SSSW - Kathleen Kennedy Steps Down

Julian Meush February 12, 2026

There have been rumours circulating for years about the eventual retirement of Kathleen Kennedy from her role as President of Lucasfilm. Never mind the seemingly constant swirling demands for her head from segments of the fan base. And while those rumours and demands may have felt at times unwarranted, they were nevertheless always going to be right... eventually. Kathleen Kennedy, after 14 years as head of the studio announced that she would be stepping down and returning to a more traditional producer role, and her successors would be Dave Filoni on the creative side, and Lynwen Brennan on the business side. Julian and Rachel unpack the announcement, the press coverage, and even Kennedy's exit interview with Deadline, reading between the lines and trying to get a read on her legacy. As well as examining what life might be like under Filoni as Star Wars enters a new era under his watch. Plus, a check-in on 'The Mandalorian and Grogu' following the underwhelming Super Bowl spot.

Episode 189 - Marvel Feeling Desperate

Julian Meush November 15, 2023

We're hitting the ground running as we attempt to get back to a regular cadence this week with one of the biggest stories in Hollywood right now. If you've been listening to this show for awhile you know that we've paid close attention to the troubles that have beset Warner Brothers over the last few years. My have the tables been turned. Variety has put out a pretty scathing article (hit piece?) on the current state of Marvel Studios that didn't hold back in its indictment of the management (mismanagement) by Disney for what was, up until very recently, a nearly unblemished brand. Julian and Jeremy unpack how they got themselves in this situation and ponder what moves they can make to bring people back into the world Stan built. Meanwhile, of course, WB still manages to find it's way into the limelight with it's latest attempt to burry a film for tax credits, so of course that is touched on as well.

Episode 187 - Hollywood Turmoil Paired With A New Superman

Julian Meush July 20, 2023

Julian and Jeremy get together to try to make sense of the current tumultuous state of Hollywood. With the actors joining the writers on strike, the pressure mounts for studios, who are currently going through an almost unprecedented streak of box office failures. It's not looking good out there folks! Which is why it was necessary to revive the "Agree or Disagree" segment of the show to really dive into the complexities of the situation. Meanwhile, DC Studios continues to try to steady the ship by announcing casting news for 'Superman: Legacy'. Surprisingly they've gone further than just announcing who will be playing Clark and Lois, and added character announcements for the likes of Guy Gardner, Hawk Girl and more. Unsurprisingly, this leads to some debate on the merits of James Gunn's recent decision making. On top of that, the guys discuss a grab-bag of movie topics to round out the show. All this and so much more on this week's episode of the Tower of Babble Podcast!

Episode 183 - Tom Cruise Requested to See 'The Flash'

Julian Meush March 23, 2023

Julian and Jeremy return to the mic to dissect the latest in film and TV news. As it always seems to be the case, the guys start by unpacking the latest drama with DC Studios. With 'Shazam 2' underperforming, there's more scrutiny on a botched crossover with Black Adam, James Gunn continues to get heat, seemingly for no good reason this time, and Ben Affleck is done with Batman... this time for real. Meanwhile leadership at Disney continues to blame 'Solo: A Star Wars Story' for the reason they can't seem to commit to any new Star Wars film projects for longer than 5 minutes. This coming on the heels of Patty Jenkins 'Rogue Squadron' movie being shelved. Plus, stay tuned to the end of the episode to hear a full spoiler review of HBO's 'The Last of Us' season 1. All that and so much more in this week's Tower of Babble Podcast!

Episode 150 - Why Dune?

Julian Meush April 22, 2020

After taking a short break from the regular show (lots of Star Wars: The Clone Wars content for you though!), the guys are back to discuss the latest in film and television news. It’s been a few weeks so there are a couple lingering stories to catch up on. Not the least of which being the new photos from the set of Dune and the cancellation of Comic-Con. There was also a fair bit of Disney related news. Some good, some bad. The good news, Disney+ has surpassed 50 million subscribers, the bad news, COVID19 is costing the company $30 million a day. Julian, Daniel, and Jeremy (via the internet) break all of that down, and much more, on this week’s Tower of Babble Podcast!

Episode 149 - Superman: Red Son

Julian Meush March 16, 2020

With much of the world in lock down due to the Corona Virus, it doesn’t hurt to turn to the world of entertainment for a little distraction. Unfortunately, Covid-19 has effected that as well. Julian and Jeremy discuss the delays resulting from the virus, including James Bond: No Time to Die, Mulan, and more. Afterwards, in an effort to lighten the mood, the guys discuss the latest in film and TV news, with The Last of Us announcement from HBO taking up much of the discussion. Finally, a review of the latest DC Animation adaptation concludes the show with a in depth look at Superman: Red Son. Stay healthy everyone, and stay tuned for more ToB Podcasts during these trying times!

Episode 121 - Captain Marvel, Joker, and Bob Iger

Julian Meush September 24, 2018

Julian, Daniel, and Jeremy sit down to discuss what turned out to be a VERY busy week in nerdy news. It all started with the Captain Marvel teaser and only got more exciting as the news kept rolling in. The Joaquin Phoenix Joker reveal would have been enough but on top of that there was also an interview with Disney CEO, Bob Iger, that had him spilling the beans on the future of the MCU and Star Wars, as well as the James Gunn firing. Oh and did we mention that Emmy awards winners were announced, and that there’s a live action Avatar: The Last Air Bender in the works at Netflix? Yea, that happened too! All that and so much more on this week’s Tower of Babble Podcast!

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Apr 15, 2026

SSSW - Maul: Shadow Lord - Chapter 3 & 4

Apr 15, 2026

Now that the premiere is out of the way, the team at Lucasfilm Animation can focus on driving the story forward with authority. The pacing is much improved this week as time feel more evenly dispersed across the characters. There's a greater concentration on characters who can wield a lightsaber and it's appreciated. No shade to the crime syndicate storyline, but we've kind of seen all that already (it was quite literally a 'Clone Wars' arc). The action remains strong while taking another step forward with lightsaber duels joining the mix. Plus, the fast cutting from last week seems to have been dialed back, which is appreciated as it provides more clarity in action scenes. For example, Devon's engagements with Maul are gripping, and with the additional time provided to Master Daki, the stakes feel ratcheted up. Kevin Kinner's music remains a highlight, the illusions to the Anakin vs Obi-Wan Mustafar theme was a particular highlight. In general, there is still room for more character growth, especially with characters not named Maul, who really can't/won't change - but happy to proven wrong! This show feels like it's in full swing already, which is good because next week things look to be really heating up as we hit the half way mark. Julian and Rachel unpack it all!

Apr 15, 2026

Apr 9, 2026

SSSW - Maul: Shadow Lord - Chapter 1 & 2

Apr 9, 2026

It's been some time since we've been able to sink our pointy teeth into a meaty Star Wars animated project. Since the finale of 'The Bad Batch' all the way back in May of 2024, all we've had to tie us over were anthology installments of varying quality. Praise the Force, that wait is finally over with the release of 'Maul: Shadow Lord', the latest full length series from Lucasfilm Animation. The series marks another technical leap forward for the animation studio, taking their patented visual style and adding another layer of detail and artistry that jumps off the screen. The story follows the titular, Maul shortly after the fall of the Republic and the rise of the Empire, he's looking for revenge and the series wastes no time dropping us right into the thick of things (3 car/speeder chases in 40 mins is impressive). And while we know much of Maul's criminal dealings (and most of the rest of his life actually), the introduction of a new Padawan into the mix, another apprentice-to-be for Maul, adds a layer of intrigue to an otherwise underworld focused story. Join Julian and Rachel as they unpack Chapter 1: "The Dark Revenge" and Chapter 2: "Sinister Schemes", in intricate detail.

Apr 9, 2026

Apr 8, 2026

Bonus Episode - ToB Film Club - Slap Shot (1977) - Review + Commentary Track

Apr 8, 2026

In honour of Matt strapping on the goalie pads again for the first time in many years (and not completely pulling his groin), it only made sense to revisit the classic hockey comedy, 'Slap Shot' from 1977. This isn't the first time seeing the movie for either Julian or Matt but it's been a long time so there are plenty of questions still to answer. Here's a few examples: How well shot are the hockey scenes? Does the movie feature more or less actual hockey than 'Heated Revelry'? Does the plot and/or humour hold up all these years later? All these questions are answered in time, but we're also trying something new this month. Instead of a traditional movie review, Julian and Matt decided to go a layer deeper and add a full commentary track for the movie as well. So enjoy the full review, which takes place, before, during, and after the movie itself, and sync up your own copy of the movie (there's a countdown before we start) to get the full experience!

Apr 8, 2026

Mar 20, 2026

Bonus Episode - 2026 Oscars Recap

Mar 20, 2026

Matt and Julian are back to unpack the results from last Sunday's Academy Awards ceremony. While the show itself had few surprises (there was a tie though so that's something!), between Conan's bits, the winners, and the losers, there is plenty to discuss. Congrats to 'One Battle After Another', PTA and all the winners ('Sinners' probably deserved a better fate, but respect to MBJ for his ascension)! Plus, I still can't believe the bit about making Leo into a meme actually made another meme. Join us for the full deep dive!

Mar 20, 2026