2019 marks the end of a variety of different fandoms; some we have followed for a decade or more. We can’t help our excitement as we speed ever closer to the end of these stories, knowing that, for good or evil, they will end.
Game of Thrones
April 15th Winter has come. With only 6 episodes left in the series we will finally know who take the Iron throne.
Avengers Endgame
April 26th The Avengers will do whatever it takes to defeat Thanos.
Star Wars
December 20, 2019 the force returns with the epic conclusion of their latest trilogy, The Rise of Skywalker.
At face value, this feels as if we are coming to the end of an era. Bittersweet as it is, I would argue that there is no better time to be a geek than right now. We have the power to keep our favorite fantasy worlds alive.
The excitement of seeing the culmination of years of word building and character development, has us racing toward the inevitable. The finish line. We’re desperate to know who will survive the Game of Thrones. How will the Avengers triumph over Thanos? Can the Rebels truly defeat the Empire/First Order?
During our adventures into these fantastical worlds, those questions have birthed thousands of video streams, podcasts, etc… Dedicated fans, the geekiest of the fantasy geeks, have used the downtime between movies, episodes, and/or series to dissect those fantasy worlds we all wish we lived in.
All the speculation feeds into our excitement. We, in turn, have become fans of those fans who have taken to social media to debate their theories. The fandom grows even when we are not actively devouring new content from the original creators. We cheer on the theorist and speculators as they work out what they think will be the answer to our burning questions. This further whets our appetites for what comes next.
As the fandom grows, we celebrate together. Comic Conventions are packed with cosplayers and fan groups. We flock to our favorite actors for autographs. We listen to their interviews, follow press junkets, eager to learn some tiny spoiler before the next episode or movie is released. When the moment comes, we watch en masse, and cheer our favorite characters on. We console each other as we say goodbye to those characters whose time has come to an end.
The end, however, is never truly the end. As long as we are able to come together and share our love for these fantasy worlds, we keep those characters alive. That is our power. That is our voice. And those creating content for our worlds have heard us.
When fantasy worlds develop such a massive following, our love often opens the doors to new creative ways for those series to be reborn. And we get new adventures, often with different characters, existing within our favorite worlds.
It is for this reason that Game of Thrones has been given a new chance, or should I say Westeros.
HBO is working on a prequel series based on George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire book series that will take place thousands of years before the Game of Thrones story we know.
https://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/film-tv/a12438310/game-of-thrones-prequel-spin-off-series-news/
We will see the Golden Age of Heroes, learn the mysteries of the White Walkers origins, and maybe witness the Wall being built. I for one cannot wait!!
The same applies to the MCU. We may be ending phase 3 of the Avengers story, but we are far from leaving the grander cinematic universe based on the popular comics. Their stories are far from over, especially now that the Disney–Fox merger means IP’s like the X-Men and Fantastic 4 are fair game again.
And, though Star Wars is ending their Skywalker saga, they are far from done with the universe and all the conflict within.
Fans can get excited about Clone Wars animated TV series, (returning in 2019), The Mandalorian, and the Cassian Andor TV series, just to name a few. These will be available on the Disney TV streaming service. You might remember me mentioning it earlier. They’ve finally announce release dates and pricing, just in time to capture those fans needing their Star Wars fix after the close of the Skywalker saga!
Our Geekdom is our strength, and it will always live on.