There’s a ton of quality nerd content coming our way in the next few months. While I am going to sweat over how I’ll review it all, you can just sit back, relax, and consume. Here’s what I think should be on your radar.
Image Credit: Polygon
10. I Am Groot (On Disney+ August 10.)
Groot is undeniably adorable. It amazes me that the “I am Groot” bit hasn’t gotten old; it 100% still works on me, at least. This means I’ll watch anything with the cosmos’ favorite sapling in it. This trailer doesn’t give me a clear sense of what kind of story these animated shorts will tell, but whatever it is seems fairly self-contained and low-stakes. My kids enjoy the shorts format on Disney+ (especially Olaf Presents, which parodies other classic Disney films), so at the very least this might be an effective way to introduce them to the character.
9. She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (On Disney+ August 18.)
At this year’s San Diego Comic Con (SDCC), Head Writer Jessica Gao described She-Hulk as the MCU’s first half-hour comedy. And more than one person on the panel commented on how this is very different in tone and style than the rest of the MCU. Combine that with Gao’s Rick and Morty resume and that the entire SDCC panel consisting of female creators and actors, and Marvel could have a fresh, innovative hit on their hands. Right now, however, I want to be more excited about this show than I actually am. The scenes between “Smart-Hulk” and She-Hulk , especially in the newest trailer, look very entertaining, but otherwise I just haven’t been blown away by any footage I’ve seen. The visual effects look a little uncanny, and, as I mentioned in my trailer review, the “single professional woman” humor, if not handled properly, could land flat. I hope I am pleasantly surprised.
8. The Sandman (On Netflix August 5 — today!)
I’ve only read a few of the Sandman comics, but I am generally a big fan of Neil Gaiman’s novels. Screen adaptations of Gaiman’s work, however, do not have the best track record, so I’m trying to manage my expectations. The cast for the series seems stellar: Gwendoline Christie as Lucifer has me the most excited, though I would have preferred a pixie cut to the curly mop (see Lucifer in another comic, The Wicked and the Divine). Jenna Coleman (Clara in Doctor Who), Charles Dance (Tywin Lannister in Game of Thrones), and David Thewlis (Prof. Lupin in the Harry Potter series) also caught my eye. And I think that was Patton Oswalt voicing a raven? At any rate, it all looks sufficiently dark and other-worldly.
7. Paper Girls (On Amazon now.)
This one is a bit of a cheat because it’s already streaming now, but I haven’t started watching it yet and so it’s still upcoming for me. I was a big fan of the Image Comics books by Brian K. Vaughn and Cliff Chiang long before I learned of this screen adaptation. Think Stranger Things’ kids on bikes, but all women and more high concept science fiction. And time travel. If you are a dystopian time travel nerd, this series will be for you. After watching the trailer, I was pleasantly surprised to see comedian Ali Wong in a major role. Some aspects of the alien races/world building/mythology may be difficult to explain in a short amount of time, but hopefully they just let the audience absorb what they can as they go, just as the comics do. My only concern at the moment is that I just haven’t heard much about the show; does that mean it’s not very good, or does that mean that no one knows about it yet? Have you seen it? Let us know how it is in the comments.
6. Tales of the Jedi (On Disney+ this fall.)
Image Credit: TV Line
My Star Wars bias may unduly influence the position of this animated anthology series on this list, but any Star Wars created by Dave Filoni is an automatic must-see for me. Each of the six episodes will follow one of two backstories or “paths”: Ahsoka Tano and Count Dooku. Any fans of The Clone Wars animated series or the Prequel Trilogy films will likely want to see these. Finding out where any member of the Jedi Order originally came from as a small child would be a fascinating expansion of what we already know. Most recently, for example, Obi-Wan Kenobi confessed in his own series to vague memories of a brother he had before the Jedi whisked him away from his family. Will Ahsoka have a similarly bittersweet origin story? The only reason I haven’t put Tales of the Jedi even higher on the list is because they are stand-alone shorts, and that means they’re fairly limited in the amount of story they could tell.
5. House of the Dragon (On HBOMax August 21.)
They had me at dragon. During Game of Thrones’ run, I always felt like I could never get enough dragon time. This series takes place 200 years earlier and promises 17 different dragons, each with distinct personalities. Nine of them will appear in the first season. So even if the human turmoil doesn’t live up to the best seasons of Game of Thrones, they’ll likely still have me on the hook. I’m also a big Matt Smith fan, and am hopeful that this show will deliver a signature over-the-top performance while also giving him the chance to demonstrate his dramatic acting skills. The trailer looks full of political intrigue (and dragons! did I mention dragons already?), but it does touch on a lot of familiar beats. A young queen challenging patriarchy to create a new world order, marital machinations to gain social traction, family in-fighting, tenuous alliances, and, of course, that good old spikey iron throne. My primary concern is that in trying to remind us of all the things we loved about its predecessor, House of the Dragon will fail to make its own mark and stand on its own two (clawed) feet. That combined with the general probation Game of Thrones’ disappointing final season put the franchise on places this firmly at the bottom of this list’s top tier.
4. The Bad Batch S2 (On Disney+ September 28.)
I know, I know, I’m always trying to get more people to watch Star Wars animation. But The Bad Batch has all the fun and adventure of The A Team or The Dirty Dozen with all the heart of your favorite 80s family sitcom. And if you care at all about little baby Grogu, this show, I suspect, will eventually explain the nefarious plans the Empire has for him in The Mandalorian. Season 2 of The Bad Batch jumps ahead a little in time, so the main character, Omega (who has genetic ties to another iconic Star Wars character), is a bit older and more mature. And this trailer clearly indicates that the stakes will be higher, especially with Palpatine arriving on the scene. Filoni’s animated shows have always had big payoffs from seeds planted in previous seasons, and I’m very excited to see what kind of traction this series gains in Season 2.
3. The Rings of Power (On Amazon September 2.)
As someone who walked down the aisle to “Concerning Hobbits,” I have to acknowledge that I have an irrational attachment to the Tolkien franchise. There is plenty of reason to be skeptical of Amazon pouring a billion dollars into this series, purely as a cash grab to gain footing in the streaming wars. But this trailer gave me a little more confidence that they can get this prequel series right. A young warrior Galadriel seems to be the main character, and I am 100% here for that. A major draw for me as a young reader of Tolkien were strong female characters like Eowyn and Arwen. The music in the trailer initially hits that nostalgia button, bringing me right back to the Peter Jackson trilogy, but then shifts into a new song, consistent with the Tolkien-verse, yet unfamiliar. That’s how I would describe this entire trailer: rooted in the old but trying to be something new. It’s also visually stunning, capturing the grandeur of the various scapes of elves, dwarves, and men. Will this be one series to rule them all? (Sorry, I couldn’t resist.)
2. Andor (On Disney+ September 21.)
Speaking of trailers instilling confidence! I was already pumped for this show after seeing a shorter teaser trailer at Star Wars Celebration this past spring, but the official one Disney recently released escalated my excitement even more. I love how the scenes shift from a young Cassian Andor with his boots on the ground, fighting the good fight, to Mon Mothma engaged in Senatorial subterfuge in, as Tyrion Lannister would say, elegant rooms. Everything radiates strong political thriller vibes, and that’s no surprise, considering showrunner Tony Gilroy wrote the wildly successful Bourne series and directed Michael Clayton. This trailer also indicates that Stellan Skarsgard will have a much more prominent role in the series than I originally thought. It seems as though his character will both influence Cassian Andor’s arc and reach into Mon Mothma’s political arena. Honestly, all he had to do here was pop his hood with authority and I was all in. Forest Whitaker’s Saw Gerrera appears briefly; this is especially exciting because we get to see another phase in which he inches closer to the extremist madness we see in Rogue One. More broadly, I predict Andor will be a winner for anyone who enjoyed Rogue One or has been waiting to see a grittier, more grounded, and largely Jedi-less Star Wars.
1. Wakanda Forever (In theaters November 11.)
If you think it’s not fair for me to include this one film on a list that otherwise consists of streaming series, you’re probably right. In a lot of ways, even the best series can’t compete with a big blockbuster event like a highly anticipated MCU film. But I couldn’t miss an opportunity to gush about this transcendent trailer. The mash-up of Tems’ cover of Bob Marley’s “No Woman No Cry” and Kendrick Lamar’s “Alright” gave the trailer a mournful mood and propulsive momentum that unequivocally convey a sense of power and weight. Angela Bassett’s chilling monologue about losing everything provides an emotional anchor through which to process Chadwick Boseman’s loss. In part because of that loss, the prospect of this sequel to Black Panther, one of my all-time favorite MCU films, made me very nervous. How would they handle T’Challa’s character in the wake of Boseman’s death? Would Letitia Wright’s controversial comments on vaccines attract too much negative press? Would the film’s production be able to recover from various delays? For me, this trailer put all that worry to rest. Grieving Boseman doesn’t hang over the film; it is an active part of the film’s narrative. But that’s not all; far from it, in fact. The trailer packs in so much more storytelling and action: a war with the Atlanteans, the long-awaited introduction of Namor the Submariner, soon-to-be Young Avenger, Iron Heart, total Dora Milaje domination, and all the vibrancy and richness I associate with the groundbreaking first film. Bravo to Director Ryan Coogler and the editor behind this trailer. It may be one of the best I’ve seen in my lifetime.
Which of these shows and films do you think will meet or exceed expectations? What are you most excited for as we wrap up summer and head into fall? What have I missed? Please share in the comments and keep this nerd hype train chugging along.