Even Gods need health insurance | Chapter 283

[00:00:00] Warning, this chapter of Distance Nerding was recorded live, which means there may be strong language, unsuitable for children, and unusual humor, which may be unsuitable for everyone who claims to be human. Perennial discretion is advised.

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[00:02:26] And since I see Rayder Ray in the chat, Rayder Ray, don't you worry. New achievement! New achievement! Some shirts are coming, my friend. Some shirts are coming. Oh, dude. You have no idea how exciting that is. I actually have an artist working on it right now, dude. For all of our Dungeon Crawler Carl fans. We should just turn into a Dungeon Crawler Carl podcast. I mean, why not?

[00:02:53] We just start nerding out on Dungeon Crawler Carl all the time. Just doing quotes back to each other. We're just going to start quoting Dungeon Crawler Carl. Damn, yelling Carl! Oh, dude. Wait till you get to book five. Well, her crotch is on fire. Her flaming gonads. It's so good, dude. Okay, so with that being said, ladies and gentlemen, let's jump right into this.

[00:03:20] You are now currently watching The Worst Kept Secret on all the internet. Ladies and gentlemen, you are watching Distance Nerding. Yay! It's Distance Nerding.

[00:03:57] Okay, all right. We get it. All right, well, let's tell the folks what we got going on, James. What do we got on deck this week? DC's Batman projects have more questions than The Riddler. Marvel Doomsday marketing has begun, and knowing all the nerdy news is half the battle. That's right. Yo, Joe! All right. But before we get into all of that, James, tell everybody who's bringing us the show today. Check out Colossus Girl Entertainment fan-focused Comic-Cons across the West Coast,

[00:04:27] including Beaver State Comic-Con, Metal Art Comic-Con, Anna Medford, Tri-Cities Powerhouse, Silver Age Comic-Con, and Gem State Comic-Con. Comics, cosplay, vendors, artists, celebrity guests, and so much more. Visit ColossusGirlENT.com and plan your next Comic-Con. That's right. All right. Well, ladies and gentlemen, it's time for all the fun. We've got so much we're going to talk about, so we're going to jump right into it. Let's get right into the first segment here on the show.

[00:04:53] Ladies and gentlemen, let's go talk to J. Jonah Jameson, because it's straight from J. Jonah. Insert music here. Okay. J. Jonah Jameson, go. Time to suit up again for Tony Stark. Marvel Studios' Armor Wars has been sitting in development in limbo for a year, and now a new report suggests the project is getting changes once again,

[00:05:22] according to film insider James Mack. There's so many insiders these days. Armor Wars is reportedly being reworked to serve as the launch pad for a rebooted Tony Stark. I don't know how you feel about this. I'm still unsure. The project was first announced back in 2020. Oh, my gosh. As a Disney Plus series before Marvel later decided to transform it into a feature film,

[00:05:49] the project never entered the actual production stage. I don't know about this. Would you want a rebooted Tony Stark in the MCU? I mean, kind of yes and no. I kind of feel like there's still a lot of stories that we can do with Tony Stark, but at the same time, with the way that it all played out, I kind of don't want another Tony Stark to come in. You know what I mean? Like, he had such a hero's ending.

[00:06:19] I kind of don't want for Tony Stark to kind of get ruined by that. You know what I mean? Exactly. I feel like anything that happened with Robert Downey Jr. would be all kind of washed away if he came back out of nowhere. Yeah. Yeah, I see that. On YouTube, the chat right now is at 100%. People are voting that they want Tony Stark back. They want him back. They want him back.

[00:06:48] Like as a new actor? I don't know. And I think that's kind of something that we should probably like, and as a nuance, like, do you guys want a new actor to play Tony Stark? Do you want a rebooted Tony Stark? Or do you want, you know, Robert Downey Jr. back as Tony Stark again? I kind of don't because, again, I feel like that just ruins the sacrifice that he did.

[00:07:13] But, I mean, then again, if they're rebooting the universe, if they're going to reboot the entire universe, you know, they can make it to where that thing didn't happen, you know? I see what you're saying. I don't know. I have a love for the way the MCU has been, and I get they're going to close it and create a new chapter or new phase, I should say. But I don't think we should reboot Iron Man or Tony Stark as Iron Man.

[00:07:41] I don't think we should reboot, you know, Steve Rogers as Captain America. Like, we need to pass the baton somehow instead of just rehashing the same actors, the same characters. Like, you've got to explore more than just what we know already. Yeah, and I agree with that. I agree with, if they do bring Tony Stark back, I would want a new, especially going into Secret Wars, that we're getting a new version of him. So.

[00:08:11] Yeah, we shall see. All right. Doomsday is almost upon us, but what does Deadpool think about that? Ryan Reynolds has just added a little more fuel to the MCU fire. Appearing at Fanatics Fest in New York, Reynolds said, There's a few really deep cuts that are missing from the movies. I think there's a few deep cuts missing from some of the comics. There's certainly more stuff that I love that Fabian, how do you pronounce his name?

[00:08:41] Fabian? Fabian Nasea. Nasea wrote that is incredible. Jerry Dugan is a friend and an incredible comic book writer. There's stuff coming that they, there eventually will be another Deadpool film. So basically he's going to the writers of Deadpool. Hey, let's pull from your work and get it into the films. I think that's dope. Yeah.

[00:09:05] I like the idea of getting more comic book versions of, or kind of like the more comic book-y stuff from Deadpool. Deadpool. I mean, that's, that's where he works the best is you get a lot of that kind of those Deadpool-y things that came from, from, from the comics. I mean, I'm, I'm, I like the idea of it, you know? Yeah. I dig that. I do think it's odd that they don't, they don't mention Rob Liefeld.

[00:09:34] I think it's, yeah, they, they, they have a very tumultuous, tumultuous relationship with Rob right now. And they being Marvel, they being Disney, he's very outspoken, likes to have his credit. Yeah. When he doesn't, when that credit is not due, he's going to talk about it. Yeah. He wasn't too happy. Yeah. But I do like that they're going to pull from it. And also, what does that mean? We're definitely going to be getting, what is it, Deadpool 4? Yeah. Yeah.

[00:10:04] And that's what, that's what it seems like is going to be happening is we're going to be getting another Deadpool 4, another Deadpool movie. I know Feige loves those movies, so I'm, I'm all for it. Just put another poll in the chat for you guys here. Will we finally get answers to why Thor was crying over Wade in that glimpse of the future? Let us know if you guys think we're going to get the answers to that question. They have to answer that question. That is a joke waiting to be paid off. Yeah. It really is.

[00:10:31] And it's, it's going to be like, everybody's going to have this like buildup in a big old battle. And then Wade's going to be on the ground and Thor's going to pick them up and be crying. And like, what happened? And Wade's going to be like, uh, I just slipped and fell or something. He's going to be like, I'm not crying. You're crying. We're both crying. Why are we crying? Okay. Moving on. All right. Kylo Ren heading to the MCU. Kylo. We talked about this a little bit ago, but there's a little bit more to it.

[00:10:59] Kylo Magneto, Mr. Sinister Solo. Who will Adam Driver play in the MCU? A new report claims Marvel could have something completely different in mind. According to Nexus Point News, another scooper driver is now rumored to be playing William Stryker. Interesting. You know, it's funny is that was one of my guesses on like who he might be. Like what you might be good as a young William Stryker. Funny that you didn't say that online.

[00:11:28] So I'm going to say you're, you're jumping the gun and trying to get your, yeah, jumping the gun. In the comic, Stryker is both a military officer and a religious leader using his influence to wage war against mutants. He's also deeply tied to Wolverine's history, making him one of the defining villains in Logan's story. The MCU's X-Men reboot is still in the early stages of production with its current release

[00:11:57] date set for May 5th, 2028. That would be a really interesting take is to have Adam Driver as a young William Stryker and, you know, recruiting Wolverine into the, into the Weapon X program. Like that would be kind of cool. Again, I would love to see them use some of the other characters from, from X-Factor and, you know, a couple of, a couple of other characters that, that he's involved with in.

[00:12:24] It'd be fun to see, you know, especially all the, all the Canadian mutants. I want to see like a deep ties with Sabretooth and all that. So. I don't know about William Stryker, but if they give him a role like Mr. Sinister, I think he could cook because he's, he's a pretty good damn actor. Yeah. He knows how to bottle up emotion, but also convey emotion.

[00:12:49] You know, he can be calm, cool, collected, but also are just a raging maniac. So I'm okay with him doing something like Mr. Sinister, something with, uh, with, uh, a range of emotion that he has to portray. He could be a really fun Nathaniel Essex. Uh, it would be fun to do, but also just like, again, funny, I'm, I'm using this word and this is the word that came to mind, but I mean, he would have to be really sinister, not in the sense of, Oh, that's the pun in his name.

[00:13:19] Uh, but like, he really would have, there would have to be like a very kind of like evil sinister take on, on, on Mr. Sinister. Like he needs to be, you know, this guy that really seems like he is a, like he's a geneticist, but he's a threat, you know, and could also kill his dad with a laser sword, that sort of thing, that type of thing. Yeah. Okay. I get it. I get it. Okay. Keep it going. Keep it going. With great power comes confusing title meanings.

[00:13:50] Some Spider-Man fans have spent time trying to figure out the Spider-Man brand new day, actual meaning during a Disney plus documentary. I forgot this was out. Tom Holland dropped a tease that completely changed how fans may be looking at the movie. The brand new day of this movie isn't the beginning. It's the last frame of this movie. Holland explained. I think that's interesting. Very interesting. Uh, did you happen to catch the interview with Joe and Tom Holland?

[00:14:20] I saw it, but I didn't like watch it. Watch it. Yeah. I reposted it on our page just cause I was like, Oh my God, this is, this is definitely he, it's definitely, uh, Tom Holland spilling the beans. Like he always does. Right. But it just happens to be to one of our friends. So it's like, you know, I I'm, I'm sitting there watching Joe kind of get Tom to talk about like the beginning of the movie and the place where, where he is. He pretty much says that, uh, the beginning of the movie, uh, Spider-Man is trying to emulate the Punisher.

[00:14:50] Oh, interesting. So it's a very, very interesting kind of take on where, where that movie is going to start. Interesting. Okay. All right. All right. All right. Um, brand new day could end up laying the groundwork for what's coming next in the MCU. If you think the original secret war storyline from 1984 during that event, Spider-Man encountered the alien symbiote that eventually became Venom replacing his traditional costume with the iconic black suit.

[00:15:19] I didn't think about that, but that's something that could be happening. Right. Like maybe he gets the black suit at the very end of brand new day somehow. I don't know. That I'm, I, that would be kind of cool. Like I would love to see at the end of this going into secret wars that this is, they show it would have to be a new way, you know, just because, uh, again, if you know, the original way that he got the, he got the symbiote, uh, was, you know, he grabbed a black

[00:15:48] pellet from a machine and all of a sudden he had a black costume. So it must be nice. Yeah, I know. Right. I do like how they went back and explained that. And then look how much it's changed since then. Like, Oh, let's throw a throwaway line of like, he went to a alien vending machine and got a new suit to, we have Venom now. Right. Three movies later or whatever. So pretty cool. All right. Spider-Man brand new day swings into theaters on July 31st.

[00:16:18] Two weeks. So excited, man. All right. Marvel fans are used to sticking around for Spider-Man and credit scenes, but we shall see a Spider-Man brand new day breaking tradition. Maybe according to reliable insider cryptic 4k qual, uh, Spider-Man brand new day is expected to include just one post credit scene. Interesting.

[00:16:43] I guess all the movies, including going back into, uh, the other Spider-Man movies, they've all had two. Yeah. But this is only going to have one. So it's a bit of a surprise that the MCU is kind of mixing it up. So the rumor also claims that the lone post credit scene won't simply be a funny tag or comedic moment. Instead, it's reportedly designed to serve as a direct bridge into Avengers Doomsday, which arrives later this year.

[00:17:13] Interesting. And that makes sense because we just got this Avengers Doomsday trailer. Uh, and, and, you know, it's, it's kind of, it seems like they are really, really moving forward. And we're going to talk about that here in a minute, but like, yeah, it's, it's, it's seeming like what they're doing is, is just kind of, you know, they released the trailer cause it's like, okay, well, if this is going to lead into Doomsday, we need to at least give everybody a trailer. Yeah.

[00:17:41] And I think them releasing it just recently, it kind of solidifies like, yeah, we're going to see some extra stuff at Comic-Con and maybe leading into this movie. Right. So, and, and I think all the, I think Marvel's thinking all the rumors, all the secrets that they've had for brand new day are about to come out. You know, the movie's about to come out, but you know, they're going to start doing like press, you know, viewings of it. So I think things are going to start leaking.

[00:18:10] So they're like, let's, let's be ready for it. Might as well just get on top of everything. Including this next one. So more Peter tingles. It's been rumored for a while and all but confirmed in a recent interview with Kevin Feige that Florence Pugh would be making an appearance in Spider-Man brand new day. You hear about this one? I didn't actually. And it's funny cause I'm, I'm always hearing about things that are coming up. I did not hear about this one. Yeah. So I, I know they kind of teased it.

[00:18:38] And I think Kevin Feige said something and I'm like, oh, that makes sense. Like they're in New York. Right. So yeah, obviously makes sense. But I, they have some like info on the scene that they share together. And it says, uh, let's see, let me see. Daniel Rickman said, um, they see each other naked. What? Okay. So the scene takes place in a bath house and Yelena is already in the pool. Never gets out.

[00:19:07] We never see below the shoulders. Of course. Gotta keep it PG. Uh, she says, um, Spider-Man has to take off his suit to ensure he doesn't have any weapons. So it's hilarious moment of him coming out in shorts and his mask. And I guess he's like super jacked. Uh, she checks them out, but it's more her laughing at him for never taking off his mask. Well, that's kind of funny. I mean, if that, if that is something that they do, that is a pretty funny gag. Yeah.

[00:19:37] And in case you forgot, Spider-Man brand new day. It swings into theaters July 34th. Yeah. July 31st, 2026. What? Hold on. What, what, what, what day does that movie come out? Brand new day swings into theaters on July 31st, 2026. Are we sure about that? It's on July 31st. Why do you keep saying that? Is it not? I'm just messing with you, man. Oh, you're, no, I don't like it. Okay.

[00:20:05] Uh, from, uh, from Spider-Man to some end game. I like this new rumors on your left. Avengers end game encore. That's the new title will include new footage that has never before been seen. And industry insider industry insiders cryptic for K call has now shared some new details about the event. The scooper says, I hear the Avengers end game encore will have a new intro, new bonus scenes,

[00:20:34] and the ending sequence would lead directly into Avengers doomsday. Take it with a grain of salt. But I'm also hearing there will be seven more minutes longer than the original. I, okay. I think Feige already confirmed that, that it's going to have an additional seven minutes. So that, you know, that I don't know how much of a scoop that is. Right. But, but I mean, like. But putting it all out there, like, okay, we got seven more minutes. We have a new intro.

[00:21:04] It's going to connect to doomsday. I'm, I'm kind of into it. Be interesting to see what they do. Um, rumor has it, uh, there's not rumors. Uh, there's, there's been chatter online of people saying that what they're doing is they're going to change the entirety of the MCU and make it so that it's not that this Dr. Doom is a variant of Tony Stark.

[00:21:33] But that Tony Stark is a variant of Dr. Doom. And that every other universe, he becomes Dr. Doom. Wow. I kind of like that. Yeah. It seems kind of cool. Like, uh, it's like, basically this is the universe where his parents, uh, the, the universe where he becomes Iron Man is the universe where his parents don't die. Interesting. Well, there is that one scene. Was that from Endgame?

[00:21:59] No, it was from, um, Infinity, Infinity War, where he goes back in time and he's like, oh, how, how pregnant he was talking to his dad. Yeah. But his dad doesn't know. He's like, oh, she's this month's this much pregnant. Yeah. That's from, that's from Endgame. That's from Endgame. And he's like doing the math in his head. He's like, that's odd. So everybody's like, wait a second. Is, is Tony not really not, uh, his, his son? That's weird.

[00:22:28] Yeah. There's rumors that they're saying that Tony was adopted. So. Interesting. Yeah. It would be very interesting. Like they, they, they adopted Tony after she, uh, after he, their original son died in childbirth. I mean, that's a stretch, but I'd, I'd like more reasoning. Like why? Yeah. There's a couple of people who are, who are like coming up with different things. Like we're like, oh yeah, no, uh, uh, Howard tells him what his original son's name was supposed to be. It wasn't supposed to be Anthony, you know, like all these different things.

[00:22:58] So it's like, it's, it's very interesting. It's interesting as a concept. So, I mean, uh, we, we gotta see what they end up doing with this and if it does end up being something along those lines. Yeah. And it would kind of, um, put their relationship in a new light. Cause he had a little bit of an estranged relationship with his dad. Yeah. At certain points. Like even when they did that, like room flashback thing, like we might, Hmm. Okay. I'm, I'm into it. I'd like to see more of that.

[00:23:27] Anyway, Avengers end game encore will portal into theaters on September 25th. Right. All right. So many characters, so little screen time addressing the massive cast. Anthony Russo expanded on the creative process, explaining that every character gets their own narrative lens. Even if they're only involved in part of the story. I kind of like this.

[00:23:51] We do have a creative process that even though we're like a two and a half hour, three act structure film is generally based around a single character arc. Overall. Even if that character is just, uh, intersecting with a small part of the story, it's creatively energizing to filter. The film through even a small characters point of view. Occasionally. I kind of like, so each, every time we get a character, it's kind of like their point of view.

[00:24:20] They're not just like background characters, which is, I believe what he's saying here is like, once they're, once they're on screen, it's kind of them. They're, they're being featured. So rather than treating the cast as one giant collection of heroes, they focus on understanding the story through each individual character's perspective before weaving everything together into a larger narrative. How do you like that? Uh, I, so I do like it.

[00:24:47] And again, they are already really good at handling ensemble casts on having all of these characters and still feeling like they're getting enough screen time and they're not being neglected. Everything like that. Um, the only exception to that rule is going to be, um, at the end of end game, the scene, the, uh, uh, Avengers assemble scene. Mm hmm. Right.

[00:25:12] Which that scene in itself deserves all the accolades it gets for the fact that they managed to get every character in existence on that screen at the same time. Right. But that was very much from Steve's point of view. Right. Like he's all alone, he's helpless, but he's still strapping on the shield, even though the shield's broken, ready to, ready to throw down to his last breath. And that's when we get the on your left scene. So I did think that was pretty cool. Mm hmm.

[00:25:42] Again, I feel like the Russos are really good at handling the, the, these type of ensemble casts. Uh, so, you know, I, I feel like. Yeah. They're, they're, they're going to do a good job with this. And I, and I do like the fact that they're like, Hey, we're going to look at things from this character's point of view and tell that story. And that makes so much sense. Like seeing, I'm going to, I don't know. Shang-Chi on screen.

[00:26:06] I'm like, you are far down that totem pole compared to, you know, Thor or Tony star or, you know, Dr. Doom or whoever else. But it's kind of nice that like, Hey, when we see Shang-Chi, Shang-Chi is going to have a moment. Yeah. He's going to be fighting Gambit. If you didn't watch the trailer. Yeah. Gambit's going to have a moment. So that, I think that's pretty cool that they do that way. Do it that way. Yeah. Moving on. We got a poster people. We got a poster people.

[00:26:38] Marvel has released the first official poster for Avengers Doomsday. And while fans are picking it apart, every frame of that awesome new trailer, the new artwork may have revealed one of the movie's biggest Dr. Doom story details. The poster features Doom standing with his head lowered, holding his iconic mask while facing an elaborate tapestry, which is a striking image.

[00:27:03] But it also seems to hint at the emotional core driving this version of Victor Von Doom. The poster features Doom standing in front of this tapestry thing. What is it like? It looks like it's a mother and daughter or mother and child at the very top of it. The tapestry? Yeah.

[00:27:25] I feel like part of what's going on is they're kind of going into that story of Victor's parents, you know, dying at a young age and him having to fend for himself. I think a lot of this is also going to be an idea of him trying to survive and fend for himself and becoming almost like a self-made man. But also becoming a king, you know? Yeah. I think a lot of people forget that he's a king. That is true.

[00:27:53] But, you know, all these rumors have been coming out for months about the plot of Doomsday. And one of them was about his motivation. And his motivation isn't about world domination or beating heroes or whatever else. It's about him losing his wife and his kid for whatever reason, whether it was incursions, whether it was, you know, Steve Rogers coming to his universe, that sort of thing. Right.

[00:28:20] But he it's that loss that's driving Dr. Doom and this tapestry, this poster kind of confirms that. It's it's funny because, like, all the rumors we've gotten over the last few months seems like they're all coming true. Like the trailer, like as soon as the trailer came out, I'm like, OK, it's this beat, this beat, this beat. Just like people predicted from from the leaks. I think this is another leak.

[00:28:50] I think we're definitely going to get him kind of mourning his wife, mourning his child for whatever reason. Incursions. Somehow Steve or something in the six one six is to blame. And that's what's driving doom.

[00:29:08] My idea for a while has been that if if the rumors are true, that Steve has been hiding out on another world, you know, because he found a version where, you know, he can he can he can be with Peggy and they have a kid. You know, it's kind of like they've they've driven in in past films that, you know, if something is not supposed to happen, then it doesn't stay that way for long.

[00:29:35] Right. I think they they kind of hammered that in for for during Loki and on the Loki series. So it's like if if Steve and his child weren't meant to be something that was supposed to be a part of any universe and that's causing a collapse, then, you know, this is where. Again, the idea of doom being the hero, but it's almost like a misguided hero, like he's a hero.

[00:30:03] But in his way of I'm trying to save my universe, but that also means I need to kill everybody. Didn't. Yeah. Yeah, exactly. He's he's the hero of his story. Right. He's a villain to everybody else, but he's he's a hero to to his story. So I honestly, I think this is what's going to be driving doom through all this. And we get Loki in the trailer.

[00:30:25] Yeah, we get him in like some kind of TVA uniform with with that new TV TVA card with the tree on the back and everything. So I think it's the newer version of Loki. So I think it's the new movie setting up Steve in the what is it? Eight, three, eight universe that Fantastic Four and Dr. Doom are from. So very interesting, because, again, last we saw Loki was sitting on Idrisil.

[00:30:52] So so it's going to be interesting to see kind of like, you know, OK, he's got this card that has Idrisil on the back of it. Like, you know, how did he manage to get off of the the tree of life? You know, maybe we'll find out with a synopsis. Oh, do we have a do we have a synopsis on your left? We got a synopsis. Thanks to a newly released synopsis that paints a much bigger picture of where Marvel Cinematic Universe is headed.

[00:31:20] Before this day is done, Opsis, we shall be faced with an unthinkable decision synopsis. You have to do that with more of a German accent because he's got a German accent. All right. Let's hear it then. Before this day is done, Opsis, we shall be faced with an unthinkable decision synopsis. Synopsis. Synopsis. I think he had more of a Russian thing going on.

[00:31:46] No, if you go and re-listen to it, I've listened to it like 20 times when I was doing the breakdown for the trailer. And yeah, no, it is a very East German accent. OK. All right. All right. OK. Universes collide and the multiverse saga begins its final chapter in Marvel Studios' Avengers Doomsday.

[00:32:06] Beloved heroes from three distinct universes will be set on a deadly collision course and ultimately face an existential threat unlike anything they've ever encountered. This epic film will lay the foundation for the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It's going to be very interesting. It's going to be a crazy take, man. I'm telling you. Yeah.

[00:32:32] I do think it's interesting that this is it's an end, but it's also a beginning. Yeah. The way people are putting it, this is almost a launching pad for the next phase of the Marvel Universe. So I think this is also a way where, again, because it's Secret Wars, if you see the way, if you know what they did with the comics, like this is just a way for them to recast actors and keep the franchise going with new stories. Mm-hmm.

[00:33:01] You know, and now you can tell different kinds of stories because now you have more characters that you can go with. You know, so like, OK, maybe as much as everybody's been talking about how we want a House of M, like maybe we don't get House of M with this phase in these actors. But now that we've got X-Men in the universe, we get that down the road with these new actors they're going to be bringing in. Could be.

[00:33:29] That's the one benefit I like is that there's potential for those big crossovers like House of M. Yeah. Down the line or Avengers versus X-Men, that sort of thing. But I don't know. I just don't. I feel like I'm so tied to this version of the MCU, you know, Chris Hemsworth and Robert Downey Jr. You know, it'll be hard seeing those names replaced.

[00:33:59] But is it possible? Totally possible. Look at all the Batmans that there have been. Like I, I'm totally happy with watching Battinson, you know, portray Batman. That's totally cool. So I guess we'll just have to wait and see. So Avengers Doomsday hits theaters on December 18th. All right. So I think is that was that the last story you had for straight from Marvel story? That's the last thing you have from J. Jonah Jameson on the desk. All right.

[00:34:27] Well, ladies and gentlemen, let's move into the next segment here. It is time for watching the Watchtower. Let's get into some DC news here. So with all that being said and all the fun things that we've got going on, I'm so juiced. The Blue Boy Scout has a blue friend. Aw, good for him. And he speaks Spanish. All right.

[00:34:51] One of the only DCEU holdovers to make it into the new DCEU is finally making his reappearance in DC under James Gunn in the Superman sequel. Man of Tomorrow. Blue Beetle star Jolo Maridueña is returning to the role after starring. Yeah, it's returning to the role after starring in the head and headlining the 2023 film directed by Angel Manuel Soto.

[00:35:17] Production on Man of Tomorrow has been ongoing since April in Atlanta and continues through the summer. The film is slated for the 2027 release. What do you think of seeing Jaime Reyes in? I like I enjoyed Blue Beetle. It was very popcorn. Yeah.

[00:35:35] You know, but what I like what I like about this is that we're going to have so much more backstory like with Ted Kord and Kord Industries and we might get some kind of prequel scene or something involving previous Blue Beetles. Yeah. So I'm kind of into it. I mean, and honestly, they have the ability right now, even though we got his backstory from the movie, but technically that's the DCEU.

[00:36:05] James Gunn could spin his story a little bit and make it work better for the DCEU now. Well, the good thing with Blue Beetle was it told a very standalone story. And, you know, they did introduce Ted Kord and just kind of like why Ted Kord is not the first Blue Beetle that we see in the film. But he in previous iterations was Blue Beetle. So the whole thing is I love that they've kind of already set that story up.

[00:36:33] You know, now we can kind of like dive into this because that even though it was meant to be DCEU, it fits perfectly with what James Gunn is already doing in his universe. Same way how Kevin Feige brought over Deadpool the way it was, you know, so I feel like he can do the same thing with this and just kind of bring Blue Beetle over. And then now we can, you know, rebuild Ted Kord.

[00:36:56] And that gives us an excuse to have that Ted Kord and Booster Gold relationship down the line, especially now that we know we're going to be getting a Booster Gold. Like I want to see that. I want to see the Ted Kord Booster Gold. Yeah, that would be fun. That would be like a weird. I want to call it a prequel, but I guess it's not. I don't know. Well, if they did Ted Kord and Booster Gold, it would be more, you know, after the events of the first movie, right?

[00:37:26] It would be, oh, we found Ted Kord. Ted Kord is back. He can still kind of be Blue Beetle. And there's nothing that says you can't have two Blue Beetles at the same time. We're about to have four Green Lanterns, you know, coming out of the first TV show, right? So, I mean, like, you know, having multiple Green Lanterns doesn't mean that you can't have, you know, because we already have the second Blue Beetle doesn't mean that we can't have the first Blue Beetle and have multiple Blue Beetles.

[00:37:55] And even on top of that, have Ted Kord be his mentor. Yeah, that'd be kind of fun. I like that. Or maybe a weird like Batman Beyond type relationship. Yeah. Don't like that. Matt in the chat. And we should have 40 Green Lanterns. The more, the merrier. I'm with that because there are like 100 Green Lanterns. So, I mean, we should have that many.

[00:38:22] I mean, supposedly Jessica Cruz is supposed to show up at the end of the series. Oh, yeah? Yeah. So, like, they're supposed to be introducing Jessica Cruz into this universe. So, it'll be interesting to see what they do with all that. So, she just got introduced in the absolute universe in the Green Lantern series. She's a fan favorite. As much as, you know, again, my favorite character is Ion.

[00:38:49] But, I mean, like, you know, again, he said, I need Mogo and Volk. Dude has a volcano for a head. Yeah. You don't need a ring. You've got a volcano for a head. Now, James is rioting if we don't get Chip. Yeah. I need Chip. I need a full series on Chip alone. Yeah. Matt's saying, this is why we're friends, Phil. Rainer for life. Yes. Kyle Rainer is the best Green Lantern.

[00:39:19] Hands down. I don't care what anybody says. Kyle Rainer is the best Green Lantern. You guys are doing this, you know, this Latino thing. I need a Filipino Green Lantern. Can we make that happen? We probably could. I mean, we've got the Green Lanterns are the best place to do that. Yeah, exactly. Because they are the multiracial coalition. I like it. All right. What up, Esteban? What up, Esteban on the chat? All right.

[00:39:46] So let's go ahead and move on to the next story that we have here. Did you know that Gorilla Grodd was in Scream 7? What? Yeah, because apparently Gorilla Grodd was in Scream 7. While plenty of attention has been on the future of Superman and the franchise after Supergirl struggled to connect with audiences, which I think is complete horseshit. But I mean, the movie was fucking good. I don't care.

[00:40:12] The upcoming Jimmy Olsen series, DC Crime, still a tentative name, is pressing ahead. According to Deadline, Jimmy Totoro has officially signed on to voice Gorilla Grodd in the DCU. Totoro's resume includes Scream 7, The Hawk, which is coming to Netflix, King of Staten Island, which actually was a pretty funny movie, Family Guy, and Monsters at Work, and more. The HBO Max series, DC Crime, does not currently have an official release date.

[00:40:41] Also, DC Crime is only a working title because they still don't have a name for that yet. I like that better than Jimmy Olsen goes to Central City or whatever they were going to call it. If they call it Jimmy Olsen goes to Central City, I would riot. Yeah, that would not be good. I don't think James Gunn would do that. James Gunn does a lot of troll-y, I'm going to piss people off things, but I don't think he would do that. I was looking at Jimmy, Jimmy Tatro, Tatro? Jimmy Tatro.

[00:41:11] He's a good-looking dude. Yeah. And they're just going to like, but I guess he does a ton of voiceovers, but I'm like, why don't they have this guy in front of a camera? But, okay, Gorilla Grodd, sure. He may have just been like, I want to play Grodd. You got to think of how many of these actors grew up reading comic books or watching the cartoons and stuff like that.

[00:41:36] And given, you're coming up and like, dude, I don't care if I'm on screen, I want to play Grodd. Yeah. Yeah. And I looked it up. He's done a ton of voice work already. Yeah. So that's probably where it's at. It's just like, you know, he does voice work and he just, he does on-screen work, but he probably, like every voice actor prefers to do voice work. Mm-hmm. Must be nice. I just, I'm a good-looking dude. I'm a well actor, but I also do voice work.

[00:42:06] That's right. So let's go ahead and move on here. Holy delay, Batman! No! Yeah, it happened again. After years of delays and shifting release dates, Matt Reeves has confirmed that The Batman Part 2 has officially been pushed back again. The highly anticipated sequel will now hit theaters on February 18th, 2028, almost six years after the release of The Batman in March of 2022.

[00:42:33] The move also means the sequel will keep access to IMAX screens when it arrives. According to the latest details, production on the film was pushed back by five months and new release dates, and the new release dates given to Matt Reeves gave him more time to complete post-production and finish the movie the way he wants. So for now, Batman Part 2 will now hit theaters on February 18th, 2028.

[00:43:02] Just in time for my, God, how many years is that? Just in time for my 42nd birthday. Good Lord. It's two years from now, a year and a half-ish. Okay, fine. You know, it's getting to the point where it's like, just make the movie and make sure it's good. Exactly. It better be fucking amazing, man. Six years since the first one came out? Come on. Yeah. That's pretty nuts for it to be.

[00:43:32] That's too much time. Yeah. All right. That's like, George Lucas, I'm going to make some prequels now. Oh, wait, what? Okay, cool. I hope he at least gives us another TV show or something. He's like, okay, in between. Hey, I know you guys are waiting for the Batman, but here's another TV show. Yeah. Well, maybe. Maybe. Check out the next story. Exactly. That's kind of where I was transitioning a little bit here.

[00:44:01] Looks like we're growing some new casting rumors. Get these rumors in here. Since it was announced that Scarlett Johansson was joining the cast of the Batman Part 2, fans have been assuming she's playing Gilda Dent. In a new Reddit post from DCU Leaks, they claim to reveal that she could actually be taking on classic super villain or antihero. Serial killer obsessed with plants who uses toxins to carry out her crimes.

[00:44:30] Obviously. Okay, I'm picturing it now. I need her to be Ivy at this point. This obviously is pointing to Poison Ivy. The post goes on to say her main target is Dance's character, the leader of a secret organization made up of the most powerful figures in Gotham City, i.e. probably the Court of Owls, right? That's probably what we're thinking here. The post also mentioned that Sebastian Stan is indeed playing Victor Zaz and not Harvey Dent.

[00:45:01] Honestly, I kind of like this better than the whole like, oh, we're the Dent family sort of thing, yada yada. Hers Poison Ivy? That's awesome. She already looks good as a redhead. So, I mean, I think she, again, Poison Ivy is the ultimate femme fatale, right? Yeah. And, you know, she also happens to be a metahuman. But, I mean, like, I, God, Scarlett Johansson as Poison Ivy would be amazing.

[00:45:29] I really like when they start fleshing out Poison Ivy's backstory. Yeah. It works so well. Yeah, it does. I like that a lot. I agree. And then going after the Court of Owls. Oh! Dude, if she goes after, like, if it's that, if she's like, you know, going after the Court of Owls and, you know, just being the menace that she is, dude, I'd be all for it.

[00:45:50] If this turns out to be true, it could lend to other rumors that DC is possibly working on a Poison Ivy series similar to the Penguin spinoff that was made for HBO. If Johansson ends up in the role, I think the series would be very popular with the fans. I like that. Yeah. Batman Part 2 will now hit theaters on February 18th, 2028. Okay. Still not happy with that, but I'll take it. I'll take it if it means we're going to get better story. You know what I mean?

[00:46:20] Heck yeah. Absolutely. All right. Well, let's jump into, I believe this is the last DC story I have here. We got some gossip, girl, on the next Batman. Who's going to be the next Batman? Yeah. The search for the DC Universe's Batman may finally be narrowing down. According to YouTuber John Campia, I actually do take what John Campia says a little bit more to heart than some of the other people that are out there.

[00:46:50] Mitchell Slaggart is being eyed by DC Studios to play Bruce Wayne in the DCU. As always with DC casting rumors, it's worth taking this with a grain of salt until something official is announced. One interesting wrinkle is that James Gunn hasn't really weighed in on this one. Oh. And usually when James Gunn doesn't weigh in, that's usually a higher chance that that's true.

[00:47:13] DC Studios' co-CEO has made a habit of shutting down inaccurate reports on social media, but he's been noticeably silent when it comes to Slaggart. Slaggart's resume is light on feature films with roles in Wish Upon, and right when you get to work, or right when you get work, television is where he's built most of his career, appearing on Gossip Girls, The Sex Lives of College Girls, and more recently Landman.

[00:47:42] He's 31, stands around 6'2", putting him on a physical range many fans picture for Bruce Wayne. Do we think that at 6'2", he's only an inch shorter than what Batman's supposed to be, so I'm fine with that. At 6'2", do you think he can put on 250 pounds worth of muscle? I mean, he's already a pretty built dude. Yeah.

[00:48:07] But can we make him the same size as Jack Reacher? You know what I mean? You know? I don't know about that. I don't think there's enough foam in the world to make somebody look like Alan Richson. Alan Richson is a monster. That guy is so big. But I was looking this guy up, you know, Slaggart, and yeah, I could see him being like a young Bruce Wayne.

[00:48:36] 6'2", that's still tall. Like, put him in some Chris Jericho wrestling boots that adds like an inch or two. That's great, you know? He'll be fine. Okay. That was me for a second. Like I said, Bruce Wayne needs to be... Okay, so in the comics, Bruce Wayne is 6'3", 250 pounds.

[00:49:04] He's a big boy, right? Bruce, by the time he is at his prime, is 32 years old. So this dude is only a year younger and an inch shorter than Bruce Wayne. It's supposed to be... It's ballpark. It's perfect. Well, that's what I'm saying. I'm saying like he fits the profile. He's in the right age range. He's the right height range. He's already a pretty big dude, and he could probably put on more muscle to be Batman if he really wanted to.

[00:49:34] But he's actually lean enough where he could still be Batman and be fine. So, I mean, I think he might be a good Bruce Wayne. Oh. I like it. Easy Money. Shout out to Easy Money throwing the gold coin out there. What does that mean? That means he... Right there. That means he gave us a donation. Is it going to start like raining coins? Like Sonic or something? You didn't hear it on the screen when it came on? I didn't hear it. I'm sorry.

[00:50:05] All good. All good, man. All right. So let's keep it going. I mean, you know, what do you guys think? I'm actually going to put it in the chat right now. Do you guys think that... You guys think that Slaggart would be a good Batman? Ending the other poll, I said, do you think Marvel will recast all the characters in the MCU? It is a 67% no. So people don't think they're going to... Sorry.

[00:50:33] I'm just looking at Easy Money in the chat. And he said, Silent Bob as Batman. Fly! Fat ass fly! Fly, fat ass fly! Oh, that's good. I love that. He is Bluntman, so that works. But going back to it, yes, I think this dude could be the next Batman. And I kind of like that I don't really know him. He's a good enough actor. He's got some credit. Just like David Cornswept.

[00:50:58] I don't know who you are, but once you jump into that role, I see you as Superman. I want this guy to take over the screen, and I see him as Batman. Yeah. Totally okay with this. Yeah. I get that. All right. Well, ladies and gentlemen, that is it for our DC News. So, before we get into the next segment, of course, let's talk about... My bad. Let's talk about Dubby. That's right, ladies and gentlemen. Dubby is a brand of energy drinks created to help focus concentration and reaction time

[00:51:28] with no jitters or crash. Dubby contains no meltodexture, no sugars, no fillers, no artificial colors, or dyes. Find out more about Dubby at www.dubby.gg. Use the code NERDING10 and get 10% off your order. So, yes, ladies and gentlemen, we'll talk about the deliciousness. But before, after, I guess. No. I don't know. I jumbled myself up. Let's get into the next segment here, ladies and gentlemen. You got the Chris Jericho boots on? What's happening?

[00:51:58] Yeah. I'm closer to my camera. So, yes, let's get into the news, ladies and gentlemen. It's time for One Shots with our boy, Jamez5000. Don't forget, more news, trailers, reactions. Check out Distance Sturdington Post on Facebook. Let us know what you're nerding out on. We're posting some new trailers. I think they dropped today, but there's some new trailers going into the Nerdington Post as we speak. Right.

[00:52:24] And if you guys didn't get a chance, I did do a trailer breakdown for the Avengers Doomsday trailer. That is currently on TikTok, Instagram, and on the YouTubes. So go and check that out, guys. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. And leave a comment. Please leave a comment. Especially if you want to make fun of young Phil because he loves it. Yeah. I'm currently arguing with some dude on TikTok right now. It's great. Yeah. I'd appreciate it if you were here, part of the show. But, you know, go ahead.

[00:52:53] Finish arguing with him. That's fine. I will. I will. All right. Christopher Nolan needs a bigger horse to hold all that money. Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey stormed into theaters this weekend and delivered the biggest global opening of Christopher Nolan's career, pulling in an incredible $264.1 million worldwide, the first feature film ever shot entirely in IMAX.

[00:53:21] The movie now stands as the biggest worldwide debut of Christopher Nolan's career, surpassing The Dark Knight Rises, which opened with $249 million globally. That is huge. I didn't realize so many people were going to go out for this movie. But it does help that it is an IMAX. I guess they did. Let's see. Global IMAX reached $51.8 million, representing 23% of the worldwide box office.

[00:53:51] So that is the IMAX's biggest opening, surpassing Avengers Endgame. But, I mean, that gives a bump in price just because IMAX price is a little bit higher. Yeah. No, absolutely. Absolutely. Just throwing it out there, I did go see The Odyssey on Sunday. Oh, nice. Yeah. Jackie and I went to go see it. Jackie doesn't usually go to the movies, and she wanted to go see The Odyssey. Worth it. You made a mistake, though, right? I made a mistake? What mistake did I make?

[00:54:21] You didn't go on IMAX. No, we did. We went to specifically to the – there's an IMAX theater in Woodland, and we went to Woodland and went to the IMAX theater there. Gotcha. Yeah. No, we went and saw it in IMAX. It was absolutely great. Yeah. That's one of those movies that I will go see again, 100%. Nice. Can you take me next time, buy me popcorn, hold my hand? I will, as long as we can get you away from the kids. Okay. I like that idea. I like that idea.

[00:54:50] You know, I was watching the comparisons of the IMAX version of the movie versus the regular screens and how much it's cut out. And it's like, yeah, this was definitely shot for IMAX. It's so epic looking in comparison compared to the regular screens. Yeah. No, I absolutely agree. Like I said, it is a really good movie.

[00:55:15] If you guys have not gone out to go see it or if you're on the fence to go see it, go watch it, guys. It's worth it. It is very worth it. It subdues any negative things that you guys have been hearing from all these trolls online just saying, oh, well, this is going to happen. They're going to do woke this and da-da-da. It's none of what you guys are hearing. It is a great movie.

[00:55:42] And half the stuff that people are saying online does not apply to the movie at all. It's obvious these guys didn't see the movie or are not planning on seeing the movie and are just talking. So, you know, like one of the big complaints that people had was about Elliot Page and they're like, oh, Elliot Page is going to be Achilles and that's going to suck. Well, no. Elliot Page is not Achilles. And Elliot Page does play a significant character in the story. But he has about five minutes of screen time the entire movie.

[00:56:11] So, but he does play a very significant character, though. So, I mean, amazing, amazing acting ability. So, it's very, very good. You guys have to go check it out. There you go. Put it in the chat or put it in the polls. Will you be watching Odyssey in IMAX? Yeah. Yeah. Let's do that. What is our current poll right now? Nobody voted on Batman. All right. Oh, hold on. Sorry. I didn't. I put my phone down. Okay. It's gone. It's all good.

[00:56:42] Polling has closed. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Will you Odyssey in IMAX? Also, guys, it needs to be seen in IMAX. It is so good. All right. Let's continue on, James. In IMAX, it's a bigger screen. The seats are bigger. The popcorn's bigger. It's fun. Yeah, absolutely. Prices are also bigger. But anyway. All right. Moving on. Yellowstone with Black Ops. Interesting.

[00:57:09] The upcoming Call of Duty movie from Paramount Pictures written by Taylor Sheridan will officially take place in the fan favorite Modern Warfare universe. Does this make you happy? The universe that it's going to be in, because I kind of mentioned before that I would prefer it to be in Modern Warfare. I do like that. Again, I'm still on the fence of what story he tells.

[00:57:34] And again, if he does a face reveal for Ghost, I'm going to write it. Well, there's so real quick. Let's let's define that because isn't there like the World War Two version of the games and then they moved it up to. So there's there's three different universes when it comes to Call of Duty. Right. The original kind of like where they did everything technically for the original where they did

[00:58:02] everything was, you know, they were World War Two games. They were simulation games where you can just relive campaigns in World War Two with a story because they have like very deep, rich stories when they revamp the whole game. Well, actually, before that, they did zombies and zombies has its own kind of like standalone story that all links together with between all the games. And then when they rebooted the series, they did Modern Warfare.

[00:58:30] And it's, again, the same thing, very deep, rich story. But it takes place in the modern era. And with the way that they tell the story, it is it's it's it's not events that are happening like in real time. It's not anything that's happening in the real world. But it's all like kind of like that kind of real world situation stuff. It's supposed to take place in like the in the near future. Gotcha.

[00:58:57] And then, of course, you have the Black Ops series, which is fucking wild and more like sci fi and horror than it is. But is that considered modern? Modern universe? So Black Ops kind of jumps around because like they started Black Ops in and like they started doing like Vietnam games and, you know, the last Black Ops 6 was in was in like the 90s.

[00:59:25] So like Desert Storm and kind of like like those kind of like post Cold War operations and things like that. Black Ops 7 is like far in the future. They went back to like doing the game in the future and stuff. So I mean, like, yeah, it's it's it's very different. Again, I'm missing Modern Warfare. Modern Warfare is the best version of the game, which I believe the next game that comes out at the end of this year is a Modern Warfare game. So. Gotcha. Cool. I dig it.

[00:59:55] It seems like once it turned into the Modern Warfare universe, that's when the when the everything went crazy for this game. Yeah. Yeah. It exploded after Modern Warfare because Modern Warfare, again, it tells the best story. Very cool. Very cool. Well, you're getting a series by Taylor Sheridan. By the way, there's also going to be speaking of Taylor Sheridan and Warfare.

[01:00:20] I think Lioness season three just got announced for like August. I think that's why he's getting Call of Duty is because what he did with Lioness, they're like, oh, dude, you can do really good combat shows. Let's see you do what you can do with Modern Warfare. But again, I kind of want him to stick to, you know, tell a story that's within the universe.

[01:00:46] Don't try and retell what the what the games are doing, like tell a different story using the same characters. You can do that. I don't mind that at all. But also like don't don't like ruin certain things in the game. Yeah, I like it. I'm excited for that one. I'm kind of happy with Taylor Sheridan because I love the Lioness. I think that's a really good series. I keep saying like it's probably like Reacher and Lioness are probably right up there with my dad TV. Yeah.

[01:01:15] You know, I keep saying, you know, Ghost has not had a face reveal in the games. Do not give him a face reveal in the movie. Okay. That's the make or break for young Phil. All right. Moving on. Get ready to run like a six year old into theaters. The live action Naruto movie is finally picking up serious momentum. And now we have our first real clue about how Lionsgate plans to bring the legendary anime to life.

[01:01:43] Can you real quick and do the Naruto run? Can you just run around the room real quick? Just arms behind you. There you go. Earlier this week, fans got excited when it was officially announced that Lionsgate and Spider-Man brand new day director, Justin Daniel Creighton are moving full speed ahead with the long awaited live action adaption of Naruto, which is pretty cool.

[01:02:09] But what version of the Hidden Leaf Village are we actually getting? Who knows? A reported casting call is off. This is actually kind of interesting. A reporting casting call is offering a clear picture rather than searching for actors around the same age as the original Team 7 from the manga Lionsgate is looking for ages, is looking to age up the characters. According to the report, casting listings, however, the studio is searching for performers

[01:02:38] between the age of 16 and 20 to portray 16 year old versions of the iconic ninja trio. Okay. Are you okay with this? Okay. It depends on the story that they're telling. If they are, because Naruto is supposed to be like 12. So I mean, I get where, you know, they age it up a little bit because like, you know, 12 year olds being ninjas, I guess is too, it would appeal too much to just like kiddie stuff.

[01:03:08] And they're trying to like, if you, if you make them teenagers, they're more appealing for everybody. Um, I think a good example of this is how they handled Avatar, the last airbender on Netflix. Yeah. Like they, yes. Aang started really young in the first, in the first, uh, series or the first season, I should say. But by the second season, you know, his voice dropped, he's got like bass in his voice and all the characters are older.

[01:03:37] I'm like, yeah, this is good. I'd rather see this type of like teenager fighting, doing Kung Fu than a bunch of little kids doing it. So I will say I do like the one complaint that I had from season one, they 100% fixed in season two. Uh, and that was just that, that, that Aang in season one was humorless. He had no humor. He was serious all the time.

[01:04:00] Uh, in this, between him and Sokka, they are cracking jokes and, uh, just doing dumb stuff. And then like, they're showing more of like the kid side of Aang, which I wanted. Um, but I also do love that they address the, like him getting older. Right. Like they literally in episode two, they literally talk about how, oh yeah, well, I mean, you know, you had a growth spurt, you know? And it's like, oh, okay. So they're actually addressing the fact that we have actors that are not the same age.

[01:04:30] Yeah. Yeah. I think they all look better a little bit older. Yeah. Like I could take them more seriously. If that makes any sense. My only problem is, is when we get to season three, you know, if they're like full on adults, then that kind of becomes a problem because they're not adults by the end of the show. Like, I want them to be like, you know, seven, 16, 17 is fine for me. But like, if they're in their like mid twenties and like, you know, you got like this jacked

[01:04:59] ass Aang, like, no, no, he didn't do that until he was an adult. And we were literally getting that movie right now. Yeah. That's right. But you know, I'd rather see like this age of Sokka, like having girl problems than like a 12 year old Sokka having girl problems. Like, you know, come on now. Yeah. I do like that. They're addressing again. They're addressing the relationship between him and Suki a lot more, a lot more. Yeah. And I do like that.

[01:05:25] And again, they're the storytelling they did in season two of this show was definitely a lot better than I liked season one, but I felt like they really stepped it up for season two. Yeah. I liked it. I liked it too. Speaking of, speaking of after months of frustration, Avatar fans are finally getting their cabbages. My cabbages! My cabbages! Let's run it back a little bit.

[01:05:52] In December 2025, Paramount made the disappointing decision to skip theaters and release Avatar Aang, The Last Airbender, exclusively on Paramount+. Plus, the backlash was immediate and the movie's release date moved forward from October to July. Now the studio has made another unexpected change and this one is much easier to celebrate. Aang or Avatar Aang, The Last Airbender, will receive a limited theatrical run while still

[01:06:22] making its streaming debut on Paramount. Okay. Kind of, you know, right? Best of both worlds? I'm less upset about it now. Because if there's an opportunity, if I can find a theater in the area that I can see on a large screen, I'm happier about it. Because like I said, I felt like this was something that needed to be experienced on the big screen. Oh, you're okay. You're happy? You're about to get unhappy. Paramount hasn't officially explained the reversal.

[01:06:51] But the overwhelmingly positive reaction to the film's trailer helped influence the decision. There's also plenty of speculation that the limited theatrical engagement is designed to make the movie eligible for the Academy Awards. Assholes. Okay. Right? Which makes sense. Okay, we get it. We get it. That's your benefit. But just put it in theaters. But here's the catch.

[01:07:15] The film will only screen three times a day at two locations. AMC Burbank in Los Angeles and AMC Empire in Manhattan. You fucking dickbags. I know, right? God damn it. Fuck you, Paramount. Oh, there you go. Your cabbages. Oh my God. Your cabbages are in Burbank, California. Go get them. Yeah. I'm going to go down to Burbank and go knock this out. I know that's Joe's theater. So I was like, Joe, let's go watch Avatar.

[01:07:46] He might be there already. He might be there already. He might actually already be there. That sucks though. You know, come on. Two theaters. That's rough. Because they're trying to get the Academy Award. But it's kind of like, dude, go full on in the theaters. David Ellison, I know you watch this show because you hate us just as much as everybody else does. Go do this, dude. Like, come on, man. You are depriving people of a good film in theaters.

[01:08:15] Yes, you can, you know, we can go see it on your app. But people want to see this in theaters. And it's like, oh, yeah, this seems like something people want to see in theaters. I'm going to put it in two. Two theaters. For three times a day. That's it. For one week. Not even a week. Bag of dicks, man. Less than a week. Yeah. I know. So, that being said, Avatar Aang, the last airbender, premieres on Paramount Plus on July

[01:08:44] 25th with its limited theatrical run beginning one day earlier on July 24th through July 30th. Well, there you go. You can see, you can go see Avatar Aang the day before. Go home, watch it. And then a week later, I don't know, see Spider-Man. I don't know. Trying your sorrows in watching Spider-Man brand new day. Yeah, I am going to be seeing Spider-Man, so. Oh, my gosh. That's rough. But, hey, you get to watch it at home, right? I guess.

[01:09:15] Disappointing, Paramount. Okay. Disappointment. Disappointment. Your blood pressure, sir. Watch your blood pressure. My blood pressure is always up. I'm always angry about something. Come on. That's your secret. You're always angry about something. I'm always angry about something. Okay. Hold on. Easter eggs, you fools. The Lord of the Rings, the hunt for Gollum, has kicked off production.

[01:09:39] A video celebrates the first day of filming and slips in a hidden message written in one of J.R.R. Tolkien's fictional languages, giving fans a little mystery to solve. The teaser opens with Andy Serkis, who is both directing and acting, wearing the character's iconic motion capture suit. He then steps into Gollum's persona. His is action. Give me an action in Gollum. Action. Action is.

[01:10:06] Yeah, that's what I was trying to do, is like do the plurality that he does. Yeah. The actions is habitus. His is action towards the camera and officially gets filming underway. Before the teaser wraps, there is one final surprise. A message flashes across the screen written in, how do you pronounce it? Sirth. Yeah. Sirth. Tolkien's fictional runic alphabet. But we do have the too long didn't read version.

[01:10:36] The inscription translates to, something precious awaits. Lord of the Rings, the hunt for Gollum, is currently scheduled to arrive in theaters on December 17th, 2027. You shall not pass! Thanks, Gandalf. Had to bring him back, man. Had to bring Gandalf back into the whole, the mix here. Wait, so hold on.

[01:11:05] So this year, Avengers Doomsday comes out the same day as Dune Part 3. Now next year, Lord of the Rings, Hunt for Gollum comes out on December 17th, 2027. Is that the same? I think it's the same day as Secret Wars. That's a dumb move. Like, okay, Hunt for Gollum, like, I'm sure it's probably going to be a good enough film.

[01:11:33] But you're going to put it on the same weekend as Secret Wars. You're going to get drowned out. I got to look it up because that can't be right. Because I don't think people are going to look at the search for Gollum the same way as Dune. Like, that weekend, I'm trying to go see Doomsday and Dune in the same weekend. Yeah. Avengers Secret Wars is scheduled to release in theaters December 17th, 2027. That's stupid. That is a dumb move, Warner Brothers. I don't, I don't, I don't.

[01:12:02] That is not a smart move on your end. You guys need to move that back by like a week or something. Oh my gosh. That is, that is not a smart move on your guys' part. Though there has been a trend of, I mean, besides the Odyssey going gangbusters, 264 million. But like Moana tanked, Supergirl tanked. Like there's something going on with the box office.

[01:12:27] I think, I think money is just getting thin and people are picking and choosing what to see. And like, there's no guarantees anymore of, of how movies are going to do. So like, I think they may look at a date like this and be like, should we really launch the same day? Like, we know we're probably going to come in second. But is there going to be enough dollars to go around? I don't know. Yeah.

[01:12:52] It's, again, because you're looking at a movie that is guaranteed to bring people to the theaters. Yeah, that's interesting. You know, and, and it's like, you're doing Lord of the Rings. I get it. They're trying to capitalize on Lord of the Rings, but this is the first movie out the gate. And it is a original concept. So it's kind of like, I don't know if that's a smart move to put that out the same day as Doomsday. I'm sorry, Secret Wars of Secret Wars. Yeah. That one's tough. That one's tough.

[01:13:21] Secret Wars is supposed to be like a culminating film for the entire like genre. Like, no, no, this is not a good move on your guys' part. All right, let's keep it going. Yeah. Oh, this is, this, this is going to piss me off. Even gods need, need help. Hold on. Even gods need health insurance. Yeah. Crime videos, live action God of War series has hit a roadblock after revealing a first look at Ryan Hurst as Kratos.

[01:13:51] The production is now being forced to recast the character following an onset injury suffered by the actor. So Hurst tore a bicep. And because of the lengthy recovery, typically six to seven months, the physicality were required to play Kratos and the show's production schedule. The decision was made to recast the lead role and reshoot the four episodes filmed so far.

[01:14:20] That is rough. That is also expensive. Yeah, but it's also how much, how much more is it expensive to like just hold? Yeah. You know? Yeah. So they probably looked at the numbers and be like, well, it's either we read, reshoot these four or like, we're going to have to sit and do the other six later. You know what was upsetting to Ryan Hurst was he's in the Odyssey, right? Yeah.

[01:14:49] And, and you kind of get a glimpse of him as Kratos because he is a badass. Oh. You know? And it's like, oh man, you know, this, this, this makes me excited for him as Kratos. And then this news comes out and it's like, fuck, not going to get to see Ryan Hurst as Kratos now. And you know what's funny? It kind of felt like he was on an upswing. Yeah. On his career.

[01:15:12] You know, like sons of anarchy was how long ago now, but he has, he's been pretty quiet since then. And then all of a sudden the Odyssey and now Kratos, it's like, oh, he's, he's coming back. Right. Okay. Right. And then this happens. Oh, so upsetting, man. Easy money. Poor Opie. Poor Opie. Poor guy. That sucks. But it feels harsh, but ended it end of the day, the big budget productions don't have

[01:15:42] the luxury of waiting. And I think that's, it is what it is. You know, if anything, maybe they'll find a way to bring him in later. Like, Hey, cause it did get a two season order. So maybe they get somebody else to play Kratos, but like, okay, Ryan, sorry, you, you missed out on being Kratos, but here's this other role for season two or something like that. Yeah. Cause I mean, who, who, who, like, who knows? Maybe the, whoever takes over as Kratos ends up like absolutely killing it.

[01:16:11] And it's like, okay, well, you know, do we bring Ryan Hurst back or, you know, we kind of just roll with this and then you do, we bring Ryan Hurst in as another character. Like maybe he comes in as Ares. There you go. There you go. You know, if they decide to retell the story from the first games, cause remember this is, this is telling the Ragnarok story. Mm-hmm. So if they decide, Hey, season two, let's go in and tell the Greek story. And like, he plays Ares, right? Like that would be kind of cool too.

[01:16:41] Yeah. I like that. So God of war has already been received, has already received a two season order from Amazon, but we don't have a specific release date yet for season one. Right. All right. Keeping it going. Steve Buscemi has signed on for another intriguing TV project. He's, this is kind of interesting. He's kind of taking over TV right now and I kind of like it. Steve Buscemi has been taking over TV for a long time. Right. But he's traditionally been a movie actor. Yeah. Right.

[01:17:11] He's been doing a lot of TV though for like the last couple of years. Yeah. So the acclaimed actor has officially joined FX's upcoming anthology series, Far Cry. More game stuff, right? Yeah. Which is being developed by Fargo creator, Noah Hawley. And it's always sunny in Philadelphia star and creator, Rob Mack, formerly known as Rob McElhenney. McElhenney. Yep.

[01:17:36] Buscemi joins previously announced cast members, Rob Mack and Lizzie Kaplan in what is shaping up to be one of the more interesting video game adaptions currently in development. The series is based on Ubisoft's successful Far Cry video game franchise, but much like the games themselves, the show won't follow one continuous story. Instead, each season will tell its own standalone tale, introducing a new setting and an entirely

[01:18:06] new cast of characters. I don't like it. Yeah. So rather than adapting one specific title, FX appears to be embracing the anthology format that made the game so successful. So kind of like, kind of like where you are with some of these, like what do we do with a storyline or script? Yeah. Like story in that universe. And it seems like that's what they're going to do. So what's cool about Far Cry is no story gets told the same twice.

[01:18:35] It is a very anarchist kind of style of games that go on. Usually a lot of like post-apocalyptic or there are some kind of like war that's going on or something like that. But usually every game, no game has ended with a happy ending. Okay. Right. So I'm wondering if they follow that same formula. Like, you know, and like you get that heartbreaking. Oh yeah.

[01:19:03] You know, you follow this character for the entire season and it's like, man, you're rooting for him. But then he gets killed at the end. And ultimately, you know, the bad thing that they're trying to prevent still happens. Yeah. That's kind of like the ongoing thing that happens in the Far Cry series. So it's going to be interesting to see if they follow that same formula because it's like, why not? It's what they do with the games. You don't want a happy ending.

[01:19:29] If you're a Far Cry fan and you're watching the Far Cry series, you don't want a happy ending. But for new audiences. Yes. For new audiences, they may get upset that you ended on a bad note. You get attached to a character and then that character dies. It's kind of like what happened with Walking Dead. Like, it's all written out of what's going to happen with these characters. And that's part of the enjoyment of Walking Dead is that at any point, any episode, there could be a major character that dies.

[01:19:59] But then when you do get a major character that dies, that you love, you're like, hey, wait a second. All of a sudden, this show's not for me. I don't want this show. Yeah. And Game of Thrones is the same thing. Again, at the end of the season, you have a major character that passes away or gets killed. And it kind of draws you into the show more because you're kind of like, well, shit, this is how they ended it. What are we going to do next?

[01:20:26] The problem is, again, it typically ends on a bad note and it doesn't pick up from there. Yeah. Right? So it's like, oh, the character died and the bad guy won. That's it? That's how this ends? Like, yeah, that's basically how these games end. But as Far Cry fans, as people who play the games, we're kind of already ready for it. We already know because it tells such a good story. It just happens to be by the end of the story, you don't win.

[01:20:56] I think it's going to be tough for some people. Mm-hmm. All right. That was my last one. What do you got? Well, before we jump into that, let's talk about our last sponsor here tonight. Distance Durning is part of the Geek Freaks Network. Discovering your latest binge, debating casting choices, or still not over that plot twist, the Geek Freaks Network has got you covered. Your fandom, your community, your people geek out your way.

[01:21:26] Check out the Geek Freaks Network at gfpods.com. All right. Well, ladies and gentlemen, let's jump into this next segment right here. It's time for the headlines to talk about the big news stories coming from around the horn. All right. So let's... Man, I just looked down. I haven't changed the story on the screen since the Kratos thing, and that still upsets me. All right. Yeah.

[01:21:55] Same Yo-Jo news. I like it. Because we got some Yo-Jo news. After being hired to write Paramount's next G.I. Joe movie, Danny McBride has now landed an even bigger role in the film. He's officially set to direct the film, marking his feature directorial debut. McBride recently confirmed that the screenplay is finished and that the current goal is to begin production in 2027. So let's talk casting, guys. G.I. Joe.

[01:22:23] Chris Hemsworth exits G.I. Joe's reboot as Bradley Cooper emerges as the frontrunner. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. So let's talk about Chris Hemsworth leaving the project but Bradley Cooper coming on. As far as casting goes, there were then reports claiming Chris Hemsworth was attached to star in the film. Now it sounds like those plans have changed. Paramount has now said that they are eyeing Bradley Cooper to take over the lead role.

[01:22:51] If that casting comes together, Cooper would most likely be playing Duke, the legendary leader of the Joes. Rather than leaning into parody or comedy, McBride says the film is taking the franchise seriously while still embracing the fun action that made G.I. Joe such a fan favorite. Right? I'm kind of okay with that. I really want to do that. I want this to be something that is serious but also has kind of fanciful elements to it.

[01:23:17] Because you can't really do Storm Shadow and not be kind of over the top. Right? But at the same time, it's like I want something that's serious that is a serious thing and has serious threats and has very high stakes. But at the same time, there's a little bit of levity in it. You know what I mean? I agree. I agree. And honestly, I didn't even see that Chris Hemsworth was attached to it.

[01:23:46] So I'm okay if he's not in. I'm like, okay, great. Yeah. Chris Hemsworth as Duke would be kind of over the top. Like, I don't feel like I'm missing out saying that he's not going to be in the film. Yeah. Now, also, Danny McBride has a whole bunch of rumors that are heating up right now involving Chris Pratt and Walton Goggins. And they're coming in. And so along with Bradley Cooper, casting rumors have attached Chris Pratt and Walter Goggins to the project in so far unknown roles.

[01:24:13] At this point, none of these casting rumors have been confirmed. So it's worth treating them as exactly that, guys. Treat them as rumors. Still, it's an interesting short list. But you know what? Like, if we get Bradley Cooper as Duke and what is, would you say, Chris Pratt? Like, what easy money saying in the chat? Like, we need Snake Eyes and Flint. Like, what if Chris Pratt is Flint? Like, that'd be cool. Like, give me Bradley Cooper. Give me Chris Pratt. It's like a Guardians reunion.

[01:24:43] Yeah. We need, uh, I just want, like, a dope, uh, martial artist as Snake Eyes. Right. Put a mask on. You don't even need to know who it is. Well, I mean, Snake Eyes shouldn't talk to begin with. Exactly. You know, he doesn't talk in the cartoons. He doesn't talk in any property. Have him not talk. It's fine. He tells his story with the swords. I like it. Exactly. Uh, very, I mean, yeah, I'm, I'm, I'm excited for it, though.

[01:25:12] I'm, I'm all for Danny McBride taking this franchise. And, uh, the, the story that he's basing it off of is, like, throwing you right into, like, the G.I. Joe universe. Right. It's, I forgot what season it is, but it's the story where, uh, some Joes, like Duke, ends up in this town. And they're like, what is happening in this town? And then they realize that everybody in this town, everybody in the town is Cobra.

[01:25:42] It's Cobra. Yeah. Uh, that story is actually a really good story. I would love to see them, like, kind of tell that with a more serious take on it. So that's what McBride wants to adapt. Yeah. So we'll see. That's fun. I like it. Yeah. All right. Well, let's go ahead and move on here. Uh, because Lego is the way. It really is. Uh, start warming up the Razorcrest. Disney has announced Lego Star Wars The Mandalorian is coming exclusively to Disney+.

[01:26:11] The animated special is expected to focus on the continuing adventures of Din Djarin and Grogu, bringing their story into the fun, comedic Lego style fans have embraced for years. The announcement arrived immediately after Disney revealed the digital and physical home release dates for The Mandalorian and Grogu. Uh, Lego Star Wars The Mandalorian will premiere exclusively on Disney+, on September 2nd, 2026. That's right around the corner. A month and five weeks away? Yeah. That's all.

[01:26:41] Uh, so how many times in the first week are you going to watch that with your kids? I'm going to watch it over and over. And you know what? Whether they're watching it, I'll be watching it because. That's what I'm saying. I'm saying your kids are going to watch it, but that just means James is going to watch it like 12 times before the first week is done. Oh, heck yeah. But you know what? We went and saw it in theaters. They all loved it. They all had such a good time and they, and they love the action.

[01:27:08] I, as a Star Wars fan, like I had my comments and like thoughts on it, but overall I enjoyed it. And I, that's what it was about. It's about enjoying a popcorn type movie in the Star Wars universe. And I think that's what it was supposed to do. And it did it. Yeah, absolutely. I've been saying for a while that, uh, I want the Dungeon Crawler Carl series to basically be the same type of level,

[01:27:36] the same level of production as the Mandalorian and Grogu. I want, uh, practical puppets. I want practical effects. Uh, I love that stop motion that they did at the end of the movie, the stop motion, uh, the, the big droids that he fights. Yeah. I want those to be the paper, uh, uh, uh, spoilers for, for the second book, but, uh, uh, the, the, the paper tattoo monsters that he fights in the second book. I want them to be like that kind of stop motion. That would actually be pretty cool. Yeah.

[01:28:07] Oh, you're already reading, uh, uh, doomsday, right? I finished that. I'm on book three. You're on book. Okay. So you know exactly what I'm talking about then, right? I mean, man, I am chapter 22 of 34 in book three. So like I'm far down the subway, far down the train line. It's, it's going too fast. So, so again, as everybody says, do not pay attention to the, to, to the subway line. Yeah. Yeah. It is impossible to pay attention to the subway lines.

[01:28:36] Uh, it's not meant for you to pay attention to them. It's meant for you to just listen to the story and what's going on for all that. And then when I'm paying attention to you, I'm paying, paying attention to heckla. Cause I don't trust that. B you know what I mean? Keep, keep reading, keep reading, keep reading, uh, heck, heckla becomes a, uh, a major plot line in that, in that, in that book. So. Okay. All right. All right. Just keep paying attention to heckla, especially where you're at.

[01:29:02] I'm in chapter 60 of book five right now out of like 75 chapters. Jeez. Yeah. All right. Uh, all right. Uh, every episode we got to get our dungeon crawler Carl fix in. So let's in the middle of some other story. I know. Right. It's like, no, we were talking about star Wars. Now we're talking about dungeon crawler Carl. All right. Let's, uh, let's continue on here. Uh, this is definitely a James is going to get excited for the story kind of story.

[01:29:28] We're almost there to a live action version Academy award and Emmy nominee Coleman Domingo, uh, Michael, the four seasons disclosure day, uh, your friendly neighborhood. Spider-Man, uh, is in talks to co-write an original live action feature about princess Tiana inspired by Disney's animated. 2009 feature that princess and the frog deadline reports that Coleman Domingo and

[01:29:53] director Robert O'Hara's, uh, take is being billed as a spinoff of the animated feature rather than a full on adaptation. A lot. Disney's live action beauty and the beast project. That's currently in the works. Gaston. Which again, I'm excited for, I love this idea. James, what do you think of this? I, I like that they're going to adapt this. I think it needs to be done.

[01:30:17] I think I liked, I liked princess and the frog, but it does, it doesn't grab me like a lot of other Disney movies. Do you, but I think a live action, uh, version would help and do stick Coleman Domingo in it. Have him play Dr. Facilier. Yeah. He has to play. That would be amazing. I, that's what I want. I'd want to spin off of Coleman Domingo as Dr. Facilier. That'd be great. Yeah.

[01:30:44] Uh, so I like the idea of rather than doing an adaptation, that is a direct remake of something, uh, of, Hey, let's tell us a live action in universe story. And again, this is something that I keep on saying. I keep on kind of driving this home that I would prefer that if you're going to make a movie based on a existing property, that you're making something that's in universe and not something that is a direct adaptation. Uh, direct adaptation is fine. Some of these films do well.

[01:31:14] Lilo and stitch was a really good, uh, adaptation of, of what it was, um, of, of like the entire storyline. But I, I, I, I tend to gravitate more towards these stories that are in universe that are telling a different story that are still in the universe because it's still new story, right? It's still something new. You know what I mean? Um, like, like, I like this idea of telling the story about Gaston and just, you know,

[01:31:40] Hey, let's just tell the story about this, you know, hulking, muscly mass of asshole, you know? Yeah. You know, what's funny about this? I think it's good timing because, you know, the new Moana live action came out and a lot of the backlash or comments was been, was like, you made Moana. It was a hit. You made Moana two also a hit. Yes. You wanted to go live action. Why didn't you just make Moana three live action? Yeah.

[01:32:09] Instead of redoing Moana one, which everybody loved. Right. Like, cause make it live action. Cause the live action adaptation, uh, it's a lot of people weren't liking it. You know, um, by the way, on, on Instagram, uh, friend of the show, Spencer Wilding was just in the chat a second ago. Uh, and he was just saying, uh, he was saying, hello. Uh, he's going back to sleep. It's four, it's four 11, uh, where he's at right now. He's probably in back in Wales. So he is back in Wales.

[01:32:37] Uh, that probably back home, that big, muscly, beautiful Welsh man. Yeah. Hey, Darth Vader needs sleep too. Vader needs some sleep too. Right. Uh, but yeah, no, uh, uh, shout out to Spencer Wilding. Uh, and he was in our Instagram chat. Uh, okay. So, uh, I mean, guys, we've got to keep kissing frogs because they have no release date for that yet. Nice. Just, just keep kissing them frogs.

[01:33:06] That's all we get. SDCC. Now, how about, how about D23? That's right. Ladies and gentlemen, D23. Uh, Disney has, uh, pulled back the curtain, uh, for their full lineup for D23. The ultimate Disney fan event taking place August 14th through the 16th, uh, at the Anaheim convention center and the Honda Honda center in Anaheim, California. The event promises major presentations, celebrity appearances, exclusive reveals, concerts, anniversary

[01:33:33] celebrations, and experiences that span every corner of the Disney universe. So let's talk about what they've announced is going to be happening over the course of the weekend. Friday, the 14th, Disney entertainment showcase is what they're calling it here. Friday night, the world-class storytellers of the Walt Disney company will take center stage. Guests can expect surprises, celebrity appearances, exclusive first looks of upcoming films and series, new announcements, and musical performances.

[01:34:00] Uh, the presentation will celebrate the stories audiences love while offering a preview of what's to come next across Disney's movies, television games, and live stage productions. Uh, on Saturday, August 15th, they're calling it horizons. Disney's experiences showcase join host NPH himself, Neil Patrick Harris for a journey into the story, shaping the future of Disney, uh, of Disney experiences building on the projects announced in 2024.

[01:34:29] This year's showcase will take fans deeper into the creative vision behind what's to come hearing directly from the Imagineers, storytellers, artists, and innovators bringing these experiences to life. The park stuff, man. It's always the fun stuff. Yeah. I was going to say that's all, it's all park stuff. Yeah. So day one is like all the entertainment. Day two is all the stuff in the parks. And then day three, Disney legends award ceremony hosted by Ryan Seacrest.

[01:34:54] Uh, so that means it's going to be, um, it is going to be American idol, uh, but at Disney, uh, Disney idol, actually, that's probably, probably akin to what they're doing. Uh, the Disney legends award ceremony will feature tributes and moments celebrating the impact of this year's honorees, bestowing Disney's highest recognition, uh, to a distinguished group, including Chris Berman, Jerry Bruckheimer, Susan Egan, Eric Goldman, Anne Hathaway, Bob

[01:35:23] Iger, Kim Irvine, Dwayne Johnson, the Jonas Brothers, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Alan Tudyk. That's, that's a good, like, awards. If you call it, uh, like, uh, uh, a good class, this is a good class. I mean, they're honoring Bob Iger, and I guess Bob Iger gets his flowers for certain things, but there's a lot I can't give him credit for. Look what he brought. I mean, look at, look at what he brought to Disney.

[01:35:50] But also look what he ruined it and look, look, look, look at the, you know, the amount of lives. Look at the amount of lives that he's just like ruining in the process. Would you rather not have Lucas and Marvel and whatever else he brought in? FX? Hawks? Come on. Yeah. But he also is, uh, uh, you know, he puts, you know, immediate profits over the lives of people. So that kind of pisses me off. Uh, across all five stages at the Anaheim Convention Center, fans can experience a wide

[01:36:18] variety of panels, presentations, and performances, including Hey Jonas! Live at D23 celebrating Disney Legends. Uh, Disney Rewind, uh, a Disney Rewind concert. A whole new world of Alan Menken. D23 Masquerade, uh, the Ultimate Disney Costume Contest presented by AT&T. Cosplay Contest presented by AT&T. Money. That is, that is very interesting. Uh, The Simpsons stories from Springfield, Percy Jackson and the Olympian Season 3, which

[01:36:48] I'm ready for, uh, Camp Rock 3, The Next Generation, Bluey from the backyard to the big screen. Yeah. James, you ready for the Bluey, uh, movie that they just announced? I like it. I'm in. They, they, they're doing like a live action Bluey movie? You know, I think my kids are outgrowing Bluey, but I haven't yet, so I'm in. Uh, live action Bluey movie, man. You know, that's, this means it's just gonna be CG, but I mean, still, that's pretty hilarious. I'm into it.

[01:37:15] Uh, the quests ahead for Disney Larkana trading card game, aka Ravensburger. Uh, a deep dive into Kingdom Hearts, which usually means they're coming out with another Kingdom Hearts game. Uh, future of digital comics, Disney, Marvel, and Webtoon, uh, celebrate 65 years of Marvel's Spiderman, and so much more. D23 is taking place August 14th through the 16th, uh, 2026 at the Anaheim Convention Center.

[01:37:42] And guys, I hope to see everybody there. Like, I'm saying that, like, we're gonna be there. We're not. But I mean, still. Man, I wish I was there. That looks fun. One of these days, we gotta get to D23. Yeah, man. I, uh, we, we put in, um, we put in for, for press passes, and we got denied like usual, so. Yeah, that's fine. We'll do it next year. It's fine. We'll just, we'll just keep trying until they give us press passes for it. Exactly. Yeah, exactly. Uh, all right.

[01:38:10] So, uh, that is it for the regular, uh, stories on here. So, guys, we got our last segment here. Uh, it's time for the Trend Up. Music goes here. This is where the music adds in. It's funny because you guys can't hear it, James can't hear it, but there is like a sound effect that is playing right now that'll be on the audio version of the show. That's untrue. Fake news. Fake news. All right. Well, with that, now that we know.

[01:38:37] So, let's, let's get into the Trend Up because we've got a pretty serious, uh, story here. This one's interesting. Yeah. Uh, like I said, uh, it's a very serious accusation that's about to go flying right now. Somehow, George Lucas has returned. Love it or hate it, AI has become one of the biggest talking points in Hollywood and now George Lucas has weighed in. Finally weighed in. Considering the filmmaker's history of pushing technology forward, his perspective probably won't shock longtime fans.

[01:39:07] This is the same filmmaker who helped change visual effects forever because the technology he needed for Star Wars simply did not exist. He also held off on making the Star Wars prequels until filmmaking technology reached the point where he could realize his vision. While promoting the upcoming opening of the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, Lucas shared his thoughts on artificial intelligence and where he believes it's taking the industry.

[01:39:33] Artificial intelligence means it's much easier for us to make movies, Lucas said. It's very much like sitting here saying, well, I believe the horse in the buggy is really where it's at. He's not wrong. I mean, he's not wrong. That's the hard part. And that's the thing is he's not wrong with that. But I mean, again, there's, there's different ways you can do the take. Let me, let me, let me finish the points here. Yeah. Uh, and then we'll, we'll, we'll do a quick discussion about it.

[01:40:01] Lucas also argument, argued that AI could actually become a tool for accountability rather than just content creation. If you want AI that tells you when something is fake and where it comes from, AI can do that. That's what he's fucking correct. Okay. Sorry. Uh, he's very correct with that. Uh, that's actually using AI for good. And I agree with him on that. Lucas clearly sees artificial intelligence as another inevitable leap forward.

[01:40:27] Much like the transition from practical effects to digital filmmaking, his optimism comes from decades spent watching technology unlock creative possibilities that once seemed impossible. So I'm going to put this in our chat as well. Uh, what, or I'm going to ask you right here, James, what do you think about George Lucas's take on AI? Honestly, I kind of agree with him and I bet it's not a popular, uh, stance in Hollywood.

[01:40:56] I mean, he is part of Harley Hollywood, but he doesn't really conform to the typical, uh, Hollywood celebrity, but I think he's right. Like it's here. Like you can't just sweep it under the rug and say, it's going to go away or just say, you don't like it. And it's going to go away. I think he's pretty much saying embrace it. This is, this is going to be the, the future of technology.

[01:41:21] Like, like practical versus digital was a really good example, but what came out of it? It's like, it can't be all digital. It can't be all fake. We need a little bit of practical and it makes you value what was practical effects. Right. So finding that, that in between where yes, it is digital, but it also looks practical or mixing of practical with digital is the best possible solution for, for cinema and filmmaking.

[01:41:50] I think it's the same way with, with AI. Like it's, you have to use it for good. Kind of like what you're saying. Like it can't just be AI everything. Cause we had those, those, uh, few years where like it was, you know, digital effects, everything like, um, like Beowulf. Remember people hated Beowulf back in the day was all digital look like a trying to be real, but also kind of cartoony.

[01:42:17] It's that it's like, you need a mixture of both and the best performances. And that'll make the best piece of, of, for the project. I, I, I don't, I don't hate that take.

[01:42:29] Um, my whole thing with AI, I do like the example that he gave is, you know, you can use AI as something that susses out AI, you know, like you can, you can do something where, you know, instead of using AI to completely digitally replace actors and replace voice and replace people in general.

[01:42:50] Uh, you can use AI to like, you know, identify, you know, things that are fake or identify, uh, uh, you know, or, or possibly help to enhance work. That's already there. You know what I mean? So like, if, if you have people who have done, uh, digital work on something and you can use AI to like, okay, uh, round out the edges, you know what I mean? Or, um, AI is really good at upscaling. Right. So it's like, okay, cool.

[01:43:18] Uh, we, we, we went and, uh, you know, did this whole thing. It's a little pixelated. Can you upscale the, uh, uh, this thing? Like, that's where I feel like you can use it for good, but if it's completely replacing people, then I'm not for it. I, I agree. And I think it's just of a matter of us getting used to how to use AI in the correct way that makes everybody happy.

[01:43:48] It's just like the whole digital, digital thing. Like can't, not everything can be digital and it looks bad. It's gotta be the mixture. It's gotta be the right, uh, uh, quality, but yeah, I'm okay with George Lucas saying this, but I don't think that's going to win him any points. I don't think that's going to help him launch his new museum. So we shall see what happens with that.

[01:44:12] I think the way that George Lucas is looking at it is like, oh, well, if we, if we embrace AI now, then maybe we will actually have C3PO pretty soon. Yeah, exactly. That's it. That's actually a good point. Like he had AI back in the day, just a bunch of droids running around. Literally. If you, if you really think about it, like every droid you see in star Wars is AI, you know, at its peak. That's a good point. Good point. He had AI in droids. I like it. Yeah.

[01:44:39] So, uh, that being kind of the discussion that we had for tonight guys, uh, you know, do we agree with George Lucas? Do we disagree with George Lucas? Um, again, in, in a lot of aspects, I agree with George Lucas on this. Uh, but then again, I'm very much a anti, I, I do not want AI to replace human beings in the workplace when it comes to stuff like this. I agree. I agree.

[01:45:07] And I think it's just like a lot of it was like, what's happening with, um, jobs. Yeah. It's the same sort of deal. Like, yes, when cars came out, maybe the horse and buggy driver was upset, but like just needs to adapt and changing of the times. Right. And yes, maybe that specific job goes away, but hopefully there'll be another job in the future. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

[01:45:35] Uh, funny enough, Chris Chipperson always with the best, uh, the best lines. Right. Uh, we're definitely getting T 1000 before T3PO. Yeah. All right, Chris. That is true. Yeah. So, uh, this is where we're going to leave it here tonight, ladies and gentlemen. So with that all being said, uh, let's talk about our schedule. Uh, Tuesdays distance nerding, six 30 to eight 30.

[01:46:03] The show you are watching right now on Thursdays, we, we do distance nerding interviews. Now guys, the format has changed. I've got to change my, my little schedule thing right here, but the format has changed on Thursdays. Uh, we're down to an hour and, and we focus on the interviews, uh, pretty soon. Uh, we are actually getting ready to launch a Patreon guys. And that's where some of this content is going to end up going. Uh, so we'll, we'll be doing, uh, still be doing Lego builds and like, you know, BS sessions,

[01:46:30] uh, and doing kind of like mystery science theater style, uh, um, interactive things with, with the audience, but it's going to be moving over to Patreon. Uh, and we'll be doing interviews on Thursdays from six to seven. Uh, and then Fridays, the buzzer will keep that for everybody out there. Just that way you can, it's going to have some fun with us, but, uh, the buzzer will be, uh, we'll continue to be doing what we do, uh, from six 30 to eight 30 on Fridays.

[01:46:56] Um, also, uh, if you guys end up joining Patreon, once we set up Patreon, uh, then the fun thing with that is you guys can kind of, you know, vote on different things that we can do or different events that we can do that, that, that, you know, we can all be involved in and probably be, I'll probably end up doing more giveaways. We'll probably be doing merch giveaways and stuff like that. So be on the lookout for that. If you guys are interested, uh, Patreon will be up soon. Maybe. Merch exclusives. Uh, I've got, I've got a new exclusive shirt behind me right now.

[01:47:25] So there you go. Should I show everybody or. I mean, it's up, it's up to you. You be you. Okay. Let me, let me pull this up. Chris Chipperson says you guys are awesome. Stay hard. I'm always hard. That's my secret, Chris. I'm always hard. Okay. Check this out guys. This is actually James's shirt. So I'm opening it up for everybody. So check this out. Uh, this is one of our new exclusive shirts. You got to hold it.

[01:47:55] I know. I'm trying to see where the cameras are. There you go. Don't move. Look at that. The comic-con, the comic-con shirt. There you go. That's perfect. I like that. That's good. The comic-con, the SDCC style shirt. Perfect timing to whip that shirt out. Exactly. So yeah, guys, uh, we will be doing that and that kind of stuff will be given away on our, on our Patreon. So, uh, be on the lookout for that. I'm still in the process of setting up the tiers and everything, but that'll be out soon for anybody that wants to join up on that.

[01:48:25] Um, okay. So, so, uh, we've, we've, we talked about our schedule and everything like that. James, uh, do you have, uh, any, any other things before we kind of like let everybody go here? Nope. But if you want to chat with us more, like hit us up on Instagram, that's the easiest way to get ahold of us. And we're always posting. So definitely chime in there. Same thing with YouTube. We're posting every day on YouTube, uh, usually multiple times a day on YouTube.

[01:48:53] So yeah, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok is where we get the most interaction, uh, interaction. We do post daily videos guys. So check that out. Uh, you know, sometimes we'll get multiple videos like, uh, you know, when we're doing episode announcements or when a review comes out again, I just did a, uh, trailer breakdown for, uh, uh, doomsday. And that came out kind of just like randomly on top of the video we already had out. So we do try to do, uh, at least one video a day, if not more so. Exactly.

[01:49:22] And with comic-con coming up, expect a big week, probably next week of content or random videos as news drops. Right. Or if you guys have any suggestions for any videos you want to see us do let us know guys. And we'll, we'll, we'll go and make videos based on what you guys tell us. Remember, this is just as much your guys' show as it is ours. So, uh, with that being said, of course you can catch us on all the social media spots. If it exists, we are there at distance nerding. Uh, or if you want to shoot us an email, remember we will read it live on air.

[01:49:51] You can email us at distance nerding at AOL.com. Uh, with that being said, uh, James, take us home, man. Well, Bruce. Yeah. Go to bed. Bruce, go to sleep. Well, it's summer. Stay up. Stay up. You have fun. Stay up till midnight. Like your kids in the background right now? Exactly. Exactly. Those sons of bitches. All right. Thanks. And keep nerding together. Deuces. Deuces.

[01:50:22] Distance nerding. This was a production of the distance nerding podcast and time for tacos media.

[01:50:47] For more content, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and Tik TOK all at distance nerding. If you enjoy our content, please leave us a review on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks and keep nerding together.