The Cosmic Circus

Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse has finally arrived in theaters, continuing the adventures of Miles Morales (Shameik Moore), Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld), and all our other favorite spider-people from Marvel Comics. Following the events of 2018's Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Miles steps out of his universe into a larger spider-web of the multiverse, where danger is around every corner. With this animated film smashing box-office records, we couldn't wait to get together and talk about every juicy detail from the film and what's to come next in the Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse Discussion.

In the latest episode of The Cosmic Circle, host Brian Kitson and fellow Cosmic Circus writer Alex Perez break down every exciting moment and what the crazy ending of Across the Spider-Verse means for the future of Sony's Marvel films. This is definitely a podcast you don't want to miss, as our resident Spider-Expert Alex Perez shares plenty of insight and quite a few bits of information, for fans of Spider-Man as well as one juicy Scarlet Witch drop. 

[Warning: Spoilers from Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse are within the podcast!] Podcast credits and show notesContributors/Writers

• • Alex Perez
  • Brian Kitson

• • Lizzie Hill

Recorded on 06/04/23

Superhero theme by HumanoideVFX on Pixabay.

Executive Producer/Editor

Prehistoric Planet is a documentary series on Apple TV+ that combines state-of-the-art realistic animation with stunning cinematography to transport viewers back to the Cretaceous period, 66 million years ago. The series features never-before-seen "footage" of dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures in their natural habitats. Sir David Attenborough, the legend of documentary series like Planet Earth, even narrates it. Executive Produced by John Favreau, Prehistoric Planet uses tech from hit shows like The Book of Boba Fett to bring these animals to life. 

On Tuesday, The Cosmic Circus had the opportunity to sit down over Zoom with the show's executive producer Mike Gunton and showrunner Tim Walker. Both are highly accomplished filmmakers in the world of natural history. Gunton is known for his work on the Emmy and BAFTA-winning Planet Earth II, as well as  Galapagos, Yellowstone, Madagascar, and Life. Walker has a similarly impressive career, with 20 years of bringing natural history to the screen. 

There are five episodes in the new season, each tied to a different habitat and the animals that lived there. In our interview, we chatted about dinosaurs (of course!) but also how they built on the technology from season 1, creating empathy for these prehistoric characters and more.

Watch out for spoilers from season 3 and the season finale of The Mandalorian!

Season 3 of The Mandalorian concluded on Wednesday with Chapter 24: The Return. Expectations were high for the finale, which continued the story of The Mandalorian, aka Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal/Brendan Wayne/Lateef Crowder), and adorable found family, the Child, aka Grogu, as they worked with Bo Katan (Katee Sackhoff) and Axe Woves (Simon Kassianides) to defeat Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito) and restore Mandalore. 

Host Ayla Ruby and writers Anthony Flagg and Drew Reed chat about their favorite and least favorite moments from the season finale. They take listener questions and share their thoughts on whether or not Moff Gideon is really dead, Bo Katan's growth over the season, and whether there will be a Season 4 of The Mandalorian. 

Podcast credits and show notes

Contributors/Writers

Anthony Flagg

Ayla Ruby

Drew Reed

Executive Producer/Editor

Lizzie Hill

Recorded on 04/21/23

Superhero theme by HumanoideVFX on Pixabay.

Guardians of the Galaxy was one of the first entries in the MCU to take fans to the stars, bringing the cosmos into the spotlight. With humble beginnings as a rag-tag team of A-holes thrust together by fate and bad luck, the group grew into a family full of love and harassment. The Guardians have faced some tough moments together, but have always come out closer than ever though perhaps a bit battle-scarred. So with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 almost here, we couldn't wait to discuss the team's journey from Vol. 1 to their Holiday Special.

Host Brian Kitson, along with fellow writers Ayla Ruby and Anthony Flagg discuss some of their favorite memories from the previous Guardians of the Galaxy films as well as things they wish were a bit different from their journey through the MCU. Listen to see if listener's question gets answered, such as which scenes or songs are their favorites, or who their favorite Guardian is from across the many entries. And stay tuned, as a follow-up podcast reviewing Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will arrive alongside the release of the film in theaters in early May. Let us know your favorite Guardians moments on Twitter or in the Cosmic Circus discord!

Podcast credits and show notesContributors/Writers

Anthony Flagg

Ayla Ruby

Brian Kitson

Executive Producer/Editor

Lizzie Hill

Recorded on 04/16/23

Superhero theme by HumanoideVFX on Pixabay.

We're big animation fans at The Cosmic Circus and always love getting the chance to sit down with the creators behind these fantastic stories. Earlier this week, Cosmic Cafe host Ayla Ruby chatted over zoom with Bill Motz and Bob Roth from Disney's fantasy show The Ghost and Molly McGee. 

The Ghost and Molly McGee is about a young girl named Molly McGee who is an optimist and always sees the brighter side of things. There's always something to have joy about. When Molly's family moves to a new home and town, she discovers their house is haunted by a grumpy ghost named Scratch. Awesome, right? When Scratch's attempts to haunt Molly go wrong, the two are bound together forever. The show follows them through this unlikely and sweet growing friendship. 

The show is Emmy-nominated, and for a good reason - it's a joy to watch. The talented cast includes Ashly Burch (as Molly), Dana Snyder (as Scratch), Jordan Klepper, Sumalee Montano, Michaela Dietz, and Lara Jill Miller. 

Bill Motz and Bob Roth are equally as talented as their cast. The duo has been writing partners for 30 years, working on things like Darkwing Duck, LEGO Star Wars, and The Penguins of Madagascar. They're the creators and executive producers of The Ghost and Molly Mcgee and were so much fun to speak with. 

If you have kids and an Apple TV+ subscription, the chances you’ve seen the movie Luck are pretty high. It’s an Apple Original movie with a tremendous amount of heart. Last week, just in time for St. Patrick’s Day, the Luck universe grew. We sat down with director Matt Youngberg from Skydance Animation to discuss his short Bad Luck Spot from the same Luck universe. Bad Luck Spot features the Hazmat Bunnies that had an adorable but short appearance in the movie.

Matt Youngberg has an impressive career. Before he joined Skydance, he spearheaded the Ducktales reboot for Disney Television Animation. (As part of Ducktales, he even brought this writer’s favorite hero, Darkwing Duck, back to the screen!) Youngberg is both Emmy and Annie nominated, and he’s worked on other beloved franchises, like Batman Beyond, Teen Titans, and Ben 10.

Cosmic Cafe credits: Host: Ayla Ruby Theme: “Coffee and You” by Vladislav Kurnikov via Pixabay.

Recorded 3/14/2023

Ayla Ruby of thecosmiccircus.com interviews Jared Gerrizen and Sophia Leader of Illfonic about the Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed game.

Cosmic Cafe credits: Host: Ayla Ruby Theme: “Coffee and You” by Vladislav Kurnikov via Pixabay.

Recorded 2/15

Join host Ayla Ruby and fellow writers Brian Kitson and Wiktor Reinfuss as they discuss Shazam: Fury of the Gods. The trio talks about what worked for them and what didn’t in this latest DC Studios adaption. They discuss cameos, post-credit scenes, and even the somewhat controversial product placement. And if that wasn’t enough, the writers also answer questions from the Cosmic Circus community and more.

Ep. 24: Shazam! Fury of the Gods

Timestamps:

00:20 - Intros

01:15 - First and pre-viewing impressions on Shazam! Fury of the Gods, going in. Did you expect to like it? What did you like?

11:02 - Do you want to see more of Shazam in future?

14:15 - Spoiler alert! Talking about what they did and didn't get right with tone and whether or not there should be a reboot for the characters

17:09 - Discussion about bringing in Peacemaker characters, and talk about the difference in tone between Shazam! and that show.

20:40 - What did you really like about the movie?

27:45 - Praising Lucy Liu's performance

29:45 - What did you not like about the movie?

36:15 - What is going on with the end credits scene anyway? 

38:30 - Discussing the dragon and VFX

41:00 - Discussing product placements in the film.

44:18 - Did you like Steve?

46:00 - Final thoughts on Shazam! Fury of the Gods. Vic's theory... is Shazam's world going to be connected to The Flash film coming up?

49:45 - Outros

Podcast credits and show notes

Contributors/Writers

Brian Kitson

Ayla Ruby

Wiktor Reinfuss

Executive Producer/Editor Lizzie Hill

Recorded on 03/19/23

Superhero theme by HumanoideVFX on Pixabay.

If there's one show that people can't seem to stop talking about recently it's The Last of Us. HBO build another hit, which audiences can't get enough of. That includes us here at The Cosmic Circus, so of course we had to jump on Zoom for The Last of Us discussion podcast, capping the end of an excellent season.

Join host Brian Kitson and fellow writers Ayla Ruby and Anthony Flagg as they break down what they liked, how The Last of Us compares to other video game adaptations, and what they hope to see in future seasons!

Timestamps (SPOILER WARNING for The Last of Us season 1 and the game)

00:20 - Intros

02:20 - General thoughts on The Last of Us season 1

05:45 - Audience reception

10:45 - What parts of season 1 did we like the most?

20:41 - What didn't we like?

28:00 - Where do we think this ranks as far as game adaptations? Do we have hope for future game adaptations to be this good?

32:00 - Commenting on Ashley Johnson's appearance on the show, and how similar she looks to Bella Ramsey.

34:20 - Theories for next season (more spoilers discussed for the game and possibly future seasons)

37: 20 - Would the cure have worked?

41:40 - Outros

Contributors/Writers

• Anthony Flagg
  Ayla Ruby
  Brian Kitson
  

Executive Producer/Editor

• Lizzie Hill
  

Recorded on 03/13/23

Superhero theme by HumanoideVFX on Pixabay.

Cosmic Cafe host Ayla Ruby sits down with Steve Loter and Rodney Clouden, Executive Producers of Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, to talk about the new Marvel/Disney show. The series is now airing on Disney Channel and Disney+. 

Timestamps:

00:30 - Intros

01:20 - What is Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur?

02:11 - What inspired you to bring these characters to TV?

03:10 - How did you get introduced to Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur?

04:50 - What was the inspiration for the art style of this series?

07:25 - What was the process for pairing the music with visuals?

10:23 - Pitching the series to Raphael Saadiq

13:10 - What can you tell me about Lunella's journey in season 1?

17:20 - Ayla's daughter asks, "Does Lunella's parents know she is a superhero, will they find out later?"

18:05 - Guest stars on the series, Mae Jemison, Cobie Smulders, and May Calamawy

21:20 - Anything else you'd like to share about the show this season?

23:30 - Outros

It's been over two years since the last season of The Mandalorian, but finally, Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and Grogu are back. Join host Brian Kitson, along with fellow Cosmic Circus writers Anthony Flagg and Wiktor Reinfuss, as they break down the Mandalorian season 3 premiere and share their predictions for the rest of the season.

In the latest episode of The Cosmic Circle, Brian, Ayla, and Anthony discuss Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) and the Wasp's (Evangeline Lilly) journey to Quantumania. The trio looks back at the Ant-family journey, beginning with Ant-Man through their last appearance in Avengers: Endgame, as well as speculate about what to expect from these pint-sized heroes in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania when it hits theaters.

Join along as The Cosmic Circle looks towards the past and makes predictions of the future for Ant-Man and the Wasp. And keep an eye out for a review episode of Quantumania, which will include our own Alex Perez as we talk about the latest Ant-man film and what may happen next.

[Warning: This episode contains spoilers for Ant-Man, Ant-Man and the Wasp, and Avengers: Endgame.]

In this episode, Brian, Anthony, and Drew discuss the recent unveiling of the new DC Slate by James Gunn! These three were super excited to break down and discuss all eleven announced projects from the beginning part of the first chapter of the DCU: Gods and Monsters.

Join them as they explore these newly announced DC films and movies, as well as other tidbits from the slew of information provided by James Gunn and Peter Safran during their presentation!

In this episode, Brian, Ayla, and Anthony discuss Charlie Cox's Matt Murdock aka Daredevil, and his future appearances in the MCU such as in Disney+ series Echo and Daredevil: Born Again!

[Warning: This episode contains spoilers for Daredevil: Born Again, Echo, Hawkeye, and She-Hulk.]

In this episode, Brian, Ayla, and Anthony discuss Charlie Cox's Matt Murdock aka Daredevil, from the Netflix series to his recent appearances in the MCU. A future episode will discuss what lies ahead for Daredevil in the MCU, so follow us and stay tuned!

WARNING: This episode contains spoilers for Netflix's Daredevil, Spider-Man: No Way Home, Hawkeye, and She-Hulk. 

Thank you to our guest science fiction author Jessie Mihalik for joining host Ayla Ruby for a chat about writing and creating her science fiction stories. Jessie Mihalik is the author of several book series in the space opera & romance genres - the Rogue Queen series, the Consortium Rebellion starting with Polaris Rising, and most currently the Starlight's Shadow series. The newest book in the latter series is titled Capture the Sun and is expected to release mid-2023. 

In this episode, Brian, Ayla, and Uday discuss the latest Marvel movie to hit theaters Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. (Coming to Disney+ February 1, 2023.)

In this episode, Brian, Ayla, and Anthony discuss the past, present and future of DC films now that James Gunn has taken charge. 

In this episode, Brian, Ayla, and Anthony discuss 2022's Marvel films and series such as She-Hulk, Wakanda Forever, and Moon Knight, and what they're looking forward to in the MCU's Phase 5. 

In this podcast episode, The Cosmic Circus writers Uday, Julia, Brian, and Drew review and discuss the latest Marvel movie - Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

Along with discussion about the movie as a whole and its lead character Doctor Stephen Strange played by Benedict Cumberbatch, there's significant discussion about Elizabeth Olsen's Wanda Maximoff. This includes the film's handling of the character's mental health in this episode by psychologist Brian and the others.

The Illuminati, America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez), and Wong (Benedict Wong) as the Sorceror Supreme, are also discussed.

Listen in on episode 8 of The Cosmic Circle podcast as host Uday, along with Ayla, Anthony, and The Cosmic Circus' Editor-In-Chief Lizzie Hill discuss the first season of James Gunn's Peacemaker series, now streaming on HBOmax! (SPOILERS!!)

In the first episode of The Cosmic Cafe, Julia chats with actor, voice actor, and podcaster Thomas Carter Rochester about his history growing up with Star Wars and venturing into the notorious Fandom Menace.