
Pete Hernandez
MCU, STAR WARS, and DCU Writer
Favorite MCU movie: Avengers: Infinity War
It was just remarkable to finally see the culmination of ten plus years of storytelling and witnessing characters like Iron Man, Spider-Man, and the Guardians of the Galaxy finally interact with one another. Avengers: Infinity War felt like the exclamation point on the first-ever connected universe we've seen on film.
Favorite MCU character: Spider-Man
Spider-Man is my favorite superhero overall (shoutout to the 90s animated show), and it carries over into the MCU. I love Tom Holland’s portrayal and I feel he depicts the web-slinger and most importantly the Peter Parker I grew up to admire (a hero with vulnerabilities and faults which make him arguably the most relatable and revolutionary).
Favorite Star Wars movie: The Empire Strikes Back
Let's see, you have the Battle of Hoth, the iconic "Imperial March", Yoda and “Do...or do not. There is no try”, "No...I am your father," Boba Fett, themes of deceit and betrayal, need I say more? So many of the franchise's iconic Star Wars moments can be traced back to this single film, and it's why The Empire Strikes Back is still the best in my opinion.
Favorite Star Wars character: The Mandalorian aka Din Djarin
I realize that I've connected more to the films themselves as opposed to specific characters. Why not The Mandalorian? I always wanted a Boba Fett film/series, and The Mandalorian's first season delivered that for me and more. Excited for the future!
Why I joined The Direct
After writing/covering the NBA and NFL, I had the drive to do the same for Marvel and Star Wars. I wanted a platform and a community that was dedicated at heart with a passion for these topics, and I’m fortunate to help cultivate that here at The Direct. The future of Marvel and Star Wars is bright, and in the words of the great Stan Lee: “Excelsior!”
Pete's Articles
Pete's Thoughts
- As much as I would have loved to see Hugh Jackman don the claws once more, I think this is the right move for the future. His send-off in Logan was great, and a return (even for the MCU) might diminish that send-off just a bit. I have faith in Marvel Studios that they'll find the right actor to portray Wolverine.
- As an MCU fan as well as a Star Wars fans, it's been tough acknowleding that upcoming releases in theaters and productions on Disney+ series will be delayed or halted respectively. But this is a small bit of good news for the time being. I'm looking forward to the next Star Wars film exploring territory we haven't seen before, so if it's still set to release on time, that's a win.
- Honestly, I'm not surprised in hearing this, and having it come from one of the film's writers in Jonathan Kasdan just affirms my speculation. The future of Star Wars is on Disney+, and it looks like they already have a plan in place. We've seen Han Solo's full story arc, so why need to go back to something previous when we can explore something new?
- Ever since hearing Okoye referring to "tremors" underneath the ocean, I've been excited at the possibility of a Namor introduction to the MCU. While my first guess wouldn't have been The Eternals, I'm not surprised if the 2020 film is the first to acknowledge the Sub-Mariner. After all, Wakanda was (briefly) referenced all the way back in Iron Man 2, and then Avengers: Age of Ultron.
- Even with Dave Filoni's involvement with The Mandalorian, looks like Ashley Eckstein will not have invovlement in Ahsoka's rumored casting. Still, fans will forever appreciate Eckstein for portraying arguably one of the best characters from the Clone Wars, and its great to see she still has appreciation for the character.
- I'm willing to bet the director(s) who will helm the next MCU Assemble film will be from outside the current roster of past MCU directors. The only thing that could change my mind is if one of the newest Phase 4 films (Eternals, Shang-Chi, etc.) exceeds expectations, thus vaulting their respective director(s) into consideration.
- I was ecstatic when Disney+ launched for me back in November, and at the time it was just the premiere episode of The Mandalorian. Now, UK subscribers will get two episodes immediately, including two episodes of The Clone Wars. Double the Star Wars content available at launch, you can't beat that!
- I'm very interested to see how the family theme dynamic is explored once Black Widow is released. I remember when in Avengers: Endgame Natasha mentioned she had "nothing" before she got this* family. Now i'm even more curious if they'll touch on that aspect and how it could lead into that moment in Endgame.
- The coronavirus pandemic and the cause for the spread of COVID-19 will undoubtedly have an effect on the entertainment industry, and this is (likely) just the first example. I'm thinking Black Widow might* be delayed, and subsequent production of other properties could be impacted as well. Again, the health and safety of those involved takes precedence by all menas.
- While we can't speculate too much from the set photos revealed (just yet), from what we've seen on set it looks like we'll be in for some impressive action sequences. Shang-Chi fighting these soldiers in hand-to-hand combat, likely with stunt work and little CGI, could be really cool to see on the big screen.