Cinematic Universe

Episode #180: My Dinner With Andre (1981)

Tue, 10 Mar 2026 22:35:23 GMT

James, Joe and Rhys take a look at Louis Malle's 1981 movie MY DINNER WITH ANDRE - as well as thoughts on the likes of The Secret Agent, the new Game of Thrones show, Iron Lung and Small Prophets.

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Episode #179: The Cuppies 2025

Tue, 27 Jan 2026 21:22:16 GMT

Joe, James and Rhys return for our annual look back over everything we covered (and watched more broadly) in 2025. Which of us somehow chose three horror movies as their top three of the year despite not being a horror fan? Will William Shakespeare make it into the Hall of Fame? And is anything this year actually enjoyably bad enough to award this year's Howard T. Duck? All that and more, plus (at the very end) our pick for next month's episode. See if you can guess what it's going to be!

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Episode #178: Hamlet (1990)

Sat, 20 Dec 2025 16:40:59 GMT

Joe, James and Rhys take a look at Franco Zeffirelli's 1990 movie, HAMLET, based on the Shakespeare play of the same name and starring, er, Mel Gibson. ALSO: Pluribus, Murderbot, Radiohead (!?) and more!

You can get this episode ad-free by signing up at http://patreon.com/cinematicuniverse

NOTE: We recorded this before the shocking death of Rob Reiner. Suffice to say we're all horrified, and expect to talk about his work and our collective love of it on a future episode.

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Episode #177: Near Dark (1987)

Sat, 15 Nov 2025 19:26:27 GMT

Rhys, James and Joe return to look at the latest movie news and catch up with Kathryn Bigelow's vampire western, Near Dark - is it the best vampire movie from 1987?

We'll be back in a couple of weeks with our next movie (revealed in this episode, and let me tell you: it is an ODD shout even by Joe's standards) before we're back for our regular roundup of the year!

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Episode #176: Battle Royale (2000)

Sun, 28 Sep 2025 19:40:13 GMT

James, Rhys and Joe return to look at the genre-defining murder-game satire, BATTLE ROYALE.

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Episode #175: Night of the Living Dead (1968) & 28 Years Later (2025)

Sun, 13 Jul 2025 21:18:50 GMT

Joe, James & Rhys take a deep(ish) dive on both extreme ends of the zombie franchise - George A Romero's originator of the genre, NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, and Danny Boyle's post-Brexit zombie sequel, 28 YEARS LATER. All this, plus: Ironheart, The Phoenician Scheme, The Rehearsal, and more!

Our next movie on the Patreon ( http://patreon.com/cinematicuniverse ) will be - of course - James Gunn's SUPERMAN, which we are expecting to record tomorrow, so you should hear it in just a few days. We'll also be doing FANTASTIC FOUR after that, and our next main episode is going to be BATTLE ROYALE. So plenty to look forward to!

If you've seen Night of the Living Dead or 28 Years Later, let us know what you thought in the comments!

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Episode #174: Sinners (2025)

Thu, 22 May 2025 14:30:47 GMT

Rhys, James and Joe take a look at Ryan Coogler's 2025 movie, SINNERS. As soon as we can agree who's hosing the episode. This is an all-Sinners episode because it was recorded soon after our Ghost Dog chat AND there's a lot in this movie to think about. That said, to be completely honest if you don't like talk about spitting I would probably skip this one.

You can hear this and many other episodes ad-free on our Patreon!

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Episode #173: Ghost Dog: Way of the Samurai (1999)

Sat, 17 May 2025 14:21:04 GMT

Rhys, James and Joe take a look at Jim Jarmusch's 1999 fusion of crime & samurai genres, Ghost Dog: Way of the Samurai.

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Episode #172: Star Trek VI - The Undiscovered Country (1991)

Wed, 26 Mar 2025 15:50:28 GMT

James, Rhys & Joe return with one of James's favourite movies, Star Trek VI. But what did the others make of it?

We also cover Daredevil: Born Again (a little - recording a catch-up of eps 3-6 at the weekend), Severance S2, Dogman, Common Side Effects, Mickey 17 AND the latest Bond news. Enjoy!

Catch on Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/cinematicuniverse

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Episode #171: Inside Llewyn Davis (2013)

Sat, 08 Feb 2025 14:04:13 GMT

Joe, James & Rhys look at the 2013 Coen Brothers movie starring Oscar Isaac: Inside Llewyn Davis. We also talk Companion (mild spoilers though nothing that isn't in the trailer), Severance S2, and much more!

We'll be back in a few weeks with James's movie choice: Nicholas Meyer's Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.

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Episode 170: The Cuppies 2024

Mon, 20 Jan 2025 16:31:58 GMT

Rhys, James and Joe are back with our customary look back over the previous year, in which we re-litigate our favourite picks, award our best (and worst) accolades, and ask the serious question: isn't Alien going to clean up all of these?

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Episode 169: Gladiator (2000)

Tue, 24 Dec 2024 15:58:23 GMT

Rhys, James and Joe are back! Well, technically we never went away but it's all been happening over on the Patreon where we've covered Agatha All Along, The Penguin, Joker: Folie a Deux and Kraven - but we're finally back on the free feed to discuss Ridley Scott's 2000 movie, GLADIATOR. There's also the usual news and what's good sections but if you're only interested in the movie you can find that at 1h 30m.

We'll be back on the free feed soon with our usual end-of-year show, and we'll be back in January for Joe's pick: INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS. Enjoy!

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Episode 168: Dazed & Confused (1993)

Tue, 24 Sep 2024 21:51:08 GMT

James, Rhys & Joe discussed Richard Linklater's influential gen-x coming of age movie, Dazed & Confused - but also: the Venom trailer, the Minecraft Trailer, and the Timestalkers trailer, as well as much more!

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Episode 167: Alien (1979)

Sun, 18 Aug 2024 12:33:12 GMT

Joe, James and Rhys take a look at Ridley Scott's ALIEN (1979) starring Sigourney Weaver (and a giant nightmare creature from beyond the stars). The hit that spawned a franchise, does it hold up? (Yes, it does).

We also cover the Olympics (really), My Neighbour Totoro, Mars Express, the Spider-Man rereleases, some movies of 1986, Trap, and a bunch of news out of D23. (Apologies for Rhys's audio quality towards the end - he didn't get hit in the mouth and start lisping, his recording quality just glitched out.)

Remember, you can hear our Deadpool & Wolverine episode on Patreon now, as well as a follow up episode to this one where we discuss our thoughts on the rest of the Alien franchise. Subscribe now at http://patreon.com/cinematicuniverse

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Episode 166: The Bikeriders (2023)

Fri, 26 Jul 2024 14:10:22 GMT

Rhys, James and Joe take a look at Tom Hardy, Jody Comer and Austin Butler in Jeff Nichols' THE BIKERIDERS, as well as weighing in on the Captain America trailer and talking about TV and movies they've enjoyed since the last episode.

NOTE: Fans of Deadpool & Wolverine can find the episode on our Patreon soon at http://patreon.com/cinematicuniverse

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Episode 165: Kamikaze Girls (2004)

Wed, 12 Jun 2024 20:28:01 GMT

James, Rhys and Joe take a look at Tetsuya Nakashima's 2004 movie, KAMIKAZE GIRLS, but before any of that, there's chat about movies and TV we've been enjoying (such as X-Men '97) and not enjoying (in the case of both Star Trek Discovery and The Acolyte.) There's also a deep(ish) dive on, er, the Venom 3 trailer!

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Episode 164: Design for Living (1933)

Fri, 03 May 2024 09:38:46 GMT

Joe, James and Rhys take a look at Ernst Lubitsch's 1933 polyamory romcom, Design for Living, based (very loosely) on a Noel Coward play. And for those who prefer stuff released this century, we also have a big old chat about Fallout and the Deadpool & Wolverine trailer!

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Episode 163: Tick, Tick... Boom! (2021)

Wed, 10 Apr 2024 16:25:40 GMT

Joe, James and Rhys welcome Caroline Siede to discuss her selection, Lin Manuel Miranda's 2021 Netflix movie, TICK, TICK... BOOM! - an adaptation of the stage show based on Jonathan Larson's Rock Monologue. PLUS: talk about Hadestown, Late Night with the Devil, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, Three Body Problem, Perfect Days, Blackberry, Dumb Money, Taylor Swift's Eras Tour, and more!

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Episode 162: Reds (1981)

Fri, 08 Mar 2024 16:13:21 GMT

Rhys, James and Joe have watched Warren Beatty's REDS, a three hour movie about Communism made in 1981.

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Episode 161: Shortcomings (2023)

Sun, 11 Feb 2024 19:01:20 GMT

James, Rhys and Joe take a look at Randall Park's directorial debut, 2023's Shortcomings - which actually is based on an Adrian Tomine comic and therefore could have been a reviewed under the old format, but that's what happens when you ask James what he wants to talk about. PLUS: chat about Coyote Vs. Acme, Kevin Smith's Masters of the Universe, and True Detective.

Also available ad-free on Patreon at http://patreon.com/cinematicuniverse

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Episode 160: Poor Things (2023)

Mon, 22 Jan 2024 21:45:00 GMT

Joe, James and Rhys begin a new era for the podcast, looking at Yorgos Lanthimos' 2023 movie, Poor Things - a movie that stars the Green Goblin, Gwen Stacy and the Incredible Hulk. PLUS: Thoughts on Echo, Wonka, and (we'll keep doing it for as long as Rhys is annoyed by it) the latest Marvel Snap changes. Remember to listen to the very end to find out what movie we're covering next episode!

Remember, you can always hear the latest episode ad-free, as well as any bonus content, by signing up to our Patreon at http://patreon.com/cinematicuniverse

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Episode 159: The Cuppies 2023

Thu, 11 Jan 2024 17:22:02 GMT

James, Rhys and Joe look back over the best and worst of 2023, as well as presenting the all-important hall of fame inductees. Will anyone from Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania make it in? Or will they be turned away at the door never to darken its presence again? The answer may surprise you...

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Episode 158: December 2023 News Roundup

Wed, 06 Dec 2023 16:07:32 GMT

James, Rhys & Joe are back to cover the latest comic book movie and TV news, INCLUDING: The Madame Web trailer! The What If Season 2 Trailer! The alleged casting of Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards! Aquaman 2 and The Marvels box office, and more!

Email us at podcast@cinematicuniverse.com, you can find our comic book movie themed merch designs at Redbubble, and follow us on Twitter @cine_verse, @JoeCunningham14, @JamesHunt and @Rhys.

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Episode 157: October 2023 News

Wed, 11 Oct 2023 21:33:32 GMT

The podcast strike is over! (ahem) as James and Rhys return for a news roundup after several weeks of failing to align everyone's schedules. But what news is there to cover after a summer of strikes? Well... not a lot. But listen in to see how much we can squeeze out of a colourised release of Werewolf by Night and the news that a Silver Sable movie is NOT in development.

Email us at podcast@cinematicuniverse.com, you can find our comic book movie themed merch designs at Redbubble, and follow us on Twitter @cine_verse, @JoeCunningham14, @JamesHunt and @Rhys.

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Episode 156: August 2023 News

Thu, 03 Aug 2023 19:35:40 GMT

Rhys, James and Joe are back for another news episode covering: The casting of a new Superman and Lois! Deadpool 3 set leaks! New trailers! And the lack of news due to the ongoing strikes in Hollywood.

You can hear this episode and much more ad-free on Patreon at http://patreon.com/cinematicuniverse !

Email us at podcast@cinematicuniverse.com, you can find our comic book movie themed merch designs at Redbubble, and follow us on Twitter @cine_verse, @JoeCunningham14, @JamesHunt and @Rhys.

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Episode 155: June 2022 News

Tue, 13 Jun 2023 20:46:54 GMT

Rhys, James & Joe cover the latest comic book movie and tv news, including quick reactions to Guardians 3 and Across the Spider-Verse, Fantastic Four casting rumours, and what's the latest on Marvel's Kang situation?

You can hear this episode and much more ad-free on Patreon at http://patreon.com/cinematicuniverse !

Email us at podcast@cinematicuniverse.com, you can find our comic book movie themed merch designs at Redbubble, and follow us on Twitter @cine_verse, @JoeCunningham14, @JamesHunt and @Rhys.

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Episode 154: April 2023 News

Tue, 25 Apr 2023 19:49:06 GMT

Rhys, James & Joe check in on the latest comic book film and TV news, including: the sad and awkward situation regarding Marvel and Kang, thoughts on the latest trailers like Blue Beetle, The Marvels and the Penguin TV show, and casting announcements for various things!

You can hear this episode and much more ad-free on Patreon at http://patreon.com/cinematicuniverse !

Email us at podcast@cinematicuniverse.com, you can find our comic book movie themed merch designs at Redbubble, and follow us on Twitter @cine_verse, @JoeCunningham14, @JamesHunt and @Rhys.

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Episode 153: March 2023 News

Wed, 29 Mar 2023 15:33:07 GMT

Rhys & James check in on the latest comic book film and TV news, including Victoria Alonso leaving Marvel, Shazam 2 and Ant-Man 3 reactions, and the new TMNT trailer! All this plus more Marvel and DC movie news, and for some reason a new Hellboy announcement?

You can hear this episode and much more ad-free on Patreon at http://patreon.com/cinematicuniverse !

Email us at podcast@cinematicuniverse.com, you can find our comic book movie themed merch designs at Redbubble, and follow us on Twitter @cine_verse, @JoeCunningham14, @JamesHunt and @Rhys.

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Episode 152: February 2023 News

Thu, 23 Feb 2023 11:51:34 GMT

Rhys & James check in on the latest comic book film and TV news, featuring a deep dive on all of the latest DC announcements by James Gunn, and also some stuff that Marvel might be doing. This episode was recorded prior to us seeing Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantumania but we will be reviewing that on the Patreon shortly!

This episode comes to you ad-free as thanks for your support on Patreon.

Email us at podcast@cinematicuniverse.com, you can find our comic book movie themed merch designs at Redbubble, and follow us on Twitter @cine_verse, @JoeCunningham14, @JamesHunt and @Rhys.

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Episode 151: Brightburn (2019)

Tue, 07 Feb 2023 15:54:35 GMT

It's a rare dip into the back catalogue as - following James Gunn's appointment at DC - we take a look at BRIGHTBURN, the 2019 superhero horror movie he produced. Is it good, bad, or maybe even so bad it's good? One thing's for sure: we had fun talking about it afterwards.

Note that this was recorded before the announcement of the DC slate a few days ago - we'll be recording a new episode following up on that for release shortly. And don't forget to check out our Patreon in a couple of weeks for an episode covering Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania!

Email us at podcast@cinematicuniverse.com, you can find our comic book movie themed merch designs at Redbubble, and follow us on Twitter @cine_verse, @JoeCunningham14, @JamesHunt and @Rhys.

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Episode 150: The Cuppies 2022

Sat, 07 Jan 2023 00:57:39 GMT

Joe, James & Rhys crack open the Cinematic Universe Theatre for the 2022 awards show (or what passes for them these days). Which is the best movie? Which is the best worst movie? And who will enter the hall of fame? All we can say is this: Morbius fans, don't get your hopes up.

Email us at podcast@cinematicuniverse.com, you can find our comic book movie themed merch designs at Redbubble, and follow us on Twitter @cine_verse, @JoeCunningham14, @JamesHunt and @Rhys.

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Episode 149: December 2022 News Roundup

Fri, 23 Dec 2022 13:45:40 GMT

James, Rhys & Joe are back to discuss the latest comic book TV and movie news. The hierarchy of power in the DC universe has changed - but which twitter accounts has The Rock unfollowed? A new Superman movie is on the cards - without Henry Cavill. Yann Demange is the new director of Blade! And how long will we let James talk about Wednesday given that no-one else has seen it? Plus: Reactions to the Guardians Holiday Special, which did not warrant its own episode.

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Episode 148: November 2022 News Roundup

Thu, 17 Nov 2022 15:09:48 GMT

Rhys, James and Joe discuss the latest comic book movie and TV news including: Henry Cavill back as Superman! Sandman Season 2! James Gunn and Peter Safran running the DCEU! How good is Marvel Snap? And more!

Email us at podcast@cinematicuniverse.com, you can find our comic book movie themed merch designs at Redbubble, and follow us on Twitter @cine_verse, @JoeCunningham14, @JamesHunt and @Rhys.

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HALLOWEEN BONUS: Werewolf by Night (2022)

Mon, 31 Oct 2022 22:10:33 GMT

James and Rhys get into the Halloween spirit by taking a look at Michael Giacchino's 2022 Disney+ special, Werewolf By Night. What worked? What didn't? Is it REALLY a coincidence that Man-Thing and Swamp Thing debuted at virtually the same time? And who else might we see join the Marvel Monsterverse later? All this and more on the scariest night of the year*

* actual scariness levels may vary in your region

This episode is available ad-free on our Patreon. Look out there soon for our Patreon-exclusive Black Adam episode, while an all-new news episode will be available on this feed shortly.

Email us at podcast@cinematicuniverse.com. You can also find our comic book movie themed merch designs at Redbubble, and follow us on Twitter @cine_verse, @JoeCunningham14, @JamesHunt and @Rhys.

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Episode 147: September 2022 News

Thu, 29 Sep 2022 13:39:44 GMT

James, Rhys and Joe discuss the latest comic book movie and TV news including: Wolverine in Deadpool 3! The Thunderbolts movie! The Armor Wars logo! The Secret Invasion and Werewolf By Night trailer! Batgirl's cancellation! Constantine 2! And a selection of casting and director announcements!

Email us at podcast@cinematicuniverse.com, you can find our comic book movie themed merch designs at Redbubble, and follow us on Twitter @cine_verse, @JoeCunningham14, @JamesHunt and @Rhys.

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Bonus Episode: She-Hulk 1x01 (Patreon Preview)

Wed, 24 Aug 2022 09:36:44 GMT

James and Rhys present a peek behind the paywall ahead of She-Hulk episode 2. If you want to hear weekly episode-by-episode chats about She-Hulk, this is a sample of what you can expect. We'll be back with our next news episode after D23 in September but in the meantime you can hear us chatting She-Hulk every week over on Patreon.

Email us at podcast@cinematicuniverse.com, you can find our comic book movie themed merch designs at Redbubble, and follow us on Twitter @cine_verse, @JoeCunningham14, @JamesHunt and @Rhys.

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Bonus Episode: Sandman S1 (Spoiler-free)

Wed, 10 Aug 2022 12:53:32 GMT

James and Rhys check in for a spoiler-free chat about season 1 of Netflix's Sandman adaptation, which has been a surprise (well, not THAT much of a surprise) hit at Netflix. We'll be back in a week or two with a spoiler-filled chat once everyone's had time to watch it, but this one is very light on specifics beyond cast members and the premise so if you're still watching or are just interested to hear some opinions, this is the episode for you.

ALSO: if you've got any questions or comments about Sandman, send them to us at the email address below and we'll dip into that mailbag when we do our spoiler episode exclusively on the Patreon in a week or two.

Email us at podcast@cinematicuniverse.com, you can find our comic book movie themed merch designs at Redbubble, and follow us on Twitter @cine_verse, @JoeCunningham14, @JamesHunt and @Rhys.

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Episode 146 - SDCC 2022 News Special

Tue, 26 Jul 2022 14:20:18 GMT

That's right! We're back again this month with a new full episode discussing everything MCU and DCEU (*crickets chirp*) that was announced at SDCC. Includes: Reactions to the She-Hulk, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Shazam: Fury of the Gods and Sandman trailers; theories about upcoming MCU movies, from Ant-Man 3 to Thunderbolts, Fantastic Four, and that pair of newly announced Avengers movies. PLUS: Where are Armor Wars, Spider-Man and the X-Men?

Email us at podcast@cinematicuniverse.com, you can find our comic book movie themed merch designs at Redbubble, and follow us on Twitter @cine_verse, @JoeCunningham14, @JamesHunt and @Rhys.

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Episode 145: July 2022 News

Thu, 21 Jul 2022 14:29:08 GMT

Joe, James and Rhys discuss the last month's comic book movie and TV news, including but not limited to: our thoughts on Ms. Marvel and The Boys Season 3, Zack Snyder's robot army, the release of Samaritan and Secret Headquarters, Marvel's Wonder Man, what's going on with the Emmy's and what might Kevin Feige announce at SDCC?

(Note: We'll be back shortly with a special extra news ep following up on any news that does come out of SDCC.)

Email us at podcast@cinematicuniverse.com, you can find our comic book movie themed merch designs at Redbubble, and follow us on Twitter @cine_verse, @JoeCunningham14, @JamesHunt and @Rhys.

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Episode 144: June 2022 News

Thu, 16 Jun 2022 15:29:09 GMT

Joe, James and Rhys check out the last few weeks of comic book news, including but not limited to: A Joker sequel featuring Harley Quinn, the new Thor: Love and Thunder trailer, the Netflix Sandman trailer, the alleged return of Daredevil to Disney+, the She-Hulk trailer, the Old Guard follow-up, a League of Extraordinary Gentlemen reboot and more!

Email us at podcast@cinematicuniverse.com, you can find our comic book movie themed merch designs at Redbubble, and follow us on Twitter @cine_verse, @JoeCunningham14, @JamesHunt and @Rhys.

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Episode 143: May 2022 News

Tue, 10 May 2022 19:15:57 GMT

Joe, James and Rhys check out the months' big comic book movie and TV news. There's chat about Moon Knight, Morbius, the Thor: Love and Thunder trailer, the announcement of El Muerto starring Bad Bunny (note: this is a real news story), Jon Watts coming off Marvel's Fantastic Four, a sequel to The Batman, and much, much (well, slightly) more!

NOTE: We discuss cancer during the discussion of Jane Foster's Thor storyline. If you want to skip that, the Thor news segment runs from 11:00 to 37:00.

Email us at podcast@cinematicuniverse.com, you can find our comic book movie themed merch designs at Redbubble, and follow us on Twitter @cine_verse, @JoeCunningham14, @JamesHunt and @Rhys.

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Episode 142: April 2022 News

Tue, 05 Apr 2022 19:21:58 GMT

Joe, James and Rhys are back for the first of our new monthly news episode in which we take a look at the headlines, see what's going on in the comics, and dig into whatever's on our minds in the world of comic book movies. Expect coverage of that deleted scene from The Batman, quick Moon Knight reactions, a look at what's going on with the DC movies and the occasional Oscar gag. This is the first episode of our new monthly discussion format so feedback is welcome!

NOTE: Potential spoilers for The Batman from 1:50 to 19:30.

Email us at podcast@cinematicuniverse.com, you can find our comic book movie themed merch designs at Redbubble, and follow us on Twitter @cine_verse, @JoeCunningham14, @JamesHunt and @Rhys.

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Episode 141: The Batman (2022)

Mon, 21 Mar 2022 22:47:51 GMT

Cinematic Universe returns to take an extended look at Matt Reeves' The Batman, featuring Robert Pattinson, Zoe Kravitz, Jeffrey Wright, Paul Dano and Trevor from Eastenders (!?). Is 3 hours too long for a Batman movie? What does James think this says about the Snyder and Nolan versions of the character? And would it be vastly improved if the Curb Your Enthusiasm music played over the middle section of the movie? All this and more, including news about the podcast's future!

Email us at podcast@cinematicuniverse.com, you can find our comic book movie themed merch designs at Redbubble, and follow us on Twitter @cine_verse, @JoeCunningham14, @JamesHunt and @Rhys.

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Episode 140: Punisher War Zone (2008) & The Punisher (1989)

Mon, 28 Feb 2022 17:01:07 GMT

Joe, James & Rhys take a look at the remaining Punisher movies and ask: just what is it about this guy that makes him one of the most-adapted superhero characters out there? PLUS: In the absence of news, James gives you a quick spoiler-free take on Matt Reeves' The Batman, which we'll be covering next episode. Skip 17:00-25:30 if you want to save yourself.

Email us at podcast@cinematicuniverse.com, you can find our comic book movie themed merch designs at Redbubble, and follow us on Twitter @cine_verse, @JoeCunningham14, @JamesHunt and @Rhys.

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Episode 139: Barbarella (1968) & Barb Wire (1996)

Fri, 18 Feb 2022 23:02:41 GMT

Joe, James & Rhys compare and contrast Barbarella and Barb Wire, two comic book adaptations released almost three decades apart but with some unique things in common. Starring the sex symbols of their era and aimed squarely at male audiences, how do these movies succeed, how do they fail, and what do we think about Marvel's comic book blockbusters being completely stripped of all their horniness?

Email us at podcast@cinematicuniverse.com, you can find our comic book movie themed merch designs at Redbubble, and follow us on Twitter @cine_verse, @JoeCunningham14, @JamesHunt and @Rhys.

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Awards Special: The Cuppies 2021

Tue, 01 Feb 2022 09:44:30 GMT

It's the Cuppies! Our annual awards show where we pit everything we covered on the podcast last year, old and new, against each other for the famous Cuppies silverware (please note - awards not physical). Is Halle Berry's performance in Catwoman better than Margot Robbie's in The Suicide Squad? What has better costumes, Eternals or Batman 66? How many awards is Wandavision really going to win? Lets find out - arbitrary nonsense that lets us celebrate this genre we love so!

If you enjoy the show, consider backing us on Patreon! Among other perks, backers get access to an exclusive bonus episode every week. Further details at patreon.com/cinematicuniverse

Email us at podcast@cinematicuniverse.com, you can find our comic book movie themed merch designs at Redbubble, and follow us on Twitter @cine_verse, @JoeCunningham14, @JamesHunt and @Rhys.

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Episode 138: Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)

Tue, 11 Jan 2022 22:36:16 GMT

Having successfully avoided catching Omicron over Christmas, Joe, James and Rhys have all seen Spider-Man: No Way Home (aka Spider-Man 8) and are back together to examine every detail of the movie. Apparently it's open-season on spoilers so if you haven't seen the movie we recommend you hold off on this one until you have - we promise it'll be worth the wait.

Email us at podcast@cinematicuniverse.com, you can find our comic book movie themed merch designs at Redbubble, and follow us on Twitter @cine_verse, @JoeCunningham14, @JamesHunt and @Rhys.

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Episode 137: Hawkeye S1 (2021)

Tue, 04 Jan 2022 23:05:18 GMT

It's Hawkeye time as Joe, James and Rhys look at the latest of Disney+'s Marvel shows: Hawkeye! How did we feel about the big finale guest star? Is Marvel doing TV right? And where will we see the characters next? All that and more covered here.

Email us at podcast@cinematicuniverse.com, you can find our comic book movie themed merch designs at Redbubble, and follow us on Twitter @cine_verse, @JoeCunningham14, @JamesHunt and @Rhys.

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Episode 136: Spider-Man PS4 (2018)

Thu, 09 Dec 2021 23:32:52 GMT

This week Joe, James and Rhys are joined by Josh Barton, host of the Til Death Do Us Press Start podcast (@TDDUPS) and self-professed Professor Videogames to discuss, well, video games! We're talking about Insomniac’s 2018 & 2020 video games Spider-Man and Spider-Man: Miles Morales, including all the various gubbins associated with both titles. We cover the swinging, the costumes (it really is mostly costumes chat tbh) and the idiosyncrasies of this separate Spider-Man story universe. They also discuss the latest comic book movie news, the latest episodes of children's TV show Bluey (don't ask) and everyone battles it out over the pitch.

If you enjoy the show, consider backing us on Patreon! Among other perks, backers get access to an exclusive bonus episode every week; at the moment, Joe & James are doing a Hawkeye readalong ahead of the upcoming show. Further details at patreon.com/cinematicuniverse

Email us at podcast@cinematicuniverse.com, you can find our comic book movie themed merch designs at Redbubble, and follow us on Twitter @cine_verse, @JoeCunningham14, @JamesHunt and @Rhys.

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Episode 135: Eternals

Sat, 13 Nov 2021 19:46:20 GMT

This week, Joe, James and Rhys are joined by frequent guest Caroline Siede (@CarolineSiede) and first-time guest Ned Baker (@NedNedNedNed), both of the glorious Role Calling Podcast (@rolecalling) to discuss the DIVISIVE Chloe Zhao's 2021 film Eternals. But how did this particular group divide? Did they feel more devious or eternal? More Kingo or Druig? More celestial or earthbound? Spoiler-free review starts at 41:00 and spoiler-filled at 1:05:00. They also discuss the latest comic book movie news, and everyone battles it out over the pitch.

Email us at podcast@cinematicuniverse.com, you can find our comic book movie themed merch designs at Redbubble, and follow us on Twitter @cine_verse, @JoeCunningham14, @JamesHunt and @Rhys.

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Episode 134: Venom: Let There Be Carnage

Thu, 28 Oct 2021 13:21:32 GMT

This week Joe & James (Rhys just couldn't handle all the carnage) discuss the second instalment of the oddest & funniest superhero franchise around (sorry Deadpool) - Andy Serkis' Venom: Let There Be Carnage. They cover all the movie's big lolz, Woody's Harrelson's somehow not-big-enough performance as Cletus/Carnage and try to define just what is the relationship between Eddie and that lovable goopy alien that lives inside him. They also cover the latest comic book movie news, although be aware this episode was recorded before the DC Fandome recap ep even though it's released after (time wimey).

If you enjoy the show, consider backing us on Patreon! Among other perks, backers get access to an exclusive bonus episode every week. Further details at patreon.com/cinematicuniverse

Email us at podcast@cinematicuniverse.com, you can find our comic book movie themed merch designs at Redbubble, and follow us on Twitter @cine_verse, @JoeCunningham14, @JamesHunt and @Rhys.

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October 2021 news roundup

Tue, 26 Oct 2021 19:53:24 GMT

While Joe is on holiday, James and Rhys look at the latest comicbook movie news, including everything interesting out of the latest DC Fandome!

Email us at podcast@cinematicuniverse.com. You can also find our comic book movie themed merch designs at Redbubble, and follow us on Twitter @cine_verse, @JoeCunningham14, @JamesHunt and @Rhys.

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Episode 133: Ghost Rider: Spirit Of Vengeance + What If? (S1)

Tue, 12 Oct 2021 17:06:12 GMT

This week Joe, James and Rhys are discussing a non-MCU Marvel movie sequel starring an edgy character that was big in the 90s played by an actor really going for it in the lead as both the human host and the twisted antihero he transforms in to - no no, not Venom 2, but Neveldine/Taylor's 2011 Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance! They also cover the just-wrapped What If? season 1, the latest comic book movie news, and Joe and James battle it out over the pitch.

If you enjoy the show, consider backing us on Patreon! Among other perks, backers get access to an exclusive bonus episode every week. Further details at patreon.com/cinematicuniverse

Email us at podcast@cinematicuniverse.com, you can find our comic book movie themed merch designs at Redbubble, and follow us on Twitter @cine_verse, @JoeCunningham14, @JamesHunt and @Rhys.

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Episode 132: Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)

Sun, 26 Sep 2021 16:07:12 GMT

This week, Joe, James and Rhys (belatedly) discuss the MCU's newest hero, and his debut film: Shang Chi! They discuss Tony Leung and his sexiness, Shang Chi and his fightiness, and the Ten Rings and their...ringness?? And loads of other stuff (dragons!). They also discuss the latest comic book movie news, including the Spidey trailer! And the Hawkeye trailer! And the Wolverine video game (admittedly, less exciting)! Too many exclamation marks in this description, I know, but c'mon I'm excited.

If you enjoy the show, consider backing us on Patreon! Among other perks, backers get access to an exclusive bonus episode every week; at the moment, Joe & James are recapping What If....? Further details at patreon.com/cinematicuniverse

Email us at podcast@cinematicuniverse.com, you can find our comic book movie themed merch designs at Redbubble, and follow us on Twitter @cine_verse, @JoeCunningham14, @JamesHuntand @Rhys.

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Episode 131: The Suicide Squad (2021)

Wed, 25 Aug 2021 16:27:29 GMT

This week, Joe, James and Rhys go to the dark side to talk James Gunn's The Suicide Squad, the sequelboot sidequel to 2016's heinous Suicide Squad. They discuss the film's nauuuughty tone, it's cheeeeeky characters and the Continued Adventures Of One Harley Quinn (they talk about loads of other stuff tbh, this is a 3+ hour episode). They also discuss the latest comic book movie news, including the Substack Gold Rush and the Pandemic's continued effects on our beloved genre.

Email us at podcast@cinematicuniverse.com, you can find our comic book movie themed merch designs at Redbubble, and follow us on Twitter @cine_verse, @JoeCunningham14, @JamesHuntand @Rhys.

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Episode 130: Loki S1 (2021)

Tue, 03 Aug 2021 19:43:43 GMT

This week, Joe, James and Rhys are joined by frequent guest Caroline Siede (@CarolineSiede) to discuss the just-wrapped first season (spoilers) of the Disney+ series Loki. They go almost 3 hours, discussing every nook and cranny of the divisive series. They also cover the latest comic book movie news, and Joe, James and Caroline battle it out over the pitch.

If you enjoy the show, consider backing us on Patreon! Among other perks, backers get access to an exclusive bonus episode every week; at the moment, Joe & James are, of course, recapping Loki! Further details at patreon.com/cinematicuniverse

Email us at podcast@cinematicuniverse.com, you can find our comic book movie themed merch designs at Redbubble, and follow us on Twitter @cine_verse, @JoeCunningham14, @JamesHuntand @Rhys.

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Episode 129: Black Widow (2021)

Wed, 28 Jul 2021 14:40:09 GMT

For the first time in over 2 (!) years, we have ourselves a brand new Marvel movie out - Black Widow, directed by Cate Shortland. Joe, James & Rhys get straight into it on the movie, although the first chunk is spoiler-free for those that haven't seen it yet. They talk about whether the time is right for a Black Widow movie, the new supporting characters & what their MCU future might be, and the success of the emotional arc for Natasha itself.

If you enjoy the show, consider backing us on Patreon! Among other perks, backers get access to an exclusive bonus episode every week. Further details at patreon.com/cinematicuniverse

Email us at podcast@cinematicuniverse.com, you can find our comic book movie themed merch designs at Redbubble, and follow us on Twitter @cine_verse, @JoeCunningham14, @JamesHunt and @Rhys.

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Episode 128: Catwoman (2004) & Elektra (2005)

Thu, 01 Jul 2021 16:46:28 GMT

This week, in anticipation of Black Widow's imminent release, Joe, James and Rhys discuss two mid-noughties female superhero solo movies that time has forgotten: 2004's Catwoman, starring Halle Berry, & 2005's Elektra, starring Jennifer Garner. They talk about the interesting similarities between the two films, how they do and don't relate to Batman & Daredevil (respectively) and what they might have done to their stars' careers & the genre itself. They also cover the latest comic book movie news, James recommends some comics, and Joe and James battle it out over the pitch.

Email us at podcast@cinematicuniverse.com, you can find our comic book movie themed merch designs at Redbubble, and follow us on Twitter @cine_verse, @JoeCunningham14, @JamesHunt and @Rhys.

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Episode 127: The Old Guard (2020)

Thu, 17 Jun 2021 21:26:17 GMT

This week Joe, James and Rhys discuss a very recent comic-book adaption that they didn't cover at the time - 2020's The Old Guard, starring Charlize Theron and directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood. They talk about what changes were made from the source material, whether the action scenes succeed viscerally and emotionally, and if you buy the characters as having lived for hundreds (thousands?) of years. They also cover the latest comic book movie news, James recommends some comics, and Joe and James battle it out over the pitch.

Email us at podcast@cinematicuniverse.com, you can find our comic book movie themed merch designs at Redbubble, and follow us on Twitter @cine_verse, @JoeCunningham14, @JamesHunt and @Rhys.

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PATREON TASTER: Loki Weekly - 1x01

Tue, 15 Jun 2021 21:55:25 GMT

A peek behind the paywall! We're releasing the first episode of the just-started Loki recap show from behind the Patreon paywall to give non-patrons a taste; new episodes drop every week. If you like what you hear, you can subscribe for just $3 a month at https://www.patreon.com/cinematicuniverse

A new Disney+ show means Joe and James are once again burdened with glorious purpose, by which we mean back on the weekly post-episode round-ups! Here we discuss our reactions to the first episode of Loki, what we liked, what we didn't, as well as where we think it's all going, comics references, TV show influences, and a lengthy diversion about how great The Adjustment Bureau is.

Email us at podcast@cinematicuniverse.com. You can also find our comic book movie themed merch designs at Redbubble, and follow us on Twitter @cine_verse, @JoeCunningham14, @JamesHunt and @Rhys.

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Episode 126: 300 (2007)

Wed, 26 May 2021 10:52:58 GMT

Joe, James & Rhys are joined this week by freelance film critic Stephen Carty (@TheNakedPun) to discuss Zack Snyder's career-defining fantasy epic 300. They discuss the movie's politics, it's visuals, the Frank Miller of it all, and of course good ol' Gerry Butler. They also cover the latest comic book movie news, James recommends some comics, and Joe, James & Stephen battle it out over the pitch.

If you enjoy the show, consider backing us on Patreon! Among other perks, backers get access to an exclusive bonus episode every week; this week Joe & James are doing a comics readalong of Loki: Agent Of Asgard, which is said to influence the upcoming Disney + show. Further details at patreon.com/cinematicuniverse

Email us at podcast@cinematicuniverse.com, we'd love to hear your thoughts on the 300. You can also find our comic book movie themed merch designs at Redbubble, and follow us on Twitter @cine_verse, @JoeCunningham14, @JamesHunt and @Rhys.

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Episode 125: The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021)

Sun, 09 May 2021 15:19:44 GMT

Joe and James are joined this week by Empire Magazine Contributing Editor Amon Warmann (@AmonWarmann) and freelance film journalist Limara Salt (@yourturnheather) to discuss the recently wrapped The Falcon and the Winter Soldier series in its entirety. They discuss the show’s themes, how it fits into the MCU canon as a whole, and where it leaves it’s characters. They also cover the latest comic book movie news, James recommends some comics, and producer Rhys chimes in with the pitch for this week.

If you enjoy the show, consider backing us on Patreon! Among other perks, backers get access to an exclusive bonus episode every week; this week Joe & James are looking at season 1 of Invincible on Amazon Prime Video. Further details at patreon.com/cinematicuniverse

Email us at podcast@cinematicuniverse.com, we'd love to hear your thoughts on the TFatWS. You can also find our comic book movie themed merch designs at Redbubble, and follow us on Twitter @cine_verse, @JoeCunningham14, @JamesHunt and @Rhys.

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Episode 124: Wanted (2008) & The Adaptations Of Mark Millar

Sun, 25 Apr 2021 12:04:06 GMT

This week Joe, James and Rhys tackle one of the most adapted, influential and divisive comic creators of the last 20 years - Mark Millar. Taking 2008's Wanted as a starting point, the group discuss Millar's other adapted work, what attracted Hollywood to his voice in the first place, and what his future might be as the industry shifts. They also cover the latest comic book movie news, James recommends some comics, and Joe and James battle it out over the pitch.

Please be aware that this episode contains discussion of sexual assaults as implied or otherwise depicted within the movies and comics being discussed.

If you enjoy the show, consider backing us on Patreon! Among other perks, backers get access to an exclusive bonus episode every week; at the moment Joe & James are recapping every episode of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. Further details at patreon.com/cinematicuniverse

Email us at podcast@cinematicuniverse.com, we'd love to hear your thoughts. You can also find our comic book movie themed merch designs at Redbubble, and follow us on Twitter @cine_verse, @JoeCunningham14, @JamesHunt and @Rhys.

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Episode 123: Batman (1966)

Fri, 09 Apr 2021 12:45:29 GMT

Joe, James and Rhys slide down the pod-pole into the pod-cave this week to discuss one of the earliest superhero films ever - 1966's Batman: The Movie. They discuss the cultural impact of the TV series that birthed it, how it affected Batman's later adaptations, and how the film plays watching it today. They also cover the latest comic book movie news, James recommends some comics, and Joe and James battle it out over the pitch.

Email us at podcast@cinematicuniverse.com, we'd love to hear your thoughts on Batman '66. You can also find our comic book movie themed merch designs at Redbubble, and follow us on Twitter @cine_verse, @JoeCunningham14, @JamesHunt and @Rhys.

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Episode 122: Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021)

Fri, 26 Mar 2021 16:12:47 GMT

Joe and James are joined by Sam Clements (@sam_clements), host of the 90 Minutes Or Less Film Fest Podcast (@90minfilmfest) to, ironically, cover one of the longest films to come out in years - Zack Snyder's Justice League. They cover the history of how this film came to exist, make comparisons to the 2017 theatrical cut, whilst also trying to evaluate this new version in its own right. They also cover the latest comic book movie news, James recommends some comics, and producer Rhys chimes in with the pitch for this week.

Email us at podcast@cinematicuniverse.com, we'd love to hear your thoughts on the Snyder cut. You can also find our comic book movie themed merch designs at Redbubble, and follow us on Twitter @cine_verse, @JoeCunningham14, @JamesHunt and @Rhys.

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PATREON TASTER: The Falcon and The Winter Soldier Weekly - 1x01

Thu, 25 Mar 2021 09:00:39 GMT

Joe & James are doing a new weekly bonus episode for those backing the $3 tier on Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/cinematicuniverse) and we've decided to release the first episode of their The Falcon and The Winter Soldier recaps on the main feed to give non-patrons a taste.

In this episode, we ask the burning questions: IS this a good WandaVision follow-up, HOW political might this show be and SHOULD Bucky take his leather gloves off during a date (yes).

You can find our comic book movie themed merch designs at Redbubble, and follow us on Twitter @cine_verse.

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Episode 121: WandaVision (2021)

Sat, 13 Mar 2021 12:47:27 GMT

Joe and James are joined by actual sitcom writer and editor Andrew Ellard (@Ellardent) to take a look at Marvel's hit Disney+ show WandaVision. Best experienced when you've seen the show in its entirety, we interrogate its themes, revisit the theories that did (and didn't) turn out to be correct, and try to put to bed any remaining questions about the finale. We also welcome our new producer Rhys Williamson (@Rhys) and cover the latest comic book movie news.

Cinematic Universe is supported by the generosity of our backers on Patreon, who also get to hear episodes ad-free along with bonus material! Check out our page and consider subscribing at patreon.com/cinematicuniverse

You can find our comic book movie themed merch designs at Redbubble, and follow us on Twitter @cine_verse.

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Episode 120: The New Mutants (2020)

Mon, 01 Mar 2021 22:27:53 GMT

Joe and James are joined by Ghibliotheque's Michael Leader to discuss Josh Boone's 2020 release, The New Mutants, which limped out during the pandemic as an afterthought to 20 years of Fox-produced X-Men movies. But is it as bad as its troubled production suggests? Discussion of The New Mutants begins at 36:15.

You can find our comic book movie themed merch designs at Redbubble, and follow us on Twitter @cine_verse.

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Episode 119: Blade: Trinity (2004)

Fri, 12 Feb 2021 21:37:58 GMT

Joe and James are joined by actual sitcom writer and editor Andrew Ellard (@Ellardent) to take a look at Marvel's hit Disney+ show WandaVision. Best experienced when you've seen the show in its entirety, in this episode we interrogate the show's themes, revisit the theories that did (and didn't) turn out to be correct, and try to put to bed any remaining questions about the finale. We also welcome our new producer Rhys Williamson (@Rhys) and cover the latest comic book movie news!

You can find our comic book movie themed merch designs at Redbubble, and follow us on Twitter @cine_verse.

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Episode 118: Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)

Fri, 22 Jan 2021 16:32:16 GMT

Joe and James are joined by Caroline Siede to discuss Patty Jenkins’ sequel to Wonder Woman. We try to untangle the plot as well as examine some of Jenkins’s storytelling decisions to see how things ended up this way, and try to answer the question: what was this movie actually about?

You can find our comic book movie themed merch designs at Redbubble, and follow us on Twitter @cine_verse.

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Awards Special: The Cuppies 2020 (Cuppies of Cuppies)

Thu, 31 Dec 2020 15:04:19 GMT

The Cinematic Universe team is sending off 2020 in style! Specifically, the style of an awards podcast! With 2020's movie landscape looking less than stellar, Joe and James are joined by Caroline Siede, Amon Warmann, Mike Leader, Rhys Williamson and Al Kennedy to find the best of the best (and occasionally worst) for every comic book movie covered on the podcast since we began. Will The Dark Knight beat Spider-Man 2? Is Hugh Jackman a better actor than Robert Downey Jr.? And have we ever watched a movie worse than Howard the Duck? The answers will, at the very least, exist within.

You can find our comic book movie themed merch designs at Redbubble, and follow us on Twitter @cine_verse.

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Disney Investor Day News Special

Tue, 15 Dec 2020 20:33:19 GMT

Joe and James go through all the Marvel news from the Disney Investor Day announcements, from Armor Wars to Ms. Marvel, from Black Widow to The Eternals, as well as checking in on the latest rumours about Spider-Man 3 and, of course, what's going on with Marvel's Helstrom. Also included: a 20 minute psychological breakdown about the sheer amount of Disney content and the future of the cinema industry!

You can find our comic book movie themed merch designs at Redbubble, and follow us on Twitter @cine_verse.

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Episode 117: Superman Returns (2006)

Fri, 11 Dec 2020 17:05:36 GMT

Joe and James are joined by newly-minted Empire contributing editor Amon Warmann as the trio cover the much-maligned 2006 movie, Superman Returns. Is it the sequel the Christopher Reeve movies deserved, or the deranged super-stalker fantasy of an unhinged mind? Could the superkid ever have worked? And can we bring ourselves to even look at the screen while Kevin Spacey is on it? Boy, there's a lot going on here. Nuance, as ever, will be contained within the podcast itself.

00:00 - Intro, Seb Chat & what have we been we watching?

37:25- Superman Returns chat

You can find our comic book movie themed merch designs at Redbubble, and follow us on Twitter @cine_verse.

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Episode 116: Hulk (2003)

Fri, 16 Oct 2020 17:47:50 GMT

What's this? We've actually covered a movie? In our first main episode since July, Joe and James are joined by Andrew Ellard, returning for his third appearance as we cover Ang Lee's 2003 movie, Hulk. Is it Phase 0 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in disguise? Would General Ross really have that kind of facial hair? And are the Hulk dogs actually from the comics? These questions and more answered. Sort of. PLUS: in lieu of news, you can hear about what we've been watching lately, including chat about Steven Universe, the Babysitter's Club and, er, every Adam Sandler movie in chronological order.

00:00 - Intro, Seb Chat & what have we been we watching?

53:19 - Hulk Chat

You can find our comic book movie themed merch designs at Redbubble, and follow us on Twitter @cine_verse.

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October News Megasode

Fri, 09 Oct 2020 20:32:34 GMT

Ahead of Cinematic Universe's proper return next week, Joe and James catch up on all the new we've been unable to talk about since August. Chadwick Boseman, WandaVision, Ant-Man 3 and more all get a look in as we clear the decks for next week's full episode. Thanks again to everyone for giving us the time we needed to get back on track - regular (ish) service will now resume.

You can find our comic book movie themed merch designs at Redbubble, and follow us on Twitter @cine_verse.

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DC FanDome News Special

Wed, 26 Aug 2020 15:08:45 GMT

Joe and James take a look at the latest trailers and announcements for The Batman, Wonder Woman 84, The Suicide Squad, Justice League, Black Adam, Gotham Knights and more besides in this news special. We'd like to thank listeners again for their support and compassion during this difficult time - for now, the podcast will continue.

You can find our comic book movie themed merch designs at Redbubble, and follow us on Twitter @cine_verse.

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RIP Seb Patrick (1982-2020)

Wed, 05 Aug 2020 12:54:22 GMT

RIP Seb Patrick (1982-2020). It is our sad duty to inform Cinematic Universe listeners that our friend and co-host Seb Patrick passed away unexpectedly this weekend. In this episode, Joe and James talk a little about how they knew Seb and what he meant to us. Not a hoax, not an imaginary story, although we really wish it were. Following this episode the podcast will be taking a temporary hiatus. If you would like to support of his wife and child at this difficult time, a fundraiser exists here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/in-loving-memory-of-seb-patrick

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LIVE Minisode: Up and Let's Go!

Thu, 23 Jul 2020 20:53:12 GMT

Seb and James return to YouTube for a live rattle through some news bits - including that new Not Gotham Central TV show, various bits of scheduling kerfuffle, our first looks at Helstrom and The Boys S2, and the casting of Atom Smasher in the Black Adam movie!

As ever, if you'd rather see what we looked like when we were streaming this, you can watch the video version here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCwvCxza5l4

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Episode 115: Josie and the Pussycats (2001)

Thu, 09 Jul 2020 09:00:00 GMT

Joe returns alongside Caroline and Seb to cover the first (and still so far only) live-action movie based on an Archie Comics property: Harry Elfont and Deborah Kaplan’s 2001 satire on the music industry and consumerism, Josie and the Pussycats! We look at just how incredibly specific a piece of turn-of-the-century nostalgia this is, and try to figure out why it struggled so badly at the box office despite being a pretty sharp comedy with a great cast. Plus! Having watched and reviewed most of the first season of Stargirl, Caroline fills us in on what it’s like and gets some comics-specific answers from Seb.

You can find our comic book movie themed merch designs at Redbubble, and follow us on Twitter @cine_verse.

This episode was produced by Andrew Hickey. Find Andrew's podcast A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs at 500songs.com.

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LIVE Minisode: The One Where Seb's Mic Didn't Work Properly

Sat, 27 Jun 2020 15:37:57 GMT

There wasn't a huge amount of news for our latest LIVE streamed episode - except for the possibility of Michael Keaton returning as Bruce Wayne - so we threw the floor open to our audience for an Ask Us Anything! At least, we did, once we sorted out the problem of Seb's mic being basically inaudible as soon as the stream went live...

As ever, if you find the audio versions of these harder to listen to because of the quality, you might want to check out the video version instead. And as trailed at the end of this one, we will be back with a new main episode shortly, we know it's been a bit longer than normal!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdgzDcTyUyw

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LIVE Minisode: Charlize War

Thu, 11 Jun 2020 19:18:35 GMT

In our latest LIVE minisode, Seb and James discuss #CreateTheSnyderCut, trailers for Bill & Ted Face the Music (it counts, shut up) and The Old Guard, and some comings and goings in the world of TV show casting. Plus we answer some live listener questions, including some lengthy (and pessimistic?) chat about the future of monthly comics distribution!

This episode was recorded over a livestream, which is why it may sound less polished than a fully-produced regular episode, but hopefully these continue to be listenable all the same (you're welcome to tell us if they're not!) But you may also prefer to watch the video version here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r28w0zjQjv0

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Episode 114: Batman & Robin (1997)

Sun, 31 May 2020 08:23:05 GMT

This is a real “when were you going to get to it?” one, isn’t it? We’re joined by writer/director/comedian Ellen Waddell to talk about the film that killed a franchise, and arguably even an entire genre (for a bit). But is it really the worst superhero movie ever made? Is there anything salvageable from it? Why do people choose to live in Gotham City, anyway? And is Alfred Pennyworth actually, in fact, Tony Stark?

You can find our comic book movie themed merch designs at Redbubble, and follow us on Twitter @cine_verse. Ellen is on Twitter @ellenstarbuck and you can check out Dear Harry/Spock at @DearHarrySpock.

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LIVE Minisode: You Can't Handle The Tooth

Mon, 18 May 2020 17:02:53 GMT

We're back with another live news minisode, but this time with a special guest! Michael Leader joins Seb and James to run through the recent news, including New Mutants' latest piece of comedic release date announcement tomfoolery, Netflix picking up Sweet Tooth, and an awful lot of people appearing in a Sandman audio adaptation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0-m94eLK7k

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Episode 113: Bloodshot (2020)

Thu, 14 May 2020 18:40:32 GMT

“We won’t bother doing Bloodshot for its cinematic release,” we thought. “We’ll wait until its home release, that way we can put it off for a while.” Reality had other ideas, however, and we’ve really got no excuse not to cover it now that you can already see it for rental price. So we’ve brought in Sam Clements of 90 Minutes or Less Film Festival, who loves a trashy Vin Diesel action vehicle. The question is, does it reach a standard higher than that? Is it the starting point for a proper Valiant Cinematic Universe? Could it even be this year’s surprise Alita?

Cinematic Universe is supported by the generosity of our backers on Patreon, who also get to hear episodes ad-free along with bonus material (and, during lockdown, EXCLUSIVE live movie watchalongs on YouTube)! Check out our page and consider subscribing at patreon.com/cinematicuniverse

You can find our comic book movie themed merch designs at Redbubble, and follow us on Twitter @cine_verse. Sam is on twitter @sam_clements and find the excellent 90 Minutes podcast at https://www.90minfilmfest.com/

This episode was produced by Andrew Hickey. Find Andrew's podcast A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs at 500songs.com.

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LIVE Minisode: Let There Be Penguins

Fri, 24 Apr 2020 16:09:32 GMT

Yes, we're doing the live minisode thing again, because nobody told us not to! Seb and James catch up on all the latest news including Venom 2's new title and release date, JJ Abrams taking on Justice League Dark, BOOM! Studios linking up with Netflix, the trailers for Stargirl and some other bits and bobs, including answering LIVE listener/viewer questions!

Once again, we caveat the podcast release of this episode with an explanation that because it was recorded over a video stream, we may be talking about things you can't see onscreen (although we did our best to account for that!) and there may be occasional sound glitches due to the fact that this is entirely mixed by/over the livestream. We'd love to get feedback on whether you think these are still worth doing as minisodes, or if we should keep them off the main feed for as long as we end up carrying on doing them!

And of course, you can watch the video version here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K411ULIPm1E

Thanks again to everyone who backs us on Patreon, for enabling us to keep doing things like this! And if you still haven't seen it, don't miss the replay of our SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE live watchalong from last week, with special guest DAN SLOTT! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbdYf2NXctM

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Episode 112: Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

Tue, 21 Apr 2020 21:30:53 GMT

We’ve threatened this for a while, but we’re finally taking our first steps (if you don’t count The Matrix or Sonic the Hedgehog) into films that aren’t technically comic book or superhero movies, but which we feel are still in some way “genre-adjacent” as we’re calling it. And as we discuss, this film is so hugely influential on just about every major comic book blockbuster that’s arrived since, you can’t exactly call it irrelevant to what we do. Plus! It gives Caroline – who is a Terminator franchise superfan – the chance to be the one to explain something in tremendous detail to the others!

You can find our comic book movie themed merch designs at Redbubble, and follow us on Twitter @cine_verse. And find Caroline on Twitter @CarolineSiede.

This episode was produced by Andrew Hickey. Find Andrew's podcast A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs at 500songs.com.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

LIVE Minisode: The MCU Domino Effect

Sun, 05 Apr 2020 11:33:59 GMT

It’s our first ever live minisode! Well, it’s not live any more, but it was live when we recorded it. Essentially, after the success and enjoyment of our Live Infinity War Watchalong on Friday night, we realised that this streaming lark could actually be a good way of doing news minisodes. Particularly when there’s quite immediate and pressing news (the MCU rescheduling) that we could try and get released quite quickly, with no editing. So what you’re hearing now is the unedited audio from a video livestream that Seb and James did on Saturday night, which was watched on YouTube by a surprising number of regulars, who were commenting and chatting along the way (which is why we were able to read out and react to what they were saying).

Mindful that we were also planning to put it out on the podcast feed (with no edits), we’ve tried to ensure that the things that were seen onscreen were also read out – but if there are any instances where it’s not clear what we’re talking about, apologies!

You can also watch the video version of this minisode at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9df-INbH0Q

And if you want to watch a replay of our live watchalong of Infinity War in all its three-hours glory, with special guests Caroline, Joe and Amon (we're not putting the audio of that out after all, as there's too much that won't really work without the visual cues), that’s over here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvFUhN-GrJU

Thanks to everyone who backs us on Patreon, for enabling us to do things like this, and do let us know whether or not you think they’re working well!

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X-Men: The Animated Series 1x03 - Enter Magneto

Fri, 27 Mar 2020 09:50:12 GMT

Over on our Patreon, James is currently going through every single episode of the classic X-Men: The Animated Series on a near-daily basis, talking each time about how the episodes stand up and how they relate to the original comics. This is a FREE PREVIEW of one of the episodes - specifically, the show's third episode, Enter Magneto. If you like what you hear, then feel free to back us on Patreon at any level to get access to all of them as he does them!

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Episode 111: X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)

Tue, 24 Mar 2020 11:00:00 GMT

It totally makes sense that we’d invite a guy known for doing a Sonic the Hedgehog-related podcast on for the episode after Sonic the Hedgehog; just as it also makes sense that we’d do an episode about a movie that features a terrifying post-apocalyptic scenario in the early 2020s when… well, yes, exactly.

Anyway, we welcome the brilliant Chris McFeely from the equally brilliant Sonic the Comic the Podcast to talk about Bryan Singer (sigh)’s 2014 film X-Men: Days of Future Past. And because we already did Apocalypse and Logan as new releases, and because New Mutants is never coming out, this marks a pretty major moment – it’s the end of our chronological run through Fox’s X-Men movie universe, and the last time we’ll ever see Hugh Jackman with his pointy claws and pointier hair on this podcast.

You can find our comic book movie themed merch designs at Redbubble, and follow us on Twitter @cine_verse. Chris is on Twitter @ChrisMcFeely and you can subscribe to STCTP at https://stctp.wigglehe.com/.

This episode was produced by Andrew Hickey. Find Andrew's podcast A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs at 500songs.com.

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The Arrested Childhood of Batman

Sat, 14 Mar 2020 13:00:00 GMT

It's our Coronavirus Special! And we're only... kind of kidding, as we talk about New Mutants being pushed back yet again, as well as our thoughts on the final Black Widow trailer (if indeed we do get to see that film soon). We also take listener questions on topics such as the early The Batman pictures, our favourite comics about pandemics, and comfort comic book movie rewatches.

You can find our comic book movie themed merch designs at Redbubble, and follow us on Twitter @cine_verse.

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Episode 110: Sonic the Hedgehog (2020)

Fri, 28 Feb 2020 12:00:00 GMT

Our name is Cinematic Universe. We had an accident, and woke up watching a Sonic the Hedgehog movie starring Jim Carrey. Are we mad, in a coma, or back in time? Join us as we try to figure out what the hell’s going on in this crazy world, not least the idea that a movie based on a beloved ‘90s videogame might actually not be completely terrible?

You can find our comic book movie themed merch designs at Redbubble, and follow us on Twitter @cine_verse.

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Episode 109: Birds of Prey and: The Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn (2020)

Sat, 15 Feb 2020 16:32:19 GMT

It’s our first new release of 2020! And it’s not a bad one to kick off the year with, as Cathy Yan’s energetic, entertaining Margot Robbie-and-chums vehicle takes its place as easily one of the best entries in the DCEU so far. Seb, James and Caroline discuss just why it’s so much damned fun, and why we’re disappointed that not enough people have been to see it yet. As per usual, no news discussion on this one – we’re straight in with spoiler-free thoughts before the normal spoiler-filled discussion.

You can find our comic book movie themed merch designs at Redbubble, and follow us on Twitter @cine_verse. And find Caroline on Twitter @CarolineSiede.

This episode was produced by Andrew Hickey. Find Andrew's podcast A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs at 500songs.com.

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ANTI-CAP

Fri, 07 Feb 2020 10:00:00 GMT

Seb and James spin 30 seconds of Super Bowl trailer into 30 minutes of discussion, as we look at the first glimpses of the Disney+ shows Loki, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and WandaVision. We also examine the strange circumstances surrounding HBO’s upcoming DMZ pilot, and CBS transplanting Damian Wayne into an extra Kent sibling over in Superman and Lois.

Cinematic Universe is supported by the generosity of our backers on Patreon, who also get to hear episodes ad-free along with occasional bonus content! Check out our page and consider subscribing at patreon.com/cinematicuniverse

You can find our comic book movie themed merch designs at Redbubble, and follow us on Twitter @cine_verse.

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Episode 108: Superman IV: The Quest For Peace (1987)

Fri, 31 Jan 2020 10:00:00 GMT

Our time with Christopher Reeve finally comes to an end, as we tackle the awe-inspiring majesty that is 1987’s biggest blockbuster: Superman IV: The Quest For Peace. It’s in no way a competent film, we can all agree on that – but is there a way to approach it that means we might still get some enjoyment out of it? Is it in fact, pretty much the ultimate Howard T Duck Award winner? Join Seb, James and Caroline for talk of Milton Keynes, Red Dwarf guest stars, the rehabilitation of Jon Cryer, and an awful lot more besides.

Over in news, meanwhile, we discuss the implications of Oscar Isaac’s casting in the Ex Machina adaptation, The Great Machine; plus the cancellations of Marvel and Hulu’s Howard the Duck and Dazzler & Tigra shows, and the confirmation of Captain Marvel 2.

00:00 – Intro / Explain a Concept
09:55 – News
37:05 – Movie Discussion

You can find our comic book movie themed merch designs at Redbubble, and follow us on Twitter @cine_verse. And find Caroline on Twitter @CarolineSiede.

This episode was produced by Andrew Hickey. Find Andrew's podcast A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs at 500songs.com.

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The Sony Distended Universe

Fri, 17 Jan 2020 13:53:49 GMT

Seb and James come roaring into 2020 with trailer chat on Birds of Prey and Morbius, as well as the ramifications of Scott Derrickson’s departure from Dr Strange 2. And we managed to forget to even talk about the New Mutants trailer, which means that hey, we can continue pretending it doesn’t exist!

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Awards Special: The Cuppies 2019 (Part Two)

Thu, 09 Jan 2020 21:54:04 GMT

It was a bit of a longer edit than we anticipated, so apologies for the delay – but finally, we can box off the last decade by bringing you the second part of our 2019 awards special! Listen on to find out what Seb, James, Joe and Caroline thought were worthy of attention in such categories as Worst Film, Best Actor/Actress, Best Hero, and the all-important Best Film category. Plus! We have five slots open in the Hall of Fame this year! Which three luminaries will go in alongside Robert Downey Jr and Chris Evans?

You can find our comic book movie themed merch designs at Redbubble, and follow us on Twitter @cine_verse.

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Awards Special: The Cuppies 2019 (Part One)

Tue, 31 Dec 2019 11:33:32 GMT

So, 2019. The year of Endgame, Joker and, er, Dark Phoenix. But also the year we covered a range of films including Snowpiercer, Supergirl, Addams Family, The Matrix, The Dark Knight Rises and Blade II. The question is, which of these films were worthy of awards in our annual handing-out? Seb and James are joined by Joe and Caroline in this very special two-part episode to thrash it all out. In part one we cover awards including Best Supporting Actor/Actress, Best Song, the Howard T. Duck award, Best Villain and more besides. And as ever, check back early in the new year for part two!

You can find our comic book movie themed merch designs at Redbubble, and follow us on Twitter @cine_verse. Special thanks this episode to Dylan Hay-Chapman.

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Minisode 107.5: Entirely Grey, Except for Timmy Mallett

Thu, 12 Dec 2019 07:00:00 GMT

It's a busy old time for trailers, so Seb and James are here with their thoughts on the first two of the big female-fronted releases of 2020: Black Widow and Wonder Woman 1984. Be warned: the Maxwell Lord bit goes on for about five whole minutes.

You can find our comic book movie themed merch designs at Redbubble, and follow us on Twitter @cine_verse.

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Episode 107: Blade II (2002)

Thu, 05 Dec 2019 11:53:11 GMT

Amon Warmann has got a bone to pick with us, and that bone is the fact that we weren’t exactly very enthusiastic about his beloved Blade when we talked about it all the way back in 2015. So we’ve invited him on to tell us where we went wrong back then, as well as looking in-depth at Guillermo del Toro’s somewhat flashier (and gorier) follow-up.

In the news, meanwhile, we try not to run too headlong into The Discourse, but we do find ourselves picking up on that Joker sequel talk, that JSA-in-Black Adam talk, confirmation of Ant-Man 3, and some other bits besides. And no, the Black Widow trailer hadn’t landed when we recorded this, but we knew that going in.

00:00 – Intro / Explain a Concept
05:09 – News
40:29 – Movie Discussion

You can find our comic book movie themed merch designs at Redbubble, and follow us on Twitter @cine_verse. And find Amon on Twitter @awarmann.

This episode was produced by Andrew Hickey. Find Andrew's podcast A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs at 500songs.com.

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Episode 106: The Wolverine (2013)

Thu, 14 Nov 2019 07:00:00 GMT

It turns out that basically ever since we started having Caroline on as a guest, she’s wanted to talk about an X-Men film, and particularly a Wolverine film. If only she’d said something sooner, we might have got around to this one sooner, because it turns out that James Mangold’s first Jackman-starrer that you all forgot about is actually, possibly – whisper it – his best?

Over in the news, meanwhile, we catch up on The Batman casting, Joker’s runaway freight train success, confirmation of Into the Spider-Verse 2, and the latest from Marvel’s TV shows including when we’ll get to see them in the UK.

00:00 – Intro / Explain a Concept
06:43 – News
45:03 – Movie Discussion

You can find our comic book movie themed merch designs at Redbubble, and follow us on Twitter @cine_verse. And find Caroline on Twitter @CarolineSiede.

This episode was produced by Andrew Hickey. Find Andrew's podcast A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs at 500songs.com.

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Episode 105: The Addams Family (1991) & Addams Family Values (1993)

Thu, 31 Oct 2019 07:44:17 GMT

It’s our first ever Halloween Special! And by “special”, we mean it’s just a two-hander with Seb and James, and there’s no news, and we’re covering two movies in a shorter space of time than we’d normally afford to one movie. But there are good reasons for all of this, and we’re delighted to be talking about this pair of seminal early ‘90s black comedy films that happen to be based on a comic strip (although spoilers, one of them is much, much better than the other).

Rounding off the episode, meanwhile, we spend far longer than we intended to explaining and outlining our position on HBO’s Watchmen TV show, and specifically why we’re not watching/covering it and What Our Whole Deal Is Anyway. We weren’t necessarily going to do this, but a few of you asked, so what we’ve done is stick it at the end where you can switch off if you really don’t want to hear it…

00:00 – Intro / Explain a Concept
13:45 – Movie Discussion
69:35 – Watchmen Discussion

You can find our comic book movie themed merch designs at Redbubble, and follow us on Twitter @cine_verse.

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Minisode 104.5: Dano Dano Dano Dano Dano Dano Dano Dano Batman

Fri, 18 Oct 2019 07:00:00 GMT

Seb and James spend a lot of time talking about corporate structure and overarching narrative coherence at Marvel, in the wake of Kevin Feige's promotion to Supreme Overlord of Everything. We also give our thoughts on the latest casting news from The Batman, the possibility of Tom Holland making it Into the Venom-Verse, those wacky The Suicide Squad set pics, and what might be going on in The Boys season two.

You can find our comic book movie themed merch designs at Redbubble, and follow us on Twitter @cine_verse.

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Episode 104: Joker (2019)

Tue, 08 Oct 2019 20:34:05 GMT

Okay, look: it’s Joker. Whatever we say about it is going to annoy somebody somewhere, right? But Seb and Caroline are joined by some bloke called Joe who apparently used to do a podcast, or something, to talk about Todd Phillips’ divisive, controversial, and possibly actually surprisingly a bit boring “not a comic book movie” comic book movie.

Regular listeners will know that we don’t ordinarily do a news section on new releases, in favour of a spoiler-free thoughts section; however, we had a lot to catch up on that we wanted to talk about, including the happy ending of the Spidey/MCU saga, the new Birds of Prey trailer, and that Brandon Routh costume in the Crisis crossover. So we take a spin through all of that, and then a brief tease of our opinions before we get into the spoilery stuff.

00:00 – Intro / Explain a Concept
13:50 – News
44:38 – Spoiler-Free Movie Discussion
49:50 – Spoiler-Filled Movie Discussion

You can find our comic book movie themed merch designs at Redbubble, and follow us on Twitter @cine_verse.

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Episode 103: Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007)

Fri, 27 Sep 2019 07:00:36 GMT

We’re righting a longstanding wrong as we finally, finally get Steve Lacey of The Fantasticast onboard to talk about a Fantastic Four movie. Having enjoyed the original 2005 film a surprising amount, how did we feel about the Doug-Jones-cum-Laurence-Fishburne-enhanced sequel?

In the news, we run through the casting announcement for The Suicide Squad, giving Seb the opportunity to talk for a while about a logo. And Steve catches us up on everything that’s going on in the Arrowverse in the wake of the latest Crisis announcement.

00:00 – Intro / Explain a Concept
10:10 – News
40:45 – Movie Discussion

You can find our comic book movie themed merch designs at Redbubble, and follow us on Twitter @cine_verse. Follow Steve on Twitter @quizlacey and listen to his podcast at thefantasticast.com.

This episode was produced by Andrew Hickey. Find Andrew's podcast A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs at 500songs.com.

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Episode 102: Alita: Battle Angel (2019)

Fri, 13 Sep 2019 10:00:25 GMT

James finally gets his Monkey’s Paw wish, and has persuaded Seb and returning special guest Caroline Siede to watch Robert Rodriguez (and James Cameron)’s Alita: Battle Angel! But will they find themselves surprisingly charmed by it, or just mock him relentlessly for fancying a robot?

Meanwhile, the news section gives Seb the opportunity to talk about Peter Capaldi and Grant Morrison for quite a while, so there’s his wish taken care of as well. We also look at the Birds of Prey teaser, the latest hilarious update on New Mutants, and yet more on the ongoing Spider-Man situation, because how could we ever get fed up of talking about that?

00:00 – Intro / Explain a Concept
09:00 – News
36:42 – Movie Discussion

You can find our comic book movie themed merch designs at Redbubble, and follow us on Twitter @cine_verse. And find Caroline on Twitter @CarolineSiede.

This episode was produced by Andrew Hickey. Find Andrew's podcast A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs at 500songs.com.

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Minisode 101.5: Stealing Jokes From Bob Monkhouse

Tue, 03 Sep 2019 13:39:17 GMT

We're finally back doing minisodes again! Seb and James have a run through all the Marvel news out of D23, which now feels a long time ago; as does the Joker trailer, but we give our thoughts on that, which were recorded before all the post-reviews Discourse started to happen. We also have time for a quick bit of consideration of the Titans trailer and DC's televisual future.

You can find our comic book movie themed merch designs at Redbubble, and follow us on Twitter @cine_verse.

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Episode 101: The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

Wed, 28 Aug 2019 10:17:28 GMT

We head into Cinematic Universe’s new era with one of the biggest films we’ve yet tackled – and it’s so big, we had to get TWO guests to cover it! Making their long-awaited CU debuts are Sam Clements (of 90 Minutes Or Less Film Festival and Picturehouse Podcast) and Simon Renshaw (formerly of Picturehouse Podcast). And yes, there will be Bane impressions.

We also take a run through the latest comic book movie and TV news, including a breakdown of the Spider-Man/Marvel Studios, er, breakdown; but we should note that this was recorded before the D23 weekend, so we’ll be catching up on the rest of the news and any further Spidey developments with an upcoming minisode.

And there’s a new game at the end. Which we don’t want to spoil for you.

00:00 – Intro / Explain a Concept
08:14 – News
33:48 – Movie Discussion

You can find our comic book movie themed merch designs at Redbubble, and follow us on Twitter @cine_verse.

This episode was produced by Andrew Hickey. Find Andrew's podcast A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs at 500songs.com.

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Episode 100: Teen Titans Go! To The Movies (2018)

Sun, 11 Aug 2019 19:03:05 GMT

Well, here we are. It's our hundredth episode, we're tackling one of the most self-referential-joke-filled superhero movies of all time - and one that some people have been waiting ages for us to do - and what's more, we've got some Extremely Significant Personal News to announce, which you'll hear at the outset. There are laughs, there's reminiscence, there are quizzes, there are listener tweets, there's a guest appearance from a four-year-old, there are songs, there's refusing to let the Far From Home arguments go, there might even be some tears. And at the end of it, Cinematic Universe will never be the same again.

You can find our comic book movie themed merch designs at Redbubble, and follow us on Twitter @cine_verse.

00:00 – Intro/CU News Update
14:40 – Movie & TV News
34:09 – 100th Episode Special
1:00:00 – Movie Discussion

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Episode 99: The Matrix (1999)

Thu, 01 Aug 2019 07:25:16 GMT

Almost coinciding with its twentieth anniversary theatrical re-release, Seb and James are joined by comics critic and editor Claire Napier to look back at the Wachowskis' era-defining sci-fi classic. And if you're going "Hang on, that's not a comic book movie" or "Hang on, that's not a superhero movie", well, we get into both of those discussions, and a lot more besides.

Elsewhere, with Joe temporarily absent and not much else in the way of news to pick up on after our mammoth SDCC special, we take the opportunity for a rare edition of Comics Corner to look at House of X, the end of Giant Days, Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen and a few other assorted recent ongoings.

Find out more about Claire’s anthology comic Bun & Tea and back it over at Kickstarter.

You can find our comic book movie themed merch designs at Redbubble, and follow us on Twitter @cine_verse.

This episode was produced by Andrew Hickey. Find Andrew's podcast A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs at 500songs.com.

· 00:00 – Intro/Explain a Concept

· 06:15 – Comics Corner

· 29:25 – Movie Discussion

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Bonus Episode: SDCC 2019 News Special

Mon, 22 Jul 2019 15:50:06 GMT

"Let's do an hour or so on the SDCC news," we said. Two and a half hours later, we emerged. Unsurprisingly, we had a lot to say about all that MCU stuff - although even when we're done with Thor: Love & Thunder, Dr Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and all the rest, there's still plenty more to cover. We chat in depth about the Brandon Routh Flarrowverse Crisis news, and the trailers for The King's Man, Snowpiercer, Jay & Silent Bob Reboot and - yes, we're sorry, we had An Argument again - Watchmen. You love it really.

You can find our comic book movie themed merch designs at Redbubble, and follow us on Twitter @cine_verse.

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Minisode 98.5: In Which We Talk About The Sandman

Thu, 18 Jul 2019 09:00:00 GMT

It feels like an age since we last did a Minisode, although - the Thor 4 news that landed after we recorded this notwithstanding - we didn't find ourselves with a huge amount to talk about. So why is this our longest ever minisode, longer than the Endgame trailer one, longer even than all the doubled-up ones we used to call "Megasodes"? Well, because one of the things is The Sandman, something we've been waiting to talk about in detail for a while. Plus we run through a few other bits and bobs including Paper Girls, Kumail Nanjiani in The Eternals and Todd Phillips' Joker comments. And then! We take a bunch of listener questions that we solicited on the night. Plus, find out what exciting film we're doing for our next, and 99th, main episode...

Oh, and there's a rare change in host for this episode. For reasons that will become quickly apparent.

You can find our comic book movie themed merch designs at Redbubble, and follow us on Twitter @cine_verse.

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Episode 98: Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)

Tue, 09 Jul 2019 15:53:33 GMT

Okay, THIS time we've finally caught up with the MCU. We really have. For the first time since we began this podcast, there does not exist an MCU movie that we haven't covered. And we're celebrating with... a surprisingly large amount of argument. Yes, the reaction to Spider-Man: Far From Home is far from universal in these corridors, so tune in to find out which one of the three of us has decided to be a grumpy sod about these lovable high-school kids, and which of us is just grumpy about not getting to talk about Mysterio enough. As per usual for a new release, we're skipping news and going spoiler-free for the opening section in case you still haven't seen it yet, before going in-depth on the implications of those post-credits scenes and... any other stuff that happens in the film.

00:00 - Intro/Explain a Concept

09:20 - Spoiler-Free Discussion

28:25 - Spoiler-Filled Discussion

You can find our comic book movie themed merch designs at Redbubble, and follow us on Twitter @cine_verse.

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Episode 97: Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

Thu, 04 Jul 2019 09:18:36 GMT

It's been a long time coming, but we have finally - finally - caught up with the MCU (or at least we would have, if we'd got this episode produced and released before Far From Home arrived in cinemas). The last MCU film to be released before we started this podcast also happens to be one of the best and most important movies not just of this series, but of the entire genre. We've an awful lot to say about it, so it's no surprise that we go somewhat long. There's also a big news catchup including Jaume Collet-Serra signing up for Black Adam, Tom King signing up for New Gods, Taika Waititi signing up for Akira, Benicio del Toro signing up for The Suicide Squad, and nobody signing up for Spawn.

00:00 - Intro/Explain a Concept
13:18 - News
51:32 - Movie Discussion

You can find our comic book movie themed merch designs at Redbubble, and follow us on Twitter @cine_verse.

This episode was produced by Andrew Hickey. Find Andrew's podcast A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs at 500songs.com.

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Episode 96: Dark Phoenix (2019)

Thu, 13 Jun 2019 08:24:10 GMT

The main part of Fox's X-Men franchise comes to an end with a film that... well, let's face it, it would be charitable to call it a whimper. We don't want to just relentlessly give Dark Phoenix a non-stop kicking, we'll try to find the good where we can... but let's just say that if you're Simon Kinberg, you probably don't want to be giving this one a listen. As usual with a new release, we've skipped news (there wasn't loads lately anyway), in favour of a bit of spoiler-free opinion chat before diving into more detailed discussion of a lot of really, really dumb storytelling decisions.

00:00 Intro/Explain a Concept

05:06 Spoiler-Free Discussion

20:55 Spoiler-Filled Discussion

You can find our comic book movie themed merch designs at Redbubble, and follow us on Twitter @cine_verse.

This episode was produced by Andrew Hickey. Find Andrew's podcast A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs at 500songs.com.

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Episode 95: Snowpiercer (2013)

Fri, 24 May 2019 09:00:00 GMT

It's taken its sweet time - nearly six years! - but Bong Joon-Ho's 2013 post-apocalyptic epic is finally available legally to UK viewers, courtesy of Netflix. We might have considered it for inclusion on the podcast purely based on the number of previous comic-book-movie stars featured within, but happily, it is actually based on a comic - Jacques Lob's La Transperceneige - so it counts entirely on merit. And what merit it has.

Over in news, meanwhile, we give our thoughts on the Robert Battinsonman news, explain to Joe what the heck Atlas Comics is and whether they have any remotely worthwhile IP whatsoever, and Seb laments the cancellation of The Tick. You bastards.

00:00 - Intro/Explain Something

15:42 - News

46:04 - Snowpiercer discussion

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Minisode 94.5: Be Like Alan Bennett

Fri, 17 May 2019 09:23:41 GMT

Right, we're declaring a moratorium on talking about things the writers and directors of Avengers: Endgame have said about the film after its release, although not before talking for a bit about how we're not talking about it any more. Then we've got some chat on the latest Spider-Man: Far From Home trailer, a dive into the Disney/Fox release schedule (and a sad lament for the absence of Gambit), and the question of whether or not James has watched the Watchmen TV show trailer.

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Episode 94: Aquaman (2018)

Sat, 11 May 2019 19:39:45 GMT

Well, this took us a while, didn't it? We missed the slot for it when it came out in cinemas, because of Spider-Verse. Then we missed the slot for it when it came out on home release, because of Endgame. And we've even had a slight delay on getting it out to you after having recorded it. But here, finally, finally, is our Aquaman episode. We promise we haven't just been avoiding talking about it.

But we do have some stuff to get through before we do, including a news roundup that takes in a whole bunch of Endgame aftermath and theorising (even if our box office speculation is already out of date), Hulu's newly-announced Hellstrom and Ghost Rider shows, and the latest The Suicide Squad casting. Plus, there's an impassioned min-review-cum-exhortation-to-watch by Seb of season two of The Tick. WATCH SEASON TWO OF THE TICK.

00:00 Intro / Explain Something

04:51 News

33:25 The Tick Season 2 Mini-Review

48:51 Aquaman review

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Episode 93: Avengers: Endgame (2019)

Sun, 28 Apr 2019 19:45:32 GMT

It's been a long, long time. But the Endgame is finally here.

Just like the last go around, be warned that this is ABSOLUTELY SPOILER FILLED almost from the word go. We're skipping news, we're even skipping spoiler-free, because what's the point in having spoiler-free thoughts on this? And yes, we really have done an episode that's even longer than the film.

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Minisode 92.5: Who's Your Favourite Eternal?

Wed, 17 Apr 2019 09:32:26 GMT

We've got a few news bits to get out of the way in this busy month for new films, so here's a slightly longer than usual mini catching up on a bunch of matters including Black Widow and Eternals casting, Hawkeye's Disney+ series, who Idris Elba might be playing in The Suicide Squad, Iain Glen being the new Bruce Wayne, and finally a belated catchup on the Joker trailer.

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Episode 92: Shazam! (2019)

Fri, 12 Apr 2019 08:22:31 GMT

It still absolutely boggles our minds that movies about both versions of Captain Marvel have come out within a month of each other, so here we are talking about DC's Actually He's Called Shazam! Now. Is it the first truly great DCEU film? What kind of a future for the series can we see spinning out of it? And isn't it good to finally be able to talk about all of the spoilery stuff that it's kept hidden from the publicity?

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Minisode 91.5: Cosmic Rod

Thu, 04 Apr 2019 08:24:56 GMT

After a slower-than-expected March, we're kicking off a busy April with Joe and Seb on a news roundup that covers those Batman comments, the completion of the Disney/Fox deal, James Gunn's return to the MCU, Angelina Jolie's arrival in the MCU, the imminent new season of The Tick, some general TV stuff, yet more Endgame discussion, Morbius filming outside Seb's office, and yes - but we did put a strict time limit on it - that first Stargirl photo.

We haven't got the Joker trailer because this was recorded at the weekend, but we will certainly get to it!

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Episode 91: Captain Marvel (2019)

Thu, 28 Mar 2019 09:47:00 GMT

Yes. We know. Sorry. We've had all manner of catastrophes befall this episode, leading ultimately to our having to completely re-record it having already done it once. But we got there in the end, and hey, we got there before the end of the month of the film's release! So we're sure you've all already seen Captain Marvel and formed your own opinions on it by now, but join us as we give you our thoughts, as well as closing off the episode with some discussion of that latest Avengers: Endgame trailer.

Oh, and hey, by the way, this is our 200th (including minisodes and bonus eps) edition overall! Yay us.

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Minisode 90.5: Not The Captain Marvel Episode Yet

Thu, 21 Mar 2019 09:30:31 GMT

Yes, we know - we haven't got the Captain Marvel episode out yet. It is on the way, we promise, but in the meantime (and after a bit of explanation at the start about those recent scheduling problems) here's a recently-recorded minisode to fill the gap, in which Joe and guest Rhys Williamson rattle through a bunch of recent news - including latest trailers for Hellboy, Dark Phoenix and Shazam, the Suicide Squad recasting, Morbius, the Netflix cancellations, and more (but not the Endgame trailer or James Gunn news, they'll be covered at a later point!)

Apologies again for all of the delays recently, but we are working to get back on schedule and ready for a big month in April!

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Episode 90: Mystery Men (1999)

Thu, 21 Feb 2019 16:29:34 GMT

We're joined by Al Kennedy of the outstanding and venerable House to Astonish comics podcast to talk about a movie that never really found its audience back in 1999, but would its satirical superheroics have landed better in the here and now? We talk one-time-only directors, corporate-sponsored superheroes, Eddie Izzard's accent... and yes, of course, that Smash Mouth song.

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Bonus Episode: February 2019 News Special

Wed, 06 Feb 2019 13:28:30 GMT

It was Superbowl Sunday this week, which traditionally means an influx of absolutely massive movie trailer news. Or, at least it does in theory - in reality, it can end up being a bit like the movie equivalent of Transfer Deadline Day. Either way, and because we needed to catch up with some outstanding news matters anyway, Seb and James have roped in Den of Geek news editor Kirsten Howard to run through the latest Avengers: Endgame and Captain Marvel spots, that Birds of Prey teaser, an old Keanu Reeves story getting reported as new, Y: The Last Man going to series, James Gunn moving away from Superman and towards The Suicide Squad, and plenty more besides. Well, some more besides, anyway.

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Minisode 89.5: The Velvet Underground of Superhero Movies

Sat, 02 Feb 2019 18:17:24 GMT

It's our first news roundup of 2019, so of course it's come out nearly a week late after we spent several days unable between us to edit it. But listen on for our takes on Black Panther's Oscars nomination, Katherine Langford's new hairdo, the possible presence of Genis-Vell in Captain Marvel, the latest Morbius developments, James Wan lining up Aquaman 2 and various other bits of DC future, the Flarrowverse doing Crisis, and trailers for The Boys and The Umbrella Academy.

And! We'll actually be back before our next main episode with another news special, rounding up last week's developments as well as anything that might get shown during the Superbowl tomorrow...

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Episode 89: Supergirl (1984)

Mon, 21 Jan 2019 20:59:32 GMT

We're kicking off our fifth year with a jam-packed episode, and the film that might just have marked the creation of the first ever cinematic universe: Jeanott Szwarc's 1984 version of Supergirl! Plus, we catch up on some of the latest news, including a dive into the Spider-Man: Far From Home trailer, and Seb getting to have a big old rant about Stargirl's choice of Starman. All of this, and you get to learn the fate of the Pitch segment!

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Awards Special: The Cuppies 2018 (Part Two)

Mon, 07 Jan 2019 22:39:09 GMT

Sure, we're a week into 2019, but there's still time to keep looking back at 2018, right? Well, there'd better be, as here we are one week later with PART TWO of our epic end-of-year awards special. So listen on to find out our all-important remaining picks, including Best Film, new Hall of Fame entrants, AND news on how you, yes YOU, can have your say on one of the major awards!

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Awards Special: The Cuppies 2018 (Part One)

Mon, 31 Dec 2018 20:22:13 GMT

It's been a heck of a year for great new comic book movies, which might explain why we balanced it out by covering so many old bad ones, too. Join us for our annual awards bash as we hand out gongs for our favourites (and less-than-favourites) of everything we've covered in the last year. And don't forget, this is only part one - we'll be along with the second half to round everything else up in a few days' time!

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Episode 88: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)

Mon, 17 Dec 2018 20:51:47 GMT

In all the plot twists of 2018, an animated Miles Morales movie sneaking in at the death to arguably be not only the superhero film of the year, but also possibly the best Spider-Man film ever, is something to behold. But even bigger than that is that James liked it. Join us as we take a deep dive into this immensely enjoyable insta-masterpiece - with a spoiler-free section at the beginning for those of you who somehow haven't seen it yet (but seriously... see it).

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Minisode 87.5: The One Where They Talk About The Avengers: Endgame Trailer

Sat, 08 Dec 2018 21:03:53 GMT

So yeah, the Avengers trailer (and title) dropped, and naturally we were able to spend a good half an hour talking about it. But, we had already just before that recorded our long-awaited catchup on all the news that's happened over the last couple of weeks before that - and because we're mean, we're making you sit through that before we get on to all the Endgame talk. Enjoy!

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Episode 87: The Rocketeer (1991)

Fri, 30 Nov 2018 21:13:07 GMT

It's another one of those "comic book movies that most people didn't know were comic book movies" that the 1990s were so fond of! But how does The Rocketeer hold up nowadays when both the film itself and its source material were already so deliberately throwback? Does it contain the seeds of greatness that would lead to Captain America: The First Avenger? Joe and Seb are joined by a man who has had the film's poster as his Twitter avatar for years and years, so Matthew Turner definitely won't be biased at all... right?

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Minisode 86.5: The Missing Minisode

Tue, 20 Nov 2018 21:20:18 GMT

So yeah, sorry about this: we managed to drop the ball on editing and releasing this episode through a combination of bad scheduling, work pressures, illness, and fitting in an additional Stan Lee tribute episode. But having recorded it a couple of weeks ago we did still want to make sure you actually got to hear our takes on some of these outstanding news items. Truth be told, we can't actually remember what most of them were, so we might have to listen along with you to find out! Normal service will, thankfully, resume very shortly...

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Special: Stan Lee 1922-2018

Tue, 13 Nov 2018 09:23:04 GMT

Joe, Seb and James gather to discuss the passing of Stan Lee, and his impact and legacy on Marvel's comics, movies and the superhero genre in general.

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Episode 86: Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

Sun, 28 Oct 2018 22:29:50 GMT

It's hard to imagine, but when we launched Cinematic Universe, this film was less than a year old. We've talked about it an awful lot since, but thanks to our slavish devotion to doing each film series in their correct sequence, we're only now getting to actually covering it in its own right. Is it the greatest modern superhero movie? Bucky superfan Limara Salt joins Joe and Seb to delve into that question and an awful lot more besides.

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Minisode 85.5: At Least Iron Fist Has Gone

Wed, 24 Oct 2018 19:44:16 GMT

There's been an awful lot of news since the last time we had a chance to talk about anyway, and we've been a bit slack in keeping up with it. So here's the first part of our attempt to catch up: a minisode in which Joe and James talk about some of the outstanding news items, before Joe and Seb talk about a bunch more of it on our next main episode.

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Episode 85: Venom (2018)

Tue, 09 Oct 2018 21:07:22 GMT

Joe and James are joined by special guest Amon Warmann to discuss the Sony Spider-Man symbiote spinoff that someone, somewhere, seemingly solicited:: Venom! Does it manage to be a worthy addition to the Spidey canon (not to mention the Tom Hardy canon), or does it live up to its own tagline of "The World Has Enough Super-Heroes"? Find out!

As per usual for a new release episode, there's no news section beforehand - just some non-spoilery opinions followed by a launch straight into the spoiler section.

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Episode 84: X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)

Sun, 30 Sep 2018 14:01:11 GMT

In a truly fantastic piece of timing, we recorded this episode before the Dark Phoenix trailer landed. But then it's taken us so long to release it that we've actually had time to record an extra insert discussing it - which means that for the first time ever, the news section and the main section are basically about the same film.

That, along with our surprising reaction to those Joker images, would explain why the news section is nearly an hour long, before we finally get onto X-Men: The Last Stand, the film that killed the X-franchise the first time, before it rose like a certain nameless character, only to... well, let's face it, to probably be killed again whenever (if?) Dark Phoenix finally comes out.

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Minisode 82.5 / 83.5: Two Minis Are Better Than One

Mon, 24 Sep 2018 20:29:11 GMT

Well, there's been quite a lot to talk about lately, hasn't there? So much so that in the weeks between our V For Vendetta and X-Men: The Last Stand episodes, we've ended up gathering to record not one, but TWO minisodes. And our schedules being what they are, we didn't actually manage to edit and release the first one before that Captain Marvel trailer came out and we had to record the second. So welcome back the trusty old "Megasode" format, as first Joe and Seb get together to talk about all that Henry Cavill speculation, Supergirl and Sabrina, before James then gets in on the act to talk all things Captain Marvel and the new MCU telly slate.

Plus! We catch up on not one, but TWO weeks worth of pitches that James definitely spent time preparing for. All of this, and we haven't even got on to Joker yet...

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Episode 83: V For Vendetta (2005)

Mon, 10 Sep 2018 20:19:46 GMT

We've teased it for years, and it's finally here. We're finally talking about V For Vendetta - the Alan Moore adaptation that Seb viscerally hates and James inexplicably doesn't. At least... that's what they thought back in 2005, when its vision of a fascist-ruled dystopian future was just a wild pipe dream. How does it look in the altogether cheerier 2018? Are they going to disappoint everyone who's been waiting for this episode by being more moderate, or have they become only more fanatical in their views? And which way will Joe land?

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Episode 82: Spawn (1997)

Sat, 01 Sep 2018 21:06:13 GMT

It's safe to say that even by the low standards of "comic book movies from 1997", Spawn is not a particularly well-regarded film. But you know us, we always like to look for the good in things, from Howard the Duck to The Punisher. Were we able to similarly find something to enjoy about the adaptation of Todd McFarlane's early-90s-defining Image series? The answer... won't shock you, actually, because seriously, this is just a terrible, terrible movie. But hopefully you'll enjoy hearing us talk about it anyway, because we had plenty to unpick.

Meanwhile, in the absence of much news (and hey, Alec Baldwin managed to become Thomas Wayne and then not be Thomas Wayne any more during the time between recording this and releasing it) Seb and James take a trip into Comics Corner to fill Joe in on what's been going on in the funny pages since the last time!

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Minisode 81.5: Ant-Mini and the Pitch

Mon, 20 Aug 2018 19:57:26 GMT

For the three or four of you who are actually big fans of the Pitch segment, we've finally managed to get around to catching up on all the business that's been left outstanding over the past couple of months. So listen on to hear Seb and James' responses to the various challenges laid down in our Incredibles 2, Spider-Man 3 and Ant-Man and the Wasp episodes. And, although we didn't have a huge amount of news left to cover, we've pitchified those little tidbits we have decided to look at as well.

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Episode 81: Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)

Wed, 15 Aug 2018 12:07:00 GMT

It came out so long ago in the US - and, come to that, in the UK - that we almost can't even really call this a "new release" pod. But! Nevertheless, we have all now finally seen Ant-Man and the Wasp, and what's more... there's some pretty strong disagreement over its merits. So tune in for an almighty ding-dong, as well as a catchup on some of the latest comic book movie news, including James and Seb laughing heartily at Sony's latest piece of barrel scraping.

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Episode 80: Spider-Man 3 (2007)

Wed, 01 Aug 2018 08:20:39 GMT

Well, here it is: the last time we'll cover a Spider-Man movie that already existed before we did the podcast, and our fond farewell to Sam Raimi, Tobey Maguire, JK Simmons, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco and, uh, John Paxton. Largely derided on its release for being the (then) duffest Spidey film by some way, has time (and Marc Webb) proven kinder to its reputation?

Meanwhile, since there's thankfully not been much news since our big SDCC blowout, we mostly spend the news section indulging in some probably-already-out-of-date speculation about the latest developments in the Disney/Fox deal.

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Bonus Episode: SDCC 2018 News Special

Fri, 27 Jul 2018 12:06:57 GMT

It's the most! Wonderful time! Of the yeeeeear! Yes, as you surely can't be unaware, it was the San Diego Comic-Con last weekend, which has meant the usual NEWSPLOSION of stuff for us to cover in our annual bonus roundup episode. It's not a short one, unsurprisingly, but we cover the trailers for Shazam!, Aquaman, Titans and Glass among a bunch of other chatter - and yes, we do address the James Gunn shaped elephant that barged its way into the room just as the convention was getting underway.

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Episode 79: Incredibles 2 (2018)

Wed, 18 Jul 2018 20:40:46 GMT

While we're still not at all bitter about it coming out in the UK so much after the US had already memed the heck out of Violet blowing water out of her nose, we've finally got Incredibles 2, so we can finally cover it. Joe and Seb are joined by writer Gary Bainbridge to discuss the film, because James is a robot who doesn't like fun. Can Brad Bird and Pixar's belated sequel possibly live up to the legacy of its near-peerless original? Well...

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Minisode 78.5: No Ant-Man And The Wasp

Tue, 10 Jul 2018 20:42:06 GMT

With James sidelined due to unexpected dental trauma, Joe and Seb are again joined by our supersub Rhys Williamson to take a run at not-all-that-much movie and TV news, a bit of analysis of our expectations of the DC Universe service, and then a discussion around the recent Batman #50. And although football may or may not be coming home, yes, we're still annoyed about America getting Ant-Man and the Wasp so far ahead of us. You'd better not spoiler it, you lot.

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Bonus Episode: Independence Day (1996)

Wed, 04 Jul 2018 16:06:19 GMT

In the wake of our Men In Black podcast, there were literally some listeners who got in touch and said they'd like to hear Joe and Caroline talk about the other major Will Smith blockbuster of the era in a bit more detail. So, that's exactly what they've done! No, it's not a comic book movie (although there was a Marvel comic of it!) and no, it's not on our regular schedule (but how could we not release it on 4th July itself?) but hopefully you'll enjoy this bonus natter anyway!

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Episode 78: Batman Forever (1995)

Sun, 01 Jul 2018 19:54:11 GMT

Joe and Seb are joined by special guest and renowned Tweetnoter Andrew Ellard to look back at a movie that plenty of people loved at the time, but which maybe hasn't dated all that well. Or has it?

We also chat about Sony's double-whammy of a Jared Leto Morbius movie and a "Could It Actually Be Quite Good?" Silk movie; and what we think about Doctor Strange 2 now that that's been confirmed.

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Bonus Episode: Batman: Knightfall

Thu, 28 Jun 2018 11:32:27 GMT

Special guest David Hartrick returns to talk about another 1990s DC classic arc - this time, it's the Batman saga Knightfall (also incorporating Knightquest and Knightsend)! Bane, Azbats, Zsasz, controversial opinions about the merits of Jim Aparo - it's all here.

This episode was originally published on our Patreon Exclusive/Early Access feed back in October 2017. We're making it available on the public feed now due to a gap in our production schedule! If you'd like to hear more episodes like this - both as early access and also as permanent backer exclusives - then head on over to patreon.com/cinematicuniverse and back us at the $2 level or above!

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Episode 77: Men In Black (1997)

Thu, 21 Jun 2018 12:01:35 GMT

Joe and James are joined by The AV Club's Caroline Siede to discuss the one comic book movie of 1997 that was an unqualified success. Probably because people didn't know it was a comic book movie. It's Barry Sonnenfeld's witty, Will-Smith-stratosphere-launching, Men in Black!

The gang also dive deep into the Wonder Woman 1984 news, with TAKES on whether or not the apparent return of Steve Trevor is a good thing. And it's a DC-heavy news segment generally, with some chat about Aquaman, Green Lantern Corps and the company's recent executive reshufflings.

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Minisode 76.5: Puke Truthers

Wed, 13 Jun 2018 20:22:14 GMT

Joe and Seb are joined by Rhys Williamson to take a run at some of the most recent news - including that gorgeous Into the Spider-Verse trailer, the prospect of a new Jared Leto Joker movie, the new Ant-Man and the Wasp character posters, and an avalanche of Avengers 4 clickbait. And continuing the theme from last week, there's a musical element to the Pitch!

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Episode 76: Dr Horrible's Sing-Along Blog (2008)

Wed, 06 Jun 2018 16:36:23 GMT

A pod's gotta do what a pod's gotta do Joe, Seb and James have a treat here for you The only doom that's looming is us singing you to death So we'll give you a second to catch your breath

No, don't worry. We're not singing. At all. We promise. But we have gone pretty darned deep on Joss Whedon's 2008 online musical miniseries Dr Horrible's Sing-Along-Blog, with yet another discussion about fridging as well as an exploration of toxic masculinity that seems even more worryingly apt than it did ten years ago. And while we don't sing ourselves, for those of you who've never heard the songs we're talking about (or even if you just want to hear them again) we have included a whole bunch of clips, so in a sense it is still a musical episode. Enjoy!

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Minisode 75.5: Grovelling, and Snivelling, and Frankly Sickening

Tue, 29 May 2018 21:12:44 GMT

What is James referring to in the title of this minisode? Well, you'll have to listen a good way in to find out, because flipping heck, this one pushes the definition of the term "minisode" to its limits. We had a lot to talk about, from Mysterio to Shazam to Doom Patrol to Batwoman to Watchmen to The Eternals. Have you figured out which one made us so angry yet? Clue: it's not Mysterio.

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Episode 75: Deadpool 2 (2018)

Sun, 20 May 2018 19:50:03 GMT

The first Deadpool movie was a surprise in just about every sense - from the fact that it was actually pretty good, to the fact that it went on to be phenomenally successful. So does the sequel stand any chance whatsoever of also springing any surprises? Spoilers: actually, yeah. Join Joe, Seb and James for our run through the latest chapter in a series that takes the piss out of comic book movies so much yet might actually be the most comic booky movie series ever to exist.

As usual with a new release, we give our spoiler-free reactions for a quarter of an hour or so before then doing a much deeper dive into the nitty gritty. And while there's no news section this week, we have also taken the time for a brief word about Superman star Margot Kidder, who sadly passed away last week at the age of 69.

00:00 - Intro / Margot Kidder tribute 10:58 - Spoiler-Free Discussion 27:46 - Spoiler-Filled Discussion 131:19 - Recommendations / The Pitch

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Minisode 74.5: Minifinity War

Sat, 12 May 2018 14:23:51 GMT

Releasing a little later than expected due to some unforeseen life things getting in the way, here's Joe and James with a minisode chat that mostly acts as a follow-up to our Infinity War episode after both had a chance to see the film a second time. Because, what, our three hour main episode on the film wasn't enough? Well, no, actually, it wasn't. But we do get to covering some other stuff as well, including the latest trailers for Venom and Ant-Man and the Wasp.

It should go without saying, but once again there are COMPLETE AND TOTAL SPOILERS for Infinity War in this ep. In case you somehow still haven't seen it.

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Bonus Episode: Joe's MCU Marathon

Mon, 07 May 2018 14:52:53 GMT

Last month, Joe did something pretty amazing: he watched every single MCU movie (prior to Infinity War) over a single weekend, without any breaks inbetween. And as well as raising a ton of cash for Parkinson's UK, he spent the weekend livetweeting and recording short mini pod segments for Soundcloud after each film. So if you didn't catch any of that while it was going on, we've stitched every one of those little bits together - along with a freshly-recorded intro and outro with Seb and James along for the ride!

Note that this podcast is technically the first time you'll hear Joe talk directly about Winter Soldier and Guardians of the Galaxy, since we haven't got as far as covering those on main episodes yet; and you'll also get to hear what happens when a man has to watch Thor: The Dark World in the small hours of a Sunday morning.

If you enjoyed this experience then please check out Joe's Justgiving page and consider adding to the fundraising total: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/joe-cunningham-mcu

If you want to jump to a specific film, you can find them in the following places:

00:00 - Team Intro 01:46 - Joe's Intro 02:44 - Iron Man 06:21 - The Incredible Hulk 08:41 - Iron Man 2 11:22 - Thor 13:45 - Captain America: The First Avenger 17:29 - The Avengers 21:29 - Iron Man Three 26:05 - Thor: The Dark World 30:00 - Captain America: The Winter Soldier 34:33 - Guardians of the Galaxy 38:49 - Avengers: Age of Ultron 43:16 - Ant-Man 47:26 - Captain America: Civil War 51:57 - Doctor Strange 54:54 - Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol 2 57:09 - Spider-Man: Homecoming 59:31 - Thor: Ragnarok 60:02 - Black Panther 67:05 - Team Outro

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Episode 74: Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

Sat, 28 Apr 2018 16:34:49 GMT

It's our Infinity War episode. If we have to say any more than that, you've probably got the wrong podcast.

Be warned, though: this podcast is SPOILER FILLED from the outset. There's no news discussion, and there's no spoiler-free reaction section. We are straight in there from the word go, because... well, how could you NOT be?

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Minisode 73.5: I Only Want Nice Things To Happen To Rob Delaney

Mon, 23 Apr 2018 12:25:06 GMT

Recorded prior to Joe's epic weekend charity MCU marathon, this week's minisode sees him and James taking a run at the latest news - from the final Deadpool 2 trailer to the latest on Gotham City Sirens/Suicide Squad 2/Birds of Prey. Plus! Who will be the first to suggest Johnny Storm for last week's "How would you put Ryan Reynolds in the MCU" pitch segment? And, stay tuned right until the end when James suddenly out of nowhere drops an AMAZING Infinity War/Captain America theory. Four days to go, people...

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Episode 73: Green Lantern (2011)

Wed, 18 Apr 2018 12:38:29 GMT

In brightest day In blackest night Bad movies can't escape our sight And though Joe worships Reynolds' light We can't deny: Green Lantern's shite!

Yes, we've managed to find the Ryan Reynolds movie that even Joe can't love, and a DC Comics movie that Seb even thinks might be worse than Man of Steel. But is Green Lantern an interesting failure, or just a complete and total failure? Well, we've managed to spin it out into a two-and-a-half hour episode, so presumably there was something of note to talk about. Plus! We pull a bit of a downer on the Incredibles 2 trailer, assess Batgirl's chances of ever existing and explain who the heck The Boys are.

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Bonus Episode: Infinity War Trailer Discussion

Mon, 16 Apr 2018 21:22:17 GMT

A few weeks ago, the latest trailer for Infinity War dropped - and Joe got so excited, he couldn't wait until our next episode, so stayed up far too late (and far too long) talking to pod-chum Rhys Williamson about it. We initially put it out as a Patreon exclusive, but now that we're only a week-and-a-bit out from the film's release, we thought we'd let the rest of you hear it as well, if you're so inclined!

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Minisode 72.5: Hawkeye T-Shirts For Everyone

Tue, 10 Apr 2018 11:24:22 GMT

There wasn't a lot of news in the last week, but have we let that stop us? We have not. Join us for a shorter-than-usual (but still longer-than-they-used-to-be) minisode, as Joe, Seb and James waffle on about Flashpoint (no longer), Zack Snyder's own social network, the first photo of Kiernan Shipka's Sabrina, possible villains for Spider-Man: Homecoming 2, Astro City and The Continuing Absence of Hawkeye. Plus, James and Seb respond admirably to last week's request to pitch something as intentionally bad as possible, although maybe not in the way Joe expected.

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Episode 72: Generation X (1996)

Tue, 03 Apr 2018 21:10:28 GMT

In 1996, Jack Sholder and Eric Blakeney made a Generation X pilot for Fox. In 2018, James Hunt decided that we should cover it on the podcast. It's hard to know who you should be more annoyed at, really. Either way, join us for a light-hearted and friendly discussion that takes in Matt Frewer's impression of Jim Carrey's impression of Matt Frewer, the most baffling piece of product placement in movie history, and lessons from the Lea Thompson School of Irish Accents.

And this week's news section is also linked quite nicely to the main part of the episode, as we look at a present day teen X-franchise-related screw-up with the latest developments on New Mutants. We also say hello to some familiar names in Captain Marvel's casting news, and wonder if Donald Glover has burned all his Marvel bridges. AND we've got a new edition of Comics Corner, as we react to the return of the Fantastic Four!

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Minisode 71.5: Tyrannothorus Rex

Tue, 27 Mar 2018 20:23:43 GMT

Joe, Seb and James look at the Deadpool 2 trailer, and get suddenly quite excited when they realise who Rob Delaney is probably playing. And a seemingly innocuous bit of Daredevil S3 casting news gets us speculating about a possible adaptation of one of his best ever comics stories. There's also some chat about the Justice League: Mortal picture leaks, and we get around to going a bit deeper on how that Shazam costume is looking and what it might all mean. Are we actually... quite excited about an upcoming DC movie? Is this because our Disney cheques kept bouncing?

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Episode 71: Thor: The Dark World (2013)

Wed, 21 Mar 2018 11:49:41 GMT

What happens when people who are nerds about comic book movies AND nerds about the London Underground get to talk about a comic book movie that has dodgy London Underground geography in it? Well... you get this podcast, basically. But honestly, we do find things to talk about in Thor: The Dark World other than Thornington Crescent.

We've also got an unusual news roundup, in that we knew the Infinity War trailer was on the way when we recorded but hadn't actually seen it yet; and another piece of news actually broke live during the record...

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Minisode 70.5: We're Sorry, Basically

Mon, 12 Mar 2018 22:33:27 GMT

You wouldn't think that the simple fact of Hawkeye not being on those Infinity War magazine covers could lead to a fifty-seven minute discussion, could you? I bet you definitely wouldn't think there'd be a song in there, either. Well, Joe and James have got news for you. Actually, that's not true, they haven't got "news", that's sort of the problem. Anyway... enjoy this episode!

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Episode 70: Superman III (1983)

Mon, 05 Mar 2018 22:06:44 GMT

Younger listeners may not remember this, but there was a time when if you made a superhero comedy, you were greeted with outrage rather than great reviews and massive box office numbers. But is the problem with Superman III merely that it's a comedy, or more that it's not a very good one? What's more, can Seb find a way to argue that actually it might be the best of the Reeve films? Find out on an episode where we do actually eventually get around to discussing the film, after a news roundup including New Mutants, that Shazam costume, a possible Silver Surfer movie, and Kristen Wiig maybe being a Wonder Woman villain.

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Minisode 69.5: Letitia Explains It All

Wed, 28 Feb 2018 21:50:10 GMT

James has been driven off the podcast by a baying, pitchfork-wielding mob after daring to criticise [SPOILER REMOVED] on our Black Panther episode. He'll be back next week (maybe), but in the meantime Joe and Seb have regrouped to take a run at the latest comic book movie and TV news - including the continuing phenomenal box office take of that film, Joss Whedon departing Batgirl (lol), a whole load of brilliant Sabrina casting, Adam Strange being the surprise star of Krypton, and some non-spoilery The Tick chatter because we just couldn't wait to talk about how good it is.

Plus! What Black Panther spinoff would we each like to see happen? Find out in this week's Pitch segment!

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Episode 69: Black Panther (2018)

Mon, 19 Feb 2018 21:03:48 GMT

At the time of publishing this episode, Black Panther has already taken over $200m at the box office. And we estimate that around 56% of that take has purely been down to Amon Warmann going to see it repeatedly. He joins Joe and James to discuss the film that's already looking like it might be the comic book movie event of a year that also includes Infinity War. As per usual with a new release, there's no news section - so it's straight into a spoiler-free opinion section before we delve into the spoilery specifics. And our regular trio will be back next week to catch up on the news as normal.

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Bonus Episode: February 2018 News Special

Tue, 13 Feb 2018 12:56:54 GMT

With an extra week's wait before you get our Black Panther episode, we thought we'd get together for a quick news episode in the meantime. Spoilers: it ended up not being that quick.

We look at trailers for Deadpool 2 and Venom (we liked one and not the other, SEE IF YOU CAN GUESS WHICH), the Infinity War publicity's continuing absence of Hawkeye, the Marvel Studios 10 Years photo, the Jessica Jones season 2 trailer, Joaquin Phoenix's rumoured Joker casting, Michael Bay's rumoured Lobo movie, the possibility of Tessa Thompson playing a rebooted Kick-Ass, and Stitcher's Wolverine: The Long Night scripted podcast.

And while there's not a pitch segment this time around, you do get to hear which comedians James thinks should play Batman and the Joker. It's probably not the ones you would expect.

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Minisode 68.5: Making TV Shows That Probably Shouldn't Be Made

Tue, 06 Feb 2018 12:56:33 GMT

The Ant-Man and The Wasp trailer, the Metropolis TV show announcement, the ethics of adapting Watchmen yet again, and some Daredevil season 3 tidbits come under the news microscope - and there's also time for a hefty dose of comics news chat, thanks to the announcement of DC's plans for Action Comics #1000 and Brian Michael Bendis assuming control of the Superman franchise. PLUS! Who should Gary Oldman play in the MCU? Find out in the latest new-format Pitch segment!

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Episode 68: Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008)

Sun, 28 Jan 2018 21:05:07 GMT

After our new-for-2018 format changes seemed to go down well, we've made another one by getting rid of Seb! No, not really, he's just on holiday - but that means that it's time for Film4's Michael Leader to once again join us to cover a Hellboy movie, with 2008's The Golden Army. There's also a run through the latest news - but don't forget, if you want to hear more news discussion and the entries in this episode's Pitch segment, you'll have to tune in to next week's minisode...

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Minisode 67.5: All-New, All-Different Minisodes

Tue, 23 Jan 2018 20:55:11 GMT

For the first time in the new and improved minisode format, Seb and James join Joe to talk through the latest comic book news. Discussion includes the changes to Fox's superhero schedule, Gambit's latest directorial woes, Flashpoint's new writers, the latest on Shazam, some tidbits from the MCU, and The Tick's Season 2 renewal. All that, plus 'The Pitch' finds settles into its new home on the minisodes.

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Episode 67: The Dark Knight (2008)

Sun, 14 Jan 2018 20:57:00 GMT

A new year brings some format changes designed to keep the main episodes a bit tighter - so of course this has naturally led to our longest ever episode. But it's The Dark Knight - you didn't exactly want us to run short on it, did you? We also take a look at some recent news including the uncannily-predicted-by-us casting of Kiernan Shipka as Sabrina, some upstairs shuffling of chairs at DC, and (it broke literally as we were recording) finally getting a solo Black Widow movie. The latest news on Gambit, meanwhile, broke just after we recorded - but check in next week for our new-format minisode in which we'll ALL be discussing the news!

There's also a slight change to how we'll be handling recommendations and The Pitch from now on (stay tuned to the very end to hear about that), and after three years of explaining to Joe comic book concepts that he doesn't understand, he reckons he knows everything about comics now, so hear us try to prove him wrong.

It's the all-new, all-improved, no-but-seriously-they-won't-all-be-this-long Cinematic Universe for 2018!

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Awards Special: The Cuppies 2017 (Part Two)

Sat, 30 Dec 2017 22:18:45 GMT

We're back for part two of the 2017 Cinematic Universe Awards - with a brief interruption for a "Man of Steel incident" in Seb's house - in which we run through the remaining awards categories for the films and TV shows we discussed on the podcast in 2017. We also do our customary induction(s) into the Hall of Fame, and there's some selected highlights from this year's Pitch segments!

00:53 - The Howard T Duck Award for the Best Bad Movie 10:12 - Best Supporting Actress 19:55 - Best Screenplay 28:23 - Best Villain 37:05 - Best Song or Musical Moment 45:47 - Worst Film 49:41 - Best Director 60:07 - Best Actress 66:52 - Best Actor 75:25 - Best Film 89:32 - Hall of Fame Inductions 105:45 - Best of The Pitch (2017) 118:56 - Coming Soon...

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Awards Special: The Cuppies 2017 (Part One)

Fri, 22 Dec 2017 10:14:18 GMT

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 cover:

02:15 - Best Supporting Actor 11:16 - Best Costume 21:11 - Best Score 28:10 - Best Couple 39:06 - Best New Film 48:13 - Best Hero 61:11 - Best TV Show 73:32 - Best Casting 84:32 - Best Song

Come back next week for the rest of the awards, including the coveted Howard T Duck Award, Best Film and new Hall of Fame inductees!

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Episode 66: Sky High (2005)

Thu, 14 Dec 2017 20:54:18 GMT

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) Avengers: Infinity War. Oh, and then in the Pitch segment we have maybe our bitterest civil war to date. It's all happening!

00:00 - Intro/Explain a Concept 05:43 - News 92:12 - Movie Discussion 120:55 - Recommendations 125:29 - The Pitch

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Bonus Episode: Winter 2017 News Special

Sun, 26 Nov 2017 15:01:54 GMT

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 the recent launches of Punisher, The Gifted and Runaways - and then it's a bit of a deep dive into some of the major comics news at the top of Marvel and DC.

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Episode 65: Justice League (2017)

Wed, 22 Nov 2017 13:39:14 GMT

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 said he was on the episode, right?

00:00 - Intro/Explain a Concept 09:40 - Spoiler-Free Discussion 25:37 - Spoiler-Filled Discussion 110:31 - Recommendations 117:48 - The Pitch

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Episode 64: Thor: Ragnarok (2017)

Mon, 06 Nov 2017 21:03:09 GMT

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 our spoiler-free opinions; everyone else, listen on as Joe, Seb and James take apart what is clearly the outright funniest MCU film to date but try to figure out if there's much else going on beneath that. And argue about Valkyrie.

00:00 - Intro/Explain a Concept
10:50 - Spoiler-Free Chat
35:00 - Spoiler-Filled Chat
123:00 - Recommendations
127:28 - The Pitch

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Episode 63: The Incredibles (2004)

Tue, 24 Oct 2017 07:39:57 GMT

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
10:45 - News
29:50 - Movie Discussion
106:38 - Recommendations
110:20 - The Pitch

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Minisode 62.5: The Sentry and Animal Man: Deus Ex Machina

Wed, 18 Oct 2017 11:38:04 GMT

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

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Bonus Episode: LFF 2017 Special - My Friend Dahmer & Professor Marston and the Wonder Women

Sun, 15 Oct 2017 13:38:45 GMT

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 radical feminists who created Wonder Woman in the 1940s.

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Episode 62: Unbreakable (2000)

Wed, 27 Sep 2017 12:12:40 GMT

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 introductory segment Joe gets caught up with what's been going on at DC and Marvel lately.

00:00 - Intro/Explain a Concept 18:03 - News 30:55 - Movie Discussion 95:00 - Recommendations 103:53 - The Pitch

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Minisode 60.5/61.5: Sin City, Criminal, Iron Man, No Heroics

Sun, 24 Sep 2017 20:20:19 GMT

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 - Tales of Suspense #50 26:22 - Invincible Iron Man Annual #1 ("The Story of My Life") 32:00 - No Heroics

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Episode 61: Iron Man Three (2013)

Mon, 11 Sep 2017 21:54:16 GMT

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 (it literally happened as we recorded the pod) X-Force news, and give some time over to reviewing the first half-season of Amazon's The Tick.

00:00 - Intro/Explain a Concept 10:55 - News 27:24 - The Tick mini-review 44:49 - Movie Discussion 128:58 - Recommendations 137:51 - The Pitch

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Episode 60: Sin City (2005)

Fri, 01 Sep 2017 11:54:24 GMT

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/Explain a Concept 04:25 - News 32:45 - Movie Discussion 108:18 - Recommendations 116:13 - The Pitch

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Minisode 58.5/59.5: Spider-Man and Valerian comics

Fri, 01 Sep 2017 08:23:53 GMT

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 Stuart Immonen's Ultimate Spider-Man #111 ("The Talk"); Gerry Conway and Gil Kane's The Night Gwen Stacy Died; and Pierre Christin and Jean-Claude Mézières' Valerian and Laureline Vol 8: Heroes of the Equinox.

00:00 - Intro/News 13:15 - Amazing Spider-Man: Lifetheft 17:08 - Ultimate Spider-Man #111: The Talk 20:10 - The Night Gwen Stacy Died 27:04 - Valerian and Laureline Vol 8: Heroes of the Equinox

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Episode 59: Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017)

Sun, 20 Aug 2017 15:05:43 GMT

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 this one (which is mainly because Seb hadn't got round to seeing the film by the time of the recording and nobody else in the world seems to have cared about it).

There's also a roundup of some news that hopefully won't be TOO out of date by the time this episode actually makes it to you, and we'll be back on a normal schedule over the next couple of weeks!

00:00 - Intro/Explain a Concept 11:23 - News 34:56 - Movie Discussion 106:40 - The Pitch

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Episode 58: The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014)

Tue, 01 Aug 2017 20:55:14 GMT

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 also a brief run through some recent news, but because we covered so much on our recent SDCC roundup special, we've got an extra special bonus for you: James has interviewed legendary Batman: TAS voice artist Loren Lester (Dick Grayson) to promote the new Batman and Harley Quinn movie!

00:00 - Intro/Explain a Concept 08:28 - News Summary 18:41 - Loren Lester interview 28:02 - Movie Discussion 112:17 - Recommendations 118:19 - The Pitch

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Bonus Episode: SDCC 2017 News Special

Thu, 27 Jul 2017 10:19:44 GMT

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 (shudder) The Amazing Spider-Man 2...

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Megasode 56.5 / 57.5: Judge Dredd, Amazing Spider-Man: Civil War and Ultimate Comics Spider-Man

Sat, 22 Jul 2017 20:28:02 GMT

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 volumes of the Miles Morales Ultimate Spider-Man by Brian Michael Bendis and Sara Pichelli; and Amazing Spider-Man: Civil War by J. Michael Straczynski and Ron Garney.

There's also a roundup of recent news, but we've steered clear of SDCC stuff as we'll be covering that with a bonus episode later in the week!

00:00 - Intro/News 16:42 - Judge Dredd: The Day the Law Died / The Dark Judges 27:52 - Amazing Spider-Man: Civil War 36:54 - Ultimate Comics Spider-Man (2011) Vols 1-2

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Episode 57: Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

Tue, 11 Jul 2017 08:28:08 GMT

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 who was actually the villain in Civil War - it's all here. As usual with new films, we do some spoiler-free opinions (more spoiler-free than the trailers were, anyway) before giving you fair warning on our EXTREMELY LONG and spoiler-filled chat.

00:00 - Intro/Explain a Concept 15:22 - Spoiler-Free Discussion 37:06 - Spoiler-Filled Discussion 131:31 - Recommendations 139:08 - The Pitch

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Episode 56: Dredd (2012)

Thu, 22 Jun 2017 20:23:49 GMT

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 a roundup of recent news on X-Men: Dark Phoenix and the first Black Panther trailer.

00:00 - Intro 03:10 - Explain a Concept 09:36 - News 31:47 - Movie Discussion 93:15 - Recommendations 96:53 - The Pitch

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Minisode 55.5: Wonder Woman by George Perez and #600

Sat, 17 Jun 2017 11:34:51 GMT

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 heading over to the newly-minted CinematicUniverse.com!

00:00 - Intro / News 14:45 - Wonder Woman (vol. 2) #1-7 22:33 - Wonder Woman #600

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Episode 55: Wonder Woman (2017)

Mon, 05 Jun 2017 11:59:06 GMT

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 pretty big film out this week, and it seems to have gone down rather well. But if you’re not sick of hearing about it yet, then Joe, Seb and James have got a whopping nearly-two-hours of chat about it.

And further more, we’ve got a VERY SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT regarding the future of Cinematic Universe - but you’ll have to wait until the very end to hear it. It’s exciting, though. Honest!

00:00 - Intro/Explain a concept 06:58 - Spoiler-free discussion 35:14 - Spoiler-filled discussion 112:28 - Comics recommendations 118:51 - The Pitch 126:46 - SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT!

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Announcement Special!

Mon, 05 Jun 2017 11:55:39 GMT

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…

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Minisode 54.5: God Loves, Man Kills and Ultimate X-Men

Sat, 27 May 2017 07:52:50 GMT

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 Kills 32:00 - Ultimate X-Men

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Episode 54: X2 (2003)

Sat, 20 May 2017 10:27:29 GMT

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 One, new Hellboy and Robert Zemeckis potentially directing The Flash. But not Tom Hardy as Venom, because that broke after we recorded it.

Timecodes: 00:00 - Intro/Explain a Concept 04:17 - News 30:42 - Movie Discussion 97:19 - Comics Recommendations 102:34 - The Pitch

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Megasode 52.5/53.5: The Ultimates, Astonishing X-Men, Rocket Raccoon and Maximum Security

Fri, 12 May 2017 11:38:55 GMT

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 - Rocket Raccoon 32:45 - Astonishing X-Men 40:12 - The Ultimates

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Episode 53: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)

Thu, 04 May 2017 11:56:47 GMT

Showtime, A-holes. The Cinematic Universe family of Joe, Seb and James are here to give our thoughts on James Gunn's newly-released Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2. As usual, there's no news section, but instead there's a quarter of an hour of spoiler-free opinions before we launch into a spoiler-filled chat - just in case any of you haven't seen the film yet. But really, would you be a Cinematic Universe listener and not have seen this film yet?

Timecodes: 00:00 - Intro/Explain a Concept 06:05 - Spoiler-Free Discussion 23:18 - Spoiler-Filled Discussion 107:10 - Comics Recommendations 113:02 - The Pitch

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Episode 52: The Avengers (2012)

Fri, 28 Apr 2017 22:39:50 GMT

It's a very special episode of Cinematic Universe, as not only do we finally get on to 2012's The Avengers, but the episode was recorded with all three of us in the same room! It was also recorded quite late at night, and after we'd just had an abortive attempt at recording a commentary on the film - but you can hear more about that in the episode. We've also convened this week to do an UP-TO-DATE bit of news chat, since it's been a while since we had one. And Patreon subscribers should watch out early next week for a special, exclusive bonus bit of audio related to this episode! 00:00 – Intro/Explain a concept 04:19 – News 35:18 – Avengers film chat 1:52:50 – Comics recommendations 1:59:38 – The Pitch

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Megasode 50.5/51.5: The Ballad of Halo Jones, 21st Century Tank Girl, The Trial of Galactus and Ultimate Fantastic Four

Wed, 26 Apr 2017 11:38:43 GMT

It's another of our patented Megasodes, as Joe combines two minisodes' worth of content into one convenient package. The Tank Girl and Fantastic Four-inspired comics recommendations are The Ballad of Halo Jones, 21st Century Tank Girl, The Trial of Galactus and Ultimate Fantastic Four, and there's also a partial roundup of the latest news - with more to follow when we convene for our next full episode, imminently!

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Episode 51: Fantastic Four (2005)

Sun, 16 Apr 2017 10:16:05 GMT

Much derided ever since its original release, does Tim Story's 2005 adaptation of Fantastic Four stand up any better since the Josh Trank one came out? Was it ever even really that bad in the first place? Find out as Joe, Seb and James look back at Chris Evans' first superhero movie. There's also some slightly out of date news (we recorded this one weeks ago, but we thought you might still want to hear what we thought of those Spidey and Justice League trailers), and after fifty episodes with the original logo, we've rebranded a bit! Hope you like the new look.

Timecodes: 00:00 - Intro/Explain a Concept 12:35 - News 38:44 - Movie Discussion 99:30 - Comics Recommendations 106:30 - The Pitch

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Bonus Episode: Iron Fist Special

Wed, 05 Apr 2017 19:22:12 GMT

The Podcast Defenders assemble for the first time, as Joe brings together Caroline Siede, Amon Warmann and Al Kennedy to discuss the show everybody's talking about: Riverdale! No, wait, it's Iron Fist. Can we find anything to say that the internet hasn't already done to death over the past fortnight? What do you think?

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Episode 50: Tank Girl (1995)

Sat, 25 Mar 2017 16:27:43 GMT

It's only taken us 50 regular episodes, but we've finally found a comic book movie directed by a woman! The movie in question is, of course, Rachel Talalay's 1995 cult classic, Tank Girl. But will newcomers Seb and Joe love it as much as James has spent the last two decades doing?

And if you want to skip to a specific part of the episode, here are the relevant timecodes! 00:00 - Intro / Explain a Concept 10:30 - News 48:00 - Movie Discussion 102:35 - Comics Recommendations 107:30 - The Pitch

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Bonus Episode: The Death and Return of Superman

Wed, 15 Mar 2017 14:21:25 GMT

In the first of a new occasional series of bonus episodes, Seb is joined by special guest David Hartrick to discuss one of their favourite ever long-form comics stories: the early '90s Death and Return of Superman epic! Warning: there will be Super-mullets.

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Minisode 49.5: Old Man Logan and The Punisher: The End

Fri, 10 Mar 2017 21:33:46 GMT

Joe rounds up the latest comic movie and TV news - and that Jeff Goldblum picture - before giving his reaction to a cheery set of Logan-inspired comics recommendations in the shape of Old Man Logan and The Punisher: The End.

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Episode 49: Logan (2017)

Fri, 03 Mar 2017 13:53:27 GMT

The 2017 releases continue apace as Joe and James are joined by returning guest Michael Leader to talk through the final chapter of Hugh Jackman's seventeen-year-long journey as Wolverine, in James Mangold's Logan. It might be emotional, folks. As ever with new releases, there's no news roundup this week, and we do a bit of spoiler-free chat before delving into specifics after the first hour.

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Megasode 47.5/48.5: Batman RIP & Year Two, Formerly Known as the Justice League and Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye

Sun, 26 Feb 2017 19:27:16 GMT

After a combination of early-records and new release episodes, we're left with an absolute wealth of news to catch up on this week - plus, we've got two eps' worth of comics recommendations to get through. So strap yourselves in as Joe brings you another MEGASODE, giving his thoughts on the Mask of the Phantasm and Lego Batman Movie inspired recs, as well as bringing you the latest on whether or not Matt Reeves is actually directing The Batman or not.

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Episode 48: The Lego Batman Movie (2017)

Thu, 16 Feb 2017 21:09:36 GMT

We have a very special guest on this week's show, as Emmy Hunt (aged 3) gives us her opinion on The Lego Batman Movie. Hopefully it goes down better with you lot than her father's opinion on Mask of the Phantasm did. In addition to discussing (in spoilerific fashion) the first comic book movie release of 2017, meanwhile, we also take some time out of the news section to give our early thoughts on Legion - as, in an increasingly rare occurrence, we actually all watched the first episode of something in the week that it aired! We won't see the likes of these days again.

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Episode 47: Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993)

Fri, 10 Feb 2017 22:12:59 GMT

It's an animated Batman movie in February 2017... but no, we're not talking about The Lego Batman Movie (that's coming next time out), but 1993's Mask of the Phantasm. Does this foray into animation come out better than Planet Hulk did? Is it, in fact, the definitive screen take on Batman? In a rare twist, Batman: TAS fan Joe is actually the expert on the source material this time around - but can he explain to Seb and James a cartoon concept that as comics fans, they just don't understand?

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Minisode 46.5: The Death of Superman (1961), The Price and Last Son

Sat, 04 Feb 2017 23:10:33 GMT

Joe runs through the latest comic book movie and TV news before taking a look at the Superman II-inspired recommendations from the 60s, 80s and 00s: The Death of Superman, The Price and Last Son.

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Episode 46: Superman II (1980)

Sat, 28 Jan 2017 22:18:25 GMT

Another topical one, as the White House finds itself invaded by a fascistic dictator, and... oh, man, it's just not even funny any more, is it? God knows what it'll be like when we get onto V For Vendetta. Anyway, this is Superman II, the 1980 Richard Lester classic, you all know it by now - and while we've focused on the original theatrical release, we do also talk about the 2006 Richard Donner Cut, too.

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Minisode 45.5: Captain America Comics #1 and Out of Time

Wed, 25 Jan 2017 21:03:46 GMT

Joe looks at the incredibly topical Captain America Comics #1 from 1941, as one of two recommendations based on The First Avenger. He's also got the first volume of Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting's 2005 run to look at, but let's face it, in January 2017 it's all about the Nazi-punching. Oh, and yes: we do know that it was Joe Simon as well as Jack Kirby who did the original Cap stuff, just in case anyone wanted to write in and complain about Joe's mistake.

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2016 Awards Special: Part Two

Thu, 12 Jan 2017 20:51:38 GMT

It's time to stick a fork in 2016, as we round off our epic-length (and mildly booze-driven) end-of-year awards ceremony! In this half, we cover such categories as Best Director, Best Villain, Best Casting, Best Bad Movie, Best Screenplay, Best Couple - and the big ones of Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Film. Plus, we have a new inductee - or is it inductees? - into the Hall of Fame, Seb and James talk about their favourite comics of 2016, Joe picks out the best thing that was recommended to him last year, and we pick some of our favourite Pitch segments. Phew. Never let it be said we don't cover these things exhaustively.

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2016 Awards Special: Part One

Wed, 04 Jan 2017 21:51:03 GMT

Yes, the new year may have begun, but we've still got one last lingering thread of 2016. Two threads, in fact, as our annual awards shebang is so long that we've once again had to split it into two episodes. So listen on to hear our winners in the categories of Best Supporting Actress, Best Score, Best Hero, Best New Film, Best Supporting Actor, Best Costume, Worst Film and Best Song - and then come back in around a week's time for the rest!

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Episode 45: Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

Fri, 30 Dec 2016 23:00:37 GMT

Just sneaking in in time to be eligible for our 2016 awards, it's the first Peggy Carter film! Spoiler alert: we like this one quite a lot. Spoiler alert: that means the podcast is quite long. Especially since it also contains our long-awaited Spider-Man: Homecoming chat. But what better way to round off the year than Joe, Seb and James talking about a movie that we all love, and a movie that we all expect to love?

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Minisode 44.5: Hellblazer: Dangerous Habits and Fear & Loathing

Sun, 25 Dec 2016 11:02:12 GMT

Merry Christmas! We didn't actually originally intend to be putting out an episode today, but that's how the schedules have fallen as we run through our end-of-year catching up. So in advance of our upcoming Captain America: The First Avenger and Best of 2016 Awards episodes, here's Joe with a look back at Seb's Constantine-inspired recommendations: the Garth Ennis, Will Simpson and Steve Dillon Hellblazer arcs Dangerous Habits and Fear and Loathing. There's also a run through some of the recent comic book movie news that you may have missed, but let's face it, probably didn't.

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Episode 44: Constantine (2005)

Sun, 11 Dec 2016 12:53:21 GMT

A movie in which a grumpy blond Scouser is played by Keanu Reeves in the wrong-coloured trenchcoat? Seb's surely not going to like this... or is he? He and Joe are joined by special guest Sarah Dobbs to discuss Francis Lawrence's 2005 movie Constantine, based on the comic Hellblazer. We also look back at the new Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 trailer, and are unnecessarily mean about The Inhumans.

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Minisode 43.5: Doctor Strange: The Oath and Season One

Sat, 03 Dec 2016 19:10:34 GMT

Hey, remember when we all saw Doctor Strange? It was a few weeks ago now, but after a couple of bonus episodes in the meantime, Joe is finally getting around to talking about the recommended comics The Oath and Season One, plus the recent Doctor Strange series that he's actually been reading off his own back! There's also time for a long-overdue catchup on the latest comic book movie and TV news.

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100th Episode Spectacular!

Wed, 23 Nov 2016 09:23:29 GMT

Between full episodes, minisodes and bonus eps, we've reached our 100th edition! To celebrate, we recorded this special bonus episode at the Thought Bubble convention in early November. Sadly, James couldn't make it to the event, so Seb and Joe are joined by Rhys Williamson as we look back at how the last two years have turned Joe into a bona fide comics reader. How has he felt about plunging into this new world, and what has he learned? In addition, we've got contributions from across the weekend by a range of friends and special guests, including Kieron Gillen, Chris Hewitt, Al Kennedy, Ryan North and Erica Henderson!

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Bonus Episode: Luke Cage Review Special

Fri, 18 Nov 2016 14:20:35 GMT

In a first for Cinematic Universe, neither James nor Seb are on the pod! Instead, Joe is joined by Caroline Seide and Amon Warmann to discuss the first season of Netflix's Luke Cage in our latest TV review special.

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Episode 43: Doctor Strange (2016)

Sat, 12 Nov 2016 12:21:39 GMT

Again, a slightly later than planned episode due to a couple of technical issues with the recording - but at least it's given more of you a chance to see the film! So join Joe, James and special guest Matt Looker as we look at the final comic book movie release of 2016: Marvel's Doctor Strange. As usual, we've done a spoiler-free reaction section at the beginning (in case any of you haven't seen it yet) before moving into more detailed, spoiler-filled thoughts later on.

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Minisode 42.5: New X-Men and James' X-Men Pick 'n' MiX

Wed, 02 Nov 2016 21:13:01 GMT

This one's practically a megasode, as there's an awful lot to get through while we attempt to wrestle the podcast back onto a more regular schedule. Our Doctor Strange episode will be with you later in the week, but in the meantime, it's about time Joe got around to catching up with those X-Men comics recommendations. They were the first volume of Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely's New X-Men (E is for Extinction), plus a whole heap of grab-bag single issues from across the years recommended by James. In the news section, meanwhile, there's a specially recorded bit featuring Seb and James, as the three of us take a look at those Logan and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 trailers that dropped a couple of weeks back.

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Episode 42: X-Men (2000)

Fri, 21 Oct 2016 09:14:11 GMT

A week later than planned - thanks to a technical glitch and editing saga that's too annoying and tedious to even relate - we look at Bryan Singer's 2000 franchise-starter, X-Men. There's also time for a bit of a news catchup - although because this episode was recorded almost a fortnight before release, we haven't yet got to the Logan and GOTG Vol 2 trailers that came out this week. We will, though. We will.

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Bonus Episode: Luke Cage Interview Special

Fri, 07 Oct 2016 22:09:55 GMT

Brexit? Pah! This week's bonus Cinematic Universe episode comes to you from PARIS, where James found himself at a junket for Netflix's brand new Luke Cage series. So listen on for exclusive interviews with showrunner Cheo Hodari Coker, and cast members Mahershala Ali (Cottonmouth), Simone Missick (Misty Knight) and Luke Cage himself, Mike Colter!

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Minisode 41.5: S.H.I.E.L.D. by Steranko and Nextwave: Agents of H.A.T.E.

Sat, 01 Oct 2016 18:52:19 GMT

It's Nick Fury vs Dirk Anger, as Joe looks at our recommendations of Jim Steranko's classic late '60s S.H.I.E.L.D. run, and Warren Ellis and Stuart Immonen's equally classic early 2000s Nextwave: Agents of H.A.T.E. It's like Shakespeare, but with lots more punching...

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Episode 41: Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. (1998)

Sat, 24 Sep 2016 11:21:03 GMT

We're back from our summer sort-of-break, with a look at a true classic of the genre: the 1998, David Hasslehoff-starring Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. TV movie! The question is, is it the worst live-action property to feature the words "of S.H.I.E.L.D." in its title, or not?

We also take a run through the latest comic book and TV movie news, and look at some early DC Rebirth recommendations.

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Megasode 39.5/40.5: The Long Halloween, Joker, Trail of the Catwoman and Batman: Harley Quinn

Sat, 17 Sep 2016 12:01:37 GMT

The minisodes go mega, as Joe returns from his honeymoon to catch up with a whole load of news, and then two episodes' worth of comics recommendations. Appropriately enough for Batman Day, he gets through Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale's The Long Halloween, Brian Azzarello and Lee Bermejo's Joker, Ed Brubaker and Darwyn Cooke's Trail of the Catwoman, and the Batman: Harley Quinn collected anthology. Phew!

Normal Cinematic Universe service will resume next week, with our next full episode, and then we should be back onto a regular schedule. Thanks for your patience during our summer break!

And head on over to CinematicMultiverse.com if you want links to where you can find this episode's comics to buy.

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Bonus Episode: Summer 2016 News Special

Sat, 03 Sep 2016 16:30:06 GMT

It's another one of our occasional news specials, as Seb and James catch up with the stuff that's been going on while we've been putting out pre-records and such. We tackle a range of topics including the Hulu Runaways announcement, Doug Liman jumping ship from Gambit to Dark Universe, the What Thor Did During Civil War short, Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders, Zendaya's (probable) casting as Mary Jane Watson, and a bunch more besides. Plus, we recommend two comics that we probably won't ever find an excuse to recommend on a regular episode.

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Episode 40: Batman Returns (1992)

Sat, 27 Aug 2016 10:12:51 GMT

In a special pre-recorded episode, filling the gap while Joe is away on honeymoon, we look at Tim Burton's 1992 sequel Batman Returns. Is it the best of the '90s Bat-films? Heck, is it the best Bat-film full stop?

As it's a pre-record, there's again no news chat this week - but we do find time to explain to Joe just what "cheesecake" art means. And James and Seb will be back with a catchup news minisode next week...

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Minisode 38.5: Spider-Man: Web of Death and My Uncle... My Enemy?

Sun, 14 Aug 2016 20:21:16 GMT

In this time-crossing minisode, the Seb of this week runs through the latest news before handing over to the Joe of a couple of weeks ago, as he gives his thoughts on the Spider-Man 2-inspired comics recommendations of Web of Death and My Uncle... My Enemy. And keep listening for an update on exactly where our schedule is up to while we cover for Joe's wedding-induced absence!

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Episode 39: Suicide Squad (2016)

Wed, 10 Aug 2016 10:30:44 GMT

Have you had enough HOT TAKES on Suicide Squad yet? Hopefully not, as we've finally got around to giving you ours, in our last regular episode before Joe heads off to get married and stuff. Unfortunately (or possibly fortunately, from his perspective) Seb was too unwell to get to see the film over the weekend, but happily Joe and James are again joined by Amon Warmann to discuss the film that's sparked fervent debate about just what's going on with all of these superhero movies and are they actually any good for us? But more importantly... what did we think of the film itself?

For those who were wondering, by the way, we haven't forgotten about the Spider-Man 2 minisode - it's just that we wanted to get this one out in as timely a fashion as we could manage. We'll get back to that minisode next week, and the following week we'll have the first of our pre-recorded episodes (the identity of which is revealed, as usual, on this week's pod). At some point things will settle back down into a normal schedule, but August is going to be a bit unusual, so please bear with us week on week!

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Episode 38: Spider-Man 2 (2004)

Sun, 31 Jul 2016 10:28:42 GMT

Back in 2004, Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 2 was immediately considered one of the greatest superhero films ever made. Have things changed in 2016, or does it still stand up as one of the best? Find out, in the latest edition of our occasional series, Seb And James Have Very Strong Feelings About Spider-Man!

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Bonus Episode: SDCC 2016 News Special

Wed, 27 Jul 2016 08:58:41 GMT

With so much news coming out of SDCC this year, we needed an entire bonus podcast to cover it all - so listen on for a whopping hour’s worth of chat from Joe, Seb and James on all things DCEU, MCU, Flarrowverse and a lot more besides. And we’ll be back in just a few days’ time with our next full-length episode, on Spider-Man 2!

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Minisode 37.5: Thor (2007) vol 1 and Thor: The Mighty Avenger

Sat, 23 Jul 2016 09:55:04 GMT

It's been a very Thor week for Joe. So Thor, in fact, that he got a migraine and so had to delay this week's minithode. Anyway, having got the puns out of our system, let's take a look at J. Michael Straczynski and Oliver Coipel's Thor (2007) vol. 1, and Roger Langridge and Chris Samnee's Thor: The Mighty Avenger. There's also a roundup of some news bits, although note that the ep was recorded before SDCC kicked off in earnest - so we'll catch up with all the goings-on from there on our next full ep!

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Episode 37: Thor (2011)

Wed, 13 Jul 2016 21:45:37 GMT

It's a bit of a different one this week: with Seb absent, the talking is down to just Joe and James; and we're also trialling leaving out the news section on some episodes, in order to get to the film discussion more quickly. Fortunately, we're otherwise on familiar ground as we return to the MCU and kick off a pretty impressive sequence of films with 2011's Thor.

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Minisode 36.5: Casanova: Luxuria and James Bond: VARGR

Thu, 07 Jul 2016 12:45:17 GMT

It’s a quiet old time for news, which actually gives Joe the opportunity to get straight into last week’s comic book recommendations instead. So listen on to hear what he made of Matt Fraction and Gabriel Ba’s Casanova: Luxuria, and Warren Ellis and Jason Masters’ James Bond: VARGR.

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Episode 36: Kingsman: The Secret Service (2015)

Thu, 30 Jun 2016 20:40:27 GMT

Joe and Seb are joined by writer, script editor and avid "Tweetnoter" Andrew Ellard to discuss Matthew Vaughn's 2015 Kingsman: The Secret Service. How does the film stack up to the Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons comic on which it's based? And, perhaps more pertinently, how does it stack up to the James Bond canon that it's so clearly pitching as a postmodern take on? The resulting chat is so long that we actually had to cut out one of the news bits - so hopefully you'll think it's worth it...

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Bonus Episode: The Flash Special

Thu, 23 Jun 2016 12:02:24 GMT

Due to scheduling problems we have a week's gap before our Kingsman: The Secret Service episode, so Joe and Seb thought it was about time they got around to having a big old chat about their favourite superhero TV show of recent years: The Flash! Expect spoilers for both seasons so far, as we talk about just why we like the show so much, and our hopes and expectations for the upcoming third season.

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Minisode 35.5: Starman: Sins of the Father and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen vols 1 & 2

Wed, 15 Jun 2016 19:55:59 GMT

It's a light news section this week, which is good, as Joe has probably his best week so far for good comics recommendations to talk about: the first two volumes of Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill's The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, and the first volume of James Robinson and Tony Harris' Starman. But did he like these books as much as Seb and James do (which is to say, a heck of a lot)? You'll have to listen to find out, as if that wasn't obvious.

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Episode 35: The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003)

Wed, 08 Jun 2016 20:29:57 GMT

Cinematic Universe goes steampunk... sorry, "dieselpunk"... for the film that ended not one but TWO Hollywood careers. Yes, it's The League of Extreme... sorry, Extraordinary Gentlemen! In the news, meanwhile, we react to the Captain Marvel casting chat, and the shifting sands of the DC movie universe. Oh, and just so you know, there are Flash season two spoilers in the introductory question section, so skip on a bit if you haven't yet caught up with the finale.

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Minisode 34.5: The Apocalypse Solution and The Adventures of Cyclops & Phoenix

Thu, 02 Jun 2016 20:44:33 GMT

It's been a little while since we've had a proper news roundup, thanks to a glut of new-movie-release episodes, so Joe finally takes the opportunity to catch up on the last few weeks' worth of stuff. Then it's on to discussing James' X-Men: Apocalypse-inspired recommendations: The Adventures of Cyclops and Phoenix and Uncanny X-Force: The Apocalypse Solution.

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Episode 34: X-Men: Apocalypse (2016)

Mon, 23 May 2016 17:26:17 GMT

The deluge of new-release episodes continues, as Joe and James are joined by special guest Neil "Incredible Suit" Alcock to discuss the ninth (NINTH!) X-film, Bryan Singer's X-Men: Apocalypse. As usual with new films, there's some spoiler-free chat at the start (despite James' best efforts) before a more full-on spoiler-filled discussion.

PLUS, we've got a very special new competition you can enter! You don't even need to listen all the way through to hear it because we're that nice.

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Bonus Episode: Netflix's Daredevil Season 2 Special

Fri, 20 May 2016 21:53:39 GMT

Now that you (and we) have all had time to finish the second season of Netflix's Daredevil, Joe, James and special guest Caroline Siede look back over the series to see what worked, what didn't, and generally chat about how great The Punisher is.

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Bonus Episode: Agent Carter Season 2 Special

Mon, 16 May 2016 12:15:40 GMT

In a special bonus episode recorded just before it was confirmed that Agent Carter had been cancelled, Joe, Seb and James look back at the second season and discuss why it was one of our favourite superhero TV shows of recent years.

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Minisode 33.5: Captain America: No Escape and Kingdom Come

Thu, 12 May 2016 08:08:11 GMT

It's been longer than normal since our last news roundup, due to our release-week episode of Captain America: Civil War - so Joe catches up with the latest happenings and scuttlebutt in the Marvel, Fox and DC movieverses before moving on to discussing last week's comics recommendations: Captain America: No Escape by Ed Brubaker and Butch Guice, and Kingdom Come by Mark Waid and Alex Ross.

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Episode 33: Captain America: Civil War (2016)

Wed, 04 May 2016 12:35:08 GMT

Two sides. One conflict. You know the drill: it's CaptainAmerica: Civil War, and we're all a bit excited. But are we#TeamCap, #TeamIronMan, #TeamSpidey or #TeamMarisaTomei? Find outon our special release-week episode. As ever, there's no newsroundup this week, but we do a chunk of safe, spoiler-free opinionchat before delving deep - and we do mean deep - into the specificsof the film.

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Minisode 32.5: The Mask and The Matrix

Thu, 28 Apr 2016 12:28:41 GMT

Well, that Michael Keaton Spider-Man thing went well,huh? Joe discusses that, the final X-Men: Apocalypsetrailer and various little bits of casting news in our latestminisode. Then it's on to last week's The Mask-inspiredcomics recommendations: (unsurprisingly) The Mask by JohnArcudi and Doug Mahnke, and (slightly more surprisingly) TheMatrix by the Wachowskis and... loads of people.

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Episode 32: The Mask (1994)

Thu, 21 Apr 2016 15:02:40 GMT

SSSSMOKIN! SOMEBODY STOP ME! THAT'S A SPICY MEATBALL! And other such things that you undoubtedly heard (and maybe even shouted) thousands of times in the playground in the mid 1990s. Yes, we went there: it's Jim Carrey in Chuck Russell's adaptation of the Dark Horse comic The Mask. In the news, meanwhile, we mostly talk about Spider-Man: Homecoming because, well, it's us.

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Minisode 31.5: Planet Hulk: Anarchy and Beta Ray Bill: Godhunter

Wed, 13 Apr 2016 20:51:08 GMT

Joe talks Doctor Strange, Spider-Man: Homecoming, Thor: Ragnarok, Defenders, Cloak and Dagger and a whole bunch more in a bumper news section. Then it's on to last week's comics recommendations: Greg Pak and Aaron Lopresti's Planet Hulk: Anarchy and Kieron Gillen and Kano's Beta Ray Bill: Godhunter.

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Episode 31: Planet Hulk (2010)

Fri, 08 Apr 2016 12:56:23 GMT

A bit of a change of pace this week, as we look for the first time at a direct-to-DVD animated adaptation, with Sam Liu's 2010 film of Planet Hulk. As well as discussing this specific film's merits, we talk more generally about the genre: do these adaptations generally work? What, if anything, do they offer that a live-action film or the original comic can't? And are there any comics we'd like to see adapted into the format?

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Minisode 30.5: The Dark Knight Returns and Superman & Batman: Generations

Fri, 01 Apr 2016 12:55:24 GMT

A big pile of DC-related news heads up this week's minisode, before Joe moves on to the Batman v Superman-inspired recommendations of (obviously) The Dark Knight Returns and (slightly less obviously) Superman & Batman: Generations. But #WhoWillWin in this epic battle between Frank Miller and John Byrne? We promise we won't make you wait two and a half hours to find out.

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Episode 30: Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)

Mon, 28 Mar 2016 13:39:34 GMT

Do we really need to introduce this? It's our Batman v Superman episode: you should know the drill by now. Listen on to find out whether another Zack Snyder film made Seb throw up, or whether the unlikely scenario of Seb and James somehow liking it more than Joe did came to pass. And as usual with new releases, we've done a spoiler-free instant reaction section (recorded in a central London pizza restaurant literally minutes after we got out of the film) before getting into the detailed nitty-gritty, so if you haven't seen the film yet, you can still listen to the first twenty minutes or so.

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Minisode 29.5: Superman Birthright and Earth One

Thu, 17 Mar 2016 13:04:35 GMT

Last week's Man of Steel-inspired comics reading was made up of two books that Seb has very different feelings about: Mark Waid and Leinil Yu's Birthright and J. Michael Straczynski and Shane Davis' Earth One volume 1. But did Joe agree on either or both counts? Find out in this week's minisode. There's also the usual roundup of the week's comic book movie news - including the trailer-based appearance of a certain webslinger...

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Episode 29: Man of Steel (2013)

Thu, 10 Mar 2016 21:14:09 GMT

We finally reach The Movie That Literally Made Seb Vomit; but in case you were worried our Man of Steel podcast was going to be two hours of relentless negativity, we've drafted in Rhys Williamson - who actually liked it - to provide some balance alongside Joe and Seb. That's after news discussion around Joseph Gordon-Levitt's departure from Sandman, and Sony's announcement of Venom. And no, the Civil War trailer didn't make it out in time to be covered here, but you'd better believe we'll be talking about that soon.

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Minisode 28.5: Essex County and Optic Nerve

Wed, 02 Mar 2016 13:53:52 GMT

Inspired by Ghost World, this week's comic book recommendations are both indie titles: Jeff Lemire's Essex County, and Adrian Tomine's Optic Nerve: Sleepwalk and Other Stories. In the news, meanwhile, Joe looks at Finn Jones being cast as Iron Fist, and that seemingly inevitable Gambit delay.

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Episode 28: Ghost World (2001)

Thu, 25 Feb 2016 11:00:58 GMT

A film about two sarcastic, alienated outsiders trying to make sense of the baffling world around them? Can't imagine why that would appeal to us at all. Terry Zwigoff and Daniel Clowes' 2001 masterpiece ends up giving us our longest episode yet - although that's partly because of how long Seb spent talking about DC Rebirth at the start...

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Minisode 27.5: Cable & Deadpool and Justice League International

Wed, 17 Feb 2016 21:05:01 GMT

Joe looks back at a big news week, from Deadpool's astonishing box-office take to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2's shooting and casting announcements. Then it's on to last week's recommendations, the first volumes of Cable & Deadpool (2004) and Justice League International (1987).

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Episode 27: Deadpool (2016)

Fri, 12 Feb 2016 17:06:51 GMT

Cinematic Universe meets The Merc With A Mouth as Joe, James and guest Amon Warmann discuss the latest cinematic release from Fox's X-Men universe - the R-rated superhero movie, Deadpool, starring Ryan Reynolds and directed by Tim Miller. Don't worry if you haven't seen the film - we start off with a fairly hefty spoiler-free discussion so that you can still listen to the podcast even if you haven't seen it yet.

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Bonus Episode: Deadpool For Dummies

Wed, 10 Feb 2016 21:48:41 GMT

To plug the gap before our imminent release-week Deadpool review episode, Joe and James have got together to bring you a special "Deadpool For Dummies" primer episode - including answers to some listener questions! So you'll have no excuse for not knowing who the guy is when you go to see the film on Friday. And once you have done, come back for our main ep!

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Minisode 26.5: The Punisher: Welcome Back Frank and Mother Russia

Thu, 04 Feb 2016 14:47:51 GMT

Joe was so keen for pun-ishment this week that he accidentally read twelve additional Punisher issues that hadn't actually been recommended to him. As it is, though, he finally got around to checking out Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon's Welcome Back Frank and Garth Ennis (again) and Dougie Braithwaite's Mother Russia; but you might as well also hear what he heard of the opening arcs of the Garth Ennis (yet again) 2001 ongoing series as well. It's confusing, this comics lark, isn't it?

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Episode 26: The Punisher (2004)

Wed, 27 Jan 2016 22:53:59 GMT

This week, Seb and James have maybe their biggest ever Marvel-vs-DC argument, over two characters they don't even really like that much. Then it's on to a bit of news discussion - including some cheery speculation over Civil War's potential deaths - before moving on to the main event, the 2004 Thomas Jane-starring adaptation of The Punisher. Nobody could argue it's a good film, but is it one we enjoyed watching? The answer, in one of our longest episodes to date, might surprise you.

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Minisode 25.5: Spider-Men and The Amazing Spider-Man: Shed

Wed, 20 Jan 2016 21:41:22 GMT

Joe looks at a busy week of DC news, with THAT Suicide Squad trailer and the first Wonder Woman footage. Then there's a quick stopoff for news on Deadpool and Jessica Jones season 2, before a look at this week's Amazing Spider-Man comics recommendations: Brian Michael Bendis and Sara Pichelli's Spider-Men, and Zeb Wells and Chris Bachalo's Shed.

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Episode 25: The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)

Wed, 13 Jan 2016 15:29:49 GMT

With Great Power, Comes Great Responsibility. Unfortunately, you won't hear those words in this week's film, as we're looking at Sony's spectacularly unnecessary franchise reboot, The Amazing Spider-Man. Er, we may have just spoiled whether or not we think it's any good. But you should listen anyway. PLUS! Stay tuned to the end of the pod (even if you're the kind of person who normally skips the Pitch) for some Important News about the future of Cinematic Universe!

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2015 Awards Special: Part Two

Wed, 06 Jan 2016 15:16:25 GMT

In the second half of our 2015 retrospective, we rattle through a few more categories than in the first half, as we decide which of the films and TV shows we covered last year should win the awards for Best Song, Best Costume, Best Villain, Best Screenplay, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Actor, Worst Film and finally our Best Film of the lot. Plus, we recommend a couple of 2015's best comics that we hadn't already discussed on the pod, and we induct our first name into the Cinematic Universe Hall of Fame. AND there's a chance for you the listener to have your own say in a special category at the end!

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2015 Awards Special: Part One

Wed, 30 Dec 2015 16:55:36 GMT

It's the inaugural Cinematic Universe End of Year Awards! In the first half of our two-part special, we look back over all the films and TV shows - whether new or old - that we covered in 2015, and hand out arbitrary awards in a range of categories. This time around you'll hear our thoughts on the best supporting actors and actresses, our favourite heroes, the best relationship/couple, the movies with the best casting choices overall, and the best film that actually came out in 2015 (spoilers: that one's probably not Fantastic Four). We'd love to hear your thoughts on the films we've covered this year - and don't forget to come back next week for the second half, featuring even more awards being dished out.

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Minisode 24.5: Secret Avengers and The Secret Origin of Tony Stark

Thu, 24 Dec 2015 13:42:52 GMT

Joe rounds up a relatively quiet pre-Christmas news period with some chat on Deadpool, Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 2 rumours and Wonder Woman; before moving on to the Iron Man 2-inspired comics recommendations: Secret Avengers #1-5 by Ed Brubaker and Mike Deodato Jr, and Iron Man: The Secret Origin of Tony Stark by Kieron Gillen, Dale Eaglesham, Greg Land and Carlo Pagulayan.

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Episode 24: Iron Man 2 (2010)

Thu, 17 Dec 2015 21:52:01 GMT

It's a mammoth news section before we even get to the movie this week, with THREE trailers to discuss (Batman vs Superman, Civil War and X-Men: Apocalypse) AND that recent twist in Supergirl. After that, we get back into the MCU with Jon Favreau's Iron Man 2 - is its reputation as the black sheep of the franchise deserved, or is there more to it than it's normally given credit for?

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Bonus Episode: Jessica Jones Special

Wed, 09 Dec 2015 14:31:21 GMT

In a change to our scheduled programming, Joe, James and special guest Caroline Siede look back at the latest Marvel/Netflix series: Jessica Jones. Does the series live up to our impossibly high expectations of an Alias adaptation?

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Minisode 23.5: Kill Your Boyfriend and Superman: Secret Identity

Thu, 03 Dec 2015 12:14:12 GMT

Joe's homework in the wake of Kick-Ass was to read one of James' favourite comics ever and one of Seb's favourite comics ever. So let's hope this went well, otherwise he's probably fired. Meanwhile, there have also been a few movie trailers of note that we'd probably better get around to discussing in the news section.

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Episode 23: Kick-Ass (2010)

Wed, 25 Nov 2015 22:23:56 GMT

Joe, Seb and James tackle one of the most controversial superhero movies ever made, in the shape of Matthew Vaughn's 2010 adaptation of Kick-Ass. In the news, there's time for a bit of chat about our initial impressions of Jessica Jones (but don't worry, we don't go spoilery beyond the first episode) as well as the new round of casting news as Wonder Woman enters production, and some rumours about Justice League Dark.

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Minisode 22.5: Hellboy and The Umbrella Academy

Thu, 19 Nov 2015 07:05:13 GMT

Joe takes a look at the week in comic book movie and TV news, before launching into his thoughts on last week's Hellboy-inspired comics recommendations: Hellboy volume 3 (The Chained Coffin and Others) and The Umbrella Academy volume 1 (Apocalypse Suite).

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Episode 22: Hellboy (2004)

Wed, 11 Nov 2015 13:27:28 GMT

Joe and Seb are joined by special guest Michael Leader of Film4.com to discuss Guillermo del Toro's fondly-regarded 2004 adaptation of Mike Mignola's Hellboy. In a quiet news week, meanwhile, we take the time for a (mostly non-spoilery) chat about what we thought of Supergirl's first couple of episodes, and a picking apart of that first Preacher trailer.

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Minisode 21.5: Blade: Undead Again and Welcome Back to the House of Mystery

Wed, 04 Nov 2015 15:39:27 GMT

It's a packed news roundup this week, with Wonder Woman and Doctor Strange casting, the Preacher trailer, and some more details on Suicide Squad. Then it's on to the Blade-inspired comics recommendations from last week: Blade: Undead Again and Welcome Back to the House of Mystery.

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Episode 21: Blade (1998)

Thu, 29 Oct 2015 13:41:25 GMT

It's our first ever Halloween special! So naturally, we're looking at a superhero/horror crossover in the shape of Stephen Norrington's 1998, Wesley Snipes-starring, Blade. Oh, and it's the first major Marvel film of the modern era and its success may have paved the way for the mega-successful Marvel we know now, or something. But is it actually any good? Meanwhile, the guys also take an in-depth look at that Jessica Jones trailer, and James tries to explain who the heck this Legion guy is.

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Minisode 20.5: X-Men Season One and Fatal Attractions

Thu, 22 Oct 2015 10:02:55 GMT

There's an X-theme to the news this week, as Joe discusses Fox's Legion and Hellfire TV announcements, and makes the now-usual weekly check-in with the director rumours for Gambit. Then it's on to the X-Men: First Class inspired comics recommendations: the classic 1993 crossover Fatal Attractions, and Dennis Hopeless and Jamie McKelvie's Season One OGN.

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Episode 20: X-Men: First Class (2011)

Wed, 14 Oct 2015 21:11:47 GMT

Our Wolverine-centric look at the X-Men movie chronology continues with Matthew Vaughn's 2011 film, X-Men: First Class. And in the news, we look at Marvel's latest release date shuffle, Vin Diesel's Inhumans hints, and casting announcements for Agent Carter and Jessica Jones. Apologies in advance for Joe and Seb's low-quality mics and James' low-quality health.

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Minisode 19.5: Ghost in the Shell & Excel Saga

Wed, 07 Oct 2015 21:25:02 GMT

This week's news items include new directors for Thor: Ragnarok and The Flash's next big-screen outing, as well as news about the Damage Control, Watchmen and Jessica Jones TV shows. Then Joe reviews our comic - or rather, manga - picks from last week: Ghost in the Shell and Excel Saga.

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Episode 19: Ghost in the Shell (1995)

Wed, 30 Sep 2015 21:28:33 GMT

It's a step into new territory for the podcast, with our first animated movie - and our first movie based on a Japanese manga. To help Joe get his head around 1995's Ghost in the Shell, James is joined by anime expert Ian Grundy. In the news, meanwhile, we look at the possibility of a Blue Beetle/Booster Gold movie, and the latest on Jessica Jones.

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Minisode 18.5: Planet Hulk: Exile and Ultimate Wolverine vs. Hulk

Wed, 23 Sep 2015 20:50:22 GMT

It's a relatively quiet week for comic book movie and TV news, but Joe touches on Gambit's directorial troubles, rumours of a Booster Gold/Blue Beetle movie and some MCU Netflix updates before getting on with last week's Incredible Hulk-inspired comics recommendations - Planet Hulk: Exile by Greg Pak and Carlo Pagulayan, and Damon Lindelof and Leinil Yu's Ultimate Wolverine vs. Hulk.

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Episode 18: The Incredible Hulk (2008)

Wed, 16 Sep 2015 22:55:40 GMT

Cinematic Universe returns to its Marvel namesake to re-examine Louis Leterrier's 2008 film, The Incredible Hulk, which stars Ed Norton, Liv Tyler, and a bunch of other people who subsequently disappeared from the MCU forever. But before that, we look at the latest comic book movie news, including casting news for Wonder Woman and Captain Marvel, the Jessica Jones teaser, and Scarlet Witch's potential role in Civil War.

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Minisode 17.5: Howard the Duck by Steve Gerber and Chip Zdarsky

Wed, 09 Sep 2015 20:38:15 GMT

Joe takes a look at the latest comic book movie and TV news, before discussing last week's Howard the Duck-related recommendations: issues #5 through #8 of the original Steve Gerber and Gene Colan run, and then the recent first volume of Chip Zdarsky and Joe Quinones' 2015 run. He also picked up Skottie Young and Jim Mahfood's Howard the Human. Crikey, anyone would think he liked the movie or something.

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Episode 17: Howard the Duck (1986)

Wed, 02 Sep 2015 16:17:06 GMT

It's Marvel's first ever feature-length live action theatrical movie! What a special event for us to cover. Unfortunately... it's also Howard the Duck. Heaven help us, we actually went through with it. Before that, there's discussion of those spoilery Civil War promo images, and the potential casting of Mads Mikkelsen in Doctor Strange.

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Minisode 16.5: Batman Year One & The Scarecrow

Wed, 26 Aug 2015 14:51:44 GMT

Joe reviews Batman: Year One, Batman #455-457 and Shadow of the Bat #16-18 after Seb and James recommended them at the end of our Batman Begins episode, as well as running down the latest comic book movie news including casting news for Gambit and a new spin-off for Agents of SHIELD.

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Episode 16: Batman Begins (2005)

Wed, 19 Aug 2015 12:32:34 GMT

It's our first reboot, as Joe, Seb and James look back at Christopher Nolan's 2005 film Batman Begins. As usual, there's also a roundup of the latest comic book movie and TV news, including 100 Bullets, Powerless and Wolverine 3.

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Minisode 15.5

Wed, 12 Aug 2015 20:33:39 GMT

While the world recovers from Fantastic Four, Joe delves into the comics recommended by James and Matthew last week: Fantastic Four issues #52-60 and #570-575. As usual, there's also a run through the latest comic book movie news.

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Episode 15: Fantastic Four (2015)

Sat, 08 Aug 2015 16:53:57 GMT

It's a rare Saturday release for Cinematic Universe, as Joe, James and special guest Matt Turner discuss 2015's most controversial comic book adaptation: Josh Trank's Fantastic Four. As usual with new releases, there's a few minutes of spoiler-free chat if you haven't seen the film yet but just want to get our opinion - then it's on with the in-depth discussion after that.

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Bonus Episode: Batman Arkham Asylum Special

Wed, 05 Aug 2015 10:46:28 GMT

In a change to our original schedule (enforced by the Fantastic Four review embargo) this week's Cinematic Universe is another bonus episode, in which Joe, Seb and James look back at the 2009 video game Batman: Arkham Asylum. Are the Arkham games the definitive superhero video game experience - or does such a thing even exist? What other games in the genre would we recommend? And do Seb and James have a game idea of their own they can pitch to Joe?

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Minisode 14.5

Wed, 29 Jul 2015 09:49:51 GMT

After our SDCC special last week, it's a quieter one for news this time around, but Joe quickly runs through Rachel McAdams' being linked with Doctor Strange, the Marvel/Netflix "every six months" strategy, and the Spider-Man writers announcement. Then it's on to the Ant-Man-inspired comics recommendations: 1968's Avengers #57-60 by Roy Thomas and John Buscema, and the first volume of Nick Spencer and Steve Lieber's Superior Foes of Spider-Man.

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Bonus Episode: SDCC 2015 News Special

Wed, 22 Jul 2015 08:46:40 GMT

Wait, hasn't SDCC finished already? Well, yes - but we know you're just itching to hear our detailed take on some of the biggest news stories that emerged from the convention. Besides, this is a special BONUS episode, designed to fill the gap left by bringing you our Ant-Man ep a week early. So listen in for our take on the Batman v Superman and Suicide Squad trailers, before Seb and James fill Joe in on some of the comics background behind X-Men: Apocalypse, the Green Lantern Corps, and the new Flash characters.

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Episode 14: Ant-Man (2015)

Fri, 17 Jul 2015 09:34:39 GMT

It's another Release Day Special, as we come to you LIVE (nb. - not actually live) with our thoughts on the latest addition to the MCU: Peyton Reed's Ant-Man. As per usual, we give you a few minutes of spoiler free opinions (in case you really can't wait to hear what we think) before moving on to the spoiler-filled discussion proper. There's no news section this week, as we'll be doing a special post-SDCC roundup next Wednesday; but in the meantime, we do have some discussion of the newly-released documentary The Death of Superman Lives: What Happened?

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Minisode 13.5

Wed, 15 Jul 2015 10:25:39 GMT

Joe begins to tackle the wealth of movie and TV news coming out of SDCC, before moving on to Seb and James' Spider-Man comics recommendations: The Master-Planner Saga and Ultimate Spider-Man vol. 1.

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Episode 13: Spider-Man (2002)

Wed, 08 Jul 2015 09:43:19 GMT

Original recipe Cinematic Universe finally returns, as Joe, Seb and James reunite to discuss a subject that's very close to all our hearts: Sam Raimi's 2002 film Spider-Man. In the news, meanwhile, we give our thoughts on the CW's new Vixen animated series, and the status quo changes for Agent Carter season 2.

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Minisode 12.5

Wed, 01 Jul 2015 09:22:08 GMT

Joe runs through the latest comic book movie news before tackling this week's trio of Scott Pilgrim-inspired comics recommendations: Kevin Smith and Jim Mahfood's Clerks, Jen van Meter and Christine Norrie's Hopeless Savages, and Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie's Phonogram: The Singles Club.

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Episode 12: Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010)

Wed, 24 Jun 2015 10:05:12 GMT

It's on like Donkey Kong, as Joe, Seb and special guest Al Kennedy of House to Astonish look at Edgar Wright's 2010 adaptation of the classic Bryan Lee O'Malley series Scott Pilgrim. There's also a late-breaking-news segment discussing the casting of Tom Holland as the MCU's new Spider-Man.

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Minisode 11.5

Wed, 17 Jun 2015 09:29:20 GMT

Joe discusses Grant Morrison and JG Jones' Marvel Boy, Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Gaydos' Alias, briefly talks Velvet and Hawkeye, and runs through the latest comic book movie news.

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Episode 11: Chronicle (2012)

Wed, 10 Jun 2015 10:29:19 GMT

Joe, James and guest Rhys Williamson discuss Josh Trank's 2012 found footage superhero/villain movie Chronicle, plus the latest news on The Wicked + The Divine and Aquaman.

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Minisode 10.5

Wed, 03 Jun 2015 10:44:47 GMT

In this week's minisode, Joe looks at the week's latest comic book TV & Movie news and reviews the comic recommendations from last week's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles podcast - TMNT Black & White Classics Vol. 1, collecting the first 4 issues of the original 1980s Mirage series, and TMNT Vol. 1: Change is Constant, collecting the first four issues of the modern IDW series which started in 2011.

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Episode 10: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)

Wed, 27 May 2015 10:17:48 GMT

Joe and James are joined by The AV Club's Caroline Siede and they take a trip down nostalgia lane to discuss Steve Barron's totally tubular 1990 film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, as well as the latest comic book movie and TV news.

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Minisode 9.5

Wed, 20 May 2015 10:17:15 GMT

Joe rounds up some recent news items including the announcement of X-Men: New Mutants and the first looks at next season's TV, covering Supergirl, Legends of Tomorrow, Lucifer and Heroes Reborn. Then it's back to comics with his reviews of Ghost Rider (vol. 2) #1-4 and Daredevil: End of Days.

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Episode 9: Ghost Rider (2007)

Wed, 13 May 2015 11:17:38 GMT

Joe and James are joined by film journalist Sarah Dobbs to discuss the brilliance of Nicolas Cage in Mark Steven Johnson's 2009 film Ghost Rider, as well as the latest comic book movie and TV news.

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Minisode 8.5

Wed, 06 May 2015 10:26:52 GMT

Joe discusses the latest movie news, including the in-costume reveal of Suicide Squad's cast; the fallout from Age of Ultron; and a tonne of casting announcements. Then afterwards, it's time for his reactions to Seb & James' comic book recommendations from our Avengers Age of Ultron episode: Matt Fraction & David Aja's Hawkeye and Kurt Busiek & George Perez's Ultron Unlimited.

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Bonus Episode: Netflix's Daredevil Season One Special

Wed, 29 Apr 2015 10:16:47 GMT

Joe and James sit down to discuss all 13 episodes of Netflix's Daredevil in spoilerific detail after an exclusive interview with the star of the show himself, Charlie Cox.

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Episode 8: Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)

Fri, 24 Apr 2015 10:33:01 GMT

Cinematic Universe returns ahead of schedule, because Joe, Seb and James just can't wait to discuss Avengers: Age of Ultron in this bumper-sized episode. There's a spoiler-free section before the spoilerific goodness, and stick around for a special announcement at the end of the podcast, plus details of next week's bonus episode.

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Minisode 7.5

Wed, 22 Apr 2015 09:14:25 GMT

Joe tackles a hefty news week that includes the new Batman v Superman and Ant-Man trailers, additional Preacher casting, Wonder Woman's directorial reshuffle, and John Ridley's MCU TV series; before moving on to discussing last week's comics recommendations: John Byrne's The Man of Steel, and Morrison and Quitely's All-Star Superman.

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Episode 7: Superman (1978)

Wed, 15 Apr 2015 09:42:33 GMT

Look, up in the sky! It's... Joe, Seb and James, as Cinematic Universe lands on Superman for the first time with the 1978 Christopher Reeve and Richard Donner film. Over in the news, we share our early thoughts on Netflix's Daredevil, discuss the possibility of Phil Lord and Chris Miller on the Flash, and James is hugely excited by the prospect of an Agents of SHIELD spinoff.

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Minisode 6.5

Wed, 08 Apr 2015 09:48:49 GMT

As well as taking a look over Miracleman and Animal Man in the comic book recommendations section, Joe brings you the latest news on Age of Ultron, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Suicide Squad, Luke Cage and LOADS more.

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Episode 6: Watchmen (2009)

Wed, 01 Apr 2015 09:47:34 GMT

Who watches the Watchmen? We watches the Watchmen, as Joe, Seb and James examine Zack Snyder's controversial 2009 adaptation of the Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons classic. In the news section, meanwhile, we look at the new Deadpool image, the latest X-Men movieverse developments, and Joe Gilgun's casting as Cassidy in AMC's Preacher.

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Minisode 5.5

Wed, 25 Mar 2015 10:44:58 GMT

Infinity War, Civil War, Age of Ultron, Spider-Man, Preacher, X-Men, Chrononauts, Crash Ryan and Deadpool all feature in a packed comic book movie news segment this week, before Joe discusses the Wolverine comics Origin and 24 Hours, as well as Deadpool (vol 1) #1.

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Episode 5: X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)

Wed, 18 Mar 2015 09:54:18 GMT

Cinematic Universe begins a long association with Hugh Jackman, as Joe, Seb and James look at the earliest (chronological) chapter in the X-Men film series: X-Men Origins: Wolverine. News discussion, meanwhile, takes in the Valiant licensing deal, the long-awaited TV debut of Powers, and James' rage-quitting of Agents of SHIELD.

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Minisode 4.5

Wed, 11 Mar 2015 10:29:44 GMT

Joe addresses the latest news concerning Agent Carter Season Two, Hawkeye, Supergirl, mysterious DC heroes and infinity stones before moving on to an Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting double-bill with discussion of The Marvels Project and Velvet.

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Episode 4: Agent Carter (2015)

Wed, 04 Mar 2015 10:01:53 GMT

Crikey O'Reilly! In the first Cinematic Universe under the show's new partnership with FilmDivider.com, Joe, Seb and James take a spoiler-filled look at Marvel's recent eight-episode Agent Carter miniseries. Over in a distinctly TV-themed news discussion, meanwhile, there's Seb's review of Fox's Lucifer pilot script, a glut of Supergirl casting, and Matt Fraction and Kelly Sue DeConnick's development deal.

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Minisode 3.5

Wed, 25 Feb 2015 11:15:07 GMT

Aquaman, Deadpool, Spider-Man, Daredevil and Falcon are among the headlines as Joe runs through the big superhero news from the past week. He then discusses Seb and James' Iron Man comics recommendations: Warren Ellis and Adi Granov's Extremis, and Matt Fraction and Salvador Larocca's The Five Nightmares.

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Episode 3: Iron Man (2008)

Wed, 18 Feb 2015 11:00:00 GMT

Joe, Seb and James head back to the very beginning of the Marvel Cinematic Universe to discuss how Jon Favreau set the framework for future success with his 2008 film, Iron Man. They also discuss the latest comic book movie news including changes to Marvel's Phase Three, the Daredevil trailer and the Preacher pilot script.

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Bonus Episode: Spider-Man News Special

Fri, 13 Feb 2015 11:01:59 GMT

Joe, Seb and James convene an emergency meeting of the Cinematic Universe nerd council to discuss the big Spider-Man news. What's the best and worst case scenario for Spidey in the MCU? How will he fit into Civil War? Who should the new webslinger be? All that and more on this special bonus episode of Cinematic Universe.

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Minisode 2.5

Wed, 11 Feb 2015 10:03:47 GMT

Spider-Man's addition to the MCU tops the headlines as Joe runs through the big superhero news from the past week, also featuring Daredevil and Deadpool. He then dives into Seb and James' Batman comics recommendations: Jim Starlin and Jim Aparo's A Death In The Family, and Alan Moore and Brian Bolland's The Killing Joke.

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Episode 2: Batman (1989)

Tue, 03 Feb 2015 21:28:26 GMT

Joe, Seb and James return to discuss the Fantastic Four trailer, AKA Jessica Jones and Supergirl casting, and the 'Bondian' opening sequence of The Avengers: Age of Ultron. During the main discussion the guys debate the impact and legacy of Tim Burton's 1989 film, Batman.

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Minisode 1.5

Wed, 28 Jan 2015 10:46:59 GMT

In the first mini episode of Cinematic Universe, Joe catches up on the latest superhero news, and dives into Seb and James' Daredevil comics recommendations: Frank Miller and John Romita Jr's The Man Without Fear, and Kevin Smith and Joe Quesada's Guardian Devil.

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Episode 1: Daredevil (2003)

Tue, 20 Jan 2015 22:49:16 GMT

In the inaugural episode of Cinematic Universe, Joe, Seb and James discuss the latest news concerning The Avengers: Age Of Ultron, Suicide Squad and the future of Spider-Man. In the episode's main discussion, the guys tackle Mark Steven Johnson's 2003 film Daredevil, and try to figure out whether there's merit to the leather-clad Ben Affleck movie.

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