The 71^st Primetime Emmy Awards will air on 22^nd September 2019 where the Academy will hand out its awards for the best of TV in the June 1 2018 until May 31 2019 period. I have done a deep dive into what the industry is saying in order to provide my predictions and have also added in which of the nominees I would like to win, and also in some cases, have added shows I would have liked to see nominated. There are certain of the big nominees that I have yet to have the chance to see so cannot put them in the bracket of my winner, but they may have been in there if I had seen them (the big ones are Barry/Chernobyl).

It was another amazing year in TV with some more superb work being done. The most talked about was the final season of Game of Thrones which is a show I have absolutely adored but was left disappointed with the final season. Shows like Killing Eve, Bodyguard, and Fleabag have really continued to break the mould and set new standards for the medium.

Without further ado, here is my list of Emmy predictions:

Outstanding Comedy Series

Prediction – Barry

My Winner – Fleabag

Should’ve been a contender – GLOW/Bojack Horseman

Outstanding Drama Series

Prediction – Game of Thrones

My Winner – Bodyguard

Should’ve been a contender – Daredevil

Outstanding Limited Series

Prediction – When They See Us

My Winner – Sharp Objects

Should’ve been a contender – Good Omens

Outstanding Television Movie

Prediction – Black Mirror: Bandersnatch

My Winner – Black Mirror: Bandersnatch

Should’ve been a contender – N/A

Outstanding Variety Talk Series

Prediction – Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

My Winner – The Late Late Show with James Corden

Should’ve been a contender – N/A

Outstanding Variety Sketch Series

Prediction – Saturday Night Live

My Winner – Who Is America?

Should’ve been a contender – N/A

Outstanding Competition Program

Prediction – RuPaul’s Drag Race

My Winner – N/A

Should’ve been a contender – N/A

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series

Prediction – Bob Odenkirk – Better Call Saul

My Winner – Bob Odenkirk – Better Call Saul

Should’ve been a contender – Richard Madden – Bodyguard

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series

Prediction – Sandra Oh – Killing Eve

My Winner – Jodie Comer – Killing Eve

Should’ve been a contender – Maggie Siff – Billions

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

Prediction – Peter Dinklage – Game of Thrones

My Winner – Alfie Allen – Game of Thrones

Should’ve been a contender – N/A

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

Prediction – Julia Garner – Ozark

My Winner – Maisie Williams – Game of Thrones

Should’ve been a contender – N/A

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series

Prediction – Bill Hader – Barry

My Winner – Ted Danson – The Good Place

Should’ve been a contender – Will Arnett – Bojack Horseman

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series

Prediction – Julia Louis-Dreyfus – Veep

My Winner – Phoebe Waller-Bridge – Fleabag

Should’ve been a contender – Alison Brie – GLOW

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

Prediction – Henry Winkler – Barry

My Winner – N/A

Should’ve been a contender – N/A

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

Prediction – Alex Borstein – The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

My Winner – Betty Gilpin – GLOW

Should’ve been a contender – Emma Mackey – Sex Education

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie

Prediction – Jharrel Jerome – When They See Us

My Winner – Sam Rockwell – Fosse/Verdon

Should’ve been a contender – Benedict Cumberbatch – Brexit

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie

Prediction – Patricia Arquette – Escape at Dannemora

My Winner – Amy Adams – Sharp Objects (My performance of the year)

Should’ve been a contender – Florence Pugh – The Little Drummer Girl

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie

Prediction – Ben Whishaw – A Very English Scandal

My Winner – Ben Whishaw – A Very English Scandal

Should’ve been a contender – N/A

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie

Prediction – Patricia Clarkson – Sharp Objects

My Winner – Margaret Qualley – Fosse/Verdon

Should’ve been a contender – Eliza Scanlen – Sharp Objects

Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series

Prediction – Miguel Sapochnik – Game of Thrones (The Long Night)

My Winner – David Benioff and D. B. Weiss – Game of Thrones (The Iron Throne)

Should’ve been a contender – Miguel Sapochnik – Game of Thrones (The Bells)

Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series

Prediction – Bill Hader – Barry (ronny/lily)

My Winner – Harry Bradbeer – Fleabag (Episode 1)

Should’ve been a contender – Harry Bradbeer – Fleabag (Episode 4)

Outstanding Directing for a Limited Series, Movie, or Dramatic Special

Prediction – Johan Renck – Chernobyl

My Winner – Stephen Frears – A Very English Scandal

Should’ve been a contender – Jean-Marc Vallée – Sharp Objects (Falling)

Outstanding Directing for a Variety Series

Prediction – Don Roy King – Saturday Night Live (Host: Adam Sandler)

My Winner – Don Roy King – Saturday Night Live (Host: Adam Sandler)

Should’ve been a contender – N/A

Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series

Prediction – David Benioff and D. B. Weiss – Game of Thrones (The Iron Throne)

My Winner – Jed Mercurio – Bodyguard (Episode 1)

Should’ve been a contender – Erik Oleson – Daredevil (A New Napkin)

Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series

Prediction – Alec Berg and Bill Hader – Barry (ronny/lily)

My Winner – Phoebe Waller-Bridge – Fleabag (Episode 1)

Should’ve been a contender – Raphael Bob-Waksberg – Bojack Horseman (Free Churro)

Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series, Movie, or Dramatic Special

Prediction – Ava DuVernay and Michael Starrbury – When They See Us (Part 4)

My Winner – Craig Mazin – Chernobyl

Should’ve been a contender – Neil Gaiman – Good Omens (The Very Last Day of the Rest of Their Lives)

Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series

Prediction – Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

My Winner – N/A

Should’ve been a contender – N/A

In 2021, Matt Reeves’ The Batman will release into cinemas and launch a new era for the Dark Knight. The rumours are that it will be a detective focused film that will have most of Batman’s rogues gallery already existing in Gotham. Most sources seem to imply the film will feature Catwoman, Penguin, Two-Face, Riddler, Mad Hatter and Firefly, along with the usual characters of Alfred, Gordon, and Lucius Fox.

These are not particularly predictions, but what my ideal cast would be from these characters that are rumoured to be featured in the film. I will select by top choice, my back up, and then a dream casting that usually will be very unlikely to happen. I’m sure many people will disagree with these choices but these are simply my personal picks and I welcome discussion about it.

Bruce Wayne/The Batman:

Robert Pattinson (Confirmed)

Selina Kyle/Catwoman:

Top Choice – Ana De Armas

Back Up – Lily James

Dream – Ana De Armas (She is rumoured to actually be the front runner for the role)

Oswald Cobblepot/The Penguin:

Top Choice – Toby Jones

Back Up – Peter Dinklage

Dream – Andy Serkis (Unlikely due to directing Venom 2 which releases at the end of 2020)

Harvey Dent/Two-Face:

Top Choice – Daniel Kaluuya

Back Up – Zachary Quinto

Dream – Denzel Washington (Unlikely to take on comic book role, especially when it is not lead)

Edward Nygma/The Riddler:

Top Choice – David Tennant

Back Up – Eddie Redmayne

Dream – David Tennant/Matt Smith (Matt Smith is unlikely as he is in Morbius in 2020 in the Spider-Man universe)

Jervis Tetch/Mad Hatter:

Top Choice – Paul Dano

Back Up – Simon Pegg

Dream – Jake Gyllenhaal (Is already Mysterio in MCU/this is a smaller role he would be unlikely to take)

Firefly:

Top Choice – Carey Mulligan

Back Up – Kristen Bell

Dream – Amy Adams (Is already Lois Lane in the DCEU)

Detective James Gordon:

Top Choice – Bryan Cranston

Back Up – Dennis Haysbert

Dream – Brad Pitt (Seems to be taking a bigger step back from acting after his successful 2019 and concentrating more on producing)

Alfred Pennyworth:

Top Choice – Ralph Fiennes

Back Up – Jared Harris

Dream – Daniel Day-Lewis (He has apparently retired from acting and would have been unlikely to take the role anyway)

Lucius Fox:

Top Choice – Lakeith Stanfield

Back Up – John David Washington

Dream – Lakeith Stanfield

Bonus

These characters seem very unlikely to appear in the first Batman film but could appear in future Batman or DCEU films in the future (especially for Poison Ivy who could very likely star in a Gotham City Sirens film alongside Harley Quinn and Catwoman). Joker is likely on a hiatus following Suicide Squad and Joker, but the character is the most iconic villain in cinema history and it is unlikely a full Batman trilogy would happen without the Joker featuring at some stage.

Poison Ivy:

Top Choice – Ruth Wilson

Back Up – Haley Bennett

Dream – Emma Stone (She has already been a part of the Spider-Man franchise and is unlikely to take on another role like this yet)

Joker:

Top Choice – Bill Skarsgard

Back Up – Sam Rockwell

Dream – Leonardo DiCaprio/Joaquin Phoenix (DiCaprio would be very unlikely to take on a franchise role and Phoenix has already played the character in 2019s Joker which is billed as a one off)

The DC Extended Universe has been technically alive since Zack Snyder’s Man Of Steel in 2013, but it really kicked into life in 2016 with Snyder’s Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice. However, despite many good aspects, since its inception it has been plagued by a poor critical reception and large backlash’s on social media. The box office of these films had been incredibly high (until Justice League finally broke the run) but the series has had few smash hits both critically and commercially.

Man Of Steel earned solid reviews (with criticism over the violent ending) and solid box office, but not good enough for a standard sequel as Warner Bros opted to turn the sequel into a crossover with Batman to launch their own cinematic universe in response to Disney’s MCU. Batman v. Superman grossed huge box office but was trashed by critics and many fans, but Ben Affleck’s Batman and Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman received praise. A similar situation occurred in that summer when David Ayer’s Suicide Squad premiered to more huge box office but even worse reviews. Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn was a definite stand out, but Jared Leto’s Joker was poorly received.

It was lucky then that the next movie was 2017s Wonder Woman which was the DCEU’s first critical smash and box office sensation. However, it was unfortunate that it was just a few months later that the much edited Justice League released to horrific reviews and low end box office on a huge budget, and it spelled the end of the DCEU as we knew it.

Affleck and Cavill would never return to their roles, but it was the debut of Jason Momoa’s Aquaman and Ezra Miller’s Flash. It wasn’t for another 13 months that the DCEU would release a film, but when it did, James Wan’s Aquaman was a huge hit with fans and critics, and became the DCEU’s first billion dollar entry. This was followed soon after by the equally well received Shazam, but unfortunately the box office for this entry was very low, and it got caught in between the storm of Captain Marvel and Avengers: Endgame.

Later in 2019 will see the release of Joker, but this more arthouse film will not be a part of the DCEU and therefore any further related films will not be included in this prediction as they will not be part of the main DCEU.

When looking at what the future holds, I have factored in the films already dated, the films we know are in development, and some of my researched predictions based on the popularity of certain characters and the trends of superhero cinema. So here are my predictions of the next 8 years of the ever changing DCEU:

2020

Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of one Harley Quinn) (Confirmed)

Wonder Woman 1984 (Confirmed)

2021

The Batman (Confirmed)

The Suicide Squad (Confirmed)

The Trench

2022

Black Adam

The Flash

Aquaman 2 (Confirmed)

2023

The New Gods

Wonder Woman 3

Gotham City Sirens

2024

Batgirl

The Batman 2

Green Lantern Corps

2025

Birds of Prey vs Gotham City Sirens

Superman

The Flash 2

2026

Supergirl

Justice League 2

Aquaman 3

2027

Batgirl 2

The Batman 3

Cyborg

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is the most successful franchise in Hollywood history and with Avengers: Endgame, it has the most successful movie in history as well. Despite all this, the MCU is just getting bigger and bigger still, with an expanding slate of films and TV shows.

However, here I will specifically look at the movies (I will explore the Disney+ TV slate in a future post) and judging by the already established release dates, the films we know are in development, and my researched estimates, I have put together a look at what could be the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Disney has recently acquired Fox and it’s range of Marvel characters can now join the MCU so this will factor in hugely to the future of the MCU, but they are unlikely to join for at least another few years. Also, judging by the ongoing situation where Spider-Man seems to be leaving the MCU due to a dispute with Sony, many things have to be considered here and I have put a lot of thought into it. I am presuming Spider-Man will unfortunately not be a part of the MCU for the foreseeable future but this could change at any time if Disney and Sony reach a compromise.

This specific universe could go on for decades but here I specifically look at the next 8 years, so my predictions for the immediate future of the MCU are as follows:

Phase 4

2020

Black Widow (Confirmed)

Eternals (Confirmed)

2021

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (Confirmed)

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (Confirmed)

Thor: Love and Thunder (Confirmed)

Phase 5

2022

Blade

Black Panther 2 (Confirmed)

Fantastic Four

2023

Captain Marvel 2

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

Deadpool 3

2024

Shang-Chi 2

Avengers 5

X-Men

Phase 6

2025

Blade 2

Doctor Strange 3

Iron-Heart

2026

Nova

Black Panther 3

Deadpool and the Wolverine

2027

Captain Marvel 3

The New Guardians

Fantastic Four 2

The 92^nd Academy Awards are still over 5 months away, but due to the Film Festival circuit starting in earnest this past week, the ‘awards season’ has officially begun, and it is something I am going to follow closely in the weeks and months building up to the Oscars.

Here, I will lay out my very early and brief (and very likely to look wildly ridiculous come 9^th February 2020) predictions for the nominations of the 6 major categories (the screenplay predictions are harder to predict this far out but will be among the coverage as we get closer to the big day).

Best Picture

This is a hard to predict category as much can change with the reception of these films in the next months, and you never know how many films the academy will actually nominate as they rarely go up to the 10 they are allowed.

Ford v. Ferrari

Joker

Just Mercy

Little Women

Marriage Story

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

The Farewell

The Irishman

1917

Wildcard = Parasite

Best Director

There are many factors that can influence this category but it is rare a director is nominated here if their film is not nominated for Best Picture as well.

Greta Gerwig – Little Women

James Mangold – Ford v. Ferrari

Martin Scorsese – The Irishman

Noah Baumbach – Marriage Story

Quentin Tarantino – Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Wildcard = Todd Phillips – Joker

Best Actor

This category is likely to be filled with very high profile actors this year, and in a rare turn for the Oscars, could be filled by performances from some of the year’s biggest box office films as well.

Adam Driver – Marriage Story

Christian Bale – Ford v. Ferrari

Joaquin Phoenix – Joker

Leonardo DiCaprio – Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Robert De Niro – The Irishman

Wildcard = Robert Downey Jr – Avengers: Endgame

Best Actress

This is a category that looks wide open at this point of the year with very few sure bets, and that should make for a very exciting few months as we see how this unfolds.

Awkwafina – The Farewell

Charlize Theron – Bombshell

Renee Zellwegger – Judy

Saoirse Ronan – Little Women

Scarlett Johansson – Marriage Story

Wildcard = Penelope Cruz – Pain & Glory

Best Supporting Actor

This proves to be another fascinating battle where some actors who really delivered lead performances could be moved into this category as they may be seen as having a better chance of winning here or to get out of the way of a co-star who is viewed as having a better chance as lead.

Al Pacino – The Irishman

Brad Pitt – Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Gary Oldman – The Laundromat

Jamie Foxx – Just Mercy

Timothee Chalamet – Little Women

Wildcard = Taika Waititi – Jojo Rabbit

Best Supporting Actress

This category is also a wide open one this year, with a couple of actresses (Margot Robbie/Laura Dern/Nicole Kidman) having the possibility to be nominated for one of a couple of films this year, and it will be interesting to see if this goes against them and they end up splitting the vote.

Annette Bening – The Report

Florence Pugh – Little Women

Laura Dern – Marriage Story

Margot Robbie – Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Zhao Shuzhen – The Farewell

Wildcard = Brie Larson – Just Mercy