«Superhero fatigue» is a buzzword that’s consistently thrown around to signal that audiences are fed up with superhero-centric blockbusters. And for a while, it seemed like superhero fatigue was more of a DC issue, as Marvel’s films continued to prosper, even after the release of «Avengers: Endgame.» However, over the last year, the amount of superhero-related content has exploded, creating indifference among audiences.
The DCEU technically hasn’t had a major hit since 2018’s billion-dollar-grossing «Aquaman,» which boasted stellar legs thanks to the holiday season and a $300 million posting from China. The franchise has released back-to-back bombs since then, with three others this year in the form of «Shazam! Fury of the Gods,» «The Flash,» and «Blue Beetle.» But those «Endgame» glory days are over as not even Marvel Studios is safe — they recently suffered a significant loss with «The Marvels,» which rounded out its theatrical run with a $200 million total.
The proof is in the financial pudding: audiences are slowly growing disinterested in superhero-related projects, and «Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom» is the latest causality in this viewership assault. Overexposure is no doubt leading to a lack of financial prosperity — no superhero film has crossed the $1 billion barrier since 2021’s «Spider-Man: No Way Home.» Have audiences become inundated with too much superhero content, both on streaming and in multiplexes? Or is this a bad movie issue?
Jonathan Frakes — who plays William Riker in all the «Star Trek» series and films he appears in — went on to direct one more film starring his fellow «Next Generation» stars with «Star Trek: Insurrection» in 1998. The final film featuring Patrick Stewart, Frakes and the rest of his TV cast came in 2002 with «Star Trek: Nemesis,» directed by Stuart Baird.
Of all the «Star Trek» films Stewart appeared in, the actor holds «Star Trek: First Contact» in the highest regard because of Frakes’ expert direction. The eighth film in the «Star Trek» film franchise, «First Contact» pits Picard and the crew of the USS Enterprise against the malevolent alien race the Borg.
«Beyond his deft handling of the cast, he also demonstrated technical mastery, his camera capturing the intimacy of the film’s emotional scenes without being intrusive,» Stewart wrote in «Making it So.» «‘First Contact’ was also the best-looking ‘Star Trek’ film to date, a tribute to its excellent lighting design and sets, as well as Jonathan’s choices regarding camera movement and color palette.»
In addition to being a full-time actor, Frakes has also assembled a prolific career as a director with nearly 50 credits to date. Among his credits behind the camera are the recent «Star Trek» series «Star Trek: Discovery,» «Star Trek: Picard,» and «Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.»
This may be why No Face is largely ignored by the other workers and patrons who inhabit the bathhouse. Though the wandering spirit may appear as a ghostly figure in «Spirited Away,» he also can transform himself. He shows off this ability more than once, and both times, the situation becomes perilous for the characters of the film.
The reason for this is likely that the solitary creature has been holding feelings of sadness and rejection inside of its empty husk since its inception. Notably, No Face seems to transform only when stressed, and he appears to grow in size based on how upset he is.
The way No Face transforms also offers clues to its desires. When he finally loses control, he eats to make himself bigger, as if demanding that the other «Spirited Away» characters finally pay attention to him. Furthermore, it isn’t until Chihiro listens to him and takes him outside with her that he begins to regurgitate everything that he devoured.
Between the themes of the character, how he is represented, and how he reacts to kindness or rejection, No Face appears to be a sort of embodiment of loneliness and thus is constantly seeking attention. While this eventually culminates in a disaster that nearly consumes the other bathhouse guests, No Face is clearly capable of good and is mainly just someone in need of friendship and understanding.
Historically, Spider-Man and Daredevil’s relationship in Marvel comics has been a solid one over the years, but it’s been tested just as much as that of Tony Stark and Steve Rogers in the MCU. That’s why a street-level showdown between the two, if rumors are to be believed, could be worth a watch before they finally squash whatever beef they might have and hit the rooftops together as our new favorite friendly pair of neighborhood heroes.
Even in the brief time they worked together on «No Way Home,» Tom Holland expressed both his massive respect for his cameo-making co-star, Charlie Cox, and his hope to work with him in the future. Following the release of the Spider-Man threequel, Holland told The Hollywood Reporter, «It was really cool to see him [Cox] snap back into a character that I am really a fan of and that he has a lot of love for, obviously. So it was pretty awesome, and I hope that one day we find a way for Spider-Man and Daredevil to team up again.» Here’s hoping those rumors actually come to pass and that The Man Without Fear and the wall-crawling menace partner up eventually — after butting heads first, like all great heroes do.
Both Yoda’s cameo in «E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial» and E.T.’s species showing up in «The Phantom Menace» birthed some vivid fan theories. In reality, both moments represent George Lucas and Steven Spielberg paying homage to one another’s work, as both filmmakers are famously close friends and colleagues. But while their movies have little to do with one another, expanded media has since created some further connections.
«Cloak of Deception,» the 2001 prequel novel to «The Phantom Menace,» gave an official name to E.T.’s species, dubbing them Asogians. The name originated from the 1985 «E.T.» sequel novel «E.T., the Book of the Green Planet» where it is explained that the alien came from the planet Brodo Asogi, a name that sounds right at home in the realm of «Star Wars.» On top of this, «Deception» also reveals that the Asogians’ lead senator present in «The Phantom Menace» scene is named Greblieps, which is the name «Spielberg» spelled in reverse. The in-universe news agency HoloNet News elaborated on Greblieps’ exploits, explaining that he sent out E.T. on an extra-galactic voyage. He was also arrested by Imperial Intelligence for trying to aid the Jedi at one point.
Since «Star Wars» was acquired by Disney in 2012, this lore has not been considered canon, joining other expanded media material as part of the «Star Wars Legends» brand. Despite this, Greblieps was name-dropped in a 2019 episode of the behind-the-scenes YouTube series «The Star Wars Show.»
MotherDuck has two new hires: Frances Perry (left), engineering manager, and Margaret Lawrence Rosas, head of customer success. (LinkedIn Photos)
Seattle data analytics startup MotherDuck is expanding its nest with two new leadership hires.
Frances Perry has taken the role of engineering manager. She was previously at Google for 16 years, rising to the level of engineering director of Google Compute Engine.
Margaret Lawrence Rosas joins the team as head of customer success. She was formerly vice president of the “Department of Customer Love” at data analytics startup Looker, which Google acquired in 2020. Rosas spent the next three years in director roles at Google and was most recently on a career break.
MotherDuck CEO and cofounder Jordan Tigani, also a former longtime Google employee, called Rosas’ decision to join the startup a “huge honor” and said Perry helped him “get oriented and feel part of the team” at Google.
“After working her way up to the rarefied part of the engineering ladder, [Perry] jumped into building systems with people rather than code,” Tigani said in a post on LinkedIn. “Looking forward to working with her to help develop the idea of management at MotherDuck as a craft, not a tax.”
MotherDuck announced a $52.5 million round in September, bringing total funding to $100 million. The startup launched in April 2022.
Pallavi Sinha, vice president of growth at Humanly. (LinkedIn Photos)
— Pallavi Sinha joined Seattle startup Humanly as vice president of growth. She most recently held leadership roles at Seattle software development firm Mason, and previous employers include Sauce Labs, Reflektive and others.
In a LinkedIn post, Sinha described the current job market in disheartening terms and said she feels lucky and proud to take a role at Humanly, which helps companies automate recruiting.
“Between the ongoing layoff updates and job hunt nightmare stories from extremely skilled colleagues, I was hearing about and feeling more imposter syndrome and job search disillusion than I’ve ever experienced professionally,” Sinha said.
Humanly’s Prem Kumar won CEO of the Year at this year’s GeekWire Awards. The company announced a $12 million round in June, bringing its total funding to nearly $18 million.
— Scott Chancellor is now CEO of Aircall, a New York-based customer communication platform targeting sales and support teams. Chancellor’s past roles include chief product and technology officer for Apptio, a Seattle-area software company acquired by IBM, and a director and general manager at Amazon Web Services. He was most recently CEO of Silicon Valley-based Humu.
— Boeing announced Chris Raymond as CEO of Boeing Global Services and Brian Moran as chief sustainability officer, effective Jan. 1.
Madin Akpo-Esambe. (TVF Photo)
— Madin Akpo-Esambe is now part of the investment team at Tacoma Venture Fund. Akpo-Esambe is co-founder of Trava, an AI-powered travel planning tool and marketplace that helps friends and families create travel itineraries.
The Tacoma Venture Fund launched in 2020 and invests in early-stage startups across the Pacific Northwest, with a particular focus on the Tacoma, Wash., area south of Seattle.
— Next-generation battery materials startup Sila appointed former Intel and General Electric exec Abbey Omokhodion as its new chief financial officer. Sila last month broke ground in Moses Lake, Wash., on its first automotive-scale manufacturing facility. The company is based in California.
— Three former executives of the climate friendly housing technology company Green Canopy NODE — Aaron Fairchild, Andy Wolverton and Susan Fairchild — have left to create Cambia Capital, a sustainability-focused real estate investment firm. Read more.
— Bamcamp partner Jim Sheward joined the board of Seattle startup Strike Graph, which just announced new funding.
— The Washington Research Foundation awarded three-year WRF Postdoctoral Fellowships to 15 early career scientists, its largest ever cohort. The funding begins next year and the researchers will work on projects at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, the University of Washington, Washington State University and Seattle Children’s Research Institute. The full list of awardees is here.
When Tom Holland approached Benedict Cumberbatch about his problem with crying on-screen, the latter revealed that he doesn’t just channel his personal feelings to reflect convincing emotion while filming — he has a full-blown physical method to get the tears flowing.
Holland explained the process behind Cumberbatch’s crying prowess in his Q&A hosted by The Hollywood Reporter. «The technique that he told me was a thing he’s able to do with his diaphragm, which is almost like laughing,» he said. «He would do this thing where he would simulate laughing and breathe really, really quickly so that it brings the emotion to the surface. Then you take it and ride the wave from there.»
According to Holland, Cumberbatch’s technique was a revelation that completely alleviated his struggles with cry-acting. He is now much more «confident» about filming scenes where his character weeps; adapting Cumberbatch’s method changed how he approaches those sequences. «I don’t have to draw on past experiences or personal matters anymore.»
Amber Heard’s legal drama with Johnny Depp raised doubts about her future in the DCEU. Some reports noted that Heard was almost fired from «Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom,» which never happened in the end. However, she said that some people wanted her gone from the film, and it was an uphill battle to retain her role.
Heard claimed that she had to fight to remain in the movie, and her role was seriously diminished every time she received a new iteration of the film’s script. According to the Mera actor, she was originally supposed to have a big fight scene, but it was ultimately removed.
Director James Wan has since responded to Heard’s claims, stating that Mera was never supposed to be a major focus point in «Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.» Wan said that the first film is about Arthur Curry/Aquaman (Jason Momoa) and Mera’s romantic journey, while the sequel is about the titular character’s relationship with Orm. The situation is unclear at the time of this writing, but it seems that Heard hoped for more to do in the movie.
In David Ayer’s 2016 «Suicide Squad» film, the Joker is more of a side character in Harley Quinn’s (Margot Robbie) storyline than a core member of the Suicide Squad team. Nevertheless, portraying arguably the most iconic villain in comic book movie history was something Leto took plenty seriously.
Notoriously, Leto developed a reputation around this time as an on-set terror for sending gross gifts to some of his co-stars — though in 2021, Leto told Entertainment Weekly that rumors of some of the more vile items he supposedly gifted cast members were fabricated. Leto did, however, expose himself to disturbing material in order to better understand his «Suicide Squad» character’s mindset. «There was a point where I was researching violence and was watching a lot of things that… things that it’s arguable if anybody should even see,» he told GQ. «It starts to just get inside of you, violence and some of those things.»
As Ayer states in his tweet about the Ayer Cut, the Joker is effectively a prop in «Suicide Squad,» which is at least a little strange in light of these sorts of comments from Leto. Presumably, then, if the Ayer Cut ever becomes a reality, fans will witness for the first time the fruits of Leto’s purportedly intense preparation for the part.
A woman took to Reddit with the age-old question AITA after taking her niece to court for wrecking a lavish coat with a red paint prank.
As our families are closest to us, they often can hurt us the most; anyone with a sibling can attest to this simple fact. An unnamed woman recently found this out after running into an issue with her sister’s only child.
Credit- Getty/ Catherine McQueen
The paint that broke the coat’s back
The unnamed aunty, 28, married a “very wealthy” man, 34, and spent Christmas with his family for the first time following the pandemic. After telling her mother-in-law how much she adored her coat, she was gifted one of her own as her Christmas prezzie. Said coat is a whopping $20k. She only found out how expensive it was in January when her niece googled the brand.
“I won’t lie, I didn’t wear it after that because I was afraid of ruining it,” she explained on the popular Reddit thread AITA.
But disaster struck after another visit to her sister’s house. Her niece, for some wild reason, thought it was appropriate to prank her aunty.
She explained: “While I was putting it back on to leave, I felt something go splat on my back, then my niece started cackling and the smell of paint hit me. I was so p****d off while she was not apologitic at all. Her mom screamed at her and said she was grounded. Then she said she will pay for the dry cleaning.”
But it doesn’t stop there, as her niece posted it on Instagram alongside the caption: “I’m going to hit my aunt’s $20k coat with a paint filled balloon to see how she reacts.”
The niece took down the post but was in hot water again after her aunty discovered that the coat could not be saved. Rest in peace beautiful coat.
She wanted the money back for the coat
Credit- Unsplash/Solen Feyissa
The original poster continued to explain: “The next day I found out my coat can not be saved, so I called my sister and told her that her daughter has to pay it back.
“Well, we got into an argument and she said that they will not be paying it, and if I wanted a new one, I should get my husband to buy it for me. I think that they should pay for it (they can afford to, IMO they should sell my niece’s car and pay me back my money).”
Because she failed to reach an agreement with her sister, the woman intended to pursue the legal route. As a result, she had some take her side and others take her sister’s.
Reddit shares their thoughts on Coat-gate
Credit- Unsplash/Brett Jordan
While most people agreed with the original poster, there were those that said her sister should not be punished for her daughter’s stupidity.
One person scathed: “OPs sister is also saying that OPs husband can simply buy her another one, yet the coat didn’t even come from him. It was a gift from his mother. NTA OP, if your sister won’t give her daughter proper punishment, you may need to force it.”
Another suggested: “NTA. This is a really good way for your niece to learn that actions have consequences and hopefully will serve her well in the future, when she’s older. And your sister seems to need that lesson too.”
She later offered an update
Credit- Unsplash/Na visky
The original poster took to Reddit once again to offer an update to her legions of supporters. Her husband came to the rescue.
She wrote: “Apparently, my BIL was not in the know, and he was very pissed off at what my niece did, and my sister’s response.
“So they came to this solution: my niece’s car will be sold, and if it doesn’t fetch the whole compensation money, she will have to get a job and pay me the whole check untill it is paid off. Also she is grounded for the rest of the school year.”
Though, as we pointed out above, stories that feature this kind of narrative have always been controversial, they seem to be especially so in the post-#MeToo era. This is because so many of these types of stories from women of all ages feature the same common denominator, and that’s being put in an uncomfortable position by an older authority figure.
However, being that Todd Haynes’ «May December» has been incredibly well-received, «Miller’s Girl» could also end up getting a more positive reaction than these comments suggest. This is even with Jenna Ortega’s Cairo clearly being shown as the aggressor in the first trailer for the film.
Meanwhile, other X users pointed out that these types of stories are worth telling, even if they are somewhat disturbing. «If you think this sounds disgusting, yes, that’s probably the entire point of the movie,» wrote @CapCorgiTTV. «Uncomfortable stories are still worth telling,» they wrote in a follow-up post.
Either way, «Miller’s Girl» will have to contend with these kinds of readings when it is released in 2024. Its depth and quality will likely determine whether it’s seen as worthwhile once all the smoke has finally cleared.
To make matters more uncertain, Snow White’s and Prince Florian’s ages are approximate, not official. Along with providing the ages, «The Art of Walt Disney» describes the princess as a «Janet Gaynor type» and the prince as a «Doug Fairbanks type.» This is confusing for a few reasons, but the primary one is that Fairbanks was born 23 years prior to Gaynor, meaning that the two real-world talents were never the same age at the same time. And the age gap between Fairbanks and Gaynor does nothing to defend Disney against the accusations of creating predatory characters framed as heroes.
On one hand, neither Snow White’s nor Prince Florian’s age is ever discussed in «Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,» so viewers may apply their own headcanons if they so choose. On the other, Disney’s got a track record. Across the board, Disney’s prince characters, like Prince Eric (Christopher Daniel Barnes), the Beast (Robby Benson), and Flynn Rider (Zachary Levi), are all supposedly older than their romantic counterparts. Exact ages differ from various accounts, but the consensus remains the same.
But Disney doesn’t seem too bothered by it. «Snow White» was released almost a century ago; there’s even a live-action «Snow White» remake in the works. If the studio really wanted to clear the air, it would have done so by now.
Follow-up: Zulily lays off more employees as website and app remain offline
Zulily’s website was “down for maintenance” Monday in the latest sign of the retailer’s collapse.
Zulily.com redirects to Zuliy.com/password and features a bare webpage with just “Zulily” and the phrase “We are down for maintenance.”
It’s unclear if the website is temporarily down or if it’s down for good.
The online retailer earlier this month planned to shut down three offices, including its Seattle headquarters, and lay off more than 800 people in total. The company later announced a “going-out-of-business” sale.
Last week the Seattle-based online retailer surprised some employees, notifying them via email that they were getting laid off effective immediately. Filings with state employment offices previously indicated that the layoffs would begin Feb. 7 of next year.
Also last week, the Zulily credit card was no longer being accepted for purchases as Zulily’s online store, according to Synchrony Bank.
Zulily, a one-time pillar of Seattle’s tech scene that was valued at more than $7 billion in 2014, is in the midst of a stunning downfall following Regent’s acquisition of the company from QVC parent Qurate in May.
The company went through at least two rounds of layoffs since then and moved into a smaller headquarters building in Seattle. Vendors who sell to Zulily started reporting unpaid invoices after the acquisition.
GeekWire reported on two lawsuits filed against Zulily by a logistics company and a software development consultancy in recent months, both alleging unpaid invoices.
Zulily last week filed suit against Amazon, alleging that the e-commerce giant’s tactics made it impossible to compete on price without jeopardizing its relationships with key suppliers. Regent is not mentioned in the lawsuit.
We’ve contacted Regent for comment on the latest notices. The firm has not responded to multiple emails from GeekWire about developments at Zulily over the past several months.
Regent has acquired more than 30 businesses since 2015, including consumer retail and apparel brands.
Perhaps the funniest part of this whole ordeal — considering that the spider clearly wasn’t poisonous and that Sydney Sweeney lived to tell the tale — is that she was specifically bitten by a spider. See, the actress’ next high-profile project is the Sony film «Madame Web,» in which Dakota Johnson stars as Cassandra Webb, a medical worker who turns into a psychic superhero. Sweeney co-stars as Julia Carpenter in the movie, who later does become Spider-Woman — a fact that the crew of «Anyone But You» unknowingly guessed correctly while making a joke.
During the «Tonight Show» interview, Jimmy Fallon produced a real report from the romantic comedy’s on-set medic, which simply read, «First aid — Sydney Sweeney (Cast Department) bitten by spider, now Spider-Woman.» This would be hilarious enough if they even knew she’d been cast in «Madame Web,» but according to Sweeney, that information wasn’t even public yet. «At that time, they had no idea about ‘Madame Web,’» Sweeney revealed. «They had no idea. So I saw that and I said, ‘Oooooh!’»
John Cena’s post has no caption, but as his Instagram bio states, «These images will be posted without explanation, for your interpretation. Enjoy.» Admittedly, Cena does have a lot of random photos on his Instagram that don’t seem to mean anything, such as a picture of latte art or Taylor Swift performing. It may just be the actor having a bit of fun at fans’ expense, or there could be hidden messages in everything — with Marvel fans always opting to believe the latter.
X user @royalzealots offers a variation on the «John Cena as Cable» theory: «There’s a new rumor that Cena will play a variant [of Cable] for the movie … and John Cena just posted a pic of Deadpool on his IG.» With a Time Variance Authority agent spotted in leaked set photos, it’s clear that «Deadpool 3» will explore the multiverse. Bringing back Cable would make sense from a story perspective, and if the project can’t get Brolin back, Cena would make an outstanding backup.
Of course, people can really get into the weeds with Marvel fan theories, and the ones about Cena’s «Deadpool 3» are no different. It’s worth noting that Cena recently posted a picture of Taylor Swift, who’s also been rumored to join the «Deadpool 3» cast as the mutant Dazzler. Perhaps Cena will play Longshot, who’s been romantically linked with Dazzler in Marvel Comics. Granted, that’s a bit of a stretch. You may even say it’s a … long shot.
Seattle artist Andy Arkley’s interactive installation “You Can Do Most Anything” at WNDR Museum in Seattle in March. (GeekWire Photo / Kurt Schlosser)
WNDR Museum, an interactive, tech-infused art experience near the waterfront in downtown Seattle, has ceased operations eight months after opening.
A statement about the abrupt closure is posted on the WNDR website, but it doesn’t provide a reason for the decision. It was also posted as an Instagram story four days ago. A public relations rep for the museum had nothing additional to share when contacted by GeekWire.
“While we’ve enjoyed welcoming Seattle to experience the joy of WNDR Museum this year, we’ve made the difficult decision to close the doors of our Seattle location effective immediately,” the statement reads. “We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience. We’ve loved our time in the Emerald City and hope our paths cross again in the future!”
WNDR opened in March at the corner of Alaskan Way and Marion Street, in a 13,000-square-foot space in the Maritime Building, which previously sat in the shadow of the Alaskan Way Viaduct.
A mural by Seattle artist Stevie Shao between the gift shop and cafe at WNDR in Seattle. (GeekWire Photo / Kurt Schlosser)
The museum, started by a Chicago-based collective of creators working at the intersection of tech and art, featured an array of immersive, multi-sensory experiences showcasing a mix of video, audio, interactive and AI-generated artwork. There was also a cafe and gift shop. It’s unknown how many people the museum employed.
David Allen, a creative director with WNDR, previously told GeekWire that the museum was attracted to what he called a “beautiful” art scene in Seattle. There was some hope that WNDR might help attract more visitors to a downtown rattled by the pandemic. Increased arts and culture options are often listed as potential drivers to get more people to visit Seattle’s urban core.
Earlier this month, WNDR was promoting a Dec. 7 event called “Fresh Fest Seattle,” as a celebration in honor of the 50th anniversary of hip-hop with live DJ sets, live art and lettering stations, break-dancing, beatboxing battles and more.
The museum website now only features links to its locations in Chicago, Boston and San Diego. An email link to share questions or concerns about the Seattle closure featured a misspelling in the address on Monday morning. GeekWire has reached out to [email protected] and will update this story if we hear back.
At this current junction, concrete plot details regarding «Deadpool 3» are nonexistent. For now, fans of the MCU should treat @CanWeGotSomeToast’s rumor as hypothetical. The synopsis itself is vague and doesn’t spoil any potential major moments. Previous rumors have also suggested that Deadpool recruits Wolverine for a mission to save the world, though it’s unclear what that mission actually is. If the rumored synopsis is true, then it means that Wolverine fans are in for a treat with «Deadpool 3.» As for Deadpool’s potential stint as a used car salesman? Fans will just have to wait and see.
Director Shawn Levy has previously labeled «Deadpool 3» as a «two-hander,» explaining to Collider that the film is equally dependent on Wolverine as it is on Deadpool. «So the story, the tone, the movie itself leans into that gift of having Deadpool and Wolverine co-starring in a movie for the first time,» Levy said. For Wolverine’s hardcore fanbase, this is definitely good news, as it confirms that the mutant won’t just have a glorified cameo in his upcoming MCU debut.
And while we don’t know much about how Deadpool and Wolverine team up as of now, a number of set photos from «Deadpool 3» have leaked, and based on the images, fans can likely glean potential plot details.
The fan-made concept video for Quentin Tarantino’s «Star Wars» is an intriguing idea, filled with references and nods to the writer-director’s unique storytelling quirks. The «Star Wars» pitch ends with Samuel L. Jackson’s narrator discussing how all three «timelines» or chapters would collide by the end, leaving it up to the viewer to imagine what the film’s third act would look like.
What makes the video particularly intriguing is how it reinterprets the «Star Wars: A New Hope» template in a way that only the Oscar winner could pull off. From turning the meek Luke Skywalker into a vengeful, kung-fu-proficient Jedi, to making Emperor Palpatine a film buff obsessed with watching «Tatooine Westerns on 35MM,» the video does an excellent job of channeling Tarantino’s vibe. Take note of the visuals too — the AI-created video is filled with unique takes on familiar «Star Wars» aesthetics. For example, the anxious C-3PO is depicted as a bad-ass droid with a gun.
Unfortunately, it’s all but unlikely that Tarantino will direct a «Star Wars» film, as he has his eyes set on «The Movie Critic,» which is reportedly set to be his tenth and final film. While concrete plot details regarding the film are minimal, it’s definitely not going to be a sci-fi flick, which is no doubt a disappointment to «Star Wars» fans. And per the comments, it’s clear that fans of the creative want to see him tackle the billion-dollar-grossing sci-fi franchise. «Somebody please make this happen and pay Quentin Tarantino, whatever his prices to do it!!!» wrote YouTube user @TheRTM.
Every few years, the internet remembers just how delightfully bonkers the Japanese «Spider-Man» television series is. Yes, it’s an adaptation of Marvel’s most popular superhero, but only in name. During the show’s 41-episode run, the hero mans towering mechs — an arachnid-themed humanoid robot named Leopardon, no seriously — and battles literal Kaiju, just like Reddit mentioned. If that doesn’t sound like a major deviation, know that Takuya Yamashiro gets his spider powers from the last surviving member of an intelligent species from Planet Spider and that his super suit is contained within a fancy bangle. Stan Lee adored Toei Company’s version of Spider-Man, by the way.
Before Sony released «Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse» and brought the concept of Spider-Man variants to the forefront of public consciousness, Japanese Spider-Man might have felt more bizarre, more out of place, but Spider-Ham (John Mulaney) and Spiders-Man (google at your own risk) are commonplace names among movie-going Marvel fans, now. The idea of a Spider-Man who acts like a Power Ranger isn’t that abnormal. But the idea of a Spider-Man who just watches when a person willingly plummets to their death? That’s still weird, that’s still questionable, and that’s still worthy of some light internet bullying as a treat.
