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In the Star Wars comic «Dark Droids» #5, Ajax Sigma destroys Scourge Prime with one mighty strike to the chest and releases countless droids from its grasp. However, it quickly becomes apparent that the imposing core of the droid hive mind hasn’t been killed in the traditional sense. Before stabbing Scourge Prime, Sigma’s sword is colored black and gold, though this changes once the deed is done. With Scourge Prime dead, Sigma’s energy sword takes on a purple hue, but what does this mean? Thankfully, fans aren’t left in the dark on this matter.

It’s important to note that one of the forces behind the Scourge’s existence is an artificial intelligence known as the Spark Eternal. It was created by a cult known as the Ascendant during their war against the Sith Order. It appears that when Sigma impales Scourge Prime with his energy sword, the Spark Eternal transfers to the weapon, changing the blade’s color. Lightsabers haven’t ever displayed such an ability to harbor sentient AI beings, further lending credence to the idea that Sigma’s weapon of choice is more powerful.

Hopefully, regardless of the format, the story of Ajax Sigma and his astounding energy sword continues, and Star Wars fans can learn more about them.

Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) is one of the most villainous figures in all of Roman history. The iconic baddie became emperor as a youngster (he wasn’t even 20 years old), and his youth and immaturity led to a string of increasingly erratic and unhealthy decisions. His sister, Lucilla (Connie Nielsen), does plot against him in real life, and once she’s caught, the betrayed royal has his sibling executed. (We’ll see how Ridley Scott handles that detail in «Gladiator 2» now that his Commodus is dead.)

The historical Commodus’ reign is categorically horrendous, and Scott’s story admittedly does a good job of portraying that fact. However, the tyrannical ruler’s cinematic story starts incorrectly with his patricidal acts, and it ends with historical inaccuracies, too. That’s right — the real Commodus wasn’t killed in the arena shortly after becoming emperor.

To be clear, he did fight in the arena, even though this was considered a debased and embarrassing action in Roman culture and something an emperor should never do. But he didn’t die there. Instead, Cassius Dio explains that many years later (more on the length of his reign in a bit), Commodus was killed on New Year’s Eve. Where? In the bathtub. After a failed attempt to poison the off-the-rails ruler, a group of conspirators sent an athlete named Narcissus in to strangle Commodus while he bathed.

While still dramatic, Commodus’ real death doesn’t fit into the «Gladiator» story as neatly as one might hope. Even if you swap Maximus in for Narcissus, a scene where Russell Crowe strangles Joaquin Phoenix in the tub would hardly have been as compelling as a death in the Colosseum in front of the hordes of Rome.

Younger versions of well-known characters are visited during «The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes,» but one fan favorite that is noticeably missing is Effie Trinket, the very fashionable escort for the District 12 tributes played by Elizabeth Banks. She first appears in «The Hunger Games,» announcing the names of the tributes, including Primrose Everdeen before Katniss intervenes, famously volunteering as tribute. While she hails from the Capitol, she does become an ally to Katniss, joining her in the Second Rebellion.

Witnessing her origin story would be nothing short of a visual spectacle for fashion fans as such a tale would more than likely include an evolution of her style as viewers learn how she stepped into the role of escort. If Trinket were to be revisited, Elizabeth Banks has said that she would interested in stepping back into the character’s glamorous shoes. She told MTV in 2015, «She’s one of those iconic characters. You know, along with everyone in ‘The Hunger Games.’ … They’re all characters, I think, so well written and so well done on the screen, and if people want more, I’m definitely up for it. I just love Effie, so I would do it. Sure.»

Even if Harry’s grandparents were alive when the story began in earnest, only Mr. and Mrs. Evans would have fallen within the realm of Dumbledore’s spellwork. The reason that Harry stays with the Dursleys, rather than with literally anyone else, is because Petunia Dursley (Fiona Shaw) is related to him by his mother’s blood. In «Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,» Dumbledore explains to Harry how he is protected under their roof by an ancient magic that Lily triggered when she sacrificed herself to protect him from Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes).

«While you can still call home the place where your mother’s blood dwells, there you cannot be touched or harmed by Voldemort. He shed her blood, but it lives on in you and her sister. Her blood became your refuge,» Dumbledore says. «You need return there only once a year, but as long as you can still call it home, there he cannot hurt you. Your aunt knows this … She knows that allowing you houseroom may well have kept you alive for the past fifteen years.»

Dumbledore’s spell, the death of Harry’s grandparents, and the bald-faced villainy of the Dursleys make up J.K. Rowling’s one-two-three-hit combo that ensures her protagonist is isolated and sympathetic, even if it does gloss over reality. It is statistically improbable that every other person who shares some blood connection to Lily is dead, and even more so that everyone related to James is dead, too. However, Muggles didn’t have social media in the 1990s to keep in touch with their loved ones, and the magical community tends to obey Dumbledore’s every whim. As such, Harry’s extended family being dead is a tragically cleaner way to justify the narrative.

One of the more iconic moments of «Raiders of the Lost Ark» is undoubtedly when Indiana Jones proves that a gun can outduel a sword any day. However, Indy was originally supposed to use another one of his trademark weapons in this bout. During an AMA session on Reddit, Harrison Ford talked about how this scene changed due to him being sick on the day of the filming. «It was meant to be the ultimate duel between sword and whip,» said Ford, «I was suffering from dysentery [and], really, found it inconvenient to be out of my trailer for more than 10 minutes at a time.»

With the proposed fight likely taking multiple days to shoot, Ford suggested to director Steven Spielberg that he just shoot the swordsman, and the rest is history. «He flourished his sword, I pulled out my gun and shot him, and then we went back to England,» said Ford. While the original idea of Indy using his whip to take out not just one, but a bunch of blade-wielding baddies sounds awesome, what we got is much more fitting to Indy’s style. More importantly, the slick gunshot from Indy grew to become an iconic piece of his legacy and defines why he’s such a beloved figure in cinema.

Despite his disappointing experience with «The New Mutants,» Jon Hamm still wants to find a home within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Speaking to Screen Rant in late 2023, the former «Mad Men» star discussed how he’d still love to bring one of Marvel’s characters to life. «Hopefully, whatever their plans are, they include me,» Hamm said. «But if not, I know that they have a pretty deep bench of folks that are ready to be a part of those stories.»

Hamm already has ideas about who he’d like to portray and has name-dropped one big bad in particular who regularly causes major issues in the comics. «There are certainly a lot of stories in the ‘X-Men’ world to be told. ‘Fantastic Four’ as well, [like] Doctor Doom,» Hamm said. «There are so many great things out there. But yeah, I hope I get a chance. Who knows?»

The ruler of Latveria hasn’t yet been scheduled to arrive in the MCU, and Kang is still expected to try and conquer the universe in future films despite Jonathan Majors being dropped from the role. In fact, one of the first names rumored to be Majors’ replacement is «The Color Purple» star Colman Domingo, who, like Hamm, has expressed interest in being a villain before. If that slot gets filled as the Marvel Studios ship steadies itself once again, Hamm would be an excellent choice for Mr. Sinister, Doom, or, frankly, anyone who needs to look good in a cape or suit.

Harve Bennett was no stranger to making «Star Trek» features by the time «Star Trek V: The Final Frontier» came along since he joined the film franchise as a producer on 1982’s «Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.» Despite shepherding three «Star Trek» movies before «Star Trek V,» Bennett found his experience no match for the clout William Shatner earned as the star of the classic TV-turned-film series. As such, the storyline — where Spock’s (Leonard Nimoy) Vulcan half-brother, Sybok (Laurence Luckebill), takes hostages in a ploy to use the Enterprise in his search for God — stayed intact.

«He wanted to do it, so after much aggravation, I said, ‘All right, we’re going to go find God, but we’re going to make it the best trip we possibly can!’» Bennett told Star Trek Explorer. He thought the film, which was Shatner’s feature directorial debut, was a good trip but not a strong «Star Trek» story. «It was doomed by its premise,» Bennett said. «I learned long ago, if it ain’t in the premise, it ain’t there, but Bill felt if we worked hard enough and dazzled them with enough stuff, we could do it, and I don’t think we pulled that off … I think a faulty premise results in a flawed picture.»

Despite a solid tally for «Star Trek V» at the worldwide box office — it earned $70.2 million against a $30 million budget — it wasn’t enough for Shatner to return to the director’s chair for the next «Star Trek» film. Instead, 1991’s «Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country» was directed by Nicholas Meyer.

The Tin Man from the film version of «The Wizard of Oz» doesn’t go into graphic detail about how he lost his flesh and bones, but it isn’t smooth sailing for him, either. The character was riddled with issues when the film was made more than 85 years ago. Actor Buddy Ebsen was originally cast for the role, but the pure aluminum dust in his silver makeup landed him in the hospital — breathing with the assistance of an oxygen tent — for weeks. Even after the makeup artists changed their approach to applying silver makeup to reduce their odds of poisoning actors, Ebsen’s replacement Jack Haley still developed a serious eye infection from the makeup.

In addition, the oil used to loosen up the Tin Man’s stiff joints was actually chocolate. In the book «The Wizardry of Oz,» Haley explained, «The oil Ray Bolger squirted at me, to loosen up my joints, was not oil but chocolate syrup. They squirted chocolate in my face, because the oil wouldn’t photograph right, but chocolate will.»  

The heavy makeup caused one other casualty. While they were stars of a major Hollywood production, the actors who played Tin Man, Scarecrow, and Cowardly Lion were ultimately forbidden to eat meals inside MGM’s commissary with the rest of the cast. The «ban» came after other diners complained that the adhesives left on their faces after they removed what they could of their costumes looked like hanging globs of mucus. In a 1939 interview, Bolger admitted they were «too much of a sight» so the trio ate in a little room off the studio lot.

After feeling like she was never good enough due to constant rejection as an actress, Taylor Dooley met Justin Cassotta who, seemingly at first, fell head over heels for her exactly as she was. Despite a 11-year age gap between the two (Dooley was 19, Cassotta 30), they tied the knot in 2016 and welcomed two children. However, the relationship was mentally and emotionally abusive for Dooley, who shared on «Vulnerable» that she was often gaslighted by Cassotta.

Whenever Dooley tried to tell Cassotta that he couldn’t yell at her, he made her question her mental sanity. «I’d go, ‘Well, I’m not crazy, this actually happened.’ He’d go, ‘No, I didn’t say that. You took it that way because you have issues,’ and I’d go, ‘Oh, okay,’» Dooley said, adding that all of this felt normal because of what she went through in the business as a kid.

Things began to change after Dooley became a mother, as she worried how Cassotta would be around the kids. Dooley suggested they attend therapy, but her husband wasn’t having it. «He said, ‘You’re crazy and everything you’re saying is a lie and I’m leaving.’» It was a difficult time for Dooley, who still thought that they could make it work. Yet after some time, she realized how abusive her relationship truly was, and that a divorce in 2021 was for the best.

The December 2023 release of «Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom» served as the final flick in the DCEU. Now, all eyes are on the James Gunn-directed «Superman: Legacy,» which is set to formally launch an interconnected universe in 2025. With the so-called «Snyderverse» over, it seems like fans can now (bitterly) say goodbye to the prospect of a director’s cut of «Suicide Squad.» The film’s theatrical cut emerged as a box office success, grossing over $745 million worldwide in 2016, when the momentum for the DC franchise was at an all-time high. Despite stellar box office receipts, the movie was maligned by critics and fans alike, with significant criticism hurled at the film’s choppy editing, loose narrative, and over-indulgent use of pop songs. 

Since that version’s release, Ayer has publicly discussed how his iteration was drastically different. Some notable differences include more of Jared Leto’s Joker and a radically different tone, which was less reliant on comedy. A 2016 report from The Hollywood Reporter, released days before the film’s release, revealed that Warner Bros. had several competing cuts of «Suicide Squad,» taking the final cut privilege away from Ayer. 

Because of the response that «Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice» received, Warner Bros. was insistent that «Suicide Squad» feature a lighter, more crowd-pleasing tone that ultimately didn’t work out. The studio event went ahead and commissioned a cut of the film edited by Trailer Park, the folks who edited the film’s trailer. 

Since they became fair game for Marvel Studios to use, the X-Men have slowly been brought into the MCU fold. Versions of such iconic mutants as Professor Charles Xavier (Sir Patrick Stewart), the aforementioned Beast, Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), and Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) from across the Multiverse are now in the MCU, but fans have yet to see a proper X-Men movie. It stands to reason that the team and its corner of the Marvel Universe will receive a proper MCU feature soon. If it were to be offered up to her, DaCosta knows one major story element she’d like to cover.

During an appearance on Jake’s Takes, DaCosta discussed one of her ideal cinematic X-Men stories. «I really like Scott Summers and Storm together and their dynamic fighting over who should lead the X-Men, like in the Chris Claremont run,» she said. The director sees a lot of potential in a Cyclops and Storm team-up film at the movies, which would be a refreshing change of pace from 20th Century Fox’s Professor X and Wolverine-heavy «X-Men» saga.

Hopefully, someday, DaCosta will get the opportunity to bring her friendly Cyclops and Storm rivalry to the big screen under the Marvel Studios banner, expanding on her work with the X-Men in «The Marvels.»

Perhaps the biggest reason Leonard Nimoy refused «Star Trek: Generations» was that he could not get Paramount Pictures to agree to get a rewrite of the script. According to «Generations» producer Rick Berman, who started his work on the «Star Trek» franchise with the project, Nimoy was unhappy with the film’s script from the get-go. Recalling his work on the film, Berman said Paramount head Sherry Lansing told him to get Nimoy to direct the film. However, any bid for further work on the existing script was a non-starter.

«It had gone through a lot of rewrites and the studio loved it and they basically felt it was a shooting script,» Berman said in «The Fifty-Year Mission.» «When Leonard read it, he said, ‘This needs a page-one rewrite.’ I told him that that was not the way we were planning to do this and that’s not the way it was scheduled, and we parted ways.» The film was eventually directed by David Carson, whose work included four episodes of «Star Trek: The Next Generation.»

Berman admitted that, in retrospect, he wished he had done things differently and Nimoy should have had a chance to do something with the script. «I was not experienced enough to actually know that,» the producer said. «If he had suggested that he wanted to work on the script it would have been one thing, but he kind of had a page-one rewrite sort of attitude.»

Although he didn’t get to direct «Generations» or tweak its script, Nimoy had a chance to pass Spock’s torch to fellow actor Zachary Quinto in director J.J. Abrams’ «Star Trek» reboot in 2009.

In addition to movies, many books have entered the public domain beyond «The House at Pooh Corner.» One such example is «Lady Chatterley’s Lover» by D.H. Lawrence, which tells a scandalous tale of an upper-class woman beginning an affair with a lower-class man after her husband sustains an injury. The book was even banned in the United States after publication due to obscenity, but it’s remained in the cultural zeitgeist, even receiving a Netflix adaptation in 2022 starring Emma Corrin, best known for playing Princess Diana on «The Crown.»

Other books that now fall in the public domain include «All Quiet on the Western Front» by Erich Maria Remarque, «Dark Princess» by W.E.B. Du Bois, and «Orlando» by Virginia Woolf.» That last work is of particular note, as it tells the story of a nobleman spanning several centuries who one day awakens to discover he is now a woman and must learn to navigate the world with new gender roles and expectations. As society at large starts unraveling what gender truly means in the modern day, «Orlando» feels more essential than ever before. Now that it’s in the public domain, the book is easier for people to read it and, hopefully, get something valuable from it.

In «The Trial of Dagobah,» Yoda goes on a hunting trip on Dagobah after running low on food in his hovel. Upon his arrival at the valley where he hunts, the narrator mentions that Yoda won’t use his lightsaber for such a simple task and doesn’t even have it on him. «In any case,» we’re then told, «he resolved long ago he would never wield another lightsaber. As part of his penance. For the hubris that led to the fall of his order. For the blindness that led to his exile. For the shame of knowing that the consequences of that failure even now continue to plague the galaxy. No, he will not swing a Jedi’s lambent blade again.»

It’s a pretty brutal moment. Clearly, Yoda is still living with immense guilt, even nearly two decades after the rise of the Empire (the comic takes place on the same day Luke Skywalker lands on Dagobah). On his way home, he falls into a pit and is pinned down by rubble. «Oh, Yoda. Foolish you are,» he thinks to himself. «If had a lightsaber you did, cut yourself out of this predicament you could.» In this moment, though, he doesn’t give into despair, ultimately realizing that his shame and grief have held him back from the Force. «A true Jedi is never in need of a lightsaber,» the narrator says as Yoda calls on the power around him to escape. «Not when the Force is his ally.»

The feud between David Prowse and George Lucas can be traced back to the original Star Wars movie. During filming, Prowse delivered all of Darth Vader’s lines himself. In a 2016 interview with Film Fad, he admitted that he knew his dialogue would have to be dubbed over due to the constraints of the costume, but he assumed he would be the one to do it. Instead, Lucas chose to cast James Earl Jones, which Prowse attributed to the studio not wanting to pay to fly him out to America for recording.

There are many stories of Prowse and Lucas colliding after the first film was released. The actor mentioned the possibility of Darth Vader being Luke Skywalker’s father at a 1978 fan event, which took place before a script for «The Empire Strikes Back» had been properly written. Prowse later claimed it was simply speculation, but rumors hold that Lucas was very upset at the suggestion. Perhaps not coincidentally, Prowse didn’t show his face in «Return of the Jedi» in the scene where Luke removes Vader’s helmet. Instead, Sebastian Shaw portrayed the dying Anakin Skywalker. In an interview with Rockcellar Magazine, Prowse said this was because Shaw was a friend of Alec Guinness and needed work at the time, so the casting was essentially a favor. Still, some have theorized that Lucas had more vindictive intentions.

Despite transitioning from supporting roles to leading roles in the late 2000s with a string of successful films including «The Hangover» and «The A-Team,» Bradley Cooper still loves a good cameo, and «10 Cloverfield Lane» is just the tip of the iceberg. In 2015, Cooper briefly appeared in four episodes of «Limitless,» the follow-up TV series to his 2011 film of the same name.

But while the argument can be made that his involvement was necessary to connect those two projects, there’s less justification and more delight surrounding his cameo in Paramount Pictures’ «Dungeons and Dragons.» The 2023 fantasy adventure film sees Cooper transform into Marlamin, a halfling with a golden heart and a fondness for women twice his size. According to co-director Jon Francis Daley, he landed the A-lister in much the same way that J. J. Abrams did: by working well with him on a prior project.

«I did a show [in 2005] called «Kitchen Confidential» with Bradley that only lasted 13 episodes. We had so much fun on that show because the stakes were so low,» Daley told Variety. «[For ‘Dungeons and Dragons,] I sent him a letter saying like, ‘It’d be fun to play again.’ He had just seen the film. He called it a triumph … and he was like, ‘I’m on board. Sign me up.’» The moral of the story? Work with Bradley Cooper, become his friend, and he just might cameo in your future projects.

Confronted with the deleted «Star Trek Into Darkness» scene during an interview on «Conan» later that same year, Benedict Cumberbatch shared that he had spent quite a bit of time sculpting his physique before stepping into the on-set shower but clarified that he was not upset after J.J. Abrams informed him that it had been taken out due to a lack of cohesion. «I thought, ‘Oh, well, never mind.’ A lot of chicken I ate and a lot of other things and just a hell of a lot of working out, and that’s gone, but that’s fine. That’s how you roll when you’re doing movies,» he said.

The actor then suggested he felt slightly mortified when he first heard whisperings about Abrams’ May 2013 interview, relating, «Somebody said, ‘Do you know you’ve just been on Conan and you’ve been half naked in the shower scene?’ So I watched it, and I was like, ‘Damn it. Damn it. The man’s just sort of thrown me out there, under the bus.’» The host then had Cumberbatch watch the edited scene, making the actor appear uncomfortable.