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Marvel's Wastelanders

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Marvel's Wastelanders
Presentation
Starring
GenreSuperhero fiction
LanguageEnglish
Production
Production
No. of episodes60
Publication
Original release2021 –
2023
Related
Websitewww.marvel.com/wastelanders

Marvel's Wastelanders is an interconnected series of six radio drama podcasts produced by Marvel New Media and SiriusXM in association with Wave Runner Studios and launched in June 2021. The series' podcasts are set in a variation of the Old Man Logan universe, a future timeline where the world's supervillains, led by Doctor Doom, Red Skull, and Baron Zemo, teamed up to kill almost all superheroes and establish a new world order. Those heroes who survived — including Wolverine, Hawkeye, and Black Widow — are largely in hiding or broken shells of their former selves. A series of events, beginning with the return to Earth of Star-Lord and Rocket Raccoon on a mission for The Collector, leads to a final assembling of heroes for one last mission.[1]

The series was originally announced in May 2021 as four, 10-episode podcasts featuring seperatedly on Star-Lord, Hawkeye, Black Widow, and Wolverine, along with a fifth team-up series.[2][3][4] The first series, Marvel's Wastelanders: Old Man Star-Lord, launched in June 2021.[5]

Originally, the series were to be styled as Old Man Star-Lord, Old Man Hawkeye, Old Man Wolverine, and Grey Widow, but in September 2021, in announcing the launch of Marvel's Wastelanders: Hawkeye, the "Old Man" styling was dropped. At the same time, an additional solo title in the series, Marvel's Wastelander's: Doom, was announced. Episodes were released first to Apple Podcasts subscribers with a general release a week later.[6] In the credits of the final episode of Wastelanders: Doom, the team-up series featuring Star-Lord, Hawkeye, Black Widow, and Wolverine, as well as Doom, was teased with the final series in the Wastelanders "audio epic" launching in December 2022.[7]

The series of podcasts have been noted for their writing and voice acting, as well as the well-known stars associated with the project, including series leads Timothy Busfield as Star-Lord, Stephen Lang as Hawkeye, Susan Sarandon as Black Widow, Robert Patrick as Wolverine, and Dylan Baker as Doom.[8]

Series installments

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Title Seasons Episodes Original airing Director Writer Sound Design Production Company Ref.
Marvel's Wastelanders: Star-Lord[a] 1 10 2021 Kimberly Senior Benjamin Percy Mark Henry Phillips Marvel New Media/SiriusXM [9][10][11]
Marvel's Wastelanders: Hawkeye 1 10 Rachel Chavkin J. Holtham One Thousand Birds [12][13]
Marvel's Wastelanders: Black Widow 1 10 2022 Timothy Busfield Alex Delyle Daniel Brunelle [14][15]
Marvel's Wastelanders: Wolverine 1 10 Jenny Turner Hall Jenny Turner Hall Michael Odmark [16][17]
Marvel's Wastelanders: Doom 1 10 Jade King Carroll Mark Waid and James Tae Kim Mark Henry Phillips [4][9][18]
Marvel's Wastelanders 1 10 2022–2023 Kimberly Senior Nick Bernardone, J. Holtham and Mark Waid One Thousand Birds [7][19]
  1. ^ Originally released as 'Marvel's Wastelanders: Old Man Star-Lord.

Star-Lord

[edit]

Star-Lord and Rocket Raccoon crash land in the American Midwest, a barren wasteland controlled by Doctor Doom, where they must find for The Collector an ancient cosmic relic, the Black Vortex. However, they soon encounter a number of challenges, including Kraven the Hunter, outlaw Ghost Riders, and Emma Frost.[5] When released, the series was titled Marvel's Wastelanders: Old Man Star-Lord, but with the release of Marvel's Wastelanders: Hawkeye, it was retitled without the "Old Man" moniker.[10]

Voice cast

[edit]

The following do voice work in this podcast:[20]

Episodes

[edit]
No. Title Original air date Synopsis
1 "Chapter 1: Record of a Fallen World" June 1, 2021
2 "Chapter 2: The Wastelands"
3 "Chapter 3: Blood Farmer" June 8, 2021
4 "Chapter 4: Deer on a Spear" June 15, 2021
5 "Chapter 5: Heaven and Hellfire" June 22, 2021
6 "Chapter 6: Trust Exercise" June 29, 2021
7 "Chapter 7: Catching Fire" July 6, 2021
8 "Chapter 8: Buried" July 13, 2021
9 "Chapter 9: Kraven's Hunt" July 20, 2021
10 "Chapter 10: Dawn and Doom" July 27, 2021

Hawkeye

[edit]

30 years after Baron Zemo, the Thunderbolts, and the other villains killed the Avengers and rid the world of heroes, a blind and broken Hawkeye relives the final battle nightly as part of the Brotherhood Traveling Circus, Carnival and Ringmaster's Road Show. When his 17-year-old daughter, Ash, shows up seeking his help avenging the death of her best friend, Hawkeye's own efforts to avenge his lost friends are complicated.[13] For Rachel Chavkin, Hawkeye is the first podcast she has directed.[21]

Voice cast

[edit]

The following do voice work in this podcast:

Episodes

[edit]
No. Title Original air date Synopsis
1 "Chapter 1: Star Attraction" October 4, 2021
2 "Chapter 2: Cards Up" October 5, 2021
3 "Chapter 3: School's Out" October 11, 2021
4 "Chapter 4: Trick Shot" October 18, 2021
5 "Chapter 5: Leap of Faith" October 25, 2021
6 "Chapter 6: Straight to the Heart" November 1, 2021
7 "Chapter 7: Two Graves" November 8, 2021
8 "Chapter 8: Shot in the Back" November 15, 2021
9 "Chapter 9: Bullseye" November 22, 2021
10 "Chapter 10: Justice is Blind" November 29, 2021

Black Widow

[edit]

Originally announced as Marvel's Wastelanders: Grey Widow. The mysterious Helen Black moves into a New York City apartment building owned and monitored by S.H.I.E.L.D.[15][14]

Voice cast

[edit]

The following do voice work in this podcast:

Episodes

[edit]
No. Title Original air date Synopsis
1 "Chapter 1: Houston, We Have a Spider" January 5, 2022
2 "Chapter 2: You See More"
3 "Chapter 3: Subtext" January 17, 2022
4 "Chapter 4: By the Way" January 24, 2022
5 "Chapter 5: I Thought About Letting Her Know" January 31, 2022
6 "Chapter 6: A Very Melancholy Answer" February 7, 2022
7 "Chapter 7: Temet Nosce" February 14, 2022
8 "Chapter 8: Bonus" February 21, 2022
9 "Chapter 9: The Entertainment" February 28, 2022
10 "Chapter 10: The Future is Mysterious" March 7, 2022

Wolverine

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Since the villains took over, Wolverine has wandered in a daze of survivor's guilt and self-loathing, but now he must help a young mutant in hiding reach safety.[16] Jenny Turner Hall was originally hired just to direct Wolverine, but she as the project got started her role expanded to being both writer and director for the series.[22]

Voice cast

[edit]

The following do voice work in this podcast:[23]

Episodes

[edit]
No. Title Original air date Synopsis
1 "Chapter 1: Professor Logan" June 12, 2022
2 "Chapter 2: Back to One"
3 "Chapter 3: On My Own" June 20, 2022
4 "Chapter 4: Inakzeptabel" June 27, 2022
5 "Chapter 5: Trust Me" July 4, 2022
6 "Chapter 6: Land of the Free" July 11, 2022
7 "Chapter 7: Shock and Awe" July 18, 2022
8 "Chapter 8: The Other Side" July 25, 2022
9 "Chapter 9: Awfully Sentimental" August 1, 2022
10 "Chapter 10: All That You Leave Behind" August 8, 2022

Doom

[edit]

After being betrayed by the other villains on V-Day, Doom is free and has teamed up with Valeria Richards to seek revenge. The story immediately follows the end of Marvel's Wastelanders: Star-Lord.[18]

Voice cast

[edit]

The following do voice work in this podcast:

Episodes

[edit]
No. Title Original air date Synopsis
1 "Chapter 1: A Superhero Walks into a Bar" September 12, 2022
2 "Chapter 2: A Fantastic Four"
3 "Chapter 3: Mask-less" September 19, 2022
4 "Chapter 4: Destructive Interference" September 26, 2022
5 "Chapter 5: Truth Serum" October 3, 2022
6 "Chapter 6: Thunder Sandstorm" October 10, 2022
7 "Chapter 7: King of the Negative Zone" October 17, 2022
8 "Chapter 8: Tee Off" October 24, 2022
9 "Chapter 9: Getting Angry" October 31, 2022
10 "Chapter 10: I Am a God" November 7, 2022

Wastelanders

[edit]

With the Wastelands in a state of chaos following President Red Skull's death, Hawkeye, Star-Lord, Black Widow, Wolverine, and Doom team up to stop Valeria Richards who now has the power of the Cosmic Cube.[19][24]

Voice cast

[edit]

The following do voice work in this podcast:

Episodes

[edit]
No. Title Original air date Synopsis
1 "Chapter 1: Marching Towards the End of the World" December 5, 2022
2 "Chapter 2: Road to Nowhere"
3 "Chapter 3: Heroes of Old" December 12, 2022
4 "Chapter 4: Marvels" December 19, 2022
5 "Chapter 5: The Old Familiar Places" December 26, 2022
6 "Chapter 6: Assembled" January 2, 2023
7 "Chapter 7: Fractured" January 9, 2023
8 "Chapter 8: Shattered" January 16, 2023
9 "Chapter 9: Crossfire" January 23, 2023
10 "Chapter 10: Ultimate Power" January 30, 2023

Production

[edit]

Marvel's Wastelanders: Star-Lord is the first scripted joint production from Marvel New Media and SiriusXM, and was described by Marvel New Media executive Stephen Wacker as "the tip of the iceberg" for the new Marvel Audio Universe.[25] The Wastelanders podcasting project was originally planned to launch in 2020 as part of a new agreement with SiriusXM and its Pandora streaming service;[9] however, in July 2020, SiriusXM acquired Marvel's previous scripted podcasting partner, Stitcher, in July 2020 in an effort to bolster its portfolio of podcasts.[26] Stitcher and Marvel previously produced two seasons of the Wolverine podcast along with a Marvels podcast. Author Benjamin Percy, who scripted the Wolverine: The Long Night and Wolverine: The Lost Trail podcasts, was brought on board to script Wastelanders: Star-Lord.[27]

Beyond the Scenes

[edit]

Starting with Marvel's Wastelanders: Hawkeye, additional behind-the-scenes bonus episodes featuring conversations with each podcast's actors and creative teams were released via the Apple Podcasts subscription service. Dubbed Beyond the Scenes, the episodes are hosted by Tamara Krinsky.

Series Guests Original air date Ref.
Hawkeye Stephen Lang & Tracie Thoms November 22, 2021 [12]
Rachel Chavkin & J. Holtham December 13, 2021
Black Widow Timothy Busfield & Nate Corddry February 7, 2022 [14]
Melissa Gilbert, Justin Kirk, & Michael Boxleitner March 14, 2022
Wolverine Jenny Turner Hall & Robert Patrick June 13, 2022 [16]
Rachel Crowl & Ashlie Atkinson July 11, 2022
Doom Dylan Baker & Rebecca Naomi Jones September 12, 2022 [18]
Mark Waid, James Tae Kim, & Jade King Carroll October 10, 2022
Wastelanders Kimberly Senior & Timothy Busfield December 5, 2022 [24]
Jenny Radelet Mast & Jackie! Zho December 26, 2022

Reception

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Marvel's Wastelanders: Star-Lord has been praised for its casting and writing. Mike Mack at Laughing Place called Busfield and Elliott's chemistry as Quill and Rocket "hilarious," but noted that Malouf as Cora "steals the show" by providing both explanations and comedy.[28] Taylor Bauer at Comic Years credits Percy's experience with both Marvel Comics and writing audio dramas for successfully setting up the world of Marvel's Wastelanders in the first episode without making it feel like a "detail dump."[29]

Writing in The Guardian, Graeme Virtue lauded Marvel for attracting "top-notch acting talent and developing its superhero canon into such interesting new formats." He noted that for Wastelanders: Hawkeye and Wolverine, "Their chief aural pleasures come from the lead performances, with Avatar baddie Stephen Lang performing every hard-luck Hawkeye line as if he is auditioning for Deadwood. Terminator 2's Robert Patrick gives Hugh Jackman a run for his money as an even more grizzled Wolverine." And he described Wastelanders: Black Widow as the "standout story," noting "why Black Widow wants to infiltrate this place is the central mystery but it fires up the surveillance department, sparking a witty workplace conflict that feels more like Office Space than Avengers: Infinity War."[8]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Marston, George (November 19, 2020). "Old Man Avengers assemble for Marvel Wastelanders audio series". Games Radar. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
  2. ^ Aguilar, Matthew (May 24, 2021). "Marvel's Wastelanders Series Announced By SiriusXM". ComicBook.com. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
  3. ^ Lovett, Jamie (May 24, 2021). "Susan Sarandon and Stephen Lang Cast as Grey Widow and Old Man Hawkeye for Marvel's Wastelanders". ComicBook.com. Retrieved June 15, 2021.
  4. ^ a b Adams, Tim (November 19, 2020). "Marvel's Avengers of the Wastelands Return in SiriusXM Audio Series". Comic Book Resources. Valnet Inc. Retrieved May 19, 2021.
  5. ^ a b Grunenwald, Joe (May 18, 2021). "Wastelanders: Old Man Star-Lord kicks off Marvel & SiriusXM's slate of scripted podcasts". Comics Beat. Retrieved June 4, 2021.
  6. ^ Spangler, Todd (September 21, 2021). "Marvel Podcast Subscriptions Launch Exclusively on Apple Podcasts". Variety. Retrieved September 22, 2021.
  7. ^ a b "I Am God". Marvel's Wastelanders: Doom (Podcast). Marvel/SirriusXM. November 7, 2022. Event occurs at 30:42. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  8. ^ a b Virtue, Graeme (August 10, 2022). "AirPods, Assemble! How Podcasts Are Shaking Up Superhero Classics". The Guardian. Retrieved September 15, 2022.
  9. ^ a b c Romo, Vanessa (October 22, 2019). "It's Superhero Time On Podcasts: Star-Lord And Black Widow To Step Up To The Mic". NPR. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
  10. ^ a b "Marvel's Wastelanders: Starlord". Apple Podcast Preview. June 2021. Retrieved September 22, 2021.
  11. ^ Schorin, PJ (May 18, 2021). "Marvel's Wastelanders Trailer Introduces Old Man Star-Lord & Older Rocket". ScreenRant. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  12. ^ a b "Marvel's Wastelanders: Hawkeye". Apple Podcasts Preview. September 21, 2021.
  13. ^ a b "'Marvel's Wastelanders: Hawkeye' Scripted Podcast to Premiere October 4". Laughing Place. September 21, 2021. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
  14. ^ a b c "Marvel's Wastelanders: Black Widow". Apple Podcasts. Retrieved September 13, 2022.
  15. ^ a b Terror, Jude (December 20, 2021). "Susan Sarandon Stars in New Marvel Black Widow Podcast on Sirius XM". Bleeding Cool. Retrieved December 21, 2021.
  16. ^ a b c "Marvel's Wastelanders: Wolverine". Apple Podcasts. June 13, 2022. Retrieved June 14, 2022.
  17. ^ Cavanaugh, Patrick (June 13, 2022). "Marvel's Wastelanders: Wolverine Series Officially Announced". ComicBook.com. Retrieved June 14, 2022.
  18. ^ a b c "Marvel's Wastelanders: Doom". Apple Podcasts. September 12, 2022. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
  19. ^ a b Schreur, Brandon (December 5, 2022). "Doctor Doom's Goddaughter Finally Goes Full-Villain in Marvel's Wastelanders". CBR. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
  20. ^ "Syndicated Comics". May 18, 2021.
  21. ^ Levitt, Hayley (October 15, 2021). "A Marvel Podcast Is Rachel Chavkin's Latest Larger-Than-Life Stage". Playbill. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
  22. ^ Callwood, Brett (July 21, 2022). "The Reality of Fiction in a Podcast World". LA Weekly. Retrieved September 15, 2022.
  23. ^ Schreur, Brandon (June 13, 2022). "Old Man Logan Returns to Battle President Red Skull in New Season of Marvel's Wastelanders". CBR.com. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
  24. ^ a b "Marvel's Wastelanders". Apple Podcasts. December 5, 2022. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
  25. ^ "Marvel Entertainment Launches First Scripted Series: Wastelanders: Old Man Star-Lord". Inside Radio. May 18, 2021. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  26. ^ Lunden, Ingrid; Ha, Anthony (July 13, 2020). "SiriusXM buys Stitcher for $325 million, steps up its march into podcasts". Tech Crunch. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
  27. ^ Markus, Tucker Chet (June 3, 2021). "Writer Benjamin Percy on Crafting the World of 'Marvel's Wastelanders: Old Man Star-Lord'". Marvel. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
  28. ^ Mack, Mike (June 5, 2021). "Podcast Review – "Marvel Wastelanders: Old Man Star-Lord" is a Different Kind of Marvel Adventure". Laughing Place. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  29. ^ Bauer, Taylor (June 2, 2021). "Marvel's Wastelanders: Old Man Star-Lord Episode One Review". Comic Years. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
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