All-purpose, running Geek thread (formerly Battlestar Galactica thread)

First trailer for Ant-Man and the Wasp is up. I like that they deal with Ant-Man's decision to participate in Civil War and how that might impact the Pyms and perhaps his own family. The guy keeps getting in trouble with the law and that ends up hurting the people around him.

 

For a minute I was worried Michael Peña's character wasn't in it, but they snuck a half-second of him in the trailer.

I would have boycotted if he hadn't been in it.

 

New Deadpool and Venom teaser are out. Deadpool looks awesome, no surprises there. Venom looks like shit. Yeah, it's a teaser, but come on. Looks like a generic sci-fi movie. I am holding out some hope and please be a small spidey connection with the origin somehow. If Venom isn't connected to Spidey, doesn't have the powers, and spider symbol - this movie is dead to me.

 

Our local comic con is advertising a very special guest from a couple of the greatest, most beloved sci-fi movies of all time.
He was in The Empire Strikes Back. And Superman II. AND Flash Gordon.
Who is this cinematic legend, you might ask? The one the comic con is so breathlessly advertising on its Facebook page?
Why, it's none other than the one, the only John Morton.
He was Luke's gunner during the Battle of Hoth and also served as a Stormtrooper extra who walked past Boba Fett.
Methinks our local comic con is going to suck.

 

Dak is going to be at your local comic-con? Does he feel like he can take on the entire event by himself?

(Damn. I just wasted 10 minutes looking for that Family Guy clip and I can't find it.)

 

Groot is dead. Baby Groot (now teenage Groot) is his child.

'Guardians' Director Drops a Groot Bomb He Thought Fans Knew, But They're Traumatized

Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn clarified this point during an exchange on Twitter. Gunn's responses suggest he thought it was always obvious and clear. The younger Groot in the sequel does not have the older Groot's memories and he has a different personality. Gunn also suggested that the older Groot's sacrifice in the first movie actually means something because he died.

Honestly, I hadn't put much thought into it before, but some folks are very unhappy about this. I'm going to have to run this one by my daughter to see what she thinks.

 

The logic makes sense. You wouldn't say that a tree that grew from the seed of another tree is that same tree.

But they still refer to him as Groot, not Groot, Jr., so of course people are going to get confused. I'm going to just keep pretending that he is the same Groot from the first movie until given a reason not to.

 

The director unequivocally stating that he is not the same Groot and that is absolutely canon isn't enough reason?

The name make sense given that he still only says, "I am Groot."

 

Anything that happens outside of the movie does not inform how I plan to watch it or any of its sequels. He could say that Starlord is the love child of Ron Swanson and David Bowie. Unless it happens or is explained in the movie, it is meaningless.

EDIT: I should add, meaningless to me. That is how I decide to watch movies or TV shows that already have a lengthy history in comics or elsewhere.

 

Ta-Nehisi Coates:

Why I'm Writing 'Captain America'

 

I hear you. I'm just having a little fun with this.

Gunn sounds like he is genuinely surprised people don't realize Groot died. Honestly, I was among those who thought it was ambiguous based on the movie, but now that I read his comments, I see his point.