In the latest episode of Geek Freaks, titled “Decoding Avengers: Doomsday, Star Wars’ New Era, and the Return,” the crew dives deep into the shifting tides of major cinematic franchises. From leadership changes at Lucasfilm to cryptic Marvel teasers, here is the breakdown of the most significant topics discussed.
Star Wars: The Post-Kennedy Era The biggest news of the week was the report that Kathleen Kennedy is stepping down from her lead role at Lucasfilm. Stepping up to take the reins are Dave Filoni and Luanne (Lin-Wen) Brennan in a creative/business partnership similar to James Gunn and Peter Safran at DC.
- The Duo: Filoni will handle the creative vision and world-building, while Brennan will manage the financial and production side.
- The Legacy: The hosts gave Kennedy credit for successes like The Force Awakens, Andor, and Rogue One, but expressed excitement for a “fan-led” era under Filoni, who was George Lucas’s right-hand man.
Avengers: Doomsday – The “Endgame” Connection The Freaks explored a mind-bending fan theory regarding the new Avengers: Doomsday teasers. Fans have noticed that the time codes in the glitchy teaser footage actually sync up to specific moments in Avengers: Endgame.
- Branching Timelines: One timestamp leads to the Ancient One explaining branch timelines, while others point to moments where the Avengers were performing the “time heist” to collect Infinity Stones.
- The Theory: The hosts discussed how these glitches might hint that Doctor Doom (Robert Downey Jr.) originates from one of these failed branch timelines created during Endgame.
“We’re So Back” vs. “Stuck” The episode kicked off with a debate over which franchises are thriving and which are hitting a wall:
- We’re So Back: The crew unanimously agreed on Dune, calling it the “undisputed heavyweight” of cinema right now following the success of the films and the Dune: Prophecy series. Alien and Predator also received high marks for their recent revivals.
- Stuck: Jurassic World was criticized for “taking it a little too far” with military dinosaur plots. Star Trek was also labeled “stuck,” with the hosts feeling that Paramount currently lacks a clear direction for the franchise’s future.
Starfleet Academy & Game of Thrones
- Starfleet Academy: Frank went in with low expectations, fearing a “teen drama” vibe, but was pleasantly surprised by the classic Star Trek space battles and the inclusion of Paul Giamatti as a villain. He gave it a “hopeful” 6/10.
- A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The hosts are officially back in Westeros mode, discussing the new Game of Thrones spin-off. They praised the casting of Duncan, the ancestor of Brienne of Tarth, and gave the first look an 8/10.
Whether it’s Marvel using time-code puzzles to tease the return of RDJ or Star Wars finally putting “fans” in the driver’s seat, the message from this episode is clear: the era of the “event” movie is returning.
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