There was so much to cover in 2024 across genre entertainment. Film and television welcomed new projects in the realms of Marvel Studios, anime, Star Wars, Warner Bros. and its DC Studios,and more. io9 also brought you latest from the worlds of games and theme parks, including big franchises like Indiana Jones and Universal Studios soon-to-arrive Epic Universe. Geekcore collectibles, toys, books, and comics kept our wallets very busy, too. Here are our favorite staff picks for stories and coverage of all things genre. Film Krypto! Warner Bros. 15 Things We Learned From James Gunn on the Set of Superman By Germain Lussier Its a bird, its a plane, its a report from the set of James GunnsSuperman. This past June, io9 was among several outlets invited to Cleveland, Ohio to visit the set of one of themost highly anticipated superherofilms ever. The relaunch of the DC Universe, starring the worlds first and most famous superhero, all from theman who madeGuardians of the Galaxy. And on that beautiful summer day, we learneda great many things about the film. And while we cant share everything we learned just yet, we can share some very,very cool stuff. [Read more] Captain America: The Winter Soldier By Justin Carter Back in theearly Marvel Cinematic Universe days, the second movies of a sub-franchise werent much to write home about. BothIron Man 2in 2010 and 2013s Thor: The Dark World felt like unremarkable sequels compared to their predecessors, hamstrung by being fast-tracked before they were ready or just not doing much beyond offering some light spectacle. That wasnt the case withCaptain America: The Winter Soldier. [Read More]MoanasMoana 2Destiny Was Foretold in the First Film By Sabina Graves When the credits rolled onMoana 2, we could not get over the stunning reveal that Moana (Aulii Cravalho) made a huge sacrifice which resulted in theDisney Princess becoming more than a royal wayfinder. As Moana gazed upon her gifts in the form of a new tattoo and oar upgrade, she asked herself does that mean? before Maui (Dwayne Johnson) gave a winking response as a non-answer as they celebrated theirwin against the gods. [Read more]Madame Web Is the Best Superhero Movie 2003 Has to Offer By James Whitbrook You may have heard that Madame Web isnot a good movie. That there are, in fact, things about Madame Web that could be described as The Worst. I am not here to refute those claims; there are in fact many things aboutMadame Webthat are not what you would feasibly call good. But in its surprise camp turn, it embraces its period setting to deliver a potent reminder on how far superhero movies have come, and what theyve lost along the way. [Read more]Time Is Finally onTenets By Justin Carter When Tenet released in 2020, it did so under the worst of circumstances. The context of the pandemic made the film a lightning rod when writer-director Christopher Nolan encouraged people to see it in theaters. Compared to his other recent movies, the time-bending spy thriller saw a more muted reaction. It made $365 million (against a $200M budget), and those who went to see it werent fully clicking with it. [Read More]Image: E One. Jennifer Kent Looks Back on 10 Years of Traumatizing Audiences With The Babadook By Cheryl Eddy The Babadookis returning to theaters forits 10-year anniversarybut really, did Jennifer Kents searing tale of a mother grappling with grief so powerful it manifests a monster everreallyescape your thoughts? The movie is terrifying on multiple levels, adroitly drawing on elements plucked from the darkest nightmares. io9 was thrilled to talk to the writer-director about her 2014 debut, which for a variety of reasons (somedecidedly more lighthearted than others) has only seen its pop culture footprint grow larger since its release.[Read more]John KrasinskisIF: The Spoiler FAQ By Germain Lussier Who could have guessed that John Krasinski would be so good at making horror movies? His directorial debut wasA Quiet Place, he followed it up withA Quiet Place Part II, and now hes made IF, not a horror film by genre but a horrible film in quality.We reviewed the film quite unfavorably herebut now that its in theaters, figured it might be worth diving into further by bringing by an io9 classic:the spoiler FAQ. [Read More] Longlegs Osgood Perkins on Nic Cage, T. rex, and the Scariest Movie of the Summer By Cheryl EddyIts almost time forLonglegsto arrive, and if you havent been counting down the days, you must not be a horror fan. It stars Maika Monroe(It Follows)as an FBI agent hunting a truly peculiar serial killerplayed by Nicolas Cage in one of hismost memorably shocking rolesever,which is saying a lot. You can check outio9s review of the film here, and keep reading for an interview with writer-director Osgood Perkins(The Blackcoats Daughter). [Read more] One of Dunes Biggest, Non-Spoiler Questions Is Answered in Sandworm Poop By Germain Lussier Dune: Part Two, which opens in theaters March 1, has a lot of thumpers in it. Like, a lot. Mainly because the Fremen and their culture are such a prevalent part of the film and often need a ride. And while watching, you cant help but wonder, where do these thumpers come from? Who makes them? Are they just one-and-done devices? We decided to ask the man himself, Dune: Part Two co-writer and director Denis Villeneuve, for his thoughts on thumpers and his answer did not disappoint. [Read More] io9 Meets the Real Hero of theVenomFranchise: Mrs. Chen By Gordon JacksonAs the bizarre and divisive yet always shockingly good-naturedVenomtrilogydraws to a close(still the gayest Marvel franchise, contrary to public opinion), something we can all agree on is the sheer joy of its breakout character: Mrs. Chen, the unflappable bodega proprietor and Eddie Brocks only human friend. Its for this reason we were honored to have the opportunity to speak to Peggy Lu, the pharmacist-turned-actor who portrays her. [Read more] Sonic 3 Is a Fast and Furry-ous Ride By Sabina GravesFull of electric spectacle and action-packed adventure,Sonic the Hedgehog 3completes the best video game movie trilogy yet. [Read more] How Cult Filmmaker Don Coscarelli Brought Phantasm From the Screen to the Page By Cheryl Eddyio9 talked to cult filmmaker Don Coscarelli when he released his memoir in 2018. Now, the director of Phantasm I-IV, as well as Bubba Ho-Tep, The Beastmaster, and John Dies at the End, is trying something new: fiction. Or rather, Phictiona book of short stories that explores tales from the world of Phantasm. [Read More] Aliens Villain Carter Burke Is Back! And Paul Reiser Told Us All About It By Germain Lussier James Camerons Aliens is one of the great sequels of all time. Heck, it might beone of the greatest movies of all time. And, in the almost 40 years since its release, moments, images, andcharacters from the filmhave cemented themselves in thepantheon of pop culture. [Read more] Television Netflix / Science Saru Racists Are Trying to MakeDan Da Danthe Latest Front in Their Culture War By Isaiah ColbertLately, the internet has become anuclear wasteland. The shelf life to enjoy new media, be it video games or anime, inevitably becomes the focal point of ameritless culture war, where chuds accuse art of being woke, pearl clutch at diverse characters who dont look like them being showcased in media, andlaunch harassment campaignsagainst creators and those attempting to foster constructive dialogue. [Read more] Star WarsIs at Its Most Interesting When It Trusts Us to Not Trust It By James Whitbrook The third episode ofThe Acolyteis pretty incredible fora lot of reasons. Its an episode that, in content, invites us to consider new perspectives on some of the sagasmost fundamental spiritual ideas, and delivers a meaty slice of back story for its protagonists and antagonists alike. But it also does something quite remarkable for Star Wars: it asks us to not make the assumption that what we are watching is the whole truth. [Read More] The Creators Behind Netflixs Castlevania Myth-Bust the Ins and Outs of Animation By Isaiah ColbertAnimation has experienced a mixed output in 2024. On the one hand, shows and films like the recently releasedDan Da Dan,Look Back,andRanma 1/2have reignited fans affinity for animation continuing to be an awe-inspiring medium teeming with visual clarity and fluid artistry. On the other hand, hotly anticipated shows like the long-delayedAdult SwimUzumakianime adaptationandBlue Lockseason twohave left fans wondering why their favorite projects didnt get as much shine as their contemporaries. [Read more] Banned Bluey Episode Dad Baby Is Finally Viewable in the U.S. By Sabina Graves ABlueyepisode originally released in 2020 everywhere except the United States finally gets the green light to be seenwith a catch: its only online (for now). [Read more]Evils Andrea Martin on Acting With Demons and the Terror of AI By Cheryl Eddy Andrea Martins career has included a lot of comedyshe was on legendary 1970s sketch seriesSCTVbut over the years shes excelled in nearly every genre, with two current projects earning her even more new fans: HulusOnly Murders in the Building, andParamount+sEvil. WithEvilheading toward its series finale, io9 jumped at the chance to talk to Martin about what its like starring onone of TVs best-ever horror series, particularly in the context of her character: Sister Andrea,a wise, wisecracking, demon-slaying nun. [Read More] The Best Moment in Deep Space Nines Greatest Episode Is a Punch Left Unthrown By James Whitbrook Twenty-six years ago today,Deep Space Ninedelivered the knife under its cloaked examination of Star Treks morals in wartime with all the delicate precision of a sewing needle: the incredible In the Pale Moonlight, not just one ofDS9 or Star Treks finest hours, but one of the all time greatest episodes of TV ever made. But the finest moment in an already immaculate piece of television is all about the ways to enact violence without lifting a single finger.[Read more]Interview With the Vampires Season 2 Finale Goes Full Divorce Court By Sabina Graves Leave it up to Daniel Molloy (Eric Bogosian) to giveLouis (Jacob Anderson) interview a final definitive disruption that leads to marital woes for Armand (Assad Zaman). Call it a vendetta writ large for our entertainment while Molloy plays roast host like a daytime Maury or Divorce Court episode, because youll be hootin and hollerin during And Thats The End Of It. Theres Nothing Elsethe eighth episode of AMC and AMC+sInterview with The Vampireseason two. The episode brings inshowrunner Rolin Jones as its scribe for all the explosive revenge and revelations in the finale directed by Levan Arkin. [Read more] Games, Immersive Entertainment, and Theme Parks Bethesda Every Moment Youre Playing Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Feels Like Torture By James Whitbrook Indiana Jonesshould be the perfect video game hero. He solves puzzles,he shoots Nazis, he leaps and swings through an international cavalcade of locations primed for platforming. His very existence has inspired some of the greats of the medium, fromTomb RaidertoUncharted, all in homage to the whip-slinging blueprint Indy provided. And while hes definitely starred in plenty of attempts over the years, he still feels like hes waiting for his moment to shine in the world of games of his own accord, rather than simply via the impact of his legacy. WithIndiana Jones and the Great Circle, hes very much still waiting. [Read more]The Essence of Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Was You Made the Experience By Sabina Graves A year after theStar Wars: Galactic Starcruisertook its last flight, heres a look back at the best of Disney Parks bold venture into the immersive entertainment spaceand why in the end, it couldnt quite work. [Read More] Borderlands Will Always Shoot to the Beat of Its Own Gun by Justin Carter In its heyday, the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 era produced many still-ongoing franchises, but few have endured quite as interestingly asBorderlands. Gearbox Softwares shooter-RPG series has been so definitive and soinfamousfor so long in ways that will never truly go away. At the same time, its always been itself: for better or worse,Borderlandshas no interest in changing what it is, or at least not for very long. [Read more] The Dark Universe Begins Again at Universals Theme Park By Sabina Graves Universal Studios would not be the premiere cinematic experience theme park without the Universal Monsters. Influencing filmmakers from Spielberg to Peele, they are the blueprint of thrills and its about damn time that the almost century-old fandom will finally get its due withEpic UniversesDark Universe, the theme park home of gods and monsters. This new area joins the previously announced lands at Universal Studios Orlandos newest theme park, includingSuper Nintendo WorldandHow to Train Your Dragons Isle of Berk. [Read more] Dragon Age: The Veilguard Is Ready to Bring You Back By Justin Carter After revitalizingMass Effectwith aremastered collectionof the first three games and handing offStar Wars: The Old Republicto a separate studio, BioWares now putting its full weight behind its other big franchise,Dragon Age.Over the years, its been a question of if (and in what way) BioWare would return to the world of Thedas, even as itd continuously reaffirm a new entry was in development. [Read more] Tianas Bayou Adventure Breaks 87 Years of a Weird Disney Princess Canon By Sabina Graves Over the past few days Disneyfans who have managed to ride Tianas Bayou Adventure at Walt Disney Worldhave been among the first to experiencethe continuation of Tianas fairytaleafter the events 2009s The Princess and the Frog. The ride itself serves as a sequel in attraction form, where guests follow Tiana and friends as they put together a band for their Mardi Gras celebration. But there are so many more details revealed even before you board the flume water ride for fans of the beloved Disney film. [Read more] Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, whats next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.