WARNING: Do not listen to this episode unless you have seen the 2023 Disney/Marvel Studios' Film “The Marvels” or do not mind hearing key plot points. The Marvels is the latest entry to the wide-ranging Marvel Cinematic Universe. It is the 33rd overall film. It is a sequel to 2019's Captain Marvel. It stars Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, and Iman Vellani. and Samuel L. Jackson, and is part of Phase Five of the MCU. This movie draws from storylines first introduced in the Disney+ series Wandavision...
Nov 16, 2023•1 hr 6 min
As this podcast is released, news broke that the SAG-AFTRA strike was over. A tentative agreement was reached on Wednesday, November 8th, and already Hollywood projects (including superhero ones) are being immediately restarted. The State of Marvel Studios is in flux. Recently reports that a summit meeting of Marvel executives took place where they discussed many challenges the studio faces. One is the saga of Jonathan Majors, who is charged with domestic abuse. Majors plays Kang the Conqueror, ...
Nov 09, 2023•52 min
This month on the podcast (November '23) is concentrated on Marvel, namely the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The MCU has been a centerpiece of superhero pop culture since Iron Man debuted in 2008. Recent reports have suggested the Marvel is in a slump, and there is something called superhero fatigue. Still, Marvel's history has had its share of ups and downs. To understand where Marvel is going, it's key to understand where it's been. Tara Bennett is an author and reporter. In 2021, she and co-auth...
Nov 02, 2023•58 min
WARNING: Do not listen to this episode unless you have seen the 2023 WBD/DC Comics animated movie “Justice League: Warworld” or do not mind hearing key plot points. Justice League: Warworld is the latest entry into the group of DC Universe animated direct-to-video releases. It is the 7th movie in the universe that has become known as the “Tomorrow-Verse,” named after the initial film Superman: Man of Tomorrow. The film is written by Ernie Altbacker, Jeremy Adams, and Josie Campbell and directed ...
Oct 26, 2023•51 min
Longtime voice actor Julie Nathanson recently joined Riot Games' League of Legends as “Briar,” the latest champion. That became Nathanson's 100th voiceover credit. Nathanson's credits span the realms of video games, animated films and television, and even some live-action roles in her early days in the industry. Including the aforementioned League of Legends/“Briar” role, Nathanson's video game credits are spotlighted by her recently-released NPC companion Marika Boros in Bethesda Game Studios' ...
Oct 19, 2023•56 min
On October 12, 2023 (the day of this episode's release), the final six episodes of the DC Comics/MAX series Doom Patrol will premiere. Two of the show's stars are in this episode. Jovian Wade plays Victor Stone/Cyborg and April Bowlby plays Rita Farr/Elasti-Woman. They both appeared at the Garden State Comics Fest on June 24, 2023. This episode was recorded there. Wade is a British Actor who has been on the BBC shows Big School and EastEnders, before landing the role of Cyborg. Bowlby is from Ca...
Oct 12, 2023•35 min
WARNING: Do not listen to this episode unless you have seen the 2023 Lucasfilm/Disney+ Star Wars series “Ashoka” or do not mind hearing key plot points. Ashoka is an 8-episode series that just finished premiering on Disney+. It stars Rosario Dawson as Ashoka Tano, former Padawan of Anakin Skywalker. Her character was introduced in the animated series “The Clone Wars.” Her character was also featured in “Rebels.” Recently, Dawson began her portrayal in live action during The Mandalorian and The B...
Oct 05, 2023•1 hr 2 min
This episode reflects on the news that the Writer's Guild of America settled its strike against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). The WGA announced they were thrilled with the resolution. The main issues were streaming residuals, AI integration, and higher wages. The actor's union, SAG-AFTRA remains on strike with negotiations scheduled as of the release of this podcast. Rahul Telang is Trustees professor of Information systems at the Heinz College at Carnegie Mell...
Sep 28, 2023•51 min
WARNING: Do not listen to this episode unless you have seen the 2023 WBD/DC Comics animated series “My Adventures with Superman” or do not mind hearing key plot points. My Adventures with Superman debuted in 2023 on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim and aired on the streaming app MAX. The 10-episode first season recently completed its run. Josie Campbell was a co-producer and writer on the show, and she returns for her second appearance on the podcast (Episode 317). In this episode, Campbell explains...
Sep 21, 2023•1 hr 4 min
David Hayter is a noted actor and voice actor who is known for many anime roles. He is the English-language voice actor for Solid Snake and Naked Snake in the Metal Gear video game series. He also voiced Captain America in the 1990s Spider-Man: The Animated Series. Recently, Hayter voiced King Shark in the CW DC TV Show “The Flash.” Hayter is also a noted screenwriter. He wrote the original X-Men movie from the year 2000. He also wrote X2: X-Men United. In 2009, he wrote Watchmen, directed by Za...
Sep 14, 2023•29 min
In the 1980s, Jim Shooter was editor-in-chief at Marvel Comics for nine years. During his run as editor, Marvel produced Chris Claremont and John Byrne's run on the Uncanny X-Men, Byrne's work on Fantastic Four, Frank Miller's series of Daredevil stories, Walt Simonson's crafting of Norse mythology with the Marvel Universe in Thor, and Roger Stern's runs on both Avengers and The Amazing Spider-Man. He wrote the iconic Marvel event Secret Wars which was tied into a toyline. Secret Wars led to the...
Sep 07, 2023•36 min
For nearly a decade, Gorf managed a team of writers, artists, and creators on the Batman franchise for DC Comics, producing more than 2000 stories in multiple mediums. Gorf is known for conceiving and creating iconic Batman stories such as Batman: No Man's Land and Birds Of Prey. Those stories have since been adapted to TV Shows (Gotham, Birds of Prey) feature films (The Dark Knight Rises, Birds of Prey), and countless others. In this episode, Gorfinkel explains his ascension in the DC Comics ra...
Aug 31, 2023•1 hr 4 min
WARNING: Do not listen to this episode unless you have seen the 2023 WBD/DC Release of "Blue Beetle” or do not mind hearing key plot points. Blue Beetle was a film that was originally supposed to be released exclusively on the streaming app HBO Max. After Batgirl was canceled, the decision was made by Warner Bros. Discovery to release Blue Beetle in theaters. It stars Xolo Maridueña as Jaime Reyes/Blue Beetle. It also stars Adriana Barraza, Damián Alcázar, Elpidia Carrillo, Bruna Marquezine, Rao...
Aug 24, 2023•1 hr 4 min
Since the beginning of this podcast, the original seven cast members of the iconic Justice League animated series have been welcomed to the show. Maria Canals-Berrera is the 6th member of the Justice League cast to join the podcast. Previous guests include George Newbern (Superman), Kevin Conroy (Batman), Phil LaMarr (Green Lantern), Susan Eisenberg (Wonder Woman), and Michael Rosenbaum (The Flash). Only Martian Manhunter/J'Onn J'Onnz has not been on the show… yet. Canals-Berrera is an accomplis...
Aug 17, 2023•30 min
Kenneth Lui was a visual effects artist on such films as Doctor Strange, Captain America: Civil War, Batman V Superman, Ant-Man, Guardians of the Galaxy, Dr. Strange, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, Iron Man 3, and countless others. He recently released his first independent directorial feature entitled “Artists in Agony.” The Award-winning filmmaker calls Artists in Agony a crime comedy, which can currently be seen on Tubi and available on Demand at other digital retailers. In this episode, L...
Aug 10, 2023•47 min
The last time Paul Sun-Hyung Lee was on the podcast, the conversation focused on Star Wars and Lee's role as Carson Teva in both The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett. This time, the focus is on the show that made Lee a star. After already establishing his stage and screen career, Lee grew to international fame when the hit CBC show Kim's Convenience debuted on Netflix. Lee played Appa on this hilarious sitcom. The show had a great impact on his life, and lead to his Star Wars connections. J...
Aug 03, 2023•41 min
WARNING: Do not listen to this episode unless you have seen the 2023 Disney/Marvel Studios' Series "Secret Invasion” or do not mind hearing key plot points. Secret Invasion is the latest installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It stars Samuel L. Jackson reprises his role as Nick Fury. Ben Mendelsohn reprises his role as Talos. Other returning Marvel characters are James Rhodes (Don Cheadle), Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders), and Everett Ross (Martin Freeman). The story involves a group of reneg...
Jul 27, 2023•51 min
Loren Lester is an American actor with more than 45 years of stage and screen credits. He has appeared in over 200 TV shows and films. He starred in 1992's Batman-The Animated Series as Dick Grayson/Robin. He played Grayson again when the series advanced into The New Batman Adventures as Nightwing. He later reprised the role in 2017's Batman and Harley Quinn animated film. Lester has appeared in over 200 episodes of series including Curb Your Enthusiasm, Parenthood, Desperate Housewives, The Fac...
Jul 20, 2023•31 min
This episode continues from Episode 338 and focuses on every Batman film. This episode covers the Dark Knight Trilogy, Ben Affleck's run on Batman, the Joker movie, and The Batman, starring Robert Pattinson. Michael Uslan has been the Executive Producer of every Batman film since 1989's Batman through today. His appearance in Episode 338 covered his acquisition of the Batman rights to the making of the 1989 Tim Burton Batman film through Batman Returns, Batman Forever, and Batman & Robin. In...
Jul 13, 2023•1 hr 26 min
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse has been a huge hit in 2023. Mike Lasker worked on the first film, Into the Spider-Verse and is the Visual Effects Supervisor for the sequel. He came on the podcast in Episode 219 to talk about Into the Spider-Verse. Here, he discusses the massive undertaking to be the Visual Effects Supervisor for Across the Spider-Verse, such a dense and detailed film. In this episode, Lasker discusses all the characters in the film, and how they all not only had different l...
Jul 06, 2023•1 hr 17 min
The story of this special guest is so incredible he must tell it to believe it. Michael Uslan worked for DC Comics in the 1970s. In 1979, he and his business partner bought the film and TV rights to Batman with the intent of making a "dark" Batman movie. Previously, the only movie that had been made was the 1966 film based on the Adam West TV show. Still, Uslan has been the Executive Producer of every Batman film since 1989's Batman through 2022's The Batman. That includes the Tim Burton movies,...
Jun 29, 2023•1 hr 19 min
WARNING: Do not listen to this episode unless you have seen the 2023 WBD/DC Release of "The Flash” or do not mind hearing key plot points. The Flash is the highly anticipated installment of the DC Extended Universe. It stars Ezra Miller as Barry Allen/The Flash. Both Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton play a form of Bruce Wayne/Batman. In this loose adaptation of the classic Flashpoint storyline, Barry goes back in time to try and save his mother, who was killed when Barry was a child. Instead, he w...
Jun 22, 2023•50 min
WARNING: Do not listen to this episode unless you have seen the 2023 Paramount/Hasbro Release "Transformers: Rise of the Beasts” or do not mind hearing key plot points. Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is the 7th live-action film in the Transformers series, based on the toy line and animated series. It is technically a standalone sequel to Bumblebee (2018) and a prequel to 2007's Transformers. Anthony Brucale is the official Transformers insider for the Hall of Justice and owner of the Transform...
Jun 15, 2023•1 hr 4 min
WARNING: Do not listen to this episode unless you have seen the 2023 Sony/Marvel Release "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” or do not mind hearing key plot points. Across the Spider-Verse is the sequel to the 2018 film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. It features Miles Morales and Gwen Stacy from the first film, which takes place 16 years later. Miles encounters a new villain, the Spot, and is brought back into the multiverse by Miguel, known as Spider-Man 2099. Gwen is on another earth, an...
Jun 08, 2023•1 hr
Since the superhero genre's explosion into the pop culture landscape, there are more genre shows and films than ever before. Brian R. Solomon traced the origins of the genre in his new book "Super Heroes! The History of a Pop-Culture Phenomenon, From Ant-Man to Zorro." In this book, Solomon explores the characters but also the rise in superhero media in every decade since the 1930s. He covers the George Reeves Superman TV show to Adam West Batman, to Lou Ferrigno's The Incredible Hulk, and much ...
Jun 01, 2023•1 hr 15 min
WARNING: Do not listen to this episode unless you have seen the 2023 CW Series Finale of "The Flash” or do not mind hearing key plot points. On May 24, 2023, The Flash aired its final episode. The series ran for 9 seasons and consisted of 184 episodes. Grant Gustin starred as Barry Allen, a man who was struck by lightning and developed super speed. The Flash is a spin-off of Arrow, and it had crossovers that created the Arrowverse. Over the course of the series, there are over 15 episodes of the...
May 25, 2023•51 min
Meghan Fitzmartin returns to the podcast for her second appearance 99 episodes after her first (Episode 233). She is an award-winning writer who has written for TV, animation, and comics. She was recently nominated for a GLAAD award for Outstanding Comic Book for Tim Drake: Robin. That particular story arc is where Tim Drake comes out as bisexual. She is also the writer of a new Warner Bros. Animation movie Justice League X RWBY: Super Heroes & Huntsmen, Part 1. The movie ties into the Ameri...
May 18, 2023•51 min
WARNING: Do not listen to this episode unless you have seen the 2023 Disney/Marvel Studios' Release "Guardians of the Galaxy, Volume 3” or do not mind hearing key plot points. This is the 3rd Guardians of the Galaxy movie directed by James Gunn. This movie is part of Phase Five of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The story follows events from the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special which aired on Disney+ in December 2022. Gunn finished this project before becoming one of the Co-Chairman and CO...
May 11, 2023•56 min
Kayla Compton stars as Allegra Garcia in The CW's hit series “The Flash.” Allegra is an up-and-coming journalist who fell in with a bad crowd and was incarcerated at a young age. But since her release, she's helped Barry Allen as a member of Team Flash, thanks to her metahuman ability to manipulate the electromagnetic spectrum. Compton joined the show in Season 6. The show is winding down with its final episodes. Compton will make her TV directorial debut with the 11th episode of Season 9, set t...
May 04, 2023•31 min
WARNING: Warning: Do not listen to this episode unless you have seen the 2023 Disney+ Release "Star Wars: The Mandalorian” Season Three or do not mind hearing key plot points. The popular Mandalorian series returned to Disney+ in March of 2023. This series follows the events of The Book of Boba Fett, which contained key plots in the Mandalorian story, such as Grogu training with Luke Skywalker and ultimately deciding to return to Din Djarin. The series begins with Din having to redeem himself in...
Apr 27, 2023•1 hr 6 min
