Cosmic Circus Podcasts

Interview: Mari Yamamoto and Anders Holm on ’Monarch: Legacy of Monsters’

Monarch: Legacy of Monsters is the newest entry into the MonsterVerse franchise and takes us to the heart of things: Godzilla and more terrifying creatures. Apple TV+'s new Godzilla series continues this Friday with the sixth episode, "Terrifying Miracles", which picks up after the 2014 Legendary Godzilla film. Created by Chris Black and Matt Fraction, the show delves deeper into the monster-filled world of that universe. We sat down over Zoom for an exclusive interview with Mari Yamamoto and Anders Holm, who play Keiko Miura and Bill Randa in the streaming show. 
The duo shared what it was like filming the show and a story about a huge and scary four-legged visitor they encountered in the Canadian Forest. Anders Holm shared whether or not he got advice from John Goodman before taking up the mantle of his character from Skull Island. Mari Yamamoto opened up about her fear of heights and how filming a challenging scene in the first episode, which involved being quite high up, unintentionally served as exposure therapy for her. Listen to the interview to learn more, but beware, mild spoilers are ahead. 
 
Host: Ayla Ruby
Theme: "Coffee and You" by Vladislav Kurnikov via Pixabay.
Find the companion article to this podcast on thecosmiccircus.com
 
 

Interview: Janeshia Adams-Ginyard Talks ’Black Panther’ and More

 Los Angeles Comic Con 2023 featured many celebrity guests, including someone I wasn’t expecting! Janeshia Adams-Ginyard is a stunt performer, voiceover artist, and actress who starred as Nomble, a member of Wakanda’s Dora Milaje, in several MCU projects.
I noticed her booth on the convention floor thanks to a large Black Panther: Wakanda Forever poster. I was fascinated by the different aspects of her career and love Wakanda Forever, so I jumped at the chance to speak with her for a few minutes about her MCU role. 
 
 
Host: Uday Kataria
Theme: "Coffee and You" by Vladislav Kurnikov via Pixabay.
Find the companion article to this podcast on thecosmiccircus.com
 
 

Interview: ’CURSES!’ with Jim Cooper, Jeff Dixon & Leo Riley

Have you ever wondered if your family is cursed? Apple TV+'s CURSES! is a family animated show that explores the idea of what if a family was cursed because of an artifact-stealing Great Great Great Grandfather. In the pilot, the kids Pandora (Gabrielle Nevaeh), Russ (Andre Robinson), and Sky (Lyric Lewis) in the family Vanderhouven learn that their dad has been keeping a secret from them about their family's past. 
It's a ton of fun with age-appropriate awesome scares, adventure, a treasure trove of secrets, and oh so many ancient artifacts. One of the best parts about CURSES! is that the whole family can watch together. We recently had the chance to sit down over Zoom to talk with creators Jeff Dixon and Jim Cooper, and director Leo Riley to talk about the series. 
You can tune in to CURSES! on Apple TV+. Have you checked this series out already? Let us know what you think about it or this interview on social media @mycosmiccircus or The Cosmic Circus Discord.
 
Host: Ayla Ruby
Theme: "Coffee and You" by Vladislav Kurnikov via Pixabay.
Find the companion article to this podcast on thecosmiccircus.com
 

‘The Marvels’ Discussion (Spoilers) | The Cosmic Circle

It's another episode of Sloth Baby Productions... just kidding. The Cosmic Circle podcast is back, and we saw The Marvels just like (hopefully) all of you and had some thoughts about the return of Captain Marvel (Brie Larson), Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani) and Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris). Their first big screen team-up featured Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), an interesting villain named Dar-Benn (Zawe Ashton), and a whole lot of flerkens. Join host Ayla Ruby, along with Uday Kataria, Emily Maack, and Drew Reed, as they chat all things The Marvels in this spoilerific podcast episode.
The Cosmic Crew shared their impressions of the film, including what worked and didn't work for them. They chatted about Dar-Benn as a villain and all the bad-ass action scenes that director Nia DaCosta brought to life. We even talked about the ending moments of The Marvels, including that homage to a classic Avengers kickoff. And, of course, we chatted about the post-credit scene and what it means going forward for the MCU. So come on in towards the shiny hex jump point, where universes collide, and listen to the podcast.
 
Podcast credits and show notes
Contributors/Writers
Ayla Ruby
Uday Kataria
Emily Maack
Drew Reed
Executive Producer/Editor
Lizzie Hill
Recorded on 11/19/23
Superhero theme by HumanoideVFX on Pixabay.
For a full companion article to this podcast visit thecosmiccircus.com
 

Loki Season 2 Finale Discussion | The Cosmic Circle

Last Thursday, the final page in the book of Loki season 2 closed to a perhaps sacred timeline-shifting ending. The God of Mischief, as portrayed by Tom Hiddleston, sprouted horns and finally fulfilled his glorious purpose. Join host Ayla Ruby, along with Alex Perex, Uday Kataria, and Drew Reed, as they chat all things Loki season 2 finale. 
The Cosmic Circle crew had a ton to unpack on this episode of the podcast, but we only strayed into Ant-Man territory once or twice. We discussed their thoughts on "Glorious Purpose" and whether it met our expectations. We also chatted about the reversed Marvel intro sequence, Kang the Conqueror and his variants, that ending, and the future of Loki characters, including Ravonnah Renslayer, and more.
Podcast credits and show notes
Contributors/Writers
Ayla Ruby
Uday Kataria
Alex Perez
Drew Reed
Executive Producer/Editor
Lizzie Hill
Recorded on 11/11/23
Superhero theme by HumanoideVFX on Pixabay.
Full article and more at https://thecosmiccircus.com
 

Invincible Season 2 Discussion (Spoilers) | The Cosmic Circle

 
Two long years after Omni-Man's betrayal, the season 2 premiere of Invincible, "A Lesson for Your Next Life," is here to mess with our heads even more. Mark Grayson, aka Invincible, is still trying to pick up the pieces and come to terms with the reality of his horrific dad, and we're all here for the doozy of a dimension-hopping ride.
The Cosmic Crew, including host Ayla Ruby (hey, that's me!), John Dotson, Izzy Friedman, and Anthony Flagg delved into everything Invincible. In this spoiler-heavy discussion, we dissect that doozy of an opening sequence and our reactions after the long Invincible drought. We debate the ethics of Angstrom Levy (Sterling K. Brown) and explore Mark Grayson's (Steven Yeun) complicated relationships with his mom, Debbie (Sandra Oh), and Atom Eve (Gillian Jacobs). We also go deep on grief, the show's complex themes, and its subversion of the superhero trope, specifically the traditional Superman archetype. And, of course, we share some predictions for the next three episodes. We're so excited to chat about it on this week's podcast, so tune in to hear us unpack all the twists, turns, and gore.
Podcast credits and show notes
Contributors/Writers
 
Ayla Ruby
Izzy Friedman
John Dotson
Anthony Flagg
Executive Producer/Editor
Lizzie Hill
Recorded on 11/03/23
Superhero theme by HumanoideVFX on Pixabay.
 
For a full article on this podcast and more visit https://thecosmiccircus.com
 
 

Halloween Horror Movies and Shows Discussion | The Cosmic Circle

Join host Brian Kitson and fellow Cosmic Circus writers John Dotson and Wiktor Reinfuss (Vic) as they share some of their favorite films and television series that are perfect for the Halloween season! From Chucky to Scream, Dracula to Supernatural, these three discuss a wide array of scary films and shows that are sure to fill you with terror. Plus listen to each of their stories of their first experiences with horror films!
Visit https://thecosmiccircus.com for the companion article for this podcast
Scary Halloween Movie and Show Recommendations
Brian's recommendations
Rose Red
Skeleton Key
Chucky/Child’s Play
The Descent
Marble Hornets
The Shining Rope
Psycho/Bates Motel
One Missed Call
Shining Vale
Goosebumps
John's recommendations
Host (2020)
Scream
Lake Mungo
Audition
Trick 'r Treat
The Girl With All the Gifts
Vic's recommendations
Sleepy Hollow
Halloween
Supernatural
The Ritual
Dracula (Francis Ford Coppola)
Podcast credits and show notes
Contributors/Writers
Brian Kitson
John Dotson
Wiktor Reinfuss
Executive Producer/Editor
Lizzie Hill
Recorded on 10/22/23
Superhero theme by HumanoideVFX on Pixabay.

Exclusive Interview: Vivienne Medrano Talks ’Hazbin Hotel’ With Us At NYCC!

Cosmic Cafe host Ayla Ruby is at NYCC 2023! In this episode, she has an EXCLUSIVE interview with Helluva Boss creator Vivienne Medrano about her upcoming animated series in the same universe Hazbin Hotel. The series releases on Amazon's Prime Video in January 2024, and has a lot of fans excited. 
Timestamps
00:00 - Intro
01:00 - How did you go from using Patreon and YouTube to finance your work to A24 picking it up?
02:12 - Working on a pilot vs an entire season
03:20 - What is the status of Hazbin Hotel season 2? (currently writing)
04:00 - Charlie Morningstar's story in season 1
05:00 - The music in Hazbin Hotel, every episode has more than one song.
05:37 - The delay from a release last summer to next January on Prime Video
06:22 - Did you ever expect the fan reaction you've had for Hazbin Hotel?
07:22 - Which character would you be and why?
07:42 - Why does this show resonate with people?
09:07 - What's next for the Helluva Boss / Hazbin Hotel Universe?
10:12 - Would you like to see a live-action version? Medrano talks about wanting a broadway musical of Hazbin Hotel.
11:00 - Differences between the pilot and new version
12:22 - Vivienne Medrano on her writing process
13:32 - Inspirations and influences for the series
14:38 - Anything else?
15:30 - Outro
 
Host: Ayla Ruby of thecosmiccircus.com
Theme: "Coffee and You" by Vladislav Kurnikov via Pixabay.
 
 
Find the companion article to this podcast on thecosmiccircus.com
 
 

Interview: Authors of Leaders Assemble! Leadership in the MCU Sy Islam and Gordon B. Schmidt

Cosmic Cafe host Ayla Ruby talks with Sy Islam and Gordon B. Schmidt about their book Leaders Assemble! Leadership in the MCU (Exploring Effective Leadership Practices through Popular Culture).
(This book is available on Amazon and most places books are sold)
The book covers what we can learn in the real world about leadership based on the characters, films, and shows within the MCU from Marvel Studios. 
 
Timestamps:
00:10 - Intros
00:45 - How did you come up with the idea for the book?
04:50 - What was your journey to your fandom? How did it start?
11:55 - What was your prep for Leaders Assemble! Leadership in the MCU ?
13:55 - What has been the response from colleagues and students?
18:00 - Was there anything surprising you found about the Marvel Cinematic Universe as you worked on this book? (Black Widow and "The Glass Cliff")
23:35 - Leadership lessons in Ms. Marvel and She-Hulk
26:00 - Talk about The Eternals
30:25 - Talk about Secret Invasion
34:50 - What is the biggest lesson in leadership people should use in their everyday lives?
38:00 - What's next for you? Next books they're working on.
39:45 - Outros
 
Host: Ayla Ruby of thecosmiccircus.com
Theme: "Coffee and You" by Vladislav Kurnikov via Pixabay.

Loki Season 2 Premiere Discussion | The Cosmic Circle

 The God of Mischief has returned, bringing his signature chaos with him in Loki Season 2! Tom Hiddleston picked up the not-quite-horned mantle again, returning as Loki Odinson this past week in an appropriately twisty sci-fi episode called "Ouroboros" written by Eric Martin. It's been two years since we left off on that dramatic scene with Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino) from season 1, and this episode promises so much more drama and heart for the season. Owen Wilson's Mobius is back, joined by Marvel newcomer Ke Huy Quan's O.B. as Loki and crew work together to prevent Kang (Jonathan Majors) from taking over everything at the TVA and beyond. 
The Cosmic Crew is back, too, and has many temporal and existential questions about Loki's return to screen. Join us in this episode as we chat about Loki season 2. We do a deep dive into the episode, including what we loved about the TVA and some of the new tech, like the temporal loom. We talk about Kang and THAT recording with Ravonna Renslayer (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) and whether or not it hints at anything more. We even chat about our dream ending for the season, and a few of us have very Deadpool-inspired hopes. So slip on your headphones (and make sure you're staying awake like Eugene Cordero's Casey) as you listen to the newest Cosmic Circle podcast episode. 
You can listen to the podcast below directly or on most sites where you listen to podcasts. Follow us for updates on X at @cosmicpodcasts!
[Warning: Spoilers from Loki are within the podcast! Listen at your own risk or you may get pruned.]
 
Podcast credits and show notes
Contributors/Writers
Ayla Ruby
Anthony Flagg
Uday Kataria
Executive Producer/Editor
Lizzie Hill
Recorded on 10/07/23
Superhero theme by HumanoideVFX on Pixabay.

Star Wars Ahsoka Season 1 Finale Discussion | The Cosmic Circle

The first season of Ahsoka has reached its conclusion on Disney+, delivering a strong season from the Lucasfilm property. After eight episodes, the adventures of Rosario Dawson's Jedi and her compatriots have concluded with a bigger threat now looming on the sidelines. With huge ramifications and the excitement of what's to come for these characters, we had to hash it out in our Ahsoka season 1 finale discussion!
Join head writer Brian Kitson and fellow writers Drew Reed and Emily Maack as they talk about all the excitement from across all eight episodes of Disney+'s Ahsoka! What stood out to them? Where do they think the story is headed from here? You can find all those answers and more in this exciting Ahsoka finale discussion!
 
Podcast credits and show notes
Contributors/Writers
Brian Kitson
Drew Reed
Emily Maack
Executive Producer/Editor
Lizzie Hill
Recorded on 10/07/23
Superhero theme by HumanoideVFX on Pixabay.
Follow us on X (formerly Twitter) @cosmicpodcasts
Visit for the full article: https://thecosmiccircus.com

John Wick Movies Discussion (spoilers) | The Cosmic Circle

Earlier this year, Keanu Reeves returned to the big screen as the titular assassin in John Wick: Chapter 4, arguably the most stylish and high-octane action franchise of our time. Directed by the talented Chad Stahelski and written by Shay Hatten and Michael Finch, the film sees our dog-avenging anti-hero facing off against the High Table in another thrilling installment.
On this action-packed John Wick podcast episode, The Cosmic Crew discusses why you should never mess with a man and his dog. We share our thoughts on John Wick: Chapter 4, including the seemingly final scene, rank the movies, and debate whether The Matrix or John Wick is Keanu Reeves' more iconic franchise. (Secretly, we all know it's The Lake House.) We also explore potential John Wick universe crossovers, such as Atomic Blonde, and debate the merits of John Wick and James Bond.  The crew dives deep into the beautiful cinematography of the movie, as shot by Dan Laustsen. We also chat about the upcoming series The Continental, and whether or not we'll be watching. So rev up your motorcycle...or your horse and listen in!
 
Podcast credits and show notes
 
Contributors/Writers
Ayla Ruby
John Dotson
Wiktor Reinfuss
Executive Producer/Editor
Lizzie Hill
Recorded on 09/18/2023
Superhero theme by HumanoideVFX on Pixabay.
For a full article on this podcast and more visit https://thecosmiccircus.com/

Interview: VFX Supervisor Erik Henry Talks Apple TV’s ’Invasion’

Erik Henry has an impressive career as a VFX supervisor in creating stellar stories. Not only did he work on season 1 and 2 of Invasion but Henry has also helped bring titles like The Abyss (which we talk about in the interview!), Watchmen, Black Sails, Jack Ryan, and so much more to life. He has several Emmy awards for his work and tons of other accolades. If you’re a sci-fi fan, you’ve probably seen his work.
In this interview, Henry sits down to chat with host Ayla Ruby to talk his most recent project now streaming on Apple TV, Invasion. 
 
Host: Ayla Ruby of thecosmiccircus.com
See the official website for a full article and more informationTheme: "Coffee and You" by Vladislav Kurnikov via Pixabay.

LGBTQ+ Representation in Media | The Cosmic Circle

As anyone can attest, representation of any kind is important in the media that we consume. With the makeup of our population being so diverse, between ethnicities, skin colors, genders, and sexualities, the characters and stories we see on screen and in books should represent that as well. While there's still a ton of work to be done for proper visibility for so many minorities, one that has a bit of an awakening is proper LGBTQ+ representation in films and television. With a thought that began with Red, White & Royal Blue, host Brian Kitson wished to look back at the past representation of Queer representation and the current landscape for this long-looked-over and misrepresented group.
Join Brian Kitson, along with Izzy Friedman and Uday Kataria as they explore some important landmarks in Queer representation in television and films. Listen as they share their oldest memories with a queer character and how new media feels like a step in the right direction for proper LGBTQ+ visibility. These three deep dive into a few new projects, such as Heartstoppers, Interview With The Vampire, Killing Eve, and so much more, as they explore the impact these films and shows have on the population as a whole and individually for each one of them.
[Warning: Spoilers from some Queer content, such as Red, White & Royal Blue, Interview With The Vampire, Heartstopper, etc. are within the podcast! Listen at your own risk.]
 
Podcast credits and show notes
 
Contributors/Writers
Brian Kitson
Izzy Friedman
Uday Kataria
Executive Producer/Editor
Lizzie Hill
Recorded on 09/02/2023
Superhero theme by HumanoideVFX on Pixabay.
Follow us on social media @cosmicpodcasts or @mycosmiccirus and you can find a full article on this podcasts at https://thecosmiccircus.com

Interview: Director Marc Turtletaub About Sci-Fi Comedy Jules

Jules, written by Gavin Steckler and directed by Marc Turtletaub, is a quirky indie sci-fi comedy about aging, aliens, and friendships. It's charming and endearing; this should be no surprise given the incredible actors that helped bring it to life, including Sir Ben Kingsley, Harriet Sansom Harris, Zoë Winters, Jade Quon, and Jane Curtin. We had the great pleasure of sitting down over Zoom to chat with the movie's director, Marc Turtletaub.
Jules follows Milton, played by Kingsley, a widower with a quiet life in a rural town in Pennsylvania. Everything changes after a UFO crashes in his backyard, complete with an alien passenger named Jules. Jules and Milton become friends, but when Milton's well-meaning neighbors discover the alien, things get tricky. The movie is a joy. It has science fiction, family, and a lot of endearing comedy.
Jules premiered to much fanfare at the Sonoma International Film Festival in March of this year. It was quickly acquired for US distribution by Bleecker Street Films, which has had a big year with releases including Mafia Mamma and Golda. The film has been a winner with audiences as it makes its way through the film festival circuit.
Host: Ayla Ruby of thecosmiccircus.com
See the official website for a full article and more informationTheme: "Coffee and You" by Vladislav Kurnikov via Pixabay.