As we inch closer to November, which will mark the 60th anniversary of Doctor Who, the team at BBC is releasing more tangents heralding the return of David Tennant as the titular Time Lord. In the latest sneak peek, however, we’re finally getting another look at the new villain portrayed by Neil Patrick Harris, and it somehow manages to answer none of our burning questions.
In other news from around the sci-fi sphere, folks on social media claim Avatar: The Way of Water is going to ruin the experience of watching The Little Mermaid and Aquaman 2 for one key reason, while Andor showrunner Tony Gilroy announces a full production shutdown amid the ongoing Writers Guild strike. Check out these beats and more in today’s roundup down below.
A recurring Christopher Nolan collaborator admits he would’ve made a terrible Batman
Though he didn’t exactly embody the version of the World’s Greatest Detective you’re used to seeing in the comics, Christian Bale has gone down as one of the best Dark Knight actors in history. So great was his portrayal of Bruce Wayne both in and out of costume that it’s hard to imagine anyone else in that iconic costume from the Dark Knight trilogy, but apparently Christopher Nolan auditioned a lot of people to find the right fit, including Cillian Murphy, who, with the benefit of hindsight, realizes that it was probably for the best that he failed the test.
Doctor Who teases Neil Patrick Harris as the villain that “gets into everyone’s head”
Doctor Who has just released another cryptic teaser that centers around Neil Patrick Harris, or rather the mysterious villain he’s portraying in the 60th anniversary special. The BBC is also teasing a full trailer at the ongoing Eurovision contest, so Whovians should keep their eyes peeled for a proper look at the long-anticipated three-parter. David Tennant’s 10th Doctor, Catherine Tate’s Donna Noble, and Neil Patrick Harris all together in a single Doctor Who outing? This is going to break the internet. Some even think they’ve figured out who NPH is playing in the special, and if you happen to be a long-time Doctor Who fan, the theory might just blow your mind.
Doctor Who gives us another look at Ncugi Gatwa’s next Doctor alongside Disney’s Jonathan Groff
Speaking of Doctor Who and the perpetual wait it seems to have inflicted on its fandom, the show’s official Twitter account recently released a batch of photos that shows Ncuti Gatwa, Jonathan Groff, and Millie Gibson in costume during an episode set in the 18th century. And if we had any doubts about Gatwa pulling this off, they vanished the moment we set eyes on his pose and demeanor as the Fifteenth Doctor.
Andor showrunner Tony Gilroy announces that the Star Wars series is shutting down production in support of the Writers Guild strike
Andor is the latest victim of the ongoing Writers Guild strike, with Tony Gilroy announcing that he’s putting a stop to all non-writing functions on set indefinitely. It seems like the entire Hollywood is standing in solidarity with the writers and all the hardships they’ve had to endure over the past few years, so the fact that Star Wars is joining in on the effort shouldn’t really come off as a surprise. Now, let’s hope that an agreement can be reached soon, lest the entertainment industry hits another damaging pause like it did during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Little Mermaid and Aquaman 2 will face a very tough crowd after the release of Avatar: The Way of Water
Say what you will about Avatar 2 and how it completely failed to live up to the hype, but James Cameron’s sequel still gave us an out-of-this-world experience when it came to visual fidelity. The movie is simply gorgeous from start to finish, taking place mostly undersea and dazzling the audience with its seamless visual effects at every step of the way. And since The Way of Water is so commendable from a technical standpoint, fans are realizing that movies like The Little Mermaid and Aquaman 2 will only pale in comparison now. As if taking the box office crown wasn’t enough for the one and only king of consistent blockbuster cinema, James Cameron.