Nerd Alert: Marvel Edition

The Nerd Alert Girls are celebrating 5 years and 124 episodes (and counting) of podcasting! Bridgette, Caroline, and Genn discuss our superhero origin stories as Marvel fans, how the podcast first came to be, and our favorite podcast episodes. We've always been a character-driven podcast, and we're leaning into that more than ever with our anniversary episode! We share who we would invite to our Marvel dinner party and give yearbook awards to our favorite characters - from best all-around, to cutest couple, to best hair.  Timestamps: 0:00 - Our origin stories as fans and as a podcast 25:58 - What are our top podcast episodes? 33:55 - Who are our Marvel dinner party guests? 51:13 - Which actors do we want to show up next in Marvel? 1:03:04 - Our Marvel Yearbook Awards 1:44:40 - Final comments and the future of the podcast Visit us on our website: ⁠nerdalertgirls.tumblr.com⁠! Or you can contact us directly at ⁠nerdalertgirlspodcast@gmail.com⁠.

Before Black Panther, there was Blade. For Black History Month, Caroline takes a look at the Blade film trilogy starring Wesley Snipes. While Blade was essential in paving the way for the MCU, the character hasn’t gotten the attention he deserves. Caroline unpacks the importance of Blade as a Black vampire hunter as she journeys through the complicated history of race in vampire fiction.

Deadpool is officially part of the MCU! Genn and Bridgette share their insight on the Deadpool and Wolverine trailer and laugh and speculate as we start the countdown to July. Our beloved Merc with the Mouth tangles with TVA (we Nerd Alert Girls EAGERLY await roasting the Loki series). He's also teaming up (or battling to the immortal, bloody death?) with Wolverine (yeah, we know...calm down). 

Howard Stark has played a supporting role in the stories of Iron Man, Captain America, and Agent Carter, but what is his story? Caroline and Bridgette argue that Howard is a more complex and ultimately tragic character than he’s initially made out to be - both by his son and by fandom. Cynical and heroic, secretly kind and not-so-secretly in love with Steve, Howard struggles with self-esteem and communication issues all his life. We hypothesize about how Howard and Tony’s vastly different generations, class backgrounds, and emotional needs contribute to their fraught relationship. We also look at Howard’s other relationships throughout the MCU movies and television series. And Bridgette throws in a Pride & Prejudice reference for good measure.

We came, we saw, and we loved it. The Nerd Alert Girls finished watching Marvel’s Echo and have MUCH to discuss. This phenomenal show runs the gamut: healing from generational trauma, struggling with estranged family members, and coming into one’s own power. Listen as Bridgette, Genn, and Caroline applaud Alaqua Cox's performance as Maya Lopez, gripe about the Kingpin's roach-like ability to survive anything, and more. Learn more about Echo: “Echo Draws Huge Viewership With Streaming Debut on Disney+ and Hulu” on CBR: https://www.cbr.com/echo-premiere-hulu-disney-plus/ “Marvel's Echo: Choctaw Creation Myth & Real World Differences Explained” on Screenrant: https://screenrant.com/marvel-echo-choctaw-creation-myth-differences-explained/ Alaqua Cox’s interview with Variety: https://variety.com/2024/tv/news/echo-alaqua-cox-kingpin-1235865686/

Season 2 of What If…? flips our expectations of who’s a hero and who’s a villain in another inventive slate of episodes. We start our season recap with an overview of themes, including light vs. darkness, the power of friendship, and becoming more than a tool for another person’s ends. Then we do a deep dive analysis for every episode from Nebula Blade Runner, to 80s Avengers, to Marvel Die Hard, to Kahhori in Sky World, and more. We laugh, we cry, we rant! We conclude with a broader look at the series’ place in the MCU and address Sam Wilson’s absence from the series along with fandom hate toward Peggy Carter. Brace yourselves, because this is the longest episode in the history of Nerd Alert Girls. In our defense, it’s our favorite Marvel series and it got dumped on us all at once over the holidays! We start our episode-by-episode breakdown at the 39:10 timestamp.

Headlines are shouting that “The Marvels” was a box office bomb - but what’s going on under the surface? Are the latest Marvel movies and shows as bad as some YouTubers would have us believe? How are the casual Marvel fans looking at the time commitment of a TV show? The Nerd Alert Girls discuss how the pandemic, franchise fatigue, and over-saturation has changed the Marvel landscape since Avengers: Endgame dropped in 2019. We also talk more broadly about the future of Disney and film at large. /// Everyone deserves healthy relationships. If you need help, you can contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline 24/7 at ⁠www.thehotline.org⁠ or 1.800.799.SAFE (7233). You are not alone! In the midst of the devastating war in Gaza, we at Nerd Alert Girls hope you can take the time to check in with your Jewish and Palestinian friends and stand against both antisemitism and Islamaphobia.

Bridgette, Jenn, and Caroline put on their thinking caps for season 2 of Marvel’s What If…? We hypothesize about who the big bad is this time (Hela and Odin evil duo, anyone?) and discuss Captain Carter’s role as a multiversal protagonist. We also talk about the MCU’s introduction of the Native American character Kahhori. We have a few ideas (some more lighthearted than others) for a season of What If…? What would yours be? Learn more about the new character Kahhori: www.themarysue.com/marvel-is-introducing-a-new-original-native-character-to-what-if/ Learn more about the Kanienʼkehá:ka (Mohawk) people at www.native-land.ca/maps/territories/mohawk/. In the midst of the devastating war in Gaza, we at Nerd Alert Girls hope you can take the time to check in with your Jewish and Palestinian friends and stand against both antisemitism and Islamaphobia. LA Times - “Newsletter: Antisemitism and anti-Arab hate explode into view during the Israel-Hamas war”: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.latimes.com/opinion/newsletter/2023-11-04

The Echo trailer has dropped and the Nerd Alert Girls have thoughts and feelings about this! Listen as Bridgette and Genn are joined by the Sorceress Supreme Caroline in theorizing what the premiere of Echo will mean for the MCU and what could possibly happen with BAMF Maya Lopez and the terrifying, unkillable Wilson Fisk.  If you want to read more about Maya Lopez as Echo in the comics, check out Rebecca Roanhorse's "Phoenix Song: Echo": https://www.marvel.com/comics/collection/93364/phoenix_song_echo_trade_paperback In the midst of the devastating war in Gaza, we at Nerd Alert Girls hope you can take the time to check in with your Jewish and Palestinian friends and stand against both antisemitism and Islamaphobia. LA Times - “Newsletter: Antisemitism and anti-Arab hate explode into view during the Israel-Hamas war”: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.latimes.com/opinion/newsletter/2023-11-04/opinion-newsletter-antisemitism-college-anti-arab-opinion⁠⁠⁠ Jewish Voice for Peace: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.jewishvoiceforpeace

While the Nerd Alert Girls were less than impressed with season one of Loki, season two managed to turn things around in thrilling (and devastating) ways! Is a Loki always destined to lose? What is the true meaning of “glorious purpose”? What makes a person’s love selfish or selfless? As we review season two, we grapple with these questions, make many Marvel and other movie references, and gush a totally normal amount about O.B. and Mobius. Read the behind-the-scenes content for Loki on Marvel’s blog: https://www.marvel.com/articles/tv-shows/loki-and-mobius-goodbye-episode-6 https://www.marvel.com/articles/tv-shows/loki-opening-episode-6-tom-hiddleston Everyone deserves healthy relationships. If you need help, you can contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline 24/7 at www.thehotline.org or 1.800.799.SAFE (7233). You are not alone! In the midst of the devastating war in Gaza, we at Nerd Alert Girls hope you can take the time to check in with your Jewish and Palestinian friends and stand against both an

Time to coo about Kamala Khan and bring out the soap box! Marvel marks a first with three female characters leading the film... and the lowest box office opening weekend yet. We discuss the nuances of theater-going in the real world before diving into The Marvels - a delightful film that almost seems afraid of how charming it could be. We’ll talk about the hilarious parts, the heartwarming parts, and the parts that left us scratching our heads. Basically, the MCU needs to commit to the bit... and let the Flerkens eat you. Watch the final trailer for The Marvels that Bridgette rants about at the end: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwmDH12MAA4 Congrats to SAG-AFTRA for getting the win! Appreciate the folks who make the art you love! In the midst of the devastating war in Gaza, we at Nerd Alert Girls hope you can take the time to check in with your Jewish and Palestinian friends and stand against both antisemitism and Islamaphobia. LA Times - “Newsletter: Antisemitism and anti-Arab hate explode into view du

Bridgette and Genn review Jason Reynolds’ sequel book “Miles Morales Suspended.” We discuss Reynolds’ experimentation with poetry and prose, Zeke Peña’s illustrations, and how termites become a potent commentary about book bans. Bridgette also shares about the time she met Reynolds and why he’s the perfect author for Spider-Man and for Miles Morales. Listen to Jason Reynolds talk about “Miles Morales Suspended” on NPR: https://www.npr.org/2023/07/31/1191194288/in-miles-morales-suspended-spider-man-grapples-with-racism-and-saving-the-world Banned Books Week 2023 may have passed, but you can be celebrating (and reading) all year. Learn more: https://bannedbooksweek.org/about/ To learn more about racial discrimination in student discipline, you can check out the U.S. Department of Education’s reports: https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/tvi-student-discipline-resource-202305.pdf https://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/school-discipline/index.html LA Times - “Newsletter: Antisemitism and anti-Arab

I am Groot, you are Groot, we are Groot. I Am Groot is a delightful Marvel series of shorts about Baby Groot’s childhood antics, and it is an absolute treat. Bridgette and Genn discuss and coo over the show, chuckle at its cleverness, and make some surprising connections that heal the battered souls still reeling from Ultron and Thanos. Groot is the Chosen One (as he should be), and this is a miniseries you can't miss! The WGA strike is over! See what the writers won: https://prospect.org/labor/2023-09-29-what-writers-won-wga/ Keep showing your support for SAG-AFTRA and donate to the Entertainment Community Fund if you are able: https://entertainmentcommunity.org/

If anything can lift our Marvel spirits after Secret Invasion, it’s The Marvels! Genn and Bridgette hypothesize about the villain, the tension between Carol and Maria, and whether Secret Invasion will play as much of a role in this film’s plot as we had originally thought. We also squee about how adorable Kamala is as always, and Bridgette doubly squees at the K-Drama crossover with South Korean actor Park Seo-joon on the cast. Learn how you can support the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes: https://mashable.com/article/how-to-support-wga-writer-strike Donate to the Entertainment Community Fund: https://entertainmentcommunity.org/ Visit us on our website: nerdalertgirls.tumblr.com! Or you can contact us directly at nerdalertgirlspodcast@gmail.com.

Secret Invasion was the mystery meat of the MCU: you don't know what's in it or where it came from...all you know is that it's janky. Listen as Bridgette and the Sorceress Supreme Caroline break down why Secret Invasion flopped and how some characters were done so dirty. In addition to the slog of a plot, the villain was worse than a ficus, Nick Fury’s motivations were vague, and there were so many missed opportunities. Watch the show, if you dare... Learn how you can support the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes: https://mashable.com/article/how-to-support-wga-writer-strike Donate to the Entertainment Community Fund: https://entertainmentcommunity.org/ Visit us on our website: nerdalertgirls.tumblr.com! Or you can contact us directly at nerdalertgirlspodcast@gmail.com.

Miles vs. Miguel; Spider-Man vs. The Spot; Fate vs. free will; Spider-people vs. tragedy; Miguel vs. chill... Across the Spider-Verse has all this and more. Miles Morales, Gwen Stacy, and Peter B. Parker are reunited in the all-new movie as they go head-to-head with Spider-Man 2099, who's convinced that his way is best and that Miles doesn't belong (which, how dare he!). Listen as Genn and Bridgette lose their minds and hearts over this movie and delve into what it could mean for Beyond the Spider-Verse. Listen to our Miles Morales: Character Crash Course: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/nerd-alert-girls/episodes/Miles-Morales-Character-Crash-Course-ekv7up/a-a3h5f1o Visit us on our website: nerdalertgirls.tumblr.com! Or you can contact us directly at nerdalertgirlspodcast@gmail.com.

Once again, the Guardians prove that a small-scale, deeply personal conflict can feel as high-stakes as a space battle. We’re concluding the trilogy with laughs, tears, and all the feels—but did we expect anything less? Bridgette and Genn discuss Rocket’s rise as a protagonist and leader, Peter getting closure about Gamora, and why the High Evolutionary is such an effective villain.  If you haven’t yet heard our Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special review, check it out here: https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/dcAzVul5Kzb. It’s not required to enjoy GOTG Volume 3, but you certainly get more Easter eggs. Visit us on our website: nerdalertgirls.tumblr.com! Or you can contact us directly at nerdalertgirlspodcast@gmail.com.

From Black Widow to Wakanda Forever and from WandaVision to She-Hulk, Marvel's Phase 4 has been a wild ride. Between the lack of "evil ficus" villains to the darker themes to the excessive hate toward a certain female-led property, Genn and Caroline tackle Phase 4's impact, their surprise favorites, and what everything could mean for Phase 5. If you need a refresher on Phase 4: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marvel_Cinematic_Universe:_Phase_Four Visit us on our website: nerdalertgirls.tumblr.com! Or you can contact us directly at nerdalertgirlspodcast@gmail.com.

Before she was Captain Carter, her name was simply… Agent. From her first appearance on Captain America: The First Avenger, Peggy Carter been a fan favorite and a groundbreaking female character that breaks free of the “love interest” archetype. Today, Caroline and Bridgette revisit how the Agent Carter television series fleshed out her character alongside an eclectic, multifaceted cast and explored complex themes of war, grief, and what it means to be a woman in the past and present. Additionally, Bridgette shares her wild theory about how Bradley Whitford’s character Flynn could hint at What If? continuing the plot threads left behind by the Agent Carter season three that never came to be. If you’re like us and waiting impatiently for Captain Carter’s next MCU appearance, read Jamie McKelvie and Marika Cresta’s Captain Carter comic series: https://www.marvel.com/comics/series/34322/captain_carter_2022 Disclaimer: occasional background noises are courtesy of Bridgette’s autistic sister. ’Tis life in our hous

It's been a spell, but the Nerd Alert Girls are here to discuss Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania! With the gorgeous visuals, the cosmic cockroaches, and the sober Valkyrie, we have much to say about Scott Lang's quasi-retirement as an Avenger and journey into the Quantum Realm. And then there's Kang... Visit us on our website: nerdalertgirls.tumblr.com! Or you can contact us directly at nerdalertgirlspodcast@gmail.com.