2Nerds and an Actor

We’re back on the case trying to figure out Hal’s murder right along with the rest of y’all. This go-round we’re focusing on the 7th episode of Lanterns, “The Jordan Boys’ Legacy”. We felt like there was so much going on under the surface that it needed a deep dive. Mental health took the wheel and hella lore got casually dropped on this week’s Lanterns.
It feels like the show took a tone shift and is a whole different beast. Do we like the shift? Will there be any answers to all the (many) questions? What’s good with this unalived planet? Why are the Manhunters using a fear toxin? Why didn’t John use the poncho? Frantz tries to give a spoiler-free recap, Mike debuts his own Pop!, and Aisha’s mind gets blown by several on-air revelations. All this and more, get into the convo on this episode of 2Nerds and an Actor!
00:00 — Welcome Back to Lanterns
03:36 — John Stewart’s Cosmic Errand Run
05:25 — Is This Still Lanterns?
07:01 — Welcome to the Lindelof Question Factory
10:31 — John Stewart Black Affect
12:03 — The Loneliness of Being Gifted
16:03 — Yes, Green Lantern Has Always Been About Race
20:00 — Hologram Hal Has Entered the Chat
24:00 — Everybody’s a Suspect
31:00 — Fear Toxin From Another Planet
36:14 — Superheroes, Trauma & the Real World
44:58 — Nerdspiracy: What Is Sinestro Really Doing?

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It’s never too late to show love to brilliant cinema so we had to give it up to last year’s folk horror banger, Sinners! We sat down with actor, writer, and filmmaker Tarik Davis to chat about our love for this movie. We really tried to talk about everything under the sun (no pun intended). With two actors on set, Tarik and Aisha get real about the state of the film and TV industry. The gatekeeping, the nepotism, all the things that keep movies like Sinners from being made in the first place.

On top of all that, we get into all the cultural nuance Ryan Coogler packed into this flick. There’s a lot, but we get to talk through the use of southern Black culture and why Sinners bridged it with the Irish and Chinese Delta experiences. How this movie moves cinema forward, and why Black horror is still an untouched gold mine. Tarik and Frantz sing a spiritual while giving props to Eddie Murphy for possibly making the MCU possible. Want to know how? Pull up and kick it with 2Nerds and an Actor while we reminisce on the brilliance of Sinners.

00:00 — Welcome & Meet Tarik Rashaan Davis
05:34 — Becoming a Movie & Comic Book Nerd
08:08 — Sinners Without the Spoilers
12:40 — Seeing Home on the Big Screen
15:07 — SPOILERS BEGIN
15:56 — First Impressions of Sinners
18:03 — Blacula, Blade & Black Vampires
21:13 — What the Vampires Really Represent
24:00 — Why This Story, Why Now?
26:15 — Eddie Murphy & Black Genre Cinema
28:42 — Black-Ass Moments
36:44 — Sammy Takes the Stage
40:00 — The Scene That Changes Everything
45:00 — When Critics Miss the Point
53:28 — The Lore Runs Deep
55:42 — New Jack City… With Vampires
57:00 — The Sinners Cinematic Universe
57:57 — Final Thoughts

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This Summer has been wild for the nerd world. We’ve been eating pretty swell this far, and we’re about to get a whole lot more. In this episode we try to wrap our heads around the insane amount of casting news that’s come to light. From the Harry Potter series reboot, a shuffling of their Gilderoy Lockhart casting, although no one’s divination skills can figure out why that one happened. On the set of Amazon’s God of War adaptation, a major setback on the titular character puts the whole show’s future up in the air. We heard that the Alabasta arc of the live-action One Piece announced a boatload of their new cast members, but we can’t talk about it just yet.
Meanwhile, Marvel Studios is just letting it rip. After San Diego Comic Con and D23, the floodgates are open, the announcements got folks hyped, and the speculations are speculating. Feige is giving us leeway to talk about the Ghost Rider, X-Men, Black Panther 3 casting alongside a trailer for Vision Quest! We got a lot to talk about and never enough time in a day. So lock in and kick it with 2Nerds and an Actor for our takes on all this new information.
00:00 — Getting the Name Right
00:30 — When Casting News Takes Over the Episode
02:40 — Another Trip to Hogwarts
05:25 — The Black Snape Debate
08:50 — Kit Harington’s Lockhart Era
11:30 — Aisha vs. One Piece
15:40 — Kratos Takes a Hit
19:20 — Dave Bautista Enters the Arena
21:50 — The New X-Men Assemble
25:10 — Storm Gets Her Moment
28:50 — Marvel’s Rogue Problem
31:15 — Rogue’s Villain Era
33:40 — The Mystery of Beast
35:40 — Rewriting Magneto
38:40 — The Ryan Gosling Mystery
39:15 — Black Panther’s Grown-Up Son
42:30 — Ultron Makes His Return
45:35 — Bring Back James Spader
46:18 — Deleted Scene: The Great Collectible Unboxing

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You know what time it is! The podcast is coming at y’all live from OA with a convo about HBO’s Lanterns. We can’t talk about how cool we think the show is without talking about the Ryan Reynolds movie. Like, that one definitely crawled through CGI uniforms so this one could fly. We get to the bottom of where we think this show is taking Gunn’s DCU, since the tone is so different from Superman and Peacemaker. (No Spoilae, but we found a very interesting link between all three!)

We try to answer what we think they got right in the adaptation from the Green Lantern comics to the show so far. Which then got us to dreaming about what we WANT them to put in the show! (We need Ch’p the squirrel lantern asap!) We drop some Nerdspiracy theories for y’all about some of the mystery plot points and give y’all our fearless banter along the way. Pull up and tap in as we get into one of the most talked about shows on TV right now on 2Nerds and an Actor!

00:00 — Welcome to the Lanterns Era
02:32 — True Detective Meets DC
03:46 — Can DC Finally Get Some Love?
05:06 — Ryan Reynolds’ Green Lantern Legacy
05:45 — What’s Powering This Show?
08:01 — When Superheroes Look Actually Real
10:08 — Hal Jordan: Messy, But Make It Work
12:51 — The Things We Don’t Hate
14:37 — Marvel vs. DC: Characters vs. Mythos
17:28 — The Official Lanterns Rating
18:34 — SPOILERS: The Rings Come Off
20:08 — Jon Stewart, Daddy Issues & Buddy-Cop Energy
23:38 — Could Lanterns Change the Superhero Game?
31:30 — Jon Stewart’s Ring-Fu & the Big Theories
36:54 — Red Lanterns, Atrocitus & Things Get Nerdy
39:05 — Who’s Actually a Manhunter?
41:52 — Is Hal Jordan Really Dead?
43:00 — Parallax, Color Theory & the Final Clues
44:31 — Legion of Doom at the VFW?

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In a very special episode of 2Nerds and an Actor, host Aisha gets the utmost pleasure of sitting down with the legendary talent and voice of X-Men's Rogue, Lenore Zann. Lenore shares her unforgettable audition for the iconic role and the unreal response at their first comic con appearance. Zann talks about growing with Rogue from the OG X-Men animated series through the current revival X-Men '97. She's been on stages, won awards, spearheaded groundbreaking political movements, and warmed our hearts as the Southern bell and rough and tough mutant Rogue.
If you like this episode leave us a comment rate and review it. If we get great ratings, we'll do more exclusive interviews and bonus content just for y'all!

00:00 — Meet the Voice Behind Rogue
01:15 — From Guys and Dolls to the Stage
02:46 — Playing Marilyn Monroe at 19
03:30 — The Voice That Started It All
04:11 — “That’s Rogue!”
05:28 — Goodbye, X-Men?
07:22 — “Are They Here for Us?”
09:08 — How Lenore Became Rogue
10:30 — Rogue’s Heart & Grief
12:33 — From Rogue to Politics
14:14 — Fighting Environmental Racism
17:31 — 12 Years in Politics, Then Disney Called
19:23 — Why X-Men ’97 Doesn’t Talk Down to Kids
21:30 — Rogue, Magneto & “Deeper Than Skin”
23:29 — Voice-Acting Advice from Rogue

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What’s good, people?! We’re jumping back into the wild world of Westeros to chat about House of the Dragon season three. You’ll notice Mike is cool and calm recalling things from the show, but Aisha and Frantz had to catch up from season one(!). So, after running through three seasons of GoT:HotD in four days we got all kinds of fever dream takes on deck. From how certain houses…’keep it in the family’ to what it means to have Black and Brown people so much more present throughout the fabric of this high fantasy. Aisha names the real-life political parallels she saw while binging and Mike highlights a potential sneak diss aimed at George RR Martin in the show.
From the many twists, turns, scandals, and betrayals to the fact that Targaryans have white hair and Black names - we’re swinging for the fences here. How is HBO keeping up with the dragon VFX budget in this economy? Why are Aemon and Daemon the exact same person? What the heck happened to Rhena’s hair and why didn’t someone get her a loctician asap? We dig into some real questions about the direction of the series and whether prequels hold weight when audiences know how it all plays out. So get your saddles strapped in and get some dragon-sized black Air Force 1’s on layaway so you can tap in and rock with us on this episode of 2Nerds and an Actor.
00:00 Welcome to the House of the Dragon Finale Review
02:26 We Binged Three Seasons in Four Days
03:18 Dragonfire: What We Loved This Season
04:48 The Mysticism Finally Comes Forward
05:15 The Dragons Still Look Incredible
06:14 The Women of House of the Dragon
07:08 The Incest Is Still a Lot
08:40 Why the Violence Feels More Brutal
12:05 Hidden Lore in the Opening Tapestries
14:00 Sheepstealer, the Wildest Dragon Yet
15:45 Our Biggest Season Takes
18:13 Why We’re Rooting for So Many People to Die
19:49 Rating House of the Dragon Season 3
22:09 SPOILERS: Finale Discussion Begins
23:26 Daemon’s Strange Redemption Arc
25:53 Rhaenyra’s Performance and Moral Decline
30:13 Corlys, His Sons and the Velaryon Legacy
34:58 The Dragonseed Problem
36:50 Can Aegon Actually Be Redeemed?
38:18 Daemon’s Vision, the Prophecy and Season 4 Theories
39:26 Does Anyone Actually Deserve the Iron Throne?
41:53 Rhaenyra vs Alicent: Power, Gender and Politics
44:22 Season 4 Theories and George R.R. Martin Changes
47:14 Final Thoughts on House of the Dragon
49:03 Deleted Scene: We Need a Game of Thrones Parody

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Welcome back to this Danger Room session, y’all! The trio just had to mic up so we could chop it up about X-Men ‘97 Season Two! The anticipation’s been building and it’s finally back and the hype train is leaving the station.
We get into the fly outfits and character designs with a light dive on the many deep cut references. We explore why the pacing of the show felt different this time around. Can’t talk about this show without getting into a conversation about the dismissal of the original showrunner and head writer Beau DeMayo, so we get into that too. Had to show love for the continuing and long overdue glow ups for Jubilee and Cyclops. We’ve been waiting for that. From the fight choreography giving ‘Fantastic Hands And Where To Catch Them’ and a bunch of cool cameos, this season delivered enough for us to talk for hours.
Plus, the big questions: why does this season feel like we're speed running story arcs, smashing them all together? Is the creative team rushing towards potentially new original stories? You know it wouldn’t be us if we didn’t ask why Bishop, Forge, and Storm’s characters felt sidelined this season. We get into all that, what we loved, what we wished could’ve been, and our usual antics. Pull up, check out this episode of 2Nerds and an Actor, and tell us what you think in the comments!
00:00 — Welcome to the X-Men ’97 Timey-Whimey Zone
01:44 — Season 2: Time Travel, Trauma & Mutant Mayhem
06:57 — No-Spoiler Zone: Is Season 2 Worth the Watch?
08:15 — When the Studio Gets in the X-Men’s Way
14:00 — Is This Season a Bridge… or Just a Very Long Tease?
17:03 — Mutations vs. Inhibitor Collars: The Good, the Bad & the Mutant
18:16 — Jubilee Finally Gets Her Flowers
22:34 — Who Got Left in the Danger Room?
27:52 — The Heartstone Ratings Are In
29:44 — SPOILAE: Spoilers Are Now on Deck ⚠️
31:03 — Bishop, Storm & Forge: Where Did the Character Development Go?
36:51 — Are They Speedrunning X-Men History?
38:04 — X-Force, X-Factor & the Government’s Mutant Problem
42:24 — Polaris, Nightcrawler & the Mutants We Loved
47:00 — Bishop + Polaris: Ship Happens
48:47 — Rogue Is the Emotional Center of Everything
50:47 — The Black Character Problem
55:44 — Celestials, Sacrifice & Apocalypse’s Big Cosmic Job
59:09 — Is Nightcrawler Really...? Enter the Nerdspiracy
01:02:31 — Are the X-Men ’97 Characters Headed for the MCU?
01:06:30 — Deleted Scene: Stay for the End Credits

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What's good people? This go-round were chatting up Christopher Nolan's take on The Odyssey. Between the controversial casting, the racist backlash, the giant budget, and calls for historical accuracy - we got A LOT to say.

00:00 Welcome to The Odyssey

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Yerrrrrr! Pull up because we're chatting Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Feeling extra New York this episode we might as well be web slinging in Timbs. The original three hosts come together to discuss the trials and tribulations of Peter Parker as a NY lonely boy and what stress really does to the body when you have powers. We try to work out if Marvel is making Peter the face of the MCU or not, if MJ and Ned will get their memories back and is that bus going to Westchester?
We debut a new debate format for our audience to join the convo. Each host will state their case for their strongest takes and you as listeners get to decide which take you agree with the most. Comment here, on YouTube, IG or TikTok or in DM's to let us know which take you vote for. The winner will be revealed in a future episode.
Tap in and chill out with the 2Nerds and an Actor podcast!
00:00 Welcome to the Brand New Day Debate
02:39 Spider-Man Can’t Be the Face of the MCU?
06:50 Does the Punisher Need a Softer Side?
09:06 Is Tom Holland Passing the Baton?
12:37 Final Ratings and Spoiler Warning
15:21 The Flight Attendant Who Spoiled Everything
17:26 What Brand New Day Gets Right
21:02 Grief, Mental Health and Peter Parker
25:47 Does This Spider-Man Have His Own Villains?
29:38 Jean Grey, Mutants and the X-Men Setup
34:31 The MJ Twist and Peter’s Lost Memories
38:09 Hulk, Punisher and The Hand
44:38 Skip Venom—or Finally Do It Right?
46:06 Miles Morales, Nexus Spider-Man and Peter’s Death
54:15 Battleworld, Westchester and Wonder Man

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Hit play, subscribe, and talk that talk with us! 🎬🔥 What’s good, y’all? We’re back in the saddle with actor, writer, director, producer—and Aisha’s actual brother—Rafael Jordan of Village Park Productions!

Rafael may be the alternate-universe Wonder Man himself, so we had to bring him in to unpack Marvel’s new series, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s take on Simon Williams, and why this might be the most painfully accurate portrayal of the working-actor experience ever put inside the MCU. 🦸🏾‍♂️🎭

We’re getting into Wonder Man’s comic-book origins, the show’s grounded approach to superpowers, Hollywood anxiety, disastrous auditions, self-tape nightmares, Trevor Slattery’s return, and whether signing an MCU contract is an actor’s dream—or a career trap. Rafael also tells us about the audition where he transformed a hotel room into a full-blown war zone, complete with homemade Foley, fake gunfire and a paperclip grenade. Yes, he really did all that. 😂💥

The first half is spoiler-free, but once the warning drops, all bets are off! Tune in, laugh with us and let us know: Is Wonder Man one of Marvel’s best shows yet—and which Marvel or DC character should Rafael play? 👀

2Nerds and an Actor is hosted by Aisha Jordan and Frantz Jerome, produced by the hosts alongside Desta Wondirad, and brought to you in partnership with Wondir Studios. Tune in every week!

00:00 Meet the Other Wonder Man
03:10 Auditioning Alongside Yahya Abdul-Mateen II
05:00 Rafael’s Nerd Origin Story
09:23 Wonder Man: Spoiler-Free Review
13:18 Wonder Man’s Comic-Book History
16:05 Is This Marvel’s Best Series?
18:42 Our Wonder Man Ratings
20:18 Spoiler Warning!
21:36 The Painfully Real Working-Actor Experience
31:07 Self-Tape Nightmares, Superpowers & Marvel Dream Roles

#WonderMan #Marvel #MCU #YahyaAbdulMateenII #2NerdsAndAnActor

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