Once winter has come and gone, it’ll be all we can do to keep ourselves busy until the first of the Game of Thrones spin-offs hits the HBO airwaves. Luckily, we of the Westeros-adjacent sort are particularly inclined to fan theorizing, so we should have plenty to mull over between Thrones‘ series finale in 2018 and the future of the George R.R. Martin universe, however and whenever it may take form. Kicking off this leg of speculation is our own Nerdist News Talks Back team: host Jessica Chobot and her guests, Nerdist managing editor and Fangirling master-and-commander Alicia Lutes and Nerdist senior editor and The Dan Cave‘s own Dan Casey.
There was already plenty to gab about regarding what to expect of the post-Game of Thrones-era of Martin-adapted television, but the Song of Ice and Fire author decided to throw us yet another bone. Now that Martin has taken popular concepts like Dunk & Egg and Robert’s Rebellion off the table, it’s up to fans like Jess, Alicia, and Dan to run through the top dollar hopes and predictions for the new Thrones programs.
In other fantastical TV news, the new trailer for the X-Men series The Gifted gave us plenty to mull over. Visual hints like “Sentinel Systems” patches and mention that the X-Men and the Brotherhood haven’t been heard from have our imaginations running wild. But can The Gifted stand out among a particularly strong and dense slate of genre television?
It’s not only lowly internet folk like us who spend our time fan-theorizing and dream-casting; even superstars like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson do it! Now that Johnson is off the table for the DC Comics Extended Universe’s incarnation of Shazam–what with having been cast as another character, Black Adam–he’s decided to take it upon himself to pick another actor well suited for the part: Armie Hammer. We’ve got our thoughts on this casting, which he discussed in an interview with Screenrant, but what do you think?
And finally, we can’t get through today’s episode without commenting on the latest ill-conceived yet alarmingly popular baby name: Kylo–a clear homage to Adam Driver’s long-haired, long-faced Star Wars: The Force Awakens character Kylo Ren. Even if you’re willing to sidestep the notion that he’s, you know, the bad guy, you can’t help but wonder why these people didn’t just go the simpler, more humane route: Ben.
That’s today’s Nerdist News Talks Back. Chime in with your own thoughts about Game of Thrones spin-offs, The Gifted, Armie Hammer as Shazam, and the world’s growing legion of Kylos!
Image: HBO
