Will Willow Return From Beyond The Shattered Sea?

By Brandon T. McClure (@btmcclure @fakenerdpodcast)

In 1988 Lucasfilm released a new fantasy epic directed by Ron Howard called Willow. The film starred Warwick Davis and Val Kilmer and followed their journey to protect a baby, named Elora Dannon, who was prophesied to save the world. Warwick Davis played the titular character of Willow, a Nelwyn who yearns to be a sorcerer. The movie was a moderate success but didn’t kickstart a new fantasy franchise. But discussions for a sequel TV series picked up in 2005 with the series going into official pre-production in 2019. Finally, Willow was released on Disney+ in 2022 only to be canceled a few months later.

Acting as a legacy sequel to the 1988 film, Willow sees the return of Warwick Davis as Willow Ufgood. He’s called upon when Queen Sorsha’s son is taken by an evil witch known as the Crone. The series introduces new characters to the franchise such as Boorman, Graydon, and Kit and reintroduces Elora Dannon as a young girl with no knowledge of who she was meant to be. During their quest, Willow has to train Elora to fight the Crone and learn the secrets of the new villains, The Order of the Wyrm.

Willow Ufgood (Warwick Davis) in Willow.

For a number of weeks after its release, Willow was one of the top 10 most streamed shows and its critic score on Rotten Tomatoes was a respectable 86%. The show received plenty of praise for its humor, action, and queer romance at the center. It’s not often that family fantasy shows center around a lesbian romance. It consisted of likable characters and respected the world of the movie in ways that allowed it to grow and expand. The final episode ended with a tease that this story would span three seasons, which proved that there was confidence and a plan. So it came as a blow when Deadline reported that Willow had been canceled by Disney+.

Willow isn’t the first show to get that axe from Disney+. With the streaming bubble looking like it’s about to burst, many streaming services are cutting down on the amount of shows they produce exclusively. Long gone are the days when streaming shows would grow an audiences, but now the days of content overload might be behind us. Shows like Big Shot and Mighty Ducks: Game Changers (another legacy sequel) were canceled shortly before this news about Willow dropped. But, according to showrunner Jonathan Kasden (Star Wars: The Force Awakens), hope is not lost.

Kasden went to Twitter after this news dropped to explain the circumstances surrounding Willow’s future. According to the showrunner, Disney and Lucasfilm are still interested in the show but season 2 wasn’t going to film in 2023. The decision was made to release the cast and crew from their contracts so that they may pursue other opportunities while the writing staff polishes the scripts for the next season. He compared the wait for season 2 to the 34-year wait between the movie and the show, which didn’t give the confidence he was likely hoping it would. If this was just a case of letting contracts laps, then no one told the actors. Throughout the day when the news of its cancelation dropped, the actors took to social media to console each other and fans about the disappointing news. If Kasden was truly confident that there would another season, perhaps he should have told his cast first.

Jade (Erin Kellyman) and Princess Tanthalos (Ruby Cruz) in Willow.

A rumor came out recently that Bob Iger, who was recently reinstated as head of Disney, mandated that Lucasfilm focus on developing Star Wars projects and not any others. What the general public at large may not be aware of, is that Lucasfilm has three original IP’s that belong to their company: Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and Willow. While Disney+ has become home to many successful Star Wars shows and a new Indiana Jones movie is being released this year, Lucasfilm has struggled when it comes to where they want to take Star Wars on the big screen. Every few months, a director and writer are hired to develop a new film only for them to leave months later. Perhaps the cancelation of Willow is a casualty of that. Should this rumored mandate be true, then Lucasfilm would only be allowed to make and produce Star Wars related films and shows, and their other IP would just go back on the shelf collecting dust. There’s no room for three seasons of Willow when there’s a Star Wars movie to be made.

There are a lot of potential reasons for why Willow could have been canceled. There’s also the hopeful possibility that it hasn’t been, and besides, plenty of shows have been saved from cancelation before. A show like Willow doesn’t come along every day. Its cancelation follows a concerning trend of sapphic-centered TV shows being canceled (this news dropped days after it was reported that A League of Their Own was “canceled”). But with a writers strike on the horizon and streaming services hemorrhaging money, Willow is just very likely to be just another casualty of the end of the golden age of streaming.

In Memoriam: Kevin Conroy, Batman, Has Died

By Brandon T. McClure

Kevin Conroy, the voice of Batman for generations, passed away this week after a short battle with cancer.

Diane Pershing, who voiced Poison Ivy in Batman: The Animated Series, was the first to announce his death. She posted on Facebook “our beloved voice of Batman, Kevin Conroy, died yesterday.” Shortly after this post, some of the lesser-known outlets began sharing the news to the disbelief of many fans around the world. Then the official word finally came from his representatives that yes, he had indeed passed away. The geek community mourns this passing and will continue to mourn it for days to come. A kind and gentle soul who touched the lives of actors and fans for more than 30 years has passed away. A bat-shaped hole is left in the hearts of those who loved him.

He attended Julliard where he studied alongside the likes of Christopher Reeve and his roommate Robin Williams. After leaving Julliard he pursued stage acting and received rave reviews for performances in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Hamlet, and others. He starred in films and had recurring roles on television like on Cheers and Murphey Brown. But still, he struggled to find the kind of success that he was hoping for. On a whim, he answered a casting call for the character of Batman, a character he admits to having little to no knowledge of previously. He related to the character's duality and double life and found the voice through that. The rest is history.

Batman: The Animated Series is going to go down as his most influential role. He defined that character in a way few actors ever have. He was one of the first actors to bring a duality to the voice of the character, something he would refine throughout the years and something that live-action and voice actors would continue to emulate. Becoming the definitive voice for the caped crusader, Conroy would go on to voice him in shows including Justice League: The Animated Series, Batman Beyond, Justice League Action, and many more to list. He guested on almost every Batman show, including Batman: Brave and the Bold where he appeared as the Batman of Zur-En-Arrh, the alien Batman from the planet Zur-En-Arrh. He would then gain a whole new popularity with the character when he stepped back into the role with the popular Arkham trilogy of video games from Rocksteady studios. The popularity of those games introducing a new generation of fans to Conroy’s voice can’t be overstated. His most recent turn as Batman was for Warner Bros. Games Multiversus, a game that puts together various Warner Bros. properties in a Super Smash Bros.-style fighting game. 

Conroy would continue to reprise his Batman role in many animated features, notably Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, which many claim to be one of the best Batman movies ever made. He also starred in many direct-to-DVD animated features such as Justice League: Doom and most recently Justice League vs. The Fatal Five. Conroy would finally get to portray Bruce Wayne in live-action during the Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover event for the CW Arrowverse. During the second part of the five-part crossover, Kate Bishop (Ruby Rose) and Kara Danvers (Mellissa Benoist) travel to the alternate Earth-99 to look for the Batman there. They find an older Bruce Wayne with an exo-suit that he needs to move. Conroy got to play the role of a broken Bruce Wayne who’s murdered his rogue's gallery and the Superman of that Earth. It was exciting to see Conroy finally play the part in live-action and even though some fans weren’t happy with how it was portrayed, Conroy spoke fondly of the experience. He was excited to do something in front of the camera again after so long and “stretch his acting chops”, as he said to Michael Rosenbaum on his podcast. When asked if he would play that version again, he happily said he would 

Before it was announced that DC Pride 2022 was going to include a story written by Kevin Conroy, many fans weren’t aware that he was gay. He had come out in 2016 during an interview with the New York Times, but it went largely unnoticed until recently. His story in DC Pride 2022, talks about his journey as a struggling gay actor and the hardships he went through with his family. He came from a devout catholic family and his father was an abusive alcoholic. The DC Pride 2022 issue details a life that many are unfamiliar with. It’s a touching story that hits even harder now. He kept his private life very personal for his entire life. It wasn’t until DC’s touching tribute to the man did fans learn that he had been married for many years to Vaughn C. Williams. Nothing is publicly known about their relationship, but it’s a comfort to know that he wasn’t alone in the end.

It’s unknown if there were any films or shows that he was working on before his death, but he was reunited with Batman: The Animated Series co-creator Bruce Timm when he was cast as Thomas Wayne in Batman: Caped Crusader. Since that show is currently looking for a new home after being removed from HBO Max, it’s unknown at this time if he recorded any dialogue. Since his passing, there has been an outpour of love for him from his friends and co-stars. The likes of Mark Hammil, Susan Eisenberg, Tim Daly, and many more have all expressed their sorrow for the loss of their friend. He was a unique talent, one that will never be seen again. 

He was Batman.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Casts The First Captain Of The Enterprise

By Brandon T. McClure

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is upon us! The fifth Star Trek series to air in this era will reintroduce fans to the characters of Captain Christopher Pike, Number One, and Spock, as well as a number of new and old characters alike. Now that the show is close, Paramount+ has announced another captain of the Enterprise will be appearing in the show. Robert April has been revealed to be making his live-action debut in the upcoming series and Adrian Holmes has been cast as the character.

For long-time fans, this name is familiar, but might not be familiar to new ones. Robert April first debuted in the Star Trek: The Animated Series episode The Counter-Clock Incident where it was revealed that he commanded the Enterprise on her first five-year mission, which began in 2245. The events of The Counter-Clock Incident see the Enterprise escorting Commodore Robert April to the planet Babel where Federation ambassadors await. The purpose of the mission is to forcefully retire April, who’s grown to retirement age. When the Enterprise enters a negative universe, everyone on board begins to get younger. Since April is much older than the rest of the crew, he’s able to take command and save the ship and her crew. Since this one appearance, the character of April has only appeared a number of times, most notably in books and comics. 

Star Trek: The Animated Series exists in a strange place in the canon of Star Trek. In the 1980s, Gene Roddenberry himself disowned the series and didn’t consider it to be a canonical part of his franchise. It’s not too clear why he did this, though. Some sources have stated that he was just never happy with the finished product. But his request to strike the series from the official canon coincided with him losing control of Star Trek: The Next Generation, so it could have been in retaliation to that. Over the years, however, elements from the series would be considered canon, even if the show itself wasn’t. Things like the Caitian alien species, Kirk’s middle name being Tiberius, the aforementioned Robert April, and a few other things have been incorporated into canon over the years.

This is a very deep-cut character for anyone who isn’t familiar with the in-universe history of the Enterprise. April was a highly decorated captain before his promotion. After the completion of his five-year mission, he received the said promotion, and his first officer, Christopher Pike, took command of the Enterprise. Pike would go on to command the famous ship in three five-year missions before his own promotion sometime before 2265. It was at this point that command of the ship was given to Captain Kirk, where he would go on his own five-year mission (the events of Star Trek: The Original Series) before accepting a promotion of his own. 

Robert April (Adrian Holmes) in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

The casting of Robert April has proven to be a hot topic around the internet. Adrian Holmes, a black actor, is playing a character who first appeared to be white. But it’s important to note that since Star Trek: The Animated Series is not considered to be canon, the only thing that audiences have ever been told about Robert April is his name, and that’s it. If canon is so important to those who are outraged about this, then let the record be put straight right now.

Adrian Holmes has been wowing critics with his turn as Uncle Phil in Bel-Air and it’s truly exciting to see him as Robert April in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Now all three Enterprise captains can share the screen together for the first time ever. It’s doubtful April will have a significant role in the series, but surely with the casting of Paul Wesley as James T. Kirk, the destined captain of the Enterprise, it would seem a missed opportunity to not get them all together.

NEWS / Captain Kirk is Coming to Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

By Brandon T. McClure

Leaked photos of Paul Wesley on the set of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2 are now out there. The internet was interested in who this new character could be. Trek Culture even speculated that this could be Matt Decker, the character made famous by the late William Windom in the original Star Trek season 2 episode The Doomsday Machine. But Paramount+ has now gone ahead and exclusively revealed that Vampire Diaries’ Paul Wesley is playing none other than Captain James T. Kirk. 

Wesley is the third actor to play Captain Kirk after William Shatner’s iconic character and Chris Pine in the later rebooted franchise. Curiously, his uniform suggests that he’s already been promoted to Captain. There’s been no canonical reference to when Kirk was promoted, but it’s been assumed for some time that it was when he took command of the Enterprise. Since it’s unlikely he’s taking over the Enterprise from Captain Pike this early, could they be introducing him as the captain of the USS Farragut? The set images show him with a different badge than the ones worn by the Enterprise crew. This could indicate they’re returning to a scrapped Star Trek: The Original Series idea where each ship had its own special badge.

At any rate, it's unlikely Paramount+ would have announced this role so early, before season 1 has even aired, if the photos hadn’t been leaked. Surely Captain Kirk was so far from everyone's minds, that they could have kept this a secret a little longer. It’s not like many people were going to Star Trek: Strange New Worlds in the hopes of seeing Captain Kirk. The benefits of a show like Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is that there has been so little in canon about Captain Pike, and this was the chance for audiences to see what adventures he went on before his accident.

In Star Trek, few characters are as famous as Captain James T. Kirk. Between William Shatner and Chris Pine, the character has starred in two TV shows (Star Trek: The Original Series and Star Trek: The Animated Series) and ten movies (Star Trek: The Motion Picture to Star Trek: Generations and the three reboot movies). So for a new Star Trek series to return to the Captain Kirk character, even briefly, on the surface feels unnecessary. After all, are fans really that hungry for the early adventures of James T. Kirk?

Captain Kirk is such a powerful figure in Star Trek, that his presence could overshadow Pike and his crew, in the same way that Anson Mount overshadowed the cast of Star Trek: Discovery. Questions still remain, though, since Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is said to be more episodic than the other current Star Trek shows, how much of a role will Paul Wesley play in the series? It’s unclear how long the show-runners envision the show lasting, but if this is them introducing Kirk to replace Pike, then it would be a shame.