First Look at Marvel Studios’ ‘Echo’ with Director Sydney Freeland 

In November 2021, Hawkeye debuted as a lovely Christmas present to fans. It continued the adventures of everyone’s favorite archer Avenger, introduced the world to Kate Bishop, gave closure to Yelena Belova, brought back the Kingpin, and introduced a formidable new villain in Maya Lopez (Alaqua Cox). Now Maya is back, in her very own series: Echo!

Continue reading “First Look at Marvel Studios’ ‘Echo’ with Director Sydney Freeland “

Hard NOC Life 286: Y Tu Namor También

This week, Britney, Keith, and Dominic are joined by Friend of the NOC, Catrina Dennis to break down the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever trailer, and marvel at Diego Luna and Gael Garcia Bernal’s ascension up the Disney ranks with Andor and Werewolf By Night, respectively. They also geek out over Daredevil’s appearance in She-Hulk and share what’s nerd poppin’ from Star Trek: Picard to Hocus Pocus 2 and “Super” Black Adam rumors.

Continue reading “Hard NOC Life 286: Y Tu Namor También”

Hard NOC Life 283: How Do You Celebrate Batman Day?

Britney, Keith, and Dominic celebrate Batman Day! They also break down the latest She-Hulk and speculate about Daredevil’s forthcoming appearance. Then, Keith explains what a HasLab is and why toy collectors are freaking out about the latest offering.

Continue reading “Hard NOC Life 283: How Do You Celebrate Batman Day?”

Hard NOC Life 282: Madisynn, Wongers, and D23

Britney, Keith, and Dominic go over all of the best announcements from the D23 Expo. They also break down the importance of the Wong and Madisynn relationship on She-Hulk. The discussion goes in many different directions. But not where you think!

Continue reading “Hard NOC Life 282: Madisynn, Wongers, and D23”

Hard NOC Life 267: The Arrowverse is Dead, Long Live the Arrowverse

Keith, Dominic, and Britney are back to talk about more cancellations of The CW’s DC content. They then shift to Marvel and discuss all of the forthcoming Disney+ content — including the She-Hulk trailer — before breaking down the recent Vanity Fair cover story on Obi-Wan Kenobi and the future of Star Wars.

Continue reading “Hard NOC Life 267: The Arrowverse is Dead, Long Live the Arrowverse”

Hard NOC Life 257: Certain Points of View on ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’

Keith, Dominic, and Britney are joined by fellow NOC, Preeti Chhibber, author of the forthcoming Spider-Man’s Social Dilemma to discuss her new book and break down the Obi-Wan Kenobi trailer, as well as DC’s movie schedule shakeup and Disney+ adding Netflix’s slate of Marvel shows.

Continue reading “Hard NOC Life 257: Certain Points of View on ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’”

Vincent D’Onofrio on What it Means to be Kingpin Again in ‘Hawkeye’

In one of the biggest things to happen in the MCU recently, Vincent D’Onofrio reprises his role as Wilson Fisk, aka Kingpin, in Marvel Studios’ Hawkeye. The actor originally became a fan favorite playing the role in Netflix’s Daredevil.

Continue reading “Vincent D’Onofrio on What it Means to be Kingpin Again in ‘Hawkeye’”

Hard NOC Life 247: Dive into All the ‘No Way Home’ Spoilers

Listeners beware! Lots of things are getting spoiled for Spider-Man: No Way Home and Hawkeye in this episode of Hard NOC Life! Also, Keith returns while Dominic and Britney argue over their diverging opinions on No Way Home. This is also the final episode of 2021. We’ll see you in January! Happy Holidays!

Continue reading “Hard NOC Life 247: Dive into All the ‘No Way Home’ Spoilers”

Hard NOC Life 246: Hailee Steinfeld Appreciation Pod

In honor Hailee Steinfeld’s 25th birthday, Dominic and Britney dedicate the entirety of this episode of Hard NOC Life to appreciating the actress’ filmography, including episode 4 of Hawkeye.

Continue reading “Hard NOC Life 246: Hailee Steinfeld Appreciation Pod”

Hard NOC Life 245: Slip Away ‘Across the Spider-Verse’

Dominic and Britney‘s thoughts meander like a restless wind inside a letterbox while they tumble blindly as they make their way Across the Spider-Verse on the latest Hard NOC Life.

Continue reading “Hard NOC Life 245: Slip Away ‘Across the Spider-Verse’”

Marvel Celebrates Miles Morales’ 10th Anniversary with Variant Covers

Like most folk, I’m not too keen on reminders of my ever-increasing age. But this one, well, it’s not too bad of a milestone reminder.

Miles Morales, Marvel’s best Spider-Man, debuted nearly 10 years ago! You read that right, it’s been almost a decade since Miles inherited the Spidey title from Peter Parker and immediately one upped the kid from Queens.

Continue reading “Marvel Celebrates Miles Morales’ 10th Anniversary with Variant Covers”

Lauren Mary Kim on Developing and Performing Stunts for Two ‘Star Wars’ Productions

This past year has been a busy one for the Star Wars universe. Aside from the release of the final film of the Skywalker saga, The Rise of Skywalker, there has also been the beginning of the first live-action series, The Mandalorian, released last fall on Disney+, as well as the conclusion of the beloved animated series, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, this past spring. For Lauren Mary Kim, a stunt actor who has been working in Hollywood for the past 16 years, she has been involved in the making of both of these Star Wars productions. Continue reading “Lauren Mary Kim on Developing and Performing Stunts for Two ‘Star Wars’ Productions”

Matt Reeves Teases Robert Pattinson as ‘The Batman’

It’s that time of year again where I become irrationally excited for a Batman movie. Last night on twitter, director Matt Reeves sent out a link to camera test footage for his new movie and lit the entire internet on fire.

Continue reading “Matt Reeves Teases Robert Pattinson as ‘The Batman’”

Hard NOC Life: ‘Jessica Jones’ and the End of Marvel Netflix

Guest co-host — and The Defenders greatest, uh, defender — Dominic Mah joins Keith to look back at Jessica Jones season 3 and the end of the Marvel Netflix era.

Continue reading “Hard NOC Life: ‘Jessica Jones’ and the End of Marvel Netflix”

Super Sixteen: Top Television Shows of 2016

It’s one of my favorite times of the year. It’s where I review the best and brightest that television had to offer in the previous year. If you haven’t already, you should check out my Top Films of 2016. Go ahead, check it out, I’ll wait. No really, I’ll wait. You back? Awesome.

As is the standard with my movie year-in-review, my television selections have to pass the Upkins Media Litmus Test.

Without further adieu…

Continue reading “Super Sixteen: Top Television Shows of 2016”

Tigresa y Tarantula

Daredevil Season 2 has been up and streaming on Netflix for some time now and if you haven’t watched it, are you okay? Should we call someone? Just kidding. But seriously, go watch it if you still haven’t. It was another successful team-up for Netflix and Marvel after an exceptional Jessica Jones. If you haven’t watched that yet, that’s it, I’m coming over! As I’ve previously written, I recognize my bias and personal history with Daredevil, but in my opinion, especially in terms of tone, the series continues to be the MCU’s masterpiece (ducks).

Continue reading “Tigresa y Tarantula”

White Virgin/Whore of Color: #DaredevilProblems

I wasn’t gonna do this, but in a conversation on twitter, @BlackGirlNerds asked me to expand on what I recently called “Daredevil‘s White Virgin/Whore of Color Complex” and I would hate to disappoint. Don’t get me wrong: I’m not just trying to dump on Daredevs. I still love the first season, and the second season, despite serious problems, is still great television in a lot of ways.

But I hope — on this site especially — I don’t need to go over again why/how problematic representations of POC and women spread like mayonnaise over a beloved television property can be like an all-day, all-you-can-take, face-slapping machine. And Arthur Chu has already shown you the wasabi-infused mayo currently salmonellizing on Daredevil‘s bread.

I’m here to show you the ketchup.

Continue reading “White Virgin/Whore of Color: #DaredevilProblems”

Racist Like Daredevil with this One Weird Tip!

So.

I can’t say what I would have to say about the orientalism in Daredevil Season Two any better than Arthur Chu, so I will leave you to read that and bristle at will.

My thought process upon reading about Daredevil killing Nobu and not counting it as killing a person went as follows:

Continue reading “Racist Like Daredevil with this One Weird Tip!”

Not Your Asian Ninja: How the Marvel Cinematic Universe Keeps Failing Asian Americans

Originally posted at The Daily Beast

I liked Daredevil Season 2 a lot. I didn’t like it quite as much as Season 1, but it was always going to be impossible to find someone to live up to Vincent D’Onofrio’s take on Wilson Fisk (who still effortlessly steals the few scenes he gets this season). But the writing and the acting for Frank Castle, aka The Punisher, is compelling as hell, enough to spark a lively debate about the appeal of vigilante justice and gun violence in American culture.

The tangled, messy web of corruption behind the death of the Punisher’s family, the complicity of the state and the media in creating him, his turnaround in becoming a criminal defendant in the Trial of the Century, and the moral ambiguity of Castle’s past as a soldier who exposes the American public’s hypocrisy by bringing the brutal logic of the overseas War on Terror stateside — that’s all great stuff.

The problem is all that great stuff is only half of Daredevil Season 2. There’s a whole other half that’s almost totally disconnected from the Frank Castle plot, the Nelson and Murdock law firm, and New York City politics. There’s a full 50 percent of Daredevil Season 2 that’s total crap, and that half is the part with the ninjas.

Continue reading “Not Your Asian Ninja: How the Marvel Cinematic Universe Keeps Failing Asian Americans”