Mark Long is “The Godfather” of The Challenge, so it’s only fitting that he’ll represent Era 1 in the upcoming Battle of the Eras.
He’ll have nine other OG castmates with him, several of whom have appeared on the All Stars spinoff seasons with him.
They include Brad Fiorenza, Jodi Weatherton, Darrell Taylor, Derrick Kosinski, Katie Cooley, and Aneesa Ferreira.
However, several of Mark’s castmates, including Rachel Robinson and Chris “CT” Tamburello, have yet to participate in a season of the All Stars spinoff with Mark as their castmate.
He recently discussed MTV’s upcoming Battle of the Eras season with his friend Johnny Bananas on the Death, Taxes, and Bananas podcast.
During the episode, Mark talked about his team’s chances of competing with the other Era teams and revealed which teammate he felt was a “wildcard” for Era 1.
Mark talks Era 1 team’s chances of competing in Season 40
While talking with Bananas, Mark called it “amazing” to be back on The Challenge with some of his OG castmates.
“Like I never thought that I’d be back with CT or Derek or Darrell or Brad or Rachel and all those people or Aneesa,” he said.
Mark also indicated the fans are in for a “wild ride” during Season 40
“So we’re all sitting there one time, and I’m like I said this, I said, ‘We’re either going to be the greatest team that this challenge has ever seen, or we’re going to be the f***ing Bad News Bears,'” he said regarding Era 1.
He then mentioned that he wasn’t sure what to expect from one of his teammates.
“Having CT in the mix is always like a wildcard,” he shared, adding, “he’s a great strategic player, but you never can really tell where his head is at.
“Like you can kind of think where it is, but you never can pinpoint what he’s going to do,” Mark said on Bananas’ podcast.
In CT’s OG seasons, he was considered a hotheaded player who often unleashed his fury on castmates who angered him. That resulted in several fights and getting kicked off the show.
Despite those earlier incidents, he’s mellowed over the years, winning five championships and most recently winning the strategic reality TV competition House of Villains. Even so, he’s competed against and worked with some of the other cast members more than many of his OG teammates.
Mark and Bananas agreed one new Season 40 castmate is a ‘secret assassin’
While Bananas called Battle For a New Champion “arguably the worst season with the most unlikeable cast in the history of the show,” he and Mark offered praise for one of that cast’s stars.
“You know who’s a smart player, dude?” he asked, adding, “In the beginning, when we were in the hotel and even at that launch party, like Kyland [Young] is like a secret assassin.”
“I watch him, and I’m like, ‘Man, he’s he’s really taking this in, and he’s going to be a, a strong competitor, I think,'” Mark said, calling him “super analytical.”
Viewers initially saw Kyland on Big Brother before he tried his hand at The Challenge in the first USA spinoff season on CBS.
While he was a relatively early elimination in the USA, during MTV’s Battle for a New Champion, he lasted longer and showed his impressive abilities. He nearly reached the final after winning eliminations against OG mercenaries Brad and Darrell.
Bananas agreed but added that Kyland “never checks out of game mode,” no matter what they talked about. Bananas joked he got to be talking about the weather or coffee, and Kyland was trying to see what “angle” the seven-time champ might be coming from.
Interestingly enough, Kyland is the only castmate that Bananas never appeared in a season with from Era 4, making him someone he wasn’t as familiar with in the game.
Nonetheless, it’ll be an intriguing mix of 40 of the show’s biggest stars over its 39 eras, which should reveal who’s brought their A-game to collect part of that $1 million prize.
The Challenge: Battle of the Eras premieres Wednesday, August 14 at 8/7c on MTV.
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