From the pulpy world of comics and graphic novels …

Spider-Man will be swinging into the streaming world via Disney+ this week in the UK but not in the US.

The ‘Ms. Marvel’ we’re getting on Disney+ is a bit different from the Ms. Marvel we’ve come to know in the comics. Polygon breaks it all down.  That difference makes itself known in the very first episode of the streaming series and sets up a potentially interesting conflict with Damage Control.

Add to that hints that Kamala’s power origins may run deeper (and on a much more personal level) than she originally thought seem to be setting this series up to be much more than viewers have been expecting. And that’s a good thing.

Marvel mysteries seem to be presenting themselves all over the place. Whether it’s a lingering question fans have about AVENGERS: ENDGAME or why no one seems to be able to make a decent Fantastic Four movie, it seems no one ever wants to give a straight answer.

That annoying habit includes THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER director, Taika Waititi, who was asked about making a fifth Thor film and responded this way …

“I haven’t thought about it as part of a new trilogy, because every time I make a film, I think, ‘I’m never doing that again…’ because they’re just too hard. There’s any film and I’ve done it eight times now. Eight times I’ve said, ‘I think I’m just going to pack it in. I had a good run.’ And then sure enough get lured back in with a Yankee dollar. Lured back in by them cookies… and them Oscars.”

That’s understandable, I suppose. Making movies is hard work and asking about a plan for another one while the director is on a press tour promoting the opening of the one he just finished seems more like poor timing than anything else.

The big news coming out of DC and Warner Bros. over the last few days is the announcement that the sequel to Todd Phillips’s film, THE JOKER will be a musical starring Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga. Fan reaction has been … mixed (that’s putting it nicely), although I’m all-in on the idea.

Of course, a big production number at Arkham Asylum would be amazing – but what are the chances? Den of Geek shares a list of musicals they think could influence the tone of THE JOKER sequel.

We’ve seen him dance in the first movie, but do we think Phoenix’s Arthur Fleck could pull this off?  Hit it, Fred …

And as if The Joker isn’t a weird enough character, we’re just a few clicks away from watching BATMAN: AZTECA on HBO Max.

Just for fun, check out these fifteen “bonkers” stories from behind the scenes of BATMAN RETURNS (directed by Tim Burton).

Tired of comic book movies? Here’s a list from Slashfilm of six superhero shows that are not like your typical superhero shows.

Look for these conversations on the PGS Facebook Page …

Imagination Connoisseur, Jason Engel, asks if Star Wars fans actually enjoy a majority of Star Wars or if they just have a few things they like and complain about everything else? Of the dozens of comments posted to the thread, several complain about Star Wars. What do you think?

On a related note, long-time PGS member, Darren Silva asks why people call him a hater when he expresses his desire that Disney and LucasFilm do better than the Star Wars programs they’re currently producing.  Is Darren wrong?

Getting off the Star Wars bandwagon (or waaaaahmbulance, depending on how you feel about the franchise at the moment), Imagination Connoisseur, Sean Zink, shared a trailer for DARK CITY and proclaimed it an under-rated sci-fi classic.  Add your voice to the conversation.

Don’t know anything about the movie? Never fear, here’s the trailer …

Questions abound about why Warner Bros. isn’t being more proactive on the Ezra Miller situation. Imagination Connoisseur, Joshua Craig, poses a grim hypothetical situation and several other members weigh in with their thoughts.  What do you think Warner Bros. ought to do?

Imagination Connoisseur, David Crabtree, takes some delight in posting a link to an article by a film critic complaining about the way TOP GUN: MAVERICK “embraces” toxic masculinity. There are several interesting perspectives shared and more than enough exhibitions of near-toxic masculinity by posters who feel compelled to make fun of the reviewer.

PRO TIP: calling a movie reviewer a snowflake doesn’t make your argument any more convincing, even if you think his review is off-base. Thoughts?

PGS Member, Alan Shore, shares his theory that Wayne Knight’s character in JURASSIC PARK is actually the hero of the entire franchise.

Crazy you say? Tell that to the assembled masses who are following the post.

Meme of the Day

I’ve been following his career for years and never knew this …

Boldly going into animation where Star Trek hasn’t been in a long, long time …

There’s a lot of fan interest in reviving cherished, OG Trek in the style of ST:TAS (Star Trek: The Animated Series). That original show, which ran on Saturday mornings in the 70s was produced by Filmation and was (at least in my opinion) terribly low-budget/low-quality when you consider the voice talent and the scripts provided.

That being said, there is a kind of nostalgic charm to it, which is why (I suppose), we’ve seen so many fans produce their own Star Trek animated episodes …

• Star Trek: The Next Generation (The Animated Series)
• Star Trek: Voyager (The Animated Series)
• Star Trek: The Paradise Makers (Part 1)
• “The Quintain” – an animated Star Trek Fan Film
• The Starship Farragut Special (full length fan film)
• An entirely new animated Star Trek series (all fan films) consisting of 14 videos

And finally, there’s this “Behind the Scenes” piece from Gazelle Automations explaining how they made the ST:TNG animated short.

Taking a closer look at the future of the STAR WARS universe …

Director Taika Waititi says his Star Wars feature film project will be something “original” – and judging by his work with Thor, he may accomplish it. The A.V. Club has the details, including how LucasFilm boss Kathleen Kennedy personally selected Waititi to “create a whole new saga” for the flagging franchise.

That sounds good because genre entertainment websites like Den of Geek are starting to hone in on the “nostalgia problem” facing Star Wars.

“Look, I think for the Star Wars universe to expand, it has to expand,” Waititi said. “I don’t think that I’m any use in the Star Wars universe making a film where everyone’s like, ‘Oh great, well that’s the blueprints to the Millennium Falcon, ah that’s Chewbacca’s grandmother.’ That all stands alone, that’s great, though I would like to take something new and create some new characters and just expand the world, otherwise it feels like it’s a very small story.”

In fact, the entire Star Wars franchise seems tangled up in a mess of its own creation – and that includes the Obi-Wan Kenobi series currently streaming on Disney+.  This article in Inverse quotes Matthew Belloni with his concise explanation of what’s wrong …

“Lucasfilm has failed to maintain Star Wars as a healthy film franchise, so it has ‘pivoted’ to TV shows on Disney+. That’s partly because streaming is the company’s priority right now, but it’s also because the creative development team has not been able to determine a path forward for the movies. Obi-Wan is a perfect example. It’s pretty clear this would have been a better 2-hour movie, but for whatever reason, Lucasfilm didn’t feel it was quite ready for that treatment, so we get a limited series that feels stretched to fit the format. It’s a bummer.”

Will Patty Jenkins’s STAR WARS: ROGUE SQUADRON or Waititi’s untitled project turn the tide? Who knows. As of now, Obi-Wan is trying to push boundaries (the latest episode earned a warning by showing violence toward children) and now may be exhibited as an in-theater feature (a one-time marathon showing in Toronto, per Collider).

Meanwhile, the shit show that is ‘The Book of Boba Fett’ will be back for a second season – but this time, Boba wants to get his old groove back. Actor Temuera Morrison appears to be responding to fan criticism about the first season of the show and has expressed his interest in seeing his character get “back to his badass ways.”

I guess if anyone can do it, Aquaman’s dad should be able to. Good luck with that, Termuera.

Look for these conversations on the PGS Facebook Page …

A lot of PGS members are questioning the wisdom of the planned sequel to THE JOKER being a musical. Imagination Connoisseur, Mike Flynn, says it’s a “Hard Pass” for him – but how much do we really know about the planned film and how much music is going to be in it? Is proclaiming a hard pass a bit premature? What do you think?

Imagination Connoisseur, Chris Wriglesworth, thinks Gina Carano would make a good Diana in a re-boot of the sci-fi show, ‘V’ but not all members of the PGS agree. What do you think?

Should Idris Elba be the next James Bond? Imagination Connoisseur Mitchell Hodack posted a link to this story on cbr.com and a lot of PGS members joined the conversation. Lend your voice.

What do you think about the relationship that’s developed between Princess Leia and Obi-Wan Kenobi on the latest Star Wars show to hit Disney+? Imagination Connoisseur, S’wak Props, thinks it’s forced and attempts to diminish the relationship that eventually emerges between Obi-Wan and Luke in Episode IV: A NEW HOPE. What do you think?

Imagination Connoisseur Sean Zink and lots of others are showing no love for Luc Besson’s VALERIAN. Fair or not? Let us know what you think.

Meme of the Day

Given the news about the sequel to THE JOKER, there’s been significant interest shown by others …

Odds and ends (some odds are odder than others) …

This September, June returns to HULU and brings the entire cast of A HANDMAID’S TALE with her for a fifth season. It looks as if “cutting the head off the snake” wasn’t a winning strategy for the American ex-patriots trying to bring down Gilead.

Lana Condor stars as a high school senior who’s FOMO takes on a whole new dimension when she finds out she’s a ghost in ‘Boo, Bitch.’ The comedy series will run on Netflix, you’ll find the trailer below.

So, I’m pretty sure “ghost babies” aren’t a thing.

Justin Lin found work after exiting FAST X (of the Fast and the Furious franchise). As it turns out, he will be directing a movie version of One-Punch Man for SONY.

And as long as we’re talking about unexpected comic book movie news, who’s ready for a musical featuring The Joker and Harly Quinn?  Word is Todd Phillips will be directing and he’s got Lady Gaga joining Joaquin Phoenix in the sequel to the highly successful JOKER which was released in 2019. (raises hand)

Haven’t had enough of creepy teenagers on Netflix? Well when the Tim Burton-helmed ‘Addams Family’ makes their debut, they’ll be introducing Jenna Ortega as the new version of Wednesday Addams.  Not sure what to think? Well, she’s already received a thumbs up from Christina Ricci, so consider the torch passed.

Filed under “We’re not dead yet …”

JURASSIC WORLD: DOMINION has a monstrous opening weekend box office, raking in $143.4. Well, “raking” might be a bit of an exaggeration – have you seen how little the forearms are on a T-Rex? The real question people have, though, is: ‘Does JURASSIC WORLD: DOMINION have staying power to rule the box office for a second week?’ We’ll see.

And, believe it or not, a good review for JW:D from The Mercury News.

From our friends at Vought Industries …

Social media for THE BOYS is off-the-hook hilarious. Their social media account is trolling everyone: Obi-Wan, and now, the less-than-steller re-release of MORBIUS.

In the real world, even “behind the scene” production stories are chock-full of awesomeness, like this one about the big fight scene featured in episode 4 of this season (spoilers in the story).

So it’s good news for us to hear that THE BOYS has been approved for another season of shenanigans on Amazon Prime.

And from within the MCU Multi-verse …

Luke Cage might get re-booted now that the Netflix contract with Marvel has run its course. But how will that play against a possible Daredevil series (that might be an adaptation of the Shadowland storyline)? That’s anyone’s guess.

How tough could this decision be? Oscar Isaac is now “on the record” saying deciding to play Moon Knight was “mental torment.” Really?

Spider-Man will be swinging back into theaters during the Labor Day holiday with a new version of SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME (this time, with more “fun stuff”). To me, this sounds like they’re just going to play the new Blu-Ray and all the special features and charge you what you would have paid for the Blu-Ray in the first place, but let you sit in the theater and just watch it once.

Eat your heart out, MORBIUS. LOL!

Press for THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER is ramping up as he assembles “The Revengers” to take on Gorr the God Butcher. The film comes out in July and tickets are on sale now.

In other Spidey News – the producers of SPIDER-MAN: BEYOND THE SPIDER-VERSE have introduced us to the big bad in their Spider-Adventure. Meet The Spot. The villain will be voiced by Jason Schwartzman and promises to be “Miles Morales’s most formidable foe yet.”

Personally, I’m waiting for a DC/MCU crossover of The Spot vs Polka-Dot Man.

On Spotify.

Our Meme of the Day …