The New Thundercats

... I can't imagine how he'd sound doing the Thundercat battlecry.

edited 27th Feb '11 7:47:57 PM by nomuru2d

Silverhawks was already released to DVD,

Only the first half of the series.

Tiger Sharks wasn't even its own show. It was one of the segments in some compilation show. I forget the title of the whole thing, but one of other segments was a Hong Kong Phooey ripoff called "Karate Kat."

Eh, maybe they could just do "The Comic Strip: The Complete Collection" on DVD.

Though then again, Karate Kat really IS better left buried. I looked up an episode of that on Youtube awhile back and... ugh.

This is just my prediction, but I think Dante Basco could voice Wilykat. His younger Zuko voice and Jake Long voice I could imagine fitting the new Wilykat.

After viewing the trailer a few more time, I think Fantastic Racism is going to be a major trope for the new series.

UPDATE: CN finally released the full length extended trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KGj6KGeUto

better quality, 30 more seconds in the beginning.

edited 6th Mar '11 6:57:20 AM by StarOutlaw

So we now have two different outfits for new Tygra, one that looks like his traditional outfit and one that reminds me of the Doom marine's armour. Any idea if we'll only see one in the show or if he will switch between the two for any reason?

I've been reading between the lines and I've come to a conclusion. Thundara is no longer a planet, it is now a kingdom/empire on Third Earth. If you read some of the interviews you will hear people say they wanted to streamline their origin. In the original there were three planets involved in just the first episode, (the third being Plundaar, where the mutants were from). Also there is a line that reads, "Yeah, we've made him [Panthro] an older veteran. He's been on Third Earth exploring." Either Panthro is an astronaut or Thundara actually is part of Third Earth and the natives rarely leave home. Lion-O in particular seems like he doesn't get out much.

For a while I thought they might keep the Lion-O magic age upgrade. I would have liked that just to see what they would do with it because it was almost never adressed in the original show. Hypothetically Lion-O would have been close friends with the Thunderkittens, like a third sibling almost, then after the age-up he starts having more responsibility shoved on him and it starts to get awkward with an older guy playing kids games with children.

Grune looks to be a significant bad guy early on and he only showed up in one episode in the original run. Any other one-shot villians you'd like to see return? I'm hoping to see a wicked bad-ass version of Mongor, the demon guy who eats fear. That would be awesome.

Unfortunatly I can't see that extended cut of the trailer. Canadian, regional limitations, grr. What do we see in the first thirty seconds?

edited 4th Mar '11 6:07:38 AM by WillKeaton

A bunch of old ruins, with some carvings that make it look like the Thunderans have some sort of connection to ancient Egypt; there's also a carving of Mumm-ra in his buffed up form.

I think those ruins are actually the kingdom of Thundera, which wouldseem to confirm Will's theory. Grune actually did appear again in the original, but not often and only in the middle and towards the end of the series.

If it all takes place on one planet, that may mean a lot less sci-fi elements. It also probably means that these versions of Thunder Cats evolved from cats on Earth instead of just being aliens that happen to look like cats. To me that sort of makes the new show's universe a little more generic, but I don't mind too much.

And because it had to be done, here's a vid I edited:

We already know Pantrho is going to be working the grizzled veteran angle and from the looks of things whatever Tygra's position is it seems it lets him hang out with the royal court. I'm willing to take a bet that Wilykit and Wilykat are commoners or possibly even pickpockets/street urchins ala Disney's Aladdin. It would certainly fit in with their characterisations. Also are probably orphans so the show can reinforce the notion that all they have in the world is each other. Would also explain why they live on the streets and their tough life in the city would make a nice contrast to Lion-O's upbrining. Class warfare may be a signifcant factor in team dynamics. ie, royals like, Lion-O and Tygra vs, working stiffs like the kittens and Panthro.

We saw clips of Tygra fighting Lion-O and of Lion-O having a sword duel with his dad, the latter of whom got to use the sword of omens. I'm willing to bet money that we're seeing bits of his annointment trials. Remember the five part episode from season one? While the first time nothing really significant changed after he completed the trials I wouldn't be surprised if this time Lion-O had to pass the trails just to HOLD the sword of omens.

There was mention of some Stones of Power that seem like they may be important this time round. I've only ever seen the first season of the classic Thundercats so I'm not certain if these are actually part of the lore, if they're tweeking something from later seasons or if they're just making this up for the reboot.

edited 4th Mar '11 10:15:25 AM by WillKeaton

The voice actor of Lion-O's father, Larry Kenney, who voiced Lion-O in the original, let it slip that Tygra and Lion-O are brothers in this incarnation, so that's why he gets to hang out in the court. I do like your idea of the Kittens being street-cats (haha). From their clothes in the trailer that seems to be the case. As for Panthro, perhaps he's in exile for some reason. This version doesn't really look like the exploring type

I wouldn't want to see the anointment trials happen so soon. I think that would be best saved for later in the season. I do think Lion-O is going through a trial of some sort, maybe a competition with Tygra over who will succeed Claudis. And then he has to fight his father to prove his worth. It could be that the trials will happen as a seasonal arc. That would be cool.

The stones of power could possibly be like the Treasures of Thundera from season 3, but other than that I have no idea.

Re-watching the trailer, I'm pretty sure the chunk of thundrillium Grune is riding can be seen in the shot of the Cat's Lair at night, right before the shot of Grune bowing to the crowd. I don't think it's any big secret whatever it is we see him doing. My guess is that the lizard mutants we're seeing aren't quite slaves but rather prisoners of war, and Grune just got back from capturing a thundrillium mine from the mutant armies.

Lion-O, Tygra, and Cheetara all appear to be protecting lizardmen in the stockades from an angry mob. I think it's possible the three of them become wanted and are forced into the wilderness of Third Earth where they meet Panthro, with Kit and Kat tagging along with them.

Also, one more thing I noticed; there are hardly any trees or plants besides that big gnarled one in the coliseum. It looks like Thundera is a desert.

So right now here's what I think the backstory will be: It all takes place on Third Earth, and Thundera's a kingdom, like Will mentioned. Races of cat people, lizard people, and other Half-Human Hybrids have evolved. At some point Mumm-Ra awoke and tried to take over with a mutant army, but was beaten by Claudis or some other past Lord of the Thundercats, and now after many years he's returning.

Another theory I have is that perhaps Mumm-Ra or the Ancient Spirits of Evil had some hand in the creation of the mutants. In the old show two of the spirits were a crocodile and a vulture statue, which could have fit for Slith and Vultureman. If there had been statues for a baboon and a jackal (instead of a bull and boar), I would have been totally convinced.

Wait wait wait. THIS IS REAL!?! This really isn't a joke [AS] pulled out of thin air?
-checks pulse-
My heart just stopped.

Tygra and Lion-O brothers? So, does that make Claudius a Liger? Seriously though I wouldn't be surprised if Tygra is adopted.

There seems to be some friction about the whole lizard slave thing. They are definantly used for slave labour and in one shot you can see a lizard in a guillotine. (Sorry, not a guillotine, but he is covered in something purple. Blood mavbe? Or just some sort of Thundarian tomato?) If they are being abused that might suggest Ssslithe is going to be an Anti-Villain which seems odd for him. Actually I'm not even sure the phrase mutants will even come up. If Thundercats and lizard people (and vultures and monkeys etc.) come from the same planet and are all based off animals that are around today how does that make one species more of a mutant than any other?

Looking at Thundara I am constantly reminded of the Echidna civilzation from Sonic. On top of the world, much more advanced than anyone else, then one day it all comes crashing down. Given that the old Thundera blew up I can definantly see this empire collapsing. Also the fact that they live in a desert and employ slave labour is very reminicent of ancient Egypt.

So apparently these Stones of Power are going to be important, right? And the Eye of Thundera is really a stone of some sort right? I say that at some point the Eye is going to be revealed as a stone of power, either right off the bat or as a mid/end-season twist.

One more thing. Screenshots form the trailer here.

edited 6th Mar '11 10:27:19 AM by WillKeaton

Whether or not Tygra is adopted, I don't even think it would be entirely accurate to call Claudius a Liger. I think the traits that make any Thunderian a "tiger" or "lion" or "cheetah" or whatever are just a matter of genes rather than being a different species, like the different races of humans. Even if these are evolved from Earth cats, they are one species. It could be that their mother was a "tiger," and the tiger genes are recessive. Tygra got the tiger genes and looks like his mom while Lion-O got the lion genes and looks like Claudus. So in that way I think it's possible they are really brothers. Either that, or the info is wrong and there was a misunderstanding somewhere.

I think those are just stockades, and I imagine that is fruit juice, not blood. Blood like that might be a bit too violent for CN. I imagine the word "mutant" will be a racial slur used by Thunderians. The mutant species in the original were just called reptilians, simians, jackalmen and vultermen. Not very imaginative, no, but I guess the ones that joined forces were collectively called Mutants. Honestly, it doesn't seem like the old writers really put a lot of thought into their creation. The Lunatacs species seems a lot more consistent in comparison, and I think they made a better counter to Thunderians.

I have to agree with the Eye likely being a stone of power. I also bet that the stones have something to do with those empty insignias we keep seeing in the promotional material. Maybe finding one makes a Thunderian an official Thundercat gives him or her the jaguar head symbol.

I was joking about Claudius being a liger, though I had not considered that Lion-O's mother might be a tiger. The old series always made a point of making Lion-O special by refering him as Lord of the Thundercats so it seems an odd choice to make Tygra a second heir to the throne. If he is adopted then Lion-O would be the only one with a blood right to the throne. If Tygra is a full-blooded sibling he has just as much right to the throne as Lion-O, possibly even more as he appears to be older.

In the 80's version both Tygra and Cheetara had psychic abilities. Cheetara had visions and some other things while Tygra could make illusions with his mind; and then only did it in one episode, great forethought on that one guys. This may be dropped entirely but if it is kept in we will likely see more exploration on the topic. (In the case of Tygra it would be impossible to discuss it less.) Presumably pyschic abilities in a Thunadrian is very rare and may not be fully understood, those who posses them either being ostracized or touted as something special. This is baseless speculation however.

Anyone hoping to see Lynx-O and the other season 2 add-ons? It's very possible they will be cut out of the show entirely. On the other hand it is equally likely they will show up later on, especially if this goes on for more than one season. Speaking of, do we know how many episodes were ordered?

edited 6th Mar '11 10:28:03 AM by WillKeaton

Why does everyone assume the lizard people in the trailer are slaves? They could just have a really bad union.

Kevin Michael Richardson will be playing Panthro and Will Friedle will be playing Lion-O: http://splashpage.mtv.com/2011/03/08/thundercats-cast-lion-o-panthro/

So now all we need to know is who's voicing Cheetara and the Thunder Kittens.

I really want to see Lynx-O, Bengali, Pumyra, and the Luna-Taks in a second season. Pumyra and Bengali were especially underused in the classic series.

edited 8th Mar '11 3:13:58 PM by StarOutlaw

Will Friedle? I had little exposure, but that has me in.

I figured old KMR would be in on this in some way, though with his reputation he could have just as easily voiced Mumm-Ra. I had heard that Dante Basco auditioned for the parts of Lion-O and Tygra and was hired, though since both of those roles have already been cast he may be playing someone else, most likely Wilykat. If Dante is cast as Wilykat having Grey Deleisly as Wilykit would be hilarious on so many levels. Will Friedle (which I always pronounce Freddy in my head) has a good range, from goofy Ron Stoppable in Kim Possible to the Goddamn Batman in Batman Beyond. Not sure where Lion-O will fit on that scale but I'm looking foward to it.

edited 8th Mar '11 8:10:47 PM by WillKeaton

And just like that, it's just been revealed that Cheetara will be played by Emmanuelle Chriqui: http://collider.com/emmanuelle-chriqui-interview-elektra-luxx-tron-uprising/79562/

She'll also be in Tron: Uprising.

To be honest, my only real knowledge of Thundercats prior to arriving on this site was that Spike Spencer was a big fan once.

Definitely think I'll be giving this a look, though.

thundercats.ws has an update. Here are some more images of the new toys with Wilykit and Wilykat: http://www.thundercats.ws/news/modern-thundercats-toy-news-2/new-thundercats-2011-toy-images-76/

Looks like they really do have tails. I hope there's some kind of explanation as to why they do and the others don't.

edited 15th Mar '11 4:23:51 PM by StarOutlaw

Could be something only children have? Like they fall off once they reach puberty?

That's what I was thinking too, but I'm hoping that the tails just start to shrink once puberty starts.

That would be better. Less squiky.

Anyone else hoping that they'll still have a tank?

They do have the tank. There's been pics of the new Thundertank toy. You can find them on thundercats.ws. This tank apparently comes with motorcycle pods too.

Oh, without a doubt. That was one of the most popular toys of the old show.