Picard's Comic Book Sequel

We start with a quick life update on turning 50 and why adult vaccines matter, then dive into a stacked news run: Sony turns Venom animated, Star Trek expands on the page, and legacy franchises pivot. We close by honoring Bud Cort, Brad Arnold, and Tom Noonan.

• shingles and TDAP reminders and why we keep records
• Sony shifts Venom to animation with horror-savvy directors
• Spider-Verse lineage and maturity expectations
• Star Trek IV making-of book and environmental legacy
• Enterprise-G and Zero Point comics shaping post-Picard era
• TMNT summer strategy and retail muscle
• Amazon MGM options YA fantasy A Stage Set For Villains
• Netflix casts McKenna Grace for a Scooby-Doo origin
• Nancy Cartwright on AI versus human voice acting
• tributes to Bud Cort, Brad Arnold, and Tom Noonan
• show wrap with links, music credits, and schedule

Please be sure to check us out on social media. We’re at BlueSky @multiversetom, Threads, Facebook, and Instagram @multiversetonight. If you’ve gotten some value out of the show and would like to pay it back, please head on over to multiversetonight.com, where you can find our Patreon and Ko-fi links, check our show notes, visit our TeePublic store, and leave some feedback. Go ahead and hit that subscribe button, share it with others.

Transcript

Copy

Cold Open: Headlines Rundown

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Tonight, Venom's next movie will be animated. Trek Comics will follow on Picard Season 3, and remember Tom Noonan, but Brad Arnold, and Bud Court, all then more in this edition of Multiverse Tonight. Welcome to Multiverse Tonight, your source for Geek News. We dissect films, games, comics, and much more, bringing you entitled commentary on pop culture. This is Multiverse Tonight. Now here's your host, Thomas Townley.

Host Check-In And Turning 50

SPEAKER_00 0:34

Well, hello and welcome to uh episode 259 of 259, 289. Whatever. It's a new episode of Multiverse Tonight. I'm, of course, your host, Thomas Townley. And uh to start off with, I did what uh you're supposed to do after you turned 50. I uh went down today to the health department and got my first uh vaccination shot for for uh shingles, the shingrix vaccine. Um it made me tired. I'll admit that I went home and basically took uh you know a nap for a couple hours. Now I feel fine, I feel great. So you know we'll see how I feel tomorrow because you know sometimes sometimes uh the effects of things like that are delayed. Also um got uh my TDAP shot, which is uh tetanus diphtheria and pretussis. I believe that's right. Uh that you know you're supposed to get that every 10 years. But as adults, that's something that we tend to well forget. Because you know, unless your doctor has your has your you know vaccination records and everything, they probably don't know either. So you know my wife clued me on on on this on getting this vaccination updated, so it's like it's probably good, especially considering you know I work in hardware and stuff like that, and I work at Walmart, you know, and there's a good chance of my coming up on rusty metals, so it's probably good to have and coughing babies and such. So it's probably good to have my uh vaccination renewed, so to speak. Um other than that, you know, I had pretty much uh a good 50th birthday. I went to work. Here's the thing, you know, when when you get older, birthdays are just pretty much days. So, you know, I went to work, you know, I bought myself a piece of cake. Because sometimes work isn't that isn't that responsive. They're not you know they might not celebrate it really, you know, other than people coming up and saying, Congratulations. It's like, yeah, I'm old. I'll admit that. You know, I'm old. 50 years old 50 is is a law is uh getting up there. I might have you know 20 years left in left in existence. You know, I might go at I might go 60, I might go with 70. You know, I hope to reach 70. I hope, you know. I might be interested to reach 80, but who knows? Maybe in 10 years I will be ready to you know shuffle off the mortal coils, so to speak. So, yeah, it's it's a good idea to be updated on your vaccinations. That ends this public service announcement, the more you know.

Marvel Segment: Venom Goes Animated

SPEAKER_00 3:55

Now let's go on to the Marvel Comics News. And Marvel Comics News begins, as uh seemingly always does, or actually this time I should say, uh, with Venom, which will now be an animated film, which is currently in development. Zach Lipowski and Adam B. Stein, the directors of Final Destination Bloodlines, are currently helming the project. Now, Tom Hardy, known for playing Iddy Brock, and his fanged alter-ego uh Venom in three live-action movies, is reportedly associated with the animated feature. His specific role, whether that's being the voice of the character or another capacity, still remains uncertain at this early stage. Despite a generally negative critical reception, the live-action Venom franchise has been a box-off of success, grossing over $1.8 billion worldwide. Given the subject matter and the director's background, the film is not anticipated to be particularly geared towards, well, children. Sony Pictures is producing the picture through its Sony Pictures Anime division, which holds the rights to Venom via a licensing agreement with Marvel's Spider-Man Universe. This division has previously achieved success with animated Spider-Man projects like Spider-Man into the Spider-Verse, Spider-Man Across the Spider-Ver, and the third film, Spider-Man Beyond the Spider-Verse, which is still slated for a release next year, 2027. Lopowski and Stein gained prominence following the success of Final Destination Bloodlines, which revived the horror series and earned $317.9 million. The duo are also now co-writing Gremlins 3 with Chris Columbus, who will direct and produce the film alongside executive producer Steven Spielberg, and it's also scheduled for a 2027 release.

Star Trek IV Anniversary Book

SPEAKER_00 6:13

Now let's go on to the Star Trek News. And Star Trek News begins with Star Trek movie enthusiasts who have a new hardcover book to anticipate this fall from Titan Books. Continuing their successful line of retrospectives, which recently featured Star Trek II, The Wrath of Khan, and Star Trek III The Search for Spock, Titan is collaborating again with writers John and Maria Jose Tenudo. Their next focus will be the 40th anniversary of the classic Star Trek film Star Trek IV, The Voyage Home. The upcoming book, titled Star Trek IV The Voyage Home, The Making of the Classic Film, was announced via Trekmovie.com and temporarily appeared on Amazon UK, scheduled for release on September 1st. It promises new and exclusive interviews alongside rare, see rarely seen production art and behind-the-scenes images. According to the product listing from Titan Books, this definitive companion offers an in-depth look at the making of one of the saga's most beloved entries. It takes fans deep into the 1986 production that successfully blended humor, heart, and humpback whales into the Final Frontier. The book is backed with exclusive interviews, rare photos, untold stories from the cast and crew, revealing how director Lair Nimoy and the creative team crafted the legendary time travel adventure. It has uh has covers production challenges from the shooting on location in San Francisco to creating the brand groundbreaking special effects needed for the animatronic whales, and highlights the environmental message that remains relevant today. This insider account celebrates the creative risks and rewards of this new direction for the franchise. While pre-ordered leaks links are not yet available, the book is expected to be priced around $50 US. So uh that's great. You you you know that uh the the crashing into the base scene that was done in a in a pool they found in the parking lot at uh at the Paramount Studios. They found there there used to be this pool for uh I think an Esther Williams film. That was in the parking lot, and so they you know dug it up so they could stage stage the the crash into the into San Francisco Bay on the on the lot. These are things these are things I've you know I've known about. So yeah, this might be a very interesting book. You know, it's it's a shame that they don't have Lar Nemoy the interview, you know, they get get more insight from him, but you know, again, he's been interviewed plenty he was interviewed plenty of times before his death, so you know it might be it w might have been all just old hat. Or is he still William Shatner

Enterprise-G Comics And New Series

SPEAKER_00 9:13

around to ask, so there you go. RDW is launching a new line of Star Trek comics headlined by a new ongoing series centered on Captain Seven of Nine and the crew of the Enterprise G. The old Vagiz Modo. The new Star Trek number one will arrive this September from writers Christopher Cantwell and artist Dennis Manhiri. The series follows the Enterprise G after the events of Star Trek Picard Season 3 on a secret mission that takes them beyond the four quadrants of the galaxy for the first time. The Enterprise will venture into a hidden area of space where they will face challenges that test the Federation's ideals. Running concurrently and set in the same universe time is a second monthly series, Star Trek Zero Point, which debuties in October, written by Charlie Jane Anders. This comic features uh Captain Rafi Musiker commanding a new starship. Her mission is to prevent future disasters guided by a powerful yet potentially problematic artificial intelligence. In addition to the new monthly titles, IDW will release several other special issues. First off, Star Trek Celebrations 2026 will be released in May, returning to the banner that honors the franchise's LGBTQIA plus characters and relationships. This one shot will feature tales of triumph from the incredible lineup of uh create of LGBTQIA plus creators creating infinite diversity in infinite combinations. Variant covers for this release uh showcase fan favorite characters, including Haikurasulu and Ben from the Kelvin timeline, and Mariner and Jennifer from the Star Trek lore decks. A special 50th page anniversary comic is also set for September to celebrate the franchise's 60th anniversary. Star Trek 60 the Star Trek 60th anniversary special will feature all new stories from contributors like Dana Gould, Ryan North, Derek Charm, David Walker, and Megan Camera Kamerna, with covers by artists such as Michael Cho, John Tyler Christopher, and Chris Fineglo. The first tie-in story for the Star Trek Starfleet Academy series Lost Contact was previously announced and will be arriving in April. So new Star Trek comic books. I'm yeah. Since uh the it it looks like the we're we're probably not going to get like a Star Trek, the Star Trek legacy series that we all want with uh Seven of Nine and the crew of the Enterprise G you know boldly going forward. You know, it'll it's nice to that have something that we can look at this the have an idea of what uh a series like that might have been might might be.

TMNT Release Strategy And Merch

SPEAKER_00 12:10

But uh anyway, let's go on to the geek news. This adjustment is clearly intent to capitalize on the audience of children still enjoying their summer breaks as opposed to the fall when school commitments began to dominate their time. The first Mutant Mayhem premiered on August 2nd, 2023, amidst industry strikes that prevent the actors from promoting the film. Despite this, the movie still achieved a five-day opening of 43 million, including a $28 million three-day weekend, ultimately earning $118.7 million domestically and nearly $182 million globally. More significantly, the film has a major retail success at Paramount, generating $1 billion in retail sales during the 2023 calendar year. At the time of its launch, the Turtles property represents Paramount Consumer Products' most ambitious venture to date, including over 400 licenses for the film itself. A total of 100 and 1,100 for the entire franchise. Uh products tied to Teenage Vinja Turtles were distributed to more than 550 retailers, covering 40,000 retail locations and made available in over 220 markets worldwide. Yeah, I turned the uh break room TV at work to over to the Teenage Vinja Turtles channel. Uh to say that it that it got switched back to like Little House on the Prairie is well you know just how it is. But you know, at least like I I got to watch some of that. It's like this was so much better when I was a child. It's just really corny now.

YA Fantasy Optioned At Amazon MGM

SPEAKER_00 14:36

Anyway, Amazon MGM Studios has secured the film rights to A Stage Set for Villains, the debut novel by Shannon J. Spann, a writer and success and social media strategist based in New York. The book, which initially instantly topped the New York Times young adult hardcover bestseller list upon release, is set for feature film development. Published by Entangled Publishing on February 3rd, a stage set for villains tells the story of a cursed teenager in a divided land. She infiltrates a secretive theater managed by lethal and irresistible godlike beings, where mortals engage in a brutal competition for immortality. As the teen delves deeper, her perception of reality begins to crumble, making a cure for her curse the least of her concerns. Liz Peltier and Cheryl Clark will produce the film adaptation under the Premeditated Banner, which is an extension of Pelletier's Entangled. This project falls under their first look agreement with Amazon MGM Studios. Kayla Tyne, Premeditaid's director of development, is overseeing the project's development. Now, a stage set for villains marks the second consecutive title from Entangled's new YA imprint mayhem to debut at the top of the bestseller charts. Premeditate is recently was a recent option for a feature film also at MGM M and Amazon MGM. So uh good for them. Uh we'll see you know what this movie is.

Netflix’s Live-Action Scooby-Doo Origins

SPEAKER_00 16:03

McKenna Grace is set to star as a young Daphne Blake in a new live-action Scooby-Doo series on Netflix, according to sources obtained by variety.com. The eight-episode show, which was ordered in May and March of 2025, will feature the initial meeting of the Mystery Inc. gang. The official log line describes the show as a modern take on the classic cartoon, quote, during their final summer at camp, old friends Shaggy and Daphne get embroiled in a haunting mystery surrounding the lonely lost great Dane puppy that may have been a witness to a supernatural murder. Together with the pragmatic scientific townie Velma and the strange but ever so handsome new kid Freddie, they set out to solve the case that is pulling each of them into a creepy nightmare that threatens to expose all of their secrets. Unquote. Now, this isn't Grace's first time portraying Daphne Blake. She previously voiced the young character in the uh young version of the character in the 2020 animated film Scoob. She was also slated to reprise the role in the prequel Scoob Holly Haunt, but Warner Burst Discovery canceled the film in the cost-cutting measure. Grace has experience playing younger versions of main characters with roles in the Netflix series Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and films Captain Marvel and I Tanya. Grace received an Emmy nomination in 2021, broadsiding guest actress in a drama for her work on The Handmaid's Tale. Her other TV credits include The Young and the Restless, The Haunting of Hill House, Young Sheldon, and Designing Survivor. On the film side, she starred in Gifted, the Ghostbusters Afterlife and its sequel Frozen Empire, and Five Nights of Freddy's 2. And uh, you know, this is you know interesting. Another kind of reboot of the Scooby-Doo franchise, of course. The best uh origin tale of the of Scooby-Doo was, of course, a pup named Scooby-Doo. So go watch the animated series. Yeah. Was Red Herring.

Nancy Cartwright On AI And Voice Acting

SPEAKER_00 18:06

Anyway, speaking of animated, Nancy Cartwright, the voice of Bart Simpsons since the sim since the Simpsons 1989 debut, is confident that artificial intelligence cannot replace her. After over 800 episodes, the voice actress recently explained her preference for a human successor over generative AI event when she eventually retires. Cartwright believes the AI lacks the crucial component, heart. As she told people, while AI might sound pretty close to Nancy Cartwright, it lacks her passion. Quote, we're spiritual beings and we can emote passion and uplift people with stuff. And I don't know that a computer can do something like that, she added. Unquote. The decision comes as Disney, the parent company, has focused on gender of AI, including a $1 billion deal with OpenAI for its SOAR app, while also aggressively pursuing legal action against our companies for pirating AI characters, AI versions of its copyrighted characters. The Simpsons is uh just debut's 800th episode, with

In Memoriam: Bud Cort, Brad Arnold, Tom Noonan

SPEAKER_00 19:05

Disney Plus launching a dedicated channel for the show and a new movie set for theatrical release on July 23rd, 2027. And finally tonight, a life remembered. First off, a life remembered, Bud Court, star of Harold and Maud, dies at 77. Bud Court, the actor best known for his iconic role as the death-obsessed young man Harold Chasen, opposite Ruth Gordon's spirited Maud in the 1971 classic cult classic Harold and Maud, has passed away at the age of 77 in Connecticut after a long illness. His passing was confirmed by deadline.com. Born Walter Edward Cox on March 29th, 1948, in Rye, New York, Court began his career performing stand-up comedy in New York clubs like the Village Gate and the Bitter End, where he was discovered by director Robert Altman. With his distinct owlish look and real thin physique, he was cast in Altman's 1970 film Mash and Brewster McLeod. He was also an uncredited extra in 1967's Up the Down Staircase and 1969's Sweet Charity. It was Hal Ashbeck's dark, sweet-natured romantic comedy, Harold and Maud, however, that defined his career and established his place in 1970s cinema, the film which features a memorable Cat Stevens soundtrack centered on the eccentric May-December romance between Harold, who is preoccupied with death and stages, elaborate fake suicides, and the life-affirming 79-year-old Holocaust survivor, Maud. Despite initial controversy over its theme suicide and the age gap romance, the Paramount Pictures release didn't become a financial success until more than a decade later. It found its dedicated audience through midnight movie screenings, eventually earning the status of a genuine classic and ranking number 69 on the American Film Institute's 100 best romantic comedies. The film's ending, where Harold is seen dancing away with Maud's banjo, playing Kat Stevens If You Want to Sing Out, Sing Out, after what initially appears to be a tragic finale, became an iconic symbol of embracing life. Now, a courge's unforgettable note of perfect performance as the awkward social outcast Harold led him to being typecast. He described his resulting cult's death as a both a blessing and a curse. He revealed in a 1996 Los Angeles Times profile that the typecasting was so severe that he did not make a film for five years after Harold and Maud. He rejected a role and one flew over the Cuckoo's nest, saying he, quote, didn't want to play crazy, unquote, and later regretted not taking having taken more opportunities. Despite his love for the role, he confesses to having moments where he, quote, cursed that movie and wished I'd never done it, unquote. Twenty years after the film's release, he received a standing ovation at the Karlovy Very Film Festival, a reception that made him realize how fondly his performance was remembered globally. Now, Court has a lengthy roster of film and TV credits, including Heat from 1995, Kevin Smith's Dogma in 1999, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zazoo in 2004, Criminal Minds, and Ugly Betty. However, he had to overcome more than just typecasting. In 1979, he was involved in a serious car accident on the Hollywood freeway after hitting an abandoned vehicle, resulting in a fractured skull, a concussion, broken bones, and facial lacerations that required years of surgery and extensive medical costs. Despite this, Court continued acting into the 2010s,

Closing And Ways To Support

SPEAKER_00 22:33

increasingly taking on voice roles in animated series such as Superman and Justice League Unlimited. No. Bud Court is survived by his wife Vicky and her daughters Meave, Britton, and Jesse, and his brother Jud Joseph Koff Cox, and three sisters, Carrie Cox, Tracy Cox Berkman, and Shelly Cox Durfour, along with their families. Again, Bud Court, who played God for Kevin Smith, died at 77. Next up, Brad Arnold, the influential lead singer, founding member, and primary songwriter of the multi-platinum rock band Three Doors Down, has passed away at the age of 47 following a battle with kidney cancer. The band, known for major FM hits like Kryptonite, Loser, and Duck and Run, announced on Saturday that Arnold passed away peacefully in his sleep that morning, surrounded by his wife, Jennifer Sanderford, and family. He has revealed his diagnosis of stage four clear cell renal car cell carcinoma in May of 2025, saying that he had, quote, no fear while thanking fans for support. Born in September 27, 1978, in Mississippi, Arnold co-founded Three Doors Down in 1996. The band achieved massive success with their 2000 debut album, The Better Life, which peaked at number seven on the Billboard 200 and sold over 7 million copies in the US alone. Key hits from the album include Kryptonite, which Arnold famously wrote in high school math class at age 15. It reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100 and spent 11 weeks on Billboard's Modern Rock Charts. Loser was a number one for a record-holding two weeks, and Duck and Run topped the mainstream rock charts for three weeks. Their success continued with the 2002 sophomore album Away from the Sun, featuring the top five single singles When I'm Gone and Here Without You. The band's two new next two LPs, Seven Days and Three Doors Down, both topped the Billboard 200, cementing their stats as one of the biggest rock acts of the 2000s. It's not my time would be their final mainstream rock chart topper. In total, the group achieved 4 million selling albums in the US, becoming a cultural touchstone that blended post-grungeability of accessibility with emotionally direct songwriting. In the statement, the band described Arnold as a devoted husband and someone who, quote, whose kindness, humor, and generosity touched everyone fortunate enough to know him. They acknowledged his profound impact, saying his songwriting became a cultural touchstone for a generation, producing some of the most enduring hits of the 2000s. His music reverberated far beyond the stage, creating moments of connection, joy, faith, and shared experiences that will live on long after the stages he performed on. The family has expressed gratitude for the outpouring of love and support and has asked for privacy during this difficult time, saying he will be deeply missed and forever remembered. Brat Arnold, the founding member of Three Doors Down, dead at the age of 47. And finally, tonight, Tom Noonan, the accomplished actor and playwright, passed away peacefully on my birthday, February 14th, at the age of 74. He began his career on the New York stage, appearing on the original 1978 off-Broadway production of Sam Shepherd's Buried Child. Noonan Lair became known for his memorable film roles, including playing menacing villains, including Francis Dollarhyde in Manhunter, Kane in Robocop 2, The Ripper in The Last Action Hero, and Frankenstein's Monster in The Monster Squad. His death was confirmed by What Happened was co-star Brian Silas and the Monster Squad director Frank Decker, though the cause of death was not immediately available. Decker offered a tribute on Facebook, recalling his desire to cast Noonan for the Monster Squad after being impressed by his manhunter performance. Decker noted that the Noonan initially found that Frankenstein makeup arduous and annoying, but was ultimately the proverbial gentleman and scholar on set. Noonan was born on April 12, 1951, in Greenwich, Connecticut. He was the younger brother of playwright John Ford Noonan, Jr., and in acting, addition to acting, Tom Noonan was a known playwright himself, pending works like What Happened was in 1992, which was Larry 1994 Sundance Award-winning film, Wifey, and Wang Dang. His extensive film work also includes roles as Hacker Kelso in Heat, Sammy Barthenon in Saint Deutsch, New York, Mr. Allman in The House of the Devil, and providing voices for the animated film Anomalisa on television. He is recognizable as the peace-seeking Reverend Nathaniel in Hell on Wheels, and the villain known as the Tall Man, the Pallid Man in Twelve Monkeys. Director Michael Mann also paid tribute on Instagram, showing that Noonan secured the role in Manhunter by walking into the edition and saying, quote, I don't want to talk, I just want to read, unquote. Mann described the reading as magical. Noonan's earliest film appearances were small parts in 1980 films such as Willie and Phil, Heaven's Gate, and Gloria. He was a prolific presence on television with noble appearances, including an incarcerated serial killer in the X-Files episode Paper Hearts, roles on Law and Order, Criminal Intent, and Special Victims Unit, CSI, Crime Synthes, Crimes and Investigation, Tales from the Dark Side, Damages, Louie, The Leftovers, Monsters, The Equalizer, and Early Edition. Noonan was married to actress uh Karen Young from 1992 until her divorce in 1999. Complete information on survivors was not available. Again, Tom Noonan, the accomplished actor and playwright, dead at the age of 74. And that brings us to the end of our show for today. Now, please be sure to check us out on social media. We're at uh blue sky at multiverse tom, threads, Facebook, and Instagram at multiverse tonight. And if you've gotten some value out of the show and would like to pay it back, please head on over to multiverse tonight.com, where you can find our Patreon and Kofi links, check our show notes, visit our T Public store, and leave and while you're there, leave some feedback. And if this is your first time listening, thank you and welcome. Go ahead and hit that subscribe button, share it with others. Special thanks to Shane Ivers for the intro music and Lobo Loco for the outro theme music. Thanks for watching this edition of Multiverse Tonight. We'll be back in two weeks with more sci-fi and comic book news. Now please exit the universe in an orderly fashion. Good night.