News Talk to Me Directors Explain Why Their Street Fighter Movie Got KOdFresh off the buzzy Talk to Me, Danny and Michael Philippou were briefly attached to a new Street Fighter movie. But they had a good reason to Hadoken it.By Rosie Knight | April 2, 2025 | | Photo: CapcomAfter the massive success of their supernatural teen Talk to Me, it was no surprise when YouTube powerhouses RackaRacka, also known as Danny and Micheal Philippou, were picked up to direct a new Street Fighter movie. Rising to prominence with their gory and gratuitous action and horror videos before moving into studio filmmaking, it seemed like a perfect creative fit, so it was with disappointment that fans learned last year that they were no longer connected to the video game adaptation.Now after a recent event promoting the twins newest film, Bring Her Back in LA, Micheal and Danny spoke about the project and why it didnt happen.When it comes IP stuff, I usually would stay away from it, not because I dont want to do it, Micheal explained, but because I dont want to fuck it up. Theres things of such big, in-built audiences, Id hate to just let a whole bunch of people down, like, The fuck was that? Im so sorry! Thats my nightmare.That didnt stop them from taking on the iconic and beloved Capcom video game though. We were developing a big IP, it wasnt horror, it was Street Fighter, Micheal said. It was clear that it was something that the brothers were really passionate about. We were actually really excited for that, he continued. Developing that was a lot of fun.So why didnt the project happen? Well, it came down to a simple and deeply relatable reason: Timing.Just finding the time for it, it just didnt line up properly for us, he explained. So we decided to focus on the original stuff. I guess, were not opposed to it, but it has to really kind of connect with us in a special way for us to actually do that thing.I think wed fuck it up, Danny added with a laugh.

Danny and Michael Philippou were already well known in the YouTube community when they took Hollywood by storm with their A24 horror hit, Talk to Me. That haunting supernatural horror explored grief and loss through the lens of a wild party game, which saw teens take turns being possessed by a strange artifact.During the trailer launch for and sneak peak of their follow-up, Bring Her Backa film that follows foster kids Andy (Billy Barratt) and Piper (Sora Wong) as they are taken in by an eccentric and possibly dangerous woman (Sally Hawkins)the pair shared that just like their massively successful first feature, Bring Her Back was shaped by a devastating loss in the Australian twins own lives.In the middle of writing Bring Her Back my cousin lost her two year old, Danny Philippou shared. We were in the hospital, and I was just seeing her on the bed, holding this kid, and the family were all around him, and they were holding his feet and his hands and his head and his arms, and eventually, over time, everyone let him go. My cousin was the last one to let him go.The idea of her never being okay ever again after that, that was an inspiration point, He continued. And how far she would go to heal herself from it. The idea of a never-ending grief cycle is terrifying to me.If it seems like Talk to Me and Bring Her Back are atmospherically and thematically connected, thats because they were developed concurrently, both inspired by the same losses, as well as Micheals love for The Exorcist.I think its the greatest film ever made so that makes me lean towards possession automatically, Michael told a group of journalists. Theres something so terrifying [about it], it feels so real to see somebody where something else is inhabiting their bodies. Connecting the stuff that makes you feel uncomfortable or nervous, or freaks you out and then express those things on screen.Danny added, Then leaning into how far youd go to bring someone back that you love. Those deep questions that you wonder and think about. Thats something that we didnt fully get out with Talk to Me, so this is another iteration.As Bring Her Back went into pre-production another tragedy struck as a close family friend died at the age of only 23. Alerted by their mother, the twins were suddenly once again crafting a film while dealing with the death of a loved one.The grief was so raw that in the moment we didnt really have time to properly process it, Danny admitted. We were doing pre-production meetings, then we started shooting, and there was no time to properly sort through those emotions. They sort of poured themselves out in the script and in conversations with Sally, so that bled into the character of Laura and scenes that were meant to be scary suddenly turned sad. So that just becomes part of the process, I think theres a rawness in it that wasnt in Talk to Me.To the brothers, horror offers a lighter way to explore dark themes and experiences like the loss of their cousins child, even becoming fun if they approach it in the right way.From what we sawtwo clips and the recently released first full trailerBring Her Back is a far darker and more somber take on horror than their previous endeavor, which still freaked out audiences around the world. According to Micheal, horror was always in their blood and their unusual childhood meant that the brothers carved a bloody path to adulthood and filmmaking.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!Our parents were never home, he said. Our grandfather raised us to a certain point, and he passed away when we were really young. And once he did, there was no parental supervision, and our childhood was Lord of the Flies. Theres footage of us as 10 year olds covered in blood, like actual blood, from backyard wrestling and fucking each other up that way, it just became our love language: violence and psychopathy-ness.Perhaps thats why Bring Her Back centers on three children, Andy, Piper, and Ollie (Jonah Wren Phillips) thrown into a world of violence and ritual under the watchfuland potentially malevolenteye of grieving mother Laura. Working with Hawkins was something of a dream come true for the brothers who eagerly gushed about her performance. And it marks a landmark moment for the actress too as she ventures into horror for the very first time.We did not think she would say yes, we sent her the script, and then she got back right away and said she was in love with it, how much it meant to her, how much she connected to it. Danny recalled. Her role was inspired by so-called Psycho-biddy movies like Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?, Lady in a Cage, and Straight Jacket. Thus Bring Her Back promises to show a side of Hawkins audiences have yet to see.Im in awe of her. Shes genuinely incredible. And in certain scenes so terrifying as well, Danny teased.Bring Her Back hits theaters on May 30 2025.

You say you want a revolution? Well, at a Cinema Con event that featured multiple Spider-Men, Prowlers, and superheroes of various mediums, it was striking that the mic drop moment came not from a webslinger or one of his countless variants; it arrived by way of the cast reveal of a four-film cinematic event; it came from the Beatles.Together, all four films will tell the story of the greatest band in history, director Sam Mendes said at the Las Vegas event (via EW). Meanwhile Sony Pictures CEO Tom Rothman added that this would be the first bingeable theatrical experience.The language Rothman used is intentionally evocative of how streaming content is consumed in the 21st century, however the showmanship of the reveal was defiantly theatrical, albeit of a very specific kind. In a sight that six years ago would not have looked out of place at San Diego Comic-Cons Hall H, and with Kevin Feiges signature baseball cap at center stage, Mendes was joined in front of a cheering crowd by the surprise cast announcement of Harris Dickinson (Babygirl) as John Lennon, Paul Mescal (Gladiator II) as Paul McCartney, Joseph Quinn (Warfare) as George Harrison, and Barry Keoghan (Saltburn) as Ringo Starr.Furthermore, it was revealed that all four actors and their four total Beatles films will be released in the same month, April 2028.Theres never been anything quite like this before in the annals of musical biopics or any other ostensible movies for adults genre. But thats the appeal of Mendes and Sony Pictures gambit: they are essentially inventing the shared musical biopic cinematic universe. And there probably isnt a better test run for the concept than the Fab Four who forever changed the trajectory of rock n roll and music writ large. Indeed, the Beatles remain hallowed ground for moviegoers of every generation, but particularly the Baby Boomers who still have ticket-buying power (see: Top Gun: Maverick) and vivid memories of listening to their Beatles LPs on record players, or playing The White Album backwards to confirm that they heard Paul is dead on Revolution 9. Or maybe that was Im So Tired?The mythology around the Beatles remains so rich, so layered, that they are easily the best group ever to attempt doing four films from four different perspectives about the same events. In the process they offer a way to commercially, and perhaps artistically, innovate one of the few still reliably popular Hollywood genres. As last years similarly Boomer-leaning A Complete Unknown reminded with its buzzy casting of Timothe Chalet as Bob Dylan, conventional and often hagiographic biopics about beloved musical icons do reliable business. That film grossed $137 million on a $50 million budget and was nominated for five Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director for James Mangold, and Best Actor for Chalamet.Yet that Searchlight release was deliberately a bit understated in its approach, arguably befitting its contrarian subject matter. Conversely, another Boomer icon like Elvis Presley got the splashiest of treatments in the Baz Luhrmann-directed Elvis, which grossed almost $290 million three years ago. And the whitewashed Queen love letter, Bohemian Rhapsody, cleared an eye-watering $910 million in the pre-pandemic 2018. It also benefitted from Queens broader international appealan appeal the Beatles share.In other words, musical biopics are a sure bet, but perhaps one of several reasons beyond legal rights we have yet to see one about the Beatles at the height of their popularity (as opposed to movies about individual members before the band broke out, a la Nowhere Boy) is that all four personalities are so big in the pop culture imagination that it is difficult to narrow the story down to a two or three-hour film with a primary perspective.Hence the shrewdness of the four-film event. Now every band member can be the hero of his own story, even as it is also taking a reliable genre aimed at older audiences and essentially Marvel-ifying it. At a time when superhero movies have to struggle increasingly to generate excitement among audiences about yet another one being an event, the inevitable Beatles biopic becoming a backdoor shared universe feels comparable to Marvel Phase One 15 years ago. It offers just enough novelty to convince folks to step away from their actual bingeable content and go to the nearest movie house.Furthermore, if it works, the approach could be implemented with other legendary bands with multiple members of notoriety. Why not a Beach Boys trilogy from the perspective of Brian Wilson (though we already kind of have that), as well as Dennis Wilson, and maybe Mike Love? How about a Nirvana duology that leads right into the Foo Fighters? How about some sequels to Straight Outta Compton that follow up on Ice Cube, Eazy-E , and Dr. Dre individually?If this works, we guarantee other studios will explore the possibilities. Meanwhile it might also allow Mendes some creative latitude to try something uniquelike, say, a four-film version of Rashomon where each film offers a conflicting account for why the band broke up, and perhaps who blamed who after it was all over.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!There is opportunity here when this storyall four volumes of itgets to the cinema in 2028.

Weve seen the MCU Spider-Man have his One More Day. Now its time for his Brand New Day.If those phrases mean nothing to you, its probably because you know Spidey mostly from the movies, particularly of the MCU variety and starring Tom Holland. Most of the time, thats totally fine. The MCU is its own universe with its own history and characters, divorced from the comics. The Spider-Man movies demonstrate this, as they exist in a world in which Peter Parkers primary love interest is Michelle Jones instead of Mary Jane Watson, his best friend is Ned Leeds (a guy who looks a lot like Miles Morales best pal Ganke) instead of Harry Osborn, and no one even mentions ol Uncle Ben.But in the case of the fourth MCU Spider-Man movie, some knowledge of the comics might help. Sony has just revealed the title of Tom Hollands fourth outing as Spider-Man: Brand New Day. That title originally belonged to a 2008 storyline that set a new status quo for Spider-Man, something that the MCU Peter Parker also desperately needs.Before the Brand New DayIts starts here! declares the cover of 2008s Amazing Spider-Man #546, written by Dan Slott and penciled by Steve McNiven. To announce the beginning of the Brand New Day storyline, the cover features Spidey climbing up a wall, his satisfied grin just visible under the mask he pulls over his face, all presented in bright colors by Morry Hollowell and sharp inks by Dexter Vines.Brand New Days inaugural issue really needed to highlight an upbeat tone. Brand New Day came right after two controversial stories, both of which will be familiar to movie watchers, albeit their perceptions might be different if they are not familiar with pre-2008 comics. The first is Civil War, during which Peter willingly revealed his secret identity to the world for discernably no logical reason on the page. The second is One More Day, in which Peter made a deal with the satanic Mephisto to save the life of his beloved Aunt May and to have his secret identity restored. All it cost was his marriage to Mary Jane.Obviously, One More Day was a controversial story, not just because it felt driven by the hand of editorial but also because it killed a beloved part of Spider-Mans backstory (the great Ta-Nehisi Coates wrote a beautiful essay in defense and memoriam of the Parkers marriage). So Brand New Day had to put a positive spin on the whole thing, making people glad that it happened.The MCU Peter is currently in a similar situation, although the execution has been a heck of a lot more satisfying. Spider-Man: No Way Home may have ben a box office hit, but it left Peter in a tough spot. Aunt May died in an attack from the Green Goblin, he lost all the financial backing he had from Tony Stark, and his friends all forgot him. And yet, in the final seconds of No Way Home, we see Peter crafting his own Spidey suit (low-tech, no AI) and triumphantly leaping out of his apartment window.No Way Home ended very much ready for a Brand New Day.Let the Day BeginBut what, exactly, will this cinematic Brand New Day look like? In the comic arc, Peter has been living with Aunt May and planning his next steps. He has stopped being Spider-Man because of the Superhero Registration Act in Civil War, which required him to reveal his identitysomething he hasnt done in this new reality.Peter eventually finds work with Robbie Robertson, who has started a new outlet called the Daily Line after a businessman buys the Daily Bugle and changes it into a trashy gossip rag. But thats not enough to save his relationship with Mary Jane, with whom he once had a serious thing going. but they never married.Peters relationship with MJ gets even more complicated after he returns to action as Spidey, as he soon encounters another masked figure called Jackpot, one who looks a lot like Mary Jane. Worse, he meets a villain called Menace, who shares similarities with Harry Osborn, who once was the Green Goblin.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!But the biggest new villain of them all is Mister Negative, a name familiar to video game players. Born Martin Li, Mister Negative has the powers of light and darkness, allowing him to bring out the worst in others, which he uses to take control of the New York underworld. In his civilian identity and in his heroic alter-ego Mister Positive, Li runs the FEAST charity organization. However, that only creates more problems for Peter, who volunteers for FEAST when Lis Negative personality takes over. As this brief summary indicates, the Brand New Day comics offer a lot of storytelling potential, but which of those will show up in the movie?Marvels New DayIts not hard to imagine that the Brand New Day movie starts in more or less the same place as the comics. Peter is lying low in a crappy apartment, trying to make ends meet. Hes no longer in a relationship with MJ, nor does he have access to the Stark tech he once used. Given Mister Negatives role in the comic book story and in Spider-Man games, it seems plausible that he could be big bad of the movie, especially if Peter initially sees FEAST as a way to do good outside of being Spider-Man. For the record, FEAST previously appeared in No Way Home.But what of the supporting cast? Zendaya has been confirmed to return to the movie, meaning that Michelle Jones will be back. However, shell be joined by Sadie Sink, whose red hair sure seems more in line with the comic book version of MJ, Mary Jane Watson. Some rumors have argued that Sink will indeed be playing Mary Jane Watson, while others have pointed to Jean Grey, mutant telepath of the X-Men. However, the movie may try to replicate the tensions around Jackpot by having Sink play Sara Ehret, the red-headed scientist who takes the Jackpot name. It would also lend credence to the rumor that the film could feature a female villain, or at least antagonist. (Then again, if they go that way, Sink could just dye her hair white or platinum blonde and be the Black CAt.)Leaker Daniel Richtman, who has a spotted history of accuracy, recently claimed that Marvel has released a casting call, looking for actors willing to play a powerful man ages 30 to 50, and actors to play 20-year-old entrepreneur, which could be the long-absent Norman Osborn and Harry Osborn. By introducing the Osborns in a story focused on Mister Negative, Brand New Day could do a bit of the exposition missing from previous movies, bringing the world more in line to the familiar dynamics of the comics.In short, Brand New Day seems like a pretty straightforward adaptation for Marvel, with a few changes to match the movie continuity.Waiting for the DayOf course, all of this is speculation, and Kevin Feige has made a point of frustrating fan expectations more than once (remember all the times we thought Mephisto would appear?).But one thing is clear by the title choice: its time for a radical change in direction for the MCU Spider-ManNo Way Home already teased a return to the status quo. With Brand New Day, that status quo may finally be realized.Spider-Man: Brand New Day releases July 31, 2026.

Sonys presentation at Cinema Con came with good news and bad news. Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, the third entry in the incredible animated trilogy, will not hit theaters until June 4, 2027, which is bad news (unless youre one of the overworked animators). However, the good news is that weve got our first looks at the movie, and they are amazing. It appears that Beyond the Spider-Verse will continue the standard set by the first two films, creating dazzling worlds unlike anything seen in comics or movies.The even better news is for fans of the Prowler, a minor villain from Spider-Man comics who continues to be a major character in the Spider-Verse movies. Created by Stan Lee, John Buscema, and Jim Mooney for 1969s the Amazing Spider-Man #78, the Prowler was Hobie Brown, a brilliant engineer who felt that his talents were unappreciated. Instead he used his inventions to become the Prowler and steal the riches he thought he deserved.The depiction of African American Hobie perhaps reflected the relatively centrist politics of Stan Lee (see also early Falcon stories in Captain America at the time, in which the Black Power movement is portrayed as illogical and susceptible to Red Skulls manipulations). Yet Prowler soon found an audience and became a popular anti-hero in Spideys stories, even carrying his own miniseries for a while.Most modern Spidey fans know the Prowler as the alter-ego of Aaron Davis, uncle to Miles Morales and brother to Jefferson Davis. As introduced in the alternate reality Ultimate Universe, Aaron is Jeffersons neer-do-well brother, whose illegal activities clash with Miles adventures as Spidey.The Spider-Verse films, and the recent PlayStation Spider-Man video games, further develop this version of Davis, using Uncle Aaron to represent the dangers posed by Miles new adventure. When Uncle Aaron (voiced by Mahershala Ali) dies in Into the Spider-Verse, Miles learns about the loss that binds all the Spider-People together.Across the Spider-Verse continued that theme in its cliffhanger. After an adventure that paired him with an alternate universe Hobie Brown, now the radical Spider-Punk, Miles landed in yet another reality, one in which Jefferson died, Aaron still lives, and Miles is the Prowler.Looking at the first images from the movie, Beyond the Spider-Verse will certainly carry this story further. The alternate universe Prowler will be a sort of dark mirror of our Miles, showing what he could become should the Spot complete his mission of vengeance and kill Jefferson.Thats quite an upgrade for the Prowler from his humble comics origins, both in the mainline and Ultimate universes. Despite the similarities to their masks, Spider-Man and the Prowler were never foils to one another. Peter never felt the same urge to use his inventions for selfish gain, and thus moralized to Hobie more than he related with him. But Beyond the Spider-Verse will alter that dynamic by making the Prowler as literally another version of Miles Morales, aka Spider-Man. The Prowler is now the manifestation of everything that could go wrong for Miles, the suggestion that maybe he doesnt actually have the ability to continue doing the right thing in the face of tragedy, as Miquel OHara claimed in Across the Spider-Verse. Maybe his leap of faith will result in disaster.Thats a huge upgrade for the Prowler, and a welcome one at that. After years of sitting on the sidelines, the Prowler will finally climb to the top. Well, in two years, that is.Photo: Sony Pictures Animation.Photo: Sony Pictures Animation.Photo: Sony Pictures Animation.Photo: Sony Pictures Animation.Photo: Sony Pictures Animation.Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse releases June 4, 2027.

This review contains The Replacement finale spoilers.Praise be for the three-parter. Even when the narrative wheels come off, as they did in spectacular fashion in The Replacements ludicrously overblown finale, youre still quids-in when it comes to your time investment. A dodgy last hour after two decent instalments is forgivable, especially when its all so bonkers you cant look away.Episode three put pay to all the subtle ambiguity over who was really the crazy one and vindicated our girl Ellen by exposing Paula not only as Kays killer but also as the villain from the Saw films. The blue-eyed monster hatched a plan so complicated that even after watching the episode twice and taking notes each time, I could still use a steer on what actually happened.Heres what I have so far: Paula wanted to save baby Lia from Ellen, so stole the former from a windowsill like a pie in a Yogi Bear cartoon, then sent a cryptic message to the latter inviting her to the place where she died. (Reading she as Paulas daughter Caris, Ellen met her foe at the accident site though if shed done what I did and interpreted she as Kay, it turns out shed have driven straight to baby Lia without any need for all that A-Team nonsense in the garage).If Paula planned to fake Ellens suicide and then take her place as Lias mother, then what about that whopping filing cabinet leaning against the car, or Paulas line about knowing she couldnt have Lia? If she planned to frame Ellen as Lias kidnapper and be the one who marches in with the police and saves the day, then why quietly accept the handcuffs? Was Ellen supposed to wake up from those sleeping pills? Did Paula turn herself in to the police? Forgive me if its all clear to you, but Im genuinely floundering.Kudos to Vicky McClure and Morven Christie, whove gone up in my already high estimation by gamely selling whatever it was that happened in those last ten minutes. Theyre such good actors, they even had me convinced they had a clue as to what on earth was going on. That pair were The Replacements prize; the depth of their performances kept this story of well-dressed unhinged women from venturing too close to soap territory.Until this episode, that is, when it held its nose and took a running both-feet jump into soap-land. Dead Caris being kept alive as a comforting lie? The faked push down the stairs at a chichi party? Paula breaking up Ellen and Ian by telling him Lia isnt his baby? Colour-drained flashbacks to seemingly incriminating dialogue? Is this a BBC psychological thriller or Days Of Our Lives? Georgias child has leukaemia, we learn. And an evil identical twin no doubtIt probably didnt help the accusations of soapishness that the cast was so uniformly good-looking. Everyone, from Ellens sister to the mysterious Georgia to those social workers, looked like Abercrombie and Fitch models. Theres not a pot belly, imperfect smile or pair of eyes you wouldnt want to dive into in the whole joint.In the finale, all the nuanced tension and promised exploration of competitiveness, paranoia and what work and motherhood mean to modern women went out of the window (or should we say through the skylight). With that absurd MacGuyver ending, it blew it. Ultimately, The Replacementturned out to beyour average bereavement-turns-mothers-into-psychopathic-murderers thriller, nothing more complex or original than a posh soap with a partiality for contra-zoom camera tricks.Still, those two were great leads. You have to give it that.The Replacement is streaming now on Netflix UK.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!

I Will Find You is an eight-part adaptation of Cobens 2023 novel thats coming to Netflix via Quantum Leap and Alcatraz showrunner Robert Hull. Its cast has just been announced and includes Sam Worthington (Avatar), Milo Ventimiglia (This Is Us, Heroes), Britt Lower (Severance), Logan Browning (Dear White People), and Erin Richards (Gotham).Set in New Jersey, the traditional home of Cobens thrillers, I Will Find You is the story of David Burroughs, a man serving a life sentence for the murder of his young son Matthew a crime he says he didnt commit. When a photograph arrives appearing to show Matthew alive several years after his supposed death, David sets about solving the mystery.I Will Find You wont be the very first Harlan Coben adaptation set in its home country of the US, but the first one to stream on Netflix. In 2023, Prime Video aired Shelter, an American-set series revolving around teenager Mickey Bolitar, the nephew of Cobens hit creation Myron Bolitar the rights to whom are owned by Netflix, hence Myron not appearing in Shelter. Netflix is currently developing a Myron Bolitar series, rumoured to be in collaboration with TV producer David E. Kelley (Ally McBeal, Big Little Lies, The Lincoln Lawyer).The next UK-set Coben thriller Run Away began filming earlier this year in and around Manchester, England, and stars James Nesbitt (Cold Feet), Minnie Driver (Speechless), Jon Pointing (Big Boys), Lucian Msamati (Gangs of London), Ruth Jones (Gavin & Stacey), Tracy-Ann Oberman (EastEnders) and more. Its the story of a father who discovers his troubled runaway daughter strung out on drugs and tries to bring her home, but who uncovers a web of lies that change his family forever along the way. If Run Away keeps with tradition, then we can expect it to arrive on Netflix on January 1, 2026 for the now-traditional New Years Day binge. In short: our Coben cup runneth over!

This month on Hulu, The Handmaids Tale returns for its sixth and final season. June Osbornes (Elisabeth Moss) journey is coming to an end as her fight against the oppressive regime Gilead gains momentum. Will she be successful in taking them down and reuniting with her daughter? Well have to tune in and find out.All episodes of the FX limited series Dying For Sex arrive on Hulu April 4. Based on a true story, this series follows Molly Kochan (Michelle Williams), who decides to leave her husband and explore her sexuality for the first time in her life after shes diagnosed with Stage IV Metastatic Breast Cancer. As far as movies go, a lot of incredible films such as Arrival, Interstellar, Black Swan, Gone Girl, and Jurassic Park join Hulus library on the first of the month.Heres everything thats coming to (and leaving)Huluin April.Hulu New Releases April 2025April 1Arrival (2016)Arrival En Espanol (2016)The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2012)Black Swan (2010)Boys on the Side (1995)Concussion (2015)Concussion En Espanol (2015)Copycat (1995)Enough Said (2013)The Equalizer (2014)The Equalizer En Espanol (2014)Gifted (2017)The Good Thief (2003)Gone Girl (2014)Gullivers Travels (2010)The History of the World Part I (1981)I Heart Huckabees (2004)Interstellar (2014)Interstellar En Espanol (2014)Jumanji (1995)Jumanji En Espanol (1995)Jurassic Park (1993)Jurassic Park III (2001)The Karate Kid (1984)The Karate Kid En Espanol (1984)The Karate Kid Part II (1986)The Karate Kid: Part II En Espanol (1986)The Karate Kid Part III (1989)The Karate Kid Part III En Espanol (1989)Little Man (2006)Little Man En Espanol (2006)The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997)Made in America (1993)Me, Myself and Irene (2000)Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)OddityRed Sparrow (2018)The Revenant (2015)Runaway Jury (2003)Sexy Beast (2001)Shark Tale (2004)The Spy Who Dumped Me (2018)Superbad (2007)Superbad En Espanol (2007)Tombstone (1993)True Story (2015)21 Jump Street (2012)22 Jump Street (2014)Wall Street (1987)Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (2010)War of the Worlds (2005) (2005)Widows (2018)Wild (2014)The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)The Wolf Of Wall Street En Espanol (2013)Year One (2009)You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger (2010)April 2Beyblade X: Complete Season 1BApril 3Oklahoma City Bombing: One Day in America: Complete Limited SeriesApril 4FXs Dying for Sex: Complete Limited SeriesFire Force: Season 3 Premiere (SUBBED)Classified (2024)The Darjeeling Limited (2007)Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou (2004)The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)Rushmore (1999)April 5American Monster: Complete Season 3Bering Sea Gold: Complete Season 3Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives: Complete Seasons 1-2I Love A Mamas Boy: Complete Season 2The World According to Allee Willis (2024)April 6Witch Watch: Series Premiere (SUBBED & DUBBED)April 8The Handmaids Tale: Sixth & Final Season PremiereSmall Things Like These (2024)Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!April 9Angels & Demons (2009)The Da Vinci Code (2006)April 10Court Cam: Complete Season 7Houses of Horror: Secrets of College Greek Life: Complete Season 1Ca$h (2010)Hesher (2010)Niko: Beyond the Northern Lights (2024)Red Dog (2011)So Undercover (2012)Spun (2002)April 11Got to Get Out: Series PremiereGarfield (2004)Garfield: A Tail Of Two Kitties (2006)Magpie (2024)April 12Fixer Upper: Complete Season 5MythBusters: Complete Season 5The Family Chantel: Complete Season 4April 15Lake George (2024)April 16No Mans Land: Complete Season 2Synduality Noir: Complete Season 1 (DUBBED)The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: Complete Season 3April 17The Stolen Girl: Series PremiereBible Secrets Revealed: Complete Season 1Gangland Chronicles: Complete Season 1Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath: Complete Seasons 1 and 2Martin Short: Complete Season 1The Girl Who Wasnt Dead (2024)April 18The Order (2024)April 19Breaking Amish: Complete Season 4Disappeared: Complete Season 6Gypsy Sisters: Complete Season 3Moonshiners: Complete Season 13April 21Secrets of the Penguins: Complete Limited SeriesNo Hard Feelings (2023)No Hard Feelings En Espanol (2023)April 22In a Violent Nature (2024)April 24Airline Wars: Complete Season 1Customer Wars: Complete Season 4Tell Me How I Died: Complete Season 1Tiny House World: Complete Season 1Husband, Father, Killer: The Alyssa Pladl StoryApril 25Jessica Kirson: Im the Man: Special PremiereAzrael (2024)April 26Chopped: Complete Season 60Four Weddings: Complete Season 9House Hunters Renovation: Complete Season 16Jessica Chambers: An ID Murder Mystery: Complete Season 1April 29Ernest Cole: Lost and Found (2024)Leaving Hulu April 2025April 6Agnes (2021)April 13She Will (2021)April 16Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am (2019)April 20Totally Under Control (2020)April 24The Good Neighbor (2022)April 27Resurrection (2022)April 30After Everything (2018)Code Name Banshee (2022)Stars Fell Again (2023)

The long-awaited return of Andor is finally here, as the series returns for a second and final season on April 22. This season will tell the next chapter of Cassian Andors (Diego Luna) life as we watch him become the rebel spy we meet in Rogue One. The stakes are high as the Empire continues to assert its power across the galaxy and the Rebel Alliance rises to fight their oppression.Doctor Who also returns to Disney+ for another season on April 12. This season, The Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) meets Belinda Chandra (Varada Sethu), who really just wants to go home to Earth. However, theres a mysterious force at work keeping them from returning, and the two must learn how to work together to face the dangers and enemies that block their path.Daredevil: Born Again will have its season finale this month as well, with the masked vigilante hanging up his horns (for now) on April 15. This season, Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) has had to wrestle with a lot this season, both within and without, but when a mysterious new criminal surfaces, he once again feels the call to protect the city as Daredevil.Heres everything coming toDisney+this April.Disney+ New Releases April 2025April 1Lost Treasures of Rome (S2, 6 episodes)National Parks: USA (S1, 5 episodes)RoboGobo (S1, 24 episodes)Marvel Televisions Daredevil: Born Again (Episode 7 at 6pm PT)April 3Oklahoma City Bombing: One Day in America (S1, 3 episodes)April 4Kindergarten: The Musical (S1, 5 episodes)April 7David Blaine Do Not Attempt (Two New Episodes)Not Just a Goof (Premiere)April 8Marvel Televisions Daredevil: Born Again (Penultimate Episode at 6pm PT)April 9Marvels Spidey and his Amazing Friends (S3, 4 episodes)April 11The Abyss 4KPets (Premiere)Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!April 12Titanic: The Digital ResurrectionTo Catch a Smuggler (S8, 8 episodes)Doctor Who (Season 2 Premiere)April 15Marvel Televisions Daredevil: Born Again (Season Finale at 6pm PT)April 16Big City Greens (S4, 7 episodes)SuperKitties (S2, 3 episodes)April 18Light & Magic (Season 2 Premiere)April 19Doctor Who (Season 2, Episode 2)April 21Secret of the Penguins (S1, 3 episodes)April 22ABC News Live Special: Last Lands (S1, 4 episodes)Andor (Season 2 Three-Episode Premiere at 6pm PT)Sea Lions of the Galapagos (Premiere)Guardians of the Galapagos (Premiere)April 25Megastructures: Real Madrid Super StadiumApril 26Doctor Who (Season 2, Episode 3)April 29Andor (Season 2, Three New Episodes at 6pm PT)April 30Chibi Tiny Tales: Shorts (S5, 7 episodes)Mickey Mouse Funhouse (S3, 5 episodes)

Netflix is kicking off the month strong with the release of their animated Devil May Cry series on April 3. Based on the video game series of the same name, Devil May Cry follows demon hunter Dante as he tries to keep the peace between the human and demon realms, not realizing he might be the key to the fate of both worlds.Next, we have medical drama Pulse, also arriving on April 3. Set in Miami, the series follows the doctors of the fictional Maguire Medical Center as they deal with interpersonal drama, patients, and the threat of an incoming hurricane.The popular sci-fi dystopia series Black Mirror returns for its seventh season on April 10, and once again features a stacked cast including Issa Rae (Insecure), Emma Corrin (The Crown, Deadpool vs. Wolverine), Paul Giamatti (The Holdovers), Peter Capaldi (Doctor Who), and so many more. Cristin Milioti is also returning in a sequel to the episode U.S.S Callister.Another popular series returning this month is You. The fifth and final season of this gripping thriller drops on April 24, and follows Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley) as he tries to live happily ever after in New York City. But with Joe being Joe, its not long before his past comes back to haunt him.Heres everything else coming toNetflixthis month. Note that Netflix marks its international offerings with that respective countrys two-letter country code. You can find a list of those abbreviationshere.New on Netflix April 2025Coming SoonJewel Thief The Heist Begins (IN) NETFLIX FILMWeak Hero Class 2 (KR) NETFLIX SERIESApril 1The Age of InnocenceBig DaddyBonnie & ClydeThe Breakfast ClubConan the DestroyerCouples RetreatThe CroodsDraft DayField of DreamsFor Love of the GameGeostormGet Him to the GreekHeatInsidious: Chapter 2K-9LucyMatildaThe MauritanianThe Place Beyond the PinesPsychoRise of the GuardiansRooster Cogburn (and the Lady)RudySicario: Day of the SoldadoSmokey and the BanditSmokey and the Bandit IIUncle BuckApril 2Banger (FR) NETFLIX FILMGarnachas: Glorious Street Food! (MX) NETFLIX DOCUMENTARYLove on the Spectrum: Season 3 NETFLIX SERIESApril 3Devil May Cry NETFLIX SERIESJurassic World: Chaos Theory: Season 3 NETFLIX FAMILYPULSE NETFLIX SERIESApril 4Karma (KR) NETFLIX SERIESTEST (IN) NETFLIX FILMApril 7Blippis Job Show NETFLIX FAMILYKill Tony: Kill or Be Killed NETFLIX COMEDY SPECIALJoin our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!April 8The Clubhouse: A Year with the Red Sox NETFLIX SPORTS SERIESHow to Sell Drugs Online (Fast): Season 4 (DE) NETFLIX SERIESKians Bizarre B&B (KR) NETFLIX SERIESMy Next Guest Needs No Introduction With David Letterman: Season 5 Part 2 NETFLIX SERIESApril 9The Addams FamilyBad Influence: The Dark Side of Kidfluencing NETFLIX DOCUMENTARYThe Dad Quest (MX) NETFLIX FILMThe Hating GameUnicorn Academy: Chapter 3 (CA) NETFLIX FAMILYApril 10Black Mirror: Season 7 (GB) NETFLIX SERIESFrozen Hot Boys (TH) NETFLIX FILMMoonrise (JP) NETFLIX ANIMENorth of North (CA) NETFLIX SERIESApril 11The Gardener (ES) NETFLIX SERIESMeet the Khumalos (ZA) NETFLIX FILMApril 12Resident Playbook (KR) NETFLIX SERIESApril 13Life or Something Like ItApril 15The Glass Dome (SE) NETFLIX SERIESYoung Sheldon: Season 7April 16Baby MamaThe Diamond Heist (GB) NETFLIX DOCUMENTARYI Am Not Mendoza (MX) NETFLIX SERIESProject UFO (PL) NETFLIX SERIESApril 17Istanbul Encyclopedia (TR) NETFLIX SERIESRansom Canyon NETFLIX SERIESApril 18iHostage (NL) NETFLIX FILMOklahoma City Bombing: American Terror NETFLIX DOCUMENTARYApril 19Heavenly Ever After (KR) NETFLIX SERIESApril 21Pangolin: Kulus Journey NETFLIX DOCUMENTARYApril 23A Tragedy Foretold: Flight 3054 (BR) NETFLIX DOCUMENTARYBattle Camp (GB) NETFLIX SERIESBullet Train Explosion (JP) NETFLIX FILMCarlos Alcaraz: My Way (ES) NETFLIX SPORTS SERIESUnBrokenApril 24A Dogs Way HomeYou: Season 5 NETFLIX SERIESApril 25Havoc NETFLIX FILMPokmon Horizons: Season 2The Search for Laqua Part 2 (JP) NETFLIX FAMILYApril 28Chefs Table: Legends NETFLIX DOCUMENTARYApril 30Asterix & Obelix: The Big Fight (FR) NETFLIX FAMILYThe Eternaut (AR) NETFLIX SERIESExterritorial (DE) NETFLIX FILMTurning Point: The Vietnam War NETFLIX DOCUMENTARYLeaving Netflix April 2025April 1Baby DriverBoyz n the HoodBruce AlmightyDr. Seuss The Cat in the HatDr. Seuss The LoraxElysiumHappy FeetHappy Feet TwoHow to Train Your DragonHow to Train Your Dragon 2InterstellarItThe Karate KidThe Karate Kid Part IIThe Karate Kid Part IIILegionMiss CongenialityMollys GameThe Nice GuysRichie RichRush HourRush Hour 2Rush Hour 3Rust and BoneSpace JamWhen in RomeApril 4SerenaApril 8Megan LeaveyApril 11PixelsScreamApril 12A Quiet Place Part IIApril 15HereditaryApril 16The Unbearable Weight of Massive TalentApril 21No Hard FeelingsApril 24MinionsApril 29Patriots Day

One of HBOs hottest series, The Last of Us, returns for a second season on April 13. Based on the video game series of the same name, this show is set in a post-apocalyptic world where a zombie-like fungal infection has wiped out a lot of the population and forever changed the world as we know it. Pedro Pascal, Bella Ramsey, Kaitlyn Dever, Gabriel Luna, and Isabela Merced are among the cast members you can expect to see this season.Max original Hacks is returning for a fourth season starting April 10. Deborah (Jean Smart) and Avas (Hannah Einbinder) relationship is the rockiest its ever been after Ava blackmailed Deborah to get the head writer position she believes she deserved. Now the two must work together to make Deborahs late night show as successful as it can be, despite how much they might hate each other.If youve been wanting to catch up on the latest A24 movies, Y2K (April 4) and Babygirl (April 25) both arrive on Max this month.Heres everything coming toHBOandMaxin April.HBO and Max New Releases April 2025April 1A Kind of Murder (2016)A Stolen Life (1946)Aftersun (2022)All I See Is You (2017)Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked (2011)April in Paris (1952)Bad Santa (2003)Bad Santa 2 (2016)Black Death (2010)Brittany Murphy: An ID Mystery (ID)Chopped After Hours, Seasons 1-3 (Food Network)Chopped Junior, Food Network, Seasons 6 & 7 (Food Network)Chopped Next Gen, Season 1 (Food Network)Deception (1946)Doubling Down with the Derricos, Seasons 1-3 (TLC)Drinking Buddies (2013)Edge of the City (1957)Expedition Unknown, Season 1 (Discovery)Friday (1995)Friday After Next (2002)Gold Rush: Parkers Trail, Season 2 (Discovery)House Hunters Ho Ho Home, Season 1 (HGTV)House Hunters Renovation, Season 10 (HGTV)Ill See You in My Dreams (1952)In This Our Life (1942)Its Love Im After (1937)Jezebel (1938)Jimmy the Gent (1934)Juarez (1939)June Bride (1948)Kid Galahad (1937)Land of the Lost (2009)Little Men (2016)Logan (2017)Lucky Me (1954)Lullaby of Broadway (1951)Marked Woman (1937)Moonshiners: American Spirit (Discovery)Moonshiners: Master Distiller, Season 3 (Discovery)Moonshiners: Whiskey Business, Season 1 (Discovery)Mr. Nobody (2011)Mr. Nobody: Extended Directors Cut (2011)Mr. Skeffington (1944)My Big Fat Fabulous Life, Seasons 6 9 (TLC)My Dream is Yours (1949)My Golden Days (2016)Naked and Afraid, Season 14 (Discovery)Next Friday (2000)Nobody Walks (2012)Now, Voyager (1942)Old Acquaintance (1943)On Moonlight Bay (1951)Panama Hattie (1942)Parachute Jumper (1933)Payment on Demand (1951)Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019)Romance on the High Seas (1948)Satan Met a Lady (1936)Severance (2007)Sixteen Candles (1984)Special Agent (1935)Stampede (1949)Station West (1948)Storm Warning (1951)Suspicion (1941)Tea for Two (1950)That Certain Woman (1937)The Biggest Little Farm (2019)The Double (2014)The Old Maid (1939)The Prince (2014)The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex (1939)The Star (1952)The Terminator (1984)The Tree of Life (2011)The West Point Story (1950)The Wild North (1952)The Working Man (1933)Three on a Match (1932)Winter Meeting (1948)Young Man with a Horn (1950)April 2Bateau Mouche: Sinking Justice, Season 1 (discovery+)Ride of Your Life with Courtney Hansen, Season 2 (discovery+)April 3Fix My Frankenhouse, Season 2 (HGTV)HOP, Season 1C (Max Original)April 4Y2K (A24)April 5HGTV Smart Home 2025 (HGTV)April 6Iyanu, Season 1A (Cartoon Network)Lazarus, Season 1 (Adult Swim)April 72073 (2024)Barneys World, Season 1CJoin our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!April 890 Day Diaries, Season 6 (TLC)April 9All Access PD: Grand Rapids, Season 1 (ID)April 10Gremlins: The Wild Batch, Season 2B (Max Original)Hacks, Season 4 (Max Original)April 13The Last of Us, Season 2 (HBO Original)April 15Rock The Block, Season 6 (HGTV)April 16100 Day Dream Home, Season 6 (HGTV)Fist Fight (2017)April 17Cookie Monsters Bake Sale: Block Party (Max Original)Ghost Adventures, Season 29 (Discovery)April 18Lu & The Bally Bunch, Season 1B (Cartoon Network)April 19Bugs Bunny Builders, Season 2D (Cartoon Network)Impractical Jokers, Season 11B (truTV)Outback Opal Hunters, Season 7 (Discovery)Sal Vulcano: TerrifiedApril 20The Rehearsal, Season 2 (HBO Original)April 21Yellowstone Wardens, Season 6 (Animal Planet)April 22Love It or List It, Season 20 (HGTV)Planet Earth III, Season 3 (discovery +)April 24Life of the Party (2018)April 25Babygirl (A24)April 2824 in 24: Last Chef Standing, Season 2 (Food Network)Evil Lives Here: The Killer Speaks, Season 2 (ID)Filthy Fortunes, Season 1 (Discovery)April 29Contraband: Seized at the Border, Season 6 (Discovery)April 30Castle Impossible, Season 1 (HGTV)Polyfamily, Season 1 (TLC)Twitter: Breaking the Bird, Season 1 (CNN)

Jonathan Hickman has been playing in the Marvel Universe for 15 years now and almost no one can lay a greater claim to the universes makeup in that time than him. Not only did he destroy the Marvel Multiverse (in the greatest superhero crossover of all time, Secret Wars), but he shaped the now-dead original Ultimate Universe with epic runs on Ultimates, mapped the multiverse in Fantastic Four, and rebuilt the Ultimate Universe in its most recent relaunch. Hell, he even sowed some seeds for the cosmogony of the multiverse in House of X/Powers of X (seriously, if you havent read what Al Ewing did to Secret Wars in his Defenders, you need to go check it out). But theres one story hes been chasing from the start: a book about the Shiar Imperial Guard. And were finally getting a payoff in this years Imperial.Marvel is pitching Imperial as a chance to see Hickman reshape the Marvel cosmos in the same way he did the Ultimate Universe. And while Im excited to read anything he does, what has been most interesting is the fact that hes been playing with these characters and ideas for a long time. There were rumors going back to his time with the Avengers that Hickman had a pitch for the Legion of Super-Heroes, DCs futuristic space teens. And in the Legion is the origin of the Shiar.Dave Cockrum was the artist who, with Chris Claremont, created the Shiar as part of his work on the big Phoenix story at the dawn of the Claremont era. Prior to his work on X-Men, Cockrum had been a seminal artist on the Legion of Super-Heroes, and he made the Imperial Guard loosely analogous to his Legionnaires. So Superboy became Gladiator of Kallark; Brainiac 5 became Mentor; Saturn Girl became Oracle; and so on. So while their in-universe story was based on imperial Rome, their look was very Legion, forever linking the two franchises in the minds of fans.Hickman used the Imperial Guard a ton in his Avengers run, having Gladiator (a Superboy stand in from the planet Kallark) lead the coalition of space societies that included the Spartoi, the Kree, the Skrulls and the Annihilation Wave as they joined the Avengers to battle an army of Builders bent on destruction in the universe. And those stories rocked. Hes also revealed in post-X-Men interviews that his original plan at the dawn of the Krakoa era was to put mutants Cannonball and Sunspot in an Imperial Guard book, fleshing out Shiar society relative to the mutant status quo.

Another thing you might recall from season 2 is that Lord Cregan cant necessarily afford to send his youngest, best, and brightest to battle at the moment you know, with winter coming and all. Still, Lord Cregan promises that even the elder Northerners will be fierce fighters for Queen Rhaenyra. Ser Roderick is great evidence of that. Known as Roddy the Ruin, Ser Roderick Dustin is an absolute beast on the battlefield despite his advanced age. He is the general who Lord Cregan has entrusted with leading an army of 2,000 Winter Wolves to support Rhaenyras claim. Ser Roderick will eventually lead the charge into a battle known as the Butchers Ball a particularly blood event (even by Westerosi standards).Playing Ser Roderick is Tommy Flanagan, a Scottish actor best known for his role as Chibs in Sons of Anarchy and for his genre work in projects like Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Gotham, and Westworld. He also just happens to have distinctive facial scarring that will give Ser Roderick an extra dimension of badassery.Dan Fogler as Ser Torrhen ManderlySer Torrhen Manderly is a member of House Manderly, which just happens to be one of my personal favorite families from the Game of Thrones mythos. A long time ago in the Age of Heroes, House Manderly was cast out of its homestead in the Reach by King Gwayne III Gardener. They traveled the continent of Westeros, searching for a new home and ultimately being granted lands in The North by House Stark. The Manderlys gratitude for this offering has lasted for thousands of years making them one of House Starks absolute ride-or-dies. Manderly men also tend to be both very brave and very rotund, hammering home the storys themes that heroism can come in any form. Ser Torrhen is currently riding down with Ser Roderick and the Winter Wolves. He will have a major role to play in incoming battles and their subsequent diplomacy and negotiations. Playing Ser Torrhen is Dan Fogler. One of the few American actors to join the Game of Thrones universe, Fogler is best known for his roles in the Fantastic Beasts films, The Walking Dead, and for playing Francis Ford Coppola in Paramount+s The Offer. House of the Dragon season 3 does not yet have a release date but has been confirmed to contain eight episodes.

How will the end of the world come upon us?There are certain names in every industry that generate an extra level of excitement and anticipation for their respective projects. Theyve earned the audiences trust, which if implemented properly, can keep these storytellers relevant for an entire lifetime. Shinichir Watanabe has a remarkable filmography that consists of totemic titles like Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo, Space Dandy, and Carole & Tuesday, any of which on their own would be enough to make him an essential anime auteur. Watanabe brings such meticulous pedigree and passion to all of his series, but its particularly satisfying when he returns to grungy science fiction like he has in Lazarus.Lazarus has been one of the longest-gestating and most highly anticipated programs on Adult Swim, which has a surprisingly spotty reputation when it comes to their original anime co-productions. Fortunately, Lazarus is exactly what it needs to be and a case where this modern anime classic is well worth the wait. Lazarus is one of 2025s best anime and its sure to delight Cowboy Bebop fans, anime aficionados, and complete newcomers who just want to experience a compelling animated sci-fi parable.Lazarus hits the ground running with a fortuitous storyline where a miracle drug, Hapna, reveals fatal side effects three years after its street date. This cheap escape from reality suddenly threatens humanitys preservation. A team of elite individuals is saddled with the impossible task of finding the reclusive scientist who created Hapna, Dr. Skinner, so that he can create an antidote before its too late and huge swathes of the worlds population perish. Its such a captivating hook that kicks Lazarus off with immediate urgency and sets in motion this 30-day ticking doomsday clock deadline. it perpetually feels like every second counts in Lazarus. Theres a powerful anxiety thats reminiscent of Watanabes Terror in Resonance that absolutely works in Lazarus favor and contributes to the unease thats felt by most of its characters.Watanabes Lazarus presents a very real world where people feel hopelessly oppressed and are desperate for any sort of way to slow the bleeding. Corporations hold all the power and innocent people are rendered into footnotes, if that. Theres a grander serialized narrative to find Dr. Skinner and create a Hapna vaccine, but Lazarus fluctuates between episodic stories that indulge in diverse genres that still manage to contribute to the greater whole. Meanwhile, theres a bit of an our princess is another castle syndrome as each attempt to locate Dr. Skinner falls short. Its a solid enough framework for adventures as Lazarus flexes its storytelling and character development muscles throughout this bleak quest to save the world.Lazarus is also a total triumph when it comes to world-building and how it fleshes out this unique universe. Theres such artistry behind the architecture of Lazarus futuristic communities, like Babylonia City, that are all distinct and feel like natural evolutions of modern society. Lazarus begins with dense, economical exposition thats an effective, melancholy tone-setter thats echoed in each episode. This opening narration gradually morphs over the course of Lazarus as it tells other tales of Hapna-based woe. Its a simple, but smart stylistic detail that hits a little harder with each passing episode as the collective weight of these tragedies begins to mount. Lazarus channels this energy and is occasionally a very angry series about rebellion and rage in a world thats increasingly cruel. Lazarus provides an unflinching look at the people who society steps over in order to succeed.Beyond its suspenseful storytelling and rich world-building, Lazarus infinitely oozes charisma and charm. Lazarus is like John Wick meets Suicide Squad, with shades of Supercrooks and The Great Pretender thrown in for good measure, all within an appealing Watanabe sci-fi universe. Lazarus is full of the sort of freaks that you cant wait to spend more time with. Watanabe has created some unforgettable characters between Mugen, Jin, Fuu, Dandy, and the entire Bebop crew, yet Axel Gilberto and the rest of Lazarus cast immediately make strong impressions. Every character shines, undergoes cathartic development, and feels like a wild card in their own way. This is a strong, unforgettable cast who are destined to become evergreen anime icons, even if Lazarus only produces this singular season of 13 episodes.Axel is cocky and operates like hes invincible. There are real Ryo Saeba from City Hunter vibes going on. However, theres also a sweeter side to Axel that views life as something thats incredibly precious. He wants to experience everything that the world has to offer, which leads to a certain impulsivity. Hes a character who does endlessly cool things and it often feels like the universe is bending over backwards to perpetually make him look impressive while hes in the peak of action. Axel is a standout character, but theres also a really strong sense of camaraderie among the whole Lazarus team where everyone gets a chance to shine.One of Lazarus most fascinating elements is how the Lazarus team gets to know Dr. Skinner a little better with each of their failed pursuits. The team begins to question whether Dr. Skinner is even as nefarious as theyve been told that he is. There are rich shades of grey here as the Lazarus team begins to doubt their mission. It becomes a rewarding complication as Lazarus continues. Lazarus also bravely asks heavy questions about the purpose of human life and if society deserves to pay for the pasts sins if humanity continues to repeat the same mistakes. Lazarus features an evolving take on this topic that becomes increasingly clear once more of this finely-tuned sci-fi universe gets explored. Its an anime thats just as interested in understanding humanity as it is in curing and saving it.Lazarus is such a nostalgic blast of bliss for anyone who grew up watching anime on Toonami during the 90s and 2000s. It has the energy of a Sega Saturn video game, which may sound like an insult, but isnt. Theres a soothing retro-but-not aesthetic that MAPPA nails so well. Lazarus is set in 2052, but theres a timeless quality to its characters, storytelling, and settings. That being said, it functions like a lost anime from the 80s or 90s. Lazarus is a versatile series, but it really feels like a title thats made for that crowd and those who are lost in arrested development while they chase that high of those irreplaceable 90s anime classics. Lazarus somehow accomplishes this. Its easily the best of Adult Swims original anime co-productions, but its also some of Watanabes most captivating work in years. Its undeniably on par with Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo which is genuinely the highest of praise.It should come as no surprise that Lazarus excels with its action. Theres such aJoin our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!kinetic sense of motion in the chase sequences thats also present in Watanabes previous anime. It feels especially pronounced in Lazarus as hapless heroes sprawl through danger and flail their limbs about. Theres a slight level of exaggeration to the characters movements and the laws of gravity that become the perfect rhythm for Lazarus to lock into. Everything is just a little off-center and cranked up a touch more than it should be, but it works in this universe.Lazarus gleefully indulges in tropes and stock characters, like a tech-savvy hyperbolized hacker, that communicates a certain narrative shorthand in the process. Holy crap, this guy has been watching too many action movies, is yelled at Axel after one of his more heightened stunts and one cant help but imagine this accusation being aimed back at Watanabe when it comes to the many pop culture reference points that helped bring Lazarus to life.Theres an extended jailbreak from the first episode which is basically just one long chase sequence masterpiece thats one of the best action scenes that Watanabe has ever done. Its on par with the theatrics from Cowboy Bebop: Knockin on Heavens Doors bombastic opening scene. Its a dizzying sequence thats a marvel to behold that also sets a high standard for the rest of the series. Lazarus thankfully rises to the occasion on this front and this is far from a situation where all of Lazarus money has gone into the premiere, while the rest suffers. Every Lazarus episode is rich in frenzied action scenes that are meticulously orchestrated and executed. Each installment is as detailed and impassioned as the last. Alternatively, Lazarus also has plenty of episodes that are content to get lost in the nitty gritty nature of heist minutiae and the unglamorous side of grifting. Its not always a gun chase across skyscraper rafters.Theres a real raw, visceral, messy quality to many of Lazarus fight sequences, which likely has something to do with John Wicks Chad Stahelski working as Lazarus action supervisor. These fights are complex and personal, but they also reflect a unique personality thats not just a retread of John Wicks greatest hits. The combat and any incidental gun-fu may occasionally bring John Wick to mind, but Lazarus always does its own thing here.Lazarus action setpieces often feel like theyre designed to push the animes visuals to exciting, new places. Theres a chaotic, parkour-esque chase sequence while a frenetic jazz soundtrack blares over the mayhem. Music is always really particular and important in a Watanabe series, but it cannot be stressed enough how infectious and energetic the score is here. Lazarus music really helps the action sequences fly so that the visuals and sound design can match Axels pressured state of mind. Lazarus music is great and its engaging enough to listen to on its own. However, this music is also just a really smart way to amplify Axels personality. Lazarus uses music as a storytelling tool and an opportunity for insight into its characters and unique themes.Lazarus is exceptional anime escapism thats needed now more than ever. Its subversive science fiction and eccentric action storytelling done right. On top of everything else, Lazarus is just really freaking funny. Theres a strong sense of humor as tongue-in-cheek barbs are traded between characters. It all contributes to the philosophy that theres nothing that Lazarus cant do and that its the real cure-all miracle drug of this story. Lazarus is some of the most fun that youll have with an anime this year. Its pure sci-fi/action catnip thats impossible to resist.Lazarus premieres April 5th at midnight on Adult Swim, with next-day-streaming on Max.

This article contains spoilers for 1883, 1923 seasons 1-2 and Yellowstone.Throughout the second season of Yellowstone prequel 1923, audiences have witnessed how hard it was for Dutton family to survive year after year. The Montana winters were especially difficult, as creator Taylor Sheridan and his team have highlighted in this sophomore season, and it is a reminder of how far the Duttons have come.The Duttons of today are a much different animal. They would like to think theyre the same underdog merely fighting for survival, but thats not the case. In fact, it can be easily argued that John Dutton (Kevin Costner) has forged the modern Duttons of Yellowstone into the same monsters his family once fought. Heres how.Family Used to Come First For the DuttonsIt went strangely under the radar for Yellowstones five-season run just how awful a father John Dutton was. Plenty of fans will argue that he did, in fact, love his children, but his actions shouted a different story.John Dutton III learned from his father John Dutton II (Dabney Coleman), who learned from all the J Duttons that came before him that the only real love was tough love. Audiences have witnessed this familys stance on raising children since first prequel 1883 was released. It gave a glimpse into the lives of the first family of Montana generations ago while they traversed the untamed terrain of America to eventually land in Big Sky Country. It was a harrowing time for the Duttons, and the original patriarch, James (Tim McGraw), had to remind his children of the harsh realities of the world and the dangers that surrounded them at all times.Yet, both James and his brother Jacob (played in his elder years by Harrison Ford in 1923) had a tenderness to them. In fact, while some of the lessons James or Jacob have to teach the next generation is a dose of reality, it is rarely delivered in a cold manner, and often with warm intentions. Fans have to look no further to the beautiful bond between James and his daughter Elsa (Isabel May). The love James had for his daughter was unquestionable, which led to one of the most heart-wrenching endings Sheridan has ever written.But John Dutton in this modern America apparently never taught that lesson to his kids. The inner fighting between siblings was a story thread for all five seasons, which even led to one sibling, Beth (Kelly Reilly), killing her adopted brother, Jamie (Wes Bentley). Some fans might pick up on the fact that John, if he were alive, might actually lament the loss of his surrogate son, but the coldness and indifference he showed Jamie was often highlighted in the show.In fact, Jamie was not the only one who suffered abuse by Johns hand. Kayce (Luke Grimes) was the only individual of Dutton blood to ever be branded with the infamous Y insignia of the ranch. This was done because Kayce was apparently too wild, according to Johns decree, and felt that he needed to be reminded of who Kayce belonged to. This didnt seem like the same kind of harsh lesson that James or Jacob would teach their kids about the real world and family. This seemed unnecessary, and in fact, caused a rift between John and Kayce for years. Granted, there were times that John certainly stepped up to protect and love his grandson, Tate (Brecken Merrill), but John never really seemed all that close with anyone else in his family, and usually kept everyone else at a distance.Survival vs. AffluenceJohn Dutton III (Costner) was born in 1955, and during his time the Duttons became one of the largest landowners in the entire United States. Thats a far cry from living month-to-month, not having any food, and literally being hunted by both man and mountain lion. That is the reality the Duttons of 1923 had to endure.John became everything his family fought against namely, an aristocrat. You can dress it up in a cowboy hat and boots all you want, but John is exactly the kind of man his ancestors hated. Take for instance Timothy Daltons Donald Whitfield. Whitfield is a man of certain means who then tries to use his wealth to spread his influence across as much of the state as he can. Audiences have seen several iterations of this type of person, and often the Duttons are right there fighting them. Dan Jenkins (Danny Huston) tried to bully the Duttons. The Beck brothers (Neal McDonough and Terry Serpico) took it one step further, even attacking the one family member that John holds dear. Then there were giant conglomerates like Market Equities and Roarke Morris who failed to take the family down.Ultimately, whats the difference between those villainous power hungry millionaires and the patriarch of the Dutton family? This writer would argue, almost nothing. The flagship series would often have you believe that Johns intentions are so much purer, that he maintains the land and preserves it, and to an extent thats true. Hes not trying to develop an airport or a casino, but to the Everyman, he is still a massive landowner, taking way more than he can manage, and perhaps more than he deserves.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!Recall the very first season of Yellowstone, when a group of blissfully-ignorant tourists are trespassing on Dutton land. An elderly man tells John, Its wrong for one man to own all this, to which John replies, This is America. We dont share land. This is exactly the kind of elitist rhetoric that Johns own great uncle fought against when Whitfield went to take the original Yellowstone ranch by whatever means necessary. How quickly John has forgotten who his family fought against.A Man of the Law, But Above the LawFor generations, the power that the Duttons held was limited to the sheer willpower to survive. The hardships the family suffered in 1883 and 1923 make the modern Duttons seem like sheltered toddlers, even though they too might have to fight for literal survival. Yet John regardless if he would admit it, and much like his land grabbed more power than he needed. His great uncle Jacob was a livestock commissioner, and therefore had a similar power to enforce the laws, but this was just a drop in the bucket with John.From day one, he had a plan for his children (biological or other). The ill-fated Lee Dutton (Dave Annable), who died at the start of the series, was always meant to take Johns place as commissioner, maintaining that level of control. He made sure Jamie (Wes Bentley) became a lawyer, and eventually put him in politics. He ensured Beth became the most fearsome businesswoman this side of the Bitterroot mountains. He positioned his children into positions of power, rather than simply being ranchers or cowboys. He wanted to use them to ensure he could do what the family needs in order to thrive. That meant that at times, circumventing the law his children knew so well was often the option.Some might argue that John never wanted power, as he often shied away from becoming governor until he actually became governor. John was always well connected (again, much like Whitfield) and in those early seasons, he certainly looked like he enjoyed being a well connected, well respected man of the community. More importantly, John was never afraid to use his connections to lean on someone or strike the fear of God into them to get what he wants a play right out of Whitfields book.If the law cannot be on their side, then it was time for cowboy justice, which has always been one of the most popular aspects of the show. Yet in recent 1923 episodes, it has been revealed that the Duttons beloved train station where problems can disappear is yet another one of Whitfields tricks, as Whitfield was the one who discovered and used the train station long before the Duttons.It seems John Duttons favorite read by the fire might, in fact, be Whitfields playbook.1923 season 2 debuts new episodes every Sunday on Paramount+ with the finale premiering April 6.

This article contains Death of a Unicorn spoilers.You know what? We really must put more stock in art history. This is a moral truth that should be repeated. It also, perhaps, is a thought that flashed through the mind of Odell Leopold (Richard E. Grant) right before a unicorns horn also smashed into that soft, squishy gray matter. It might have similarly been in the back recesses of Belinda Leopolds (Ta Leoni) head while another unicorn opened her belly.They were both warned earlier in their movie by art history student Ridley Kintner (Jenna Ortega) that ancient masterworks tell us of the dangers posed by horned mythical creatures. She even had JPEGs of the fancy medieval tapestries to prove it, with scenes of death by unicorn disembowelment and all. But they refused to listen.Its a comical sight befitting a movie purposely infused with Jurassic Park imagery as rich elites attempt and fail to control the natural world. Yet its not only a gag. In fact, Death of a Unicorn writer-director Alex Scharfman extensively studied unicorn mythology and folklore, telling us previously in a Den of Geek cover story that he went back to Roman historians and the Old Testament Bible while researching the film. He also intensely examined those unicorn tapestries you see in the movie. Aye, theyre real and currently reside in the Met Cloisters in New York City. So we recently decided to sit down again with Scharfman to discuss how deeply these Hunt of the Unicorn tapestries informed his film.I grew up around New York in the suburbs and went on field trips to the Cloisters Museum where those are held and maintained, Scharfman recalls in our latest interview about the film and these Gothic wonders. They must have been buried in my unconscious, because at some point I forgot about them but then when researching the movie, I came upon them again and I was like oh right, those things!These tapestries, which were made by an unknown artist at the turn of the 16th century, and then resided in an aristocratic Parisian home until nearly being destroyed in the French Revolution, became a North Star for everything in Death of a Unicorn. Ortega even previously told us they were a cheat sheet for understanding their movie. So join us below as we unpack each of the seven tableaus composing the Unicorn Tapestries while Scharfman explains how they influenced and shaped his man-eating unicorn creature feature.A24 / Met CloistersThe Hunters Enter the WoodsAn interesting thing to note is that while the Cloisters and many art historians place these tapestries in a generally recognized sequenceand it is the sequence we are using in this articleno one is exactly certain about the official order of things.Theres not like on the back of them a number one or a number two, Scharfman explains, so people have put them in an order that seems to make sense. And I totally agree that this makes sense as the first one, but one thing that I thought was fun with the movie is theyre not necessarily in the right order.Still most agree this is the first composition since it distinctly lacks either a unicorn or a king and/or lord. Instead it is just dogs and kingsmen approaching a formidable wilderness.One thing thats nice about this tapestry specifically is theres just so much foliage and just this overwhelming sense of nature, says Scharfman. That is something people write about with the Unicorn Tapestries a lot: this sense of the way nature is depicted. Yet it is the humans in this specific tapestry that inspire so much of the bent of Death of a Unicorn, the movie about a CEO, or feudal lord, who summons a prospective servant, Paul Rudds Elliot Kintner, to court.I think its telling that [the Lord] is not in this one, Scharfman says. He sent out his minions to go get him this thing that he wants in the woods and to bring it back for him. So I totally think when you start digging into the tapestries, and more broadly most medieval unicorn mythology and lore, you end up with something that really presents itself as a class commentary in that way.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!The writer-director notes that he also modeled one of his shots of Grant leading Rudd and other characters into the wilderness while hunting a unicorn specifically after this tapestry.A24 / Met CloistersThe Unicorn Purifies WaterThe next tableau sets the scene of a unicorn purifying the water in an enchanted fountain hidden deep within the wood. The implication is that the unicorns horn, and perhaps blood, has restorative magical powers, which some scholars perceive as an allusion to Christ. The myth about a unicorns body having healing properties long predates the tapestries and was already a key element in Scharfmans vision for the developing movie when he rediscovered these tapestries. But this image had other significant influences on the film.Its a funny thing, Scharfman chuckles, I dont know why theres this fountain in the woods. The unicorn is not purifying a stream, its purifying water from a fountain thats pouring out. It is an odd sight, but one the director sought to recreate by placing a near replica of this fountain in the Leopold estate: In the courtyard of the house, theres a fountain that is exactly like that one. We modeled it pretty much as close as we could possibly get to it and that is where the unicorn is discovered by most of the characters.Furthermore, this tapestry inspired even the name of the films villains.Says Scharfman, Among the other animals that are drinking from the water in this tapestry, there are a couple lions, and the Leopold family is of course the antagonists, the pharmaceutical family in the movie. As the director acknowledges, the name Leopold is an allusion to Leo the lion in astrology. The Leopolds company sigil is also a lion.In a lot of unicorn mythology, lions and unicorns were enemies, Scharfman adds. But here theyre kind of allies, or at least the unicorn seems to be happy to let them drink from the water the unicorn has purified. Its a departure from the myths, as well as where Death of a Unicorn goes next.A24 / Met CloistersThe Unicorn Crosses a StreamIn this scene, the kingsmen fall upon the poor unicorn and begin their attack as it attempts to flee across a stream. The image sets the stage for the bigger carnage to come later, but right down to the costumes of the hunters, beginning with the gent attending to the dog in the bottom left corner, this image helped inform the look of many ofcostume designer Andrea Fleschs creations for the film.Theres certainly lots of little textures and details like Will Poulters bathing suits, Scharfman comments. Theres these really great stripes, vertical stripes on one of the characters pants, and that was certainly an influence that we took for Will. Costume-wise, Paul wears blue throughout the movie, Jenna wears red throughout the movie. Theyre kind of moving towards each other [which gives you purple] the Leopold family, which is played by Richard, Ta, and Will, they wear a lot of gold. Gold, white, black, thats their palette, and when you look at the characters in these tapestries, theyre wearing red, blue, gold, and then theres a lot of green in the background.Even the scientists lab coats in the film are made to mimic the high collars of late Middle Ages fashion.A24 / Met CloistersThe Unicorn Defends HimselfNow we get into the images that really start to influence the strange, bemused tone of Death of a Unicorn. And we are not referring to the orange tree high above the action of this scene or the red-roofed castle far off in the background. Both of those informed the look and garden of the Leopold estate, which the director is quick to point out to us. But it is the violent carnage and death in the foreground of this tapestry that immediately catches the eye.This was one of the first bits of unicorn violence that I had seen in any artwork, Scharfman remembers. When you look in this tapestry, when you go up close and you see it, its stabbing this dog in the intestines. Its a hunting dog, so I think its self-defense. But when you go very close or if you got a high enough resolution version of it, it is very gory with the level of detail in this wound that its inflicting on the dog.He continues, Beyond that its also kicking with its hind legs, which when you go back into historical accounts of unicorns, there is a lot of violence described and theres a lot of very violent imagery that you can find. They were not these passive creatures. They really were not afraid to bite and kick and use their horn to gore people.Scharfman admits that ripping out a characters intestines like he depicted happening to poor Belinda was his own flourish, but there are accounts of them using their teeth to bite people, so it felt like it wasnt that big of a jump.A24 / Met CloistersThe Unicorn Surrenders to a MaidenPerhaps the most influential tapestry on all of Death of a Unicorn, The Unicorn Surrenders to a Maiden is as important for what it doesnt show as for what it does.Jenna wears a red hoodie throughout the movie, which has a very unusual shape, notes Scharfman. This actually is very much inspired by what the maiden is wearing in this, with these very kind of wide sleeves. And that was a hoodie we found from a Japanese designer that they made in gray and other colors, but we asked them to make it custom for us in red. It had this really interesting cloak kind of shape to it.After discovering this tapestry, it became quite indicative of how Scharfman imagined the Ridley character within the film: It got me thinking, Well, what is a pure hearted maiden in 2025? And I started thinking its probably a Gen-Z leftist whos protesting on a campus somewhere right now. Someone with very strong morals and ideals.However, more than just the idea of having a pure-hearted maiden, this tapestrys incompleteness created space for Scharfman to fill in his own grisly details.When you look at it in real life, its about a third the size of the other ones, the director points out. Thats because it was tremendously damaged. It was recovered after the French Revolution, so it is believed to have been damaged during the revolution, perhaps. It was used on top of a sack of potatoes to keep them warm in the winter time, and so they got totally tattered.What is left of the tapestry is actually torn into two pieces, and it is missing crucial information like the maiden it is named after.If you look in the bottom right corner of this tapestry, just under the unicorn, you can see a womans hand, says Scharfman. So the maiden that the unicorn is actually surrendering to is not in the tapestry, which is very confusing. This is another maiden who happens to be like a handmaiden working with the maiden who is the bait. And I thought about putting that into the movie, but I was like that is so confusing to try and teach peoplethat there is a maiden in the tapestry, but thats not the maiden its surrendering to. Its surrendering to an off-screen maiden that well never see.Nonetheless, the actual maidens absence gave Scharfman the creative liberty to suggest there is a fuller, more complete lost tapestry introduced in the film that includes so much of the monster movie mayhem that was to come.We had these brilliant artists do this incredible artwork to take the figures of the tapestries and the style of the tapestries, and infuse it with scenes from our movie, he explains. So we expanded this tapestry into this lost tapestry that includes a lot of the kills and a lot of the fun elements of the horror language that we employ in the movie, but to put it in this medieval context.It also allowed Scharfman to reconfigure the way the tapestries are meant to be interpreted. Whereas the following two tapestries are perceived by many historians to be the end of the story, in Scharfmans film the actual ending is this tapestry with the maiden and unicorn resting after all the death and carnage had been carried out.A24 / Met CloistersThe Hunters Return to the Castle / The Unicorn Rests in a GardenThe last two actual tapestries tell an interesting if aloof conclusion to their tale: first the unicorn appears to be deceased, presumably killed by the hunters after the maiden beguiled the mythical creature long enough for them to get closeand then the creature appears to be resurrected and curiously happy in captivity.Of the former tableaus influences, the Lady of the Manors golden gown informed Leonis cream colored suits in the movie. Scharfman also points to the shape of the unicorns corpse as it lies draped over a horse in the center of the scene. When the unicorn is killed [and taken to] the house in our movie, it has a similar pose where its kind of draped out the window of a car, says the director. In which case, perhaps historians interpretations of the tapestries sequence is wrong, and this is the real first tapestry, which like Death of a Unicorn sets the stage for all the carnage that is to follow?Either way, its the generally accepted final image of the story which inspires at least the oblique motivation of the films greediest Leopold, Will Poulters nepobaby Shepherd. The unicorn in captivity, that is the vision that Will Poulters character is going after, Scharfman says. This idea that we can own this thing and possess it forever, and it will be ours within these confines. Yet there are multiple ways of reading the actual tapestry.Adds the director, Whats funny about it is when you look at it, it has a very thin chain on it. It seems like it could break out of this, but its not. So there are questions about the symbolic meaning there. Is it there by choice? Is it there being held as captive? Who knows? But that is his vision of the future if [Shep] can possess them and contain them. Then he will have a limitless supply of unicorns.Given the tone and tenor of Death of a Unicorn, we might suggest the creatures contentment is nothing more than medieval propaganda for how they actually handle confinement. Whatever the case might be, the film ends with the beasts running free and even attacking the police vehicle that Elliot and Ridley are being driven away in. However, Scharfman doesnt think his films heroes are in too much danger.I think theyre there to try and help Jenna and Pauls characters, Scharfman muses of his unicorns, but I also think they dont really understand how cars work or police, or how any of these things actually function, because they exist outside of society. Still, should either Ridley or Elliot perish in the ensuing car crash, its no biggie. Worst case scenario, they can resurrect some people.Much like the tapestries show, when it comes to unicorns, death is more of a temporary inconvenience than a bitter fact of life. And with any luck, Death of a Unicorn might inspire some folks to learn more about the O.G. medieval roots of the pop culture creature.We put a lot of easter eggs from these tapestries into the movie, and I think theres something fun about that, muses the filmmaker. Hopefully it adds a layer of rewatchability and maybe sends some people to the Cloisters to check out the tapestries in person. That would be a nice kind of enchantment.Death of a Unicorn is playing in theaters now.

Its always exciting when a great title comes along at the absolute perfect time and it feels like everything aligns for the story to hit even harder. WEBTOON Unscrolleds Viral Hit, created by Taejun Pak and illustrated by Kim Junghyun, is an exciting breath of fresh air that presents a simple premise in a rewarding way. Hobin Yu is a scrawny high school student who is constantly bullied, despite minding his own business and keeping his head down while he struggles to pay his moms mounting hospital bills.Hobin finds himself in a unique situation where he gets pushed too far and starts beating someone up, only for this act of violence to get recorded and uploaded to NewTube, which makes him a viral sensation. Soon, Hobin is pulling in huge revenue from his NewTube streaming, which finally means that he can pay his moms bills. However, he needs to take on progressively stronger bullies to appease his channels fans, all while he communicates with a mysterious streamer who helps him with his cause.Viral Hit is kind of like Fight Club or Megalo Box meets Oshi no Ko, with some Solo Leveling thrown in for good measure. Its a unique entity because its able to indulge in constant action, but through an interesting lens because Hobin isnt driven by any desire to become stronger or intimidate others. All of this is done to help his mother. Its a fascinating angle for an underdog action story, which are plentiful with Webtoon Unscrolled graphic novels.Whats also so appealing is that Viral Hit becomes the ultimate character study. The audience truly loves Hobin, cares for him, and wants to see him succeed. However, theres an understandable concern that the endless NewTube fighting is gradually turning him into a more hardened individual. He begins this adventure as someone who fights against his will, but theres a growing concern that he begins to relish this combat and the money that he makes for his mom is just a nice bonus.While Viral Hit gets pretty dark, theres also a rich sense of humor in the storytelling and an earnestness when it comes to Hobins efforts to make headway with his crush. The story is full of action, which is frequently its priority, but it makes sure to present a broader tone that isnt afraid to get silly and pull at the readers heartstrings.Viral Hit teases enough romance and slice of life situations that balance out the more aggressive ideas.Viral Hit delivers an impact because it tells a heightened story that almost feels like the natural extension of where the world is at right now. Its tragic that the only way that Hobin can help his mother is through streamed fighting, but it reflects societys desperation. Hobin is so lovable and relatable because he feels stuck in an oppressed system where all he wants to do is provide for his family. The comic explores fame and fortune, but these arent what initially drive Hobin. Its a selfless, altruistic quest thats more a reflection of society and the Top 1% than himself. He wouldnt be doing any of this if there wasnt an audience for it, which is such rich, timely material for Viral Hit to explore.Hobin is dependent upon society for views and therefore revenue but theres also a level of disdain for the people who desire this twisted material. Viral Hit has interesting things to say about how people engage with fandom and how this level of communication is crucial to evolve. During a time in which so many anime and manga are set in fantasy worlds or some version of the world thats too far removed from reality, its staggering to get a series like Viral Hit thats not only grounded, but critical and introspective of the current world.Viral Hit digs far deeper than many of its peers that examine comparable material. Its a title that constitutes endless dissection and discussion, which makes it all the more convenient that Viral Hit now exists as a WEBTOON Unscrolled graphic novel. Viral Hits first volume is available April 1, 2025 and its the perfect way to get into the ground floor of whats likely to be one of 2025s standout titles.

Its up for debate where Assassins Creed Shadows lands in the hierarchy of Assassins Creed games, but its a clear top contender for best combat in franchise history. The discrepancy in styles and weapon sets between Naoe and Yasuke keeps the fighting fresh deep into the game, and improved AI helps enemy encounters feel challenging but fair.The games wide array of weaponry supports the robust combat system with items that are quite literally game-changers, particularly later in the campaign. Whether you like staying nimble with Naoe but struggle to deal with groups of enemies, or love stringing together combos with Yasukes katana and want to maximize your damage output, there are powerful, specialized weapons that can help cater to any style of attack you choose to employ.Below weve listed the best Legendary weapons for each weapon type in the game, where to find them, and why theyre worth seeking out.NaoeDragons EdgeWithout question, Naoes biggest weakness in combat is crowd control, particularly with the katana, which is better for one-on-one scenarios where its easier to manage distance. It takes a lot of finesse and lightning-quick timing for her to deal with a swarm of enemies, but the Dragons Edge katana mitigates this incredibly well. Its perk creates an AOE on hit with dodge attacks, which obviously gives Naoe a leg up when surrounded by grunts. Dodge attacks are super satisfying to land on their own, but adding an AOE to boot makes life a lot easier and frankly makes combat with Naoe even more fun. Oh, and Dragons Edge comes with adrenaline gain as well, which makes it even sweeter.Dragons Edge is unlocked by completing the Topple the Traitor main story quest in Yamashiro by assassinating the Two-Faced.Shinobis FuryThe speed and evasiveness the tanto grants and its synergy with the hidden blade make it a go-to for fast-twitch players, though tantos arent great for ranged combat. What makes Shinobis Fury such a useful tanto is its perk, which causes weakpoint attacks to make enemies vulnerable a second time. When stacked with other gear like the Hood of the Dragon, whose perk restores 33% health on weakpoint attacks, it makes Naoe far more formidable in close-range combat as two consecutive weakpoint attacks restore a whopping two thirds of her health bar.Shinobis Fury can be found by killing The Golden Teppo in the main quest line by completing either the Defensive Position or Drive the Point Home quest.Oceans GripThe most effective tactic when fighting as Naoe is managing distance. Kusarigamas are great for keeping enemies at bay from a safe distance, and the Oceans Grip is unique in that when you hit enemies further than three meters away, damage is increased by 60%. Using kusarigamas to keep enemies at bay is the most tactical, measured way to play as Naoe, and while it can take a while to dispatch enemies with this method, Oceans Grip greatly expedites the process and buys you time to collect yourself in the midst of chaos.Oceans Grip is unlocked by assassinating Lopo Cruz in the Pirates Alliance side quest in Wakasa.YasukeTurquoise ZephyrIf youre a parry-heavy player, the Turquoise Zephyr is one of the most deadly long katanas in the game. Its perk pushes enemies back upon a successful parry, completely changing the rhythm of battle in your favor, particularly if youre the strategic type. When combined with gear boasting further effects like the Armor of the Undead, which creates a cloud of poison on a successful parry, its a particularly effective way to wreak havoc when surrounded.The Turquoise Zephyr can be found in Yamashiro in a hidden chest under a broken bridge at Eagles Nest.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!Sages ReachWhile not as flashy, a defensive approach to combat is as effective as any in Shadows, and though blocking isnt as flashy as parrying or dodging, it can be crucial in surviving close-call encounters in which you otherwise might be overwhelmed. Naginatas are slower but rangy and powerful, and the Sages Reach naginata adds a useful wrinkle to defense, stacking +10% damage on your next hit after each blocked attack.Find Sages Reach by killing the Naginata Shinbakufu leader in Sakamoto Castle on the Southwest side of Lake Biwa in the Omi Region.Patient HarbingerThe teppo is one of the trickier weapons to master in AC Shadows due to its drastically different cadence and spacing compared to the other weapons. Using a slow-loading rifle to take down rushing enemies can be downright panic-inducing, but the Patient Harbinger teppo remedies this drawback pretty significantly by allowing you to load two bullets for each reload, effectively doubling your rate of fire and buying you precious time.Find Patient Harbinger in a chest in Wakasa at the Hikidan-jo Ruins at Lake Suigetsu.Dragons WrathLike the Patient Harbiniger, the Dragons Wrath bow allows you to unleash powerful attacks drastically quicker than you normally would, which allows you to speed up your style and pace of combat significantly. While it typically takes time to charge arrows, Dragons Wraths perk instantly charges them, upping the speed and damage of bow combat by quite a lot. Yasuke is quite slow compared to Naoe to begin with, so not having to worry about charging arrows makes the bow a far more effective weapon in general.To acquire Dragons Wrath, kill the Tsutsui Agent in the Kurai Eikyou quest.Boulder FallVideo games can be cathartic in many ways, but few things are more cathartic than swinging a gigantic war club at groups of hapless enemies, leaving pools of blood in your wake. If you want to reach maximum catharsis with AC Shadows kanabo, the Boulder Fall is the way to go. The clubs perk makes it so that attacks cannot be interrupted, which not only completely changes the flow of combat but makes kanabo combat the most indulgently fun, silly, and satisfyingly violent in the game.To find Boulder Fall, assassinate the Katsugari Agent in the Kurai Eikyou quest.

Conversely, there is nothing thrilling in the traditional, adventurous sense about Warfare. This is a movie told in real-time and with a visceral sense of chaos and confusion. It casts a murderers row of young Millennial and Gen-Z talent like Will Poulter, Jarvis, Joseph Quinn, Kit Connor, Charles Melton, and DPharaoh Woon-A-Tai as a young version of the films co-director, Mendoza. They all play real people who, should they survive, were on the set and discussed their memories with their onscreen opposites. The effect of assembling familiar faces (at least for cinephiles and Broadway heads) is the only fig leaf offered for keeping track of who is who. But the point is less the identities of the men as it is a shared morning during the bloodiest battle in the Iraq War. It binds them and seeks to bind the audience as well to the utter senselessness of its namesake.The film will assuredly face many critiques in various corners of the internet for simply existing. Some have already oddly condemned it as U.S. military propaganda, sight unseen. Others will soon call it leftist or anti-war. But its not really either. It is content with setting up base camp in an indifferent center, as aware as likely any veteran of how their experience, then and now, is politicized and turned into spin, cashed in on at our culture clash casino where the door is always open.Truthfully, Warfare deliberately offers little in the way of a point-of-view. It avoids any words like WMDs or oil or Bush, just as it notably never once shows a single insurgent fall from a bullet wound or show of force blast from the air above. This is not the jingoistic hero-worship of Clint Eastwood nor a Kathryn Bigelow lament.Yet like the Iraq War writ large, it is impossible to not ask what all this suffering was for, an open question that Warfares recalcitrance to say anything about still ultimately speaks volumes. When the Iraqi home this movie occurs in is absolutely obliterated, the mother of a terrified family hiding beneath their furniture cries perhaps the only word of English she knows: Why?Garland and Mendoza are content on not answering what probably can never be satisfactorily explained. That will frustrate some viewers, but then so did the war.More problematic may be the films absolute commitment to near anonymity of its soldiers. Again, if you cannot spot Poulter, Melton, or Connor in a lineup, youll be unlikely to tell many of them apart. It is this documentarian-like element which will probably prevent Warfare from having the cultural impact of a movie like Black Hawk Down or The Hurt Locker, or sure, pure propaganda like American Sniper. Warfare is not a story or narrative in the traditional sense, it is a 90-minute assault on the senses. It leaves you to make head or tails of what it all meant, which is a bold choice but artistically not as satisfying as the great war movies. Its subjectivity is so acute that it obscures what should have been a stronger emotional response.Still, I cannot fully dismiss Warfares effect as limited or fleeting. In fact, it reminds me a great deal of the second wave of Vietnam War films that began cropping up in the 1980s. There was the initial salvo, a series of movies that ran the gamut from classics (Apocalypse Now, The Deer Hunter) to the movies that were decidedly not (The Green Berets). But they were all films by filmmakers of a different generation and with a different set of values they were infusing into the Southeast Asian jungles. Then came Oliver Stones Platoon and Born on the Fourth of July, or even Stanley Kubricks Full Metal Jacket, which was based on real-life marine and later Vietnam War correspondent Gustav Hasfords experiences.

Armageddon. That word, spoken by political officer Putin in the 1990 adaptation of Tom Clancys The Hunt for Red October, is weighted with meaning. Its not just that The Hunt for Red October is a Cold War thriller about the Russian and American Navies racing to find the titular nuclear sub, a conflict that might set off World War III. Its that the delivery of the word completely changes the movie.Up until that point, Putin (Peter Firth) and the other Russian charactersmost notably, Captain Marko Ramius (Sean Connery) and his second officer Vasily Borodin (Sam Neill)have been speaking Russian. As Putin reads from a Bible that he finds in Ramius quarters, the camera pushes closer and closer onto his face, reaching his mouth just as he pronounces the word Armageddon. The camera then reverses the push, pulling out as Arana, Connery, and the others now all speak English from here on out, albeit some with Russian accents.Its an incredible moment, one that makes The Hunt for Red October the gold standard for handling foreign languages in Hollywood movies.Speaking the Same LanguageThe push in is just one of many elegant directorial flourishes that John McTiernan makes in The Hunt for Red October. Like the previous movie McTiernan directed, Die Hard from 1988, Red October is a masterclass in action filmmaking. Whether in the cramped confines of a submarine or in the vastness of the Atlantic Ocean, McTiernan keeps the spacial arrangements clear, making sure that we viewers understand the distance between the characters.To put it another way, McTiernan is keenly aware of where his viewers eyes are going and resting. He intentionally constructs the frame so that, for example, we see the distance between CIA analyst Jack Ryan (Alec Baldwin) and American sub the USS Dallas when the the latter tries to board the boat from a chopper. McTiernan and editors Dennis Virkler and John Wright maintain a steady rhythm of cuts between people inside Red October and the sub itself to ratchet up the tension as navigator Gregoriy Kamarov guides the boat through tight straights.Whether it is that attention to composition that prompted McTiernan to drop the subtitles used in the first 15 minutes of the movie or its just the fact that Connery isnt going to muddle through Russian for two hours and 15 minutes (nor will the films target American audience), Red Octobers transition remains the best in Hollywood history.Traditionally American movies indicate someones nationality through accent, so that characters speak English to be legible but with enough difference to sound othered. Even if American audiences are less averse to subtitles than studios think, its unlikely that anyone other than, say, Quentin Tarantino making Inglourious Basterds, could get funding for a Hollywood picture where most of the cast speaks different languages.Nuclear MiscommunicationIn one of the movies tensest moments, Jack Ryan boards the Red October alongside Commander Bart Mancuso (Scott Glenn) and Petty Officer Ronald Jones (Courtney B. Vance) of the USS Dallas. The three Americans stand across from Captain Ramius, Captain Borodin, and other members of the Red Octobers senior staff.Throughout the movie, Ryan has been trying to convince anyone who would listen that Ramius intends to defect from the Soviet Union to the United States, and that he is taking Red October and its highly sophisticated caterpillar drive with him. However, the USSR has warned the U.S. that Ramius has gone rogue and plans to attack the Americans with his nuclear sub, something made all the easier by the virtual silence granted by Red Octobers caterpillar drive.Finally after the Dallas locates Red October, Ryan convinces Mancuso to send a message to Ramius via morse code and sonar pings, arranging to let the Americans board the sub. When the Americans come aboard, Ramius spies the pistol on Mancusos belt and makes a comment to Borodin. Ryan chuckles, which surprises both Mancuso, to whom Ryan explains the joke, and Ramius. When Ramius asks if Ryan speaks Russian, Ryan explains himself in the language, leading Ramius to continue in English.At that moment, Ryan and Ramius bond, relieved that their gambits have paid off. But its a moment that only works if the audience understands that these characters have not heretofore been speaking the same language. The entire stakes of the scene, indeed of the whole movie, come down to people hoping they can understand each other well enough to avoid nuclear catastrophe.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!Unheard and UnlearnedOne can certainly make a larger argument about the thematic importance of communication in The Hunt for Red October, how its a statement on the tragedy of the Cold War, how we could achieve peace if we could just understand one another. Thats a great way to approach something like Star Trek (or, you know, Denzel Washington talking about Star Trek in a submarine in Crimson Tide), but The Hunt for Red October is not Star Trek. Its a thriller, one that leaves little room for philosophizing on international affairs.McTiernan needs to build tension quickly, laying out the stakes without letting too much exposition get in the way. Which he did right at the start of the movie with the language shift. It wasnt showy, it got the point across, and laid all the groundwork for the stakes and themes.Even 35 years later, weve rarely seen a technique as genius as the shift in The Hunt for Red October. What should have been a type of cinematic armageddon, forever changing the way we do different languages in visual art, has instead become a highlight of a great movie, an important lesson that continues to go largely unlearned.

Plot it all out on paper, and between the first and sixth episodes ofThe White Lotusseason three, very little changes. The opener was so efficient that by the end of the first hour, we knew pretty much everything we needed to about the new characters: the Ratliffs are a rat nest of moneyed, prescription-pill-popping dysfunction; the trio of 40-something women who say theyre best friends actually hate each other; Rick is powered by poison and adorable Chelsea should run a mile; and masseuse Belinda is right to worry about Greg/GaryOver the next five episodes, all of that initial construction has only been confirmed. Thats why this season, more than the previous ones, has felt at times as though theres been little story progress, because whathashappened only deepened our well-directed first impressions. Aside from the usual guessing game of who will and wont survive the murder mystery this time, thereve been very few questions we need answered.Instead, season three has doubled down on the shows raison dtre: depicting the moral vacuum inside Western capitalist ideals.The White Lotushas always been an eat-the-rich satire populating the screen with wealthy grotesques. In season one, there was boorish Shane Patton, who couldnt be happy in paradise because his beautiful and luxurious hotel suite wasnt themostbeautiful, luxurious hotel suite in the complex. (To Shane, luxury is a zero sum game: in order for him to win, somebody else had to lose.)In season two, there was Cameron and Daphne, whose perfect marriage was revealed to be a points-scoring death match in which Daphne had played the winning shot by getting pregnant by her personal trainer so that whatever Camerons indiscretions, she could always reassure herself that shed secretly humiliated him more. In both seasons, Jennifer Coolidges Tanya McQuoid was a lonely overgrown toddler whose millions not only couldnt buy her the love she craved, but also made her a target for murder.Thats just a section ofThe White Lotus expensive patchwork of unfulfilled, unhappy and unconscionable rich folks. So far, Mike Whites show has delivered the message that while having the kind of wealth that allows you to stay in these tropical palaces looks aspirational, other misery will get ya. Theres a price to pay for these peoples luxurious lives, which leave casualties in their wake. Even being around them is dangerous, as hotel manager Armond found out in season one.Season three goes one step further. The inclusion of the Buddhist monastery next to the hotel complex is the shows clearest depiction yet of the battle between consumerism and spiritualism. More than ever before, the drama is drawing a line between the hideous rich and the spiritually content. This time around, were not just invited to laugh at a bunch of unhappy, black card-carrying millionaires, were invited to question their essential humanity.It all comes down to one of Chelseas lines in episode six. When a hungover Saxon petulantly asked why shed refused to hook up with him the night before (maybe indirectly blaming her choice for the fact that hed subsequently had an incestuous threesome with his younger brother), she told him that hooking up with him would have been an empty experience because he was soulless.Shes not wrong. Saxon Ratliff is an abomination, and designedly so. Beyond sex, money, and protein shakes, he has zero values. When his mother asked him if the new friends whod invited their family on a day cruise were decent people he looked nonplussed. Durr. They have a yacht, he assured her. Ofcoursetheyre decent people. To Saxon, wealth is the deserved reward of good people who make the right decisions.Its no surprise he thinks that; so does his Lorazepam-addicted mother Victoria. Money is so central to her value system that she told husband Timothy in episode six that she wouldnt even want to live if they didnt have it. (Not that hes told anybody, Timothy is currently facing FBI assets-seizure and a prison sentence for a fraudulent financial arrangement with LGBT+-murdering sultanate Brunei. If Victoria survives the season finale, shes going to have a choice to make.)Are the Ratliffs decent people? On no level. TheyreThe White Lotus ultimate creation a family so driven by acquisitive ideals that theyve become rot-filled husks so value and morality-free that their sons tumble into having sex with each other. TheyreGame of Thrones Lannisters, but less likeable.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!Well, not all of them. Daughter Piper has recognised the hollowness of their cosseted lifestyle and is seeking to escape to the Thai monastery. Depending on how thoroughgoingThe White Lotus cynicism is, there could still be hope for Piper Ratliff. There may also be hope for youngest son Lachlan. With two episodes still to go, his potential goodness hangs in the balance, though the choice he made to share a room with Saxon instead of Piper in the season opener felt like a spiritual crossroads moment that he got wrong.Season threes other guests are less extreme but still shore up the shows thesis. Franks unforgettable monologue in that Bangkok bar was a short story about the danger of getting trapped on the hedonic treadmill, always insatiably wanting more. Model Chloe may as well be a Ratliff for all her moral-free, self-serving acquisitiveness. Her murderer boyfriend Greg/Gary literally killed for his millions (or at least planned to). Even actress Jaclyns obsession with youth so ingrained that shes married a much younger man whose fidelity she constantly doubts is shown to lead nowhere good.Its all building not just to the gunshots and the discovery of whose corpse were about to see floating face-down in the resorts crystal blue waters, but to an almighty ideological clash: Consumerism v Spiritualism, Greed v Generosity, West v East, the Soulless v the Ensouled. Dont say that nothings happening this season because this is the big one: its Armageddon in paradise.The White Lotus season three continues on Sunday nights on HBO.

To me! My folding chairs?!Marvel raised a lot of questions yesterday when they chose to announce the cast of its much-anticipated Avengers: Doomsday via a five and a half hour video posted to social media, in which the camera moves every 12 minutes or so to reveal a new chair with a stars name on the back.But the biggest questions might be around names such as Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Alan Cumming, and James Marsden. These names all belong to stars of the Fox X-Men movies from the 2000s, films made outside of Disneys influence and before the MCU ever existed. It isnt the first time that characters from the Fox X-Men movies have showed up in MCU movies before, of course. Last year nostalgia for their era powered Deadpool & Wolverine well north of $1 billion. But giving the name Doomsday and its role as a lead-up to Secret Wars, this return feels like the real final swan song for this version of the X-Men.Revealing the Secret WarsMarvel has published four major storylines called Secret Wars, all but one of which deal with the same basic idea. Secret Wars and Secret Wars II, written by one-time Marvel Editor-in-Chief Jim Shooter, both involve an all-powerful being called the Beyonder who intercedes in the heroes lives. In Secret Wars II, the Beyonder learns about humanity by taking the form of Michael Jackson but as a white man (yes, really). He thus requires Spider-Man to teach him how to pee (also really), and kills and resurrects the teens in the New Mutants just because he can.But the first Secret Wars is more straightforward story, in which the Beyond transports a bunch of heroes and villains to a Battleworld so they all can all fight one another. The 2015 Secret Wars and its multi-year round up by Jonathan Hickman reimagines that plot, with the various alternate realities all colliding and destroying one another. To save their own Earths, the heroes and villains of the various realities sometimes decide to destroy the other reality first, thereby avoiding the collision.Its this latter storyline that Marvel has been hinting most often. The Illuminati of Earth-838 in Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness talks about their awareness of the dangers posed by other realities. At the end of that movie, Clea arrives to recruit Stranges help in stopping incursions, using the word that Hickman uses to describe the collisions in his Secret Wars opus. Simiarly, n the post-credit scene of Captain America: Brave New World, the Leader (Tim Blake Nelson) warns Cap (Anthony Mackie) that heroes from other realities will do anything to protect their Earths, even threatening our own.Thus its not hard to imagine that Avengers: Doomsday is about exactly that: the heroes and villains of various realities fighting to save their Earths. And it might end exactly like the stories leading up to Secret Wars ends, with Doctor Doom doing the unthinkable to save his reality, challenging and defeating the Beyonders, and using their power to recreate reality in which he is the God Emperor.In other words, Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars might follow the same thematic path as the Russo Brothers last pair of Avengers films. Avengers: Infinity War is about Thanos trying to save the galaxy by gathering the Infinity Stones and snapping half of all life out of existence, dealing the Avengers a loss. In Avengers: Endgame, the defeated heroes spend some time in their new normal before gathering strength to set things right. Doomsday could be about Doctor Doom and his own heroes destroying other realities to save his Earth, defeating the Avengers and creating his own reality, a reality that will be undone through Secret Wars.If Doomsday and Secret Wars do follow that model, its very bad news for the Fox X-Men.Superhero Death Must StingAsgard is not a place, the Chris Hemsworths God of Thunder remembers his father telling him at the end of Thor: Ragnarok. Asgard is a place where our people stand. Those words brought comfort to Thor as he watched the destruction of the place he grew up calling Asgard. This concept let Ragarok end happily, as most superhero movies must.But when we see Thor and his people again at the start of Infinity War, theyre being decimated by Thanos. Thanos kills Loki and Heimdall, and only Hulk escapes, making his way back to Earth to warn Doctor Strange about the coming of the Mad Tyrant.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!Like Ragnarok, Deadpool & Wolverine has a happy ending for its displaced people, the Fox X-Men. After battling across realities to keep the TVA from pruning their Earth, Wade and Logan share a dinner with all their friends, seemingly safe in their own reality.But now they have to die. Not that we necessarily want bad things to happen to the Fox X-Men (well, not entirely that, anyway). Its just that Marvel needs to actually give some stakes to these characters, especially if theyre bringing back guys like Patrick Stewart as Professor X. Weve already seen Stewarts Charles Xavier die three times on screen, once in 2006s X-Men: The Last Stand, once in 2017s Logan, and most recently in 2022s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.Sure, Xavier and the X-Men have died time and again in the comics. But its becoming especially meaningless in the movies, especially since Marvel keeps wanting us to act surprised when the X-Men come back, and then again when they get killed. The trick isnt working anymore, and if Marvel wants Doomsday to have any weight, it cant even pretend to pull this trick again. This version of the X-Men need to meet their doom for good.The death of the X-Men fits the model set by Infinity War. Its easy to imagine Doomsday opening in the reality of the Fox X-Men, fighting for the survival of their reality. When they faileither because of an incursion or because of Doctor Doom and his teamMonica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris), who has been stranded in this reality since the ending of The Marvels, escapes to warn the Avengers of Earth-616, just like the Hulk did before her.The Fall of the MutantsAll this talk of final deaths might sound silly in relationship to Avengers: Doomsday, a movie that boasts about bringing back Robert Downey Jr. and the Russo Brothers, people from the height of Marvels success returning to the fold.Yet its impossible to believe that all of these references to the past will keep working. If Marvel actually wants to become relevant again, it cannot keep pointing out that it isnt as good as it was five or more years ago. It needs to close the book on the past and move forward, starting by letting Doomsday actually doom some beloved heroes.Avengers: Doomsday arrives May 1, 2026.

This article contains spoilers for the season 3 finale of Reacher.The season 3 finale of Reacher has finally given us the fight weve all been waiting for. Even for those who havent read the book Persuader that this season is based on, Reacher vs. Paulie, or as I like to call it Big Boy vs. Bigger Boy, has been written in the stars from the moment these two laid eyes on each other. We got a brief hint at what a fight between them might look like in episode 2, but it doesnt compare to the glorious yet grueling final fight in episode 8 Unfinished Business, that was so brutal it knocked star Alan Ritchson unconscious during filming.Reacher (Alan Ritchson) and his small but mighty squad have come to the Becks mansion to take care of Quinn (Brian Tee) once and for all. Standing in their way is none other than Paulie (Olivier Richters), Quinns massive henchman. So Reacher does what he does best and sends the others ahead while he tries to beat the crap out of Paulie.Using the element of surprise, Reacher momentarily has the upper hand, but soon finds himself fighting for his life against this man twice his size. Soon their fight moves into a nearby garage, as Paulie throws Reacher through the door, and through a post, and eventually into a table.If it looked like Reacher really got the wind knocked out of him in this moment, its because filming this stunt actually knocked Ritchson unconscious. Ritchson insisted on doing this stunt himself, despite pushback from his team because he wanted it to look real for the audience. And I get the bright idea to shoot a stunt in a way, because I was like, I want the audience to know that Im doing this for us. Im taking one for Reacher and were all in this together, Ritchson told Entertainment Weekly. And so I wanted the camera to come up and just stay on my face the whole time while I get smashed through a table on the barn floor.After getting smashed through the table and into the seventh circle of hell, as Ritchson describes it, the actor woke up a day and a half later having to explain to his kids, who were on set during filming, that he was okay.Thankfully, Ritchson came out alive and relatively well, and was able to eventually continue filming this fight. According to the actor, it took three weeks to film the sequence in its entirety, which isnt surprising given that the garage is but one of many locations across the Beck property that these two square off in.After getting knocked through the table, Reacher also finds a way to get back up again. For a while, it seems like both of these beefy gents are virtually indestructible as they continue to survive whatever the other throws at them Paulie even finds his way back to shore after Reacher leaves him to sink to the bottom of the rocky ocean waters that border the mansion.Finally, Reacher finds a way to outsmart Paulie, just as he did in the gym at the beginning of the season. Reacher jams the machine gun in Paulies little security shed, so that when Paulie tries to fire it at him, it backfires. Its a bloody way to go, but coming back from an explosive gunshot to the throat is nearly impossible, even for Paulie.Even though we know the odds are high that Reacher is eventually going to come out on top, its an exciting fight to watch. It took three weeks for them to shoot the 28 minutes or so we see on screen, which proves how dedicated the show is to giving the fans what they want out of these big action sequences. Ritchson was so dedicated to doing this right that he put himself at risk to get a good shot.This fight has been hyped up by book fans ever since it was announced that this season was adapting Persuader, and the show delivered on this matchup exceptionally well. Its not every day that we get to see Jack Reacher meet his slightly bigger match and miraculously live to tell about it. Reacher vs. Paulie is one of the best things this show has done thus far, and we cant wait to see whats next for this beefy action hero.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!

Weve got a sneak peek to share from Marshmallow, a throwback horror film in the vein of Watcher in the Woods.At a secluded summer camp, Morgan, a shy and introverted 12-year-old, is thrust into a living nightmare when a legendary campfire tale becomes real. As a mysterious figure begins stalking the camp, Morgan and his newfound friends must embark on a perilous journey that will force them to confront their deepest fears and question the very nature of their existence.Buy ticketsCompared to the popularity of Surging Sparks, the latest Pokmon TCG set Journey Together seems more like an afterthought.Since the launch of November 2024s set, Surging Sparks, the popularity of the 30-year-old collectible card game exploded, which in turn drew the attention of scalpers, which has rendered the products almost impossible to buy ever since. Journey Together, officially releasing Friday 28 March, is such an anticlimactic set that it almost feels designed to try to calm the waters.Read more at KotakuAlthough Naughty Dog has pushed back the release date of Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, Neil Druckmann of The Last of Us fame promises, Its incredible.Like The Witcher 4, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet will be released in 2027 at the earliest Its a pretty long wait, but speaking to IGN on the red carpet ahead of The Last of Us Season 2 premiere, Druckmann said that Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet is not only playable right now, but really good.Read more at IGNDaredevil: Born Again will be wrapping up soon, but not before bringing back two fan-favorite characters if the latest trailer is to be believed.Were now already two-thirds of the way through the season, with just three episodes left. Those three episodes may, however, be the most pivotal, as Marvel has released a mid-season trailer teasing the seasons big conclusion But the biggest reveals are a look at Frank Castle fully suited up as the Punisher after fanboy cops co-opted his identity, and a peek at Bullseye, whos showing his face again after murdering Foggy Nelson.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!Read more at InverseHarlan Cobens horror adaptations have become a legitimate phenomenon on Netflix, but what (or who) is behind the chain of successes?Harlan Coben novels are always an experience. But when the bestseller author works with three long-time friends and creative collaborators to move their setting from the U.S. to the U.K. and adapt his stories for the screen, they are looking to make them into an entirely different experience altogether.Read more at The Hollywood Reporter

Marvel made waves yesterday with their five-and-a-half-hour-long announcement video where they very, very slowly revealed the actors involved in 2026s Avengers: Doomsday. They listed 27 performers, which crazily enough doesnt compare to the near-40 actors who were announced ahead of Avengers: Infinity War. Still, there are some interesting surprises there with the names. We see for example which characters survive Thunderbolts*, including Lewis Pullman, who many believe is playing Sentry. Tom Hiddlestons Loki, aka the current load-bearing god of the multiverse, will also be there. Even Channing Tatums Gambit is going to return and finally make a name for himself.Something truly interesting, though, is how it ties into a set of alleged concept art leaks that appeared on the internet earlier this month. While these images from trusted illustrator and frequent Marvel Studios collaborator, Mushk Rizvi, were not confirmed by the casting announcement, the disparities between her images and the cast who has (so far) been announced in Doomsday paints a striking picture. If Rizvis work is as credible as it appears, we are starting to have a pretty good idea of how both Avengers: Doomsday and its 2027 follow-up Avengers: Secret Wars are going to play outA Secret Wars History LessonBefore we go further, for the sake of context, its worth doing a quick review of Secret Wars in the comics. The first Secret Wars was a 12-issue miniseries released from 1984 to 1985 by Jim Shooter, Mike Zeck, and Bob Layton. One of the earlier massive crossovers in Marvel Comics, it had an unseen entity known as the Beyonder throw a bunch of heroes and villains onto a makeshift planet called Battleworld for the sake of fighting it out. As Team Hero and Team Villain traded blows, Doctor Doom schemed his way into stealing the powers of both Galactus and the Beyonder, becoming nigh omnipotent. As these things tend to go, he was defeated, lost his powers, and everyone went back home.There were a couple sequels with nothing of note, other than Spider-Man teaching the Beyonder how to use the toilet. Decades later, Jonathan Hickman started a run on Fantastic Four that led into a run on Avengers, which culminated in a new miniseries even called Secret Wars in 2015, with art by Esad Ribic.In the lead-up, it was revealed that the multiverse was experiencing entropy in the form of alternate Earths crashing into each other. These incursions would lead to both universes being eradicated unless one Earth destroyed the other before the collision. Even then, it was only a short matter of time before the next incursion. Doom, aided by Doctor Strange and Molecule Man, found the source of the problem and came out of the adventure more powerful than ever. As God Doom, he rebuilt what remained of the multiverse into a makeshift planet called Battleworld where various realities were reduced to chaotic countries under Dooms rule. Eventually, the heroes of Earth-616 helped pull off an uprising and Reed Richards was able to defeat Doom while finding a way to rebuild the multiverse.Miles Morales Spider-Man also fed Molecule Man the grossest cheeseburger ever, but a lot of stuff happened in that series. It was a good time.Mushk Rizvis Leaked Concept ArtMushk Rizvi is an illustrator who has been doing concept art for various companies, but most notably Marvel Studios. From her Instagram, you can see her work on She-Hulk: Attorney at Law and Ms. Marvel. In early March, she released a big pile of concept art on her ArtStation page, which has since been wiped. The art included various designs for the Serpent Society that didnt get used for Captain America: Brave New World, lots of art from Fantastic Four: First Steps, an Ultron-esque Jocasta design presumably for Vision Quest, and a lot of fascinating art dealing with at least one Avengers movie.Admittedly, not all concept art is used in a finished film, as indicated by Rizvis work on the Serpent Society not making it to the final version of Brave New World. And sure enough, the Russo Brothers, who are directing the two upcoming Avengersacknowledged the concept art and downplayed its existence, but Joe claimed, that artwork was not from Avengers: Doomsday or Secret Wars, while Anthony said there were no spoilers.Thats not our concept art.Are they being truthful? Are they lying for the sake of saving face and trying to keep some surprise to the project? Or is this another situation, much like the Serpent Society pics or Daniel Craig as Balder the Brave where so much has changed that the original images are no longer accurate?The Leaked Contents ExplainedThe images were taken down, but we can at least go over some of the juicier aspects of the artwork. First off, one drawing reveals what is essentially a Hulk village. Banner Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) and She-Hulk (Tatiana Maslany), both dressed in medieval garb, are met with another wounded Hulk who has a beard and long hair. This is most likely Hulks son Skaar, introduced in the finale of She-Hulks show. There are various green and bulky villagers going about their business behind them.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!The medieval theme is later eschewed, however, for something a little more early modern inside what appears to be Dooms royal court. There Robert Downey Jr.s ruler passes judgment on someone bound in chains (possibly Reed?). Doom is on his throne, surrounded by Sue Storm (as his queen), her son Franklin, and Doctor Strange. A woman watching over the prisoner resembles Yelena Belova. All of it has more than a whiff of the aesthetic of Marvel 1602, an interesting (if now problematic) text that created an alternate Marvel universe where all these characters existed during the end of Elizabeth Is reign in Tutor England.There are also various sketches of Chris Pratts Peter Quill and Paul Bettanys White Vision sitting together on a couch, enjoying TV together as Vision holds the remote. Quill appears far more expressive and friendly than his companion, but Vision seems to be enthralled by watching television. Dollars to donuts says its a sitcom.Quill also pops up in a tavern of some kind, sitting with Wong (Benedict Wong) and the Young Avengers. This clearly includes Kate Bishops Hawkeye (Hailee Seinfeld), Wiccan (Billy Maximoff), Speed (Tommy Maximoff), Stature (Kathryn Newton as Cassie Lang), and Ms. Marvel (Iman Vellanis delightful Kamala Khan). Ms. Marvel looks especially enthralled in whatever Wongs saying. In an even bigger curveball, Doop of all characters is floating next to them.For those of you who dont know Doop, imagine if Slimer joined the X-Men and smoked a lot of crack. No, for real, Disneys going to make so much merch money off this guy.Finally, we see various designs for TChanda, the Black Panther of World War II. Curious.What Does This Mean for Avengers: Doomsday?While the Russos can claim the images to be no longer valid for the movies theyre making, comparing these characters to who was announced for Avengers: Doomsday speaks volumes. While most of the heroes in Rizvis work are not A-listers, they arent ones to simply be forgotten about either. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 told us that we had not seen the last of Star-Lord. The Marvels, which is super important to Doomsday considering its post-credits scene (though its odd how Teyonah Parris was not announced in the Doomsday cast list), made it apparent that Ms. Marvel is building a new Avengers team for the future. Hell, the two big themes in the MCU post-Endgame have been the multiverse and the building of legacy. The Young Avengers have to become players sooner rather than later.The release date for Vision Quest has not been revealed outside of it being in 2026. One could speculate that Vision Quest will be the Ant-Man and the Wasp to this pair of Avengers movies: that unrelated side-story thats released in-between but will be treated as important to the latter AvengersWandaVision and Agatha All Along, one thing that seems to be certain is that Billy will indeed be reunited with his long-lost brother Tommy.When the heroes lost in Infinity War, the follow-up was about the half who survived recovering and fighting back. This time it will be different. Three worlds of heroes are going to literally be colliding. Maybe they want to work together instead of going to war, but either way, when its over it appears that Doom is going to be supreme, having forced his own solution on the multiverse. Doom is going to stand tall over these heroes, like Thanos did years before, ruling over a Battleworld resembling the one from the 2015 comic. He might even take Vanessa Kirbys Sue Storm as a queen and force everyone to wear silly Elizabethan costuming!This time, the solution will not be a celebration of the past, but a celebration of the future. A story where the youth stands up and picks up the slack to avenge those who came before them. Yes, Reed Richards will likely be the face of Dooms final downfall, but Kamala and her team are going to get the ball rolling and bring closure to this entire Multiverse Saga.Though hopefully they can fit in a moment for Thor to hold Deadpool and cry. It would be a crime not to pay off that plot thread.

Forget Whats your favorite scary movie? Forget Ill be right back. The defining line of the Scream franchise in this humble writers opinion is the one that Jennifer Jolie delivers as she gets stabbed by Ghostface: You cant kill me! she shouts in disbelief. Im the killer in Stab 3! Im the killer!Yes, that line does show up in Scream 3, easily the least loved entry in the series. Which might be why you dont remember it. Indeed, while Scream 3 brought back director Wes Craven, it replaced screenwriter Kevin Williamson, whose snappy and self-aware dialogue was central to the first two movies success, with Arlington Road writer Ehren Kruger. For some, Scream 3 went on to push the metatextual elements too far, as it takes place on the set of the movie-within-a-movie Stab 3, and ups the humor to the point where Jay and Silent Bob make a cameo.But while Scream 3 struggles to distinguish itself under all of the navel-gazing, arrogant actor Jennifer Jolie works every time thanks to a pitch-perfect performance from Parker Posey.Screaming With LaughterRight after the murder of Cotten Weary (Liev Schreiber) in the movies opening, muckraking reporter Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox) does what she does best and sneaks onto the set of Stab 3. Where most people would be thrown by seeing the uncanny reproduction of Woodsboro, her former hometown, on the movies set, Gale is unphased. Even the sudden emergence of a slim, slightly manic woman in a garish green suit imitating her media persona doesnt throw gale. Although it does annoy her.I know weve never met and I dont mind you never returning my calls, but after two films I feel like I am in your mind, gushes Jennifer, as if shes a wide-eyed ingenue meeting her hero. That would explain my constant headaches, quips Gale, a cut that gets Jennifer to change her approach. Instead of kissing up to Gale Weathers, Jennifer decides to be Gale Weathers.She takes a beat to change her composure and then says, You know, Im sorry things didnt work out on 60 Minutes II, but Total Entertainment, thats a pretty good fallback. In an instant, we clock who Jennifer really is, as well as how far Gale has fallen from stabbing at serious journalism and returning to tabloid dreck.Jennifer isnt the only character to play someone we know from the Scream movies either. Scream 3 also features Emily Mortimer as a Sidney Prescott stand-in and Matt Keeslar as a pseudo-Dewey. But Jennifer is the only one who feels like shes doing to the franchise what Scream did to 80s slashers. Posey is at once breaking down and celebrating the basic tropes and formulas that came before her arrival. As she does so often working with Christopher Guest, the real actor is interrogating the type of character represented by Gale Weathers, and Posey then delivers a precise send-up.Posey plays Jennifer as a canny careerist, someone who sees all the angles and knows how to play them to her advantage, no matter who gets hurt in the process. This is most obvious in her relationship with Dewey (David Arquette), who has been hired as a consultant by the Stab producers (which include Roger Corman, in one of the movies many larger genre nods).When the sight of Dewey forces Gale to lose composure for the briefest of moments, Jennifer pounces. She allows herself a slight strut as she goes up to Deweys side and takes his arm. In contrast to Deweys expression of guilt and embarrassment, Jennifer gets increasingly melodramatic as she describes what shes learned about Gale from him, even about that lost, lonely little girl inside.Poseys performance is, of course, fully comedic. Jennifer never seems believably scared, not even right before shes literally stabbed to death by a killer. But in playing the comedy, Posey plays the strongest aspect of Scream 3, downplaying the films lackluster horror and dramatic beats.Screaming into the MirrorJennifer may spend all of Scream 3 paired with Gale Weathers but she doesnt truly meet her match until halfway through the movie. When she and Gale investigate the acting history of Sidneys late mother Maureen Prescott, Jennifer comes face to face with a casting director named Bianca Burnette, who looks just like Carrie Fisher. That is because she is, of course, played by Carrie Fisher.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!This being Scream 3, Gale and Jennifer recognize Bianca as Fisher and start to ask her about it, which Bianca shuts down with a growled no. I was up for Princess Leia, she continues. I was this close. But who gets it? The one who sleeps with George Lucas.The Fisher cameo is gratuitous, even more so than the movie stopping so Jay and Silent Bob can ogle the idea of Gale earlier in the film. But it does serve a plot point about famous doppelgngers, as Bianca leads Gale and Jennifer to learn that Maureen Prescott once performed under the name Rina Reynolds. Moreover, it captures the movies sense of humor, all knowing references and in-jokes.That hyper focus on self-reference makes Scream 3 a less popular entry, but it also gives Posey room to play. Shes not just playing an actor who portrays Gale Weathers. Shes playing Courteney Cox, even using the Friends stars facial expressions and exasperated line deliveries from the sitcom. Posey is the one who gets the joke of Scream 3, and does the metatextual humor better than anyone else in the series before or since.Its no accident that Jennifers murder happens behind a two-way mirror. As she gets attacked by Ghostface, Jennifer can see Gale and Dewey standing in the other room. And its probably good that she dies before Scream 3 hits its climax, sequestering her to the most self-indulgent parts of the film.But by dying midway through a minor entry, Jennifer isnt afforded the same love given to original characters like Sidney or Dewey, or to later additions such as Kirby and the Carpenter sisters. But she was the only one who understood what Scream 3 needed and thus is the only one who carried an entire movie on her back. For that, she deserves just as much praise as the other greats in the Scream canon.

Rose Tyler wanted to escape her humdrum life. Martha Jones fell in love with the Doctor. Donna Noble realised that she was bigger on the inside. Amy Pond imprinted early on her Raggedy Man. Clara Oswald saved the Doctor by being everything, everywhere, all at once. Ruby Sunday had an origin mystery to solveEvery Nu-Who companion has their reason for travelling on the TARDIS, but new companion Belinda Chandras is different from most: shes there so that she can leave. The new series tagline Get Her Home is Belindas story arc. She doesnt board the TARDIS excitedly to travel with the Doctor, but reluctantly, in order to get back to Earth. As she tells him in the series 15 trailer, shes not one of the Doctors adventures.Writing in the latest edition of Doctor Who Magazine, Davies likens new companion Belinda (whose surname was originally Finch before Boom guest star Varada Sethu was cast in the role) to the situation of some of the Doctors past pals: Its a play on Ian and Barbara and Tegan the companion desperate to get home.It gives Belinda something to spark up against the Doctor. Shes not in love with his life or with the TARDIS, but the whole thing works because of course she starts enjoying it. She thinks theyre wonderful, and eventually admits it. But its a different kind of buzz it stretches different muscles. Its a performance thing too. Janet Fielding did it brilliantly with Tegan.Some force beyond the universe though, is stopping the TARDIS from getting Belinda home, which means that Doctor Who, as showrunner Russell T Davies explains in DWM, has been forced to skip an essential element this time around.Of course it means keeping the TARDIS away from modern-day Earth. Normally, I think you should keep revisiting the present day its essential. So its been a real challenge to avoid it for an entire series.Interesting! The series 15 trailer definitely shows modern-day Earth characters Ruby Sunday, Kate Lethbridge-Stewart, Mel Bush and more. So does that mean their episode will be this series Doctor-lite adventure? Millie Gibson handled the Doctors absence (due to Ncuti Gatwas filming commitments on Netflixs Sex Education) with aplomb in last years 73 Yards, which also featured UNIT who are also going to have to cope without the Doctor in new spinoff The War Between the Land and the Sea.We know that the Doctor will be on Earth for episode two Lux, which is set in 1950s Miami, and in the Nigerian-set episode five The Story & The Engine, which will presumably also will take place in the past. The series finale The Reality War also looks as though its set in Londons Hackney, but we must be talking an alternative reality to the one Belindas from.Modern-day Earth episodes have been a Russell T Davies staple since Autons menaced Henriks department store in 2005 series opener Rose. It just goes to show with Doctor Who that theres always something new under the sun(s).Doctor Who series 15/season two starts on BBC One and iPlayer at 8am in the UK, and on Disney+ around the world on Saturday April 12.

News Avengers: Doomsday Cast Announced Updated LiveThe Avengers: Doomsday cast revealed! Slowly!By Joe George | March 26, 2025 | | Photo: Marvel StudiosMarvel shocked everyone at San Diego Comic-Con last year when Doctor Doom strode onto the stage and pulled off his mask to reveal himself as Robert Downey Jr., returning for Avengers: Doomsday. And now Marvels doing something just as audacious to reveal the rest of the Avengers: Doomsday cast. On their main Twitter feed, Marvel Studios is revealing chairs.Okay, yeah, theyre chairs with names on them! But theyre still chairs.At intervals of 10-15 minutes, we see a new chair and a new cast members name on it. Which is kinda annoying if youre a regular person who doesnt have a ton of time in the middle of a Wednesday to watch still shots of chairs all day. Fortunately, we here at Den of Geek are not normal people. We will watch these chairs for you and report on each reveal as it comes! This article will be updated with each new name added, so be sure to check back frequently!Winston DukeChris HemsworthVanessa KirbySebastian StanAnthony MackieLetitia WrightPaul RuddWyatt RussellTenoch Huerta MejaEbon Moss-BacharachSimu LiuFlorence PughKelsey GrammerDavid HarbourLewis PullmanDanny RamirezJoseph Quinn

This post contains spoilers for Daredevil: Born Again episode 5.Its hard to think of two Marvel heroes more dissimilar than Daredevil and Ms. Marvel. The former is a blind man driven by guilt and anger to acts of vigilantism, no matter how much it punishes his mind, body, or soul. The latter is an excitable teen who gets to live her dream, going on adventures like her idol Carol Danvers. And yet, With Interest, the fifth episode of Daredevil: Born Again, manages to marry the R-rated world of Matt Murdock with the sunny tone of Kamala Khan.Not that Kamala, as played by Iman Vellani, appears in With Interest. Instead, its Kamalas father Yusuf (Mohan Kapur) who teams up with Matt when Mr. Murdock applies for a loan from Mr. Khans bank. The two end up working together to thwart some Irish robbers who break into the bank, making for another hour of Matt Murdock being the coolest dude on the face of this planet.Before things go sideways, however, Yusuf has a chance to brag about his daughter, both in her civilian and superheroic guises, including showing off her Funko pop. But for MCU fans, the most compelling bit is when Yusef reveals that Kamala isnt in New Jersey or even in New York, the usual stomping ground of MCU heroes. Rather, shes off on the West Coast.Not wanting to blow his daughters cover, Yusuf tells Matt that shes hanging around with friends. But those of us who saw The Marvels know what that really means. Shes gathering a team of young heroes, a team that will be called the Young Avengers or maybe the Challengers, if they go with the name of Kamalas team from the comics. However, when we left Kamala she was in New York recruiting Kate Bishop. Whats she doing on the West Coast?While recruiting Kate in The Marvels, Kamala mentions Ant-Mans daughter. Given that the Ant-Man movies take place in San Fransisco, Yusufs observation suggests that Kamala is visiting that daughter, Cassie Lang (Kathryn Newton) a.k.a. Stature. But thats not the only teen hero who Kamala might meet on her West Coast run.At the end of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, Bruce Banner interrupts a cookout hosted by his cousin Jen Walters to add to the family tree and introduce his son Skaar. The Skaar reveal ties to the Marvel Comics major storyline World War Hulk, which really doesnt play into the MCU so far. Nor does Amadeus Cho, a teen super genius from the comics who has only recently appeared in Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man. Given that Chos alter-ego Brawn a.k.a. the Totally Awesome Hulk is a constant team member with Ms. Marvel in the pages of Challengers comics, it might make sense that MCU Kamala would go to the Walters home in California to get Skaar to join her team as their teenage Hulk.Stature and Skaar are the only named teen heroes on the West Coast so far. Which is pretty surprising, given that the cornerstone of the MCU is Iron Man, whose home base is in Malibu instead of New York. And that Iron Man connection might point to another potential hero Ms. Marvels looking to find.Black Panther: Wakanda Forever introduced Riri Williams as a brilliant student at MIT in Boston, and solicits for the upcoming series Ironheart suggest that Williams will continue her superhero journey in Chicago. But, we know that shes carrying forward the work of Tony Stark, so its not hard to imagine that she wouldnt drop by Malibu at some point to get some of Starks tech, especially since Thunderbolts* reveals that Contessa Valentina Allegra de la Fontaine has set up shop in the old Stark/Avengers Tower.Of course, this is all speculation. Marvel is taking its sweet time putting together the Young Avengers/Challengers, and Yusufs observation in Daredevil: Born Again is just one more tease. But as we wait for Marvel to finally announce the official line-up, its fun to make guesses about what Kamalas West Coast trip will find.New episodes of Daredevil: Born Again stream every Tuesday night on Disney+.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!

While its easy to wring our hands about soulless Amazon corporate stooges, these two dont really scan that way. Very savvy Hollywood game-players? Sure. But to presume that Pascal or Heyman misunderstand how to make massive films out of beloved franchises means you have to ignore the evidence.On top of all of this, its also possible that the received wisdom about the nature of the Bond movie franchise is a slightly flawed and revisionist narrative. Yes, its true that EON stands for Everything or Nothing and that the approach to making Bond movies since 1962 has been brave, brazen, and delightfully free of focus groups or outside influence. And yet, lets not pretend like there havent been shake-ups in the past. In between The Man With the Golden Gun (1974) and The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), Albert Broccoli and his former partner Saltzman were locked in a bitter financial feud. Saltzman had left the Bond franchise after Live and Let Die (1973), but the wounds of the split created problems for the series, which werent fully resolved until after 1977. And even though we tend to think of the Broccoli family as the visionaries behind the 007 film saga, its not like Saltzmans departure wasnt a huge deal nor his contributions to the series trivial.The Bond franchise also faced huge difficulties between the Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan eras. Due to legal troubles over United Artists rights to distribute the Bond films, there was a six-year gap between 007 movies between 1989 and 1995, which is eerily similar to what were experiencing now. And then, of course, theres the fact that Thunderball co-producer Kevin McClory attempted to launch a rival James Bond franchise in 1983 with Never Say Never Again, a movie that despite starring Sean Connery has always scanned as a fake 007 flick.But, the new Bond films wont be just a series of Never Say Never Agains. Under the new producers and yes, Amazon, these new films will represent the future of 007. And while we can point to several Amazon missteps that cost millions and millions of dollars (cough, cough Rings of Power), theres also really solid and successful adaptations like Reacher, who is, basically, the American Bond, anyway. Does anyone think the Tom Cruise Jack Reacher movies did better justice to the Lee Child books than the Amazon TV series? We all know the answer there. Reacher is one of the biggest shows in the world, and the Cruise movies are largely (and correctly) forgotten, the Never Say Never Agains of the Reacher franchise.This isnt to say that Bond should become a TV series like Reacher (thats a different debate). Its simply to say that Bond fans cannot say with a straight face that Amazon cant have fidelity to a beloved action franchise when Reacher exists. Its certainly not a perfect show, but then again, have you seen Octopussy lately?What the James Bond franchise needs now is the room to not just reinvent itself, but also the room to make mistakes without everything being on the line. In fact, I think its okay to say that the first movie that Amazon makes with Heyman and Pascal might not be the greatest. Batting averages on James Bond movies vary, and lets face it, the much-praised Daniel Craig era really only produced two great films: Casino Royale and Skyfall.