Comic Years |
- GRID Legends Review – Storytelling Meets Realistic Racing
- The Batgirl Movie Release Date Appears To Be Coming Just In Time For The Holidays!
- The Batman Box Office Predictions For Opening Weekend & Beyond
- No Exit Movie Review: Hulu Book Adaptation Of Thriller Is A Tense Nail-biter
- Elden Ring Tips for Beginners – Five Ways to Get Better
- The Dropout Premiere Episodes On Hulu Adapts The Podcast Series About The Youngest Self Made Billionaire
- Outlander Prequel Show In The Works For Starz – Here’s What We Think It’s About
| GRID Legends Review – Storytelling Meets Realistic Racing Posted: 27 Feb 2022 05:07 AM PST Racing games tend to really hit a niche audience. One thing we see from time to time is a racer break out of the car enthusiasts or sports game fandom to the mainstream. Forza Horizon 5 achieves this by making an entire map a real-world playground. Other titles like Need for Speed put you in an action movie of sorts. GRID Legends is poised to be the latest breakthrough racer ripe with incredible gameplay with exceptional storytelling. Thanks to a narrative-based Story Mode that uses state-of-the-art technology, immersion doesn’t just happen on the racetrack. Our GRID Legends review is truly for anyone who wants a racing game ripe with crossplay features and electric moments. Let’s discuss the latest from Codemasters, and their first title under EA. A Racing Game That Offers Just as Much Between Races as During Image Credit: EA Codemasters is now under the EA umbrella. For a studio so successful in what it does best, this sort of partnership often yields higher results on proceeding projects. I’m a fan of the GRID series but Legends is by far my favorite experience to date. The core of the game’s appeal lies in its narrative-driven Story Mode. Cutscenes aren’t always everyone’s jam, but GRID Legends pushes what a racing game can accomplish in terms of a story. It also uses the game’s long history of titles within its franchise to frame the narrative. That’s not something every series can do – especially to this success. The diverse cast central to the narrative is really wonderful in their ability to make you care about what happens between races. Not to mention, the production quality is stellar thanks to a few technologically advanced decisions by Codemasters. The game’s cutscenes actually use virtual production techniques similar to those used in Disney's The Mandalorian. You won’t find Tusken Raiders on the sidelines or Star Wars Episode 1 Racer speeds on-track, but it does up the value of the cutscenes a lot. If the Driven to Glory Story Mode isn’t enough content to warrant you picking this game up, here’s a plus. GRID Legends offers crossplay multiplayer options that give you tons of freedom to play with friends. A robust Race Creator, plenty of cars to try, and the ability to join friends mid-race all add up to dozens of hours of fun. At the end of the day, GRID fans will love what they see here and newcomers will certainly be happy they came aboard for this release. GRID Legends Review ScoreI review games on a scale of 1-10; GRID Legends is an 8 for me. The crossplay features in GRID Legends really makes this game worth it if you’re into multiplayer racing. The Story Mode will certainly excite many, but I’m sure there’s concern for what happens once that wraps up. Don’t worry – there are over 250 Career events and 130 routes to explore across 22 locations. Over 100 cars with over one million combinations for race design in the Race Creator mean you can make the most of this game long after the Story Mode is done. If you’re into racing games, then GRID Legends is a great release. The free-roaming approach to games like Forza Horizon leave you to explore everything you’d want and more. What GRID Legends accomplishes in its more streamlined, stringent delivery is an exceptional gameplay experience with plenty of substantial add-ons to keep you engaged. I love hopping from race to race without the need to drive to races. Also, it’s incredible that the cutscenes, that are often lackluster in these sorts of games, are so incredible. There’s a lot to love here and it’s well worth your time if you’re itching for high-speed action and a gorgeous game. GRID Legends is available now for Xbox and PlayStation consoles as well as PC. If you check out the game, then come back here and drop your GRID Legends review in the comments. Thanks for reading Comic Years for all things gaming, comics, and pop culture. A digital review code was provided by the publisher for the purposes of this review. Featured Image Credit: EA GRID Legends Review – Storytelling Meets Realistic Racing |
| The Batgirl Movie Release Date Appears To Be Coming Just In Time For The Holidays! Posted: 26 Feb 2022 11:03 PM PST Looks like DC fans can already look forward to the winter holidays because directors Bilall Fallah and Adil El Arbi’s Batgirl movie release date appears to be this December! The movie, which will be released on HBO Max, stars In the Height‘s Leslie Grace, and is going to focus on the Barbara Gordon version of the superhero. Michael Keaton is already making his return as Batman in Andrés Muschietti’s The Flash, but it was later announced that his Caped Crusader would also be in Batgirl. The movie is also bringing back JK Simmon’s Commissioner Gordon and introducing Brendan Fraser as the supervillain, Firefly. Trans actress Ivory Aquino will play Alysia Yeoh, Barbara Gordon’s best friend. With so much star power and a kickass cast, it’s no wonder that people are anticipating when the film will be released. How Do We Know The Batgirl Movie Release Date? Image via Warner Bros. Social media can be both a blessing and a curse; for Batgirl producer Michael Uslan it might be more of the latter. He posted on social media a picture of Michael Keaton’s Batman shadow along with the caption “Coming in November… and December… or whenever… Michael Keaton returns.” It has since been edited, although whether it was to cover up Uslan’s mistake is unknown. Eagle-eyed Twitter user @bigscreenleaks used it as a source to confirm that Batgirl would be getting a December 2022 release. See the tweet below:
While Warner Bros. hasn’t officially confirmed anything, it seems likely that December will be the premiere month. Another Twitter user mentioned that leaked on-set photos appear to be designed to make it appear as if it’s around Christmas time. The Flash movie is going to come out November 4, 2022, so it actually makes a lot of sense for Batgirl to come out shortly afterward, especially if Keaton’s Batman is going to act as a mentor of sorts to her. Barbara Gordon could potentially be joining the rest of the Justice League in other DC films to come. Muschietti as well as others on The Flash team talked about how the movie would be an introduction to the DC multiverse during DC Fandome, something that the comics publisher has struggled with while Marvel has succeeded in. He said:
With that being said, I can’t wait for December to see how everything in the DCEU will (potentially) all fit together! Batgirl appears to have a premiere date of December 2022.Whether December is the real Batgirl movie release date isn’t for certain, but continue to follow Comic Years for all the latest updates. Regardless of when it comes out, are you excited about the movie? Let us know in the comments below! Featured image via Leslie Grace’s Instagram The Batgirl Movie Release Date Appears To Be Coming Just In Time For The Holidays! |
| The Batman Box Office Predictions For Opening Weekend & Beyond Posted: 26 Feb 2022 05:01 PM PST There are a lot of questions that we ask ourselves before seeing a new movie. Will it be good? Will it live up to the hype? For some of us, wondering how much money it’ll make it up there on that list of questions, especially when said film is a part of a massive franchise and has incredibly high expectations set for it. Let’s take a look at The Batman box office predictions for its opening weekend and its future. The Batman Opening Box Office Predictions For Opening WeekendThe Batman is a new take on the long-loved and iconic DC Comics character of Bruce Wayne. He has been shown on the big screen plenty of times and has been played by actors including Christian Bale and Ben Affleck. Robert Pattinson is taking on the title with the upcoming Matt Reeves film The Batman. Some fans were curious if the actor, best known for playing Edward Cullen in The Twilight Saga, had enough skills for the caped crusader. However, his more mature roles in films like The Lighthouse and Good Times have us more than convinced. The upcoming film has a pretty high budget upward of $185 million. This mirrors the budget of many earlier Batman films, including 2008’s The Dark Knight. None of them have had a particularly hard time making that money back (and then some) but will they be able to do it with as much ease? The odds of a strong opening box office for The Batman are high in our official predictions. Advanced IMAX screenings sold out almost immediately for domestic theaters, signaling that fans are ready to fill seats. It will also be taking over plenty of screens, boosting its potential to earn the big bucks. Predictions suggest that The Batman can hit $185 million worldwide in its first weekend. Domestically, $80 million or more is likely for its first few days.  Image via Warner Bros. What Will Help (And Hinder) The Batman Box OfficeA successful first weekend is almost a sure thing. With huge fan appeal and a desire to check it out before spoilers hit the internet, there’s no fear that The Batman can do well for its opening. But what about beyond that? There are a few things that make us think that the film will have a successful run. The biggest is that it is set to release in China, where earnings of up to $100 million won’t be a surprise. It doesn’t have an official release date for the country yet, though, which may delay how long it takes to reach its full financial potential. Another indicator that The Batman can have a good run is its lack of competition. Aside from Uncharted, the box office hasn’t seen a smash hit since December with No Way Home. People are aching for a big release, and so they’ll be more than happy to head out. Additionally, there are only a few highly anticipated films coming out in the next few weeks. In fact, the next film that could challenge The Batman isn’t until April 1st when Morbius releases. The biggest challenge for the Warner Bros film is its length. At almost three hours, some folks might be more than willing to wait for it to release on streaming. It will also hurt its rewatchability. Sitting in a theater for three hours is already a long evening, and not all of us will want to do it twice. If all goes well, then The Batman could pull in around $500 million domestically. Worldwide, we’re predicting that it’ll hit $1 billion. The Batman Releases In Theaters On March 4th, 2022.Readers, will you be contributing to the opening box office for The Batman to see if our predictions come true? Let us know how much money you expect the film to make. Featured image via Warner Bros. The Batman Box Office Predictions For Opening Weekend & Beyond |
| No Exit Movie Review: Hulu Book Adaptation Of Thriller Is A Tense Nail-biter Posted: 26 Feb 2022 11:07 AM PST The latest thriller to hit Hulu is an adaptation of No Exit, a book by Taylor Adams. This is very exciting, at least for me personally, because the book was probably my favorite of 2017. To borrow the lingo of movie trailers, it’s a nonstop thrill ride. To borrow my lingo, it made me feel like I was going to have a heart attack multiple times. Obviously then, I was curious to see how it would work in another format. And we’ll get into that in our review of No Exit the movie, a brand-new thriller currently streaming on Hulu. Hulu Thriller Strands Its Characters in a MysteryLike I said, this is an adaptation of, well, No Exit, a book by the same name by Taylor Adams that found its home on Hulu. However, even if you’ve read and loved the book like I did, then there are still some surprises. The basic bones of the story remain the same, though. And it starts with Darby (Havana Rose Liu). She’s partly through a successful stint in rehab when someone calls with bad news. Darby’s mom has had an aneurysm, and is now in the hospital, teetering between life and death. Darby wants to leave immediately, of course, but she runs into obstacles. The rehab isn’t exactly sanguine about her leaving in the middle of court-ordered treatment, for one thing. And for another, Darby’s sister doesn’t want to deal with springing her from rehab, either.  image via Hulu In flashbacks, we can see that Darby’s addiction was devastating to her family, so her sister’s reticence to help isn’t unsurprising. In addition, her sister is already dealing with their mother’s decline. So, with seemingly no other options, Darby breaks herself out of the facility. It’s actually pretty easy. It’s not the end of her troubles, though. The weather turns quickly, developing into blizzard conditions. When a police officer wakes Darby, who’s paused to rest, he informs her that they’ve closed the road. She can either go back the way she came, or she can wait it out at a rest area visitors’ center. She’s traveled this far, so she chooses the center. There are already a few folks waiting there, like Sandi (Dale Dickey), Ed (Dennis Haysbert), Lars (David Rysdahl) and Ash (Danny Ramirez). It’s warm and dry, but there’s no wifi and there’s limited cell service. You have to go outside and roam the parking lot to catch a crumb of a bar. That’s what Darby is doing when she sees something unexpected. It’s not only something she never dreamed that she’d see, but also something no one meant for anyone else to see. What she sees is a little girl. She’s a captive in the back of someone’s van. Darby must figure out what’s going on, then figure out a way to get help and get out of there. It’ll also help if she can determine which of the people in the center has stolen a child. Oh, and if that’s not enough, Jay (Mila Harris), the little girl, has Addison’s disease and is in desperate need of her medication. I could use a little something for my blood pressure while we’re at it. No Exit Movie Review: Hulu Thriller Doesn’t Waste This Adaptation of the SourceAs I said, this book adaptation makes small changes to the plot. Unless you’re a plot detail purist, though, I don’t think the differences are that consequential. In fact, I think they generally improve upon the already solid source material. For example, they add another layer to Darby, a depth she didn’t necessarily have in the book. Book Darby has a prickly relationship with her family, yes, but making her a recovering addict adds an element of unpredictability. By that, I mean that everyone already thinks she’s a screwup, so she’s basically an IRL unreliable narrator. She’s also never had this level of responsibility before, so there’s always the chance that she’ll just give up and relapse. After all, it would be so much easier, especially when the tension rises, and the pain starts. And it’s not even her fight, not really, until she makes it so. Why not just keep your head down and your mouth shut? But this goes against what is perhaps the central thesis of both the book and its adaptation, which is the idea that John Donne was right. We are not each floating alone, and most of us are better when we’re fighting for each other. We need support, whether that be in the context of drug rehab or at an isolated rest stop that’s surprisingly awash in possible weapons. Other themes this film version introduces, including class issues and the failure to support returned combat veterans, are less successful. They play more like interesting diversions, like details that embroider the story, rather than fleshed-out ideas. Similarly, the book ending is different from the movie ending, which I didn’t like much. I feel like the book ending had more emotional heft to it, at least in comparison to the movie’s, which depends on character relationships in which the film didn’t invest enough.  image via Hulu That’s forgivable, though, when the movie is this good as a whole. First of all, and a superficial but important detail in any No Exit review, the movie looks really good. Director Damien Power has style. It’s also just as intense as the book, which is more difficult a feat than you might think at first. Books, of course, often supply us with a character’s inner monologue and motivations. In a book adaptation like this, though, we must rely solely on the actor and their script for illumination. This Hulu thriller is a nail-biter, but it would all collapse if it didn’t have a strong performer at its center. Luckily, this movie has a winner in Havana Rose Liu. She could easily overplay this role, but she makes much more intriguing choices. I can’t wait to see what she does in the future. (I would also like to praise other actors, but I can’t figure out a way to do so without spoilers. So, good job…team.) Finally, although I didn’t love the ending, I did appreciate the economy of the storytelling. The film is a little slow to start, but once it gets going, it’s heart-pounding. Who took Jay is a mystery, but it’s not really the point. Survival and escape are, and it’s exhilarating to see who will achieve both. This kind of premise can play as ludicrous, but when the movie is as fast and fun as this, you don’t even notice. No Exit is now playing on Hulu.Give us your movie review of No Exit and tell us how you’d rate this Hulu thriller and if you think it is a faithful adaptation of the book. Share these or other thoughts in the comments or on our social media. featured image via Hulu No Exit Movie Review: Hulu Book Adaptation Of Thriller Is A Tense Nail-biter |
| Elden Ring Tips for Beginners – Five Ways to Get Better Posted: 26 Feb 2022 05:07 AM PST Beginners to Soulslike games might need some Elden Ring tips to help work through the hard elements of the game. That’s not anything to be ashamed to admit – FromSoftware games are notoriously difficult! If you’ve never played a game like this, then the most important thing to know is this. You cannot play this game like you would any action title. There’s a real ebb and flow to mastering the difficulty and unfortunately that means a lot of dying. That said, there are ways to get better without driving yourself insane. For anyone wanting to improve their approach to Elden Ring, we have five tips to get you started on the right track. Is Elden Ring Hard? Ways to Master the Difficulty Curve Image Credit: Bandai Namco Elden Ring in my opinion is more approachable than other Souls games. I think there’s a real perk to the layout of this title for beginners that make it a really good entry point to this genre. That said, you might just not like this game. I would never say that even though I think Elden Ring is a masterpiece that everyone should buy it and play it. That’s not how our tastes in gaming work. However, if you’re looking to get into the game because you like the world, the art style, or the lore, here’s how to make it easier on yourself. Firstly, the open-world format lends itself to many tips you can take away from needing help in Elden Ring, especially for beginners. The first and most important tip you can follow is that if you’re struggling with a boss or group of enemies, head somewhere else. The open-world layout of Elden Ring means you’ll come across things you’re not prepared to fight. Simply move on and keep leveling up to then return later. Secondly, I’d highly recommend taking the first hour of the game with your chosen character to decide what you like or didn’t like. If you’ve not loving the style of combat, then switch over to something else. You only lost an hour of time in a game that can take upwards of 70 or 80. Our Elden Ring Class Guide can help you settle on what you want from your experience. A final point before we talk combat tips for beginners – Elden Ring expects players to need help on certain elements of the game. What do I mean by that? Well, FromSoftware games aren’t thinking that you’re going to go into this game blindly and master it. Any Souls fan will tell you that guides online are your friend. So is the experience of trying things, dying, and taking note of what works and what doesn’t. For combat tips, we have a few of those as well. Combat Tips for Beginners to the Soulslike Genre Image Credit: Bandai Namco Firstly, Soulslike games are known to be quite difficult. If you’re not into a challenging experience, then it might best to skip this game. That said, I think there are ways you can get better at Elden Ring, even as beginners, by following some tips specific to how this game operates. Firstly, your horse is your friend. Increased mobility and a double jump can really assist you in enemy groups and powerful enemies. That said, a major tip I can offer is not to run in guns blazing with any enemy. As you learn certain enemy types, sure, go ahead and wreck them if you know you can. Just don’t ever assume you’re up for the task of killing something you’ve never seen before. Elden Ring will punish you for that. It’s really a matter of patience. That’s the name of the game in Elden Ring. As you die and die again, you’ll be tempted to start a retry with a frustrated, just go for it mentality. That never works and doesn’t get you closer to actually progressing. Simply put, here’s my approach to a group of enemies or combat encounters:
If you follow this pattern, you might find yourself much better at Elden Ring than you think. Let me know what your approach is once you start playing the game! Elden Ring is available now for consoles and PC. Featured Image Credit: Bandai Namco Elden Ring Tips for Beginners – Five Ways to Get Better |
| Posted: 25 Feb 2022 11:08 PM PST The Dropout on Hulu is a brand new original series that had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. The limited mini-series was heart-pounding-ly good and sucks you in with its riveting storytelling that blends all of the feelings together. But at its heart, it showcases the life of a genius chasing the American dream, however she can. And it's absolutely stunning to watch! Originally The Dropout podcast series details the story of this hungry entrepreneur. The Dropout premiere episodes retells the story for a new audience as a drama that is genuinely enthralling. It's a blend of thriller, drama, and the hook is something that everyone can relate to: the desire and drive to be successful. Check out our somewhat spoiler-free review of The Dropout on Hulu. The Dropout Podcast Series Is About A Real Person Featured image via Hulu.
Based on a true story, the podcast series called The Dropout looks at the life of Elizabeth Holmes. The story follows a young woman's journey from a college dropout to the CEO of a major start-up in the biomedical industry valued at Billions. How a college graduate showed such promise as to be considered the world’s youngest self-made billionaire, is the basis of The Dropout podcast series. Which is now adapted into The Dropout on Hulu. The Dropout introduces Elizabeth Holmes (Amanda Seyfried) as an ambitious young woman looking to revolutionize the biomedical industry. While she has a great idea, the implementation of it is tricky. The Dropout premiere episodes begin with an older-looking Holmes, being deposed in a courtroom setting. Right away indicating that something goes wrong in this character's life. So the rest of the series will basically chronicle the rise and potential fall of Holmes. How The Dropout On Hulu Is An Absolute Must Watch! Featured image via Hulu. Honestly, let me just start by saying how The Dropout premiere episodes were highly addictive and very enjoyable. The show adapts the podcast series of the same name into a very binge-worthy TV series. The reason for this is simple. The story dramatizes the true story of an entrepreneur chasing the elusive dream of making it big. They do this by not travelling down the beaten path, but by paving a new one on their own. Creators Taylor Dunn, Rebecca Jarvis and Victoria Thompson tap into the very common desire of ambition, drive, desire and achieving one's dreams, to create a story that is universally appealing. But of course, if everything was as straightforward as that, it wouldn't make for engaging drama. The way that the titular Holmes achieves this, is the thing that hooks audiences in. It's what makes this show so utterly watchable. Amanda Seyfried plays Holmes with so much frantic energy, that you're just captured by her charisma and her flaws. Even when the character is being self-destructive and exhibiting purely cringe behaviour, you're still mesmerized. Partly due to how her actions affect the story, and partly due to Seyfried's performance. It's bizarre, neurotic and just overall engaging. The story showcases her rise and fall, her humble beginning to her jet-setting lifestyle. And most importantly, how it all seemingly comes crashing down. Why Does The Dropout TV Premiere Feel Familiar? Featured image via Hulu. And none of this is unique. We’ve seen so many iterations of the 'rise and fall'-style bio-pic. Most famously in The Social Network and The Wolf Of Wall Street. But while Scorsese and DiCaprio's team-up was a total bag of crazy, the story of Facebook's creator aligns with Holmes' much more. So many moments of The Dropout premiere episodes felt like a female version of The Social Network. There are definitely parallels to how Zuckerberg achieved his dreams and Holmes' own approach. The protagonists of both stories are odd and neurotic anti-social kids who grew up feeling special. And then creating something the world had never before seen. The Dropout podcast series chronicles the same story of Elizabeth Holmes’s trials and tribulations. So this review isn't entirely spoiler-free, given that it's a true story. However, it's one of those stories where the 'what happens' takes a back seat to 'how it happens'. And making it all feel relatable and approachable is Seyfried’s and the performances of the supporting cast. The Dropout's Supporting Cast And Storylines Enriches The Series Featured image via Hulu. This role for Amanda Seyfried is a powerhouse performance. The actress is usually linked to comedies like Ted 2 or Mean Girls. But in The Dropout on Hulu, Seyfriend brings all of the range. Initially, I felt that her performance was a little uneven, stilted and stiff. But as the story continues, you realize that it's the character and the depiction of this character that is that way. Which just makes you fall in love with the performance so much more. But besides Seyfried, The Dropout is full of incredible actors and characters that add to the prestige of this series. In the role of Seyfried's subsequent personal and business partner is Naveen Andrews. Andrews is most famous for his role in Lost and again in Sense 8. Andrews wonderfully plays an older man who sparks a problematic relationship with Holmes, which just gets worse as the years progress. Stephen Fry as an elder chemist with who Holmes founds her business provides a lot of emotional depth as the wise mentor. After the premiere episodes of The Dropout we also get appearances by veteran actors like Michael Ironside, Sam Waterston, Laurie Metcalf, William H. Macy and so many more. The Dropout premiere episodes debut on Hulu on March 3, 2022, with subsequent episodes releasing weekly.Are you familiar with the story of Elizabeth Holmes, or The Dropout podcast series? Let me know if you're excited about this new series in the comments below. Featured image via Hulu. The Dropout Premiere Episodes On Hulu Adapts The Podcast Series About The Youngest Self Made Billionaire |
| Outlander Prequel Show In The Works For Starz – Here’s What We Think It’s About Posted: 25 Feb 2022 04:58 PM PST An Outlander prequel show is apparently in the works over at Starz, and the news has us a bit baffled. What could an Outlander prequel series possibly cover? The time-traveling period romance drama is one of the network’s biggest hits. This is in large part thanks to a well-established and avid fan base of the books that the show is based upon. So it’s not a huge surprise that Starz is willing to take a risk on a prequel show for Outlander. Let’s take a look at what we know and speculate on what this prequel series could be about. Spoilers Ahead for the Outlander Book Series Who Is Involved in the Outlander Prequel Show? Outlander Author Diana Gabaldon and Ronald D. Moore | Photo by Christina Ring via Wikimedia Commons So far details on the Outlander prequel are scarce. Reports indicate that current showrunner Matthew B. Roberts is onboard to write and executive produce the series. Original showrunner Ronald D. Moore will also continue to act as a producer for this prequel and the ongoing Outlander series. Moore’s creative partner Maril Davis is also set to executive produce. According to Variety, a writer’s room is currently being assembled for the Outlander prequel over at Starz. Apparently the cable streaming network is determined to get started within the next couple of weeks. And that is literally all of the information we have about a prospective Outlander prequel show. Are There Prequel Outlander Books for Starz Producers to Draw From? Lord John Grey and Jamie Fraser | Photo by Aimee Spinks via Starz Author Diana Gabaldon has written a few prequel and spin-off stories for Outlander in the past. Notably she has written several books about the fan-favorite character of Lord John Grey. I assumed that if anyone was getting a spin-off in the near future it would be him. Technically many of those titles like Lord John and the Private Matter or The Scottish Prisoner take place concurrently with the events of the Outlander series. These are not really prequel books. In fact, the only prequel title that Diana Gabaldon has written is a novella called Virgins. This follows a young Jamie Fraser and his friend (and future brother-in-law) Ian Murray as they work as mercenaries in France. While this story could certainly be expanded into a limited series, there really isn’t enough in the way of plot to sustain an entire show. What Will a Starz Prequel Series Be About? Sophie Skelton as Brianna Fraser and Richard Rankin as Roger MacKenzie in Outlander | Image via Starz So how far back could a prequel series for Outlander go? I have a few ideas about what could make for a compelling prequel series for Outlander. Unsurprisingly, to explain them requires a lot of backstory. The character of Roger Mackenzie has been in the Outlander series from the beginning. In the first book/season he was a young boy, adopted by a kindly old Reverend who helped both Claire and her erstwhile husband Frank. As an adult, Roger helps Claire solve the mystery of Jamie’s fate after the Battle of Culloden. He also falls in love with Brianna – Jamie and Claire’s daughter. Roger follows Brianna through the stones and travels back in time to find her, where they eventually they get married.  Lotte Verbeek as Geillis Duncan | Image via Starz Roger also has several notable time-travelers in his family lineage as well. He is a descendant of Geillis Duncan and Dougal Mackenzie. Geillis was a friend of Claire’s in the first book/season of Outlander. Together they were tried as witches, and that’s when Claire learned that Geillis was a time-traveler as well. Dougal Mackenzie was Jamie’s uncle, the war-chief of the clan. It was he who actually forced Claire to marry Jamie, for her “protection.” He also later died at Jamie’s hands, on the eve of the Battle of Culloden. Could The Outlander Prequel Series Focus on Jeremiah Mackenzie?The bastard son of Geillis and Dougal – named Buck – does appear in the Outlander books (and recently appeared in the fifth season played by Graham McTavish – the same actor who portrayed Dougal Mackenzie). But way down the Mackenzie line is another notable time-traveler – Jeremiah Mackenzie. Roger’s father Jeremiah was a fighter pilot during WWI who mysteriously disappeared and was presumed dead. However, the books reveal that Jerry is still alive in the past. Roger actually meets him at one point, during his own time-traveling adventures.  Graham McTavish as Dougal Mackenzie | Image via Starz There is still a lot that is unknown about Roger’s father Jeremiah Mackenzie. And here is where I think an Outlander prequel series could really expand on a minor character and give them a new story that eventually ties into the rest of the main characters. There actually is a book written by Diana Gabaldon that tells Jeremiah Mackenzie’s story – A Leaf on the Wind of All Hallows. This story covers Jerry’s life during the war, his accidental time travel, and his ultimate tragic death. But most importantly, it ties into the main Outlander novels with Roger’s appearance in the past where he helps his father. This event should be seen on-screen in the confirmed seventh season of Outlander – if they follow the storyline of the books. A prequel series about Jeremiah would help explain that inevitable meeting and give viewers context for the character. There Are Many Paths for a Prequel Series to Take Image via Starz Obviously, this is just one of many directions an Outlander prequel series could take. There are certainly other possibilities. Maybe we’ll get a prequel show about Ellen Mackenzie and Brian Fraser – Jamie’s parents. Diana Gabaldon is apparently working on a novel about these two right now, so it is possible. Or maybe a prequel series will explore Claire’s mysterious parents – who died in a car accident when she was a child. Why don’t we know anything about them, while we know the entire history and lineage of every other character? What if we got a show all about Geillis Duncan and her witchy time-traveling rebel mission? I would personally love that. Or what if we got a prequel series about the group of modern-day Native Americans who intentionally traveled back in time in hopes of saving their tribes from being wiped out. That last one would be wild and subversive to see, so therefore it is also the least likely option. More Outlander Is Coming to Starz Photo by Robert Wilson via Starz Right now, all of this is just wild speculation. The truth is there is no definitive book that would serve as a proper prequel for adaptation. Whatever route they take, it is a certainty that we will continue to see the world of Outlander persisting on Starz for some years to come. Season 6 of Outlander is due to premiere on Starz on March 6, 2022.Of course, we will keep you up to date as we learn more about any potential Outlander prequel. For all of the latest news and reviews, be sure to follow Comic Years on Facebook and Twitter today. Outlander Prequel Show In The Works For Starz – Here’s What We Think It’s About |
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