NOC Review: ‘Hawkeye’ Hits the Bullseye for Holiday Fun

November 24, 2021November 24, 2021 Mike Manalo

Controversial opinion: After 13 years of storytelling, we simply didn’t get enough time with Clint Barton. I know Hawkeye was never anyone’s favorite Avenger back in 2012. And over the years, particularly starting with Age of Ultron, the avenging archer started to get some much needed attention. But he was always going to rank sixth on everyone’s list of favorite OG Avengers.

Interview, Marvel, Television1 Comment

NOC Interview: Hailee Steinfeld on Marvel Studios’ ‘Hawkeye’

November 19, 2021 Sophia Soto

Hailee Steinfeld takes on the role of Kate Bishop in Hawkeye. The new Marvel Studios series debuts with its first two episodes November 24 on Disney+. Set in post-blip New York City during the holidays, the show brings to life the Clint Barton and Kate Bishop team up fans have been waiting for!

Marvel, Television

‘Hawkeye’ Press Conference Addresses Kate’s Relationship with Her Mother

November 18, 2021November 18, 2021 Sophia Soto

Marvel Studios’ Hawkeye debuts with its first two episodes November 24 on Disney+. Ahead of the premiere, The Nerds of Color had the chance to attend a press conference with Jeremy Renner, Hailee Steinfeld, Vera Farmiga, Tony Dalton, Rhys Thomas, Trinh Tran, and Kevin Feige to discuss the new series!

Animation, Interview, Marvel

Ally Maki Brings the Asian American Girl Club to Hulu’s ‘Hit-Monkey’

November 16, 2021November 18, 2021 The Nerds of Color

On November 17, Hit-Monkey, Hulu’s latest TV-MA rated animated Marvel property, makes its debut on the streaming platform. Based on the comic by Daniel Way and artist Dalibor Talajić, Hit-Monkey tells the tale of a Japanese snow monkey who seeks revenge against the gangsters that decimated his family. One of the characters drawn into Hit-Monkey’s orbit is Detective Haruka, played by the incomparable Ally Maki.

Hard N.O.C. Life, Marvel

Hard NOC Life 242: D+ for Marvel Studios

November 15, 2021 Hard NOC Media

Hard NOC Life is back with Britney’s Naomi Podcast co-host Brother Nate Milton guest co-hosting! Britney and Nate grade Marvel Studios’ Disney+ presentation and the non-Marvel shows they’re most excited for, including a first look at Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Animation, Interview, Streaming

NOC Interview: Josh Gad Talks Walt Disney Animation Studios’ ‘Olaf Presents’

November 11, 2021 Sophia Soto

Josh Gad is back as the voice of Olaf for Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Olaf Presents. The series of new animated shorts starring everyone’s favorite talking snowman launches November 12, exclusively on Disney+. Gad has also brought the character to life in Frozen, Frozen Fever, Olaf’s Frozen Adventure, Frozen II, At Home with Olaf, Once Upon a Snowman, and Lego Frozen Northern Lights.

Marvel, Streaming1 Comment

Jeremy Renner and Hailee Steinfeld Save the Holidays in ‘Hawkeye’

October 28, 2021October 29, 2021 Sophia Soto

A new look at Marvel Studios’ Hawkeye has just been released! The first two episodes will premiere November 24, exclusively on Disney+. The highly anticipated six-episode event stars Jeremy Renner as Clint Barton and Hailee Steinfeld as Kate Bishop. The cast also includes Vera Farmiga, Fra Fee, Tony Dalton, Zahn McClarnon, Brian d’Arcy James, and Alaqua Cox.

Interview, Streaming

Yvette Nicole Brown and Pepé the King Prawn on ‘Muppets Haunted Mansion’

October 6, 2021October 8, 2021 Sophia Soto

Yvette Nicole Brown and Pepé the King Prawn star in the Muppets’ first-ever Halloween special, Muppets Haunted Mansion. Inspired by all four of the iconic Disney Haunted Mansion attractions located across the globe at various Disney Parks, the new special includes many hidden easter eggs for fans as well as “Muppet-ized” sets and props. Muppets Haunted Mansion premieres October 8 on Disney+.

Comics, Streaming

‘American Born Chinese’ Headed to Disney+

October 4, 2021 Keith Chow

After smashing box office records with Shang-Chi, Disney and Destin Daniel Cretton are re-teaming on another iconic Asian American comic book. This time, the critically acclaimed and award-winning graphic novel, American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang, will see new life as a series on Disney+, helmed and produced by Cretton.

Animation, Interview

‘The Ghost and Molly McGee’ Star Ashly Burch Celebrates Thai Culture in Her New Series

September 29, 2021 Laura Sirikul

Ashly Burch is proud of her Thai heritage.

Being of Thai descent, Burch has never really gotten the opportunity to play a Thai character, let alone showcase her mixed heritage onscreen until now with Disney Channel’s new animated series, The Ghost and Molly McGee. After Burch was cast as the title character, the creators — Bob Roth and Bill Motz — decided to base Molly and her family on Burch’s own cultural background.

Movies, Streaming

New Trailer for ‘Muppets Haunted Mansion’ Materializes

September 23, 2021September 23, 2021 Mike Manalo

I love The Muppets! I love the Haunted Mansion! Put them together and you’ve got a Halloween classic I’m just dying to see!

Kermit, Miss Piggy, Gonzo, Pepe, Fozzie, and the whole gang are back! And this time they’re telling an original tale surrounding the spooky spectral occurrences at the Gracey Manor (also known as — The Haunted Mansion!). Today, Disney dropped the trailer for the special dropping on Disney+ October 8. Have a look at the mystery and the mayhem below:

Anime, Star Wars, Streaming

Masi Oka on ‘Star Wars: Visions’ and How His Career Came Full Circle

September 22, 2021September 22, 2021 Laura Sirikul

Masi Oka’s life in the Star Wars Universe has come full circle. When he was fresh out of college, he took a job with Industrial Light & Magic as a digital and visual effects artist working on the Star Wars prequels. Now, the actor is voicing a Jedi in the new anime-inspired Star Wars series, Visions.

Marvel, Streaming1 Comment

Watch the New Trailer for Marvel Studios’ ‘Hawkeye’

September 13, 2021September 13, 2021 Sophia Soto

Disney+ and Marvel Studios have just released an official teaser trailer and poster for Hawkeye. The new series stars Jeremy Renner as Clint Barton/Hawkeye and Hailee Steinfeld as Kate Bishop. The cast also includes Vera Farmiga, Florence Pugh, Fra Fee, Tony Dalton, Zahn McClarnon, Brian d’Arcy James, and Alaqua Cox.

Animation, Interview

‘Twenty Something’ Director Aphton Corbin Inspired By Her Youth for SparksShort

September 8, 2021September 15, 2021 Laura Sirikul

Director Aphton Corbin is excited and surprised to see her Disney-Pixar SparksShort Twenty Something come to life on Disney+.

“My inspiration was my own 20s journey through life where I just feel like a new director — the panic and stress of ‘oh my gosh, did they pick the wrong person?’ I’m just barely figuring out how to be a functional adult in life,” said Corbin during a Zoom interview with The Nerds of Color. It was a fun insecurity to dig into of what was making me feel this way.”

Animation, Streaming

Disney+ Just Dropped the Trailer and Key Art for Pixar’s ‘Dug Days’

August 26, 2021August 26, 2021 Sophia Soto

To celebrate International Dog Day, Disney+ has shared the official trailer and key art for Pixar Animation Studios’ Dug Days! Bob Peterson, the voice of Dug then and now as well as a screenwriter and co-director on Up, wrote and directed the new series of five shorts. Kim Collins serves as producer.

Interview, Marvel, Television

Chris Sullivan Talks Marvel Studios’ ‘What If…?’ and the Final Season of ‘This Is Us’

August 17, 2021August 17, 2021 Sophia Soto

Chris Sullivan plays Taserface in Marvel Studios’ first-ever animated series, What If…?, as well as Toby in the hit NBC series, This Is Us. New episodes of What If…? premiere Wednesdays on Disney+. This Is Us is about to head into its sixth and final season, returning midseason 2021-22 with new episodes airing on Tuesdays.

Animation, Marvel, Reviews

NOC Review: ‘What If’ Recontextualizes the MCU

August 10, 2021August 11, 2021 Mike Manalo

I’m going to do something a bit different for this one. You see, unlike the past three MCU shows we’ve been treated to (wow, I can’t believe we live in a world where I get to say something like that that!), What If takes more of an anthology approach ala Black Mirror and Twilight Zone. And that, essentially, was the spirit of the original comic book series.

Interview, Movies

Veronica Falcón on Playing Trader Sam in ‘Jungle Cruise’

August 7, 2021August 8, 2021 Sabina Graves

The surprising reveal of a Disney Parks icon in the Jungle Cruise film paves a lot of potential for fan-favorite character Trader Sam. Mexican actress Veronica Falcón (Queen of the South, Ozark) plays the re-imagined character known for their history on the attraction and popular themed bars on both coasts. However, in Jungle Cruise, she is introduced as a long-time friend of Dwyane Johnson’s Frank, whose relationship with Sam and her people goes way back.

Animation, Interview, Star Wars1 Comment

Gwendoline Yeo on Her Return as Nala Se in ‘Star Wars: The Bad Batch’

July 30, 2021July 29, 2021 Lauren Lola

Nala Se is the Chief Medical Scientist on the planet of Kamino, where she oversaw the production of thousands of clone troopers who served in the Clone Wars. In the aftermath of the fall of the Republic and the quick rise of the Galactic Empire, she seems to have an agenda of her own that she’s carrying on; one that involves protecting her former medical assistant, Omega, from harm.

Marvel, Streaming

Your First Look at Kate Bishop in ‘Hawkeye’ is Here

July 29, 2021July 29, 2021 Sophia Soto

We finally have a first look and release date for the highly anticipated Hawkeye series. The new Marvel Studios’ original will begin streaming Wednesday, November 24 on Disney+. New episodes will continue to drop on Wednesdays. Hawkeye will star Jeremy Renner and Hailee Steinfeld. Steinfeld tweeted the new photo with the caption, “Barton & Bishop.”

Marvel, Movies, Streaming

We Was Kangs: On Jonathan Majors’ Lively ‘Loki’ Performance

July 28, 2021November 18, 2021 Adonis Gonzalez

It has been a minute since the season one finale for Loki aired. These last few Loki-less Wednesdays [not counting the making-of special last week] have been brutal, but they’ve allowed me to take a sort of reflective look at the Marvel series.

Marvel, Podcasts, Streaming

The Middle Geeks Episode 28: Palestine in Pop Culture and ‘Loki’

July 19, 2021July 19, 2021 Swara Ahmed

Palestinian historian and scholar N.A. Mansour joins us to discuss the situation in Palestine, where the situation stands now, how pop culture plays into the dehumanization of Palestinians, and what you can do to help and learn more about Palestinian people and their struggles. We also discuss all of Loki Season 1! What did we like about the series, and what themes resonated with us? Where could it have done better in areas? We also give our recommendations, and much more!

Interview, Marvel, Movies

NOC Interview: Olga Kurylenko on ‘Black Widow’

July 14, 2021July 14, 2021 Mike Manalo

Incredibly excited to share this all with everyone. First of all, it’s the first Marvel Studios interview I’ve conducted in my life! And second, it couldn’t have been with a more wonderful actress — Olga Kurylenko!

Now for those of you who have not seen Black Widow yet, I not only encourage you to do so because 1.) it’s awesome (I really don’t care what the haters say!), and 2.) the below contains pretty heavy spoilers pertaining to the movie.

**WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD FOR BLACK WIDOW**