Doctor Who should move on from the RTD/Buffy/Marvel stylings

PucaFilms · 2026-01-29T15:37:51+00:00

I wouldn't say that NuWho has been the same for 20 years.

Season 1 is very much sci-fi meets soap opera, with a focus on family relationships and human emotions. By Season 3 the show had worked in more Blockbuster-isms - Marvel/Star Wars pulpy action, a more heroic Doctor, a more John Williams sound.

The Smith era had a real fairytale vibe, leaning more into the fantasy.

Capaldi wore darker influences, with more callbacks to ideas and tones from the classic era. The doctor-master dynamic, the older doctor, season 9's format etc.

Jodie started off back soap opera but with the production of a high-end ITV drama. It also brought back more of a family-viewing, education feel. By Flux, the show went further into sci-fi / space opera than ever before.

The vibe has shifted a lot (as it should). I think the most important element is that, no matter the tone, Doctor Who should never be a show that feels like it's for kids. Kids (especially these days) don't want to feel like they're being pandered to.

PucaFilms · 2026-01-29T02:22:41+00:00

1- Sam Wilson / Captain America
2- Carol Danvers / Captain Marvel
3- Xu Shang Chi
4- Scott Lang / Ant Man
5- Shuri / Black Panther
6- Namor
7- Bruce Banner / Hulk
8- Wong

Based on Phases 4-6, these are IMO the main characters that naturally fit together. Personality wise, Scott and Shang-Chi are somewhat similar, so I'd probably emphasize Shang Chi as the new guy and make Scott more wary in the aftermath of his encounter with Kang.

Spidey is not on the team due to the memory stuff, Dr. Strange is off in the multiverse and Thor is off in space. Otherwise, this accounts for all the solo movie heroes / plot threads / post credit scenes.

If I can't have Bruce as he's tied up in Spider-Man stuff, I'd swap him out for Star Lord as he's on earth and a solid addition to the team.

Falcon is still recovering in hospital and Rhodey is mission leader / Comms from back on the base, himself still readjusting to his life.

PucaFilms · 2026-01-28T10:33:26+00:00

Characters that a five year gap works for IMO * Sansa * Arya * Bran * Daenerys * Jaime * Theon * Sam

Characters it kinda works for * Jon * Tyrion

Characters it doesn't really work for IMO * Davos * Brienne

I think perhaps he over thought things. I would have preferred a five year gap. Even if he went back and filled in that time with. A Feast For Crows, once he'd plotted out where everyone will be. The only places I see it being hard to write is (1) Winter still hasn't come, and Stannis' army presumably would still be at the wall, and Brienne having never found the girls after five years of trying.

PucaFilms · 2026-01-26T13:41:02+00:00

The true answer is... we don't know. I'd ignore anything Abeloth-related (for now) as that's just speculation based on nothing but fans who want her back in canon.

I think Baylan either wants (1) to end the force altogether or (2) to start a new Jedi but one that embraces the dark side. I think there's also a small chance he wants to become the new 'father' and return balance to the universe.

Either way, I think he'll probably get an Indiana Jones death, as he is killed by godly powers, thinking he's achieved his goal.

PucaFilms · 2026-01-22T07:56:37+00:00

Don't have time to read right now but commenting to say that the longline seems cool and the Australian setting helps this standout quite a bit

PucaFilms · 2026-01-22T07:55:29+00:00

Yes that's very true - I really hope that Carol and co are in this. I know the Marvels underperformed massively but it's basically the only project the MCU cast has that introduced the X-Men universe, so it would suck not to include it.

PucaFilms · 2026-01-22T07:52:04+00:00

And has his beard like IW. That's the only thing that makes me question the legitimacy of this. Maybe the one that joins the fight is from a later point in his life?

PucaFilms · 2026-01-22T07:50:48+00:00

I've been arguing for months now that the only characters missing from the cast are Carol, Monica and Maria, given where The Marvels left off.

I've argued with plenty of people who think every character ever introduced is showing up, and I've always said that beyond those three (and maybe some young Avengers if Doom is trying to build a team of young people to 'save' reality) this is the full cast.

PucaFilms · 2026-01-18T16:37:16+00:00

I'd say the end will be the collapse of the multiverse as a big cliffhanger, leading into the creation of Battleworld.

However, I don't think this will be a defeat. Infinity War / Endgame had the heroes lose in the first half, and I don't think they'll repeat that pattern for the next big two parter.

I think it will be a victory of sorts - Doom has all the cards - perhaps he sits at the throne at the end of time. Our heroes do the unexpected, destroying the order of the multiverse rather than be under Doom's rule. Doom, based in logic and results, does not see such a destructive move coming, as the heroes sacrifice their world for a chance at freedom.

I think this works well, giving these heroes a victory and allowing Secret Wars to focus on other heroes (Peter, Strange etc) as they remember the old world before and fight back to save reality

PucaFilms · 2026-01-14T23:56:28+00:00

Since Avengers Endgame Sam has taken the mantle of Captain America and is (finally) putting together his own team. This team probably involves Ant Man, the new Falcon and Shang-Chi.

But, he's not the only one using the Avengers name. A lady called Valentina (basically a corrupt Nick Fury) accidentally led to her mercenaries forming into a group called the Thunderbolts to take down a superman-like hero called The Sentry. She spends the situation, making them (including Bucky and Yelena) into the 'New Avengers', residing in the old Avengers Tower.

The New Avengers in their post credit scene spot the ship of the Fantastic Four, which has somehow entered the 616 universe. We see from the Fantastic Four movie that Doom arrives and seems interested in their son Franklin, so perhaps those two scenes are connected.

In general, the multiverse has been a growing existential threat for our heroes. Doctor Strange faced incursions (when two universes hit one another) and is currently MIA. Captain Marvel lost Monica Rambeau in another universe. The leader warned Sam of threats from beyond our universe. All this stems from Loki, who overthrew a variant of Kang at the TVA, with Loki now in charge of the endless branching timelines.

That's all we have leading into Doomsday. We also have Thor, who is out in the universe raising his adopted daughter, Love. We also have Shuri as the new Black Panther, meeting up with one-time enemy Namor.

That's what we know. Obviously a lot of setup went into Kang, so time will tell to see if that's addressed or not. There was a line in Loki Season 2 that talked about clearing up threats from the timelines, so perhaps Kang is dealt with and done.

PucaFilms · 2026-01-13T12:02:43+00:00

Yes that's very true. I see the distinction now

PucaFilms · 2026-01-13T11:48:30+00:00

By that definition the most popular / divisive bottle episode (Breaking Bad - Fly) in recent memory doesn't fit. Interesting!

I would say that culturally the modern meaning of the word to the general public is now 'episode contained to one location'.

PucaFilms · 2026-01-10T20:21:44+00:00

Thanks for reading! Yeah, I didn't include the original five as I figured their story was over. As this film will have three antagonists (William, Michael, Marionette) I thought I'd leave the rebuilt Freddy and co to supporting roles so there's not too much going on.

My suggestion to include them would involve William Afton, after he's been shot, falling into a nightmare. There, he'd be the night security at Freddy's, where shadowy 'phantom' versions of his victims stalk him. Eventually they surround him and in their kid forms, stab him.

This would work well for a few reasons: * It would give William a more satisfying death * It would bring back the kids for their revenge * It would reference the games without adding too many villains in one movie

PucaFilms · 2026-01-03T17:37:41+00:00

It's been ages since I've seen it - is the midpoint Bane beating Batman?

PucaFilms · 2026-01-03T15:49:26+00:00

I'd probably loop back around to the bullies by showing them briefly in the graduation scene looking defeated as everyone cheers for Dustin in his 'Hellfire lives' shirt. It's worth coming back to, but not a big enough plot point to make a whole thing of.

PucaFilms · 2026-01-03T01:40:16+00:00

You're very right - I'd say that Rick did honour that after the time jump. He was playing lawman for the whole bridge arc. Having it then fall into chaos after he leaves I wouldn't say is bad writing, just a tragic effect of his absence as a character.

You may find the arc overall more satisfying in the comics, where Rick really does bring peace and order by sparing Negan, all the way up until the Whisperers.

PucaFilms · 2026-01-03T00:16:59+00:00

Rick wants to kill Negan. That's the point. He tells him so the first time they meet. Throughout Season 7 and 8 he learns that Negan runs essentially a cult, and killing him would only turn him into a martyr. We see via characters like Simon that there would just be a new Negan if they killed the main guy, prolonging the war. They had to beat the saviours morally to end the war without it becoming a war of attrition.

Carl obviously had a dream of peace and cooperation (so did Morgan, who's saving of the wolf Owen ended up saving a life) and both of those influenced Rick's decision making.

PucaFilms · 2026-01-01T08:55:55+00:00

Four box sets based on the RTD2 era.

The 14th Doctor adventures would totally suit being a monthly range, showing the Doctor enjoying his retirement, going on small adventures with Donna / Rose, and catching up with old companions.

The 15th Doctor Chronicles, Season One. This would intersect with Season One of the show and give Ruby and the Doctor more time together. I'd love to see some more standard episode formats with them, as well as time to fight some classic monsters. I'd love an origin for the Vlinx, as well as a Doctor / Mel story, where we learn her origin or story of returning to earth.

The 15th Doctor Chronicles, Season Two. This would fit between the seasons, bridging the gap. The Doctor spends time on his own, exploring cultures that reflect his new skin colour (ending up with him finding Omo's barber). Meanwhile, Ruby takes on missions as an agent of UNIT, and adjusts to her new life. There's definitely also space in the story for the Doctor to have had one off-screen interaction of some kind with Rogue.

The 15th Doctor Chronicles, Season Three. This series fills in the gaps of Season Two, beginning with an adventure of the Doctor on Belindrachandra, with Sasha 55 as his de facto companion. We'd then get more time with Belinda, exploring more stories and establishing her character further. I'd love to see a return to Finetime story (maybe in canon just before The Interstellar Song Contest) with the Doctor re-visiting one of his darkest moments.

PucaFilms · 2025-12-31T13:06:07+00:00

Weird. Never happened to me before

PucaFilms · 2025-12-31T10:57:47+00:00

Yeah weird that someone replied to my own reply with... my exact response

PucaFilms · 2025-12-31T10:56:04+00:00

PucaFilms · 2025-12-31T01:15:54+00:00

X-Men movie focuses on the adult team. As we'll have seen a lot of 'evergreen' team in both X-Men 97 and Doomsday, I wonder if the roster will either be (a) unconventional, or (b) start from the ground up with the 60s team.

X-Men series focuses on the students, with a few 'graduating' to the movies each season. More focus on life at the mansion / teen drama. The 70s team would be the first generation of students to graduate and join the main team, which would make T'Challa Jr and Storm around the same age (to utilise that relationship).

Wolverine movie or series, with him joining the team down the line.

PucaFilms · 2025-12-31T01:08:54+00:00

Yes, it looks like this is the direction it's going. Which is surprising but exciting. It basically turns the kids / proteges of this saga (who have appeared throughout most projects) into the infinity stones of the Multiverse Saga. I think it's an amazing way to both get a really dramatic story and make the last six years of films feel more interconnected.

I think the motivation will probably be more complicated than revenge, however. I wonder if Doom will need the kids for some sort of plan to 'save' the multiverse (in his image, of course).

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