the classically trained Chin reprise his role? Chin has forgotten more about acting than most of us will ever know. He’s starred in live action, animation, and video games. Chin has countless acting credits, but here’s a list of his highlights: Big Little Lies, Lethal Weapon, Jane the Virgin, New Girl, Hit-Monkey, What If?, and Regular Show. And that’s on top of all Chin’s video game voice acting.
Symmetra: Anjali Bhimani
Okay. I’m three for three with these last three roles. I’m sticking with Symmetra’s voice actor Anjali Bhimani. Clearly, Symmetra won’t be CGI, but seeing Bhimani in live-action roles makes me smile. She was one of the reasons I watched Ms. Marvel. And if you’ve ever seen Bhimani on YouTube Dungeons & Dragons videos, you know she has charisma to spare. Being a D&D fan gives Bhimani extra geek cred. It also doesn’t hurt that Bhimani also voices one of my Apex Legends’ mains, Rampart. She’s gotta be the live-action Symmetra.
Genji: Mamoru Miyano
Mamoru Miyano may be primarily known as a J-Pop star and voice actor, but Light Yagami from Death Note is one of Miyano’s voice acting credits. Ah. I like the idea of an android Light wreaking havoc. Miyano has the presence to pull off Genji’s voice. And if you noticed, Genji is one of my final two entries. He wasn’t one of the original 12 characters in Overwatch’s demo, but I couldn’t include Hanzo without including his brother, Genji.
D.Va: Bae Suzy
D.Va may be an E-Sports star, but she gives off crazy K-Pop Idol vibes. I’m leaning into the K-Pop angle with Bae Suzy, who just so happens to have built a solid acting career. I can see Bae Suzy saying “Nerf This” before ejecting from a mech. It also doesn’t hurt that Bae Suzy has martial arts training. She can pull off an action role like D.Va.
Those are my picks for a hypothetical Overwatch live-action film. Thank you for reading. You’re awesome. We all know, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.
Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here. We’ve waited a month, so it may be time to do another Geekly Casting. Today’s subject is Apex Legends. Respawn/EA has been teasing an Apex Legends show or movie for years. The franchise came out of the gates hot. It’s since cooled in the past few years, but a show or film could reignite Apex Legends.
We decided to keep casting simple and go with the original eight Apex Legends’ characters, the first four characters released after the originals, and Blisk. We needed to cast Blisk. He’s the one who ties Apex Legends to the greater Titanfall universe and assembles the Legends for the Apex Games. I’m going to cast Apex Legends with modern actors, and our movie geek Skye will be casting the film with actors from all of Hollywood history. My picks are up first. Let’s see who made our Apex Legends cast.
Kyra’s Picks
Blisk: Sharlto Copley
Canonically, Blisk is from South Africa. Unlike other characters from the Titanfall/Apex Legends universe, Blisk doesn’t hail from a planet with an accent, which sounds like one we’d find on planet Earth. Blisk is literally from South Africa. District 9’s Sharlto Copley is also South African. He’s no stranger to Sci-Fi/Action films either. Allow him to grow a sculpted beard, and he’s a dead ringer for Blisk. I can see Sharlto Copley as the man reinstating the Apex Games for selfish and dubious means. Copley does a great job portraying morally gray characters.
Wraith: Sophie Thatcher
Sophie Thatcher makes for a younger Wraith. This could help because if the Apex Legends movie/show follows the video game, Wraith will receive ample flashback scenes. Thatcher has plenty of experience with flashback scenes as a younger Natalie in Yellowjackets. But it’s Sophie Thatcher’s turn as a sexual partner android in Companion that proves she can pull off Wraith. Thatcher struck a careful balance between innocence and calculation, and found a combination of coldness and warmth. Thatcher has what it takes to portray Wraith, and it doesn’t hurt that she looks the part.
Bloodhound: Emma Corrin
Emma Corrin is an amazing actor. They were excellent as Cassandra Nova in Deadpool and Wolverine. Corrin’s small frame can be a blessing for Bloodhound. Most of Bloodhound’s bulk comes from their gear; underneath that gear, Bloodhound also has a small frame. I can see Corrin entering Beast of the Hunt. Corrin claims they haven’t met an accent they can’t pull off. Let’s see how they bathe in the bloth. And it doesn’t hurt that Emma Corrin is non-binary, just like Bloodhound, and Bloodhound’s gender identity plays a huge role in their backstory.
Bangalore: Danai Gurira
Danai Gurira has a history of playing strong warrior women: Michonne from The Walking Dead and Okoye from the MCU. Gurira as Bangalore is a no-brainer. She can pop a chimney with the best of them while bringing the Rolling Thunder. And Gurira can easily rock Bangalore’s signature look. She was meant to play Bangalore.
Lifeline: Halle Bailey
Yep. Disney’s live-action Ariel from The Little Mermaid is a dead ringer for Lifeline. Her turn as the titular mermaid means Halle Bailey is no stranger to red hair. She just needs to wear it in a double bun. It also helps that Bailey has musical training and could pull off Lifeline’s penchant for drumming on her D.O.C. Heal Drone. Halle Bailey has the effervescent personality for Ajay Che. I can’t see anyone else playing the character.
Pathfinder: Chris Edgerly
Pathfinder will be CGI anyway. Why not retain his voice actor, Chris Edgerly, in the role? Next.
Gibraltar: Cooper Andrews
As Jerry from The Walking Dead, Cooper Andrews portrayed a character who can see the bright side in the darkest of any situation. I see that in Apex Legends’ Gibraltar. Anyone who portrays Gibraltar and the next character on this list needs to tower over most of the cast. Andrews has that part down. He also has the charisma to pull off Gibby. Cooper Andrews can easily pull off a line like, “I’m here to watch your back, brudda” without a hint of irony.
I would also like to see fan favorite and Gibraltar voice actor, Branscombe Richmond, make an appearance. Even at 70 years old, he could still pull off a live-action Gibraltar if he wanted.
Caustic: David Harbour
David Harbour may have gotten his big break as small-town cop Jim Hopper in Stranger Things, but he’s had a varied acting career, which spans decades. Lately, Harbour has been typecast as a lovable screwball. He plays a character similar to Hopper (in some ways) in the MCU as Red Guardian. Caustic could show a different side of Harbour. He’s menacing. Of the original eight Apex Legends characters, Caustic is the most villainous. It would be nice to see Harbour turn full villain.
Mirage: Andy Samberg
A lot of people fan-cast Ryan Reynolds as Mirage. I don’t see it. Reynolds is funny, but he isn’t Mirage funny. Reynolds is sarcastic. Whoever portrays Mirage needs sincerity (the opposite of sarcasm) and to be comfortable with self-deprecating humor. Mirage has talent and intelligence, while being several layers of goofball. Andy Samberg is Mirage funny. Heck, he allowed himself to get beaten up by Ryan Reynolds in a Lonely Island music video, “I Threw It On the Ground.” That’s Mirage. I can see Samberg struggle to find the right words and spewing, “You got bamboozled.” I can also see Samberg pulling off a convincing stutter. “This match is gonna be extra-vagah…extr..ext, extravagant! That’s the word.”
Samberg’s Jake Peralta (from Brooklyn-99) is a cop version of Mirage: sincere, goofy, and full of self-deprecating humor. My only reservation with casting Samberg as Mirage is his age. Respawn hints at a romantic relationship between Wraith (whom I cast with Sophie Thatcher) and Mirage. But when has Hollywood shied away from a relationship between people who are fifteen to twenty years apart in age?
Octane: Anthony Ramos
Anthony Ramos got his big break as Philip Hamilton in the musical Hamilton. Ramos is the fourth or fifth potential cast member with musical roots. Should Apex Legends be a musical? Anyway, Ramos has the perkiness and energy to pull off Octavio Silva. He’s also close enough in age to Halle Bailey (whom I cast as Lifeline) for them to convincingly be childhood friends. Can’t you see Ramos saying, “Scootin’ and lootin’, amigo?”
Wattson: Chloe Hayden
Chloe Hayden made as splash as Quinni in Heartbreak High. The role marked one of the few times in Australian TV that an autistic actor portrayed an autistic character. And Hayden was brilliant in that role. She’s uniquely qualified to play the resident autistic Legend Wattson in Apex Legends. I can see her giving extra weight to lines like “Electricity, I get. People, I don’t” and laugh at her own bad dad jokes. Hayden definitely has the goofiness, earnestness, and playfulness to pull off Natalie Paquette. Trust me. Before Rampart was released, I was a Wattson main. Hayden is my top choice for the character. It’d be great to see autistic representation in Apex Legends.
Honorable Mention: Kauda Pharaon.
Pharaon is a relative unknown in Hollywood. She’s starred in the award-winning horror short Delirium Fantasy and has predominantly featured in numerous French films like Pour la France. But Pharaon’s energy on her YouTube vlog, KaudaTV, convinced me she’d be make a good Natalie Paquette (Wattson) if Apex Legends wanted to stay true to Natalie’s French roots.
Crypto: Seo Kang-Joon
While Crypto’s voice actor, Johnny Young, could portray Crypto in the show/film, we may need to go younger with Crypto’s live-action portrayal, since Wattson crushes on him. Note: I would be okay with Johnny Young; I love his portrayal as Crypto, even though I can’t play Crypto for crap on Apex Legends. Seo Kang-Joon has starred in numerous K-Dramas: Cheese in the Trap, Are You Human?, Watcher, When the Weather is Fine, and Grid. Kang-Joon’s training from Dong Seoul University (a Julliard of Korea) will serve him well, while portraying the nuanced character, Tae Joon Park (Crypto). Second Note: I love Crypto as a character, and Seo Kang-Joon would nail this character.
Revenant: Alan Tudyk
Alan Tudyk has the look to pull off Revenant before he turns into a simulacrum. The picture above is a younger Tudyk, but nothing says you can’t have an older Kaleb Cross (Revenant) before he gets transformed into Revenant. Revenant is supposed to be a seasoned assassin. It may make more sense for Cross to be an older, paid assassin. I also wanted to play into the meme where Alan Tudyk portrays a lot of androids and robots. Tudyk needs to add a simulacrum to his repertoire.
But in case Tudyk can’t do the voice (which is unlikely), we can always go with Revenant’s voice actor, Darin De Paul. I love De Paul’s rendition of the character. He’s so good. I love him in so many other video game voice acting roles like Overwatch’s Reinhardt and Sony Spider-Man’s J. Jonah Jameson. You know what? I may change my answer to Tudyk portraying Revenant before he gets turned into a simulacrum, and then have De Paul voice the simulacrum.
That’s my cast for Apex Legends. Let’s see who Skye picks for these roles through Hollywood history.
Skye’s Picks
Blisk: Arnold Vosloo
Respawn has a tradition of creating diverse characters and casting diverse actors to play them. I took my picks for this list seriously. When searching for an ideal actor for the role of Blisk, I suddenly remembered Arnold Vosloo. Most folks are familiar with his role as Imhotep in the 1999 Mummy reboot and subsequent sequel, The Mummy Returns, which is also where I know him. Given his experience playing an evil role like that, it’s not hard for me to imagine him as Blisk. Also, it’s been a minute since I’ve seen Vosloo in any major roles, so it would be great to see him make a big comeback.
Wraith: Aubrey Plaza
When thinking of an actor to play Wraith, I couldn’t get Aubrey Plaza out of my head. While she’s well-known for her comedic roles, I chose her for personality. She has a way of playing deadpan and oddball characters that I think would match Wraith, and it would be great to see her express her acting prowess in a more serious role. Ever since the spotlight faded on her popularity from Parks and Recreation, I’ve been wanting to see her in more mainstream roles as well. Also, just look at the comparison. I shouldn’t have to explain myself on that one.
Bloodhound: Emma D’Arcy
I’m not dead set on this pick. While I think Emma D’Arcy would be a good fit for the Bloodhound role, they aren’t the only ones who could portray Bloodhound. Kyra mentioned Emma Corrin for their Bloodhound pick, and I find them to be an equally valid choice. I decided to mention Emma D’Arcy to highlight another non-binary actor. We have a criminally small amount of them, and they need to get the recognition they deserve. It also brings non-binary identities to the forefront as Bloodhound’s gender plays a large part in shaping their background and is explicitly addressed in their story. Whether it’s Emma D’Arcy or Emma Corrin, I’d enjoy watching their depiction of Bloodhound.
Bangalore: Whoopi Goldberg (Young)
This is where things get interesting. It’s been a long time since Whoopi Goldberg has received a major role in a mainstream project, and she’d be great as Bangalore. She’d have to be younger but still. We’ve all gotten to know Whoopi as a prominent couch speaker on The View over the years, but people forget how versatile and dedicated an actress she is. With decades of experience across a wide variety of roles and even training under world-renowned actress Uta Hagen, her talent as an actor cannot be underestimated. I’m gushing, but I don’t get to gush about Whoopi Goldberg often. Let me have this, okay.
Lifeline: Naomie Harris
If you’re familiar with Naomie Harris, my casting her as Lifeline shouldn’t come as a surprise. She’s another highly skilled actress with a resume a mile long. What I like most about Lifeline is her upbeat and playful demeanor, which is a role Harris doesn’t often get to play. I’ve been picking a lot of actors who have fallen out of the public eye in recent years. Harris is certainly one of them and one I’d love to see reenter mainstream again. What better way to do it than with one of Apex’s most likable characters? She’s got the attitude, she’s got the look, she’s got the experience. What more can I say?
Pathfinder: Richard Kind
Despite the fact Richard Kind isn’t the actor most folks would expect for a role like Pathfinder, I couldn’t help but imagine him in the role. Why is that? Well, most people recognize Richard Kind by his distinct voice (me included), and that voice is often associated with positivity and, dare I say, kindness. That is undeniably Pathfinder. However, I totally understand someone who may be distracted by Kind’s voice in the role. If you’re on the fence about my choice, I have an exercise for you. Read this in Kind’s voice: “Who’s ready to fly on a zipline? I am!” If that doesn’t convince you, nothing will.
Gibraltar: Cooper Andrews
Yeah, you nailed this one, Kyra. While I tried to find another actor with Pacific Islander ancestry to offset Kyra’s choice, I couldn’t get Cooper Andrews’ smile out of my head. Be honest, that smile is trademark Gibraltar. Then, the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. He’s also got the look and the feel down to a T. If Cooper Andrews plays Gibraltar, he wouldn’t just play him, he’d be him. You got it, bruddah!
Caustic: Ethan Hawke
After seeing Ethan Hawke’s most recent roles, I felt like him as Caustic might make too much sense. If you haven’t been to the movie theatre in recent years, you may not have noticed that Ethan Hawke has been taking on more villainous roles. Most notable is his role as The Grabber in the Black Phone franchise. While I had some outlying issues with those films, Hawke’s performance was easily one of my favorite parts. Given that, it wouldn’t be too big a stretch to see him as Caustic in the Apex universe. At this point, just give him the goggles and gas canisters, and he’ll pull it off no problem.
Mirage: Andy Samberg
Another great pick from Kyra that I couldn’t pass up. Again, I really tried to find someone else who could realistically fill the role of Mirage, but Andy Samberg just fits too well. There honestly isn’t much to say about it that Kyra hasn’t already said, so I won’t go into too much detail. Either way, I can easily see Samberg saying, “You got bamboozled!”
Octane: Diego Amozurrutia
Octane was one of my favorite roles to cast. I ended up combing through a lot of well-established telenovela actors who could potentially fill Octane’s robotic legs when I came across Diego Amozurrutia. Given Amozurrutia’s experience across several telenovelas starting in the late 2000s, he’s certainly been around the block a few times. Even though his primary acting experience is in dramatic roles, it would be nice to see him take on the role of a reckless adrenaline junkie to show off his versatility. I also knew I wanted to cast a prominent telenovela actor since it’s rare for popular Mexican entertainers crossover into mainstream American media. Since that’s something I’ve long been waiting for, I’d love to see Diego Amozurrutia’s interpretation of Octane.
Wattson: Kayla Cromer
Wattson is another character I had fun casting. A few years ago, I watched Everything’s Gonna Be Okay for the first time and thought it was good. My favorite thing about the show was easily the actors and their on-screen charisma. Ever since then, I’ve been wanting to see them have a breakout mainstream role, and Wattson seems like a great fit for Kayla Cromer. One of the biggest achievements of Everything’s Gonna Be Okay was the overwhelming number of cast and crew who were on the spectrum. Cromer is among them. Due to this and her previous acting experience, I have faith that Cromer would be able to create a convincing Wattson. She’ll just need some dialect training.
Crypto: Choi Woo-sik
Since I just mentioned my feelings surrounding the actors from Everything’s Gonna Be Okay, it’s worth mentioning that I had similar feelings about the actors from Parasite. Ever since I watched that film, I was dying to see more of those actors in other roles. Among the cast of Parasite, Choi Woo-sik, who portrayed the lower-class family’s son/brother Ki Woo, would be the best fit for Crypto. Considering he and the rest of the cast have already been recognized by the American Academy Awards, it shouldn’t be that difficult to get him connected with Hollywood. To that same end, I’d also like to acknowledge Kyra’s pick. Between the two actors, both would make an interesting Crypto.
Revenant: Ron Perlman
To be real, I’ve been meaning to cast Ron Perlman in one of these for a while. Lucky for me, I finally found a great role for him. If you’re familiar with Perlman’s filmography, I shouldn’t have to explain myself. Perlman has an identifiable deep voice, which is already a great fit for Revenant, but he’s also had many roles as quiet badass types. Sure, this is probably a typecast, but you can’t say he doesn’t play this type well. Due to his increasing age, you would only need him to provide the voice of Revenant. Thanks, Kyra, for mentioning Alan Tudyk. I believe Tudyk could also make a good Revenant, but he’d be especially good at providing Revenant’s physicality and his old human form during flashbacks.
Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle here again. Those were Skye’s and my picks to portray a live-action Apex Legends movie or show. Who would you cast? Let us know in the comments. If you made it this far, you’re awesome. We all know it. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.
Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here. We covered the DCU earlier this month, and today is the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s (MCU’s) turn. Despite Captain America: Brave New World’s lukewarm reception and Thunderbolts* underwhelming box office returns, 2025 was a great year for the MCU. Superhero films–heck, films in general–don’t make as much money. Thank you, pandemic. 2026 looks to build off of last year’s success. We’ll see the return of multiple animated and live-action shows. The Marvel Animated Universe (MAU) and street-level television superheroes may be in full swing. And Marvel Studios may only have two films scheduled for 2026, but the two films on the schedule may be the biggest ones in years.
One little disclaimer: I wrote this post months before January 2026 because I limit my Geekly output the final four months of the year to write a new novel and edit older ones; I’ll try and remember to update this list if anything changes. Without further ado, let’s get to the shows.
Wonder Man (January 27, 2026)
I should be reviewing Wonder Man as it releases, and the show will most likely have already concluded its run as of this post. If you want to see my thoughts on Wonder Man, you can check out our review(s). Hopefully, I remembered to include a link. Lol
Okay. Wonder Man has been pushed back to January 27th, so I should begin reviews next week or the following week. Wonder Man has an interesting backstory. The MCU could go in multiple directions with him. Instead of talking at length as to why Wonder Man is an interesting character, I’ll leave a link to our Wonder Man Starter Stories post.
Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 (March 2026)
While I still stand by Kingpin having the better storyline in Daredevil: Born Again’s first season, we may see Daredevil’s story take flight in the show’s second season. Daredevil: Born Again’s second season should center around Daredevil mobilizing an army of vigilantes to overthrow Mayor Fisk. Bullseye is still in play, and that should add some spice. With little left to lose, Daredevil may get desperate. While Jon Bernthal’s Punisher will most likely not return because he’ll star in his own Special Presentation later in 2026, Krysten Ritter’s Jessica Jones will join Daredevil: Born Again’s cast. I’m also holding out hope for Mike Colter’s Luke Cage to make a return.
Matthew Lillard makes his MCU debut in Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 in an undisclosed role, and The Conjuring actor Lilly Taylor joins the series in a supporting role. During the first season, Daredevil: Born Again was a solid, if uneven, series. Season two should build on a series that found its footing toward the end.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day (July 31, 2026)
Spider-Man films always do well at the box office, and Spider-Man: Brand New Day looks to continue that trend. Jon Bernthal’s Punisher will return in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, and he’s joined by a villainous Hulk. Geekly reported several months ago that the fight scene between Spider-Man and Hulk will predominantly use practical effects, and that makes sense, considering director Destin Daniel Cretton of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings fame has taken over the reigns.
We’re still unsure which version of Hulk will appear in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Will the MCU return Hulk to his savage self? Will they introduce an older Hulk from an alternate universe, and then Spider-Man will face off against Maestro? Or will the MCU choose a different option? No matter which direction the MCU chooses, I can’t wait to see this iconic fight scene hit theatres.
X-Men ’97 Season 2 (Summer 2026)
Marvel Television chairman Brad Winderbaum confirmed, “Season 2 of X-Men ’97 is going to be in 2026.” While I believe Winderbaum, X-Men ’97 Season 2 has slowly progressed. The first season aired in early 2024, but the wait should be worth it. X-Men ’97 ended on some great cliffhangers. Wolverine lost his adamantium, Apocalypse returns, and The X-Men in the past should all make for appointment viewing.
We’ve waited years for a follow-up season of X-Men ’97, but we may not need to wait nearly as long for Season 3 after Season 2. Season 3 is in active development simultaneously with Season 2. Originally, I put two quarters for X-Men ’97’s release, because we could see both follow-up seasons released the same year. If that happens, Season 2 could release in the summer, and then Season 3 could follow in the fourth quarter. I’m all for double the X-Men fun.
The whole cast is set to return for both seasons. However, Beau DeMayo was actively involved in X-Men ’97 Season 2’s development; he won’t return as showrunner or be involved with the show after Season 2. Despite DeMayo’s exit, X-Men ’97 should be in great hands. Winderbaum has stated that “The fact that we get to play in that universe (1990s X-Men Animated Series) with those actors is honestly why I went into this business in the first place.” Between Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man and X-Men ’97, the Marvel Animated Universe is poised for greatness.
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Season 2 (Fall 2026)
Okay. I’m writing this months in advance, and we’re nowhere near an official release date for Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Season 2. My original guess of Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Season 2 was Second Quarter 2026. Okay. I was way off. Lol
Anyway, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man surprised me. While it had some flaws, it was a strong debut series for the Marvel Animated Universe (MAU). The art style grew on me. Norman Osborn and Peter Parker’s relationship shakes up the MCU’s version of Spidey and the comics’. Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man isn’t afraid to take risks. I can’t wait to see what the series does with Ghost-Spider, Gwen Stacey, and watch Lonnie’s transformation into Tombstone. I loved Lonnie’s storyline in Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man’s first season.
And fun news, like X-Men ’97, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man seasons two and three were worked on simultaneously. The year-long gap between MCU movies could serve to establish the MAU. I grew up on Marvel cartoons, so I’d be okay if the MAU dominated Marvel’s release schedule for a year.
Vision Quest (Late 2026)
Vision Quest has been a long time in the making. White Vision made his debut during WandaVision’s finale (2021). Since he left Westview, White Vision has most likely been trying to recover the original synthezoid’s memories or construct an identity of his own. While we don’t have any details, I could see Wonder Man factoring into White Vision’s story, if only as a nod to the comics. In the comics, Vision’s personality was a copy of Wonder Man’s.
But we do know that Ultron actor James Spader will reprise his role, so White Vision may reconnect with characters from the original Vision’s past. We don’t know if White Vision will meet his resurrected son Billy Maximoff (from Agatha All Along), or if Vision Quest will revisit Scarlet Witch. Vision Quest has the potential to further the Multiverse’s theme of magic versus technology.
The Punisher Disney+ Special (Late 2026)
As of the writing of this post, there’s still a chance The Punisher Disney+ Special could release before or after Spider-Man: Brand New Day, but it should release around the same time, so we’re giving it a third or fourth quarter release window, making The Punisher’s release date between July and November 2026.
We don’t know how The Punisher will play into the events before or after Spider-Man: Brand New Day. We do know that the special will build off of the original Netflix series and the events of Daredevil: Born Again Season 1. Frank Castle will most likely face a new street-level MCU villain. And The Punisher marks the first mid-length format for the MCU since 2022’s The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special. I always liked the Werewolf By Night Special. The Punisher should be a great addition. Marvel Television chairman Brad Winderbaum described The Punisher as a “shotgun blast of a story” with plenty of “pathos and emotion.”
Avengers: Doomsday (December 18, 2026)
Earth’s Mightiest Heroes will look a lot different in Avengers: Doomsday. Sam Wilson’s Avengers, Bucky and Yelena’s New Avengers, and Earth-828’s Fantastic Four will join forces to take on one of Marvel’s greatest villains, Doctor Doom. Nuff said.
Okay. I will add that this major Marvel crossover film has seen plenty of snags, but that’s to be expected, especially after the unexpected firing of Jonathan Majors’s Kang as the central villain. Doctor Doom is the best possible alternative. This accelerated the Fantastic Four’s timeline, but Fantastic Four: First Steps did a great job of introducing Marvel’s first family to the MCU. Dozens, if not hundreds, of cameos are scheduled for Avengers: Doomsday.
Avengers: Doomsday should set the MCU ablaze. The events of Avengers: Doomsday will play directly into what happens during Avengers: Secret Wars, and after Avengers: Secret Wars, the MCU will receive a “reset.” Who knows what the MCU will look like after Avengers: Secret Wars?
That’s all we have for our MCU 2026 Preview. Which MCU project are you most excited for? Let us know in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.
