Kevin Schaefer, Evan Garcia, Andy Walsh, Justin Coleman, and Joshua Noel dive headfirst into the latest buzz from San Diego Comic Con 2026, and boy, do they have some spicy updates for fans! Kicking things off, they tackle the electrifying news about a new Ghost Rider movie, featuring none other than Ryan Gosling in a role that's been long speculated. But hold onto your capes, because they also spill the beans on Black Panther 3, introducing T'Challa's son as the next Black Panther—a twist that's got everyone buzzing. And, just when you thought it couldn’t get more intense, they lament the shocking cancellation of Wonder Man season 2, leaving fans scratching their heads and wondering what’s next for the Marvel universe. With witty banter and insightful takes, this crew brings the heat as they navigate the twists and turns of pop culture, all while keeping it real and relatable.

Marvel's San Diego Comic-Con announcements were the hot topic as Kevin Schaefer, Evan Garcia, Andy Walsh, Justin Coleman, and Joshua Noel dove deep into the latest pop culture buzz. The team kicked things off with the announcement of a new Ghost Rider movie set for 2028, starring Ryan Gosling and directed by Shawn Levy. While some co-hosts were skeptical about the casting, citing past experiences with Gosling's roles, others expressed cautious optimism. They debated the potential for a darker, supernatural vibe within the MCU, especially with the promise of introducing characters like Ghost Rider in a post-Secret Wars landscape. The conversation quickly shifted gears to the excitement surrounding Black Panther 3, where they discussed the introduction of T'Challa's son as the new Black Panther, portrayed by David Johnson. The co-hosts were thrilled about Ryan Coogler returning for this sequel, sharing their hopes for how the film will honor Chadwick Boseman's legacy while moving the story forward. As they wrapped up the Marvel news, the team lamented the cancellation of Wonder Man Season 2, reflecting on the show's potential and how its characters could have been further developed in the MCU. The discussion was lively and packed with insights, showcasing the blend of humor and fandom that makes Systematic Geekology a must-listen for any geek.

The Systematic Geekology crew came together for a lively discussion about the latest Marvel announcements from San Diego Comic-Con 2026. The episode was a whirlwind of opinions on the new Ghost Rider movie featuring Ryan Gosling, which had the hosts split on their excitement levels. While some were more skeptical, concerned about Gosling’s previous roles, others were jazzed about the idea of exploring Ghost Rider’s supernatural elements within the MCU. The team also delved into the upcoming Black Panther 3, celebrating the introduction of T'Challa's son and praising David Johnson's casting. They shared their hopes that the film would honor the beloved legacy of Chadwick Boseman while pushing the narrative forward. However, the mood took a turn when the cancellation of Wonder Man Season 2 was discussed, leading to a mix of disappointment and speculation about the reasoning behind it. The hosts expressed their desire for more representation in the Marvel universe, lamenting the missed opportunity for growth in the Wonder Man storyline.

In this episode of Systematic Geekology, the crew dissected the latest Marvel news following the San Diego Comic-Con announcements. The anticipation for the Ghost Rider movie, slated for 2028 and starring Ryan Gosling, sparked a heated debate among the hosts. Some were skeptical about the casting, bringing up concerns from previous projects, while others remained hopeful about the director's capabilities to deliver a unique take on the character. The conversation then shifted to Black Panther 3, where the introduction of T'Challa's son as the new Black Panther excited the group, particularly since Ryan Coogler is at the helm once again. They reflected on how the character's legacy will be honored while navigating a fresh narrative. However, the cancellation of Wonder Man Season 2 cast a shadow over the discussion, with the hosts expressing disappointment and frustration over Marvel's decision-making. They explored the implications of this cancellation, particularly regarding representation in the superhero genre, and speculated on future possibilities for the characters involved. The episode was rich with insights, humorous banter, and a strong sense of community among fans.

Takeaways:

• Marvel's announcements at San Diego Comic Con 2026 included a much-anticipated Ghost Rider movie, set for 2028, featuring Ryan Gosling, which sparked mixed reactions among fans.
• The crew expressed excitement over the introduction of T'Challa's son as the new Black Panther, promising a fresh direction for the franchise while honoring Chadwick Boseman's legacy.
• The cancellation of Wonder Man season 2 was met with disappointment, as the hosts felt it had potential for continuation, especially with its unique character-driven narrative.
• Discussion around the new Black Panther highlighted the significance of diverse representation and the challenges of recasting iconic roles in a way that resonates with audiences.
• The conversation touched on the overall trajectory of Marvel's cinematic universe, hinting at a shift towards more character-driven storytelling post-Secret Wars, which could lead to a richer narrative experience.
• Listeners were encouraged to keep an eye out for future announcements, especially regarding the X-Men, as the community anticipates new developments in the beloved franchise.

.

Be sure to check out our merch, find extra content, and become an official member of Systematic Geekology on our website:

https://systematic-geekology-shop.fourthwall.com/

.

Check out all of our "What's New(s)" series:

https://player.captivate.fm/collection/5abf15a7-d441-4638-8a4a-66ccf85e3343

.

Listen to our other Marvel episodes:

https://player.captivate.fm/collection/fb519d38-2d9b-4f82-b041-81b81613543c

.

Listen to all of our episodes with Justin:

https://player.captivate.fm/collection/f7586782-3eb9-4d2b-84ce-54cae90443d0

.

Check out other episodes with Kevin:

https://player.captivate.fm/collection/84fd7d06-cf1f-48e5-b358-09a01c5a6bc9

.

Check out other episodes with Evan:

https://player.captivate.fm/collection/db75189a-04f3-4129-9a5d-ade41cf863b5

.

Listen to all of Andy's episodes:

https://player.captivate.fm/collection/c86f7a67-357b-4324-bf95-e42cedb9932a

.

Don't miss any of Joshua's episodes:

https://player.captivate.fm/collection/642da9db-496a-40f5-b212-7013d1e211e0

Mentioned in this episode:

Become a member of Systematic Geekology on our Website!

Check out the link to become a member of Systematic Geekology! All member get exclusive extras and shout outs on the show! Some of the paid tiers of membership get store discounts, free merch, and more!

SG on Fourthwall

Check out our Fourthwall site for quite literally everything to do with our show!

All SG merch, extra content, our youtube page, SG memberships, tips / donations, etc. can all be found at this one convenient spot!

SG on Fourthwall

The Anazao Podcast Network

Be sure to check out the network website to see other podcasts trying to engage honestly with Scripture, Theology, Pop Culture, Martial Arts, Science, and more!

Anazao Podcast Network

Systematic Geekology

Our show focuses around our favorite fandoms that we discuss from a Christian perspective. We do not try to put Jesus into all our favorite stories, but rather we try to ask the questions the IPs are asking, then addressing those questions from our perspective. We are not all ordained, but we are the Priests to the Geeks, in the sense that we try to serve as mediators between the cultures around our favorite fandoms and our faith communities.

What is next for the mcu? Is Brand New Day, the best in the Spider man movie saga or where does it rank? We are Systematic Ecology.

We're the priest of the geeks, and we are here to talk about all things Spider Man. Brand New Day. We're talking about San Diego Comic Con. A lot to cover tonight and we have a full team to do it.

So I'm really excited to be here with a full team of my co hosts. I am Kevin Schaefer and I am here with Evan Garcia, Andy Walsh, Justin Coleman, and Joshua Noel. We have the. The whole squad here tonight.

Good to see you guys. This is going to be blast.

Yeah, man. Can't wait.

Good stuff. So, yeah, this is simple. Geek college is simple. I know. Yeah. Like, I know we need like, like some kind of code sign or something.

Language.

Language.

Yeah.

I love it. Perfect. I love it. But yeah. Well, for our. If you're watching on YouTube or you're listening wherever you get your podcast, thanks for joining us.

This is one of our what's News episodes where we talk about all the latest things in geek culture. And as I said, we've got a lot to cover tonight, but let's go ahead and get to our lightning round first.

I will have to keep this one quick because again, a lot of things talk about. But Joshua, let's start with you. What's one thing you've been geeking out on, man?

So Lightning round. I don't know. Some. Some weird ones if we're trying to keep it. What's new? Lightning Round.

I meant a lot of time for like, TV shows and stuff lately because Job's been crazy. But the Adventure Time Pride special, I finally got to read the PB and Marcy's Infinite Mixtape comic. Amazing. That was great.

And of course, you know, Godzilla conquers the multiverse. I think I mentioned that on another episode. That comic around and Dr. Doom leading this ragtag bunch against God, you know, Symbiote Godzilla thing.

Yeah, I'm. You know, it's just comic crazy weirdness that I, I'm just. I'm loving it. I can't think of anything else too.

I mean, obviously there's the Kingdom Hearts stuff I've mentioned on other episodes. We got that trailer and we know that D23 is going to have a big thing coming up in a couple weeks that I am beyond excited for.

Yeah, yeah, I know you love Kingdom Hearts, so that's exciting to see. I got this.

They have a lot of new merch because the 25th anniversary is coming out and the fourth game is finally announced. And I have this little glass figure, Heartless Shadow. This is like my favorite collectible of all time now, I think so.

Cool. Does look beautiful.

Yeah, it's just nice. Yeah, I love it.

I love it. Awesome. Justin, what about you?

You know, I'm such a meat and potatoes fandom guy. So I am Batman, Caped crusader.

Yes.

So good. Leveled up on this second season, I think. And then of course, X Men 97.

Oh, my goodness.

Every week giving me something beautiful. So, yeah, those two.

We've got to do a full episode on x Men 97 this season once it's over. We talked some about it on other episodes, but I. Well, we need Andy on that. We need you. So I guess there's so much to cover there. But Cape Crusader.

I'm glad you brought it up because. So when Christian and I did our initial review of Brand New Day the other night, he brought it up and he was not as impressed with season two.

And I, like, I hadn't started at that point because I didn't get a chance for the weekend. I started it since and I'm loving it. So I. I know. Yeah. So we're going to have to clash there. Like, not that I don't respect his opinions, but I was.

I'm like, what are. What. What. See, I'm missing here because I'm. This is fantastic.

Oh, it's so good.

Yeah. Great.

Clash of the Geeks.

I know. Oh, it's coming, it's coming. We gotta make it happen.

But yeah.

Andy, what about you?

Yeah, I'll say. I think we. Hopefully D23 will bring us some X Men MCU news since there was none at Comic Con. So let's hope for that.

And we can do tie that in with X Men 97, which I am also enjoying. But I will use my lightning round privilege to sneak in my thoughts about the Odyssey while we're at it.

Since there's plenty of lightning and thunder in the Odyssey and mostly, oh, good climb mostly. You know, I thought I'd throw in my 2 cents on the discourse.

I've been listening to a lot of the Bible for Normal people podcasts lately, and so I think that's skewing my, like, how we approach mythology and retell stories for the present moment and so forth. And so seeing all this, you know, conversation about is the. Is it a faithful translation of the. Of the homeric text? You know, I think if that's the.

What you're looking for from the film and the answer is clearly a resounding no, it is not an attempt to bring that story as told to the screen. But it felt fairly obvious to me that it was. It was attempting to use a retelling of an ancient story to comment on the present day.

And to that extent, I thought it was very successful. And what particularly struck me, which it will strike no one else in this particular way.

But I thought that, you know, the Trojan War reflection at the end, are we the bad guys?

Realization that Odysseus has about the cost of breaking the social contract to achieve our militaristic goals made me think of a true story that I don't think has been told enough about how our search for and desire to bring justice and. Or retribution to Osama bin Laden cost us the opportunity to eradicate polio from the world as part.

And this is, you can see, you know, this has been documented in various news articles. You can see this dramatized in Zero Dark Thirty, the. The movie about the hunt for Osama bin Laden. The.

At one point the, you know, operatives disguised themselves as health. Health workers to get into the compound where they believe Osama bin Laden is.

That had the consequence of eroding trust in the healthcare workers who in the region of Pakistan who at that time were carrying out a vaccination campaign to try to eliminate the last few cases of polio that were on the earth at that time were restricted to small parts of Pakistan. And so vaccination acceptance went way down. Polio cases went up. It has since gone up in other parts of the world as well.

And so we had a moment where we could have eradicated polio will take a lot more work to get back to if we will ever get to that point again. But we had that opportunity and we lost it.

And so that struck me as just a very concrete, specific example of exactly the kind of, you know, consequences of, you know, deception and pursuit of retributive goals at all costs. So I'm sorry if that's. I know that's a little bit of a bummer on our. On our fungi podcast, but that was.

I had no other outlet for those thoughts on the Odyssey, so thank you for indulging.

You said something.

Yeah.

Hey, we're talking about a depressed spider man tonight, so I think it's not all fun and games, but no, Me, Evan and Joel did an initial review of the Odyssey a couple weeks ago. And like, by the time we were done, we're like, we still need another three hours here, so we're going to be doing more but oh, Andy, I don't know.

I always love when you come on because I get like a mini either science or history lesson in the like just you know, like improvised there. So it's wonderful. But I'll send you, I don't know if you read Ezra Klein's column about it that went out this week that was really good too.

Relating it to some of the like right wing backlash to it and connecting it to and what it the movie actually says and how and relating it to the original text. But yeah, don't believe I have.

So I'd be happy to receive. Thank you.

I'll send that. Yeah, yeah. Excellent. But yeah, awesome. And Evan, last but not least. What else are you Deacon out on here?

Sure.

So we are watching, my wife and I.

We are since there's no true like a timeline for it, we're just kind of picking and choosing some random MCU films that we think are going to be kind of important before doomsday because there's clearly no, you know, it's just going to be one big retcon. So then we will go back and then we will do the, the on the, the rewatch. So but other than that, I'm watching your friendly Neighborhood Spider Man.

That is a fun little series. It's really cool.

And I saw with my daughter, she's into horror films right now and, and this is a film that I would probably, I would like to get probably some people on to talk about because of its themes. But it's mid summer. I thought that was, that was a very powerful, a powerful film to say the least. So.

Yeah, yeah, no, I, I was a.

We are just spoiled with superhero animation right now because between Batman, Caped Crusader, my Adventures of Superman, X Men 97 and then your friendly nightmare neighborhood Spider man season two is coming up. It's just like, yeah, I like Justin. It's my meat and potatoes. I'm happy as can be. So that's where I'm at too. Awesome.

Well and for our listeners, viewers out there, again, thank you so much for joining us tonight. And if you want to find out ways to support the show, you can click on the link in the description and of course like rate review, subscribe.

We always appreciate it and you get a shout out of the show if you become one of our supporters. So tonight I want to thank Amber Riley, one of our, you know, you rock. Thank you so much for your support. It really helps us out.

And again, if you want to check out our merch store, follow us on social media any of that, just click on the links there. And again, thank you so much. Whether you're. This is your first time or you're a regular listener, viewer, we really appreciate it.

Well, guys, let's get into the main topics here. So, um. Oh, here we go. So San Diego Comic Con, obviously, the.

One of the biggest pop culture events of the year, just wrapped up a couple weeks ago, actually. Justin and I were at GalaxyCon Raleigh that weekend. So not, you know, in the heart of, like, everything going on, but still, really fun convention.

We got to meet Ralph Macchio. That was a blast. But SDC this year was pretty dominated by Marvel.

There were, you know, there was speculation of that, really, the past few years, they thought both him and they have a director in Shawn Levy. Um, which I guess right when this was announced, there was the. Okay, please don't, you know, do a blade here and announce an actor and a.

And a character without actually following through. This gives me hope that they've got a director on board who is very much like. I mean, is proven. He made Deadpool and Wolverine.

He was Stranger Things, director, producer. And then he has Star Wars Starfighter coming out next year, so he has a really good track record. So I'm optimistic here.

What do you guys think about this, though? Like, I mean, a. The character in your background and your level of excitement for this, which will come out post Secret Wars.

I mean, I have a bad opinion. If we want to start with a.

Bad opinion, start with a downer here. Tasha.

Yeah, I dislike any. Pretty much everything about Stranger Things, so someone from Stranger Things automatically has me kind of like, oh, no. Then it's a character who.

An actor who's obviously not going to be Robbie Reyes. And I'm like, that's the ghostwriter I wanted. So I'm already kind of checked out a little bit, and Ryan Gosling is just overrated.

And I'm like, you know, I like Ghost Rider. So I'm like, maybe you'll pull out. I'm still gonna go see it. Because the last few MCU movies I've seen, I've actually really enjoyed.

But all in all, I'm like, man, that was a disappointing announcement for me.

Yeah, okay, never mind, Doc. Ben. Sorry, sorry. I already invited you here? Yeah, I'll just check out. Yeah. Between Stranger Things and then Ryan Gosling, Overrated.

I'm like, okay, but yeah, but hey,.

We, we are, we no, don't dislike Ryan Gosling. Like, he was good in the, that last sci fi movie that I can't remember the name of. I enjoyed that. Yeah, like that was good.

Just overall when I see him I'm like, eh, the other Ryan's were better.

You know, I've been hyping that movie for two years for you. How can you not have it?

Right.

I've worked several 12 hour days in a row.

Okay.

So I, I'll say this one.

I love the character and Ghost Rider comes on the scene and when you're dealing with that kind of getting the mystical powers and you just never know how it's going to go in a fight. I mean I'm, you know, I want to see Ghost Rider fight Doctor Doom. Right.

You know, it's these kinds of things because it adds an element of I think surprise in the stories that Ghost Rider ends up in. Gosling as Ghost Rider, Goney has such a, has a, that Christian Helmsworth way of doing comedy and just every single thing he does.

And so I'm interested to see how that works.

I feel like it's going to be.

Kind of a, kind of a Thor like, like character just in the, in the move between comedy and seriousness. I'm a little, I'm a little concerned about that. A little bit. A little bit.

But I am excited to see the character on the big screen in a non, you know, Nick Cage way. So let's, let's see how it goes.

Those are big shoes to fill.

I think they're, they are shoes to fill.

Listen, listen, I'll say the Nicholas Cage Ghost Rider movies, terrible Ghost Rider movies. Awesome movies.

Yeah. And I, I remember seeing that one in middle school and I'm like, this is awesome.

So.

I know, I mean, but yeah, I kind of. No, Justin, thank you for a good opinion here.

Yeah, but, but no, I like, I'm excited at the prospect of something like Midnight Suns, you know, tapping to this like darker layer of the Marvel universe and, and also do it like returning to kind of in a post Secret wars world where we're away from the multiverse, getting back to more roots of kind of cool characters where they can have more light directors kind of do what they want.

And again, I think John Levy, because he has a good track record like, and him and Ryan Gosling are doing Star Wars, Starfighter together, which I'M very excited for. I am excited to see that collaboration. Yeah. Admittedly, I haven't read, like, found a ghostwriter comics or anything, but.

But yeah, I mean, I love characters like Blade and I mean, I said, so I want to see more of this, but yeah.

Oh, God, no.

I was going to say I got probably a bad opinion, but one thing that does have me excited that you guys kind of are touching on, like, I love supernatural parts of Marvel and like, I know, like, not everybody loved Ironheart. I thought Ironheart was a really good show.

And the guy they had playing Mephisto, if they bring him into the picture, I think that could get me excited again. And if they lead this kind of into, like, they do Strange Academy, that's what, you know. Scotty Young's my favorite comic writer.

So I, Yeah, I could get on board if they. They start teasing some of that Mephisto.

I think they're definitely bringing back, like, it was a. It was an interesting one to enjoy. I was not expecting him to be introduced in Ironheart.

I just thought he would have been to do it in a movie or something. But. But I think, yeah, no, I mean, it would be good to bring him back.

I was going to say one more thing, so one thing I am interested to see. You know, there's that bit in Ghost Rider where they. So he not only had the spirit of vengeance, but also got cosmic powers.

I mean, so it's like the O O P version of Ghost Rider. That would be. That could be fun to see at a certain point. Just to see what they. They do with it. So that's all I was going to say.

No, I. There's a lot of possibilities. I'm excited.

And.

And again, like in it with. Once they're past all the multiverse stuff, I feel like they're going to have more freedom. Right.

Speaking of, Andy, I want to check in with you because after you had to hear, you know, Project Hail Mary being called that sci fi movie. But I want to hear from you about.

I am sorry.

No, no, I. It's all in. Good chest. Yeah. So I will refer the reader to films such as Drive or the Place beyond the Pines.

If you're uncertain that Ryan Gosling can deliver a more serious and stoic performance. Who knows what the script and Shawn Levy will actually ask of him, but he's definitely capable of doing that.

And if we're going to have cosmic Ghost Rider, then we need John Bernthal because that's. That's Frank Castle. So who knows what that could Bring for us.

That is an interesting thought of Frank Castle now or Jon Bernthal in that kind of role. But yeah, hype for Ryan Gosling getting to do a thing that Ryan Gosling is himself hyped to do. That's always good. I'm fairly Ghost Rider ambivalent.

But if we're going to do Ghost Rider and if we're having actors do characters and stories that they've always wanted to do. My first introduction to Ghost Rider was X Men 8 or 9. You know, the second relaunch of X Men.

The adjectives title they were Ghost Rider shows up in New Orleans because there's the Brood and New Orleans and the Thieves Guild and all that kind of stuff. So we need a Channing Tatum gambit. Ryan Gosling Ghost Rider team up movie. Yes, please. Yeah, never going to happen.

But you know, you can allow me to have my, my dream until proven otherwise. Um, but you know, you know, should it. It should have been. Should have been a Shang Tu2 announcement.

It should have been a Young Avengers announcement that I'm still holding out for the hope that they will fulfill the promise that they made in the post credits of the Marvels. I am probably the one of about 12 people who's waiting for that.

But I'm with you.

They. They made a promise to me.

I made an embarrassingly loud excitement noise when in the theater when that came on screen and I realized what was happening, that they were redoing the, the Iron man one shtick.

And so yeah, to cover for my embarrassment in front of the, you know, six other people that were at that screening of the Marvels, please, please make a Young Avengers movie. But yeah, I'm happy for Ghost Rider fans to get a Ghost Rider movie and happy for Ryan Gosling to be able to. To live out a lifelong dream.

So let's hope that that shows that that comes across on screen.

I would not know your excitement well, Eddie. I would not kill.

Lose all hope there because I really think they're going to do like it'll be a weird place to do it, but I really think Young Avengers is going to play a big part in Secret wars because like Doomsday, I think it's going to be a bloodbath and also like the multiverses. Right. I think it's very much going to lean into the younger heroes are going to have to step up in Secret Wars.

I don't know how exactly, but that's what I'm leaning toward.

From your lips to the Rooster Brothers ears.

Yeah.

Because you know if it takes much longer that they're just going to be the Avengers.

I know. Yeah. Thank you.

Bravo. Crazy.

Phenomenal in that excellent comedy on the, with. With Harrison Ford on the interview circuit for that film. But not, not on this. Screams.

Yeah, yeah. Awesome. Evan, any thoughts on Ghost Rider?

Thoughts? I'm not, I'm not too familiar with the character beyond the Nicholas Cage stuff.

And my question is, am I wrong or did Agent Coulson play him for some part or something like that?

There was a thing in agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Which is only pseudo canon, so it's not really canon. And that was, I believe, Robbie Ray's. I think that was the Ghost Rider that I like and like.

I love both Ghost Riders, but newer ones just gotten more popularity. Need to be completely transparent.

I am hyper fixated on Marvel's Midnight Sun's video game, and Robbie Rays and Spider man hang out a lot and we fix cars together. And I'm like, I want this on the screen. I don't care about that other stuff. But that's really. I think that's where I biased.

No, that's fair, though. It was Gabriel Luna, I think, played him in that. Oh, yeah.

And he was great.

It's also memes or something where, where, where, where Coulson had had his skull on fire and stuff like that, so.

I was like, wait, what? Maybe it's been a long time since I've seen that.

I never finished that.

Confident on that.

Yeah, no, I, I, I know. I remember what you're talking about. Evan and I. I watched the same short clip of it and not the whole episode. Yeah.

Yeah. Okay.

Okay.

Can't wait to see it. Sean Levy is the most. He's the most vanilla director there is. And I say that in a good way.

Like, he knows how to, how to please an audience, so he's a crowd.

Pleaser and he gets stuff done. Like, when a Don Ivey movie gets announced, there is a very. He's efficient. There's a very low chance that it'll get canceled. Like where?

Like, because, like, you know, they keep announcing. I mean, think of all the, like, Star Wars, DC Marvel projects they've announced over the past 10 years or more that never came to fruition.

I don't worry about that with Levy, because, yes, he, I mean, I mean, yeah, I wouldn't consider him, like, on a tour kind of thing, like a Matt Reeves or something. And that's fine. But he knows how to deliver crowd pleasing, entertaining, and he will get them done. Yeah, yeah.

And he also, I mean, he directed some of my favorite episodes of Stranger Things, like, because he's there from the beginning, like a season four. The one like with Max Brain, like, that one is phenomenal. So. Yeah. But yeah, cool. Very cool.

Well, the other big announcement was we already Knew Black Panther 3 was happening, but they. They announced the official successor to t' Challa to Dad with Plesman.

They introduced t' Challa's son at the very end of Black Panther Wakanda Forever. And now they announced that it's David Johnson. Actually. Evan, can you check me on that? I just want to get the name right because. Yes. All right, cool.

Because, like, I saw him recently in the Long Walk and he was amazing. Um, so I was very excited about this news. But he will be playing t' Challa son as the new Black Panther, which, I mean, I love this news.

I mean, I think like it also.

I mean, yes, he was a kid at the end of Wakanda Forever, but we kind of know there's going to be a lot of time jump stuff and multiverse shenanigans post Secret wars.

So I'm totally fine with them doing a time jump here because that actor is like, I mean, he looks younger than he's like in his 30s, but because he played a teenager in the Long Walk, so I thought he was much younger. But still he's me playing an adult. The new Black Panther. I think this is great. I mean, I like you know when.

And of course Ryan Coogler is coming back for it. We're into that. We also know Denzel Washington is going to be in it for undisposed role yet. Yeah, like that's been confirmed. Or like. Well, I be.

Which that because there were everyone at Comic Con was wondering if they were gonna bring him. They were like, is dental here? Is dental? Yeah, because like they knew it was gonna be in it, but they didn't have him there.

But yeah, I mean, limited knowledge about the story. But I mean, at this point, if I see Ryan Coogler's name on anything, you don't have to sell me at all. Like, I'm there. But. But of course, of course.

With his, you know, signature character, signature trilogy. So this I'm very excited about again, I. The Long Walk. I finally watched recently. Phenomenal movie, extremely depressing.

But like, David Johnson and Cooper Hoffman both give terrific lead performances. So I'm really excited for what this actor has in store.

Yeah, it's gonna be. It's gonna be really fun, I think. And I'm looking forward to this Black Panther equalizer crossover with Denzel Washington. Just kidding.

Just Book of Eli, maybe Eli Gravel.

Literally, every time I hear his name, I'm like, man, I need to watch Book of Eli again. And I just don't yield on to that thought until I see it.

So.

No, but this is. This is good.

This is.

This is the kind of movie that I. I've been looking for, my kids have been looking forward to.

I mean, I still remember the day Chadwick Boseman passed away and the kids took the Black Panther toy that we had and laid down on the bed and, like, there was a. There's weeping. I mean, it was a hard. It was a hard day. And. And so since then, this question of, like, how are we going to.

Are we going to get this back on track? And we want to see t' Challa again in some kind of way, but how can you do that in a way that honors Chadwick Boseman?

And I think this is a great way to do it, T' Challa Jr. And. And so we'll see how it goes again. I think the actor is great for it and hopefully is going to bring back some of the spirit of what.

Of what it meant to Black Panther. The first movie meant to so many people.

Wakanda Forever.

Yeah, Wakanda Forever. All right, so I didn't care for Wakanda Forever, the movie personally, but I think it went to do with a couple biases.

Is like, I. I didn't, like, I kind of knew where they were going with, like, Namor and all that, and I'm like, I don't. I like the comic book version. Why are we changing things? And I'm like an old grumpy man. And then also see if I see the name right.

Leticia Michelle Wright.

Is that right? Yeah. Okay.

That actor who was coming into the Black Panther is portrayed as a scientist.

And I'm sure Andy can probably build off of this, but during the COVID stuff, she kind of voiced her opinion as, you know, an anti vaxxer, but, like, not directly. And she kind of backtracked a little bit, but I'm guessing Disney kind of forced her to it.

Just like everything she said around that made me really uncomfortable watching her as a scientist. On the big screen. And then I think that really shaded how I viewed that movie as much as I wanted to watch it without any bias.

It's kind of hard to do that, especially when I know some of the people who are affected pretty drastically by, you know, COVID 19. So I think it just really made it hard for me to watch that. I don't know anything about this new actor. Don't have any opinions about him.

Maybe this is mean, but I'm just excited we're getting away from. From Leticia. Like, I'm, Like, I. I'm just still upset about that. And I don't know, maybe I'm holding a grudge too long, but that's where I'm at.

I do remember all that stuff. And honestly, I think even without that, I don't know that she was ever meant to be the permanent successor.

Like, I. I think it worked well for Wakanda forever. And, like, you know, she means a lot to the story. Like, Shuri is as a character means it.

But I think they were still going to do something, whether it was going to eventually recast t' Challa or. I mean, in this case, I think it's the perfect way, you know, have a son, take up the mantle. I think she was.

I don't want to say, like, placeholder kind of thing, but, like. But it was more of a waste, temporary. Kind of like, they both, like. And then she wasn't always going to be in that role, and I don't think that was.

But. But I do remember the cut versus with the actor at that time.

Yeah, that's the other problem, too, I guess, is, like, I don't know if anyone has the same gravita as, like, Chadwick Boseman.

He was.

But I literally. And this, you know, I brag about this a lot, especially to my brother, because I throw up in his face.

We were watching the movie 42, and during the credits, like, Sue's credit throw, I looked at my brother and said, that man's gonna be Black Panther. And my brother looked me back in the face and goes, josh, they're never going to make a Black Panther movie. Matt, that's for you.

I see you have some opinion. That's pretty cool, though. Yeah. But, yeah, no, it. I mean. And yeah, if you haven't checked out his work again, the Long Walk.

He was also great in Alien Romulus. I've not seen it. Yeah, he plays like, the synthetic being in that. He's great. I haven't watched Industry the show, but apparently he's really.

He's great in that too. But. Yeah, but I, like you said, oh, no one is ever going to like, match his gravitas and what he brought to that character.

But I think this is a great way to honor the legacy. Yeah. Having it, especially with the character itself. Having it as the sun.

Yeah.

Right.

Yeah.

I mean, Chadwick intentionally. I mean, Mitchell 42, he played Howard Thurman as well. He.

He.

He played. He intentionally played black heroes.

Right.

So for, you know, for folks who watch those movies, like, it felt like it's.

Josh noted this felt right meat and right to do so and, and so in David Johnson different, you know, filmography, but I hope they'll again as take up the mantle.

Well, and without spoilers on the long walk, I think that character specifically lends itself to what he could do with the Lecter because he plays more like he's paired with Cooper. Hoffman's character is out for vengeance. David Johnson's character in that movie is. It's in this dystopian world where they're on.

They're in this, like, competition where all the contestants have to walk endlessly and whoever doesn't succeed is killed off by this fascist military. And David Johnson's character is like, the only one who is pure of heart and as pure intentions.

And he's like, he wants to do good if he wins and he's, you know, trying to help everyone else as much as he can. So I like, he brought so much nuance to that role that I think will really carry over into how he portray. Portrays the next.

Yeah.

Andy, any thoughts?

Sure.

You know, if you. If you want to see David Johnson give an excellent performance in a film where a bunch of people don't die, you can also see him in Rylan.

I've heard that one's good too. Yeah.

Yeah. You know, I. I'm excited for this. You know, Ryan Coogler has. Has done a lot of good work and so, yeah, glad to have him run it back.

And you know that we're. Anytime we can get more of Winston Dukes and Baku. Yes, please. He's been a Kolite ever since he tried to. You know, he told Martin Freeman that the.

His.

His kids were vegetarian. They weren't actually going to eat him. Uh, that was. That was a standout moment. And, you know, he's continued to charm ever since. Yeah.

So very excited, this one. Not at all annoyed to have this announced instead of Young Avengers or Shang Chi 2. We definitely needed to get this as well. And you know, since.

Since Josh Indirectly asked my thoughts, you know, and since we're having a resurgence or we're relitigating the COVID pandemic and how it was handled and the vaccine and so forth. Um, you know, I already have. I already got my soapbox. I don't think what. My thoughts there would be a surprise to anybody.

But, you know, I will say that I. You know, I don't.

Yeah.

You know, if it's more of a, you know, gag order from. From the House of Mouse, that's a little bit less uncomfortable for a variety.

But, you know, I don't know how to handle their business, and I don't know what her current state of mind is, but, you know, there were.

There were a lot of forces pushing a lot of people to say things and align with things for, you know, because of that, you know, what their group and what their community was doing, and that, you know, that put a lot of pressure on a lot of folks. And so, you know, I can't entirely blame people for getting swept up in that.

Yeah.

Doesn't mean we can't correct that. You know, we can't correct for it and. And try to make adjustments and try to improve. But, you know, I think there's also space for. We need.

We need to find a way that. To come back to a shared reality instead of relitigating events of 4, 5, 6 years ago if they're not having a bearing on what's happening now.

So, yeah, now probably a little illogical, but, like, I think it would have bothered me less if it was, like, an actress who's playing, like, Scarlet Witch or the lady who plays Agatha. But something about it being a scientist, you know, like, I'm like, I know the actor isn't a scientist, but something about it just.

I'm like, I don't know. It just took me out of it.

I hear you.

And, yeah, it did, you know, hamper my enthusiasm for that character as well as, you know, one of our MCU scientists and, you know, one of the few women and, you know, people of color who also are depicted as a scientist in the Marvel universe. And so, uh, you know, I would. I would have hated to have lost her entirely because of that.

And I Understand what you're saying that, you know, it does kind of complicate that portrayal, but I'm not going to be sad about, you know, having that. Having. Having the presence of that character on screen.

And, you know, hopefully, let's just write is, you know, working through whatever she needed to work through and is not constrained by her employment to. Yeah, they, you know, toe the party line, so to speak.

Yeah.

Hopefully Grace amends.

Grace.

Yeah.

Yes. Amen.

No. Great discussion there. Evan, any thoughts here on my Panther?

No, just for the. Just to keep it brief.

It's.

Yeah, I'm just excited for it.

I. I've never seen him in anything, but I'm glad they, like you said, Andy, they are putting this one as a priority because I do want to see Shang Chi 2 and all that. But, yeah, no. So I am excited.

Very cool. Well, those were the big announcements from Comic Con. Like Andy was saying earlier, they're saving X Men casting announcements for D23 coming up.

And we did get. Samara Weaving is confirmed as Emma Frost, but that was reported last week. Other than that, it's been.

I've seen every rumor imaginable about Xavier casting Magneto, Cyclops, et cetera. So we'll wait and see. But I think that's a great idea actually to do an episode on X Men 97 Season 2.

And then once we have the full cast of the MCU X Men, I have my picks, but. But I'm excited to see where. What happens there. On a bit of a dour note, though, that made me turn into the Hulk. They pull the.

I immediately thought of the, like, gay Jonah Jameson, like, oh, hey, Peter, you're fired. Never mind. You're on fire. Like, I. But in this case, it was the opposite.

They renewed Wonder Man Season 2 a few months ago, and I was stoked because I absolutely love season one. And then just last week, we're right at the height of Marvel right now with new Spider man movie.

All this Comic Con news, they said, nope, we're pulling the plug and we're not renewing the show. I have nothing but negative things to say here, but I guess I get it. I. I talked. I know about Wonder Man Season 1 earlier this year.

Absolutely loved it. But anyone have any thoughts here on, like. I mean, I know I'm sure there's financial stuff, but it's still. This is bs I have.

I have no sympathy for them.

Yeah.

I mean, I think they're hoping that this. Well, I mean, the Black Panther announcement kind of wins the day, you know, You. You shield yourself from some critique with that.

But, my gosh, can we not have multiple shows with really awesome black leads doing, you know, having fun? So that was. You know, I don't know that. I don't think this was a. I don't know that it was a racially motivated thing.

I'm not trying to say that, but I just want to have multiple shows to watch with amazing black leads. And this is one that. That I was also looking forward to seeing season two and. And what they did with it. So disappointing.

Yeah.

Oh, no.

I was just gonna say, I. I just kind of agree with you guys. It's basically all. The show was phenomenal.

Like, if the show writers decided it didn't need a season two and they were happy with how it ended, I think that wouldn't bother me because, like, season one does stand on its own. Like, that wouldn't bother me. I think what bothers me is they said we have more story to tell, then it got the plug pull. That's what I'm like.

But hopefully we see the character come back in some other way or they still incorporate him. Like, the characters were all great, and I'm just gonna be really sad if they don't ever follow through on any of that, because it was phenomenal.

Yeah.

And also, like, I mean, I think they definitely should scale back. I'm glad they're scaling back on the. Because they were putting out way too many movies and shows just a few years ago. I'm like, they're not.

And I'm like, that's not a good approach. You need to scale. Like, but in this case, a. This one I cannot imagine is as costly as something like Loki or even WandaVisions like that.

Because, like, this is a pretty low effect show. It's very character driven.

I mean, yes, they have, yeah, Abdul Mateen and Ben Kingsley in it, but it's not, you know, super special effects every episode. I just can't imagine it was that costly. And, you know, and, like, exactly. Like, exactly. If it had been a one off, that's fine.

But they left it not only open for more, but I thought they left it on a frigate cliffhanger there. Um, and especially with everything they're doing with damage control, like, it's a perfect one to continue.

So I'm just really disappointed this was the one that was canceled and. And all. Yeah. And just. It's like, yes, we don't know that. Like, there is a racially motivated thing. But, like, I saw the post.

Like, it's like, oh, well, they had, you know, this canceled. They're not moving forward with Blade. They. And then there were several. I mean, like. And then, I mean, Sam Wilson's been kind of sidelined.

Like, it's not a great look for them. I mean, yes, Black Panther is Aaron, Kate and Ryan Coogler. They'll give the green light to anything but that.

You know, it's not a good look that multiple other black LED shows, the movies have, you know, gotten pushed aside.

Right.

I love the show and how it embraced the nerdy father aspect of it. And it was. It was really fun to see that on screen because I saw myself and I saw my dad in that. I'm like, oh, cool. But super disappointed, man.

Because I would love to see those characters again. Hopefully they will do something. They'll show up somewhere.

Yeah, I would love to see him in a movie if they do, like, either West Coast Avengers or bring him in Boseker, where, like, I definitely want to see his story continue. Because, yeah, I mean, like, like, to bring example of, like, yeah.

Abdul Mateen was also in HBO's Watchmen, which, like, I don't want another season of that because it's a perfect season of television and it tells a complete story, so I don't need any more there. But again, here it's like, oh, I want to see his story continue. There's a lot more to explore, so we'll see.

I hope they do bring the, like, him and Trevor, which also. Yeah, this was the best iteration of Trevor too.

It was just like, I'm amazed they've.

Got me to like that character.

Truly amazing context. The Mandarin is like my favorite comic book Marvel villain. It's incredible. They got me to like Trevor.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Andy, any thoughts here? I don't know.

I.

You know, I don't.

I don't know that I have much to add beyond what's already been said.

Yeah.

You know, I also would have been happy for a season two, I guess, maybe to, you know, counterbalance a little bit. Marvel had to make several seasons of television shows that seemed to be more David Zaslav. We need Disney to happen. We need to make Fetch happen.

Than it was driven by. These are things we want to make.

And so if they really couldn't find a season two of the shows they wanted to make, even though they thought they could and they were optimistic going in, there's a big delta between we have an idea or we have enthusiasm to continue and, oh, we actually know what eight episodes of this show will look like. And if that's really what happened. I'd rather they didn't make it than to forge ahead just out of inertia or whatever.

But, you know, it's, it's not entirely clear that that is what happened. And yes, the, the optics of it could be better, especially in light of other things that were going on.

But hopefully they're not, you know, like I said that that doesn't mean that they're not in the Yaya Abdul Mateen, Simon Williams business. They're just not in the Wonder Man Season 2 business.

And, you know, I hope that would be a good, you know, that would be a good development to, to continue that character story in some fashion.

Yeah, and it's a good point because, like, when something like this happens, I'm immediately thinking it's a studio exec that made the call.

And.

But I don't know, we will find out more because, like, for instance, like during Kathleen Kennedy's reign, she was getting blamed for everything when in fact she greenlit a lot of stuff that didn't happen because Bob Iger turned it down. So we don't know the behind the scenes mechanics of like, who made the call or if it was a creative decision. So we'll see.

But yes, I do hope we'll see the character again.

Yeah. My biggest foolish hope. I'm a Kingdom Hearts fan and filled with foolish hopes.

Maybe it was canceled because they were like, man, this is too good and we got to incorporate it in something else.

Kevin mentioned the damage control stuff, so, you know, there's a lot of ways they could plug it into something bigger than just another show that might be more fun. Yeah, that's my. That's my biggest foolish hope. Yeah. Yeah.

Hey, optimism is good. We need it.

And if we're talking Kingdom Hearts and unexpected crossovers, maybe they're merging with the studio. Season two.

Yeah, yeah, it's going to be. Wonder man is going to be in Kingdom Hearts, actually.

Listen, Kingdom Hearts 3, the World of Toy Story, according to the creators, is canon to the story Toy Story timeline.

So.

Okay.

You know, it can happen. I doubt it.

I mean, I don't think we ever thought we were going to get something like Doomsday and have all the Fox X Men back. So, I mean, the possibilities now are pretty endless.

It's true.

Yeah. Awesome. Well, that is all the news.

I know we had a lot to cover tonight and this is where we have to bid Andy farewell because he has actually not yet seen Brand New Day. He's going tomorrow and I cannot wait to get his thoughts. But in the interest of not spoiling it for him. Yeah, Andy, we will wish you well.

Andy, text me when you've seen it.

Yes.

Because honestly, your opinion is one that I want the most about certain things.

Yeah.

So I need you to let me know when I could talk to you about it.

All right, we'll stand by then. Yeah.

Yeah.

Thanks, Eddie. Take care. Thanks, guys.

See you.

Last thing I would say about. Yeah, yeah, but just a brief shout out for the. The Rings of Power next season.

Brief shout out because, I mean, they're promising us, you know, Gandalf after he knows how to be a wizard. He's. Tom Bombadilled it up and I'm looking.

Forward to seeing what they do.

Really am. That's all I'll say about it. I'm looking forward to it.

Yeah, we got to get the resident Tolkien geek Nick Polk when that. When that season drops because. Yeah, but yeah, I did like I am. I may get back into it. I. I actually like season one. I didn't.

I started the last season, but I hadn't finished. But I'm curious where they'll. They'll go with that.

Yeah.

So awesome. But yeah, so lots all kinds of nerd news going on right now.

But yeah, I know this is a pack episode tonight, but I have already shared my thoughts on Brand New Day, so I kind of want to hear from you guys first because Christian and I dropped our review on Sunday night, which you can go check out. But.

But now Brand New Day has been out for about a week now, so anyone want to go first with just their initial thoughts and then we can kind of get deeper into the themes and catch anything? All right.

Can. Would you guys think it's a good idea to pause here and then we start. Can you take you live?

We can do that. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I don't want Joshua's computer to explode during the editing, so that's a good idea. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Cool.

We will see you guys in.

I'm back soon. Yes, Sam.