Tag Archives: Spider-Man

The Bittersweet Conclusions that are Coming in April 2019

Note: There are some spoilers and theories surrounding Game of Thronesand the MCU. I don’t have any knowledge of what’s going to happen in either Game of Thronesor Endgame.

Just like everyone else, I’m excited for both Season 8 of Game of Thrones and Avengers: Endgame. Both the television show and the movie are continuations of popular media adaptations of speculative fiction. Each one will pick up after a “shocking” ending, and the fandom has no idea what to expect in these upcoming installments. George R.R. Martin has announced that there will be differences in his final two books from the TV show. Marvel and Disney have announced some of the upcoming movies for “Phase Four” of the Marvel Cinematic Universe—Spider-Man: Far From Home and maybe an appearance of the Defenders (?). So yes, no one knows what to expect in April 2019 except for action and heartache. 

            Before I go into the obvious differences here are the similarities. Both Game of Thronesand Endgamewill take place after the characters suffer a major lost and are working to fight and to survive in the final showdown. Both involve forces in which there is little to no knowledge about. And, both have confirmed deaths of many of its characters. How will The North win against The Night King? What methods will be used to defeat Thanos and return the other half of the universe’s population? Who is going to die, because not everyone makes it to the end? Fans of either or both are anticipating finales that will destroy them emotionally. The actors and the actresses did admit to crying at the end of shooting their parts. Will it be the same for us? 

            Game of ThronesSeason 8 promises us epic battle sequences, lots of CGI, and several deaths. George R.R. Martin has told his readers to expect a “bittersweet” ending in the books, which should be reflected in the show. And, because the show has diverted from the books so much, it will be difficult to determine which of the minor characters are going to die. In terms of the major characters, Jamie and Cersei are definitely going to die; at least one more Stark will die; and, Winterfell will provide a winning strategy for surviving—and hopefully winning—the war. As for the minor characters, anyone is fair game. Although we didn’t see any footage in the trailer, the Battle for King’s Landing is going to be as epic as the Battle for the Dawn. 

            Less than two weeks after the premiere of the final season of Game of Thrones, Avengers: Endgamewill be released in theaters. This latest entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe takes place a few months after Thanos snapped his fingers. The surviving teammates are scattered and are brainstorming on how to defeat Thanos. There isn’t much to go on except that there will be a final showdown of some sort; Captain Marvel will make her appearance to both the Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy; and, at least one of the remaining Avengers—Captain America—will die. Thus, paving the way for Civil War II—read the graphic novel. However, it has already been confirmed that the characters who died before the “Snap” will remain dead (?). This plot device is there to implicate lasting repercussions to Thanos’ actions.

            April 2019 will give us the conclusions to the media storylines we want so badly, or do we? All we know about the anticipated features is that there will be a bittersweet ending to both of them. And yes, there have been clues in the previous seasons and movies, it is not clear what will happen. Unfortunately, the books don’t give us any additional hints. With human history to accompany us, viewers and fans should have an idea of how gut-wrenching these viewing experiences will be.

            I know I’ll be watching both media adaptions of these franchises; and yes, I’ll continue to read and to watch anything else related to them. But, am I prepared for the emotional train wreck that is part of these endgames? If the actors and the actresses were emotional, then what does that mean for us? All the same, I need to quench my curiosity because the buildup has been too much. I Need to Know How It All Ends!

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Why E3 2018 Was Great for Gamers and Relevant for Media

E3 2018 lived up to everyone’s expectations! Now, this isn’t about which games were the best and which moments were the worst (NO MORE MACRHING BANDS). Instead, I want to go into why this year’s E3 was monumental, especially after the great year in gaming that was 2017. Long awaited games, expected sequels and remasters, and surprises told hold of the audience. Death Stranding, Red Dead Redemption 2, Spider-Man, Fallout 76, Devil May Cry 5, Resident Evil 2, and Fire Emblem: Three Houses all look very promising. The announcements for future games are very promising as well, but we’ll have to wait a bit longer for Beyond Good & Evil 2. In addition, for some reason, Sea of Solitudelooks like it’ll be a very engrossing game.

As many gamers know, 2017 was an amazing year for us because so many excellent video games were released (too many to name, but please list your favorite from that year). Many of those games went beyond the expectations of both the gamers and the critics. However, similar to other forms of media, people (outside of the gaming community) believed that it would be another few years before video games experienced another “successful” year like 2017. E3 2018 proved that statement wrong.

Similar to digital TV and modern literature, video games are exceeding expectations by doing two simple things: one, giving the fans what they want; and two, taking chances with something different. First, people still find enjoyment in reading; in fact, many stories (particularly fairy tales, myths and legends, and other forms of folklore) have given inspiration to recent popular novels (i.e.A Song of Ice and Fire, Percy Jackson and the Olympians) and popular video games (i.e. God of War, Okami).

Next, streaming sites such as: Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime have branched from streaming older and recent TV shows and movies, to building themselves up as a network with eclectic shows that reflect the diversity of their subscribers. And, with each risk that is successful, that network branches out more and develops more “risky” shows for the audience. Granted, like network TV, there are shows that have been cancelled, but for every one show that gets cancelled on a streaming site, there are 3 to 5 shows that have a large enough audience for renewal.

2017 was that year for video games, and E3 2018 presented the follow-up to that success. Not only will gamers get the games they want between now and 2019, but also new games were announced that look very promising. And, because gamers try to remain indecisive before playing a video game (that still looks fun to play), many of those games will sell just enough to for a discussion to emerge.

FYI: Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit will be released for free by Square Enix on Tuesday, June 26thon PC, PS4, and Xbox One. The game is by the studio that made Life Is Strange. I’m curious about this game, and it’s free, so I plan on getting it. If you get to play it before me, then let me know how it is, I appreciate it.

My Favorite E3 2018 Video Games:

1)   The Elder Scrolls VI

2)   Kingdom Hearts 3

3)   Super Smash Brothers Switch

4)   Shadow of the Tomb Raider

5)   The Last of Us Part 2

Which games from E3 2018 were your favorites?