Jack Kirbys influence on comics culture is undeniable. Its not an understatement to say that he is responsible for much, if not all, of the comics language we read when we look at superhero comics.Even now, 30 years after he passed, we still fawn over his creations, whether its when his characters hit the big screen (as with Fantastic Four) or when a new story with his characters are stocked in comic book shops (as with Ram V and Evan Cagles brilliant New Gods comic). But a new documentary announced this week seeks to place him alongside titans of art and pop culture from the 20th century.Ricki Stern, the Emmy-nominated director of documentaries like Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work and Reversing Roe will direct Kirbyvision. Jack was not only one of the great comic book artists of all time, but a true visionary genius, Stern said in a statement. In this new feature length documentary, we actively campaign for the recognition he finally deserves as a leading artist and storyteller of the 20th Century.The film has backing from Dan Braun and Josh Braun from Submarine Entertainment, producers of two of the nominees for Best Documentary at the Oscars, and more importantly, has the support of the Kirby Estate behind it, lending prestige and authority to the production. It also, in the interest of full disclosure, has Den of Geek Chief Creative Officer Chris Longo and former Den of Geek Editor-in-Chief Mike Cecchini onboard producing.If Im able to editorialize a bit, its about time. When you think about the titans of the comics industry, even if you include writers, its hard to think of anyone whose impact inside comics matches Kirby, and its impossible to come up with a name that matches him outside comics.Kirby was so creative that the comics page literally could not contain it. He wrote and drew the most popular books in the medium at a time when the art form was at its peak, the kind of work that fine art scholars went back and studied for years. The mixed media pages in his Fourth World books are staggering hypnotic and disturbing, and clearly the product of someone who sees a whole different world when he looks at a blank sheet of Bristol board.At the same time, theres more to Kirby than just his contributions to the art world. The best biographies are always about something other than the subject. Kirbys story is about a man with boundless creativity who defined an artistic medium, but its also the story of Americas shift to a global power and the development of the middle class. Kirby was born dirt poor and drew his way out of poverty. He was so passionate about the ideals of his country that he co-created the avatar of what it could be at its best, and then lived that at both ends of his career, first as a scout in Europe in World War II, sneaking behind enemy lines and drawing recon maps; and later lending old concept art to the CIA to get Americans out of Iran during the hostage crisis. He created a whole mythology that reflected the best American ideals standing up for people who need help, stories that were explicitly anti-fascist and anti-war in a medium that was cheap and easy to share with the world, projecting those values to kids around the world.At a time when we are retreating from our responsibilities and violating those ideals, a story like this is critical to show us the way back.

This article contains spoilers for Invincible season 3 episode 7 and The Walking Dead.The penultimate episode of Invincible season 3 just set up one of the biggest showdowns from the comics. After Mark Grayson (Steven Yeun) and the heroes of Earth face off in a deadly battle against Angstrom Levy (Sterling K. Brown) and his army of Evil Invincibles from across the multiverse, the true final villain of the season appears. The Viltrumite, Conquest, has arrived on Earth to confront Mark about his failure to prepare the planet for a takeover by the Viltrum Empire.While well have to wait until next week to see this big fight go down, Conquests appearance didnt just set up an epic battle in the world of Invincible. We now know that the Viltrumite villain is voiced by Jeffrey Dean Morgan, an actor that starred alongside Steven Yeun in The Walking Dead. InThis isnt the first time that Invincible has reunited Walking Dead alumni in the series, which makes sense given that both shows are based on comics written by Robert Kirkman. Khary Payton, who played King Ezekiel in TWD, voices Black Samson, one of the Guardians of the Globe. Ross Marquand (Aaron in TWD) voices Immortal, Rudy, and a number of other characters in the series. Lennie James (Morgan Jones in TWD) voices Darkwing. Green Ghost is voiced by Sonequa Martin-Green, who played Sasha Williams in TWD. War Woman is voiced by Lauren Cohan, who fans will recognize as Maggie from TWD. Chad L. Coleman (Tyreese Williams in TWD) and Michael Cudlitz (Abraham Ford in TWD) are also in the cast.

This article appears in the new issue ofhere.Jenna Ortega has a confession to make: she likes blood. The more of it, the better. Already shes been covered in buckets of the substance throughout her career, which includes a bounty of genre darlings running the gamut from Scream VI to Ti Wests X. And never once in all those chillers has she tired of the red-dyed corn syrup.Maybe if its cold outside and its like four in the morning, Ortega begins while considering the downsides of cinematic gore. But the thought exercise just wont stick. No, I cant really even say that. I always like it whenever they bring the blood. Its like youre getting into the good stuff.In which case, Ortega and audiences are about to be swimming in good stuff, and rest assured that with the stars latest movie, it is of a vintage never seen before. In Alex Scharfmans Death of a Unicorn, not only does the blood flow plentifully, but it is also opalescent, shimmering, and imbued with restorative properties. Or: its magic purple goo that twinkles in the sunlight, and by the end of the movie everyones dying for it.To Ortega, this is part and parcel of making a distinctly A24 genre mashup that plays toward her own eccentric sensibilities. Shes done horror; shes done comedy; but its a one-of-a-kind experience to be hiding in the grass beneath a car on a warm Hungarian night and see out of the corner of your eye a practical unicorn horn stalking around the vehicle. Its just so funny to me, Ortega says. It looks like the shark fin from Jaws. Theres something that is so strange and funny about that, and also still scary that image made me very happy.It even makes up for the practicalities of the aforementioned purple blood, which the actress later acknowledges has got a bit more sparkle to it. The unicorn blood had some glitter. So its harder getting off.Such must be the perils, though, of making the first movie where these magical creatures are absolutely, and quite literally, Old Testament terrifying.Divine MonstersThe filmmaker who dreamed up Death of a Unicorn recognizes when we catch up with him that its kind of funny he was never a unicorn guy. Like almost anyone around the world, Alex Scharfman grew up aware of the majestic beasts of yoreor, more commonly these days, gentle family fantasies like My Little Pony. As a New York City kid, young Scharfman went repeatedly to the Met Cloisters in Washington Heights where the famed Hunt of the Unicorn tapestries from the Middle Ages reside. The white steed with a luminescent antler was omnipresent in his life, if never at the top of mind. Yet, somehow, the beast was still able to pierce through the subconscious.It started like a lot of my ideas often do, Scharfman tells Den of Geek. Its a scene or an image, a kernel of something, and it kept sticking in my brain. There would be a father and a daughter standing somewhere, as well as an impossible thing bleeding out in front of them. I had the idea nearly a decade ago and it was always just a family driving, and in the midst of having a relatively banal or grounded conversation, they accidentally kill a unicorn with their car.Nearly 10 years later, its a dream turned reality, not to mention Scharfmans first feature as director. When we sit down with the helmer, the movie is barely two weeks away from its premiere as a SXSW headliner, and the last touches are still being woven in. In fact, Scharfman has ducked out of his sound mix stage to chat with us in a nearby room. He seems both visibly proud and wary of congratulations, apparently not wishing to jinx things until the film is locked.Nevertheless, it already stands as a culmination of what, in the hands of others, could have simply been a sketch gag or a one-off bit in a conventional comedy. Even Scharfman admits he originally imagined it to be a short film. Yet the more he toyed with the concept (sometimes substituting the unicorn with other magical creatures to see if it might play differently), the more he realized he had a truly killer opening for a larger story. Seriously, who doesntJoin our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!When I first saw this script in my inbox, I thought, Im probably going to want to do this one, Ortega laughs about how she learned of the concept. Even better, the story gets right to it with Ortegas character Ridley and her father, Paul Rudds mild-mannered Elliot, delivering the coup de grce by page 10. I love it when a script doesnt waste time. Its nice to just get into it. Like we want to see the unicorn.But the unicorn Rudd and Ortegas characters see is not the beatific wonder doted on by Ridley Scott or Rankin/Bass. It has heavy clawed hooves, long cruel fangs, and hair that darkens with its mood. As one character surmises on the real unicorns of antiquity, they were supposed to be divine monsters. Which is true.The first recorded unicorn story goes back to like 400 B.C., Scharfman explains. And it used to be a much more wild kind of monstrous creature that you have for most of their history. The writer-directors excitement is infectious as he rattles off facts and speculations. Roman historians might have misunderstood reports of Indian rhinoceroses when repeating tales of unicorns, and in the Old Testament, the word used for unicorn, when you translate it back, is reem, which actually meant aurochs so [they were] more of a wild bull.What also became clear the more Scharfman researched the creature is they could be something that appealed to his heightened storytelling instincts. These were beings to be feared, respected, and in absolutely no uncertain terms, fucked with. Old World gods, as the filmmaker sums up.He even found his way back to those Hunt of the Unicorn tapestries he saw as a child: I became interested in the specific medieval unicorn mythology, and then [those tapestries] quickly came to the fore, Scharfman explains. Somewhere in the outlining stages, it became this idea of turning the movie into an adaptation of the tapestries.Believed to have been produced sometime around the turn of the 16th century in the Netherlands, this Gothic masterpiece is composed of seven murals depicting the men who seek to kill and extract a unicorns healing abilities and the creatures refusal to stay down.We referenced them all the time, says Ortega. I mean, theyre kind of a dead giveaway if you have any knowledge of them for what the film really is Its like a cheat sheet.As her director muses, All the violence of the second half of the movie and a lot of the creature feature fun is brought into that more formal language of the Middle Ages, and the tapestries themselves. It was an ancient way to speak about the world of here and now.Fathers and DaughtersWhen we meet Rudds Elliot and Ortegas Ridley, neither resembles a character from fantasy or crumbling texts. Theyre an everyday father and daughter, moments away from discovering the last extraordinary thing in the world after it falls beneath the wheels of their car. The scenario is preposterous, but the characterization of a family still grieving the loss of Elliots wife and Ridleys mother is not.I dont think weve properly dealt with [the loss], either one of us but particularly me, in the healthiest of ways, Rudd tells us of the schism in the relationship between his and Ortegas characters. Theres a lot of love between us, but it does feel as if were just a little bit off track.Ortega would agree, suggesting that until the characters can acknowledge aloud their continued sense of loss, there is no ability to heal. The implications this has for two folks about to discover the curative powers of a unicorn are obvious, but its even stronger when considering where the two are headed in a nigh-deserted nature preserve: the summer home of the Leopold family, a billionaire pharmaceutical dynasty and Elliots new prospective clients.Pauls playing someone who is grappling with a lot of very real conflicts of conscience as an adult in the 21st century, says Scharfman. Hes trying to make a living, provide for a family, and all of the moral relativism that comes with that when you choose to be an attorney for a pharmaceutical company.Its also created a divide between a father and daughter that seems ever pertinent.When theyre young and idealistic, kids say, You cant do morally corrupt things to earn money, Rudd considers, and sometimes as you get older, you can somehow talk yourself into certain things because you need to pay your rent. Death of a Unicorn is thus touching on the age divide in this current moment. However, its also about disparate generations coming togetheron and off the screen.Whether its someone playing my parent or somebody playing a love interest, I try to connect with people through music, Ortega explains of her process of building a rapport with co-stars. I think thats the easiest way just to get a better understanding of somebody. So she and Rudd broke ice and bread by exchanging playlists, often by way of the younger thespian introducing the older to new sounds.Im blown away by her depth of musical knowledge; she was playing me stuff that Id never heard, from all different decades, that was just so good, Rudd beams. I didnt know about the Amazing Blondel, but I listen to the Amazing Blondel so much now, and thats all from Jenna.In a certain sense, the film is about the eternal divide between fathers and daughters. In another, it is derived from the extreme present.Eat the RichWhen Elliot and Ridley show up at the Leopold estate, still splattered in liquid lavender, the father thinks he is there to find a client. Instead, it is a modern-day liege lord that awaits. Odell Leopold (Richard E. Grant) and his family might greet Elliot as a new amigo and legal partner, but in actuality they yearn for a miracle cure for Odells late-stage tumors. Played with freakish flair by an ensemble that also includes Ta Leoni as the patriarchs polished wife Belinda and Will Poulter as a callow son who will put almost anythingI was trying to think about the movie writ large, says Scharfman. To update a medieval story to the 21st century, a captain of industry, an oligarch, is essentially a feudal lord. They do have their fiefdom, and his fiefdom is the pharmaceutical industry its just not a geographical fiefdom; now its an industrial one, its a corporate one.If it were a tapestry, Elliot would be here to bend the kneeand avert his gaze from the weirdos of the realm. As Rudd muses, The thing about Alex is hes got an economy with language, and he writes so descriptively about these kinds of upper-crust people who are horrible.One doesnt need to squint to see the modern parallels of the current moment when this family discovers unicorns are real and begins dreaming of selling their lifeforce to any friends in Davos whove had a public health scare. Rudd even cracks he could find a corrupt pharmaceutical familys latest scandal by simply scrolling through todays headlines.Still, all involved seem a little shocked at how prescient this movies turned out in a Luigi Mangione sense, as Scharfman acknowledges.I didnt see that coming specifically, he adds, but I do think theres a rising tide that people have seen coming for a while, though I dont know how high that tide will get. And despite not necessarily being a fan of so-called eat the rich movies, the filmmaker admits theres something in the zeitgeist; after all, Death of a Unicorn is the only one of these movies where some of the rich are literally eaten.Creatures FeaturedAs perceptive as the subtext of Death of a Unicorn becomes, the text ultimately remains the films star attraction, and by movies end, its in bold capital letters as the thing turns into a throwback to the creature features of yesteryear. Theres a monster outside the house, and it wants in.It was cool because we actually used puppets, Ortega says of the films many practical moments where she came eyeball-to-eyeball with a unicorn. So you just kind of have to ignore the people huffing and puffing and doing backbends to hide their bodies off-camera.No stranger to visual effects either, Rudd took a special pleasure in the retro charm of it all, revealing his phone is chock-full of photos of malevolent unicorns captured in mid-construction.I remember the first day when we were all on the soundstage for filming and saw some of the unicorns being built, and how they worked with the puppeteers, and how they made the hooves move, Rudd says. I thought the craftsmanship that went into making them was incredible, and every detail, just from the eyes to the hair on the puppets, you couldnt believe you werent looking at the real thing.This includes shots where it might just be a guy holding a unicorns head on a stick in front of Rudd. Its ridiculous in the moment but effective onscreen. It also deliberately evokes some of Stan Winstons velociraptor tricks in the original Jurassic Park.Smiles Scharfman, I started realizing the creatures were about the same size as the raptors in proportion to the humans. This led to oh, they can get inside the house! which you dont get with a lot of creature movies. So that became a fun reference point.Raptors, xenomorphs, and George Romero zombies were all namechecked among the influences in the filmas were intriguingly the Coen Brothers and Bong Joon-ho. As it turns out, not every creature element is meant to terrorize. Some, in fact, are transcendent, such as the first time Ortega touches the fabled horn and communes with the beast in a kaleidoscopic symphony of imagery and harp music.Its this otherworldly supernatural attachment to this creature, Ortega says of her kinship with the beast. It takes her on this celestial journey into the unknown. Its everything that we think the afterlife would be, and its like all of these realms existing at once, and its the most beautiful thing youve ever seen in your life, and its the most terrifying thing youve ever seen.It also hints that there is more at play with these steeds intelligence than just an appetite. Says Ortega, I think in a way theyre almost trying to enlighten Ridley. Its this understanding that they need to protect one another, that they are one, which I guess makes sense coming from a unicorn whos endangered. You might want to form some sympathy!The Maiden FairDeath of a Unicorn can be a strange beast. Its funny. Its scary. It wants to be, as its director says, someones favorite movie, provided that fave is silly, highly rewatchable, but never junk food. It is perhaps a film meant for someone like the character of Ridleya vaper who would appreciate that shes inspired by art history.I was trying to think of what is a pure-hearted maiden in 2025, Scharfman says about the final major influence from medieval mythology: a young womanwho can enchant a unicorn. And thats probably an idealist empath whos on a college campus somewhere protesting right now.Says Ortega, I mean down to even that big red jacket that I wear, it was inspired by the cloak the maiden is wearing in the tapestries.The movie toys with generational and class differences, and has at least one elite consumed la carte by stallions, but it is reaching toward something the director hopes is finally aspirational.With my generation, its a blessing and a curse to have the internet because we have the world at our fingertips, and we can educate ourselves as much as we want to, or we can fall down rabbit holes as much as we want to, Ortega considers. But the general feeling, and what kind of gives me hope for my generation, is that for the most part, we are doing our best to be open and empathetic and supportive of so many different walks of life.That can include the unicorns they meet along the way. Sure, the ones in this movie are ferocious, ravenous, and sometimes prone to wholesale slaughter, but theyre also inspired by real-life animals. Even that glittery purple blood carries meaning.Theres something interesting in creating a fictional creature that somehow lives between warm and cold-blooded, Scharfman says. Obviously, red plus blue equals purple. But he also notes that throughout the movie, Rudds Elliot is coded in blue while Ortegas Ridley is in red.As the movie progresses, theyre moving toward each other, the director adds. Which gives you purple. The good stuff.Death of a Unicorn premieres at SXSW on March 8 and opens nationwide on March 28.

Toy Fair 2025, the largest and most iconic toy trade show in the Western Hemisphere kicked off its 119th event this past weekend in New York City. From March 1-4, tens of thousands of global play professionals walked the showfloor of the Javits Center to preview thousands of the hottest new and unique toys, games, and youth entertainment products making their debut at the annual North American International Toy Fair in New York.Produced by The Toy Association, the industry-and media-only trade show offers direct access to the marketplace for toy manufacturers, retailers, licensors, inventors, wholesalers, and distributors. Nearly 850 exhibiting toy companies showed off the latest dolls and plush, STEM toys, outdoor playthings, action figures, arts & crafts, specialty toys, retro, nostalgic, and innovative games, toy vehicles, collectibles, licensed toys, and more many of which will launch later this year just in time for the holiday season.We got a first look at upcoming products from Bandai, Tamagotchi, Super7, Funko, McFarlane Toys and more!BandaiBandai Namco, the master toy licensee of some of the most popular brands in childrens toys showcased all the exciting new releases from their toys, collectibles and premium lines. The new offerings displayed loads of new products from Dragon Ball Super, Tamagotchi, Anime Heroes, Godzilla, Ultraman, Gashapon Blind Packs, and much more. Bandai showed us some incredible new toys and products from their popular Anime Heroes lines, Godzilla Movie Monster Series and Tamagotchi.The Godzilla Movie Monster Series is one of the most extensive and popular offerings with a great variety of Godzilla brands, different size formats and different monsters available. The high quality, very articulated figures feature great details like skins, texture, teeth, and red eyes highly detailed with a true likeness to the character with a wide range of articulation.2025 will see a bunch of Godzilla characters from their respective films that span the franchise such as its own fire breath effects specific to that character from Godzilla 91 up to 2003.Bandai Namco Godzilla Godzilla 1991, 6 Action Figure Set $24.99MSRP:Release Date: March 25, 2025.Tamagotchi NanoSince launching in Japan in 1996, the portable nurturing toys have expanded overseas, selling more than 83 million units worldwide. The Tamagotchi Nano series has been developed in Japan in collaboration with some of the most popular fandoms, resonating with people of all ages, consistently reinventing itself to appeal to todays kids and bringing new experiences to fans hands.Tamagotchi showed us several anime IPs with a selection of characters from series like Jujutsu Kaisen, Demon Slayer, Spy Family, and One Piece where fans can nurture and care for characters from within that universe, such as Chopper (One Piece) and others from their respective franchises. Fans can engage with their favorite characters by feeding them when they are hungry, giving them snacks when they are in a bad mood, and playing mini-games.In addition to their Disney-related Tamagotchi Nanos R2D2 and Grogu released two years ago fans can now follow Anakin Skywalker on his journey to the dark side as he becomes Darth Vader. Caring for Anakin Skywalker, fans can play five different mini-games, engage in 12 scenes from different Star Wars films and can run into different SW characters. Discover how the dark side is revealed with Vader available this month.Tamagotchi Nano x Star Wars Darth Vader with Silicon Case Set (AGE: 8+) US$29.99MSRP:Release Date: March 11, 2025Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!Also available are the latest Original Tamagotchi releases with four stunning new shell designs including Pink Treasure Jewel, Tama Smile, Angel Sky, and Angel Party! Each device offers a fresh twist on the classic virtual pet, with colorful and unique designs that are sure to brighten up your collection.Original Tamagotchi (AGE: 8+)US$19.99MSRP: Release Date: Available now.Super7Super7 displayed loads of new offerings across many different fandoms including new Universal Monsters Reaction Plus with Dracula, Wolfman, and Creature announced; SuperSize Astronaut Snoopy and Sesame Street SuperSize Vinyl Big Bird; new all-clear Krang (TMNT); new fun-fun line Godzilla; new G.I. Joe waves, new hip-hop ReAction figures, and the just-introduced Edgar Allan Poe to the Super7 ReAction Figure line!Reaction Music displayed some new Wave 4 drops for hip hop fans with their brand new Biggie Jersey ReAction Figure and Brand new Dirty straight from the Grammys as the Music- ReAction Figures provide the soundtrack of our lives.It was all a dream Biggie Smalls aka Notorious B.I.G. hailed as one of, if not the, greatest rapper of all time is back with a brand new figure inspired by the legendary music video for his debut hit single, Juicy. Taking you back to where it all began with the new 3.75 scale Notorious B.I.G. the Super 7 figure features Biggie in his iconic yellow jersey and includes a microphone and removable chain accessories. It also comes packaged on a gold-foil blistered cardback adorned with a glitter pendant design.Notorious B.I.G. ReAction Figures Wave 4 (Yellow Jersey) $20.00MSRP:Release Date: Available NowShimmy Shimmy Ya Super 7 has Wu-Tang fans covered with the exciting assortment of Wu figure. Now theres a new must-have Ol Dirty Bastard figure to add to your Wu-collection! Marketed as the most unpredictable man in hip-hop history ODB didnt just make musiche made moments, and ReAction captures Ol Dirty Bastards red carpet style which was just as iconic as his rhymes! Packed on a full-color blistered cardback, this articulated, 3.75 scale is inspired by one of ODBs most iconic red carpet looks and includes a microphone accessoryperfect for recreating iconic moments on both the concert, and award show stage.Ol Dirty Bastard ReAction Figures Wave 4 ODB (For The Children) $20.00MSRP:Release Date: Available NowFrom one of their bigger and more expensive collectible lines, comes the new poseable Sesame Street SuperSize Vinyl figure of Big Bird! Made of premium soft vinyl and standing at a whopping 19.5 tall, the iconic bird includes a soft goods collar and necktie that he wears on very special occasions. The vinyl comes packaged in full-color premium packaging, making it perfect for display or play.Sesame Street SuperSize Vinyl Big Bird $295.00MSRP:Release Date: Available NowGoliathGoliath, one of largest global family-owned games manufacturers, takes innovative toys and game collections to brand new heights. The home to some of the industrys top selling and family favorite games for over 40 years, Goliath offers a range of games for all ages including kids games, family games, party games, chilling ADULT/CRIME, along with the recent distribution of Funko Games opening up exciting play to older fans.Fans of the Party games line may already be familiar with Funko Games Scream, but now they have decided to introduce the upcoming Chucky The Game. The card game challenges players to be the first person to stab Chucky twice before he chases you. The immersive board game comes equipped with a custom creepy Chucky figure and playable fear cards and empty cards. Players push the button to provoke Chucky, but beware you want to find the knife card before he jumps and attacks. The game is for 1-5 players and provides spooky fans with actual jump-scare!Chucky The Game Ages 13+$19.99MSRP: Release Date: August 2025 on Amazon and Calendar ClubIn other exciting news, Goliath also recently announced their partnership with The Sims to launch the first-ever board game for the iconic franchise! One of the most beloved and best-selling video game franchises of all time, The Sims celebrates its 25th birthday in 2025! The new board game will bring The Sims into homes around the world with an entirely new way to play.Slated for release in Fall 2025, The Sims board game promises to capture the spirit of creativity, self- expression, and gameplay that has made the video game a global, pop culture phenomenon. Since its launch, The Sims has seen more than 500 million lifetime players across all of our games and is the number one brand in the life simulation category. Not much else has been released to the public yet, but stay tuned for more updates.JazwaresJazwares, a Berkshire Hathaway imprint and leading toy company, brought the heat with a massive new lineup from its popular portfolio of hit brands and toys. Jazwares gave us a first-hand look at whats new with highlights from Squishmallows, Pokmon, Hello Kitty and Friends, Star Wars Micro Galaxy Squadron, Jazwares new construction system BLDR, and much, much more! Jazwares showcased licenses for sci-fi & coveted toys & collectibles from IPs such as Stranger Things, Five Nights at Freddys, Star Wars Micro Galaxy Squadron, Total Anime, AEW, Fortnite, Halo, and Jazwares Vault.Jazwares showcases their popular brands Squishmallows, Hello Kitty and Friends, and BLDR at New York Toy Fair, Saturday, March 1, 2025 in New York. (Jason DeCrow/AP Content Services for Jazwares, LLC.)The latest product launched from their Construction line which includes Pets, Hello Kitty and Friends, and Squishmallows, comes the Anime BLDR. The BLDR Chainsaw Man Buildable Action Figure Construction Set comes with 311 pieces and stands 12-inches tall when fully assembled. It features 19 points of articulation and can be posed to recreate your favorite battle scenes. It also includes special features like opening jaws and unique chainsaw pieces in addition to printed elements and authentic details from the anime.The officially licensed Chainsaw Man product comes with easy-to-follow building instructions to help you create your favorite sets. Equipped with the Quik Brik piece, builders can construct an exceptionally sturdy and posable base model quickly and easily. BLDR bricks are compatible with all major construction brands, ensuring endless creativity.BLDR Chainsaw Man Buildable Action Figure Age: 8+$19.99MSRP: Release Date: Available NowJazwares also offers multiple brands of detailed AEW (All Elite Wrestling) professional wrestling collectibles. Jazwares AEW Unrivaled, Unmatched & Wrestling Buddies feature your favorite superstars from both promotions. AEW Unmatched wrestling figures feature 25+ points of articulation, collector packaging, real 3D scanned likenesses, plus authentic ring attire and accessories as seen weekly on AEW Dynamite, AEW Rampage and AEW pay-per-views.Unmatched Figure Series 11 Chase Switchblade Jay White Age 8+ $19.99MSRP:Release Date: Available NowUnmatched Figure Series 11 Skye Blue Age 8+$19.99MSRP: Release Date: Available NowFunkoFunko encompasses all three brands Funko, Mondo, and Loungefly offering something for everyone, no matter what your fandom is with high-end collectibles and accessories so you can also wear your fandom.Mondo is not only known for its exclusive fan-focused vinyls and metallic posters but its attention to detail on its collectible figures and creative packaging. Mondo Monster has some spooky finds with M3gan and its latest Nightmare Vessels an experiential component when it comes to their collectibles with vinyls and collectible containers. Halloween 2 (The boogieman) is back as part of Mondos new Nightmare Vessel line, featuring articulated soft vinyl figures that arrive inside pumpkin sculpted collectible containers. The pumpkin packagings back of the box is a comic about nightmare vessels, and inside the pumpkin it replicates pumpkin guts with a toy figure and additional accessories inside. There is also a spectral Glow-In-The-Dark Variant. American Werewolf in London, and more are coming soon.Nightmare Vessels An American Werewolf in London Demons Soft Vinyl 2-Pack$125MSRP: Release Date: Available NowFunko just announced Bitty City a new way to display your Bitty POPs! shrunken down versions of Funko POPs! that are truly customizable with roads and accessories like mailboxes, lamp posts, trees, and holiday offerings like ghosts, Christmas trees etc. Your teensy tiny displays of Bitty City Towns, scenery and rides are all interchangeable, build a world of mini wonders and expand your collection, even in small spaces, with individual Bitty Pop!, sets, displays, and more.Funko showed us a giant display of 3D renderings of upcoming plans for the future including a stadium, stage, ferris wheel, more houses, a pirate ship, and the Funko headquarters.The Bittyverse also offers accessories like rides such as the Batmobile and display cases of different fandoms. The Bitty arcades, which is like your mini Funko is playing classic games, will be available at Wondercon which is the first to market. The Bitty boxes look like standard Funko boxes are a fun way to display your Bittys like Strange Things in the Upside Down!We also got a sneak peek of the upcoming Funko POP! collectible brand-new vinyl figures of the live-action How to Train your Dragon.McFarlane ToysOne of the biggest announcements comes from industry leader and innovator global toy company McFarlane Toys. Founded over 30 years ago by Todd McFarlane, the Grammy-and Emmy-winning producer/director and the creator of Spawn, blessed us with loads of reveals.McFarlane Toys has signed new licensing deals to create new products based on TMNT comics and Mortal Kombat Klassics which are still in prototype! Other reveals included New 1/10 scale Marvel reveals of Black Panther, Storm, Carnage, Cyclops, The Thing, Beast, 1/6 scale Deadpool, Iron Man & Venom, Brzrkr, The Killing Joke, and a Page Puncher new Supergirl.The comic book collector favorite McFarlane Toys Page Punchers, which offer fans the ultimate action pack of an iconic comic book paired with a 3-inch or 7-inch action figure, is also getting new entries. Packaged with a single-issue comic, the fully articulated figures are expertly detailed and faithfully channel the character designs from 2D illustration into 3D figural form bringing the page to life.Straight from the Infinite Frontier run of Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow by Tom King, comes the stunning Page Puncher Supergirl figure that has every feature downpack from her curls to her facial expression.Mortal Kombat Klassic CollaborationWe were some of the first to see in person the work-in-progress prototypes of the upcoming Mortal Kombat Klassic figures. McFarlane Toys proudly announces an exciting new collaboration with Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products to bring the iconic Mortal Kombat Klassic brand to McFarlane Toys growing video game collectible category. Early renderings were first revealed during the IGN FanFest live stream on February 28th, teasing the release of fan favorite characters such as Sub-Zero, Scorpion, Liu Kang, Kitana and Mileena, with many more to come.The upcoming series will feature highly detailed 7-inch action figures, each crafted with meticulous attention to detail, designed to capture the Klassic designs of the original Mortal Kombat characters. These figures are fully articulated and will include additional accessories, sold in both solo and multipacks. The highly anticipated collection is set to launch in Summer 2025 and will be available online and through select retailers.

This article contains spoilers for Daredevil: Born Again episodes 1 and 2 and Secret Invasion.Some seven years after Netflix pulled the plug on its beloved Daredevil series, the Man Without Fear is being born again over on Disney+. Daredevil: Born Again Marvel Cinematic Universe after he popped up in the likes of Spider-Man: No Way Home and She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. Promising a bloodier and more brutal take on your typical Marvel Studios series, the Born Again premiere wasted no time in getting there with a brutal character death.One of the earliest rumors was that the Daredevil sequel series wouldnt include Elden Hensons Foggy Nelson or Deborah Ann Wolls Karen Page, but while audience backlash was instant, confirmation that theyd be reprising their roles quickly undid that. Skeptics downplaying the whispers that Nelson, Page, or both could perish didnt stop Born Again from establishing itself as a no-holds-barred continuation. With jaws on the floor, Foggy was shot in the first five minutes and left to bleed out slowly before the opening credits rolled.To say that Foggys death was shocking would be an understatement, as social media was quickly filled by those who praised it as a brilliant end to a character they first met in 2015, and others calling it a desecration of a fan-favorite before he gets to reach his true potential as part of the MCU. Either way, the death of Foggy Nelson feels like it repeats a mistake from another maligned Marvel series. With Foggy expected to at least help Murdock settle into his new (official) stomping ground of the MCU, it seems as though his Born Again demise echoes what happened to Cobie Smulders Agent Maria Hill in Secret Invasions own premiere.Secret Invasion waited until the end of its first episode to kill Hill, where she was spectacularly shot in the stomach by a Skrull version of Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and left on a cliffhanger. It was up to Smulders to confirm the longstanding character death, whereas Daredevil: Born Again wasted no time in clarifying Foggys demise and how itll shape the likes of Murdock and Page moving forward. Heavens Half Hour featured the return of Wilson Bethels Benjamin Poindexter/Bullseye shooting Foggy, and much like how Hills death gave Fury a mission of vengeance, it set Daredevil on a much darker path.Despite Daredevil: Born Again and Secret Invasion reiterating that no one is safe, Nelson and Hill arent exactly MVPs of their respective shows. At least the writers have managed to avoid Secret Invasions problematic fridging trope that accused the series of killing Hill just to catapult Furys arc forward. Its just unfortunate that Foggy seems like hes being used for the same plot device. Unlike Hills unexpected death, Nelsons death actually makes a little more sense for comic book fans. Born Again seems to put a typical MCU twist on the Guardian Devil arc where Bullseye killed Karen in 1999s Daredevil Vol. 2 #5.Speaking to ScreenRant, showrunner Dario Scardapane suggested that although Foggy was always doomed to perish, he changed the circumstances surrounding how it happened. Scardapane told the outlet that it needed to happen as a way to break up the family dynamic and force Murdock to put away his mask: It was an inevitability! Truth be toldIn the original version, before I came in, he had died, but it was off-screen, and for me, it couldnt be off-screen. You had to feel it and thats why that statement happened literally. Whereas Hill was quickly forgotten, Foggys death will hopefully have more of a long-lasting effect on the series.Foggys death remains something of a confusing one, especially considering Marvel TV boss Brad Winderbaum confirmed to Phase Zeros Brandon Davis that Woll and Henson will be back for Born Again season 2. Winderbaum admitted he cant imagine a Matt Murdock story without the pair alongside Cox, although its unclear how Foggy will come back. While were guessing some flashbacks will be used to flesh out the missing years since Daredevils cancellation, its unclear what these will exactly add to the story. Theres also the idea that hell appear as some sort of ghostly guide to Murdock, but again, its a tired TV trope thats been done time and again (thanks Agatha All Along). The wildest option could also follow the comics and give fans the MCUs own version of Foggy being stabbed to death in 2006s Daredevil #82. Just a few issues later, it was revealed that the FBI had moved Foggy into witness protection, and he was recovering under a new identity.There have been plenty of divisive character deaths across the history of the MCU, and although ones like Tom Hiddlestons Loki havent stuck (multiple times), it really looks like Foggy has kicked the bucket. While he might be massive in the world of Daredevil,Avengers: Secret Wars through some multiversal shenanigans. Its a shame for those whod only just got to experience Hensons portrayal of Foggy, although wed question why youre jumping into Born Again without at least familiarizing yourself with Daredevils past.Daredevil: Born Again episodes one and two are available to stream on Disney+ now. New episodes premiere Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET on Disney+.

In The Pitt, Maxs new medical drama, a Silicon Valley-esque directive to do more with less is delivered shortly before a patient with botched silicone butt implants cries for help. A doctor dealing with her pregnancy complications must convince a mother to allow her teenager to have an abortion. Rats that escaped from the many layers of an unhoused mans clothes roam the emergency room while an unfathomable amount of misdirected bodily fluids chip away at an ever-dwindling supply of fresh scrubs.If the employees at this hospital were working a regular eight-hour shift, they would have been able to clock out shortly after the death of a child and the honor walk for a recently deceased organ donor teenager rocked them to their cores. But this isnt a 9-5 job and The Pitt isnt an eight episode prestige TV show. Everyone involved has to endure seven more hours of hellish events that compound the horrors that came before.Much has been made of The Pitts single-day format and pseudo real-time structure. As weve discussed, that format makes The Pitt the stylistic heir to Foxs 24 and gives it a creative edge over countless other medical dramas. As someone who has historically bounced off those other medical shows, Ive found that The Pitts chaotic nature not only gives it a creative edge but helps ensure that the series doesnt have time to fall into the same dramatic pitfalls that often make this well-tread genre frustratingly complacent.Yet, The Pitt is more than a medical drama. In many ways, its a show that confronts the question all of us have probably asked some version of in the last few years, How much more can we possibly take?That isnt meant to belittle the unique horrors The Pitts doctors and their real-life equivalents endure. It is mercifully difficult to imagine having to wake up and endure the kind of day The Pitt portrays, much less a careers worth of such experiences. The Pitt may be exaggerated for dramatic purposes, though the biggest exaggeration seems to be the idea all of these things would happen so quickly during the same shift. The greater purpose is to convey that aforementioned sense of compounding tragedies that can make such days feel like this.But when The Pitt star Noah Wyle described the show as a medical drama for the post-COVID world, you get the sense that he wasnt just talking about the fresh hells and PTSD that event brought to the medical community. The last several years have tested the resiliency and sanity of every right-minded person. Supposed once in a lifetime events have been stacked on top of each other in ways that may have also once felt exaggerated for dramatic purposes. Some have lost everything and many have been forced to process more than they thought they could ever stand.All the while, we and the staff at the Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Hospital must deal with a world that refuses to slow down long enough to let us actually heal. Worse, those in charge often seem more obsessed with archaic metrics of production and progression that often feel more trivial than ever, despite their growing prevalence. Are any of those metrics (such as the vague patient satisfaction score that threaten to get The Pitts staff fired) used to help find ways to make things truly better? Rarely. More often, they are used to further a world in which the only real incentive is the threat that things could still get worse.So, we develop a callus. We harden ourselves enough to allow us to press on without having to constantly process the everything of it all. It helps us survive, but we cant help but wonder if weve given away too much of what makes us human. As surviving and living have become so intertwined, we look for proof that sacrifices and displays of humanity will allow us to do more than feel like fools in a world seemingly trying to tell us to stop caring and make the whole thing easier.This is where The Pitt performs its most miraculous trick. It shows us what heroes look like in such a world. In a post-anti-hero age where the cynical have seemingly inherited the Earth, The Pitt makes it so easy to root for protagonists that have been molded by the toughest of times but havent fallen victim to them. At least not yet, and at least not entirely.Its not that we can do exactly what they do. Even if we had their training, were not TV doctors. What matters so much more is that we can watch them be taken to the absolute brink of human endurance and handle it in a way that feels truly admirable. Each of them is as resilient as we can possibly hope to be while still feeling, and its still never going to be enough. Get enough such people together, though, and things feel different. When someone thinks they cant do it anymore, another comes through with the kindness, empathy, and strength required to keep them on the path.How much more can we possibly take? All signs suggest we havent found out yet. In such times, its odd to find comfort in a show that also offers an unlimited supply of trauma. Yet, there is a comfort in watching people act as we would like to believe we would act when things are as bad as they could possibly be. Because as The Pitts doctors sometimes find the time to realize, where else would you rather be in a world where everything is going wrong than where you could do the most good?Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!New episodes of The Pit premiere Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on Max, culminating with the finale on April 10.

This article contains spoilers for episodes one and two of Daredevil: Born Again.Midway through the premiere of Daredevil: Born Again, we see something we rarely ever see in the series: Wilson Fisk looking small. Shot from behind in his headquarters, Fisk appears to be dwarfed by his campaign director Sheila Rivera (Zabryna Guevara) and his right hand man Buck Cashman (Arty Froushan), who squabble over his tactics in the mayoral race.Just when Rivera seems to have gained the upper hand and can push Fisk toward traditional means, she gets interrupted by a young, energetic staffer named Daniel Blake. Obviously, Blake is ambitious and knows what hes doing by one-upping Rivera in front of Fisk. But Blake is something else, something that Fisk desperately needs as he enters into the realm of politics. Blake is a true believer.Played by Michael Gandolfini, son of The Sopranos star James Gandolfini (which places Born Again over The Penguin as the superhero heir of the seminal mob show), Daniel Blake is easily one of the most exciting characters in the first two episodes of Born Again.Blake was invented for the show, but the Mayor Fisk storyline does come from the pages of Marvel Comics. In the comics, Fisk had someone very different in the Deputy Mayor position, someone who wasnt quite so much of a true believer: Matt Murdock.Devils AdvocateBut wait! you shout. Why would Fisk ask Murdock to be Deputy Mayor? Doesnt he know that Matt Murdock is Daredevil?The answer to your question, as with almost every question of this type, is Comics.Yes, Fisk learned Daredevils secret identity long ago, as did everyone else in the world. But as a thank you for rescuing them, the children of Kilgrave the Purple Man (David Tennants character from Jessica Jones) used the mind-control powers they inherited from their father to wipe Daredevils secret identity from the world. So when the newly-elected mayor needed someone, in his words, above reproach to help convince New Yorkers that was sincere in his efforts to serve the city, he had no qualms about calling Murdock.The first part of the Mayor Fisk storyline ran through 2018s Daredevil #595 600, written by Charles Soule and illustrated by Stefano Landini and Ron Garney. As in Born Again, Mayor Fisk finds the former Kingpin of Crime using his new position to outlaw vigilantes, which handcuffs Murdock. As Daredevil, hes seen as a criminal threat. As Murdock, an assistant district attorney when the arc begins, he has to build a case against Daredevil.So when Fisk asks him to join the staff as Deputy Mayor, Murdock thinks hes found a way to fight back. Now, even viewers of the show realize that Matt Murdock, charming and well-meaning as he is, often makes very bad decisions. Thats even more true of comic book Matt, which he hears immediately from Foggy Nelson (who has also died in the comics, but comics being comics, gets to come back to life sorry TV fans). If theres one thing I know about Wilson Fisk, Foggy warns Matt; its that if you think youre playing him, he is definitely playing you.Sure enough, thats exactly what Fisks plan is, to bury Murdock under so much red tape that he cant do any work in the DAs office to undermine the administration. And it seems to work until Fisk gets attacked by Hand Ninjas and incapacitated, which puts into effect an arcane rule change that Matt and his associate in the Mayors office Steve uncovered while going through that red tape. This rule means that the Deputy Mayor takes over when the Mayor cannot serve. In other words, Matt Murdock becomes Mayor of New York City.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!The Electorate From HellIts unlikely that Daniel Blake will get to follow a similar arc. First of all, hes not Daredevil. Second, the series is more interested in using Blake to show how Fisk wins over the electorate. The man on the street segments from the first two episodes, produced by Ben Urichs neice B.B. Urich (Genneya Walton), show the community response to Mayor Fisk, people who have lost faith in the system but arent willing to throw it all away.Daniel Blake represents something different. He sees Fisks disruption of the political system as an opportunity for guys like him, guys who want to have power and dont have to deal with people holding them into account. Blake shows how Fisks brutality and disregard for law and order isnt a problem among some voters. No, its his very cruelty that makes him an attractive leader.Thus, Blake joins the Fisk administration for the exact opposite reason as Murdock. He doesnt want to find ways to stymie Fisks over-turning of law and order. He wants to help Fisk brutalize others, in the hopes that he too will get to brutalize people.Matt Murdock may be Daredevil, a man whose baser instincts drive him to put on a devil costume and beat up bad guys. But Daniel Blake is a sinner, someone who sees the evil that Fisk does and embraces it. Thats bad news for New York City, because Daniel Blake is far from alone. Will Daredevil be alone in opposing Fisk? Thats what were going to find out this season on Daredevil: Born Again.New episodes of Daredevil: Born Again stream every Tuesday on Disney+.

News Andor Season 2 Just Teased One of Star Wars Most Tragic EventsBefore the Death Star became functional, the Ghorman Massacre was one of the Empire's deadliest attacks on its people.By Brynna Arens | March 5, 2025 | | Photo: Des Willie | LucasfilmWe already know that the Galactic Empire ruled by Emperor Palpatine is ruthless and cruel. Weve seen it not just in Andor, but from the very first Star Wars movie, A New Hope. A ruling party that creates a giant death weapon that can destroy a planet in an instant is not going to be known for its compassion and kindness. That being said, a special look at the upcoming second season of Andor has revealed that the series is set to show a tragic event from Star Wars history the Ghorman Massacre.The Ghorman Massacre was first introduced in Legends canon, and has since been mentioned in canon in the Star Wars: Rebels episode Secret Cargo. What we know about the event thus far is that the Empire used Stormtroopers to slaughter a group of peaceful protestors on the planet Ghorman as a show of power and make it clear that any form of dissent will not be tolerated.In Legends canon, protestors are blocking Captain Wilhuff Tarkins ship from landing on the planet, standing on his landing pad as a form of resistance to the Empires unjust taxation. Tarkin isnt explicitly told by Palpatine to go ahead and land on top of the protestors, but Palpatine doesnt really dissuade him from doing so either.We dont yet know whether or not this particularly gruesome aspect of the massacre will be part of Andors depiction, but regardless, the Ghorman Massacre is still a tragedy. In Star Wars: Rebels, we hear about the massacre in the aftermath. Mon Mothma speaks out about the tragedy, calling out Palpatine specifically for his cruelty. Doing so puts a massive target on her back and forces her to leave Coruscant and go on the run. The Ghost crew is tasked with protecting Mon Mothma from the Empire and getting her to safety on the planet Dantooine.Not only does the Ghorman Massacre finally show the galaxy how far the Empire is willing to go to maintain its power, but it also pushes Mon Mothma to speak out in a more public way. So far in Andor, weve really only seen Mon Mothma working behind the scenes and in the shadows to do good and support the rebellion how she can. This seems to be the first time she is so blatantly outspoken about the Empire and Palpatine, and its an important turning point for the rebellion to have a senator speaking out in their favor.The special look shows us glimpses of the building tension on Ghorman and the deadly massacre that ensues, as well as a look at the senate chambers on Coruscant. This means that well likely get to see both this tragic massacre and the political aftermath that follows.The Ghorman Massacre is a tragedy, but theres no doubt that Andor will be able to show us how it transpired with tact, grace, and a fire that makes us all want to rise up and resist. Im not saying that this will be season 2s Narkina 5 prison break moment, but this has the potential to be just as, if not more, impactful.

Ahead of the hotly anticipated Roboforce: The Animated Series, Nacelle revealed a new wave of exciting action figures from the upcoming show.Based on the nostalgic toys of the 1980s, the animated series will launch an original narrative inspired by the robot action figures. In 2089 Detroit, Soraya Avirams RoboForce debuted with plans to assist a new intergalactic society on Earth. Unfortunately, the same day as the announcement, Sorayas rival, Silas Duke, revealed his new Utopia Aegis 101 line of bots, which made RoboForce immediately obsolete. RoboForce split up and was forced into menial jobs for 15 years without hope of ever being heroes Until suddenly, the Utopia Aegis 101s turn on humanity and no one else besides RoboForce can stop them.Find out more hereHome Chef is partnering with SpongeBob SquarePants to create Bikini Bottom-inspired meals, including a Krusty Krab Pizza and more.Aye-aye, captain! Catch tasty recipes inspired by SpongeBob SquarePants on the Home Chef menu for a limited time.Find out more hereLEGO revealed their latest mega Disney set, and this time its the main castle from the classic Beauty and the Beast, beautifully designed with nearly 3,000 pieces. The LEGO Group, in collaboration with The Walt Disney Company, is delighted to unveil the enchanting LEGO Disney Beauty and the Beast Castle Set. The latest in the Disney Castle range, this new LEGO set is a beautiful brick recreation of the iconic castle from Disneys Beauty and the Beast. The 2,916-piece set features four detailed levels with multiple rooms, including a ballroom with a spinning floor, a dining room with a table and spinning platters, and a tower room showcasing the enchanted rose. Builders can immerse themselves in these intricate details that bring the Beauty and the Beast story to life.Read more at BricksetIts now March, which means the NCAA Tournament is right around the corner! Discover some interesting fun facts and statistics about the beloved field. Coming down with March Madness before the Big Dance may sound like an excuse to skip prom, but it actually describes our nationwide obsession with the NCAA Mens Basketball Tournament. This 68-team basketball bonanza has been known to crown a Cinderella or two, produce at least one shining moment a year, and turn millions of Americans into illegal gamblers. Its that good.Continue reading hereJoin our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!James Gunn revealed the first look at the upcoming Lanterns show for HBO, featuring Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre as Hal Jordan and John Stewart. Chandler and Pierre hit the road in the American heartland as two Green Lanterns named Hal Jordan and John Stewart, respectively. The two investigate murders while on the road and as per the official logline, the series will follow new recruit John Stewart and Lantern legend Hal Jordan, two intergalactic cops drawn into a dark, earth-based mystery as they investigate a murder in the American heartland. The cast also features Kelly Macdonald as Sheriff Kerry, Garret Dillahunt as the modern cowboy William Macon, Poorna Jagannathan as Johns potential love interest Zoe and Ulrich Thomsen as Green Lantern villain Sinestro, starring alongside Chandler and Pierre.Read more at HypeBeast

Sidney Prescott is in trouble. The night after two of her classmates get murdered by a masked killer, this Neve Campbell heroine has been summoned to speak with her principal. The Woodsboro Sheriffs department, it seems, wants to ask Sid about the murders and their similarities with her own mothers violent end. Unnerved, Sidney enters the office looking for a familiar face. She finds one in her principal (Henry Winkler), and another in the sheriffs hapless deputy, the older brother of her best friend Tatum (Rose McGowan). Dewey, she smiles while greeting him.Thats Deputy Riley in here, Sid, the babyfaced man in a uniform nervously answers.This scene from 1996s Scream establishes the eternal struggle of Deputy Dewey Riley, one of the mainstay characters of the iconic slasher franchise. Played by David Arquette, Deputy Dewey always wanted to be a hero but could never could get the respect he craved or needed to become that guy. And with good reason, given his tendency to bumble around the various Ghostfaces instead of actually stopping them. Even so, Dewey endeared himself to audiences because he always tried his best and always did the right thing. It was such a winsome vibe that audience love for the character in test screenings caused Wes Craven to change the ending so Dewey survived his stabbing at the climax of the film. The quality also won the heart of the cynical newscaster Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox).That good-hearted affability didnt even go away after his marriage to Gale evaporated in the sequels, leaving him a burnout who drinks away his troubles at a trailer park in the 2022 requel, Scream. But the dissolution of the Dewey-Gale partnership did change the trajectory of the character, making someone who was created to be comic relief a suddenly grizzled, serious figure, who heroically sacrifices himself to help sisters Sam and Tara Carpenter (Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega) escape.Deweys death in Scream 5 was powerful, painful and absolutely wrong-headed. So wrong, in fact, that it might be a great idea to bring Dewey back for the upcoming Scream 7.Its easy to see why online fans have initially been skeptical about Deweys return since it was revealed to the trades yesterday. After all, the first Scream announced itself by killing a familiar face immediately, removing someone we know from the movie, not by adding someone. Furthermore, the sudden infusion of classic characters missing from recent moviesincluding Neve Campbells Sid and Matthew Lillards long-deceased Stu Macherfeels like an attempt to distract from the absence of the new cast the series built up. (Barrera was fired from the series due to voicing her political views about the war in Gaza, and Ortega swiftly followed her out the door, albeit some sources claimed at the time Ortega was always intending to exit.)Still, if theyre going to bring Dewey back, at least they have the chance to do him right. Dewey as a character and Arquette as a performer works best as a sad-sack; a loser who cannot get anything right. Hes even part of the comic and meta-textual nature of the story since doofus cops have been part of creator Wes Cravens approach to horror, beginning withThe Last House of the Left in 1972.Making him into a grizzled veteran for the 2022 movie never sat right. It stripped away the warm, comedic elements that Arquette brought to the franchise and replaced with a dour weight which didnt fully work. He felt like a lesser version of the traumatized version of Laurie Strode that Jamie Lee Curtis played in 2018s Halloween, a trope that has aged even worse after similar versions in Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Exorcist: Believer.When Dewey died, he wasnt himself. He was a different type of character, one that Arquette couldnt play effectively and one that wasnt needed for the story. His unlikely return in Scream 7 can work, as long as we get more of the bumbling, lovable Dewey we know from the first four movies, leaving that mournful Dewey dead in the past.

There is perhaps no video game subgenre more hit-or-miss than comic book games. There are a ton of them out there, and a large majority of them are bargain-bin schlock, unworthy of the source material that inspired them.But some comic book games are genuinely inspired, taking the essence of what makes the books great and channeling that into gameplay thats fun and engaging not just for a comic book game, but for a video game, period.Before getting into our list, one parameter: We limited entries to only one game per series, but not per franchise. For example, there are plenty of Marvel games on the list, but only one Marvel vs. Capcom title.With that out of the way, here are Den of Geeks 15 Best Video Games Inspired By Comic Books.15. X-Men Arcade (1992)Some games are simply great games, and others are so great that they become moments in time. Konamis X-Men arcade game is a vivid, electrifying snapshot of 90s X-Men hype. Stepping in front of the gigantic, obnoxiously loud arcade cabinet in the 90s, choosing from one of six X-Men on the roster (Colossus, Wolverine, Cyclops, Storm, Nightcrawler and, delightfully, Dazzler) and button mashing through stages filled with classic X-villains and oddly human-sized sentinel grunts alongside five strangers was a sensory overload experience for the ages.Nailing the visuals in a comic book game is crucial, and Konami certainly does that here with the cartoonish, crude yet stylish designs and environments. But maybe more so than any other game on this list, X-Men delivers in the sound department on a whole other level. The theme song still rocks, the stage themes are unapologetically retro, and the sound effects and voice samples are hilariously over-the-top (Colossus OOOOAAAAHHH!!! is never not funny).14. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010)Sometimes, a licensed game is announced that leaves fans scratching their heads, wondering who asked for a re-skinned rip-off of whatever video game is trending at the moment. And then there are games like Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, which make all the sense in the world. The 2D beat-em-up sidescroller was released within days of the Michael Cera-starring film adaptation of the beloved Brian Lee OMalley graphic novels in 2010. But unlike the live-action film, the game assumes the look of the comics but filtered through a 16/32-bit lens. It captures the angsty comedy of the books and fits snugly into OMalleys world.As a beat-em-up, the game is deeper than most, with a progressions system and sharp, addictive combat that makes the grind feel less grind-y. When the game really shines, though, is when four players join forces. Theres a special sauce to the four-player mode in this game that for some reason makes it twice as fun to play as a group. The screen devolving into chaos as your crew blazes through waves of enemies is unbelievably fun and easily earns this spunky adaptation a spot on our list.13. X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)While much of the gaming world waits with bated breath for Insomniacs forthcoming Marvels Wolverine, its important to remember that Raven Software already made a terrific Wolverine action game in the form of 2009s X-Men Origins: Wolverine. A gory, God of War-like game with blistering combat, gritty visuals, and riveting cinematics, its something of a unicorn in that its much, much, much better than the film on which its based.The games combat can become repetitive after hours of play, but what gives the game legs are the visuals and the insanely high gore level, which is more than appropriate considering Logans, well, nature. Hugh Jackman reprised his role for the game, which adds a ton of value, especially in a world where Deadpool & Wolverine exists.12. X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse (1994)Its not the most popular 90s X-Men video game (that title goes to Konamis arcade classic), but Capcoms X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse is a fuller expression of the 90s X-Men phenomenon. The side-scrolling beat-em-up/platformer let players choose from a roster of five X-MenPsylocke, Beast, Wolverine, Cyclops, and Gambiteach with their own stages catered to their respective powers and abilities.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!Few developers harnessed the power of the SNES hardware as well as Capcom did, and the key to this was that their illustrative art style aligned perfectly with the consoles capabilities. Mutant Apocalypse looks stunning on the system, with big, bold sprites and expressive animation that mimics a comic come to life. The games story is great, too, revolving around the island of Genosha, where mutants are kept captive by Apocalypse and his forces, and where Magneto plots to unleash an on-brand, ethically fraught catastrophe.11. Marvels Guardians of the Galaxy (2021)Marvels Guardians of the Galaxy is a sleeper title in more ways than one. When the game was announced, it seemed like an opportunistic movie tie-in straight away, and many dismissed it as such. But as players got their hands on the game, it began to set in amongst the community that this was anything but a throwaway cash-grab title bound for the bargain bin. Eidos Montreals ensemble action adventure is a blast to play, stunning to look at, and riotously entertaining to listen to thanks to the wonderful banter between the Guardians weve all come to know and love on the big screen.The game isnt directly based on the MCU films, though the teams dynamic and the materials comedic tone are unmistakably taken straight from the films. In this sense, the games grand scale serves as one of its greatest virtuesbecause youre spending so much time with this iteration of the Guardians, the comparisons to the MCU counterparts gradually fade away and the games story takes on a shape and identity of its own.10. Marvel: Ultimate Alliance (2006)No matter the medium, the commercial appeal of Marvel is the thrill of the mega-crossover. There has always been something indulgent and satisfying about seeing all of your favorite characters team up and fight alongside one another, and no games capture this better than the Marvel: Ultimate Alliance series. All of them are great in their own right (including the X-Men Legends games), but Marvel Ultimate Alliance strikes the best balance across the board.The game boasts a deep roster of fan favorites, with perks applied for partnering up characters classically aligned in the comics. Its ARPG features like this that lent the game just the right amount of depth without compromising the visceral enjoyment of playing a top-down button-masher. All of the MUA games are a blast to play, but after Marvel Ultimate Alliance, they all felt somewhat iterative.9. Injustice 2 (2017)The precursor to the Injustice series, Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe, was a bizarre, gimmicky mash-up of two properties that shouldnt work well togetherand kinda didnt. It was a serviceable fighting game, but the tone compromise that left the game glaringly bereft of the signature Mortal Kombat gore and fatalities made the whole package feel half-baked.Subsequent sequels Injustice: Gods Among Us and and Injustice 2 benefitted from disconnecting from the Mortal Kombat milieu, delivering a more cohesive vision of a dark DC Universe with iconic DC superheroes and supervillains clashing in an epic story that, despite all of the moving pieces, actually comes together quite well. Whats most notable about Injustice 2 is that the fighting mechanics are impressively well balanced and fun, to the point where the game is more conducive to serious competitive play than most MK-rooted games have been in the past.8. The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction (2005)Back in 2005, comic book games had a bad rap. Most of them were generic, conventional, mid-budget efforts with only a superficial connection to the source material. Out of this pool of mediocrity, however, rose The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction, a game that let players feel the awesome power of the green guy in the palms of their hands, though not in the way youd expect.Yes, it is fun to smash stuff in the game. From using giant structures as impromptu bowling balls to thunderclapping gigantic mech suits to pieces, laying waste to the games enemies and destructible environments is crazy entertaining. But what makes the fun truly endless is the movement and traversal controls. Hulk has a palpable sense of speed, weight, and momentum as he bounds and slides around the game world. Leaping hundreds of feet across chasms or from building top to building top is exhilarating, and leaving a path of rubble in your wake makes it even sweeter. Something that makes the game extra impressive is that it was released on the PS2, Xbox, and Gamecube, systems one wouldnt think would be able to handle this level of mayhem.7. The Wolf Among Us (2013)For some reason, Fables never took off in the mainstream the way it seemed poised to do in the early aughts. The graphic novel series was something of a phenomenon in the comics space for years, and while the concept of fairy tale characters living among us made its way to the big and small screens in subsequent years, a true adaptation never materialized. Thankfully, Telltale Games applied their talents to the Fables universe in 2015 with The Wolf Among Us, an episodic adventure game very much in the mode of the studios other narrative-driven titles.While the Telltale engine didnt exactly age well as time went on, its perfectly suited for the inky, neo-noir atmosphere of Bigby Wolfs adventures, set in the mid-80s before the events of the books. Of all the Telltale Games, this one is perhaps the most faithful to the source material in tone and style, and the upcoming sequel has got fans of the original game and the graphic novels hungry for more Bigby tales and pieces of lore to expand the Fables canon.6. LEGO Batman 2: DC Superheroes (2012)LEGO video games are often misunderstood by gamers who havent given them a try. Are they kids games? Yes, theyre great for kids. But theres a lot more depth to them than the brightly-colored, approachable cover art would lead you to believe. Theyre chock-full of content and collectibles, the puzzle and exploration mechanics are thoughtfully designed, and the campaigns are genuinely funny and entertaining, with an irreverent voice unique to the franchise.All of the LEGO Batman games are worth playing, but its LEGO Batman 2: DC Superheroes that ushered in the era of the overachieving LEGO game. It features a bustling open world filled with, yes, countless collectibles, but also some seriously entertaining interactions between Batman and a slew of characters from across the DC Universe. Like many games on this list, LEGO Batman 2 does right by its comic book roots but carves a niche out for itself and expands the Batman universe on its own terms.5. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredders Revenge (2022)There have been a lot of great TMNT side-scrollers over the years, with all of them following roughly the same arcade beat-em-up formula. There is a lot of nostalgia wrapped up in these titles, particularly the older ones (Konamis TMNT arcade, Turtles In Time). But its Tribute Games Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredders Revenge that is the ultimate version of the tried-and-true TMNT formula. The snappy combat from the legacy titles is preserved and improved upon here, with loads of new mechanics and features that dont get in the way of the arcade-style accessibility.The decision by the devs to stick with the 16-bit visuals of the classic games while souping them up by optimizing performance and embellishing graphical elements that the older machines couldnt embellish has the effect of the game looking both delightfully retro and dazzlingly modern. The level of refinement here is so high that the game transcends the realm of homage and stands at the pinnacle of the TMNT gaming mountain.Yes, Telltale Games episodic The Walking Dead series released at the height of The Walking Deads popularity on TV and in comic shops, but it was anything but a half-hearted cash grab. The open-ended adventure game following Lee Everett and his young, unlikely companion Clementine is one of the most affecting stories of a gaming generation, no matter which path the player chooses to take.Its the elegant, nuanced way the relationship between Lee and Clementine develops that makes the game so enduring. Subsequent sequels and spinoffs do well to carry on the legacy of this first season of content, but it was the initial run that set the tone and led to Telltale Games flooding the market with licensed games in the same style.Every Marvel vs. Capcom game brings something to the table, but Marvel vs. Capcom 2: Age of New Heroes is the best of the bunch. Its arguably the pinnacle of Capcoms 2D fighting game visuals, particularly from a sheer onscreen insanity standpoint. The ability to assemble a three-character team results in chaotic battles and encourages experimentation, which the enormous, 56-character roster supports handily. Combat is dizzyingly frenetic thanks to the Variable System, which allows for dynamic tag-ins and switches that can completely change the momentum of a fight.While the arcade version of the game is the version most remember, its the Dreamcast release that cemented the game as an all-time favorite for so many. When the game was released in the early 2000s, home consoles werent as powerful as most arcades, which made great console ports of arcade titles incredibly uncommon and coveted. The Dreamcast version of MvC2 was an extraordinarily good port of the arcade version, which made playing the game at home a rare treat.2. Marvels Spider-Man 2 (2023)In their purest form, comic book games should be story-driven for the simple fact that comic books themselves are story-driven. Insomniacs Spider-Man games are rich, multi-faceted, fully-featured games filled to the brim with missions and various open-world tasks, but its the stories that make them a cut above the rest. The characters are three-dimensional and develop over time, the dialogue sounds considerably more naturalistic and less awkward than most modern games (even some AAA titles), and like the best superhero comics, the overarching narrative has something meaningful to say.What makes Marvels Spider-Man 2 the best of the three titles is that its a culmination and amplification of all of the best things Marvels Spider-Man and Miles Morales had going for them. The continued refinement of the series formula and Insomniacs uncanny ability to, in an age of painfully long development cycles, crank out ridiculously polished games in rapid succession (Miles Morales, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, and Marvels Spider-Man 2 all released within three years) speaks to the studios greatness, and Peter and Miles epic tag-team adventure is a top-tier showcase for current-gen console gaming.1. Batman: Arkham Knight (2015)As video games become increasingly complex and robust over time, particularly in the big-budget, AAA realm, it becomes more difficult for them to click on all levels and feel immaculate like the near-perfect classics of earlier console and PC generations. Batman: Arkham Knight is one of those rare modern masterpieces that approaches perfection. It almost feels redundant at this point to talk about how great this game is from top to bottom, but the fact that most new open-world games still cant hold a candle to it ten years later speaks volumes.Arkham Knight does justice to the legacy of Batman comics by telling a modern, gothic tale that stands on its own rather than follow an arc from the books beat for beat. The characters are spectacularly brought to life by the artists and voice actors, and the games climax, centered on Bruce and Alfreds Knightfall Protocol, is flat-out breathtaking. With Rockstar reportedly working on a new entry in the Arkham series, we could be in store for yet another rousing chapter in the ongoing saga. But until then, Arkham Knight is well worth revisiting time and time again.

Since we learned that Amazon MGM Studios has acquired the creative rights to James Bond, the online mood regarding the franchises future has seemed grim. If youve ever followed the history of beloved cultural institutions being acquired by corporate behemoths, youll understand the sudden jumps to the worst possible conclusions. Even the Bond tribute at the 97th annual Academy Awards felt like an in memoriam package for a series that is not technically dead yet.What Bond fans across the world are really feeling right now is uncertainty. When will the next Bond movie be released? Will that movie be treated as a cinematic event? Is Amazon interested in bringing the brand into a bold new age or has a group of boardroom bros already slapped an IP sticker on the series and begun dreaming about which influencers they will invite to the launch of a James Bond-themed casino and resort?On top of all of that, the who will play James Bond? question once again lingers. And while its impossible not to be curious who will suit up, the fact of the matter is that numerous qualified performers will be eager to take on the legacy role even during this bizarre time. Still, a far more interesting and telling question is: Who will be James Bonds next villain?Historically, you could safely bet that the next Bond villain would probably be a sophisticated megalomaniac with grand plans for world (and possibly intergalactic) domination, and the resources needed to make those plans happen. In a strange twist of fate, though, those same characteristics have been used to describe and criticize Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.While he gives off more extremely divorced energy than were used to seeing from the typical 007 baddie, the parallels between Bezos and the average Bond villain are, at least, quite funny. His bald head, immense wealth gained through ruthless industrial tactics, obsession with space, desire to manipulate global events through technology, and disdain for world governments Bezos doesnt just resemble a Bond supervillain; hes the kind of safe, but predictable Bond villain one of Amazons algorithms may produce based on all available data.But Bezos supervillain credentials recently took a darker, more fascinating turn in ways that may directly impact the Bond series. His decision to dictate the editorial direction of The Washington Post (which Bezos bought in 2013) not only recalls the maniacal machinations of Tomorrow Never Dies villain Elliot Carver (a delicious Jonathan Pryce); it raises serious questions about Bezos desire to use influential media to further his own agendas.To be fair, Amazon has produced and approved a wide variety of projects that do not necessarily represent the views of its founder; they even occasionally mock his actions and the culture that enables them. Just look at what The Boys gets up to. Yet its suddenly a lot harder to picture a bright future for the classic Bond villain archetype of old at a time when legacy media is increasingly being weaponized in service of that vague conflict known as the culture wars.But the future of Bond villainy is about more than Jeff Bezos. The Daniel Craig Bond era saw those movies pivot away from more grandiose supervillains with big personalities, elaborate lairs, and campier aesthetics. The villains of Craigs tenure often had a personal connection to Bond and were typically more grounded. That shift represented both the desire to make the Bond movies slightly more serialized and the general cultural shift toward blockbusters that felt more realistic. Both 2006s Casino Royale and 2005s Batman Begins rebooted those series after the peak of their silliness and made them acceptable to enjoy among those who apparently see themselves as very serious people.While I and others have argued that we could use some more absurd Bond movies again, its not clear if the cultural pendulum has swung far enough in that direction quite yet. What is clear is that the casting and characterization of the next Bond villain may tell us quite a lot about the tone and creative direction of everything that follows.Will we have another slightly more grounded Bond villain with ties to the characters past who helps weave an ongoing story? Will James Bond go lone wolf against a corrupt government he can no longer trust in a storyline that will totally have nothing to do with any billionaires beliefs? Will that villain have a lair? Will they have an allegiance to a real country or political ideology? What will they think of algorithms? Will a veteran actress finally get the chance to have a little fun as an over-the-top foil?Mind you, the Bond franchise may soon consist of multiple projects released across a variety of platforms in a rapidly shifting, ever-changing cultural landscape. In other words, the possibilities are endless.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!But maybe the answer is as simple as S.P.E.C.T.R.E. When Bond creator Ian Fleming realized that he could no longer rely on the Russians to be an evergreen villain in a changing and increasingly complex Cold War-influenced world, he created this fictional organization to give himself a little more freedom. By fighting with S.P.E.C.T.R.E., James Bond could battle a wider variety of villains whose interests werent as closely tied to specific political and regional conflicts. Suddenly, the world needed James Bond as much as England and other Western powers did.Perhaps we find ourselves on the precipice of the next S.P.E.C.T.R.E. era. Not S.P.E.C.T.R.E. exactly as it was (the recent reboot effort didnt work so well), but rather an overarching organization that provides loose continuity as well as an endless array of adversaries whose purposes are as generally nefarious as possible. In short, the most likely outcome may be for Amazons creatives to find a way to dodge as many potential villainy pitfalls as possible to fulfill their greater purpose: shipping as many units of generically acceptable Bond-branded products as possible.Of course it all has to start somewhere. As we try to figure out what comes next for 007, every aspect of the next Bond project will be heavily scrutinized. But as you wait to see who will play Bond next, who will direct that performer, and what adventures they will go on, keep an eye on the next Bond villain. Because while each Bond actor has helped usher in a new era for the character, those characters tend to settle into a groove fairly early into their tenures. Instead we often look toward Bonds rotating villains for a clearer sign of the trends of the times.

After 17 years, 35 movies, and numerous TV series, the Marvel Cinematic Universe remains a Goliath of the entertainment scene. Were on the cusp of a new era, as the Fox deal will finally add the likes of the Fantastic Four and the X-Men to the MCU, meaning hundreds more characters are on the way. Thats before we get to the multiversal potential of bringing back characters from the colorful past of Marvel Movies.It was always inevitable that some were going to get lost in the shuffle, but as Captain America: Brave New World proved by bringing back Liv Tylers Betty Ross for the first time since 2008s The Incredible Hulk, forgotten characters can return at the most unlikely time. Even though the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars are pitched to be supersized adventures, many are doomed to remain on the sidelines. With that in mind, here are 10 MCU characters were worried well never see again.Sharon Carter (Emily VanCamp)Like her or loathe her, the introduction of Emily VanCamps Sharon Carter in Captain America: The Winter Soldier sent shockwaves through the MCU. Going under the codename of Agent 13, Carter was the great-niece of Peggy Carter and was crucial in helping Chris Evans Steve Rogers take down the HYDRA-infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D. Following the death of Peggy, Sharon became something of a love interest for Steve, leading to a controversial kiss in Captain America: Civil War.The Falcon and the Winter Soldier attempted to make Sharon Carter more important by revealing her as the villainous Power Broker, then teased a much bigger role with a post-credit stinger. Captain America: Brave New World wouldve been the perfect opportunity to bring back Carter, and with reports that the original plan for Captain America 4 revolved around the Power Broker, this couldve been the case. Instead, its thought the negative backlash to The Falcon and the Winter Soldier led to executives scaling back Carters role until it was non-existent.Mac Gargan (Michael Mando)One of the MCUs most frustrating post-credit teases came at the end of Spider-Man: Homecoming. Although Tom Holland had appeared in Captain America: Civil War, Homecoming gave him his own standalone that featured Michael Keatons Vulture as the de facto big bad. Other villains included Shocker, the Tinkerer, and Michael Mandos Scorpion. Despite only having a minor role and failing to fully take on his Scorpion persona, Gargan teased a big future for the character and a potential Sinister Six spinoff.Keatons Adrian Toomes met Gargan in prison at the end of the movie, while Scorpions mention of some boys on the outside seemed like an easy way to cue the Sinister Six. Keaton bizarrely popped up in Morbius, but after Sonys Spider-Man Universe came tumbling down, the proposed Sinister Six movie has been given the bootagain. Its assumed that Gargan is still incarcerated, but even with Destin Daniel Crettons Spider-Man 4 on the way, it feels like a slim chance well see him again.Doc Samson (Ty Burrell)While Captain America: Brave New World showed that The Incredible Hulk is still relevant, that film includes a character even more forgotten than Tim Blake Nelsons Samuel Sterns. Modern Familys Ty Burrell played Dr. Leonard Samson in Louis Leterriers movie, although it was a massive departure from the comics. Comic book Doc Samson was exposed to similar gamma radiation to Bruce Banner, but by receiving a smaller dose, he gained superhuman strength and green hairfor some reason.Burrells version of Doc Samson was a simple psychiatrist who didnt get blasted with gamma, and to make matters worse, almost all of his scenes were cut. Leterrier has openly spoken about how hed planned a sequel with Grey and Red Hulk, so its possible that Doc Samson wouldve had a bigger part to play further down the line. Unfortunately, while Burrell said hed wanted to play the superpowered version of Samson, being a minor character in a largely forgotten MCU movie means theres not much chance of seeing him again.Dr. Helen Cho (Claudia Kim)One of the MCUs most infamous forgotten faces is Claudia Kims Dr. Helen Cho. Despite only appearing in Avengers: Age of Ultron, Chos brilliant mind made her responsible for creating Vision. Sadly, her work with vibranium largely led to her being a convenient plot device to help set up Black Panther. Appearing in just a handful of scenes, Cho was last seen at the Avengers compound. Given that it was destroyed in Avengers: Endgame, we hope she got out alive.Simply, Age of Ultrons massive ensemble already meant that a non-Avenger like Cho was fighting against some much bigger characters. While it wouldve been easy to bring Cho back in something like WandaVision as a member of SWORD, her fate remains unknown both pre and post-Snap. Chos comic backstory of being Amadeus Chos mother might suggest a reprieve, but with Brave New World reportedly cutting Logan Kims portrayal of the young Hulk genius, it takes us one step further from Helens long-awaited return.Eros (Harry Styles)Even though the surprise was spoiled ahead of time, the addition of Harry Styles to the already star-studded Eternals was quite the coup. Playing Eros of Titan, Styles character is better known as Starfox, boasting powers ranging from super speed to the ability to induce euphoria. It always seemed strange to introduce the younger brother of Thanos some two years after the Mad Titan was dusted in Avengers: Endgame, but with a complicated family tree, it was a neat setup for this more cosmic branch of the MCU.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!Speaking to MTV News in 2022, MCU overlord Kevin Feige teased Eros return and said the spacefaring adventures of Starfox and Patton Oswalts Pip the Troll are something hes looking forward to. As we head into Doomsday and Secret Wars, theres no sign of either or a real way to bring them back into the fold. More worrying is the fact that Starfox appeared in Marvels What If? An Immersive Story on Apple Vision Pro, with someone else voicing the character. Styles has raised his acting profile in the likes of Dunkirk and Dont Worry Darling, but his stint in the MCU might be a short one.Aleta Ogord (Michelle Yeoh)James Gunn went out on a limb when he helmed 2014s Guardians of the Galaxy, taking a relatively obscure superhero team and giving them their own time to shine. Although going with the newer lineup instead of the classic comic book roster was another gamble, its now hard to imagine the MCU without that rag-tag gaggle of rogues. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 fleshed out the teams backstory and went on to confirm they werent necessarily the first iteration of the team.Following the introduction of Sylvester Stallones Stakar Ogord, the sequel also briefly showed off Martinex (Michael Rosenbaum), Aleta Ogord (Michelle Yeoh), Charlie-27 (Ving Rhames), Krugarr, and Mainframe (voiced by Miley Cyrus). Stallone and Rosenbaum returned for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, and although Aleta is the adoptive sister of Stakar, who also takes on the mantle of Starhawk in the comics, the character will likely be recast or completely abandoned. Yeoh pulled double duty in the MCU, playing Ying Nan in Shang Chi. A variant of Ying Nan (voiced by Michelle Wong) appeared in What If?, while Aleta Ogord hasnt been mentioned since 2017.Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell)While Jon Favreaus Iron Man is praised as one of the MCUs best movies, the less said about Iron Man 2, the better. Despite Mickey Rourkes grating accent as Ivan Vanko/Whiplash and a bizarre Elon Musk cameo, at least Iron Man 2 made the most of Sam Rockwells enigmatic performance as the sleazy Justin Hammer. Effectively a budget version of Robert Downey Jr.s Tony Stark, the head of Hammer Industries became the movies main adversary and ended up being incarcerated for his crimes before the final credits rolled.It couldve been easy to leave Hammer there, but in the aftermath of Iron Man 3s hated Mandarin twist, the All Hail the King one-shot hoped to kill two birds with one stone by redeeming both maligned movies. Rockwell briefly appeared in the same prison as Ben Kingsleys Trevor Slattery, but whereas the latter went on to return for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Hammer has been left to rot. Kevin Feige was asked years ago whether Hammer could return in a Reddit AMA, adding: I love bringing back characters people think theyve seen the last of.Iron Fist (Finn Jones)Charlie Cox is suiting up once again to play Matt Murdock/Daredevil, but with Netflixs Daredevil series being a rare diamond in the rough, many assumed this was always going to be the case. Now that its been confirmed that Daredevil is canon in the MCU and not set in some alternate reality where Cox is returning as a variant, its raised questions about the other Netflix shows. The streaming giant tried to build its own expanded universe of street-level heroes, but as The Defenders proves, it wasnt exactly a hit.Out of all the Netflix shows, Iron Fist took the biggest pummeling. From lackluster villains to accusations of poor racial optics, many were amazed that Iron Fist got renewed for a second season as it limped toward the end of its 23-episode run. Jon Bernthal is confirmed to return as Frank Castle/the Punisher in Daredevil: Born Again, while there are rumors that Krysten Ritter will be back as Jessica Jones in season 2. Finn Jones told The Nerd Shepherd in 2024 how hed love to return, but for the foreseeable future, Danny Rand remains an annexed part of the forgotten MCU.Nova Prime (Glenn Close)Another high-profile casting for the cosmic arm of the MCU was Glenn Close as Nova Prime. Gunn packed a lot into his first Guardians of the Galaxy movie, but with a good portion of it taking place on Xandar, there was plenty of room for Close as the head of the Nova Corps. The character didnt appear beyond the climactic battle at the end of the first movie, although its presumed that Nova Prime died when Thanos stormed Xandar during Avengers: Infinity War.Despite it never being shown on-screen, a 45-minute scene depicting the decimation of Xandar was shot and then cut from Infinity War, presumably showing the death of many Nova Corps members. Richard Rider/Nova is still MIA in the MCU, with Gunn saying he kept him out of the Guardians of the Galaxy movies because the character is too important. Unfortunately, the reported cancellation of the planned Nova series has scuppered plans for his introduction and a potential return for Close as Nova Prime.Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg)The MCU has come up with some great original characters, with none standing out quite like Clark Greggs Phil Coulson. From being a kind-hearted Captain America fan to briefly becoming the Ghost Rider, and then a robot, Coulson has had quite a ride. Before he was leading Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Coulsons big moment was his death in Avengers. In typical Marvel style, this death was temporary, although he was later killed (again) in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season 5 and returned as a Life Model Decoy.Gregg did appear in Captain Marvel, but with it being a prequel and Joss Whedon saying Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. isnt considered canon with The Avengers, hes technically still dead in the modern MCU. The man himself has teased a potential return, telling the Love in the Time of Hydra: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D Podcast, [Coulson isnt dead] in every timeline! The MCU has already leaned into this when Gregg provided his vocals for What If?. Still, theres no sign of a more permanent return of a live-action Phil Coulson.

This Daredevil: Born Again episodes 1 and 2 review contains spoilers.The first 20 minutes of Daredevil: Born Again thrusts viewers back into the world of Matt Murdock, the blind lawyer who moonlights as the costumed vigilante Daredevil. But make no mistake. This opening sequence doesnt just exist to catch up viewers who havent seen our hero since his Netflix series ended back in 2018. Rather, it presents a violent rupture from the past, one that sets Daredevil and the MCU on darker, yet still thrilling, path.What begins with Matt (Charlie Cox) enjoying a celebratory drink with his best friends and partners Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll) and Foggy Nelson (Elden Henson) ends in chaos as Dex (Wilson Bethel), the psychopath with perfect aim from season three of the Netflix show, arrives at Josies Bar and starts killing random patrons.What follows is easily the most brutal sequence ever seen in the MCU, as a now suited Daredevil tries to take down Dex, who wants to kill as many innocents as possible. The two take the fight from the bar into hallways and finally to a rooftop, puncturing, punishing, and pummelling each other along the way. Its a rough watch, but directors Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead, the indie filmmaking pair who most recently worked on Moon Knight and Loki season two, have more in mind than simply recreating the visceral action that made the Netflix show so notable.Occasionally, Daredevil and Dex stop to take a breather. They groan and howl when they hit each other, they register pain and even sorrow. Benson and Moorhead shoot the sequence as a oner, but its not just for show. The expanding nature of the fight, its rests and restarts, teach the viewers a lesson that Matt refuses to accept, that his life will always be a cycle of suffering, with only occasional respite in between.Showrunner and episode one writer Dario Scardapane (episode two is written by Matt Corman & Chris Ord, and directed by Michael Cuesta) needs viewers to understand that cycle for when we check in with Matt after the opening sequence. One year after his climactic battle with Dex, Matt seems happier than ever. Hes launched a new, upscale law firm with former Assistant District Attorney Kirsten McDuffie (Nikki M. James) and is perusing a new relationship with psychiatrist Heather Glenn (Margarita Levieva).Unfortunately for Matt, his old enemy Wilson Fisk (Vincent DOnofrio) has also moved on to better things. Forced to hide out for over a year to recover from an injury (as seen in Hawkeye and Echo, but anyone who missed those shows wont be out of the loop), Fisk has returned to find his wife Vanessa (Ayelet Zurer) ably running his criminal empire. So instead, Fisk turns his attention to politics, winning the New York mayoral seat on a populist, disruptor platform that would feel ridiculous if not for our current political climate.The first two episodes of Born Again understand the power of seeing these two characters on screen together again. Since Netflixs Daredevil ended in 2018, both Murdock and Fisk have made separate appearances in the MCU, popping up in one form or another in Spider-Man: No Way Home, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, Hawkeye, and Echo. Theres genuine power to the moment when they sit across from one another at a diner, and yet the show doesnt overplay it. Both men want to move on from their pasts and both see this conversation as a chance to put it all behind them. And yet, within seconds, both know that their pulling each other back into the life they want to leave.Midway through the conversation, a passerby pounds on the window in excitement at seeing Mayor Fisk, a supposed champion of the common man. Rage and irritation ripples over Fisks face for a second, before settling into the smile he flashes to the supporter. The look drops as soon as the supporter walks away pleased, replaced by embarrassment when Fisk realizes that the blind man across from him has seen everything.Moments like these punctuate the first two episodes of Born Again. Cox and DOnofrio have always been a highlight of Daredevil, and both are in rare form here.In the past, DOnofrio played Fisk as a vulnerable baby in the body of a gargantuan man, but hes allowed the Kingpin to mature some. DOnofrio tones down the heavy breathing and slack jawed expression he once gave the character. Hes lightened his step and approach, which only makes the moments in which he tightens his meaty fists all the more menacing.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!Cox has also found new layers to Matt Murdock. Coxs endless charm is on full display during his meet-cute with Heather and banter with McDuffie. When Matt hears Fisk making campaign promises on television or learns about an innocent man (Kamar de los Reyes) targeted by the police, Cox expresses his characters ever-present rage through shuttle shifts in his gait. Even better is the sense of helplessness Cox gives Matt, most on display when he encounters Karen in his new life. Matt has never looked weaker than when Cox allows the character to breakdown, begging Karen to understand his behavior.The emotional stakes and physicality set Born Again apart from other Marvel shows on Disney+, which have been a mixed bag thus far. Two episodes in, Born Again feels like a proper television series, with each segment telling a full story, while still setting up plot lines to be explored. The inclusion of veteran TV cop Clark Johnson as a retired officer who does gumshoe work for Matt only underscores the procedural aspect of the series, a welcome change from most Marvel shows.Make no mistake, Born Again does take place within the MCU. Characters reference Spider-Man and the events of other series. Rogers: The Musical makes a triumphant return on city billboards. But the series feels like it exists in its own world, and not just because the f-bombs and brutality go further than any other entry in the franchise. And thats a good thing. Born Again works best as a character study about the nature of goodness and redemption in a world of criminal politicians and do-gooder vigilantes. It has to go to morally gray places that dont make sense when Captain America and Thanos are lurking in the corners. Cox and DOnofrio are more than capable of carrying the audiences attention as their characters sink for the darkness and reach for the light, a struggle punctuated by incredible fight scenes.In short, Daredevil: Born Again drags Matt Murdock and Wilson Fisk back into Hell, but its heaven for fans of complex superhero television.Daredevil: Born Again episodes one and two are available to stream on Disney+ now. New episodes premiere Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET on Disney+.Learn more about Den of Geeks review process and why you can trust our recommendationshere.

This post contains light spoilers for Daredevil: Born Again.Wilson Fisk has a plan. As bad news as that is for heroes like Matt Murdock, Fisks plans are great news for fans of the other Netflix series in the Defenders universe. In the comics, Mayor Fisks decision to outlaw vigilantes paved the way for a major change in the life of Luke Cage, whose television series ended in 2018, the same year that the first Daredevil show came to an end. If Born Again follows suit, we may see Luke Cage in the MCU soon.As seen in Daredevil: Born Again, the newly-elected mayor of New York City won a populist platform that ironically foregrounds law and order. That means outlawing vigilantes, which raises the hackles of lawyer Matt Murdock. Not so much because the new law will target Murdock, who begins the series certain that hes put his nights as Daredevil behind him (yeah, right), but because it means punishing innocent men like Hector Ayala (Kamar de los Reyes) a.k.a. the White Tiger.The Devil You KnowWithout question, theres more than a little political satire to the portrayal of Wilson Fisk in the first two episodes of Daredevil: Born Again. Theres the monochromatic hats worn by his supporters, the mob-like anger, and the disruptor and outsider status Fisk adopts.But the storyline that Born Again adopts comes not from either of the current American presidents administrations, but rather from a 2022 Marvel Comics event. Created by writer Chip Zdarsky and artist Marco Checchetto, Devils Reign saw Mayor Wilson Fisk do the unthinkable and make superheroes illegal in New York City.Given that most of Marvels heroes operate in New York, Fisks decision creates trouble immediately, landing Mr. Fantastic and Invisible Woman in jail and sending the Avengers on the run. At the same time, Fisk replaces heroes with his own Thunderbolts, supervillains such as Rhino and the Shocker serving as super-police, under the command of John Walker a.k.a. U.S. Agent.While the Avengers and their allies battle Fisk on the streets, a legal solution presents itself. Fisk gained his power by turning the public against superheroes, presenting them as unstoppable forces who do not honor the rule of law. Thus, they cannot simply beat him up. Instead, they have to beat him legally. And so, a hero steps up to run against him as mayor, a hero who has never hid his face or identity, a hero knows what its like to need a paycheck because hes been a hero for hire. A hero named Luke Cage.Hero For OfficeLuke Cages ascension to Mayor of New York City is an extension of the characters long-term arc. Created in 1972 by Archie Goodwin, John Romita Sr., and George Tuska, Luke Cage gained superpowers via illegal experiments conducted in the prison where he had been unjustly sentenced. Calling himself Power Man, Cage became a Hero for Hire, doing freelance work around the neighborhood.Although he later teamed with a number of heroes, including the Avengers and the Fantastic Four, Cage largely remained a street-level do-gooder, which built up his reputation. Unwilling to hide behind a mask or secret identity, and well-aware of the struggles of the people he represents.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!That working-man quality drove the Netflix series Luke Cage, which starred Mike Colter as the title hero. Showrunner Cheo Hodari Coker combined real-world issues (e.g. police firing upon a hoodie-wearing Cage, despite his raised hands) with Marvel tropes to create a superhero show with political urgency. Between that thematic weight, a fantastic lead performance by Colter, and strong supporting turns by Mahershala Ali and Alfre Woodard as villains, Luke Cage quickly became a favorite of the uneven crop of Netflix series.However, unlike Charlie Coxs Matt Murdock and Vincent DOnofrios Wilson Fisk, fans havent been able to keep up with Cage since his show ended in 2018. Coulters done good work in movies such as Plane and the television series Evil, but he hasnt had a chance to reprise his character in any of the proper MCU entries.That lack of attention could work in Cages favor. We last saw him establish himself as the protector of Harlem, having kept damage to a minimum in a gang war that wiped out most of the bad actors. In the seven years since, its easy to imagine that hes only grown in stature and importance within his neighborhood, exactly the type of person who could launch a legitimate campaign against Fisks mayoral seat while still leaving space to operate as a superhero. After all, this is the MCU, and if a Red Hulk can be President and brain-washed assassin the Winter Soldier can be a Senator, its not hard to believe the New York mayor can fight supervillains when the opportunity presents itself.Furthermore, bringing Cage in as the new NYC mayor could also point the way to more Netflix heroes to come into the MCU proper.The Defenders ReuniteAlthough Devils Reign is about a supervillain gaining control of political power, it isnt cynical about the American public. It shows that Fisk was able to outlaw superheroes not just because he could turn people against their protectors, but because he cheated. He used mind-control given to him by the item he kept in his cane, the thumb of Kilgrave a.k.a. the Purple Man.Netflix viewers are well aware of the Purple Man, even if they dont know him by that name. Kilgrave was one of the best villains of the Netflix shows, where he was portrayed by David Tennant in Jessica Jones. Although he died at the end of that shows first season, Killgrave could return in some fashion if Born Again decided to adapt that aspect of Devils Reign.Of course, where theres Killgrave, Jessica Jones cant be far behind, and fans would love to see her return, played again by Krysten Ritter. Thats especially true if were adapting recent Marvel Comics, where Cage and Jones have been married for several years, and even have a daughter together. Thankfully, Danny Rand a.k.a. Iron Fist only appears on one page of the comic story, so we dont need to bring back that lackluster character from the Netflix shows, where he was indifferently portrayed by Finn Jones.As these examples show, Devils Reign isnt just a great story for Daredevil: Born Again to bring to the screen. Its also a great way for the Devil to give his Netflix friends their due.Daredevil: Born Again streams new episodes Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET on Disney+.

In Mickey 17, Robert Pattinson plays a frozen meat-sickle. Those are not my words; theyre Pattinsons inside of the first 60 seconds of the movie, and theyre delivered to the audience with a nasally, conversational voiceover that sounds adrift somewhere between Steve Buscemi and Marisa Tomei in My Cousin Vinny. Absolutely everything about this performance and the movie it exists within is a choice. Theyre big ones too. Not all of them are necessarily the right call, and more than a few lead to creative dead-ends or cul-de-sacs. But pretty much from the jump, as you hear Pattinson wheeze in your ear while observing a tableau of his Mickey protagonist bleeding out inside of a snowy ravine, you know if you are in or if youre out.I, dear reader, was in. A day later, I still am. I went along with just about every oddball, eccentric, and defiantly anti-commercial impulse writer-director Bong Joon-ho indulged via his post-Oscar win. Indeed, six years after making the intimate Korean film that defeated Hollywood wisdom and won Best Picture, Director Bong has been lavished with Hollywood attention and what amounts to fuck you money. So now, on the other side of Mickey 17s completion, tongues around town are wagging about how irresponsible it was for Warner Bros. to give the director of Parasite and Snowpiercer a nine-figure check to make what turned out to be his most demented and bizarre science fiction comedy about the evils of capitalism to date.But frankly, I dont care. Its not my dollars and cents, and what they were traded in for is bold, original filmmaking with a studios resources and an artists indifference. Its weird, occasionally ungainly, and ultimately nothing short of captivating for every beady little tic, right down to Pattinsons latest weirdo waxing ironic about his impending frigid death at the start of the movieat least that would appear to be his fate until a CG wooly mammoth-looking monstrosity shows up to presumably take a bite out of ol Mickey.Like the film, though, this attention-grabbing start risks getting ahead of ourselves. So lets step back and explain why Pattinsons dim-witted hero can have such nonchalant indifference to his imminent ingestion. The Mickey who begins the movie, frozen and meaty, is not the original Mickey. Its not even a copy of a copy of the original. This is Mickey the 17th (hence the title), who is printed from the human waste, cadavers, and other unsavory organic matter discarded by a group of space colonists traveling through the cosmos.In the not-too-distant future, it would seem that rather than trying to save the Earth, humans have pivoted to the idea of leaving it to find a new planet to consume and squander. The colonists aboard the Nilfheim Project are one such group, following a fanatical and failed American politician with a god complex, Kenneth Marshall (Mark Ruffalo). A regular modern day Joseph Smith, Marshall has convinced a legion of followers, hangers-on, and the working poor to join him among the stars. This includes Pattinsons O.G. Mickey, who went to space as much to escape some loan shark debts as to see the universe. Hes so desperate to get off-world he even agrees to become an expendable, which is a fancy term for the guy on each ship who has his memories backed up on a hard drive and his body signed away to the Company. An expendable is a disposable, and renewable, workforce. A slave by another name.Due to odd religious restrictions, there can only be one expendable at a time. Once he inevitably die in grisly fashion while performing whatever suicidal task is placed before him, another Mickey is printed in the bowels of a ship and is fit for service. Which isnt to say Mickeys life is all doom and gloom. He meets a girl who he falls in love with on this voyage, and security agent Nasha Barridge (Naomi Ackie) seems pretty chill with the whole my boyfriend keeps dying and coming back as a different kind of clone thing. So she waits it out until we get to Mickey 17, who despite being left for dead in that aforementioned ravine doesnt actually die. He makes it to his colonist ship, even. Alas by then, he arrives to discover that they already printed another Mickey: the more aggressive and short-tempered Mickey 18. And as per, the law set down by zealots like Ruffalos Marshall, there can be only one.This is where things start to get really strange.Essentially a genre film expansion on the bit in Blazing Saddles where two racist overseers scramble to rescue a $400 handcart while leaving their Black employees to die in a quicksand pit, the politics of Mickey 17 are not subtle. They are, however, obliquely amusing. Told from the point-of-view of a protagonist who dies repeatedly in often gruesome and cruel ways, the gallows humor of Mickey 17 is as thick as the sight gags. Utilizing various montages and death sequences which would not be out of place in one of WBs old Wile E. Coyote cartoons, Bong couples sight gags of severed hands floating in space with sequences of Mickey 5 or 6 being encouraged to deeply breathe in all the bacteria on an alien world so that scientists on the ship will know what virus to develop a vaccine against.There is a mirthful meanness to Mickey that is curiously delightful. A lot of that comes down to the choice of Pattinson to play the various versions of the same character with a happy-go-lucky optimism that veers on delusion given each Mickeys lot in life. Yet more than a sketch comedy, Mickey 17 allows several versions of this character, particularly Mickeys 17 and 18, to have differences both subtle and overt. Whereas Mickey 17 develops something approaching empathy and self-awareness, he also is as another character suggests soft. Mickey 18, by contrast, has no awareness but enjoys a hell of a lot stronger survival instinct. His first reaction upon seeing his predecessor return alive is to immediately try and stuff Mickey 17 down a garbage chute that leads into a fire pit.Mickey 17 acts as a synthesis for all of Bongs genre movies of the past, including most obviously Snowpiercer with its dystopian view of the future (albeit he also seems to be channeling a lot more of Ridley Scott and Ron Cobb with the look of this space vessel). There are also the creature feature elements of The Host and even the pro-animal rights sympathies of Okja. It is not as neatly handled as any of those movies, and perhaps suffers the most from what appears to be a battle of wills in post-production. Based purely on the heavy emphasis of voiceover narration, and the bizarre absence of characterization regarding several supporting roles, particularly Ackies Nasha, one suspects this movie was cut down. Nonetheless, so much of what makes Bong movies unforgettable remains, including gonzo character choices which extend past the lead.Take for instance Mark Ruffalos amalgamation of every insidious, creepy inbred twitch of American conservatism past and present. His Marshall character has the self-serving Southern folksiness and preening piety of Billy Graham, the protruding veneers of a fifth generation trust fund kid, and the godlike aspirations of Brigham Young and his sizable harem of sister wives. Theres even some mouth-breathing followed in their red baseball caps aboard the ship.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!Its a performance every bit as peculiar and memorable as what Jake Gyllenhaal was doing in Okja, and through caricature gets to something bitterly true about a strand of leadership that humanity always covets. In this way, Mickey 17 represents the largest canvas Bong has painted on, with the film becoming an indictment for an entire species. Whereas Christopher Nolan in Interstellar envisioned humanity escaping the confines of Earth to go forth and multiply in space as a testament to our survival and problem-solving instincts, Mickey 17 approaches roughly the same idea with a cynicism that is hard to dispute. Wre locusts, it seems to say, doomed to repeat the mistakes and vanities of our ancestors. Forever.More importantly, however, is that if youre willing to meet it on this wavelength, the glumness becomes giddy entertainment. There is much that can be critiqued about Mickey 17s overabundance of story strands, which are not fully wrapped up in spite of an excessive denouement at the tail-end of 137 minutes. Yet the sum is greater than the parts. And it has been a decent while since a wildly talented director has had the resources to make a spectacle this ambitious and surprising. A benefit of Bongs narrative layering is viewers are never exactly sure what is about to happen next. To accountants, this could be a sin, but for those who like to be dazzled, it is most definitely a virtue.Mickey 17 is a rare curio: the type of galaxy-brained swing which only happens within the studio system when an auteur achieves a brief moment where no one can tell them no. Im a sucker for when these concoctions occur, warts and all. William Friedkins Sorcerer is a masterpiece even if the epic character study from the guy who made The Exorcist and The French Connection felt like it was a day late and a dollar short when it opened the month after Star Wars. And like Margot Robbie, count me among those who see a cult forming around Damien Chazelles Babylon bacchanal.Mickey 17 might have a lousy March, but this bizarre passion project feels destined to become someones favorite movie. For the rest of us, its a pretty wild night at the movies.Mickey 17 opens on Friday, March 7. Learn more about Den of Geeks review process and why you can trust our recommendationshere.

This article contains spoilers through Yellowjackets season 3 episode 4. Yellowjackets most recent death has surprised fans and the cast alike. Season 3 episode 4 12 Angry Girls and 1 Drunk Travis ended with the reveal that adult Lottie (Simone Kessell) had been found dead in the present at the foot of some creepy looking stairs. We dont yet know how she died, whether it was death by suicide or someone pushed her down the stairs, but if you left the episode feeling like this scene was oddly familiar, you arent the only one.Fans have noticed that the stairs we see Lotties body near at the end of this episode bear a shocking resemblance to the stairs that teen Lottie (Courtney Eaton) sees herself on during her baptism by Laura Lee (Jane Widdop) in season 1. In the episode Saints, Lottie agrees to let Laura Lee baptize her after she starts having visions, hoping for some sort of outside force to help guide what shes seeing. While shes under the water, she finds herself in some sort of industrial looking hallway, seemingly underground. Eventually she approaches a set of stairs lined and illuminated with candles.As she comes back to consciousness, she sees Laura Lees face surrounded by light and an explosion in the sky behind her. We already know that this foreshadowed Laura Lees death in the airplane later that season, but now it seems as though this moment also foreshadowed Lotties eventual death.For a while it seemed like this was just another one of Lotties visions. However, now it seems like too much of a coincidence to ignore.In the vision, teen Lottie is wearing a white nightgown. Adult Lottie was also wearing a white nightgown when she died. Teen Lottie is on a staircase lined with candles, a makeshift altar. Adult Lottie is lying at the foot of a similar altar, all of the candles lining the stairs melted and blown out.As quick as fans were to notice and appreciate this attention to detail and callback to season 1, many were also upset by Lotties sudden death. Simone Kessell even felt as though her death was premature, hoping to have the opportunity to explore more of adult Lotties psyche this season after her introduction last season. To have that just cut off didnt feel good, Kessell tells Variety.I was pretty brokenhearted, because it felt like it had come to an end just when I felt Lottie was coming into her own. I was excited that season 3 would take her somewhere interesting, and unfortunately, they just decided that storyline was no longer, Kessell says. I guess Lotties death then serves as an investigation for Misty to be Citizen Detective, and discover how Lottie passes, what happened and everyones a suspect.But even though fans and actors alike may be disappointed by adult Lotties abrupt end, Kessell is correct about it adding to the mystery this season. Now the survivors may have to band together to find out how Lotties death came to pass, and if one of them might be next.We will have to wait until episode 10 to find out for sure what really happened to Lottie, according to Kessell, but hopefully it will be worth the wait.Having one of teen Lotties visions come to pass seasons later is a bold move, and we cant wait to see how many more might come true over the course of the series. Its unfortunate that Simone Kessells time on the show has pretty much come to an end, aside from her season finale appearance, but her time as adult Lottie has only added more intriguing layers to the character that we will hopefully get to see unpacked as her death is investigated.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!

This article contains major spoilers for Paradise season 1 episode 8.In Hulus eight-episode post-apocalyptic murder mystery Paradise, Agent Xavier Collins (Sterling K. Brown) is a secret service agent tasked with protecting President Cal Bradford (James Marsden) in a society created under a sealed dome after a series of natural disasters led to the end of the world. The slow-burn series kicks off with President Bradford (whose code name is Wildcat) being murdered, then reveals more details behind what happened to the world outside the dome, who killed the president, and how each character ended up in this simulated new environment with each episode.Along the way, Paradise viewers are treated to literary and musical references that help provide clues, including a heavy lean into Roald Dahls James and the Giant Peach in Episode 1 and a musical soundtrack filled with classic tunes and haunting covers that allow parts of the story to unfold in a new way as the series goes on. Its a show where viewers can never be sure who has pure motives and whos up to something, and it keeps everyone guessing all the way up to the season finale.Heres how things shake out in Hulus post-apocalyptic whodunnit.Who Killed Wildcat?The first episode of Paradise sets the tone of the series: a murder mystery with an end-of-the-world twist. President Bradford is found murdered in his bedroom by his number one secret service agent, Xavier Collins, who breaks protocol to investigate the crime scene on his own before making an official report. The premiere episode carries on, leaving viewers with the impression that were experiencing the United States as we know it, but the final minutes offer a major shake-up. This society exists after an apocalyptic event and the people who live in this idyllic town are actually beneath a protective dome, surviving after the end of the world.Not only is the town a glorified fallout shelter, but the people within it are not always what they seem. Sinatra (Julianne Nicholson), the worlds richest self-made woman who helped build the dome, becomes a prime suspect, as her cutthroat motives for maintaining order become apparent. Theres also the presidents mistress Nicole Robinson (Krys Marshall), a high-ranking secret service official who often seems suspicious, and Agent Billy Pace (Jon Beavers), who has his own share of secrets and a shady past to contend with. In fact, Xavier struggles to trust everyone through the course of the series, and viewers are given a glimpse into the suspicious behaviors of Xaviers own daughter, Presley Collins (Aliyah Mastin), leaving even the kids under the dome looking like murder suspects at times.But the twists and turns of the murder of the president come to an end in episode 8, when it becomes clear who killed Wildcat. Turns out, the president was murdered by the librarian beneath the dome, Trent (Ian Merrigan), who isnt actually supposed to be in the society at all. In the final Paradise season 1 episode, we learn Trent was among a set of construction workers who helped build the structure, but was dismissed from his position once he found out the construction area was toxic and making workers sick. This led Trent down a path of conspiracy theories and attempts to alert others of the presence of the dome, which would eventually house just 25,000 people at the end of the world. Also of note? Theres a flashback to the assassination attempt on Wildcats life where Xavier took a bullet for the president in episode 1, and its revealed in the season finale that the shooter was Trent, who at the time was trying to stop the construction.When the predicted events of world devastation began, Trent murdered a couple whod been chosen to enter the dome, stole their paperwork, and assumed the mans identity a librarian chosen to maintain the books and other media resources after the end of the world. Trent murdered Wildcat after realizing hed become complacent and happy beneath the dome, wanting to exact revenge against the person he blamed for picking and choosing whod get to survive the end of the world at the expense of everyone else.Did the Worlds All-Time Greatest Cheese Fries Help Identify the Murderer?Among the most intriguing characters in Paradise is Dr. Gabriela Torabi (Sarah Shahi), a therapist we learn was Sinatras grief counselor before the worlds end, who was recruited to help design the happiest, most liveable post-apocalyptic society possible. Gabriela also helped choose the 25,000 people whod be allowed to enter the dome, and she becomes a love interest for Xavier, whose wife did not make it to safety due to planes being grounded when the devastation began, early on in the series. In episode 3, we learn all about Gabrielas involvement, and how she created everything from thriving marketplaces for shopping to outdoor spaces with simulated cricket chirping to keep everyone happy.As it turns out, one of Gabrielas seemingly silliest creations helped identify Cals murderer. In episode 3, she tells Xavier she designed the diner beneath the dome, right down to its worlds all-time greatest cheese fries, which she later takes him to try. Since foods beneath the dome needed to be shelf-stable, eliminating fresh items like dairy or meat, these cheese fries are smothered in cashew-nut cheese. Early on, we learn that Gabriela has bonded with a waitress at the diner, Maggie Davis (Michelle Meredith), and the pair often shares a plate of cheese fries when she stops in.Its when Robinson visites Gabriela at home (after learning the presidents murderers DNA didnt match anyone approved to be under the dome) to inquire about whether or not anyone she interviewed as people checked in for the dome on the day the world ended seemed suspicious, that Gabriela pulls up her computer and begins going through people her team spoke with that day. When she sees a flag under Maggie-the-waitress profile that says she has a tree nut allergy, has visited the emergency room multiple times for anaphylaxis, and uses an epi-pen, she realizes her waitress friend cannot be who she claims to be, since they are both big fans of cashew cheese.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!This leads to Maggies confession that she met Trent on the day of the apocalyptic event, and that he offered her the chance to enter the dome as his wife, since hed just murdered a couple and stolen their dome-admittance paperwork and wristbands. Maggie may not be the murderer, but she knows who is, and the cheese fries helped Gabriella and Robinson figure it out, too, just in time to save Xavier, who was tied up by Trent in the library when he went to look for a clue left there by Wildcat. After Xavier is freed, Robinson and Xavier follow Trent to a break in the dome, where he ends his life trying to escape capture.A truly gutting final episode, in the finale of season 1 of Paradise we learn that while experts had predicted thered be plenty of notice and time to prepare once the world-ending disasters began, the world fell apart in a matter of hours. Tsunamis, widespread panic, and the firing of nuclear weapons led to a chaotic evacuation of the White House, but not before Wildcat addressed the nation, suggesting the threat of extermination was very real and they should surround themselves with loved ones as they await the end. His admission caused a flurry of panic, with many realizing there was a bunker where some were headed to safety, but they were not.During this time, we see the heartbreaking background of Xaviers wifes not being under the protection of the dome: Teri Rogers-Collins (Enuka Okuma) was on business travel to Atlanta at the time of the disaster and, since planes were grounded due to the unfolding tragedy, she was not able to make it in time for the flight to Colorado where the dome is located. Xavier blames Wildcat for Teris death because he knew the end was near and did not share this information with Xavier or tell him not to allow his wife to travel, but learns in the final episodes that all may not be lost where Teri is concerned.Throughout Paradise Season 1, there are hints that the world may not be completely destroyed, from learning that Billy accompanied researchers outside of the dome on a mission and was ordered by Sinatra to shoot and kill them once it was discovered that life existed outside the dome to Sinatras admission to Xavier that Teri and others are alive and communicating from survivors settlements around the country via radio waves. In the season finale, we learn that at the last minute while flying to Colorado to enter the dome, the president made the decision not to fire nuclear weapons at other countries to protect the dome, but instead to shut down all electricity and power throughout the world to stop everyone from firing weapons and give humanity a fighting chance to survive. The most important thing we learn about the apocalypse in the Paradise finale is that some people did survive and theres a world outside the dome, although we dont know the state of it.Whats Next for Agent Collins and Sinatra?Season 1 comes to a close with Xavier using instructions left behind by Wildcat (hidden before his death inside a book in the library) to open the dome and fly a helicopter into whats left of the world outside. Sinatra has been shot by Agent Jane Driscoll (Nicole Brydon Bloom), who tells Sinatra her wounds will lead to a long recovery, but that shes of no use to Jane dead, only alive, so shes been spared, for now.As Xaviers children, Gabriela, Robinson, and the others beneath the dome await news of what kind of world lies outside of the dome, the population living beneath it have been alerted that Wildcats death was, indeed, a murder, and that theres more to the world than theyve been led to believe for the last three years.Will There Be a Paradise Season 2?Ahead of the season 1 finale, it was announced that Paradise has been renewed for a second season. The shows creator, Dan Fogelman, who created This Is Us, has revealed he has a three-season plan for the series. Production on Paradise season 2 is expected to begin in spring 2025, with a season premiere some time in early 2026.All eight episodes of Paradise Season 1 are available to stream now on Hulu.

Look out, here comes Daredevil, the Man Without Fear! Seven years after the Netflix series ended with its third season, Daredevil: Born Again brings back stars Charlie Cox and Vincent DOnofrio, this time for Disney+.Daredevils journey from star of a canceled, violent Netflix series to new entry completely in the Marvel Cinematic Universe highlights the strange case of Marvel shows. Although Marvel has been a constant presence on television since the cartoons of the 1960s, the success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe reinvigorated public interest in the characters.Yet, while the movies boasted a shared universe, in which Captain America can drop by Asgard (albeit as a Loki projection) in Thor: The Dark World, the TV shows were strangely sequestered. Daredevil, Luke Cage, and Jessica Jones lived on Netflix. Cloak & Dagger and Runaways stayed on Freeform. Characters from the movies got spun off into shows on Disney+.However, with Born Again bringing the Netflix series back, its time to look at all of the shows produced under the Marvel Cinematic Universe banner mostly. A few shows that came out during the MCU era fall a bit outside the scope of this list. Legion and Gifted both deal with the X-Men, but they dont even wink at the MCU and instead tell their own idiosyncratic stories. Likewise, the animated series Spidey and His Amazing Spider-Friends, Hit-Monkey, and M.O.D.O.K. might have some overlap with characters that appear in the MCU, but they have radically different takes and dont even acknowledge the multiverse like shows that are on this list.Even cutting out those shows leaves a ton of superhero action left to cover, some better than others. So lets dive into the world of Marvel heroes that have been forever changed by the MCU.28. InhumansPerhaps the least essential creation of Jack Kirby and Stan Lee, the Inhumans work best as supporting characters within the Fantastic Four franchise. A messy royal family who support eugenics, the Inhumans are hardly the most likable characters from the House of Ideas. Yet, back when the X-Men adaptation rights were with 20th Century Fox instead of Disney/Marvel, then Marvel chief Ike Perlmutter pushed the Inhumans as replacements for the mutants.To that end Perlmutter advocated an Inhumans movie, something that Kevin Feige resisted as much as he could, bumping the project to a short ABC miniseries. And what a terrible miniseries it was. Despite some likable actors such as Anson Mount and Ken Leung, Inhumans never justified its own existence. When Medusa (Serinda Swan), a character with the cool power of long hair she can control, gets her head shaved at the start of the series, smart people forgot about Inhuamans until Black Bolts delightful death in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.27. Marvels RunawaysHeres the thing about the Runaways: they have to run away. By issue #2 of the acclaimed comic book series by Brian K. Vaughan and Adrian Alphona, the primary teens had escaped from home, upon learning that their parents were supervillains. For some reason, the television adaptation kept the kids in the house for almost the entirety of the series. Even when the kids officially left home, they kept breaking into one anothers houses for one reason or another.Without actually much running away and with superpower usage limited by television budgets, Runaways only had generic teen angst let to portray. It portrayed the angst ably, but covered the same ground that other shows had done first and better, leaving us viewers wondering why anyone even bothered making Runaways.26. HelstromThe best shows on this list figure out a way to take concepts from Marvel Comics and translate them to the medium of television. The worst get that balance wrong, hoping that the slightest gestures at one end can make up for deficiancies on the other. Case in point, the supernatural crime series Helstrom, starring Tom Austen and Sydney Lemmon as Daimon and Ana Helstrom.In the comics, Daimon and Satana Hellstrom are the literal children of Satan and a human woman, who struggle to make sense of their conflicting heritages. The television show turns the two into children of a demon-possessed serial killer and send them to investigate spiritual mysteries, not unlike Supernatural or Lucifer (a show that does a much better job adapting a comic book to procedural television). The result is a show that trades in tired tv tropes that its occasional concessions to the comics cannot overcome.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!25. Secret InvasionThe most damning thing that anyone can say about Secret Invasion is that it doesnt matter at all. You could skip it and not be confused at all when Nick Fury shows up again in The Marvels, seemingly unfazed by what happened in his own show a show that included the deaths of strong supporting characters Maria Hill and Talos and revealed that Fury had a wife who was a Skrull.Frankly, those who skipped Secret Invasion were probably the happiest with the show. Despite strong work from the reliably great Samuel L. Jackson and Olivia Colman being Olivia Colman, the show couldnt decide if it was a sci-fi show about aliens, a spy thriller, or a political satire, resulting in a forgettable, sloppy mess.24. The DefendersAs this list will show, the Netflix Marvel series were a mixed bag, never able to balance the superheroics of the characters with the more grounded tone the shows wanted to achieve. Its fitting, then, that the crossover miniseries The Defenders exemplifies all of the other shows problems.The eight-episode mini wisely builds out of Daredevil, the strongest of the Netflix shows, with a plot that involves Hand ninjas trying to gain control of a super weapon called Black Sky, which turns out to be Daredevils girlfriend Elektra. As much as the Hand leader Alexandria, played by a disinterested Sigourney Weaver, talks about the end of the world, The Defenders feels shockingly tiny, mostly a bunch of people in business suits having conversations in officers.23. Iron FistLike The Defenders, Iron Fist also confuses conversations in office buildings with compelling genre television. Somehow, a comic book series about a young man who becomes kung fu master after thrusting his hands into a dragons heart transformed into a show about corporate intrigue. Then again, given star Finn Joness nothing of a take on the main character Danny Rand, maybe producers didnt have faith that he could carry the action scenes.The shows second season benefits from a change in showrunner and more of a focus on the strong supporting cast, which includes an outstanding turn by Jessica Henwick as Colleen Wing. However, it was too little too late, and very people even cared enough to tune in for a second season. 22. EchoUnlike the aforementioned Helstrom siblings, at least Maya Lopez had a strong MCU showing before getting spun off into her own miniseries Echo. As portrayed by Alaqua Cox, Lopez made for a compelling antagonist to Clint Barton in Hawkeye. But Mayas connection to Wilson Fisk, which does exist in the Daredevil comics in which she debuted, overshadowed the character, making her feel like a supporting character in her own show.Then again, theres not much to the show itself. Despite gathering some of the best Native actors working today (including most of the cast of the far superior Reservation Dogs), Echo drags across its five episodes, biding time until Maya can finally face off with Fisk. At least creative leads Marion Dayre, Amy Rardin, and Sydney Freeland work in enough underseen elements of Choctaw culture to give Echo some flavor it would otherwise lack.21. She-Hulk: Attorney at LawEasily the most divisive show on this list, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law will certainly rank much higher for some and perhaps even lower for others. No one would place the show in the middle. On one hand, the strong reactions speak to the shows willingness to break the MCU model, something to be applauded. Harnessing the irreverent humor of writer and artist John Byrnes comic run, She-Hulk stars Tatiana Maslany in a self-aware legal comedy.However, the shows success relies entirely on how much the audience finds the jokes actually funny. If watching She-Hulk twerk with Megan Thee Stallion is the height of comedy, then you probably enjoyed the show. If the series felt like watching the charming Maslany try to sell sub-UCB improv, then everything about the show including the terrible effects and awkward MCU connections felt like a drag.20. Cloak and DaggerCloak and DaggerThe television adaptation, starring Aubrey Joseph and Olivia Holt, ditches the costumes and instead plays up the teen drama. As a result, the show works as a melodrama with supernatural elements, gaining a solid following across its two seasons. Fans of weird Marvel characters might be disappointed with the series downplaying of the superhero aspects, but those who wanted off-kilter YA tales were pleased.19. I Am GrootKids love Groot, so what would be better than a kids series about baby Groot getting into misadventures? I Am Groot is beautifully animated and each shows six-minute runtime meant that the adventures had to stay small and focused.And yet, even members of the target demographic get bored after one or two episodes. Ten episodes of the series feel like far too many, especially in the second season, which adds characters like the Watcher and alienates young children even more.18. Marvels What If?What If? might be the most perfect adaptation of a comic book series. Like the long-running comic series, What If? features alternate reality versions of familiar characters, playing out various thought experiments. And like the comic series, What If? was occasionally interesting and mostly dull.Which isnt to say that the entire show was a waste of time. What If? gave us one more chance to see/hear Chadwick Boseman as TChalla and the series recently featured Storm in her Asgardian armor, a fan favorite from the comics. Moreover, Jeffrey Wright proved to be the ideal person to voice the all-powerful Watcher, thanks to his ability to keep tongue in cheek without sacrificing gravitas. Still, its hard to believe that anyone remembers the episodes as soon as the credits roll.17. Moon KnightOnes enjoyment of Moon Knight might depend entirely on ones feelings about Oscar Isaac. For those who like Isaac, but see the actors limitations, then Moon Knight drags every time he deploys his goofy English accent to portray Steven Grant, and depictions of his alternate (and American) identity Marc Spector didnt help things. By the time the show ended with a television CG equivalent of a kaiju battle, Moon Knight was a lost cause.Yet, for those who love everything that Isaacs handing out, Moon Knight is a lot of fun. The series wisely adapts the great Moon Knight run by Jeff Lemire and Greg Smallwood, combining psychological exploration with archeological adventure. Even better, May Calamawy steals every single scene shes in as Layla El-Faouly, leaving us still clamoring for more Silver Scarab.16. Luke CageThe tragedy of the Neftlix Marvel shows is that they could have been really, really good. Luke Cage brims with potential, thanks to a captivating performance by Mike Colter in the lead and ambitious storytelling from showrunner Cheo Hodari Coker, who did not shy away from the social relevance of the characters. Add in ringers such as Mahershala Ali and Alfre Woodard as villains, and Luke Cage was set to match Daredevil for excitement and intensity.Yet, the Netflix shows were mired by some requirement instituted by Marvel, most notably a mandatory minimum of 13 episodes per season. As a result, most of the Netflix shows felt oddly paced, none worse than Luke Cage. The electric charge of the first season fizzled out, even before the show unwisely killed off Alis character and replaced him with the much sillier Diamondback (Erik LaRay Harvey). Coming out of The Defenders, the show lost any direction, saddling the series with uninspired team ups and a generic mystery plot.15. The PunisherThe Punisher might be one of the most popular characters in the Marvel Universe, but hes not one of the richest. The entire appeal of the Punisher comes from the misery of watching broken man Frank Castle inflict all manner of pain on the worst of the worst. So its remarkable that the MCU has wrung two seasons of compelling television out of the character and that were excited to see the Punisher return for Daredevil: Born Again.A lot of the shows success can be attributed to Jon Bernthal, who first played the character in Daredevil. Bernthal finds empathy for Castle, ensuring that he feels human, even when he goes to incredibly dark lengths in his war on crime. Then again, the show didnt always match Bernthals efforts, too often falling back into the standard doom and gloom of the Punishers world. That said, it does have Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Franks usual sidekick Microchip, which will probably come up with some wacky multiverse shenanigans in the Fantastic Four.14. The Falcon and the Winter SoldierAt times, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier pays off the promise of the MCU shows. Where the movies have to tell big stories that leave little room for proper character development, the shows could take their time and flesh out the person behind the mask. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, intended to be the first of the Disney+ series, devotes its best parts to Sam Wilson wrestling with the idea of becoming the next Captain America and to Bucky dealing with the fallout of his crimes as the Winter Soldier.And yet, the show doesnt seem to trust the characters enough to really focus on them. Instead, it borrows from excellent Mark Gruenwald-written Captain America comics from the 1980s to tell a thriller dealing with refugees from the Blip who call themselves the Flag Smashers. Throw in Wyatt Russell as an unstable new Captain America, and theres very little room left over for character growth. Still, the stuff thats there is pretty compelling, and the series ends with Sam fully grown into the Captain America role.13. Jessica JonesNowhere was the 13-episode requirement of the Netflix shows felt more keenly than midway through the first season of Jessica Jones. The series had a fantastic hook, with a perfectly cast Krysten Ritter as the acerbic private investigator facing off against David Tennant as Kilgrave, the mind-controlling Purple Man. And yet, all of the tension dissipated midway through the first season, when a subplot involving Jessicas best pal and an unstable cop took the center stage while Jones and Kilgrave bided their time.Jessica Jones settled into a better rhythm for its second and third seasons, and Ritter remained strong throughout. But without Tennants Kilgrave as the main villain, those later seasons feel solid if unremarkable. Still, thats all a testament to what a remarkable show Jessica Jones was with Kilgrave as the antagonist, adding a level true menace to the procedural structure and adding true pathos to Ritters disaffected exterior.12. Agatha All AlongFor its first few episodes Agatha All Along felt like Marvel at its least essential. The draw to the series seemed to be watching the always-delightful Kathryn Hahn pal around with other great actors, including Patti LuPone, Sasheer Zamata, Ali Ahn, and Debra Jo Rupp as back-biting witches, alongside Joe Locke as a mysterious magic user mostly just called Teen and Aubrey Plaza as a flirtatious enemy.But by the time that the second half of the season kicks in, Agatha All Along finds surprising pathos. Its not just the depths to Agathas backstory, but especially a Doctor Who style twist to LuPones time-displaced witch and a tale of displacement and found family with the Teen. What began as a lackluster spin-off became a starting point for one of the Young Avengers, giving the MCU a shared universe boost that once was the franchises calling card.11. Agents of SHIELDIts hard to judge Agents of SHIELD for what it was, not what it could have been. Agents of SHIELD debuted at the height of Marvel mania, promising more MCU action by following fan-favorite Phil Coulson and his secret agents as they do superhero espionage. Yet, that first season quickly revealed itself as a pretty by-the-numbers procedural with only the slightest MCU trappings. When the movie Captain America: The Winter Soldier ended by completely recreating SHIELD, it seemed like the series would find its footing in season two, but that didnt happen either.And yet, once expectations fell away (and, frankly, a lot of people stopped watching), Agents of SHIELD got room to breathe. Its likable ensemble cast settled into their roles and the show got room to be more experimental and fun. Kree soldiers, Ghost Rider, and actual supervillains became part of the story. The less that people paid attention to Agents of SHIELD, the more it got to be itself, and the show was better for it.10. Werewolf by NightBy this point, readers have certainly noticed a reoccurring complaint across this list, that some shows waste even good ideas because they stretch their stories across too many episodes. The first of two specials created for Disney+, Werewolf by Night fills every one of its 53 minutes with delightful detail, not wasting a second.Directed by composer turned first-time filmmaker Michael Giacchino, Werewolf by Night pairs Gael Garca Bernal at his most lovable with a flinty Laura Donnelly, the former playing a good man cursed with lycanthropy and the latter the unwilling scion of monster hunters. Giacchino channels the gothic thrills of Universal Horror and even manages to put Man-Thing on screen without generating any guffaws. By the time Werewolf by Night ends, were still hungry for more, a rarity among MCU shows.9. Agent CarterObviously, Agent Carter isnt the best show on this list. But Agent Carter does the best job at translating the Marvel Universe to television. The series spun-off Hayley Atwells scene-stealing Peggy Carter from Captain America: The First Avenger and lets her be so much more than the long-lost girlfriend of Steve Rogers.Even better, the World War II setting protected Agent Carter from the expectations that hobbled Agents of SHIELD, letting it play in its own corner of the universe. Yes, Edwin Jarvis and Howard Stark show up, but Agent Carter mostly got to be a high-energy spy show. The fact that it lasted just two seasons proves that Marvel didnt always know what to do with its shows.8. Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-ManGiven all of the changes that the show experienced in pre-production, given its cast overstuffed with Marvel supporting characters, its remarkable that Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man managed to be as breezy and fresh as it is. Showrunner Jeff Trammell remixes over-familiar story beats to give us a modern-day take on Peter Parker, unlike any version seen in movies, comics, or television.All of the changes work. Perennial B-list villain Tombstone gets a tragic arc, Harry feels like proper 2024 rich boy, and Colman Domingo gives us one of the most compelling takes on Norman Osborn ever seen. The entire show comes via stylized animation that recalls both the Spider-Verse films and Steve Ditkos pop art, capturing the timeless quality of Spider-Man.7. HawkeyeNo one in their right mind would pick Clint Barton as their favorite Avenger. Although played well by Jeremy Renner, he could never shake the fact that he was just a normal guy with bows and arrows among gods. Avengers: Age of Ultron effectively turned Clints weaknesses as strengths, but no one expected him to carry a television series.Hawkeye works, in part, because he doesnt have to carry it. The MCU gets a shot in the arm by adding Hailee Steinfeld as Kate Bishop, a rich girl who takes up the mantle of Hawkeye. Bishops tangled life, which includes a dashing Tony Dalton as a potential villain and a cameo by Florence Pugh as the White Widow, pairs nicely with Clints domestic stress. Plus, the series uses its Christmas setting and gives us Rogers: The Musical. What more could you want?6. LokiIf Loki didnt come back for a second season, it would have ranked much lower. The first series gave fans more of the MCUs first real breakout Tom Hiddleston and paired him with the only person he could love, a variation of himself called Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino) as well as a perfectly-cast Owen Wilson as company man Mobius. M. Mobius. Fun, yes, but the multiverse shenanigans muted the shows emotional stakes.To the shock of everyone, Lokis second season did the exact opposite, amping up the emotional power by leaning into the multiversal elements. Even adding Jonathan Majors, then burdened with scandal and failed franchise plans, doesnt slow things down, as the second show combines the end of all realities as an existential crisis for the God of Lies. The show sticks the landing, giving Loki something so rare among Marvel characters: a proper ending.5. Ms. MarvelAfter Avengers: Endgame, Marvel hoped that younger characters could fill the gaps left by Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans. The execution of these new characters has been hit or miss, but Marvel absolutely scored a home run when they got Iman Vellani to play Kamala Khan, the fangirl who becomes superhero Ms. Marvel.The idea of making a Marvel superfan into a superhero could be self-congratulatory, but Villani plays it with such a lack of guile that no one feels upset. Grounded by a great ensemble cast playing her friends and family, Ms. Marvel takes surprising chances, from the pop art look of the first two episodes to an episode that depicts the Partition of India to an unexpected X-Men twist. Ms. Marvel could be the future of MCU, if only the franchise would let her lead.4. The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday SpecialLeaving aside the fact that the only holiday celebrated in The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is Christmas, its hard to imagine a more perfect use of the MCUs Disney+ connection. After two movies and supporting parts in Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame, the Guardians of the Galaxy had become some of the most beloved characters in the Marvel Universe, and that affection helps us forgive some of the clunky setups in the special.Even better, the Holiday Special shows off what James Gunn does best, finding an unexpected genuine pathos in what seems like a goofy, somewhat metatextual tale, in which Mantis and Drax kidnap Kevin Bacon to give Starlord some Christmas cheer. And, of course, it has a killer soundtrack.3. DaredevilDaredevil isnt exempt from the problems that plagued the other Netflix series. The second season in particular sags under the weight of too many plots and characters, and even the mostly-great first season spends way too much time with Matt Murdock recovering from his injuries. But when Daredevil is working, its among the best in superhero television.The show establishes itself within its first three episodes. We meet Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock, an endlessly charming man whose tragic history and complicated Catholicism drive him to dress up as a devil and pummel baddies. Hes matched by the Kingpin of Crime Wilson Fisk, whom Vincent DOnofrio plays as a hurt child in the body of a massive killer. The electricity between the two powered the series not just through its low points, but through seven years after its cancelation, making Daredevil: Born Again the most anticipated show of the year.2. X-Men 97X-Men 97 didnt have to be this good. It could have just brought back the characters and cast from the 90s show and make us all feel like kids again. It could have been fantasy escapism, letting us grown ups ignore the problems in the real world.X-Men 97 does the exact opposite. Yes, we have the same characters from the 90s show, many of whom have the same voice actors. And yes, the series continues to adapt stories from the incredibly popular but artistically questionable X-Men comics of the era. But the series leans hard into our current situation, making the mutant as minority metaphor more explicit than ever before and offering a thrilling vision of resistance.1. WandaVisionFor a minute, it seemed like Marvel television would be something truly special. Intended to air after The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, WandaVision ended up making it to Disney+ first and announced itself as the ideal television adaptation. For its first two thirds, WandaVision took favorites from the MCU, namely Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff and Paul Bettany as her robot husband Vision, and put them in riffs on classic television.One could argue that the drops in quality toward the end, when the television aspect falls away and traditional Marvel heroics take over. But the show does an excellent job weaving larger universe mystery throughout those early episodes, earning its big ending. Plus, the show wisely balances Wandas CGI off against Agatha with Vision having a deep conversation with himself. By the time it finished, WandaVision set a standard no other MCU show has been able to match. Yet.

Warning: contains finale spoilers forTowards Zero.Why have a husband when you can have a lawyer? asks Lady Tressilian in episode one ofTowards Zero. Its a maxim that Audrey Strange would have done well to follow, considering how this twisted story unfurled.The name Nevile Strange with its idiosyncratic one-l spelling was a clue hiding in plain sight thatTowards Zeros handsome tennis star was no hero, but an evil stranger (indeed, in Agatha Christies 1944 novel on which this three-parter is based, Nevile isnt even a blood relative of the Tressilian family but Sir Matthews ward who grew up with them under an assumed identity after committing a childhood murder).A cold-hearted psychopath who saw everything as a contest and who couldnt stand to lose, Nevile very nearly succeeded in having Audrey hanged for his aunts murder. In fact,hewas the one whod bashed in her ladyships skull and smothered family lawyer Mr Treves with a pillow two more killings to add to that of young Peter James, a child shot dead by Nevile as a boy, using a bow and arrow as a boy. Thanks to Inspector Leach, Neviles plan was scuppered and he was sent to the gallows, ridding his family of a foul canker. Heres how it all played out.Why Did Nevile Try to Frame Audrey?To punish her. An obsessively competitive man, Nevile felt that Audrey had publicly humiliated him when she sued for divorce on the grounds of adultery. He had been a serial philanderer throughout their marriage, but Audrey had suffered in silence until he began an affair with Kay Elliott. Finally deciding to act, Audrey stole Kays monogrammed compact and planted it in Neviles car as evidence of the adultery, which forced him to publicly confess and to grant her a divorce.Nevile pretended to feel remorse for his behaviour and to want to stay friends with Audrey, when in reality he was seething with resentment and planning her downfall. He married Kay, whom he never loved, and arranged to spend their honeymoon at Gulls Point when he knew that Audrey who had also grown up there as a ward of his lord and ladyship would also be visiting. There, he carried out his plan to kill Lady Tressilian and to frame Audrey for her murder in an act of revenge.Kay and Louis Secret PastNeviles second wife Kay, somewhat incidentally, was revealed along the way to have been a con-artist who, along with her rakish paramour Louis Morel, preyed on the wealthy. She had first approached Nevile Strange at a tennis match in the South of France intending him as one of her marks, but then betrayed Louis by falling for Strange and his luxurious lifestyle and choosing to stay with him. That explains the tension between Kay and Louis when the gang spend the afternoon dancing at the Easterhead hotel where Louis is staying.Trying to make Thomas Royde jealous, Mary later invites Louis to Gulls Point, making Nevile, Audrey and Kays love triangle a love square. After Neviles arrest, Kay and Louis are seen driving away together, reunited, and now its unclear perhaps having inherited Neviles money, inadvertently making him the ultimate mark of all.Mac the Illegitimate SonWhen Nevile Stranges new valet Mac (real name Matthew Hutton) sized up his employers clothing against himself, it looked as though he were plotting to usurp Neviles position. Was he in cahoots with Kay, as it seemed when they shared a sip of whisky from the same hip flask? No. Hutton was simply comparing his and Neviles shoesizes and more to spot a family resemblance because they were cousins. Unlike the book, in which there is no Mac character, and Nevile is not a blood relation of Sir Matthew Tressilian, in the TV adaptation Nevile is Sir Matthews nephew and Matthew Hutton is Sir Matthews illegitimate son.Matthew (clearly named after his biological father) was the product of a liaison between Sir Matthew Tressilian and a 16-year-old scullery maid. When Lady Tressilian found out about the pregnancy, she sent the maid away and kept it as a family secret explaining why she watched Sir Matthew drown without alerting any help, told Inspector Leach that its a terrible thing to be angry at the dead, and smashed her husbands framed photograph.Nevile hadnt factored in Mac/Matthew Huttons role when he killed his aunt to frame Audrey. Because Hutton was wrongly arrested for her ladyships murder, Nevile was forced to commit another murder that of Mr Treves while Hutton was in police custody, in order to incriminate Audrey.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!With Nevile hanged, did Mac inherit his fathers house in the end? Despite noting that bastards cant inherit, he is seen packing the place up at the end of the three-parter, so perhaps he did end up with Gulls Point? As for Audrey, she left the place behind, finally free of Neviles psychological torment and the starvation of their relationship.Mary and ThomasNot involved in either of the Gulls Point murders, ladys companion Mary and cousin Thomas were each rewarded by substantial payments from Lady Tressilians will, freeing them up to leave Salt Creek and become independent. Mary told Thomas that she planned to use her money to travel, first on le train bleu to Nice and then on the Orient Express (the setting for one of Agatha Christies most famous Hercule Poirot novels).Thomas now had the money he needed to return to his Malaysian rubber plant, and sets off there but promises to keep up his and Marys correspondence, hinting that the couples path may cross in future too.The Murder of Young Peter JamesIn the novel, it isnt explicitly revealed that young Nevile Strange was Peter James killer, but all the ingredients are there for the reader to work it out. In the book, Mr Treves tells the story of a child killed by another child using a bow and arrow, and says that the killer was sent away and raised under a new identity. The murderer, says Treves, had a certain physical peculiarity that would mean they could be correctly identified even in adulthood. Treves is telling the story as a warning because he has recognised just that physical peculiarity among the guests at Gulls Point (Nevile Strange has a shortened finger on one hand, which we assume is the peculiarity) and is trying to warn Nevile that hes onto him. In the TV adaptation, its made much clearer that Nevile killed Peter but owned up to it and pretended that the murder was a tragic accident, which Thomas Royde knows to be a lie.Inspector Leach, Sylvia and BarrettThree lonely souls were united at the end ofTowards Zerowhen the previously suicidal Inspector Leach, whod suffered with PTSD and survivors guilt after World War One, offered to become the ward of orphan Sylvia, whose previous guardian Mr Treves had been murdered by Nevile Strange.Joining them will be Mrs Barrett, the housekeeper at Gulls Point now in need of work following her ladyships murder. Leach and Barrett shared a tender moment when he expressed shame for having led men like her son to their deaths in the war, and guilt for having returned alive when so many of them did not. Barrett wisely told him that his death wouldnt have kept her son alive, and not to carry the guilt. The three of them will now form another ersatz Salt Creek family, but hopefully a less viperous and much happier one than lived at Gulls Point.Inspector Leach doesnt feature in Agatha Christies 1944 novel Towards Zero, but is instead a composite based on three characters in that book: (1) Superintendent Battle, who investigates the murder at Gulls Point with his local bobby nephew (2) James Leach while on holiday where Leach is posted, and (3) Angus MacWhirter, a guest at the Easterhead hotel who attempted to take his own life a year before the events of the novel. The Sylvia of the novel is not an orphan and Mr Treves ward, but the daughter of Superintendent Battle. In the book, when Sylvia confesses to thefts that she didnt commit at school, it inspires Battle to realise that Nevile was the true culprit all along.All episodes of Towards Zero are available to stream now on BBC iPlayer.

News The White Lotus Just Teased a Closer Connection to Season 1Belinda may have been hoping for a fresh start, but Greg's appearance has brought up more than a few ghosts from her past.By Brynna Arens | March 3, 2025 | | Photo: Fabio Lovino | HBOThis article contains spoilers for episode 3 of The White Lotus.The White Lotus season 3 keeps revealing more and more connections to the first season. From the beginning, weve known that Belinda (Natasha Rothwell) was set to return just as Tanya (Jennifer Coolidge) did in season 2. However, the first episode of season 3 revealed that Belinda isnt the only returning character Greg (John Gries), who now calls himself Gary, has found himself a new name, a new girl, and a new White Lotus to spend his days at. Now that Belinda has recognized him from his time in Maui, it may only be a matter of time before she discovers what happened to Tanya.Earlier in the episode, Belinda confides in her colleague Pornchai (Dom Hetrakul) about Armonds death and how Tanya had promised to fund her plan to start her own spa, but ended up not following through after running off with Greg. She decides to go confront Gary at dinner, but he denies ever being married to Tanya or recognizing Belinda at all. This isnt surprising, its not like hes going to admit hes a con man in front of people hes trying to fool. But even though she leaves the table cordially, Belinda cant shake the fact that she recognizes him.Greg clearly wasnt expecting to find anyone in Thailand that could recognize him, and yet once again he and Belinda find themselves at the same White Lotus resort. When Belinda goes back to her room that night, she hears some creaking nearby, which could very well be Greg trying to spy on her sneakily. It also could just be some monkeys, which the resort seems to have an abundance of.Regardless, Belinda doesnt seem like the type of person to let this go. Greg is the reason that Tanya flaked on helping her. Since Greg is there with Chloe, who is obviously not Tanya, Belinda might try to reach out or look into where Tanya could be. It doesnt seem like she knows that Tanya died the way Greg talked about her death previously, it seems like hes gone to great lengths to cover it up. The White Lotus Sicily has likely done the same, not wanting another mysterious death to tarnish the White Lotus brand.This season of The White Lotus is starting to become even more intertwined with the others than we thought it would be thanks to Greg and Belinda. As much as Belinda may try to move on and focus on learning, Greg is a connection to Maui she wasnt expecting to find here. Seeing him has clearly brought her memories of that time to the surface, and itll be interesting to watch how they both move forward after this encounter.We know how dangerous Greg can be. He literally tried to have Tanya killed. Hopefully Belinda will stay safe and find a way to stop Greg before he can hurt anyone else. The dynamic between Belinda, Tanya, and Greg is now a form of connective tissue across the three seasons. While season 1 didnt really give us a resolution to Belindas side of things aside from her being left to work at the place her friend and coworker died, season 3 just might.

After almost six years and a few cameos in the MCU, Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) is finally returning in his own solo series once again. Daredevil: Born Again will be the characters first formal foray into the MCU proper, with the first three seasons of the Netflix series essentially being grandfathered into the canon. Along with Charlie Cox, many of the same actors are returning to reprise their roles, including Deborah Ann Woll as Karen Page, Elden Henson as Foggy Nelson, and Vincent DOnofrio as Wilson FIsk.The story of Daredevil: Born Again is set to pick up five years after the events of the original series and is meant to be a continuation of these characters stories in a slightly different context rather than a full reboot.Heres what you need to know before watching Daredevil: Born Again, including when and where to watch.When Does Daredevil: Born Again Come Out?The first two episodes of Daredevil: Born Again will be available to watch on Disney+ March 4 at 6 p.m. PT/ 9 p.m. ET for U.S. subscribers and March 5 at 3 a.m. BST for UK subscribers.Daredevil Season 3 RecapBullseye is BornSeason 3 of Daredevil introduced the character Benjamin Dex Poindexter (Wilson Bethel). Dex begins as an FBI agent assigned to Wilson Fisks task force. Dex is an excellent shot who rarely, if ever, misses his target, and ends up using his talents to save Fisk when his convoy transitioning him from prison to protective custody is attacked. However, Dex also has psychopathic tendencies and struggles to maintain control without routine and a moral North Star to guide him.After his therapist died, he adopted a coworker named Julie as his North Star, hoping that her kind heart would keep him from giving into his violent impulses. Fisk becomes aware of this and kills Julie, forcing Dex into a spiral and convincing him that the only right course of action forward is to help him. Wearing a Daredevil suit Fisk coerced out of Matts suit maker, Dex begins terrorizing the city, starting with an attack on the Bulletin that eliminates a key witness that could expose Fisks conspiracy within the FBI.Dex succeeds in making Daredevil public enemy number one, though Matt is eventually able to make him see how much Fisk has manipulated him, including the fact that Fisk killed Julie. This pushes Dex over the edge and sends him on a rampage in Fisks direction. He and Matt end up fighting Fisk, and each other, at the same time, and Dex ends up with a broken spine after Fisk gets a hold of him. In one of the final scenes of the series, we see Dex face down on an operating table undergoing an experimental spinal procedure. A bullseye can be seen in his eye, a hint at what was to come from the character as Benjamin Dex Poindexter is notoriously known as the villain Bullseye in the comics. Wilson Bethel is one of the actors confirmed to be returning in Daredevil: Born Again, so we may finally get to see whats next for Dex.Taking Down Fisk (Again)If theres one thing that Wilson Fisk does well, its manipulate people into doing his bidding either through money or other unsavory means. In season 3 this even included the FBI. Fisk found and/or created dirt on enough agents that he was able to use the FBI to not only get out of prison and into a cushy penthouse that one of his shell companies bought, but also to take out rival crime gangs that threatened his big return.Even Special Agent Ray Nadeem (Jay Ali) ends up under Fisks thumb. After trying to do the right thing and bring his knowledge of Fisks conspiracy to his superiors, he gets framed for an agents death. Eventually the weight of what hes had to do under Fisks control gets to him, and he refuses to comply, helping Karen escape the church where Fisk and Dex tried to have her and Matt killed. He tries to work with Matt, Foggy, and Karen to take down Fisk through the legal system with what he knows, risking time in prison away from his family to put Fisk back behind bars, but Fisk finds a way to get to the jury, forcing them to find him innocent. Seeing no other way out, Nadeem records his testimony as a dying declaration and sacrifices himself to Fisk and Dex to save his family from their ire and make his testimony admissible in court.It ends up being the smoking gun needed to take Fisk down, but not before Matt gets more than a few punches in. Even though his goal was to kill Fisk, Matt is ultimately unable to go through with it, instead convincing Fisk to turn himself in and stay away from Karen and Foggy in exchange for Matts silence on Vanessas (Ayelet Zurer) involvement in his criminal enterprise, especially her role in Nadeems death.Nelson, Murdock & PageThroughout season 3, Matt goes out of his way to alienate Foggy and Karen, thinking that hes keeping them safe. His near death experience at the end of Defenders has clearly changed him, and it takes him a while to realize that he doesnt have to push people away to take down Fisk. Theyre all involved whether he likes it or not, and he honestly couldnt have taken Fisk down without their help.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!At the end of the season, the three friends are finally able to reconcile, agreeing to return to their firm together as Nelson Murdock and Page. Matt has seemingly hung up his horns and wants to return to helping people within the confines of the law which is what he and Foggy set out to do in the first place. Obviously this doesnt last forever, as Daredevil: Born Again is all about Matt putting on the costume again and stepping back into his role as one of New Yorks defenders. Hopefully, this wont put too much of a strain on the Nelson, Murdock, and Page dynamic again, but well just have to watch and see.

Mundy Flynn will be acknowledged. In the first full trailer for Doctor Whos next series (number 15 or season two, depending on how youre counting), we see Varada Sethus new companion Belinda Chandra looking puzzled at a picture of herself on the TARDIS scanner.Shes right to look puzzled, because the picture is of Mundy Flynn, the ordained Anglican marine character Sethu played in a series 14 episode. (And because Doctor Who loves an Easter Egg, when Belinda correctly identifies the TARDIS as a time machine later on in the trailer, the Doctor responds with Boom! the name of that very episode.)Theres something already connecting us, says the Doctor in voiceover as we see a clip of Flynn introducing herself. Evidently. And were about to find out what that is, starting from Saturday April 12, with new episodes available from 8am on BBC iPlayer followed by a BBC One broadcast that evening in the UK, and streaming from 12:00 am PST in the US and around the world on Disney+. Heres the first full trailer:With glimpses of multiple new episodes, locations, monsters, and guest stars plus the return of familiar faces from UNITs Kate Lethbridge Stewart and Mel Bush to Anita Dobsons Mrs Flood and Millie Gibsons Ruby Sunday, here are a few of the trailers major talking points.Belinda the Nurse ChandraJudging by the nondescript contemporary bedroom in which Belinda Chandra (Varada Sethu) wakes up in the first seconds of the trailer, the new companion is another human from roughly, now. What though, is behind the flashing lights that have roused her from her IKEA bed in the middle of the night?We see Belinda later fiddling with what looks like a saline drip and responding to the Doctors customary introduction that his name is Just the Doctor with the line, Alright then, Im called the Nurse. Is she another medical companion to follow in Martha Jones footsteps?She seems to be a reluctant companion, at least to begin with, telling the Doctor, I am not one of your adventures and demanding that he take her home, which he promises to do, albeit the long way around. But mysterious forces are stopping that from happeningNew MonstersWhile the Doctors voiceover reminds us of the recurring theme that there are forces beyond this universe and vast creatures looking down on us, we see UNIT boss Kate Lethbridge Stewart walking along what looks like a high-security UNIT corridor as a slimy monster contained in one of its cells slams against the viewing window. Shudder.At 0:16, a leggy skeleton dinosaur-ish creature towers above some rooftops, followed by a silhouetted spiny creature at 1:18 thats seen reaching a bony hand onto the shoulder of guest star Jonah Hauer King as Ruby Sunday explains, It wants you scared Because it likes the taste. At 1:34, theres a giant spider creature thats more robotic-looking than a Racnoss, but just as likely to haunt childrens nightmares.Add to that the already-revealed Mr Ring-a-Ding, a 1950s cartoon character who steps out of the screen and into the real world, plus, at 1:07, a ghostly mask that could well come from episode five, which is thought to guest-star Rose Ayling-Ellis and is being touted by showrunner Russell T Davies as the scariest episode theyve ever made.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!Space EurovisionIf theyve timed this just right, then the Eurovision-themed episode (rumoured to have been written by new screenwriter Juno Dawson), which guest-stars TV presenter Rylan Clark will air on the same day as the actual contest this year on Saturday May 17. In the trailer, Clark is seen standing alongside a feline co-host played by French actor Julie Dray, and welcoming a huge crowd to the Interstellar Song Contest, in the audience of which is a certain someoneMrs Flood ReturnsI love a good show, says Anita Dobsons mysterious recurring character Mrs Flood in the crowd of the Eurovision episode. Probably just a fun night out for the girl, nothing malevolent or Doctors granddaughter-ish or Masterly to see here (?).Speaking of returning formidable women, it looks as though Mel Bush (Bonnie Langford) has shaken off last series Sutekh possession and has dropped the ritualistic robes for a nice cardigan in her trailer appearance, in which she looks absolutely bloody terrified as the world around her crumbles and the Doctors voice is heard warning our entire reality is in danger. Not again!New Guest StarsAs well as Mr Ring-a-Ding, the cartoon character voiced by Alan Cumming, and Jonah Hauer King popping up opposite Millie Gibson, we also catch a glimpse of Australian Slow Horses actor Christopher Chung in uniform as Trooper Cassio Palin, while a man shouts Helmets!. The new series also welcomes Good Omens and His Dark Materials actor Ariyon Bakare, Irish actor Caoilfhionn Dunne, Foundations Evelyn Miller, the aforementioned Rylan Clark and Julie Dray, and is set to feature Rose Ayling Ellis, though we couldnt spot her in this montage.New Looks for the DoctorA close-fitting black spacesuit, a very sharp city banker-style bowler hat and pinstripe suit, some beige uniform-like space pyjamas, a natty 1950s-style suit with a pink bow-tie, a dashiki-style top and a new hairdo in an episode potentially set in Nigeria (and likely written by Nigerian playwright and poet Inua Ellams MBE, making his Doctor Who screenwriting debut this series), and, of course, a pair of tartan trousers the Doctor has a whole new wardrobe for his series 15 adventures.Doctor Who returns to the BBC and Disney+ on April 12.

A science fiction spaceship is a lot like a house party. When I see one, the first thing I want to know is whats going on in the kitchen. Interior designers are the unsung heroes of sci-fi worldbuilding, and a bit of carefully dressed set can do the work of a dozen dramatic exposition-filled voiceovers or lengthy opening text crawls. And this is nowhere more evident than the kitchen.Take a look at your own kitchen. What appliances have you got? A kitchen-bound time traveler could quickly determine when they are with a look at your microwave and fridge. A look at how much the dirty dishes have stacked up tells you about the routines and temperaments of the people who live here. A glance at the fridge will tell you how many kids are here, or show you the nearby takeout favorites.But more than that, the kind of food available will tell you about the world at largehow far the supply chains reach and how quickly produce can be moved along them, and what kind of cross-cultural pollination this setting is subject to. You can learn about water, power, and heating infrastructure, how much room the people who live here have access to in the rest of the home. The kitchen is a microcosm of everything else that is happening in a place or time.When I was writing the Fermis Progress seriesfour novellas about an FTL ship that vaporizes every planet it encountersthe spaceships kitchen became a key setting for the story due to all of these reasons mentioned above. And in mapping it out in my head, I thought a lot about how kitchens have worked on other well-known spacecraft.Nostromo (Alien)We have talked before about the enormous influence the Nostromos kitchen and otherwise has had on spaceship set design in general. Aliens impact on sci-fi aesthetics as a whole is incalculable, sometimes to the detriment of the genre, but that influence is felt strongest where movie spaceship crews eat.And with good cause. The meat of the action in Alien does not take place on some bridge or control room, or in a laboratory or Star Trek-style space conference room. It doesnt even take place in its many spacious air shafts. It all happens in the kitchen. This is where we meet the Nostromo crew for the first time arguing about percentages. This is also, of course, where John Hurt has the worst case of indigestion in film history. It is where plans are suggested, argued over and agreed on. It is where Ash attempts his brutal and terrifying murder of Ripley and the crew overpowers, interrogates and ultimately, cooks him.The set for the Nostromos kitchen might also just be one of the most intricately designed film sets in movie history. It still places the bar for environmental storytelling, from Ron Cobbs now legendary Semiotic Standard to the cereal station, the wall of cups neatly ensconced in their little cupholders. Everything has its place, its premade slot.But the gap between its intended and actual use is also clearthe stark white is everywhere covered in grime; the walls plastered with pin-ups, stickers, and notes. It is not just the room where the story action takes place, it is the room where the characters live, often despite the wishes of the employer that put them there, and that is visible in every detail.One of the most illustrative elements is the food itself. There are no ovens or hobs visible, and certainly no fresh meat or vegetables. This is a place for out-of-the-packet living. The Nostromo crew drinks canned beer and scoop food out of Tupperware containers, eating big bowls of what looks like cheap noodles, although the crew dont know what its made of. Frankly, the food tells you how much the crews well-being is valued by their employer, foreshadowing what will become of them.Serenity (Serenity)The kitchen aboard the workhorse spaceship of the series Firefly and its movie spinoff Serenity is probably the second best known spaceship kitchen out there. Before we go any further it is important to also acknowledge were not here to celebrate Joss Whedon (who by many accounts is a shit), but Fireflys impact on the sci-fi genre is undeniable (even if arguably that impact is recycling a bunch of stuff from the Millennium Falcon and throwing in some ideas from Cowboy Bebop and Southern Revisionism of the American Civil War).The Serenity has a lot in common with the Nostromo. It is a blue-collar spaceship in a setting so retrofuturistic that it borders on being just plain retro. The kitchen of that spaceship is in many ways its hero set. But Serenitys kitchen is not your workplace cafeteria; it is the dining room in the homestead. As much as Nathan Fillions Mal Reynolds might seem like a salt of the earth working man, he is a salt of the earth working man who can afford an entire working spaceship.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!Comparing the two, the differences are immediate. Instead of pin-up posters, the walls have flowers painted on. There are warmer colors, wooden furniture, a hob for cooking on, and a sink for doing the dishes in. This is a domestic space as much as a workplace. People here tell stories and celebrate birthdays as much as they argue percentages on the latest job.When it comes to food, every meal is protein, reflecting a universe where food has to travel for longer than fresh produce can be expected to last. But that protein is prepared with care, with spices used to improve the flavorand when they come by fruit, it is a delicacy.But what Serenity most illustrates about the role of the kitchen is that it says a lot about who a space belongs to. The Nostromos kitchen belongs to the Company, its crew just eats there. The Serenitys kitchen is ostensibly the property of its captain, but it is maintained and occupied by its crew, and their personalities shine through in this space.Icarus II (Sunshine)The kitchen and dining area in Sunshine will not pass the Definitely Not the Nostromo smell test. Aliens design aesthetic is felt strongly here. Yet once you start looking for differences they start to mount up. The lighting is softer, and the crews well-being is more of a concern. There is room for personalization in the form of bookshelves and personal storage spaces, but unlike the expansive Nostromo set, here everything is packed in closely, bringing to mind the weight and space restrictions that are a concern on any real-life space mission.But the really revealing bit of worldbuilding here is the food. The crew of the Icarus II gets to dine on things that the Nostromo and Serenity crews could only dream about. This is not because their spaceship is any more luxurious, but because the crew are eating the vegetables grown in their own hydroponic gardenthe same garden that recycles their oxygen supply.It shows us how a spaceship can be many different things. The Serenity is hopping job to job, resupply to resupply. The Nostromo is a cog in a vast machine, equipped with the cheapest mass-produced components necessary for it to complete its job. Icarus II, however, is on a true mission into the unknown. It is designed to be a self-contained world because its crew is not sailing to the next port, they are sailing into a place hostile to life, and so need to take everything they need with them.Rocinante (The Expanse)Like the Icarus II, the Rocinante is a ship designed with the practicalities of space travel in mind. Where most sci-fi spaceships are laid out like a maritime vessel with decks running horizontally from the fore to the aft of the ship, the Rocinante is more like a tower, with its control room at the top and the engines at the bottom. In this way, acceleration draws everything toward the engine-end of the ship, creating a simulation of gravity.That is reflected in the way the Rocinantes dining and kitchen area is laid outeverything is functional and compact. The kitchen fittings and implements can tell you a lot about technology as well. Are the kitchen crowded with cups and jars, plates and sharp implements? Then this is a spaceship that has real faith in its artificial gravity and inertial dampeners. Alternatively, is everything locked down and strapped into place?That hob we mentioned earlier, is it electric or is this crew willing to light a naked flame in a highly pressurised environment in the cold depths of deep space?Everything on the Rocinante has a place to be put awaynobody leaves knives lying around that might become projectiles if the ship has to perform a tricky manoeuvre. Fresh herbs for long voyages are grown in small centrifuges that will keep them growing properly even during periods of Zero G.But beyond the fittings, spaceship kitchens also tell us a lot because of the kinds of interactions they facilitate. Is this ships kitchen a space where a family all eat together at predetermined times of the day, or is it like a student dorm, where people rotate through one or two at a time to feed themselves?The kitchen is the room on a spaceship where we are most likely to see the crew when they are not working or asleep. It is the room where characters get downtime, showing us how they relate to each other out of crisis mode. It shows us if people are eating three square meals, or are just grabbing snacks on the fly. The Expanses Rocinante was also home to one of the all-time great space kitchen scenes where we see the Rocinante crew get to sit down and share a meal.Unreliable (The Outer Worlds)For fans of wandering around spaceship kitchens, poking into all the cupboards and nosing through the fridge, there are quite a few video games that scratch the itch. One of the best examples is the kitchen of the Unreliable in the video game The Outer Worlds. Clearly inspired heavily by Serenitys kitchen, the Unreliables dining area tells stories through the detritus that gradually builds up over time, including scattered game pieces and cards, used dishes, and off-duty crew shooting the shit between missions.The Millennium Falcon never showed us much of a kitchen (although expanded universe reference materials tell us Han Solo installed one as a wedding gift for Leia which is a choice), but Star Wars games have proven an excellent hunting ground for space kitchen fans with the Jedi games Stinger Mantis and Outlaws Trailblazer both giving you a little kitchenette to sniff around. Mass Effect: Andromedas kitchen is pretty small and tucked away, but does give us the ability to watch the crew bickering through notes on the fridge.USS Enterprise NCC-1701 (Star Trek: Strange New Worlds)All of the kitchens we have looked at so far vary from the spartan yet homey to the grimy yet utilitarian. But all-out luxury can be just as revealing of a setting and its characters. Lets thus take a look at the kitchen in Captain Pikes quarters aboard Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Enterprise.This is a matter of opinion, but as a big fan of both spaceship kitchens and Star Trek, I think I am qualified to say that Trek does not normally do it for me on the kitchen front. Its ships are, first and foremost, a living room-centred environment. The ships dining areas are usually sterile and gray, the only appliance they need is a replicator, and even Neelixs kitchen feels like an afterthought rather than a facility capable of serving approximately 150 people.But Captain Pikes kitchen in the newest series shows the culmination of what cooking can become in Star Treks space communist future, even before the invention of the replicator. It is a leisure activity and a luxury.The kitchen is spacious enough to contain three sets of crew quarters from Kirks Enterprise (and I still harbor a theory that Uhura assigned Kirk one of the crappier upper deck cabins before repurposing Pikes room as a Lower Deckers clubhouse). But as well as being a social location, it also serves a work function. This is not the family table we see aboard Serenity. Here people are expected to stand, and more importantly, to mingle. For all the friendly bonhomie it evokes, it is a networking space, and Pike is assuming as much authority as he stands over the grill as he does sitting in the bridges Big Chair.And of course, on Pikes Enterprise people eat whatever they damn well please, because we might be in deep space, but Star Trek is the definition of luxury space communism. Once, during a talk, someone asked the beloved fantasy writer Terry Pratchett what he first thought about when designing a fantasy city. Pratchett reportedly answered that you should think about how the clean water gets in and the sewage gets out.When you are designing your spaceship there are similar concernsthinking about when, what, and how your crew take in food and water is a good place to start.Except of course as a genre, space fiction is usually a good deal more reticent about where the sewage goes

Picking a favourite Sherlock Holmes might seem elementary, but, when you consider just how many fantastic actors have donned the deerstalker over the years, youre faced with a conundrum fiendish enough to daunt the master detective himself. Rathbone, Cumberbatch, Brett, Plummerit was never going to be straightforward, was it?So, in the spirit of the great man himself, well scrutinise the evidence, draw the complex threads together, and present a solution: our very own ranking of the Sherlocks. As with all mysteries, theres a twist. Sherlock Holmes and Dr John Watson arent merely a detective duo; theyre the detective duo. That means the good doctor, where he appears, will be a crucial part of the puzzle.A word of warning to the armchair sleuths: well be eliminating from our enquiries all but the notable English-language screen Holmes. Not only that, but the many pastiches and loose reworkings of the character have had to go. This means no George C. Scott as a man who would be Holmes in the wonderful They Might Be Giants; goodbye to Michael Caine in Without A Clue; and a fond farewell to Hayao Miyazakis animated Sherlock Hound. I know, that last one hurt.Come, Watson the games afoot12. Henry Cavill in Enola Holmes (2020) and Enola Holmes 2 (2022)Too handsome for Holmes? That was the criticism levelled at Henry Cavill when he played the great detective opposite Sam Claflin as Sherlocks brother, Mycroft, and Millie Bobby Brown as their non-canonical younger sister, the spirited Enola. She is, of course, the true lead of Netflixs film series, based on Nancy Springers series of YA novels. With Cavills Holmes as a secondary character in these original mysteries, doomed to be outwitted by his plucky sibling, this take on the character was never going to satisfy purists. Still, theres fun to be had in the series fast-paced, feminist spin on Victorian England. 11. Christopher Lee in Sherlock Holmes und das Halsband des Todes (1962), Sherlock Holmes and the Leading Lady (1991), and Incident at Victoria Falls (1992)The late, great Christopher Lee never did anything by halves. No surprise, then, that playing just one character from Arthur Conan Doyles stories wasnt sufficient. He also popped up as Sir Henry Baskerville opposite the Peter Cushing Holmes in The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959) and as brother Mycroft in Billy Wilders leftfield The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970). Tall, saturnine and commanding, Lee was a good physical fit for the role and well-matched by Patrick Macnees bumbling Watson in his two later films as Sherlock (the trusty sidekick was initially played by Thorley Walters). Points deducted for the convoluted plots and, in the first outing, some pretty unforgivable dubbing; yep, theres a reason the titles in German10. Ian McKellen in Mr Holmes (2015)We all know Ian McKellen can do gravitas, wisdom and wit his attempt at the fictional detective was always going to be something different and special. Heavily made up to reflect his characters advanced age, McKellen embodies a 93-year-old Holmes: long retired, keeping bees in the countryside, and dreading dementias impact on that rapier-sharp mind. Bill Condons film version of Jeffrey Cullins novel, A Slight Trick of the Mind, incorporates flashbacks to Holmess glory days as he struggles to recall the resolution of a mystery where, unusually, his emotions were engaged. Watsons written record of the case only blurs the picture further. More of a meditation on old age and death but maybe life itself is his greatest mystery, after all.9. Peter Cushing in Hound of the Baskervilles (1959), Sherlock Holmes (1968), and The Masks of Death (1984)Another of the big names to inhabit 221B Baker Street, Peter Cushing played Holmes in no fewer than three different versions: Hammers 1959 Hound of the Baskervilles; in the second series of the BBCs 1960s adaptation of Doyles stories, replacing the excellent Douglas Wilmer; and, finally, as the retired detective in the 1984 TV movie, The Masks of Death. With a fine set of Watsons in each outing (Andr Morell, Nigel Stock and John Mills respectively), Cushing couldnt go too far wrongand he even got to play Doyle himself in the 1976 TV movie, The Great Houdini, opposite Paul Michael Glaser as the fabled magician of the title.8. Ian Richardson in The Hound of the Baskervilles and The Sign of Four (1983)Examine this ranking closely enough, and a pattern emerges; certain actors seem to be drawn to play multiple characters in Holmes lore, from supporting figures in the stories to real-life inspirations for the master detective. The magnificent Ian Richardson, star of the original BBC political thriller House of Cards, is another example. Richardson gave us a witty, warm Holmes in two 1983 TV adaptations of classic Doyle stories, The Hound of the Baskervilles and The Sign of Four. He then went on to portray Dr Joseph Bell, the surgeon who trained a young Doyle, and whose meticulous eye for deductive detail inspired Sherlock Holmes, in the excellent BBC miniseries, Murder Rooms.7. Robert Downey Jr in Sherlock Holmes (2009) and A Game of Shadows (2011)Lock, stock, and two smoking, erpipes? Guy Ritchies version of Doyles creation ruffled quite a few feathers with its kinetic energy, propulsive music and, in Robert Downey Jr.s louchely appealing Sherlock, a fresh and memorable stamp on a familiar character. RDJs easy chemistry with Jude Laws sharp-witted, elegant Watson is a big draw, along with his poignant connection with Rachel McAdams Irene Adler and some fine villainy from Mark Strong and Jared Harris. A belated third film this time helmed by Dexter Fletcher is expected later this year. Will RDJ rise further up the rankings with an older, wiser Holmes? Were looking forward to finding out.6. Christopher Plummer in Silver Blaze (1977) and Murder by Decree (1979)Christopher Plummer played Holmes in the 1977 Canadian TV movie, Silver Blaze, an adaptation of a Doyle short story. Hes better known, however, for his second case: Bob Clarks 1979 original, Murder by Decree. Opposite the peerless James Mason as Watson, Plummers Holmes delves into the enduring real-life mystery of Jack the Rippers true identity as the killer brings carnage to 1880s Whitechapel. His conclusions align with Alan Moores in From Hell: skulduggery in high places, and the sickening slaughter of vulnerable women whose only crime was knowing too much. Many screen Sherlocks dial up the condescension; Plummer finds the source of Holmess empathy and deep sense of justice. Its an atmospheric mystery, with righteous outrage at its heart.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!5. Nicholas Rowe in Young Sherlock Holmes (1986)Mature and melancholy takes on the great detective arent uncommon, as weve seen, but theres only one young Sherlock Holmes. (Not for long, mind you; Guy Ritchies having another crack at the character with a Young Sherlock miniseries for Prime Video later this year.) Barry Levinsons 1986 film stars the marvellous Nicholas Rowe as a teenage Holmes accompanied by Alan Cox as an equally plausible young Watson. Here, the pair meet at boarding school and investigate a case that ends in heartbreak for the budding sleuth. Former Watson Nigel Stock turns up in a key role, while the film takes its place in cinema history for the appearance of the first fully computer-generated character. Watch out for a lovely nod to the movie in an earlier item on this list, too: Rowe made an appearance in Ian McKellens Mr Holmes as a silent-film version of the detective, two decades after his first appearance as the character.4. Benedict Cumberbatch in Sherlock (2010-2017)Why is Cumberbatchs Holmes so (comparatively) low on this list, you might ask? Well, he wouldnt have been in 2010, as youll gather if you read any of my glowing appraisals from way back when on this very website If we just breeze past that last of the four series, beset by all its attendant controversies, theres still loads to enjoy: the rapport between this most condescending yet oddly endearing of Sherlocks and his loyal Watson (Martin Freeman), the most memorable of Mrs Hudsons (Una Stubbs), a hugely likeable Lestrade (Rupert Graves) and some deliciously convoluted mysteries in a modern London that Cumberbatchs Holmes jars with pleasingly. Will it ever return? Over to you, Moffat and Gatiss3. Jonny Lee Miller in Elementary (2012-2019)The 2010s gave us two contemporary takes on Holmes, with just a little bit of competitive jostling for position. Funnily enough, the world turned out to be big enough for more than one modern-day Sherlock. CBSs Elementary was always a hairs breadth from true greatness, hindered by its procedural structure. When it shone, though, we benefited from one of the finest interpretations of the character to date. Jonny Lee Miller captured Sherlocks soul the genius, the demons, the fundamental goodness of the man and added magic of his own. Alongside a female Watson who matched him for intelligence (Lucy Liu, cool and supremely capable), this Holmes was surrounded by a fine supporting cast including Natalie Dormer as a particularly devastating Moriarty, John Noble as Holmes pre and Rhys Ifans as Mycroft. Laden with satisfyingly deep allusions to Holmes lore Ophelia Lovibonds troubled Kitty Winter, lifted from Doyles The Case of the Illustrious Client, is a particular standout its a show well worth investigating.2. Jeremy Brett in Sherlock Holmes (1984-1994)Jeremy Brett had actually played Dr Watson in a stage production of The Crucifer of Blood when he took up the role of the worlds number-one well, its only, but lets not split hairs consulting detective. For many Holmes aficionados, hed top this list. Over ten years, Granada Television adapted 43 of Doyles 60 stories to memorable effect. David Burke was replaced by Edward Hardwicke as Watson after the first series, and the Brett/Hardwicke pairing is one of the first to spring to mind when we imagine the inseparable duo. Bretts impassioned, intense Holmes is at the heart of these polished mysteries, while Hardwicke took Watson back to the efficient man of action we meet in Doyles stories. That last point is emblematic of the authenticity that marks this particular adaptation, and which is deeply appreciated by so many fans. In terms of the top spot, Bretts Holmes only has one true rival1. Basil Rathbone in The Hound of the Baskervilles (1939), The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1939), Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror (1942), Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon (1943), Sherlock Holmes in Washington (1943), Sherlock Holmes Faces Death (1943), The Spider Woman (1944), The Scarlet Claw (1944), The Pearl of Death (1944), The House of Fear (1945), The Woman in Green (1945), Pursuit to Algiers (1945), Terror by Night (1946), and Dressed to Kill (1946)Basil Rathbones portrayal of Sherlock Holmes got off to an inauspicious start when 20th Century Fox dropped the series after two films. Luckily for Holmesians everywhere, Universal picked up where they left off, putting out an impressive 12 movies between 1942 and 1946. In a bold move, Universal transplanted this Holmes from the usual gas-lit ambience of his nineteenth-century origins as seen in Rathbones first two films and shifted the setting to what was then the present day: the war-torn 1940s. Rathbone had unsuccessfully volunteered to fight in World War Two when conflict broke out in 1939. In the end, he got the chance to do his bit for his country by another route. His Holmes fought the Gestapo, searched for a missing secret agent in Washington and solved other cases loosely adapted from Doyles short stories. Rathbones look was that of the Holmes immortalised by Sidney Paget in his illustrations for The Strand magazine, in which Doyles stories had first appeared; with Nigel Bruces loveably silly Watson by his side and tales shrouded in sinister atmosphere, the actor made an indelible impression. As long as Sherlock Holmes is remembered, Rathbones evocation of the character will remain the one to beat. And that, my dear Watson, will be forever.

It began with a song that didnt come out last year. It began with a song that didnt come out in this century. But what a song to open the 97th annual Academy Awards: Ariana Grande threading a wilting rendition of Somewhere Over the Rainbow. The moment obviously was a nod to the other Oz-centric movie on peoples minds these daysand one that Grande was nominated forWicked. And to be sure, theres powerful, internet-friendly magic in both Rainbow and the Wicked song that Cynthia Erivo soon joined Grande on stage to belt, Defying Gravity. Yet this didnt feel only like a play at ratings. It felt like a promise that much of the following four hours lived up to. Were here, the telecast seemed to insist, to celebrate the joy of going to the movies.How interesting it is, then, that Hollywoods biggest night would afterward be dominated by two indie studios most intent on living up to that ideal, including by a film championing a sex worker from Brighton Beach who will not be denied.Anora was indeed the biggest winner of the evening, dominating in every category within which Sean Baker was nominated: Best Original Screenplay, Best Editing, Best Director, and of course Best Picture (Baker is also a producer on the film). It was a grand slam for one of the biggest defenders of independent and theatrical cinema, with his leading lady and the woman responsible for bringing the formidable Ani Mikheeva to life, Mikey Madison, also taking home the Best Actress Oscar in what appeared to be a nailbiter race against The Substances Demi Moore.It was a sweep that might have surprised even some of the Anoras biggest boosters from a few months agowhich includes the critic youre currently readinggiven the films rather downbeat and somewhat cynical disposition about a capitalist system that puts Cinderella-like dreams in the eyes of Madisons tenacious protagonist, but leaves her with a bitterly cold reality come morning.But then again, Anoras biggest competition makes Bakers slow-boiling screwball comedy look like a fairytale in comparison. The other major winner of the night was Brady Corbets The Brutalist, a massive three and a half hour epic that deconstructs the American dream and the predatory nature of mixing commerce with art. While Corbet was shut out of Picture and Director, his grandiose vision still picked up a Best Actor Oscar for Adrien Brody (his second little gold man from the Academy), as well as prizes for Best Cinematography, and Best Original Score.In many ways, this falls into place with Academy trends over the last decade, which has seen one other Neon acquisition win Best PictureBong Joon-hos Korean film, Parasiteand two A24 releases, Moonlight and Everything Everywhere All at Once. Yet it seemed to speak perhaps to this moment in the industry writ-large.As aforementioned, tonight felt like a sincere celebration for the love of the movies. Grande opened things by reprising one of the greatest songs ever written for a motion picture, courtesy of Harold Arlen and Yip Harburgs Hollywood songbook in The Wizard of Oz. But it continued through maestro Quincy Jones getting his own prime spot in the telecast where Oprah Winfrey and Whoopi Goldberg eulogized the composer and then introduced a propulsive rendition of Ease on Down the Road from The Wiz. (This 90s kid also appreciated the Academy orchestra playing Jones iconic Austin Powers suite earlier in the evening.)But perhaps most presciently was the Oscar telecast simply stopped for nearly 10 minutes as the Academy gave a rousing tribute to the James Bond franchise, complete with musical performances of Live and Let Die and Skyfall. There was even a mini-ballet led by The Substances Margaret Qualley.For the record, it is not a major birthday in the James Bond franchises history, nor was it in honor of any particular artist or filmmaker. It was, however, a tribute and perhaps a memorial service for the Broccoli familys legacy. After shepherding the Bond movies for more than six decades, the Broccolis (led now by Barbara and her stepbrother Michael G. Wilson) have reluctantly surrendered the rights for 007 to a reportedly aggressive Amazon MGM, which has big dreams of a shared universe orbiting around Bond.So there will be more Bond to come, of course. So much more. But as with Star Wars or Lord of the Rings before it, the content to come via streaming shows and spinoff movies will likely never recapture that classic cinema magic which the Broccoli family jealously guarded for the better part of a century. And the Academy chose to celebrate (and mourn?) this turning of the tide.In all respects, this telecast was a rousing salute to the movies, right down to a charming host in Conan OBrien and the sharp idea of having collaborators like, say, Lily-Rose Depp come out to praise Nosferatu costume designer Linda Muir. In past years, older Oscar winners would appear to praise colleagues who might literally be strangers to them. It was as if to say welcome to the club. Tonight, by contrast, was intelligently about people worked closest to the nominees praising their talent, as well as perhaps explain to the folks at home why a cinematographer or production designer is so important.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!Yet so much of that celebration was in honor of Hollywood legacies of the past: Oz, Jones, and 007. But in an Oscars telecast that two short months ago looked briefly like it could be dominated at last by Netflix before Emilia Prezs campaign implosion, it was the indies taking home the lions share of major awards above and below the line. Prez still saw Zoe Saldaa win Best Supporting Actress, as well as take home a Best Original Song Oscar. However, after earning 13 nominations, walking away with only two Oscars does seem like a mild disappointment. Meanwhile the only other times streaming services were mentioned were via those implicit eulogies or for gags, such as when host OBrien led a comedy segment where he took a bunch of Gen-Zers to Cinema-Streams, a place where you go to watch streaming from a phone that the the building holds.Meanwhile newly minted four-time Oscar winner Baker wasnt joking during one of his quartet of Oscar speeches. After thanking presenter Quentin Tarantino for introducing him to Mikey Madison by casting her in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Baker said with passion and steel: Watching a film in a theater with an audience is an experience. We can laugh together, cry together, scream and fight together, perhaps sit in devastated silence together. And in a time in which the world can feel very divided, this is more important than ever. Its a communal experience you simply dont get at home, and right now the theatergoing experience is under threat, movie theaters, especially independently owned movie theaters, are struggling and it is up to us to support them if we dont reverse this trend we will be losing a vital part of our culture. This is my battle cry: filmmakers keep making films for the big screen. I know I will. Distributors please focus first and foremost on the theatrical releases of your films. Neon did that for me, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.It would seem many in the industry feel similarly. A Netflix release like Emilia Prez can tie for the second most amount of Oscar nominations ever. But when its time to go home for the night, the Academy is still leaving with the films and studios that are supporting original theatrical experiences. And if you havent noticed theyre looking a lot more indie these days.

The BBC and Mammoth Productions next Agatha Christie adaptation is here, following on from 2023s Murder Is Easy, 2022s Why Didnt They Ask Evans?, and the five miniseries previously adapted by Sarah Phelps (The Pale Horse, The ABC Murders, Ordeal By Innocence, The Witness for the Prosecution and And Then There Were None).This time, Christies 1944 novel Towards Zero has been brought to television, adapted by Bel Ami and NW screenwriter Rachel Bennete. Its the story of a love triangle, a beautiful coastal mansion, public scandal, family intrigue, and of course, murder. Meet the three-part series characters below and find out more about the actors playing them.Clarke Peters as Mr Frederick TrevesThe lawyer appointed to serve Lady Tressilian and her family in all matters legal, Mr Treves is relied upon as a voice of authority and wisdom at Gulls Point. He and his young ward Sylvia are invited to the house to act as the voice of reason between the familys sparring members.Treves is played by Clarke Peters, who recently appeared in US sci-fi series The Man Who Fell to Earth and in Channel 4 crime drama Truelove, as well as playing parts in His Dark Materials, Treme and Person of Interest, but who will always be connected with the role of Det. Lester Freamon in HBOs The Wire.Oliver Jackson-Cohen as Nevile StrangeNevile Strange is a wealthy famous tennis player whose marriage has recently become the stuff of newspaper gossip columnists. As the nephew of Lady Tressilian, he grew up at the family pile of Gulls Point.Strange is played by Oliver Jackson-Cohen, who followed up early roles in UK period dramas Lark Rise to Candleford and Mr Selfridge with a move to US dramas Dracula, Emerald City, The Haunting of Hill House and The Haunting of Bly Manor. In 2020, he played the titular character in feature film The Invisible Man and recently appeared opposite Jenna Coleman in Prime Videos Wilderness. Ella Lily Hyland as Audrey StrangeAudrey Strange is Neviles childhood sweetheart-turned-wife. Orphaned as a child, she too grew up at Gulls Point and is independently wealthy. Shes played by Ella Lily Hyland, who impressed in Prime Video tennis coach abuse drama Fifteen Love, and again in Netflixs darkly comedic spy thriller Black Doves. Shes currently in Disney+ historical boxing crime drama A Thousand Blows.Anjelica Huston as Lady TressilianCamilla, Lady Tresillian is a wealthy widow and the matriarch of her family, which she commands out of her bedroom in Gulls Point. Shes played by movie star Anjelica Huston, whos acted in countless memorable feature films from Prizzis Honour, The Grifters, The Addams Family and The Witches to name just a few.Mimi Keene as Kay ElliottKay Elliott is characterised in the national press as a vamp and a gold digger. Shes played by Mimi Keene, who started out as rebel teenager Cindy Williams in BBC soap EastEnders before playing the central role of Ruby in Netflixs teen comedy-drama Sex Education, opposite Asa Butterfield, Ncuti Gatwa, Aimee-Lou Wood, Emma Mackey and more.Anjana Vasan as Mary AldinMary Aldin is employed as Lady Tressilians companion, and lives an isolated life with her at Gulls Point. Unbeknownst to her ladyship, Mary is engaged in a written correspondence with banished family member Thomas Royde (see below). Mary is played by screen and stage actor Anjana Vasan, who plays guitarist-scientist Amina in Channel 4s excellent comedy series We Are Lady Parts, and was seen recently opposite Olivia Colman and Jessie Buckley in comedy feature film Wicked Little Letters, as well as having had roles in Killing Eve, Temple and Black Mirror season six episode Demon 79.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!Jack Farthing as Thomas RoydeThomas is a cousin to Nevile and a mysterious member of the Gulls Point family, from which he is banished for reasons unknown at the beginning of the story. Hes playing by Jack Farthing, familiar to Poldark viewers as the treacherous George Warleggan, and the star of Rain Dogs, Chloe, The Serial Killers Wife and much more, including two previous Agatha Christie roles in The ABC Murders and Poirot.Matthew Rhys as Inspector LeachInspector Leach is an invented character for this TV adaptation, and an amalgamation of several book characters who solve this murder mystery. When we meet him, hes in a bad way, depressed and heavily drinking. Hes played by Matthew Rhys, whose career really took off in the US with a long-standing role in Brothers & Sisters, and the co-lead in 1980s-set spy drama The Americans. Since then hes starred as the titular character in the Perry Mason reboot, and recently played satirist George Carlin in Ivan Reitmans 2024 film Saturday Night.Adam Hugill as MacA mysterious valet who offers his services to Nevile Strange during the turbulence surrounding his court case, Mac is a question mark with a knack for violence and the whiff of ambition surrounding him. Hes played by Adam Hugill, seen recently in acclaimed BBC drama Sherwood, and on stage at the National Theatre playing footballer Harry Maguire in Dear England, as well as playing Constable Carrot Ironfoundersson in Terry Pratchett-inspired TV series The Watch.ALSO APPEARING The Lost Boys and Mary & Georges Khalil Gharbia as playboy Louis Morel The Borderline, Motherland and Mandys Jackie Clune as housekeeper Mrs Barrett Casualtys Olive, aka Grace Doherty, plays Mr Treves troubled schoolgirl ward Sylvia The Crown, Downton Abbey and Poldarks Michael Culkin as the court judgeTowards Zero airs on Sunday nights at 9pm on BBC One.

Anyone who decided to catch up with Anora because of Oscar buzz might find themselves confused early on. The movie begins as a Cinderella story with a sex worker in the princess role and the son of a Russian oligarch as the prince, and then switches to a broad farce that veers between slapstick comedy and genuine menace. Why, a first-time viewer might reasonably wonder, do people consider this one of the best movies of 2024?The answer comes at the very bitter end. After a frantic and exhausting 138 minutes, Anora slows to an intimate close. The sudden shift is deliberate, completely reframing what came before and revealing a vulnerability and humanity that was always there, hidden under the chaos.Controlling the ChaosToward the end of Anoras first act, Ani (Mikey Madison) arrives at the house of the incredibly rich Vanya (Mark Eydelshteyn) to perform a private strip tease. Director Sean Baker and cinematographer Drew Daniels shoot the dance as a full Hollywood spectacle. A loud hip hop song fills the soundtrack, almost drowning out Vanyas approving commentary. The camera moves up and down Madisons body, combining our gaze with Ivans. As Ani climbs on top of Ivan to complete the scene, light pours in from the windows, giving the image a dreamlike haze. Its big and its dreamy, and its all in Anis control.This small moment captures the tone of Anoras first act. From the opening credits in a handsomely lit strip club to Ivan and Anis post-nuptial whirlwind through Las Vegas, both set to a gauzy remix of the Take That anthem Greatest Day, the first 45 minutes of Anora are all excess, amped up to 1000. Its not just the obvious sexual desire represented by the dancers. Its the romance in Ivan and Anis promises to one another, its the perfect blue sky and partiers in the casino, its the triumph that Ani feels as she walks out of her job at the club, no longer a working stiff.In the second act, the tone shifts as various forces try to break up the marriage. First, its Toros (Karren Karagulian), acting as a representative of Vanyas parents, who demands that the marriage be annulled. Then its Ivan himself, who disappears and sends Toros and his henchmen on a wild, reckless trip through the city to find him. Finally its Ivans parents (Aleksei Serebryakov and Darya Ekamasova), who arrive to end the marriage with extreme prejudice.In defiance of these forces, Ani insists on defending her marriage, statingloudly and as violently as possiblethat she and Ivan have found true love. Ani remains defiant and strong and determined to fight for her dream and her dignity, and she wont let anyone take it from her. At best, Ani comes off as self-assured. At worse, she is crass and belligerent. But no matter what, Anora portrays Ani as unstoppable.At least until the final 10 minutes.Stopped in the Drivers SeatAnoras last 10 minutes begin with a shot of Ani waking up one last time in Vanyas luxury home. In contrast to the loud, madcap pace of the movie so far, Ani awakens in silence. The only noise comes from the snow falling outside. Ani and Igor (Yuriy Borisov), the stoic and sweet enforcer Toros sent to watch her, wordlessly finish their final tasks, packing up her belongings and retrieving the money owed to her.The silence finally breaks when Igor drives Ani to her house and stops her before she leaves the car. Igor holds out to her the wedding ring Vanya gave Ani. Its also the ring Vanya took away. Igor only says, Dont tell Toros.The gesture leaves Ani speechless, a remarkable feat given her way with words. Baker shoots the scenes in close-ups, framing the two actors faces inside the car doors windows. The snow softens their features. With Madisons face filling the screen, we can fully appreciate the expression she gives Ani, and its one we havent seen in her before: vulnerability.She kept that posture with all her interactions with Igor, despite the mans attempts to gently befriend her. In fact, right before she wakes up for the final scene, Ani leaves Igor by insulting him, rebuffing his offers of kindness with curses and slurs.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!But here at the end while she sits in the car and waits for Igor to finish carrying her luggage up to her door, Ani doesnt know what to do. Ani looks at the camera with a flash of fear and then turns away, her face in profile mostly hidden by her hair, only letting us see her down-turned eyes and mouth slightly agape.Ani resists the vulnerability, asserting control first by insulting Igors car (It was my grandfathers, he says with unfazed pride) and then by climbing on top of him and initiating sex. Ani understands the power of her sexual appeal, but shes out of her element here, literally. Baker makes the car feel cramped and awkward, and the actors body language suggests that Igor may not be completely aroused. Unlike the pounding soundtracks that accompanied other encounters, here we hear only the engine running and the car wipers squeaking across the windshield.When Igor tries to pull her in for a kiss, Ani resits, even slapping and punching him. But then she collapses into his arms and he holds her as she sobs. The movie cuts to black, leaving just the sound of the running engine as credits start to roll.No Prince, No CastleThe vulnerability that Ani shows at the end of Anora completely redefines the movie, revealing a depth that was always present under the chaos. Ani isnt just a tough chick who will get what she wants no matter how she has to do it. Shes someone whos genuinely scared and alone.Vanya was a Prince Charming of a type, someone who came out of nowhere and offered her love and a home (the latter no small issue as underscored by the fact that the movie ends outside the lower-class house where she lives). And while he was an obviously flaky Prince, his love shallow, and his home ill-gotten, it was the only option available to Ani.With that all stripped away as quickly as it arrived, Ani breaks. The flashy loudness that drove the movie is revealed as an extension of her very deep, and very human longings, longings likely to go unfulfilled.Those last 10 minutes change Anora from a loud fantasia and comic downfall into something truly tragic and heartbreaking and real. Those last 10 minutes make Anora one of the best movies of the year.

The Hulu original series Good American Family premieres this month (March 19). The series stars Ellen Pompeo (Greys Anatomy) and is a dramatic retelling of the adoption of Natalia Grace. Inspired by true events, Good American Family follows a midwestern couple who adopts someone they believe to be a young girl with a rare form of dwarfism. They soon come to realize that she might not be who she says she is, and is actually an adult rather than a child. The Oscar nominated film Anora makes its way to Hulu on March 17. Starring Mikey Madison as the eponymous Anora a.k.a. Ani, this film follows a young sex worker as she impulsively falls in love with and marries the son of a Russian billionaire, something his father is not too thrilled with. This may be dropping after the Oscars air, but its never too late to catch up if you havent seen this film yet.Speaking of The Oscars, the awards ceremony will be livestreamed on Hulu for the first time on March 2. Previously, Hulu subscribers were required to have the live TV add-on in order to catch the Oscars on ABC, but regular Hulu subscribers will be able to watch live as well.Heres everything thats coming to (and leaving)Huluin MarchHulu New Releases March 2025March 1Akeelah And The Bee (2006)Alien (1979)Alien 3 (1992)Alien Resurrection (1997)Alien Vs. Predator (2004)Alien: Covenant (2017)Aliens (1986)Aliens Vs. Predator Requiem (2007)The Amateur (1982)American Hustle En Espaol (2013)American Hustle (2013)The Angry Birds Movie (2016)Anger Management (2003)Big (1988)Birdman Or (The Unexpected Virtue Of Ignorance) (2014)Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)Brooklyn (2015)Couples Retreat (2009)Crazy Heart (2010)Dangerous Beauty (1998)Firehouse Dog (2007)Good Will Hunting (1997)High Fidelity (2000)Jojo Rabbit (2019)L.A. Confidential (1997)The Last King Of Scotland (2006)The Legend of Zorro (2005)Life Of Pi (2012)Lincoln (2012)My Cousin Vinny (1992)The Other Guys (2010)The Other Guys En Espaol (2010)Pacific Rim: Uprising (2018)Predator (1987)Predator 2 (1990)Predators (2010)The Predator (2018)The Princess Bride (1987)Prometheus (2012)Pulp Fiction (1994)Sideways (2004)The Social Network (2010)The Wrestler (2008)Think Like A Man Too En Espaol (2014)Think Like a Man Too (2014)The Truman Show (1998)3:10 to Yuma (2007)True Grit (2010)The Ugly Truth En Espaol (2009)The Ugly Truth (2009)Unbreakable (2000)Wadjda (2013)War Horse (2011)Welcome To The Rileys (2010)Whatever Works En Espaol (2009)Whatever Works (2009)Wild Target (2010)March 2The Oscars: Special PremiereLove Again (2023)Love Again En Espaol (2023)March 3Sensory OverloadMarch 4The Gutter (2024)March 6Deli Boys: Complete Season 1March 7The Banger Sisters (2002)Classified (2024)Confessions Of A Shopaholic (2009)Hellboy: The Crooked Man (2024)The Inner Portrait (2025)Notes On A Scandal (2006)March 8Babylon (2022)Babylon En Espaol (2022)Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!March 10American Idol: Season 8 PremiereThe $100,000 Pyramid: Season 8 PremiereThe Benefactor (2015)Ca$h (2010)Hesher (2010)March 11Last Take: Rust and the Story of Halyna: Documentary PremiereNew Life (2023)March 12Murai In Love: Complete Season 1 (DUBBED)Am I Being Unreasonable?: Complete Season 2The Conners: Complete Seasons 1-5March 13Control Freak: Film PremiereAfter the First 48: Season 9BAmerican Godfathers: The Five Families: Complete Season 1Brigham Young: Architect Of Faith: Complete Season 1Lifetime Presents Women Making History: Complete Season 1Parents Gone Wild: Complete Season 1Pawn Stars: Best Of: Complete Season 5Sentenced to Life: Teen Killers: Complete Season 1The First 48: Complete Season 26The Boston StranglerThe First 48: Critical MinutesMonster Hunter (2020)Stepmom from HellMarch 14Bill Burr: Drop Dead Years: Special PremiereFight Club (1999)Force of Nature: The Dry 2 (2024)The Last Of The Mohicans (1992)The Prestige (2006)True Lies (1994)March 15Premonition (2007)Premonition En Espaol (2007)The Roundup: No Way Out (2024)The Roundup: Punishment (2024)March 17The Sabrina Soto Show: Complete Season 1Anora (2024)March 18Carol (2015)Exhibiting Forgiveness (2024)March 19Gannibal: Season 2 PremiereGood American Family: Series PremiereHyper Knife: Series Premiere (SUBBED & DUBBED)Tokyo Revengers: Complete Season 2B (DUBBED)Magi: Compete Seasons 1-2 (DUBBED)Rega Crimson: Complete Season 1 (SUBBED & DUBBED)March 20ODessa: Film PremiereMy Strange Arrest: Complete Season 2Ol Dirty Bastard: A Tale of Two Dirtys: Complete Season 1The Proof Is Out There: Alien Edition: Complete Season 1Rachael Ray in Tuscany: Complete Season 1Trapped in the Rocky MountainsMarch 21The Demon Sword Master of Excalibur Academy: Complete Season 1 (SUBBED & DUBBED)Ive Somehow Gotten Stronger When I Improved My Farm-Related Skills: Complete Season 1 (SUBBED & DUBBED)March 22The Jesus Music (2021)March 23The Machine (2023)The Machine En Espaol (2023)March 24Wildflower (2022)March 25Big Boys: Complete Season 3Dandelion (2024)March 26The Conners: Complete Season 6March 27The Conners: Season 8 PremiereAlone: Complete Season 11Biography: WWE Legends: Complete Season 4Find My Country House: Complete Season 1March 28Chosen Family (2024)The Line (2023)March 31The Fable: Complete Season 1 (DUBBED)Alex Cross (2012)Bachelorette (2012)Leaving Hulu March 2025March 1Rubikon (2022)March 2Simulant (2023)March 3Benedetta (2021)March 4Lanterns Lane (2021)March 5Mark, Mary & Some Other People (2021)March 697 Minutes (2023)Rabbit Academy: Mission Eggpossible (2022)March 7India Sweets and Spices (2021)March 11Multiverse (2022)March 14Bad Therapy (2020)Bayou Caviar (2018)Changeland (2019)Flux Gourmet (2022)Wetlands (2017)You Cant Kill Meme (2021)You Laugh But Its True (2011)March 15Official Competition (2021)March 16Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn (2021)March 18Captains of Zaatari (2021)Manifest West (2022)March 22Section 8 (2022)March 24Arts, Beats & LyricsMarch 25American Siege (2022)Mass (2021)March 31Insomnium (2017)Night Raiders (2021)Snakehead (2021)

Warning: contains finale spoilers for Netflixs Toxic Town.Certain places get inside you, you know? says Aimee Lou Woods character Tracey Taylor in Netflixs Toxic Town. If Jack Thorne were a less sensitive screenwriter, that line might be seen as a gag in a drama about a group of mothers whose infants were poisoned in utero by dust from a mismanaged industrial waste site. Toxins from the former Corby Steelworks clearly did get inside the women whose babies were born with limb differences as a result. Toxic Town is a dramatised version of a landmark real-life court case brought against Corby Borough Council for negligence that led to a cluster of birth abnormalities. Starring Wood, Jodie Whittaker, Claudia Jessie and more as the women affected, the four-parter follows them through 14 years from pregnancy to court. There, the women were subjected to humiliating cross-examination that insinuated their own deep-held fear that they were the ones to blame for what had happened to their kids. Instead, thanks to their work and that of solicitor Des Collins and co., negligence was proven and Corby Borough Council issued a long-awaited apology and financial compensation. Before that though, the council tried to prove that the toxic dust couldnt have spread so far as to reach the Corby mothers. They had an equation from a graph in a research paper on the coal industry on their side, but according to the drama (which is based on real events but contains fictional elements and states as much, as any post-Baby ReindeerNetflix show must), there was a mistake in their maths. A missed-off digit in the councils equation crumpled their defence.That wasnt the only mismanaged statistic. Earlier, an expert in the childrens legal team spots that an official report denying the existence of a cluster of babies born with limb differences in Corby has made an error. The reports birth stats had been double-counted, first counting birth abnormalities in North NorthamptonshireincludingCorby, and then comparing that figure to abnormalities in Corby alone. It threw off the statistical field. Counted correctly, the rate of births with limb differences in Corby is shown to be three times higher than the national average.That, in addition to witness testimony, leads to the case being found in the childrens favour.One of the witnesses on whom much rests in the TV drama is a former council engineer and whistleblower. In episode one, we see his concerns dismissed about uncovered lorries transporting toxic soil and not using the required wheel washing equipment. He leaks tender paperwork showing a value of 0 next to the sections for Health and Safety and PPE. Its the way it has to work, hes told by a colleague. If you want to move forward, you have to cut red tape.Thats a popular sentiment, judging by its repeated use by the UKs current government, during the Brexit debate, and before. Its health and safety gone mad. People in this country have had enough of experts. Red tape stands in the way of progressProgress, or profits?Toxic Townknows which, and tells its urgent story through empathy-machine actors like Jodie Whittaker and Aimee-Lou Wood, to make sure its audience notices the difference. Stats are mishandled and misapplied. An expert is ignored and mocked. Councillors are shown in cahoots with business owners to whom they grant expensive contracts. Public money lines private pockets and the dire human cost of corner cutting is shown as a result. It all starts to feel depressingly familiar.Its no coincidence thatToxic Townwriter Jack Thorne was also behind 2021 Covid dramaHelp, starring Jodie Comer and Stephen Graham more actors who breathe empathy in and out like its their own planetary atmosphere. The two dramas tell very different true stories about the same things: profits being put before responsibility, experts urging caution being dismissed as killjoy nerds, and lies being told at the highest level, to the detriment of vulnerable people.SkysChernobyldid the same. So did the BBCsThe Salisbury Poisoningsand ITVsMr Bates Vs the Post Office. And so, inevitably, will Peter Kosminskys forthcoming BBC three-part drama on the Grenfell Tower fire. These dramas exist to counter the perfidious narrative that so-called red tape and health and safety regulations only exist to spoil everybodys good time. Theyre here to show that without it, and without experts the epidemiologists and mathematicians who fact-checked the distorted arguments used to deny the people of Corby the truth theres nothing to protect us from venal profiteers willing to sacrifice other peoples lives and wellbeing for the sake of a paycheque.All episodes of Toxic Town are available to stream now on Netflix.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!