The Geek Generation Network

Host: Rob Logan [Twitter] [Twitch]

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Paramount+ adds live streaming channels

Paramount+ is adding a new way for viewers to consume their content library, as the streaming service now includes live channels that function similar to traditional TV.

The initial batch of 18 channels includes one focused entirely on Star Trek, which will stream episodes from new shows like Discovery and Picard and classics like Deep Space Nine and The Next Generation. There are other franchise-specific channels for Survivor, The Challenge, PAW Patrol, and SpongeBob Squarepants as well.

Other channels focus on themes and genres, including drama, comedy, adult animation, black voices, and reality shows. “Nostalgic Hits” includes series from the ‘80s and ‘90s like Cheers, Frasier, and Wings. “TV Classics” goes further back with episodes from I Love Lucy, The Love Boat, The Twilight Zone, and more.

Kid-friendly channels include “Animation Favorites,” “Kids & Family Fun,” and “Preschool Corner.” A movies channel will also be added later this month.

Garfield arrives in Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl

Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl hasn’t been out that long, and it’s already adding to its roster with the lasagna-loving cat Garfield.

His attacks include things familiar to fans of the iconic cartoon feline, such as flailing with his claws, tap dancing, using food items like lasagna and pies, and incorporating his beloved stuffed bear, Pooky. His fighting stage, called Sweet Dreams, has a ground made of lasagna with two floating pizza platforms.

Garfield is available right now as free DLC for everyone who owns the game.

Colleen O’Shaughnessey returning as Tails for Sonic the Hedgehog 2

Voice actor Colleen O’Shaughnessey has been the voice of Tails since 2014, originally taking on the role with Cartoon Network’s Sonic Boom TV series. Now, the actor has announced that she will be reprising the role once again, this time on the big screen for Sonic the Hedgehog 2. She joins the returning Ben Schwartz as the titular hedgehog, and Idris Elba, who makes his first appearance as Knuckles.

It’s a welcome, yet surprising decision for the studio, as up to this point they’ve largely ignored the voice cast from past Sonic projects. In fact, Roger Craig Smith, the voice of Sonic for the past 10 years, told me on The Geek Generation Podcast that he wasn’t even given the chance to audition for a part.

Host: Rob Logan [Twitter] [Twitch]

https://feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/1173737803-the-geek-generation-geek-news-brief-2021-12-08.mp3

Shang-Chi director confirmed for sequel & a Disney+ series

Marvel has officially confirmed that a sequel to the recent Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is in the works. It’s director, Destin Daniel Cretton, has not only signed on to return for the sequel, but also to work with Marvel on a new series for Disney+.

Cretton will develop both Shang-Chi 2 and his mystery TV project as part of a new multi-year pact with Marvel Studios and Hulu’s Onyx Collective. Under the deal’s terms, he will develop several new TV shows across a multitude of platforms.

Whether or not his Disney+ series will be connected to Shang-Chi remains to be seen.

Charlie Cox will not be replaced as the MCU’s Daredevil

In a recent interview with CinemaBlend, Kevin Feige finally confirmed something that Marvel fans have been eagerly waiting to hear. When asked about what he thought about Charlie Cox being able to stay in the role of Daredevil for the MCU, Feige said, “If you were to see Daredevil in upcoming things, Charlie Cox, yes, would be the actor playing Daredevil. Where we see that, how we see that, when we see that, remains to be seen.”

Though confirming that Charlie Cox will continue to portray the Man Without Fear, Feige wouldn’t reveal when we might see Daredevil next.

Colin Farrell to star in HBO Max’s Penguin spinoff series

Variety is reporting that Colin Farrell has officially signed on to star in and executive produce a series spinoff of The Batman for HBO Max, in which he would again play The Penguin.

Farrell will first portray the character in The Batman on March 4, 2022. The series would then reportedly dive into Oswald Cobblepot’s rise to power in the Gotham criminal underworld.

Should the series go forward, it would be the second spinoff series from The Batman at HBO Max, with the first being a drama set within the Gotham Police Department.

Batman: The Animated Series audio drama in the works

At Los Angeles Comic Con, actors Kevin Conroy and John Glover revealed that an audio drama is in the works that will continue 1990’s Batman: The Animated Series. According to the actors, writer Alan Burnett is developing the project.

Conroy, the definitive voice of Batman over the years, said that, “It’s a great script by Alan Burnett and it brings back the original cast.”

Glover, who voiced The Riddler in the series, added, “The Riddler’s back, and he’s evolved in many ways… he understands he’s on the spectrum.”

No distribution platform has been revealed for the new podcast, but Conroy revealed another veteran of the ’90s animated series is attached to the project, as Danny Elfman will write the theme.

Host: Rob Logan [Twitter] [Twitch]

https://feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/1172600512-the-geek-generation-geek-news-brief-2021-12-06.mp3

Fortnite Chapter 3 brings a new map, new gameplay, and Spider-Man

Epic has confirmed details for Chapter 3 of Fortnite, along with releasing a trailer that shows what to expect in its first season, titled Flipped.

In the Chapter 2 finale, the island flipped over to reveal a new map that includes chaotic weather like rainstorms, lightning, and tornadoes that can suck you in and throw you out. Along with the new map, Spider-Man is making his way to Fortnite. The wall-crawler’s influence goes beyond just a character skin though, as the Daily Bugle stands prominently on the new map, and swinging mechanics have also been introduced through his web-shooters, which will be available starting on December 11th. Later on in the season, you’ll be able to unlock Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as The Foundation, the leader of The Seven.

Other changes for Chapter 3 include a new sliding mechanic to move and dodge faster, camps to help your squad heal and store items that persist between matches, the ability to earn XP beyond battle royale, and a Victory Crown to hold onto if you keep winning.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse drops first footage of 2-part sequel

Sony has revealed the first look at Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Part One). The film serves as the first installment of the now two-part sequel to 2018’s Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.

Across the Spider-Verse will chronicle Miles Morales as he teams up with Miguel O’Hara aka Spider-Man 2099, and Spider-Gwen to face off with a powerful super-villain.

Phil Lord and Chris Miller said of the sequel, “Miles’ story is an epic. We wrote what we thought the story needed to be, and to our surprise we realized it was two movies instead of one. We’re working on them both as we speak. Part Two will be out sometime in 2023. We will sleep again in 2024.”

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Part One) is scheduled to release in theaters October 7th, 2022.

PlayStation Plus and Xbox Gold free games for December

Here are the free games for PlayStation Plus and Xbox Gold members for December.

Available starting December 7th, PlayStation Plus members will get access to the looter-shooter Godfall: Challenger Edition for PS5 & PS4. On the PS4, they can join the Justice Syndicate in LEGO DC Super-Villains and step into the action-RPG Mortal Shell. Three bonus PS VR titles will also be in the mix, including The Persistence, The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners, and Until You Fall.

Xbox Gold members will be able to plot prison breaks in The Escapists 2, run an island nation in Tropico 5 – Penultimate Edition, take out an orc army in Orcs Must Die!, and battle bizarre creatures in Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet.

Host: Rob Logan [Twitter] [Twitch]

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Spider-Man producer says another Tom Holland-led trilogy will happen

In a recent interview with Fandango, Spider-Man producer Amy Pascal discussed the future of the franchise, seemingly confirming another Tom Holland-led trilogy.

Pascal said, “This is not the last movie that we are going to make with Marvel – this is not the last Spider-Man movie. We are getting ready to make the next Spider-Man movie with Tom Holland and Marvel. We’re thinking of this as three films, and now we’re going to go onto the next three. This is not the last of our MCU movies.”

Following that interview, Tom Holland was asked about Pascal’s comments, to which he replied, “Listen, all I’ll say is we have some very, very exciting things to be talking about. I don’t know what those things are or what they will transpire to mean. But it looks like it’s an incredibly bright future ahead, and as I’ve said before, Spider-Man will forever live in me.”

Jessica Henwick was forced to choose between The Matrix and Shang-Chi

It looks like Jessica Henwick almost ended up in Marvel’s Shang-Chi before taking her role in The Matrix 4.

In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, the actress said that she was already lined up for a chemistry test on The Matrix when she was approached about a potential role in Shang-Chi.

Henwick said, “The studios knew about the other offers, and both of them gave me the offer on the stipulation that I could only audition for one or the other. And there was no guarantee that I would get either. It was a red pill, blue pill moment for me.”

It’s unknown which role Henwick would have been up for in Shang-Chi, but she said her previous experience as Colleen Wing on Iron Fist helped her to choose The Matrix over another MCU project.

“I’ve obviously done Marvel TV, so I was already in the universe. I knew that joining The Matrix is not an opportunity that you get every day. Lana has had so many offers to make more Matrix films. I just knew it was now or never. Whereas, obviously, Marvel is a huge, wonderful company that makes films very, very regularly.”

Fall Guys for Switch and Xbox delayed to 2022

While the latest Season of Fall Guys has just begun, Nintendo Switch and Xbox gamers will have to wait a bit longer to join in on the fun.

Developer Mediatonic has once again delayed the battle royale on those platforms, with a release now set for sometime in 2022.

They said in a statement, “We know everyone’s excited about Fall Guys coming to Nintendo Switch and Xbox, with good reason. There’s been a lot of speculation on social media connecting these new console releases to the Season 6 launch and we want to clarify that that’s not the case so no one’s left confused looking for the game on these platforms. Thank you for being patient with us; it’s one of our top priorities in active development and we can’t wait to share more details with you in 2022.”

Host: Rob Logan [Twitter] [Twitch]

https://feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/1168448110-the-geek-generation-geek-news-brief-2021-11-29.mp3

Amazon Prime developing a Mass Effect TV series

According to Deadline, Amazon Studios is nearing a deal to develop a series based on Mass Effect, the best-selling sci-fi video game franchise from Electronic Arts.

While no details have been released, Amazon Studios head Jennifer Salke told the outlet that due to the recent success of Wheel of Time, it’s continuing to invest in fantasy genre of all kinds.

Mass Effect rumors had been floating around for some time now, with EA recently stating that it’s not a matter of if, but when a TV series based on the game will be made.

Fortnite Chapter 2 will end on Dec. 4th with a big event

Fortnite will soon see the end of its second chapter. Chapter 2, which started all the way back in October 2019, will wrap up with a one-time-only in-game event called The End at 4pm eastern time on December 4th.

A post from Epic Games reads, “With The Convergence complete, The Cube Queen prepares her endgame for the Island and nothing will ever be the same. Grab your weapons and fight the ultimate destroyer of all reality.”

If you have any Bars or Battle Stars, use them before the end of the season, since they won’t carry over to Chapter 3. Starting on November 30th, character services and exotic item trades will be discounted in Bargain Bin Week. If you have any remaining quests you want to complete, you’ll want to get those done as soon as possible as well.

Squads of up to 16 players will be able to experience The End together. The event playlist will open at 3:30pm, so join early to grab a spot. Since Epic is ending the season a day earlier than planned, everyone who logs into the game before it wraps up will receive a 225,000 XP bonus. Those who take part in the event will also unlock a special Loading Screen and Wrap.

Agatha All Along gets a Grammy nomination

Agatha All Along, the song from Episode 7 of Marvel Studios’ hit series WandaVision, has been nominated for a Grammy in the category of Best Song Written for Visual Media.

The song, which quickly became an internet sensation, was written by songwriting duo Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, who previously penned Oscar-winning songs for Frozen and Coco. The song previously led to one of WandaVision’s Emmy wins, with the couple songwriters taking home the award for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics.

Host: Rob Logan [Twitter] [Twitch]

https://feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/1165546741-the-geek-generation-geek-news-brief-2021-11-24.mp3

Netflix is developing a Power Rangers universe of movies and series

Netflix is developing a Power Rangers universe of interconnected films and series.

eOne’s Michael Lombardo teased that an update may be revealed soon, saying, “Since we set up Power Rangers with Jonathan (Entwistle), we pitched really a whole-world approach. It’s not just one show, it is shows followed by films, and some kids’ programming. We have found a great writing partner for him and they are off. Knock on wood, Netflix is excited, we’re excited, and we hope to have some news soon.”

Netflix also recently picked up the rights to the second season of Power Rangers Dino Fury, the current incarnation of the long-running franchise. However, the new interconnected Power Rangers universe will be separate from all of the films and TV shows that preceded it.

Blade Runner series in development from Ridley Scott

Blade Runner director Ridley Scott has confirmed that a TV show based on the sci-fi classic is in development.

He said in an interview with BBC Radio 4’s Today that, “We’re already into having written the pilot for Blade Runner, and the bible. So already presenting Blade Runner as a TV show, which should probably be the first 10 hours.”

Scott didn’t provide any insight about who’s involved with the series or how it ties into his movie or the sequel, which was released in 2017.

Epic Games buys Guitar Hero’s Harmonix to create musical journeys in Fornite

Epic Games has acquired Harmonix, the studio behind music games like Guitar Hero, Rock Band, and Fuser. While the studio stated that they’ll be working with Epic to bring their unique brand of musical gaming experiences to the Metaverse, their immediate plans are to create musical journeys and gameplay for Fortnite.

In the meantime, Harmonix says it will continue to support its existing slate of games. That means Rock Band players can continue to look forward to new DLC and Fuser players can expect the studio to continue hosting events. Additionally, any game that’s currently available through Steam will continue to be sold through Valve’s storefront.

Street Fighter’s Ryu, Chun-Li, and Akuma are coming to Brawlhalla

Street Fighter characters Ryu, Chun-Li, and Akuma are making their way to Ubisoft’s free-to-play platform fighter Brawlhalla.

Their arrival coincides with an in-game event featuring a new mode called Street Brawl, which adopts Street Fighter’s health bars and adds other aesthetic effects inspired by Capcom’s fighting game franchise. All three fighters are available to use in Brawlhalla right now.

Host: Rob Logan [Twitter] [Twitch]

https://feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/1164280204-the-geek-generation-geek-news-brief-2021-11-22.mp3

Star Wars: Ahsoka casts Natasha Liu Bordizzo as Sabine Wren

Sources have confirmed to Variety that Natasha Liu Bordizzo has been cast as Sabine Wren for the Disney+ series Star Wars: Ahsoka.

Wren was first introduced to the Star Wars universe in the animated series Star Wars Rebels. She is a young Mandalorian and a weapons expert, particularly when it comes to explosives. She is also known for her love of graffiti and is a dropout of the Imperial Academy of Mandalore. After the fall of the Empire, Wren and Tano struck out in search of their missing friend, Ezra Bridger.

Scarlett Johansson is producing a “top secret” movie for Marvel

Kevin Feige has revealed that Scarlett Johansson is producing a “top secret Marvel Studios project.” He also confirmed that the movie in question would not be related to Black Widow.

Feige said, “Scarlett has lent her talent and star power to the Marvel Cinematic Universe for over a decade. That she’s chosen to play a key part in it for so many years, I am extremely grateful for. Working with her has truly been one of the most memorable and rewarding collaborations of my career.”

Feige didn’t share any additional details about Johansson’s next MCU project, but presumably, it’s a film that hasn’t been announced yet.

Netflix’s Arcane gets renewal for second season

Riot Games’ League of Legends animated series Arcane has been officially renewed for a second season at Netflix. Stars Hailee Steinfeld, Ella Purnell, and Katie Leung are set to reprise their roles for season two, which is currently in production.

Arcane follows the origins of popular League champions sisters Jinx and Vi as they seek to reunite. Overcoming the world of Arcane is a dark power that brings on violence and chaos, and threatens to keep the sisters apart.

Host: Rob Logan [Twitter] [Twitch]

https://feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/1163056678-the-geek-generation-geek-news-brief-2021-11-19.mp3

Warner Bros. announces Smash-like fighter MultiVersus

Warner Bros. has announced MultiVersus, a Super Smash Bros-like fighter that brings together characters from various WB-owned properties like Justice League, Adventure Time, Looney Tunes, Scooby Doo, and Game of Thrones. The game is set to release in 2022 for consoles and PC, and will be free-to-play.

MultiVersus will support 1v1, 2v2, and 4-player free-for-all matches, set on stages themed around the characters available in the game. A partial roster has been revealed, with more characters to be announced, and each one will be voiced by familiar actors, such as Kevin Conroy as Batman, John DiMaggio as Jake the Dog, and even Maisie Williams as Arya Stark.

The currently announced roster includes Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Harley Quinn, Shaggy, Bugs Bunny, Arya Stark, Jake the Dog, Finn the Human, Steven Universe, Garnet, Tom and Jerry, and Reindog, an original character debuting in MultiVersus. Along with unique ability sets, each character will get customization through perk loadouts, skins, and emotes.

As a free-to-play game, MultiVersus will be supported by in-game purchases. What those purchases are remain to be seen, but the trailer shows what appears to be a battle pass system that’s likely to include cosmetics.

The game will support cross play and cross progression across all of its supported platforms, which include PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Series S & X, and PC.

Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender series casts Uncle Iroh, Gyatso, and Zhao

Netflix has added three more actors to the cast of their Avatar: The Last Airbender series.

Paul Sun-Hyung Lee will play fan favorite Uncle Iroh, a retired Fire Nation general and the wise and nurturing mentor to his hot-headed nephew, Prince Zuko.

Lim Kay Siu will play Monk Gyatso, a kind and caring Air Nomad who is the guardian, father figure, and best friend to Aang.

Ken Leung will play Commander Zhao, a scheming and ambitious Fire Nation military officer who’s eager to leverage an unexpected encounter with a desperate Prince Zuko to advance his personal goals.

A new Earthworm Jim animated series is in development

A new Earthworm Jim animated TV series is in development from Interplay Entertainment, which owns the rights to the game franchise.

Like the games, the series would follow the adventures of the titular Jim, a worm in a futuristic robotic suit who fights evildoers. The series will also bring in new characters as they navigate the galaxy, where each planet is home to a race of anthropomorphic animals. Jim’s ultimate quest is to find his true home among the stars: a near-mythical planet called Earth.

The Batman: The Complete series coming to Blu-ray

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has announced the Blu-ray release of The Batman: The Complete Series. The remastered collection will arrive on February 1st, 2022 on Blu-ray and Digital in the United States and in Canada in a Blu-ray only format.

The series premiered in 2004 on Kids’ WB before shifting to Cartoon Network for subsequent seasons. The new collection includes all 65 episodes along with a long list of special features including quizzes and featurettes.

Host: Rob Logan [Twitter] [Twitch]

https://feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/1161538609-the-geek-generation-geek-news-brief-2021-11-17.mp3

Bandai Namco announces Dragon Ball: The Breakers

Bandai Namco and developer Dimps have announced Dragon Ball: The Breakers, a new game with an intriguing gameplay twist for the Dragon Ball franchise. It’s an asymmetrical online multiplayer game, where players fight to survive in 1v7 matches.

This is a vast departure from previous Dragon Ball games, leaning closer to other asymmetrical titles like Dead by Daylight, Evolve, and Friday the 13th. In Dragon Ball: The Breakers, seven Survivors will try to outwit, outsmart, and outlast the player assuming the role of the Raider. Players in that role can choose either Cell, Buu, or Frieza, who are overwhelmingly more powerful than the other players. The underpowered Survivors, which include the shapeshifting pig Oolong, must hide, use gadgets, weapons, and power-ups, or disguise themselves among the environment.

Survivors who find the Super Time Machine can escape the realm known as the Temporal Seam, where they are trapped, to win.

Dragon Ball: The Breakers is coming sometime in 2022 to PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Series X, PC, and Nintendo Switch.

LeVar Burton to host Trivial Pursuit game show

LeVar Burton may not be the next host of Jeopardy, but his love for quiz shows has landed him another gig: Trivial Pursuit.

The Star Trek and Reading Rainbow star will host a new Trivial Pursuit TV game show that is being produced by game maker Hasbro and Entertainment One. A network is not yet attached. Burton’s involvement, however, should make the series easy to sell, especially given the fan support he had when he guest-hosted on Jeopardy.

Burton said of the announcement, “Trivial Pursuit is one of the best-known brands in the gaming universe. I am thrilled to have partnered with Hasbro and eOne to bring this beloved game to market as a premium show for television.”

Phil Spencer strongly hints that Elder Scrolls VI will be an Xbox and PC exclusive

Xbox chief Phil Spencer has given the strongest hint yet that Elder Scrolls VI won’t be coming to PlayStation. Since Microsoft bought Bethesda earlier this year, questions have been swirling around platform exclusivity for ongoing franchises, such as Elder Scrolls, Doom, and Fallout.

Spencer previously noted that exclusivity would be decided on a case-by-case basis. Now, in an interview with GQ, Spencer strongly hinted that, like next year’s Starfield, Elder Scrolls VI will be locked to Xbox consoles, PC, and Xbox Cloud Gaming.

Spencer said, “It’s not about punishing any other platform, like I fundamentally believe all of the platforms can continue to grow. But in order to be on Xbox, I want us to be able to bring the full complete package of what we have. And that would be true when I think about Elder Scrolls VI. The would be true when I think about any of our franchises.”

Host: Rob Logan [Twitter] [Twitch]

https://feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/1160060995-the-geek-generation-geek-news-brief-2021-11-15.mp3

Sylvester Stallone is returning for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

Sylvester Stallone has confirmed that he is returning to the MCU for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

In a post on Instagram, Stallone shared two behind-the-scenes process videos. They show him using a machine that captures his facial expressions so the filmmakers can duplicate them if the actor isn’t around.

His character, Stakar Ogord, also known as Starhawk in the comics, was introduced in an early scene in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 as a high-ranking Ravager.

Twitch is now available on Switch

Twitch has officially released an app for Nintendo Switch, meaning you can now watch the livestreaming service on the console. The free app offers the same core functionality as Twitch on other consoles, including on-demand videos.

Unfortunately, while you can watch Twitch on the console, you can’t broadcast from it. You’ll still have to route video through a PC if you’re more interested in creating content than watching it.

But hey, if you ARE interested in watching someone on Twitch, feel free to come check me out at twitch.tv/theroblogan. Maybe even drop a follow while you’re there.

Square Enix reveals Spider-Man’s outfits for Marvel’s Avengers

Square Enix has revealed not only the look of Spider-Man in Marvel’s Avengers, but also highlighted some of his alternate costumes that will be available.

For the PlayStation exclusive event, Peter Parker will form friendships with Ms. Marvel and Black Widow in his civilian identity as he tries to help them take down AIM. However, Spidey’s relationship with the Avengers may not be as easy to manage. While his comic book and MCU counterparts have been Avengers, this appears to be the first time that the Spidey of this world has joined the team.

In addition to his default look for the game, the company shared multiple alternate costumes, including a classic suit that inspired their new design, the Bugle Boy Suit featuring jeans, a sweater vest, and his costume mask, the Secret War Suit from that limited series, the Spider-Armor Mark I Suit based on the design from Web of Spider-Man #100, the Spider-Armor Mark III Suit also referred to as the Ends of the Earth suit, and the Noir Suit with its black leather trench coat, haphazardly stitched mask, and aviator goggles.

Spider-Man will be added to Marvel’s Avengers on PS4 and PS5 on November 30th.