Star Wars Galaxy's Edge: Everything We Know About Walt Disney World's New Land

Star Wars Galaxy's Edge: Everything We Know About Walt Disney World's New Land

Star Wars' existence in Disney theme parks actually pre-dates the company's purchase of Lucasfilm, but everybody knew it was only a matter of time once the purchase happened before Star Wars' presence saw a massive increase in Anaheim and Orlando. That is set to happen later this year when Walt Disney World in Florida, and also Disneyland in California, see a major upgrade in the form of a new land called Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge.

While we won't get to really see or truly experience Star Wars Galaxy's Edge until the land opens later this year, there's still a lot that has been revealed about the new area and what it will contain. Here's everything that we know about the newest part of the Disney parks.

When Star Wars Galaxy's Edge Will Open

Originally, Walt Disney World had been given a window of Late Fall 2019 for the opening of Star Wars; Galaxy's Edge with Disneyland set to open in the summer of the same year. This meant a lot of people were surprised when the actual opening dates were revealed as Disneyland was announced to see the land open May 31 with Walt Disney World following on August 29.

There's a catch however. With the earlier date it was announced that only one of the E-ticket attractions, Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run would be open to the public. The other attraction, Rise of the Resistance will come later as part of a second phase opening. No date was given for when that will happen beyond both parks seeing phase two come sometime in 2019. It seems likely each park will see the second attraction close to the original opening date.

How To Get Into Galaxy's Edge

With the popularity that Disneyland and Walt Disney World already have, combined with the popularity of Star Wars, it's clear that Galaxy's Edge is going to be a popular place when it opens. However, Disney is doing what it can to alleviate crowds.

For the first three weeks of Galaxy's Edge at Disneyland, May 31 to June 22, a separate reservation will be necessary to access the new land. On May 2 reservations were made available to the general public, but they were all taken in less than two hours. Now, the only way to get in during that opening period is by booking a stay at a Disneyland resort hotel. A hotel reservation will get you access to a four hour long reservation at Galaxy's Edge during one day of your hotel stay.

Once the reservation period has ended a "virtual queueing system" will be utilized to prevent a standby liner from forming.

There has been no reservation system announced for Disney's Hollywood Studios.

How Galaxy's Edge Will Be Different

One of the ways that Star Wars Galaxy's Edge will be a unique land for a Disney park is that it is being designed to feel, in its entirety, like it exists as a planet in the Star Wars Universe. The idea is that this isn't simply a space in a theme park that looks like Star Wars, but an actual part of Star Wars canon, just like any movie. The name of that planet is Batuu. It can be found on the outer edge of the galaxy, thus the name of the land, but is also a location of importance to both the Resistance and The First Order. We've never seen Batuu before, as it's a brand new creation by Disney. However, the Star Wars multimedia machine has already begun to sprinkle the location throughout other forms of Star Wars media as a way to prepare us for the planet.

Of course, even Disney's largest single land expansion ever isn't going to feel like it's actually a whole planet, so the focus will actually be a single settlement on that planet

Black Spire Outpost

While Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge will exist on its own planet, the focus of the land will be on a specific place on that planet. Named for the petrified trees that have transformed into the planet's unique geology, Black Spire Outpost will be the hub of activity where guests will find the attractions, the restaurants, and the merchandise available for sale. The Black Spires actually received a reference in Solo: A Star Wars Story, showing that this new area will be intimately tied to the larger Star Wars universe.

Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run

There will be two E-ticket attractions as part of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge. The most exciting is probably the one that will put you in the pilot seat of the Millennium Falcon. Within the story of the ride, Pirate Hondo Ohnaka, known to Star Wars fans from his appearances in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and Rebels animated series, has made a deal with Chewbacca. He will help fund a refurbishment on the Falcon if Chewie will let him use it to run some less than legal goods through the galaxy. As a guest, you're actually a freelance smuggler, looking to make some cash by signing up to work for Hondo.

Groups of six riders will be given one of three crew positions, pilot, gunner, or engineer. When it comes time to actually do your flying, It isn't just a ride. Guests will have to actively use the controls in the Millennium Falcon cockpit in order to successfully execute the mission. If gunners don't fire fast enough, the Falcon will take damage. If that happens, engineers may have to extinguish fires.

While it apparently won't be possible to completely fail the mission, different outcomes are possible. You'll even be able to see the damage that you've done. With numerous possibilities for the ride, the re-rideability of the attraction looks to be quite high, even if you weren't simply looking to fly the Falcon again and again, although who wouldn't want to do that?

Rise Of The Resistance

The other major attraction at Star Wars Galaxy's Edge is an attraction that will put you in the middle of a battle between The Resistance and the First Order. Rise of the Resistance will see guests become members of the Resistance and go on a mission on their behalf before being captured by a First Order Star Destroyer. Then guests get into trackless ride vehicles for an escape that promises to be one of the biggest and most exciting rides of any theme park ever.

Rise of the Resistance is the marquee attraction of Star Wars Galaxy's Edge. It's biggest selling point may be that the attraction is simply massive. Based on the description the experience will have multiple segments that will see guests both walking and riding between them. A resistance flight deck with full-sized X-Wings will be in one area. While full size First Order AT-ATs will be in another.

In addition to the awesome set pieces, guests will also feel like they're part of the Star Wars universe because several characters from the current trilogy will also be part of Rise of the Resistance. Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, and Adam Driver have all recorded scenes that will be part of it all.

The Food

One of the highlights of any Disney vacation is all the great food the park has on offer and we can be sure that Star Wars Galaxy's Edge will not be an exception. It has been confirmed that blue milk will be on offer, as well as countless other delicacies of the galaxy far, far away. Black Spire Station will also have a cantina available. There will also be a table service restaurant as well as a separate quick serve-type establishment. This is likely going to be a tough reservation to get, as many will surely want to eat in the galaxy far, far away.

Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge will also bring what may be the single biggest change to Disneyland in its entire history as it will be the first place alcohol has ever been available to the general public. Star Wars themed cocktails as well as a selection of wine and beer made exclusively for Galaxy's Edge will be available at Oga's Cantina. You can bet finding a seat will be tough there, in fact, the word is the layout has been designed mostly for standing room for simply that reason, so that more people will be able to fit in the space. If nothing else, you'll be able to listen to some solid music as RX-24, or R3X, the original Star Tours pilot, has found a new job as a DJ.

Docking Bay 7 will be the table service restaurant at Black Spire Station. Recognizable by the transport ship on the roof, Docking Bay 7 is the home of Chef Strono “Cookie” Tuggs, who honed his craft at the castle of one Maz Kanata before taking his show on the road and finding himself on Batuu.

Ronto Roasters will be the quick service food location, providing roasted meat that's been cooked on what used to be a pod racing engine. Considering that the Big Thunder Ranch BBQ restaurant used to be on the location of Galaxy's Edge, it's a nice way to pay homage to the popular spot that we no longer have.

There are a couple of other places to grab a bite or something to drink. Kat Saka's Kettle will offer a variety of flavored popcorn. There will also be a Milk Stand allowing you to try the popular blue or green milk from the Star Wars universe. These beverages will actually be fruit flavored smoothie's when you find them on Batuu.

The Merchandise

Nobody knows how to sell stuff quite like Disney and no place is the company better at it than inside the theme parks. However, merchandise is where one of the more interesting aspects of Star Wars Galaxy's Edge comes in. Rather than being full of t-shirts and ball caps with the Star Wars logo like you might expect, none of that will actually be available inside the new land. Instead, the shops will be part of the lands theming, containing only the sorts of items you might expect to find in an alien marketplace. There will certainly be plenty of clothes and toys, but only items designed to look like they came from Batuu.

The highlight of the cool stuff on display is likely the shop that will let you buld your own lightsaber. This is going to be serious business as you'll need to schedule a time for your lightsaber build. There will be many different options to choose from that will let you build a blade in your own special way. Expect to pay something around $100 just for the hilt, and $50 more if you actually want to be able to attach a blade. But it sounds like the final product will look like something you see in the movies, so that will likely make things worth it.

A droid building shop will be available, allowing you to build your own remote controlled R2 or BB unit, and who doesn't want of those.

There will be a toy shop, run by a Toydarian, because why not. It will house plush dolls that look like your favorite Star Wars characters, because they've become famous throughout the galaxy,

There will also be clothing shops so that you can dress like a member of either the Resistance or the First Order. There will actually be different shops depending on which side you want to join, because, again, the storytelling is even built into the shopping.

The Technology

While we know a little about the big things that Star Wars Galaxy's Edge has planned, what Disney Parks are better than anybody at is the small stuff, the little details that help flesh out the world so it feels real. Quite a few of those little details are hinted at in the form of patents that Disney has filed for in recent months. We've seen one that could create the look of blaster fire, and another that could create holograms in an attraction. Based on descriptions, it sounds like both of these will be used as part of the Rise of the Resistance ride.

However, what may be even more interesting is the way Disney is going to use your smartphone to create an even more immersive Star Wars experience. Via the existing Play Disney Parks app, a whole host of new experiences will be available to guests.

One game will let you use your phone to "hack" surveillance boxes set up around Black Spire Station by the First Order. Once hacked, you can either deactivate them, to help the Resistance or reactivate them to help the First Order.

You'll also be able to use the app to translate Aurebesh writing found throughout Batuu, a lot of things won't be in English, since nobody on Batuu speaks the language.

You'll also be able to use the app to pick up and complete odd jobs. These can also be handled in different ways and the decisions you make will help dictate whether you end up joining the First Order or the Resistance.

In addition, the events of some of the attractions will also carry over into other aspects of the land. If you bring the Millennium Falcon back in less than ideal condition from Smuggler's Run, then a bartender might make reference to that when you visit the cantina.

The Hotel

One thing that won't be opening in the late fall of 2019 at Walt Disney World, but is on its way, is a special Star Wars-themed hotel that will be attached to Galaxy's Edge. More than simply being a place to keep your stuff while you're in the park, the hotel is set to be an attraction unto itself, where guests check in for a set number of days for an all-inclusive, completely immersive, Star Wars experience. You'll be able to dress the part and interact with other guests and staff as if you were on board a starship flying through the galaxy, far, far away. It sounds like nothing anybody has ever experienced and we can't wait to check in.

Needless to say, Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge is promising a lot. With Disney's history, there's a good chance it will be successful in pretty much everything it wants to do. The only real question is, just how insane will the crowds be when it opens and how much of a problem will those crowds be in trying to enjoy the immersive Star Wars world. We'll find out later this year.

Zack Snyder Says It’s Really Hard When People Are Incorrect About Casting Rumors

Zack Snyder Says It’s Really Hard When People Are Incorrect About Casting Rumors

The DC live-action universe has had a fascinating run in theaters, full of peaks and valleys. While Warner Bros. is currently surfing on Aquaman'_s success and gearing up for the highly anticipated release of _Shazam!, there was a time when thinks appeared a bit more bleak. It all started with Zack Snyder's initial installments, which did a ton world-building and introduced beloved characters like Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice had a ton of hype ahead of its release, as fans were eager to see the DC trinity adapted into live-action. Expectations were sky high, as were fan theories regarding what the blockbuster might contain. One of the most popular theories was that Jena Malone was actually playing Barbara Gordon/Batgirl. Her scenes were left on the cutting room floor of the theatrical release, and now Zack Snyder has responded to those Batgirl rumors, saying:

It's hard because I talk about those things with Debbie. 'Hey so I saw this thing and they think Jena Malone is Barbara Gordon'... When people are mad I don't care because they'll find out eventually. When they're hyped and it's wrong it's harder.

Zack Snyder spent a number of years working on the DCEU, starting with Man of Steel. As such, he also spent years sidestepping certain questions, fan theories, and potential controversies. And considering the secretive nature of the superhero genre, he was unable to set the record straight when it came to Batman v Superman reports.

Zack Snyder's comments (via Twitter) come from his recent screening of Batman v Superman's director's cut. A Q&A accompanied the screening, and the director/writer was finally able to address those rumors about Jena Malone playing Batgirl. Malone's role was unnamed and mysterious until BvS arrived in theaters, so the fandom spent months debating who the Sucker Punch actress might be playing. With so many characters being introduced in the blockbuster, it didn't seem out of question that Barbara Gordon might be incorporated.

In the end, Jena Malone played Jenet Klyburn, a scientist who worked at S.T.A.R. labs, and was working to help Lois Lane track analyze the bullets from her conflict in Nairomi. It's a bit part that can be seen in the director's cut of Batman v Superman, although it got cut from the theatrical release. And to date, Batgirl still hasn't been adapted into live-action for the cinematic universe.

Batgirl was set to get a movie of her own, with Joss Whedon behind the camera. But he ultimately dropped the project after failing to lock down a story. And following the release of Justice League, it appears that Whedon has distanced himself from the DC universe as a whole.

The next DC release is Shazam! on April 5, 2019, and Zack Snyder's next project will be Army of The Dead for Netflix. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Wait, Could Toy Story 4 Feature A Major Time Jump?

Wait, Could Toy Story 4 Feature A Major Time Jump?

Almost a decade ago, fans said goodbye to Andy and his beloved childhood toys in a beautiful full circle ending that had him passing on his toys to a young girl named Bonnie before going away to college. Or so we thought. Toy Story 4 will pick up with Woody, Buzz and the gang as they go on a summer road trip with Bonnie and her family. We thought the recently released full trailer for the upcoming film featured the presence of Andy as both a kid and adult to get us in the feels, but some fans speculate otherwise. Take a look:

This an interesting theory from Twitter user @CrisMovieCorner! Is it possible that there will be a time jump in Toy Story 4 that will focus the story back on to Andy as he then passes his toys down to his son? This could happen if Bonnie grows out of his toys and decides to pay him a visit to give them back and, now, as a man in his thirties (since he was celebrating his eighth birthday in the first film, set in ‘95), he might find some joy in seeing his little ones play with some familiar faces.

The theory would certainly make for a touching conclusion for the franchise that ties back into the main characters’ roots. However, this might mean Woody and Buzz would have to watch Andy grow old, along with his son and end up in the same place of helplessness they were in Toy Story 3 that led to them being passed on to Bonnie.

The reason for this speculation started because some have found it difficult to believe that the boy playing with Buzz and Jessie in the trailer is a flashback of young Andy, even though he is wearing the same hat and looks to be in the bedroom from the original trilogy. Just look at the difference in looks between the two animated “Andys”:

However, digital animation has seen some significant changes in the over 20 years the Toy Story films have been produced and Andy has already seen a few alterations in every installment so far. Is it so hard to believe the new trailer brought back young Andy, and made him look a little different yet again, after showing the kid throughout the years? Check it out:

Think of it this way, if Toy Story was live action would the same actor be able to play Andy in every one of the movies if the filmmakers wanted to keep him the same age? Oh, did you say “It’s animation, the whole point is to be able to keep it consistent”? In theory yes, but I would guess the animators like to have fun with these redesigns and as more advanced technology comes about they don’t mind changing things up every so often.

Just look at what was done with Violet’s crush Tony Rydinger between 2004’s Incredibles and the 2018 sequel that the internet couldn’t quit theorizing about last year:

I’d say that’s a lot more of a redesign than Andy gets in Toy Story 4 and we know that these animations were definitely meant to portray the same person. The scene of the Andy-looking kid in Toy Story 4 could still be his son, though! Guess we’ll find out for sure when the movie debuts in theaters on June 21, 2019.

Watch Paul Rudd's Hilarious Failure To Get Avengers: Endgame Spoilers

Watch Paul Rudd's Hilarious Failure To Get Avengers: Endgame Spoilers

Over the years, the MCU has gained a legendary reputation for secrecy with even the stars of the universe often being kept in the dark as to the whole story. This can be stressful, especially when you are being asked to divulge a film’s secrets on a constant basis, as the case for this week’s(!!!) Avengers: Endgame. Well, Paul Rudd has seemingly had enough of the secrecy and attempted to extract spoilers from the Russo Brothers. Take a look:

It was a valiant effort and he gets points for trying, but maybe Paul Rudd should have taken more cat burglar lessons from his character and placed that cellphone in a less conspicuous location, because he failed spectacularly here. He starts off strong though, switching from secrecy and frustration to charming and affable Paul Rudd as soon as the Russo Brothers come in.

Paul Rudd apparently got the script for Avengers: Endgame, but not the ending, which the Russos let him know was for his own safety. This is where we get the first of two digs at notorious spoiler Mark Ruffalo, who they say got a fake script to prevent further cringe-inducing slips of the tongue. Poor guy, you screw up one, two… you screw up a few times and suddenly nobody trusts you and you’re the butt of everyone’s jokes.

In the Twitter video, Paul Rudd comes super close to getting the goods from Anthony Russo, who is about to reveal who dies in Endgame when Joe Russo discovers that they were wrong to trust the Ant-Man actor. Ominously, Anthony Russo says, “Here is the list of people who die” before getting ready to count them off on his fingers. That he needs a numbered list would be quite devastating if this jokey video turns out to be prophetic.

After being caught, Paul Rudd hilariously tries to save face after this calamitous failure by scapegoating Mark Ruffalo, which all things considered, isn’t the worst strategy in the world. Maybe Tom Holland will help carry some of that shame load, and by Phase 6, Mark Ruffalo can be trusted again.

Although Paul Rudd ultimately failed to get the goods from Joe and Anthony Russo here, unfortunately there are spoilers for Avengers: Endgame that have leaked. Even with the incredible efforts to prevent such a thing from happening, there are no guarantees. So stay frosty on the interwebs and beware of spoilers if you want the purest experience possible and not some trash cellphone video.

Paul Rudd doesn’t have much longer to wait to find out what happens in Avengers: Endgame, and neither do we. Avengers: Endgame arrives in theaters this weekend. Check out our 2019 Release Schedule to keep track of all the big movies headed to theaters this summer movie season.

Mark Hamill Loves Driving Disney Execs Crazy With Star Wars: Episode IX Teases

Mark Hamill Loves Driving Disney Execs Crazy With Star Wars: Episode IX Teases

Forty years after Mark Hamill’s first appearance as Luke Skywalker, the actor is reportedly saying his final goodbyes to his iconic role when Star Wars: Episode IX makes its debut in December. Fans have been promised a fulfilling end to the Skywalker Saga but are growing impatient about the silence surrounding the movie thus far. It’s just eight months away; we don’t have a title and where is that damn trailer?

As a Twitter regular, Mark Hamill is always having fun with fans and pulling some Jedi mind tricks every so often to give us something to talk about while we wait (such as getting us emotional about the Han and Luke reunion that never was). He doesn’t mind playing around with the Disney/Lucasfilm studio higher-ups either, since he has little left to lose, as he recently said this on Jimmy Kimmel Live...

Well, you know I love driving the Disney executives crazy. 'Cause what are they gonna do, fire me? I'm in that really calming lull between the time after you make the movie and before it comes out. They don't want you to say anything. And I'm good at that. But like I say on my Twitter account, people are constantly saying 'When's the trailer dropping? What's the title?' Like they're gonna -- they wouldn't tell me that. I play dumb. I say, 'They made another Star Wars movie?' Nobody tells me anything.

There you have it! Stop harassing Mark Hamill, all the answers will come in time! Being sworn to secrecy doesn’t stop the actor from stirring up the Disney executives a little bit, though, because this movie is said to be his last journey as Luke anyway. Jimmy Kimmel did quip that they could cut off his hand – perhaps to save on Luke’s robo arm CGI? Nah, he’ll be fine!

This “no worries” attitude reminds me a bit of Samuel L. Jackson’s approach to his role of Nick Fury in the MCU, which is also subject to tons of secrecy. Jackson recently messed with press and fans by telling them his recent co-star Captain Marvel could time travel, before admitting he had made it up.

Jimmy Kimmel brought up the actor’s most recent joke: the reveal of the Star Wars: Episode IX trailer – which was a literal picture of his trailer on set instead of the highly-anticipated first look at the holiday release. Hamill talked about his kids’ reactions to his clever social media post with these words:

My kids are rolling their eyes going 'That's such a dad joke.' And I'm going 'What's a dad joke?' They said 'Well you know obvious, full of puns.' My son Nathan said 'Not funny.'

While the post certainly incited the same kind of “har har har” laughs fans might give to jokes from their dads, it’s nice to see the actor have fun with the fans and tease their excitement a bit.

Star Wars: Episode IX officially wrapped filming last month, and while we still don’t know just when the trailer will be released, our hopeful suspicions point to April, to accompany the release of Avengers: Endgame.

Every Marvel Studios Movie, Ranked By CinemaBlend Readers

Every Marvel Studios Movie, Ranked By CinemaBlend Readers

Earlier this month we took on a not-so-minor endeavor. Wanting to determine the true rankings of all of the movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, we not only polled the entire CinemaBlend staff asking them to order the films from best to worst, but we then had all of you lovely readers take on the same task. We released a survey on our site, promoted it on our HeroBlend podcast, and nearly a thousand of you did us the favor of responding – which has led us to this moment.

We have tabulated the results of your submissions, and by taking a weighted average of all your responses we have put together this special ranking of every movie released by Marvel Studios so far. We have a special breakdown of both the bottom five and the top five featured in our latest episode of HeroBlend, which you can listen to right here:

But to get into the full list, keep on reading!

The Bottom Five

22. The Incredible Hulk

21. Thor: The Dark World

20. Iron Man 2

19. Thor

18. Iron Man 3

We were a bit surprised to see Kenneth Branagh’s Thor wind up on this portion of this list (the CinemaBlend staff had it at #16), but really the rest of this didn’t end up being shocking at all – given that the four other titles all had the exact same rankings on our staff list. Louis Leterrier's The Incredible Hulk is just kind of a muddled mess; Alan Taylor's Thor: The Dark World features what is unquestionably the weakest villain plot in all of the Marvel titles released thus far; Jon Favreau's Iron Man 2 notably just has too much going on; and not everyone really loved the big Mandarin twist in Shane Black's Iron Man 3 (or the fact that it’s much more of a Tony Stark movie than it is an Iron Man movie).

What’s particularly interesting about this grouping, though, is that all of the titles come from Marvel Studios’ first five years producing movies – a.k.a. the period when the company was still figuring out the kinks of a cohesive, multi-tiered franchise that didn’t include major characters like Spider-Man and the X-Men. Obviously that era also delivered us the first Iron Man as well as The Avengers, but still there’s nobody out there who would argue that the brand hasn’t come a long way since 2013.

The Middle Of The Pack

17. Captain Marvel

16. Ant-Man and Wasp

15. Ant-Man

14. Captain America: The First Avenger

13. Avengers: Age Of Ultron

12. Doctor Strange

11. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

The middle of our CinemaBlend reader rankings is populated entirely by two kinds of Marvel Studios releases: origin stories and first sequels. Within the former category, fans apparently don’t put Scott Derrickson’s Doctor Strange, Joe Johnston’s Captain America: The First Avenger, Peyton Reed’s Ant-Man, or Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck’s Captain Marvel as high on the shelf as some of the other Marvel releases of their ilk (which we’ll get to in a second), but there is definitely appreciation for what they contribute to the universe. The CinemaBlend staff shows the first Captain America movie a bit more love than readers, as we put it at #11 on our averaged list, but mostly we seem to be in sync in this realm.

As for the first sequels, it’s interesting that most of them wound up ranking below their series predecessors on this list, with the lone exception being Captain America: The Winter Soldier. In many cases it can be hard for filmmakers to follow-up their own work, particularly when the first movie earned a lot of love and raised expectations. It’s an interesting pattern to recognize when you realize that the upcoming Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is expected to include Black Panther 2, Captain Marvel 2, and Doctor Strange 2 – not to mention the fact that the next Marvel release is set to be the Spider-Man: Homecoming sequel Spider-Man: Far From Home.

The Top Ten

10. Spider-Man: Homecoming

9. Black Panther

8. Iron Man

7. Guardians of the Galaxy

6. The Avengers

5. Thor: Ragnarok

4. Captain America: Civil War

3. Captain America: The Winter Soldier

2. Avengers: Infinity War

1. Avengers: Endgame

If anyone out there is looking for evidence of fan appreciation for the contributions that Joe and Anthony Russo have made to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, you need look no further than the results of our survey. All four movies that the brothers have directed for the franchise landed in the top spots here, with the most gratitude being expressed towards the absolutely massive Avengers blockbusters that were released in the last two years. It was clearly a ridiculously huge endeavor to take on, but the best word to describe the results of the execution is “beloved.”

All of you also showed a tremendous amount of love for Taika Waititi’s Thor: Ragnarok – which has a ranking that arrives in sharp relief compared to its predecessors in the God of Thunder series – and even after 11 years people are still showing Jon Favreau’s Iron Man the respect it deserves. Clearly there is also a lot of love for the more modern franchise-starters, with Jon Watts’ Spider-Man: Homecoming, Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther and James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy all earning spots on the Top 10, and all of us will certainly never forget the game changer that was Joss Whedon’s The Avengers.

How did these final results wind up comparing with your own submissions to our survey? Is there any film that you personally love and now feel is totally underrated? Do you think there is any movie in the franchise that gets way more praise than it actually deserves? Hit the comments section below, and tell us what you think of this vox populi ranking - and, as always, be sure to stay tuned here on CinemaBlend for all of the latest news, updates, features, and reviews of Marvel Cinematic Universe releases!

Is Bo Peep The Villain In Toy Story 4?

Is Bo Peep The Villain In Toy Story 4?

Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for a few past Pixar films along with the opening scene of Toy Story 4.

Toy Story 4 is just under three months away, and recently Pixar hasn’t been shy about pulling back the curtain a bit on what to expect from the long-awaited comeback of Andy’s gang of childhood toys. The upcoming animated sequel will also mark the return of Bo Peep, a shiny porcelain sheep-herder who was a loving confidant to Woody up until the studio decidedly cut her out of 2010’s Toy Story 3 – or perhaps just forgot to pencil her in?

Now, Bo Peep seems to be getting her redemption story in Toy Story 4, as the character has traded her bonnet and pink dress for a badass (but still feminine) take on her character. This includes her wearing pantaloons, a pink bow and using her crook as a powerful weapon instead of a mere accessory as she shows Woody around her new way of life, which seems to be between an antique store and lively carnival. She certainly has a prominent presence in the marketing for Toy Story 4 thus far, and now there's been speculation that this is because she is being developed into the next Toy Story villain.

But could Bo Peep really be the crook (pun intended) that Woody, Buzz and the gang will ultimately face in Toy Story 4? I certainly think there's a good case for it! Time to break this theory down.

Bo Peep is introduced in the first Toy Story film as a porcelain doll who is part of a lamp belonging to Andy’s sister, Molly. This already makes her a bit of an outsider to the other toys, but she is often used as a “damsel in distress” to Woody’s adventures during play time. The pair share an undeniable connection with one another, as she’s often thought of as Woody’s love interest. But then, something happens between Toy Story 2 and 3 that makes Bo Peep disappear from the cast of characters in the animated franchise.

Perhaps she is given away? That seems to be the way Toy Story 4 will fill in the gaps in the beginning of the film (which was recently shown at CinemaCon). The story will be set up by showing Woody and Bo Peep’s final exchange before they reunite in the upcoming movie, which includes her telling Woody that she’s okay with being given away and her asking him to come with her. He doesn’t, as his loyalty stays with Andy, though Toy Story 3 famously ends with the now-college-aged lad giving his childhood toys away to a toddler named Bonnie, who they belong to in the new movie.

Toy Story 4 will see Woody getting separated by Bonnie when he runs after her new craft project, Forky, who is having an existential crisis about his purpose. As Woody tries to rescue Forky and bring him back to Bonnie, they will come across Bo Peep. She will introduce Woody to her new lifestyle as someone who has taken control of her narrative as a toy, who roams freely without the need of one child and seems to help other forgotten toys find a home without an “Andy” to call their own. She seems to tempt Woody to adopt this life as well and the movie seems to center on a decision for him to either stay with her or again remain loyal to his kid.

Bo Peep has already been rejected before by Woody, so what if she’s not willing to take no for an answer this time? What starts off as her giving him the illusion of choice by using persuading words like “sometimes change can be good” and “kids lose their toys everyday” (which she utters in the trailer) is actually entrapment. Her story arc could easily become an origin story of the next Toy Story villain. As the other toys go out to save Woody, maybe they end up needing to confront and rescue Bo Peep. It would be the ultimate showdown if the last installment of Toy Story revolved around Woody and the gang face off with a character they love and once called a friend from the past.

The Toy Story franchise is certainly no stranger to pulling the old friend-turned-foe switcheroo. In the second film, Stinky Pete was painted as a new friend to Woody before he tried to force him and Jessie to be shipped off to a toy museum in Japan. This formula was used again in the third movie when the once welcoming Lotso tried to keep the toys from going home in order to keep them safe in the confines of the preschool, where they wouldn't be given away or replaced. Based on this track record, when toys face abandonment, something seriously cracks, and we know Bo Peep has received this treatment already.

Pixar has used this plotline in two other of their recent releases too! In Coco, Ernesto de la Cruz is introduced as Miguel’s hero, but winds up being the film’s villain, and in Incredibles 2 Evelyn is set up to be on the heroes' side before being revealed as the movie’s main baddie as well. Would Pixar dare use this familiar formula for its third release in a row? I think it’s certainly a possibility!

The villain that seems to be set up in Toy Story 4, a doll named Gabby Gabby, just doesn’t seem to hold as much emotional weight to the toys as Bo Peep would as a villain. Plus, her tragic backstory has already been revealed. She’s a vintage doll that was manufactured with a broken voice box and she has some creepy ventriloquist dummies who do her bidding. This story certainly has the makings of a sinister evil plot - such as attempting to steal away Woody’s working one so she can be finally loved by a child perhaps?

But it’s actually more predictable than Bo Peep’s potential as a villain because we don’t know yet what happened to her between Toy Story 2 and today. That’s 20 years of backstory we may learn and could play a bigger role in the story, then what’s being revealed by Pixar. Even if I’m right, Toy Story 4 could still be a really interesting and unique addition to the franchise, and there could still be a ton we don’t know about where it goes.

We of course won’t know for sure until Toy Story 4 hits theaters on June 21. What do you think? Do you think this theory will play out in any way in the upcoming sequel. Feel free to tell us your thoughts in the comments below.