10 New Cosplays We Look Forward To Seeing

With the world on temporary pause, new cosplay has been hard to find. Without conventions or even Halloween, the most wonderful day of the year, happening at their regular capacity, the cosplay community just doesn't have the chance to strut their stuff. That hasn't stopped new media from coming out, some of which we can't wait to see at the next Comic Con, whenever that may be. 

Here's a few. 

10: Live-Action Mulan

Say what you will about Disney's Mulan, the costuming was on point. From Mulan's red combat uniform accented with armor to the villain Xian Lang's incredible makeup, this film gives a lot to the cosplay community. Seeing someone bring one of the film's outfits to life will be a true sight to see, plus all the costumes are modest so there's no worry about having to compromise standards to be the warrior you were truly meant to be. 

9: Netflix's The Witcher

While Henry Cavill's Geralt of Rivia looks torn straight from the video game, the rest of the cast have unique costuming for this live action take on the beloved book and game series. His traveling minstrel Jasker alone has enough outfits to keep any seamstress busy for weeks, and Yennafer is perfect for any cosplaying lady who wants something elegant but doesn't want to go back to Disney princess. 

8: Doctor Who

Now Comic Con has never been lacking for Doctor. Who cosplays, from versions of the Doctor himself to his wide cast of villains right down to the TARDIS itself. However recent years gave us the first female Doctor and the Fugitive Doctor, and both are ripe for cosplay. Given the popularity of the series, it won't be surprising at all to see plenty of these versions of the Doctor running around the panels at the next convention. 

7: The Mandalorian

Remember how The Mandalorian was all anyone could talk about? Just wait for the resurgence once we can get our geek on and start dressing as our favorite Star Wars show. Mando and Grogu aside, as epic as their cosplays will certainly be especially with daddy/baby matching cosplays, let's not forget the wide range of other characters the show gave us. This includes a sand-beaten Boba Fett, grown up Asoka and the poor longsuffering Frog Lady. 

Bonus points will be given if Frog Lady cosplays include edible eggs. 

6: Justice League Snyder Cut Joker

That's a long title. 

Joker cosplay is never thin on the ground but with the new uber dark Joker from the Snyder Cut trailers of Justice League, you can bet that we're going to see more Jared Lito impersonators running around. The butcher's apron and gloves hints that he's going to do something messy, and the bulletproof vest, reminiscent of the opening cut scene in DC Universe Online means that there's going to be danger. You know someone's already chomping at the bit to find the perfect wig to make this Joker come to life. 

5: Onward

This film does not get it's just due in my humblest of opinions. Debuting at the unfortunate start of the pandemic, its theatrical run was hampered by it no longer being safe to go out. That being said, those who did see it and loved it can't wait to cosplay as one of the blue elves from the film, becoming the true Dungeons and Dragons/Disney nerds they've always wanted to be. Even if it's just Barley's cool ripped jean vest covered in D&D-esque pins, we want to see this on the convention floor. 

4: Pokemon Sword and Shield Gym Leaders

Released late 2019 we didn't get a chance to see these characters shine. With the game's graphics and characterizations of each gym leader, I won't be surprised to see a few of them pop up in the cosplay list. At the very least, someone needs to show up in a giant cape with Pokemon related sponsors sewn into it like some cross between a NASCAR driver and Liberace.

3: Wonder Woman 1984

Another derisive release, nobody can argue that once again the costuming was done right. Cosplayers can go with the 80's looks, to Cheetah's terrifying transformation, all the way to Wonder Woman's golden eagle armor. The wings might be a bit of a pain to deal with in crowds, but let's face it, that's never stopped cosplayers before. 

2: Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Can we just take a minute to thank Animal Crossing: New Horizons for getting us through parts of this last year? It's a major contributing factor to why yours truly didn't go into a depressive spiral sooner than I eventually did. To honor this game, let's see some people dressed up as their favorite townsfolk. They could even set aside a space in the convention where they can wander around aimlessly and talk to people as though they were player characters. I know I'd love to give Ozzie the Koala and Raymond the Cat big hugs for being there for me. 

1: WandaVision

You know this would end up on the list. 

What is there to say? Each episode had a pile of period costume choices plus superhero outfits PLUS Agatha. It's a cosplayers goldmine, and we still won't see the true depth of this deposit until Friday when the last episode is released and supposedly Scarlet Witch's final form is revealed. I can't wait to see adorable couples dressed as Wanda and the Vision, posing for photos and breaking our hearts all over again. 

What cosplays do you want to see? 

-JOE

Wonder Woman 1984 - A Blast From The Past (No Spoilers)

 Wonder Woman 1984 released on HBO Max and in theaters on Christmas day, but since HBO Max isn't as prevalent as say Disney+ and movie theaters are still problematic, I'm doing a spoiler free review. 

So back into the life of Wonder Woman we go, only this time we're doing it 80's style. 

Totally Tubular

Wonder Woman 1984 takes place in the time between Diana first entered man's world in Wonder Woman but before she stole the show in Batman Vs Superman: Dawn of Justice. The first half of the film is an 80's comedy throw back, complete with the girl who we have to pretend isn't hot because she wears glasses but gets a makeover, the nonsense McGuffin with magic properties that moves the plot, and the rich yuppie dressed like someone the Golden Girls would date. After this initial style nod, the film quickly transforms into the superhero movie we expected from Wonder Woman, who, admittedly, has become the gold standard for DC superhero films (Sorry Harley Quinn-you're a close second!)

Villains Done Right

It's hard to talk about the villain without spoilers, but I can at least say their names since Lego spoiled it six months ago. What we get are Wonder Woman's other two villains besides Ares, Cheetah and Maxwell Lord. While these could've easily become standard CGI or mad laughing mastermind but here, the villains are humanized to the point of sympathetic, even when the laughing and CGI comes out. Wonder Woman doesn't have a ton of villains because it's hard to find a constant villain that a warrior demi-goddess wouldn't either compassionately rehabilitate or just decapitate. Cheetah and Aries have been standard for decades, with Maxwell joining in about a decade ago after he was mind controlling Superman. Wonder Woman solved Maxwell's issue by twisting his head backwards in the comics, and while I was fully expecting that to happen in DC's darker superhero universe, the twist we got was a pleasant surprise. 

All That Glitters

The biggest headline for Wonder Woman 1984 was Wonder Woman's golden armor making an appearance. Introduced in Alex Ross's award winning Kingdom Come, when the armor was first revealed in trailers DC nerds collectively squeed with delight. The film gives the armor a backstory, that it was worn by an Amazon hero left behind so the others could escape (Not plot important so calm down). When the armor makes its appearance in the film for the climax, it was worth the hype. Wonder Woman uses her winged armor to its full potential, giving all the Alex Ross fans more to squee about. 

Overall Opinion

The film itself is an absolute delight to watch, despite some moments of "Wait, what are they doing?" The villains, while well established, do become a bit muddled near the middle but the film pulls together by the climax. Overall Wonder Woman 1984 is the perfect way to start a new year, full of hope, potential and a hero we can root for. 

Rosario Dawson is a Queen

Can we all just agree that Rosario Dawson is a queen? I mean, besides literally playing the Queen of the Underworld, she's the Jedi Ahsoka Tano, she's Claire Temple, she's Wonder Woman, she's Batgirl, she's Jane the Virgin, and she's Josie (without the Pussycats). This is an actress who has been in SpongeBob, Men In Black, Sin City, Zombieland, and my favorite, Rent. I saw Daphne Rubin-Vega as Mimi in the original cast of Rent on Broadway; I was so glad that Rosario Dawson replaced her for the film. What an improvement!

Disney recently announced that Queen Rosario will be starring in a limited spinoff series that's being developed by Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni (thank goodness!) and set to air possibly by Christmas 2021. Rosario made a huge impression when she first appeared, cloaked, and lit by lightsabers, in the incredible second season of The Mandalorian. She was covered with makeup and prosthetics, and many of her scenes were done by a stunt double. But it didn't matter. Queen Rosario had made her entrance, and she secured herself a firm place in a galaxy far, far away.

But Dawson is so much more than just a well cast actress in a highly anticipated role in a wildly popular series with a rabid fanbase. She's fun and silly in LEGO Batman. She shows her acting chops in Jane the Virgin. She is flirty and has great musical chops in Rent. She hams it up in Percy Jackson. She lends stability and consistency to the Marvel Netflix series. This is a woman who can really do it all. Even while talking to an animatronic Baby Yoda. 

Highlights from the DC Fandome!

With LA Comic Con, E3, Salt Lake FanX and D23 all being cancelled for the year, it was a delight to find DC Comics was going to put on an online event for fans to hear what the company is up to and give us all a momentary likeness of our favorite yearly events. The show overall was spectacular, featuring interviews with people from across the industry, from film makers to comic artists, all answering fan questions and giving us what we need: something to look forward to in the years to come. Here are a few highlights from the show.

Gotham Knights
What was the Arkham video game series missing? All the sidekicks in co-op of course! Gotham Knights allows players to step into the shoes of Batman's loyal sidekicks after his death, leaving Batgirl, Red Hood, Nightwing and Robin to defend Gotham. Can they stop the mysterious Court of Owls? Will they be able to fill the Dark Knight's boots? Will this thing be available on PS4 so I don't have to buy a new system? Time will tell.

The Suicide Squad Reveal

A lot of talk has been floating around the Suicide Squad sequel (Reboot?) titled The Suicide Squad, and Fandome gave us the full cast lineup with who they're going to be playing. Reprising the roles of Harley Quinn, Rick Flag and Amanda Waller are Margot Robbie, Joel Kinnaman and Viola Davis, respectively. The rest of the cast is full of familiar faces including Nathan Fillian, John Cena and Idris Elba, playing villains for the covert Task Force X. We still don't have who will be the official villain yet but with James Gunn, director of Guardians of the Galaxy onboard, we know we're going to be in for a treat. 

Wonder Woman 1984 

Several panels focused on the sadly pushed back Wonder Woman 1984, reminding fans that it is still on its way. Along with an interview with both Gal Gadot and Linda Carter, we got a new trailer giving us more on the villains of the movie, The Cheetah and Maxwell Lord, plus more cameos from Chris Pine as Steve Trevor. The two have not lost their chemistry although speculation as to how he's come back and why he wasn't around for Justice League is still going strong. 

Speaking of...

Justice League: The Snyder Cut

Fans have been begging for this since Justice League came out in theaters to underwhelming reviews. While The Snyder Cut was not announced at Fandome, a new trailer dropped with more hints as to what was removed in the theatrical release. We see more of Batman's vision from Batman Vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice with a destroyed Hall of Justice in the devastated city and more hints that Darkseid will be the big villain the League will take on. While I'm personally excited for this cinematic event, I'm still waiting to see the original cut of Suicide Squad. Call me biased. 

Speaking of my bias...

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League

As an avid Harley Quinn fan, I was incredibly excited to see Margot Robbie come back as the Joker's Favorite Henchgirl. My squee came again when it was announced that the Suicide Squad was getting their own Arkham style video game where they need to take out the Justice League. We don't know much about game play, the idea is enough to keep me intrigued until it comes out in 2022. 

The Batman

I could go on with little anecdotes from interviews and other fun things that made the long lived DC fan inside me squee, but this is a highlight post so it's time for the biggest drop. We got a trailer for the upcoming Batman movie starring Robert Pattinson, and it looks amazing. Like, Dark Knight amazing. You've gotta check it out. 

What was your favorite part of DC's Fandome?
-JOE