Batwoman‘s first season is continuing to play out on the CW despite current world events, and in the next instalment of the series, an old flame will return to Kate Kane’s life, and Julia Pennyworth is back in Gotham. We also get to see the new Dark Knight in chains and at the mercy of a gangster.

However, perhaps most noteworthy is the fact that Arrowverse veteran James Bamford is directing the episode, and you just know that should mean we’ll get some killer action scenes. 

Here’s the synopsis for the episode which is titled “If You Believe In Me, I’ll Believe In You”:

WHO CAN YOU TRUST? – Batwoman (Ruby Rose) enlists Luke (Camrus Johnson) and Julia (guest star Christina Wolfe) for an undercover mission to recover one of the most important items from her cousin’s arsenal. While Alice (Rachel Skarsten) continues developing her devious plans within Arkham’s walls, she gets an unexpected visit from Jacob Kane (Dougray Scott) who needs her help. Meanwhile, Mary (Nicole Kang) tries to prove herself to Kate. As Sophie (Meagan Tandy) gets closer to a co-worker, Kate reunites with an old flame. James Bamford directed the episode written by James Stoteraux and Chad Fiveash (#118). Original airdate 5/3/2020.

To check out these stills from the next episode of Batwoman, hit the “Next” button below. 
 

Batwoman — “If You Believe In Me, I’ll Believe In You” — Image Number: BWN118a_0001b — Pictured: Brianne Howey as Reagan — Photo: Katie Yu/The CW — © 2020 The CW Network, LLC. All rights reserved.
 

Batwoman — “If You Believe In Me, I’ll Believe In You” — Image Number: BWN118a_0195b — Pictured (L – R): Christina Wolfe as Julia Pennyworth and Ruby Rose as Kate Kane — Photo: Katie Yu/The CW — © 2020 The CW Network, LLC. All rights reserved.
 

Batwoman — “If You Believe In Me, I’ll Believe In You” — Image Number: BWN118a_0241b — Pictured (L – R): Ruby Rose as Kate Kane and Nicole Kang as Mary Hamilton — Photo: Katie Yu/The CW — © 2020 The CW Network, LLC. All rights reserved.
 

Batwoman — “If You Believe In Me, I’ll Believe In You” — Image Number: BWN118a_0335b — Pictured: Ruby Rose as Kate Kane — Photo: Katie Yu/The CW — © 2020 The CW Network, LLC. All rights reserved.
 

Batwoman — “If You Believe In Me, I’ll Believe In You” — Image Number: BWN118a_0433b — Pictured (L – R): Ruby Rose as Kate Kane and Brianne Howey as Reagan — Photo: Katie Yu/The CW — © 2020 The CW Network, LLC. All rights reserved.
 

Batwoman — “If You Believe In Me, I’ll Believe In You” — Image Number: BWN118B_0231b — Pictured (L – R): Ruby Rose as Kate Kane and Carmine Giovinazzo as Johnny Sabatino — Photo: Colin Bentley/The CW — © 2020 The CW Network, LLC. All rights reserved.
 

Batwoman — “If You Believe In Me, I’ll Believe In You” — Image Number: BWN118B_0250b — Pictured: Ruby Rose as Batwoman — Photo: Colin Bentley/The CW — © 2020 The CW Network, LLC. All rights reserved.
 

Batwoman — “If You Believe In Me, I’ll Believe In You” — Image Number: BWN118B_0291b — Pictured: Carmine Giovinazzo as Johnny Sabatino — Photo: Colin Bentley/The CW — © 2020 The CW Network, LLC. All rights reserved.
 

Batwoman — “If You Believe In Me, I’ll Believe In You” — Image Number: BWN118B_0443b — Pictured: Nicole Kang as Mary Hamilton — Photo: Colin Bentley/The CW — © 2020 The CW Network, LLC. All rights reserved.
 

Batwoman — “If You Believe In Me, I’ll Believe In You” — Image Number: BWN118B_BTS_0697b — Pictured: Ruby Rose as Batwoman — Photo: Colin Bentley/The CW — © 2020 The CW Network, LLC. All rights reserved.
 

Batwoman — “If You Believe In Me, I’ll Believe In You” — Image Number: BWN118B_BTS_0725b — Pictured: Nicole Kang as Mary Hamilton — Photo: Colin Bentley/The CW — © 2020 The CW Network, LLC. All rights reserved.
 

Last night, the trades revealed that Mon Mothma actress Genevieve O’Reilly and Denise Gough had been cast in the upcoming Rogue One: A Star Wars Story prequel series coming to Disney+. 

However, in a subsequent post from StarWars.com, it’s been revealed that Cassian Andor takes place five years before the events of that movie. That means it’s set 5 BBY (Before the Battle of Yavin) in the official timeline of these stories set in a Galaxy Far, Far Away, a date which makes sense when Rogue One leads directly into the opening few minutes of A New Hope. 

This also means the Empire has been in power for fourteen years following the events of Revenge of the Sith (which is in 19 BBY). It’s hard to imagine how different the Galaxy will be at this point, but you have to believe the Rebellion will still be in the very early stages of coming together.

For the most part, though, it sounds like Cassian Andor is going to focus on the hero’s early years and some of the darker moments in his past which Rogue One only alluded to. With this five-year gap, it’s hard to imagine the Disney+ series lasting for more than a season or two. 

Are you guys excited to explore this period in Cassian Andor?

Click on the “Next” button below to find out which characters
could star in the new female-led Star Wars series coming to Disney+!
 

10. Captain Phasma

Following her introduction in The Force Awakens, fans expected big things from Captain Phasma. Unfortunately, she was killed off with little fanfare by Rian Johnson in The Last Jedi, and her story came to a premature, and undeniably abrupt, end. 

Novels and comic books have filled in some of the gaps in the character’s history, but there are no doubt more stories to be told, particularly when it comes to both her past and how The First Order went about recruiting all those children for their army. 

What made Phasma tick and why was she so damn evil? These are questions a limited series could answer, while potentially addressing some lingering questions from the sequels. 
 

9. Mara Jade

The desire to see Mara Jade in a live-action setting is huge, and while there are huge chunks of her history which will need to be rewritten, it’s not something outside the realm of possibility. 

Introduced in Timothy Zahn’s critically acclaimed Thrawn Trilogy, we learn that Jade was trained as the Emperor’s right hand, with her final mission being to assassinate Luke Skywalker. However, she quicky sees the error of her ways, and eventually gets married to the Jedi Master. 

As we mentioned, much of that will have to be forgotten, but it gives Lucasfilm the opportunity to reinvent the character and give fans something new to enjoy, while finally bringing this hero to TV.
 

8. Qi’ra

After making a $77 million loss, there’s no way we’re getting a Solo sequel. However, it’s clear from the way that movie ended there are more storied to be told, and that’s where a show like this could come in handy. We learned at the end of the spinoff that Qi’ra was working for Maul, and who wouldn’t want to see more of that villain’s intriguing backstory before his demise?

It helps that Emilia Clarke was so great in this role, and with a cameo appearance from Alden Ehrenreich’s Han Solo, we could even get some answers about why things ended between these two.

This isn’t a series we can imagine needing more than the one season, but Lucasfilm has the chance to wrap up some lingering plot threads here, while making fans happy with a pseudo Solo 2. 
 

7. Ashoka Tano

As you’ve likely heard, there are already rumblings that Lucasfilm is planning to use the episode of The Mandalorian which introduces a live-action version of Ashoka Tano as a backdoor pilot for her own series. With that in mind, it’s highly likely that’s exactly who this show will focus on. 

With Rosario Dawson playing the character, it’s understandable why a Disney+ TV series might be a priority, and given the popularity of Ashoka, it’s pretty much guaranteed to be a hit. 

Whether the series takes place before or after the events of The Mandalorian, there are a lot of stories it could explore. Personally, we would like to see it serve as a Star Wars Rebels sequel!
 

6. Rey “Skywalker”

Is it too soon to return to the world of the sequels? Fans are understandably curious to find out what happened after Emperor Palpatine’s final defeat, while the list of unanswered questions we have from this trilogy continues to grow with every new minor piece of information which is revealed.

Serving as an epilogue of sorts, this star-studded series could reveal what Rey “Skywalker” did next and show what happens to a Galaxy without the influence of the First Order and Sith. 

Characters like Finn and Poe Dameron could also get slightly more satisfying conclusions to their respective story arcs, and Rey could be redeemed after some of the damage done to the character in J.J. Abrams and Chris Terrio’s Skywalker Saga finale. It’s unlikely, but a strong premise for a series.
 

5. Padmé Amidala

Natalie Portman’s run as Padmé Amidala was something of a mixed bag in the prequels, and her best moments came when she got to see some action. For the most part, it was a lot of fun spending time with the character, but there are definitely ways a show like this could improve on that.

Just like the actress is returning to the MCU to play Jane Foster, whose to say she couldn’t come back to Star Wars in order to fill in some gaps in Padmé’s history? Alternatively, as she’s not a little older, a more likely possibility is that she could play one of the character’s lookalike handmaidens, exploring what became of them following Padmé’s death and the rise of the Empire. 

That’s actually something the current Darth Vader comic book series is touching on, so we’ll have to wait and see how it plays out there before being sure if it’s something that would work on TV.
 

4. Aurra Sing

After making a brief appearance in The Phantom Menace, the “Expanded Universe” would make Aurra Sing an interesting character who became something of a breakout villain in the process. An associate of Jango Fett’s, we learned that she was responsible for training Boba Fett as a bounty hunter, and even accompanied him when he tried to kill Mace Windu.

Exploring that iconic character’s origin story would be a good way to increase interest in a show revolving around Sing, and it would kill two birds with one stone. 

On the one hand, we’d have a tale about a badass female warrior, and on the other, the series could fill in some huge gaps in Star Wars history which would definitely draw the interest of long-term fans. It would also be fun to revisit the era of the prequels as they’ve been largely ignored thus far.
 

3. Cara Dune

Not too long ago, reports surfaced that Lucasfilm was working on a number of spinoffs tied to The Mandalorian, and Cara Dune has to be among the most likely possibilities (we love IG-11, but let’s face it, he’s probably not a character who could hold his own across eight episodes). 

While we definitely want to see more of Dune in the first of the live-action Star Wars TV shows to come to Disney+, exploring her history would be no bad thing, especially if that takes us back to her time as part of the Rebellion and allows us to revisit the events of the original trilogy. 

The question is, is the character interesting enough to hold her own in a series like this one? 
 

2. Doctor Aphra

Doctor Aphra has developed a huge fanbase thanks to her comic book adventures, and fans have been hoping for the past few years now that she’ll make the leap from page to screen.

Given how much of her story has already been covered by Marvel, it’s hard to imagine what could be done with her in a live-action setting, but we’re sure there are more stories to tell, all of which could tie into what we’ve seen in the comics. She’s a huge amount of fun to spend time with, and with the right actress, we can imagine that same being the case on Disney+ too. 

Time will tell, but a TV show wrapping up her story feels like the right fit for this streaming service.
 

1. An Original Character

We’ve explored a lot of exciting possibilities with some familiar faces thus far, but who’s to say the lead of this series won’t be someone completely new? 

The Mandalorian may have taken advantage of a familiar alien race by creating “Baby Yoda,” but the titular character is an original creation. Despite that, he’s already a firm fan-favourite, and that just goes to show Lucasfilm is more than capable of coming up with compelling new heroes without necessarily turning to those they’ve already introduced. 

We could follow someone on the side of good or evil here, pretty much in any time period. That’s an intriguing prospect, and one made possible by focusing on a new addition to this Galaxy. 
 

Avengers: Endgame earned $1.2 billion worldwide during its opening weekend, and according to Deadline, that alone covered the $511 million production and marketing costs. That’s a first for a big budget blockbuster, and so it’s no wonder the Marvel Cinematic Universe is set to continue dominating theaters moving forward (well, once they re-open). 

After grossing $614.3 million in China – making it the biggest US title in the Middle Kingdom’s history – Disney ended up getting 25% of that ($153.5 million) back due to how things work in the country. 

However, after Avengers: Endgame ultimately ended up earning $2.797 billion worldwide, and after Disney saw around $1.8 billion in theatrical rentals and when home entertainment and TV streams brought that figure up to $1.789 billion. Unfortunately, merchandise costs haven’t been revealed. 

Despite that, the net profit ended up being a mind-blowing $890 million. That’s 78% higher than Avengers: Infinity War‘s $500 million profit, and a number no one could have ever imagined. 

Interestingly, the trade notes that after receiving $20 million upfront, Iron Man actor Robert Downey Jr. walked away with $55 million in back-end profits. 

Another Avengers movie being released is inevitable, but there’s no sign of one in Phase 4 and that’s likely because the studio wants to build anticipation. When it finally arrives in theaters, it will almost certainly be a hit, and that’s a smarter business decision that rushing another out too soon. 

Click on the “Next” button below to check out some Phase 1
moments Disney wouldn’t allow to happen in the MCU today!
 

10. Bruce Banner Can’t Get Laid

In The Incredible Hulk, Bruce Banner goes on the run alongside Betty Ross, and the former couple start getting close again in a motel room. However, just as it looks like the Jade Giant’s alter-ego will see some action, his heart-rate monitor starts going haywire, and he realises that having sex runs the risk of him transforming into The Hulk. 

Yes, Bruce couldn’t have sex with Betty because he was scared he would lose control during the act! 

What was meant to be a somewhat edgy piece of humour came across as dumb and bordered on being a complete misunderstanding of how Banner’s powers work. Honestly, there’s just no way one of the current Marvel Studios movies would take this sort of risqué look at a hero’s sex life.
 

9. Tony Stark’s Stripper Pole

Before he became Iron Man, Tony Stark lived a hedonistic lifestyle and certainly enjoyed himself as an eligible bachelor. That was evident from the fact his private plane was outfitted not only with plenty of booze, but stripper poles which the “flight attendants” certainly made good use of. 

Yes, Tony was able to transform his plane into a strip club on a whim, and while there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that (it’s not as if he was married or doing anything morally objectionable), this sort of non-PG content wouldn’t fly – no pun intended – in today’s Marvel Cinematic Universe. 

These days, there would probably be some sort of massive outcry on social media to a scene like too, and it’s just not something that fits Disney’s family friendly image in any way, shape, or form.
 

8. General “Thunderbolt” Ross’ Love Of Cigars

The original plan for The Avengers was for Earth’s Mightiest Heroes to square off with The Hulk. That’s why The Incredible Hulk’s post-credits scene revolved around Tony Stark approaching General “Thunderbolt” Ross to offer him some help, but there was something in that moment which Disney would never allow to grace the silver screen. 

While he’s getting drunk, Ross is puffing on one of his trademark cigars, but Disney doesn’t allow smoking in any of their films!

Captain America: Civil War actually featured a nod to Ross’ love of cigars when he mentioned having a heart attack, something you have to believe came as a result of the way he used to both smoke and drink. It was a fun way for Marvel Studios to explain why his cigars were nowhere to be seen.
 

7. Tony Stark’s Alcoholism

Marvel Studios never fully went down the “Demon in the Bottle” route in the MCU, but Iron Man 2 definitely addressed the fact that Tony Stark’s drinking had become a major problem. 

The hero’s drunken behaviour at his party endangered guests and led to Rhodey taking his old armour and subsequently becoming War Machine after realising his friend could no longer be trusted. By the time The Avengers rolled around, though, Tony was shown enjoying a drink as he sparred with Loki in Stark Tower, and his possible alcoholism was never mentioned again.

That was seemingly just too dark a topic for a superhero in a world now overseen by Disney to tackle, and it’s a shame in many ways as the comic books handled it in a meaningful, impactful way.
 

6. Sexualising Black Widow

Scarlett Johansson is extremely talented…and insanely beautiful. Marvel Studios really played on her sex appeal in Iron Man 2, and as well as some saucy lingerie photos, “Natalie Rushman” walked around in a lot of tight-fitting clothing and was clearly an object of Tony Stark’s desires.

That was the point in some ways, of course, as she was undercover for S.H.I.E.L.D., but some sexist remarks were sent her way courtesy of Happy Hogan (who watched her change in the back of Tony’s car), and a female superhero being portrayed like this these says seems doubtful. 

Joss Whedon managed to slip some borderline NSFW shots of Black Widow into The Avengers (mostly of her butt), but the way the hero was portrayed in the MCU after Iron Man 2 was vastly different.
 

5. F-Bombs

It may have been bleeped (barely), but Iron Man 2 featured the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s first F-Bomb! It came during a confrontation with Senator Stern as he shouted “F*** you, buddy” at Tony as he left that congressional hearing about his future as Iron Man. 

It wasn’t hard to figure out what he said, and while Guardians of the Galaxy teased another F-Bomb, it was nowhere near as obvious as this one, and not something Disney would ever allow to make the final cut of one of their movies. Bear in mind that Spider-Man: Homecoming and Far From Home’s “What the fu-” moments were in films produced by Sony Pictures, not Disney.

Regardless, this was a pretty blatant use of the word in a Marvel movie, and not something we expect to hear again.
 

4. Recasting Rhodey

After Terrence Howard demanded a huge pay rise for his Iron Man 2 return, Marvel Entertainment Chairman Isaac Perlmutter ordered Kevin Feige to recast the role…because no one would notice.

In case you need us to spell it out to you, Ike believed that because the character of Rhodey is black, moviegoers wouldn’t notice that Don Cheadle had replaced him. It’s a horrible way of thinking, but he was in charge at the time, and with Howard wanting such a huge amount of money, it was inevitable that he wouldn’t come back for the sequel. 

These days, recasting still happens, but something tells us there would be a better reason for it…and that execs at Disney wouldn’t be under the belief no one would realise for such racist reasons!
 

3. “Thunderstruck”

Iron Man 2 was a messy movie, but as well as pushing the boundaries with Tony Stark’s alcoholism and the way Natasha Romanoff was portrayed, it also featured a lot of other sexualised imagery.

The opening sequence (which originally featured a hungover Tony throwing up into a toilet) saw Iron Man surrounded by scantily clad dancers, and while it was all very tame, it’s also not the sort of imagery we’re used to seeing from Disney. It’s hard to imagine them being okay with this, especially when those girls are pulling off some, ahem, eye-catching moves! 

The sequel wouldn’t have suffered without a scene like this, but by the time Iron Man 3 rolled around, the Armoured Avenger had very much put his hedonistic, playboy ways behind him once and for all. 
 

2. Captain America Punches Hitler

Captain America: The First Avenger didn’t really include Nazis and instead overlooked what they did during World War II by focusing on Steve Rogers’ battle with the Red Skull and HYDRA.

It’s hard not to wonder whether that was a creative decision influenced by Disney as they had acquired Marvel Studios at this point, but there’s one scene, in particular, we can’t help but wonder might have been a step too far for Disney. That’s the scene where Captain America punches an actor who is dressed up as Adolf Hitler while Steve is performing for the USO. 

It was a moment paying homage to the source material and a classic comic book cover, but would Disney be happy with one of their superheroes beating up one of the most evil men in history? It’s hard to say, but we can’t help but wonder whether this would have led to some strong discussions behind the scenes. 
 

1. Sex Scenes

As we’ve established, the early Iron Man movies didn’t shy away from portraying Tony Stark as a billionaire playboy who most definitely wasn’t ready to settle down with future Stark Industries CEO Pepper Potts. That was evident from the fact that he wasted no time in bedding Christine Everhart in a surprisingly non-PG-13 sex scene! 

The next morning, Christine (played by the beautiful and talented Leslie Bibb) wanders through Stark’s Malibu home in just the bedsheets, and that’s yet another example of imagery which is far too provocative for today’s MCU. 

Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger didn’t feature any sex scenes, but that was mostly for story reasons. However, it’s hard not to wonder what those might have looked like had things played out slightly differently (especially after what we saw in the Iron Man franchise). 
 

The Star Wars prequels may have been divisive, but The Clone Wars animated series that spun out of them was something everyone was happy about. As great as it was to follow the adventures of characters like Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda, and Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano was the breakout star, and has since become a true fan-favourite. 

Recently, Vanity Fair published an article exploring the impact of Ahsoka’s legacy, and talked to showrunner Dave Filoni about both the creation of the character and how she nearly ended up in Attack on the Clones.

“We called her Ashla in the beginning,” he explains. “That was 2005, and that worked on several levels for me. I think it was the name given to one of the [young Jedis Yoda was training] in Attack of the Clones. There was a little Togruta girl. We kicked around the idea that maybe that was Ahsoka but then we thought the age didn’t really work out for it to be the same character. She was too young in the film.”

As for the Ahsoka’s introduction, Filoni looked back on what George Lucas said when he first suggested introducing the young hero as Anakin’s padawan, something the movie’s never actually referenced. 

[George] said, ‘This is going to be Anakin Skywalker’s padawan because I want him to have a padawan. People don’t expect that and it will add a way to give him somebody to teach, and it creates a great dynamic between him and Obi-Wan and her.’ And at first it seems like, well that’s a far-out idea. Growing up, I never thought Anakin had a padawan. That’s why George is George.”

“He just perceives things and trusts his instincts and goes for it and ends up creating a character that now is beloved,” Filoni concluded. 

Now, the character is set to make her live-action debut courtesy of actress Rosario Dawson in season two of The Mandalorian. Filoni is bound to be involved with that in some way (possibly as the director of that particular episode), and there are already rumblings she could get her own spinoff.

Click on the “Next” button below to see why we think the
Star Wars prequels were better than Disney’s sequels!
 

10. They Told A Coherent Story

It feels like the legacy of the Star Wars sequels will revolve around the competing vision of two filmmakers – J.J. Abrams and Rian Johnson – both of whom played a game of one-upmanship, undoing the other’s work because they had their own specific ideas about what Star Wars should be. 

While the prequels featured a lot of peculiar creative decisions, George Lucas being the man in charge meant there was a cohesive story which had a beginning, middle, and end. 

Moments from The Phantom Menace paid off down the line (even if you occasionally had to struggle to find them), whereas it was impossible to watch The Rise of Skywalker without being befuddled by sudden U-Turns. Those include Supreme Leader Snoke suddenly being a creation of Emperor Palpatine and Rey’s parents going from nobodies to somebodies who were, uh, nobodies.
 

9. The Lightsaber Battles Ruled (Despite The OTT Choreography)

Yes, it was sometimes hard not to cringe watching the Jedi in the prequels unnecessarily spinning around for the umpteenth time in a single battle, while those flips were definitely a tad over the top. 

However, each of the major lightsaber battles felt like truly epic affairs with high stakes and edge of your seat action. Can the same really be said about the sequels? Rian Johnson expertly choreographed that battle aboard Snoke’s Star Destroyer, but when Abrams had Rey face down Kylo Ren, excitement was lacking, and the iconic weapons barely factored into his finale.

The sequel’s leads weren’t trained in a traditional way, but just like these movies overlooked what it really meant to be a Sith (was Kylo ever more than someone who was attuned to the Dark Side?), they also failed to deliver lightsaber battles which left a lasting impact of any sort. 
 

8. They Tied Into The Original Saga

Having already made the original movies, George Lucas obviously knew where he was heading with his prequels. The challenge of making the sequels was to create a new story, and while they did succeed in that respect, they ultimately failed to build on what came before in a satisfying manner. 

Han Solo and Leia Organa’s marriage fell apart after they failed their son. Lando Calrissian disappeared into the ether. R2-D2, uh, turned himself off. Oh, and most crushingly, Luke Skywalker was a broken down failure who never became a true Jedi Master and just went into hiding. 

Those aren’t the outcomes we wanted for any of the characters, and it’s not like they even ended up finding redemption for the most part. The prequels made us realise what sort of man Obi-Wan Kenobi was before ending up on Tatooine, while we also got to witness what led Anakin Skywalker down a dark path. The sequels, however, didn’t do the original films justice for the most part.
 

7. The Villains Were Better

Kylo Ren was a fantastic villain with a compelling story arc which, minus his death, had a satisfying ending. Unfortunately, the rest of the bad guys in the Star Wars sequels were a disappointment. 

Supreme Leader’s Snoke story went nowhere thanks to Rian Johnson’s decision to kill him off, while the mystery surrounding his identity boiled down to a throwaway moment in The Rise of Skywalker. General Hux, the Knights of Ren, and Allegiant General Pryde were completely forgettable for the most part, whereas the prequels delivered bad guys who left a lasting impact. 

There’s a reason fans still talk about General Grievous and Darth Maul (both of whom have gone on to take centre stage in animated TV shows), and while Count Dooku was hit and miss, Christopher Lee helped him excel. Oh, and Emperor Palpatine’s story arc was a million times better in those early movies than the clone with the inexplicable plan we got last year. 
 

6. There Was The Right Level Of Fan Service

While many of the criticisms were overly harsh, there’s no denying that The Force Awakens borrowed a little too much from A New Hope in terms of how the story played out. The Last Jedi, on the other hand, essentially told fans that what they wanted didn’t matter (which isn’t always a bad thing), but The Rise of Skywalker took fan-serve to a downright unbearable level. 

Lucasfiilm clearly felt that they needed to make things right with fans after some of the creative decisions made by Rian Johnson, but that led to them arguably making no one happy. 

The prequels, on the other hand, did deliver the moments we wanted to see as fans (Darth Vader’s transformation and how Emperor Palpatine got his deformed appearance, for example), and while that was undeniable fan-service, there was definitely just the right amount of it. Did we need to know how R2-D2 and C-3PO met? Nope, but it was more fun than the way Luke’s personality shifted from film to film.
 

5. The Ending Didn’t Suck

Whether you loved or hated it, it’s hard to deny that The Rise of Skywalker served as a mostly horrendous ending to the Skywalker Saga. Whether it’s the fact the entire Skywalker lineage ended in death and Rey Palpatine dubbing herself “Rey Skywalker” or the random return of Emperor Palpatine to the land of the living with zero explanation about how it happened.

Sure, Darth Vader’s cry of “Nooooooo!” was, well, awful, but the way the prequels ended didn’t really disappoint. We got to learn how Anakin Skywalker fell under the spell of the Emperor and learned what led to characters like Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda ending up where they did in the original trilogy. It wasn’t perfect, but it worked, and it didn’t leave a bad taste in our mouths! 

Unfortunately, it will take a while to get over how the Skywalker Saga ultimately reached its conclusion. 
 

4. There Weren’t A Million Unanswered Questions

For this point, you might be best off checking out our breakdown of The Rise of Skywalker‘s biggest unanswered questions! All done? Well, those barely scratch the surface, and it’s crazy to think just how many lingering plot threads these sequels left us with. 

Not everything needs to be neatly tied up, of course, and a certain level of ambiguity is a nice way of getting fans to wonder what happened next to these characters. This finale, however, failed to wrap up the story arcs of key characters, and felt like half a movie as a result. 

We’ll get into the long list of questions regarding Emperor Palpatine a little later, but you can’t say the prequels left us with as many dangling plot threads, and certainly not ones this infuriating! 
 

3. The Big Name Characters Got Their Due

As we mentioned a little earlier, where we picked up with characters like Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa, and Han Solo in the sequels was downright depressing. The adventures we all imagined them having together came to an abrupt end, and their victory in Return of the Jedi was short-lived. 

No one said they had to have a happy ending, but man, what an ending for so many of our favourites!

On the plus side, the prequels, didn’t let down characters like Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, Yoda, or C-3PO. Instead, it added to their stories – not always in an effective way, mind you – and ultimately did them justice. We’ll address why that’s the case with Emperor Palpatine a little later, but they all fared better than the returning characters from the original trilogy. 
 

2. The Changes To The Force Worked

The concept of Midi-chlorians was so silly, that George Lucas had pretty much ditched the idea by the time Attack of the Clones rolled around. However, the ways he otherwise expanded on the Force did make sense, whether it was Yoda mentioning that Qui-Gon Jinn had mastered life after death or the effect the Dark Side had on Anakin Skywalker after his horrifying actions. 

The sequels also played around with the Force, but this time, the result were definitely mixed. 

Everything from Force Dyads to Wayfinders and the Dark Side were introduced in Disney’s Star Wars movies, but most of these ideas didn’t work. The concept of there being two Sith at one time (a Master and Apprentice) was randomly dropped, and the convoluted nonsense linking Kylo Ren and Rey in The Rise of Skywalker is definitely something that’s better off forgotten. 
 

1. Emperor Palpatine’s Plan Actually Made Sense

We alluded to this a little earlier, but when you go back and look at the prequels, Emperor Palpatine’s story arc did make a lot of sense. There was some dodgy acting and questionable decisions (we really didn’t need to see why he looked so ancient), but the story of him attempting to bring the Galaxy back under the control of the Sith alongside a powerful apprentice made sense. 

What about his role in the Star Wars sequels added up? Without looking to the novelisations and tie-in books for further context, all we know is that he somehow survived the events of Return of the Jedi in a clone body, and planned to have his granddaughter kill him so he could take over her body and then rule the Galaxy. Yes, that idea made it into an actual screenplay.

Getting into Supreme Leader Snoke’s role further muddies the water; was he an actual person Palpatine cloned and used as a pawn or just one of his own failed clones? Who the hell knows! 
 

It’s been a year since Avengers: Endgame held its world premiere in Hollywood and, well, an awful lot has changed since then. As of right now, we don’t know when theaters will be able to re-open their doors, and there’s a lot of uncertainty surrounding everything from release dates to production delays. 

Talking to Deadline to promote the release of Extraction on Netflix (you can read our review by clicking HERE), directors Joe and Anthony Russo reflected on what it was like to be able to sneak into a theater and watch the reaction from fans who were getting to experience it for the first time. 

“My most treasured memory is when Ant and I, Kevin Feige, Markus & McFeely and Lou D’Esposito snuck into the Westwood Theater on opening night to watch it with an audience,” Joe said. “I’ve never had an experience like that in a movie theater, where an audience was that viscerally and emotionally connected to what was going on, vocalizing and emoting the way they were.

“We had chills all around and were brought to tears once or twice, realizing you told a story that had such binding communal impact. It was something we’ll never forget.”

Anthony adds, “To be in a movie theater that feels like a rock arena, I never imagined it and to be part of that energy and see the crowds experience the movie in that way with that fervor, sharing it together and feeding one another. That was something I never anticipated and to see it happen on that movie.”

“It keeps you humbled because you don’t know where art is going to take you or where movies take us,” the filmmaker continued. “It was nice to be part of that moment.”

Avengers: Endgame went on to become the highest-grossing movie of all-time, so it clearly resonated with people. Getting to see those reactions must have been really special for the directors, and there’s a lot of excitement surrounding the possibility of them returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. 

They’ve expressed interest in Secret Wars, so we now just have to keep our fingers crossed…

Which villains should debut during Phase 4? Click on the
“Next” button below to check out some of our top picks!
 

10. Sin

Baron Zemo is set to be the lead villain in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, but it would be no bad thing for him to get some company. There are rumours about the Thunderbolts showing up, of course, while John Walker will almost certainly lose his mind as the new “Captain America” at some point.

Sin would make for a great secondary villain, though, as she could be re-imagined as the Red Skull’s grandaughter and possibly even someone who had history with Crossbones. 

Who knows, perhaps what Johann Schmidt did to himself all those years ago was passed down through his bloodline, and Sin could boast a similarly deformed appearance. That would certainly help ensure that she stands out from the crowd, while giving the MCU a formidable and memorable new villain.
 

9. Green Goblin

Norman Osborn played a key role in both Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy and The Amazing Spdier-Man movies, so Marvel Studios might be understandably reluctant to bring him back. 

However, there’s still a lot that could be done with the character on the big screen, especially if those rumours about him one day leading the Dark Avengers are correct. More importantly, we just want a comic accurate version of the Green Goblin to grace the silver screen, as you just know that Marvel Studios would redesign him in an exciting and visually impressive way. 

Yes, there are other villains Spider-Man 3 could make good use of, but Norman taking on a supporting role and the Green Goblin being used as some sort of shadowy figure would be no bad thing, especially if we learn that he’s been pulling the strings from the very start. 
 

8. Mephisto

With Marvel Studios seemingly embracing the supernatural as we head into Phase 4 and beyond, the big screen debut of Mephisto is definitely overdue at this point. Looking at the movies and TV shows on the way, there are any number of MCU adventures he could make his debut in, including Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Loki, and Thor: Love and Thunder.

A sadistic and dangerous villain, Mephisto is a powerful demon who resides in a Hell-like dimension where he often manipulates what’s happening elsewhere for his own gain. He also steals souls, and in the comics, is responsible for Peter Parker and Mary Jane’s marriage coming to an end.

We’re not necessarily saying we want to see that, of course, but it gives you an idea of just how powerful he is! With the right actor, Mephisto is a bad guy who could steal the show across any number of franchises, and he even has the potential to be this shared world’s new big bad one day. 
 

7. Apocalypse

We don’t know when the X-Men will return to the big screen, but there already signs that Marvel Studios is making good use of the new characters and locations they acquired from Fox (Madripoor in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, for example). 

With that in mind, Phase 4 could definitely lay the groundwork for En Sabah Nur’s arrival, and while it wasn’t that long ago we saw him in X-Men: Apocalypse, a Thanos-style CGI take on him would eliminate any concerns about fans being reminded of the cringe-worthy version from 2016.

Both Eternals and Moon Knight will presumably take a deep dive into the MCU’s history, so even just a mention of this ancient mutant could set the stage for a lot of very exciting stories. 
 

6. M.O.D.O.K.

M.O.D.O.K. was a normal A.I.M. scientist before undergoing a procedure which transformed him into, well, the hideous villain you see above! With such a bizarre appearance, he could be used comedically or as a horribly deformed threat, but M.O.D.O.K. has a lot of potential either way. 

The Falcon and The Winter Soldier teaser seemingly included the return of A.I.M., so it’s possible the stage is already being set for this villain’s big or small screen debut. 

However, with rumours swirling that we’ll see him in Ant-Man 3, chances are he will be comic relief (to some extent) and another character with the potential to make an impact across multiple franchises. We just have to hope that director Peyton Reed does a better job with M.O.D.O.K. than he did Yellowjacket and Ghost, two mostly underwhelming foes for Scott Lang in the MCU.
 

5. Trickshot

There have been rumblings that plans are in place for Hawkeye to introduce Trickshot, and it honestly makes perfect sense. After all, we’ve never really had the opportunity to delve into what makes Clint Barton tick outside of the love he has for his family, and exploring his past here is a must.

Barney Barton is Clint’s older brother, and after serving in the Army and FBI, he fell into the hands of Baron Zemo after being badly injured in battle. After he was manipulated into going after Hawkeye, their relationship was never the same, and he’s been a thorn in Clint’s side ever since. 

We already know that Hawkeye will be about exploring the ramifications of the Avenger’s time as Ronin and a passing of the torch to Kate Bishop, and Trickshot might be the perfect catalyst for that.
 

4. Galactus

It’s no secret that Kevin Feige is a big fan of Galactus (he even offered Fox the chance to keep Daredevil in exchange for him and the Silver Surfer once upon a time), so it’s now inevitable that the planet eating baddie will make his presence felt at some point in Phase 4. 

We’re not expecting him to be a lead villain quite yet, but the seeds could very easily be planted over the next few years thanks to after-credits scenes and other references to his existence. 

The Silver Surfer could show up before then, of course, but if anyone should deal with Galactus, it’s the Fantastic Four. Their arrival in the MCU can’t be too far off, but there are still ways the villain can make his presence felt in this shared world, If you thought Thanos was bad, it’s fair to say that when Galactus arrives, he’ll make the Mad Titan look like no sort of threat at all. 
 

3. Kraven The Hunter 

When it comes to Spider-Man 3‘s lead villain, it’s hard to think of anyone better than Kraven the Hunter. Following the events of Spider-Man: Far From Home, the web-slinger is a wanted murderer, so why wouldn’t someone like Kraven step up to track him down and make a name for himself? 

Marvel Studios could even make it so that he’s been hired by J. Jonah Jameson, and if J.K. Simmons does play a larger role in proceedings, then perhaps TheDailyBugle.net’s Editor-in-Chief could also pay for Mac Gargan to undergo that transformation into the Scorpion? 

Either way, Kraven the Hunter is a character with unlimited potential, and definitely a fitting choice for Spidey’s next foe (especially if Kevin Feige wants to continue bringing in new villains who haven’t graced the silver screen before now). It would also be fun seeing how they reimagine him!
 

2. Fin Fang Foom

Originally introduced in the pages of Strange Tales, this massive alien dragon hails from the planet Kakaranathara, and has frequently clashed with Iron Man over the years. Now, rumour has it that we’ll see him in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, something which makes perfect sense.

In the comics, Fin Fang Foom arrives on Earth in the same ship that contains the Ten Rings which ultimately fall into The Mandarin’s hands, so he’s bound to factor into this movie somehow.

We’re not sure how Shang-Chi would go about fighting a massive dragon like this, but Marvel Studios now has the perfect opportunity to bring him to the big screen, and would be crazy to miss it.
 

1. Dario Agger

We may have heard rumblings about Christian Bale playing an “intergalactic villain” in Thor: Love and Thunder, but Dario Agger is arguably a much better choice of villain for the former Batman. 

The CEO of the Roxxon Energy Corporation, he runs afoul of Thor and Jane Foster after attempting to mine the Nine Realms for fossil fuels and even aligns himself with Malekith the Accursed (someone we’re betting we won’t see here based on what happened in Thor: The Dark World). 

Bale playing this slimy businessman would be awesome, but even more exciting would be watching him transform into a Minotaur. You just know Taika Waititi would have fun with that…