OM DENNE EPISODE
Episode Summary
The studios are merging, the Avengers need more chairs, Tom Cruise is climbing back into a race car, RoboCop is returning, and somehow SHDU STILL hasn't read Dungeon Crawler Carl. Clearly, civilization is thriving.
Yung Phil, Jahmez and SHDU dive into a packed week of nerd news, including Jeremy Renner teasing Hawkeye's return, Avengers: Doomsday reportedly adding even MORE cameos, and rumors surrounding Hulk, Scarlet Witch, Ghost Rider and Deadpool.
Then we enter the Crisis in Infinite Studios as the crew debates James Gunn and Peter Safran's DCU future, Paramount's potential Warner Bros. takeover, stalled DC projects, Supergirl's box office performance, and why Lanterns, Clayface and genre-driven storytelling could keep the DCU moving forward.
Elsewhere, Coyote vs. Acme finally hits theaters, Tom Cruise and Anne Hathaway head toward Days of Thunder 2, Murderbot loads up Season 2, and Dan Stevens becomes RoboCop.
The episode also takes a heartfelt turn as we remember the extraordinary careers and legacies of Peter Cullen and Tim Curry before debating whether Hayden Christensen really needs his own Darth Vader movie.
Finally, Paramount wants to release THIRTY movies every year.
Thirty.
Apparently sleep is no longer part of the theatrical business model.
⏱️ Timestamps & Topics
00:00 – Welcome to Distance NERDing 03:30 – Jeremy Renner teases Hawkeye's return 05:34 – Avengers: Doomsday adds MORE cameos 08:22 – Ghost Rider, X-Men & Deadpool rumors 10:21 – Has the Doomsday plot leaked? 11:54 – Crisis in Infinite Studios: the future of DC 13:12 – Supergirl, James Gunn & DC's growing pains 16:22 – What gets audiences back into theaters? 19:18 – Coyote vs. Acme hits the box office 20:45 – Tom Cruise & Anne Hathaway in Days of Thunder 2 23:24 – Murderbot Season 2 stacks its cast 24:48 – Dan Stevens becomes RoboCop 27:17 – SHDU's required RoboCop homework 29:23 – Remembering Peter Cullen 34:16 – Remembering Tim Curry 39:34 – Hayden Christensen's rumored Star Wars deal 40:03 – Do we REALLY need a Darth Vader movie? 45:21 – Paramount promises 30 theatrical movies a year 47:35 – Are longer theatrical windows coming back? 49:18 – Paramount/Warner Bros. monopoly concerns 50:27 – Can 30 movies a year actually be GOOD?
🧠 Key Takeaways
- Avengers: Doomsday could be turning into an enormous MCU reunion with rumored cameos from across Marvel.
- James Gunn and Peter Safran appear to remain central to DC Studios despite corporate uncertainty.
- DC's genre-first strategy could be one of the DCU's biggest strengths.
- Coyote vs. Acme finally getting released proves shelving finished movies isn't the only option.
- Dan Stevens could be a fascinating choice to bring RoboCop back to television.
- Hayden Christensen returning as Anakin/Vader sounds exciting, but Vader may work better as a looming threat than the center of another movie.
- Paramount committing to 30 theatrical releases could help theaters, but quality control, ticket prices and corporate consolidation remain huge concerns.
- Peter Cullen and Tim Curry leave behind extraordinary bodies of work that shaped generations of nerd culture.
- SHDU has somehow found time for Star Wars, Murderbot discussions and RoboCop homework, but still hasn't read Dungeon Crawler Carl. Goddammit, Donut.
😂 Quotes & Best Bits
"We need a Hulk."
"I think I'm cursed to have crushes on all of the Jean Greys."
"NASCAR has a senior circuit."
"My friends call me Murphy. You call me RoboCop... excuse me, I have to go somewhere. There is a crime happening."
"He's an unstoppable force."
"A broken clock is right twice a day."
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❓ Listener Questions
Should James Gunn stay in charge of the DCU? Who do you think is secretly appearing in Avengers: Doomsday? Do we need a Darth Vader movie? And most importantly:
How many more chapters until SHDU finally reads Dungeon Crawler Carl?!
Send us your questions and future episode topics!
