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CEO Bob Chapek Will Give Fans a First Look at Disney 100 Years of Wonder
Tamron Hall to Host the Legends Awards, Where Anthony Anderson, Kristen Bell, Chadwick Boseman, Patrick Dempsey, Josh Gad, Jonathan Groff, Idina Menzel, Ellen Pompeo, and Tracee Ellis Ross Will Be Among the Remarkable Talent Honored
BURBANK, Calif. (August 19, 2022) – D23 Expo: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event presented by Visa® will kick off Friday, September 9, with a fantastic spectacle that includes the Disney Legends Awards ceremony and an early look at Disney 100 Years of Wonder—an extraordinary celebration 100 years in the making. The opening ceremony will take place at 10:30 a.m. in Hall D23 inside the Anaheim Convention Center.
“For nearly a century, Disney has been entertaining and inspiring people around the world,” said Bob Chapek, CEO, The Walt Disney Company. “I can’t wait to give fans a first look at what we have in store for our hundredth anniversary, and how we’re using this occasion to celebrate all the fans and families who have welcomed Disney into their lives.”
The incredible opening event, which will be streamed as part of D23 Expo [LIVE], will feature musical performances, special guests, and surprises for the audience, including a special performance by cast members from Disney On Broadway’s productions of Aladdin and The Lion King, and The North American Tour of Frozen.
The Disney Legends Award is given to an individual who has made an extraordinary contribution to the Disney legacy, and this year’s honorees include Anthony Anderson, Kristen Bell, Chadwick Boseman, Rob’t Coltrin, Patrick Dempsey, Robert Price “Bob” Foster, Jonathan Groff, Don Hahn, Josh Gad, Doris Hardoon, Idina Menzel, Chris Montan, Ellen Pompeo, and Tracee Ellis Ross. Emmy® Award winner Tamron Hall will host, bringing her signature warmth and humor to the fan-favorite ceremony.
The Disney Legends Awards program is a 35-year tradition of The Walt Disney Company, which began when Fred MacMurray (The Shaggy Dog, The Absent-Minded Professor, The Happiest Millionaire) was honored in 1987. The awards ceremony is just one of the many spectacular events fans can enjoy during the three-day D23 Expo.
The 2022 Disney Legends Award honorees (listed alphabetically) are:
Anthony Anderson grew up in Los Angeles. While pursuing his acting career, he continued his education by attending the High School for the Performing Arts, where he earned first place in the NAACP’s ACT-SO Awards. His performance, along with a dedication to his craft, earned him an arts scholarship to Howard University. Anthony has appeared in more than 20 films, and his performance on Law & Order earned him four consecutive NAACP Image Award nominations for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series. He starred in and executive produced ABC’s Emmy-nominated sitcom black-ish, winning seven NAACP Image Awards and earning seven Emmy and three Golden Globe® nominations for his role as Andre “Dre” Johnson in the series. He also executive produced and appeared in the black-ish spinoff series grown-ish and mixed-ish. His recent credits include ABC’s Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear’s ‘All in the Family’ and ‘The Jeffersons’ (2019), host of ABC’s game show To Tell the Truth (2016–), and Detective Kevin Bernard in Law & Order. In 2020 he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Kristen Bell is an award-winning actor, author, and producer, who landed her first role with Disney by lending her voice to Hiromi in the Studio Ghibli classic The Cat Returns, for the U.S. DVD release in 2005. Her voice-acting expertise would soon come in handy once again, for the two highest-grossing animated features of all time, Frozen (2013) and Frozen 2 (2019). Anna, the optimistic, comical, fearless princess (who became Queen) of Arendelle, was a spot-on role for the seasoned actor, whose singing talents and personality effortlessly shines through her performance of the character. Kristen reprised the role in Frozen Fever (2015), Olaf’s Frozen Adventure (2017), Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018), and Once Upon a Snowman (2020), along with numerous video games, theme park experiences, and consumer products. Kristen also voiced Priscilla the sloth in 2016’s Oscar®-winning Zootopia and in the upcoming Disney+ series Zootopia+. She has also starred in several Disney live-action films, such as When in Rome (2010) and You Again (2010), TV specials such as Lady Gaga & The Muppets’ Holiday Spectacular (2013) and Mickey’s 90th Spectacular (2018), and myriad series from 20th Century Fox, including The Simpsons and Family Guy.
Chadwick Boseman was fueled by purpose and sought to fulfill that through writing, directing, acting, and activism. His breakout performance came playing Jackie Robinson in 42, followed by his next role as James Brown in Get On Up. He then starred in the title role of Marshall, which followed a young Thurgood Marshall. Boseman joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the African Super Hero Black Panther in Captain America: Civil War before bringing the character to the forefront of his own solo film, Black Panther, which received critical acclaim, broke global box office records, and had a social and cultural impact felt globally. The film received seven Academy Award® nominations, including Marvel’s first-ever Best Picture nomination. Boseman won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture alongside the film’s ensemble. In 2019, Boseman starred in 21 Bridges. In 2020, he appeared in Da 5 Bloods, directed by Academy Award winner Spike Lee. In Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, his captivating performance as “Levee” garnered an Academy Award nomination, and he won the NAACP Image Award and the Critics Choice and Screen Actors Guild awards, among numerous others. On television, he most recently received an Emmy nomination for his work in the Disney+ animated series What If…?
Rob’t Coltrin joined Walt Disney Imagineering in 1990 in the Show Set Design group and over time progressed through multiple disciplines—including show design, concept design, and art direction—before landing in his final role as an executive creative director. Early in his career he had a hand in the creation of several attractions that have delighted Disney fans for decades, such as Mickey’s PhilharMagic, Muppet*Vision 3D, and Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin. More recently, he was a major creative force behind some of our most ambitious projects, including Radiator Springs Racers, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, and recent expansions at Tokyo Disney Resort. In addition to his boundless creative talents, Rob’t is also well known for his passion to elevate the work of fellow Imagineers and help further their careers. Even following his retirement in 2019, he continues to keep in touch with and inspire many of his friends and colleagues at Imagineering.
Patrick Dempsey is a two-time Golden Globe® nominee and SAG Award® nominee for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series. Early in his career he appeared in 1980s nostalgia films such as Touchstone’s Can’t Buy Me Love (1987) and has since become a Hollywood star with numerous iconic television and film roles. Other Disney credits include an appearance on The Magical World of Disney as Kellin Taylor in A Fighting Choice (1986), the Hollywood Pictures film Run (1991), Touchstone’s Sweet Home Alabama (2002), Brother Bear 2 (2006) as the voice of Kenai, Enchanted (2007), and the upcoming Disney+ film Disenchanted (2022). He is perhaps best known to fans as Dr. Derek Shepherd in ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy, a role he portrayed for 11 seasons. Grey’s Anatomy won the 2007 Golden Globe for Best Television Series–Drama as well as the 2007 SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series. In addition to acting, Patrick is an avid racing enthusiast, participating in sports car events and produced the film The Art of Racing in the Rain (2019). In 2008, with the intention of giving back to the community where he grew up and where his mother first received cancer treatment, Patrick founded the Dempsey Center to help make life better for people managing the impact of cancer.
Robert Price “Bob” Foster began his Disney career in 1956, joining the Walt Disney Productions legal department. He later served as a member of the Park Operations Committee for Disneyland and was promoted to Corporate Secretary and Legal Counsel in 1958. Two years later, he was named Assistant Secretary, Walt Disney Productions, and Resident Counsel for Disneyland. In 1963, Walt and Roy O. Disney selected Bob to head the land search for their top-secret “Florida Project.” Bob took extraordinary measures to ensure that the identity of Walt Disney Productions remained classified while initiating and executing the property research and acquisition effort. He acquired 43 square miles of land for what would eventually become the Walt Disney World Resort. Bob was later named Vice President (Legal), Secretary, and General Counsel for the Walt Disney World Co. and in 1970 was promoted to President of the Buena Vista Land Company. In this role, Bob was responsible for overseeing development of the resort community of Lake Buena Vista. In 1974, Bob retired from Walt Disney Productions as Vice President, Real Estate.
Josh Gad is a Tony Award®-winning actor and singer who has warmed the hearts of countless viewers around the globe as Olaf, the loveable snowman from the 2013 box office hit Frozen and its popular follow-up, Frozen 2 (2019). To audiences’ delight, Gad has reprised the role numerous times, each time sharing more of the sun-loving character’s endearing personality and vivacious songs. Olaf has appeared in Frozen Fever (2015), LEGO® Disney Frozen: Northern Lights (2016), Olaf’s Frozen Adventure (2017), At Home with Olaf (2020), Once Upon a Snowman (2020), and Olaf Presents (2021). Gad’s memorable performances in Frozen and Frozen 2 earned him two Annie Awards for Outstanding Achievement for Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production. In 2017, Gad starred as LeFou, the memorable and iconic sidekick to Gaston, in the live-action Beauty and the Beast, and in 2020, he portrayed Mulch Diggums in Artemis Fowl. Some of his other notable Disney credits include Mickey’s 90th Spectacular (2018), The Disney Family Singalong (2020), Murder on the Orient Express (2017), Modern Family (2011), and Magic of Disney’s Animal Kingdom (2020). Gad’s Broadway talent is also showcased as both a creator and star of the Emmy-nominated 20th Television Animation musical series, Central Park (2020–).
Jonathan Groff has made memorable performances in theater, film, and television since his award-winning breakout performance in Broadway’s Spring Awakening (2006). Popular with Disney fans the world over, Jonathan voiced the character of Kristoff in both Frozen (2013) and Frozen 2 (2019)—the top two highest-grossing animated films of all time—as well as in Frozen Fever (2015), LEGO Disney Frozen: Northern Lights (2016), Olaf’s Frozen Adventure (2017), Once Upon a Snowman (2020), and numerous video games, consumer products, and theme park experiences. He also appeared as Jesse St. James on the Emmy- and Golden Globe-award-winning television series Glee. Additional notable Disney television credits include The Story of Frozen: Making a Disney Animated Classic and Into the Unknown: Making Frozen 2. Groff originated the role of King George III in the Pulitzer Prize-winning production of Hamilton on Broadway, receiving a Tony Award nomination for his performance, and was part of the featured cast immortalized in the Emmy-winning Disney+ Original release of the hit show. Groff also received an individual Emmy nomination for his performance in the filmed production.
Don Hahn joined The Walt Disney Studios in 1976 in the Art Props Morgue. His animation career took off when he worked as an inbetweener on Pete’s Dragon (1977), and later as assistant director on The Fox and the Hound (1981). He was Production Manager of The Black Cauldron (1985) and The Great Mouse Detective (1986), then turned to producing on Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988), Beauty and the Beast (1991), and The Lion King (1994). His other credits include The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996), The Emperor’s New Groove (2000), Maleficent (2014), and the live-action Beauty and the Beast (2017). He executive produced the Disneynature films Earth (2009), Oceans (2010), African Cats (2011), and Chimpanzee (2012). Don is also the author of several Disney Editions books, including The Alchemy of Animation, Before Ever After, and Yesterday’s Tomorrow: Disney’s Magical Mid-Century. As director, Don has helmed such acclaimed documentaries as Waking Sleeping Beauty (2010) and Howard (2020). His most recent Disney credits include hosting the documentary Adventure Thru the Walt Disney Archives (2020).
Doris Hardoon joined Walt Disney Imagineering in 1979 as a junior designer, then quickly rose through the ranks to lead designer, art director, and producer on a variety of groundbreaking projects around the globe. Included were EPCOT Center, Tokyo Disneyland, Disneyland Paris, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park, as well as Disney Cruise Line and Disney entertainment centers nationwide. She additionally served as executive art director, producer, and creative portfolio lead for projects including Hong Kong Disneyland, the proposed-but-never-built WESTCOT Center in Anaheim, and the unbuilt DisneySea in Long Beach. Doris left the Company in 2000 to pursue other innovative projects but returned in 2009 to help conceive, design, and build Shanghai Disney Resort. In her role as executive director and producer, Doris provided overall creative direction to her design and production teams, while establishing culturally relevant, “authentically Disney, distinctly Chinese” elements in all aspects of her assignments. Doris is the 2022 recipient of the THEA Buzz Price Lifetime of Distinguished Achievements Award.
Idina Menzel is an accomplished actor, singer, songwriter, and philanthropist, who rose to fame on the Broadway stage. Winning a Tony Award in 2004 for her legendary performance as Elphaba in Wicked, she famously went on to voice Queen Elsa in Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Frozen (2013) and reprised the role in Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018) and Frozen 2 (2019), along with numerous animated shorts, theme park experiences, and consumer products. Idina’s performance of the Oscar- and Grammy®-winning song “Let It Go” became an international phenomenon, reaching No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and helped launch Frozen and Frozen 2 on their way to becoming the two highest-grossing animated movies of all time. Idina also appeared as Nancy Tremaine in Enchanted (2007) and is soon to reprise the role in the Disney+ sequel, Disenchanted. As a songwriter, Idina’s original song “Dream Girl” (from 2021’s Cinderella) made it to the Academy Awards’ Best Original Song short list. Some of her notable Disney TV credits include Lisa King in ABC Studios’ Private Practice (2009), Disneyland 60: The Wonderful World of Disney (2015), Mickey’s 90th Spectacular (2018), and The Disney Family Singalong: Volume II (2020), as well as the recurring role of Shelby Corcoran in Glee for 20th Century Television.
Chris Montan joined The Walt Disney Company in 1984, and within three years was named vice president of music for motion pictures and television. In 1997, Variety named him “musical supervisor of the decade” after he oversaw such classic and best-selling film soundtracks as The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Pretty Woman, Sister Act, Aladdin, The Lion King, Pocahontas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and Hercules. Chris was named President of Walt Disney Music in 1999 and was responsible for overseeing music for Disney and Pixar animated feature films, Disney Theatrical stage productions, and Disney Parks and Resorts, worldwide. He served as executive music producer for all of the Studios’ animated features during his tenure, working closely in the story development process as well as helping to select musical talent. His work has been nominated for multiple Grammy Awards, winning Best Original Cast Recording for Aida and Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media for Frozen, with additional films receiving 45 musical Academy Award nominations and 16 Academy Awards in the Best Original Song and Best Original Score categories.
Ellen Pompeo leads the longest-running primetime medical drama in television history, Grey’s Anatomy. As one of television’s most beloved actresses, Ellen’s turn in the title role continues to help elevate the series as ABC’s highest-rated drama and earned the actress a Golden Globe nomination in 2007. Audiences remain glued to screens week after week watching Dr. Meredith Grey and her colleagues face relatable and emotional hardships. In real life, Ellen similarly confronts adversity and works for positive change both on and off the screen. Whether it is encouraging women to pursue their dream careers—medical or otherwise—or advocating for normalizing gender and racial equality in the workplace, the actress has inspired generations. Some of Ellen’s other notable credits include Moonlight Mile (2002), Old School (2003), and Daredevil (2003). Next up, Ellen will star in and executive produce an eight-episode Hulu Original limited series currently titled Untitled Orphan Project through her production banner Calamity Jane, which she launched in 2011.
Tracee Ellis Ross starred in the groundbreaking ABC comedy series black-ish. The Emmy-winning show ran for eight seasons, during which she also served as a producer and director. For her role as Dr. Rainbow “Bow” Johnson, Tracee was nominated five times for an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series and won the 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2020 NAACP Image Award for Best Actress in a Comedy Series. In addition, Tracee was honored and acknowledged at the 2016 ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood luncheon, receiving the Fierce and Fearless award. Her other Disney television credits include roles on grown-ish and mixed-ish—the latter of which she was both co-creator and executive producer—The Premise, and Private Practice. Tracee is the founder and CEO of PATTERN, a haircare brand that launched in 2019.
Honorees receive a two-foot-tall bronze Disney Legends sculpture that signifies the imagination, creativity, and magic they have brought to the Company. Disney Legends Award recipients will also participate in a handprint ceremony at the end of the event, and their bronzed prints will be displayed in the Disney Legends Plaza at the Company’s Burbank headquarters.
Admission to the ceremony will be on a first-come, first-served basis and is included in the price of a ticket to D23 Expo 2022.
Including this year’s honorees, a total of 304 Disney Legends have been named. Past Disney Legends include Tim Allen, Julie Andrews, Howard Ashman, Robert Downey Jr., Annette Funicello, Whoopi Goldberg, Sir Elton John, Angela Lansbury, George Lucas, Steve Martin, Alan Menken, Hayley Mills, Fess Parker, Robin Roberts, Marty Sklar, Dick Van Dyke, Barbara Walters, Ming-Na Wen, Betty White, and Robin Williams, among many others. Beginning with the inaugural D23 Expo in 2009, thousands of Disney fans have been able to enjoy the Disney Legends Awards ceremony in-person.
D23 Expo is sold out. Select presentations will be streamed for guests at D23 Expo Live! For more information, visit D23Expo.com.
Schedules and talent are subject to change.
About D23 Expo 2022
D23 Expo—The Ultimate Disney Fan Event—brings together all the worlds of Disney under one roof for three packed days of presentations, pavilions, experiences, concerts, sneak peeks, shopping, and more. The event provides fans with unprecedented access to Disney films, streaming, television, games, theme parks, and celebrities. For the latest D23 Expo 2022 news, visit D23Expo.com. Presentations, talent, and schedule subject to change. To join the D23 Expo conversation, be sure to follow DisneyD23 on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, and use the hashtag #D23Expo.
About D23
The name “D23” pays homage to the exciting journey that began in 1923 when Walt Disney opened his first studio in Hollywood. D23 is the first official club for fans in Disney’s 99-year history. It gives its members a greater connection to the entire world of Disney by placing them in the middle of the magic through its quarterly publication, Disney twenty-three; a rich website at D23.com, with members-only content; member-exclusive discounts; and special events for D23 Members throughout the year.
Fans can join D23 at Gold Membership ($99.99), Gold Duo Membership ($129.99), and General Membership (complimentary) levels at D23.com. To keep up with all the latest D23 news and events, follow DisneyD23 on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
The post D23 EXPO TO KICK OFF WITH EPIC OPENING CEREMONY THAT INCLUDES DISNEY LEGENDS AWARDS appeared first on The Nerd Element.
Eating cereal, playing Tetris on Gameboy, and watching X-Men the Animated Series on Saturday mornings in 93 – that’s a core memory fam! A memory that’s beginning to fade now that Bryan Singer’s back-to-back bangers are 20 years old aka the X-Men have been out of the spotlight for wayyy too long. First Class was iight, and Days of Future Past had some really dope moments, but we’ve gotten our Spider-Man and Batman revival fix time and time again. And now it feels like the right time for the X-Men to get their shine on again!
Shout out to Kevin Feige for giving in and hittin fans with that X-Men introduction to the MCU teaser via Kamala Khan aka Nightlight aka Jersey’s Here! aka Ms. Marvel for those lackin in the back! Ok, quick spoiler-free end of series recap for anyone who skipped out on watching Ms. Marvel – Kamala is finally the hero she was always meant to be, and her homeboy Bruno finally comes back with some lab tests he was running on her genetic makeup. Turns out she’s not like the rest of her djinn family. Bruno tells her there’s something “different in your genes. Like….”
*cue X-Men TAS intro jingle and the whole X-Men fandom goes bananas!!*
Feige was strategic about how he did this soft intro too. He utilized Ms. Marvel who, at the end of the day, is a perfect character to poach from a different sector of the Marvel universe and sign to a max deal with the Mutants. She’s maybeee 1 out of the 4 Inhumans (Black Bolt, Medusa, her, and Lockjaw) that the average nerd/superhero fan cares about. No offense to the Inhuman ride to dies out there but the switch needed to be made.
Top 3 Reasons Ms. Marvel is the Perfect “First Mutant”
Youth
The older I get the more I realize how heavily this nerdy world is marketed towards younger fans. Everything that’s been revealed about phase 4 and 5 and the upcoming shows on the Disney+ slate tell us that the MCU is figuring out how they’re going to introduce all of their teenage heroes like the members of the Young Avengers and Champions.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will introduce Riri Williams as she stands alongside Shuri as arguably the 2 smartest people on the planet (sorry Tony Stark and Reed Richards stans). Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania will kick off Phase 5 where Scott Lang’s daughter Cassie will suit up and be making her debut as Stature. While he isn’t young, a very new character in Adam Warlock will make his 1st appearance in Guardians of the Galaxy 3. Who knows which younger or surprise heroes will be pulling up in Secret Wars, but I got money on Hulkling.
Representation is the name of the game when Mohican and Menominee deaf actress Alaqua Cox who plays Echo makes the jump from poorly written and underutilized side character in Hawkeye, to the main stage in Echo, which is bordering on must-watch material for Daredevil fans. Kamala will be all up in The Marvels next Summer. And rounding out the younger side of Marvel’s upcoming lineup, Dominique Thorne’s Riri will get to take over level up the Ironman mantle when she gets her full-fledged debut in Ironheart. WOOOO!! Ya’ll got all that?! The X-Men have always featured the coolest young Marvel heroes, so making sure the rest of the MCU has some solid teens to utilize will be beneficial for everyone in the writer’s room.
Backstory
Ms. Marvel blessed us with a genuine portrayal of a young Pakistani Muslim navigating life in America. When people remember Ms. Marvel (after all the mutant hype dies down) they will remember how honest the show was about Kamala as a young hero discovering her powers and trying to find that delicate balance between her crime fighting life and mundane teen life. That same balance is essential to the identity of the X-Men.
Each mutant has their quirks and characteristics, all of which make reading and watching X-stories so dope and meaningful. You know Beast is calculating, Wolverine is coming in hot, Cyclops is leading like a war captain, and Gambit is talkin sly. It’s just who they are, and we love it because we’ve gotten to know these tidbits about each of them over the decades. When Kamala joins their ranks, she could serve as a bit of a mentor to mutants when their powers manifest. Hell, she could even be the leader of the MCU’s New Mutants, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
We met the teenager going through the motions in school, the daughter of proud immigrants, the sister of comedic and powerful siblings and the friend of change makers in this universe. Ms. Marvel was everything that we needed to get acquainted with the MCU’s Kamala Khan and exactly what we need for every big new character.
Getting more details on Echo’s upbringing with Kingpin should be nuts. Cassie will have some big shoes to fill if this is Paul Rudd’s last appearance as Ant-Man, not to mention the legacy pressure – the kid must be feeling like she’s walking in the shadow of a hall of famer. The hype I’m feelin for Riri to get her Chi-Town come up story and kid genius shine on is February 2018 worthy (the month a certain movie premiered)!
Interconnectivity
If Marvel/Disney puts the work in and gives these young heroes authentic backstories with top notch action and genuine cultural insight, it’ll be wildly beneficial to any potentially interconnected future for them in this universe or multiverse or whatever. Can I get crazy and theorize that Ms. Marvel, Ironheart, and the eventual Nova show will all be reminiscent of Captain America, Iron Man and Thor as standalone movies that were connected and led up to Avengers. “Ms. Marvel, the first Champion” anyone!?
We see the tip of the iceberg with Riri in BP 2 and Kamala in The Marvels. We all know anything is possible with the intergalactic gang so maybe Nova gets a post credit scene in GotG 3 or something like that. Keeping it real, Marvel has their pick of the litter when it comes to young hero teams. Champions is an easy move, Young Avengers wouldn’t be hard to pull off, andddd Iron Lad may be on the table as the potential end result of the currently developing Kang villainy.
The Kamala connected groundwork is there. It’s all up to Marvel and their interweaving skills. Will Xavier send out that telepathic message to every person on the planet, telling all mutants that they have a home on Krakoa? Will the Champions come together for a hot minute only to have the X-Men roll up on them one day and say they’re not leaving without Kamala? Or would Kamala and Scott just recreate this incredible panel?
X-Men! X-Men! Read all about em!
I’ll keep it a buck, Marvel/Disney better go younger in their casting of this new X-Men team. It would create some dope opportunities to see mutants that are historically portrayed as younger, like Jubilee or Kitty Pryde. We could see younger versions of fan favorites like Gambit and Rogue.. and maybe even see some sparks fly during their courtship?! Studio’s always need to pigeonhole a romantic angle into a movie, so this could be the natural move to make. Then we’d of course need younger, but still adult versions of legendary leaders Cyclops, Jean, Storm, and Wolverine.
A dream casting list you say? Off the rip, I’d be remiss if I didn’t say #BringBackJamesMarsden. Right the wrongs of X3 (the one we don’t talk about…like Bruno)! For Storm, I’d love to see KiKi Layne flex her acting chops or watch Candice Patton make the jump from DC’s Iris West to Storm. I’m bout to put people onto this next actress, who I think should play Jean – Saoirse Ronan. Google the name and watch your head do the *slow head nod*. Finally, we have the hero everyone has an opinion on. Everyone but me. I’m a documented Wolverine hater that has come around to him a little more in my comic reading older age. With that said, I don’t really care because I know they’ll make a good decision casting the next Logan (whether Joel Edgerton, Joe Mang, Taylor Lautner, or John David Washington) because they simply cannot afford to F this one up.
Now I’d like to invoke Chappelle Show’s Racial Draft episode and have some fun cherry-picking various heroes in Marvel to become MCU mutants. For my first pick, I’m heading to Haaaaaarlem and scooping up Luke Cage and bringing that invulnerability to the X side! Next up, I’m clearing up alllll the origin story BS and claiming both Cloak and Dagger! Deadpool, you’re still deaded, because it’s way more funny this way. This one might be a bit of a stretch, but I’m looking for some power and I’m getting it in the form of Sentry baby – we’ve got enough super soldiers running around these parts. Last but certainly not least, I’m bagging another Inhuman because the young genius deserves better, Moon Girl welcome to the X-Men! Your Devil Dino will be best friends with little Shogo.
Lastly, if…big big Colossus sized IF we get actual mutants on the big screen in the near future, I have to wonder, who would be our first team of X-Men in the MCU? Will they go old school and hit us with Xavier’s original 5? Do you think it will include or exclude some of the usual suspects? Which no name mutant will get a roster spot?! Here’s my 2 cents:
The Usual Suspects
Cyclops and Storm
Cyclops is basically the mutant constant. He’s the undeniable leader of the team and an absolute tactical technician in the field. I don’t even know how you create an X–Men team without the man with the visor! And Storm? Come on, I’d be writing until Christmas before I finish gushing about the reasons she BETTER BE on this eventual team. These two also have insane strategic chemistry and I cannot wait until we get to see them delivering fades again.
Young, Dumb, and Powerful
Kitty Pryde, Iceman, and Boom Boom
I talked all about the MCU getting younger, so here are my picks for the teens on the squad. Kitty because she’s beloved and her powers allow the writers to have so much fun with her character. Whether it’s as simple as playing tag – she runs through a wall and the mutant trying to tag her runs into said wall for some light laughs, or as savage as her phasing her hand through the chest of an enemy and threatening to stop their heart if they don’t cooperate, the possibilities are dam near endless.
Iceman because of his more adventurous and rambunctious younger years. He’d be able to wrangle Kitty and others into sneaking out lituations, while discovering how absurdly powerful (remember, he’s an Omega) he is the more he trains. I would love to see a scene of Bobby getting into a gay club then eventually bumping into Emma and Christian Frost on the dance floor. That could be LGBTQAI+ magic.
And for 3-0 count swing for the fences, I’m going with my girl Tabitha Smith aka Boom Boom! I am openly biased, and I don’t care because she would be the spice you need to keep a team exciting and full of surprises. Boom Boom has a heart of gold and a boatload of mischievousness flowing through her veins. She would rescue someone’s cat stuck in a tree without hesitation and leave a little time bomb in their mailbox, because take better care of your damn cats. Who do you think would be Iceman’s partner in crime in my fantasy casting?!
Sleeper Picks
Synch, Sage, and Manifold
At this point, everyone knows how OP Rogue is, and while I love her to death, I feel like we need some new power stealing blood on the team. Enter Synch and his ability to “copy/duplicate” the powers of anyone around him. Hickman’s X-Men run has written Synch beautifully and left open lots of room that could omegafy Synch one day. Put that man on the team!
You have to keep up with the times, so if we’re being reflective of today’s world, we need someone who speaks technology’s language, and Sage is the perfect individual for that. While she won’t be anything new to comic book readers, she should be very fresh face for your average MCU fan.
Manifold takes the last spot- a spot that every X-Men team needs, the teleporter. In addition to being the necessary mode of transportation in a pinch, manifold has an incredible backstory. It’s high time the Aborigines got some visibility on the big screen, and this could be the perfect opportunity.
So what do you think of my list? Or are you screaming at your screen saying something along the lines of “how dare you leave Jean and Wolverine off of this list”! I could get into the reasons why, but I honestly just hope you’re excited to have mutants actually join the MCU at some point in the near future. Hit us on social media with your thoughts!
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The post Thanks to Ms. Marvel, Mutants are Finally Coming to the MCU! appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.
“The worst thing you have ever been through has always been a fair fight”
Derrick C. Brown
There’s mindless action movies, funny action movies, and then there’s those special bread of action movies that sit above all others. The type of movies that tell a story, got great action, keeps you engaged, and makes you say run that shit back. I am happy to report that Prey is that type of action movie. The setting for this Predator prequel intrigued me, but I wasn’t excited until I learned we’d be following a Comanche tribe and the protagonist would be an indigenous woman. Once I found that out I was all in. Then, I found out there was a Comanche dub for Prey as well. Y’all don’t hear me. Indigenous characters? A woman protagonist? Mutha fuckas scrapping and telling a story that keeps me invested? That’s what I am here for.
Directed by Dan Tratchtenberg, Prey takes us back to the root of the Predator franchise which is hunting and having to rely your wits. The film opens up 300 years ago in the Great Plains of North (North America) in 1719. We follow the protagonist Naru (Amber Midthunder) and her journey to becoming a hunter. We see that Naru is knowledgeable in medicine, tracking, and she eventually trained her dog, Sarii, to be her hunting companion. Naru is ready to prove herself and be recognized as a hunter like her brother Taabe (Dakota Beavers). the only thing really standing her Naru’s way is misogyny and this big ass Predator that’s been stalking the hunters of the tribe. Naru gets wind of the Predator’s tracks and takes it as the hunt she will embark on.
Prey: Patriarchy on the Track Featuring Beats by Misogyny
What makes Prey stand out is the plot. The predator isn’t necessarily at the forefront of the movie. He’s around but we’re mostly focused on Naru fighting against what tradition would dictate as her place in her tribe. Ya girl wants to hunt. When her mother asks why, Nary says, “cause you all think I can’t.” Let’s go. That’s what the fuck I wanna see in my protagonist. Naru’s brother knows she has the skills and later on in the film sees just how bout this hunting life Naru really is. We see Naru having to deal with how the other males in the hunting crew view her. We come to find out ya girl is self-taught. We also see glimpses into just how analytical and creative Naru is as she makes her tomahawk more adaptable by adding a rope to it in order to make its retrieval faster. Naru is cunning without being meek and confident without the arrogant. Despite what others would believe, she knows she is bout this hunter shit.
Amber Midthunder’s performance as Naru is nothing short of a chef’s kiss. She got that quiet strength that gets loud when it’s time to rumble. There were so many moments during Prey where Amber’s acting had me clapping my hands together like, “YES!” and shouting, “let’s fucking go” at the screen. Amber was doing all the thing that needed to be done to hold this movie on her shoulders. It’s not easy to make a film in the Predator franchise not only feel like an action movie and horror movie but a coming-of-age story as well. Naru is out there in the wilds on her own hunting a monster unlike anything she has ever seen (on earth as she will come to find out). We also gotta give it up for Dakota Beaver’s role as Taabe too. He plays a very realistic older brother. He gives Naru chances to prove herself as a hunter where others don’t. He shows doubt when she gets hurt, not out of disappointment, but a sense of when is enough enough? Taabe then gets affirmed on just how good his sister is when things come down to the wire. I am very glad we didn’t see him as a typical overprotective or dismissive older brother.
Only Built For Comanche Linx
Another huge draw for Prey is that we get to see indigenous folks at the helm on screen. There is a Comanche dub version of the movie that I really enjoyed. Honestly, this should have been shot in Comanche with English subtitles or an English dub. Folks gotta get over reading subtitles or the idea that subtitles are a death sentence for films. The Comanche dub has certain inflections and cadences that aren’t present in the English version. Years of reading Japanese subtitled anime prepared me for this. I had no complains whatsoever. It was dope to get to see the Comanche folks portrayed on screen. The only complaint I have is the way they their bow strings are drawn back. That wasn’t really historically accurate in terms of archery wise. (The blame on that falls to this particular stunt coordinator that appears to be quite problematic police on the police force.) Aside from that, I loved the constant parallels the movie kept showing between the technologically advanced, the Predator’s use of first aid and tracking, as compared to Naru’s use of nature for healing and hunting.
We see that the Predator isn’t the only thing to worry about out in the wilds as the presence of French trappers becomes alluded to and felt. What I found really interesting is the different approaches these two groups (Comanche tribe v French trappers) had towards engaging with the Predator. The Comanche tribe got down and dirty in the mud for their fights. Even the warriors you knew were goin get got, still gave the Predator a run for its money. They ain’t just keel over. They mos def got their licks in. Whereas the French trappers who relied so heavily on guns, weren’t able to really do much one those were deemed obsolete against the Predator. All of which is to say, it went to show how things could go wrong when you rely too heavily on technology as a substitute for strength instead of just a tool.
“This is as far as you go, fam”
I feel like I’ve said everything I can say about Prey without spoiling anything. Y’all have no idea how hard it was for me to not put .gifs of the fight scenes in here. Prey has the best fight scenes I’ve seen in the Predator franchise. Every Comanche tribe member that stepped to the Predator got fucking busy. Taabe worked the Predator so bad that he threw on Harry Potter’s invisibility cloak once shit got real. I ain’t ever seen that level of close-range archery using a single arrow to do that much damage. The final fight scene with Naru? Woooooooooo. The girl so cunning. The girl so clever. Naru is a fucking mud made monster. I love this film and have been bothering my friends to watch it.
My favorite Predator movie are the ones with the Black folks coming out on top. Predator 2, Aliens Vs Predator, and now I can add Prey as my favorite and I’m so thankful it’s with an Indigenous person of color at the helm. My only gripe with the film in terms of continuity stems from the pistol Easter egg. For those that don’t know In Predator 2, after defeating a Predator, Lt. Michael R. Harrigan (Danny Glover) is confronted by a Predator clan that takes their member’s body. The elder predator leaves, then turns around and tosses Harrigan an old 1700’s era pistol with the name Raphael Adolini inscribed on it. The gesture is done as a sign of respect. This was supposed to be the catalyst for the third film to be a prequel showing that Predators have been around for hundreds of years and stepping to humans in different eras and tribes. This happens in 1990, when the prequel didn’t happen due to Predator 2‘s box office, Dark Horse wrote a comic explaining the pistol. It belong to a Black pirate captain named Raphael Adolini.
Adolini was scolding his crew for killing a priest and taking the church’s gold. They mutiny against him. A predator was watching and challenges Adolini after he lays waste to his crew. They test one another fighting, and Raphael realizes what the Predator is about as a hunter testing its strength. They are then attacked by the rest of Adolini’s crew. A dope bonding moment as they take out the rest of the mutineers back to back, and right as they were bout to square off again, Adolini is shot in the back. After the Predator takes out the last of the backstabbing crew. Adolini gives the Predator his pistol as a sign of respect. The Predator buries Adolini then tosses his sword in his grave as a sign of respect as well. This is the history of the gun given to Harrigan.
Prey undoes this by having Raphael Adolini being this indigenous native that works with the trappers. This shit irks me because in this case Raphael wasn’t with the shits. The gun becomes Naru’s but it’s his name that’s on the pistol. Which makes it seem as though he was the one that earned the Predator’s respect…which wasn’t true. It erases not only Naru (even tho she owns it in this retcon) as well as the Black Pirate captain in terms of continuity. However, there’s still time for that to be adjusted perhaps in the next film as the post credit scene implies we could be seeing more form Naru and these Predators.
Regardless, this is still my favorite Predator movie. Prey is streaming on Hulu, and you should really check this out (in the Comanche dub). Trust me you goin rock with this film.
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