Movies

In the decades since Star Wars: A New Hope first wowed the world, fans have dedicated plenty of time to not only speculating about forthcoming installments, but also to revisiting the original. Someone even went that extra mile and re-edited Obi-Wan’s fateful duel with Darth Vader. And that’s just one of the many ways fans have paid their respects to this incredibly influential film. A New Hope stands as one of the most culturally and technologically significant films ever made, so different deconstructions and frequent “aha!” moments come with the territory. And there’s plenty to notice and pick apart.

For example, who famously hit his head on a Death Star door, inadvertently creating one of the biggest “mysteries” of the Star Wars saga? Well, one writer is after the truth, and he made a documentary about his quest for answers.

In his new documentary The Empire Strikes Door, writer, podcaster, and YouTuber Jamie Stangroom interviews different actors who claim to have been the one who made the mistake. And, to tie it in with the upcoming release of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Stangroom hilariously parodied the “this is it” feel of the aforementioned film’s trailer. It’s all incredibly well-made, and it will be interesting to see how Stangroom and his intrepid crew reach the truth (which they undoubtedly will). In the meantime, you can check out the documentary’s official trailer below! Spoiler alert: it’s an absolute delight and is already generating quite a bit of positive buzz.

Stangroom’s work has appeared on starwars.com, BBC 5 Live, Comedy Central, and AMC. Tons of his material focuses around Star Wars, but The Empire Strikes Door may be his most ambitious project yet. If the newly-released trailer indicates anything, it’s that he is absolutely the perfect person to tackle such a project.

The Empire Strikes Door hits the internet on September 25, just three months before The Rise of Skywalker is scheduled to take the world by storm. Did you like what you saw? I had no idea that people debated who was actually in the suit so I will definitely be catching this one. It’s a harmless project that looks fun, funny, and informative. What’s not to love?

But what do you think? Do you think Jamie Stangroom is going to do a solid job of making us care about his discovery? Will you be watching this documentary or could you not care less? Sound off in the comments section below and remember to acquaint yourself with the biggest releases of 2019! The year may be nearing its end, but there are still some great films on the horizon. Check them out, and keep your eyes on CinemaBlend’s newsfeed for more movie and television goodness.

Now, there’s a rumor that the Marvel Cinematic Universe may portray the two most important X-Men characters, Charles Xavier (Professor X) and Erik Lehnsherr (Magneto), as people of color.

Full Circle Cinema recently drew upon Kevin Feige’s comments about diversity and reported that, according to a source, Marvel may cast people of color as Professor X and Magneto. Predictably, longtime fans of the characters are divided on the consideration. Many took to Twitter to voice their approval (or disapproval) of the possibility. We will start with some of the positive reactions:

Eric B.’s comment is particularly interesting (and more than a bit insightful) and is backed by solid logic. I won’t get into it any further, but he brings up good points.

Others have not been as open to the idea. Here are some…uh, less positive reactions:

Obviously, this is going to get interesting. With the fiery feelings which drive the Marvel vs. DC conflict reignited, there are a great many comic books fans who are super worked up and probably won’t take kindly to any kind of shake-up (even if an actor such as Denzel Washington has been rumored to be eyed for Magneto).

Fans were first spoiled by Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen, each of whom turned in incredible performances as the two characters we’re discussing. Years later, X-Men: First Class introduced us to younger versions of Xavier and Lehnsherr (portrayed by James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender, respectively). These two actors also treated fans to incredibly nuanced portrayals bolstered by the enthusiasm and charisma both brought to the role. I will miss them, but I trust that they are in good hands over at Disney. It will be exciting to see what Feige and company do with these two iconic characters.

What are your thoughts on this? Do you think this is a good idea? A bad one? Or are you indifferent? I miss Stewart, McKellen, McAvoy, and Fassbender but I’m also open to any change the MCU makes. It’s not that they can’t do wrong. It’s that they’ve done too much too well for me to doubt them without very good reasons.

Sound off in the comments below, but please be civil and respectful. And in the meantime, get excited about what’s hitting theaters later this year!