IGN.com - TV Articles

LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special Coming to Disney+ in November

Thu, 13 Aug 2020 16:36:04 GMT

Lucasfilm has announced that a LEGO Star Wars holiday special is set to make its way to Disney+ later this year. The official Disney+ Twitter account shared the news on Thursday alongside two first-look photos and a festive-sweater emblazoned logo for the 45-minute feature, which will premiere exclusively on the service on November 17, the same day that the original Star Wars holiday special aired on CBS in 1978.

Celebrate the most wonderful time of year in a galaxy far, far away. The LEGO @StarWars Holiday Special, a #DisneyPlus Original, premieres Nov. 17. pic.twitter.com/VakZuaFF1O
— Disney+ (@disneyplus) August 13, 2020

The all-new animated holiday special will directly follow the events of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, with Rey setting off on a quest with BB-8 to gain a deeper knowledge of the Force ahead of Life Day. While visiting a mysterious Jedi Temple, she is hurled into a cross-timeline adventure through beloved moments in Star Wars cinematic history, coming into contact with Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, Yoda, Obi-Wan and other iconic heroes and villains from the saga. Meanwhile, back on Chewbacca's homeworld of Kashyyyk, Finn, Poe, Chewie, Rose and the droids are preparing for the galaxy's most cheerful and magical holiday, which will play host to "LEGO versions of some of the Wookiee characters from the '70s special", according to executive producer Josh Rimes, per USA Today, though he failed to confirm whether a LEGO Lumpy would be in attendance. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/12/the-history-of-star-wars-on-tv-from-the-holiday-special-to-disney-plus"] The LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special is a production of Atomic Cartoons, the LEGO Group, and Lucasfilm. It is directed by Ken Cunningham and written by David Shayne, who is also co-executive producer. James Waugh, Josh Rimes, Jason Cosler, Jacqui Lopez, Jill Wilfert, and Keith Malone are also attached as executive producers on the project. This announcement comes shortly after Jon Favreau expressed interest in creating a new Star Wars Holiday Special after he made a brief reference to the Wookiee holiday in the pilot episode of The Mandalorian. Developing... [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-upcoming-star-wars-movie&captions=true"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

Marvel's Agents of SHIELD Series Finale Review

Thu, 13 Aug 2020 03:00:48 GMT

Warning: The following review contains spoilers for the Agents of SHIELD two-part series finale. [poilib element="accentDivider"] After seven seasons, and a notable full split from the MCU around the time of Avengers: Infinity War, Marvel's Agents SHIELD wrapped up its massive (and sometimes overstuffed) saga with a two-parter that was all about giving us a warm send-off for this tight-knit, ragtag family. Yes, surprisingly, everything smoothed out just fine for the SHIELD team, which was somewhat unexpected given the show's habit of dealing out somber tragedy on a regular basis. Of course, the ending couldn't exactly repeat the dour, but also appropriate, ending to Season 5 -- back when the writers were crafting a possible series finale because they had a strong suspicion it was the end -- where Coulson died for real. That felt like a true bookend. Continuing two seasons past that, things had to go down differently. The fans love the characters and the cast loves each other, so there was no reason to not send us out with a big love fest. In fact, the final ten minutes or so of "What We're Fighting For" was dedicated to giving us closure and a big "where are they now?" epilogue. Seeing the core team (absent Deke and Sousa), still intact, with no members having perished during the final showdown with the Chronicoms and Nathaniel Malick, all sitting around in a virtual reunion, it became apparent how little the rest of the season meant. That's not meant to be a dig, really, but just a way of noting that it didn't really matter, overall, who the villains were, or what the threat to the planet was. The series has been all about these characters for years now and the rest of it's just "big bad" dressing. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=marvels-agents-of-shield-the-many-lives-and-deaths-of-phil-coulson&captions=true"] Of course, without this year's cross-time caper, Sousa wouldn't have gotten swept up into the mix, which has been a big boon for the show, but Fitz returned (yes, they really did save his big Deus Ex Machina moment for the finale) and basically told the team that basically everything they'd just been through (including Mack losing his parents) didn't count because he was now back from the Quantum Realm to switch them all over to the original timeline just seconds after they initially blipped out of it. Their main goal had been (unknowingly to them) to get Daisy's sister, Kora, who didn't even become a plot point until more than halfway through the season. Nothing undercuts the adventure like having someone come in and say "it doesn't matter what you did, it only matters what we do now." That being said, this final season has still been entertaining, even if the revelation in the finale worked to undermine most of it. I guess that's the risk you run when you're dealing with time travel, resetting timelines, and temporal tinkering. It's nothing we didn't already experience to some extent back in the second half of Season 5. Still, given all this, "The End Is at Hand" -- which featured Mack, Daisy, and Sousa rescuing Simmons and Deke -- and "What We're Fighting For" were both rollicking affairs filled with action, heart, and humor. Daisy even got to have a final Quake-tastic battle with the anti-Quake, Nathaniel, as a cool one-on-one super battle. And their fight even came with a death tease when it seemed like Daisy would actually go out swinging, sacrificing herself for the team. But she was saved, Kora blasted Sibyl's Chronicom army with empathy (sure), and the entire evil plot to conquer Earth was undone. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/04/28/agents-of-shield-season-7-official-trailer-exclusive"] Though as much as these two episodes featured spirited action, as well as a fitting send-off for young John Garrett (played by Bill Paxton's son, James), the focus here, for a show that's arguably lingered on a few years after it gave us a fitting finale, was on the characters and their fates. What really mattered was the interpersonal interplay between them: Daisy and Sousa finding love; Daisy being able to redeem the sister she never knew existed; Fitz and Simmons actually getting a "happily ever after" (and not just in the end, but in a time pocket that we never even knew about - and that Simmons had made herself forget about - where they had years together and a child). Oh, and then there was Deke staying behind in the changed timeline to run SHIELD and/or be a rock god. These were the heartfelt character moments that truly fueled these final two episodes. It was interesting to see Coulson and May not wind up with each other in the end, given the fan fervor around them, but that just plays into the whole idea of not wanting to repeat Season 5. Plus, Coulson's new life as an LMD created enough of an emotional barrier/buffer to help us detach. Coulson, May, Mack, and Yo-Yo all still remain part of SHIELD at the end of the finale, though: Mack and Yo-Yo as the Director (with a Fury-style trench coat) and the top agent, respectively, May as an instructor, and Coulson as a recruiter (who still gets to zoom around in Lola!). Fitz is retired, Simmons is partly out, and Daisy is now part of some sort of galactic diplomatic mission (which probably also connects to SHIELD). Plus, she's found love with Sousa and family with Kora. When a show's gone on a bit past its sell-by date, this is the type of ending you want, because those still watching SHIELD are the die-hards who've stuck with the series and probably don't care too much about its original MCU ties. That's not to say that viewers won't appreciate the occasional Easter egg or callback to when the show was tucked more snugly into in the nest of Marvel's larger movie-based narratives, but the real draw is the world the show has created for itself now. With that in mind, this was the right way to go out for all involved.

Agents of SHIELD Finale: Here's Why Chloe Bennet Hated Her Last Day

Thu, 13 Aug 2020 03:00:08 GMT

Warning: The following contains spoilers about the Agents of SHIELD two-part finale... [poilib element="accentDivider"] Agents of SHIELD has ended its seventh and final season, and we had a chance to speak to the cast of the long-running Marvel series about their feelings on shutting down the saga and where all the characters wound up when the series finale's credits rolled. At a Zoom roundtable shared with other outlets, IGN spoke to stars Clark Gregg, Chloe Bennet, Ming-Na Wen, Henry Simmons, Elizabeth Henstridge, Natalia Cordova-Buckley, Iain De Caestecker, Jeff Ward, and Enver Gjokaj, digging a little deeper into the series finale and where every member of the team ended up.

Chloe Bennet's Final Scene

[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=marvels-agents-of-shield-series-finale-photos&captions=true"] Though the final episode, "What We're Fighting For," wrapped things up with the team all reuniting in a virtual world (sound familiar, 2020?) as holograms, that wasn't the final scene everyone filmed. In fact, Bennet shared how much she disliked her last day of filming. "I hated my last day," she said. "I'm going to be completely honest. I begged for our last day to be the one where we're sitting in the chairs together. Because of scheduling reasons we couldn't do that. My last day was actually the entire Quake fight and it's really hard to shoot physical things when you're emotional because you've got the exact opposite parts of your brain lighting up. And then my last last shot was just very SHIELD, which was me on a green screen, bored, with a bald cap floating in space. Looking dumber than you can imagine." "We'd already shot the [reunion scene] earlier on in the episode so I was kind of a wreck," Bennet added. "I was just broken open from those scenes and then to do the fights and have to lay on a green board, while bald, was pretty odd."

Daisy Johnson and Daniel Sousa

In the end, we found out that most everyone, except for Fitz (who retired), was still working for SHIELD in some capacity. But for Bennet's Daisy Johnson, her future also meant a new life with Gjokaj's Daniel Sousa. A relationship that took Bennet by surprise. "I was a little hesitant about a love interest," Bennet explained, "because [Daisy's] narrative was really about finding herself and her family and her relationship with Coulson and the SHIELD family. This one snuck up on me as Chloe as much as it did for Daisy I think. It's one of those things where you say 'Oh, she needed this.' Not in a way like 'she needs a man' but just the way that he compliments her so well. It felt perfect as an ending for her. It took a man out of time to come in and compliment her in this way and she was completely caught off guard by it." As for Gjokaj, joining the SHIELD squad was a dream come true. "Jed [Whedon] and Maurissa [Tancharoen] made it clear that they didn't want to reprise Sousa from the moment he left [Agent Carter]," the actor said. "They wanted to see that time had passed and that he'd continued to advance in the ranks and in his skills. They wanted to see more of a super agent." "I got to have the best of both worlds," Gjokaj added. "I got to continue that character on the trajectory he would have gone on if Agent Carter had gone on and then -- when I collected Marvel as a kid I loved the 'What If?' comics. This felt like such an amazing 'What If?'" Of course, not all of the show's ships wound up on a happy note. Fans of Coulson and May might be distraught over the two ending up apart. "I think the 'Philinda' fans are going to be a little bit sad about the outcome. Again," Wen laughed. "But you know what? We've seen this happen before. So don't be surprised if you see him resurrected again."

Agent of SHIELD's Finale Ending Explained

[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=marvels-agents-of-shield-the-many-lives-and-deaths-of-phil-coulson&captions=true"] No one knew at the time when the series finale was shot (which was last summer) that virtual connecting would become the new normal in 2020. But that's how we left things on Agents of SHIELD. The actors all got to be in the same room but the characters were only there as holograms, as part of a video call, each having gone their separate ways. "I remembering thinking 'Oh, it's so sad that they're not together,'" Cordova-Buckley said. "It's so sad that they're now connecting technologically and not in the lab discussing what they're going to do next." Gregg likened the scene to the "Zoom nightmare-slash-reality" we all use to communicate with each other now. "So much of the show felt like life and art bled back and forth," he said. "Certainly saying goodbye to people you've been working with for years -- some for two, some for seven -- and checking in with them and knowing your lives are taking these different paths. On one hand: Thank God for technology for allowing you to do it, but also there's a real limitation to technology. That you're not there hugging. That you're not there in the way you'd like to be." "It was a tough thing to shoot because there were moments when we were realizing it was our final scene together as a group," Wen shared. "And then it was tougher still because we'd pause and one of us would leave. It's sort of like what the last scene was in Season 5, when we didn't know if we were coming back and we thought it was the end of the series. Knowing for sure though, now, that this was the series finale made it bittersweet." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/04/28/agents-of-shield-season-7-official-trailer-exclusive"]

Mack and Yo-Yo

When the roundtable topic switched to specific characters' fates, Cordova-Buckley expressed how happy she was for Mack and Yo-Yo. "We've seen them go through so much. They've sacrificed so much. They've given so much to the team. So for them to end up together but also be individuals -- like she's doing her own thing and he's in command -- it feels like the relationship has now settled for 'MackElena.'" As for Mack, the Director of SHIELD dons a trench coat at the end that definitely feels reminiscent of another famous Director. "Quite honestly, the original get-up -- and everything underneath like the pants and everything, I don't know if it was intentional -- was very similar to Nick Fury. And the powers-that-be were like 'let's nix that because we don't want to have any overlapping. We just want Mack to be his own Director.'"

Fitz and Simmons

For Henstridge's Simmons and De Caestecker's Fitz, the ending meant the two characters could finally find their "happily ever after." "We've been ripped apart so many times and so many tragedies have happened, and you talk about earning moments of happiness for them, and I think they definitely earned that happy ending," Henstridge said. "And it's also nice that they still have that conflict between them where Simmons is sneakily staying in the game a little bit and he's completely checked out for a while. They have their happily ever after but they still have that classic bickering. They're not perfect." De Caestecker mentioned how weird it felt returning to the group after being gone for so long (pretty much all of Season 7). "It was a bit bizarre," he said, "because I had a bit of time away. A huge part of that too is that [Fitz has] taken a bit of a backseat here as Simmons has gone off and done all the hard work." But what of their grandson, Deke? Not around for the final moments of the show, Deke's exit happened earlier when he agreed to be the one to stay behind in the alternate/altered timeline. A universe where he'll either be the leader of the remnants of SHIELD...or be a huge rock star. "We've been discussing this," actor Jeff Ward joked, "and I know [Deke's fate is] a blend of the two because imagine if you found out that Bruce Springsteen was actually the head of the FBI. Like, you'd never suspect it. So Deke's using his rock star persona as the ultimate 'hiding in plain sight' tactic to be running an international superhero policing ring. And then at night doing gigs, using various songs that he's ripped off and passed off as his own."

Coulson and Daisy's Final Goodbye

Coulson and Daisy's final interaction together is a sweet and supportive one. Daisy lets LMD Phil know that he's needed out in the world, finding promising young recruits for SHIELD, while she reflects on the moment that Phil first believed in her and how she's now used that to find a bond with her sister. For Gregg and Bennet, the relationship between their characters mirrors real life as well. "From the first interrogation scene with Skye, after we pulled her out of her van, there was just something different about Chloe Bennet," Gregg said. "And the way she has a realness and a fire to her as a performer. There are a lot of great actors to work with on that show but the through line of that relationship, that friendship, that family-type relationship...people say father/daughter, and it definitely has that in it, but I think like my relationship with Chloe it has so many permutations and it isn't that simple. Where she's helping and teaching and rescuing me as much as I'm doing that for her. For me, it was that part of the show where I grew the most as an actor and as a human." "I don't think most people have the privilege of having this type of dynamic relationship that you can't put into any sort of box," Bennet said. "It's only something you'd get in an environment like SHIELD." [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Fowler is a writer for IGN and a member of the Television Critics Association. Follow him on Twitter at @TheMattFowler and Facebook at Facebook.com/MattBFowler.

The History of Star Wars on TV, From the Holiday Special to Disney+

Wed, 12 Aug 2020 18:00:05 GMT

Welcome to Star Wars Week, where we're celebrating all things from that galaxy far, far away. From retrospectives on old favorites to explainers on timely topics to Face-Offs between beloved characters and beyond, Star Wars Week features articles, videos, slideshows and more on the beloved franchise. Until recently, the thought of a fully realized, movie-worthy Star Wars series on television was unthinkable. The franchise has dabbled in the TV realm since almost the very beginning, but there's a reason The Star Wars Holiday Special is buried in a vault so deep even Indiana Jones couldn't find it. But with the advent of Disney+ and the wildly popular first season of The Mandalorian, suddenly Star Wars has come alive on the small screen. As we wait for The Mandalorian: Season 2, the Bad Batch animated series and other major new Star Wars projects, let's explore the colorful and sometimes less than glamorous history of the Star Wars franchise in television. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/12/the-history-of-star-wars-on-tv-from-the-holiday-special-to-disney-plus"] [poilib element="accentDivider"]

The Star Wars Holiday Special

Star Wars' very first foray into television is also widely regarded as one of the lowest points for the franchise. That's despite the fact that it reunites most of the main cast from A New Hope (Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Peter Mayhew, James Earl Jones, Anthony Daniels). It didn't help that George Lucas was too busy crafting The Empire Strikes Back to be heavily involved with the spinoff, which was instead directed by Steve Binder (Elvis Presley's '68 Comeback Special). The result is a painfully awkward musical comedy featuring your favorite Star Wars heroes bumping elbows with TV stars like Bea Arthur and Art Carney, as everyone learns about the importance of Wookiee Life Day. The special was broadcast only a single time on CBS in November 1978 before disappearing from the public eye for good. It's never been made available on home video, meaning fans will either have to scour the Internet or buy a bootleg recording if they want to see what passed for a Star Wars Expanded Universe back in 1978. But as reviled as this special is, it did make a few notable contributions to the franchise mythology. Iconic bounty hunter Boba Fett made his debut during an animated interlude, and fans meet Chewbacca's entire Wookiee family - wife Malla, father Itchy and son Lumpy.

Star Wars and the Muppets

Given the fact that the original movies relied so heavily on puppetry and the common thread that is puppeteer/actor Frank Oz, it should come as no surprise that Star Wars has a long history of intermingling with series like The Muppet Show and Sesame Street. Mark Hamill famously appeared in a 1980 episode of The Muppet Show, where he played both himself and his "cousin" Luke and danced onstage with C-3PO, R2-D2 and Chewbacca. It's basically a more successful version of what The Star Wars Holiday Special was trying to accomplish. Luke's two droids also appeared in multiple Sesame Street episodes in 1980, and many other series icons have stopped by the show in the years since.

The Ewok Movies

In 2020, news of live-action Star Wars spinoffs debuting on TV would be all the rage. But back in the mid-'80s, the two Ewok movies were barely a blip on the pop-culture radar. 1984's Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure and 1985's Ewoks: The Battle for Endor both take place in between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. But apart from the Endor setting and the presence of Warwick Davis' plucky hero Wicket, there's not much to link these two films back to the larger Star Wars saga. Tonally, they're very different - more kid-focused fairy tales than epic space fantasy. That said, there is a popular fan theory suggesting Aubree Miller's character Cindel Towani eventually grows up to become Captain Phasma.

Droids & Ewoks

While the mid-to-late '80s were generally a dead zone in terms of new Star Wars content, this is also the period when the franchise got its first two animated spinoffs. Both Droids and Ewoks are kid-friendly shows set before the events of the Original Trilogy. Unfortunately, between the simplistic storylines and the lack of recognizable characters apart from the main leads (Wicket in Ewoks and C-3PO and R2-D2 in Droids), neither show garnered much attention from an audience that had already moved on. The two shows debuted on ABC in 1985, airing during an hour-long block called The Ewoks and Droids Adventure Hour. Droids was canceled after one 13-episode season, leading ABC to re-brand Ewoks as "The All-New Ewoks" in its second and final season. While neither series fits into contemporary Star Wars continuity (particularly given that Ewoks features the characters speaking Basic rather than their native Ewokese), certain characters and elements were later repurposed for various movies and novels.

Genndy Tartakovsky's Clone Wars

Following the cancellation of Ewoks in 1986, it would be a full 17 years before Lucasfilm pursued another animated Star Wars series. Fortunately, no less an expert than Samurai Jack creator Genndy Tartakovsky was called upon to animate the Star Wars universe. Star Wars: Clone Wars is a short-form series (with most episodes running between 5 and 15 minutes) aimed at fleshing out the period in between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith. Like Samurai Jack, the series is light on dialogue and plot and heavy on stylized action. While no longer treated as part of the official Star Wars canon, the series is notable for introducing major characters like Asajj Ventress and General Grievous, as well as revealing exactly how Supreme Chancellor Palpatine wound up in Separatist custody at the beginning of Revenge of the Sith. The series also helped set the tone for Dark Horse's various Clone Wars-focused Star Wars comics.

Star Wars on Robot Chicken and Family Guy

While Star Wars jokes are a staple of pretty much every animated sitcom, Adult Swim's Robot Chicken broke new ground in 2007 with Robot Chicken: Star Wars, an hour-long special devoted entirely to lampooning the iconic franchise. The various skits include a "Yo Momma" battle between Luke Skywalker and Emperor Palpatine, an alternate take on the scene where Ponda Baba gets his arm sliced off by Obi-Wan Kenobi and an elaborate "Star Wars on Ice" musical sequence. Two sequels followed in 2008 and 2010, respectively. The same year, Family Guy delivered its own Star Wars spoof episode in the form of "Blue Harvest," a retelling of A New Hope with the extended Family Guy cast playing various Star Wars roles. Because both Family Guy and Star Wars were Fox properties at the time, the series was actually able to use assets and music from the movie. Two sequel episodes eventually followed, with "Something, Something, Something Dark Side" spoofing The Empire Strikes Back and "It's a Trap" handling Return of the Jedi.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/17/star-wars-the-clone-wars-recapped-in-4-minutes"] It wasn't until 2008 that Lucasfilm made a concerted effort to tap into the true storytelling potential of a Star Wars TV series. Similar to the Genndy Tartakovsky series, Star Wars: The Clone Wars set out to fill in the three-year gap between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith. But with longer episodes and a much larger scope, the second Clone Wars cartoon was able to do so in much greater depth. While the series features familiar Prequel Trilogy characters like Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Count Dooku and Padme Amidala, it also focuses on characters who don't appear in the movies, or don't in any major way, such as Asajj Ventress, Captain Rex and the heroes and villains of Mandalore. The series is most notable for introducing Ahsoka Tano, the Jedi Padawan we never knew Anakin had. The Clone Wars met with a mixed reception early on, in part thanks to mediocre reviews of the 2008 theatrical movie that preceded the series. But over time, the series won the hearts of many a Star Wars fan, all while casting the Prequels in a new and better light. That didn't stop the series from being prematurely canceled in 2013. But the Force works in mysterious ways, and The Clone Wars did finally get the finale it deserved when the belated Season 7 arrived on Disney+ in 2020.

Star Wars: Underworld

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2010/09/21/lucas-gives-update-on-star-wars-live-action-series"] The Holiday Special and Muppet guest appearances aside, there's a reason no one had ever attempted a live-action Star Wars series before the 2010s. Replicating the look and feel of the movies on the small screen is a difficult and extremely expensive prospect. But never let it be said George Lucas didn't give it his best try. Before selling the franchise to Disney in 2012, Lucas was in the process of developing a live-action series called Star Wars: Underworld. Underworld was set in between Episodes III and IV and, as the name suggests, would have focused on the seedier side of life during the Empire's reign. Sadly, it seems Lucas was never quite able to crack the code for a live-action series. "Right now, it looks like the Star Wars features," Lucas said on G4's Attack of the Show in 2011. "But we have to figure out a way to make it at about a tenth of the cost of the features, because it’s television.” Lucas also confirmed there were 50 completed scripts for the series, which had some strong similarities to the canceled Star Wars 1313.

Star Wars Detours

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2012/10/12/nycc-star-wars-detours-seth-green"] Disney's acquisition of Lucasfilm also cut short plans for an animated series called Star Wars Detours. Helmed by Robot Chicken's Matthew Senreich and Seth Green, Detours was meant to be a more all-ages-friendly parody of the saga, complete with cutesy, rotund versions of your favorite Star Wars icons. According to Green, no fewer than 39 episodes of the series were completed before Disney acquired Star Wars and opted to kill the project. Theoretically, there's no reason Detours couldn't be pulled from the Disney vault and released on Disney+, but there's been no sign of that actually happening yet.

Star Wars Rebels

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2017/01/18/star-wars-rebels-sabine-trains-with-the-darksaber"] One of Disney's first acts after acquiring the Star Wars franchise was to replace The Clone Wars with a new animated series set closer to the events of the Original Trilogy. Rebels introduced a new band of heroes keeping the spark of freedom alive in the years before Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia and Han Solo become the face of the Rebellion. The series also managed to give Clone Wars fans a certain amount of closure, with characters like Ahsoka Tano and Darth Maul playing major roles. The series even inducted Expanded Universe favorite Grand Admiral Thrawn into the Disney canon for good measure. Rebels only lasted for four seasons on Disney XD, but unlike Clone Wars, it delivered a conclusive ending in the process. The series won a devoted following, and even now fans are wondering when we'll see characters like Hera, Ezra and Thrawn again. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=star-wars-ahsoka-tano-the-mandalorian-and-more-incredible-black-series-figures&captions=true"]

Star Wars on YouTube

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2017/04/13/star-wars-forces-of-destiny-first-look"] Even as Disney has been busy filling out its new Disney+ streaming platform, they've also been bringing plenty of Star Wars content straight to YouTube. Star Wars: Forces of Destiny is an animated web series that focuses on the women of the saga, like Princess Leia, Jyn Erso and Rey. Star Wars: Galaxy of Adventures is another animated web series that offers a stylish new take on familiar moments from the movies, while Star Wars Roll Out re-imagines the entire cast as BB-8-esque balls. And finally, Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge is a competitive game show hosted by Jar Jar Binks himself, Ahmed Best.

Star Wars Resistance

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/08/17/star-wars-resistance-trailer"] Shortly after the conclusion of Star Wars Rebels in 2018, Disney followed up with a new animated series dubbed Star Wars Resistance. Resistance differs from its predecessors in more ways than one, sporting an unusual cel-shaded art style and a plot that takes place in the era of the sequel trilogy. While the series focuses mostly on new characters like New Republic pilot-turned-Resistance spy Kazuda Xiono and The First Order's Commander Pyre, it does feature a number of familiar movie characters like Poe Dameron, General Leia Organa, Captain Phasma and Kylo Ren. Many of these characters were even voiced by their original actors in Season 1, though those roles were largely recast in Season 2. Despite a mostly positive critical reception, Resistance only lasted for two seasons before being quietly canceled. To date, it remains the last Star Wars series to air on Disney XD.

Star Wars: The Mandalorian

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/01/03/the-mandalorian-season-1-review"] Star Wars: Underworld may have been a few years ahead of its time, but The Mandalorian proved a live-action Star Wars can indeed work without bankrupting the studio in the process. Lucasfilm managed this feat by turning to Iron Man and Jungle Book director Jon Favreau to oversee the series and relying on an innovative "video wall" set that all but eliminates the need for location shooting. The Mandalorian is set roughly five years after the events of Return of the Jedi, starring Pedro Pascal as the titular bounty hunter/gunfighter, Gina Carano as ex-Rebel shocktrooper Cara Dune and Carl Weathers as bounty-hunting guild leader Greef Karga. While the first season doesn't really tie into the larger Skywalker Saga, it does greatly flesh out the warrior culture of Mandalore. Plus it introduced Baby Yoda to the world... Season 2 looks as though it could have a larger impact on the franchise. Whereas the first season focused entirely on new characters, Season 2 will reportedly draw in Temuera Morrison's Boba Fett, Katee Sackhoff's Bo-Katan Kryze and even Rosario Dawson as Ahsoka Tano.

The Future of Star Wars on Disney+

[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-upcoming-star-wars-movie&captions=true"] Disney+ has so far played home to The Mandalorian and the final season of The Clone Wars, but that's just the tip of the iceberg. With the direction of the franchise on the big screen still uncertain post-The Rise of Skywalker, TV is where fans will be getting their Star Wars fix over the next few years. Star Wars: The Bad Batch will likely be the next Star Wars series arriving on Disney+. This animated spinoff of The Clone Wars takes place after the war's end and follows the elite squad introduced in Season 7, as they struggle to find purpose without a cause to fight for. As far as live-action series go, Rogue One's Cassian Andor is getting his own show, with both Diego Luna and Alan Tudyk reprising their roles and Rogue One co-writer Tony Gilroy serving as showrunner. The series is set five years before the events of Rogue One and will explore Cassian's exploits as a Rebel spy. Then, Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi is getting his own series. Ewan McGregor will be back in the lead role, with the series shedding light on Obi-Wan's life on Tatooine. Deborah Chow (The Mandalorian) will serve as showrunner, and production is expected to begin in January 2021. Finally, Russian Doll creator Leslye Headland is writing and overseeing a female-driven Star Wars series. That's about all we know about this mystery project so far, but some fans have speculated the series could be a Mandalorian spinoff starring Rosario Dawson's Ahsoka Tano. That's a lot of Star Wars. Head down to the comments to let us know your favorite TV incarnation of the franchise and which Disney+ project you're most excited to see. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.

Avatar: The Last Airbender Creators No Longer Involved in Netflix Series

Wed, 12 Aug 2020 16:50:02 GMT

Bad news for Avatar: The Last Airbender fans. Original series creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko are no longer involved with Netflix's live-action adaptation. DiMartino posted an open letter on his personal website, saying he and Konietzko have departed the project due to creative differences. The duo officially cut ties with the project in June 2020. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/09/18/avatar-the-last-airbender-live-action-series-comes-to-netflix-ign-news"] DiMartino writes, "When Bryan and I signed on to the project in 2018, we were hired as executive producers and showrunners. In a joint announcement for the series, Netflix said that it was committed to honoring our vision for this retelling and to supporting us on creating the series. And we expressed how excited we were for the opportunity to be at the helm. Unfortunately, things did not go as we had hoped." "And who knows?" DiMartino continues. "Netflix’s live-action adaptation of Avatar has the potential to be good. It might turn out to be a show many of you end up enjoying. But what I can be certain about is that whatever version ends up on-screen, it will not be what Bryan and I had envisioned or intended to make." This is certainly a worrying sign for a project many fans were looking forward to with great interest. It was hoped the involvement of DiMartino and Konietzko would result in a much more successful and faithful adaptation than the widely reviled 2010 live-action movie. While DiMartino doesn't go into specifics about the behind-the-scenes conflicts on the series, it would seem Netflix has a very different idea of what the series should be. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-25-best-adult-cartoon-tv-series&captions=true"] The Netflix series was originally announced in September 2018, along with a piece of concept art featuring main hero Aang and his faithful companion Appa. At the time production was expected to begin in 2019, though that window seems to have passed. It's unclear exactly how much progress has been made on the series or how close Netflix might be to casting the lead roles and beginning production. The silver lining is that DiMartino isn't necessarily cutting ties with the franchise as a whole. He writes, "I also want to be clear that this doesn’t mean the end of my involvement in the Avatar universe. These stories and characters are important to me and the renewed interest and excitement in Avatar and Korra has been inspiring to see." The original animated series ended its run in 2008, and we think it has one of the best series finales of all time. That series is currently available to stream on Netflix, and followup series The Legend of Korra will be available beginning August 14. Let us know what you think of this news and whether you're still excited for the live-action series in the comments below. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/05/05/revealed-your-top-5-animated-shows-to-binge-watch-power-ranking"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.

Batwoman: Ruby Rose Explains Why She Quit The CW Series

Wed, 12 Aug 2020 14:40:10 GMT

Ruby Rose has explained the reasons behind her decision to exit Batwoman after starring in the titular role of the Arrowverse series for just one season. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Rose elaborated on the reasons why she decided to hang up the cape and cowl ahead of Batwoman's second season, revealing that her back injury played a part in her decision to not continue in the role Kate Kane/Batwoman for the DC drama. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/07/09/new-batwoman-actress-has-been-cast"] "Being the lead of a superhero show is tough. Being the lead in anything is tough," Rose told the publication. "But I think, in that particular instance, it was a lot more difficult because I was still recovering from my surgery. I had my surgery and then 10 days later I went to work, which maybe wasn't the best idea. Most people take about a month or three off before they return to work, so it was definitely made more difficult by that. But as far as being a lead of a show or a film — regardless if it's action or if it's emotional — in whichever ways it's taxing." Rose underwent emergency surgery last year after herniating two discs from her intense stunt work on the show, which triggered a preexisting injury to flare up and cause her chronic pain, with her spinal cord at risk of being severed and paralyzing her. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/09/24/batwoman-explained-how-the-batman-love-interest-became-a-lgbtq-icon"] In conversation with EW, Rose said that she was proud of herself "for working under sort of interesting circumstances" while in recovery from the surgery, but admitted that she had time to reassess her role on The CW series while the production was shut down due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. "It wasn't so much [the injury], especially because after we wrapped up we didn't get to finish the real finale because of COVID," Rose explained, referencing the shortened Batwoman season, which ended after 20 episodes instead of 22 as originally planned. "You know, you have time in quarantine and sort of isolation to just think about a lot of different things and what you want to achieve in life and what you want to do. I think for both [me and the producers], it was a great opportunity to have a dialogue about a lot of things. I respect them so much and they've been so respectful to me." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=tv-shows-that-killed-off-a-main-character&captions=true"] The CW already announced that it will not be recasting the Kate Kane role for the upcoming second season, nor will Rose's character be killed off in between Seasons 1 and 2. Instead, actress Javicia Leslie will take over the lead role as a new character named Ryan Wilder, who is described as "likeable, messy, a little goofy and untamed," and apparently nothing like "the woman who wore the batsuit before her." Batwoman Season 2 is expected to debut in January 2021. The CW previously hinted that the next Arrowverse crossover will focus on Batwoman and the new Superman and Lois series, though it's unclear whether those plans have changed since Rose's departure. We're hoping to learn more at DC's FanDome virtual event, which is scheduled to launch on Saturday, August 22. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air to Be Rebooted as a Drama

Tue, 11 Aug 2020 18:23:20 GMT

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air may be returning to the airwaves at long last, but not in the form you might expect. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the series is being rebooted with a darker and more dramatic tone. The new series is being developed by Morgan Cooper, who achieved Internet fame in March 2019 with the release of Bel-Air, an unlicensed faux-trailer for a proposed Fresh Prince reboot. That trailer seems to have had the desired effect, with THR reporting Cooper's work caught the eye of original series star Will Smith (who actually interviewed Cooper about the project in April 2019). The reboot is also titled Bel-Air and is a co-production between Smith's Westbrook Studios and Universal TV. Cooper is co-writing and directing the pilot and will serve as co-executive producer on the new series. Chris Collins (The Wire) is serving as showrunner and executive producer and is co-writing the script with Cooper. Original series creators Andy and Susan Borowitz and producers Smith, Quincy Jones and Benny Medina will also executive produce Bel-Air. No cast members have been announced, and it's unclear if any of the actors from the Bel-Air trailer will return. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=everything-coming-to-hbo-max&captions=true"] While Bel-Air hasn't yet found a home, THR notes "Peacock, Netflix and HBO Max are among the streamers who are bidding on the potential series." It's worth noting the original series is streaming exclusively on HBO Max. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air ran for six seasons on NBC between 1990 and 1996. The series starred Smith as a fictionalized version of himself, following his character's struggles after leaving the hard streets of West Philadelphia for plush, sunny Bel-Air. The series also starred James Avery as gruff Uncle Phil, Janet Hubert-Whitten and later Daphne Maxwell Reid as Aunt Vivian, Alfonso Ribeiro as Will's preppy, nerdy cousin Carlton and Smith's musical collaborator DJ Jazzy Jeff as his best friend Jazz. While The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is a multi-camera sitcom, the idea of a dark and dramatic reboot isn't necessarily a huge stretch. The series was notable for featuring more serious moments, with Season 4's "Papa's Got a Brand New Excuse" and Smith's emotional performance being especially well-regarded. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/05/25/aladdin-fresh-prince-of-agrabah-rap"] The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is just the latest classic series to get a new lease on life in 2020. ABC has ordered a pilot for a Wonder Years reboot featuring an African American family in '60s-era Alabama. Comedy Central, meanwhile, is reviving Beavis and Butt-Head and MTV's short-lived Clone High animated series. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.

SpongeBob Squarepants: Nickelodeon Greenlights Patrick Star Spinoff Series

Tue, 11 Aug 2020 10:03:26 GMT

SpongeBob Squarepants' best friend is on his way to getting his own spinoff series called The Patrick Star Show, which will see the pink starfish become the host of his own late-night talk show. According to Deadline, Nickelodeon is in the process of finalizing deals for a 13-episode order of The Patrick Star Show, a new animated series coming from the same creative team as the original SpongeBob Squarepants show. [ignvideo width=610 height=374 url=http://www.ign.com/videos/2015/09/25/ign-uk-podcast-299-the-best-90s-tv-shows-to-watch-growing-up] The new series will reportedly center around Patrick and his family, with Bikini Bottom's shirtless invertebrate heading straight for stardom as the presenter of his own late-night talk show, which will apparently be in a similar vein as The Larry Sanders Show and Comedy Bang! Bang! SpongeBob veteran Bill Fagerbakke will continue to voice the main character, but will be joined by "a largely new cast voicing new characters, with SpongeBob cast members expected to make occasional appearances, reprising their roles." No further details were shared about the other cast members that have signed up to dive into the underwater universe, even though the series' voice actors have reportedly already started to record their lines for the project behind the scenes. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-25-best-adult-cartoon-tv-series&captions=true"] The Patrick Star Show joins a growing slate of SpongeBob Squarepants spinoffs, including Nickelodeon's Kamp Koral prequel series, which is set to follow the adventures of a 10-year-old SpongeBob during his summer at sleepaway camp. Kamp Koral is scheduled to debut later this year, so while you're waiting for this new series, be sure to check out IGN's list of our favourite SpongeBob SquarePants episodes over the past 20 years. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

Pokémon’s Newest Miniseries Is Finally Complete and Ready For Binging

Mon, 10 Aug 2020 21:30:32 GMT

With the release of the seventh and final episode, the entirety of Pokémon: Twilight Wings is available to watch for free on The Official Pokémon YouTube Channel. The first episode premiered back in January 2020 —in the “before times” —and the climatic final episode was only delayed by a short few weeks. Pokémon: Twilight Wings is the second collection of shorts Pokémon has released on YouTube. The first from 2016, Pokémon Generations, told stories generally straight from the video games. The Twilight Wings collection features a more intimate look at characters and Pokémon from the Galar region of Sword and Shield. These heartfelt shorts tell stories much more quietly than the rambunctious main anime series or action-packed Generations and are paired with fantastic, beautiful animation. The first episode features a sick child who sends a letter, which ties into the entirety of the series.Though each episode afterwards tends to spotlight a different character (with a few returning faces), Twilight Wings’ episodes all share one theme in common: Overcoming inner turmoil. Characters in Twilight Wings struggle with low self-esteem, regret, disappointment, and more, and all face their problems in different, unique ways. Bea heads to the Wild Area to train in rugged conditions, Wooloo tries to prove itself, and Nessa becomes inspired by a Pokémon, for example. Don't expect intense Pokémon battles or extreme action in most episodes (except in the final, impressive sequence of the last episode), but there are plenty of lively Pokémon appearances that are made even more enjoyable by the gorgeous animation. It’s a subdued take on storytelling in the Pokémon universe, but the style lends itself to a more mature tone overall, something I wholeheartedly appreciate as an “older” Pokémon fan. Don't get me wrong, the main Pokémon series is a fun, nostalgic watch, but Twilight Wings explored characters and stories otherwise untold, making it much more impactful to me in comparison. I pathetically admit most Pokémon media can leave me inexplicably weepy, but Twilight Wings consistently tugged at my heartstrings for actual, legitimate reasons. I can only hope the Pokémon company continues creating spinoff animations like Twilight Wings, Generations, and Origins. I would love to look forward to a new Twilight Wings-like episode each month. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=top-10-cutest-pokemon-from-sword-and-shield&captions=true"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Casey DeFreitas still watches the Pokémon animated series on the regular, and is probably doing something Pokémon-related right now. Catch her on Twitter @ShinyCaseyD.

Agents of SHIELD: The Many Lives (and Deaths) of Phil Coulson

Mon, 10 Aug 2020 21:15:45 GMT

The end is near for Marvel's Agents of SHIELD, and with the two-part series finale closing in -- "The End is at Hand" and "What We're Fighting For," airing August 12 -- it's a swell time to take a closer look at Clark Gregg's Agent Phillip J. Coulson - the dutiful operative who bridged the gap as the MCU jumped from movies to TV. Yes, The Avengers' loss, Phil Coulson, became the touchstone for this long-running Marvel saga as the super agent was resurrected for the series and got to lead a new team on adventures that spanned time, space, and space-time. Battling Hydra cells, Kree tyrants, vengeful A.I.s, and even spirits from the Fear dimension, Coulson would eventually discover that "dying" was kind of his superpower, as the man would find himself brought back from the brink several times over the course of seven seasons. Here's a quick cataloguing of Coulson' close calls, comebacks, and upgrades. All the times Phil's been resurrected. Returned to us from beyond. Yanked back from the Big Dark. You get the idea. Obviously, spoilers follow for Marvel's Agents of SHIELD. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=marvels-agents-of-shield-the-many-lives-and-deaths-of-phil-coulson&captions=true"] [poilib element="accentDivider"]

The Early Years

We never saw Coulson before he was a SHIELD agent, but Captain Marvel gave us a glimpse of Phil as a young and bright agent trusted by Nick Fury. In this time, Coulson ran missions with Melinda May and Katherine Shane before, eventually, getting wrapped up in an alien tussle on Earth that involved the returned Air Force pilot Carol Danvers and a squad of Skrull scientists seeking her memories.

Avengers Initiative Phil

Coulson would remain an active SHIELD agent for the next decade, running more operations with Agent May and Peruvian soldier Camilla Reyes, all while assisting Fury with the Avengers Initiative. After Tony Stark rescued himself from captivity overseas, Coulson and Fury began aggressively recruiting superpowered beings including Bruce Banner, the newly-arrived Thor, and the newly-thawed Steve Rogers (whom Coulson had been a huge fan of since he was a kid). Along with SHIELD's Natasha Romanov and Clint Barton, the team banded together to stop Thor's stepbrother Loki from conquering Earth with an alien army. Coulson, however, would not survive the endeavor. He died after being stabbed with Loki's sceptor.

T.A.H.I.T.I. Phil

Created by Fury, and headed by Coulson, Project T.A.H.I.T.I. (Terrestrialized Alien Host Integrative Tissue I) was put in place in case a wounded Avenger needed to be healed. Using a Kree corpse, a drug called GH.325 was created that could bring people back from death (with side effects including writing strange alien symbols everywhere). After Phil's death, Fury would order him brought back to life using the drug. After seven operations, the doctors resurrected Coulson successfully, but the process was agonizing for him. Coulson's memory of the procedure was wiped, as were his memories of Project T.A.H.I.T.I. itself. As far as Phil knew, he was injured and then recovered in Tahiti. A magical place. Following this, Coulson would recruit a whole new team, including Agent May, Leo Fitz, Jemma Simmons, Grant Ward (boooo!), and a lone hacker named Skye (real name: Daisy Johnson). Over the next several years, they'd form a tight, family-like bond while running missions all over the world. Even one where they'd discover that SHIELD itself was filled with secret Hydra agents - including Ward and one of Coulson's former mentors, John Garrett. After that specific victory, Fury, who was still mostly in hiding, appointed Phil as the new Director of SHIELD.

Cyborg Phil

In order to stop Coulson's entire body from petrifying due to contact with a contaminated Terrigen Crystal (it's a...whole thing), then-SHIELD engineer Alphonso "Mac" Mackenzie chopped off Phil's arm to stop the spread of the malady. Agent Fitz then designed a cybernetic replacement for Phil that attached to the missing part of his left arm. Eventually, Fitz would replace the hand again, this time with a more lifelike prosthesis. In any form, Coulson's hand came with super strength (just ask Grant Ward, RIP) along with X-ray scanning and signal jamming capabilities (and maybe a laser finger, shhhh). Coulson could also project an energy shield with it, allowing him to act like his favorite hero of all time, Captain America.

Framework Phil

Created by Fitz, the Framework was a simulation training program that was expanded into a full virtual world by Holden Radcliffe, who used the Darkhold to do it. It was a place where one could "correct" their biggest life regret. When rogue A.I. Aida captured Coulson and other SHIELD team members, she placed them in the Framework, which became an Earth where Hydra ruled over everyone. Inside this virtual realm, Coulson "fixed" his past and never joined SHIELD so he could have an ordinary life. He was now a teacher (at Alexander Pierce High School) who felt occasionally guilty about teaching his students Hydra propaganda.

Ghost Rider Phil

In order to defeat and banish Aida to Hell, Phil actually briefly absorbed the Spirit of Vengeance and allowed himself to become the Ghost Rider, who was the only being capable of credibly facing Aida and blocking her regenerative abilities.

Phil's Second Death

Phil's stint as the Ghost Rider would have dire consequences, however, as he learned that the brief time he spent bonding with the Spirit of Vengeance had burned through the Kree DNA that had previously healed him and gave him a new life. With his time now dwindling down, Coulson spent his remaining time saving the Earth from annihilation and forming a romantic relationship with Melinda May. Coulson officially retired, turned the leadership of SHIELD over to Mac, and spent his remaining weeks in Tahiti with May. He died in his sleep.

Um...Sarge

Okay...so. Coulson died. He was dead-dead. So who was this Coulson look-alike in Season 6? Well Sarge, to Sarge's knowledge, was a long-lived alien who was leading a group of warriors that hunted parasites called Shrikes. Really though, Sarge, who had identical genetics to Phil Coulson, was called Pachakutiq - a non-corporeal entity from the Fear Dimension whose memories got all scrambled when it entered the accidentally cloned body of Phil (created by a monolith from the Fear Dimension). In the end, he looked like this... Pachakutiq and ancient entity Izel were ultimately defeated, dropped by Sarge's special, enhanced Shrike-killing sword.

LMD Phil

Season 7 saw the return of factory setting Phil Coulson, though he wasn't brought back to life in the regular Kree DNA way. Now he was a Life Model Decoy created by Fitz, Simmons, and Enoch using Chronicom tech. He was more or less the same Phil but with a self-awareness of his LMD existence, a subordinate role to Director Mackenzie, and a now-dissolved romantic relationship with May.

LMD Phil's Death

Realizing that self-sacrifice was his strong suit, LMD Phil took himself out, knowing he'd be able to come back, by blowing up the evil Chronicoms' time ship, taking all their Hunters out with the blast.

Phil TV

While in the '80s-era part of the team's time-travel adventure, Fitz and Simmons' future grandson Deke Shaw rebooted Coulson from a hard drive and put him into a TV screen, Max Headroom-style. From there, Coulson could advise Deke and Mac, but offer no physical support.

LMD Phil Part 2

Once Deke and Mac were rescued by the rest of the team, and back on Zephyr One, Coulson was given a brand-new LMD body. Just in time to square off against Nathanial Malick and his diabolical plan to throw the world into chaos by stealing Inhuman powers and give them to mercenaries. So what was your favorite Phil Coulson moment from over the years? Should he have ever stayed dead or was bringing him back over and over part of the fun? Let us know below! [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Fowler is a writer for IGN and a member of the Television Critics Association. Follow him on Twitter at @TheMattFowler and Facebook at Facebook.com/MattBFowler.

MacGruber Series Officially Announced

Mon, 10 Aug 2020 18:31:49 GMT

MacGruber is coming back to kick ass and rip throats. Peacock, NBCUniversal's new streaming service, announced Monday that it's ordered eight half-hour episodes of MacGruber. Watch the teaser trailer for the show below: [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/10/macgruber-peacock-tv-show-teaser-trailer"] Creator-star Will Forte is back to play the world's dumbest tough guy action hero in the series, which he will also write and executive produce alongside John Solomon and Jorma Taccone. Taccone, who directed the Macgruber movie, will also direct the series. Lorne Michaels, John Goldwyn, Andrew Singer and Erin David are also exec producers on MacGruber, which began as a skit on Saturday Night Live before hitting the big screen in 2010. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=snl-stars-best-comedies&captions=true"] Although a critical and box office disappointment upon release -- even after a promo appearance where MacGruber almost got annihilated on WWE's Monday Night RAW -- MacGruber developed a cult following over the years. Forte went on to star in the Emmy-nominated series The Last Man on Earth and the acclaimed 2013 film Nebraska. So what will Peacock's MacGruber be about beyond the inevitable deluge of dick jokes and the title character's inability to plan? Who will he fight now that he no longer has Cunth to pound? Well, here's the official plot synopsis: "After rotting in prison for over a decade, America’s ultimate hero and uber patriot MacGruber (Will Forte) is finally released. His mission: to take down a mysterious villain from his past—Brigadier Commander Enos Queeth. With the entire world in the crosshairs, MacGruber must race against time to defeat the forces of evil -- only to find that evil... may be lurking within." No word yet on whether Forte's co-stars Kristen Wiig and Ryan Phillippe will also reprise their roles (as Vicki St. Elmo and Dixon Piper, respectively) for the series. In our MacGruber review, we said "Forte and Wiig deliver a comedy masterclass, with the pair seemingly prepared to do anything to raise a laugh." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/08/peacock-streaming-service-review"]

The Boys: Shawn Ashmore Joins Season 2 Cast As Lamplighter

Mon, 10 Aug 2020 16:00:38 GMT

Shawn Ashmore will be joining The Boys for its second season. Or, should we say, he’ll be joining The Seven: he’s playing Lamplighter, one of the world’s superheroes. Fans may remember from Season 1 (or, indeed, the comics) that new The Seven member Annie January/Starlight was drafted into the superhero team as a replacement for Lamplighter, who left under mysterious circumstances. But, as we’ll see in Season 2, Lamplighter is back. Beyond his position as part of The Seven, Lamplighter’s past also directly ties into The Boys’ history and why they broke up eight years ago. His presence in Season 2 is sure to whip up some tensions among Butcher and his crew. Season 2 of The Boys begins September 4 on Amazon Prime Video. Three episodes will be available that day, with subsequent episodes released weekly each Friday. The season finale will be available to stream on October 9. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/07/08/amazons-the-boys-season-2-official-teaser"] In addition, an aftershow - Prime Rewind: Inside The Boys - will begin on August 28 with a look back at Season 1, with new episodes available to accompany each new chapter of the show thereafter. It’s presented by Aisha Tyler. For more on The Boys, check out our sneak peek of an upcoming scene from Season 2 featuring The Deep, a look at the latest posters, and the news that The Boys has been renewed for Season 3. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer.

Doctor Who: Christopher Eccleston Returning as The Ninth Doctor

Sun, 09 Aug 2020 16:48:16 GMT

Christopher Eccleston, as the Ninth Doctor, helped usher in a new era of Doctor Who, though his tenure would be short-lived as the actor would leave the series after only one season of 13 episodes due to a breakdown in his relationship with then-showrunner Russell T Davies. Eccleston also famously turned down the chance to reprise the role on several occasions over the years, including an appearance on the 50th Anniversary show. Now it's been announced that Eccleston will return to the role of the Ninth Doctor after fifteen years, for a new Ninth Doctor audio series from BBC Studios and Big Finish. The series will feature twelve full-cast audio adventures, due to be released across four box sets, starting with volume one in May 2021. “After 15 years it will be exciting to revisit the Ninth Doctor’s world," Eccleston said in a release, "bringing back to life a character I love playing.” [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-25-most-essential-doctor-who-episodes&captions=true"] Big Finish’s Chairman, Jason Haigh-Ellery said: “I first talked to Christopher about returning to the role of the Doctor at the Gallifrey One convention in February this year. Christopher said he was enjoying meeting the fans and was pleased that his Doctor was remembered so fondly. He indicated he would be open to discussing a project with Big Finish." “And then the pandemic happened and time moved both quickly and very slowly. Over recent months, ideas have been exchanged and discussions had. I am so pleased that Christopher has decided to return to the role with us – and I'm excited to welcome him to the Big Finish family as we discover the new adventures of the Ninth Doctor.” The four volumes in Doctor Who: The Ninth Doctor Adventures will be released as a 4-disc collector’s edition box set or download containing three brand-new full cast audio adventures, plus a selection of behind-the-scenes extras. Pre-ordering is available now. Other details, including additional guest cast, are not known at this time. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/24/doctor-who-virtual-panel-w-david-tennant-matt-smith-and-jodie-whittaker"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Fowler is a writer for IGN and a member of the Television Critics Association. Follow him on Twitter at @TheMattFowler and Facebook at Facebook.com/MattBFowler.

X-Men: The Animated Series Producer Has Had 'Talks' with Disney About a Revival

Sun, 09 Aug 2020 15:23:39 GMT

During a virtual Wizard World panel last Friday, X-Men: The Animated Series producer and director Larry Houston addressed the lingering rumors of there being a possible decades-later revival of the series on the horizon. "We've had talks [with Disney], but that's about it," Houston shared. "We've made conversation and it's up to them to make the decision, but we've let them know that we're all available for whatever they want to do in the future." Houston, who is retired at the moment, added that he would love to return "if we could do a special, a one-off episode, or a five-part episode. Whatever they wanted to do if we had all the original team. That's what I would come out of retirement for." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2017/11/04/x-men-the-animated-series-ruled-nuff-said"] X-Men: The Animated Series is arguably the most beloved version of the X-Men on TV. As a FOX Kids animated series, it had a successful five-season run from '92 to '97 and featured a core team similar to that of the '90s comics: Wolverine, Gambit, Beast, Cyclops, Jean Grey, Storm, Rogue, and Jubilee, in the uniforms that fan favorite artist Jim Lee created for them. Last year, Marvel was sued over the show's theme song, for copyright infringement due to the song’s similarities to the theme of a Hungarian cop show from the ‘80s called Linda. All five seasons of X-Men: The Animated Series can be viewed on Disney+. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-history-of-the-x-men-on-tv&captions=true"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Fowler is a writer for IGN and a member of the Television Critics Association. Follow him on Twitter at @TheMattFowler and Facebook at Facebook.com/MattBFowler.

Animaniacs Hulu Revival Premiere Date Announced

Fri, 07 Aug 2020 17:00:52 GMT

Hulu has revealed the release date for its revival of beloved 1990s cartoon Animaniacs. The antics begin on November 20. It’s been 22 years since the final, 99th episode of Animaniacs, but 2020 sees the return of the popular show. “Hulu, Amblin Television and Warner Bros. Animation are proud to unveil a brand-new version of the iconic family-friendly cartoon series for the whole family, as the Warner siblings, Yakko and Wakko, and the Warner sister Dot, have a great time wreaking havoc and mayhem in the lives of everyone they meet,” said Hulu in a statement. Yakko, Wakko, and Dot are not the only characters returning for the revival, though. The show wouldn’t be complete without Pinky and the Brain, two lab mice on a quest to take over the world. They’ll be scheming in all 13 of the new episodes. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-25-best-adult-cartoon-tv-series&captions=true"] As with the original run, Steven Spielberg returns as executive producer of the series. And the 13 Animaniacs episodes being released in November are just the start; Hulu has confirmed that the show will return for a second 13-episode season in 2021. The revival itself reportedly came about because of a surge of popularity for Animaniacs on Netflix. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer.

Invincible Animated Series Character Designs Revealed

Thu, 06 Aug 2020 16:00:21 GMT

Invincible fans have gotten their first look at the upcoming animated series, and it's nothing if not faithful to the original comic. As revealed in Free Comic Book Day 2020: Invincible #1, co-creator and original series artist Cory Walker is serving as Lead Character Designer for the Amazon adaptation. Check out Walker's rendition of the main cast below: As this preview image reveals, the series is sticking very closely to the look established by Walker and artist Ryan Ottley on the series. For comparison, here's one of Walker's covers for the comic: The FCBD special also clarifies Robert Kirkman's role on the series. In addition to serving as executive producer, Kirkman wrote both the pilot and the season finale. The special includes more teaser art that isn't being released online, so you'll have to head to your local comic shop to see more. The Invincible animated series is based on the comic co-created by Kirkman and Walker and will debut on Amazon Prime Video. Simon Racioppa (Teen Titans) will serve as showrunner, with Justin and Chris Copeland (Ultimate Spider-Man) serving as supervising directors. Kirkman, Racioppa, David Alpert (The Walking Dead), and Catherine Winder (Star Wars: The Clone Wars) are executive producing. We learned about the main voice cast for the series during Skybound Xpo in July, which includes Steven Yuen as the titular hero, J.K. Simmons as his father Omni-Man and Gillian Jacobs as Atom Eve. As part of Comic-Con@Home, Kirkman revealed that a number of Walking Dead veterans will voice the Justice League-esque super-team the Guardians of the Globe. In other Kirkman TV news, there's finally a release date for the long-delayed Season 10 finale of The Walking Dead. That finale will now air on October 4, alongside the series premiere of The Walking Dead: World Beyond. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.

New Streaming Service from ViacomCBS to Launch Internationally in 2021

Thu, 06 Aug 2020 15:24:40 GMT

ViacomCBS has announced plans to launch a global streaming service that will feature a "super-sized" selection of content from several of the company's brands. According to Variety, ViacomCBS CEO Bob Bakish expanded on the company's plans for the platform while speaking on an earnings call on Thursday, as he confirmed that the new premium SVOD service will start its international rollout in Australia, Latin America, and the Nordics early next year, with more international markets to follow. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/11/21/cbs-all-access-review-2019"] In many cases, the new platform will evolve from an existing streaming service. For instance, CBS All Access will be rebranded for the relaunch of the new streamer in Australia, and Paramount+ will be expanded to introduce the new service in Eastern Europe, Latin America, and the Nordics. The new SVOD service is expected to target audiences of all ages with a bespoke library of must-see content and exclusive premieres of Showtime titles, including Halo and American Rust, as well as CBS All Access originals, such as Guilty Party and The Harper House. The platform's catalogue of titles will include movies from Paramount Pictures, together with premieres and box sets from much-loved brands, such as Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, and Paramount Network, as well as originals from ViacomCBS International Studios in some markets. The fan-favourite shows that will launch in the first three initial markets, to varying degrees of exclusivity, include The Good Wife, The Affair, Californication, Deadwood, Dexter, House of Lies, Nurse Jackie, Oz, and the original Twin Peaks. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/11/20/best-streaming-shows-you-probably-never-heard-of"] ViacomCBS continues to accelerate its "momentum in streaming" after teasing the prospect of a "broad pay" platform earlier this year. However, the company has assured that it still has "more than enough content" to "continue to license product selectively to third parties in international markets." For more on the ever-expanding streaming landscape, head over on over to IGN's State of Streaming hub for an easy-read guide that covers all of your streaming needs, including a deep-dive review of the Disney+ platform, a closer look at NBCUniversal's Peacock platform, and a breakdown of which companies are currently winning the streaming wars. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-best-tv-shows-of-the-decade-2010-2019&captions=true"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

Star Trek: Lower Decks Series Premiere Review

Thu, 06 Aug 2020 13:00:21 GMT

Full spoilers follow for this episode. Star Trek: Lower Decks, the latest series from CBS All Access in the modern Trek TV pantheon that follows on the heels of Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: Picard, is clearly a unique, um, enterprise, as not only the first ongoing Star Trek comedy series but also an animated production at that. What’s that you say? Star Trek shouldn’t be animated, and it’s certainly not a comedy? If Samuel T. Cogley, attorney at law, were here, he’d remind the reader that Star Trek first did animation starting way back in 1973 for two seasons of The Animated Series, which was created under the guiding hand of franchise mastermind Gene Roddenberry himself. And comedy has been a recurring aspect of every Trek series, with specifically comedic episodes dating back to The Original Series’ “The Trouble with Tribbles” in 1967. So yeah, comedy and animation aren’t really new to Star Trek. [ignvideo width=610 height=374 url=https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/05/star-trek-lower-decks-team-on-canon-costumes-cameos-and-more] But combining the two to be the guiding approach to an entire show? That is new. And so far it works really well in Lower Decks. Created by Mike McMahan (Rick and Morty, Solar Opposites), Lower Decks is a distinctly Next Generation-era series; it looks like TNG in terms of ships, costumes (mostly), computer interfaces, props, and so on, but it also feels like that beloved show in that its A/B (and sometimes C) storylines could essentially be retrofitted onto the Enterprise-D and wouldn’t seem that out of place. Next Gen fans will love Lower Decks for its faithfulness to that particular era of Star Trek. And yet, this very much isn’t Captain Picard’s ship. Featuring the crew of the U.S.S. Cerritos, Lower Decks’ focus is on the less important missions of Starfleet and the Federation. While Picard handles “first contact” with alien races, the Cerritos team comes in after the exciting stuff is over to deal with “second contact” -- basically when all the paperwork has to be taken care of. And not just that, but the focus of the show is mainly on the less glamorous jobs on the ship, and those who undertake them. Specifically, the main characters are a group of ensigns: the underachieving but quite capable Beckett Mariner (Tawny Newsome), the by-the-book but tries-way-too-hard Brad Boimler (Jack Quaid), ship newcomer and eternal optimist D'Vana Tendi (Noël Wells), and recently cyborg-ed gearhead Sam Rutherford (Eugene Cordero). It’s through D'Vana that this first episode, which was written by McMahan, introduces us to the goings-on of the Cerritos, including the ensign quarters (basically beds in a hallway), their location on the ship (the very, very bottom, of course), and Mariner’s favorite holodeck program (“all nude Olympic training facility”), among other things. But even though Lower Decks episodes are only 24 minutes long, “Second Contact” manages to introduce the ship and the crew while also providing an adventure for Mariner and Boimler during that titular away mission on the planet below, a quasi-zombie plague onboard ship, and a fledgling romance for Rutherford. And it all seamlessly fits together, is often exciting, and is pretty funny too. Sure, some of the jokes in this first episode don’t always work, but when the best ones land, they really land. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=star-trek-lower-decks-cast&captions=true"] The show looks terrific, with the animation by studio Titmouse seamlessly translating the Trek world into 2D drawings. It’s all very smooth and stylish, conveying a modern feel that still manages to reach back nostalgically to the TNG era… while also telling stories technically set after that show. The premiere episode also proves why Star Trek makes so much sense for animation, as the budgetary constraints of live-action television just aren’t here. If the show needs a Benzite officer, the team can draw one. If it needs rampaging zombie crewmembers spitting black alien-bile, no problem. Giant spider-creature attack? They got you covered. The senior officers of the ship are the supporting characters in this show, but so far Jerry O'Connell as the Riker-esque blowhard Commander Jack Ransom takes the cake out of this group. A close second is Gillian Vigman's grouchy T'Ana, chief medical officer (and also a cat lady). Meanwhile, Dawnn Lewis’s Captain Carol Freeman, as we learn by the end of this episode, is also Mariner’s mother, which is obviously setting up a season arc story between the strict mom and rebellious daughter. I’ve seen the first four episodes of Lower Decks so far, and while I can’t talk specifics about what’s to come yet, I will say that as the setting and format kick into gear (for the show’s creators as well as the viewer), things get tighter and click even better than they do here. One of Star Trek executive producer/head honcho Alex Kurtzman’s mandates has been to find different approaches for each new Trek show in the CBS All Access era, and with Lower Decks they’ve done that in spades. [ignvideo width=610 height=374 url=https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/07/23/star-trek-universe-official-panel-comic-con-2020] Questions and Notes from the Q Continuum:

This series is so TNG that even its first act cast and crew credits are in the same blue font as that show.
Gotta love the opening titles, which sum up the show perfectly: Boldly going but kinda screwing things up a bit along the way.
“Did I eat flesh…?”
T'Ana is of course a Caitian, which is a callback to M'Ress from The Animated Series.
So. Many. References. Mariner in particular is a treasure trove of namedrops, but this show is bursting at the seams in terms of Trek continuity and Easter eggs.