We all float down here, according to Warner Bros., which is taking another stab at one of Stephen King's most hideous creations: the demonic clown Pennywise. Based on the 1986 novel It, the new movie is the first big screen adaptation of the story, following a very popular TV miniseries in the early 90s, starring the inimitable Tim Curry in the role of the killer clown. In case you haven't seen it, it's responsible for the world's growing fear of clowns.

This new take, starring Bill Skarsgard and directed by Andy Muschietti, could be even darker, judging from the trailer just below. You'll also find information on the release date, the young cast of the film, production notes, and King's thoughts on an early cut of the film!

Here's everything you need to know:

It Release Date

It will arrive on on September 8, 2017.

Producer Dan Lin confirmed to Collider that this film is the first installment in a planned two-parter. If this movie, which tells the story from the point of view of the Losers Club when they were kids, is successful, the plan is to make the second film about the Losers Club as adults and their final showdown with Pennywise.

It Trailer

The first It trailer has arrived and it's perhaps the most terrifying thing since The Shining. Watch it below:

It Rating

The It movie will be rated R, confirmed producer Dan Lin while speaking with Collider. Said the producer about how the film earned its R rating:

It is a rated-R movie. If you’re going to make a “Rated-R movie”, you have to fully embrace what it is, and you have to embrace the source material. It is a scary clown that’s trying to kill kids. So of course that’s going to be a rated-R movie. The kids are amazing. You very much get a Stand by Me vibe as far as their camaraderie and the way they joke with each other and that they really care for each other. They do have a scary crown that’s taken over the town of Derry, so it’s going to be rated R.

It Synopsis

Here's the official synopsis from WB:

When children begin to disappear in the town of Derry, Maine, a group of young kids is faced with their biggest fears when they square off against an evil clown named Pennywise, whose history of murder and violence dates back for centuries.

It Cast

Bill Skarsgard (Hemlock Grove) will take over killer clown duties from Will Poulter (We're the Millers), who departed the project shortly after director Cary Fukunaga. 

Pennywise the Clown is one of the most terrifying and evil characters King has ever created. Taking the shape of a clown named Pennywise, it eats little children and manipulates them into doing his bidding. It's been around for centuries, returning every three decades to terrorize the town of Derry, Maine—one of King's favorite places to have everyone murdered. Let's hope Mr. Skarsgard can live up to Curry, King's original novel, and fan expectation. 

Skarsgard joins Jaeden Lieberher (Bill Denbrough), Jack Dylan Grazer (Eddie Kaspbrak), Wyatt Oleff (Stanley Uris), Chosen Jacobs (Mike Hanlon), Jeremy Ray Taylor (Ben Hanscom), Nicholas Hamilton (Henry Bowers), Owen Teague (Patrick Hockstetter), Sophia Lillis (Beverly Marsh), Steven Williams (Leroy Hanlon), Stephen Bogaert (Al Marsh), Jackson Robert Scott (Georgie), Pip Dwyer (Sharon Denbrough), Logan Thompson (Victor Criss), and Jake Sim (Belch Huggins).

Richard "Richie" Tozier will be played by Stranger Things star Finn Wolfhard. The funny member of the Losers' Club with the scotch-taped glasses apparently got lost on July 4th. Young Tozier was played by Seth Green on the 1990 TV adaptation of It. Harry Anderson played him as an adult.  

Owen Teague, who plays the son of Ben Mendelsohn on Bloodline at Netflix, will play Patrick Hocksetter, one of the bullies who torment the Losers Club. Hocketter is a psycho who falls under the sway of the evil clown without even looking at the deadlights. His fridge is filled with animals he’s killed.

It Director & Writer

Andres Muschietti (Mama) is directing. He took over the struggling pre-production from True Detective season one's Cary Fukunaga. Gary Dauberman (Annabelle) has written the current screenplay adaptation of Stephen King's novel. 

There are few things more impressive in the horror genre than earning the approval of the King of Horror himself. Stephen King has seen a cut of Muschietti's adaptation of It and gave it a thumbs up. Said King on his Facebook page:

Not a bad review of Mr. Muschietti. The rest of us will have to wait a few more months to watch the film. The second half of It - the one about the adult Losers Club - is said to start filming very soon. 

It Photos

Three new images from the film arrived as well, and they're absolutely terrifying. Check them out below:

Barbara Muschietti also released a picture of Finn Wolfhard as Richie Tozier. It's pretty retro and cool. Check it out:

Bill Skarsgard's Pennywise the Clown is preparing to terrorize the children of Derry in 2017. His version of Stephen King's infamous monster looks a bit less party-friendly than Tim Curry's version, in fact. Check out Pennywise hanging out in the sewers in this new photo from EW:

It has officially finished filming. A new picture to commemorate the end of filming appeard on producer Barbara Muschietti's Instagram. Check it out below:

EW revealed the first full look at Bill Skarsgard's Pennywise the Clown. As you might expect, the costume is quite terrifying, guarranteed to terrify a whole new generation of children. Check it out if you dare:

The costume was created by award-winning costume designer Janie Bryant (Mad Men). Says Bryant of the costume, "The costume definitely incorporates all these otherworldly past lives, if you will. He is definitely a clown from a different time," revealing that the costume takes inspiration from the Medieval, Renaissance, Elizabethan, and Victorian eras.

"There is almost a doll-like quality to the costume," Bryant says. "The pants being short, the high waistline of the jacket, and the fit of the costume is a very important element. It gives the character a child-like quality."

Child-like is not the word I would use...

Here's the first picture of the actors who will make up the Losers Club:

Here's the very first picture of Bill Skarsgard as Pennywise the Clown:

It Poster

Oh, and here's a new poster, too:

One might say that Howard the Duck is one of the most (unfairly) maligned films of the 1980s. As something of a Duckologist myself, I'd like to point out that the film is definitely stranger and funnier than you probably remember.

So why was it such a bomb?

Well, its flirtation with beastiality aside, I think one of the main reasons Howard the Duck flopped when it was released back on August 1, 1986, was that the marketing campaign was terrible.

Let's take a look...

The first look audiences were given of the film is this bizarre teaser in which Lea Thompson's Beverly Switzler character coos about wanting to fornicate with a waterfowl. By judging the movie on this footage alone, you'd be forgiven if you thought that Howard the Duck was an especially kinky teen comedy. As they proved with their previous script for Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, director Williard Hyuck and producer Gloria Katz were huge fans of wild tonal shifts in their work. For the second Indy adventure, the levity worked given that the film featured hearts being forcibly extracted from chests.

Watch Howard the Duck on Amazon

But seeing how Howard the Duck is, above all else, a comedy, it is especially jarring when things get bleak (i.e. the Dark Overlord brutally executes a state trooper). Couple this with the almost sex scene between Beverly and Howard, and you've got a marketing nightmare on your hands. And so Universal tried to pitch the flick as a wild comedic adventure for the whole family with the full trailer:

Wauuuugh! Okay, so it shouldn't have to be said, but if the star of your movie is a 3-foot-tall duck, maybe don't introduce him to the world by sleazily stating that his primary interests are "cigars and sex." (Unless your film is actively courting the fetish/furry subculture).

As a hodgepodge of so many genres, Howard the Duck was a tough sell to say the least. Making matters worse is the appearance of Howard himself. During the production of the film, many ulcers were spawned by fears that audiences wouldn't pay money to see a film whose lead was a person in a duck suit. Therefore, the decision was made to hold back the appearance of Howard as long as possible.

So now the marketing team had another issue to contend with: figuring out how to sell the film without being able to show Howard. Their solution to this dilemma? By focusing on his attitude instead of his appearance. Thus, the Duck Calls phone line was born.

During the summer of 1986, you could dial 1-900-410-DUCK and listen to Howard tell you about the movie, its characters and his adventures on Earth. Some of these calls featured "conversations" between Howard and his co-stars that had the duck interacting with movie dialogue a la the novelty songs of Dickie Goodman. The puns featured in these ads are beyond painful, and Chip Zien, the voice of Howard, seems outwardly hostile to callers. Every day leading up to the film's release a new recording was featured on the hotline...all of them equally terrible.

Being a Howard the Duck superfan back in 1986, I would have lost my mind had I known I could call Howard and have him berate me for for $1.99 a minute. Alas, I didn't even know the phoneline existed until a few years ago when someone was nice/demented enough to upload all of the calls to YouTube.

Believe it or not, this wasn't the oddest way Universal tried to market the film. That dubious honor goes to a promotional tie-in with Budweiser in which the King of Beers was named as Howard's drink of choice on a special movie poster that was apparently a big hit with beer distributors and second run movie theaters on Skid Row. Sheesh.

See?

Then there was the soundtrack. A huge part of Howard the Duck's enduring appeal is Thomas Dolby's soundtrack to the film. From the great new wave of "Hunger City" to the low-rent Prince stylings of "Don't Turn Away" and the genuine earworm that is the title track, the music of the movie has earned its own cult following over the years.

But did you realize there was actually a music video made for the "Howard the Duck" theme song?

Once again, Universal's hesitance to show off their lead is on display. Oddly enough, this clip was released around the same time that the film hit theaters, making their unwillingness to spotlight Howard even more confusing. By this time, the duck was out of the bag as it were, so why not just embrace his goofiness? Howard's loss was Tim Robbins' gain, as the future Oscar winner gets some valuable mugging time in front of the cameras here.

Universal's lack of confidence in Howard the Duck also resulted in there not being much merchandise based on the film. Other than the aforementioned soundtrack, a line of Topps trading cards, a candy dispenser, and some books -- including Ellis Weiner's smart novelization of the flick -- there wasn't much for Howard's few fans to puchase in the summer of 1986. Even from Marvel Comics, who crapped out an awful adaptation of the flick and a new, Steve Gerber-less, issue in which, irony alert, Howard finds himself coping with his new fame. (Note to Funko/Super 7: Can you right a wrong and please do a Howard the Duck Re-Action Figures line?)

So here we are, 30 years later and Howard the Duck is suddenly a viable property again. Whether his appearance in Guardians of the Galaxy is just some quick fan service or a harbinger of a redemption that is yet to come, it is most welcome to have him back. Hopefully the powers that be will treat him better this time around...

This article orginally appeared in June of 2015.

Peter Quill, the intergalactic hero and leader of the Guardians of the Galaxy, is known for his inflated sense of self, so it’s no surprise that Quill’s film father will be a being of immense ego. Just how big? Well, read on.

Kurt Russell is Ego in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. That's Ego as in Ego, The Living Planet, a character quite familiar to fans of cosmic Marvel comics.

A living planet, you ask? That’s just silly, you say. And it kind of is, which is why Ego is such a perfect fit with the talking trees and ill-tempered raccoons that make up the world of Guardians of the Galaxy.

But the character of Ego hasn’t always been silly. No, not even close. When Ego was first introduced, the majesty and artistry of Jack Kirby made this living heavenly body anything but a joke. Because let’s face it, only Jack Kirby would have the sheer creative cantaloupes to create a planet with a face. It’s hard to not to make a planet with facial hair anything but silly, but Kirby succeeded. Yes, in later years, Ego devolved into something of a cosmic punchline, but Kirby’s version of Ego was so powerfully realized that Marvel’s Living Planet would make Unicron crap himself.

Now, fans have only experienced some silly ass Ego, the Living Planet stories over the past few decades. Hell, on a recent episode of Hulk and the Agents of SMASH, Hulk and his crew fight giant sentient zits on Ego’s surface. But if one looks to the original Ego appearances by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee, one finds a creature of hard sci-fi grandeur that only Kirby could conjure.

Ego popped up briefly in Thor #132 (1966) and made his first full appearance in Thor #133 (1966). Now, you really have to understand, Ego was created by Jack Kirby during a period of absolute cosmic creativity. In the span of just a few short years, Kirby, along with his creative collaborator Stan Lee, oversaw the creation of Galactus, the Silver Surfer, the Kree, and countless other cosmic concepts. The later issues of their time on Thor took the Thunder God from the confines of Asgard and explored a cosmos that only Kirby could imagine. In this creative spurt of all things cosmic, Kirby planted the seeds of what would become the cosmic Marvel Universe, seeds that would eventually sprout into the first Guardians of the Galaxy film, so it’s more than appropriate that Ego becomes a major part of the Guardians film mythology.

Ego may look funny with his big planet mouth and a beard made of craggy mountains and peaks, but under Kirby’s careful creative hand, what could have been a farcical character was anything but. Seriously, just look at that design. Ego was a character just made for bong hits and blacklight posters.

Ego is one powerful bearded heavenly body, equipped with a giant mechanical propulsion unit that can allow the Living Planet to travel the cosmos at will. He has control over every molecule of its being, and on his surface, Ego can create defenses and can call also cause seismic events to destroy unwanted intruders, these include humanoid enforcers that act as white blood cells to expel foreign matter. Ego’s brain exists deep with his surface, and if the brain of the Living Planet is in danger, he can heat up his entire mass to burn any threat to his think box. The Living Planet is vastly intelligent, but as his name suggests, he possesses a tremendous superiority complex.

And Ego’s backstory is just as fascinating.

During his first meeting with Thor, the Living Planet told the Thunder God (sentences like this are why comics rule) that the bearded world was once a scientist who managed to merge with his planet when its sun was going super nova. Thor first encounters Ego when the spacefaring Rigellians of the Black Galaxy recruit Thor to protect them from Ego’s wrath. Along with the Rigellian Recorder (think a more human looking C-3P0), Thor kicked Ego’s equator and exiled the Living Planet to the confines of the Black Galaxy.

Now, let’s break down that sentence. Thor, a legendary Norse deity, fights a Living Planet with a beard, and beats him up and exiles him to a place called the Black Galaxy. This is why Jack Kirby is a god. When one reads this battle in the pages of Thor, there’s really no silliness about the struggle. Ego is a kick ass, hard sci-fi terror who came really close to beating Thor. Ego was a way for Kirby to turn the cosmic volume up to eleven and have the Thunder God go up against not a god or a monster, but a whole freakin’ planet and emerge victorious. In Ego’s second appearance, Kirby turns up the volume even higher and has Ego fight Galactus. What’s more awesome than a Living Planet against a Planet Eater? Nothing, that's what. 

Ego would later try and take revenge on Galactus by joining the Elders of the Universe and plotting with with his fellow cosmic entities to destroy the Devourer of Worlds. The presence of the Elders of the Universe has already been established in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. We’ve already seen Collector in the first Guardians movie and Grandmaster will make his debut in Thor: Ragnarok. Whatever the case, could we soon be getting a big screen version of the Elders and could Ego be part of the cosmic cadre?

Throughout the '80s and '90s, Ego also tangled with Rom (awesome!), Beta Ray Bill (awsomer!) and many more cosmic Marvel champions. Sadly, in recent years, Ego has become a bit of a joke as writers have gone for the easy planetary punchline over the hard sci-fi Kirby magnificence of yesteryear, but there is one bit of business that might stand out to fans anticipating the Living Planet’s film debut.

In the pages of Astonishing Thor #1–5 (2010–2011), Ego discovers that he was once one of two sentient beings created by the cosmic entity known as The Stranger (another spacefaring Marvel being with an awesome ‘stache). The other sentient being is known as (wait for it) Alter Ego. Alter Ego is being held captive by The Collector and when Ego seeks out his planetary brother, the Living Planet discovers that The Stranger has designed Alter Ego to hate Ego. The two planets go to war as only living planets can until Thor intervenes and resolves the conflict. Alter Ego is nearly destroyed but manages to coalesce some of its fragments to form a moon in orbit around Ego. Now, Ego and Alter Ego travel the universe as a sort of very strange and oddly emotionally moving family unit.

Ego stands as a testament to the boundless imagination of Jack Kirby and a character that has become a sometimes awesome sometimes amusing entity in the Marvel Universe. For us old school geeks out there, we never imagined Ego the Living Planet could one day appear on the big screen. But thanks to James Gunn, this planetary dream will come true. And at the end of the day, it’s a giant planet with a beard and that’s never not awesome.

And listen, now that Ego is in the MCU, there is no better time for Marvel to go full tilt boogie and get the rights to Galactus and the Fantastic Four back because dammit, we need to see a for real not a stupid cloud version of Galactus go up against Ego the Living Planet on the big screen.

This article consists of nothing but Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 spoilers. Don't read this until you've seen the movie! Unless you don't care about spoilers, in which case, I can't stop you...

You know what the beauty of the Guardians of the Galaxy movies is? I mean, other than the brilliant casting, psychedelic colors, and bumpin' soundtrack, of course. But one of my favorite things about Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and its predecessor is how well they walk the line between telling their own, completely self contained stories without getting swallowed up by the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe. 

And they do all that while spotlighting little-known characters and concepts from throughout Marvel's cosmic history, without it ever becoming a distraction. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 does this especially well, taking considerable liberties with the source material in some ways, while remaining remarkably faithful in others.

As you might expect, there's plenty to unpack here for comic book fans, so I'll get right into it. And if you spot anything that I missed, all you have to do is shout it out in the comments or hit me up on Twitter. If it checks out, I'll update this. With your help, we can make this the most complete guide to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 around!

During that awesome intro sequence set to ELO's "Mr. Blue Sky" there's one shot of Drax that practically comes right out of a particular comic...

This is really reminiscent of this splash page from Annihilation, the big comic epic that rewrote Drax from "Caped Space Hulk" to "Green Riddick Knockoff."

Then again, Drax simply lends himself well to badass action shots from the back.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 New Characters

So, there's a ton of new characters introduced in this movie, some may seem more significant than others, but we'll see that even the ones who don't get much screen time are pretty important for the future of the franchise.

Who is Mantis?

Mantis originally came around in Avengers #112, way back in 1973. She was...not as endearing as she is in the movie. Like many things related to the Guardians of the Galaxy movies, she got a second life during Marvel's Annihilation era a few years ago, and that redeemed the character quite a bit. Still, she's not as quirky as who we just met on screen.

We have a complete and far more detailed history of Mantis right here.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Villains

So, we basically have two villains to choose from here: Ayesha and Ego. We'll get into both of them...

Who is Ayesha?

Well, from a comic book perspective, that's a kind of complicated question. For starters, other than the cool, golden skin tone, the version we just met on screen here bears little to no resemblance to the version in the comics.

See, the Ayesha of the comics was artificially created, on Earth, by a bunch of mad scientists known as The Enclave. The Sovereign that we're introduced to here seem to be created specifically for the movies (although correct me if I'm wrong).

She took the name "Kismet" for awhile, and helped out the Avengers on some cosmic missions, too.

Anyway, it's kind of a threat to call Ayesha a villain in the traditional sense here, since she kind of has good reason to be annoyed with the team, and I wouldn't be surprised if she has a change of heart in future movies when faced with a bigger threat. We'll get back to Ayesha when we get down to the post-credits scenes.

But I digress...

While we're on the subject of Ayesha, though...It's pretty hilarious that the Sovereign control their space armada via what is, essentially, a 1980s video arcade. When that scene first kicks in, I can swear I hear a snippet of music from one of the Ms. Pac-Man"cut scenes"specifically, this one. I'll be on the listen during my second viewing to see if I can confirm either/both.

Who is Ego?

Oh, you mean Ego, the Living Planet? A character who comes from Jack Kirby's peak era of Marvel creativity?

Here's the thing, folks. If you want to get into Jack Kirby's primo Marvel stuff, you read the entire Fantastic Four run he did with Stan Lee, which introduces so much of the Marvel Universe as you know it that it's almost impossible to process, you read his Captain America stuff from Tales of Suspense (which are my favorite Cap comics, bar none), and you read Thor, which get as cosmically weird as Fantastic Four, and then some.

See, Ego was originally a Thor villain. He is indeed a living planet. No, he isn't a Celestial in the comics, but who cares?

We caught a glimpse of another Celestial in the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie. I'm pretty sure that's Eson the Searcher. 

Considering how little Jack Kirby had to do with most of the characters we've met in the Guardians of the Galaxy movies (Ego notwithstanding, of course), there sure is a ton of Kirby visual influence sprinkled throughout! I'm just glad that we got at least one shot of the proper "giant purple planet with a face" look for him.

We wrote much, much more about Ego right here if you want to go a little more in depth.

Also, the song playing when Peter and friends arrive on Ego is "My Sweet Lord" by George "the dankest Beatle" Harrison. That song comes from his triple (!) album, All Things Must Pass, which is, for my money, the best solo effort by any Beatle. "My Sweet Lord" is probably the best known track, but not my favorite, which is the incredible "What is Life?" (which was used to excellent effect in Goodfellas).

Who the hell is Taserface, anyway?

In the comics, Taserface sometimes goes by the name (I shit you not) Overkill. I see a pattern here.

Anyway, as we see throughout this movie, the film version of Guardians of the Galaxy has no problem with collapsing the future/original team and the present/more well known versions, and that includes their mythology. Taserface fought the original Guardians (the ones from the future) and he was part of an alien race known as The Stark.

No, that name isn't a coincidence. The Stark actually are an alien race that worships Tony Stark and his technology. It's a kind of cool piece of future Marvel history, and I'd love to see this somehow make its way to the screen.

Awesome Mix of Miscellaneous Coolness

- The planet the team crashes on is called Berhert, which has only ever appeared in two issues of The Incredible Hulk in 1969.

- The cool planet with the brothel is called Contraxia. In the comics, Contraxia is the home planet of little-known Avengers member, Jack of Hearts. OK fine, he's half Contraxian. That is by far the least important thing that happens on Contraxia, though. 

The most important, of course, is the return of Howard the Duck, who we last saw in the post-credits scene of the first movie. I'm ready for more Howard in my life, aren't you?

OK, fine, Howard isn't actually the most important thing, it's Sylvester Stallone's Stakar and the other characters who are annoyed with Yondu. I'll get into the importance of them in a minute.

- Just in case any of you are too young or something, few network TV shows captured the imagination of kids of the '80s like David Hasselhoff's Knight Rider. Hasselhoff rocked a leather jacket and had a shady past, he drove an incredibly awesome talking car named KITT, and had this ridiculousy cool, krautrock-esque theme tune:

OK, fine, maybe it hasn't aged that well, but trust me, this was the epitome of cool if you were of the appropriate age. No wonder Peter Quill is obsessed with it.

By the way, was that a picture of Tom Jones on the back of the Hasselhoff pic?

- I love that Star-Lord's list of cool things is just rattling off stuff like Skeletor, Pac-Man, and Heather Locklear (and yes, I got a serious kick out of the Pac-Man gag later in the flick).

- There are some hints about Drax's past in this one, and it couldn't possibly be any further from his comic book origin (where he was a guy from Earth who then became...oh, forget it). But the fact that he had a wife and daughter does line up, however loosely with the comics, even though they clearly have no resemblance to the story he's hinting at here.

- Drax randomly and inappropriately asks Ego about his penis. Dave Bautista himself is the focus of a meme among wrestling fans where they would ask out-of-character wrestlers during interviews, "How big is Batista's dick?" It started as a question asked to a female valet and then jokingly spread to the point that even people who never met Batista are asked about what he's packing.

- Yondu's "prototype fin" is the over-the-top, classic mohawk/fin that Yondu has traditionally rocked in the comics. That would be future Yondu, not "present day" Yondu, who was kind of shoehorned into the comics to be a little bit more like the movies.

- The Color of the sky and terrain when Gamora is sitting alone on Ego reminded me of the cover of the first issue of her first ever solo series.

It's probably a coincidence, but it's still cool.

And then right after that we get a North by Northwest homage but with, y'know, spaceships and multicolored badass lady aliens.

- That's far from the only classic movie homage in this one, though. Ego's little planet seed/plant thingies very faintly resemble the meteor that caused all that trouble in the original The Blob movie. And when Ego decides to activate "the expansion" the sequences on Earth very much feel like an homage to either cinematic version of The Blob.

- During Yondu's funeral, with our Guardians looking out a big ship window at a fleet of ships during a reflective, sad moment, did anyone else get a "final shot of Empire Strikes Back" vibe? 

- At one point there's a quick flyover of a planet, and there are two blue and grey aliens pummeling each other. I won't be able to tell for sure until I catch a second viewing of this, but was it me, or did they sure look a whole lot like Terrax the Tamer?

Yeah, yeah, I know, Terrax first appeared in a Fantastic Four comic and mostly a Silver Surfer villain, which means he's probably in Fox Studios' pocket. 

Anyway, there's a decent chance that I'll have to revise this after watching it again and it not actually being Terrax. But while we're on the subject of characters I was pretty sure could only be used by 20th Century Fox, let's talk about...

What is the Stan Lee Cameo?

I'm glad you asked! Stan Lee is hanging out with some characters he co-created with Jack Kirby, Uatu and The Watchers. Since Uatu and his race of cosmic bystanders were introduced in that incredible burst of creativity the pair had on the early Fantastic Four comics, I just naturally assumed that this was one of those concepts we could only see in a 20th Century Fox Fantastic Four movie. It would appear that I was wrong.

And his talk about once being a FedEx guy kind of confirms the fan theories that Stan Lee appearing in all this stuff is some kind of cosmic unified theory of the MCU, where he's actually a cosmic being himself who just takes different forms to appear in...oh, whatever.

Also, can I call my next band Uatu and The Watchers?

As far as obnoxious product placement goes, nothing comes close to the Krispy Kreme stuff from the Power Rangers movie. But for Guardians purposes, there does seem to be something particularly '80s about a summer afternoon trip to Dairy Queen. Meanwhile, in the other obligatory Earth scenes, you can spot a Mellow Mushroom restaurant, which is a chain that I've pretty much only ever encountered in the south, and as far as chain restaurants go, isn't bad at all.

When was Gamora/Nebula sisterhood established?

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Post-Credits Scenes

Not all of these are important or at all Easter egg-y. We got into all of these in some detail here, if you're interested. But this is the key stuff you absolutely need to know.

Who is Sylvester Stallone playing in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2?

Sylvester Stallone’s Stakar goes by the name Starhawk in the comics, of the original Guardians. The version we meet in the movie has nothing, and I mean nothing at all, to do with the comic version other than the name, it would seem. And those cool shoulder pad things.

Fun fact, in the comics he's the child of Kismet, aka Ayesha, aka the kinda villain of this movie! That's because comics Stakar is from the future. That isn't the case here. It's cool.

Other notable original Guardians we meet here include...

Ving Rhames as Charlie-27 (the big guy leading the charge)...

Michael Rosenbaum as Martinex...

Michelle Yeoh as Aleta Ogord...

Krugarr...who has an uncredited actor and may just be a CGI creation. Bonus fun fact: Krugarr was the future Guardians' Sorcerer Supreme. Yes, he is the future Doctor Strange.

Oh yeah, and that was Miley Cyrus as the voice of Mainframe!

Basically, we got to see a huge chunk of the original, comic versions of the Guardians on screen thanks to this. To get an idea of how far reaching the Guardians roster has been over the last 40 years or so of comics, allow me to direct you to this article.

Who is Adam Warlock?

Hoo-boy...that's another complicated question. The short version? He's the most important character from the comics that we have yet to see in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He's Thanos' arch-enemy, a kind of cosmic messiah, and an all around psychedlic relic of the '60s/'70s. 

He's awesome. He's also, trust me, absolutely essential to the future of the MCU.

We have a MUCH longer explanation for you right here.

Also, in the credits themselves (the first part of which set to all time great rock n' roll anthem "Surrender" by Cheap Trick, and the second to "Flashlight" a song by actual people from outer space, Parliament), you can spot Cosmo, the space doggie/head of security from Knowhere (and co-star of the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie's post-credits scene). I'm pretty sure you can also see Jeff Goldblum's Grandmaster (from the upcoming Thor: Ragnarok) in there, too.

So, what did I miss, Ravagers? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter, and we'll make this the most complete guide to the Guardians in all the galaxy! See what I did there? No, wait...come back!

This article comes courtesy of Den of Geek UK. It contains spoilers for Alien: Isolation and Star Wars: Rogue One.

Now that Neill Blomkamp’s much-talked-about Alien 5 idea – which would have brought back Sigourney Weaver and offered an alternate sequel to Aliens, wiping Alien 3from the canon - seems to be off the cards, chances are that we won’t see Ellen Ripley back on the big screen any time soon.

Rumors and rumblings suggest that Ridley Scott’s Alien prequel series (which began with Prometheus and will continue very soon with Alien: Covenant) may eventually feature an aged-down Weaver back in the role of Ripley (not unlike the young version of Princess Leia that showed her face fleetingly in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story).

However, until that day comes (if it ever does), spinoff stories offer the only solace for fans of Ripley that desperately want more stories about the iconic spacefaring bad ass. If you're one such fan, read on, and learn about some Ripley's finest stories from the wider Alien universe, as well as some of her weirder ones...

Alien: River of Pain

Alien: River of Pain began life as a novel by Christopher Golden, which was published by Titan Books in 2014. It’s one of only three books that are currently considered canonical with the film franchise. Recently, it’s been adapted by Audible Studios into a glossy, five-hour audio experience, with a voice cast featuring such big names as Alexander Siddig, Colin Salmon, Michelle Ryan, and Anna Friel.

River of Painserves to expand upon the story of Aliens, particularly the events that took place on LV-426 (aka Acheron) between Ripley’s two visits to the iconic, Xenomorph-infested moon. The attempted colonization of LV-426 - and the massacre that followed - are the main focus of the novel. Ripley remains on Earth in this one, with Laurel Lefkow voicing the character with an impressive Weaver-aping accuracy.

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We get to hear another chunk of Ripley’s post-Alien discussions with representatives of the Weyland-Yutani Corporation, with Ripley’s warnings about Acheron – as ever – falling on deaf ears. It’s a small but important role for Ripley, which tees up the main grisly action very nicely indeed.

Audible’s River of Pain fleshes out the story of the movie in real style, particularly in its handling of Newt's parents. And, on top of that fan service, you also get some impressive Xenomorph sequences.

As a bonus, William Hope, Mac MacDonald, Stuart Milligan, and Alibe Parsons all reprise their roles from Aliens. The piece was directed by audio drama legend Dirk Maggs (who previously brought us the radio adaptations of Douglas Adams’ Hitchhiker’s Guide).

You can listen to River of Pain on Audible’s official website. There's a free 30-day trial on offer at the time of writing.

Alien: Isolation

Sega and Creative Assembly’s 2014 video game Alien: Isolation quickly cemented itself as one of the best Alien stories ever told. It’s an utterly nerve-shredding experience, as you explore a series of corpse-laden spaceships, mostly on your own, constantly drenched in fear. A giant Xenomorph could be lurking around any corner. It’s not unusual to hide in a locker, afraid that opening the door will bring certain death. What fun!

As well as threatening to induce heart attacks at regular intervals, Isolation also benefits from a very intimate story. You play as Amanda Ripley (voiced by Kezia Burrows), the daughter that Weaver’s Ellen left behind. The game picks up with Amanda in the era when her mother’s status was unknown to mankind (fans of the films will know she was floating around deep space in stasis).

When Weyland-Utani locates the black box of the Nostromo spacecraft, Amanda is one of the people sent to retrieve it. From there, a Xenomorph-stuffed story unfolds, building up to a show-stopping tearjerker of a cameo from Sigourney Weaver herself.

It turns out that Ellen recorded a personal message for Amanda that we didn’t get to hear in Alien. Needless to say, when Amanda discovers and plays the message, the results are on the emotional side.

This cameo marked the first time that Weaver has reprised the role of Ellen Ripley outside of the main film franchise, making this game another must for fans of the character.

Alien: Isolation - Crew Expendable & Last Survivor

Weaver would go on to voice Ripley again in two Alien: Isolation expansion packs, Crew Expendable and Last Survivor. Again, completists will not want to miss these, not least because they feature a lot of the original cast.

Crew Expendable plonks you in the Nostromo during the events of Alien. Brett and Kane are dead, and Weaver’s Ripley convenes by Dallas (Tom Skerritt), Lambert (Veronica Cartwright), Brett (Harry Dean Stanton), Parker (Yaphet Kotto), and Ash (Ian Holm’s likeness, but not his voice) to decide a course of action.

You have to choose Ripley, Parker, or Dallas to head into the vents and attempt to flush the Xenomorph out through the airlock. The player then has to take that trip, building up to an exchange with Ash that’s based on a deleted scene from the film.

Last Survivor picks up with Ripley right at the end of Alien, allowing the player to blow up the Nostromo and escape into the Narcissus just as Ripley did in the film. Sadly, though, in this version, the iconic cat Jones is nowhere to be seen.

Although they’re short, these experiences are a lot fun. Getting to play as Ripley, with Weaver providing the voice, is an utter treat. A full game with Weaver as the lead would be very welcome indeed.

Alien: Out of the Shadows

Out of the Shadows, written by Tim Lebbon, is another novel from Titan Books. It was the first in an only-loosely-connected trilogy (with River of Pain and Sea of Sorrows following on later), which tells extra stories in between/adjacent to the events of the films.

Out of the Shadowsis notable for finding a way to feature Ellen Ripley as its main character, despite the fact that the gaps between the films don’t really give the writers much to work with. It fits betwixt Alien and Aliens, with Ripley being woken up when the Narcissus receives a distress call from another crew that’s been ravaged by Xenomorph attacks.

What follows is a decent sequel to Alien, although the story does tie itself in knots trying to explain why Ripley doesn’t remember any of it when she wakes up again in Aliens. One of the strongest ideas in the book is that Ash’s consciousness was still kicking around, having stowed away on the Narcissus along with Ripley and Jones. As you might expect, that has some fun consequences.

As with River of Pain, Dirk Maggs directed an Audible adaptation of Out of the Shadows. Laurel Lefkow, who would later return for River of Pain, voices Ripley. Out of the Shadows is available on the Audible website at this address.

Fair warning: from this point onwards, things get a bit weird...

Alien: Colonial Marines - Stasis Interrupted

The first person shooter game Alien: Colonial Marines is notable primarily for its how bad it is, really. It takes place after Ripley's death in Alien 3, with the plot focusing on a new group of marines being despatched to LV-426. Lance Henriksen reprises the role of Bishop. On paper, this should have been a hoot, a flurry of gunfire peppered with AliensEaster eggs.

The reality was a disappointment, though, with fans taking offense to some of the massive changes Colonial Marines made to the established canon. The decision to bring back Michael Biehn as Hicks - complete with a very silly explanation – was particularly unpopular. 

If you're a fan of ridiculous retcons, you might want to seek out the Colonial Marines DLC Stasis Interrupted, where it’s explained that Hicks was freed from his cryotube and another bloke got in (before having his face eaten off, leaving everyone in Alien 3 to assume it was Hicks that died).

Ripley cameos twice. The first time, she’s asleep in her cryotube while Hicks makes his escape (he takes a moment to notice a Facehugger in her cryotube). The second time, Hicks arrives just in time to see Ripley sacrifice her life to kill the Xenomorph Queen inside her. He falls to his knees and gets captured by Weyland-Utani.

There’s no Ripley dialogue in either scene. It's not exactly a classic, but perhaps this one's worth seeking out if you're into weird tie-in stuff that's somehow still canon.

Various Dark Horse Comics

In lieu of Neill Blomkamp’s Alien 5 ever seeing the light of day, Dark Horse Comics is where you want to look if you’re after an alternate sequel to Aliens.

After James Cameron’s film came out, a number of comic book series were produced by Dark Horse to continue the story. Aliens: Earth War is probably the most notable run. Therein, the eponymous Aliens of the franchise have infested and overrun Earth. Ripley, Hicks, and Newt travel to the Xenomorph home world to try and tackle the problem at its source.

It's an epic yarn, with heaps of potential. But when Fox revealed their plans to kill Hicks, Newt, and ultimately Ripley in Alien 3, Dark Horse had to make major changes to the characters in its comics.

The comic book version of Hicks was renamed Wilks, Newt became Billie, and it was revealed that the comic book version of Ripley was actually a synthetic copy of the original. The comics continued for a while, and old issues were re-edited and re-released to fit with the new identities of the protagonists. It was a very odd time.

Speaking of strage comics from Dark Horse that don’t fully fit with the film canon: why not pick up Aliens Versus Predator Versus The Terminator if you get a chance, just because it’s a darned fun idea?

This run from 2000 features Ripley teaming up with John Connor and the Predators to take down Skynet, who have spliced Xenomorph DNA into their Terminators to make them even more deadly. Splendid.

It’s been a long time coming but we’ve finally got a solid look at the new Robotech comic. We've previously seen some exclusive pages (which are below) but now thanks to Titan Comics we've got some insight from the writer, Brian Wood, about the direction of the series and his familiarity with the franchise.

Wood grew up as a fan of the original Americanized Robotech as a kid, messing with his antenna to try and get a decent picture of the show. He tried to get his hands on anything Robotech he could find, only managing to score a few issues of the original Comico series and The Art of Robotech.

What stood out to him more than anything about the show was that his older sister would watch it with him.

“(She was) probably in her early teens at the time, and why on earth would a teenage girl wake up at 5am or whatever it was on a weekend to watch robot cartoons with her little brother? That’s stuck with me my entire life, the fact that the characters and the drama was compelling enough for me and for her, even though we were very different types of people.”

Woods points to Roy and Claudia as the characters he related to the most, along with Lisa. “I like her stern, follow the rules style.” Beyond the characters he also loves the ship designs, Veritech designs, “and the fast-paced style of the combat in the show - the winding, snaking missiles, Roy’s Skull-1 tail art, and the genuineness of the relationships."

Even if Wood is a big fan of the original series, he knew he had to “aggressively modernize and streamline it” for the new audience picking up the comic.

“I love the show, I just re-watched the whole thing, but there’s no getting around the fact its dated, and not everything in it ages so well (although I admit a lot of it was ahead of its time).”

Woods points to JJ Abrams’ Star Trek as a prime example of how to both pay respect to what’s come before but also update it and that’s the approach Titan is taking with the comic. They’ll be introducing new elements that weren’t in the original show, as we can already see from the new artwork, but Woods says,

“The main draw here is how we’re aiming to capture two audiences - the existing fans, and any other people who either don’t know where to start with Robotech, or maybe aren’t interested in it because the old episodes seem dated.”

Woods stresses that he wants to share this franchise with everyone. The summary below should give fans a glimpse into just how Titan Comics will be going about that.

Not just another retelling of the Macross saga ... In July, the story continues as we bring Carl Macek's original vision full circle. Taking into account every iteration of the series, this new Robotech #1 casts a fresh eye over classic characters like Rick Hunter, Lisa Hayes, Lynn Minmei, Roy Fokker, Claudia Grant, and Henry Gloval. Brian Wood and Marco Turini take us back to a Macross Island where *nothing* can be taken for granted.

Taking into account every iteration of the series? What could that mean? Will Brian Wood and Marco Turini's comic be a redo of the story that more closely unites the three sagas much like how the novels did back in the day? If it isn’t just another retelling of the Macross saga, could this be set in a new continuity?

Check out these interior pages by Marco Turini which give fans even more hints at what's to come.

Already we’re seeing some divergence from what we saw in the series. Roy is flanked by some guards on the flight deck from the first episode. Rick has a different flight suit and some neat shades. Why is Rick’s fanjet being pursued by fighters? We’re eagerly looking forward to the answers.

Below are most of the covers released for the Robotechcomic series.  

COVER A: STANLEY ‘ARTGERM’ LAU

COVER B: KARL KERSCHL

COVER C: BLAIR SHEDD ACTION FIGURE VARIANT

COVER D: MICHAEL DIALYNAS

COVER E: WALTRIP BROS. RETRO VARIANT

COVER F: BLUE LINE VERITECH SKETCH VARIANT

COVER G: 1:10 VARIANT - KARL KERSCHL (MINMEI)

Stay tuned to Den of Geek for all things Robotech and get hyped for the comic series! Robotech #1 hits stand on July 26th.

Shamus Kelley still needs some sweet Rick Hunter shades. Follow him on Twitter! 

This article contains spoilers for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.

Marvel legend Stan Lee, of course, makes a cameo in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 just as he’s done in every Marvel-related film, regardless of the studio, starting with 2000’s X-Men. But his spot in the new movie is a little different: for the first time it’s acknowledged -- as he discusses his previous adventures -- that he’s playing the same “character” he’s played in earlier Marvel films.

And he’s not alone. In his scene, which takes place on a planetoid in deep space, Lee is surrounded by members of the Watchers, the ancient race who observe everything happening in the universe and who occasionally meddle in it despite a strict non-interference policy. The first Watcher, Uatu, made his debut in the comics way back in April 1963 to warn the Fantastic Four of the coming of Galactus, and they’ve been part of the Marvel canon ever since.

Asked at the press conference for Guardians Vol. 2 if it was Uatu we see in the movie, along with the other Watchers, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige replied, “Well, I wouldn’t say you saw Uatu, I would say you saw some Watchers,” before adding about Stan’s appearance with them, “Stan Lee clearly exists above and apart from the reality of all the films.  So the notion that he could be sitting there on a cosmic pit stop during the jump gate sequence in Guardians was something very fun.”

“James (Gunn) had that idea and we shot that cameo and loved it so much, you know, you see it a couple of times in the movie," Gunn continued. "It wasn’t in for a long time and we put it back in towards the end of the process where he references that time he was a Federal Express agent (in Captain America: Civil War) and we thought it would be fun to put that and keep that in there because that really says, ‘So wait a minute, he’s this same character who’s popped up in all these films, the same person.’”

It’s not known whether the Watchers will show up in further Marvel Studios movies at this point (the rights to the characters seem to be shared with Fox), but it’s a good guess that Stan Lee will, and who knows, he might just be a Watcher himself…

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is out now in theaters.

2015’s The Martian was a box-office phenomenon for Fox, grossing $228.4 million domestic and $401.7 million foreign, yielding seven Oscar nominations. Thus, it doesn’t take intricate industry inside baseball knowledge to know that the studio would jump at any chance to replicate that success. Consequently, Artemis, the upcoming novel by Andy Weir, author of the original 2011 The Martian novel, already has a movie deal.

According to The Tracking Board, 20^th Century Fox and New Regency have come together to preemptively acquire the movie rights to Andy Weir’s next novel Artemis, giving the property the prestige of a movie deal before the novel itself even has a release date. The Martian producer Simon Kinberg is attached to the Artemis project, joined by Aditya Sood from Genre Films and executive Steve Asbell, onboard on behalf of the studio.

That is the current extent of any effort to get The Martian band back together. Back in May 2016, Fox initially circled a pitch by Weir for a mystery screenplay, with plans purportedly in place for The Martian director Ridley Scott to produce via his Scott Free Productions and Simon Kinberg also attached to produce. However, it appears that – one year later – the endeavor will instead move forward with a film adaptation of Weir’s next novel, Artemis. Executive Michael Schaefer, who was with Scott Free during the 2016 developments, has fostered the Artemis project via his current company New Regency along with Asbell.

While no plot details officially exist regarding Artemis, Weir did divulge in a December 2015 Huffington Post article that the book – then-untitled – would be set in a city on the moon, centering on a female protagonist; an idea possibly validated by the Artemis title, referencing the bow-wielding Greek goddess of the hunt. At that point, the book was penciled in for a late-2016, early-2017 release. However, well into May 2017, there does not seem to be a set release date for the book; something that seems to be a crucial catalyst for the ensuing film project.

It will be interesting to see if a movie project adapted from an Andy Weir novel that isn'tThe Martian can become a similar cinematic success, especially with its source material presumably still in its gestation.

Given our 2017 on-demand lifestyles, it's understandable if you are ignorant to the importance that movie novelizations once possessed. Created in a time when movies played theaters once and then seemingly disappeared into memory, these tie-in books were a cheap way for audiences to relive theatrical offerings. As home video became more commonplace, the tie-in novel slowly became a relic of a forgotten time, a quaint collectible at best, literary oddity at worst. Besides, people would rather see the actual movie than read it, right?

And so we now live in an era where damn near every form of entertainment that has ever existed is at our fingertips. Except of course for new movie novelizations, which are now more of a prestige, boutique thing (see Charles Ardai's novel of The Nice Guys for an example) than the merchandising given they once were.

At the risk of turning into a grumpy, sighing real-life version of The Simpsons'"old man yells at cloud" meme, I will say that the fall from grace of the movie novelization is a bummer because it denies readers the opportunity to see how a product intended purely as a quickie cash grab can become a classic in its own right. Although George Gipe's take on Gremlins -- in which the bombshell that the titular creatures are in fact chaos-loving aliens from a distant star is dropped -- comes a very close second, the greatest of all movie novelizations is Ellis Weiner's gleefully sardonic take on Howard the Duck.

We recently reread this 232-page masterpiece and can say without any sense of detatched irony or manufactured whimsy that Weiner's work would be right at home amongst the work of Douglas Adams, Kurt Vonnegut, and Daniel Manus Pinkwater in the sci-fi/humor section of your personal library.

Here's a few reasons why.

From the first page, Weiner understands what an inherently ridiculous character Howard the Duck is.

During the opening scene of the movie, Howard is yanked across from the universe while the commanding voice of Richard Kiley gives a speech laden with lots of psuedo-cosmic importance. This was probably meant to be tongue-in-cheek, but always came off a bit pretentious. This point is not lost on Weiner, who spends the majority of the first chapter skewering the "voice of the universe" conceit as silly and hamfisted. Right out of the gate you get a sense that the author is going to let his creative juices flow all over the assignment he has been given, even if it means nibbling at the hand that feeds a little bit.

Watch Howard the Duck on Amazon

It should be noted that Ellis Weiner is no ordinary hired gun. At the time of this novel's writing, he had already enjoyed an impressive career working as an editor for National Lampoon, and his involvement with that publication led to his writing the still-cutting edge Frank Herbert parody Doon. Given that his comedic sensibilities were on a similiar wavelength to those of Howard's creator, Steve Gerber, Weiner was an ideal choice to give this novel some much needed irreverence. It is a talking duck from outer space we are dealing with here after all. Have some perspective.

Four pages in and the following passage gives some subtle commentary into how Weiner himself may (or may not) have felt about this gig:

"Howard was not only tired, he was irritable, and assailed by that almost nauseating sense of futility and waste that, sooner or later, descends on almost everyone the moment they perceive--if only for a second--how pointless and dumb their jobs really are."

Ouch. If he was disgruntled with the source material he had to adapt, he certainly didn't half-ass his task at hand as Weiner's writing truly expands the world of the film and its characters. Case in point...

The book is full of asides that give insight into the characters and their backgrounds that is almost completely absent on screen.

Did you realize that Beverly decided that she would do anything she could to avoid "an ordinary life" when she was young? Or that Howard went through some serious soul-searching is his youth? Or that Philsie desperately wanted to be a scientific mind that was respected by, and featured on, PBS? Probably not, but Weiner carefully details the wants and desires of the main characters nevertheless. He even spends some time chronicling what makes a public relations exec at a nuclear power plant tick before the man is callously destroyed by the Dark Overlord's lust for energy.

Elsewhere in the book, regular Coverage In-Depth Inserts pop-up to provide further analysis on everything from a comparison of lounge chairs on Earth versus those on Duckworld to a look at the surprising cultural set-up over in the Nexus of Sominus. These asides were very reminiscent of entries from The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, and each gives the book some additional quirkiness that the movie needs.

The film's most infamous moment is not featured in the novel.

Yes, the condom scene. So shocking was the suggestion that Howard liked to get it on that this sequence was snipped from some overseas prints of the film (even though he should be seen as a role model for practicing safe sex). The novel features Bev picking up the wallet, but no mention of the prophylactic is made. An edit that this writer considers to be, well, fowl.

Weiner interupts his novel to discuss the pros and cons of censorship.

In the scene where Howard is stripped searched by the police, Weiner stops the action in the story to state that he won't transcribe the harsh language exchanged between characters at this moment. Why? Here's his explanation:

"Such words--in print, if not in person--make certain people uneasy. This very book, harmless jest though it is, might be banned in certain locales, or even burned in others. Certain parents would claim Howard the (of all things) Duck capable of corrupting their children and advancing the cause of Satan in the modern world. Yes, that Satan.

The consequences would be dire."

This hilarious explanation, which pokes a great deal of fun at 1980s political correctness run amuck, goes on for several more paragaphs. As if Weiner needed a break from the Duck action to blow off some comedic steam. It's a tremendously funny aside that further differentiates the book from its commerce-based origins and propels it into the stratosphere of irreverent art.

Phil Blumburtt is a raging atheist

Arguably the character who gets the most development in the novelization is Phil Blumburtt. Played in the film by Tim Robbins as a lovable schnook, here readers get a further sense that Phil is a genuinely good guy beneath his wacky exterior. (The book also solves one of the biggest questions of the movie, why Phil is suddenly a rock and roll tech guy when he has previously devoted his life to science, with some quick dialogue explaining that he is just helping out Cherry Bomb until he can figure out his next career move). The greatest bit of insight we get about Phil is when he recalls the worst date he ever had, one that culminated in a science vs. faith discussion that ended with the following exchange:

"But that's a belief, too. You have faith in science, and I have faith in creationism."

"But science is true, and creationism is a bunch of literal minded mythology---"

"Maybe science is a bunch of mythology. How do you know it's true?"

"Because it is, you stupid idiot!"

So it's safe to say that Philsie's a Hillary guy.

SO MANY DUCK PUNS

John Cleese was once (probably falsely) attributed to the quote that the three enemies of comedy are "puns, puns, and puns." I don't know how much validity there is to that statement, but I can tell you that any pun-haters out there should just stop reading right now, 'cause shit is gonna get real. You know how the entire Duckworld sequence pretty much exists just to make stupid duck-related puns? Well in the book, Weiner really doubles down with that aesthetic. Here then are a mere sampling of some of the pun-ishing (sorry) jokes featured in the book:

• Birdweiser (alcoholic beverage)

• The Fowlharmonic Orchestra (professional musicians)

• American Eggspress (credit card)

• Rubeak's Cube (puzzle toy)

•Marcus Webfoot, M.D. (television program)

• Norman Mallard (writer)

• Squaking Heads (rock band)

• Bad Day at Quack Rock (motion picture)

• Mallard Fillmore (president)

•The Fountainhen (famed Duckworld novel that merits its own Coverage In-Depth Insert)

• Quackanudos (cigars)

And on and on and on. This book is remarkable. Some might even say it will quack you up. (Drops mic).

Chris Cummins is a writer and comics/historian. You can follow him on Twitter at @bionicbigfoot and @scifiexplosion.

This article may contain slight spoilers for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.

Of all the colorful characters who populate James Gunn’s two Marvel Studios movies about the Guardians of the Galaxy, the most colorful (in more ways than one) may be Yondu Udonta, the Ravager leader and adopted (sort of) father to Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) who is played by the great Michael Rooker. Yondu’s history in the comics is much different than the way he is portrayed on film, but he’s still one of the most interesting characters in the two movies and his story in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is one of the richest and most involving in the sequel.

In fact, it’s probably safe to say that we see new layers to Yondu this time out that we didn’t get to see the first time, and that he changes the most during the course of the story. “It was fabulous, you know?” says Rooker about reading Gunn’s script and Yondu’s part for the first time, when we sit down with him for a brief chat during the Vol. 2 press day in Los Angeles.

“It comes with a cost though,” he continues, referring to the emotional rollercoaster that the character goes on as he rethinks his life, his choices, and his relationship with Peter Quill. “But it's also just the way it should be. It was beautifully done, beautifully written, and I guess in hindsight after this movie comes out and we get a lot of feedback from everywhere, maybe it's gonna be a very positive thing.”

“I think they’re going to be surprised by Michael Rooker’s performance,” Gunn told us earlier this spring at the press junket for the film The Belko Experiment. “(He) deserves an Academy Award nomination -- no joke -- for his role as Yondu.” When we mention Gunn’s comments to Rooker, he says with a straight face, “That was incredibly nice for him to say, because I did not have time to spike his lemonade.” Asked if he thinks the Academy overlooks performances by actors who just happen to be painted blue (or other colors) for their role, Rooker is diplomatic: “I think they should take all acting and all forms of media and cinema seriously… so yeah, of course I think so.”

Rooker is a constant presence in all of Gunn’s films, and said that working on the second Guardians feature, with the expectations set way higher after the massive success of the first one, was just as much fun as any other Gunn set. “You know the first time around was awesome,” he recalls. “Needless to say. It was well done, well conceived and well written. The second one is, damn, it's just as good dude. I mean we had a blast doing it. James wrote and directed it exquisitely, genius almost, almost. He's practically perfect in every way, but not completely perfect, as opposed to me (laughs).”

One thing that was different from the first Guardians was the addition of new cast members, including Rooker’s old pal from the movie Cliffhanger, Sylvester Stallone. The latter plays the Ravager leader Stakar, with whom Yondu has a volatile relationship.

“It’s always great to work with him,” says Rooker. “I'd worked with him in the past and it was old home week. So we just went right into the same shoes and just like, went at it. Very (much like) Cliffhanger, ‘cause we're at each other's throats in that movie too. So it was an easy transition. He came on, boom, it was like, you know I hadn't seen him for years and it just felt like I'd seen him just yesterday. It’s that kind of relationship, so it worked out great.”

Making the shoot more comfortable for Rooker this time around was his make-up process, which was also improved from the first movie. “It was easier," he says. "The makeup artist came up with a new base that helped in the removal process, which is really good. I think it helped. I don't know how it helped, but I think it made a layer of blue that didn't allow the other paints, the other layers, to soak into my skin quite as much. So it made it easier to take off, which really helped in the overall process, ‘cause by the end of the day you just wanna get the hell out of there.”

We would probably feel the same way after being painted blue for 12 hours, colorful character or not. But Rooker indicates before we leave that he is ready and willing to suit up should the Marvel powers-that-be find a way to work Yondu into Avengers: Infinity War, next year’s all-hands-on-deck blowout that will team Tony Stark’s squad with the Guardians. While Rooker can’t confirm his involvement, he utters that full-throated laugh of his when we mention that he’s listed in the credits on IMDB. “Isn’t that crazy?” he exclaims. “You’ve got to love IMDB.”

Not necessarily, but after people see Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, we feel confident in saying that everyone will love Yondu.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is now playing.

Marvel's plan to team Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist (and possibly some members of their supporting casts) in The Defenders Netflix series are well underway, and we'll see it later this year. The Defenders showrunners are Douglas Petrie and Marco Ramirez (Daredevil Season 2), with Drew Goddard (Daredevil Season 1, The Martian, Lost) returning as executive producer. The Defenders is currently filming in New York City.

The first trailer is finally here!

Huge points for appropriate use of Nirvana's "Come as You Are."

We did a full breakdown and analysis of the trailer, which you can read by clicking here.

We last saw Elektra in the concluding moments of Daredevil Season 2, when the volatile romance between her and Charlie Cox’s Matt Murdock ended – in an inevitable spin on her classic comic book fate – with her apparent death during a clash with clandestine ninja criminal organization the Hand by returning rival Nobu Yoshioka (Peter Shinkoda). However, as we also saw, the Hand, with post-mortem interest in Elektra, dug her up and placed her body into a sacred sarcophagus to be reborn as their new leader the Black Sky. Relevantly, the new promo for The Defenders gives us a slight tease for the end result of that macabre process.

Thus, while expectations for The Defenders would presumably have a resurrected Elektra pegged as an ally, we could find our heroes on the wrong side of her signature set of sais, at least, initially, anyway. Since the Hand played a major role in the last Marvel Netflix series Iron Fist, showcasing a shakeup in its leadership, it will be interesting to see how things play out in The Defenders, with Elektra as the Black Sky, along with Sigourney Weaver’s billed main villain, “Alexandra.”

The Defenders Release Date

A security footage-style teaser video titled "Midland Circle Security Elevator B" features street level MCU heroes in a blindfolded Daredevil, bullet-ridden hoodie-rocking Luke Cage, suit-sporting Iron Fist, and a camera-shy Jessica Jones awkwardly sharing an elevator and some obligatory Muzak. However, the time code in the upper-right ending with "08:18:20:17" divulged the long-awaited crucial bit of info.

With that oblique move, Netflix has officially revealed that The Defenders will premiere on August 18, 2017.

The Defenders Story

It's not much, but it's all we've got right now...

Marvel’s The Defenders follows Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist. A quartet of singular heroes with one common goal - to save New York City. This is the story of four solitary figures, burdened with their own personal challenges, who realize they just might be stronger when teamed together.

“Every one of them is following their own trail of bread crumbs, trying to unpack a mystery in New York,” showrunner Marco Ramirez told Entertainment Weekly. “We wanted them all caught off guard. Once they’re in that room together, it’s kind of like, ‘Oh, s—, who are you?'”

The Defenders Photos

Hit the gallery to see some official stills. 

[gallery:4]

And how about this cool poster from Joe Quesada?

You can also see a whole stack of set photos here.

The Defenders Cast

Charlie Cox will return as Matt Murdock/Daredevil, as will Krysten Ritter as Jessica Jones, Finn Jones as Iron Fist, and Mike Colter as Luke Cage. Don't be surprised if some other characters we meet along the way join the party, like Jon Bernthal's Punisher. Expect supporting cast from each of their shows to at least make appearances, and that will likely include Elden Henson as Foggy Nelson.

“We're incredibly excited to be able to bring our four street level heroes together in an epic tale woven by Doug and Marco whose work on Marvel’s Daredevil speaks for itself,” said Executive Producer/Head of Marvel Television, Jeph Loeb in a statement when the showrunners were announced in April 2016. "They write and produce not only great action and adventure, but also the heart and touch of humor that's makes us Marvel. With the inclusion of Drew Goddard, we've got a team that's as formidable as the Defenders themselves."

“This is the big one. Four amazing casts, four amazing series, now all in one amazing story,” added showrunners and Executive Producers Douglas Petrie and Marco Ramirez. “We are thrilled at the opportunity to deliver the show that both we and the fans have been waiting for.”

The first hero who isn't yet a headliner to be confirmed for the series is none other than Simone Missick's Misty Knight. “I believe I’m safe to say that I will be on The Defenders,” Simone Missick told The Wrap.

Misty is a huge highlight of Marvel's Luke Cage Netflix series, so having her in The Defenders should be treat.

The Defenders official Twitter account just keeps dropping casting bombs on us. The latest is that Elodie Yung will appear as Elektra. This show gets better by the day.

They also confirmed that Jessica Henwick, who will first appear in Iron Fist, will reprise her role as Colleen Wing in the upcoming Defenders team-up series. Here's a brief snippet of Henwick kicking butt:

The official Twitter account also confirmed what we already knew, that supporting characters from other Netflix shows like Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, and Daredevil like Elden Hensen's Foggy Nelson, Deborah Ann Woll's Karen Page, Scott Glenn's Stick, Simone Missick's Misty Knight, and other will be part of the series.

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And it doesn't look like we'll get Vincent D'Onofrio's Wilson Fisk in this one, unfortunately.

Marvel's The Defenders Netflix series will consist of eight episodes (the usual count for their assorted solo series if 13), and Marvel has announced the director of the first two episodes. S.J. Clarkson, whose credits include episodes of Jessica Jones, Vinyl, and Orange is The New Black will occupy the big chair for those crucial first two installments.

“S.J.'s take on the material is outstanding. We loved her work on “Marvel’s Jessica Jones” and couldn’t think of a more talented and accomplished person to helm the first two episodes of Marvel’s The Defenders,” said Marvel’s Head of Television and Executive Producer, Jeph Loeb in a statement.

The Defenders Villain

Sigourney Weaver was announced as the antagonist to deafening applause on the NYCC Main Stage back in October. Since then details have been scarce...until now.

Entertainment Weekly has our first look at Sigourney Weaver as the mystery antagonist of Marvel's The Defenders Netflix series, although this still doesn't tell us a whole lot. We know her name is "Alexandra" and that's all they're telling us. At least for the moment.

Here's a photo of her in character, which marks the first official set photo we have from the series at all!

“We knew it would take something massive to pull these four characters from their individual worlds to work together,” Defenders showrunner Marco Ramirez told EW, “but also small enough that it felt like it existed in our world.” Start your speculation engines, comic fans!

 Last month, Ms. Weaver spoke to Movies.com a little about what to expect.

"It has a wonderful cast, and we're doing it right here in New York, which means a lot to me...Basically the four heroes come up against this really nice woman, who I'm playing...It's been a blast and I really love my character. I love the shows, too, which I wasn't familiar with before doing this. A real love letter to New York. To me they're not superheroes; they're people with a gift. It's just a different scale, and I'm really enjoying the scale of it. The apocalyptic thing is a little harder for me to understand."

EW also unveiled the first proper look at the team together:

We'll update this with more information about The Defenders Netflix series as it becomes available.

A version of this article originally ran on April 11th. It has been updated with new information.

Who doesn't love a good Neil Gaiman adaptation? The British author is prolific, yet still manages to maintain a consistent quality and eccentricity in his work. The American Gods TV show is now on Starz, but it's far from the only Gaiman adaptation in the works.

A bumper harvest of Neil Gaiman-penned projects are currently in development, and due to arrive on the big and small screen and elsewhere in the next few years. Let's take a look at what has a release date, what is in development, and what might never come to be...

Neil Gaiman Movie Adaptations

Sandman - Development Hell

It's meant with no disrespect to the terrific Coraline and Stardust when saying that Sandman is likely to be the biggest Neil Gaiman project to date at the movies... that is if it ever makes it there.

Originally seemingly moving jollily ahead at New Line Cinema after a switch from Vertigo, The Sandman movie adaptation has suffered its fair share of setbacks in the last few years, with writers Jack Thorne and Eric Heisserer both departing the project. The latter, who left in October of 2016, suggested that the adaptation might make a better TV show than a movie, which is a fair assessment of the sprawling, epic story.

At one point, Joseph Gordon-Levitt was attached to produce, star in, and perhaps direct the film, but he also dropped out last year. Will this adaptation ever make it to some size of screen? We'll keep our ear to the ground.

Hansel & Gretel — Film Rights Acquired

Gaiman's take on Hansel & Gretel arrived in graphic novel form in 2014, and the movie rights to it were promptly snapped up. Juliet Blake, who produced The Hundred-Foot Journey, is the person who's picked them up.

No timescale, screenwriter or director details have been made available since the 2014 acquisition.

How To Talk To Girls At Parties — May 2017 (Cannes Film Festival)

Finally, a Gaiman film adaptation that is definitely happening! Based on a Gaiman short story, How To Talk To Girls At Parties is about a female alien on Earth who finds herself in Croydon. Such is her desire to explore the most dangerous places on the planet.

The film has a great cast, starring Elle Fanning, Alex Sharp, Nicole Kidman, Ruth Wilson, and Matt Lucas. 

How To Talk To Girls At Parties was directed by the very capable John Cameron Mitchell, who co-wrote the script with Philippa Goslett. On his resume? The brilliant Hedwig And The Angry Inch. A24 acquired the U.S. distribution rights, but there is no official release date as of yet.

The Ocean At The End Of The Lane — In Development

The Ocean At The End Of The Lane is a lovely book, and prior to its publication, it was revealed that the film rights had already been acquired, and a director was attached.

Focus Features is the company that was attached to the film, with the project having been bought by Tom Hanks' production company, Playtone. Joe Wright — who directed Atonement, Hanna, and Anna Karenina amongst others — was said to be attached to direct.

That was back in February 2013, however, and there doesn't appear to have been much progress on the project since then. It looks like a case of wait and see for now.

The Graveyard Book — In Development

This one seems to be stuck in limbo a bit. The original plan with the film adaptation of The Graveyard Book was that Henry Selick — who brilliantly realised Coraline in stop motion animation — would bring it to the screen. Disney had backed the project, but it put the brakes on it back in 2012.

However, since then, it appeared to come back to life as a live-action venture that was attracting the interest of Ron Howard (Rush, Apollo 13, A Beautiful Mind). Unfortunately that was back in January 2013. Collider asked Howard about the project last year, and the director seemed to have some hope for it as a possible future film. Do with this information what you will.

The Books Of Magic — Development Hell

A project that seems almost permanently stuck in development hell now is an adaptation of Gaiman's comic book miniseries, The Books Of Magic. Plans for a film date back to 1998, when Gaiman himself was attached an executive producer, and Warner Bros had the rights. It would be fair to say that the development process had problems, with both Gaiman and Paul Levitz eventually telling the studio that the screenplay they had developed did not bear much relation to The Books Of Magic anymore.

Back in 2006, Gaiman told Superherohype that he was looking to developing The Books Of Magic into a film or TV series himself, along with writer Matt Greenberg (who'd worked on early scripts for the project). There's been no progress since, sadly.

Signal To Noise — Development Hell

Not much is known about this one. The graphic novel Signal To Noise was one Gaiman did alongside Dave McKean, and the plan was for McKean to turn it into a feature film. As Gaiman says on his own website: "Neil is only helping here and there with it, reading over Dave's script and helping him get financing." He also confirmed that McKean had planned to direct the film. We've not heard more on it for some time, though.

Neil Gaiman TV Adaptations

Interworld — In Development

Originally conceived for screen, Gaiman and Michael Reeves eventually put the Interworld story across in book form, where it was then in turn optioned in 2007 by DreamWorks Animation. 

Last year, it switched from the film to TV track when Universal Cable Productions announced that it would be developing Interworld into a TV show. The TV adaptation has Hamilton producers Jeffrey Seller and Flody Suarez in its corner, but we've not had any updates on the project since last summer. More news as we hear it.

Anansi Boys — In Development

Production company Red was announced in 2014 as developing a mini-series adaptation of Anansi Boys for the BBC. However, now that Starz/Freemantle is producing American Gods, that plan seems somewhat confused?

We've heard mentions of Red developing Anansi Boys as a TV show from Gaiman over the years, but, recently, Orlando Jones (who plays Anansi in American Gods) told Vanity Fair that Fuller and Green "wanted to spin it off and pursue that character." Either way, things are looking pretty good for Anansi Boys, depending on how American Gods does.

Good Omens — 2018 (Amazon)

A six-part TV adaptation of Gaiman and Terry Pratchett's bestselling book is coming to Amazon next year before airing on the BBC in the UK. Gaiman is serving as showrunner for the miniseries, which will bring the story of an angel and a demon coming together to try to prevent the apocalypse to the screen.

Neverwhere — In Development

Back in 2015, Deadline gave us all hope when it reported that US movie and TV producer Mark Gordon has joined forces with The Hunger Games director Francis Lawrence on a new TV adaptation of Neverwhere, an urban fantasy that takes place in "London Below."

Neverwhere began life as a 1996 TV series (featuring Peter Capaldi!) before being turned into a successful novelization and radio drama. Given that Gaiman has announced a Neverwhere sequel called The Seven Sisters, the timing has never been better for a TV adaptation of this beloved fantasy work. 

Missing, Presumed Dead Adaptations

Chivalry

Gaiman's Smoke And Mirrors short story has actually turned up online in film form as a finals film project by a student at Boston University, which you can see here. However, back in 2002, Harvey Weinstein took out an option on the story, with the idea of writing and directing it himself. It was set to be a short film, but it never, ultimately, happened.

Death: The High Cost Of Living

Warner Bros had been developing this one, potentially as a project for Neil Gaiman to direct himself. Rumors had linked Shia LaBeouf with the male lead, but as Gaiman told Vulturein 2010: "The new powers that be at DC and Warner basically closed everything down."

Whilst Gaiman has admitted it may yet come back to life, it doesn't sound like breath-holding is a good idea. Not, er, that it is at the best of times.    

The Day I Swapped My Dad For Two Goldfish

A good decade old this project, when Sunbow Entertainment looked to do an animated television adaptation of The Day I Swapped My Dad For Two Goldfish. Sunbow was seeking financing for the project, and footage was reportedly produced, but it didn't get much further. A shame — the plan had been to mix 2D, 3D and photographic elements, with 2D hand drawn characters on top. Not to be, though. Sob.

Murder Mysteries

This one was adapted by David S. Goyer, who told SciFi Wire back in 2004: "I think it's the best script I've ever written." He planned to direct the film take on Murder Mysteries, but the project stalled — and has remained stalled — when a studio wouldn't back it. No word has been heard on a MurderMysteries film for a good decade.

Please note: This article does not include released projects, or scripts that Gaiman has written based on other peoples' books.

While David Ayer's next DC Universe movie priority appears to be the Harley Quinn led Gotham City Sirens movie, don't rule out a sequel to the movie that introduced her to the big screen. Warner Bros. is still game for Suicide Squad 2. Considering the first film broke August box office records and took in an impressive $745 million worldwide, this shouldn't be a surprise.

Adam Cozad, who recently wrote The Legend of Tarzan for the studio, is writing Suicide Squad 2, according to The Hollywood Reporter. It looks like they're serious about getting this one together sooner rather than later, and the hunt for a director is still ongoing.

One of those directors? Well, that would be Guy Ritchie of Snatch and the upcoming King Arthur: The Legend of the Sword.

“I quite fancy doing Suicide Squad 2,"he told Variety's Playback podcast, "because I thought I could do a good job with it. I can’t do it because I’m doing something else, but I’ve felt I could really do something with that." Given the tone of the first one, he would seem like a good fit for a sequel, and his name would be consistent with WB's quest to get distinctive directors for their superhero franchises.

Mel Gibson had apparently been in "early talks" with Warner Bros. for the Suicide Squad 2 directing job. It's almost tough to imagine Gibson going from the weighty themes of Hacksaw Ridgeand its subsequent acclaim to a sequel to a movie that received a critical savaging in 2016, but here we are. Gibson confirmed the talks to Entertainment Tonight, saying, "I just met some guys about story points. It's not a done deal or anything. But it's just fun to shoot the bull when it comes to stories. And if we can elevate any kind of concept it's good. We'll see."

Gibson is far from the only director being discussed, either. Life director Danny Espinosa is also reportedly in the mix, and there will probably be more names surfacing shortly. Variety adds Ruben Fleischer (Zombieland) and Jonathan Levine (Warm Bodies) to that mix, too.

But the fact that WB is considering a director like Gibson does underline their commitment to director focused projects, even with the currently struggling DC Extended Universe. They replaced Ben Affleck with the well-regarded Matt Reeves on The Batman recently, and other names that were mentioned in connection with that project included George Miller and even Ridley Scott. Maybe Gibson makes sense after all.

Suicide Squad 2 Release Date

There's no release date yet for Suicide Squad 2, and it seems that Gotham City Sirens is the higher priority for the studio at the moment. But you'll get your next taste of the DCEU with Wonder Woman on June 2, 2017.

While the aura of a legendary television starring role on AMC’s Breaking Bad still emanates strong from Bryan Cranston, he’s also become quite industrious with the behind-the-scenes chemistry of the industry as a producer on Amazon projects like the upcoming anthology series Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams and drama Sneaky Pete. Now, it seems that his working relationship with the retail monolith/streaming platform will continue with the comedy series The Dangerous Book for Boys.

According to trades such as Deadline, Amazon has given a full series order for single-camera television comedy The Dangerous Book for Boys, which Cranston originally co-created with Superbad director Greg Mottola during the 2014/2015 season. The project is an adaptation of the 2007 British non-fiction guidebook of the same name written by brothers Conn and Hal Iggulden. Under the production banners of Amazon Studios and Sony Pictures Television, Dangerous Book arrives as six half-hour episodes.

Interestingly, its classification as an “adaptation” pushes limits, since Dangerous Book has no real plot to adapt, existing simply as a cheeky guidebook that teaches young men real-life skills during a modern age when computers, video games, television and movies have facilitated a more sedentary, detached generation who lack the kind of practical skills that older generations were raised to possess.

Consequently, the TV comedy will channel an original story through the lens of the book’s themes, centering on a young man named Wyatt and his brothers, who, in the aftermath of their father’s death, are left with a copy of The Dangerous Book for Boys. The inherited how-to book inspires Wyatt to concoct a fantasy world in which he is reunited with his father, learning the practical life skills that the book endows and, presumably becoming a more whole person in the real world as a result.

In a tidbit that Breaking Bad fans might find interesting, Dangerous Book first blipped Cranston’s radar during the time of the show when his co-star and onscreen wife Anna Gunn gave him a copy, telling him, “this reminds me of you!” While Cranston’s only child is a daughter (Sweet/Vicious actress Taylor Dearden), the boy-book resonated with him and, in a recent interview with IndieWire, he described his epiphany for the TV concept:    

“There is no plot and there are no characters in the book. It’s a guide to how to embrace boyhood: How to build a fort, how to talk to a girl, what are the rules in baseball, what are the great battles in history. But there is no show. I was in Boston [performing ‘All the Way’] and running along the Charles River when all of a sudden it popped into my head how to crack this story!”

Indeed, The Dangerous Book for Boys has become quite the passion project for Cranston, who came close to a TV deal with NBC back in September before the Peacock Network ultimately passed. With the book by the Iggulden siblings already an Amazon bestselling hit that was only contemporaneously outsold by mega-fiction-franchise closer Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, it will certainly be interesting to see how the tongue-in-cheek, yet educational approach of Dangerous Book will translate to a television comedy.

This Gotham review contains spoilers.

Gotham Season 3, Episode 17

Selina better not be dead. I mean... I don't think Gotham would do that (and characters have survived much worse than a two-story fall on this show), but I'm just putting that out there. Selina is one of the best parts of this show and, if she goes, Gotham will be the poorer for it.

OK, paranoid rant over. It looks like she's going to be resurrected by a gang of magical cats anyway. The events leading up to Selina's perhaps-death were particularly dramatic. Doppel-Bruce claims that Selina is the only person in Gotham he wants to save, but ends up pushing her out a window. To be fair (not that it's ever cool to push someone out a window — right, Selina?), Selina was super mean to Doppel-Bruce. He tries to tell her the truth and she calls him a non-person. It's enough to make you want to join Penguin's Army of Freaks...

Real talk? Penguin's Army of Freaks seems like one of the better deals in town and it's kind of hard not to root for them. Not only do they have fan favorite Penguin as the leader of the gang, but Ivy's insistence that they are a family is actually pretty sweet. Throw in familiar faces Mr. Freeze and Firefly and you've got a regular family reunion.

Penguin's end goal is still to take down Nygma (or so he claims), but he's going to have some competition... from the Court of Owls. Ed ended the episode gleefully in the Court's custody, having willingly surrendered himself after his public display involving Mayor-Again Aubrey James on Gotham cable news.

This is the first time we've really seen Ed since he assumed his Riddler persona and he seems to be in over his head. Ed has always cared about riddles above all else, but throwing himself at the mystery of Court without any kind of larger plan other than Solve the Riddle doesn't necessarily coincide with what we've seen from this character before. Perhaps it is part of the larger unhinging that has happened since Ed shot Penguin and left him for dead.

Speaking of former friends: Before getting into the Court's car, Ed and Jim have a sweet little talk in which Gordon reminisces about his past friendship with Ed and, in particular, a dinner party they both had with Lee and Ms. Kringle in Season 2. It's an uncharacteristically nuanced moment for this show, giving both Nygma and Gordon more depth than they tend to have.

Gordon in particular comes out of the conversation with a more complex character motivation. He is surrendering Ed to the Court for what he believes is the greater good of Gotham, but he does still to seem care about Ed on some level. Perhaps he realizes how mentally ill Ed is. For all that he has done, he is not a sane person. He has hurt himself as much as he has hurt others.

By delivering Ed to the Court, the group admits Gordon to their number. (And now we know what Ben McKenzie looks like with one of those owl masks on.) It's a bit of a contrived way to get Gordon to join the Court. I'm still not sure why the secret society wants him or why they trust him, but it makes for a good closing scene, so whatever. I don't watch Gotham for its cohesive plot.

Elsewhere in the episode, things are tense between Barbara and Tabitha. Tabitha is understandably upset that Babs has asked Ed for help, given that he, you know, chopped Tabitha's hand off that one time. I'm into the Barbara/Tabitha dynamic (which is one of the most consistent ones on the show — continuing Gotham's trend of giving the "healthiest" relationships to its villains), but it doesn't make much sense that Barbara would even outsource the question of the Court of Owls to Ed. She's not one to trust anyone when she could do it herself. This was all a bit too contrived.

The never-ending saga that is the quest for a third Hellboy movie has just revealed a huge twist: there's indeed a new film adaptation coming, but it won't be directed by Guillermo del Toro. In fact, it won't take place in the movie universe del Toro crafted at all. This new Hellboy movie will be a reboot directed by Neil Marshall (The Descent), and David Harbour (Stranger Things) is set to star as the titular demon himself. The film will be R-rated.

Hellboy creator Mike Mignola made the announcement on Facebook:

According to THR, neither del Toro nor Ron Perlman, who played Hellboy in the original two films, are involved. It makes sense since just back in February del Toro announced that Hellboy III was not going to happen, seemingly ending the character's big screen efforts for good. 

How far along is the reboot? Well, Millennium, the third studio to tackle a Hellboy movie, is in negotiations with producers Larry Gordon and Lloyd Levin at the moment. The movie alread has a working title, too - Hellboy: Rise of the Blood Queen. The script was penned by Andrew Cosby, Christopher Golden, and Mignola himself.

That working title should raise some eyebrows as it refers to a specific character from the comics. To reveal too much about this character would be a MAJOR spoiler, so all I'll say is that the Queen of Blood is the greatest of all witches in the Hellboy universe. If this reboot is going to follow Mignola's comics closely, Hellboy is about to face quite the adversary.

More on the Hellboy reboot as we learn it!

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Every week, we've been breaking down the Gothameaster eggs that you might have missed, whether it was a Batman reference or something dealing with the wider DC Universe (and we'll do it again when the show returns). This is our episode by episode guide to every DC Comics and Batman reference on Gothamseason 3. 

Watch Gotham Season 3 on Amazon

Let's get started...but beware of spoilers! Click the episode titles to go to full reviews.

Gotham Season 3 Episode 17: The Primal Riddle

- Gotham went full Tim Burton in this episode as clone Bruce Wayne shoves Selena Kyle out of a high rise window. Of course, this scene is an homage to Batman Returns where Max Schreck (played by Christopher Walken) tosses Selina (played by Michelle Pfeiffer) out of an office building. When she hits the ground, the future Catwoman is on the receiving end of some weird ass and inexplicable cat CPR that transforms her into Catwoman.

Of course in Batman Returns, Selina is a mousy secretary not a street smart teen thief but hey, Selina plummeting to her demise was almost a blow by blow of Burton’s Catwoman origin. And really, who the heck thought we’d ever see the cat CPR business again? I mean, it was strange and possibly ill-advised back in the '90s and now Gotham, a show that hasn’t really delved into the supernatural, plays that beat. It was strange in 1992 and it’s strange today.

- Speaking of the original Bat films, Cory Michael Smith really has the bowler hat twist Jim Carrey thing down, huh?

- DC Comics has had many supervillain teams. From the Secret Society of Super Villains to the Legion of Doom to the Secret Six and even the Suicide Squad, DC history is laden with teams of rogues, but there is no comic book precedent for a team consisting of Penguin, Poison Ivy, Firefly, and Mister Freeze. But you know what? I kind of like it and I would totally read a comic starring this rag tag band of freaks.

Gotham Season 3 Episode 16: These Delicate and Dark Obsessions

- Now, this episode of Gotham didn’t specifically state that Bruce Wayne was in Nanda Parbat, but I think we can safely assume that Bruce Wayne was in Nanda Parbat. How nutty is it that the home of Ra’s Al Ghul has played a major role in two on going DC TV narratives? Of course, Oliver Queen visited Nanda Parbat on Arrowand now we get to see Bruce Wayne’s first visit to the mystic home of Ra’s Al Ghul on Gotham.

Oddly enough, the city of Nanda Parbat first appeared in Strange Adventures #205 (1967) in a Deadman story. Nanda Parbat was created by Arnold Drake and Carmine Infantino and yes, Drake also created the original Guardians of the Galaxy. Lots of Arnold Drake getting multi-media love this week. Of course, a Nanda Parbat like city also played a huge role in Batman Begins and now it has become vital to the development of Bruce Wayne into Batman over on Gotham. If that was Nanda Parbat, of course.

- But the question is, does Raymond J. Barry play Ra’s Al Ghul? Barry was called the Shaman, but the training of Bruce Wayne certainly harkens back to Ra’s’ training of Bruce in Batman Begins. Could the Shaman be a seriously in need of a dip in the Lazarus Pit Ra’s? So is Barry an old Al Ghul, is he one of the Demon Head’s decoys, is he Henri Ducard, or is he some kind of opposing force to Ra’s Al Ghul? Time will tell, but this direction is intriguing. Perhaps we will see a young Talia soon as well?

- I don’t think we’ve ever had a real Penguin/Poison Ivy connection in the comics, but man, those two nutbags have an odd chemistry together, huh? I would totally watch a sitcom starring Ivy and Oswald.

- I believe the idea of James Gordon’s father being killed by a drunk driver is a new idea presented in Gotham. Certainly, the idea of the senior Gordon being killed by the Court of Owls is new. But it’s an interesting wrinkle to think that Gordon and Bruce Wayne both lost their fathers at relatively the same ages due to some kind of shadow conspiracy. That certainly makes the bond between the future vigilante and future commissioner much more synergistic.

- Man, how many overweight gunsels are going to betray Penguin? You would have through that good old Oswald would have learned his lesson with Butch.

Hit the next pages for the previous episodes!

Good news, fantasy lovers! MTV's The Shannara Chronicles Season 2 has started production in New Zealand, and has announced a whole bunch of new cast members to join the series.

The Shannara Chronicles Season 2 will pick up a year after the events of Season 1, and finds The Four Lands in chaos, with an organization called The Crimson is intent on hunting down magic users.

Amidst the unrest, Will, still mourning the loss of Amberle and his separation from Eretria, has turned his back on his magical healer destiny. Meanwhile, Bandon has turned super evil and is on a mission to resurrect The Warlock Lord. (No, The Warlock Lord is not a nice guy.)  

Hypable caught up with Ivana Baquero (aka Eretria) recently to talk Shannara Chronicles Season 2. Baquero teased: "I can say that Wil is indeed looking for Eretria. So that’s still happening. And we will discover who the person is that she sees down in the tunnels with the Trolls."

More generally, Baquero said of Season 2's structure: "There’s a lot of new evil and new elements coming up. So rather than being one quest and one story, now there’s a lot of storylines trying to contain this evil that’s trying to take over the world. It’s going to be very interesting."

There's a whole host of new characters this season. As Baquero described it: "We've got new girls, new boys… We got Gentry [White,] Malese [Jow,] Vanessa [Morgan]… Obviously, they're great additions. And it;s great to have new people now that we've lost others. So I don’t necessarily feel like I’m the only female lead. There’s a lot of people involved." 

Here are all of the new characters to look forward to...

According to MTV News, Malese Jow (The Flash, The Vampire Diaries) has joined the Shannara Chronicles Season 2 cast as Mareth, a "volatile and unpredictable" young woman with magical powers who will help Wil find his way back to his friends and escape The Crimson. "Sharp, brash, and independent to a fault," Mareth knows how to get what she wants.

Also joining the cast is Vanessa Morgan (Finding Carter) as Lyria, a young woman romatically linked to Eretria. Nice to see Eretria getting some love, especially amongst all of the danger and mayhem it sounds like we're in for in Season 2.

Speaking to Hypable about the same sex relationship between Erertia and Lyria, Baquero said:

What I love about the show is that [sexuality] is so natural. It's not even a thing. It's normalized and it's great. I think if anything there would be more of an issue if she were to go out with an Elf, because of the elitism and the difference in class ...

It's not something that is frowned upon by anyone. It's what it is. It's been normalized. I think that's great and I hope it reflects the future in a way. Crossed fingers.

Gentry White (UnReal) will play Garet, the "wise-cracking Weapons Master of the Four Lands." Garet is a bounty hunter, "skilled, sly, and charismatic," it sounds like Garet could add some comedic elements to Season 2.

Caaroline Chikezie (Everly) will play Queen Tamlin, "the powerful and cunning ruler of Leah," and the only human kingdom in The Four Lands. Queen Tamlin is a ruthless weapons manufacturer who uses her royal clout to make a political alliance with the elves. Ambitious lady.

Desmond Chiam (Bones) has been added to the Shannara Chronicles cast as General Riga, the leader of the extremist soldier group The Crimson. On a mission to wipe out all magic in the Four Lands, Rigam used to be a top dog in Eventine's army, but has had a major change of heart after watching his people slaughtered in the War of the Races and fighting the Dagda Mor in the War of the Forbidding. This guy does not like magic.

Shannara Chronicles Season 2 Cast

In the first season, The Shannara Chronicles starred Arrow's Manu Bennett, Pan's Labyrinth's Ivana Basquero, The Carrie Diaries' Austin Butler (also know as Thea Queen's DJ assassin boyfriend), and relative newcomer Poppy Drayton. Of course, the fate of Drayton's Amberle was very much in-the-air come the season one finale.

Returning for Season 2 from the original Season 1 cast will be: Austin Butler (Wil), Ivana Baquero (Eretria), Manu Bennett (Allanon), Aaron Jakubenko (Ander) and Marcus Vanco (Bandon).

Speaking to Hypable about her character's arc in Season 2, Baquero said: "I think for Eretria this season is mainly about discovering where she comes from, who she is, who her parents really were, what the tattoo means… There’s a lot of that in this new season."

Will Amberle Be Back in Shannara Chronicles Season 2?

You may have noticed that Drayton's Amberle isn't on that cast list, but we're not ready to give up hope on her character's non-tree-form return just yet...

Speaking to SciFiNow about the possible return of Amberle, Brooks teased:

Yeah, actually, although you might wonder how, and I won’t tell you, but we gave some serious thought to that, and there was a lot of talk about bringing her back out of the tree and so forth, but I said 'No, she’s a tree [laughs], you can’t bring her back, that’s terrible storytelling, you have to find a different way.' So then I told them how they could do it, so we’ll see.

But yeah, I think she’s signed on for another season or so, and she’ll back for that. I know that she probably wishes she’d gotten a different role, because she really liked the series, but her life was finite in that particular storyline.

More recently, Brooks told Just Jared Jr. about a possible Amberle (or at least Poppy Drayton) return:

I will say that once a chosen becomes the ellcrys tree, they are always the tree. You’ll just have to wait and see what happens... 

Brooks also spoke about what season 2 might look like, particularly if the season will pick up where season 1 ends versus jumping ahead to the events of The Wishsong of Shannara...

This is an interesting debate that’s ongoing. When I first saw this I thought, 'Well, we should just move on and do a whole new season that involves the next book and forget about this season.' But of course MTV said, 'Are you crazy? We’re building fan support for these actors, we can’t boot them out of there and bring all-new people in!' And I said, 'Well, they could be the same characters, just the children or whatever…' that didn’t work.

It became clear that they were going to build the story around the actors they have right now, and that was going to be the thrust of the story no matter what. But they are free to remove elements from other books, and I think they will do that. They’ve already been talking about Wishsong and using bits and pieces or large chunks of that storyline and building around the characters they already have, which isn’t too difficult to do. So that’s what they will do. What shows tend to do when adapting books is do the first season and then go off in different directions, so I forsee my duty as being to help them get there in the best way possible.

Shannara Chronicles Season 2 Release Date

MTV has stayed impressively tight-lipped about Shannara Chronicles season 2 of their fantasy drama, but (hopeful) speculation tends to place its release date in summer 2017. Again, though, that's just a guess.

The first season debuted in January 2016, but we are obviously not going to get a January debut for season two. But, hey, at least production has started!

Shannara Chronicles Season 2 Synopsis

MTV also released an official synopsis for the new season of The Shannara Chronicles...

A year after the events of last season, The Four Lands is in chaos. The re-emergence of magic has the populace terrified, and an organization called The Crimson is hunting down magic users, using fear and intimidation to sow discord among the races.

Wil, scarred by the loss of Amberle and his separation from Eretria, has turned his back on his magical destiny to become a healer. But when a mysterious woman named Mareth saves Wil from a Crimson attack, he is forced to rejoin the fight.

After reuniting with Eretria, Wil and Mareth seek out Allanon, only to learn that the Druid’s former protégé, Bandon, is on a mission to resurrect a creature of darkest evil: The Warlock Lord. Together, our heroes must band together to take down The Crimson and prevent Bandon from unleashing an even greater threat upon the Four Lands, before it’s too late.

Shannara Chronicles Season 2 Trailer

As of yet, we have seen no footage from The Shannara Chronicles season two, but we'll be sure to update this page when a teaser or trailer drops.

Deadpool is coming to television… in animated form, anyway. The deadly fourth-wall-wrecking Marvel Comics character played by Ryan Reynolds managed to turn the rules of the blockbuster film industry upside down with an R-rated, low-budget, but supremely lucrative 2016 solo film will soon get an accompanying animated series. However, don’t expect this Marvel tentpole offering to cater to the kiddies.

An untitled Deadpool animated series aimed at adults has been given a straight-to-series order by Fox cable outlet FXX. The series, produced by Marvel Television in association with FX Productions and ABC Signature Studios, will manifest with a 10-episode inaugural season set to debut in 2018. The project has yet to cast any voice actors.

Interestingly, one of the brains behind the animated adaptation is Donald Glover, who created the series with his brother Stephen Glover. Donald, an actor known from his run on NBC sitcom Community and the 2015 box-office smash The Martian, is already working under the Fox television umbrella starring in last fall’s imminently returning FX freshman drama Atlanta, which he created and regularly writes with Stephen. The Glover brothers will serve as showrunners, writers and executive producers on the Deadpool series, joined by additional executive producers in Marvel’s Jeph Loeb and Jim Chory. As an enthusiastic Loeb states:

“How much more fun could this be? Deadpool, Donald and FX – the perfect fit for the Merc with the Mouth. We’re thrilled that our relationship with FX that started with Legion continues with what is sure to be a groundbreaking show in adult animation.”

Indeed, Fox has just started to take advantage of their rights possession to Marvel Comics’ X-Men mythos in the small screen arena with a peak television offering earlier this year in the Dan Stevens-starring Legion and just debuted the teaser trailer for this fall’s mothership network-set mutant ensemble series The Gifted. While 2016’s Deadpool became a $783 million global hit off a (contextually) meager $58 million budget, it was buttressed by its R-rated antics, rife with coarse language and the occasional bit of nudity; something that makes this animated endeavor a surprise. However, with FXX in place as an edgier platform for the raunchy veteran series It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and the animated spy series Archer, it appears that an adult-oriented Deadpool animated series has the perfect prospective home.

While the untitled Deadpool animated series set a loose premiere for 2018, we can probably count on Fox’s desire for IP synergy to see it premiere somewhere around the time that movie sequel Deadpool 2 hits theaters on June 1, 2018.