Cinematic Universe

Because we haven't argued enough in 2017 already, it's that time again: the CINEMATIC UNIVERSE END-OF-YEAR-AWARDS! Or, as Joe has decided to call them this year, "The Cuppies". He's joined by Seb and James to talk through the best (and indeed the not-so-best) of the films and shows we discussed in 2017. As usual, it's a long chat, so we've done it in two parts - in this first half, you'll hear us...

We do get around to discussing Mike Mitchell's 2005 film Sky High eventually - but in truth, this episode is really about the news. We've got nearly an hour and a half of chat as we dive deep on the Disney/Fox takeover (which hadn't been confirmed when we recorded, hence the way we talk about it!), and the trailers for Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and (yes, we got around to it eventually) Ave...

While we wait for Joe to catch up with reading the million or so comics we've recommended over the last month, Seb and James have gathered for an hour-longrun through a bunch of recent news. We discuss Jude Law's casting in Captain Marvel , Lizzy Caplan's casting in Gambit , and the ongoing fall-out from Justice League 's wet splat of a landing. We also take a look at what's going on in TV with th...

We unite our very own League, as Joe and James discuss Zack Snyder (and Joss Whedon)'s long-awaited DCEU team-up movie: Justice League . Yes, that's right, we said Joe and James - not Seb. Seb is definitely not on this podcast. We've left him out of all the pre-publicity, so of course he's not on the episode, even though he was present for the recording session. If he's on the episode, we'd have s...

We come from the land of the ice and snow From the midnight sun, where the hot springs flow The hammer of the gods We'll drive our ships to new lands To fight the horde, and sing and cry Valhalla, I am coming! Yes, it's our Thor: Ragnarok episode. Slightly late for the UK release, but just in time for the US one! If you somehow haven't seen it yet, then listen to the first half an hour or so for o...

It's a rare two-hander this week, as Joe and Seb discuss Brad Bird's 2004 Pixar classic The Incredibles - including Seb's recent brush with one of the cast members! There's also a look back at some recent news, including New Mutants and Justice League trailers, and a brilliant obscure factoid that means Gore Verbinski's Gambit movie is definitely fated to happen. 00:00 - Intro / Explain a Concept...

Joe catches up with a trailer-heavy news fortnight before diving into Seb and James' heavily metatextual Unbreakable -inspired comics recommendations: Paul Jenkins and Jae Lee's The Sentry , and Grant Morrison and Chas Truog's Animal Man: Deus Ex Machina . 00:00 - Intro 01:28 - News 09:38 - The Sentry 16:38 - Animal Man: Deus Ex Machina Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this special bonus episode of Cinematic Universe, James is joined by Film4's Mike Leader for some (broadly) spoiler-free discussions of two comicbook related biographies which previewed at the 2017 BFI London Film Festival: My Friend Dahmer , adapted from the graphic novel of the same name, and Professor Marston and the Wonder Women , which explores the interactions of the trio of polyamorous r...

It's the film that kickstarted a cinematic universe of its own - we just didn't know it at the time. We look back at a superhero classic - but was it ever correctly pitched that way? - in the shape of M. Night Shyamalan's 2000 thriller Unbreakable . In the news section, Seb and James give their reaction to the CW's announcement of a Dark Archiverse Sabrina spinoff; and in a longer-than-usual intro...

Minisodes are back! Joe catches up with some of the latest news, before catching up with the recommendations from our Sin City and Iron Man 3 episodes - that's Sin City: Booze, Broads and Bullets ; Criminal: Lawless ; Tales of Suspense #50; Invincible Iron Man annual #1; and the TV series No Heroics . 00:00 - Intro/News 09:05 - Sin City: Booze, Broads and Bullets 17:51 - Criminal: Lawless 24:12 -...

In one of our most fair and balanced episodes ever, we try and give both sides in the Iron Man 3 Mandarin debate a fair hearing. No, just kidding: if you don't like that twist and this movie, sorry, but chances are this one ain't going to be for you. But listen anyway, because we might persuade you, and we don't insult your point of view THAT much, honest. Elsewhere, we react to some late-breaking...

Walk down the right back alley in Sin City and you can find anything... like a brand new episode of Cinematic Universe! Joe, Seb and James reunite to discuss Robert Rodriguez, Frank Miller and (sort of) Quentin Tarantino's 2005 adaptation Sin City . There's also some reasonably lengthy discussion of DC's Joker movie news, and also an update on our brand new revised Patreon structure! 00:00 - Intro...

Yes, we're back! To whet your appetite for the next full episode (which should be landing in your feeds very shortly after this one) Joe is back with a roundup of some of the latest news, and looks back at the comics recommended in the wake of our Amazing Spider-Man 2 and Valerian episodes: David Micheline and Mark Bagley's Amazing Spider-Man: Lifetheft; Brian Michael Bendis, Mark Bagley and Stuar...

Were you one of the five people who actually saw Valerian ? If so, you might enjoy Joe and James talking about it, since it was actually, you know, pretty good! Yes, the impromptu Cinematic Universe summer break is over (sorry about the break in service!) and after the last episode saw us with FOUR voices for the first time, we've gone back to the slightly more intimate setting of a two-hander for...

Well, we had to get to it eventually, so here we are: The Amazing Spider-Man 2 . The film so epochally bad that we had to get an extra guest - Rhys Williamson - to talk about it with (although that might also just be because Joe was at his house for the recording). As you know, we always try to look for the positives in films - and with this one, we think we managed to find three or four. There's...

It's a mega news roundup as Joe and James convene to look through everything that was announced, revealed and rumoured at this year's San Diego Comic Con. So listen on for the latest word on all things DCEU, MCU, Flarrowverse, Fox, Valiant, Riverdale, Spawn... well, basically, as much as we could cover before our voices ran out! And we'll be back next week with our next regular episode, on (shudde...

Phew, it's been a little while since we had a "Joe reads comics" minisode for you - so here's a catchup from the Dredd and Spider-Man: Homecoming episodes. That's the classic Dredd stories The Dark Judges and The Day the Law Died (and yes, we maybe didn't explain this to Joe beforehand but we know that "John Howard" and "T.B. Grover" are pseudonyms for John Wagner and Alan Grant!); the first two v...

These are the kind of days Cinematic Universe was made for: a brand new Spider-Man film! James and Seb, possibly the world's Hardest To Please Spider-Man Fans, weigh in on this momentous occasion - but is Joe even harder to please with this one? Tom Holland's similarity to Michael J. Fox, Michael Keaton's general brilliance, the quantum state of Jon Watts' existence, and yet more arguments over wh...

Given that we so often present a British perspective on American icons, we thought we'd get an American perspective on a British icon - and so The AV Club's Caroline Siede joins us once more, to discuss Pete Travis (and Alex Garland)'s 2012 adaptation of Dredd . We cover surprisingly feminist villains, unfortunately topical social housing issues, and Karl Urban's peerless chin acting. There's also...

Are you tired of talking about Wonder Woman yet? No, us neither - so here's Joe to look back at the comics recommendations inspired by the movie: Wonder Woman by George Perez vol. 1, and Wonder Woman #600. There's also, as usual, a run through some of the most recent comic book movie and TV news - although don't forget you can now find us covering a lot of this stuff in written form too, by headin...

Wonder Woman. Wonder Woman. All the world is waiting for you, and the power you possess. In your satin tights, fighting for your rights, and the old red white and blue. Wonder Woman. Wonder Woman. Now the world is ready for you, and the wonders you can do. Make a hawk a dove. Stop a war with love. Make a liar tell the truth. Wonder Woman. Get us out from under, Wonder Woman. So yes, there’s a pret...

It’s a very special mini bonus edition, as we’re making an ANNOUNCEMENT regarding the future of Cinematic Universe! But what is it? You’ll have to listen on to find out. That is, if you haven’t already read us talking about it on Twitter or whatever… Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joe starts by discussing the sad news regarding Zack and Deborah Snyder's departure from production of Justice League , with a further news roundup before looking at last week's X2 -inspired comics recommendations: Chris Claremont and Brent Eric Anderson's God Loves, Man Kills ; and Mark Millar and Adam Kubert's Ultimate X-Men vol. 1. Timecodes: 00:00 - Intro 00:41 - News 20:09 - God Loves, Man Ki...

We hit another of those Undisputed Classics, as our Wolverine-chronological trawl through the X-universe takes us onto Bryan Singer's 2003 film, X2 . But does the film still hold up to modern eyes? And more importantly, what the hell is the thing called, anyway? These questions and more are settled by Joe, Seb and James, who also run through some of the big recent headlines - including Mega City O...

There's a humungous hour of chat from Joe this week, as he catches up on some pretty hefty comics recommendations from our Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 episodes - to wit, The Ultimates , Astonishing X-Men , Rocket Raccoon and Maximum Security . Plus there's a catchup on a particularly TV-heavy news fortnight. Timecodes: 00:00 - Intro 01:03 - News 15:49 - Maximum Security 24:33 - Roc...