Another year of fandom is upon us.
That means another year of excitement. Another year of stress. Another year of surprises. Another year of disappointments. Another year of joy. Another year of sadness.
As has become tradition here at Hypable, we’ve racked our brains to create 2018 fandom headlines that could quite possibly appear in our Twitter feeds in 2018. Here’s what we’re hoping and dreading to see in the new year.
This article is part of Hypable’s 12 Days of Fandom, a celebration of 2017 and a preview of 2018. See new content every day from December 14 through Christmas!
✅ We DO want: ‘Doctor Who’ to have the highest ratings ever
A lot of people are stoked about Moffat’s leave from Doctor Who, and given his most recent comments about the need for a female doctor, it’s not surprising. With so many people tuning in to Doctor Who just for Jodie Whittaker’s casting alone, 2018 is bound to bring back the Whovians who just couldn’t handle Moffat’s horrible take at women, sci-fi and the fandom in general.
It’s absolutely thrilling to see all the people who have left the fandom say they’re willing to give it another chance, and under Chris Chibnall there’s a chance for yet another amazing revival of this hit show from the ’60s. – Kyle
❌ We DO NOT want: MTV getting rid of ‘Shannara Chronicles’
MTV ended Teen Wolf and cancelled Sweet/Vicious, and even though Shannara is on Spike now, I don’t think my heart can handle any more disappointment. The Shannara Chronicles is a fantastic show about humans and elves and magic and wonder. It’s set in the far future, so it feels as familiar as it does foreign. The characters are diverse and interesting, and the story has just begun to fill in the gaps between books, which means we’ll be getting new characters and plotlines. I love this show for its breathtaking sets, it’s surprisingly good CGI, and the scope of the story. It feels like a winner — I just wish more people were aware of it. Hopefully the series stays on for another season or two, just so we get a little more from Wil, Eretria, and all the others. – Karen
✅ We DO want: ‘Wayward Sisters’ to get what we’re all hoping for
The CW green lit a Wayward Sisters spin-off earlier this year, but it was only a pilot order. We’re dreaming of the show getting some serious viewership love in the new year so that the network will order a season full of episodes.
❌ We DO NOT want: ‘Infinity War’ killing Steve Rogers
Let’s be real: People are going to die in Avengers: Infinity War. The first Avenger, Steve Rogers, is likely one of those on the chopping block. While it seems inevitable, we’re still holding out hope that he’ll head off into the sunset a different way.
✅ We DO want: Some good news for ‘American Gods’ fans
Look, 2017, was a nightmare, but there was one solid highlight — American Gods season one. It exceed all expectations, brought the best ensemble possible to our televisions, and succeeded not only in ratings, but where it truly mattered — with the fans of Neil Gaiman’s book. And then this headline happened, “Bryan Fuller and Michael Green exit American Gods at Starz.”
Two creators, the people who brought not only their wholly original ideas to the project, but also their passionwork already set forth by Gaiman, left the show. And just like that all the anticipation, excitement, and “House on the Rock” feelings evaporated. And so, please 2018 (and I guess Starz), give me this headline! – Brittany
✅ We DO want: Justice for ‘Sweet/Vicious’
It’s sad to say that Sweet/Vicious is extremely relevant these days. The show follows two female college students who exact revenge on rapists and sexual assaulters. For Jules, it’s personal. For Ophelia, it’s important. These two don’t seem like they should be the best of friends, but by the end of season 1, you realize they might just be the perfect compliment for the other. Unfortunately, the show was stolen from us too soon when MTV decided to cancel it after just one season. While I do think MTV was the perfect network for a show like this, which was both dark and humorous, it could also fit on something like Freeform, Netflix, or Hulu. If I ever see this headline pop up in my news feed, just know I’ll be dancing and cheering at the top of my lungs. We need Sweet/Vicious now more than ever. – Karen
❌ We DO NOT want: More ‘Frasier’
Every beloved show from my youth is being revived. Will and Grace, Roseanne, Hey Arnold!. Look, my emotions are on edge as it is. I do not want to see another show try to rally the troops to make KACL great again.
The only aspect of this that would work in my mind, does not involve the namesake at all. Give Roz her own spin-off. More specifically, I’d truly enjoy the exact version of the spin-off pitched by Matt Mira and Kevin Smith on their podcast Talk Salad and Scrambled Eggs. Though not frequently updated in the past two years, they planted the seed that Roz would host a supernatural radio show in Roswell, New Mexico. – Brittany
✅ We DO want: More ‘West Wing’ with a stellar star
Aaron Sorkin recently did an interview in which he admitted that he has an idea for a return to the world of The West Wing, but that he just has one complication to work out before everyone’s favorite political drama can return to television.
In this new incarnation, Sterling K. Brown (who you may recognize from This is Us or American Crime Story) would play the current president and Martin Sheen’s Josiah Bartlet would return to the White House to serve as an advisor. Sounds perfect, right? Jed Bartlet would undoubtedly jump at the chance to help a successor navigate the intricate world of international relations, and Sterling K. Brown would be the perfect President of the United States of America. In fact, Sterling reached out to Sorkin on Twitter to tell him “If you are serious, sir, I would be honored!” *insert fangirl squeals here*
That complication that I talked about? Sorkin just has to figure out how to get the rest of our old West Wing favorites involved. Once he figures out how to get C.J. Cregg, Josh Lyman, Toby Ziegler, Charlie Young, and the rest back on the scene, we will undoubtedly see The West Wing return to our screens. And you have to be a little impressed that I got those names right just now. – Kristen
❌ We DO NOT want: More sexual assault allegations
While [your favorite actor] is well-known for giving to charity, random acts of kindness, and being adored on Tumblr, they’re also guilty of multiple instances of sexual assault and harassment — which everyone knew about, apparently, except you. Now that you know the truth, you’re going to have to throw out your posters and try to find a way to love [your favorite show/movie that they star in] despite knowing how it has enabled them to hurt other people.
This year gave us way too many revelations like this one. While we can only hope that we’ve seen the last of the abusers in the entertainment industry, Hollywood is unfortunately a cesspool, and there’s a lot to purge out of it before we can comfortably enjoy nice things. This headline is a dreaded one — but also one that, if it does turn up, we need to acknowledge and believe. You might love [your favorite actor], but believing their victims is more important. And maybe you can start watching [easygoing sitcom] instead; everyone there is a pure cinnamon roll and can do no harm, right? Right? – Nasim
✅ We DO want: More ‘Sense8’ after that way-too-early cancellation
2017 saw Sense8 rise and fall in heartbreakingly short period of time. The amazing quality of Season 2 was sadly undermined by a lack of viewership. But fans refused let a show that means so much for representation and good storytelling die. Netflix relented and offered up a 2-hour finale special… one that will hopefully show us Wolfgang’s fate, and let us enjoy the cluster’s long-awaited reunion!
That Netflix might take back the cancellation and announce a Season 3 may be a far-fetched dream, but it’s happened once before already, and if 2017 taught us anything it’s that we have a voice, and we can make things happen! With the finale approaching, this is the perfect time to get friends into the show and blow those ratings out of the water. And who knows? Even if we don’t get it in 2018, I wouldn’t rule out a Sense8 revival a few more years down the line. – Nasim
❌ We DO NOT want: The Disney/Fox deal to happen
Okay, so this one has actually happened, but let me slide my objections in anyway.
While I love Disney has much as the next fannish person, I also can’t help but gaze into the blank, fathomless eyes of the Mouse and ask “Is there no limit?” Are there no bounds to Disney’s reach, no intellectual property they won’t consume and make a part of themselves? Disney already owns two of the biggest entertainment franchises in the world, controls their own publishing house, and is weaning itself off of Netflix to begin its own free-standing streaming service. The company is swelling to a point of such cultural and informative dominance that, much as I love Star Wars and Marvel, I truly believe that their spread must be checked.
Reduction in competition is bad. Streamlining creative properties is bad. Having 75% of Hollywood paid by Bob Iger is BAD, not only for other large studios, but for smaller entertainment creators who will not possibly be able to compete in tornado of Disney money.
Yes, it would be cool to have the X-Men in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but the winnowing of cultural sources to DISNEY and a few fainter others is just too steep a price. I don’t even like you, Fox. (You canceled Firefly.) But just for once, I’m rooting for you. – Michal
✅ We DO Want: GRRM to finally finish ‘Winds of Winter’
Miracles can happen.
Okay, I jest. There is one reason, and one reason only why The Winds of Winter might be released in 2018, and that’s because George R.R. Martin should have finished it years ago. The no-longer-quite-so-hotly-anticipated sixth installment in the Song of Ice and Fire series has been awaiting completion for six and a half years — and that’s just the time it’s taken Martin to work on parts of the book that haven’t been held over from previous novels.
In the meantime, the HBO series Game of Thrones has become the most popular franchise in television history, even as its creators charge off into territory that Martin just hasn’t gotten around to charting yet. The crucial moment has passed; while the pressure of finishing question of finishing The Winds of Winter remains, the urgency of keeping ahead of his televised counterparts has withered away. As is, undeniably, his prerogative, Martin has seemingly focused his attention on other work — a new Game of Thrones spinoff, history books about the Targaryens, his Wild Cards franchise, and still more television projects. The fire seems to have gone out of his magnum opus.
But there’s one reason to hope. The lucrative potential of The Winds of Winter (while still considerable) will almost certainly shrink after Game of Thrones airs its final season in 2019. There are a lot of people waiting to cash in on new material for this ever-expanding brand; we can only hope that Martin decides to be one of them. – Michal
❌ We DO NOT want: WB to press ‘Restart’ on DC/Justice League
It’s no secret that the DCEU has led a troubled existence ever since it kicked off with Man of Steel in 2013.
While the five movies in this shared universe have grossed over three billion dollars worldwide, only one of them — Wonder Woman — was both a financial and critical success. With such continued disappointment for the studio, it’s definitely feasible that they might want to let go of their baggage from these films and start over completely. There’s a chance that they might feel that the only way to gain back the audience’s trust is by starting with a blank slate.
Which I think would be a huge mistake. While it’s disappointing that the movies have been poorly received overall, most people would agree that WB has done a great job in its casting. Can you imagine anyone else at Wonder Woman? Anyone else as Superman? It’d be a shame to throw away the actors and characters that so resonate with audiences. Rather than rebooting, I hope WB instead decides to scale back on their meddling, truly become a director-led universe and then let their directors focus on making good stories that will re-build trust among general audiences. – Lelanie
✅ We DO Want: Lots of success for ‘Crazy Rich Asians’
Other than Aquaman, which as a hardcore DCEU stan I am 1000% hyped for, Crazy Rich Asians is the other movie I’m most looking forward to in 2018. Kevin Kwan’s book is such a fantastic, fun and interesting romance novel that I devoured in one sitting, and I’m so excited to see it brought to the big screen with none other than the wonderful Constance Wu in the lead role of Rachel.
The book is relatively popular and the cast is huge and fun and talented, with a few well-known names and faces peppered in. The story itself is broadly appealing — a princess story, in a way (though Nick isn’t a prince, just wealthy enough to be one) — and includes characters that are both relatable and wildly and hilariously eccentric. It’s also a great romance story in a way that we don’t often see any more, filled with genuine heart and emotion in addition to all the requisite hijinks and zaniness of the genre. I think it could be a great movie to see with your girlfriends, your mom and your husband — together or separately — propelling it to huge box office returns and showing movie studios that stories with diverse casts are worth the investment. – Lelanie
❌ We DO NOT want: Another streaming service
The world of streaming television is splintering. We’ve got Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, and HBO Go. CBS has found some success with Star Trek: Discovery on CBS All Access. Disney announced that they will be launching their own streaming service, which will likely include shows from the Disney-owned ABC. It seems like only a matter of time until we have a stream service for every channel.
With the successful year NBC has had with the steady Dick Wolf fare, plus the phenomenon they’ve found in This Is Us, I can see it being the next network to take the leap into streaming television. I get it, NBC, and I’d do anything to keep Sterling K. Brown on my computer screen. We just don’t need another service sucking $15 from our budget every month. – Erica
✅ We DO want: ‘Divergent’ to get a re-do
Why it’s feasible: Ever since Allegiant was released (and let’s face it, a little bit before that), the Divergent film franchise has been a complete trainwreck. First, they cancelled the theatrical release of the final film, and they’re now looking at moving forward with a TV movie and a future series.
The biggest problem with this is that the stars of the film franchise have no obligation to appear in the rest of the series. Stars, Shailene Woodley and Theo James have already expressed their desires to cut ties, and we’re guessing most of the actors will be on the same page.
The news of a TV movie, accompanied by a series, have not been taken well by fans of the franchise. Continuing in a different format with different stars just seems too far removed from the way things began. Hopefully, Lionsgate will hear the fans and abandon their current plans. However, they won’t want to lose the opportunity to make money on a franchise that still has life in it. The way to keep the Divergent fans satisfied is to hit the reset button, and begin the film franchise again. – Kendra
✅ We DO want: ‘Black Lightning’ within the Arrowverse
Why it’s feasible: Though Black Lightning is currently set outside the Arrowverse — which currently consists of Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl and Legends of Tomorrow — it’s hard to imagine that it won’t eventually be folded into The CW’s own superhero universe for a variety of reasons.
For one thing, most viewers assume that any superhero show that appears on The CW is already a part of the same universe, so setting one series outside of the others is confusing. It makes the most sense to tie them together, even if only loosely.
Additionally, we saw a similar situation with the launch of Supergirl on CBS. Though the show was on a different network, it was created by the same minds behind Arrow and The Flash, as Black Lightning is. The introduction of the multiverse into the Arrowverse, the existence of multiple Earths that differ from our own in various ways, provided the perfect explanation for how the worlds of Supergirl, which turned out to be set on Earth-38, and the other Arrowverse shows, which are set on Earth-1. It would be simple to establish that Black Lightning takes place on another Earth, thus providing a loose connection that could later be tightened through crossovers, as was done with Supergirl.
Moreover, the addition of Jefferson Pierce to the superhero lineup of Oliver Queen, Barry Allen and Kara Zor-El would open up numerous creative outlets. Jefferson much older than the other heroes and had a long career as Black Lightning before he retired. His series serves as a reintroduction of his titular hero rather than the origin story of the other series. It would be fascinating to watch him team up with younger heroes for whom he could serve as a mentor while the younger heroes could infuse him with energy and excitement.
So, bring on Black Lightning’s introduction into the Arrowverse in 2018. – Caitlin