The Mandalorian Is Coming

When Disney+ streaming service launches in November it brings with it a Star Wars live-action TV series. This is the first of its kind and is highly anticipated.

It will be set in the time period a few years after the events of "The Return of the Jedi". The show will be located in the outer rim, far from the influence of the New Republic. It will be the story of a lone gunslinger, scoundrel, a bounty hunter.

With both Jon Favreau (Iron Man) and Dave Filoni (Star Wars: The Clone Wars), expectations are very high. Both of these men have proven themselves in their craft. Below is the new trailer for "The Mandalorian":

Who Is the Next Marvel Villain?

Since Avengers Endgame is almost here, it is time to explore:
Who might be the next big Marvel baddie?

Who is going to show up to give our heroes a new treat to their peace and happiness? Who is going to wreck the happiness that they are finally feeling after the world has been set right again?

Will this villain make an appearance in a post credit scene or will we have to wait?

How much longer can we WAIT to see this movie without EXPLODING from anticipation??? (deep breaths... deep breaths...)

Soon Thanos will be gone and the world will be right again. Some of our heroes maybe forever changed, but  hopefully the Thanos story is completely wrapped up. We know that the universe moves forward and so our heroes will need another antagonist. Who will burst out of the scene to cause trouble in the MCU.

I believe it is time for Kang the Conqueror.

Kang is a time traveling genius that has amazing technology at his disposal. He desire to to conqueror and rule and he believes he is entitled to do so.

Why Kang?

1. If the Avengers use some form of time travel to reverse the affects of Infinity War, then they have opened up the MCU to time travel.

2. Now that Disney owns Fox, they have access to The Fantastic Four and Kang is a great villain to introduce them to the MCU without having to deal with a baddie that is Galactus yet.

3. You need a villain that can bridge you from Thanos to the next mega bad guy, but still feel like a threat for a phase or two.

4. We are going to need time to connect to new heroes and Kang is the perfect type of villain to get us to love our new heroes.

5. Wanting to conquer and rule is a great antithesis to Thanos' desire to just balance the universe.

We all know that a new bad guy is on the horizon. The question is not "if", but rather "who" and "when".

I believe we will get a hint of the new villain without him (or her) actually being revealed at the end of Avengers: Endgame. I believe the heroes will have a moment to breath, but the universe will begin to stir as a new danger arises.

Kang sounds like a possibility to me... What do you think?

Movies of 2019

Here are a few of the movies that look interesting this year. I pulled my list from a website called firstshowing.net. I would encourage you to follow this link for a full list of the movies scheduled for 2019.

Wow what a list... I had no idea some of these movies were coming out. My most anticipated of this list are Captain Marvel (March), Marvel's Avengers: Endgame (April). Spider-Man: Far From Home (July), and of course Star Wars: Episode IX (December). Disney has a lot of movies coming out this year not just there Marvel and Star Wars movies. Pixar's Toy Story 4  has to be a must-see.

I hope you enjoy my list of 2019 movies. Which ones can you not wait to see? Please comment below.

Release dates are subject to change.

JANUARY 2019

January 11 (Friday)

A Dog's Way Home

January 18 (Friday)

Glass

January 25 (Friday)

The Kid Who Would Be King

FEBRUARY 2019

February 8 (Friday)

The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part

What Men Want

February 14 (Thursday - Valentine's Day)

Alita: Battle Angel

Fighting with My Family

February 22 (Friday)

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World

MARCH 2019

March 1 (Friday)

A Madea Family Funeral

March 8 (Friday)

Captain Marvel

March 15 (Friday)

Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase

March 29 (Friday)

Dumbo

APRIL 2019

April 5 (Friday)

Pet Sematary

Shazam!

April 12 (Friday)

Hellboy

April 17 (Wednesday)

Penguins

April 26 (Friday)

Marvel's Avengers: Endgame

Summer 2019

MAY 2019

May 10 (Friday)

Pokémon Detective Pikachu

May 15 (Wednesday)

A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon

May 17 (Friday)

A Dog's Journey

John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum

May 24 (Friday)

Aladdin

Minecraft: The Movie

May 31 (Friday)

Godzilla: King of Monsters

JUNE 2019

June 7 (Friday)

The Secret Life of Pets 2

X-Men: Dark Phoenix

June 14 (Friday)

Men in Black: International

June 21 (Friday)

Pixar's Toy Story 4

JULY 2019

July 5 (Friday)

Spider-Man: Far From Home

July 19 (Friday)

The Lion King

AUGUST 2019

August 2 (Friday)

Dora the Explorer

Hobbs & Shaw

The New Mutants

August 9 (Friday)

Artemis Fowl

August 16 (Friday)

The Angry Birds Movie 2

Playmobil: The Movie

August 23 (Friday)

Overcomer

SEPTEMBER 2019

September 6 (Friday)

It: Chapter 2

September 13 (Friday)

Spies in Disguise

September 20 (Friday)

Downton Abbey

OCTOBER 2019

October 4 (Friday)

Are You Afraid of the Dark?

Joker

October 11 (Friday)

The Addams Family

NOVEMBER 2019

November 1 (Friday)

Terminator

November 8 (Friday)

Sonic The Hedgehog

November 15 (Friday)

Kingsman 3

November 22 (Friday)

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

Frozen 2

DECEMBER 2019

December 13 (Friday)

Jumanji Sequel

December 18 (Wednesday)

Masters of the Universe

December 20 (Friday)

Star Wars: Episode IX

December 25 (Wednesday - Christmas Day)

1917

The Call of the Wild

Little Women

Did Avengers Infinity War introduce S.W.O.R.D.?

*** Spoiler Warning***

Well... kind of...

If you have not seen Avenger's Infinity War I would suggest you do not read this blog.

Okay...

Everyone still here has seen the movie so I am wondering if the post credit seen was just a tease of Captain Marvel or could it also have a bigger meaning. Did we just get introduced to S.W.O.R.D.?

S.W.O.R.D. (Sentient World Observation and Response Department) is a fictional counter-terrorism and intelligence agency appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Its purpose is to deal with extraterrestrial threats to world security. (From Wikipedia)

Thanos would definitely fit within their job-description and be a neat addition to the next phase of the MCU.

If it was a call to S.W.O.R.D. it does raise a few questions.

1. Where have they been?
2. Why didn't they respond to the Chitauri invasion? (or did they?)
3. What is their relationship with Shield?
4. What is Captain Marvel's role with the organization?

I am very excited for the MCU to introduce Carol Danvers. She is a game-changer and hopefully she is bringing along with her the entire might of S.W.O.R.D. to reign down fire on Thanos and help restore order to the universe.

Are You Ready for Infinity War?

Who lives?
Who dies?
Who is just no longer an Avenger?

With the release of the biggest movie of all time...well, at least it was the movie with the longest build up of all time...everyone is wondering who will make it out of this first movie and into the second. I believe most of our heroes will make it through, but some may suffer major damage. I think Vision is in real trouble, but I do not know if they will just kill him off. He could always return to being a computer-based AI for now. Hawkeye will probably not even appear until the next movie or the very end of this one. I believe Captain America is a good candidate for a potential loss at either the end of this film or the end of the next.

The only thing that is certain is the landscape of the MCU is about to change greatly. Who do you think is leaving? Will they all make it through?

Kim Possible movie

WHAT'S THE SITCH?

My daughter's favorite childhood cartoon is finally returning to Disney Channel but not as a new cartoon but as a DCOM (Disney Channel Original Movie). My hope is they will use the source material and make my daughter proud. We will just have to wait and see who they cast. They have to nail both Kim and Ron to make it work.

The Last Jedi Trailer

The new trailer for Star Wars: The Last Jedi was released. You can click here to watch it on Youtube. I am very excited for this movie.

A few things I observed when watching this trailer. 1.) Rey is very powerful and so is Kylo Ren. 2.) The character of Leia is going to be treated with amazing care. 3.) Phasma is finally going to do something. 4.) Luke is going to be a very different jedi then the one we saw in RotJ.

I am also wondering about the white wolf/fox we see in the trailer. Could this be a tribute to Dave Filoni? It would be well deserved honor. I hope that they placed this creature in The Last Jedi in honor of all of his hard work for the Star Wars galaxy.

What did you think of the trailer? Are you ready for the new Star Wars film? Please let me know in the comments below.

Who Won the Summer Superhero Title?

Summer is coming to an end and it is time to look back and decide who won the superhero crown of summer 2017. In my opinion, there are 3 strong contenders. Wonder Woman, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (GotG2), and of course, Spider-Man: Homecoming.

Wonder Woman was a great movie. As a father, I love the message it had for girls. She was beautiful and powerful. She was the master of her own destiny. Besides the message, DC delivered a superhero movie that was as good as any MCU film. One of the reasons I liked it so much was that it was not just a copy of a Marvel movie. It was an original story that included her origins, but did not only dwell there.

Spider-Man: Homecoming was my second favorite Spider-man film of all time. I actually liked parts of it better than Spider-Man 2. It choose not to rehash Spider-Man's origin, but instead, accept the fact that most of us know it.

GotG2 was a fun ride to take again. It did a wonderful job of recapturing most of the magic of the first one. The film picked up at the end of the other one and moved the story forward. The chemistry has only gotten stronger between this cast.

The crown ultimately goes to Wonder Woman, but just barely. All three of these movies were great.   

Star Wars Episode VIII gets a Title.

The title of the new Star Wars film was released. Episode VIII is going to be called "The Last Jedi". Does this refer to Luke or Rey? Is Luke the last ever or is it just a reference to the current state of affairs? In the openning crawl of The Force Awakens, Luke is  referred to as "the last Jedi". I guess we will find out December 15, 2017.

Movies for 2017

Here are a few of the movies that look interesting this year. I pulled my list from a website called firstshowing.net. I would encourage you to follow this link for a full list of the movies scheduled for 2017.

The top three movies coming out in 2017 that I am anticipating are Star Wars: Episode VIII, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and Wonder Woman. There are many other movies I am very excited for, as well, including: Logan, Cars 3, Pirates, Spider-Man, Justice League, and others. The lead into summer looks packed and it continues until mid-July. I hope you enjoy my list of 2017 movies. Which ones can you not wait to see? Please comment below.

Release dates are subject to change.

JANUARY 2017 
January 6 (Friday)

Hidden Figures
A Monster Calls
Underworld: Blood Wars

January 13 (Friday)
Monster Trucks

January 20 (Friday)
Split
xXx: The Return of Xander Cage

January 27 (Friday)
Resident Evil: The Final Chapter

FEBRUARY 2017
February 3 (Friday)
Rings
The Space Between Us

February 10 (Friday)
John Wick: Chapter Two
The LEGO Batman Movie

MARCH 2017
March 3 (Friday)
Logan

March 10 (Friday)
Kong: Skull Island

March 17 (Friday)
Beauty and the Beast

March 24 (Friday)
CHiPs
Power Rangers

March 31 (Friday)
Ghost in the Shell

APRIL 2017
April 7 (Friday)
Smurfs: The Lost Village

April 14 (Friday)
The Fate of the Furious

Summer 2017

MAY 2017
May 5 (Friday)
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

May 12 (Friday)
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword

May 19 (Friday)
Alien: Covenant
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul
The Nut Job 2

May 26 (Friday)
Baywatch
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales

JUNE 2017
June 2 (Friday)
Captain Underpants
Wonder Woman

June 9 (Friday)
The Mummy
World War Z 2

June 16 (Friday)
Pixar's Cars 3

June 23 (Friday)
Transformers: The Last Knight

June 30 (Friday)
Despicable Me 3

JULY 2017
July 7 (Friday)
Spider-Man: Homecoming

July 14 (Friday)
War for the Planet of the Apes

AUGUST 2017
August 4 (Friday)
The Emoji Movie

SEPTEMBER 2017
September 8 (Friday)
It

September 22 (Friday)
Ninjago

September 29 (Friday)
Flatliners

OCTOBER 2017
October 6 (Friday)
Blade Runner 2049
Kingsman: The Golden Circle
My Little Pony

October 13 (Friday)
Friday the 13th

October 27 (Friday)
Cloverfield Movie

NOVEMBER 2017
November 3 (Friday)
Thor: Ragnarok

November 17 (Friday)
Justice League

November 22 (Wednesday - Thanksgiving)
Pixar's Coco
Murder on the Orient Express

DECEMBER 2017
December 15 (Friday)

Star Wars: Episode VIII

December 22 (Friday)
Jumanji
Pitch Perfect 3
The Six Billion Dollar Man

December 25 (Monday - Christmas Day)
The Greatest Showman

Rogue One: A Few Things to Know

When I was talking with a friend the other day, I realized that there are still people who do not understand what Rogue One is and in what time period it is set. When going to see Rogue One in December there are a few things you need to understand.

1. Rogue One is the first stand alone movie in the new Star Wars cinematic galaxy. It will have familiar elements such as Stormtroopers, AT-AT, and ships. This movie will not have Luke, Leia, and Han. Also, it will also not have the new characters like Rey, Finn, and Poe. It will have a cast unique to the story they are telling here.

2. Rogue One is set in a time before Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. The story is taken directly from the first few lines of the opening crawl. ("It is a period of civil war. Rebel spaceships, striking from a hidden base, have won their first victory against the evil Galactic Empire.
During the battle, Rebel spies managed to steal secret plans to the Empire's ultimate weapon, the DEATH STAR, an armored space station with enough power to destroy an entire planet.) We are getting a peak into the battle and how much it cost the rebellion to get those plans.

3. Rogue One is going have some other very familiar things. We will get to see the rebels and The Empire. We will see some characters like Mon Mothma, Bail Organa, and even Darth Vader. There will be TIE Fighters, Star Destroyers, and a newly built Death Star.

4. Rogue One is not set on a familiar planet. It is being promoted as a war film. This film is supposed to be the grittiest of the Star Wars films thus far.

5. Rogue One will have a conclusion. The is a self-contained movie. There are not plans (of course you never know with Disney) to use these characters again. Do not expect Rogue Two to be announced in January of 2017.

If you still were not clear on what Rogue One was and how it fits into the Star Wars Galaxy, I hope this helps. Please feel free to share this blog with your friends who may still have questions on what the new Star Wars movie is all about. In 2017, we can talk about Episode VIII.

Are you Excited for the Jungle Book?

Do you want to revisit the world of Mowgli, Baloo, Bagheera, and Shere Khan? Are you interested in Christopher Walken's interpretation of King Louie?

The critics have had a chance to see the movie and they are very excited. I am sure this will not last, but as of today (April 5, 2016) Jon Favreau's adaptation of Disney's The Jungle Book has a Rotten Tomatoes scores of 100%. This movie is set to hit theaters on tax day, April 15, 2016.

Are you planning on seeing the movie? Does hearing that the movie has a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes make you more likely to see it in theaters?

Dr. Strange looks awesome!

Dr. Strange is here!

Entertainment Weekly  gave us our first look at the world of Dr. Strange. Benedict Cumberbatch will be playing the Master of the Mystic Arts in November of 2016.

This is very different than a lot of the worlds that have been introduced in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

If you are unfamiliar with Dr. Strange you can find out more about him on Marvel's Characters page.

Will Vader appear in Rogue One?

Now that it has been confirmed exactly what time the galaxy Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is set, I have several questions.

The first blog I wrote about Rogue One I stated that I really hoped that they would set the movie in the time of the new trilogy, but now it is known that Rogue One will take place between Episode III (Revenge of the Sith) and Episode IV (A New Hope). This shows us that Disney is really looking to expand the Star Wars Cinematic Galaxy.

Here are my questions...

1. Will Vader appear in Rogue One? - The rumors have been flying since July that the ultimate villain will make his evil reappearance in this film. Last time we saw Vader on screen he was crying over the loss of the love of his life. When I was a child Darth Vader was scary and intimidating. I really hope they redeem him and return him to his roots.
2. What other old characters might appear? Tarkin, Bail Organa, Ezra, Kanan Jarrus and many more have the potential of showing up in this movie in some form or fashion. There are many characters that are known during this period of time.
3. Will we see any of the big 3? We know that Luke, Leia and Han are all around during this period of time. Luke is probably the most unlikely. A younger Han or Leia might make an appearance. Leia seems to be the most likely, especially if Bail Organa is included in the story. 

The premise of the film is "Following the foundation of the Galactic Empire, a wayward band of Rebel fighters comes together to carry out a desperate mission: to steal the plans for the Death Star before it can be used to enforce the Emperor's rule." At D23 it was said that this film would focus on ground war and truly be a "war" flick to show the struggle of the rebel alliance. It has been said that it will approach this conflict in shades of gray and not quite as black and white as the original trilogy. 

The film is set to hit theaters on December 16, 2016. I am holding back my excitement for Rogue One until Episode VII has hit theaters. I believe it will be very nostalgic to revisit the galaxy during a very familiar time in history and see the classic storm-troopers, vehicles and hopefully villains. This is a very exciting time to be a Star Wars fan!

Could I Get Any More Excited for Star Wars?

Comic-Con is over and I have watched a ton of YouTube videos about the event. Many of the panels excited me. The panel on "The Force Awakens" was simply amazing. There were no major secrets revealed or new trailers released, but what they did have was Harrison Ford.

I was also able to watch many of the live streaming from Star Wars Celebration and listened to both Mark Hamill's and Carrie Fisher's thoughts, but because of his accident, Harrison Ford was unable to make an appearance.  

Comic-Con, on the other hand, was a whole different story. The panel started with some of the production people, the new cast, and finally both Mark and Carrie joined them on stage to answer questions. There was only one seat left and it did not have a name card. His name was announced and Harrison Ford came out from behind the stage with the crowd roaring.

It was very exciting to see him once again embrace his beloved character of Han Solo. That would have been enough to get me excited, but, to my delight, there was more. Ford took several minutes to praise the new story and the direction the Star Wars universe is going. He seemed genuinely enthusiastic about his arc and the movie as a whole. With both Hamill and Fisher appearing at SWCA, Ford was the last member of the original trilogy to reveal his emotions surrounding his return.

So, I will end this in the words of Han Solo in as far as it applies to the original three..."We're home".

Best story in the new Avengers movie

I hope by now you have had a chance to see Avengers: Age of Ultron. I want to take a minute and look a few of the characters.

*** Mild SPOILERS ahead! ***

Since there are so many different characters and so much action in these Avengers movies, true character development can be difficult. I believe Avengers: Age of Ultron does deliver on a few story lines.
let's take a look at my 4 favorite.

1. Ultron- The machine with artificial intelligence gets us to hate him with only a few appearances on screen. James Spader does an excellent job of delivering his lines with real arrogance and condescension.

2. Vision - Even though the Vision only enters in the third act, he gives us a crash  course on who he is and what he stands for in this fight. There is a real air of mystery, and yet, he is familiar because of his origins.

3. Wanda - I feel this is the best of the new characters. Throughout the movie we are made to understand why she is who she is and why she hates Stark.

4. Hawkeye -  In my opinion, this movie, more than any other in the Marvel cinematic universe story, stars Burton.  We get to see his family. We get a much better idea of his place within the team. We are really made to care about him, much more than the previous MCU film.

Who did you see as the best character? Do you think A:AoU delivered on the hype? Let me know. I read all comments!

Rebels Gets Two Big Returns

***This blog will contain spoilers if you have not watched the finale of Star Wars Rebels***

The first season is over and it seems the Disney's XD really wanted to end Star Wars Rebels on a high note. Fire Across The Galaxy, as a fan, seems to be their strongest episode to date. They tie up a few story lines, but really just set the stage for a much broader universe for season 2. Two really big characters make their first appearance in the episode.

Dave Filoni and his team did an excellent job of investing the fans in a whole new set of characters before bringing in the more familiar ones. If you have not been watching Rebels it is a story of a Rebel cell and their adventures against the empire in and around the planet Lothal. The series opens when Ezra, a force sensitive kid, joins up with the other rebels and discovers that there is a Jedi still fighting against the Empire.

The best moment is when, after teasing us all season, they finally reveal the identity of Fulcrum. Chopper (an astromech droid) brings reinforcements to save the day and escape to hyperspace. As the heroes come back together they discover Fulcrum herself has come to their rescue. Most Star Wars: The Clone Wars fans were thrilled to see Ahsoka Tano return as Fulcrum and a leader in the galactic rebellion. Fans have wanted to know what happen to her and did she play a bigger role in the Star Wars universe. Filoni revealed that more of Ahsoka's story is to come in season 2. He also said that she is NOT a Jedi but rather she is neutrally affiliated. When she lights up her new lightsabers they will be white, showing she is neither Jedi or Sith.

Ahsoka's master also returned at the end of this episode. That is right! Darth Vader himself has made an official appearance on Star Wars Rebels. The creators, writers and voice actors promise that they are treating Darth Vader with all the respect he deserves. Dave Filoni does not want to over use Vader but does want to give him a role in this part of the Star Wars universe.

These two returns were huge for fans of the Star Wars cartoons. With these two returning to the small scene it raises a few questions. Will Master and Padawan meet and do battle? How will Ahsoka's story play out? How will Kanan and Ezra be affected by the return of another, former Jedi?

Star Wars Rebels

Disney XD has launched its new Star Wars show set in the time period between Episode 3 and Episode 4. This is a very rich time but also a dark time in the Star Wars universe. The defenders of the light side of the force, the Jedi order, are in hiding because of order 66. The majority of Jedi have been killed, captured, or escaped into exile. Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi has sent a warning telling all Jedi to stay clear of the temple and not to return to Coruscant.

The show seems like it is going to focus on one small band of rebels and their adventures facing the ever increasing power of the new galactic empire. Star Wars Rebels introduced us to young Ezra Bridger and Jedi Kanan Jarrus who is the leader of these rebels. Ezra is sensitive to the force and Kanan is teaching him about it. It will be interesting to see how they weave in the known Star Wars characters with this unknown period of the Star Wars universe. There is potential for cameos from everyone including Darth Vader, Obi-Wan, Yoda, or even younger versions of Luke, Leia, and Han Solo.

Dave Filoni did an amazing job bringing the period between episode 2 and 3 to life with his Cartoon Network show Star Wars the Clone Wars. I am very excited to see what he and his team can do with this time in the Star Wars universe. May the force be with you.

Once Upon a Time Returns

Do you want to build a snowman?

ABC's Once Upon a Time returned September 28th with a blast of cold air. Disney has decided to capitalize on their amazing success of Frozen. This season adds a story line that includes these new characters to the adventures of our fairly tale heroes. The Arendale characters seem to be picking up where the movie left off.

Unlike so many of the other characters in Storybrooke, Elsa and Anna have not been re-envisioned, but seem to step right out of the movie into this new world. Most of your fairy tale characters up to this point have left some air of mystery of who they are and how they are different from their original story. Snow White is not just a young lady who cleans the dwarfs' house, but is rather an amazing self-sufficient woman of adventure. In Once Upon a Time, it is discovered that Grumpy is mad, not because of his sad choice in names, but because he was not allowed to be with his true love. The Beast is not a large furry creature, but an evil dark one who continues to make bad decisions.

With the success of Frozen and the attachment to the characters, I am not surprised that they chose to keep these characters very near to the original. By keeping them very recognizable they can possibly attract new viewers who loved the movie, but have not yet discovered the town of Storybrooke.  Hopefully, as the Frozen story unfolds we will see some of the twists and turns that Once Upon A Time is great at. Even I will have to admit it was fun watching Marshmallow run down the streets of this little Maine town.