What Boba Fett did next...

It's the 25th anniversary of Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire and whilst we wait for The Book of Boba Fett this Christmas on Disney+, Marvel Comics takes us back to a time between Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars: Return of the Jedi in War of the Bounty Hunters.

Our very own US-based stellar scribe, Nick Smith, grabs his latest comic book bounty, from TBS Comics in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, and goes in pursuit of the infamous Boba Fett.

Guest post by Nick Smith

It’s a story as old as that galaxy far, far away – a protagonist does a favour for a friend in lieu of payment and has to face a series of challenges, eventually finding that the favour could prove fatal thanks to an obstacle that’s bigger and more threatening than he ever expected.

However, in War of the Bounty Hunters, that protagonist is the legendary Boba Fett and the payment concerns that scruffy Corellian smuggler Han Solo. “Precious Cargo,” from Marvel Comics, sets off a chain of events that will span what’s being described as the biggest crossover in Star Wars comics history, filling all 4 monthly titles and a dedicated title (War of the Bounty Hunters). In all, it will take more than 30 issues to tell this story through October 2021. Boushh and IG-88 will get their own comics, while 4-LOM and Zuckuss have to share one.

“Precious Cargo” kicks off five preludes to the war, opening with Boba in his ship Slave 1 [Disney's subsequently renamed it as Boba Fett's Starship - Ed]. He’s just left Bespin with Han encased in carbonite and he’s en route for Tatooine where Solo will become Jabba the Hutt’s favourite decoration. Since The Empire Strikes Back focuses on Luke Skywalker, we’ve never seen What Fett Did Next – until now.

In this kind of crossover, there is no possible character progression for Boba, and the story’s conclusion is inevitable; we know Solo will end up with Jabba. The fun lies in finding out why the other bounty hunters, as well as Luke and the gang, are involved in the war, along with Valance the Cyborg, Domina Tagge and Doctor Aphra. Since the latter three are Marvel creations, they can be further developed. Their fates are unknown to us. Those characters are given just enough traits and twists to keep us reading.

Boba’s situation is complicated thanks to some gangland entanglements with the Kanji Hutts and it becomes apparent that his journey to Tatooine won’t be a straight run. Over in Star Wars issue 13, the rebel alliance searches for their carbon-cosy pal in “The Hunt for Han Solo.” They’re one issue behind Boba so they don’t catch up with him or his cargo. But they, too, face the Kanji. With an image of Boba on a wall and the good guys facing aliens, the cover of this story is reminiscent of the original Star Wars issue 7.

Next up is Bounty Hunters issue 12, which develops the relationship between Valance and Han Solo; and Darth Vader issue 12, continuing a captivating conflict between the Dark Lord of the Sith and his Emperor. The animosity between them makes Vader’s ultimate betrayal of his master less sudden and more believable in Return of the Jedi.

The final prelude is in Doctor Aphra issue 10. Although Aphra is a character with great potential – imagine a Lucasfilm version of Lara Croft, Tomb Raider – “The Invitation” feels the least like a Star Wars story, despite its stomping Stormtroopers and exploding machinery. There’s no direct mention of the Han Solo situation and we’re launched into a confusing situation, even with a ‘story so far’ at the beginning of the book. If you’re not familiar with Aphra’s past and her allies, beware.

Despite this weak link, the War of the Bounty Hunters saga has strong artwork, entertaining characters and situations, and Star Wars references aplenty. Whether that’s enough to hold our attention through 34 comics remains to be seen. But fans have plenty to look forward to in these ‘deleted scenes’ from The Book of Boba Fett, which will lead to Marvel’s contemporary take on Return of the Jedi.

Are you reading War of the Bounty Hunters (affiliate link)? Let me know in the comments below.

The Witcher celebrated at WitcherCon

A teaser trailer for The Witcher's second season dropped during the first-ever WitcherCon, a digital celebration of all things The Witcher from Netflix and CD Projekt Red.



The first series had a stumbling start but quickly transcended those early episodes becoming an unmissable heir to Game of Thrones in 2019. And the second season promises further monster-hunting tales this Christmas.



During the three-hour WitcherCon, series star Henry Cavill provided his take on Geralt of Rivia’s journey.

“I played the Season One way deliberately, which was him out in the wilds and without the opportunity for vast swathes of dialogue. I thought it best to be the man who says less because that seems like he’s thinking more. And that was the intention with that. But once you get into a scenario with Cirilla, and the Witchers and his home space and with those people who he already knows, I was of the opinion that you had to let him be verbose and be philosophical and speak more and be intellectual, because that’s what he is. He’s not just a big old white-haired brute.”

Whilst Cyberpunk 2077 was mired in controversy when it was released to coincide with the launch of the PlayStation 5 (PS5) and Xbox Series X|S last holiday season, The Witcher continues to be CD Projekt's most beloved multimedia franchise.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt next-gen update is coming to PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC for free this year! And it'll include free DLC inspired by the Netflix series. Glad I never continued a playthrough on Xbox Series X from 2017.

The Witcher's second season starts streaming exclusively on 17th December on Netflix.

Are you looking forward to the second season of The Witcher? Let me know in the comments below.

Enter the multiverse in Marvel Studios' What If...?

Marvel Studios has released an official trailer for What If...?, its first-ever animated series for Disney+.



Marvel Studios' What If...? is an excellent primer for all things multiverse as hinted in WandaVision and soon Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

The impressive voice cast includes Hayley Atwell as Captain Peggy Carter, Josh Brolin as Thanos, Dominic Cooper as Howard Stark, David Dastmalchian as Kurt, Michael Douglas as Hank Pym, Karen Gillan as Nebula, Jeff Goldblum as Grandmaster, Frank Grillo as Brock Rumlow, Sean Gunn as Kraglin, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Tom Hiddleston as Loki, Djimon Hounsou as Korath the Pursuer, Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, Toby Jones as Arnim Zola, Michael B. Jordan as Killmonger, Neal McDonough as Dum Dum Dugan, Natalie Portman as Jane Foster, Jeremy Renner as Clint Barton, Michael Rooker as Yondu Udonta, Paul Rudd as Scott Lang, Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner, Sebastian Stan as James “Bucky” Barnes, Chris Sullivan as Taserface, Stanley Tucci as Abraham Erskine, and Taika Waititi as Korg.

It's especially poignant that fans (myself included) get to hear the late Chadwick Boseman as T’Challa.

Now that Loki Wednesdays are a thing, Marvel Studios' What If...? starts streaming 11th August with new episodes every Wednesday on Disney+.

In related news. Marvel Studios' Black Widow is now in cinemas and available exclusively on Disney+ with Premier Access.

Are you looking forward to Marvel Studios' What If...? on Disney+? Let me know in the comments below.

Independence Day director talks Disney+

The Tomorrow War, streaming exclusively on Amazon Prime, is a hit with subscribers during the ongoing pandemic - an era starved of blockbusters on the big screen. Chris McKay's sci-fi movie wears its influences on its Starship Troopers sleeve.

Independence Day (ID4), celebrating its 25th anniversary, is one such inspiration and its director, Roland Emmerich, wants to revisit the disaster movie franchise he created following The Walt Disney Company's acquisition of Twentieth Century Fox's film and television assets.

"They have now a streaming service and they need product. I would love to do maybe a third one, or a TV show, continuing the story," Emmerich explained to ComicBook.com. "When we did Independence Day: Resurgence, we already had, also, the third part already. And actually, the third part has much more to do with the first part, because we learned, more or less, that out there are a lot of refugees and they're living on a refugee planet. And where [the aliens] finally come there because, somewhat like these aliens on earth, found out about it and telepathically or whatever gave it to their super queen. They're all humans, but in all different forms. So it's this thing that we have Brent Spiner and Jeff Goldblum and we have them with all these different forms of people, which would be a great movie. But we'll see what happens."

Emmerich describes why the original movie means so much to him.

"It doesn't matter, whoever does it, but I feel very passionate about it, very, very passionate, because it was a little bit like ... this movie single-handedly also got me total freedom. I have final cut since then. I pretty much do my own thing," the filmmaker said. "And now, even producing my own films, no studio anymore, I got myself a studio, you know what I mean? In a very small form, like a little garage studio. Anyhow ... I feel very, very passionate about it because it was my first -- actually, that's why both Stargate and Independence Day are seminal movies for me. They pretty much created all of what I did afterwards."

Ironically, at the time of Independence Day's release, Twentieth Century Fox cancelled Space: Above and Beyond. A short-lived sci-fi series that foreshadowed the Battlestar Galactica reboot and deserves a new audience on Star on Disney+.

Independence Day and Independence Day: Resurgence are available to stream on Star on Disney+. However, I'd suggest skipping the sequel and watching something less boring instead.

Would you watch the third instalment of Independence Day? Let me know in the comments below.

Zack Snyder's 'Star Wars' on Netflix

Zack Snyder (Justice League), fresh from Army of the Dead, is reworking a pre-Disney Star Wars pitch for Netflix.

Rebel Moon is based on Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai.

"This is me growing up as an Akira Kurosawa fan, a Star Wars fan," said Snyder in his announcement. “It’s my love of sci-fi and a giant adventure. My hope is that this also becomes a massive IP and a universe that can be built out.”

Rebel Moon evokes Roger Corman's Battle Beyond the Stars, released in the wake of Star Wars' success, and it's piqued my interest following Snyder's cut of Justice League. Shay Hatten, who worked with Snyder on 300 and Army of the Dead, has been hired to flesh out the universe for Rebel Moon.

"I’ve spent the last two or three years building out this universe. Every corner has to be painted in. I’ve been doing designs, constantly drawing and really cultivating its fertile ground to make this world fully realized," said Hatten.

The runaway success of Disney+, owing much to Marvel Studios and Star Wars, is putting increasing pressure on Netflix. The Fear Street trilogy is currently proving popular with slasher film fans (myself included) as it channels the nostalgia of Netflix stablemate Stranger Things.

Rebel Moon goes into production in 2022.

Star Wars: Visions first look at Anime Expo Lite

Lucasfilm has shared the first look at Star Wars: Visions during a panel at Anime Expo Lite.



"As a first formal venture into anime, each “Star Wars: Visions” short bears a unique Japanese sensibility, which in many ways aligns with the tone and spirit of Star Wars storytelling. From the beginning, stories told in the Star Wars galaxy have counted Japanese mythology and the films of Akira Kurosawa among their many influences, and these new visions will further explore that cultural heritage through the unique animation style and perspective of each anime studio."

Kamikaze Douga - The Duel
Geno Studio (Twin Engine) - Lop and Ochō
Studio Colorido (Twin Engine) - Tatooine Rhapsody
Trigger - The Twins
Trigger - The Elder
Kinema Citrus - The Village Bride
Science Saru - Akakiri
Science Saru - T0-B1
Production IG - The Ninth Jedi

All nine episodes of Star Wars: Visions will be released on Disney+ 22nd September.

Are you looking forward to Star Wars: Visions on Disney+? Let me know in the comments below.

He-Man fights to save Eternia on Netflix

Happy 4th of July to all our US-based readers! Nick Smith is taking a well-earned break from hunting xenomorphs to enjoy the Independence Day festivities this weekend. So, I'm on hand to champion the heroes of Eternia in their darkest hour.

Netflix Geeked has announced an official trailer for Masters of the Universe: Revelation Part 1.



There's still no sign of Stratos as a friend and fellow fan of the franchise pointed out on Facebook. Perhaps he'll appear in Part 2?

The Kevin Smith led production also announced a few more voices for its cast: Dennis Haysbert as King Grayskull, Adam Gifford as Vikor and Jay Tavare as Wundar.

The five-episode series has a star-packed cast including Mark Hamill as Skeletor, Lena Headey as Evil-Lyn, Chris Wood as Prince Adam/He-Man, Sarah Michelle Gellar as Teela, Liam Cunningham as Man-At-Arms, Stephen Root as Cringer, Henry Rollins as Tri-Klops, Alicia Silverstone as Queen Marlena, Jason Mewes as Stinkor, and more.

Here’s the official description: "The war for Eternia culminates in Masters of the Universe: Revelation, an innovative and action-packed animated series that picks up where the iconic characters left off decades ago. After a cataclysmic battle between He-Man and Skeletor, Eternia is fractured and the Guardians of Grayskull are scattered. And after decades of secrets tore them apart, it’s up to Teela to reunite the broken band of heroes and solve the mystery of the missing Sword of Power in a race against time to restore Eternia and prevent the end of the universe."

Smith's trailer breakdown amps the hype to the nth degree with his impassioned insights.



The Masterverse toy line is now appearing alongside Masters of the Universe Origins at retail. So far, I've not collected any of Mattel's latest lines since Masters of the Universe Classics ended! However, Hallmark's Castle Grayskull Christmas tree ornament is the perfect gift this holiday season. Hopefully, it'll be available in the UK, too.

Masters of the Universe: Revelation premieres on Netflix on 23rd July.

After watching the trailer, are you excited for Masters of the Universe: Revelation? Let me know in the comments below.

Alien series shooting without Ripley

James Cameron's Aliens marks its 35th anniversary this year and Noah Hawley (Fargo) has shared details about his mysterious Alien spin-off series for FX on Hulu with Vanity Fair.

"What's next for me, it looks like, is [an] Alien series for FX, taking on that franchise and those amazing films by Ridley Scott and James Cameron and David Fincher," Hawley said. "I've written a couple of scripts, the first two scripts, and we're looking to make them next spring."

If you are hoping for a cameo from Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver), a la Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) in Disney stablemate The Mandalorian, you may be deeply disappointed.

"It's not a Ripley story," he added. "She's one of the great characters of all time, and I think the story has been told pretty perfectly, and I don't want to mess with it."

This may be a misdirect as Weaver could be de-aged for the FX on Hulu and Star on Disney+ series. Regardless, I want to be surprised and Nick Smith recently wrote about his hopes and fears for the upcoming Alien series.

Whilst many fans (myself included) of the franchise lament never seeing Neill Blomkamp's (District 9) Alien 5, I'm hopeful this spin-off series will surpass Sir Ridley Scott's prequels as it focuses on humanities parasitic past and AI-dominated technological future.

Prometheus is available to stream on Star on Disney+. The original Alien and Aliens are coming soon to the House of Mouse's streaming service in the UK.

The Tomorrow War on Amazon Prime

The Tomorrow War, starring Chris Pratt (Guardians of the Galaxy), is now available to stream exclusively on Amazon Prime (affiliate link).



Read the synopsis:

"Time travelers arrive from 2051 to deliver an urgent message: 30 years in the future mankind is losing a war against a deadly alien species. The only hope for survival is for soldiers and civilians to be transported to the future and join the fight. Determined to save the world for his daughter, Dan Forester teams up with a brilliant scientist and his estranged father to rewrite the planet’s fate."

The Tomorrow War was delayed by Paramount Pictures due to the pandemic and the $200 million movie was acquired by Amazon to bolster its slim summer blockbuster offerings.

Pratt's latest timey-wimey sci-fi actioner, directed by Chris McKay (The LEGO Batman Movie), looks not unlike Edge of Tomorrow with callbacks to Independence Day (ID4). He holds his own outside of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and Jurassic World bubbles.

Will you be watching The Tomorrow War on Amazon Prime Video this 4th July weekend? Let me know in the comments below.

Darth Vader crashes classical concert

That moment when Darth Vader, flanked by Imperial Stormtroopers, crashes a classical concert and stays for a rousing rendition of veteran Star Wars composer John Williams' The Imperial March (Darth Vader's Theme) from Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back.



Clearly, the Dark Lord of the Sith was impressed by the Russian State Cinema Symphony Orchestra's performance, at the Moscow Conservatory, in 2015. So much so, he didn't Force choke the conductor when the original Death Star exploded on screen...