Geek Freaks Podcast: X-Men 97 Drama, New WoW Expansion, and Insights from Titus Walker

Episode Summary Avengers: Endgame is back in theaters with a new ending, and it puts Loki on Steve Rogers and Peggy Carter's doorstep as the MCU's answer to Doctor Doom. Frank breaks down the leaked Encore Edition scenes, then sits down with Keith Arem and Chris Yates, the writers behind Danny Trejo's cursed-conquistador comic Year of the Devil. The Encore leaks include a TVA post-credit scene where incursions multiply into the thousands and a visit from Doom to Bruce Banner's underground lab, and Frank lays out what they mean for Avengers: Doomsday on December 18. In the interview, Keith explains how Danny stopped a recording session to pitch a book they could make together, and the pair talk about building Diego de Rojas from Danny's tattoos, his grindhouse roles, and his love of history. In Headlines, Mark Hamill replaces Jim Cummings as Darkwing Duck, Paramount settles with 12 state attorneys general over its Warner Bros. Discovery merger, Daredevil: Born Again ends with season 3, Alan Ritchson is in talks to replace Jason Momoa in Helldivers, and Brad Pitt returns for World War Z 2. Frank closes with a personal message for Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. Chapters 00:00 Intro 01:10 Avengers: Endgame Encore Leaks and the Road to Doomsday 07:58 Interview: Keith Arem and Chris Yates on Danny Trejo's Year of the Devil 19:55 Headlines: Mark Hamill Is the New Darkwing Duck 24:38 Paramount's Settlement Terms for the Warner Bros. Discovery Deal 30:02 Daredevil: Born Again Ends With Season 3 35:01 Helldivers Recasting and World War Z 2 39:01 Network Updates 40:40 Suicide Prevention Awareness Month Key Takeaways The leaked Encore ending positions Loki, now the god of stories, as the counterweight to Doctor Doom heading into Doomsday. The TVA post-credit scene shows incursions spreading from one to thousands, which Frank reads as the setup for Secret Wars. Year of the Devil follows Diego de Rojas, a conquistador who frees the devil from a prison beneath Chichén Itzá and is cursed to hunt the Four Horsemen across 500 years. It's a five-issue prestige series from PCB Entertainment launching September 29. Frank thinks Mark Hamill brings clout to the Darkwing Duck reboot, but a younger lead would have given the series a longer runway. Paramount's settlement requires 30 theatrical films a year, a $1.5 billion investment in California productions, and keeping both historic studio lots open. Frank opposes the merger but calls these terms the best-case version of it. With Born Again ending, Frank pitches three ways forward for Charlie Cox's Daredevil: a Daredevil: Yellow adaptation, a Defenders-style series with a rotating street-level cast, or a yearly special presentation. Memorable Quotes "Loki vs. Doctor Doom, which is a sentence that just screams awesome comic book to me." (Frank Lourence) "We felt like it had to have some dirt under the fingernails." (Chris Yates, on Year of the Devil) "He just kind of literally stopped in the middle of a session and he was like, I want to do a book with you." (Keith Arem, on Danny Trejo) "Number one is jobs. Number two is creativity." (Frank Lourence, on the Paramount and WBD merger) "It's not about blowing up aliens and fighting for democracy. It is about the satire of that." (Frank Lourence, on the Helldivers movie) Sources All news discussed on this episode is sourced from GeekFreaksPodcast.com. Support the Show Follow Geek Freaks on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and leave a five-star review. Frank will shout out new reviewers on next week's episode. If you know a Darkwing Duck fan with opinions about Mark Hamill in the cape, send them this episode. #GeekFreaksPodcast Need Support? If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, or visit 988lifeline.org. Follow Geek Freaks Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/geekfreakspodcast TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@geekfreakspodcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/GeekFreaksPod Threads: https://www.threads.net/@geekfreakspodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thegeekfreakspodcast Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/GeekFreakspodcast Listener Questions Is Loki the right hero to stand against Doom, and what should Marvel do with Daredevil after Born Again? Send your answers, questions, and topic ideas to Info@GFPods.com or DM us on any of the socials above.