Julius

The text stream I was reading earlier during the panel said that Ezra Miller arrived in a costume, but not something that the journalist recognised (he reckoned it was anime). I then thought about how similar Miller looks to Ryosuke Yamada in-costume as Edward Elric of Fullmetal Alchemist (Brotherhood), who he will portray in the live-action film later this year, and well...

Another trailer for Thor: Ragnarok is expected to drop in the early hours of the morning (at least on this side of the Atlantic puddle), as is a "first official" trailer for Black Panther. An update on the state of Brie Larson's take on Captain Marvel could also be on the cards, albeit likely only in the form of some concept art and some other tidbits. Thor: Ragnarok poster for SDCC; Black Panther poster for SDCC;

It reminds me a lot of this... I agree that that trailer was a lot better than the first, especially in terms of the tone being married to the score, there was a good synergy throughout. Shame they had to spell out that Supes is returning, though...everyone already knows that after how BvS ended, so I didn't really get the need for that. I'm still undecided on Flash - and I didn't watch the TV series - and I'm not too sure how to respond to your Superman talk; on one hand, I would argue that we only saw him in action at his most challenging and darkest of times, but then again, it shouldn't be on the audience to imagine him being this beacon that they refer to. Whatever happened to "show don't tell"? Also, loved the nods to the Green Lantern Corps and The Penguin, I feel like the DCEU is now starting to naturally push these things in.

New poster for Justice League They've just confirmed a slew of new films with logos during their SDCC panel (which I shall post when they become available): SHAZAM, SUICIDE SQUAD 2, THE BATMAN, JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK, FLASHPOINT, WONDER WOMAN 2, GREEN LANTERN CORPS, and BATGIRL. By far and away, I think it goes without saying, FLASHPOINT is by far the biggest and most important for this cinematic universe's future (and that of the role of Batman). Considering the order in which the films were unveiled, it seems like he'll be around for THE BATMAN before potentially being replaced after the events of FLASHPOINT. Comic-Con sneak peek of Justice League;

First trailer for Ready Player One;

100% agree, he's my favourite live-action version of Bruce Wayne and the most brutal Batman in film to date (though I disagree with just how brutal he was...); rumours lead me to believe that these problems are much more to do with a matter of confidence - having family issues for the last few years as well as his first critically polarising film in Live By Night - more than anything else.

Rumours of Ben Affleck's unhappiness over at Warner Bros. regarding matters unknown at this time, with the actor rumoured to want out of the Batman role, have been ongoing for around nine months now, and it seems like they've come to a head now [from The Hollywood Reporter] Affleck has also recently dropped out of Netflix project Triple Frontier, so I hope he can work it out as that guy is one heck of a talented dude, both on- and off-screen. As for the future of the DCEU, this could mean anything, from some Flashpoint-esque ending to Justice League to the Nightwing film being made and ending with him stepping up to the plate as Batman.

I had heard this, so I'll have to try to catch up (if I can find the time to do so) at some point. The show dropped off the radar almost completely for me when it became 100% apparent that it wouldn't ever play into the MCU in a major way (see: the way it went about setting up Age Of Ultron), and the thought of the tie-ins kept me pretty much hooked (in all fairness, this is probably due to the rift between Perlmutter and Feige more than anything else). I'd be more than happy to be surprised if this were the case! I doubt it would happen considering the rift between the MCU film and television honchos, but I do have to wonder if we'll get a nod to Doctor Strange at some point (with him being the original leader of the group back in the 70's comics iirc) during the series.

Honestly, I've pretty much stopped watching the MCU shows at this point, as the shifts in quality - even in the Netflix shows, in my opinion - are all over the place: Agents of Shield got nowhere very fast after a somewhat interesting first season; Jessica Jones never really did it for me; Luke Cage was enjoyable; Iron Fist was dreadful imo; and I still contend that Daredevil S1 is the best any of these shows have ever been, whilst S2 was a not-as-good, but an enjoyable, follow-up. I never really got into Agent Carter, either... I'll be honest, I'm somewhat concerned about the state of the MCU's TV presence; it hasn't lived up to its promise at all, in my opinion, which amazes me considering that comic books are arguably a better fit for a TV show than a movie, and yet I find that I'd much rather rewatch any of the MCU movies - even Iron Man 3 - than commit to watching one of these shows after how hit-and-miss they've turned out to be. At the very best, I hope that The Defenders is good, and I have zero expectations for Inhumans.

The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that Shazam! will be the next DCEU film in the running, with principal photography set to begin in early 2018, with a release date of 2019 seeming likely. This news comes with Justice League still in post-production and Aquaman in principal photography (the former is due for release November 17th 2017, the latter December 21st 2018), and goes against recent reports that Warner Bros. were awaiting the response of Justice League before commencing with any plans beyond 2018. It's been known for years now that Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson will be portraying the titular character's arch nemesis Black Adam, but the roles of Shazam and Billy Batson have yet to be cast; with principal photography roughly six months away, don't be surprised if we seen both roles officially cast at San Diego Comic Con this weekend.

I'm still undecided on how I would prefer for them to deal with Carrie's passing in the films; whilst a sacrifice would give some fans closure, others might find it as glorifying the character's death just for the sake of it, and I'm 100% against the idea of stand-ins - it bothers me that so much of Hollywood thought someone like Meryl Streep would step in - and they've already stated that the latter and CGI are not something they plan on doing. Another thing worth mentioning, I think, is that whilst a sacrifice (such as staying aboard a cruiser to fight off the First Order whilst our heroes escape) might appease more casual Star Wars fans, it will be difficult to come up with a sacrifice that the more hardcore fan base hasn't already seen in the other new canon works. I also think shoehorning something in at the end of VIII or beginning of IX could be taken as disrespectful by some of the fans, especially if it includes sacrifice, as it would then appear to be an afterthought. I'm not against her dying of natural causes, though, whether we see it on-screen or not. Carrie was taken away so suddenly, and I feel like it could be an interesting part of the plot, as well as allowing in-universe characters, the fans, and those involved some closure over her sudden passing if Leia passed this way too. It completely depends on how VIII closes if they choose to do this, though: if Rey/Luke are captured then perhaps we follow them at the start of IX and, upon their return, find out about Leia's passing; perhaps before a final stand against the First Order are characters realise they have a moment to grieve, which they haven't had for months/years after being on the run and do so accordingly; or, seeing as we don't yet know about how Kylo/Ben views his mother, if he is to be redeemed, learning of her passing could be more than enough to turn him (I personally don't vouch for him being redeemed, but I think it would be interesting to see the conflict this would pose for him). Whatever they do, I'd rather they not change anything in terms of film content when it comes to VIII - credits are another matter, though, and Leia's Theme, Luke and Leia and Han Solo and The Princess after the start of the finale would be perfect, in my opinion - as the film was already months into post-production before Carrie's untimely passing, and unless dealing with it now in VIII can somehow elevate the film - which I have my doubts about - then I feel it would be wrong to overshadow what has been said to be Carrie's greatest performance as Leia with an abrupt death; waiting until IX to deal with this gives them more time to figure things out and doesn't mean they rush head first into a polarising decision. EDIT: also, just wanted to say that I have nothing but complete faith in Colin Trevorrow (the writer and director for IX), Kathleen Kennedy (President of Lucasfilm) and the Star Wars Story Group in finding a solution to this. I've said it elsewhere on the Internet, but I'm sure it's been much harder on them, having actually personally known her themselves, then us fans - as connected as we are to Leia - and that's why I have no doubt that their solution will be nothing but completely respectful to both the great character and actress that we lost.

Do you mean the TIE/sk x1 AKA the TIE Striker? Personally don't recall a "TIE Silencer" in any of my ventures into the new canon up to this point.

Kylo Ren's new ship has been revealed; as someone avoiding certain sites now, I personally don't mind seeing this as I have no doubt that it'll be used in marketing and have a LEGO set before the film is released, but I will spoiler tag it regardless.

Well, I mean, it can't be ignored that it's still representative of the service which comes next year, so, though I think it's a step too far to be screaming that it's doomed, I think there is a valid reason for concern, perhaps especially because Switch production has been ramped up in the last few months quite considerably. If I were a casual gamer/parent and saw the state of Switch Online this Christmas (paid for or not, and regardless of the knowledge that a more complete version is coming next year) the same as it is now, if searching for a new console and hadn't already picked up the PS4 or XBO, my opinion would be short and simple: the other basic models of rival consoles are cheaper and already have a huge catalogue of games, as well as a complete online infrastructure, I'll just buy a Switch next year - and purchase the XBO/PS4 now. I think we often forget that we're all avid gamers who keep our ears close to the ground for such news. Do we really think that the casual potential Switch customer is going to figure out the current service is incomplete compared to the more complete one due for launch next year? Of all the major and exclusive Switch games to launch this year, I'd argue that Splatoon 2 is the one most dependent on a strong online infrastructure. Sure, I could use Skype/Discord, etc., but should I really find myself searching for an alternative to Nintendo's own app/service?

I disagree with the notion that anything was "stolen", especially given the negative connotation that comes with that word. As someone who's been a fan since before I could even remember being a fan, and as someone who enjoys the prequels for what they are, all I wanted from The Force Awakens was for the movie-going audience at large to welcome Star Wars back lovingly; instead, I got that and much more, with TFA raising way more questions than it cared to answer, perhaps more so than any other film in the franchise to date. I'm willing to admit that some plot points are clearly derivative of some of those found in A New Hope (there's no denying that), but to summarise a film by generalising it as ripping off another film in the same franchise seems harsh, and means, I feel, that some will not praise TFA's strengths, such as the characters and world-building. Also, I'd actually liken the ending of The Force Awakens more so to that of Revenge of the Sith than Return of the Jedi: the arrival of a main character at a secluded location offering up something/someone as a symbol of hope for the galaxy at large, as well as the use of Luke Skywalker's theme in both as the entry point to the finale.

Try the 30-year gap between ROTJ and TFA, from everything in the new canon that I've read and seen, which is quite a lot, it seems it was fairly quiet. To be clear, though, it was the Cosmic Force, not the Living, that awoke in TFA, and it more than likely didn't just awake in Rey. Also, to be clear, the Force didn't "awake" in Luke as it did in Rey; his potential to use it was always there, unblocked, vouched for by his flying prowess, which isn't just made evident in his destroying of the first Death Star. I'm also tired of people saying TFA was a rip-off of ANH, and not because I don't agree there's an overlap in story, but because it nods directly at so much more in the realm of Star Wars films than simply that film alone. You're entitled to your own opinion, and I'll respect it, of course, but I think it's worth mentioning that those aren't red cloaks, but rather they've been filtered that way.

Watched this this morning as part of a double-hitter with Wonder Woman (I made sure it was the of the two because I've been left bitterly disappointed by DC too much in the last 18 months or so). I'll be honest, I was beginning to worry about next year's Infinity War simply because it's been a while since I've felt an MCU entry was sub-par (Iron Man 3 in 2013 is probably the most recent, in my opinion) before going to see this film...which I absolutely love. Like how I felt when I walked out of Civil War, I know I now have to watch this a few times more this summer to get a good idea for where I'd rank it in the upper echelons of the MCU. Right now, though, it feels like it lies somewhere between an 8 and a 10, and it feels like it's in my top five. Tom Holland is perfectly cast as Peter Parker, and I love the direction they've taken him in. Spider-Man is so relatable because everyone can claim to have grown up with him, whether it be in video games, comic books, films or TV shows, and I feel like this film - and it's depiction of the character - manages to somehow cater to them all; as for Michael Keaton's Vulture, I think we've just witnessed our first memorable MCU villain since the introduction of Thanos at the end of The Avengers (who is only really memorable because we know that he's the character that this is all building up to), and he was extremely menacing and intense, which juxtaposed with the comedy of this movie to great effect. And, pardon me if I'm wrong, but I feel like Robert Downey Jr. has really stepped up since Iron Man 3, with his performances as Stark seemingly getting better with every film since. Jacob Batalon also deserves a mention, I feel, as he is the entry point for the audience into Parker's crazy life, and pulls it off with great aplomb (and plenty of laughs). @Daft, I totally get where you're coming from with some of your points (and of course respect them), but just wanted to respond (and perhaps clear a few things up too); Oh, and though I think he sort of cheated, I think it's worth mentioning that Michael Giacchino might have just written and composed the first memorable main theme in a score in the MCU to date.

Finally managed to carve out the time to watch this film this morning, and I think it's a flick which sits in its own No Man's Land between being a good and a great film. This film is very clearly much stronger than Batman Vs. Superman and Suicide Squad, and I think subsequent viewings should clear the waters for me on whether or not it's the best film in the DCEU, but I'm glad that it's a return to form for Warner Bros. amidst the DCEU being somewhat of a problem child for them up to this point. As @Fierce_LiNk pointed out, this film has a great flow to it, and it also pays great respect to the era it is depicting, as well as also presenting a lot of problems of the world back then - and some that are still around today, in some cases - in a fair and even manner. Man Of Steel is another film I'd place within this No Man's Land between being good and great, and I think the key difference between these two films and the other DCEU stuff are the timeless ideologies and lessons presented; Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman et al are set up as these classical mythological characters and I think these are the films that have best translated the ideas that come along with that. The cinematography, especially a certain shot in a forest, was also great, as has been the case in every DCEU film to date (bar, perhaps, Suicide Squad). I also did not see the main villain reveal coming in the way it did as all, which is very refreshing (perhaps subsequent viewings will outline that I missed some massive nod to this, but I doubt it). However, there are a few things about this film that I feel could have been improved, and it's a surprisingly similar list to some of my problems with Rogue One and BvS. For instance, whilst I think the second and third acts were good/great, I found the first act to be rather dull and include a lot of setting up; while this is often warranted, I feel like it took a bit too long (10/15 minutes) to get to the inciting incident which kicks off the story (Diana saving Steve). Similar to how I think BvS should have kicked off with the Capitol Hill scene, I think this film should have started with Steve's crash landing off the shores of Themyscira. As with Rogue One, I found some of the early CGI to be a bit sketchy here and there, especially a panning shot over Themyscira during a training sequence where the people training most certainly do not look like they were on top of a hill. This film shares a few themes and such with a similar superhero film, Captain America: The First Avenger, a film I probably hold in equal regard. However, whilst the chemistry between Diana and Steve was great, I found other characters to be lacking in anything other than being around to push the story along, and I felt it especially with Steve's group of merry men. Whilst there were a few moments that were very smart, I simply did not get a sense of development in relationships (other than Diana and Steve's) like I did in The First Avenger; I simply didn't feel like they struggled too much on their journey - up until the end, when one of them makes a key decision in the story - and I was hardly worried for there wellbeing because of this. Compare that to, say, Cap's loss of Bucky and I think you can get what I mean. So yeah, it felt like somewhere between a 7 or an 8 out of 10. Oh, and I think this has one of the best credits sequences I've ever seen; it was beautiful!

I'm not the biggest fan of this either, though apparently the Lion King footage shown at D23 (the opening Circle Of Life scene) was astounding. Personally, I don't think I'll be against them doing these live-action remakes unless one is terrible, or a remake is chosen over a potential new IP/sequel, etc.

Tetsuya Nomura on the prospect of Kingdom Hearts 3 making their way to the Switch. That would be a HUGE capture for Nintendo, in my opinion.

Yeah, I do feel like further download attempts should be automated after the initial download attempt, so I absolutely agree. Whilst connected to the Internet it should just run through the download queue until it's complete, in all honesty.

I couldn't agree more. This is an interesting piece of hardware bundled with some objectively - and some subjectively - great software, but having played a number of the titles included in the package already this year, I haven't the most desire I could have to return to those titles so soon. As for the title I want to play most, Final Fantasy VI, I feel that with it having an extremely long playthrough time the Switch really could take advantage of such a lengthy playing period by allowing us to play the title on the go too; this autumn/winter period is already STACKED with a plethora of great releases, and I'm struggling to justify spending 40-60 hours playing this game on the TV when I could be playing other great titles with relatively shorter playthrough lengths. But then again, if this is the only chance we get to play Star Fox 2...

Is your connection wireless or via an Ethernet cable? And have you tried changing your DNS?

No, you read a reaction to a description of a trailer for a film. If that's all it takes to convince you then I don't see why not. --- Anyway, getting back on topic, the Children of Thanos, otherwise known as the Black Order, have been revealed to be in the film. Kevin Feige also revealed that we can expect to see the first trailer later this year; when asked about when it was dropping: Thor: Ragnarok and Black Panther trailers are also expected to drop at San Diego Comic Con later this month.

Disney has sent out a press release revealing the official, and extremely intriguing, synopsis for Episode VIII.