Author: Simon Andrews

2015 was the year that Star Wars exploded back into the public consciousness. The Force Awakens was exactly the adrenaline shot in the arm that the ageing franchise had been looking for, capturing the hearts and minds of an entirely new generation, as well as erasing the memories of George Lucas’s disappointing prequel trilogy for older fans. Actress Daisy Ridley was a key part in that. Amidst the noisy hustle and bustle of the cutting edge CGI, endless fan-appeasing Easter Eggs, and the tense action sequences, one performance broke through to stand head and shoulders above the rest. An unknown…

It’s still six months before Avengers: Infinity War is even due to land in cinemas, but the movie has already managed to have an earth-shattering impact on the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Sure, we now live in an age where every time any movie trailer appears online, the fans freeze-frame the living shit out of the new footage, and use every image to try and prove or disprove a theory about what might happen in the final cinematic release. But this week’s Infinity War trailer has truly proven to be something of a game-changer. The sheer volume of fan theories and…

Unless you’ve been living under a rock (with no WiFi) for the last 24 hours, you’ll be aware by now that after months and months of waiting, the Avengers: Infinity War trailer is finally with us. News feeds are creaking and straining under the sheer weight of Thanos memes that are being churned out. New records are being set for YouTube trailer views every hour. And eagle-eyed Marvel fanatics are frantically speculating about what every little detail and Easter Egg spotted in the teaser will actually mean in the context of the finished article. From the distinct absence of Hawkeye…

The long wait is over, and Frank Castle’s solo series is finally here with us. Marvel’s The Punisher finally gives us the long-awaited show for the iconic character, after we got glimpses of Jon Bernthal’s solid portrayal of the Marvel Anti-Hero in Season 2 of Marvel’s Daredevil. While trailers for the show were met with a hugely positive response,  it was delayed due to a tragic shooting in Las Vegas. Marvel ultimately decided that it was still worth releasing, and thankfully, it didn’t disappoint. With action, drama, great acting and more – it definitely delivered. So lets kick off our…

These are dark times indeed for the DC Extended Universe. Well, I mean, it’s usually a pretty dark place anyway, but these days it seems to be beset by a whole series of external issues that fill it with even more difficulties than the usual killer clowns and gyrating witch-ladies we’ve come to expect. Difficulties that could spell the end for the DCEU in its current form – with Batman in particular. Which, on the surface, would seem utter madness. Having only been existence for a mere four years (half the time of the rival MCU), and so far managing…

The overwhelming feedback from this week’s premiere of Marvel’s The Punisher is that it is hands-down, the best Netflix/Marvel collaboration to date. Which is of course great news for leading man, Jon Bernthal. An exceptionally talented actor, he’s been steadily working his way up through the film industry and into the public eye for the last decade, and his performance as Frank Castle has finally earned him the critical acclaim and fan love he so badly deserves. Bernthal first really came into the public eye back in 2010, when he was fortunate enough to snare a recurring role in Steven…

Two anti-heroes fans have wanted to see go head to head for sometime now would have to be Marvel’s The Punisher and 2000 AD’s Judge Dredd. Obviously, we probably won’t ever get an official Punisher vs. Judge Dredd film, but we will be getting a new fan movie! Isn’t it just always the way? You sit and wait eight years for new Punisher material to come along, and then two projects go and turn up at the same time. The eagerly anticipated Netflix series starring Jon Bernthal is finally on Netflix, but it isn’t the only new footage that will…

Few actors encapsulate the fortunes and failings of the film industry more than Ben Affleck. An actor who is as often as lambasted as he is lauded, he’s experienced spectacular career successes and failures at both ends of the movie-making spectrum. Currently playing what some consider to be the most popular incarnation of Batman ever, in the new DC Extended Universe, you’d think he’d be in a good place right now. But now, reports coming out of Hollywood this week are suggesting that Warner Brothers may be lining up Jake Gyllenhaal to replace him in the iconic role. So just…

As the moon dust finally settles back down over the Ill-fated adaptation of Marvel’s Inhumans, it’s time to pick through what remains of Attilan’s ruins and try to figure out where things went so badly wrong. Departing our screens this week with not so much a bang, but more of a dry fart, it’s unlikely we’ll see Black Bolt and his family return for a second series. So what lessons do Marvel need to go away and learn from what has been a truly bruising and painful viewing experience? Was it the way that the final product was pieced together,…

We’re only midway through the debut series, but it’s clear that Star Trek: Discovery is shaping up to be the most thrilling and divisive project that the Trekkie community has ever seen. Rocked by controversy both on and off-screen, the first season has already managed to generate more publicity than all the other Star Trek television shows and movies combined. Obvious SPOILERS ahead! As if the media coverage of actor Anthony Rapp’s allegations against Kevin Spacey of historic sexual abuse weren’t explosive enough, the show-runners have gone and crafted a working environment filled with a whole host of jaw-dropping features,…